The NFL world continues to show at breakneck velocity. Two weeks in the past it appeared the Jets had been heading in the right direction and the Payments had been world-beaters — now, in back-to-back weeks, the Jets have struggled to attain factors whereas the Payments misplaced back-to-back video games to different (presumed) AFC bluebloods.
One factor that is still constant: Some kickers simply don’t miss…
THAT’S OUR ALL-TIME LEADING SCORER 🫡 pic.twitter.com/BeQo2Wn2So
— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) October 6, 2024
The Athletic NFL writers Mike Jones, Ted Nguyen and Dan Pompei share their ideas on all of those storylines and extra.
The Cardinals upset the 49ers in Santa Clara whereas the Rams and the Seahawks misplaced at dwelling. How does the NFC West stack up now?
Nguyen: It’s nonetheless the 49ers’ division to lose. In two of their three losses, they blew leads late within the sport. They all the time appear to have one tough stretch each season earlier than happening a run. Shedding kicker Jake Moody, who was harm within the first quarter attempting to make a sort out, was massive on Sunday. It affected how aggressive they needed to be as a result of they couldn’t accept discipline targets. Fortunately for the 49ers, the division-leading Seahawks dropped a sport towards a nasty Giants staff on Sunday. San Francisco performs in Seattle on Thursday evening in a monster sport that would have implications late within the season. Earlier than the season, I assumed the Cardinals had been a staff that wasn’t ok to really compete for the NFC West title however they had been feisty sufficient to be a thorn within the aspect of groups with playoff aspirations — that’s precisely what they had been on Sunday. Additionally, the truth that each staff on this division is shut proper now could be shopping for time for the Rams to get wholesome and attempt to make a run.
Jones: It’s nonetheless too early to know. That is going to be a canine struggle down the stretch. The 49ers and Seahawks will battle for the divisional crown, however the Rams and Cardinals will scratch and claw to make sure that they do the whole lot of their energy to push San Francisco and Seattle. I nonetheless consider that by the tip of the season, San Francisco will show itself as one of the best squad within the NFC West, and Seattle will most likely attain the postseason as properly. However it’s going to be wild!
Pompei: Ask once more Friday morning after the 49ers and Seahawks play — their Thursday evening sport will probably be telling. At this level a minimum of, these two are the favorites within the division. It’s no coincidence they each have robust defenses. The 49ers are probably the most proficient staff within the division when wholesome, and in the event that they get more healthy because the season goes on they are going to be a December drive. The Seahawks ought to contend too. And the Rams are a little bit just like the 49ers in that they might get higher as they get more healthy.
The Jets had been shut however, for a second straight week, too uneven offensively to return away with a win. When you’re GM Joe Douglas, do you commerce a Day 2 choose (and possibly extra) and persuade his boss to pay up for Davante Adams?
Nguyen: With Aaron Rodgers’ age and their protection, the Jets have a small window to make some noise. I’d commerce a Day 2 choose to get Adams. Until Douglas actually doesn’t consider this staff has a shot at profitable late within the yr, he has to make this transfer. This offense desperately wants one other playmaker on the surface. Rodgers obtained what he wished with the Jets — in Inexperienced Bay, he complained in regards to the motion-heavy, play-action-heavy system. With the Jets, he has a static offense with him on the controls, and with out a number of schematic benefits. They want somebody to take the eye away from Garrett Wilson and take defenders out of the field. Adams would try this for them. He received’t clear up all their points however simply his gravity can be a drive multiplier for this offense.
Jones: Adams isn’t going to repair the entire Jets’ ills. Positive, he’s price a Day 2 choose, however they’re not one participant away. They’ve safety points alongside their offensive line. Their protection struggles to cease the run and is simply center of the street in producing takeaways. And their quarterback is abruptly forcing issues and turning the ball over. Adams’ presence might assist make Aaron Rodgers extra snug; having somebody reverse Garrett Wilson that may win 1-on-1 matchups will surely make life simpler for any quarterback. In principle, Adams would additionally add some much-needed explosiveness to a Jets offense that entered this week ranked twenty ninth within the NFL in complete yards and twenty seventh in factors. However does he abruptly make them elite? I don’t suppose so. He would most likely have a greater shot at a Tremendous Bowl if he went to a staff just like the Ravens.
Pompei: So long as the compensation will not be too unreasonable, a commerce is sensible. The Jets already made it clear they’re all-in once they acquired Tyron Smith and Mike Williams within the offseason, after which traded for Haason Reddick. They need to stay all-in and attempt to reap the benefits of no matter Rodgers may give them. They haven’t impressed confidence with their play these days, however the Jets are 2-3 and in second place within the AFC East, only a sport again of the 3-2 Payments. The increase Adams might give them — each offensively and emotionally — can be well worth the threat.
Considerably equally, for Buffalo, is the offense’s regression the previous two weeks only a matter of back-to-back street video games towards good opponents, or is there one thing extra worrisome happening with this Josh Allen-Joe Brady manufacturing?
Jones: What’s worrisome is that the Payments determined that Josh Allen was ok to hold them and shipped off Stefon Diggs and didn’t commit a number of sources to dramatically upgrading the supporting solid. Sure, they drafted Keon Coleman, however you may’t anticipate a rookie to fill the footwear of a perennial Professional Bowl wideout in his first season, and much too heavy a load rests on Allen’s shoulders. The Payments’ protection additionally suffered losses in free company, and holes went unfilled despite the fact that Buffalo’s high rivals within the AFC embrace elite offenses in Kansas Metropolis, Baltimore and Cincinnati. So, the truth that the Payments couldn’t get the job accomplished towards playoff groups in back-to-back weeks shouldn’t come as a shock. This roster doesn’t measure up.
Pompei: The Payments simply misplaced two video games on the street towards Tremendous Bowl contenders, so we shouldn’t overreact. They continue to be a contender themselves, however this isn’t a newsflash: They don’t have sufficient playmakers on offense. The narrative that buying and selling Stefon Diggs might be addition by subtraction was virtually definitely misguided. Changing Diggs with Justin Jefferson, because the Vikings did, was one factor; changing him with Keon Coleman is one other. Possibly it might have been a plus if the Payments changed him with an analogous expertise, however they’ve left Allen with out sufficient receiving choices who can get open, make robust catches and be inventive with the ball of their fingers. It could be this staff’s undoing.
Nguyen: It’s undoubtedly regarding how inefficient the offense is. They merely don’t have sufficient weapons. Tight finish Dalton Kincaid, who they drafted within the first spherical final season, hasn’t been the drive that they thought he can be. Keon Coleman, who they drafted within the second spherical this yr, might develop ultimately however they want him to be a a lot larger a part of the offense proper now. Khalil Shakir is their greatest receiver however he shouldn’t be in a No. 1 position. Sure, the Payments misplaced to 2 contenders on the street, however their objective is to win a Tremendous Bowl and the final two weeks put their largest points within the highlight. Until Coleman and Kincaid get higher quick, Allen would possibly simply not have sufficient assist to get him over the hump this season.
Other than a time machine, is there something the Cleveland Browns can do to save lots of this season — on both aspect of the ball?
Pompei: The one factor that would save a season like this for the Browns is a star quarterback. They’ve one who has lifted his groups earlier than, however it is a completely different Watson than the youthful model, who was transformative for Clemson and later for the Texans. He’s a part of the issue, not the answer. The answer is more likely to be a 2025 first-round draft choose (which can be a really excessive one), or a veteran acquisition subsequent March. The Browns most likely can be greatest served by turning the web page on Watson sooner reasonably than later. It’s very doable Jameis Winston would a minimum of give them some spark.
Nguyen: They will sit Watson and see what they’ve in Dorian Thompson-Robinson and pray that he exhibits out and provides them a glimmer of hope that he can save the franchise. Proper now, the franchise’s long-term plan has blown up of their faces, and in spectacular style. Watson isn’t simply not taking part in properly, he’s taking part in like one of many worst quarterbacks within the league. The offensive line is in shambles and he isn’t getting a number of safety, however there are alternatives that Watson will not be making the most of and he makes the difficulty worse by holding on to the ball. The protection, which was suppose to hold this staff, has regressed and Myles Garrett is coping with a number of accidents. If the Thompson-Robinson route isn’t the best way, their greatest hope is to sink far sufficient to get the primary choose within the draft.
Jones: The Browns are just about screwed. They will’t magically repair their injury-riddled offensive line. They will’t rush Nick Chubb again in his rehab from final yr’s devastating knee damage. They usually can’t bathe Deshaun Watson in some type of magic potion to show him again into an elite quarterback. Watson is a shell of himself; he handed for less than 125 yards and a landing on 15 of 28 passing on Sunday. Cleveland’s offense was 1-for-13 on third downs. The Browns preserve hoping that Watson goes to regain his really feel for the sport, however he simply appears misplaced. He’s nonetheless owed a ton of cash, however the Browns want to significantly take into account a change to Jameis Winston to see if he may give their offense a spark. Possibly improved offensive manufacturing would assist ease strain on the Browns’ protection. It is a proficient unit, however they obtained gashed for 434 yards by a Commanders offense led by rookie Jayden Daniels, who principally had his manner with them, passing for 238 yards and a landing and dashing for an additional 82 yards. Typically, there are not any apparent season-saving fixes for the Browns.
After a collapse at dwelling towards the Ravens, are the Bengals cooked?
Pompei: If any staff can come again from a 1-4 begin, it’s the Bengals. They did O.Okay. final yr after beginning 1-3, and so they did okay the yr earlier than after beginning 2-3. They are going to have a chance to get to 3-4 with two wins towards groups which have struggled — the Giants and Browns. Then they will get to .500 with a win over the Eagles. Burrow performs his greatest when the stakes are highest, and the teaching and personnel are strong. We haven’t heard the final of the Bengals.
Jones: They’re not cooked. That was a painful loss, however the season isn’t misplaced. There’s nonetheless a number of soccer left, and the subsequent 12 video games function 5 divisional video games. The quick stretch consists of dates with the hapless New York Giants, the snake-bitten Browns, the disjointed Eagles, the middling Raiders after which a rematch with the Ravens. Which means the Bengals might truly enhance to 5-4 earlier than they face the Ravens once more. Cincinnati’s offense lastly seems to have regained its explosiveness. They’ve topped the 30-point mark in three straight weeks. They simply wanted a number of key stops from their protection in every of the final three video games, and so they might have emerged with a win or two. Sure, it seems like coulda-shoulda-woulda. However the truth is, the Bengals nonetheless have a legit likelihood to show this factor round.
Nguyen: Wanting strictly on the 1-4 report, I assumed they had been very, completely cooked — well-done, crispy, burnt. A 1-4 begin is tough to return again from however they’ve two video games in a row towards the Browns and Giants earlier than dealing with off with the struggling Eagles and Raiders at dwelling. If they will reap the benefits of this stretch, they’ll be again within the race. I’m unsure if this staff is nice sufficient to be really in championship rivalry however I’m certain they’ll make issues fascinating towards the tip of the season. Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, and Tee Higgins are too good to be counted fully out, however the protection simply isn’t ok for this staff to make an actual run.
(Prime picture: Ezra Shaw / Getty Pictures)
