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The NFL world continues to show at breakneck pace. 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 house. 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 recreation. They all the time appear to have one tough stretch each season earlier than occurring a run. Dropping kicker Jake Moody, who was damage within the first quarter making an attempt to make a deal with, was huge 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 recreation in opposition to a foul Giants workforce on Sunday. San Francisco performs in Seattle on Thursday evening in a monster recreation that might have implications late within the season. Earlier than the season, I assumed the Cardinals had been a workforce that wasn’t ok to really compete for the NFC West title however they had been feisty sufficient to be a thorn within the facet of groups with playoff aspirations — that’s precisely what they had been on Sunday. Additionally, the truth that each workforce 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 combat 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 imagine that by the top of the season, San Francisco will show itself as the very best squad within the NFC West, and Seattle will in all probability attain the postseason as nicely. But it surely’s going to be wild!
Pompei: Ask once more Friday morning after the 49ers and Seahawks play — their Thursday evening recreation will likely be telling. At this level at the very least, these two are the favorites within the division. It’s no coincidence they each have powerful defenses. The 49ers are probably the most gifted workforce 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 slightly just like the 49ers in that they may get higher as they get more healthy.
The Jets had been shut however, for a second straight week, too uneven offensively to come back away with a win. Should you’re GM Joe Douglas, do you commerce a Day 2 choose (and perhaps 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 imagine this workforce has a shot at successful late within the 12 months, he has to make this transfer. This offense desperately wants one other playmaker on the skin. Rodgers acquired what he needed 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 quite a lot 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 gained’t clear up all their points however simply his gravity could be a drive multiplier for this offense.
Jones: Adams isn’t going to repair all the Jets’ ills. Certain, he’s value 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 just center of the street in producing takeaways. And their quarterback is immediately forcing issues and turning the ball over. Adams’ presence might assist make Aaron Rodgers extra comfy; having somebody reverse Garrett Wilson that may win 1-on-1 matchups will surely make life simpler for any quarterback. In idea, 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 immediately make them elite? I don’t assume so. He would in all probability have a greater shot at a Tremendous Bowl if he went to a workforce just like the Ravens.
Pompei: So long as the compensation just isn’t too unreasonable, a commerce is sensible. The Jets already made it clear they’re all-in after 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 recently, however the Jets are 2-3 and in second place within the AFC East, only a recreation again of the 3-2 Payments. The enhance Adams might give them — each offensively and emotionally — could be definitely worth the danger.
Considerably equally, for Buffalo, is the offense’s regression the previous two weeks only a matter of back-to-back street video games in opposition to good opponents, or is there one thing extra worrisome occurring 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 dedicate quite a lot of sources to dramatically upgrading the supporting forged. Sure, they drafted Keon Coleman, however you may’t count on a rookie to fill the sneakers 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 though Buffalo’s prime opponents within the AFC embrace elite offenses in Kansas Metropolis, Baltimore and Cincinnati. So, the truth that the Payments couldn’t get the job achieved in opposition to 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 in opposition to 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 nearly 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 powerful catches and be artistic with the ball of their arms. It may be this workforce’s undoing.
Nguyen: It’s positively 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 could be. Keon Coleman, who they drafted within the second spherical this 12 months, 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 purpose is to win a Tremendous Bowl and the final two weeks put their greatest points within the highlight. Until Coleman and Kincaid get higher quick, Allen may simply not have sufficient assist to get him over the hump this season.
Except for a time machine, is there something the Cleveland Browns can do to avoid wasting this season — on both facet of the ball?
Pompei: The one factor that might 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 totally 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 in all probability could be greatest served by turning the web page on Watson sooner fairly than later. It’s very attainable Jameis Winston would at the very least give them some spark.
Nguyen: They will sit Watson and see what they’ve in Dorian Thompson-Robinson and pray that he reveals 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 vogue. Watson isn’t simply not taking part in nicely, 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 quite a lot of safety, however there are alternatives that Watson just isn’t benefiting from and he makes the problem worse by holding on to the ball. The protection, which was suppose to hold this workforce, has regressed and Myles Garrett is coping with a number of accidents. If the Thompson-Robinson route isn’t the way in which, 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 12 months’s devastating knee harm. They usually can’t bathe Deshaun Watson in some sort of magic potion to show him again into an elite quarterback. Watson is a shell of himself; he handed for under 125 yards and a landing on 15 of 28 passing on Sunday. Cleveland’s offense was 1-for-13 on third downs. The Browns maintain hoping that Watson goes to regain his really feel for the sport, however he simply seems misplaced. He’s nonetheless owed a ton of cash, however the Browns want to significantly think about 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. This can be a gifted unit, however they acquired gashed for 434 yards by a Commanders offense led by rookie Jayden Daniels, who principally had his approach with them, passing for 238 yards and a landing and dashing for one more 82 yards. Typically, there aren’t any apparent season-saving fixes for the Browns.
After a collapse at house in opposition to the Ravens, are the Bengals cooked?
Pompei: If any workforce can come again from a 1-4 begin, it’s the Bengals. They did O.Ok. final 12 months after beginning 1-3, and so they did okay the 12 months earlier than after beginning 2-3. They may have a chance to get to 3-4 with two wins in opposition to groups which have struggled — the Giants and Browns. Then they’ll 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 quite a lot of soccer left, and the following 12 video games function 5 divisional video games. The fast stretch contains dates with the hapless New York Giants, the snake-bitten Browns, the disjointed Eagles, the middling Raiders after which a rematch with the Ravens. Meaning 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 only wanted just a few 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 probability to show this factor round.
Nguyen: Wanting strictly on the 1-4 file, I assumed they had been very, completely cooked — well-done, crispy, burnt. A 1-4 begin is difficult to come back again from however they’ve two video games in a row in opposition to the Browns and Giants earlier than going through off with the struggling Eagles and Raiders at house. If they’ll reap the benefits of this stretch, they’ll be again within the race. I’m undecided if this workforce is nice sufficient to be really in championship rivalry however I’m certain they’ll make issues attention-grabbing towards the top 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 workforce to make an actual run.
(Prime photograph: Ezra Shaw / Getty Pictures)