Did you wake up from the food coma yet? Were you drunker cause of family or football on Turkey day? Either way, there was football played this weekend and more than one bad overreaction. This week, we cover a lot of the NFC North, big trouble in Big D, and the age-old question of who would you rather have at wide receiver. Welcome to the last overreaction piece of November. Just a couple more weeks to go!
Antonio Brown is Better Than Julio Jones
Alright, here we go. This will be a fun little experiment for you guys. Which set of career stats (2011-Present) would you like to have?
Player A: 563 catches, 8,649 yards, 43 touchdowns
Player B: 896 catches, 9,405 yards, 58 touchdowns
The first guy is Julio Jones and the second is Antonio Brown. I understand that AB has played an extra year in the league, but neither guy has won a Super Bowl (each has lost one though). So while many of you would rather have Brown, let me tell you why you are wrong.
Throughout his career, Julio Jones has been the only REAL passing option for Atlanta, getting double covered more often than not. He also has the NFL record for most 250-receiving yard games in a career with three. Nobody else has had more than one. Furthermore, he’s already set the record for most catches and yards in his first 90 games and is an absolute wizard when it comes to catching.
Fantasy owners, you can have AB in your PPR leagues and enjoy those 5-yard slant routes. Give me Julio Jones, and I’ll see you in Canton. Probably with at least one more Super Bowl ring than Antonio.
Welcome to the NFL, Patrick Mahomes II
Since they started the season 5-0, the Kansas City Chiefs are 1-5 and lost three straight. As I said last week, I don’t think they miss the playoffs considering they still have three games against the division. However, if they make a quarterback change now, they probably will. The last thing you need is a panic move to take out your best option at the most important position on the field.
I’m sure Patrick Mahomes II is a talented kid. And I know the plan was to have him sit for the year and take over in 2018, so why change? Take a lesson from the Buffalo Bills. Remember, just a week ago, when a playoff-bound team benched their starting QB and watched a rookie throw five picks in the first half? Remember that overreaction? Cause I do.
You’ve got a road game against the Jets this weekend, and that should help Alex Smith figure it out. But as I’ve mentioned, the sudden disappearance of Tyreke Hill, Travis Kelce, and Kareem Hunt has more to do with Andy Reid’s conservative play calling than anything else. You’ll be fine if you just go back to being you.
Jason Garrett is Going to be Fired
Sorry, Shea in Irving, you’re going to have to deal with the Ivy League Ginger a little longer. Jerry Jones is going to use the excuse of Ezekiel Elliott’s suspensions, Tyron Smith and Sean Lee’s injuries as reasons not to fire him. Furthermore, Jones hates making changes. Remember how much he kept lobbying for Tony Romo to come back? Even with how great Dak Prescott was playing? He HATES making changes.
More importantly, who better is out there? There are very few coaches who are going to be available, and you’re not going to get Jim Harbaugh from Michigan. Is Jason Garrett a bad coach? He’s not the worst. Has his play calling/clock management been the biggest reason Dallas hasn’t been as good as they should? Most likely. But is he the biggest issue in the Cowboys organization? Nope. That’s ol’ JJ. Until Jones relinquishes control over football operations and stops trying to be the Pat Riley of football, the Cowboys will always be underachieving.
P.S. Watch that clip of Shea and tell me it’s not the greatest, consistent fan rant (not overreaction) ever.
C.J. Beathard is the Niners Quarterback
This may seem like a mean-spirited overreaction considering Beathard may have suffered a serious leg injury, but I was fully on his bandwagon until Sunday. I understood why San Francisco kept Jimmy Garoppolo on the bench for the first few weeks after the trade. It made sense to let him learn the playbook, draft a quality offensive line or skill player, and let Jimmy G take over next year. However, that time has now passed.
It’s one thing to “Trust the Process” in a sport like basketball where the fan base is more concerned about which superstar is coming to town rather than how good the local team is. To try and convince an NFL fan base to do that is almost impossible. You only have eight home games a year, and if you’re not going to show any signs of attempting to improve, it’s over. Following his 2-for-2 passing performance in the final 67 seconds after the injury, including a touchdown, the 49ers must continue to play Garoppolo.
I truthfully hope C.J. is alright cause I love his toughness. But one way or the other, he needs to just sit on the bench and wait for someone else to call him.
Not-So-Crazy Overreaction: The Vikings Are Legit
I’ve been trying hard to ignore them for a number of reasons. Injuries, Case Keenum, the Green Bay Packers, they haven’t been good in almost a decade. But I can’t ignore the Minnesota Vikings anymore. It helps that Aaron Rodgers is hurt and probably won’t be back, but this team is legit.
Having won seven in a row, including being the team that knocked out Rodgers, and a 9-2 record in the NFC North has Minnesota in the hunt for the #1 seed in the NFC. In the midst of their seven-game win streak, they have handled other top “contenders” fairly easily. A road win over Washington, a demolition of the Los Angeles Rams at home, and a Thanksgiving Day victory in Detroit as their last three victories? That says something.
The Vikings are fifth in the league in points allowed, yards gained, and yards allowed. All of that without their top draft pick in Dalvin Cook and Case Freaking Keenum at quarterback. They have the Falcons and Panthers on the road the next two weeks. If anyone else wants to hop on now to get a seat, come on.
Want to hear more from Christian? Follow him on Twitter and subscribe to his “Press Row” Podcast.
