Man, how good am I? Last week I told you that the Patriots were just fine, the Jags aren’t that good, and the Giants do suck. So, now, I have returned to once again pull you football fans from the edge. Here are the top overreactions from Week 2 in the NFL, with one not-so-crazy option sprinkled in.
Big Problems in Big D
Were the Cowboys embarrassed by Denver? Yes. Did Ezekiel Elliott quit on his team? Probably. Is Dallas a trash team? Absolutely not!
Look, the Broncos are one of the few teams built to stop the running game. They have one of the best defensive players in the game, Von Miller. Denver also has a solid secondary that was able to go one-on-one with Dallas’ wideouts. Sorry Cowboys fans, but Dez and Cole aren’t scaring anyone. That being said, the biggest issue on Sunday wasn’t the play; it was the coaching.
I understand that you are trailing, 21-10 at the half, but it’s only 11 points. You don’t need to start airing it out. 50 pass attempts is too much for any quarterback. Especially a sophomore QB, Dak Prescott. Maybe run the ball with ‘Zeke more than NINE TIMES! Just cause you hit a roadblock a couple of times doesn’t mean you give up. Dallas, your team isn’t trash. Your coach (and his overreactions) is.
Super Bowl Parties in Baltimore
Charm City is giddy as hell right now with the Ravens 2-0 start. It’s like Ed Reed, Chris McCalister and the Lewis triplets showed up or something. But I got two words for you, Baltimore: Bengals and Browns.
Yeah, those were your first two opponents. Arguably the most inept franchise in football one week after what looks to be the worst team this year (more on them later). Sure, the defense has looked impressive. They’ve given up just ten total points, an average of 303.5 yards per game, and they lead the NFL in interceptions. However, they have played Andy Dalton and Deshone Kizer, two of the worst quarterbacks statistically so far this year.
Baltimore will go to London this week to play Jacksonville (oooh, so scary). After that, two tough games. Pittsburgh comes to town, and they travel to Oakland. The Ravens are the benefit of a cupcake schedule. Like Alabama in the FCS. Sure, they have talent but don’t expect to play deep into January.
Now Starting for the Bears, Mitchell Trubyski
I know patience is running low in Chicago. It doesn’t help that you went all-in to get an unproven commodity at quarterback in the draft. But now is not the time to put in Trubyski. The overreactions to Mike Glennon may be warranted, especially when you’re ranked as the 21st offense in the NFL. What’s more important though is recognizing the potential in the future.
The easiest way to ensure you keep sucking is by throwing a kid who isn’t ready, into the fire. Ever wonder why Geno Smith, David Carr, etc. are busts? They weren’t ready for the job and were expected to perform at high levels. You know why Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers are great? Sure, they have exceptional talent, but they play for organizations who don’t mortgage the future for the present. Both Green Bay and New England kept these guys on the bench after they were drafted and let them learn the pro game. (I know, Brady would never have seen the field if not for Mo Lewis, but the point remains the same).
Want to watch Trubyski get blown up each week and need a new signal caller next year? Go for it. However, if you want to let the kid learn, suffer through a bad season, and maybe get a new head coach next year, that’s the right way to go. #TrustTheProcess
NFL Offense is Offensive
During the first two weeks of the season, there were 12 times when a team scored less than 10 points. Many people have turned this into a cry for help that offense is struggling. I’ve got two alternative theories. A) some of those teams plain suck, B) some of those are pure anomalies.
Let’s look at those Week 1 teams: Giants, 49ers, Seahawks, Colts, Bengals, Texans. Three have nobody quarterbacks (Niners, Colts, Texans). Two have atrocious offensive lines/quarterbacks (Giants and Bengals). The Seahawks here have never been a great offensive team. Any success has been mainly because of the defense. This is the seventh time in their last 18 games Seattle has been held to single digits. But they still win.
Now for the Week 2 squads: Bengals, Bears, Vikings, Niners, Panthers, Bills. The Bengals and Niners we’ve already discussed. The Bills and Vikings this past week played great defenses in Carolina and Pittsburgh so let’s call those anomalies. As for the Panthers, they win a 9-3 game over Buffalo one week after putting up 23 against San Francisco. Cam Newton is still figuring out to throw with a surgically repaired arm.
Let’s calm down on how bad these offenses are, or just accept how terrible some of these teams are.
Not-So-Crazy Overreactions: Time to Move On in Cinci
I teased this earlier, but this one isn’t so crazy. The Bengals have been awful this year. Shutout in the opener and then only nine points against a Houston team that was blown out by Jacksonville. More importantly, the offense ranks 27th in total yards and 22nd in passing yards. Andy Dalton has been sacked eight times and thrown four picks in two games.
Some of these overreactions can be blamed on the offensive coordinator, and it was. Ken Zampese was fired on Monday but he won’t (and shouldn’t) be the last to go. That link also shows that since Hue Jackson left to coach the Browns, Dalton has struggled a lot. Dalton also suffered a thumb injury around the same time, and that could be to blame. The lack of talent outside A.J. Green over the last two years could also be a culprit. I still believe there is more.
I like Andy Dalton as a quarterback but his time is just about up. He’s in his seventh year averaging 238 passing yards per game and a lackluster TD/INT ratio. It may be time to start scouting a new signal-caller in Cincinnati. More importantly, it 100% is time to find a new coach. Marvin Lewis has been around since 2003 and still hasn’t won a playoff game. He is 0-7 in the postseason, winning a division in four of those years. For a guy who had one good year as a defensive coordinator, he’s got a really long leash.
Time to wrap it up and move on.
