Five [Opfer's Take]aways from NFL Week 7

5. Seven Tidbits from Week 7

Titans’ safety Kevin Byard recorded three interceptions against the Browns…

Both LA franchises – Rams & Chargers – recorded shutouts, winning by a combined score of 54-0…

Bears’ safety Eddie Jackson became the first player in NFL history to have two 75+ yard defensive touchdowns in the same game (76 yard INT, 75 yard fumble recovery)…

With Sunday’s win, the Dolphins have won 12 consecutive games decided by one score…

The ‘Sacksonville’ Jaguars recorded 10 sacks in a game for the second time this season. They lead the league with 33 (nine more than the next closest)…

Chicago is the first team since the 1950 Browns to win a game having five or fewer first downs and seven or fewer pass attempts…

Pittsburgh’s defense allowed just one first down and 19 total yards to the Bengals in the second half, which included two interceptions and four sacks.

4. London Laughers

At what point does the NFL cease its international series across the pond in London? The obvious answer is not anytime soon as it continues to try to expand its brand globally. So much so, that they have been increasing the number of games overseas each year. But at this rate, it may be time to start rethinking that notion. This season has seen a trio of noncompetitive blowouts, including two of which were shutouts, and a third that very well could have been. Jacksonville ousted Baltimore 44-7, New Orleans walloped Miami 20-0, and Los Angeles [Rams] annihilated Arizona 33-0. The winner has outscored their opponents by a combined score of 97-7. How is that exciting, let alone fun to watch?

The final game in London? Cleveland vs. Minnesota. Yikes!

3. Bears defying the odds

Three weeks ago, the Chicago Bears made a change at signal caller, handing the keys to rookie Mitchell Trubisky. They were hoping to spark a rather stagnant offense. While that has yet to happen, Trubisky is 2-1 as a starter, thanks in large part to his defense. On Sunday, Trubisky completed just four of seven passes (he has completed just 12 passes in his last two games – both wins)! FOUR of SEVEN! Yet the Bears still won by double digits (17-3). What is going on in the NFL? Carolina dominated time of possession (38:35 to 21:25), first downs (20 to 5), plays from scrimmage (69 to 37), and total yards (293 to 153). The Bears went three-and-out on five consecutive possessions to start the second half. Yet thanks to the two aforementioned defensive touchdowns, the discrepancy didn’t matter. Eddie Jackson alone defeated the Panthers, 14-3.  

Fun Facts: The Bears defense hasn’t allowed an offensive touchdown in their last nine quarters (BearsPR). Trubisky is the first non-injured starting QB to win a game with fewer than five completions since Tim Tebow in 2011 (NFL research).

A year to the day in which Eddie Jackson lost his season due to injury at Bama, he made history w/ the Bears (DailyHerald).

2. Atlanta Woes

The offensive struggles continue for a team that was virtually unstoppable a season ago. A year after having the number one scoring offense (33.8), the Falcons are averaging two touchdowns less per game in ‘17 (21.3, ranked 16th). OC Steve Sarkisian and QB Matt Ryan don’t seem to be on the same page, and it is hindering a team loaded with weapons. The fact that Julio Jones isn’t getting more touches, especially in the red zone, is baffling. He has been targeted just three times inside the 20, with one touchdown (a play in which he showcased his rare athletic prowess). The longer the issues persist, the tougher it’s going to be to make a run, especially in a tough division. And right now, nothing suggests a quick fix.   

Fun Fact: The Falcons have lost three straight games, all to AFC East opponents. Another AFC East opponent - the Jets - await in week 9.

1. Fly Eagles Fly!

Talk about making the leap from one year to the next. QB Carson Wentz is on a torrid pace to start the 2017 season, leading the Eagles to an NFL-best 6-1. With each passing game, the legend grows. On Monday, he was virtually flawless becoming just the seventh QB since the merger with four TD passes and 60 yards rushing in a game (ESPN). He also added another highlight to his growing reel, when he escaped what was a sure sack and scrambled 18 yards on a crucial third down. Wentz leads an Eagles attack that ranks third in total offense (9^th in passing, 4^th in rushing) and fifth in scoring offense (28.4). They are demoralizing defenses by converting third downs at a league-best 50.5% (Wentz has thrown seven TD’s on 3^rd down). Meanwhile, the defense is number one in the league in rush defense (67 yards/game) and ninth in the league in sacks. 

Losing All-Pro tackle Jason Peters for the season is a major blow, but if Philly can maintain its offense, and the defense can continue to improve under Schwartz, particularly against the pass, the Eagles will [no doubt] be a contender come January.

The Wentz Wagon continues to roll with each passing week (YahooSports).

Fun Fact: Wentz has more touchdown passes in the last three weeks (11) than 19 teams have this whole season (ESPN). He leads the league with 17.

Five [Opfer's Take]aways from NFL Week 6

5. Five tidbits

Rookie QB Deshaun Watson continued to impress on Sunday, throwing three more touchdown passes, tying Mark Rypien and Kurt Warner for the most passing TD (15) through his first six career games (ESPN). Watson leads the league in that category...

Since benching quarterback Mike Glennon, the Chicago Bears have had three players throw their first career touchdown passes – rookie QB Mitchell Trubisky, rookie RB Tarik Cohen, and punter Pat O’Donnell...

New Orleans and Detroit played in a game in which there were a combined five touchdowns by way of defense and special teams...

In that game, Lions DT A’Shawn Robinson intercepted Drew Brees at the two yard-line, taking it back for a score, while Saints DE Cam Jordan tipped a Matthew Stafford pass and picked it off in the end zone. It is the first time ever that two defensive linemen had interceptions for scores in the same game...

Pittsburgh’s Le’Veon Bell rushed for 179 yards on 32 carries while teammate Antonio Brown hauled in 8 passes for 155 yards. It was the first time both players recorded over 150 yards from scrimmage in the same game.  

Fun Fact: New Orleans next two games will be against the Brett Hundley-led Packers and the Mitchell Trubisky-led Bears. Saints QB Drew Brees has 472 more career passing touchdowns than those two combined (ESPN).

4. The NFC is WIDE open

Injuries are always tough to manage, especially through a rugged 16-game schedule. It’s even tougher when losing one of the best in the game. Reality hit Green Bay on Sunday, when quarterback Aaron Rodgers was lost for the season due to a broken collarbone. According to ESPN, the Packers went from having a 9.6% chance of winning the Super Bowl to 1.7% without Rodgers, from 53% to 25% to win the division, and from 79.6% to 50.2% to make the playoffs.

It now opens the door for the rest of the NFC to make a strong push. Currently, Philadelphia (5-1), Minnesota (4-2), Los Angeles (4-2), and Carolina (4-2) lead the way, with six other teams with three wins a piece. The largest lead in any division belongs to the Eagles, who have a two-game lead on the Skins in the East. Every other NFC division is either tied at the top or has teams that are a game or less behind.     

3. Turning back the clock

Oh what a change of scenery can do. After being signed by the Saints in the offseason, Adrian Peterson quickly became an afterthought in Sean Payton’s offense. Demoted to third string in favor of rookie star Alvin Kamara, Peterson didn’t fit the scheme. It showed through four games, as he tallied just 81 yards on 27 attempts (just 3 yards/carry).

As a result, Arizona -- a team desperate for a running game -- came calling, and in his first start in the desert, vintage AP returned to form rushing for 134 yards on 26 carries, including two touchdowns (5.2 yards per carry). It was the first time he rushed for over 100 yards in a game since 2015. All against a Tampa Bay defense that ranked eighth in rushing yards allowed entering week 6. Whether Peterson can continue this production remains to be seen, but for yet another Sunday, ‘all day’ echoed his epic play of the past to help jolt a struggling Cardinals offense. If AP returns to form, Arizona could be in contention in the NFC West.

2. Don’t worry, he’s not a top 20 quarterback…

Going into the 2016 NFL draft, the Cleveland Browns’ brass (imagine that) passed on Carson Wentz, concluding that he wouldn’t develop into a top 20 starting quarterback in the NFL. Hmm…

All Wentz has done since is develop into one of the best young signal callers in the game. In 2017, he is off to a scorching start living up to his number two overall selection. Through the first six weeks of the season, he ranks seventh in QB rating, fifth in passing yards, and second in touchdowns (13), all while leading the Eagles to a 5-1 start – the best in the NFC.

It’s okay Browns fans, while you continue to watch your team (and soon to be management) crumble with each passing game, the Eagles thank you for gifting them not only a top 5 [upside] gunslinger, but a QB that has the potential to finally take Philly over the top.  

1. Pop the Champagne!

What a day for Phins nation. For the first time all season, the Dolphins looked like an NFL team, coming back from a 17-0 halftime deficit to stun the Falcons in their own building, 20-17. Later in the day, the Steelers defeated the Chiefs, the last of the unbeaten, to solidify the ’72 Dolphins record – the only team to go undefeated in a season – for at least another year. Cheers! 

For another year, the Dolphins '72 undefeated record remains intact (palmbeachpost). 

Five [Opfer's Take]aways from NFL Week 5

5. So close yet so far away

Talk about opening a season with some heartbreak. Through the first five weeks, the San Francisco 49ers are winless… by the slimmest of margins. In their past four games, they’ve lost by a combined 11 points – by 3 (Seattle), by 2 (LA Rams), by 3 (Arizona), and by 3 (Indianapolis). Even worse, the past two defeats were in overtime. On Sunday, the Niners climbed back from a 23-9 deficit to tie it up in the 4th, only to have their hopes dashed on a 51-yard FG. Tough start for rookie head coach Kyle Shanahan.

4. Coughlin Magic

In his first season with the team, Tom Coughlin (executive VP of football operations) has instilled a different culture across the Jaguars organization. Using the same philosophy as his time in New York, the Jags are looking like a formidable team for the first time in years behind a strong defense and a potent rushing attack. Through five games, the defense ranks third in passing yards allowed (177.8), second in points allowed (16.6) and first in turnover margin (+10). Meanwhile, the offense ranks first in rushing yards per game (165.2). The most impressive thing about their 3-2 start: they’ve dismantled two AFC North powers by a combined score of 74-16 (def. Baltimore 44-7 and Pittsburgh 30-9). Don’t look now, but the Jaguars are first in the wide open AFC South. And keep this in mind – they have the easiest remaining schedule in the league.

Fun Fact: Through just five weeks, Jacksonville has tied its win total from all of last season (3).

The rookie stole the spotlight in Pittsburgh, rushing for 181 yards and 2 TD's in the win (FTW).

3. You can’t make this stuff up

On Sunday, the Browns outplayed the Jets both offensively and defensively through pretty much the entirety of the game (out-gained the Jets 419-212). Hec, top prospect Myles Garrett recorded a sack on his first NFL snap and finished with two sacks in his debut. That still didn’t matter as not only did the Dawgs lose, they did something incomprehensible (wait... is anything this team does a surprise anymore?) 

The Browns had four possessions travel inside the red zone – three inside the Jets 5-yard line – and scored ZERO points. Three trips inside the five!! Isaiah Crowell fumbled an option exchange from Kizer for the first miscue (why are you calling a play you never run?). Then, Kizer threw an interception - on a ball he should have thrown away - to end the second scoring threat. Finally, instead of going for a potential game-tying field goal on 4^th-and-1, Cleveland decided to go for it and were stopped short (Jets took the ensuing possession the length of the field for a TD). For the cherry on top, rookie kicker - Zane Gonzalez - missed two field goals. So let’s see… That’s at least 15 points left off the scoreboard. The Browns lost by three (17-14). Just another dreadful loss to add to a forgetful resume. You simply can’t make this stuff up.

Fun Fact: On Sunday, Jets QB Josh McCown won his third game in a row for the first time in his career.

2. Crazy nuggets from Sunday

The Cleveland Browns have lost 30 of their last 32 games. That’s not a misprint...

The Kansas City Chiefs haven’t committed a turnover since the first snap of the season (a fumble by rookie phenom Kareem Hunt)…

Houston’s Deshaun Watson tied the rookie record for passing touchdowns in a game with 5 (second week in a row he has tied a rookie record)…

Chiefs QB Alex Smith has completed an NFL-best 76.6 percent of his passes, with 11 touchdowns and no interceptions…

Talk about an unlucky break. The New York Giants lost three wide receivers for the season due to injury – superstar Odell Beckham Jr., veteran Brandon Marshall, and receiver/returner Dwayne Harris – and a fourth for an extended period of time (Sterling Shepard). Oh yeah, and they're 0-5…

The Texans lost two of their best pass rushers for the season due to injury – three-time defensive MVP J.J. Watt, and Whitney Mercilus.

1. Mr. Rodgers’ Neighborhood

There’s not a more complete quarterback in the league than Aaron Rodgers, especially with the game on the line. On Sunday, down three with 1:13 to go, Rodgers came through in the clutch yet again. He orchestrated a 9-play, 75-yard drive in just over a minute to defeat the Cowboys in Dallas. It was a case of déjà vu for the Boys (just last season in the playoffs Rodgers led a similar drive to set up a game-winning field goal to oust the number one seed). This season, he has thrown a league-best six touchdowns in the fourth quarter, with four of the six coming with his team trailing (ESPN). He ranks in the top-10 in every statistical category, including fifth in quarterback rating, fourth in yards, and first in touchdown passes with 13. Just another day at the office for Mr. Rodgers.  

Rodgers galloped his way to another 4th quarter comeback on Sunday (Texas Monthly).

 

Five [Opfer’s Take]aways from NFL Week 4

5. There’s a first for everything

A week after the NFL saw a final score of 41-39 for the first time in NFL history (Rams over Niners), two more finals made the list in week 4. The Texans thrashed the Titans 57-14, while the Seahawks demolished the Colts 46-18. Both finals are the first time the NFL has ever finished games with those scores. Through the first four weeks, the NFL has finished with three final scores never seen before. If anything, it speaks to the unpredictably weird start to the season.

Fun Fact: There are still 404 final scores that have yet to be reached (SBNation).  

4. Surprising Sean’s!

Two first year head coaches have their teams turning heads through the first quarter of the season.

In 2016, the Bills finished 3^rd in the AFC East, suffered yet another losing season (12^th out of the last 13 seasons) and fired their head coach. In 2017, under new coach Sean McDermott, the Bills are currently 3-1 and first in the AFC East. They’re doing it thanks in large part to their defense. While the offense ranks 29^th, Buffalo leads the league in scoring defense (13.5 points/game), ranks 10^th in total yards allowed, and has surrendered just one touchdown pass. Their recipe has been enough to knock off the defending NFC Champions on the road (Atlanta), and the formidable Denver Broncos (both wins are the only losses the Falcons and Broncos have suffered). The Bills haven’t made the playoffs in 17 seasons, but after a quarter of the season, McDermott and Co. have the Bills Mafia thinking… Playoffs? (Insert Jim Mora playoffs rant).

Meanwhile, the Rams also had a rough campaign a season ago. Likewise, they finished 3^rd in their division (4-12) losing 11 of their last 12 games, and fired their nut of a head coach (Jeff Fisher). Under new coach Sean McVay – the youngest head coach in modern NFL history (31) – the Rams are thriving at 3-1. He has revitalized the careers of second year QB Jared Goff and third year RB Todd Gurley, as the Rams lead the league in scoring (35.5 points/game) and are 5^th in total yards per game. The troubling sign is the defense, as they’ve allowed a staggering 4.9 yards per carry (29^th) and a league-worst seven rushing touchdowns. It's like they've flipped their script from a season ago when they were last in total offense but fielded a top-10 defense. For now, it's working, but DC Wade Phillips has to make adjustments in order for this team to have long-term success. The offense may not be sustainable through an entire 16 games either, but for the first time in years, McVay has Los Angeles on the rise with an exciting crop of young talent. 

Fun Fact: The Rams haven’t had a winning season since 2003 (13 seasons), also the last time they made the playoffs.   

3. Wearing off the rust

Cam Newton’s shoulder. Le’Veon Bell’s holdout. Both erased the rust and concerns with big performances on Sunday.

Just when it looked like Cam was on the decline, he delivered in the clutch (SBNation).

A week after one of his worst outings, Newton returned to his vintage MVP form going 22-of-29, for 316 yards, 3 TD’s, an INT, while rushing for 44 and another score. Oh, and he led the Panthers to a game-winning drive to defeat the defending Superbowl champs on their own turf. The scary thing? Carolina is 3-1. If Newton returns to form, this could be a contender brewing in the NFC.

Through the first two weeks, Bell was slowly ingrained back into the Steelers offense. He was barely effective showing rust from his holdout, carrying the ball 25 times for 92 yards (3.68/carry) and no touchdowns. On Sunday against division rival Baltimore, Bell rushed for 144 yards and two scores on 35 carries! 35 carries! That’s unheard of in today’s game. He also added 4 receptions for 42 yards. It’s safe to say the Steelers bell cow is back. That’s not a good sign for opposing defenses.  

Fun Fact: On Sunday, Cam Newton became the first quarterback in NFL history to rush for 50 career touchdowns.  

2. Mile High Defense

Is any team more under-the-radar than the Denver Broncos? Many experts picked this team to finish last in the AFC West. Through the first quarter of the season, the Broncos are using a similar formula to the one that won a title just two seasons ago – run the football and lean on a great defense. Denver ranks 3^rd in rushing offense (143 yards/game) while the defense ranks in the top 10 in just about every statistical category, most notably giving up just 50.8 rushing yards/game (next closest is Philly at 70.8), allowing just 2.4 yards/carry! They’ve held Ezekiel Elliott to 8 yards (9 att.), LeSean McCoy to 21 (14 att.), Marshawn Lynch to 12 (9 att.), and Melvin Gordon to 54 (18 att.). First year head coach Vance Joseph has the defense dominating like the days of old, and if it continues, a title contender could be renewed.

1. The Missing Link

Since they entered the league as an expansion team in 2002, the Houston Texans have had trouble finding a franchise signal caller. In three seasons under head coach Bill O’Brien, the Texans have started eight different quarterbacks – the most in the league in that span (yes, even more than the Browns). Enter 2017, and Houston may have struck gold in finally finding the piece to put the puzzle all together. Drafted number 12 overall in April’s draft, DeShaun Watson is quickly becoming a rising star, leading the Texans to two wins as the starter and nearly knocking off the defending champions in their own building. On Sunday, Watson was nearly flawless, going 25-of-34, for 283 yards, four touchdowns and one interception, while adding 24 yards and a score on the ground. He led Houston to touchdowns on five consecutive possessions, in route to scoring 57 points, the most in a single game in franchise history. It’s still early, but Watson is looking more and more like a franchise quarterback and the missing link in making the Texans legitimate contenders. 

Watson has Houston on the rise with a big showdown vs. KC on deck (ESPN.com)

Fun Fact: DeShaun Watson became the first rookie quarterback since 1961 (Fran Tarkenton) to throw for more than 250 yards, four TD passes and rush for a TD in a game.