Some random thoughts about the season so far:
- I know Bryce Young didn’t play last week, and may not play this week, but I can still say the following: if Carolina is not careful they can ruin him–either by wrecking his confidence or his body. In my view, a short QB needs a really good OL–better than what a taller QB would need. Carolina doesn’t have that. I don’t think their run game and pass-catchers are good enough–not with this OL. To me, I would seriously have considered to either sit him or play a more run-based offense. With the latter, the idea is protect Young’s body and confidence. Rely on the run game, defense, and special teams. Call plays that Young can have success in. This approach might not lead to a good season, but I doubt such an approach exists. The roster isn’t good enough for that. The goal should be to develop Young–which includes protecting his body and mind.
- I only saw a few snaps of Stroud. Earlier, I said he looked stiff and awkward. He hasn’t look so awkward in the last two weeks.
- Jake Bobo, the undrafted rookie WR, is such a cool story. The guy ran a 4.99 40, which is slower than some offensive linemen. He’s 6′ 4″, though, and he’s proving to be a good blocker, which I love. He’s becoming a favorite.
- I don’t think Justin Fields is a very good QB, but I feel like the Bears are not helping him. My sense is that they want him to play in a more conventional offense, to help him develop in the pocket and see if he actually can develop in the pocket. There’s justification for this approach, but I think the Bears should create an offense like the Ravens (under Greg Roman) or the Eagles (Nick Sirianni). Mike Lombardi really hammered his co-host about this suggestion, saying Fields still has to make throws, and he can’t. My response is that the option offense can boost Fields’s confidence and morale, which can then put him in a better position to complete passes when he has to. There’s a good chance he won’t be a good passer, especially from the pocket, but I think this gives the Bears the best chance to win, and for Fields to develop. (Let him play in the QB-run offense for one or two years and then try to transition him. On the other hand, I’m guessing the Bears don’t want to wait that long. I suspect this year is the last chance for Fields.)
Which teams have the best defenses?
I’m going to try to put them in order
Browns, Cowboys
49ers
Patriots
Bengals, Steelers, Bills, Titans, Eagles
Some of these defenses could definitely move up and down this list. (I’m also not sure about the Saints, Bucs, or Colts defenses. Chiefs defense is solid at least, and they could get on here.)
Lions@Packers
Quick thoughts:
Even though Goff threw a pick early in the game, it seemed like the Packers started off really sluggishly; and excluding that INT, the Lions pounced on the Packers on both sides of the ball. They looked strong on both sides of the ball–the pass rush has been coming to life, and I really liked the balance attack. (The OL looked good, especially in run-blocking, as did David Montgomery.)
However, I thought the Lions relaxed a bit in the second half, and the Packers looked like they had more life in them.
I’m not a fan of Jordan Love. One think I don’t like is the way he throw off balance–twice I saw him jump in the air throw for no reason. It’s almost like he copied Aaron Rodger’s bad habits.
In the NFC would you have the following:
Tier 1 Teams:
Niners
Eagles
Cowboys
Tier 2 Teams:
Seahawks
Lions
Anybody else in the above tiers?
That looks right, although right now I’d put the Lions above the Seahawks. The current Seahawk defense is bad.
I would give consideration to the Rams as well.
Raiders@Chargers
Raiders were in this game, but the Raiders turnovers killed them. Raiders run defense looked pretty bad in the first half.
49ers@Cardinals
Cardinals are not a bad team. The Cardinals OL is looking very good. Josh Dobbs looks like a solid starter. The Cardinals defense seems to be more of their weakness, but they’re not the worst defense I’ve seen.
The 49er offense is overpowering, especially in terms of Christian McCaffrey. He looked like a one-man wrecking crew out there.
Broncos@Bears
The Broncos may have the worst defense right now (although maybe they have a lot of injuries–e.g., Justin Simmons and their safeties). The Broncos won, but barely, The Broncos defense made the Bears offense look somewhat decent.
Bengals@Titans
I really like the way the Titans play. They took it too the Bengals. They had one possession that ate up 10 minutes of the clock. Love when that happens.
Patriots@Cowboys
Not sure if the Patriots defense is dealing with injuries, but they didn’t look that great against the Cowboy offense. Overall, I think the Cowboys had good balance, but I don’t care for McCarthy (think he passes too much).
But the main problem is that the Patriots continue to turn over the ball. I think the Patriots should be looking for a new QB.
Steelers@Texans
I was critical of CJ Stroud early on, but he looked good today–although his throws seem a bit slow. I’d describe it as feathery. But as long as it gets to the target, that’s all that matters.
I’m not sure who the OC is, but I like his play calling. They have a solid team–maybe missing a few pieces or in need of some experience to be a really good team.
For the Steelers, I’m not a fan of Pickett, and Najee Harris.
Dolphins@Bills
The Dolphins seem to come out flat in this game, particularly their offense. (Their defense is a work in progress.) The Bills looked like they were more physical and had more energy. Tua and the Dolphin offense looked overwhelmed.
I’m rooting for Tua, but my honest opinion is that I don’t think he handles pressure/hits well. If the offense can keep him clean for the vast majority of the game, with the weapons they have, he can be really effective. But in the playoffs, there will likely be a game where that doesn’t happen. Also, on moments when the team really needed a completion I’ve seen him make a really bad throws. (That was last season, though, and maybe he was battling head trauma at the time.)
The Bills offense looks way more balanced than they’ve looked in previous years.
Seahawks@Giants
Giants OL missing their starting LT, and their starting C at some point. Except for the first drive and maybe one or two others, the Seahawks defense looked dominant, like they did in the past. Witherspoon showed why he was the fifth pick. It was exciting to see.
(Seahawks also missed their two starting OTs, and their two starting guards got knocked out of the game, as well. Considering that, the offense was fine.)