NFL 1st Quarter takeaways
Now that we are four weeks through the NFL season, or through the first quarter of the season, we have decided to take a look at some of the things we should take away from the events that have took place thus far.
1) Rookie are leaving their mark
This year has featured a division where two rookie quarterbacks have took their teams by strom and begun to set records and new expectations. Dak Prescott and Carson Wentz have been excellent, with either yet to throw an interception while leadin their teams to 3-1 and 3-0 starts respectively. They look the part and when Romo comes back who knows if he'll have his job. Four weeks in and these two look like the faces of their franchises. Another rookie on the Cowboys has shown his worth by leading the NFL in rushing thus far. After a slow start Ezekiel Eliiot has picked up the pace and begun to rush with the hype he was surronded with
Other rookies to mention are Sterling Shepard and Will Fuller, who have been excellent #2 options at reciever for their teams, putting up big numbers so far. Lastly, Jalen Ramsey of the Jaguars looks to be one of the NFL's premier corners for many years to come with solid production a routine already.
Other rookies to mention are Sterling Shepard and Will Fuller, who have been excellent #2 options at reciever for their teams, putting up big numbers so far. Lastly, Jalen Ramsey of the Jaguars looks to be one of the NFL's premier corners for many years to come with solid production a routine already.
2) The NFC West makes no sense
I don't know what to say. I swear Carson Palmer was good and the Cardinals should be in the playoffs this year. Intstead they are 1-3 and lost games they straight up should have won. Their defense has been okay, but their "explosive" offense from 2015 is no where to be found.
The Seahawks are 3-1 and sit tied a-top of the division. Expected right? Well yes, but they have not looked good. They barely beat the dolphins, who are horrible, while giving the fins chances to win, before losing to the LA Rams. Finally they got it together these past two weeks but their season has been uncharacteristic to this point.
The LA Rams are very hard to comprehend. In week 1 they were destroyed by the 49ers and were written off as a team with 0-16 potential. Their offense was putrid and their defense had seemed to take a step back. They're now 3-1, beating the SEAHAWKS AND CARDINALS????? The offense has picked up even with Gurley continuing to struggle and the defense has begun to look like last years version.
Finally, the 49ers offer some stability for the division, looking and playing like the 1-3 team they truly are. The only reason to pay attention is to see how the whole Kaepernick situation plays out,since he clearly should be starting anytime now.
3) Bill Belichick is incredible. But not perfect
The Patriots had to start their season without arguably the NFL's best quarterback for 4 games due to Roger Goodell's ego. To many, this spelled out a rough start with, 1-3 or 2-2, as a reasonable expectation for Brady's return. Now the Patriots are 3-1 after having to play half of their games with their 3rd string quarterback, rookie, Jacoby Brissett. They took down the Cardinals in Arizona, and shut out the Texans during a primetime game where Brissett started his first career game. The coaching staff was superb through the first four games, but the credit has to go to Bill. It's now no longer a question, that he prepares his players like no other coach in history while squeezing all possible talent out of every individual on their roster. Just watch the Texans game again. The special teams play was special. The gameplan was masterful. He focused on field position, knowing he had a sub-par rookie QB who could not win a shoot-out. The playbook was completely different than a game with Brady or Garrapolo.
However, he is not perfect. The Pats came out flat against the Bills and were shut out at home 16-0. This weeks performance shows that even he could not coach a team without a starting caliber QB to victory week in and week out. The claims that Brady is a system QB can go to sleep now. Yes, he is better today because of Bill, but that goes both ways, as they complement each other and help each others legacy.
4) Andrew Luck needs to be saved
If one thing is certain a quarter way through this NFL season, it's that Andrew Lucks talent is being wasted and possibly ruined. The Colts have struggled mightily through the first four weeks mustering one win, while dropping games to the still work in progress Jaguars and typical Lions. These games must all seem too familiar for Colts fans by now, with the Colts falling behind early due to a horrible defense with an offensive line that honestly would be better off not showing up. This leads to the Colts having to fight back, putting Luck into difficult situations which he seems to thrive in. However, this year the leads have been to much to fight back from, especially with a defense that can't get a stop. This has to be frustrating for Luck and his fans. His years of being a top NFL quarterback are being wasted, and his organization needs to realize this before he is hurt, or develops the attitude of Jay Cutler (much worse than being hurt).
5) Peyton Manning meant nothing to last years Super Bowl run
The Broncos are the last undefeated team, unless the Vikings win tonight, which they should, and they have done this with QB Trevor Simeon. He is not special, he is a game manager who limits turnovers and allows the running game to do their role. Last year the Broncos won the Super Bowl, and a lot of that praise went to Peyton Manning. But this year shows that the defense is special enough to carry Denver there again this season. Their CB duo with Talib and Harris is the best in the game, they have a terrorizing front seven with the NFL's top pass rusher, and they create turnovers very well. Defense and offensive game management are who this team are and have been, they won with this formula, not by what was left of Peyton's arm.
6) The AFC South is horrible
When is this division going to improve? The Texans lead the division after four weeks with a 3-1 record, but i am not convinced they are good. After being embarassed by the Patriots with a 3rd string QB i realized they are not a team with playoff aspirations. Now JJ Watt is out for the season, taking away their identity. Lastly, Brock Osweiler is just flat out bad, cashing in on his top tier QB pay, with mediocre performance.
Then theres the Colts. They have the QB, but as mentioned above, the defense and offensive line are costing the Colts thier season and their future.
I firmly believe the Jaguars are the best team in this division. On both sides of the ball they are talented, with young rising stars everywhere. Their offense is one of the better ones in the league with balanced attack led by young stars from Bortles, to Allen Robinson, to even the talented TJ Yeldon. This team has been in games this whole season and even though they sit at 1-3, so does 75% of their division. My prediction is the Jags rattle off some wins and steal the division with a record around 8-8.
The Titans are the last team, also sitting at 1-3. This is to be expected, they are still gathering pieces and progressing their young talent. Demarco Murrays revival has been nice to see as well.
7) The NFL is unpredictable
The Panthers are 1-3, the Vikings are undefeated without Adrian Peterson or Teddy Bridgewater while riding their top ranked defense. The Rams are 3-1 while the cardinals sit at 1-3, the Eagles and Cowboys lead their division with rookie quarterbacks. Terelle Pryor is a top WR in the NFL. The NFL is crazy... so sit back and enjoy the next 13 weeks.
