NFL Week 5 Overreactions

Can you believe we’re already about a quarter of the way into this NFL season? It feels like I was just writing week one overreactions. Since then we have seen surprise teams like Minnesota remain undefeated while the Eagles look ready to rebuild.

Baltimore has figured it out & now the best team in the league

We all knew the Ravens would eventually get it together right? After their dominating win Sunday night over Buffalo it looks like they are there. Derrick Henry mowed down the Bills’ defense. Did you see that run to start the game? Sheesh.

Before that game, things looked a little shaky with Baltimore starting the season 0-2 and then nearly giving up a fourth quarter twenty-point lead to the Cowboys, but it seems they have figured it out. They have a big test this week as they face 1-3 division rival Cincinnati in what could sink the Bengals’ season and put them at 1-4 in a very competitive AFC North. The Bengals have really struggled at stopping the run so it sets up for another big game for King Henry.

Eagles’ struggles are real

The Philadelphia Eagles have gotten off to a rough start and maybe it’s due to injuries, but maybe it’s not. They started to struggle last season and after an embarrassing loss to Tampa Bay it seems like things are only getting worse. Hurts is averaging almost two turnovers per game. Things could get better with superstar receiver AJ Brown hinting at a return to the field soon on social media.

It could also be due to the loss of both offensive and defensive coordinators, both were there during that Super Bowl LVII run. Could it be time to move on from head coach Nick Sirianni? It could be. It seems unlikely the team will look to replace franchise quarterback Jalen Hurts and instead continue to build around him. I definitely expect a change at the end of the season, but nothing before out of respect for Sirianni.

On a side note, I don’t think any of us had the Commanders as real contenders for the NFC East title, but Jayden Daniels is probably the best quarterback in the division. The team sits atop the division with a 3-1 record.

Could Rodgers be headed to retirement next season?

Where have we seen this before? Oh right when the Jets signed former Packers QB Brett Favre. It was painful to watch the 40-year-old Aaron Rodgers take hit after hit against the Denver Broncos. The team could not get in the end zone and looked as putrid on offense as they did with Zach Wilson under center. Obviously Rodgers is not the team’s long-term solution at quarterback, but could this plan really end with Rodgers walking away after an underwhelming one-year stint in New York? If he plays anything like he did against Denver, it’s very possible they miss the playoffs entirely.

The team is the favorite to land wide receiver Davante Adams who stated he wants to be traded which could be seen as an admission that their current roster isn’t good enough to win it all. Some have used the word desperate when describing the Jets’ situation and they most definitely are in a tough spot as the most win-now team in the league.

Sam Darnold and the Vikings are a real threat

Everyone wrote the Vikings off this season when it was announced first round draft pick JJ McCarthy would be sidelined for the season. However, Sam Darnold put the league on notice that when given the top receiver in the league, he can win.  Darnold is the first quarterback in NFL history to win his first four games with a team while throwing multiple touchdown passes.  He leads the league in QB rating and touchdown passes

This week the Vikings head to London for the Sam Darnold revenge game against the Jets.  It’s very possible this team comes back to the US 5-0 and the best team in the league. If Darnold continues this level of play, it provides quite the dilemma for Minnesota. They could sign Darnold and go into win-now mode, trade McCarthy to get more pieces for a win-now situation or sign Darnold and have McCarthy develop under him.