Giants Destroy the Redskins in Washington

The second Alex Smith went down, the Redskins season had little hope. Their NFC East leading record wasn’t nearly a big enough head start to make a playoff spot. The rotation of Colt McCoy, Mark Sanchez, and Josh Johnson is not getting the job done — especially after McCoy’s season ending injury last week. Sanchez did not have another butt fumble, but he was part of the one of the worst blowouts in recent memory. The 40-16 final score doesn’t look too bad, but trust me, it was really bad.

The return of Mark Sanchez couldn’t have gone worse. (photo via Sporting News)

Even without Odell Beckham Jr, the Giants managed to score 33 points in the first half while holding the Redskins to 0. Sterling Shepard caught a touchdown, Benny Fowler caught a touchdown, even Russell Shepard caught a touchdown. Saquon Barkley ran for 170 yards on 14 carries including a 78 yard touchdown. Curtis Riley had a pick six, and in no time the Giants were up 40-0 midway through the third quarter.

Then the Redskins swapped out Sanchez for Josh Johnson, and it was actually pretty promising. Johnson threw for 195 yards and a touchdown to go along with 45 yards and a rushing touchdown in only about one and a half quarters. He did throw an interception, but that was off a tipped pass — not his fault. So maybe Josh Johnson is the answer to the Redskins problems, but now that they’re 6-7, they’re behind both the 6-6 Eagles and the 7-5 Cowboys.

Sure, Josh Johnson looked great, but good luck catching them.

NFL MVP Race Through 8 Weeks

Through 8 weeks, there’s typically only a few legitimate MVP candidates. This year, however, I can think of at least six players that could easily win the award. When I think of who I would vote for MVP, I think of the best teams — this year the Rams, the Chiefs, the Patriots, the Panthers, and the Saints. So my MVP candidates will come from these five teams… plus an exception. Sure, the Packers are 3-3-1, they’re third in their division, but Aaron Rodgers has as good of a chance to win the MVP this year as anyone.

Patrick Mahomes is on pace to throw 52 (!) touchdowns this year. (photo via ESPN.com)

After I find the good teams, I like to think of how a team would be without that player. After all, it’s the MOST VALUABLE player award. Without Aaron Rodgers, the Packers are a three-win team at best. Without Drew Brees, the Saints are a four or five win team. Without Patrick Mahomes, the Chiefs and their terrible defense are a four or five win team. Without Cam Newton, the Panthers would struggle to win 7. Contrary to popular belief, without Brady, Belichick and the Patriots would collapse. But then there’s Todd Gurley. Gurley’s having a year for the ages. Halfway through the season Gurley has 1151 scrimmage yards and 15 touchdowns. He’s incredible, but he’s not the MVP. The defense, the offensive line, and the steps that Jared Goff has made this year could keep the Rams as a 12 win team even without Gurley.

As it stands, I could see any of the 5 quarterbacks I mentioned winning the MVP. My money would be on Mahomes or Brees. As it stands, the Chiefs are 7-1 with what is probably the worst defense in the NFL. Mahomes’ numbers are unbelievable, and even if he regresses significantly he will still probably be able to win MVP. HOWEVER, I’d put my money on Drew Brees. After losing to Ryan Fitzpatrick, the Saints have won six straight games. Some of these wins have been against the league’s top defenses like the Ravens, Redskins, and Vikings. The Saints defense is better than the Chiefs’, but they’ve taken a big step back from last year. Brees has thrown 14 touchdowns and only one interception. If the Saints beat the Rams tomorrow, which I think they will, and Brees can keep his efficiency where it is, which I think he will, then Brees will win his first MVP award.

With that being said, Rodgers has played just about as well as Mahomes and Brees have this year with a worse supporting cast AND on an injured knee. Rodgers has a big game tomorrow night against the Patriots. If the Packers win can win seven of their next eight (they only have two tough games left all year), then Rodgers will be firmly in the MVP discussion, but probably right behind either Mahomes or Brees.

The Jets After Week Six

Through six weeks, the Jets–at the very least–have proven themselves as the best NFL team in New York.  The Giants, at 1-5, are plagued by the inadequate Eli Manning, who is a shell of the Super Bowl MVP he once was.  Saquon Barkley may be a generational talent, but Manning’s unwillingness to throw deep limits the Giants’ offense and makes them predictable to opposing defenses. The Bills, at 2-4, will have to play Derek Anderson (who was benched for Nathan Peterman–yikes) until Josh Allen returns.  While the Bills have been stronger defensively than many realize, their offensive struggles will hold them back.  The Jets, at 3-3, possess potential unlike any other New York team.

Isaiah Crowell totals 219 rushing yards and a touchdown against the Broncos (Via Mike Stobe/Getty Images)

With Sam Darnold, Gang Green has already scored 40 points twice; the last time the Jets had two 40-point games in a season was with Brett Favre in 2008.  Offensive coordinator Jeremy Bates has challenged Darnold by opening up the playbook, and the rookie has exceeded expectations.  Over the past two weeks Gang Green has scored 76 points, led by Sam Darnold with 5 TDs to 2 INTs.  To place Darnold’s performances into perspective, Pro Football Focus attributed Darnold a 89.1 QB grade during these two weeks–a rating only topped by Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers.  Darnold’s numbers should fall back down to earth, but fans should be excited at the production from the offense.

The Jets face a tough Vikings team at Metflife this Sunday.  This game will show spectators the true character of this team; if the Jets finish their three-game home stretch with three victories, then playoffs become a closer possibility than many predicted during the offseason.  Adam Thielen leads all wide receivers in receptions at 58 and recieving yards 712; needless to say, he will pose threat to a Jets’ secondary lacking Trumaine Johnson, Marcus Maye, and Buster Skrine.  However, Sam Darnold gives hope that the Jets can get aggressive and compete offensively.  The potential for an upset may be more likely than people think.

Giants Beat Texans

The Giants offense didn’t look terrible on Sunday.

Eli Manning went 25 of 29 for 297 yards and two touchdowns, which might be his best game since 2016. Odell had over 100 yards. Saquon Barkley looked unstoppable as he ran for 82 and a touchdown. But right tackle is still a problem. Shurmur benched Ereck Flowers for Chad Wheeler, who was a slight improvement but still got lit up by JJ Watt and his three sacks.

JJ Watt took advantage of the inexperience of RT Chad Wheeler to end his sack drought (photo via Daily Express)

The defense was good in the first half, but allowed 16 second half points, which of course involved a last second garbage time touchdown to Lamar Miller. Landon Collins and Janoris Jenkins managed to keep Deandre Hopkins’ impact to a minimum. Will Fuller V had a pretty good day, but the Giants D line managed to stop Miller and Hopkins, so it didn’t really matter.

The Giants will take on the Saints as home underdogs next week, if the defense can hold it together, the Giants may be a legitimate threat in the NFC East.

Jets Magically Upset the Lions

With the first play of his NFL career, Sam Darnold threw a pick-six to Lions’ defensive back Quandre Diggs. But, he proved his resilience by leading the Jets to a 48-18 victory in Detroit. Last week I suggested that Darnold’s reactions to mistakes would define his NFL career — here, Darnold showed that failure does not faze him. Following the terribly misjudged pick-six, Darnold chuckled off the mistake and threw for 198 yards with two touchdowns; more impressively, he completed 76.2% of his passes. Darnold had a promising game and looks to improve against the Miami Dolphins in Week 2.

It would be foolish to only credit Sam Darnold for the victory; all sides of the ball contributed in major ways: Isaiah Crowell and Bilal Powell combined for 162 rushing yards, Andre Roberts scored a punt-return touchdown, and the defense intercepted five passes (yes, you read that right). Even the Jets fans, led by legend Fireman Ed, were chanting louder than the Detroit residents. For once, everything went right for the Jets. Before the 3rd quarter even ended, the Jets had set a franchise record for most post scored in an away game. If the Jets can replicate some of this success throughout the season, they might compete for a playoff spot.

    Darron Lee fields an interception (via Getty Images)

Linebacker Darron Lee stepped up in a major way. The 20th overall selection in the 2016 NFL Draft caught two interceptions, and took one home for a touchdown. He also led the team with 7 total tackles. Lee responded to harsh criticism he received during the summer from former Jet Bart Scott, who questioned “his willingness to play the position”, adding that Lee “[seems] a little plush”. Lee let his play speak for himself, and cited film study as a catalyst for the two interceptions. While Lee’s first two seasons with the Jets have not been spectacular thus far, hopefully this performance is a taste for the future. Lee is 23 years-old, and will only improve with more experience.

Lee was not the only promising player on the defensive side. Second year safety Jamal Adams was ferocious against the run and found his first interception late in the game, which Adams claimed would be the “first of many more to come”. Though Jamal is younger than many players on the team, he acts as the heart and soul of the defense. His fiery passion for football is matched by no other. Todd Bowles has prioritized finding healthy locker-room personalities in his personnel acquisitions since he became head coach (by trading Sheldon Richardson, cutting Muhammad Wilkerson, etc.), which has formed a fresh identity for the Jets. In addition to Jamal Adams, players like Leonard Williams, Trumaine Johnson, and Avery Williamson will make the Jets’ defense exciting to watch. Watch out for “New Jack City”!

The New York Jets start the season 1-0, and there is immense hope for Gang Green.

Aaron Rodgers Leads 20-pt Comeback Against the Bears

Aaron Rodgers is the best quarterback in the NFL. He wasn’t great to start the game against the Bears and their newly elite defense, but Rodgers played one of the greatest second halves of football that I’ve ever seen — on one leg.

The game started with a quick punt from the Packers, and then Matt Nagy and the Bears revamped offense looked unstoppable as they had a 10 play, six minute scoring drive capped off by a Mitch Trubisky rushing touchdown. The Packers punted again, the Bears scored again, then the Packers punted again. The next time the Packers got the ball, they had another quick three and out, but Aaron Rodgers was carted off with a knee injury. Packers fans saw their season flash before their eyes as Deshone Kizer came onto the field. Kizer went onto fumble — forced and recovered by new Bears acquisition Khalil Mack. Then Kizer threw a pick six — once again, by Khalil Mack. Suddenly, it was 17-0 at the half.

Randall Cobb took a short pass to the endzone to end the game (photo via Acme)

Then Rodgers came out of the locker room, and no one was sure if he was going to play. The Bears had another long drive, ending in a Cody Parkey field goal to make it 20-0 with under 25 minutes to go. Rodgers came on, and he couldn’t move, but he marched the team down the field to a field goal. The Packers defense came through by forcing a quick punt, and then Rodgers led a touchdown drive ending in a perfect 39 yard touchdown pass to Geronimo Allison. The Packers defense came through again, this time with a huge third and one stop. Rodgers marched down the field again, and Davante Adams scored his first touchdown of the season to make the score 20-17. Matt Nagy and the Bears wouldn’t go down without a fight, and they managed to have a long, 7 minute drive that ended in a field goal, leaving Aaron Rodgers with 2 and a half minutes to score a touchdown. Two incompletions left Rodgers and the Packers in a hole at 3rd and 10 on their own 25, but then Randall Cobb caught a 10 yard pass and took it to the endzone, winning the game for the Packers.

Brady admitted after the game that Rodgers is “so much more talented than [him]” and that if he had the same offensive scheme as Brady, he’d “throw for 7,000 yards every year.” Brady is widely considered the greatest of all time, but at the moment, Rodgers is the best quarterback in the NFL — even if he has one leg.

Sam Darnold Named Starter

While other rookie quarterbacks Baker Mayfield, Josh Rosen, and Lamar Jackson will sit week 1, Sam Darnold has been given the nod to start in his first NFL game against the Detroit Lions. Despite missing the first 3 days of training camp, Darnold quickly caught up with the offense and finished with the most first team reps of all quarterbacks on the roster. In preseason, Darnold went 29-for-45 with 244 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception. He stayed poised in the pocket and was able to offset mediocre offensive line performance with his ability to make plays off-schedule. Clearly, there is much optimism in New York surrounding the rookie quarterback.

In fact, earlier this week the Jets traded quarterback Teddy Bridgewater to the New Orleans Saints. The former Pro-Bowl player showed promise in the preseason with his 104.7 QBR rating. The excellent performance by Bridgewater should only indicate fans that the Jets are extremely confident in Darnold’s ability. By trading away the qualified Teddy Bridgewater, the Jets are putting all their eggs into the Sam Darnold basket.

Sam Darnold scrambles for the first down on 3rd & 13

Darnold shined most in the preseason game against the New York Giants. Playing the entire first half with the starting team, Darnold led two touchdown drives. “I’ve seen Sam perform tonight better than I’ve seen any rookies that I can remember, really,” said Hall of Fame inductee Joe Namath, who won Super Bowl III with the Jets in 1968.

As the highest quarterback selected in the NFL Draft by the Jets since Joe Namath in 1965, the pressure is on for Sam Darnold. He holds the potential to become the franchise quarterback, but expectations should be tampered. Facing NFL defenses for the first time, Darnold will certainly make mistakes – his reaction to these mistakes will be what define his outlined potential. For instance, Peyton Manning threw a league high 28 interceptions in his rookie season with the Indianapolis Colts, but went on to have a legendary career by learning from his mistakes. It will be exciting to watch the Jets’ rookie compete in his first year, but his performance in the second year may be more crucial in his journey.

For the first time since Rex Ryan and Mark Sanchez lead the Jets to back-to-back AFC Championships in 2009 and 2010, the Jets finally have hope for the future. Trading up for Sam Darnold with the #3 pick will forever define the current Todd Bowles era in New York.  Do the Jets finally have their answer at quarterback?

Khalil Mack to Chicago

2016 NFL Honors Defensive Player of the Year Khalil Mack was traded this morning from the Raiders to the Bears for two first round picks. Mack is one of the NFL’s best defenders, and he’s only in his fourth year. The Raiders and Mack couldn’t work out an extension throughout training camp, so they threw him on the trade block. This was the last year on Mack’s rookie deal, and they probably would have lost him to free agency this upcoming offseason.

Gruden’s already under scrutiny from Oakland fans before coaching his first regular season game. (photo via USA Today)

The Bears are planning on extending Khalil Mack for the next five or six years in a deal that will reportedly be worth more than Aaron Donald’s 6 year, $135 million contract signed yesterday. Mack is a generational defensive talent, and he is the only player in NFL history to be named an AP All-Pro in two different positions in the same year when he won the honor in 2015 for both outside linebacker and defensive end.

The Bears defense is now in the conversation for best in the league. With Mack, Adrian Amos, rookie Roquan Smith, Eddie Goldman, Eddie Jackson, Leonard Floyd, and Danny Trevathan, the Bears have almost as much defensive talent in the league. With the addition of OC Matt Nagy and now Khalil Mack, the Bears are a legitimately good team. Vegas agrees — the Bears Super Bowl odds skyrocketed from 100-1 to 40-1 this morning after the news.

Odell Signs Massive Contract

Odell Beckham Jr has just signed the largest WR contract in NFL history. 5 years, $95 million, and $65 million guaranteed. Odell’s contract edges out Calvin Johnson’s previous record 7 year, $113 million contract. Odell is great, and the Giants were right to do whatever they had to to keep him. But there are some serious ramifications for the Giants cap space in 2019.

Richmond QB Kyle Lauletta could start next year if the Giants get rid of Eli’s contract. (photo via Richmond Times)

Odell will hold 11 percent of the Giants’ projected $190 million cap in 2019, so they’ll have only about $12 million to work with, and they need to sign Landon Collins long term. So, some veterans are going to have to be released. The most obvious candidate is Eli Manning and his $23 million. If the Giants don’t make the playoffs this year, Eli is gone. Davis Webb and Kyle Lauletta will get their chance in 2019 and it will do wonders for the cap space. Other veterans that could be shown the door are Olivier Vernon, Janoris Jenkins, Damon Harrison, and Rhett Ellison. These decisions will be tough, but they all depend on what kind of season the Giants can have this year.

The 2019 Giants may look a lot different than the 2018 version if they don’t make the playoffs this year. Odell is worthy of his contract, but the team’s defense is likely going to take a hit to account for his $95 million.

Redskins Sign Adrian Peterson

The Redskins are always hurt. Last year, the Redskins had 25 players on IR — almost half of a 53 man roster. This year is no different, and they’ve already gone out to have to sign some outside help at the running back position.

Second round pick Derrius Guice went down in the first week of preseason. His amazing run was cut short by what was first called a sprained MCL. He was supposed to sit out the rest of the preseason and play week one, but that didn’t happen. A torn ACL left the Redskins back to their RB predicament of mediocrity from last year — Samaje Perine or Rob Kelley.

Then, in week 2, Samaje Perine had his own great run. But after 30 yards, he also went down with an ankle injury. He’ll only be out for a week or so, but when you add that injury to fourth string Byron Marshall’s week 2 injury, the Redskins running back corps were drained enough to scare them into signing Adrian Peterson.

Peterson isn’t what he used to be, but he is still a better running back than Perine, Marshall, or Kelley. He fought with Sean Payton last year, and got himself traded away from the Saints to the Cardinals. He flashed with the Cardinals in Week 6 — 134 yards, 2 touchdowns — and in Week 9 — 159 yards. He should provide a small boost to Washington’s offense and help Alex Smith out, but he’s not going to take any receiving work away from Chris Thompson. The Redskins are already hurt and you can expect them to keep getting hurt. Adrian Peterson is 33 years old and has a lot of mileage, so if he can stay healthy for 16 games, I would be shocked. Regardless, the Redskins have cemented themselves as the worst team in the NFC East.