Subscribe
Follow Us
It seems as though every week in the NFL so far has been crazy, and Week 5 was no exception. As the NFC playoff picture slowly begins to clear up, which teams are surpassing expectations, and which unexpected early-season contenders are for real?
Madness In The East
At the beginning of the season, many believed that the NFC East would be one of the NFL’s most competitive divisions. The Dallas Cowboys retained all of their key players and added DE Taco Charlton in addition to MLB Jaylon Smith returning from injury. HB Ezekiel Elliott's pending 6-game suspension is currently in limbo (although it was reportedly reinstated today), allowing him to play until a final verdict is reached.
But, despite convincing victories over the Giants and Cardinals, Dallas’ suspect secondary has held the team back, as they were crushed by the Denver Broncos in Week 2, 42-17, and they fell to the upstart Los Angeles Rams last week, 35-30. On Sunday, Dallas fell victim to an Aaron Rodgers game-winning drive seconds after Dak Prescott led the Cowboys down the field to take the lead with a minute left.
They are now 2-3, and will face Kansas City, Atlanta, Oakland, and Seattle, among others. A tough schedule will give them a chance to prove themselves, but it also could lead to their demise. The Cowboys’ offense should be able to keep them in just about any game, but until their defense improves, they won’t be able to make the leap and join the NFL’s elite teams.
The New York Giants were expected to have a bounce-back season after reloading with offensive talent, such as rookie TE Evan Engram and veteran WR Brandon Marshall. But, due in large part to an absolutely abysmal offensive line, New York is now 0-5. Instead of shedding his label as a first-round bust, LT Ereck Flowers has all but affirmed it, earning a terrible 47.0 grade from Pro Football Focus.
The Giants’ defense is not immune to criticism either, as they haven’t been the fearsome unit fans are accustomed to seeing. The Giants faced off against the also-winless Los Angeles Chargers last week, but lost, 27-22. But, even more devastating for the G-Men was star WR Odell Beckham Jr. injuring his ankle; he will miss the rest of the season. The same goes for Marshall, and WR Sterling Shepard is also out for an extended period of time. Additionally, CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie has been suspended indefinitely after an internal team conflict.
The Giants are a mess right now, and while their best chance at a W will come in Week 9 against San Francisco, an 0-16 season is not out of the question.The Eli Manning era in New York is coming to a close.
The Washington Redskins were excited for the 2017 season after slapping the franchise tag on QB Kirk Cousins, signing free agent WR Terrelle Pryor, and having DT/DE Jonathan Allen fall right into their lap in the NFL Draft. So far, the results have been mixed. Victories over the Rams and Raiders have impressed, as did a close loss to undefeated Kansas City on Monday night.
In Week 1, however, they were soundly beaten by the division rival Eagles. LB/S hybrid Su’a Cravens abruptly retired, and Washington’s supposedly strong WR group has disappointed thus far, including Pryor. A difficult schedule will begin after a matchup with San Francisco this week, a game Washington needs to win.
The Philadelphia Eagles are leading the NFC East with a record of 4-1 after grinding out two close victories over the Chargers and Giants. Young QB Carson Wentz has impressed, and the Eagles’ offseason addition of WR Alshon Jeffery has paid off. On both the offensive and defensive lines, Philly boasts some of the league’s best units, and their young linebackers and defensive backs have taken large strides this season. As long as Wentz continues to play at a high level, the Eagles will contend for the division title.
Same-Old Story Up North, With A Twist
Over in the NFC North, the Detroit Lions are 3-2 after losing close games to Carolina and Atlanta. QB Matthew Stafford is having another great season, and the Lions’ defense is much improved, thanks to the addition of rookie MLB Jarrad Davis. This week they face the New Orleans Saints, a game they need to win before a rather difficult remaining schedule. Detroit plays in a tough division, but they should be in the running for a playoff spot all year.
The Green Bay Packers are now 4-1, with their one loss coming against the Atlanta Falcons. QB Aaron Rodgers is showing no signs of slowing down, even with a decimated offensive line and multiple offensive weapons injured. Rookie DBs Kevin King and Josh Jones have impressed, bringing stability to an otherwise subpar secondary. After beating Dallas in a thrilling game last week, Green Bay has a schedule which should put them in a good position to win the division.
The Deep South
The NFC South was expected to go to the Atlanta Falcons; after all, they are the defending NFC champions and they added some solid defensive talent over the offseason, including Takkarist McKinley and Dontari Poe. Despite being upset by the Buffalo Bills last week, 23-17, the Falcons are still the division favorites. They have a tough schedule the rest of the way, both in and out of the division, and will have a chance to prove themselves as Super Bowl contenders once again.
The Carolina Panthers have experienced an odd beginning to their season; after wins over San Francisco and Buffalo, they were crushed by the division rival Saints, 34-13. Then, in Week 4, they upset the defending champion Patriots, 33-30. If QB Cam Newton and the Carolina offense can show more consistency, they will have a solid chance at taking the division crown from Atlanta. A win against Detroit last week will be followed by a difficult stretch of games for the rest of the season, with the most likely victories to come against Chicago, Miami, and the New York Jets.
The New Orleans Saints won their last two contests after starting the season 0-2. Despite being 38 years old, QB Drew Brees continues to be one of the NFL’s best. Even with the loss of star WR Brandin Cooks, Brees has been able to pilot the Saints’ offense as well as ever. Free agent addition Adrian Peterson was a bust and has now been traded to Arizona, but rookie Alvin Kamara has been electric and will be more involved in the gameplan moving forward.
First-round draft pick Marshon Lattimore has been sensational, giving the Saints secondary a lockdown CB they haven’t had in years. The rest of the defense continues to struggle, but as long as Brees and the offense can score points, New Orleans will remain competitive with anyone. Their remaining schedule is difficult, and they will have to be at the top of their game to keep up with the Falcons and Panthers in the division race.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers fell to the Patriots last week, 19-14, in frustrating fashion, as three missed field goals could have changed the result. The Buccaneers haven’t shown the ability to be a consistent team as of yet, and the inconsistency starts with young QB Jameis Winston, whose tendency to be overaggressive at times leads to unnecessary turnovers, which puts the Tampa Bay defense at a disadvantage. Their upcoming schedule is not easy, and the Buccaneers’ inexperience may prevent them from contending for a playoff berth this season.
Wild, Wild West
After finishing as the fifth-worst team in the NFL last season, the Los Angeles Rams are 3-2 and tied for first place in the NFC West. Their signature win thus far was a 35-30 victory over the Dallas Cowboys in Week 4. New head coach Sean McVay has been a godsend for the Rams, as his expertise has transformed Jared Goff into one of the league’s most productive QBs through five games.
The offseason additions of WRs Robert Woods and Sammy Watkins from Buffalo have done wonders for Goff, and signing LT Andrew Whitworth from Cincinnati has opened up rushing lanes for Todd Gurley, who has returned to his place as one of the league’s best running backs. After an extended contract holdout, DT Aaron Donald rejoined the team and is back to his dominant self.
Things are looking up for LA. Although they lost a hard-fought game against Seattle, they should be in contention for a division title throughout the season.
The Seahawks, however, are in an odd position. After falling to the Packers in Week 1, Seattle barely beat the now winless 49ers, 12-9. The next week, their vaunted defense gave up 33 points to the Tennessee Titans before destroying the Colts, 46-18.
On offense, Russell Wilson has been fantastic as usual. His receivers have been solid. But rookie Chris Carson, who was making a name for himself as Seattle’s lead back, broke his ankle and is out for the season. Thomas Rawls and Eddie Lacy have been less than stellar. The offensive line, however, has been one of, if not the, worst units in the entire league. Wilson has been pressured on around 33% of his drop-backs; if that doesn’t significantly improve, Seattle won’t go very far in the playoffs, if they even make it.
The Rams were a big test, and the Seahawks passed. After a bye this week, they shouldn’t have much trouble beating the Giants in Week 7.
Once star RB David Johnson went down with a hand injury, Arizona’s season looked bleak. Since then, they have treaded water at 2-3, and recently OLB Markus Golden was placed on IR, another huge blow to the team. Veteran QB Carson Palmer has been turnover-prone this season, and the defense hasn’t been sensational either. After a 34-7 beatdown at the hands of the Eagles, Arizona swung a trade for RB Adrian Peterson in an attempt to revitalize a dormant running game. They will face the Rams and Seahawks over the next few weeks, and unless Palmer discovers the fountain of youth, Arizona may not pose much of a threat in the NFC playoff race.
The NFC is in disarray currently, as the landmark contenders are struggling while new, young teams have surprised many. Fans will be in for an exciting and competitive remainder of the season.
