Welcome to NFL Below Overview, a weekly column the place I’ll hold forth on misguided narratives, inexplicable teaching selections, and different subjects across the NFL. Every Tuesday all through the course of the season, you’ll get my takes on what occurred the earlier weekend, with a watch on what’s to come back.
It’s exhausting to play offense higher than the Lions did Monday night time.
what I like about Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson? He has what we’ll label a “résumé name” on his play sheet each week. You possibly can nearly think about the dialogue in his head when he calls that play. Hey there, NFL house owners. You positive you don’t wish to make me a suggestion I can’t refuse subsequent offseason? Earlier than you reply, watch this!Final week, it was a fantastically executed hook-and-ladder. On Monday night time throughout a 42-29 win over the Seahawks, it was a crimson zone play wherein Jared Goff flipped the ball to Amon-Ra St. Brown after which leaked to the tip zone for a 7-yard landing catch. It’s nearly as if Johnson will get bored calling the identical previous operating performs and passing ideas week after week. He simply must spice it up and showcase each on occasion.
Johnson famously turned down head-coaching alternatives final offseason and determined to return because the Lions’ offensive coordinator. Towards a banged-up Seattle protection, he and Goff couldn’t miss. Goff completed the sport 18-for-18 for 292 yards. The Lions scored six touchdowns on 10 possessions (not counting the kneel down on the finish). Johnson schemed up play after play—run, move, it didn’t matter. Every little thing was working.
After the Lions misplaced to the 49ers within the NFC championship final season, Dan Campbell instructed his gamers which may have been their solely shotat a Tremendous Bowl. However 4 video games into the 2024 season, the Lions once more appear like prime contenders. Their offense isn’t just selecting up the place it left off a 12 months in the past. It’s bettering. Primarily based on anticipated factors added per drive and offensive success charge, the 2024 model of the Lions offense is definitely outperforming the 2023 model. Numbers apart, the Jameson Williams issue can’t be neglected. His skill to create a 70-yard landing out of skinny air was not one thing the Lions had of their bag final season.
There’s a protracted technique to go, and the protection has loads of work to do. However possibly Campbell was unsuitable. Look across the NFC after 4 weeks, and it’s exhausting to discover a extra reliable workforce than the Lions.
The Washington Commanders are profitable the NFC East.
I do know what you’re pondering: Sheil, you’re a wily vet. You’ve seen September Kliff Kingsbury earlier than. It’s been 4 video games. Don’t overreact to small samples. Lots of people learn this very nice web site. You don’t wish to get dunked on six weeks from now when this take seems to be ridiculous.
I recognize the priority. Actually, I do. And I’ve thought-about all of that. However I simply can’t ignore what’s proper in entrance of me, and that’s Jayden Daniels turning right into a star. He’s finishing a league-best 82.1 p.c of his passes and averaging 8.5 yards per try (which ranks fourth). And let’s keep in mind that he’s in removed from an ideal state of affairs. The Washington offensive line was thought-about horrible coming into the season. Nobody might argue that his group of move catchers is above league common. However Daniels is the rationale it’s all working. Defenses have merely not had solutions for him.
The Commanders put collectively a virtually flawless offensive efficiency towards the Cincinnati Bengals final Monday night time after which went to Arizona and did just about the identical factor once more in Week 4 (a span of solely six days!). They scored on seven of 9 possessions en path to a 42-14 victory. This was the primary time since Week 1 that the Commanders punted. If we have a look at the previous three weeks and take away the kneel-down drives, they’ve scored on 20 of twenty-two possessions. This isn’t regular stuff!
How not regular is it? Glad you requested. Since 2000, primarily based on EPA per drive, the one offense that has been higher by way of the primary 4 weeks of the season than the 2024 Commanders is the 2007 New England Patriots. (Sure, these traditionally good New England Patriots.) If we have a look at simply this season, the Commanders rank first in EPA per drive by a large margin. The distinction between them and the no. 2 Bengals is roughly the identical because the distinction between the Bengals and the no. 20 Steelers.
I repeat: THIS IS NOT NORMAL STUFF!
I perceive that the Commanders are unlikely to take care of this tempo. Kingsbury’s groups have a tendency to start out off sizzling and fade late. Washington has a league-low one offensive turnover. And the Commanders protection seems to be like one of many worst within the NFL. We should always count on regression, however to what diploma?
I look across the division and I see Eagles and Cowboys groups which were mediocre (at greatest) by way of 4 weeks, and the Giants are an afterthought. The Commanders offense seems to be one of the best singular unit within the NFC East. Possibly I’ll dwell to remorse it, however for now, I select to consider what my eyes are telling me: This quarterback and this workforce are legit.
The 2024 Eagles look so much just like the 2023 Eagles.
It’s changing into tougher and tougher to search out Eagles followers who nonetheless have excessive hopes for this season. A playoff workforce? Possibly. However a Tremendous Bowl contender? There aren’t many indicators to point this workforce has that sort of ceiling. The Eagles are 2-2 going into their bye, and so they’re anticipating to get key offensive gamers reminiscent of A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, and Lane Johnson again from damage. Nonetheless, the prevailing feeling in Philadelphia is that this season in all probability gained’t be an entire lot of enjoyable. In some ways, regardless that the items are totally different, it appears like a continuation of final 12 months.
Eagles proprietor Jeffrey Lurie opted for an unconventional strategy within the offseason. He determined to retain head coach Nick Sirianni however stripped him of his obligations and assigned him new coordinators—Kellen Moore on offense and Vic Fangio on protection. Sirianni has been tasked with being a CEO-type head coach—somebody who oversees the whole operation, focuses on tradition and preparation, and handles sport administration.
Effectively, the sport administration has been a problem, and the workforce that took the sector towards the Bucs on Sunday didn’t look able to play. Tampa jumped out to a 24-0 lead halfway by way of the second quarter and by no means seemed again. The gradual begins on offense aren’t new. The Eagles are the one NFL workforce that has failed to attain a single level within the first quarter this season. On 4 opening drives, the Eagles have totaled one first down and 17 yards.
Due to the accidents, the offense has some built-in excuses. The protection, although? Effectively, that’s a distinct story. It had all 11 starters wholesome Sunday and couldn’t get a cease when it wanted it. The Bucs opted for a fast passing assault (Baker Mayfield’s common time to throw was 2.24 seconds) to neutralize the Eagles’ move rush, and Fangio was unable to search out solutions. On the season, this 12 months’s Eagles protection is definitely performing worsethan final 12 months’s protection when it comes to EPA per drive. That is the place I remind you that Matt Patricia was prominently concerned in directing final 12 months’s protection.
After all, it’s not all teaching. Normal supervisor Howie Roseman drew rave opinions within the offseason for buying and selling Haason Reddick to the Jets and changing him with Bryce Huff in free company. By means of 4 video games, Huff and Reddick (who continues to carry out from the Jets and has not performed) have the identical variety of sacks, and Huff has only one extra stress. Internally, the Eagles are in all probability uninterested in listening to about final 12 months. But when they return from the bye trying like the identical workforce we’ve seen by way of 4 weeks, the connections might be unattainable to shake.
Vance Joseph is saving Sean Payton proper now.
Except you’re a actual sicko (or a fan of one of many groups … or had cash on the sport … or had Garrett Wilson or Breece Corridor in fantasy), you had no cause to concentrate to the Broncos-Jets sport on Sunday. So let me provide a quick synopsis: It was slop. Pure, unfiltered slop. The ultimate outcome was a 10-9 Broncos victory. Denver gained regardless of Bo Nix throwing for 60 whole yards. How? As a result of Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph is having an MWL (extra with much less) season. He doesn’t have essentially the most gifted group to work with—and earlier within the week, the workforce misplaced inside linebacker and defensive captain Alex Singleton on account of a torn ACL—however he’s figuring out the strengths and weaknesses of his gamers and placing them in positions to succeed. He’s … look ahead to it … COACHING!
The Broncos had the third-best defensive efficiency of Week 4 when it comes to EPA per drive. They held the Jets to 248 yards and sacked Aaron Rodgers 5 occasions. Previously two weeks, the Broncos protection has been on the sector for 22 possessions (not counting end-of-half or end-of-game eventualities) and has allowed only one landing. On the season, it ranks prime 5 in each EPA per drive and defensive success charge. Joseph has lengthy most well-liked an aggressive model of protection, and he’s not backing off with this group. He’s blitzing opponents at a league-high charge of 46.3 p.c, and it’s working. On 25 dropbacks towards the blitz Sunday, Rodgers averaged simply 4.5 YPA and was sacked 4 occasions.
Payton put his popularity on the road by drafting Nix with the no. 12 decide final April, and it’s nonetheless means too early within the season to determine what kind of quarterback Nix might be. However we will objectively say that the offense has been a large number thus far. The Broncos rank thirtieth in each EPA per drive and success charge by way of 4 video games. If this protection carried out at only a mediocre degree, the Broncos can be 1-3 or 0-4, and Payton can be fielding an entire lot of questions concerning the offensive struggles. However the protection has been lights out, and the Broncos have gained two in a row, so these questions can wait (for now).
It’s OK to have someconcern concerning the Chiefs.
Earlier than you yell at me, I get it. So long as the Chiefs have Patrick Mahomes at quarterback, they’ve a fantastic likelihood to win the Tremendous Bowl. Nobody might fairly argue in any other case. However it’s OK to confess that their margin of error appears as slim as ever this season. This isn’t so simple as “4-0 is 4-0.” Among the many 22 groups which have began 4-0 the previous 10 seasons, the Chiefs have the worst level differential (plus-20). Sure, they’re good at profitable shut video games. But additionally, there’s a restrict to how good you possibly can truly be at profitable shut video games.
The larger deal right here has to do with Mahomes’s supporting solid. Vast receiver Rashee Rice suffered a knee damage throughout Sunday’s win over the Chargers. Preliminary stories instructed that it may very well be a torn ACL, however there’s nothing definitive but, besides that Rice will miss subsequent week’s sport. I keep in mind pondering after final season’s Tremendous Bowl that it might by no means be thatexhausting for Mahomes and the Chiefs offense once more. However the way in which issues presently stand, effectively, it’d truly be tougher this season. The workforce was already taking part in with out operating again Isiah Pacheco and large receiver Hollywood Brown. The large receiver group in the intervening time will look one thing like: Xavier Worthy, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Justin Watson, and Skyy Moore.
The Chiefs’ choices? Possibly Worthy will emerge like Rice did final 12 months. Possibly tight finish Travis Kelce might be extra prominently concerned as a receiving possibility like he was in Week 4. Possibly Rice will return this season. Or possibly they’ll commerce for somebody. However it’s additionally potential that none of these issues will occur, and we’ll level to the dearth of assist for Mahomes as a cause why they’ll’t convey dwelling one other Lombardi. Honest or not, the bar for the Chiefs is totally different than it’s for each different workforce. And whereas there’s no cause to panic, they’ve acquired some issues to determine within the weeks forward.
