I watched an obscene amount of football yesterday. Here's what I saw:
1. Jerry Jeudy continues to take baby steps backwards.
I have to admit... I'm disappointed in the youngster. Early on, his routes were crisp and he was coming along, and I think we all thought the Courtland Sutton injury was gonna open the door to more targets for the talented rookie. But... Tim Patrick has clearly emerged as the Broncos' WR1. He's big, long, sneaky fast and dynamic. Even when Noah Fant has missed games, Jeudy hasn't capitalized in major ways. He's looking like a disappointment right now, and it's kind of sad.
2. The Patriots can't play from behind... even a little.
The Broncos were kicking one field goal after another, but it still felt like a deep hole for the Pats. Sure, New England ended up in a spot where they had the potential to win the game, but it was an ugly trudge leading up to that point. Interception, fumble...some offensive plays with brutally bad timing. Cam holds the ball too long in must-throw situations. Sad but true... the Broncos actually looked like a better all-around team than the Pats in this one.
3. Bill Belichick might... retire??
This season is already becoming a mess. You wanna go one way or the other in this situation... either Cam plays well, you go 11-5 and make the playoffs... or you stink and start over with a shiny new franchise quarterback. Yet, this season is headed exactly where I projected before a single game was played: 9-7 no man's land. That's the worst possible outcome from Belichick's perspective. And the retirement stuff? Credit my Dad "Big Fro" for that one - since when does Belichick do commercials showcasing his friendly "personality"? Is he getting softer or something? If he doesn't get a chance to get a legit franchise QB in the draft, maybe he finally turns the keys over to Josh McDaniels, who has been waiting ever-so-patiently?
4. Joe Flacco is just collecting a paycheck.
What he's doing isn't even football. He mentioned to a reporter last week that he has 5 kids and needs to pay the bills, and you can certainly see that coming across on the football field. He's just trying to not get killed out there. He isn't even really making a good effort to complete passes or score points. The Jets got shutout by the Dolphins yesterday - at least they move the ball and hang around in games when Sam Darnold is under center for Adam Gase The Clown. Flacco is a disgrace right now, and that's fully on GM Joe Douglas who has done a horrific job since taking over.
5. Adam Gase doesn't innovate.
Overall, I defend him because the Jets have the least talent in the NFL and injuries to boot, but ya know what? Whenever the 49ers have injuries, Kyle Shanahan finds creative ways to move the ball and score points. That's what a real coach does. Gase is just biding time until his firing at this point. Same vanilla formations, same boring playcalls with no excitement or creativity.
6. Jimmy Garoppolo remains one thing: A winner.
Clearly playing on one leg out there. He really toughed it out in a pretty convincing victory over the Rams last night. He got rid of the ball quickly and on time, and he let his playmakers do the rest of the work. In particular, he shined when he rushed to get in FG range down the stretch - he lowered his shoulder and hustled despite the injury. Cris Collinsworth took special note of this tough play, and he should have.
7. The Rams are unable to stretch the field, and that's a real problem.
Everything is too predictable at this point. Lotta playaction, short passes, WR screens, slants and quick routes. You gotta stretch the defense to open up the middle of the field for 20-30 yard connections. You gotta keep the defense out of the box; yet I will say... Darrell Henderson is lookin' super sharp these days. More physical and quicker than ever before. Even when the box is loaded, he makes the right reads a la Dalvin Cook. He's the major bright spot for this offense right now. On the flip side... what the hell was wrong with Cooper Kupp last night on national TV?
8. What came first... the chicken or the egg? The Belichick vs. Brady debate.
Well... this week went particularly well for TB12. The magic Belichick "system" doesn't work when Cam Newton holds the ball too long and doesn't have any weapons to throw to, anyway. Also, they had a shot in this one, but Cam couldn't get it done in a typical spot where Brady always shined and delivered. It just looked bad for New England, all around. On the flip side, Brady and the boys put a beatdown on the great Aaron Rodgers and his Packers. The Bucs' defense is looking sharp, and Brady's offense is really starting to click. Even Rob Gronkowski got into the action!
There's a lot more, but my real job is too busy right now.
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