Starting a new series, some random NFL thoughts heading into the weekend.
Da’ Bears
God, we need Caleb Williams back. Maybe we wouldn’t have beaten the Packers in Lambeau with him, but we wouldn’t have gotten annihilated because our offense was stuck in neutral.
Let’s face it, Green Bay, and especially Jordan Love, exposed our defense, in particular our secondary, but we knew the limitations there. Unfortunately, the Tyson Bagent led offense made the Packers defense look like the ‘85 Bears. Not having Kyle Monangai out there didn’t help either.
We, the fans, got complacent. We thought the Ben Johnson offense could roll no matter who the quarterback was, whether it be Williams, Bagent or Case Keenum. We were rudely told otherwise.
Williams is just on a completely different level than the backups. We saw that in week one versus the Panthers. A torrential downpour in week two kept the offense from truly soaring, again, but Caleb gave the Bears a few chances to win that game before he got hurt.
Hopefully, he’s back this week against Atlanta, and not a moment too soon, because I have a feeling we’re going to need to score thirty points just to keep pace with the Falcons.
More Bears
The rumors are flying that the Bears could bring back Khalil Mack. I get it, we need pass rush help, especially with Montez Sweat suspended and Dayo Odeyingbo injured. If the price is right, I’m all for the return of the Mack.
However, Ryan Poles’ main objective on the trade market should be cornerback. The Bears corners have been atrocious. Jaylon Johnson is a shell of his former Pro Bowl self. Tyrique Stevenson has always been inconsistent, now he’s just consistently bad. Malik Muhammad has been the lone bright spot, but he is a rookie and prone to rookie mistakes.
Kyler Gordon could return soon, but can we really count on a guy that’s barely played for the better part of two years?
Seahawks/ Broncos
It was a great two year run, but Sam Darnold seems to be Sam Darnold again. Turnover prone, seeing ghosts. This is the Darnold we remember from his Jets days.
The Broncos offense has never been a juggernaut with Bo Nix, but it’s downright putrid this year. Denver wins because of their defense, but they’re going to have to figure something out on offense. I don’t think it was the play calling.
Is Bo Nix 100%?
Patriots Are Back
Maybe not all the way back, yet, but New England seems to have righted the ship. More importantly, Drake Maye has resembled his nearly MVP form from 2025.
Packers Might Be
It was only one game, and the Bears defense has issues, but that offense was humming. The defense was stifling and ball hawking, as well.
I need to see more, though, because the Packers were dreadful in their wins against the Jets & Buccaneers and god awful in their loss to Atlanta.
Which version is the real Green Bay Packers?
Is it too Late for the Texans?
Houston got their first win, against the hapless Titans, and their defense finally resembled the terrifying unit from 2025. Can they dig themselves out of this 1-4 hole?
The Texans have overcome slow starts before, they were 0-3 last season and made it to the divisional round of the playoffs.
I doubt they can catch Jacksonville, even with a win against them on Sunday, but such a win could give them the momentum they need.
I’m not counting Houston out, at least until Monday morning.
Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings have a chance to be the last unbeaten team standing. They hit their bye at 5-0, while the Kansas City Chiefs, at 4-0, and the San Francisco 49ers, at 5-0 play this weekend.
However, I think the Vikings are the undefeated team most likely to miss the playoffs. I’m just completely underwhelmed by this team. Yes, the defense is good, but who have they played?
They squeaked by the Buccaneers and Dolphins, two of the worst teams in the NFL. They won a little more comfortably against the Saints, but New Orleans is struggling too. They had an epic comeback against Green Bay after looking lost for three quarters.
Minnesota’s signature win was over the Bears at Soldier Field. In a torrential downpour. The Bears shot themselves in the foot repeatedly in that game, and Caleb Williams was on his way to scoring the go ahead, and likely game winning, touchdown on the play where he got hurt.
I’m a Kyler Murray truther. He is not a good quarterback. Great athlete, but below average quarterback. He’ll fade as the season progresses, he always does. The schedule gets tougher and I’m sticking to my belief that the Vikings are eliminated before Christmas.
NFC Least
Even before the Jalen Hurts news, I felt that the Philadelphia Eagles were a team at the beginning of a collapse.
The Dallas Cowboys are what they’ve always been in the Dak Prescott era, a high powered offense that maddeningly disappears at times and a defense that more closely resembles a wet paper bag.
The Washington Commanders just had the kind of meltdown that has tanked better teams. Their clock management in the tie with the Giants was Eberflusian.
Which brings me to the New York Giants. I, like many, thought they were cooked when Jaxson Dart went down, but here they sit at 3-1-1, atop the division. The Jameis Winston experience will have its bumps, but it will always be entertaining.
If I have to pick a winner in this division, I’m going with the team with the best coaching and that’s the Giants.
Cam Ward
It’s time to start wondering if the 2025 #1 overall pick is a bust. Yes, the Tennessee Titans are a bad football team, but Ward seems to have regressed and I’m starting to think he may be holding them back.
Tennessee appears to be heading to a top two draft pick in 2027, in a quarterback draft class that could rival 2024. Could the Titans pull the plug on Ward and hit the reset button?
The Steelers
Mike Tomlin may be gone, but these are the same Pittsburgh Steelers. Great one week, terrible the next.
They’ll hang around in the AFC North, and the AFC Playoff Picture, and Aaron Rodgers will probably find a way, somehow, to get this team into the postseason.
They shouldn’t be. Pittsburgh is not one of the seven best teams in the AFC, but the Steelers always seem to find a way.
