With Week 5 behind us, most individuals are able to look forward to the beginning of Week Six, when the Philadelphia Eagles go on the highway to tackle the New York Giants on Thursday. Earlier than we get to that sport, although, let’s look again on the hottest takes that got here from final week and decide what’s a correct response vs. an overreaction.
The Lions are the perfect crew within the NFL.
Correct response
I said it yesterday, and I stand by that assertion as we speak. No one is taking part in higher soccer than Detroit in the mean time. Since Week One, they’re 4-0 with a median margin of victory of 19 factors per sport. The Lions are first in offensive scoring (34.8 factors per sport) whereas rating third in turnover differential (+6). Hell, they’ve allowed 4 sacks since Week One, and all of them got here towards the Bengals, who’ve the league’s reigning sack chief. The Eagles look restricted on offense. The 49ers have numerous accidents. The Payments simply misplaced at house to a divisional opponent. The Jags wanted a 99-yard interception return to beat the 2-3 Chiefs. The Buccaneers want game-winning drives each week. The Colts are the one crew that has regarded nearly as good because the Lions, and Detroit seems to be significantly better coached than Indy (as confirmed by Adonai Mitchell). The Lions have made the strongest case to be checked out as the perfect crew within the NFL.
Emeka Egbuka is the Offensive Participant of the Yr.
Overreaction
I like this child and suppose that he’s a celebrity within the making, however we have to gradual our roll on the subject of the reward we’re giving Emeka Egbuka, who’s a shoe-in to win the NFL Rookie of the Yr award. It looks like seniority performs an element when voters select their award-winners, which is why a man like Puka Nacua, Jonathan Taylor, or Christian McCaffrey looks like a extra wise choose to be OPOTY. Nacua is projected to interrupt the single-season receiving yards and receptions information (1,999 yards on 177 receptions). Jonathan Taylor leads the league in speeding yards per sport (96) and speeding touchdowns (six) whereas taking part in an enormous function on the perfect offense within the NFL. McCaffrey leads the league in scrimmage yards (669). A type of guys will probably be taking house the {hardware} regardless that Egbuka appears to be like like an All-Professional via his first 5 video games.
Devin Lloyd will win the Defensive Participant of the Yr award.
Correct response
Proper now, it feels just like the competitors is between Lloyd and the Denver Broncos’ Nik Bonitto, who leads the league in sacks. Although sacks are extremely worthwhile, turnovers are extra necessary. In spite of everything, the entire level of a protection is to get the ball again for the offense. Lloyd has 25 complete tackles, 14 solo tackles, a fumble restoration, 4 interceptions, and a landing. Nik Bonitto has 17 complete tackles, 12 solo tackles, and 7 sacks. Sadly, Bonitto’s candidacy might be damage by the truth that he doesn’t have any takeaways this season. Devin Lloyd can enhance his sack complete considerably. The identical can’t be stated for Bonitto, who might want to begin diving on unfastened fumbles or choosing off opposing quarterbacks if he needs any shot at successful this award. With these gaudy interception numbers and extra tackles, Lloyd appears to be like like the present favourite to win the 2025-26 Defensive Participant of the Yr award.
Joe Flacco will flip the Bengals round.
Overreaction
Jake Browning was a horrible quarterback who was dropping video games for the Bengals as a consequence of his lack of ability to steer an offense. Joe Flacco shouldn’t be significantly better than Browning and is definitely statistically the worst QB within the NFL this season. Each of those statements will be true on the identical time. Out of 33 quarterbacks, Joe Flacco ranks thirty third in quarterback ranking this season. He’s additionally thirty first in QBR, two spots behind Jake Browning. Flacco has the second-lowest completion proportion within the NFL and the fewest passing yards per try. And, to prime all of it off, he was placing up these numbers with the Cleveland Browns, who even have a greater offensive line than the Cincinnati Bengals. A 40-year-old motionless quarterback shouldn’t be going to repair Cincy’s issues. Now that he’s starting, Flacco will simply give the followers a brand new individual in charge for the Bengals’ shortcomings.
The Eagles and Chiefs are in hassle.
Correct response
These squads haven’t regarded just like the 2024 model of themselves. The Chiefs as soon as set the document for consecutive wins in one-score video games with 17. This yr, they’re already 0-3 in one-score video games. In the meantime, the Eagles have one of many worst offenses within the NFL statistically. They’re thirtieth in yards (261.6 per sport) and aren’t that nice at placing up factors (14th). Neither of those groups excels at something actually, exterior of the Eagles and pink zone scoring, which relates extra to the tush push than something. Neither of those squads looks like they’re an precise menace to win the Tremendous Bowl. It simply feels they’re each coasting their approach via the common season with the expectation that they’ll each make the playoffs as a result of “they’re the Chiefs and Eagles.” Although they’ve the expertise to beat up on the crap groups they’re set to face, I don’t consider both of these squads will waltz into Tremendous Bowl LX.
The Broncos will win the AFC West.
Overreaction
That win towards the Philadelphia Eagles was necessary, however let’s mood our expectations just a little bit. Bo Nix has not but put collectively a complete-game efficiency, which might clarify why he’s nineteenth in QBR and twenty fourth in passer ranking. The protection is arguably the NFL’s greatest. They’re second in scoring (16.8 factors per sport) and lead the league in sacks (21). Nonetheless, this unit does have a deadly flaw: they haven’t compelled many turnovers with simply 4 takeaways on the season. They’re already at an obstacle of their division as a result of they misplaced a sport towards the Chargers that they had been main within the fourth quarter. Once more, beating the Eagles was an enormous second for this crew and this teaching employees, however they nonetheless have had their points towards two of the higher squads within the AFC. The Broncos ought to win their subsequent few video games, however then they’ve a gauntlet of a schedule that options the Texans, Packers, Chargers, Chiefs twice, and the Jaguars. It’ll be arduous for Denver to win the AFC West, contemplating they’re winless of their division via 5 weeks.
The Cardinals ought to blow it up and begin over.
Correct response
Their quarterback appears to be like apathetic, they don’t have any significant wins, and that loss to the Tennessee Titans was one of many worst I’ve seen in my lifetime. They need to go right into a full rebuild after the common season ends as a result of there is no such thing as a approach this group is making the playoffs. Everytime you lose to the Titans, you must re-evaluate all the things! Is Jonathan Gannon the man you need main your crew when he’s hitting gamers for making errors, even when they’re enormous, season-altering errors? It’s not like they’ve taken an enormous leap ahead this season anyway. The truth is, one might make the argument that they’re worse now than they had been final yr. With a schedule arising that features video games towards the Colts, Packers, Jaguars, Seahawks, Rams, and 49ers, it’s a sensible risk that Arizona might be 3-10 via the second week of December. Commerce away Kyler Murray for draft capital, fireplace the top coach, fireplace the overall supervisor, and begin over. That is perhaps the one approach ahead for this franchise after that embarrassing loss final weekend.
