NFL Week 6 In Review
Aaron Rodgers and Dak Prescott are trending in opposite directions
Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports
Week 6 just wrapped up last night with an Arizona Cardinals blowout win over the New York Jets. In the end we were treated with some great finishes, some blowouts, and a lot of questions. The only NFL writing I've done in recent years is season previews and predictions, but this week I'm going to start a weekly review. In these posts I'll go over 5 things that I concluded from the recent week.
1. Green Bay Definitely Has A Problem
I'm a big time Packers fan. Watch them every week and just like you, see there's a problem with their offense. Rodgers looks a bit off, not as accurate as he was just a year and a half ago, but that isn't their only problem. Receivers still can't get great separation but I think that has more to do with the routes their being called to run than their skills. So ultimately, I think this problem falls on head coach Mike McCarthy. The play calling has become predictable, and they don't use all of their weapons nearly enough. They keep trying to rely on Davante Adams despite his inconsistency, Jared Abbrederis and Jeff Janis barely see the field, and the only reason Ty Montgomery played is because James Starks was out. I'll give the Packers a few more weeks to get it back on track, but I think it's fair to start wondering whether Mike McCarthy is wasting the prime of Aaron Rodgers career.
2. Dak Prescott Needs To Remain The Starter
This has been the hottest topic in all of football the last few weeks. Does Prescott remain the starter or does Tony Romo regain his spot after he's 100%? After the win against Green Bay the answer has become obvious, Dak Prescott must continue to be the starter even after Romo is cleared. Prescott looks to have command of the offense as well as the locker room, he's shown poise in the pocket and has gone into tough environments without getting phased a bit. Romo has been a pretty solid quarterback over the last 10 years for the Cowboys, but winning needs to trump feelings for Jerry Jones.
Dak Prescott was outstanding under pressure against the Packers on Sunday (Stats according to Pro Football Focus
Can Trevor Siemian play well enough for the Broncos to keep winning?
Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports
3. Broncos Aren't A Sure Thing
I predicted before the season that the Broncos would go 9-7 and miss the playoffs. This was because I thought the quarterback play would hurt them all year long. Thankfully for the Broncos, their defense dominated the first quarter of the season as they started off 4-0. But the last 2 weeks they have lost because their offense struggled mightily only scoring 16 and 13 points against the Falcons and Chargers respectively. So far the Broncos have ranked 21st in total offense and 16th in scoring, and the latest decline is starting to show that Denver's defense is going to have to play at an elite level most games for them to win, and in an improved division might not be enough.
4. Brock Osweiler Isn't A Bust Yet
Sunday night's game of the Houston Texans vs the Indianapolis Colts wasn't a great game to watch. Both teams struggled on offense until late in the 2nd half and there were questionable decisions all over the place. But the late drives by the Osweiler led Texans were a thing of beauty. He showed off the arm strength and actually threw to his star wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins (imagine that!). I know the Colts defense isn't that good, but sometimes a late performance like that is all you need to get your confidence up and get some momentum going for the upcoming weeks. Osweiler hasn't been great, but he showed flashes last night that he can lead this team, and keep my bold prediction somewhat afloat.
5. Time To Bench Ryan Fitzpatrick
The Jets last night looked awful, absolutely terrible. He went 16/31 for 174 yards and an interception. They went 2/13 on third downs and everyone looked frustrated. The story of the off-season was Fitzpatrick and his contract standoff with the Jets and thankfully they only signed him to a 1 year deal. They knew he wasn't the QB of the future, but now he doesn't look capable of being the QB of the present. Geno came in during garbage time last night, and although he threw an interception, he still looked to have more command of the offense than Fitzpatrick did in his 3 and 1/2 quarters of play. Now that they're 1-5 their season is all but over and it's time for them to see whether they have anything in either Geno Smith, Bryce Petty, or Christian Hackenburg.
Post by Thomas Mooney
Follow on Twitter: @thomas_mooney1, @AFewGoodMics
