Week 5 of the NFL season has come to an end – and has once again provided a lot of new insights that need to be processed. Ideally, of course, in a user end zone.
This week there are two again LAOLA1-User took the time to recap the past NFL game day for you.
This time they were Patrick__R and Snob your turn.
The 30 Biggest Monster Contracts in the NFL
Houston Texans
by Patrick__R
After this week, the Texans definitely belong to the extended circle of contenders for me. The Bills were just shown off in the first half. The tide turned a bit in the second half, but in the end we came out with the win.
Offense, defense, special teams: all units are at their best and ready for a playoff run. Maybe there won’t be a Super Bowl this year, but I see a lot of potential in the next few years.
I’ve been following the Texans for User Endzone for several years now and it’s fascinating to see when the rough diamonds become a strong and cohesive team. Houston will be one to watch in the next few years.
San Francisco 49ers
by Patrick__R
What’s going on with the 49ers this season? They are now 2-3 and just lost to the Cardinals for the first time since 2021.
It’s probably a combination of a weak run game and problems with turnovers. This week the turnover battle was also lost 0-3. Even though two of them were probably more bad luck than failure, the 49ers have a particularly difficult time when two or more turnovers occur in a game. This has been going on for the last two years.
Furthermore, the run game that was there last year is missing. Mason still puts in solid performances on the field, but the running game is average at best compared to the league.
Despite everything, we’re only in week five and San Francisco is just one win away from division leader Seattle. However, starting 0-2 in division games isn’t very helpful.
It remains to be seen whether the offense can return to its old level in the next few weeks or whether they will continue to be their own biggest opponents.
Kirk Cousins
QB, Atlanta Falcons: 42/58 Passing, 509 Yards, 4 TD, 1 INT
by Snoob
It was already clear before the season that the Falcons had a lot of potential this year when a lot of money was spent on Cousins. However, due to his serious injury last year and the associated question of whether he is fit enough, this potential has hardly been seen so far.
The Thursday Night Game seems to have finally broken the knot. The fact that the Falcons were able to crown a furious comeback with an overtime victory was mainly due to Kirk Cousins.
Not only did he set a new franchise record for passing yards. Five of his pass receivers also had more than 65 receiving yards in this game. This sets another NFL all-time record. On a day where the run game had to be abandoned early, the passing game was even more convincing.
Cousins’ form continues to show a steep upward trend and the voices that claimed at the start of the season that he was not yet fit will become quieter after this performance. If coach Raheem Morris has his way, that was just the beginning of much that Cousins can accomplish with the Falcons this year. After the game, the coach said: “We are just scratching the surface with him. We are fired up”. And the Carolina Panthers will be the next to feel this next weekend.
Deshaun Watson and Kevin Stefanski
by Patrick__R
Things are starting to get tight for the Browns this season. Baltimore and Pittsburgh are running away with the division and they are currently a long way from a wild card.
Deshaun Watson is playing below ground for his contract and the defense isn’t at a level to win games on its own either. With Watson, the Browns not only suffered enormous damage to their image, but also threw a lot of money out the window without getting even the slightest return for it.
Just to mention a stat from the last game: Watson was 0/12 on 3rd down conversions against a Commanders defense that hasn’t really shined so far.
The Browns offense in particular is a debacle. There is no clear line to be seen, the offense has no identity. It almost reminds you of the 0-16 season, but this time with a contender roster.
With just one win after five games, the outlook for the season looks very bleak. The playoffs are a long way off and can probably only be achieved with a miracle.
Brian Thomas Jr.
WR, Jacksonville Jaguars: 5/8 Catches, 122 Yards, 1 TD
by Snoob
The Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver has already impressed in the first week of the young season, but this week’s game against the Colts could be considered his breakout game.
He set his personal record with 122 yards, and his touchdown was his third of the season. The highlight, that touchdown, came in the first half and went over 85 yards. The wide receiver was a little less noticeable in the second half, but he also made important catches.
Overall, it can already be said that he has developed into one of quarterback Trevor Lawrence’s favorite targets in a very short time. His target numbers also show this: While the ball was only thrown in his direction four times in the first two games, this was the case nine and eight times in the last three games. It can be assumed that these numbers will tend to go up.
Although the Jaguars started the season very poorly (1-4), it can be said that the young wide receiver had a very good start to his NFL career.
962
by Patrick__R
That’s how many offensive yards there were in the Ravens’ game against the Bengals. An absolute must-watch game for every NFL fan.
The better ending came in overtime(!) for the Ravens. After a missed field goal by the Bengals, Derrick Henry rushed to just in front of the Bengals’ goal line on the next play and – probably the best kicker in NFL history – Justin Tucker clinched the victory for Baltimore from a distance of 24 yards.
Offensively, the whole game was an absolute masterpiece. Both teams gave each other nothing. Bengals QB Burrow finished the game with five touchdowns, his counterpart Jackson with four.
For the Bengals, despite their strong performance, it was an extremely bitter end. For a long time it looked like a win, also because star RB Derrick Henry was kept under control for a long time, but in the end it wasn’t enough and the score is 1-4. Things don’t look as catastrophic for the Bengals as they did for the Browns, but reaching the playoffs will probably be a big challenge.
Patrick__R:
Robert Saleh’s time as head coach of the New York Jets is over. After week 5, they parted ways with the former 49ers DC. But in my opinion the lack of success has other reasons than Saleh. He is probably the victim of other grievances and problems at the Jets.
In my opinion, the problems lie with the outdated offensive scheme, because Aaron Rodgers’ time in the NFL is over. He no longer fits into the “new” league.
Aaron Rodgers and his “puppet” Nathaniel Hackett play a scheme from the Stone Age. Hardly any motions, hardly any play actions. The ex-MVP no longer fits in this league. Defenses are broken when presented with challenges and question marks. This is not the case with the Jets offense.
Modern offenses like the Chiefs, Lions, Chargers and Dolphins all use motion on over 70 percent of their plays. The Jets use it on less than half of all plays.
Rodgers just can’t do it either. Compared to other QBs, his QB Rating drops from 16th when his offense is stationary pre-snap to 26th in the league when one of the players goes into motion pre-snap. Saleh had little influence on much of this, since you probably don’t put Rodgers in an offense that he hates and can’t play.
The Jets completely aligned their franchise around the star QB. Note the additions of OC Hackett, WR Cobb and WR Lazard when Rodgers was acquired. The franchise was sold to him, so to speak, and he was placed as head coach and general manager. A move that turned out to be a fatal mistake and now cost Robert Saleh his job.
Snob:
I’ve had a recurring discussion over the last few weeks about whether young rookie quarterbacks should be thrown straight into the deep end or let them sit and watch first and only bring them into the running when they’re ready.
There are many arguments for both sides, Mahomes, Allen, Lamar, Brady, Rodgers and a few others started their careers as a backup and we know where that led. On the other hand, QBs like Burrow, Murray and currently Daniels have been functioning from Day 1 of their NFL careers.
Since these discussions are currently stronger than ever among “my” Pats, I would like to know your opinion. Should the Patriots continue to go into games with Brissett and let last year’s first-round pick Maye learn? Or, as some demand, throw Maye into the game because “you learn best by playing”?
In the case of the Patriots, there are good arguments for both sides. The offensive line or Pats is currently the worst line in the entire league. In three of the five games they allowed a pressure rate of over 50 percent on the QB, a top value in the league. The other two games had a pressure rate of just under 50 percent.
No QB in the league, no matter how good he may be, will be able to perform at his best if he consistently takes one hit after another. The wide receiver position is also average at best and will still need some time to get better.
The counterargument here is that Maye needs playing time to get better. He also needs the “first team reps” in training, which currently go to Brisett. According to recent reports, he is only getting 30 percent of these valuable reps and one would think that this is slowing his development.
I am of the opinion that the Patriots’ approach is currently the right thing to do. There is a great danger that another young QB will be developed “wrongly” after Mac Jones. And the risk of injury behind this O-line isn’t that low either. But once the line has been stabilized, you have to give Maye playing time so that he can grow with the games.
How do you see that?
NFL: The Power Ranking before Week 5
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