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Take Five - 5 Teams of note going into the 2nd half of the season


Well, we are just are just entering into the 2nd half of the season, and many of the pre-season storylines have sort of fizzled out...no, the AFC West will not have all 4 teams in the playoffs; no, the NFC East is not the worst division in football....no, the NFC West is not the powerhouse we were all expecting. So which 5 teams have destroyed their expectations halfway through the season?

5) Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

So, yes; technically my Bucs are in 1st place, but that is more a reflection of the division than it is Tampa Bay. So why is Tampa 5-5 instead of the Super Bowl wannabe we were told was coming and which thumped the Cowboys opening week? The injuries to the inside of the offensive line, particularly at left guard, have played a part, though Robert Hainsey has actually been ok at center filling in for Ryan Jensen. One of my theories is that veteran players who on paper are "good" are let go for a reason. On paper, Julio Jones is a HOF WR; in reality, he is a brittle version of his former self. When Akiem Hicks plays, it is a significantly higher level than Suh, but how often is he really on the field. The Jaguars thought Fournette only ran hard when he wanted a contract; the Bucs gave him a contract, and suddenly his YPC is down almost a yard. And folks...Tom Brady is finally starting to feel some of the effects of Father Time; yes, he has the quickest release in football, but if he is forced to hold it a second longer, his age and lack of mobility show through. The Bucs will probably make the playoffs, but will not go in as a favorite.

4) Green Bay Packers

By the literal hair of their chinny-chin-chin, the Packers eeked out a win at home, but they still don't look anything like the betting guides at the start of the season said they would. The world is seeing another QB showing the effects of age, and of a no-risk style that has made scoring very hard in the early going. Couple that with a front office seemingly determined to not use a first round pick at WR, as well as a young defense still getting their act together, and the Packers are holding onto playoff hopes by the very tips of their fingernails. Yesterday, Rodgers seems to have finally forgiven Christian Watson, with Watson and Aaron Jones being the new centerpieces of a late playoff push. Playing with a bit more daring will be needed from Rodgers if the Pack will truly be back.

3) Las Vegas Raiders

Derek Carr was truly representing Raider Nation yesterday when he broke down into tears as he described the team's struggles. The dark-horse favorite to win the division, the Raiders seem to be on the path to an early draft pick, and a possible blow-up of a roster and coaching staff, potentially making Josh McDaniels a short-time coach for the 2nd time. Giving Gruden the keys to the draft room is finally biting the Raiders, and while the later picks still seem to be holding serve (no, it wasn't Mayock's choice to draft Alex Leatherwood in the 1st round), the Son of Al is not a patient man, and all in all, changes appear to be on the horizon for the team on the Strip.

2) Denver Broncos

So....the new richest owner in sports inherited a team that just acquired the one missing piece to their hopes of returning the newest version of the Orange Crush defense back to the promised land, and that was getting a leader on the other side of the ball who had been there before. Amazing how a guy couldn't buy a beer in a bar at the start of the season and now would have a beer thrown at his head just mere months later. Russell Wilson can't seem to win a friend at the Mile High at the moment, with his pitiful news conferences and showing why Daddy Pete Carroll had resisted giving Wilson the keys to the car without a governor on it. The head coach didn't make it long there....how long does the rest of the roster have?

1) Seattle Seahawks

Speaking of Pete Carroll, the old doddering fool who didn't trade for Baker Mayfield or Deshaun Watson, who traded their franchise QB for picks, appearing to be ditching this season in hopes of getting the top pick overall; yeah, sounds kinda funny now, doesn't it. Geno Smith is the answer as to why you don't give up on young QB's too soon, and how some guys need to get the moniker "system QB" out of their head as being a bad thing. Remember when we all loved Russell Wilson? A QB who threw the ball 20-25 times a game, relying on a rushing attack and a great D to win games 17-10. Well, meet Geno Smith, who plays almost exactly as Wilson did, maybe not the arm, but more accurate, with a young skilled RB in Kenneth Walker, and a defense that seems to get better every week. This team is slowly becoming very dangerous each week as their young D begins to gel, and with the additional picks coming down the pike, Geno Smith may well be holding Lombardi in his hands next before the likes of Rodgers, Brady, Watson and Russell Wilson. As a fellow old doddering fool, it warms my soul.


Posted on 14 Nov 2022 by Joe - Arizona

 

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