The Sunday afternoon video games of Week 7 featured loads of kicker heroics, notably within the NFC North:
CLUTCH @jakebates30!#DETvsMIN | 📺 FOX pic.twitter.com/0h4IAxgA5o
— Detroit Lions (@Lions) October 20, 2024
The NFC North is the very best (and tightest) race within the NFL, the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs breezed to a street victory over the banged-up San Francisco 49ers within the Tremendous Bowl rematch, New York Giants followers obtained a bitter style of Saquon Barkley on Sunday, and did the Jacksonville Jaguars possibly, kind of, get again on monitor with a convincing win over the New England Patriots in London?
The Athletic NFL writers Jeff Howe, Ted Nguyen and Dan Pompei share their ideas on all of those storylines and extra.
Whether or not it’s a comparatively down 12 months for the protection or the accidents piling up on offense (Christian McCaffrey remains to be out, Brandon Aiyuk left Sunday’s recreation on a cart), do you’re feeling it’s too steep a climb again to Tremendous Bowl rivalry for the San Francisco 49ers?
Howe: Tremendous Bowl rivalry doesn’t really feel seemingly, nevertheless it’s too early to put in writing off the 49ers due to elite expertise and their current historical past of peaking late within the season. The accidents are a priority, little question, however the Niners are coping with different points. They nonetheless haven’t gained back-to-back video games this season, and so they merely gave away victories in opposition to the Los Angeles Rams and Arizona Cardinals. They’re simply too inconsistent, whether or not it’s week to week or quarter to quarter. Even nonetheless, they’re a recreation behind the Seahawks, and McCaffrey ought to be capable to clear up fairly just a few issues each time he returns.
Nguyen: It’s beginning to really feel that method. The protection is not an elite unit; they’re advantageous, however they aren’t going to dominate numerous video games with the pure expertise drain. This workforce has to win on offense, however they haven’t been the hyper-efficient and explosive offense that they’ve been the previous two years (and if Aiyuk is out for the season it’s going to be even more durable for them to return to that stage). With the gradual begin to the 12 months and dropping a few winnable video games, this is perhaps an excessive amount of to beat. They’ll seemingly be a playoff workforce, however until rookie Ricky Pearsall begins producing like a star quickly, it’s exhausting to ascertain this workforce within the Tremendous Bowl.
Pompei: To date, the 2024 49ers are a far cry from the 2023 49ers, and there might be penalties for his or her uneven begin. That being mentioned, it is a workforce that needs to be higher in December than it has been in September and October. Perhaps they need to be significantly better, however they’ve been compromised due to accidents. (Are you able to think about a backfield with McCaffrey and Jordan Mason?) The 49ers haven’t been in sync but this 12 months, and in the event that they ever start to click on, they are going to be a tricky out. They can win their division with out having an amazing document, because the NFC West has no dominant workforce to date.
Are you impressed that the Packers survived in opposition to the Texans regardless of three giveaways — or involved that the Packers are nonetheless giving it away thrice in a giant recreation throughout Jordan Love’s second full season because the starter?
Nguyen: Love goes to take gambles and he’s going to have video games like this. So long as he’s additionally making uncommon performs, it’s tolerable — not ideally suited. However what was most spectacular about this recreation was the Packers’ protection. They have been completely suffocating on Sunday, pressuring C.J. Stroud regularly. The Texans offense has been held collectively by Stroud’s heroics and mastery on third-and-long conditions, however on Sunday that got here crashing down. The Packers protection held Stroud to solely 86 yards passing. Anytime you are able to do that to an MVP candidate, you deserve reward. Matt LaFleur made the change at defensive coordinator to Jeff Hafley to allow them to win video games on days when the offense is struggling, and it paid off immediately. Love needs to be higher and the offense could have higher days, however the Packers protection was lights out.
Pompei: It will have been good for the Packers to get a win within the takeaway column, nevertheless it’s nicer to get a win within the standings. And it says one thing in regards to the Inexperienced Bay protection that it will probably overcome three giveaways. Packers followers of a sure classic will perceive this manner of successful is sustainable. When Brett Favre was beneath middle, the Packers routinely overcame turnovers, discovering methods to place up extra factors than their opponent. That’s what Love’s Packers did Sunday, and if Love has a bit Favre in him, there needs to be few complaints.
Howe: I’m undoubtedly impressed with this Packers win. Love has in a short time turn into probably the greatest quarterbacks within the league, and that game-winning drive felt inevitable. They’re loaded on the ability positions, and Love appears to belief nearly all of them. He does want to enhance his ball safety, although. He has eight interceptions in six begins this season, together with at the least one in every outing. Love did overcome an early-season stretch like this in 2023; he’ll must do it once more or that might be a a lot greater concern within the playoffs.
Talking of the NFC North: After the Packers’ win over an AFC energy and the Detroit Lions knocking off the now-one-loss Minnesota Vikings on the street (and the Chicago Bears, on bye, sitting at 4-2 after three straight wins), how does the NFC North stack up in your thoughts?
Howe: The division has three Tremendous Bowl contenders and a Bears workforce that may keep in any recreation as a result of they’re so good defensively. Relying how a lot Caleb Williams improves all through the season, the Bears even have a shot at moving into the playoffs. The Lions are the very best workforce within the NFC in the intervening time, possibly even the very best workforce general. However with the Vikings’ protection and Love’s excessive ceiling, these groups can take down anybody at any time.
Pompei: Look, this division goes to come back all the way down to the final weeks of the season, possibly even Vikings at Lions within the closing week. Or Bears at Packers. And it’s inconceivable to say how every of the 4 groups will progress or regress. However the Lions seemed like the very best workforce within the division heading into the season, and so they seemed like the very best workforce within the division on Sunday. The difficulty is how a lot they are going to miss Aidan Hutchinson shifting ahead. Will they be capable to purchase a participant who may give them a few of what they’re lacking? Will Aaron Glenn be capable to scheme up some pressures (as he did Sunday)? Will one among their defensive linemen step up? If the reply is sure to a number of of the questions, the North may belong to the Lions.
Nguyen: 1) Lions. Jared Goff has gotten higher yearly; Sunday was the fourth recreation in a row during which Goff accomplished greater than 70 p.c of his passes. He overcame long-yardage conditions due to penalties and adverse performs. Detroit was glorious on third down in opposition to the very best third-down protection in soccer. Goff stood robust and delivered in opposition to Brian Flores’ scheme, and the protection made sufficient stops even with out Aidan Hutchinson. 2) Packers. Love is again from harm and he’s been up-and-down, however his ups are very excessive and his lows haven’t been expensive because of a a lot improved protection. 3) Vikings. When you can type out Flores’ strain scheme, there are holes on this secondary and on Sunday it confirmed. Sam Darnold in pure passing conditions is shaky — he can actually make exhausting throws, however he’ll put the ball in hurt’s method too. If they’re on script it is a exhausting workforce to beat, however they nonetheless need to show they will win when coming from behind. 4) Bears. Caleb Williams is getting higher and the protection is legit. This workforce’s ceiling is tied to how a lot the offense line and Williams can proceed to enhance.
It’s October, the right time to relitigate selections made in March: Is the criticism of the New York Giants for letting Saquon Barkley stroll (which is able to, certainly, get a lot louder) warranted?
Nguyen: The Giants are going to have to begin a complete rebuild with or with out Barkley. In hindsight, not signing Barkley is an effective determination no matter how nicely he’s taking part in for the Eagles. It was a win-win for each groups even when it doesn’t really feel prefer it for the Giants, as a result of they, frankly, aren’t successful. Barkley will get to maximise the remainder of his prime behind the very best offensive line in soccer and the Giants lower your expenses and possibly not idiot themselves into not beginning their rebuild as quickly as attainable.
Pompei: There isn’t any query the Giants could be higher if Barkley was producing for them this season the way in which he has produced for the Eagles. He’s on a tempo to hurry for 1,864 yards — his greatest season by far. For a wide range of causes, he didn’t at all times produce that method for the Giants. In six years in New York, he had two actually good seasons, and he wasn’t impactful sufficient for the Giants to beat different points. Their document throughout his time in New York was 29-64-1. So whereas it shouldn’t be obscure the choice the Giants made within the offseason, it’s obscure for Giants followers.
Howe: The entire state of affairs may have been dealt with higher than it was, however I’m undecided Barkley would have made the Giants markedly higher this season. The Eagles are significantly better positioned to get into the playoffs, so a extremely paid working again made extra sense for them, whereas the Giants constructing round a working again might not have been the very best monetary technique. Criticism for the combined messages throughout negotiations have been warranted, however not essentially for the tip end result.
Whereas recognizing that the New England Patriots aren’t superb, do you maintain any hope that the 2024 Jaguars will at any level resemble the version that, about 11 months in the past, was sitting at 8-3 and in command of their division?
Howe: No. It’s going to take an entire lot greater than a win over the Patriots to neglect in regards to the reality the Jaguars have misplaced 10 of their final 13 video games. They’ve obtained the Packers, Eagles, Vikings, Lions and Texans of their subsequent 5 video games, too. They’ll need to be considerably higher than they’ve proven to keep away from 5 consecutive losses, which might drop them to 2-10 and maintain them in rivalry for the draft’s No. 1 general choose. Beating the Packers would transfer the needle subsequent week, however I’m not prepared to purchase any Jacksonville inventory in the intervening time.
Nguyen: The identical Jaguars that obtained pummeled by the Bears final week? I don’t have a lot hope that Jacksonville has improved a lot from a bottom-dweller workforce after a win in opposition to the Patriots. It seemed like they have been taking part in with much more effort although. I like that security Andre Cisco referred to as out the workforce for quitting final week and set the usual with a robust recreation immediately. For this workforce to get again to successful video games, they’ll want Trevor Lawrence to play at an elite stage each week. Rookie receiver Brian Thomas Jr. seems like a authentic menace and the 2 are getting increasingly more snug collectively, so possibly the offense can drastically enhance, however I’m undecided if the offense can get to a stage the place it will probably make up for the protection week after week.
Pompei: On one hand, the Jaguars have gained two of three and have proven indicators of enchancment. However, their loss one week in the past to the Bears was a tough one, and their two wins are in opposition to struggling groups (the Indianapolis Colts and now the Patriots). What’s extra, the challenges will turn into steeper and the margin of error slimmer. Their subsequent 5 are in opposition to good groups (the aforementioned Packers, Eagles, Vikings, Lions and Texans stretch). Jacksonville must win at the least three of these video games to be December contenders. The excellent news? Their schedule softens within the season’s closing month — and the Jags are higher than their document.
(High picture: Thearon W. Henderson / Getty Photos)
