Each week I’m going to try and do this column. This will be just some random observations that I noticed during the current week of the glorious 2018 NFL football season. There will be 6 observations and an extra point. So you’re essentially getting a touchdown’s worth of football hot takes from me. Enjoy.
1. A simple mind would say that Chiefs vs Rams is a lock for the Super Bowl but I’m not a simple mind and at least one of those teams won’t even make it to the conference championship
The two darlings of the NFL right now in the Los Angeles Rams and the Kansas City Chiefs are both 5-0. Many people are predicting that it’s a forgone conclusion that these two teams meet in the Super Bowl but I feel like it’s way too early to say that.
Nowadays, there’s a team every single year that starts off hot but fades down the stretch. While I do think that both of those teams win their respective divisions, I think that one of them will lose in the divisional round after getting a first round bye. I believe that team will be the Chiefs.
The Rams have the easiest path to the number 1 seed of any team. Their division is full of scrubs and they shouldn’t lose more than 3 games and I do believe that they can go undefeated.
Oh and by the way, these teams play against each other in Mexico City week 11. I can’t wait to see how far Patrick Mahomes can throw the ball at 7,000+ ft elevation.
2. Please, God, let someone beat the Patriots in the AFC Championship Game this year
Speaking of AFC contenders, the Patriots are not dead. Regardless of whether we like them or not, they’re going to be in the AFC Championship game this year. It’s an unfortunate but forgone conclusion. I just hope someone beats them. Maybe I’m wrong and Kansas City will.
Could Jacksonville do it? The Ravens can’t even win in Cleveland so I doubt they’ll be able to go to Foxboro and win. I just hope someone does because I can’t take another Super Bowl with their insufferable fans.
3. The NFC North is going to have the most interesting division race down the stretch
Here’s how the division stacks up right now:
Chicago Bears: 3-1
Green Bay Packers: 2-2-1
Minnesota Vikings: 2-2-1
Detroit Lions: 2-3
I honestly think it’s anyone’s game. The Bears are off to a great start but they’re still young and their inexperience down the stretch does worry me. The Packers have a bit of Jekyll and Hyde in them. The Vikings also can’t figure out if they’re good or not. I feel like the Lions are turning a corner and could put enough wins together to get to 8-8 knowing them.
The week-to-week roller coaster that this division has seen has been incredibly fun to watch and I hope that it stays that way. It’s been great to watch. My money is still on Aaron Rodgers and the Packers.
4. Are we sure that Derek Carr is a franchise QB?
The Raiders are not a good football team. Whatever they were building upon two seasons ago looks to be absolutely dead. Jon Gruden is still coaching like it’s 2000 and the team is flat out miserable to watch.
I’m not sure if Derek Carr is actually a franchise quarterback. I’m not ready to call him a bust like Marcus Mariota is but I’m not sure if he can take a team to a championship. I don’t know if he elevates his teammates or if he needs his teammates to make him great.
I guess my main question is that if you’re the Raiders and you have a top 5 draft pick and Justin Herbert, Will Grier, or Dwayne Haskins is sitting there do you pull the trigger? I don’t think they would but I’m not 100% sure that they wouldn’t.
5. The Atlanta Falcons are a weird team and I still think that they should blow the entire roster up and rebuild it
It’s not a secret that I’ve been critical of the Atlanta Falcons since they blew a 28-3 lead in Super Bowl 51. In week one, I wrote that it’s impossible to recover after blowing a lead that’s so substantial in such a big game. It literally breaks your brain and makes it impossible to recover.
Through five weeks, this team is 1-4 but could easily be 4-1 if they knew how to close out a game. Today’s game wasn’t close at all and their season is probably over but if they knew how to finish then we wouldn’t even be having this conversation. This coaching staff/core group of players will never win a Super Bowl together. The mental aspect of the game won’t allow it.
6. Teams who wear their color rush uniforms when the other team wears their normal uniforms are 5-0 this season
While the NFL no longer requires teams to wear their color rush uniforms on Thursday Night Football (a damn shame if you ask me), teams may want to start wearing them more often as this season their record is perfect. That’s right, teams are 5-0 this season when they wear their color rush and the other team wears their normal uniforms.
In this league, you need to do whatever it takes to get an edge. So if that means you’ve gotta run out there looking like you’re drenched in piss (pictured below) then that falls under the “whatever it takes” category.
Extra Point: It seems like both the Dolphins and Titans are frauds, just like I said that they were
A lesser blogger would have put this higher up in the list but I don’t need the validation of being right to keep going. I can just sit here quietly and type and not brag about how correct I was.
If I cared about being right, I’d say things like “I’ve been telling you that both Ryan Tannehill and Marcus Mariota are busts.” I’d also remind the audience that they played in the worst ever football game in week 1 when the game was delayed for 3 hours due to lightning at whatever the hell the Dolphins are calling their stadium now. I’d also drill home the point that I’ve been saying that both of these teams are frauds since the start of the season. Again, I don’t care about being right so I’m not gonna mention those things but if I did then I would.
Two point conversion: The NFC East is bad
The entire division lost this week and none of the teams are good. Figured I’d add that quick tidbit in since the Cowboys just lost in overtime.