By Brandon Simmons
Falcons are Wasting their Wings
The Atlanta Falcons have a former MVP candidate, an All-pro, 1,000 yard receiver, a defensive tackle that can be menacing to many offensive lines and a head coach that was instrumental in one of the most dominant secondaries in the NFL in the past decade. However, it is has not stopped this team from being 1-4 on the season. Coming into Sunday’s loss to the Houston Texans, the team was ranked 8th defensively, but that number could change after giving up a whopping 54 points. That scoring performance stayed true to their ranking of 22nd in the league points allowed. Part of the reason they found themselves in that predicament, as well as many others, they do not have a solid running game. They ran 27th overall in rushing and have not had a 100 yard rusher all season.
Essentially, the Falcons have some nice wings to fly with but they are wasting them greatly. The main Despite the defense high ranking, it appears to be missing at times and unable to slow down opponents when needed. The same can be said about the running game but maybe much worse. Falcons running back Devontae Freeman is coming off a groin injury that ended his 2018 season after 2 games, so that could be why he is slow to get back into form. Wide receiver Julio Jones is s having a consistently good year but his yards per reception is down; and despite him having two 100 yard games, he has been held under 100 yards 3 times so far this season, with 2 of those performances being under 50 yards. The more unfortunate part of this, is that the NFC South is in disarray. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are dealing with their own struggles, as always; the Carolina Panthers and New Orleans Saints don’t have their starting quarterbacks, but can only manage their success for so long. The Falcons have a perfect opportunity to fly into a playoff race but the midway point of the season approaches fairly quickly.
Trade Rumors
We’re just a few weeks way from the trade deadline and things aren’t as quiet as they seem. The two biggest name son the market right now re Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Jalen Ramsey and Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Stefon Diggs. These two names were making the most headlines due to reported strife between them and their franchise, but as more teams have their season to deteriorate, more stars find their names in the ring so their franchise can clear space and receive draft picks to build for the future. Cincinnati Bengals tight end Tyler Eifert has been linked in talks with the New England Patriots and New Orleans Saints. Eifert’s teammate, wide receiver A.J. Green, has been sidelined with a foot injury all year, but has been rumored to be on the trade block since the Bengals have been souring out this whole season.
One thing I do want to address is the asking price these teams are setting up. I understand you need compensation for some of these players that you’re shipping off, but not all of these guys are first round pick worthy. Humble yourselves for a 2nd or 3rd round pick or just keep them and work through your issues.
The reality is not all of these trades will come into fruition; but if I was to bet If I was to bet on any of the trades happening this year, I would have to go with Ramsey and Eifert being dealt for sure. When the rumors of Jacksonville trading Ramsey first began, things looked civil between the two, but since then, the cornerback has missed games because of personal issues and a back injury. The latter has led him to be seen in Houston for a visit with a back specialist, but before that, he was pictured with Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson at a bar. It was fun for social media speculation, but the Texans have no first round picks to supply for the Jaguars’ asking price of Ramsey. However, either some team does or their requirements will be lowered s the deadline nears. Eifert seems like an expendable piece that can propel a contending team into the postseason. The Patriots are famous for playing captain save-a-hoe for stray weapons and would not shy away from going after the former pro bowler. Green is an iffy to be dealt this season, because of his foot injury. I’m not sure who would want to take a chance on him by giving up a first round draft pick. He has a lot of football left, but age 31, it’s possible his best days could be slowly getting behind him. Ramsey and Eifert are two guys who can come in right now and make a difference for a team looking to make that postseason push, this year and next.
MVP Buzz
MVP has slowly found its way to be the buzzword of the next few weeks as the season’s midpoint approaches. Game commentators and studio analysts have throw around those 3 letters quite a bit alongside some names that have earned the right to be mentioned so far this season. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is still playing at a high level and have people expecting him to snatch the award again. Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson could make a case for himself as he is leading the team to a 3-1 record in a competitive NFC West. Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey has jumped into the fray as well and is also keeping his team afloat in the absence of losing their starting QB, Cam Newton.
While those names are cool, I couldn’t help but think of maybe 1 or 2 dark horse candidates; some guys that could use some more time to really creep into the race. Green Bay Packer quarterback Aaron Rodgers has thrown for 6 touchdowns and 1 interception this season. Dallas Cowboys QB Dak Prescott could have made some noise as an MVP candidate, with him being tied for a league high 11 touchdowns, but these last 2 losses may have cost him that opportunity. My dark horse, who might really be a serious contender for the award down the line, is Minnesota Vikings running back Dalvin Cook. He is the 2nd leading rusher in the league and leads the NFL with 5 runs of over 20 yards. He’s been hurt these last 2 seasons, so if it’s not MVP then he can definitely be in line for Comeback Player of the Year.
If I did have to choose a winner right now, it might just be Wilson. Right now, he has career highs in completion percentage, quarterback rating, QBR and yards gained per attempt. The last one is definitely my favorite because it’s showing he’s getting the ball deep down the field. Plus he has thrown 0 interceptions this year, which makes good ingredient for winning football games. The Seahawks are sitting at 4-1 and even beat the reigning NFC champion Rams. Seattle can only go as far as Wilson takes them, and if he continues playing like this, they will be flying for a while.
Shoutouts/Shutouts
Shout to Texans QB Deshaun Watson for his escapability from the pocket. Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons, Watson dropped back but was facing immense picture. However, as he broke free, he fumbles the ball, picks it up and runs for a first down. Watson finished the game with 426 yards and 5 touchdowns on 28-33 passing, becoming the first player in NFL history to throw for over 400 yards and 5 touchdowns with five or fewer completions. Texans won 53-32 over the Falcons.
Shutout to this whole #Handshakegate story. Tuesday, a mini controversy broke out when San Francisco 49ers cornerback Richard Sherman claimed Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield did not shake his hand at the coin toss. However, video surfaced online that Mayfield and Sherman, did indeed shake hands. Somehow this all ended with Twitter in an uproar for what might have been a slow news day for the league. Damn…maybe we do need Antonio Brown back. Week 6 is here and there are a couple of games with some early playoff implications such as the Philadelphia Eagles and Minnesota Vikings. The Eagles are in first place in the NFC East but the Vikings are in last place in the NFC North, but both have 3-2 records. A win or loss could really shift their positioning within their division. The Detroit Lions and Green Bay will finish the week’s action on Monday Night Football. Packers QB Aaron Rodgers and Lions QB Matthew Stafford might need to rest their arms up for this one. While the Packers are coming off a huge ground performance by running back Aaron Jones, the Lions can attack the air with wide receiver Kenny Golladay. But until then…I’ll holla.