By Brandon Simmons
Whole division in the playoffs?
Since the playoff format took shape last season – increasing from 6 to 7 – nobody really thought of the possibility of a whole division entering the postseason, but that could be something to watch for this year. The AFC East has all 4 of their teams currently in the playoff picture. From the division-leading Miami Dolphins to the last place New England Patriots, the it speaks to the improvement of the AFC East as a whole. The Dolphins got a new head coach, in addition to adding wide receiver Tyreek Hill to jumpstart their receiving group and aid in the progression of QB Tua Tagovaloa.
This is something unusual to happen this late in the season, but you can’t expect it to stay like this. The Patriots are sitting in that 7th and final playoff spot but they have to fend off the Los Angeles Chargers and the Cincinnati Bengals, 2 explosive teams that can be dangerous when they’re relatively healthy. The Patriots made the postseason last year but stumbled early on in the season and still face some stiff competition down the line, including the Minnesota Vikings and the Buffalo Bills twice. The same can be said for the New York Jets, who face the Patriots this Sunday but also got the Bills and Vikings on their schedule ahead. Jets are a young team learning how to win – and they have some solid ones this year – but they are doing it amongst other teams that are little more talented. Still, if they can overcome that then the AFC East will certainly be having a postseason party.
Will the Bears Invest in Justin Fields?
Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields put on another amazing performance for the 2nd week in a row. Fields threw 12/20 for 167 yads and touchdowns while rushing for 147 yards on 13 attempts for 2 touchdowns. It showcased the young signal caller as a dual threat as he totaled over 100 yards each in the air and on the ground. It was a performance similar to another QB who is lethal with his legs and dangerous with his arm: Baltimore Ravens Lamar Jackson. When Jackson came into the league, his scrambling was a primary attribute of his skillset and Baltimore proceeded to build around it. So how can Chicago do this for current franchise QB?
It seems the best route for the Bears to go is fixate on Fields’ passing ability. These past 2 games he has shown that he can run with the football, but both of those games resulted in losses. However, in addition to his playmaking ability on the ground, he has demonstrated that he can match that production with his arm. Chicago sees this as well, which is why they acquired wide receiver Chase Claypool from the Pittsburgh Steelers. It’s imperative they examine their passing game assets and determine if they have enough to aid in Fields’ progress. The Bears already have a substantial running back combo with David Montgomery and Khalil Herbert, so the running attack is more than taken care of right now. If they can get Fields to enhance his arm talent this could make this Bears team dangerous real fast and Fields could be a lethal dual threat QB on his way to reaching top tier territory.
The Eagles are Their Best Opponent
Despite losing to the Washington Commanders, the Philadelphia Eagles sort of solidified their position that very few teams can beat them. Just take a look at this game. Their main cause for losing was the 4 turnovers in this game. In addition to that, was the mental errors such as defensive end Brandon Graham sliding into Commanders QB Taylor Heineke and garnering a penalty. At the very least, he should’ve just ran over and touched him seeing he was already down. The Eagles beat themselves in this game but is a lesson learned in playing at a high level at all times. It’s not uncommon for teams to play to the level of an opponent that’s beneath them but there are quite a few of those left on Philly’s schedule. Now with no Dallas Goedert in their immediate future, they will have to dig even deeper mentally to maintain stability on their offense. He was a big part of their production and losing him means someone else needs to mentally prepare to pick up the slack. Not just in the tight end room, but the whole must generate the discipline to avoid mistakes and play at a level above all their upcoming opponents.
Shoutouts/Shutouts
Shout out to the Washington Commanders for handing the Philadelphia Eagles their first loss of the season. The Commanders accomplished this feat Monday night in a 32-21 victory on the road.
Shut out to the pain Tom Brady must be feeling for missing out on a catch. Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback was running a route on a trick play and was about to go up for the catch, but he slipped and it resulted in an interception. Later Brady saved face by tweeting he would’ve had a Randy Moss-like reception had he kept his footing, while posting a picture of the Hall-of-Fame receiver.
Week 11 should really get the playoff race started this week. The New York Jets and New England Patriots are fighting for their playoff spots, despite being the last 2 teams in the AFC East. However, these 2 young squads will compete until the end which will make a compelling matchup and an early shakeup in the postseason scenario. The game of the week might be the Dallas Cowboys visiting the Minnesota Vikings. Both teams are coming off high-energy overtime games and will look to bring that same enthusiasm into this matchup…but until then…I’ll holla.