Week 8 Nfl Takeaways: How People Are Looking At The Colts The Wrong Way

Week 8 didn’t bring overmuch drama. But we did get immoderate revelations. So let’s dive into those, successful nan MMQB takeaways for nan last Monday successful October …

Too galore group are looking astatine nan Colts nan incorrect way. To beryllium clear, Daniel Jones, for illustration immoderate quarterback, is simply a large portion of nan puzzle successful Indy, and 1 of nan biggest reasons for nan team’s stunning 7–1 commencement to nan season. It’s nan reality of his spot successful that puzzle that, successful my opinion, gets misconstrued.

That’s because group aren’t utilized to seeing nan backmost being nan finishing touch.

But if you really look astatine it, that’s conscionable what Jones is—and I stake he’d admit much group noticing what’s astir him, too. Because coming disconnected different blowout win, it’s progressively evident that nan Colts were measurement amended than anyone realized astatine nan different 10 positions wrong nan violative huddle coming into this season.

And I’m saying this astir Jones not to diminish thing he’s accomplished—he’s been awesome—but because different feline who shined connected Sunday, all-world tailback Jonathan Taylor, said thing akin astir himself, erstwhile I pointed retired to him that connected Sunday he became nan 12th player successful NFL history to person 4 abstracted three-touchdown games successful a azygous season, and it’s only Week 8.

“We person truthful galore caller weapons,” Taylor told me. “From Daniel Jones to Michael Pittman to Josh Downs to Alec Peirce, Tyler Warren. It’s truthful reliable to take sides us. You benignant of person to prime your poison connected each azygous play. Are you gonna take sides nan pass? Are you gonna run? What are you going to do? When you person awesome players crossed nan board, for illustration we have, it makes it easy for america to make explosive plays. Now we’re conscionable matched up one-on-one.

“It’s not excessively galore group deep, wherever location are group successful each zone, aliases excessively galore group stacked successful nan box. It’s usually conscionable a one-on-one we person to win. It’s made it really reliable to take sides us.”

The results of that are beautiful staggering, too. Jones has thrown for 2,062 yards, 13 touchdowns, 3 picks and a 109.5 passer standing done 8 starts. Taylor’s astatine 1,056 scrimmage yards and 14 touchdowns, and is averaging astir six yards per transportation to get to 850 of those yards connected nan ground. Pittman (43 catches, 446 yards, 6 TDs) and Warren (37 catches, 492 yards, 3 TDs) are hovering astir gait for 1,000-yard seasons. Downs isn’t acold disconnected from that, and Pierce wouldn’t beryllium either, had wounded not costs him a mates of games.

Meanwhile, nan statement has gotten younger, and you mightiness reason amended aft losing Will Fries and Ryan Kelly to nan Vikings successful free agency.

The bottommost statement is, this is simply a really bully group. And bringing it each together is how, arsenic Taylor explains it, nan full becomes moreover greater than nan parts. Taylor thinks really they each play for each different shows up successful nan chunk plays nan Colts look to beryllium ripping disconnected pinch regularity these days. Within nan Colts’ first 4 snaps, location was a 12-yard Taylor run, and 19- and 18-yard throws from Jones to Pierce and Downs, respectively. On nan team’s adjacent possession, Taylor had runs of 15 and 18 yards, and Warren had a 15-yard catch.

“When you person athletes that we person and you tin get your guys successful space, and springiness them that one-on-one matchup, it’s really reliable for a defender to really make that play,” Taylor said. “And of people for america it’s, How tin we beryllium efficient? How tin we beryllium judge we tin triumph that one-on-one matchup? Studying passim nan week who we’ll beryllium up against, and wanting to commencement fast, getting those chunk plays and letting nan different squad know—This is gonna beryllium a agelong day.”

It astir surely was for nan Titans. Those 2 possessions put nan Titans down 10–0 astatine nan extremity of nan first quarter. It was 17–7 astatine nan half.

And then, connected Indy’s first violative threat of nan 2nd half, Taylor went 80 yards.

What astir of america saw connected that 1 was 1 of nan champion backs of his era beating safeties Amani Hooker and Xavier Woods down nan sideline. But what he saw was Pierce, Downs and Pittman blocking connected nan backside of nan play, preventing a DB aliases 2 from moving him down, and nan statement blocking it up to nan constituent wherever he sewage to nan sideline untouched, astatine which constituent he could move it into a footrace.

“Those plays correct location that group love, it’s usually nan wideouts, it’s nan tight ends, it’s nan backside receiver getting a block,” Taylor said. That’s why we’ve been capable to beryllium truthful explosive—because everyone is fighting and digging for 1 another. For nan moving backs, Can you waste a really awesome fake, to propulsion 1 aliases 2 group successful nan other direction? We’re each playing for 1 another.”

Which brings america to nan quarterback.

Most of these guys were astir past year. So, really, a batch of nan elements that person sparked this Colts revival were successful place. That makes Jones not nan team’s violative starting point, but much truthful nan feline who coiled up bringing nan full point together.

“When he first sewage here, it seemed for illustration he had nan playbook for six months already.” Taylor said. “So during OTAs, during nan summer, we were capable to, not rustle past immoderate parts of nan playbook, but we had a batch of clip to activity connected intricate checks and things that were going on pinch our scheme. I deliberation now erstwhile defenses propulsion worldly astatine us, we are capable to callback those reps that we sewage successful nan offseason and beryllium capable to execute astatine a precocious level.”

There’s zero mobility nan Colts person done that—and it’s happened connected defense, too, pinch caller coordinator Lou Anarumo shuffling nan deck.

So you tin look astatine this arsenic immoderate benignant of Daniel Jones communicative if you want.

I’d show you there’s a batch much to it than that.

Jordan Love was a victor successful his highly anticipated first matchup against Aaron Rodgers. / Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

Green Bay Packers

I bet, successful a weird way, it was cool for Aaron Rodgers to watch what Jordan Love has go arsenic his successor successful Green Bay. I’m not saying Rodgers didn’t want to triumph Sunday nighttime successful Pittsburgh—obviously, nan Steelers’ backmost did. And Love’s play, and expertise to aviator nan Packers’ discourtesy astatine nan level he tin now, judge sewage successful nan measurement of that.

But I’m not judge capable group cognize really beardown nan enslaved betwixt Rodgers and Love is, moreover pinch each nan play that unfolded astir Rodgers’s exit from Lambeau successful early 2023.

Even though Rodgers was acold from pleased pinch nan team’s connection pinch him astir nan action of Love successful nan 2020 draft, he made a constituent not to fto things get icy betwixt him and Love successful nan measurement things did early connected betwixt him and Brett Favre immoderate 15 years earlier. So nan 2 grew close. And moreover aft Rodgers near for nan Jets, clearing nan measurement for Love to go nan Packers’ starter, nan aged man continued to beryllium a sounding committee for nan young backmost arsenic he settled into nan No. 1 role.

So erstwhile Love came live successful nan 2nd half of Sunday’s 35–25 Packers win, and coiled up throwing for 360 yards, 3 touchdowns and a 134.2 rating, do I deliberation that Rodgers, successful his gut, felt a small pridefulness successful really nan kid played? I stake he did. And aft talking to Love aft nan game, I tin show you for a truth that immoderate emotion Rodgers felt astir nan full point … those were perfectly mutual.

“Definitely,” Love told me. “I knew what this week meant, and coming into it what it was going to be. So, definitely, playing good going against A-Rod, and coming retired pinch nan triumph feels great. Just for illustration you said, nan clip we spent together, everything I learned, it decidedly is typical for maine to spell retired and beryllium capable to play good pinch him watching. That’s 1 of those things, I cognize he’s been watching, I cognize he’s studied immoderate of nan games we’ve played.

“He’s texted maine that before—he’s seen immoderate really bully things from me, immoderate awesome growth, and he’s happy for me. We’ve sewage a beautiful typical relationship, and anytime I’m capable to perceive from him, get immoderate bully feedback and travel retired present and play good pinch him connected nan different side, it decidedly felt good.”

And moreover amended was really Green Bay came from behind.

Love and his violative teammates gathered astatine nan half, aft a first half that nan backmost said “wasn’t up to our standard” near nan visitors down 16–7. The main message? Guys weren’t holding nan rope, and doing their “one-eleventh,” successful Packer parlance. And aft nan break, nan connection was intelligibly received—with nan defense starting nan 2nd half pinch a three-and-out, and nan discourtesy driving 90 yards successful 9 plays to trim nan Pittsburgh separator to 2 points.

That, really, was each nan Packers needed. Love coiled up an unthinkable 16-of-19 for 214 yards and 2 touchdowns aft nan half, and Green Bay won going away.

It meant plentifulness in nan standings, of course, arsenic nan Packers enactment successful first successful nan NFC North.

But now that nan crippled is over, Love tin concede nan obvious, and that’s that this 1 did person much meaning—because of really overmuch Rodgers meant to his career.

“Oh man—so much, truthful much,” Love said. “I decidedly wouldn’t beryllium nan subordinate I americium coming without being capable to watch him and study from him, and conscionable spot a backmost spell retired location and play astatine a ace precocious level.”

Which is to say, yes, it felt bully for Love to put connected a show.

The Texans are still lingering arsenic that squad pinch a chance. And not conscionable a chance to drawback nan red-hot Colts successful nan AFC South. Houston has a chance to become—after flashing imaginable successful nan playoffs nan past mates of years—a threat to nan Chiefs and Bills successful nan conference.

This is astir nan talent connected hand.

It’s easy to spot connected defense. “They’re lights out,” seasoned tight extremity Dalton Schultz told me, complete nan telephone from nan locker room aft nan Texans’ awesome 26–15 triumph complete nan 49ers connected Sunday. It’s been tougher to find connected offense, wherever nan squad has a boatload of promise, but a rookie near tackle, 2 rookie receivers playing progressively important roles and, astir poignantly, a rookie violative coordinator (Nick Caley) who was brought successful to leverage C.J. Stroud’s shot IQ.

Last week’s late-night nonaccomplishment successful Seattle was a microcosm of wherever penalties, losses and sacks short-circuited promising drives to nan constituent wherever nan team’s first violative touchdown didn’t travel until location was 2:04 near successful nan game.

“That’s losing ball, correct there,” Schultz said. “For us, it’s making judge everyone does precisely what they’re expected to do. It’s ace simple, it’s truthful cliché, but we sewage guys going to nan incorrect spots—it’s ace elemental clean-up stuff. Frustrating arsenic it is, it’s ace correctable. We’ve been truthful adjacent connected truthful overmuch s--- since Week 1.”

The bully news, for illustration Schultz said, is it’s explainable. The Texans are young successful cardinal spots, and successful a caller discourtesy that’s melding nan West Coast walk crippled they had nan past mates of years pinch elements of nan New England tally crippled and protection scheme, each wrapped successful a caller connection everyone’s had to learn.

“It’s an personality displacement from what we were doing,” Schultz said. “But astatine this point, it’s almost halfway done nan season. It’s spell time. You’re gonna get near behind.”

And nan Texans looked to beryllium playing pinch that urgency against nan Niners. Stroud was astatine his best, going for 318 yards, 2 scores and a 106.6 rating, while getting 3 teammates 5 catches, and different 2 4 catches—with nan aforementioned rookie receivers, Jaylin Noel and Jayden Higgins, successful that group. He besides did it without No. 1 target Nico Collins.

“You springiness him a cleanable pouch and a abstraction to throw,” Schultz said, “kid’s gonna ray it up.”

Meanwhile, Houston grinded retired 157 yards rushing and ran up 41 minutes of possession.

The defense did its thing, holding nan Niners to 223 yards and 15 points, each of which opened a model into wherever nan squad tin go. For nan remainder of us, anyway—Schultz knows wherever that benignant of navel gazing tin lead a squad that’s fighting done it.

“Everyone’s getting amended week to week. If you aren’t getting better, personification other is,” Schultz said. “You can’t measurement backmost and look astatine nan full picture, you’ll suffer attraction connected what you are trying to do. So I deliberation for america it’s been nan biggest thing. Clean your ain locker, make judge your s--- is right. Because if you are connected it, and whoever is adjacent to you is connected their s---, we will beryllium rolling.”

And maybe, coming disconnected this game, nan Texans will yet show they already are.

Buffalo Bills

The Bills needed that one. In lawsuit you missed it, Sean McDermott’s unit came into Carolina connected Sunday, playing nan statement he and GM Brandon Beane were erstwhile plucked from, and promptly stole nan red-hot Panthers’ luncheon money. And location was nary amended illustration of really it happened than done nan 64-yard touchdown tally from James Cook that collapsed nan crippled unfastened successful nan 2nd quarter.

On nan play, halfway Connor McGovern worked to nan 2nd level and walled disconnected linebacker Christian Rozeboom, while receiver Tyrell Shavers sewage downfield and trim disconnected information Nick Scott, creating an alley that Cook came done for illustration he was changeable retired of a cannon.

The play was truthful well-blocked, Cook started jogging astatine nan Panthers’ 25, cruising from there.

In nan smaller picture, it gave nan Bills a 12–3 lead successful what would go a 40–9 laugher, snapping a two-game losing streak that Buffalo rode into its bye. In nan bigger picture, it brought to life precisely what nan coaches and players were trying to execute aft a sloppy Sunday-night nonaccomplishment to nan Patriots was followed by a stagnant effort successful a Monday-night nonaccomplishment to nan Falcons, which near a batch of group questioning Josh Allen & Co.

“We conscionable went backmost to nan fundamentals and conscionable stayed existent to us,” Cook told me, aft exploding for 216 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns successful Charlotte. “It showed today. We had a long, difficult week of practice, a awesome week of practice, astir apt nan champion week of believe since I’ve been here. We conscionable gotta support grinding and support moving hard, and spot really it goes.”

Fair to say, connected this Sunday, it went good for nan AFC’s preseason favorite.

As for precisely what went into nan champion week of believe of Cook’s NFL career, he said it was: “Urgency. The attraction to item successful really we were working. Just getting backmost connected way was our main thing.”

Specifically, connected offense, that meant finishing blocks and runs successful some nan tally and walk games, thing that was possibly champion illustrated by nan aforementioned downfield blocking, some from linemen hustling past nan statement of scrimmage and accomplishment players staying connected their blocks. On defense, it was guys on nan beforehand doing a amended occupation than they did earlier successful nan period of focusing connected their gaps.

The two-to-one disparity successful run-game occurrence (the Bills rushed for 245 yards, nan Panthers went for 114) showed nan progress.

Then again, this was a beatdown successful each measurement imaginable. The Bills had 410 yards from scrimmage, nan Panthers conscionable 244, pinch moreover that debased number padded successful nan 4th fourth by a 67-yard Carolina touchdown thrust pinch nan people astatine 40–3. Buffalo besides had 7 sacks to nan Panthers’ two, 3 takeaways without allowing Carolina one, and a seven-minute advantage successful clip of possession.

And for nan first clip since nan first half of Week 3’s Thursday-night crippled against nan Dolphins, nan Bills looked like 1 of nan champion teams successful nan league.

So what’s nan effect of this 1 successful nan expansive strategy of things? Cook wouldn’t wound connected that one, giving maine nan banal reply that he’s “just taking each crippled 1 crippled astatine a time.”

But, nan Bills cognize they could person bigger things ahead, and this was a bully measurement successful pursuing those.

Aaron Glenn sewage his first triumph arsenic a coach connected an affectional time for nan Jets. / Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images

I don’t cognize if Aaron Glenn is going to beryllium nan Jets’ coach for nan adjacent decade, but I do cognize chat of pulling nan plug this early is asinine. It’s also, rather frankly, really bad franchises enactment bad—and that’s wherever nan Jets are, and person been, arsenic nan statement pinch nan NFL’s longest progressive playoff drought.

Maybe immoderate of that foolishness will dice down now that Glenn has his first win, 1 that came successful chaotic fashion, arsenic his squad fought backmost from deficits of 17–3, 24–10, 31–16 and 38–24 to hit nan resurgent Bengals by a last of 39–38. Rightfully, this peculiar triumph has been explained in nan discourse of nan calamity nan nine went through Sunday morning, pinch news spreading of franchise icon Nick Mangold’s death. But location was much than intangible worth to this one.

And nan communicative of really it relates to the larger scheme Glenn is trying to execute takes america to nan squad edifice connected Saturday night, little than 24 hours earlier nan Jets would return connected nan Bengals. Glenn summoned seasoned DT Harrison Phillips to nan beforehand of nan gathering room to reside his teammates, and Phillips, who was drafted by nan Bills successful McDermott’s 2nd twelvemonth location and was successful Minnesota for Kevin O’Connell’s first 3 years, didn’t disappoint.

“I really emphasized a batch of nan things AG has been talking astir pinch grit,” Phillips told me, recounting nan speech. “The meaning he’s put up location often has been patience and perseverance towards a semipermanent goal, and sustaining that semipermanent goal, truthful I talked astir playing nan agelong game. I talked astir extent perception, and really sometimes if you deliberation thing is acold away, you’ll support it there. If you deliberation getting to nan playoffs is simply a long-term, far-off thing, you perpetuate that and you’ll ne'er spell get it.

“If you deliberation astir really adjacent it really is, you spell alteration 1 play from a mates of nan games we had, we’re a 5–2 shot team, aliases a 6–1 shot team, if you could spell backmost and alteration it. So I effort to fto nan guys know, you mightiness person hit maine yesterday, you mightiness hit maine today, you mightiness hit maine again, but you will not hit maine successful nan end.”

The Bengals didn’t hit nan Jets successful nan extremity and, again, that expertise to rotation pinch nan punches showed up again and again and again. The champion illustration of it? How nan defense put its ft successful nan crushed successful nan game’s last 7 minutes. Over nan first 53 minutes, that group had yielded 398 yards, 7.8 yards per play and 38 points to nan Bengals. Then, somehow, nan Jets summoned nan spot to unit a three-and-out and a game-ending turnover connected downs, while allowing Cincinnati conscionable 1 first down successful those 2 possessions.

That opened nan doorway that Justin Fields, who whitethorn person been benched were it not for Tyrod Taylor’s injury, to lead touchdown drives of 60 and 58 yards and triumph nan game, days aft proprietor Woody Johnson publically questioned his ability to beryllium nan guy.

“It’s reliable erstwhile you haven’t seen nan consequence you wanted but each nan clip nan belief squad is there,” Phillips said. “To person an 0–7 squad person that belief is incredible. And that’s nan civilization AG’s trying to build here.”

So now, nan Jets are 1–7, which only intends they’ve still sewage a long, agelong measurement to go.

But it’s a start, and some Glenn and Phillips cognize really those go. The coach was successful Detroit for nan commencement of Dan Campbell’s tenure arsenic Lions coach, truthful he remembers 0–8 and 0-10-1 starts successful 2021, and a 1–6 commencement successful 2022, each of which became a preamble to nan occurrence that franchise is having now. Likewise, Phillips saw specified retoolings successful Buffalo and Minnesota, truthful he knows really these go.

“I judge successful AG,” Phillips said. “I’ve been astir Sean erstwhile he was young; I was astir KO erstwhile he was young successful his career. He possesses those aforesaid traits. And location hasn’t been occurrence present for a agelong time. It takes a while to do that. That’s why erstwhile we are creating this culture, it’s astir getting nan correct people, it’s astir processing nan correct group and you want a civilization that elevates your talent, not a civilization that hinders your talent.

“That’s what we’re creating.”

And that doesn’t hap overnight.

Nick Mangold was beloved by teammates astatine Ohio State and pinch nan Jets. / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Nick Mangold

While we’re connected nan Jets, we request to admit nan shocking Sunday greeting news of Mangold’s depth. I knew Mangold a small bit, but not much. I was a graduating elder astatine Ohio State nan summertime nan early All-Pro halfway was coming in, past crossed paths pinch him a bunch covering nan Jets complete nan years. So I could show you what I cognize astir nan funny, caring, reliable and loyal Mangold.

But I figured it’d beryllium amended to person our communal friend Bobby Carpenter do it for me. Carpenter, for illustration Mangold, was a personnel of Ohio State’s star-studded 2002 recruiting class, and nan 2 played 4 years together successful Columbus, were All-Americans together, were first-round picks and NFL players together, and maintained their adjacent enslaved done nan years since.

Thanks to Bobby for taking nan clip to constitute this tribute astatine what’s evidently a difficult clip …

Long chaotic hair, an untamable Viking beard, and opinionated 6'4", weighing 320 lbs … Nick Mangold was a upland of a man. Yet he was really nan everyman, and it’s nary astonishment he was beloved by Buckeye federation and nan J-E-T-S religious alike.

He was a seven-time Pro Bowler pinch nan Jets and an All-American pinch Ohio State, but that’s not what we will retrieve astir Nick. From nan first infinitesimal that anyone met Nick, they were instantly captivated by his personality. He was nan “Big Guy.” Reminiscent of Vince Vaughn from his early-2000s run, he was nan teddy bear. His quick-witted joke and expertise to prosecute an full room was mislaid connected nary one. While mediocre assemblage students, Nick someway talked our measurement into nan booth segment successful Vegas pinch immoderate MLBers—and had them pouring america drinks aft 15 minutes.

He was a hugger. He had an sentiment astir everything and would prosecute pinch anyone that wanted to chat. Any bad time was instantly made amended erstwhile Nick asked you to bring it successful for nan existent thing. Despite his demonstrative stature, Nick had an approachability and connectability that endeared him to each person. It’s why he was specified a instrumentality favorite, but much importantly a connector successful nan locker room. You ever felt amended aft a speech pinch Nick. He was nan eternal optimist … and that was nan biggest driver of his diversion success.

Nick ne'er knew a stranger. And it’s why his teammates adored him. He embodied everything Billy Joel sang about: “He was speedy pinch a joke, aliases to ray up your smoke.” But nan spot he’d alternatively beryllium was ever pinch his friends and family. His unrelenting loyalty was his finest trait. No matter nan clip aliases distance, erstwhile you saw Nick it was for illustration hopping connected a moving train. Your relationship and relationship ne'er waned. It’s why we each loved him.

The Jets mislaid a legend.

Buckeye federation mislaid an All-American.

But his teammates and friends mislaid nan champion of us.

The Dolphins haven’t rolled complete yet—and a batch of group figured they would arsenic Mike McDaniel’s occupation information seemed to evaporate successful caller weeks. I’ll beryllium nan first personification to raise a manus and opportunity I didn’t expect to spot Miami routing nan Falcons 34–10, aliases outgaining nan Falcons 338 to 213, dominating clip of possession, nan statement of scrimmage and conscionable astir each different facet of Sunday’s showdown astatine Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Indeed, what was expected to beryllium a funeral became astatine slightest a impermanent rebirth. And immoderate Dolphins players will constituent to that consequence if you inquire them whether they still person McDaniel’s back.

“Yes—today we showed that,” linebacker and squad skipper Jordyn Brooks told me. “Us, arsenic leaders, we thrust that point, to person his back. Whether we work together aliases disagree, we gotta person his back. As leaders, we can’t beryllium pulling distant from that and contradict what Mike’s connection is, because now you’re starring nan squad successful confusion. Whatever Mike is being criticized for, we’re location to enforce it arsenic leaders and everyone will travel suit.

“Absolutely we person Mike’s back.”

There is, of course, a batch of h2o nether this bridge. There’s nan residue from a star-friendly civilization that created clash pinch nan team’s rank and record successful 2023 and ’24. There was nan resulting firing of protect coordinator Vic Fangio aft ’23, and revamping of nan roster aft ’24. There was clash stemming from nan changes, and nan perception, astatine least, that McDaniel wasn’t taking nan bull by nan horns erstwhile things started disconnected connected nan incorrect ft this year.

And past you person a Sunday for illustration this one, wherever it each comes together.

I asked Brooks astir nan squad meetings (plural) that Tua Tagovailoa referenced past week, and he politely declined to dive into that. But he did opportunity location was room for reliable conversation, and existent reflection, aft past week’s rock-bottom nonaccomplishment successful Cleveland that forced everyone to return individual work for a 1–6 commencement that was getting worse by nan week.

“We allowed ourselves to consciousness it and not hide from it,” Brooks said. “You person to beryllium existent pinch yourself and existent pinch others. I thought we had immoderate things we addressed toward each other, arsenic a team, being existent pinch each different arsenic players, coaches, etc. And watching nan movie and seeing really we had to get better, we made an accent connected really we had to extremity this upcoming team, nan Falcons.

“The concealed was coming backmost to work, emphasizing what we request to stress and support pressing forward.”

Whether it lasts remains to beryllium seen. The Dolphins will play nan Ravens connected Thursday, and those stand-alone games sometimes return connected outsized value from a storyline perspective. Miami has nan Bills aft that. So nan wheels could travel disconnected again.

So what did Sunday really prove, then? That this group is afloat tin of putting those wheels backmost on.

Los Angeles Chargers

Joe Alt is 1 of nan champion players successful football. It sounds a small outlandish to opportunity that astir a second-year violative tackle conscionable 22 starts (21 regular season, 1 playoff) into his NFL career. But if Thursday night’s 37–10 obliteration of nan Vikings showed america 2 things astir Jim Harbaugh’s Chargers team, they are these …

1) The characteristic of nan squad runs done its violative line.

2) Alt is cardinal to that personality, and became moreover much truthful aft Rashawn Slater was mislaid for nan play during nan summer.

Simply put, absent Alt and Slater, nan Chargers were stripped of their identity. The No. 5 prime successful nan 2024 draught went down successful nan first 4th of nan team’s Week 4 crippled against nan Giants. Los Angeles mislaid that game, and past 2 of its adjacent 3 pinch Alt connected nan support and moving his measurement backmost from a precocious ankle sprain.

With Alt’s return, it looked for illustration L.A. flipped a switch, and nan Vikings stood nary chance Thursday.

“Credit goes to a batch of those different guys,” wide head Joe Hortiz was judge to punctual maine Friday night. “And Joe [Alt] would show you if you sewage him connected nan phone, Hey man, I conscionable did my job. But he does it well, and it is like, Hey, we sewage Joe back, man. It gives you a boost.”

No 1 felt that much than Justin Herbert, who was correct backmost astatine an All-Pro level pinch his blindside bodyguard backmost successful nan lineup. Herbert’s numbers carnivore nan quality out.

• With Alt: 94-of-138 (68.15%), 1,110 yards, 9 TDs, 2 INTs, 108.06 rating.
• Without Alt: 107-of-158 (67.7%), 730 yards, 7 TDs, 5 INTs, 97.35 rating.

Maybe astir stark successful there, too, was nan quality successful yards per attempt, a bully metric to measurement a quarterback’s efficiency. Herbert is averaging 8.04 pinch Alt and 4.62 pinch him.

And that brings america to nan 2nd portion of this. That’s nan worth of having a awesome near tackle successful general—and it conscionable truthful happens nan Chargers person two. There’s been a batch of chatter successful caller years connected whether nan position is arsenic captious it erstwhile was. The truth, to me, really lies not successful what happens erstwhile you person one, but what happens erstwhile you don’t. A batch of so-so lines person been propped up by a awesome one. Conversely, not having a competent 1 is trouble.

The Chargers’ first 8 games are a microcosm of that.

“Listen, possibly it’s not arsenic important arsenic it utilized to be,” Hortiz said. “Maybe not, because teams onslaught wherever weaknesses are, and everyone recognizes really important nan violative statement successful wide is. Yeah, different positions person go appreciated more. The near tackle, that was your champion blocker backmost 20 years ago. But erstwhile you don’t person one? You inquire immoderate right-handed backmost … a batch of them will show you.”

Herbert included.

Lamar Jackson was connected nan sideline Sunday, but it was not a quiet play astir him. / Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

I don’t cognize that the NBA gambling scandal will mean overmuch to nan NFL, but nan Ravens’ wounded reporting business surely shines a ray connected really thorny this each is. To beryllium clear, I don’t deliberation Baltimore’s slipup successful listing Lamar Jackson arsenic a afloat subordinate successful Friday’s practice, alternatively than arsenic a constricted participant, has thing to do pinch gambling. My conjecture is nan adjacent clip John Harbaugh knows nan over/under connected a Ravens crippled will beryllium nan first time.

That said, it surely affected betting lines. Baltimore went from being a 6.5-point favourite to, astatine 1 point, a 1.5-point pick. So group successful nan know, arsenic others person pointed out, would person a gaming edge, being capable to return nan Bears and nan points astatine nan higher number earlier what was wrong accusation became nationalist (that hypothetical gambler pinch nan info could moreover past hedge his stake pinch a stake connected nan Ravens astatine nan little number). 

And successful an era during which—just a decade aft nan convention was declaring sports betting an existential threat to nan game—the convention is clearing each nickel it tin make from gambling companies disconnected nan table, these sorts of irregularities are going to beryllium scrutinized. (That nan Ravens won by 14 and cleared moreover nan original spreads are irrelevant.)

That’s nan furniture nan NFL has made for itself, and nan convention now has to dishonesty successful it— which it will do willingly because of each nan money location is to beryllium made.

So what’s next, aft the FBI’s bust of master basketball revealed players and coaches progressive successful some ineligible and forbidden betting, and sports and non-sports gambling? I asked a bunch of squad presidents this week, who’d conscionable arrived location from nan NFL’s autumn gathering (staged earlier nan NBA communicative broke). Here’s a sampling of their takes, collected via matter earlier nan Jackson news collapsed Saturday.

NFC squad president 1: “The NFL has their gambling deals up for renewal. I would presume not overmuch changes but they will put unit connected coaches to support reporting injuries, etc.”

NFC squad president 2: “It only heightens nan attraction to absolute compliance pinch our gambling policy. Should scare anyone straight.”

NFC squad president 3: “I deliberation it reminds nan convention to beryllium vigilant connected each of these matters. The subordinate prop constituent is very different though successful nan NFL, because you don’t person load management, and guys don’t needfully power if they get nan ball. But I deliberation it’s a reminder that forbidden gambling is conscionable arsenic prevalent arsenic online gambling, which is easier to track. But nan constitution of nan NBA subordinate props is overmuch easier … 82 games, little value of each game, easier to manipulate nan system.”

AFC squad president: “It astir apt conscionable brings it moreover much apical of mind—bit of a wake-up telephone to what tin hap if you’re not proactively monitoring it. I cognize integrity of nan crippled is simply a apical privilege for Roger [Goodell], truthful I don’t deliberation nan NFL hasn’t been connected apical of it, but nan NBA point will amplify nan request to enactment connected apical of it.”

I did inquire nan 2nd NFC squad president if it made consciousness to prohibition subordinate props, connected a better-safe-than-sorry premise. He surmised that nan national astir apt wouldn’t motion disconnected connected that.

“Teams and nan leagues are each making excessively overmuch money from legalized betting to travel aged rules,” he texted. “I work together it’s a problem, but excessively precocious now.  I suspect, but don’t cognize for sure, that nan NFL compliance is overmuch higher than nan different leagues [since there’s] overmuch much betting connected our games than different sports.”

In different words, this is their caller world. And nan NBA business is astir apt conscionable nan commencement of nan remainder of america seeing what’s wrong Pandora’s box. Which, successful an absorbing twist, we’re now getting to do successful portion because nan ineligible shape of gambling is overmuch easier to way than nan forbidden kind.

Weird really that’s worked.

Quick-hitters

The quick-hitters are hitting correct now. Away we spell …

• The Ravens are 2–5 and successful amended style than you think. If they hit nan Dolphins connected Thursday, they’ll person nan mini-bye to get Lamar Jackson and everyone other healthier, past they’ll play nan Vikings, Browns and Jets. The Minnesota matchup is thorny. The different two, little so. So nan thought of moving disconnected 4 consecutive isn’t retired of statement here, and that would put Baltimore astatine 6–5 heading into nan Thanksgiving-night crippled against nan Bengals. And if nan Ravens tin conscionable sneak into nan bracket, pinch nan talent they person …

• You’d opportunity nan aforesaid point astir nan Bengals, had they not conscionable laid a dinosaur ovum against nan Jets. Still, they person nan Bears, Steelers (whom they already beat) and Patriots earlier that Thanksgiving game, too. So they could also be 6–5, if they tin find a measurement not to vanish for illustration they did down nan agelong Sunday.

• Drake Maye is creeping into nan MVP conversation. That he was capable to propulsion for 282 yards, 3 touchdowns and a 135.8 passer standing connected a time during which Myles Garrett sacked him 5 times is beautiful incredible. Patrick Mahomes would beryllium my MVP correct now. But Maye’s successful nan operation aft that, pinch guys specified arsenic Baker Mayfield and Jared Goff.

• I said this connected Twitter Sunday night: I’d consciousness worse for Garrett if he didn’t opportunity what he did astir wanting to spell to a victor successful February, only to return $40 cardinal per twelvemonth to enactment successful Cleveland, knowing it wasn’t nan champion spot to spell trophy chasing. I really deliberation nan Browns person a decent scheme successful mobility now, but it’s going to return time. And Garrett’s turning 30 successful 2 months.

• Kirk Cousins didn’t look awesome connected Sunday, and that Falcons squad is intolerable to get a awesome publication on. Atlanta goes to New England next.

• I don’t person difficult impervious connected this, but it judge feels to maine for illustration players, and quarterbacks successful particular, are being handled much cautiously this twelvemonth than ever before. It’s a byproduct of having a 17-game season, and will only get worse if/when an 18-game slate is introduced, and nan convention sees it arsenic a problem down closed doors. Why? Because each crippled is simply a portion of existent property nan owners are trying to sell, and nan thought that teams are progressively “load managing” their players affects that existent estate’s value.

• The Broncos are becoming truthful coldly businesslike that they really don’t request Bo Nix to beryllium a prima to triumph astir of their games. But if you’re really paying attention, you tin spot nan progress, possibly astir visibly successful really he’s incorporating rookies specified arsenic Pat Bryant and RJ Harvey into nan offense.

• The Bucs took nan Saints isolated methodically connected Sunday, and New Orleans coiled up turning to rookie Tyler Shough, whose audition for nan occupation successful 2026 astir apt starts correct now.

• Maybe it’s conscionable me, but I deliberation nan truth that DeVonta Smith and A.J. Brown mixed for 300 yards and Jalen Hurts had a cleanable passer standing last week against nan Vikings, and this week nan Eagles turned astir and rushed for 276 yards against nan Giants, should beryllium terrifying to opponents. That’s nan type of team—one that has nan astir answers—that dominates successful nan playoffs.

• We’re still a ways disconnected from nan NFL coaching carousel spinning, but it already looks for illustration it’s going to beryllium a chaotic December and January successful nan manufacture pinch LSU, Florida and Penn State already unfastened successful nan assemblage ranks.

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