Week eight is in the books, which means it's HOT TAKE time!
1. Broncos shutdown Packers
Aaron Rodgers threw for 77 yards. It sounds like a boxscore misprint at first, but it isn’t. That’s how good the Broncos defense is right now. And it looks like the offense has finally caught up. Peyton Manning didn’t have a touchdown and he threw another interception, but he looked comfortable in the pocket and picked apart the Green Bay defense. On top of that, the Broncos run game finally got going, rushing for 160 yards and three touchdowns.
If these are the real Denver Broncos then the New England Patriots have a big challenge on their hands on November 29. Right now, it seems like the only team that is “legitimately undefeated” is the Patriots, so there’s no point in thinking that the Cincinnati Bengals can run the table. However, if the Broncos take care of business in the next three weeks (and it’s a favorable schedule) then the November 29 game against the Patriots could determine who gets home field in the AFC.
And with the news that the Broncos acquired Vernon Davis, Manning now has a reliable tight end to throw the ball to if his receivers can’t get open. Remember how good Julius Thomas (and really every tight end to ever play with Manning) was last year, how he turned that into a big pay day, and how you never hear from him in Jacksonville? And yes, I realize he was hurt to start the year but he’s played in three games, they lost two of them, and he wasn’t a factor in the game they won. Point is, Peyton Manning makes tight ends look good. And he’s about to make Vernon Davis look really good.
As for the Packers, they’re still the favorite in NFC, but that was a very discouraging effort. Very few defenses are going to be able to do to them what the Broncos did, but this performance is coming off the heels of a game where they gave up 500 yards passing. Before the weekend it was cool to make fun of the Panthers for being a fraud undefeated team, but the Packers hadn’t exactly beaten a murders row of teams either.
2. Giants/Saints shootout
My “Giants will win the NFC East” prediction looks worse every time they blow a fourth quarter lead. And it looks really bad when they’re giving up 52 points in a game. The division still sucks so all hope isn’t lost, but their defense is an absolute joke right now. They’re giving up over 300 yards passing per game and can’t stop a nosebleed. Jason Pierre-Paul aint walking through that door anytime soon, so they need to figure something out. On the bright side, Eli Manning played his best game of the season, Odell Beckham is still a problem, and Victor Cruz should be returning soon.
And just when everyone was writing off the Saints, they’re now 4-4 and a threat for the second wild card spot. Their defense isn’t much better than the Giants, but Drew Brees looks like himself again and Sean Payton is still one of the better coaches in the league. They’re in a battle with the Seahawks and Rams for the second wild card spot, but they’re schedule is very favorable down the stretch. Aside from the Panthers at home and the Falcons on the road, they play a bunch of garbage teams that are very winnable games.
3. Ice Up Son
Steve Smith can’t go out like this. In fact, I’m willing to bet that Steve Smith won’t go out like this. He’ll play one more season, probably in Baltimore. The lasting image of Smith won’t be him getting carried off the field with a towel over his head. Next year he’ll be 37 years old coming off a back injury and Achilles surgery, but that won’t matter. He’ll still produce over 1,000 yards and 7-8 touchdowns.
It’s just a shame that his season had to end like this. Despite my pleading, I had very little hope that the Panthers would acquire him at the trade deadline. Who he played for in his final season didn’t really bother me. As much as I wanted to be the Panthers, or any football team that has a shot at the Super Bowl, I was just happy seeing Smith play because very few in any sport match his competitive fire.
I’m not writing Smith’s swan song just yet because I believe he’ll play next year. And I can’t wait.
4. Every AFC South coach will be Fired
On Tuesday morning, the Titans fired head coach Ken Whisenhunt after a 1-6 start. He’s the second coach to be fired this season, but he won’t be the last.
In fact, I think every AFC South coach will be fired this year. The Jacksonville Jaguars are terrible and Gus Bradley hasn’t shown that he’s the guy for the job. In his three years as the Jags head coach, he has a record of 9-30 and the team has shown no improvement. They play at the Jets this week and then at Baltimore. Both of those games will likely result in a loss for the Jags. Had they not pulled off a victory over the Bills in London thanks to E.J. Manuel, Bradley would probably be gone already.
The Texans are a mess and Bill O’Brien is at the helm. After an encouraging first season, the Texans have taken a huge step back this season. Their defense is struggling to stop anyone and there’s no consistency with their offense. O’Brien changed quarterbacks five times in the first two games before Ryan Mallett was released. The Texans are actually tied for the division lead right now and are on a bye-week, which means changes aren’t coming soon, but they might struggle to win one of their next five games before finishing the season against division foes.
Then there’s Chuck Pagano and the Colts. Pagano almost saved his job thanks to a Carolina Panthers meltdown, but the Panthers managed to win and now Pagano and the Colts are 3-5 with Pagano in the final year of his contract. It’s pretty obvious that the Colts are going to let Pagano finish out this year before firing him after they lose in the playoffs, but if they continue to play bad football, it wouldn’t be too surprising if he’s released sooner.
5. TRADES!
Here are some logical trades for you to chew on:
-Carolina Panthers acquire Anquan Boldin from San Francisco 49ers: I’ve read articles saying that the Panthers should trade for Calvin Johnson, which would be fantastic if this were Madden or if money didn’t matter. But Johnson is owed a lot of money in the coming years and he would be a long term solution for the Panthers with Kelvin Benjamin coming back next year and Devin Funchess still in the rotation. That’s why Boldin makes the most sense. He’s a guy who can still produce and in the last year of his contract. He’s a short term solution, which is exactly what the Panthers need this season.
-Seattle Seahawks acquire Alex Mack from the Cleveland Browns: The Browns are willing to trade just about anyone and the Seahawks desperately need offensive line help. Mack isn’t as good as Max Unger, who they traded for Jimmy Graham, but he’s better than anyone they currently have.
-Philadelphia Eagles acquire Johnny Manziel from Cleveland Browns: It’s clear that Manziel won’t be given a chance in Cleveland. He needs a fresh start. So why not Philly? Chip Kelly needs a mobile quarterback who isn’t afraid to sling it. Bradford isn’t that guy. Colin Kaepernick also makes sense for Philly, until you look at his contract.
-New York Giants acquire Barkevious Mingo from Cleveland Browns: The Giants need someone who can put any kind of pressure on the quarterback. Mingo hasn’t lived up to his draft pick (or his awesome name) but the Giants are desperate for just about anything right now.
Quick Takes
*As per USB rules, the Lions must leave their coach in London.
*Thank you, Tampa Bay.
*The Gurley vs. Cooper OROY race is legit.
*Do we value New England’s win over the Jets less now that they just lost to the Raiders?
*Speaking of the Raiders, it’s amazing how good a team can be when they have a #1 wide receiver, a good quarterback, and a stable coaching staff.
*Hope everyone enjoyed their two week stay on the Dolphins bandwagon.
*On one hand, I feel bad for the Bengals because they aren’t getting nearly enough coverage for how good they’ve been this year thanks to the Patriots and Broncos. On the other hand, it’s not a bad thing to fly under the radar.
*I’m sure Antonio Brown was happy to have Ben Roethlisberger back, but Ben has to give Brown, or anyone for that matter, at least a chance on that final pass. Didn’t he learn from the Giants that throwing it out of the endzone is no good?
*The Seahawks might not make the playoffs and that seemed impossible to start the year.
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