NFL Week 4: Ups & Downs
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Los Angeles Rams-
I still don't believe Jeff Fisher is a good head coach. I still don't believe this team is going to win in the playoffs (let alone make the playoffs). But for now, how can you argue with a 3-1 start? The team seems to be headed in the right direction. The Rams needed this to get LA fans interested and the seats filled. They also still don't know what Goff has to offer. If they are able to sit Goff for a whole year and still go 8-8, the season will be a huge success. This team already has a great defense, and if they continue to work on the O-Line and receiving core, the Rams might be on their way to something great. At that point the Rams might be a head coaching change away from competing. Of course this is all speculation, for all we know Goff is Tim Couch 2.0.
Julio Jones (And his fantasy football owners)-
300 yards? Are you serious? The wide out went off on Sunday with 12 catches hauled in for the 300. The dude is an absolute monster. The receiver group in the NFL is one of the most talked about groups behind the QB because of the pass-first nature of the league, but Julio might just be in his own stratosphere. If Julio continues this direction, he will retire as a top 10 receiver (in terms of yards) of all time. Julio, by himself, scorched a defense considered to be one of the better defenses in the NFL. It seems the Panthers are really missing Josh Norman in their system. Barring injury, Julio will finish the season as one of the leading receivers in the NFL again.
Dallas Cowboys (Dak and Zeke)-
With Romo going down to injury I thought the season was over for the Boys, but here they are. Dak has looked masterful in his handling of the offense this year. His poise has been an encouraging sign for the Cowboys moving forward. I don't think there's any question of Dak vs Romo when Romo is healthy, but Dak looks like a promising talent. Couple Dak's impressive performance with Zeke's 138 yards on the ground and 1 touchdown and the running back position looks just as strong as the QB position. The defense has been solid but they will need to tighten up for the next 2 games against the Bengals and the Packers. One win out of those two would lead to a solid 4-2 record heading into the bye.
3 ⬇
Chiefs defense-
Anytime you let a QB throw for 300 yards and 5 touchdowns, you are going to be in the down column. Big Ben had a day, throwing only 5 incomplete passes. In his return to the yellow and black Bell also put up 144 yards on the ground. The age of the once vaunted KC defense is showing. The defense has had some key injuries, and the departure of Sean Smith definitely hurt them. The Chiefs were able to make up for their anemic offense last year with a strong defense. This year it seems the defense can't repeat that. With the Raiders and Broncos playing very well in the AFC West division, the Chiefs may be on the outside looking in come playoff time.
Odell Beckham Jr-
OBJ is a stud athlete but his antics has taken away from his skill set. Having a player that is as emotional as OBJ can fire a team up under the right circumstances, or bring a team down with stupid mistakes. Right now his actions are shifting attention away from the task at hand. When the camera pans to OBJ when the opposing team is on offense, you know there is too much attention being given to him. I think his desire to win and be the best is great, but he needs to learn how to stay level-headed. If he can learn how to turn that emotion into leadership, the Giants will benefit greatly. For now, settle down, catch some footballs, and let your game talk for you.
Ryan Fitzpatrick -
A week after throwing 6 interceptions, Fitz didn't do much better this week. Fitzpatrick threw 3 interceptions and went 23/41 with only 1 touchdown. Through 2 weeks he has reached 9 picks to 1 TD which is far from a winning formula. Fitz has a solid receiving core with Marshall, Decker (when healthy), and the up and coming Quincy Enuwa. It seems the Jets were wise to only give Fitzy a 1 year deal to prove himself. Todd Bowles will have some decisions to make this coming offseason. The Jets don’t really know what they have in Bryce Petty, but this coming draft it may be time to draft another QB. Oh, and Geno Smith, please stop.