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Baker Mayfield
The MVP race is heating up with Jared Goff and Jordan Love coming into the body whereas Lamar Jackson continues his tear to a 3rd award after throwing 5 touchdowns got here in opposition to the Buccaneers on Monday Evening Soccer. Tampa Bay’s quarterback could not have been on Jackson’s stratospheric degree on Monday, although Baker Mayfield did put in one other dashing outing that featured 370 yards by way of the air together with two early interceptions and three successive landing drives late within the sport. Mayfield was at his truculent greatest as he flexed his credentials as Tampa’s chief, overcoming adversity of his personal doing, in addition to dropping receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin to damage throughout the sport.
The 29-year-old was richly rewarded for a profession 12 months in 2023 with a $100m contract extension this offseason, and is maintaining his finish of the cut price with a follow-up that’s even higher. Mayfield leads the NFL in passing touchdowns with 18, whereas he sits third in completion charge at 70.5% (up six share factors from final season). Effectivity and accuracy points have improved from his time in Cleveland – he completed twenty first in success charge and completions in 12 months one with the Bucs after coming twenty eighth within the accuracy stakes with the Browns in 2020. For Mayfield to be so excessive up the charts now represents a vastly promising upswing.
The street to get right here has been tough, being thrown on the scrapheap by the Browns of all groups would set off impostor syndrome in probably the most ironclad of minds, however Mayfield has fought on. It is going to be fascinating to see how this atypical underdog retains preventing with out Evans and Godwin within the fray.
Rookie defenders
It’s simple to overlook in regards to the defensive skills beginning life within the NFL, such is the load of expectation on the quarterbacks and receivers drafted within the first spherical.
Seattle took Byron Murphy II with the sixteenth total decide this 12 months, and he has been quietly exceeding expectations – when he has been on the sector. With the defensive sort out wholesome they’ve gone 4-0 whereas dropping the three contests Murphy missed with a hamstring damage. Seattle’s run stopping is the place he has had the best impact: they’ve given up 126 yards per sport – serving to restrict opposition to solely 14.3 factors per sport – with him and 172 yards/34.7 factors per sport with out. He has been a steadying hand, making few splashy performs of his personal whereas drawing consideration away from his teammates to allow them to go to work. Seattle defensive finish Dre’Mont Jones was free to torment Kirk Cousins with 4 quarterback hits, a sack, and a cross deflection on Sunday whereas Atlanta have been caught within the mud preventing off Murphy.
Over on the Seattle’s NFC West rivals, this 12 months’s nineteenth total decide, Jared Verse, is making a reputation for himself with the Rams. The sting rusher is producing strain with a 27% success charge, the fourth-highest within the NFL. The Raiders definitely felt Verse’s presence as two of his tilts on the quarterback created very important turnovers. The knock on him is that he solely has one sack thus far. If Los Angeles can put some steerage on their missile they may have an elite playmaker.
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New York Giants
“The Giants factor I don’t actually perceive. [Barkley] was their greatest participant,” mentioned Invoice Belichick on the Pat McAfee present. “For a pair million {dollars} extra they may have stored him. As an alternative, they obtained a guard or any person, I don’t know. The offensive line doesn’t look excellent.” The Giants’ former defensive coordinator didn’t maintain again in his evaluation of the poor resolution making that led to a thrashing from former hero Saquon Barkley and the Eagles on the way in which to a 2-5 begin.
In 54 seconds, Invoice Belichick— Questions Josh Ezeudu at LT— Scoffs at OL rebuild — Bites his tongue on Daniel Jones— doesnt perceive how #Giants let their greatest participant obtained a pair million $ (suggesting he learn reporting w/ numbers in @nypostsports)pic.twitter.com/TSxHDRkLSS
— Ryan Dunleavy (@rydunleavy) October 21, 2024
It was inevitable Barkley would remind the Giants of his value although as Belichick identified the worst problem for the workforce is how uncovered quarterback Daniel Jones has been behind a poor offensive line shattered by the lack of left sort out Andrew Thomas for the season.
Thomas’s substitute Joshua Ezeudu, a guard, allowed two sacks and three pressures whereas the previous seventh-overall decide and, extra importantly, sort out Evan Neal watched the horror present unfold from the sideline. Greater than possible Neal will slot in in opposition to the Pittsburgh Steelers to see how efficient he may be however the omens aren’t good for whoever performs quarterback if a first-rounder isn’t seen as being able to step in instantly when their rock was injured.
Possibly Neal’s inventory remains to be tanked after permitting Jones to be sacked 11 instances in a single sport final season. It could definitely assist clarify why the G-men are kicking the tires on veteran free agent DJ Humphries in an try and tighten issues up.
Jerod Mayo
There have been no expectations that New England’s head coach was going to show the workforce round immediately in his first season with the Patriots, not with a roster that earned a top-three decide on this 12 months’s draft. However the indicators are bleak that something is probably going to enhance, even when rookie QB Drake Maye has performed nicely sufficient in his two begins. The Patriots have misplaced six in succession with an offense that produces 14.1 factors per sport and a protection that allowed the 2-5 Jaguars to attain 22 factors in a single quarter.
Worse, Mayo known as his workforce smooth after the beating in London whereas preaching all through his profession that his fashion is “demanding with out demeaning”. He’s proper that the workforce have been folding in video games – up to now 5 outings New England have given up 167.4 yards per sport on the bottom – although certainly a greater possibility for Mayo would have been to regulate his teaching practices in non-public. His gamers could agree they haven’t been adequate. They is also barely confused and aggravated going right into a winnable sport in opposition to the New York Jets. The efficiency in opposition to their rivals could communicate volumes as to how Mayo’s gamers really feel about their head coach.
