c/o Carlos Osorio
We have reached the end of week six, which means we are officially a third of the way through the season. The 49ers, Eagles, Chiefs, and Lions currently lead the NFL with records of 5–1, while the Panthers are the only winless team remaining at 0–6. Without further ado, let’s go into four takeaways from the season so far.
1. The Chiefs need to trade for a skill position player.
The Kansas City Chiefs are the defending Super Bowl champions and have won five straight games. They have the best quarterback in the league, the best tight end, and the best coaching staff. This combination has been enough to get Kansas City to five straight conference championships and two Super Bowl victories.
The difference between those years and this year, and what makes me skeptical about Kansas City, is their wide receivers. The Chiefs had Tyreek Hill for three of those years and even after losing him, they had the presence of JuJu Smith-Schuster and Mecole Hardman. Kansas City lost Smith-Schuster and Hardman this offseason and entered the season thin on the outside. Rashee Rice has proven to be a solid outside threat, but any time your leading receiver is a rookie averaging 40 yards per game, there is some cause for concern. And it is clear Patrick Mahomes doesn’t feel fully comfortable with his wide receiving core. In the fourth quarter against the Jets, for example, Mahomes threw to a double covered Travis Kelce instead of Skyy Moore who was streaking wide open across the middle of the field.
Now this is not to say Kansas City isn’t still one of the best offenses in the league. They are and will continue to be even if they stay with this roster throughout the season. But the AFC is as competitive as ever, and Mahomes, Kelce, and Reid might not be enough to carry Kansas City. As the trade deadline approaches, don’t be surprised if Kansas City looks to trade for a talented receiver that Mahomes can trust. Although he is technically a running back, Cordarelle Patterson is a proven pass catcher and would immediately emerge as one of the Chiefs top weapons. Patterson is lost in Atlanta currently, behind Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier making him a prime candidate to be moved at the deadline.
2. The Miami Dolphins are the greatest offense ever….
The Miami Dolphins dismantled the Carolina Panthers this Sunday 42–21, making it their fourth game where they put up 30+ points. The Dolphins currently lead the NFL with 498.7 total yards per game, while the Eagles rank 2nd with 395.0. This 103.7 YPG difference is the largest between the NFL’s two first- and second-ranked total offenses in NFL history. Every historic offense has an identity; the ’80s-’90s 49ers ran the West Coast Offense, the “Greatest Show on Turf” Rams ran an air coryell-style offense. The Miami Dolphins offense is centered around motion and getting their speedsters the ball in space. Jaylen Waddle, Tyreek Hill, De’Von Achane, and Raheem Mostert–the Dolphins four leading weapons–all run a 4.3 40-yard dash. Tua Tagovailoa has his faults, but one thing no one can argue is his accuracy and processing speed. Mike McDaniel likes to send his speedsters in motion and allow them to attack the middle of the field. Tagovailoa consistently delivers strikes and allows the likes of Hill and Waddle to make plays in space. Defenses have to be wary of Waddle and Hill’s game-breaking ability and this opens up Mostert and Achane to thrive on the ground. It is far too early to label the Dolphins offense as one of the best ever, much less the best, but if they keep up this production they will no doubt go down in history.
3. The Detroit Lions!
The Detroit Lions are 5–1. The Detroit Lions are tied for the best record in the NFL. The Detroit Lions lead the NFC North by three games. Football in Detroit is BACK! The last time the Lions won the NFC North, “Sleepless in Seattle” had just been released, Bill Clinton was in his first year as president, and Michael Jackson was performing the Super Bowl Halftime show. In short, it has been a long thirty years for Lions fans.
But for the first time in a while there is optimism in Detroit. Dan Campbell took over as the Lions head coach in 2021, but it was not pretty at first with the Lions only winning three games. Last year was better with Detroit finishing with a winning record but narrowly missing out on the playoffs. The Lions have made a commitment to letting Jared Goff run their offense and surrounding him with a strong nucleus of weapons. Amon-Ra St. Brown has emerged as one of the premier wide receivers in the league and the Lions have seemed to strike gold this past draft with tight end Sam LaPorta. Detroit has been stout on the defensive side as well. Campbell has instilled a strong culture throughout the team and this leads the defense to play with a fiery tenacity that is highlighted by game-changing plays they consistently produce. Will Detroit win it all this year? Probably not, but the Lions have a deep squad that can definitely contend this year and in the coming seasons.
4. The Ravens are good…like Super Bowl good.
The Baltimore Ravens are off to a very respectable 4–2 start and I don’t think their record shows how good they actually are. Lamar Jackson is back to playing at an elite level, reminding everyone that there is only one quarterback who is undoubtedly better than him. The Ravens receiving core has actually been quite disappointing, as they are atop the league in dropped passes.
Arguably the biggest change in this offense has been the emergence of Zay Flowers. Throughout the Lamar Jackson era, the biggest weakness in the Ravens team has been the absence of an elite outside threat that Jackson can trust. The Ravens addressed this problem by taking Flowers 22nd overall in this past draft. Flowers has been exceptional, leading the Ravens in receiving yards with 367 and is currently on pace for a 1,000 yard season. The Ravens two losses have been fluky, an OT loss to Indianapolis and a 17–10 loss to Pittsburgh that featured an absurd amount of drops. The Ravens defense has been exceptional, they have given up only 15.2 points per game, a mark that is fourth in the league. Aside from their receiving core, their ability to stay healthy has been the Ravens kryptonite. There is no predicting injury, Jackson could roll his ankle and that would be the Ravens season, but if Baltimore can stay relatively healthy expect them to make a deep playoff run.
Predictions
I will leave you all with a few predictions for the coming weeks.
- The Buccaneers will win three of their next four.
- The Eagles vs. Dolphins game next week will be the game of the year.
- The Texans will be above .500 for the rest of the season.
- The Chargers will go into Arrowhead and upset the Chiefs (causing Taylor Swift to leave Travis Kelce for Justin Herbert).
Sam Weitzman-Kurker can be reached at sweitzmankur@wesleyan.edu.