c/o Butch Dill
Five weeks down, and the 2025 National Football League (NFL) season has been unusually predictable. Aside from two teams (both of which we will discuss), every other squad seems to be performing around consensus expectations. That doesn’t mean there’s nothing to discuss: It allows us to get a little more creative with our takes!
Baltimore’s Blunders
It has been a season from hell for the Baltimore Ravens. Baltimore entered 2025 as American Football Conference (AFC) favorites, and five games later, they sit at 1–4, with their championship aspirations hanging by a thread. This season feels eerily reminiscent of the San Francisco 49ers’ 2024 nightmare. The 49ers had reached the National Football Conference (NFC) Championship three consecutive years but couldn’t get over the hump. Then in 2024, injuries piled up, the magic disappeared, and they missed the playoffs entirely. It’s a harsh truth in the NFL: Even elite teams will have lost years. Now Baltimore appears on that trajectory.
The most shocking development has been the defensive collapse. Baltimore’s defense, which was the league’s best in the second half of 2024 and returned all of their key pieces, has allowed 37-plus points in four of their first five games. The Buffalo Bills and the Detroit Lions have two of the best offenses, but the Kansas City Chiefs have not been explosive for a few years now, and their 37 points were their most in over two years. Then the Houston Texans, averaging just 16 points per game entering Week 5, dropped 44 on them. The Ravens, who built their identity on toughness and discipline throughout the 21st century, are missing tackles and blowing coverages. The finger pointing has inevitably turned toward defensive coordinator Zachary Orr. Despite having a roster littered with talent—even accounting for injuries—Orr seems to have no pulse on what is going on. John Harbaugh has publicly defended him, but if there is another poor showing next week, their Week 7 bye week could be the perfect time to make a change.
Offensively, there’s little cause for concern once Lamar Jackson returns. The Ravens’ attack was humming through the first three games before the Chiefs bottled them up and injuries struck. With DeAndre Hopkins making plays, Zay Flowers continuing to dissect the intermediate part of the field, and the two-headed monster of Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely at tight end, Baltimore has its best receiving corps of the Jackson era. Add on the most talented backfield in NFL history in Derrick Henry and Lamar Jackson, and the offense feels unstoppable. While the inexplicable late game miscues are still there, and will continue to be discussed until Jackson gets a ring, the Ravens’ offense is still a historic unit that can carry this team.
Baltimore faces the 3–2 Los Angeles Rams next week, and with Jackson still expected to be out, the Ravens are staring 1–5 right in the face. If Harbaugh and company aren’t able to produce some magic and upset the Rams, they would have to win 9 of their last 11 games to make the playoffs. While this seems impossible, the schedule could not be much easier for the Ravens. After the Rams, they don’t have a single matchup against an expected playoff team until Week 17 against the Green Bay Packers.
A lot hangs in the balance for the Ravens beyond this season. Harbaugh’s job is probably the hottest it’s ever been, and with coordinators like Jesse Minter and Jeff Hafley likely to be head coach candidates, anything less than a conference championship appearance could lead to a new era in Baltimore.
Magic in Indy
The Indianapolis Colts’ quarterback situation heading into this season was universally regarded as one of the worst, if not the worst, in the league: Anthony Richardson vs. Daniel Jones was a battle nobody wanted to watch. Even after Jones eventually won the starting job, Colts fans tempered expectations. While the former New York Giants quarterback certainly had a higher floor than Richardson, there were serious questions about his ability to lead Indianapolis to a playoff berth.
Five weeks into the season and an AFC South title looks like a legitimate expectation for the 4-1 Colts. Jones has been great, playing smart, mistake-free games under head coach and playcaller Shane Steichen. Steichen has leaned into Jones’ strengths, not asking him to do too much with the offense and properly using his size and mobility. “Danny Dimes” has six passing touchdowns, three rushing scores, and only two interceptions through five games. His success has undisputedly energized running back Jonathan Taylor, who’s back to elite form with six rushing touchdowns and one receiving touchdown on the year. Supplementing the backfield is a deep and talented receiving core, with rookie Tyler Warren starring at tight end while Michael Pittman Jr., Josh Downs, Alec Pierce, and Adonai Mitchell provide support at wide receiver. With those weapons, the solid play of Jones, a reliable offensive line, and the superb playcalling of Steichen, the Colts have a potent offense. That’s a sentence that seemed delusional in August. The other side of the ball has been dangerous as well: Indy is tied for fourth in the NFL in turnovers and sixth in sacks. It’s been a stifling attack, led by defensive tackle DeForest Buckner and linebacker Zaire Franklin while allowing only 18 points per game to opponents.
While they’re one of the most well-rounded teams in the NFL and their early season success has been remarkable, I’m not exactly writing Indianapolis in pen for the AFC South crown. The talented Houston Texans, presumed division winners heading into the year, have won two in a row after a disastrous 0–3 start. The Jacksonville Jaguars are interesting as well, with an underrated defense and burgeoning offense leading them to a 3–1 record heading into their Monday Night Football showdown versus the Chiefs. That being said, the Colts have a pretty easy schedule throughout the season, their talent is legit, and their story has been incredible: Jones is thriving with his second chance, Steichen has been validated as an esteemed coach, and the team is playing phenomenal football.
The Highs and Lows of the NFC North
If you are a fan of any of the four teams in this division, you’ve had rollercoaster first weeks of the NFL season. Let’s do a quick run through.
The Detroit Lions currently lead the North at 4–1, a result that did not seem likely after their beatdown at the hands of the Packers in Week 1. Green Bay pummeled Detroit 27–13, terrorizing Lions quarterback Jared Goff and raising serious questions about their chances in the NFC after losing offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn. The Lions immediately rebounded, however, blowing out Johnson’s Chicago Bears in Week 2 before an impressive Week 3 win against the Ravens; this was followed by easy wins in Weeks 4 and 5 against the Cleveland Browns and the Cincinnati Bengals, respectively. Goff looks back to his old self, Detroit’s two-headed rushing monster of Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery is thriving, and star wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown is as solid as ever. The defense, while not bulletproof, has been somewhat encouraging under new coordinator Kelvin Sheppard. The schedule definitely gets tougher—Detroit has five straight 2024 playoff teams coming down the pipe—but this roster seems to not have skipped a beat.
The Packers have had the opposite path to their North rivals. They looked like the best team in the NFL after wins against the Lions and Washington Commanders but then came the awful loss to the Cleveland Browns and a disparaging tie against the Dallas Cowboys. At 2–1–1, Green Bay has legitimate talent but a good amount of questions: Even with the blockbuster trade for Micah Parsons, does their defense have enough to seriously compete in the NFC? Can Jordan Love consistently perform week-to-week, and can their offensive line hold up against the dangerous defensive lines of the conference? Green Bay has possibly the highest ceiling in the division, and I’m still a believer, but they’re farther away than they looked after their first couple of games.
I’ll try to speedrun the Minnesota Vikings season as it’s possibly been the most up-and-down of any team so far. They started with a great comeback win against Chicago, where rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy looked like a poised veteran down the stretch. Then came an ugly loss to the Atlanta Falcons, where McCarthy looked horrific and later got hurt, followed by a dominant win against Cincinnati, where the Vikings’ defense looked unbeatable. Then came the international slate, with a loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Dublin before a win over the Browns in London. At 3–2, I don’t quite know what to make of the Vikings; they’re a very well-rounded team with a coach I like, but their quarterback is currently Carson Wentz and McCarthy is still hurt. Even when J.J. was healthy he didn’t look great, and I think we could see a sneaky quarterback competition down the stretch in Minnesota. Wentz might actually give them the best chance to make the playoffs in 2025.
While I’m rooting for Caleb Williams and the Bears, I don’t think they’re very good; they probably should be 1–3, and I don’t have much confidence in their offense or defense. On the bright side, things are looking better now than they did at the beginning; after losses to Minnesota and Detroit, Chicago rallied to take down Dallas and Las Vegas. Caleb looks like he’s slowly improving, and wide receiver Rome Odunze is an absolute stud, but there are still some serious doubts about this offense. Head coach Ben Johnson seems like he’s building a good culture, but I don’t think it comes together for them this year: Williams is still too raw, and the defense has too many holes for me to legitimately believe in Chicago.
It’s been a crazy swing of emotions in the NFC North throughout five weeks, but if I had to choose the playoff teams from this division, I’d go Detroit and Green Bay; I think they’re two of the most talented teams in the league, and there are just too many questions with Minnesota and Chicago. Regardless of what happens, this division will remain entertaining!
Kyle Shanahan
Kyle Shanahan has never won the “big one.” The losses haven’t been painless either: two Super Bowls lost to the Chiefs, the first after holding a 20–10 fourth-quarter lead and the second featuring questionable overtime decisions, and, as Atlanta’s offensive coordinator, the unforgettable 28–3 collapse. At times, Shanahan seems to get in his own way, overthinking critical moments. Yes, variance matters in football, and he won plenty of big games to reach these stages, so I am wary of making a strong claim. But I’m not here to dissect this. I’m here to talk about how we shouldn’t let the lack of a ring deter us from acknowledging Kyle Shanahan as the best offensive mind of our generation.
Despite losing starting quarterback Brock Purdy after Week 1, Shanahan has Mac Jones firing on all cylinders. Through four games, Jones has posted a 66% completion percentage, 900 passing yards, and a stellar 6–1 touchdown-to-interception ratio. The 49ers just had a statement win on Thursday night, knocking off the Rams on the road to move to 4–1, despite the absence of Brandon Aiyuk, George Kittle, Jauan Jennings, and Ricky Pearsall. They currently lead a stacked NFC West and have one of the easiest schedules remaining.
So how does Shanahan keep doing this? The answer lies in his offensive philosophy. At the heart of Shanahan’s system is the wide-zone run game, paired with play-action passes and bootlegs that look identical to the run until the last moment: his “one family of looks, many plays.” His dropback game creates in-breaking routes and puts playmakers on the move with space to run. Quarterbacks never need to thread tight windows; instead, Shanahan schemes layups that turn into explosive plays. He simplifies the position using motion to diagnose coverage, play-action to hold linebackers, and condensed formations that create natural pick routes. The scheme ensures the first read is often the right one. It’s a system that doesn’t require elite talent at quarterback, just competent execution. This is why he has been able to succeed with the likes of Jimmy Garoppolo, Nick Mullens, Brock Purdy, and now Mac Jones. And the proof isn’t only in his offensive success. You can also look up “Shanahan Tree” and see how many of his understudies currently have head coach or offensive coordinator jobs and are succeeding.
The 49ers’ front office deserves credit; they’ve been among the NFL’s best and most consistent in overall roster construction. But their quarterback decisions reveal a misunderstanding of the offense. Shanahan’s genius has essentially created a problem: He elevates quarterbacks so effectively that it becomes more difficult to price the position correctly. Shanahan does not need a world-beater under center. All he needs is someone who can execute, stay healthy, and let the scheme do the work.
His continued success with whoever he has at the helm makes San Francisco’s quarterback decisions all the more fascinating. If Shanahan doesn’t need an elite quarterback to produce an elite offense, why trade three first-round picks for Trey Lance, a raw prospect who wasn’t an obvious system fit? Why pay Purdy $265 million when other quarterbacks could deliver similar production? Purdy is clearly better than Jones, but $40 million per year better is a stretch. While I’m confident Shanahan will get his ring in San Francisco, I don’t think Purdy will be under center when they do.
As is tradition, we will leave you with some predictions:
- Shedeur Sanders starts for Cleveland Browns sometime in the next four weeks.
- Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel is fired by our next article.
- The Packers win their next four games.
- The Commanders lose four of their next five.
Sam Weitzman-Kurker can be reached at sweitzmankur@wesleyan.edu.
Teddy Benchley can be reached at tbenchley@wesleyan.edu.
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