From The Grave to Glory
Summary: Storylines around teams that revived their playoff chances and/or acquired a key piece to drive their team towards a deep playoff push.
Ravens Receiving Core
After losing a nightmare game against the Browns there were a few key things to blame. First there was poor secondary play all day for the Ravens with a dropped Kyle Hamilton interception to top it off where Jameis Winston lobbed him a ball he just flat out bobbled and dropped. But the real storyline was the Ravens receiving core dropping several routine catches that made Lamar throw his helmet at the bench after the game because the team got in their own way all day. With Diontae Johnson now in town this team finally has an elite wide receiver in all facets of the game. He might have a drop problem when combing through his history in the league, but one must factor in the situations this man was in. He’s had a washed Big Ben, Mason Rudolph, Kenny Pickett, Mitchell Trubisky, Andy Dalton, and Bryce Young slinging him the ball at quarterback to date. That’s legitimately sad. And when thinking about his drops, imagine the amount of games where the Steelers couldn’t score, his head wasn’t in the game, and he simply had quit already down multiple scores in many contests. Now he has a no doubter MVP at quarterback who’s absolutely on fire. Evolving as a passer, progressing through reads, looking off defenders to open up passing lanes, and manipulating the pocket, Lamar Jackson might just elevate this squad to a Super Bowl appearance this year. It’s crazy just one week after having a meltdown performance from his receivers the team’s GM goes out and makes potentially the most impactful move of the trade deadline. I think Diontae’s ceiling is incredibly high and he has more in his toolbox than Zay does. Zay is a good lightning in a bottle guy, but Diontae just runs pure routes and gives you that run after catch explosiveness that Zay also provides. Lamar has never had two wideouts to toss the pigskin to and now the league better watch out moving forward. Diontae’s biggest impact will likely be from giving Lamar someone to chuck the long bomb to who he knows will come down with the football. Man am I excited. Please Lamar use this huge acquisition to carry this squad deep into the playoffs.
The New York Jets have a shot?
Yes, this team has sucked. There simply is no room for sugarcoating that fact when assessing this squadron. Their biggest enemy has been their own selves though. Greg Zeurlein has cost the team at least three games against the Broncos, Bills, and Patriots, by missing field goals which is tough in all honesty. The silver lining here is that the team has been garbage, dropped their head coach, picked up a huge offensive weapon with Davante Addams, and are all in on this year making the playoffs. They close out the season with the Cardinals, Colts, Seahawks, Dolphins, Jags, Rams, Bills, and Dolphins. I see this remainder of games going in their favor with the team automatically finishing the season with a 6-2 or better record. Their next five games are essentially cupcakes with the exception of the Seahawks and I don’t see a Kyler Murray who has been ineffective doing much to them next week. They have so many tools to make a late run at the playoffs and I don’t think Rodgers' ego will allow the team to miss the dance. Last game against the Texans the crowd went from heavily booing the team to roaring as Wilson and Addams woke up in a big way. If they both get on the same page with Aaron Rodgers alongside Breece Hall in the run game, this team has more than a fighting chance at making an improbable comeback. One just has to hope Sauce Gardner doesn’t go down every other play and that the team’s run defense can start to show up as the lights continue to shine brighter with each passing week. If the team can crawl to a 9-8 record I see them making the playoffs with a Chargers collapse, but if they can squeak out a 10-7 record. Oh boy.
Rams couldn’t have dreamt of a moment quite like this
When Puka Nacua went down with a non contact injury for six weeks and then Kupp went down as well it was easy to think the team, with a not so stellar secondary and no receiving threats, would get pummeled in the NFC West. But fate has kept them in the mix. The 49ers are at war with a persistent injury bug, the Cardinals just PISS ME OFF, and the Seahawks make a grown man want to have a little cry to himself (in agony), which all works in LA’s favor. Now with Puka, Kupp, and Kyren all in the mix for the Rams offense, anything is possible in a division where every team is neck and neck. Stafford lives for this moment. Get into the playoffs potentially seeking some revenge on his former team, the Detroit Lions. That’s all he wants. If he scrambles out of bounds at Ford Field I bet you he trucks Dan Campbell and then rips Kerby Joseph’s helmet off all in the first quarter of the heated matchup. In all seriousness though, Stafford has that competitive fire coaches wait a lifetime to get from their quarterback. Never backing down in any game, slinging the rock in the pocket, taking shots to the rib cage and the head, he just simply doesn’t give a damn. He’s there to win games and yell in your face about it. Stafford’s roll out to the left against the Seahawks in overtime yesterday where he launched a deep ball to Demarcus Robinson was just gritty. Robinson made a spectacular one handed grab, Stafford went for the gusto putting it right on the money, and I couldn’t put my thoughts into words at that very moment. Seeing Sean McVay go up to Stafford and give him a man hug telling him he is the man fired the whole team up. I mean just watch Puka’s reaction in the tunnel with DRob after the game and his ejection. This team is a force. Don’t sleep on what this team has brewing especially with the impact Jared Verse has had. Simply a spectacular pass rusher, with a relentless motor. I see them taking the NFC West and dethroning the 49ers.
Jameson Williams is Ready to SHINE
After having his character called into question for multiple ticky tack suspensions the young man is slated to return this week unless a pending gun possession case forces him away for more time. Having a gun without a permit to carry said weapon is honestly a laughable offense when living in Detroit. Upon his return he’s going to light the NFL world on fire as Goff’s go to guy for the play action bomb. Lions fans and the whole coaching staff are licking their chops for the moment he reenters the lineup. We’ve seen his play become consistent, hauling in a long ball touchdown in three of his six contests and the blazing speed he possesses fortifies the last dimension in Ben Johnson’s offense, the deep ball. Dan Campbell and countless others within Lions training camp gave him high praise for being the most improved talent on the roster and when he’s played he sure has looked special. I’m waiting for Jamo to catch his stride and make at least one special play every week because you simply can’t teach the speed and explosiveness the former top ten draft pick has. His suspensions have been for taking a stimulant, and betting on a college basketball game within the team’s facility. Meanwhile Rashee Rice gets praise from the NFL after causing a three car crash in a hit and run accident. Although Rice is out for the season with injury now it’s a joke how the NFL gives some players preferential treatment and others the middle finger. Jamo can truly be elite upon his return and with Goff now in more of a rhythm than ever before in his career, fans are feeling like a kid on Christmas morning.
The Commanders, America’s team (Their secondary was in the grave)
Talk about something that no one in their right mind could’ve projected before this year, the Commanders are a juggernaut. Upon today’s trade deadline the team just acquired stud cornerback, and one of the league’s best defenders, Marshon Lattimore. Filling a need that was desperately calling for a player of Lattimore’s caliber, the Commanders just went from a secondary that was mediocre at best to a bunch that has potential to propel this football team into the league’s upper echelon of teams and a deep playoff run. Excitement is brewing around the Commanders and how they’ve gotten Jayden Daniels into such a rhythm early on in his rookie season. Cliff Kingsbury has put together the perfect blueprint of short passes, quick looks to their best playmakers, and situational deep balls when the defense cheats down to neutralize their opposition and have Daniels operate at an insanely efficient clip. No one could’ve imagined Jayden Daniels in this offense having so much comfortability whilst having a questionable line and core of skill position players. This year is no fluke for anyone who’s covered the team extensively though. Daniels is spinning the football beautifully delivering tight spirals into windows that you never really expect a rookie to hit. He just continues to place big time passes with a low probability of connecting right in the breadbasket. It doesn’t even matter if he’s off rhythm, which was the case on a fade ball he threw on a crucial 4th down play to Mclaurin against the Baltimore Ravens. The thing is on this play was that Daniels throwing off rhythm allowed Mclaurin to get the foot of separation needed to complete the pass. It’s just astounding to watch his tape and cover what you see with the man. Especially in an organization that supposedly was gasping for air all offseason as the NFC East teams around them dumped a boatload of cash on big offseason acquisitions and huge contracts for star players to bury Washington. It didn’t work and now inserting Lattimore into this Washington defense next to Benjamin St Juste and budding young safety Mike Sainristil could completely change the outlook of this defense moving forward. Sainristil has potential to fulfill that ball hawking Jabrill Peppers role. I love it Washington!
