Overreactions across the league after a wild Weeek 7
Week 7 was a wild one. More injuries to high-profile quarterbacks. Three teams were shut out. And division races are entirely wide open – no firstplace team owns a lead larger than two games, with most clubs packed more tightly than that. With so much parity, it’s wise to temper any conclusions, so here are four overreactions.
Seahawks careening out of control after sideline dustup
The Seattle Seahawks didn’t overcome the New York Giants before receiver Doug Baldwin shoved offensive line coach Tom Cable during a fiery sideline exchange in the second quarter.
It was ugly. But Seattle quickly moved on after Baldwin appeared to apologize to Cable minutes later.
This would create fissures in some squads. The Seahawks, however, tend to thrive on this kind of tension. It’s a fine line to walk, but Seattle’s culture allows for players and coaches to candidly address shortcomings and hold each other accountable. It’s not the first time coach Pete Carroll has navigated this. And how he gets his players to compete in an honest and sometimes uncomfortable environment is an invaluable trait that makes him one of the top coaches in the NFL.
After the game, Baldwin said the confrontation was “100% my fault.” Carroll said it started because Baldwin wanted quarterback Russell Wilson to address the struggling offense, not Cable or any member from the coaching staff.
Innocent enough. And in Seattle, it’s probably nothing to be concerned about.
Broncos are no longer playoff contenders
The Denver Broncos have lost three of four after suffering a 21-0 shutout against the Los Angeles Chargers. In that span, Denver has scored just 10.5 points per game, only reached the red zone 13 times (scoring a TD on just two of those trips).
The Broncos are 0-2 on the road, and their next two games are at Kansas City and Philadelphia – a likely turning point for Denver’s season. But it’s not time for obituaries yet. Denver is still only 1½ games behind the Chiefs in the AFC West and has to play the division leaders. And the Broncos still boast one of the best defenses in the NFL. They just need more production and consistency from quarterback Trevor Siemian, their running backs, and from the play calling of offensive coordinator Mike McCoy.
It was just two seasons ago that a dominating defense carried a struggling offense all the way to a Super Bowl title.
This team has a very long way to go to get to that point, but it should be able to replicate that formula – especially if wideout Emmanuel Sanders and the offensive line get healthy.
Panthers are fatally flawed
After huge statement wins on the road against the New England Patriots and Detroit Lions, the Carolina Panthers have suddenly dropped two in a row, including an embarrassing 17-3 defeat at Chicago on Sunday, the second game this season that Cam Newton & Co. failed to score a touchdown.
While there are plenty of concerns, the Panthers (4-3) are just a half-game back of the division-leading New Orleans Saints (4-2) and ahead of the defending NFC champion Atlanta Falcons (3-3).
Many of Carolina’s issues seem fixable.
The Bears sacked Newton five times, though he was often guilty of holding onto the ball too long. The quarterback has also led the team in rushing the past two weeks, a formula the team wants to get away from him, in part to protect Newton’s surgically repaired throwing shoulder. Offensive coordinator Mike Shula could emphasize more run plays or call short pass plays with increasing frequency to reduce the load on his former MVP.
The Carolina offense needs work as it assimilates several new parts, but it’s not broken. Some minor tinkering should be enough to get this team back into the postseason mix.
Matt Moore proves Dolphins should be his team
Quarterback Jay Cutler left the Miami Dolphins’ eventual victory against the New York Jets with multiple cracked ribs. Backup Matt Moore stepped in facing a seven-point deficit and led the comeback back, eventually helping the offense score 17 unanswered points in the fourth quarter.
Cutler is expected to miss Thursday’s game at Baltimore and may be out a week or two past that. But once Cutler is healthy enough to return, the starting job should be his.
In his fifth pass against the Jets, Moore fired into double coverage and was intercepted, setting up a New York touchdown. As well as he knows his teammates, it’s a reminder that his upside is limited, just like the offense was last year when Moore was forced to step in for injured Ryan Tannehill.
Cutler surely needs to improve. But the comeback he engineered in Week 6 at Atlanta, when he steered Miami to four consecutive scoring drives and 20 unanswered points in the second half, showed what this team is capable of when Cutler gets protection and limits mistakes.
And the Dolphins aren’t paying Cutler $10 million to sit and watch someone else play quarterback. Remember, they could have handed the reins back to Moore this summer when Tannehill was re-injured but felt the need to lure Cutler out of retirement instead.
(USA Today/TNS)