Who’s a worry?
Sampling of Patriot threats
A quarter of the way through the NFL season, we now have enough of a sample size to give an early evaluation. In the AFC, which teams look like the biggest threats to dethrone the Patriots, who have slowly gotten their act together? In the division, the Pats exposed the Dolphins (3-1) on Sunday. Maybe the Fins will slip into the playoffs like last year’s Bills, but they won’t win the division. The Jets and Bills, meanwhile, both 1-3, are rebuilding with rookie quarterbacks. They’re not in the picture. The Patriots (3-2) are once again on their way to the top of the division, winning back-to-back games as the offense is really starting to click. With the return of Julian Edelman, Brady’s early trust in Josh Gordon, freer avenues for Rob Gronkowski, and a dynamic running back duo with Sony Michel and James White, the Pats are once again one of the toughest teams to defend. Branching out in the conference, which teams look legitimate four games in?
TOP THREATS
Jaguars (3-1) — They beat the Pats in the sec- ond game of the season, so now they have the confidence. Their defense is tough. They have the personnel to limit a dynamic offense. Can Blake Bortles play as well as he did again in the playoffs? Hard to bet on that. Home field will be critical. Sirius XM NFL Radio analyst Solomon Wilcots is all in. “You have to consider them a real contender. They beat the Patriots and they’re a physical team,” said Wilcots when reached last week. “(VP of football operations) Tom Coughlin knows how to build a team that competes very well with the Patriots. He just does. They’re cut from the same mold, coach Coughlin and coach (Bill) Belichick. He’s building that team to compete with the Patriots, physical defensively.” ESPN analyst Damien Woody threw up the caution flag. “It’s still an offense driven league,” said Woody. “Do you trust Blake Bortles?” Chiefs (4-0) — All offense, no defense, but boy that offense is pretty awesome with Patrick Mahomes at the controls. So far, they’ve been able to make up for a shoddy defense. The gunslinger really rocks. He leads the league with 14 touchdown passes, not to mention completions with his opposite hand. Mahomes has been ridiculously good and he has a great cast alongside with running back Kareem Hunt, wide receiver Tyreek Hill and tight end Travis Kelce. “They’ve got all the weapons in the world on offense,” said Woody. “I worry about their defense not holding up their end of the bargain late in the year and postseason.” The Chiefs have an interesting matchup with the Jaguars at Arrowhead today before heading to Foxboro next Sunday night. Will they still be unbeaten in a week? Said Wilcots: “They’re very explosive, and based on the first month, the Patriots defense has not come into shape.” With the Chiefs lurking on the horizon, it’s important to note the Pats defense did allow 298 yards to a banged-up Colts team in the second half. Andrew Luck picked up 18 first downs and went 7-for-11 on third and fourth downs in the second half alone. Ravens (3-1) — They’re playing well on both sides of the ball, and are top five in just about every important defensive category. They have yet to allow a touchdown in the second half. Pretty impressive. As for the offense, Joe Flacco is averaging 313 yards per game — unheard of for them. He actually has some skill players around him with wideout John Brown and running back Alex Collins. “Of all the teams, I think Baltimore could be the team. They could pose the biggest threat,” said Woody. “They’ve always had a defense. They’ve got all new weapons. Offensively, they’re on pace to have the best offensive output in their franchise history this year. You combine the two and that’s a legitimate threat to the Patriots. And, as we know, they’re not scared to come to Foxboro. They’ve never been scared to come to Foxboro and play toe-to-toe with the Patriots.” Wilcots, however, isn’t buying it. “Even when they have the manpower,” said Wilcots, “Bill always seems to be able to outfox them.”
NOT SOLD YET
Bengals (3-1) — They’ve beaten the Colts, Ravens, and Falcons in Atlanta. Their lone loss was to the Panthers in Carolina. They’ve played tough and been resilient. Andy Dalton has 11 touchdown passes. A.J. Green has been a stud, even playing hurt. Running back Joe Mixon was terrific until getting hurt. But they’re still the Bengals and Marvin Lewis is still their coach. Said Woody: “I can’t push my chips on the Bengals until I see further evidence. They’re the Bengals. I just can’t do it.” Titans (3-1) — Smoke and mirrors? Somehow, Mike Vrabel squeezed a pair a wins out of backup Blaine Gabbert. Starter Marcus Mariota is back and seems to be operating OK following the right elbow injury that kept him out. This team has wins over Jacksonville and the defending champion Eagles, and yet no one is taking them seriously just yet. Former Patriots Dion Lewis and Malcolm Butler haven’t exactly set the world on fire. Lewis has rushed 43 times for 143 yards (3.3 avg.). Not great. He’s had more impact catching the football (18 catches, 116 yards). Butler has one interception and is the team’s second-leading tackler, but he’s allowed four touchdown passes in as many games. That’s not supposed to happen to a corner who signed a five-year, $61 million free agent contract. “Mike Vrabel is coaching his butt off, but I don’t know about the quarterback position,” said Woody. “Mariota and that injury, I don’t know how that situation is going to play out.” Steelers (1-2-1) — Team turmoil has what amounts to a make-or-break game today against the Falcons. They’ve been hurt by the Le'Veon Bell holdout, in-house bickering and a porous defense, but they’re still the Steelers. They still have a ton of talent on offense, and could rip off a string of wins and get right back in it. “Pittsburgh is Pittsburgh. I don’t think they want to have to score 40 points a game to have to beat people,” NFL Network analyst Willie McGinest said when reached last week. “They’ve got to eliminate the distractions, concentrate on football. We know what they can do offensively. It’s the defense that’s holding them back.” After four games, the Steelers are surrendering 29 points per game. That’s tough for any offense to overcome.
Allen push is early
The Patriots play at the Bills on Monday, Oct. 29. While Josh Allen looked terrific in upsetting the Vikings, he struggled against the Packers last week. Former NFL quarterback Trent Dilfer, speaking on Ryen Russillo’s “Dual Threat” podcast, thinks — based on his own experience — that the rookie quarterback should be sitting and watching. “Josh Allen is the one right now that’s ripping my heart out. (Sam) Darnold should be playing, (Josh) Rosen should be playing, Baker (Mayfield) should be playing. I don’t think Josh Allen should be playing,” Dilfer said. “He comes up from a very similar background as me: Central Valley California, smaller school.” Against the Packers, Allen was sacked seven times and threw two interceptions and the Bills suffered their first shutout loss in a decade. “I don’t think he is ready for the bigness that is the NFL,” Dilfer said. “He’s not surrounded by enough good stuff — innovation, talent, whatever the 10 other things that can make up for his lack of sophistication and experience.”
Darnold downturn
Over in Jetsville, they’re trying to keep Darnold’s confidence up. After an impressive debut beating the Lions in Detroit, Gang Green has lost three straight. The rookie hasn’t done much, although he seemed to improve a bit last week. Veteran backup Josh McCown thinks one of the biggest challenges for a rookie is to not let all the losing impact your play. “You can’t let it beat you down,” he said via the New York Post. “That’s the other thing, what you do when times get tough, and the games go the way they have the last few weeks. You have to continue to fight back, continue to come back and get better, and have that focus. I think that’s the best thing he’s done so far. position especially every “As game. you’re and early Things grow learning on, you in may this to may not play this position, not win necessarily “but you happen,” can’t go McCown outside of went on, what it takes to grow, and get outside what you’re being asked to do. That’s the (great) thing about Sam. He’s been disciplined and done everything he’s asked to do and the coaches are asking him to do. I think that will pay dividends down the road.”
Hail Mayfield
Ravens defensive coordinator Don “Wink” Martindale laid it on pretty thick talking about Mayfield in advance of his team playing the Browns quarterback today. According to the Baltimore Sun, Martindale tabbed Mayfield “this generation’s Brett He Favre, wasn’t John finished. Elway.” “The kid’s confidence — and ‘swag,’ if you will, nowadays — when he comes out there, he thinks he’s standing on top of a mountain, and he’s making plays to show that he’s standing on top of a mountain,” said Martindale. “He can throw the ball in tight windows, and he’s not afraid to do it. So that’s the biggest thing that I see on the kid.”