NFL needs to go on trek for new stars
The NFL has a starpower problem, and never was that more clear than last Sunday, as Aaron Rodgers was carted to the locker room, only to reappear soon after on the Fox broadcast’s airing of his latest State Farm commercial.
There aren’t many players as beloved and recognizable as the Packers’ discount-double-checking maestro. His broken collarbone is devastating news for the Packers, obviously, but also for the NFL, which, as ratings continue to fall, is growing more and more starved for marketable stars and the storylines that come with them.
The 2017 season has been especially brutal on that front. Rodgers is only the latest league star to have his season end in fewer than six games. Odell Beckham Jr., maybe the NFL’s most popular player among young fans, broke his ankle earlier this month. J.J. Watt, fresh off raising $37 million for hurricane relief, fractured his leg in the same week. Dalvin Cook, Minnesota’s rookie running back seemed poised to make a star turn … and then tore his ACL.
The result has been an especially loopy season thus far, in which Alex Smith, a quarterback whose reputation had been for conservative, shortyardage checkdown passes is now the betting favorite for MVP. Meanwhile, the NBA opened its season flush with dramatic feuds and stacked with superstars. LeBron James, alone, incites more storylines than every football team combined. The NFL may still be the most popular professional league in America, but as the NBA continues to lap the NFL in this department, that gap is sure to keep narrowing.
Sooner, rather than later, the league and its sponsors and television partners are going to have to throw their weight behind a new class of NFL stars. With Rodgers now out, the league’s best quarterback is a 40-year-old who won’t eat tomatoes because of their inflammatory properties. In other words, these are desperate times.
League power brokers have so far proven incapable of — or, at least, uninterested in — finding this next generation of stars. So, for the sake of the NFL’s future, let’s do some of the legwork for them.
DESHAUN WATSON, TEXANS >> It hasn’t even been a year since Watson was the star of Clemson’s thrilling national title run, and already, the rookie quarterback seems like a natural in the NFL limelight. No NFL player, Rodgers included, has been more exhilarating on the field this season. Watson leads the league in passing touchdowns, in spite of spending Week 1 as Tom Savage’s backup (a decision that remains ridiculous, weeks later). His jersey is already the top sold among rookies, according to Dick’s Sporting Goods, and if the Texans make a Super Bowl run, there is no ceiling to his star potential. Plus, have you seen the video of Watson donating his first game checks to stadium workers affected by Hurricane Harvey? I mean, come on. How do you not root for this guy?
CARSON WENTZ, EAGLES >> The Eagles are the NFC favorite to go to the Super Bowl. And, for the time being, Wentz has the top selling jersey in the NFL. He’s a natural playmaker, in the mold of a modern Brett Favre, who just happens to be converting nearly 51 percent of his team’s third downs — 5 percent better than any other NFL team. It’s easy to understand why Philadelphia fans are already obsessed with him. But can the rest of the NFL get behind a deer-hunting North Dakotan quarterback with a rocket arm? A Super Bowl run would probably cement that. MELVIN INGRAM/JOEY BOSA, CHARGERS >> OK, so maybe this isn’t the conventional pick that, say, Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott would be. But let’s think outside the box a bit. If you’re scratching your head at these two sack artists, you probably haven’t watched any Chargers games this season. Together, Ingram and Bosa have become an unstoppable pass-rushing force, with 13 sacks between them over six weeks. Ingram is fierce, on and off the field. Bosa is the quiet one. They’re a few wins and a cool nickname away from being household names. CARDINALS VS. RAMS AT LONDON Kickoff: 10 a.m. (in London)
Outlook: This is just about the point where things really went south for the Rams last season. Unlike last season, the Rams head across the pond after a strong road win in Jacksonville, playing as consistently as any team in the NFC. This week, against a division rival who’s riding its own momentum, they’re going to need more from Jared Goff and the passing game, which has slowed in recent weeks. Todd Gurley has dominated so far this season, but Arizona allows just 90 yards per game to opposing rushers. The Cardinals are usually a pass-heavy team, but the addition of an invigorated Adrian Peterson could see them try to run the ball up thebe a gut huge of testthe Ramsfor a Rams defense. team This that game could will make a serious NFC run. Expect a close one. Line: Rams by 3
Pick: Rams, 24-23
TITANS AT BROWNS Kickoff: 10 a.m. Outlook: For a minute there, during the offseason, you might’ve been lured into feeling optimistic about the Browns. So much for that. The Browns remain the Browns, destined for a future of draft busts and bargain-bin fill-ins under center. DeShone Kizer, the man responsible for most of the Browns’ league-leading 16 turnovers, returns to the position this week, after Kevin Hogan’s brutal outing a week ago. He’ll face off with a still-hobbled Marcus Mariota, who started slow, but looked back to his old self in the Titans’ Monday night win. This is the time to get back on the Titans’ bandwagon, before it takes off again. Line: Titans by 5 1⁄2
Pick: 31-20 JAGUARS AT COLTS Kickoff: 10 a.m. Outlook: Every Jaguars game seems to boil down to the same question: Can you stop rookie battering ram, Leonard Fournette? If you can, and the Jaguars are forced to turn to Blake Bortles in third-and-long situations, then you’ve got an awfully good chance at beating them. Of course, that also assumes you can score a few touchdowns on their defense. In Jacksonville’s three wins this season, its defense held the opposition to single-digit points. The Colts are surprisingly good against the run. But their offense is going to have trouble doing much of anything against a defense that’s forced 16 turnovers in six weeks. If you appreciate grinding defensive efforts, this is your game. Line: Jaguars by 3
Pick: Jaguars, 17-10 RAVENS AT VIKINGS Kickoff: 10 a.m. Outlook: Somehow, the Ravens are still just one game back of the AFC North lead, in spite of a brutal offense and a threegame losing streak. With three of their next four on the road, they’re potentially heading toward a tailspin. In Minnesota, on the other hand, things are looking up. Aaron Rodgers’ injury puts the Vikings in control of the NFC North, and with an opportunity like that, Minnesota can’t afford to drop a home game against a flailing offense. But with Stefon Diggs still hurting and Case Keenum still at quarterback for the time being, strange things could happen in a game that should be low-scoring. Line: Vikings by 5 1⁄2
Pick: 23-16
JETS AT DOLPHINS Kickoff: 10 a.m.
Outlook: Might the Jets be … not terrible? It certainly seems that way, after Josh McCown nearly outdueled Tom Brady for four quarters. There are still plenty of issues to iron through, but the Jets aren’t to be written off just yet. Especially not when Jay Cutler and the sad Miami offense are on deck. The Dolphins managed to eke past the Falcons last week in a bizarre game, but they’re still tough to trust. Jay Ajayi will need to get going, if Miami has any chance of moving the ball. Lucky for them, the once-vaunted Jets front has been soft against the run this season. This AFC East battle will not be for the feint of heart.
Line: Dolphins by 3
Pick: Jets, 24-20 BUCCANEERS AT BILLS Kickoff: 10 a.m. Outlook: A popular preseason dark horse, the Bucs have just two wins after six weeks, and find themselves on the brink, with a tough road matchup on tap and a bruised quarterback. Jameis Winston should be able to play, in spite of an ailing shoulder, but regardless, the Bucs are going to have a tough time getting their offense going against a Bills defense that’s still only allowing two touchdowns per game. The Bucs defense has been a disappointment, especially through the air. It’ll be up to Tyrod Taylor and a shorthanded group of receivers to make them pay. In an even game like this, home-field advantage certainly doesn’t hurt. Line: Bills by 3
Pick: Bills, 22-19 PANTHERS AT BEARS Kickoff: 10 a.m., CBS Outlook: If the Panthers had beaten the Eagles last week, we might be talking about them as the prohibitive NFC favorite. Still, even with the loss, this is one of the conference’s most complete teams. Cam Newton has righted the ship on offense, but Carolina’s 3.4 yards per carry just isn’t going to cut it down the stretch. Chicago’s defense has improved tremendously, meanwhile, and could give Carolina more trouble than you might expect. A rookie quarterback against the Carolina defense is still a tough sell, though, especially if linebacker Luke Kuechly is able to play after being a part of the concussion protocol.
Line: Panthers by 3
Pick: Panthers, 30-20 SAINTS AT PACKERS Kickoff: 10 a.m.
Outlook: Not exactly the matchup the Packers would hope for in their first week after Aaron Rodgers’ collarbone injury. Drew Brees and the Saints come to town with three wins in a row and every intention of burying a Packers offense now helmed by UCLA product Brett Hundley. How — or if — Packers coach Mike McCarthy adjusts the gameplan to fit Hundley’s skillset remains to be seen, but what is clear is the improvement from the Saints on defense. New Orleans hasn’t had a competent defense in years, but as the unit has found its sea legs in recent weeks, it looks like the Saints could be legitimate contenders. If only the Packers had an AllPro quarterback to lean on ...
Line: Saints by 4
Pick: Saints, 31-24 COWBOYS AT 49ERS Kickoff: 1:05 p.m. Fox Outlook: At an important crossroads in their season, the Cowboys find themselves with a sub-.500 record and a tough stretch of Washington, Kansas City, Atlanta and Philadelphia ahead over the next month. Needless to say, they need this one. Keeping Ezekiel Elliott in the lineup another week should help, but the 49ers have been better against the run than you might think. It’s Dak Prescott — and Dez Bryant — who should have a field day in this one against a 49ers secondary that allowed Jacoby Brissett and Jared Goff to have success. It doesn’t hurt their cause that the 49ers will be starting rookie quarterback C.J. Beathard for the first time. Line: Cowboys by 6
Pick: Cowboys, 27-20 BENGALS AT STEELERS Kickoff: 1:25 p.m.
Outlook: Of the many teams left for dead after the first three weeks, the Bengals seemed like one of the least likely to have their season revived. Cincinnati didn’t score a touchdown until Week 3. Now, the Bengals are fresh off two victories with a chance to make a play for the top of the AFC North. Whether Ben Roethlisberger will be able to ward off that challenge remains to be seen. He has seven interceptions in his past three games, and in Pittsburgh’s win over Kansas City, the Steelers chose to lean as much on Le’Veon Bell as possible. Expect the Bengals to prepare for that by stacking the box and daring Roethlisberger to beat them. That could be a winning strategy. Line: Steelers by 5 1⁄2
Pick: Steelers, 26-23 SEAHAWKS AT GIANTS Kickoff: 1:25 p.m. Outlook: Ben McAdoo finally has the Giants off the schneid, thanks to a bizarre win over Denver, but counting on lightning to strike twice in two weeks might be asking too much. That said, the Seahawks are a strangely similar team to the Broncos, with a bad offensive line and a suffocating defense that should make this a lowscoring game. The Giants defense finally looked like its high-priced self a week ago, and if it can keep Russell Wilson under pressure and force Seattle into turnovers, there’s a chance they build off of their one victory. Still, this is a team relying on Eli Manning and Orleans Darkwa for all of its offense. Good luck with that. Line: Seahawks by 4 Pick: Seahawks, 28-17
BRONCOS AT CHARGERS Kickoff: 1:25 p.m.
Outlook: Are the Chargers finally realizing their potential? Are the Broncos finally realizing that Trevor Siemian isn’t a very good quarterback? Both questions could be answered in this crucial AFC West tilt. A dominant run game and a strong defense have keyed two straight Chargers victories, but the Broncos are a bit of a different animal when it comes to smoothly establishing your game plan. More than likely, this game will come down to Philip Rivers conjuring up some magic on a dominant Denver defense, while the Chargers’ own unit tries to force Siemian into mistakes. Siemian has four turnovers to just two touchdowns in his last three. Line: Pick’em
Pick: Chargers, 20-17 FALCONS AT PATRIOTS Kickoff: 5:30 p.m., NBC Outlook: The Super Bowl rematch we’ve all been waiting for — unless, of course, you’re the Falcons, who come into this game after a loss to the lowly Dolphins, with reminders of just how badly they blew last year’s Super Bowl at every turn. Matt Ryan needs to be better. He has six interceptions in his last three games, while he had only seven all of last season. It might not be possible for a quarterback to play better than Tom Brady has this season, which is convenient for the Patriots, since they’ve been bad in just about every other facet of the game. Lots of emotions will be on the line in this one, and it should be a high-scoring shootout. Line: Patriots by 3
Pick: Falcons, 31-30
Last week against the spread: 6-8 Season record: 37-53-1
Teams on bye: Lions, Texans