Surging Seahawks face a perplexing Browns squad
Niners, Rams renew their longtime rivalry
The Seattle Seahawks were supposed to be continuing their retool this year, one season after their remake helped get them back into the playoffs. Instead, they have one of the NFL’s best records.
The Cleveland Browns were pegged (hyped?) to be a budding powerhouse with all of the improvements in talent, plus the predicted maturity of Baker Mayfield in his second pro season. Instead, they are perhaps the most inconsistent team in the league, with Mayfield struggling.
Seattle (4-1) is at Cleveland (2-3) in a most intriguing matchup Sunday.
A Seahawks victory, combined with a 49ers loss to the Rams, would put Seattle on top of the tough NFC West. But it’s difficult to figure out which Browns squad they will face: Will it be the team that won in Baltimore, or the team that was blown out last Monday night in San Francisco?
“I don’t think it was my best assignment as a teacher,” Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said of telling his players to watch Browns-49ers. “The game didn’t work out. I was hoping it was going to be a real battle. The game kind of got lopsided, so it wasn’t as beneficial. It’s still really good to see the guys. You hear the stories about the players and the backgrounds. The guys will come in here today much more familiar with them because of that. In that regard, it’s always helpful. Too bad it wasn’t a better game.”
Will it be a better performance by the Browns on Sunday?
“We have done it before,” running back Nick Chubb said. “After every loss we have, we came back harder. That is what I expect this team to do every time. Hopefully, we can stack some wins, but I know when we do face adversity, we bounce back harder.”
Week 6 began with the New England Patriots’ 35-14 victory over the New York Giants. Rookie quarterback Daniel Jones and the Giants (2-4) kept it close, trailing by a touchdown midway through the fourth quarter, but a forced fumble by Jamie Collins led to a TD that gave the Patriots a cushion. New England forced four turnovers, and Tom Brady had two touchdown runs and moved ahead of Peyton Manning for second place on the NFL’s alltime passing yards list. The reigning Super Bowl champions are 6-0 for the first time since 2015.
Off this week are Buffalo (4-1), Chicago (3-2), Oakland (3-2) and Indianapolis (3-2).
SAN FRANCISCO (4-0) at LOS ANGELES RAMS (3-2): The other two contenders out west; isn’t that delightful for this long rivalry?
The Rams have lost two in a row as their defense has sprung holes. The Niners came off their bye and routed Cleveland.
San Francisco is off to its first 4-0 start since 1990.
A key for the Rams’ defense is stopping the 49ers early in the second half; they have scored a touchdown on the first possession in all four games this season. Slowing down the running game would help: San Francisco ran for 275 yards vs. Cleveland and lead the NFL with 200 yards rushing per game.
Rams running back Todd Gurley won’t play because of a bruised left thigh. Running back John Kelly was signed to the active roster Saturday.
HOUSTON (3-2) at KANSAS CITY (4-1): The scoreboard might blow up from all the points these two could produce.
Houston scored the second-most points (53) in franchise history last week against Atlanta. Deshaun Watson, possibly the second-most exciting quarterback in the league behind KC’s Patrick Mahomes, has perhaps the most thrilling receiver in DeAndre Hopkins.
But Mahomes has thrown 202 consecutive passes without an interception. Alex Smith has the franchise record of 312.
CAROLINA (3-2) vs. TAMPA BAY (2-3) at London: An early riser (7:30 a.m. MT) and the first overseas regular-season match for the Panthers. If British fans were looking forward to seeing Cam Newton, Kyle Allen has been a superb replacement. Allen has won all four career starts, three this season, with seven TDs, no interceptions, making him the first quarterback in the Super Bowl era to win his first four starts with no INTs.
Panthers RB Christian McCaffrey’s 866 yards from scrimmage are the second most through five games in NFL history to Jim Brown’s 988 in 1963.
PHILADELPHIA (3-2) at MINNESOTA (3-2): Not quite the same as the Eagles’ previous trip to Minnesota, when they beat the Patriots for their first Super Bowl title on Feb. 4, 2018.
Main matchup here is the NFL’s No. 3 rushing offense, led by No. 2 rusher Dalvin Cook, against the best run defense.
Last week against the lowly Jets, Philly became the first team in NFL history with 10 sacks and two defensive TDs in a single game.
NEW ORLEANS (4-1) at JACKSONVILLE (2-3): They are not yet chanting “Drew Who?” in the Big Easy. But Teddy Bridgewater has stepped in for Drew Brees (thumb surgery) and quarterbacked the Saints to three straight victories. He has a passer rating or 100 or higher in two of his past three road starts.
It helps to have the most productive receiver, Michael Thomas, with 45 catches and 543 receiving yards.
Jacksonville also is missing its veteran starter, Nick Foles. Rookie Gardner Minshew is one of three QBs in the Super Bowl era with a 100-plus rating and no interceptions through his first four career starts. RB Leonard Fournette had runs of 48, 81 and 69 yards the past three weeks.
CINCINNATI (0-5) at BALTIMORE (3-2): The only division with a single winning team, and the Ravens came up with a big one in overtime last week at Pittsburgh to grab the AFC North lead.
Lamar Jackson’s 11 TD passes rank second in the NFL behind Seattle’s Russell Wilson (12), and Baltimore’s 961 yards rushing are second most in franchise history after five games.
The Bengals still are looking for a first win under coach Zac Taylor. They’re 0-5 for the seventh time since 1990, most in the NFL over that span.
ATLANTA (1-4) at ARIZONA (1-3-1): Kliff Kingsbury got his first victory as Cardinals coach in Cincinnati. But Arizona ranks 24th in pass defense, while Atlanta is third in yardage throwing the ball.
Worth watching are Cardinals WR Larry Fitzgerald and Falcons WR Julio Jones, who have combined for 100 games with at least 100 yards receiving. Jones has 51, Fitzgerald 49.
TENNESSEE (2-3) at DENVER (1-4):
Speaking of turnovers, Marcus Mariota is the only quarterback to start every game in 2019 and have no turnovers. The Titans are the sixth team since the 1970 merger to have just one turnover through their first five games. They do have nine fumbles, but recovered eight.
Denver has lost both home games on last-second field goals. One way to turn that around would be for star LB Von Miller to start getting to quarterbacks. Miller has 10½ sacks in his past 10 home games but just two sacks this season.
PITTSBURGH (1-4) at LA CHARGERS (2-3): Pittsburgh will start rookie free agent QB Devlin Hodges, the all-time passing leader in FBS at Samford (14,584 yards). Hodges was 7 of 9 for 68 yards after coming in against Baltimore when Mason Rudolph left with a concussion after a hard hit by Earl Thomas.
Chargers QB Philip Rivers did not direct a TD drive last week for only the ninth time in 224 starts. Yet Austin Ekeler had a career-high 15 catches in the loss to Denver and leads the AFC in receptions with 39.
DETROIT (2-1-1) at GREEN BAY (4-1), Monday: The Lions come off a bye, while the Packers come off perhaps their most impressive win in years. They ran all over Dallas, led by a different Aaron than quarterback Rodgers — Aaron Jones — who rushed for 107 yards and four TDs.
“All my family was up in the stands,” said Jones, who grew up a Cowboys fan about 600 miles away in El Paso and played for the hometown UTEP Miners. “I could see my brother right there. I threw him one of the balls when I scored. That was pretty cool. Just being back in Texas.”
Detroit is a mere 30th against the pass, so the usual heroic Aaron in Green Bay could be flinging plenty of footballs.
WASHINGTON (0-5) at MIAMI (0-4):
Not a bad opponent for Bill Callahan to face as he takes over as Redskins coach. Yes, the Dolphins are coming off a bye, but all that seems to mean with the way they have been performing with a weak roster is they didn’t lose.