Week 6 rewind: Yes it can get worse for Jets
Week 6 was a fairly uneventful week in the NFL. Outside of the Buccaneers absolutely destroying the Packers on the road, there weren’t too many surprises this week.
That lets us start our weekly review in a familiar place. Oh, Jets.
1. GOOD GOD, JETS
The Jets just continue to sink further and further into the sewer, this time with a 24-0 loss to the Dolphins. This team is truly pathetic and nothing seems to be working.
Mekhi Becton, who legitimately looks like a future superstar at left tackle, has been hurt for weeks since Adam Gase and the Jets’ assortment of evil trenchcoat-wearing doctors allowed him to aggravate a shoulder injury. Sam Darnold, who has a few flashes of elite quarterback play in each game, has been hurt as well and unable to take the field for two straight games.
Normally, losing a franchise left tackle and a QB who has the ability to create their own offense would tank a season.
However, the Jets are so awful that it doesn’t even matter that they’ve lost two valuable players. Gase’s offense is absolutely lifeless, the defense hasn’t been able to put together a complete game and the trend of Gase’s teams hemorrhaging talent has continued with the Jets.
What on Earth has Gase done to still have a job? If any player was as bad at their job as Gase is at his, they would be released immediately. He hasn’t coached a team worth a damn in years, but still finds himself employed.
Since the Jets haven’t fired Gase by now, it’s reasonable to stretch the imagination and assume that he’ll finish out the season. Considering their schedule, it’s also reasonable to believe they finish the season 0-16.
The Jets play Buffalo, Kansas City and New England over their next three games. They have two remaining games against the Patriots in total and games against the Rams and Seahawks. Not only are they bad, but they also have a brutal schedule.
The only solace at this point is that keeping Gase for the long haul might increase the chances of getting the prize of the draft: Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence.
Lawrence is widely believed to be a better prospect than Darnold, but even Lawrence can’t elevate what the Jets currently have on the roster. Still, you take Lawrence and figure the rest out later.
However, knowing the Jets, they’ll probably ruin Lawrence too.
2. CHICAGO SQUARES
Someone needs to explain how the Bears are 5-1.
Obviously, they were able to notch a comeback win over the forever fraudulent
Falcons, but this team hasn’t been very impressive.
Chicago’s offense ranks 27th in yards per play (4.8), 25th in points per drive (1.88) and ranks 30th in yards per attempt (6.0). This offense undeniably stinks and noted offensive guru Matt Nagy hasn’t been able to figure out how to get the Bears going since he was hired in 2018. The Bears defense has been spectacular this season again, ranking fifth in yards per play (5.1).
Part of the reason it feels like the Bears are overachieving is because they actually are. Not one of their victories has cleared a double-digit point differential. They would have lost their season opener against the Lions if D’Andre Swift had made a routine catch for a touchdown at the end of the game. The Falcons game was the Falcons game.
Squeaking by teams isn’t a convincing way to win games, but it should at least put the Bears in a great spot to hit the postseason, assuming they can stay above the Vikings and Lions in the NFC North.
The Bears’ 5-1 record is unreasonably good for a team that’s performed at this level through the first six weeks of the season. Expect that to change, or just forget that I ever said any of this.
3. WHERE’S DALTON’S GANG?
Look, I don’t want to rag on Andy Dalton. He seems like a nice guy, didn’t have anything to do with the absurd discourse before the season and was really only there to be a backup.
But people just had to take it too far. NBC’s Tony Dungy said inserting Dalton into the lineup would be a “blessing in disguise” because it would allow the Cowboys to get back to running the ball. Fox Sports’ Emmanuel Acho said Dalton was a better fit for the Cowboys offense than Dak Prescott. Other people suggested before the season that the Cowboys trade Dak to the Jets for Jamal Adams and roll with Dalton.
I have one question for people who thought like this: how dare you?
Really? Prescott had only established himself as one of the best quarterbacks in the league. Whether you think Dak is an elite quarterback or simply a good one, we should all be able to agree now that the takes saying Dalton was equal to Prescott were laughout-loud ridiculous.
Dallas’ 38-10 loss to the Cardinals also revealed another dynamic about the Cowboys current setup: How much Prescott was actually hiding big problems in Big D. Dallas’ offensive line has been hammered by injuries and retirements, leaving just a shell of what used to be the most terrifying line in football.
We all saw how bad it was with a quarterback not named Dak Prescott taking snaps. Take Ezekiel Elliott’s fumble issues and lack of top tier rushing production into account and it’s easy to see how Dallas goes from an offense that can hang 35 points on anyone to an offense that struggles to break double digits against a mediocre defense like the Cardinals.