The primary rule I preached ahead of 2020, over anything else, was consistency, consistency, consistency. The quarterback, the coach, the offensive line and the quarterback needed to be relative consistent for NFL teams to leap out to hot starts in a pandemic-filled offseason that removed OTAs, restricted training camp and offed the preseason..
Except for some factor, when it came to the Packers, I was willing to make an exception. The Chiefs, Ravens, Steelers, Titans, Bills, Seahawks and Packers all have essentially the exact same setup as last year.
Green Bay has scored 35 points or more in its very first 3 video games, the longest 35+ point streak in franchise history. As our great research team notes, Green Bays offense is more respected than the 15-1 team from 2011 that included a fire-breathing MVP in Rodgers at the peak of his powers.
W-L.
3-0.
3-0.
It was a wild Week 3 Sunday, and theres a lot to discuss. John Breech, Ryan Wilson and host Will Brinson break everything down on the Pick Six Podcast. Eavesdrop the player below, and make certain to subscribe for day-to-day NFL goodness fired into your eardrums.
Needing to state youre sorry is never ever enjoyable, however its a needed practice in almost any relationship or occupation. And if youre a weatherman or an NFL writer– tasks where being best 60 percent of the time might make you elite– you get to utilized to stating it a lot..
So lets get begun with some apologies 3 weeks into the season, fully comprehending even this commentary has an opportunity to be completely incorrect by the time Halloween rolls around..
And theres no much better location to start than Green Bay..
Sorry, Packers.
Points/Game.
33.0.
40.7.
My premise for Green Bay coming back to the pack after a 13-3 season was pretty simple. They had an aging Aaron Rodgers who flashed at times last season however clearly was in the golden of his Hall of Fame profession.
If attempting to show whatever was Mike McCarthys fault couldnt ignite an Eff You Tour from Rodgers, undoubtedly Love would not do it either. Whoops. Rodgers and the Packers offense have blitzkrieged their opponents through the very first three weeks of the season, consisting of a 37-30 win over the Saints on Sunday night..
Yards/Game.
403.3.
459.7.
35+ Point Games.
1.
3.
Truthfully, my thought process wasnt even bad: I thought the Seahawks defense would struggle this year after a number of seasons of workers attrition and due to an absence of pass rush. Seattle was going to stubbornly try to develop the run early in video games and force Russell Wilson to do that magic thing he constantly does late in games.
Hes just the 5th player in NFL history with 5 passing goals in back-to-back video games. Hes the first gamer in NFL history with four passing touchdowns in each of his groups very first 3 video games and just the 5th gamer ever with 4 passing touchdowns in three straight games. Hes the second player in NFL history with 450 passing yards in back-to-back games.
Im unsure the Packers defense is fantastic, however no ones defense is fantastic in the early goings of a season sans defense. What I am positive in is the Packers didnt require to prepare a pass receiver– Allen Lazard has actually emerged as a legitimate No. 2 in this offense, revealing up in a big method without Davante Adams on the field..
Green Bay is largely a quite methodical running team (not a minor, they like to chew up clock) but Rodgers and Matt LaFleur invested the offseason trying to mask their vertical plays to look similar to their running plays. LaFleur originates from the Kyle Shanahan coaching tree, and its a staple there. If you can deceive a defense into believing youre running the ball and suddenly Rodgers is presenting with pass receivers streaking down the field, cornerbacks are in problem..
He famously surrendered a 28-3 lead in the Super Bowl a couple of years back and now has become not simply the first coach in NFL history to provide up several 15-point, fourth-quarter leads, but likewise the very first coach to do so in back-to-back weeks. I believe its doubtful– the Falcons have the Packers next week and then a variety of simple matches before their Week 10 bye.
Not getting a shot? Trubisky, who has actually been replaced by Foles heading into the Week 4 game against the Colts, Matt Nagy announced. Nagy fired out some coachspeak after the loss, saying he had not decided who would start, but this was always going to be Foles after that thrilling comeback success..
Making matters a lot more unpleasant for Trubisky? Foles game-winning goal pass was the specific very same playcall as the call that got Trubisky benched..
Include Marquez-Valdez Scantling, who has likewise flashed this season, and the Packers have ample weapons at Rodgers disposal. The “Green Bay cant win with simply Adams” crowd is having a rough start to the season. Is anyone who composed off Rodgers.
Sorry, Pete Carroll.
I picked the Seahawks to make the playoffs however did not believe they would be the best team in the NFC West. Honestly, my thought procedure wasnt even bad: I believed the Seahawks defense would struggle this year after several seasons of personnel attrition and due to an absence of pass rush. Seattle was going to stubbornly attempt to establish the run early in video games and force Russell Wilson to do that magic thing he constantly does late in games.
The Seahawks are not doing that. In reality, they have taken the pots, they have actually taken the pans, they have provided Wilson the spatula and they are LETTING RUSS COOK..
It was never more clear than in the first four ownerships of the game versus the Cowboys on Sunday: 2 of the first 4 Seattle drives ended with a wide-open receiver waltzing into the end zone with the football. The first was a first-down, play-action deep shot to a streaking Tyler Lockett who didnt have a defender within 10 yards when Wilsons pass landed in his arms.
I would personally venture a guess this isnt the last time we see Trubisky under center for the Bears, however only due to the fact that Foles does not have a consistent performance history of success beginning in the regular season. Hes extremely streaky and a bad streak might offer Mitch another window to begin..
However an underrated aspect of this competition was Foles knowledge of Nagys system through working with Andy Reid and Doug Pederson in Philadelphia (and later on Reid in Kansas City). Hes not selecting up a completely brand-new language or brand-new playbook here..
Does his existence make the Bears competitors? Possibly! I still think their bonafides as a 3-0 team are absolutely questionable. They overcame a 16-point, fourth-quarter deficit against Atlanta, which is the second time this season theyve pulled that off. In 100 years of Bears football before this season, Chicago did that exactly as soon as. This group should be 1-2. Credit where credits due for coming back, but Bears fans peacocking around garbage talking anybody who doubted them are being ludicrous..
You get the point: another early down deep shot from the best deep-ball passer in expert football. The Seahawks now lead the NFL by a comfy margin in terms of running on initially down.
Rodgers completed the video game going 13-of-17 with 160 passing backyards and all three of his touchdowns coming on play-action passes..
Lazard, who ended up with 6 catches for 146 backyards and a score on Sunday night, now has a catch of a minimum of 20 lawns in each and every single game this season, including a pair of deep balls versus New Orleans..
The 2nd didnt really produce any points since D.K. Metcalf pulled a DeSean Jackson and got Leon Lett d by Cowboys novice cornerback Trevon Diggs..
If anything, questioning them was 100 percent correct. They were losing by 16 points in the fourth quarter! They ought to have been questioned. Questioning was accurate!! Stuff your sorries in a sack, mister.
Credit Carroll and OC Brian Schottenheimer for recognizing the scenario theyre in and changing up the video game strategy. Whether Russ leaned on them enough or whether the edict originated from John Schneider, who knows? But the Seahawks have actually fully released the true power of Wilson through 3 weeks and the results are pretty stunning..
Wilson has the most passing goals (14) of any gamer in NFL history through three weeks. Hes just the fifth gamer in NFL history with 5 passing touchdowns in back-to-back games. Hes the first player in NFL history with 4 passing touchdowns in each of his teams first three video games and just the 5th player ever with four passing touchdowns in three straight video games. Hes the 2nd gamer in NFL history with 450 passing yards in back-to-back games. Wilson is presently on speed to toss for 74 passing touchdowns in 2020. Yes, that would probably set the record..
You no longer need to stress over scoring on the Seahawks, now you need to stress about outscoring them..
Sorry, Mitch.
One might consider this an excellent place for the guy who called the Bears “fraudulent” to apologize to Bears fans. Consider this me doubling down on Chicago and simply asking forgiveness to Mitchell Trubisky for the hard way his 2020 is going.
