Everyone expected the Niners to be better this year, especially with the return of Jimmy Garoppolo under centre. No one expected them to be amongst the league’s elite though at this point in the year.
As the 2019/20 NFL year moves towards the postseason, for many teams out of playoff contention the focus becomes not the Super Bowl, but the NFL draft.
What did the Niners’ obliteration of Aaron Rodgers’ Packers tell us?
All the promise and optimism surrounding the Jacksonville Jaguars of a few seasons ago, when they reached the AFC Championship Game, seems to have long since dissipated.
Either way, big changes need to be made in the Sunshine State, and this offseason could be the start of it.
After last year’s promising end to the season under interim head coach Gregg Williams and offensive coordinator Freddie Kitchens, there were high hopes for the Cleveland Browns this season. That was especially so after the high-profile trade for wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr from the New York Giants, with many predicting Cleveland to end their long running playoff drought.
The Giants have been out of playoff consideration for some time now, though have already looked to the future by turning the team over to rookie quarterback Daniel Jones.
The NFL has already seen its first head coach casualty this season with Washington’s Jay Gruden paying the price for a sub .500-win loss record during his time in the nation’s capital. The rate of turnover at the top position in the league is well noted with eight vacancies appearing during or at the conclusion of last season.
It wasn’t supposed to be like this. After last season’s playoff berth and Coach of the Year honours for their rookie head coach hire, Bears Nation went into this season hoping to take the next step forward. With a second full offseason to fully immerse his unit in his offensive scheme, in particular third year quarterback Mitch Trubisky, Matt Nagy’s team were expected to make a significant leap forward.
New England Patriots sent a second-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft to the Atlanta Falcons for wide receiver Mohamed Sanu.
Los Angeles Rams general manager Les Snead continued to live up to his reputation as one of the most aggressive team builders in the contemporary NFL, rivalled only by his counterpart Howie Roseman in Philadelphia for his willingness to engage in blockbuster trades.
At first glance the trade of All Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey from the Jacksonville Jaguars to the Los Angeles Rams on Tuesday evening seems like a win-win for both franchises. However, the trade may indicate further issues for both teams, especially as they move forward with championship aspirations in their respective conferences.
After the Baltimore Ravens’ first two games of the season, the superlatives were being thrown out to describe the performances of the Ravens’ sophomore quarterback Lamar Jackson. In games against the Miami Dolphins and the Arizona Cardinals, Jackson had thrown for 7 TDs and 596 yards with zero picks. In the season opener against the Dolphins he put together a completion percentage of 85% and a perfect passer rating of 158.3.
All the talk in the lead up to the first of this season’s London series games was about the performance of the Chicago Bears defence four games into the season. Some folks in Bears circles were even talking of what it would mean for QB Mitch Trubisky’s job security if backup Chase Daniel dominated against the Oakland Raiders.
After an uneven start to the season, the Eagles and their stuttering offence came up against one of the dominant defensive units in Green Bay Thursday night.
