Five Wide: 2022 Week Eighteen

By Thomas Willoughby

That’s a wrap, folks. Eighteen weeks later, the NFL regular season has come to a close, and, for just over half the league, that’s that. The dream is dead for another year. For 14 sides, however, the hard work begins now.

As is tradition, this’ll be the last one of these for a few weeks, the nature of the playoffs means we’ll take a bit of a step back, and go over the playoffs as a whole come the end of that window. For now, though, it’s time for the main event!

Showdown In The South

The playoffs began in earnest this weekend, starting on Saturday night with the Tennessee Titans heading over to Jacksonville in a winner-takes-all clash for the AFC South. The Titans have enjoyed a stranglehold on the division since 2020, however their 2022 has been a significant step back from the heights they’ve enjoyed of late. For the Jaguars, this felt like the opportunity to rubberstamp their claim as the new toast of the division.

By every metric, the Titans blew it. The Jaguars really struggled to offer much of anything for the majority of the night. Offensively, that is. The Josh Dobbs-led Titans failed to make their dominance count, and the Jaguars hung in there. With two and a half (ish) minutes left, the Titans only had to keep the ball. They promptly fumbled the ball, the Jaguars scored a defensive touchdown, and managed to see the game through.

The Jaguars are making their return to the playoffs for the first time since their ill-fated trip to the AFC Championship game in early 2018. I can’t imagine this team has the legs to put that sort of run together this year, but they’re on their way to something, starting here. For the Titans, it’s time to ask some serious questions. Tannehill didn’t see the season out, and it doesn’t appear they had much faith in Malik Willis, given Josh Dobbs was selected over him. This game obviously decided the fate of this season’s AFC South title; has it swung the pendulum of momentum in Jacksonville’s favour in the race for long-term divisional supremacy?

Time To Hit F5

The weekend concluded with a one-winner-takes-all clash in the NFC North. Earlier in the day, the Seattle Seahawks squeaked a victory out of the Los Angeles Rams to ensure their playoff dreams survived through to Sunday Night Football. Sadly, it meant the plucky Detroit Lions’ dreams died before they even hit the field for warm-ups. It did mean, however, that they could still end the Packers with a victory at Lambeau.

And end them they did.

I’m not going to recap the game, but more sum up what we’re about to see from Green Bay. For the vast majority of the Aaron Rodgers-era, the Packers have been a side you could depend on as a contender. 2022 has not been that. They started 3-1, but fell apart so quickly – beginning that afternoon in London. Their long-awaited trip to the UK couldn’t have started any better or ended any worse. Bit like their, season, really.

This feels like a pivotal off-season for the Packers. That contract Rodgers signed last season is worth a lot of money, to the point where the best move they could make is financially unachievable. Moving Rodgers on would incur a cap hit of just shy of $100mil. Let’s be honest, he’s not retiring with that sort of money on the table.

The Packers are in need of major refreshment. They drafted Jordan Love in 2020 thinking they’d be able to develop their QB of the future, only for Rodgers to put up back-to-back MVP seasons. They should be just coming out of that refreshment period. Now they’re left hoping they can cobble together something resembling competitiveness in 2023. Another season like this, and it’s lights out for LaFleur and Gutekunst. Good luck, gentlemen.

Careless Chargers

The biggest benefit to securing your playoff berth early is that you can approach the final week like it’s a tune-up. Maybe throw your starters in for a series or two, to keep them zoned in. Then, to save potential injuries, as well as carry out some vital depth scouting, it’s over to the backups. Call it an in-season pre-season.

That’s the idea, anyway. The Los Angeles Chargers, apparently, had other ideas. They had NO intention of letting those lads get some rest, seemingly keeping their first stringers in for as long as feasibly possible, in pursuit of a victory over their in-division rivals, the Denver Broncos. The same season they’ve been without both Mike Williams and Keenan Allen for long stretches, they thought it’d be wise to throw them at a side with nothing to play for but their own pride. Very smart. Very cool.

Unsurprisingly, they picked up an injury. The aforementioned Mike Williams suffered a contusion that looked a lot more serious than it thankfully was, but this was an act of bizarreness we’ve not seen from the Chargers since, well, this time last season. They’re fortunate nothing too serious occurred. Let this be a lesson to other sides moving forward.

No Lovie Lost

Listen, I’ve got nothing but respect for the Texans. Having spent the entire season bottom of the pile, and with 1st overall seemingly wrapped up, they took it upon themselves to actually try. And try they did, rattling off two wins from their final three games, and allowing the Bears to slip by them, knocking them into second overall. WHOOPS.

What I find funny is how Lovie Smith held a meeting with the top brass the day before the season closer. In my head cannon, he’s been told he’s not coming back in 2023, and snapped. The effort at the end, winning it with a two-point conversion, was a sight to be seen. Never have I seen a set of fans simultaneously celebrate and curse a score like the Texans at that moment.

So what happens next? It’s going to be a third head coach in as many season in 2023, and a rebuild that won’t be built on the back of a first-overall pick. You might think the Bears, a side decidedly not in the QB stakes, being ahead of them won’t necessarily affect their plans. Well, given the talent level of Bryce Young, it’s the perfect opportunity for a QB-needy team to deal a ransom in pursuit of the answer. Someone like, I dunno, the Colts? Lovie Smith might have dealt the ultimate form of revenge. Fair play.

Falcons Nation: Let's Ridd

Listen, I know I was likely the only person in the UK watching the Falcons vs Buccaneers this weekend. With neither side playing for anything meaningful, the stakes could hardly be lower. But I’ve paid for gamepass, and this is my column, so my God you’re going to hear about Desmond Ridder again. I’m SORRY. Please don’t leave.

Ridder had a career day on Sunday. 224 passing yards, 2 touchdowns, 0 interceptions. That brings his 2022 season stats to 708 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions. That’s pretty decent through 4 games. It’s worth pointing out that he ended the first half with 25 passing yards, however. The bulk of his numbers came as the Bucs pulled their starters ahead of Wildcard Weekend.

The question among the Falconsverse now rages as to whether Ridder is it or not. He’s looked safe, by and large, but the offense hasn’t exactly exploded with him under center. Then again, it’s Drake London and basically no one for him to target, and he’s looked…pretty good? You can see why this is such a hot topic.

The Falcons are a team to watch this offseason. No, really. After all their (likely) roster moves are made, you’re looking at about $70mil in clean cap to work with. Add a second receiver here, an entire defense there, and they could (nay, should), be a playoff team in 2023. Desmond Ridder, I feel, has done enough to earn a shot at the role of QB1 with an actual team around him in that time. Might be worth dipping into the veteran market just in case, though.

Features Image Credit: Alex Siltz – Getty Images

THOMAS IS A WRITER, AND REGULAR GUEST ON THE TOUCHDOWN REVIEW SHOW PODCAST, FOR THE TOUCHDOWN. YOU CAN FIND HIM @WILLO290592 ON TWITTER

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