Five Wide: 2022 Week Sixteen
By Thomas Willoughby
A belated Merry Christmas, all, and an early Happy New Year. I hope that you all got what you wanted, and had a lovely time of it too. Apologies for the delay on getting this one out, I checked my phone while watching Man United and realised that it was, in fact, Tuesday. I wouldn’t have guessed it was a Tuesday, I can tell you that much.
Shaking things up this week. I’ve decided to experiment a little. Reached deep into the playbook to alter the call. That’s right, I’m pulling George Kittle in as a blocker, and moving Deebo Samuel to behind the quarterback. Five wide has been audibled into a run play, let’s catch this defense off guard!
Laps Of Honour
For the second time this season, it’s time for a lap of honour. Bear with me, I’m mad out of shape and the asthma will likely require a breather halfway around, but I’m committing to this, now. A lap of honour, on account of Tommy Willo getting it spot on YET AGAIN. Denver: hire me to pick your next head coach. I promise you it’ll be a better decision than the one you took to hire Nathanial Hackett.
I went over the Hackett stuff ten weeks ago, and since then next to nothing has changed. A win over the Cardinals was something, but to follow it up on Christmas Day by losing to the Rams by 51-14; that was enough. 4-11, dead last in the AFC West, and nothing but a successful excursion to London to show for it. The Broncos gave up a lot to address the position they thought was holding them back since Peyton Manning retired, and Russell Wilson has not been that. Speaking of which, shall we have another lap?
people aren't ready to admit that "letting russ cook" gets you a plate of cheese on toast.
— Thomas 'Mr Good-Tweets' Willoughby, PhD (@Willo290592) May 30, 2021
you can't live off cheese of toast.
The Seattle Seahawks were given a choice between their long-time franchise QB or a head coach unlikely to be coaching by the time Wilson’s current deal expires. They chose the latter, and got pelters. You’ve got to say, it’s a decision that’s paid dividends. The Seahawks have gotten a small fortune, found themselves a nicer fit in Geno Smith, and have even had enough about them to put together something of a playoff push.
As for Denver, it’s back to the drawing board. They’re tied to Wilson for the next two seasons at least, and are further back now than they were when he walked through the door. I’m interested to see what direction they go at head coach. They’ve tried the respected long-time coordinator option with Fangio, and they’ve tried the (alleged) offensive genius with Hackett. Time to go for the offensive guru from the college ranks, I suspect. Good luck to whatever poor schmuck has to pick up these pieces.
The Perfect Gift This Christmas
We’ve had some pretty good games this season, I think, but the NFL left it to Christmas Eve to give us, what I think, is the jewel in the 2022 crown. The Philadelphia Eagles traveled south to Texas, to face a Dallas Cowboys side hopeful of keeping their first-seed dreams alive. They need to win out, and hope the Eagles falter on their way. But, with Jalen Hurts nursing a shoulder injury, they might be able to sow the seeds of doubt in the minds of those Eagles players. It was a classic.
I can’t tell you how impressive Dak Prescott looked on Saturday. His first incompletion resulted in a pick-six, but he put that aside and rattled off completion after completion, mainly in the direction of CeeDee Lamb. Three touchdowns, 347 yards, and a defensive humbling the NFCs leaders haven’t seen in a while.
The Cowboys staunch defense, however, couldn’t find the form that’s served them so well this season. Under the stewardship of Gardner Minshew, the Eagles offense contributed 27 points, and had the opportunity to win the game right at the end. DeVonta Smith and AJ Brown combined for 216 receiving yards. Minshew himself looked pretty comfortable, too, though he’d have preferred to have not thrown two interceptions. He’s a good player, while we’re on the topic. Unlikely to turn into a long-term starter at this stage, but a very very solid back up option. Well, I like him at least.
40-36 is what the NFL wants at this stage. It’s built towards fun offensive battles, and this was that. Are the wheels about to fall off the Eagles? Not likely, they’re still the best side in the NFC by a pretty good distance, but the Cowboys are a side worth watching. They’ve got the pieces to make some noise in January.
The Playoff Rejects
With two weeks to go, the playoff picture is slowly becoming clearer. We’re up to 8 sides now out of the race mathematically, with more on the way. Obviously. That’s how this thing works. I thought now would be as good a time as ever to have a look at the top 8 on the draft order (at the time of writing), as see where we are.
Houston have been top of the tree (bottom of the pile?) from since before the season started. They’ve enough of a cushion that they don’t really need to worry about trying to lose anymore. So they won at the weekend. Am I the only one who’s found Davis Mills to be pretty decent this year? Not decent enough to not take a QB with their first pick this coming draft, mind. But fair play to them giving him a fair shake. Houston have themselves a serviceable player, there.
Chicago are 3-12, but have been quite interesting this season. The big question was whether Justin Fields could take enough steps forward for them to not have to worry about the quarterback position this offseason, and you’d be hard-pressed to argue that he hasn’t. Now’s time for them to give him something to work with. Chicago have a long way to go, but they’re a better side than their record suggests. They’re on a good path.
On four wins sit the Cardinals, Broncos, and Colts. The Broncos we’ve already discussed, and the Colts are a month (or so) into the Jeff Saturday experience. But the Cardinals are interesting. They looked like a side capable of putting together a deep playoff run only a season ago. But, Kliff Kingsbury is Kliff Kingsbury, and it all fell apart. And that run of form carried over to 2022, with his side listless for the majority of the year. I’ve been loudly skeptical of Kingsbury as an NFL head coach for a couple of years, but this feels like the end of the road for this particular experiment. Pack up, and try again next year. I hear Sean Payton is putting together something behind the scenes, if you’re looking for a name.
The Colts got a headstart on the Head Coaching search a little while back. Jeff Saturday got off to a good start, but his side have been listless since. Boy, do they need work. Whoever comes in will likely need to properly address the quarterback position, something they’ve been ignoring for years. Getting a competent receiver for him wouldn’t go amiss, either. That defense should be better than it has been, but the stopgap option on offense has to stop. Time for some serious long-term planning.
The Los Angeles Rams’ 2022 has been a disaster, plain and simple. They’ve looked a little livelier since Baker came in, but he’s not exactly set the world alight. They don’t even have the luxury of a draft pick to comfort them (though I imagine the Lombardi on the front desk does a little). That pick belongs to the Lions, who are enjoying a pretty decent turn of fortunes of late. The Rams’ woes have meant they can dream of the playoffs. They’re a team on the up, is what I’m saying. 2023 should be good for them.
The Falcons flirted with the playoffs for the majority of the season, but 2 wins from their last 8 games has them finally out of the hunt. Desmond Ridder has shown a flash or two here and there, but that’s another team in need of some work. Losses in their final two games (with results going their way) could see them pick as high as 2nd. I can’t wait to get angry at 1.30am on a late April Friday when they elect to take another pass catcher in the top 10.
The Browns hoped that they’d be there or thereabouts come this time of the year, but they’ve been pretty rubbish, all told. At 6-9, it’s all about setting the table for 2023. They’ve no first-round pick this time around, given they sold the farm for Deshaun Watson, so Houston get to stack some top-level talent together as part of their rebuild. Whomever they hire from the college ranks to replace Lovie Smith (sorry, man, but it’s happening), should be rubbing their mitts together.
Features Image Credit: Ron Jenkins – AP Photo
Thomas Willoughby
NFL ANALYST & SOCIAL MEDIA
THOMAS IS A WRITER, AND REGULAR GUEST ON THE TOUCHDOWN REVIEW SHOW PODCAST, FOR THE TOUCHDOWN. YOU CAN FIND HIM @WILLO290592 ON TWITTER