Five Wide: 2024 Week Six
By Thomas Willoughby
Two weeks in the NFL’s three week excursion in the UK, and I’d say, thus far, the games we’ve been given are more than the sum of their parts. While last week went down to the wire, this week gave us a blow out. Caleb Williams arrived this week. He was super impressive, I thought. The whole team was. But I think the fans in the ground were the most impressive aspect of the day. I wrote about that here.
Not a classic week in terms of incredible fixtures, but the seasons as a whole is starting to become clearer. The sides who are good are obviously good. The sides who aren’t? It’s not game over just yet, but you need to start getting a move on. Speaking of which…
Saddest holiday ever
Sunday afternoon gave us the Jaguars vs the Bears at Spurs. I won’t go too much into the game, I’m sure all of you saw it, but I think we need to have a conversation about these Jaguars. Specifically; is the only reason Doud Pederson is still employed because they’re still in London?
That has to be the most unfulfilling work trip of all time. Your boss is trying to gee you up while 4000 miles from home, in the cold, knowing that, in all likelihood, he’s getting fired the moment your flight home touches down? How do you reckon with that?
The Jaguars poor form isn’t a new phenomenon. They won a single game from their final six last season, and that run has bled into this season. Despite coaching and personnel changes, they’re going backwards. Only 3 teams have ever started 1-5 and made the playoffs. For a team that had higher aspirations than just playing more than once in January, it’s not looking good. Get that CV updated, Doug. You’re going to need it soon.
Crunchtime for the Cowboys
Speaking of hot seats, I fear Mike McCarthy’s seat might be warming a little. For the second time this season, the Cowboys conceded more than 40 points, at home. They sit 3-3, 3rd in the division, though far more in the race to win that than the Jaguars are in theirs.
What separates McCarthy from Pederson, I think, is his tenure in Dallas as a whole. 2020 aside, when Dak Prescott’s season was cut short after 5 weeks, his Cowboys have finished every season 12-5. Their playoff performances haven’t been inspiring, granted. But there are heaps of teams that would kill for that level of consistency, thought you have to saw the expectation is higher than most with the Cowboys. That said, it’s not out of the question that they might still turn this thing around.
The problem is the schedule. Trips to the 49ers and the Falcons immediately after their buy are the test. Come away from those with at least a win and we might be talking about a different team. Until then, they’ve a week of chatter with no game to silence it. Good luck, Mike.
Broffalo Boiz
The Bills are such a funny team. Having come really close to toppling the Chiefs in the playoffs 3 of the past 4 years, the time finally came to pay the price of having a good QB. Josh Allen’s rookie contract expired, and adjustments needed to be made to accommodate that. Out went Stefon Diggs after 4 highly productive years, in came Josh Allen’s closest pals. There was an expectation they’d have a bit of a step back in 2024.
They’ve actually been fine.
4-2, top of a division that isn’t taking itself seriously again, and the offense doesn’t appear to have lost anything. Despite that top tier departure, the ball seems to have found Allen’s receivers just fine. 3 different players have over 200 receiving yards, Khalil Shakir is as reliable as they come (20 catches from 21 targets!), and, very importantly, Allen has no interceptions. It feels like we’ve been lied to. You don’t need to have a stand out receiving option. All you need is a group of besties enjoying each other’s company. The power of friendship is winning the day.
It's gonna be Maye
Well, that aged well. Two weeks ago I opted to commend the New England Patriots for their approach with Drake Maye. With their o-line, run game, and receiving corps in the bin, adding a rookie QB to the mix is a recipe for disaster. Keeping him off the field, on his feet, and away from anything that might knock his development was imperative. Very smart, very cool.
Then they decided to bin that off.
Jacoby Brissett is out, and the 3rd overall pick is in. And they’re playing one of the better sides in the NFL. I mea, look. He looked fine. Good, even. Some of his throws were really nice. The Texans may have slapped them, but I think there’s something to be encouraged by his showing. The important thing now is to not lose perspective. He’s going to make mistakes, probably quite a few, and he needs the space to learn from them. This is not a good enough roster to judge him fully. Give him the space, let him figure it out.
And I beg the Wembley crowd to be reasonable on Sunday. If he throws a pick or two, be more mature than I was when the Falcons played last season. That’s an order.
Utter woke nonsense
I tell you what’s irked me over the past few weeks; players sliding down just before the endzone rather than taking the ball in for a score. I don’t subscribe to the culture war nonsense that surrounds basically everything everywhere. But the one thing I will decry as woke is this. Just score, lads. Come on.
It started on Thursday, with 49ers running back Issac Guerendo springing a 76 yard run only to drop 5 yards from the endzone. The 49ers were up by 8 points with less than 30 seconds to play. 2 plays later, the 49ers decide to hand the ball to Juszczyk to score a touchdown. You just gave up a touchdown, Isaac, and for what?!? Woke!
Sunday evening, the Falcons traveled to Carolina and found themselves up by 18 points inside the 2 minute warning. The Panthers were looking to claw it back in some capacity, but an errant throw saw Clark Phillips intercept the ball, take it back to 6 yard line, and he dropped. The Falcons opted to kneel the game out. Atlanta would have been up 25, and Phillips would have a moment to never forget. Woke!
I get it. It’s smart. It stops the opposition from getting the ball back, it minimises the chances of players getting injured on nothing plays, it’s just smart play. But it’s boring, man. Run up the score. Bask in your glory. Make your name. Especially if other players are going to take your scores.
Features Image Credit: Smiley N. Pool-Dallas Morning News
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