Five Wide: 2024 Week Ten

By Thomas Willoughby

Another Sunday on the road for me, after United SLAPPED Leicester I hopped on a coach and readied myself for the Falcons/Saints via Voxi’s 4g. While I was filled with nothing but praise last time around, I have to say the experience was abysmal this time. Every single time we were about to do anything, the signal just dropped. Even if I had 4g showing as available. Suboptimal, to say the least.

Halfway through the season. The final turn is coming into view, and we’re not far from a bunch of teams being eliminated from playoff contention. Which means the margin for error has shrunk to a couple of games at most. The season’s speeding by, isn’t it? Anyway here’s some NFL bits.

The Thomas Willoughby Falcons Minute

I like to think I do a pretty good job of separating the Church from the State here. You know who the team of Five Wide’s heart is, but I don’t harp on about them every week, you know? Sometimes there needs to be state intervention. This is that. Atlanta Falcons; what are you doing?

To be fair, this wasn’t unexpected. Anyone who’s watched the Falcons for any length of time knew they were losing to these Saints. Interim Head Coach? Best receiver out? Best defender traded? No problem. The Falcons marched down to the 2-7 New Orleans Saints and lost 20-17.

They should have won, too. 3 missed field goals from best player in the league Younghoe Koo (I will not subscribe to the #CutKoo movement), and a late Cousins interception doomed the Falcons to their first divisional defeat of the season. I’ve seen better Falcons sides lose to bad New Orleans sides, but this feels like a massive step back for a team we hoped had turned a corner. Actual good teams win these games. Broncos next. Make up for it against Mr Saints new team.

Brilliance in a bad situation

The most important position on an NFL roster, we’re continually told, is that of the Quarterback. There’s a reason these pieces talk about them so much. If you’ve got a good one, you’ve got a chance. But what happens when you’ve got a good one, and you’re still struggling? You’ve got the 2024 Bengals.

Take a look at this statistic, for goodness sake. It’s absurd.

There have been 2 instances in NFL history where a QB had:

30+ completions
300+ passing yards
4+ TD passes
multiple 40+ yard TD passes
no more than 1 INT

...and yet still lost. Those 2 instances were Joe Burrow vs. the Ravens in Week 5 & Joe Burrow vs. the Ravens again tonight. pic.twitter.com/vfRaLghMC9
— OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) November 8, 2024

Burrow threw for 428 yards and 4 touchdowns. They scored 34 points. They still lost. That’s absurd. The way NFL fans will react will be to look at this and decide he can’t beat Lamar Jackson (Burrow is 1-6 against Jackson’s Ravens), like Burrow’s the reason they’re giving up 35 points. I’d like to think readers of this column weekly are more intelligent than to look at games and decide one QB couldn’t beat another.

Burrow’s having an amazing season, by the way. Over 2600 passing yards, 24 TDs, only 4 INTs. With a better record, he’s firmly in the MVP conversation. As it is, he’s Matt Ryan, or Andrew Luck, or Philip Rivers. He can’t do any more than he is, don’t hold his team against him.

Munich Mania

The NFL hopped on a plane for the final time in 2024 this weekend, taking the Carolina Panthers to Munich to host the New York Giants. The league’s worst offense vs the league’s worse defense. A stoppable force meets a movable object. Whoever wins, we lose.

The game itself ended up being quite good, all things considered. Carolina jumping out to a bit of a lead, only to let the Giants back into the game in the 4th quarter, to force overtime. Obviously the Giants couldn’t follow through, fumbling the game away in overtime, but, hey, they made a game of it.

The Giants suffered their first ever international. The Panthers enjoyed their 2nd win overseas, and remained in a club of 6 others that can boast that they’re unbeaten abroad. For now, we say sayonara to the NFL. Love you, miss you, see you next year.

Globe Trotting

Not quite yet, though. If you’ll indulge me, I’m going to partake in some speculation. Ahead of this seasons game in Munich, Roger Goodell stated they’re working to play a game in Berlin, and strongly suggested that eight overseas games are on the cards for 2025. That, obviously, is a huge amount. Half the season seeing an international game played pushes the league closer to, what I expect, their ultimate goal is of having (at least) one international game. So, how are those games spread?

Well, we know that Tottenham Hotspur Stadium will host at least two. That agreement is in place until the end of the 2029 season, so, for argument’s sake, let’s say it’s two at Spurs next season. Explicitly mentioning Berlin gives me the impression that’s on the cards for 2025, and I wouldn’t at all be surprised to see Munich visited again, given how much the NFL seems to enjoy its time in Bavaria. So, we’re back at two in Germany.

We know Real Madrid’s Bernabeu will host a game next season. This was announced in February. Ireland, of course, was mentioned this weekend. If they cannot make that work, logistically, that’ll go to London. Goodell also stated Brazil and Mexico are back on the cards in 2025. There’s you’re eight. 2 in London, 2 in Germany, 1 in Spain, 1 in Ireland (maybe), 1 in Brazil, and 1 in Mexico. Easy.

Oh, and if you’re concerned about what this means for the Jaguars; don’t be. The Jaguars games at Wembley Stadium are separate from the NFL International Series, and considered Jaguars organised games rather than NFL games. Their current contract might be running out at the end of this season, but they’re in negotiations as we speak. Expect a new deal to be announced before the season’s end. Probably through to the end of the construction of their new stadium. Possibly detailing how the Jaguars plan to spend half a season playing here when Everbank is totally closed. THIS IS SPECULATION I DON’T KNOW ANYTHING.

Curtain Call

The Cowboys are done. You know it, I know it, everyone apart from Jerry Jones knows it. The moment the curtain falls on this sorry season, Mike McCarthy’s getting canned and they’re onto the next saviour. Dak Prescott’s season has come to an end thanks to a hamstring issue, so all that’s left is to let Cooper Rush play out the season and hope they don’t win enough games to take them out of contention for a good draft pick.

Luckily for them, they have a secret weapon.

AT&T Stadium is clearly a marvel in construction, but it has one very obvious flaw; a massive window that shoots the sun directly into the eyes of their own players. Poor CeeDee Lamb is one of the best receivers in the NFL, and this is what he’s being asked to contend with in his own backyard.

Jerry Jones building a stadium that blinds his own players & causes losses is so on brand pic.twitter.com/Nb9VK3FbEQ
— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) November 10, 2024

Jerry Jones was very unhappy when asked about the prospect of installing a curtain, which might not be the worst idea from next season onwards. Right now, the elements might be their best bet at securing a franchise-correcting level talent.

Features Image Credit: Grant Halverson-Getty Images