Senior NFL Reporter
NFC West/AFC West
By Dayna O’Gorman // @DaynaOG
We are halfway through a season we weren’t even sure we were going to get. It seems almost impossible, but the NFL has kept on track during the pandemic and for some teams, things are going quite well. Others…not so much.
I reached out to our fan forum to check in with them to see how they felt their favorite teams were doing 8 weeks into the 2020 season.
Matt Cullen is a new member of our fan forum. He is a long-suffering New York Jets fan, and at the halfway mark, is ready for a change.
Disgraceful. Abysmal. Expected. Just three of many adjectives that could be used to describe my Jets at the midway point of the season.
“Has Gase been fired yet?” – A regular question posed across social media on Sunday evenings and Monday mornings and beyond, all while the team’s official social media department tries desperately to take any positive from a consistently vast pile of negativity.
When your team is dead last in the league, winless, and apparently losing the will to fight week after week, it’s difficult to find any positives. However, there are a few.
(QB) Sam Darnold has shown when given time in the pocket, flashes of the ability that we expected when drafting him. However, I fear for the guy. The organization is rotten from top to bottom and I have no doubt he will be thrown on the scrap heap should, as expected, the Jets take Trevor Lawrence at 1.01 in April. Sam can definitely flourish elsewhere.
(WR) Denzel Mims, having not been able to make his debut until week 7, has shown enough in two games against division leaders that he can be a WR1 long term, a glimmer of hope
Finally, (S) Marcus Maye and (CB) Pierre Desir are doing just enough to make me forget about that toxic traitor Jamal Adams.(Adams was traded to the Seattle Seahawks) We seem focused on building for next year with recent trades, which I agree with, however, I pray Joe Douglas doesn’t see these two backs as pawns in this strategy
As for what we can improve? The O line stinks, the coaching stinks, (TE) Chris Herndon is awful after showing so much promise prior to his suspension and injuries. The list goes on but you can’t describe all the issues in under 300 words!
This took me a while to write, so – has Gase been fired yet?
J-E-T-S (Just End the Season)
Marcela Vargas, our Green Bay Packers fan, has more reason for optimism, however, believes her team has room for improvement.
The Green Bay Packers are 5-2 and prepping for a Week 9 match against one of their constant rivals: the San Francisco 49ers. I’d be more worried about this game if San Francisco’s QB, Jimmy Garoppolo, wasn’t out for at least 6 weeks with an ankle injury. Green Bay is in better shape than the last game against Minnesota seemed to show.
Matt LaFleur’s team could do better on defense, though, and I sincerely hope Mike Pettine will step up to the game. We can’t allow another Dalvin Cook or Alvin Kamara to run through our defense like a hot knife through butter. The offense, however, is looking great. (QB) Aaron Rodgers has the best group of targets the team has seen in a few years. We still miss (WRs) Jordy Nelson, Richard Rodgers, James Jones, and Randall Cobb – even Geronimo Allison! But this generation of wide receivers, tight ends, and running backs is doing great.
Davante Adams is becoming a full-fledged Green Bay star, and the combined work of (RBs) Aaron Jones and Jamaal Williams is doing a lot for the team. LaFleur is bringing a successful run game back to the grid, and in doing that, he’s protecting Rodgers’ arm. Our QB is not getting any younger, and by allowing him to work with Williams and Jones constantly, his air plays become more of a specialty; we see less of those per game, and that makes them less predictable to the opposite team.
Another happy surprise is Robert Tonyan, a fine TE who has been growing a lot in the past three weeks.
There’s a lot season left for the Packers to maintain the #1 spot in NFC North, but Chicago will keep on fighting to top them. LaFleur’s first year amounted to 13 wins, 3 losses. With 5 wins under his belt, coming into Season 8, there’s still a good margin for his strategy to play out and bring the Packers back to the Super Bowl.
We’ve added another new member to our fan forum, Cleveland Browns fan, Raechelle. She is encouraged by the way the Browns have handled the first half of the season.
I went into this season with zero expectations and a lot of hope. Now that we are halfway through, I still have a one game at a time mentality. I struggle with reminding myself that they are in their 3rd head coach in four years. Not to mention a new GM. This time that is one thing that I think Brown’s ownership got right. The hiring of Coach Kevin Stefanski and General Manager Andrew Berry.
The Cleveland Browns are now 5-3. FIVE AND THREE! Who would of thunk it?! Of course, there is ALWAYS room for improvement. Let’s start with the defense.
When it comes to the defense of any football team is to be able to consistently create pressure for the opposing quarterback. There is no consistency from what I have been able to see. Also, the ability to force turnovers is going to give the team many opportunities to capitalize on and take advantage of, but that is going to be up to the players. The players must be consistent. Right now, let’s face it, they aren’t.
Then we have the offense. The injury bug has bitten both sides of the Browns and it really worries me. We also need to shore up those positions with players that can take the place of an injured one and not skip a beat. (QB) Baker (Mayfield) also needs to keep his options open when it comes to receivers. I am one of those fans that think he plays better without OBJ, even though I like him, but I just don’t think trying to force Baker to focus on him is what is best for the entire team right now.
I give the overall first half of the season a solid C+. I have faith in Coach Stefanski and his crew that these issues will be fixed and can’t wait to see it happen! Here is to many, many more wins Browns faithful! Here we go Brownies, here we go!
There have been a lot of changes for the New England Patriots, but fan Derrick Lewis feels the organization knows what they are doing, and believes they have their eye on the future.
So, we’re at the halfway point of the season and truthfully the season isn’t going well. Considering the number of opt-outs from key players, especially on defense, players getting COVID (especially the most important player on the team, Cam Newton), injuries, not having enough money in the salary cap to sign players to add depth, and not executing on plays really sums up this season so far.
Now I’m not asking for a pity party because I’m sure there are people that are happy that after 20 years of success, that the Patriots are experiencing growing pains. But from an optimistic standpoint, this year allows many of the young players to step up and show what they’re made of. (WR) Jakobi Meyers has really stepped up big time, (RB) Damien Harris is getting comfortable, (CB) J.C. Jackson has really stepped up in our secondary.
I don’t think the Patriots are giving up, but I’m sure that 2021 is on the front office minds with the potential moves being made. There will be a lot of salary cap space we can use to sign free agents and make some trades to get some draft picks out of it. Sometimes you have to take 2 steps backward to take 4 steps forward.
And then there is the happiest of our fans, MommyUnit. She has little to complain about as her Seattle Seahawks are 6-1, and have an MVP candidate in their quarterback.
So far, I’m reveling in my Seahawk football. I’m hard quarantined and yet have my own version of a Disney ride each game.
(WB) Russell Wilson has, once again, proven himself to be a defining player. The fact that he hasn’t received one MVP vote in the past should make any student of the game pause. This isn’t his first special year, but he’s elevated in 2020, and what a pleasure to watch. He’s a magician, an artist with a killer instinct. Our OLine has stepped up this year with Ethan Pocic doing admirable work at center. Duane Brown on the protection side, whew! Glad we have him and that he’s healthy.
D.K. Metcalf: Insert every praiseworthy adjective here. He’s a beast and he’s just beginning. Tyler Lockett: A catching marvel and reliable target for Wilson. He puts out exemplary performances, again and again. Russell must pinch himself to have these two WRs.
The defense has been the sticking point. We all know our pass rush has been missing. (Bruce) Irvin gone to injury and losing (Jamal) Adams early just exacerbated, exposed our issues. Some players stepped up but our defense has been challenging to watch. (Not our LBs though!) Acquiring (Carlos) Dunlap and getting Adams back will certainly help. Norton could do us a solid and be more aggressive in his scheming and not back off to prevent defense too early. My heart would appreciate this.
Still, we are 6-1. Not a bad place to be and sets up nicely in the NFC. Let’s do this thing.
The great thing about NFL fans is they never give up. Good, bad, or somewhere in the middle, they are fans for life. That’s one of the things that makes the NFL so great.
Follow Dayna on Twitter // @DaynaOG
#SmartWomen #SmartFootball
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