Each week within the NFL season brings a bunch of recent questions … and solutions some previous ones, too. Let’s run down what we discovered in Week 7 … and what we’ll be questioning about in Week 8 and past.
ASKED: When will we cease ready for “the actual” Aaron Rodgers to return?
At this level, it’s time to think about that the New York Jets iteration of Aaron Rodgers is much less “Jared Goff on the Lions” and extra “Matt Ryan on the Colts.” By seven video games, he’s thrown virtually as many interceptions (7) as touchdowns (10), and hasn’t topped 300 passing yards but. There’s chaos in each route in New York, from the entrance workplace to the sphere, and if Rodgers isn’t on the middle of all of it, he’s definitely not calming any anxiousness. The Jets draw the New England Patriots subsequent week, which ought to offer a good barometer for the state of Gang Inexperienced. Nevertheless it’s changing into more and more clear that we’re not in an aberration interval, we’re getting the actual Rodgers.
ANSWERED: Whether or not Russ can nonetheless cook dinner
Admit it, you thought Russell Wilson was completed. After his unspectacular, veering into disastrous, stint in Denver, it certain appeared just like the mid-2010s model of Russ would solely exist on NFL Movies documentaries going ahead. And when the Steelers sidelined him with an injured calf for the beginning of the 2024 season, nicely, it certain appeared like his days as a marquee starter have been completed. However lo and behold, Mike Tomlin gambled that Wilson nonetheless had recreation, and Sunday night time, Wilson repaid that religion with . Pittsburgh now appears to have a very good sort of drawback: two competent NFL-level starters at quarterback. How this can shake out within the snakepit of the AFC stays to be seen, however the Steelers have a combating probability … which is greater than may very well be mentioned for different groups we’ll talk about right now.
ASKED: Is Anthony Richardson the longer term in Indianapolis?
The Indianapolis Colts received on Sunday, but when there was ever a “received regardless of” somewhat than “received as a result of” victory, this was it. Anthony Richardson was 10 of 24 for 129 yards on the day, the sorts of numbers that may solely beat a workforce that’s right down to its fourth quarterback of the yr, the best way Miami was. This could’t go on. Richardson, out the final two video games with an indirect harm, has the way forward for the franchise in his unsure fingers, and followers — who booed him and the Colts on Sunday — don’t precisely appear happy about it. There’s a protracted solution to go on this season and a protracted solution to go in Richardson’s profession, however the aircraft remains to be taxiing, and it’s gone time for liftoff.
ANSWERED: The Seahawks are a professional menace
Possibly it’s the truth that they play most of their video games within the late afternoon slot on Sundays, or possibly it’s that they don’t have waves of dynamic, headline-grabbing playmakers on their roster, however the Seattle Seahawks typically are inclined to get ignored when pondering of the NFC’s finest groups. No extra, although. After simply dealing with the NFC South-leading Falcons on the highway, and with the remainder of the division in disarray, the Seahawks are actually the category of the NFC West. Geno Smith doesn’t scare anyone, however he’s guiding a successful workforce. The Seahawks protection should scare the hell out of everyone, although; Kirk Cousins will likely be seeing neon inexperienced in his sleep for a couple of nights. Seattle will take a look at its mettle subsequent week towards Buffalo, after which makes a run by way of your entire division the subsequent three video games after that. By then we’ll have a good suggestion of how critically to take this workforce, however thus far, the reply is: very.
ASKED: Is Deshaun Watson completed because the Cleveland Browns beginning QB?
When Deshaun Watson exited Sunday’s recreation on a cart,, cheers resonated within the Cleveland stands. It was an unsightly scene, one among many such ugly scenes in Watson’s erratic Cleveland tenure, but when it’s the final time we see Watson begin for the Browns, it wouldn’t be shocking. The price of reducing Watson free can be immense; Watson remains to be owed $46 million for every of the subsequent two seasons, and no different workforce goes to select up that tab. However the price of persevering with to begin him may very well be simply as punishing; he hasn’t confirmed he’s value what he’s being paid, even with out all of the allegations swirling round him, and a return from an Achilles tear is not any certain factor. If that is the top of the Deshaun Watson Period, it’ll be not more than an unsightly cautionary story for each different franchise.
ANSWERED: Whether or not John Mara is sleeping as of late
Memorable second from this yr’s “Exhausting Knocks,” when Giants co-owner John Mara mentioned the potential of Saquon Barkley leaping to the Eagles:
“I’ll have a troublesome time sleeping if Saquon goes to Philadelphia, I’ll inform you that,” Mara mentioned.
Nicely, Barkley rushed for 176 yards on 17 carries Sunday in Philadelphia’s demolition of the Giants. Just like the Jets, the Giants are flailing for solutions … and watching your previously finest participant tearing it up for a division rival hurts so dangerous it doesn’t even damage anymore.
The post Asked & Answered, Week 7: When do we stop waiting for ‘the real’ Aaron Rodgers to return? first appeared on AI Earth.