Quarter Pole: Unexpected Results Around the League

[HappyDays]

Cooper Rush has been better than Dak Prescott.

 

Geno Smith has been better than Russell Wilson.

 

But Carson Wentz continues to suck so it's good to know there are still some things you can always rely on.

[TheFunPolice]

Colts being so bad. Really thought that was a tough team.

 

Lions being such an offensive juggernaut 

[HappyDays]

2 hours ago, Ethan in Cleveland said:

Colts really being terrible

 

The big surprise is how bad their OL has been. It was the strength of their team last year. I know Matt Ryan is a statue which makes things tougher but Jonathan Taylor's YPA has dropped a full 1.5 yards from 2021 to 2022.

[chongli]

1 hour ago, 4merper4mer said:

The quarter pole is passed when there is a quarter mile left in a horse race.  We are at roughly the 3/4 pole at this point.

 

Good catch!

[Sammy Watkins' Rib]

5 hours ago, EmotionallyUnstable said:

 

AFC West - were the Chiefs dominance really ever in doubt? Broncos and Raiders seem to be non factors

 

 

Raiders to me are much better than the Broncos. I think they have a shot of going 5-2 over their next seven games to get back above .500   They've been in all of their first four games. They were blowing the Cardinals out and then driving in overtime for the win before the Renfrow fumble. 

 

Chiefs are one play away from having loss to the Chargers and looking up at them in the division. But the Chargers injuries at key positions are now mounting. 

5 hours ago, Conlan58 said:

Honestly - the Jaguars looking as good as they have was not on my radar for this year. 

 

Also +1 for Tua taking off the way he did - he had a great start to the season before concussed-gate.

 

Tua had a great quarter. He's looked exactly like 2021 Tua in the other 13 quarters of football.

5 hours ago, Nextmanup said:

My surprise is the Chiefs.  I thought the loss of Hill would really take their offense down a few gears.

 

And yet they actually seem to have the strongest team they've had in the last 3 years.

 

I think they'll be a much harder out for us this year than last!

 

 

They've been a mixed bag through four games. Two below average offensive outputs and two complete dismantling's of a defense. Very much like our own offense I suppose minus the adverse weather conditions and injuries. 

[Sammy Watkins' Rib]

Seahawks are a bit of a mixed bag. Is the real Seahawks offense the one from the first two weeks or the last two weeks? Or somewhere in between? They went six quarters without any offensive points between games 1 and 2. In games 3 and 4 they put up nearly a 1,000 yards of offense and scored points on drives 60+ yards in length 10 times. In games 1 and 2 they put up less than half those yards and had only two drives total over 60 yards in length. 

 

I'd probably have to say my biggest surprise is the Lions offense. They have been moving the ball and scoring points in every single game. They've been good and consistent. 

Edited October 4, 2022 by Sammy Watkins' Rib

[ganesh]

4 hours ago, LOVEMESOMEBILLS said:

 

 I agree about KC. They've played no one so far. The Cardinals, a very average team at best. The Raiders, are currently bad team. The Colts, are currently a bad team. And the Bucs, who are struggling at 2-2. The Bucs wins are from the first 2 weeks against Dallas(with Dak) and the Saints who are 1-3. The Bucs went into last night averaging less than 18 points a game. This is not the same Bucs team from the last few years.

 

 

To be fair,  the Chiefs also have one of the best  QBs in the NFL.  When that position has a super star rest of the teams deficiencies will get covered until you hit the playoffs;  where the quality and depth of teams comes into play.  Now you cannot hide.     This is what happened to us the last two seasons...and then we got exposed on our inability to cover speed WRs. 

[Mango]

7 hours ago, Bills2022 said:

 

Agreed. Bills will beat them if they meet in playoffs but only if the game is in Orchard Park.  I don't see the Bills going to KC and beating this Chiefs team in the playoffs.  

Meh, and I’m not undervaluing the Chiefs.

 

Im generally a bit of a Debbie downer in the Bills, but it took 110 degree field temps and a comedy of errors/injuries for the Bills to lose by 2 in Miami. There’s nothing about this Bills team that leads me to believe they can’t beat anybody anywhere. 

[ganesh]

3 minutes ago, Mango said:

Meh, and I’m not undervaluing the Chiefs.

 

Im generally a bit of a Debbie downer in the Bills, but it took 110 degree field temps and a comedy of errors/injuries for the Bills to lose by 2 in Miami. There’s nothing about this Bills team that leads me to believe they can’t beat anybody anywhere. 

But that comedy of errors showed a lack of poise in a critical moment of the game.  I wish McDeromott had taken timeouts (on the 2nd last drive) and punch the ball in and taken the lead.    If we are going to win the SB....this lack of poise has to be fixed.

[Mango]

26 minutes ago, ganesh said:

But that comedy of errors showed a lack of poise in a critical moment of the game.  I wish McDeromott had taken timeouts (on the 2nd last drive) and punch the ball in and taken the lead.    If we are going to win the SB....this lack of poise has to be fixed.

At one point were down 13 starters….That’s over half a football team. 

[Doc Brown]

40 minutes ago, ganesh said:

But that comedy of errors showed a lack of poise in a critical moment of the game.  I wish McDeromott had taken timeouts (on the 2nd last drive) and punch the ball in and taken the lead.    If we are going to win the SB....this lack of poise has to be fixed.

They showed poise at a critical moment of the game this past Sunday though.  Singletary not taking it in for a touchdown to bleed down the clock.  Allen having the wherewithal to get the first down without scoring a touchdown so we could kick a field goal with three seconds left against a helpless Ravens team watching from the other side.  It was a clinic in clock management.

[BillsfaninChicago]

3 hours ago, chongli said:

 

Good catch!

I remember someone in my old office started the 12 days of Christmas on the 13th of December and I didn’t have the heart to tell that person it starts on Christmas and goes to the 6th.

Edited October 4, 2022 by BillsfaninChicago

[John from Riverside]

4 hours ago, HappyDays said:

Cooper Rush has been better than Dak Prescott.

 

Geno Smith has been better than Russell Wilson.

 

But Carson Wentz continues to suck so it's good to know there are still some things you can always rely on.

Remember once upon a time whenever the big comparison was Carson Wentz to Josh Allen

[Ethan in Cleveland]

9 hours ago, HappyDays said:

Cooper Rush has been better than Dak Prescott.

 

Geno Smith has been better than Russell Wilson.

 

But Carson Wentz continues to suck so it's good to know there are still some things you can always rely on.

Geno played decently in relief of Wilson last year but couldn't finish games and got worse the more he played. That was of course with a terrible o-line and no run game. 

He is playing much better and more consistently so far this year.

Good for him. 

[elijah]

14 hours ago, EmotionallyUnstable said:

Kyle Pitts - where did he disappear to?!

 

Bengals - just an average team?

 

AFC West - were the Chiefs dominance really ever in doubt? Broncos and Raiders seem to be non factors

These 3 were all gimme’s and should’ve been expected imo

 

Look at Pitts stats from last year, it was only 2-3 big games that boosted those stats. 

 

The Bengals were always only an average team that got hot at the right time last year. A 10-7 team that won 4 one-score games (and all 3 playoff games by one score). Anyone that convinced themselves they were a top team got played by the combination of parity and luck in the NFL. 

 

The last one was my biggest pet peeve of the offseason, a couple of big name additions and all of a sudden Mahomes & Reid are dropping to second or third in the division? Please, save me the wasted conversation. This one was just a ridiculous take that the media fed into in the offseason. 

[H2o]

Surprises:

 

1. Russell Wilson stinking up the joint. Is it on Hackett or did Pete Carrol hide Wilson's deficiencies over the years? 

2. The Rams looking like a one year wonder. 

3. The level our defense is performing at despite all of the injuries. Tremaine Edmunds, especially, seems to have taken a huge step forward. 

4. The Chiefs not missing a beat really. 

5. Geno Smith. 10 years in the league, finally gets the chance to be a starter again, and is completing 77% of his passes right now. Crazy.

6. The Cowboys looking better with Cooper Rush at the helm than they do with Dak. Jerruh with buyer's remorse? 

7. Jared Goff having a revival in Detroit. If their defense could stop a nose bleed they might be 4-0 right now. 

8. The Giants are 3-1. I know people want to heap praise upon Daboll, and he deserves some, but Barkley is the difference for them right now. He's healthy.

9. Baker Mayfield in Carolina. He's been bad, REALLY bad. Not what I expected. 

10. The Jags had 5 turnovers and only lost to the "vaunted" Eagles by 8 points. At 2-2 right now and they will win the AFC South this year. 

Edited October 4, 2022 by H2o

[BuffaloBill]

15 hours ago, Conlan58 said:

Honestly - the Jaguars looking as good as they have was not on my radar for this year. 

 

Also +1 for Tua taking off the way he did - he had a great start to the season before concussed-gate.

 

 

Yes, Tua and Miami have been a surprise. Granted the Bills were the walking and dehydrated wounded but a shocker that the fins won that game.

[Fan in Chicago]

13 hours ago, The Wiz said:

Cowboys have been blessed with a backup QB that actually wants to get a first down before they are down 20 points.

Tells you how inappropriately hyped Prescott has been. Rush has been playing adequately and Cowboys have a decent record inspire of McCarthy. 

[The Jokeman]

15 hours ago, Roundybout said:

Thought the Cardinals would show more life with the NFC West very much in question entering the season but...WOOF. They look mediocre at best. 

Hopkins was a big part of their offense. I'm sure when he returns they could be better, yet not sure I trust Murray as a QB.

[Jerome007]

13 hours ago, HappyDays said:

 

The big surprise is how bad their OL has been. It was the strength of their team last year. I know Matt Ryan is a statue which makes things tougher but Jonathan Taylor's YPA has dropped a full 1.5 yards from 2021 to 2022.

I haven't seen them play at all. Are the OL that bad this year? As they were by far the best. I felt last year the Colts took themselves out of the playoffs by passing too much. Their run game and OLine were  that good. They could have run 65% of the time.