Five most unexpected storylines in 2023 NFL season: Texans are fun, ‘Tush Push’ automatic only for Eagles

One of the the explanation why the National Football League is America’s most common sports activities league — NFL games accounted for 82 of the United States’ 100 most-watched TV publicizes in 2022 according to Sportico — is as a result of it is exhausting to understand what may just occur subsequent. Since 1990, no less than 4 new groups have made the NFL postseason every 12 months. Given the churn of contenders year-to-year, it is sensible to be expecting the unexpected in terms of skilled soccer. Here is a take a look at 5 issues that experience came about to this point during the first seven weeks of the 2023 season that would possibly not had been on many of us’s radar again in the preseason. 

When a staff is drafting close to the highest of an NFL draft — just like the Houston Texans have been remaining April with the second one total pick out because of their 3-13-1 list — it is anticipated for that staff to battle out of the gate. That hasn’t in point of fact been the case for No. 2 pick out C.J. Stroud or his Texans. Houston is 3-3 to begin 2023 because of successful 3 in their previous 4 video games following an 0-2 get started. If they defeat peak total pick out Bryce Young and the Panthers on Sunday, Houston can be above. 500 for the primary time since Week 2 of the 2021 season, snapping the longest lively drought in the NFL for no longer having a successful list.

Much of the early luck is because of Stroud, whose 9 landing passes to only one interception has him main the league in touchdown-to-interception ratio thru seven weeks. His 1,660 passing yards are the eighth-most thru six video games in NFL historical past, and he began his NFL occupation with an all-time list 191 passing makes an attempt prior to his first interception. 

C.J. Stroud’s notable NFL scores this season

Stroud has additionally stood out on on 3rd down, aka “the money down,” early on: he has 5 consecutive video games with a passing landing on 3rd down, the longest such streak by means of any rookie since no less than 1991. The Texans rebuild may just finally end up being a lot shorter than anticipated because of Stroud’s instant affect. 

The ‘Tush Push’ does not paintings for everyone

There was once a variety of chatter this previous offseason in regards to the NFL doubtlessly banning the reigning NFC champion Eagles’ quarterback sneak formation, now neatly referred to as the “Tush Push” as a result of a couple of avid gamers line up at the back of quarterback Jalen Hurts and assist shove him ahead for first downs and touchdowns. According to the CBS Sports analysis division, the Eagles have been 4-for-4 in changing on it on Sunday in their “Sunday Night Football” victory over the Miami Dolphins, working their tally to 41-of-44  during the last two years, a 93.2% conversion fee. There are not many stuff in existence extra sure than the Eagles choosing up the yards they want to achieve in this play.

The unexpected a part of this play is that the remainder of the league hasn’t come on the subject of experiencing the similar luck when working it: the following closest staff has only 11 conversions since 2022 whilst in 2023, the remainder of the league has whiffed 13 instances when the use of it. The NFL is not anything if no longer a copycat league, and the opposite 31 groups no longer having identical manufacturing on a play that appears really easy to execute is mind-boggling, particularly after the remainder of the league had months to check and observe it in the offseason. 

“Push Play” Success Rates Around The NFL This Season:

• Eagles: 17/20 – 85.0%
• Everyone Else: 33/46 – 71.7%

Rams fifth-round rookie Puka Nacua leads the NFL in catches 

With All-Pro extensive receiver Cooper Kupp lacking the primary 4 video games of the 2023 season, a variety of objectives have been up for grabs in the Rams offense. That did not essentially imply one participant was once going so as to step up and fill the void left by means of his absenc, however shockingly, that is precisely what has took place as Puka Nacua’s 58 catches are the most in the league during the first seven weeks,  making him the primary rookie with no less than a percentage of the NFL lead in receptions thru seven weeks since Eagles tight finish Keith Jackson in 1988. 

Nacua, a 2023 fifth-round pick of BYU, has 752 receiving yards thru his first seven video games the second-most by means of a participant in NFL historical past, trailing only Bengals extensive receiver Ja’Marr Chase’s 754 in the 2021. With only a unmarried catch in opposition to the Cowboys in Week 8, Nacua will take sole ownership of the list for the most catches in a participant’s first 8 occupation NFL video games in league historical past. His 58 are these days tied with Giants working again Saquon Barkley’s 58 that he had during the first 8 video games of his 2018 Offensive Rookie of the Year season in which he ended up main the NFL with 2,028 scrimmage yards. Turning a fifth-round rookie into doubtlessly the inheritor obvious to Kupp straight away is downright unexpected. Even with Kupp in the lineup as soon as once more, Nacua continues to be balling out: he recorded 154 receiving yards on 8 catches in opposition to the Steelers in Week 7. 

Sam Howell is on tempo to grow to be the most-sacked QB in a unmarried season in NFL historical past

When the Commanders employed affiliate head trainer and offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy clear of the Super Bowl champion Chiefs, it was once comprehensible there can be some rising pains. Having first-time beginning quarterback Sam Howell, a fifth-round pick out in the 2022 NFL Draft, on tempo to take a beating no longer observed for the reason that Texans’ inaugural season again in 2002 after getting into the league as a diffusion franchise was once no longer at the 2023 season bingo card. 

Former Texans quarterback David Carr, the primary total pick out in the 2002 NFL Draft, was once handled to growth staff enjoy as a rookie: he was once sacked an NFL-record 76 instances in 16 video games. Fast ahead to 2023 and second-year quarterback Sam Howell, a fifth-round pick out in the 2022 NFL Draft, is on tempo to depart that determine in the mud. Howell has absorbed an NFL-high 40 sacks in seven video games this season. Giants quarterback Daniel Jones is the second-most sacked quarterback in the league this season with fewer than 30 sacks taken, 28 to be actual. 

Howell is on tempo to be sacked 97 instances this season, which might beat Carr’s list by means of 21 sacks. Sacks are a statistic {that a} quarterback can keep an eye on even with a shoddy offensive line. The Commanders 38.7% quarterback power fee allowed ranks twenty fourth in the NFL, no longer nice, however it is not too some distance from reasonable. The Colts rank sixteenth in quarterback power proportion allowed at 35.1%. Howell’s reasonable time to throw of three.05 seconds is the ninth-longest in the NFL, most likely calling into query his anticipation, instincts and pocket consciousness. Those questions only intensified after Howell took six sacks in a 14-7 loss on the  Giants in Week 7, a staff that had recorded simply 5 sacks in 2023 during the season’s first six weeks. Howell would possibly no longer finally end up being the fellow for the lengthy haul in Washington, however this degree of futility in terms of conserving their quarterback upright is amazing. 

Derek Carr suffering with Saints regardless of in the end enjoying with a robust protection

Derek Carr merely wasn’t supplied to play complimentary soccer with the Raiders. During his 9 seasons with the Raiders from 2014-2022, they allowed 26.2 issues in keeping with sport, the most in the NFL in that span. Yet, Carr was once productive, completing his tenure because the franchise’s all-time chief in passing yards (35,222) and passing touchdowns (217). He even set NFL data for the most the most disappointed wins (33), game-winning drives (33) and fourth-quarter comebacks (28) by means of any quarterback thru 9 NFL seasons for the reason that 1970 AFL/NFL merger. 

After being launched this previous offseason, Carr signed a four-year, $150 million contract to be the Saints’ new beginning quarterback. The transfer paired him with a staff that has perennially been a top-10 scoring protection — New Orleans had a top-10 scoring protection in 2020, 2021 and 2022 — and 2023 is not any other. They are permitting 18.1 issues in keeping with sport in 2023 (the seventh-fewest in NFL). One would assume Carr would thrive having the give a boost to of that caliber of protection along of him, however nope. Carr is as an alternative averaging the fewest yards in keeping with cross try (6.3) since his 2014 rookie season when he averaged 5.5 yards in keeping with cross try. His 82.8 passer ranking in 2023 additionally these days ranks as his worst since his rookie 12 months when he totaled a 76.6 passer ranking. He is coming off of consecutive defeats with over 300 passing yards on 50 or extra passing makes an attempt. Throwing to Chris Olave, a second-year first-round pick out wideout whose 1,042 receiving yards as a rookie in 2022 have been the second-most in his magnificence, extensive receiver Michael Thomas, the best-ever record-holder for most catches in a unmarried season (149 in 2019) and Pro Bowl working again Alvin Kamara will have to be sufficient for Carr to thrive or on the very least play like an above reasonable beginning quarterback. 

Instead, he and the Saints have misplaced 4 in their remaining 5 video games after a 2-0 get started, which has them sitting at 3-4 and in 3rd position in the NFC South. If Carr does not flip issues round quickly, the Saints entrance place of work might begin to have purchaser’s regret.