Thursday, May 2, 2024

NFL Week 9 overreactions, reality checks: Eagles NFC East champs? Dolphins, Cowboys not elite?



Week 9 of the NFL had 4 large matchups and 4 other time slots, making it essentially the most expected week as we succeed in the midway level of the 12 months. The Kansas City Chiefs took care of the Miami Dolphins in Germany whilst the Baltimore Ravens pounded the Seattle Seahawks in every other showdown of the league’s best groups. 

The Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys battled for the NFC East in an exhilarating late-afternoon showdown, with the Eagles popping out on best in a sport that went all the way down to the overall play. With 3 nice matchups, there are many overreactions from Week 9 from the afternoon slate. 

- Advertisement -

Which ones are overreactions and which of them are reality? 

The Dolphins offense is not elite till it beats a just right group

Overreaction or reality: Reality

The Dolphins are 0-3 towards groups over .500, however there may be extra to their disasters than simply not having the ability to beat just right groups. Their offense has taken a serious step backward when it performs groups over .500. In the 3 video games the Dolphins confronted groups with successful data, the offense averaged simply 17 issues in keeping with sport and did not rating over 20 issues in any sport. It averaged most effective 309.7 yards in keeping with sport towards the ones groups. 

- Advertisement -

Miami entered Week 9 with the No. 1 offense in issues and yards in keeping with sport, averaging 33.9 issues and 453.2 yards. The Dolphins have not come as regards to any of the ones numbers towards groups with successful data, together with simply 14 issues and 292 yards in Sunday’s loss to the Chiefs. 

Perhaps that is what the Dolphins offense is. It simply does not display up towards just right groups. 

Chiefs have the most productive protection within the AFC

Overreaction or reality: Overreaction

- Advertisement -

The Chiefs protection is superb, evidenced by way of the 14 issues and 292 yards the unit held the Dolphins to in Sunday’s 21-14 victory in Frankfurt, Germany. Kansas City is fourth within the NFL in yards allowed (287.8), 2nd in passing yards (176.1), and 2nd in issues in keeping with sport allowed (16.1). The protection is the most important catalyst towards Kansas City’s 7-2 get started and why the Chiefs may return to the Super Bowl once more. 

Thanks to the Ravens, the Chiefs protection is not the most productive within the AFC. Baltimore is permitting the fewest issues in keeping with sport (15.1) and the second one fewest yards (276.5). The Ravens are also first in goal-to-go eventualities (40%) and 2nd in purple zone conversion fee (35%). 

Kansas City merits to be within the dialog, however Baltimore is healthier. 

Ravens are the most productive group within the AFC

Overreaction or reality: Reality

The Ravens without a doubt flex their muscle towards the great groups this season, beating the ones over .500 groups in a large method. Baltimore blew previous Seattle in a 37-3 beat down, dashing for 298 yards and gaining 515 yards of offense whilst most effective permitting 151. This was once a dominant effort towards a Seattle protection that allowed most effective 15.7 issues and  232.7 yards during the last 3 video games. 

Baltimore without a doubt has a name of thrashing just right groups this 12 months, turning into the 5th group because the 1970 merger with more than one 30-point wins in a season vs. groups coming into three-plus video games above .500. They are the 0.33 group since 1970 to win 3 instantly video games by way of 24-plus issues towards groups coming into with a successful file — two of the ones victories have come throughout the final 3 weeks. 

Baltimore has the similar file as Kansas City, however the Ravens are pummeling the great groups on their time table. The Ravens play a brutal time table this 12 months, however they have got aced each take a look at towards a just right group. 

Through 9 weeks, Baltimore is the most productive group within the AFC. 

Seahawks have a low ceiling with Geno Smith

Overreaction or reality: Overreaction

The Seahawks are a just right group that had a foul day, but this appears to be a trending development within the Geno Smith generation towards just right groups. Smith wasn’t just right in this specific day, completing 13 of 28 for 157 yards with out a touchdowns and an interception (49.3 ranking). 

Smith does not have deficient numbers towards groups with successful data. The Seahawks are 4-3 below Smith as he has thrown 10 touchdowns to 5 interceptions (together with Sunday’s efficiency). Smith is not having the most productive of years both with 9 touchdowns to seven interceptions and an 86.4 passer ranking (twentieth in NFL).

Perhaps the most productive model of the Seahawks are the group that made the playoffs within the first spherical and bowed out, however this can be a group this is tied for first within the NFC West and has a shot on the department name. Unfair to have a low ceiling for the Seahawks after a foul day. 

Eagles will win the NFC East

Overreaction or reality: Reality

The winner of the primary Eagles-Cowboys sport over the previous couple of years in most cases has keep an eye on of the NFC East. The Cowboys beat the Eagles in 2021 en path to the department name whilst the Eagles did the similar in 2022. Philadelphia and Dallas do meet once more in Week 14, however Sunday’s win over the Cowboys was once massive for the Eagles.

Despite how the finishing went, the Eagles did cling on and get the win. Philadelphia is two.5 video games up on Dallas with 8 video games to play and the head-to-head tiebreaker in hand. The Cowboys do have an overly gentle time table arising (Giants, Panthers, Commanders, Seahawks) whilst the Eagles have a miles toucher stretch (Chiefs, Bills, 49ers) earlier than the pair meet once more — however Dallas has to make up a large number of floor to even catch Philadelphia. 

The Week 14 sport will probably be significant, however Dallas had to win Sunday to have a shot on the department. Unless the Cowboys cross 4-0 over the following 4, that does not seem to be an choice. 

Mike McCarthy is costing the Cowboys a Super Bowl

Overreaction or reality: Reality

The Cowboys are having a look up on the 49ers and Eagles, two groups they’re 0-2 towards within the first part of the season. That does not bode neatly for being a Super Bowl contender does it? That falls on McCarthy.

Dallas performed neatly sufficient to win Sunday, however situational soccer eluded them when the Cowboys had more than one probabilities to thieve a win from an Eagles group that attempted to lose that sport. The Cowboys became the ball over on downs two times in the second one part and had first-and-goal from the Eagles’ 6-yard line with 27 seconds left in a 28-23 sport, but misplaced yards because of two consequences and a sack. That set Dallas up for an unattainable third-and-26 conversion from the Eagles’ 27 with 5 seconds left and no timeouts. The Cowboys did not rating and misplaced the sport.

This group is not a just right situational soccer group. That begins with McCarthy, who was once torpid with time control all through the sport and the placement when Dallas was once trailing. The Cowboys may not be a Super Bowl group on account of McCarthy, because the NFC East was once of their arms.

In standard Cowboys model, they did not get the process finished in a large second. 

Josh Dobbs will take Vikings to playoffs

Overreaction or reality: Reality

Incredible what Dobbs was once in a position to drag off for Minnesota after Sunday’s win. He did not take a unmarried snap with the offense in apply all week and was once instructing them his cadence at the sidelines as he entered the sport for Jaren Hall in the second one quarter.

All Dobbs did was once throw the game-winning landing go to Brandon Powell with 22 seconds left in an exhilarating 31-28 victory, capping an afternoon which he went 20 of 30 for 158 yards with two landing passes, one dashing rating and two fumbles (101.8 ranking). Dobbs was once traded to the Vikings 5 days in the past and was once benched by way of the Cardinals final week. 

The Vikings are 5-4 and in keep an eye on in their playoff future, having a quarterback that more than one groups have relied upon to carry the citadel down during the last two years. With a reliable offense, Minnesota could also be getting the most productive out of Dobbs en path to a shocking playoff berth. 

Wait till Dobbs in fact is aware of his gamers. 



More articles

- Advertisement -
- Advertisement -

Latest article