2025 NFL Season wk 5 observations

[Brian wolf]

Looking at the first five games of the season including todays' action ...

--For the second week in a row, a huge TD play is negated by the player losing the ball before crossing the goalline, resulting in a touchback. Last week it was Adonai Mitchell, for Indy, who had an 88yrd pass play, and this week it was Emari Demercado, who failed to score on a 72 yrd run. This touchback fires up the Titans, who rally in the 4th Quarter to win their first game. Mitchell's mistake--plus a penalty that negates a Colts TD run--costs Indy their first loss last week. The Titans join the Saints in getting their first win of the year. The Eagles lose their first game of the year.

What are the odds players would lose their concentration on plays short of the goalline two weeks in a row?

--As usual in todays NFL, players are constantly injured and missing games, including superstars, as backup QBs are needed across the board. With Burrow, Jackson, Purdy, and McCarthy missing time, can their teams step up to keep themselves in playoff races? Not looking good in Baltimore and Cincy.*

*Edited ... Huge win for NE and Vrabel over the Bills. No more unbeatens and the Jets are the only winless team.

[CSKreager]

Tampa is the luckiest team in football

[Brian wolf]

Colts and Eagles should both be 5-0 ...

[JWL]

The last drive of the Dolphins-Panthers game is interesting. Carolina was winning 27-24 when Miami punted with just over a minute left. They punted due to terrible field position and still having three timeouts. What is most amazing to me is that Carolina attempted a pass on the ensuing drive after they had run for 242 yards at that point in the game.

Miami Dolphins at 1:59, (1st play from scrimmage 1:54)
1-10-MIA 22 (1:54) (Shotgun) T.Tagovailoa pass incomplete short left to J.Waddle (C.Thornton).
2-10-MIA 22 (1:51) (Shotgun) T.Tagovailoa pass incomplete deep right to J.Waddle.
3-10-MIA 22 (1:46) (Shotgun) T.Tagovailoa sacked at MIA 15 for -7 yards (P.Jones).
4-17-MIA 15 (1:10) J.Bailey punts 58 yards to CAR 27, Center-J.Cardona, fair catch by D.Dallas.

Carolina Panthers at 1:03
1-10-CAR 27 (1:03) R.Dowdle right guard to CAR 30 for 3 yards (Z.Sieler).
Timeout #1 by MIA at 00:59.
2-7-CAR 30 (:59) (Shotgun) R.Dowdle right guard to CAR 32 for 2 yards (B.Jones).
Timeout #2 by MIA at 00:55.
3-5-CAR 32 (:55) (Shotgun) B.Young pass incomplete deep left to H.Renfrow.
PENALTY on MIA-J.Jones, Defensive Pass Interference, 10 yards, enforced at CAR 32 - No Play. X26
1-10-CAR 42 (:50) B.Young kneels to CAR 40 for -2 yards.
2-12-CAR 40 (:26) B.Young kneels to CAR 39 for -1 yards.

[Brian wolf]

A difference a year makes ... after rumbling through defenses last year, Barkley with Philly and Henry with Baltimore are struggling. Barkley's average per carry has dropped to under 3.5 yards while Henry has struggled with fumbles and lack of carries due to the team struggling to stop anyone on defense.

Thats probably why the Philly receivers are getting vocal, they want to pick up the slack when the offensive line and running game struggles, but Hurts is more a game manager, while gifted, than an aggressive thrower.

As for Baltimore, they might get on a late season run, with Keaton Mitchell getting more chances to run the ball but the defense has to find a way to overcome injuries and breakdowns.

[JameisBrownston]

Baltimore may have the worst defense I've ever seen. Never seen a team give up 40 this routinely.

[Brian wolf]

Its still hard to top that 1981 Baltimore Colts defense ... pretty atrocious.

Another reason why I feel the NFL will go from tackle to flag football by 2037 ... yesterday the NFL fined HC Gannon in Arizona for getting physical and in the face of his RB, Demercado, for his bonehead drop of the football before the endzone. Yes, a coach cant punch a player like Woody Hayes did, but how many head coaches get fined for getting in their player's face? Gannon did apologize to his back for being physical but coaches from 40 years ago would be rolling in their graves seeing how things have changed ...

[Brian wolf]

Hard to believe the Eagles got beat by a team with a rookie QB and no Nabers ... on any given Thurs, I guess. Glad Skattebo had a good game. Alot of people on social bullcrap wrote him off while injured in preseason.

[RichardBak]

Its still hard to top that 1981 Baltimore Colts defense ... pretty atrocious.

Another reason why I feel the NFL will go from tackle to flag football by 2037 ... yesterday the NFL fined HC Gannon in Arizona for getting physical and in the face of his RB, Demercado, for his bonehead drop of the football before the endzone. Yes, a coach cant punch a player like Woody Hayes did, but how many head coaches get fined for getting in their player's face? Gannon did apologize to his back for being physical but coaches from 40 years ago would be rolling in their graves seeing how things have changed ...

I can remember missing a block during a HS scrimmage and coach calling me to the sidelines, then lambasting me while smacking me repeatedly over the helmet with his clipboard. Then he put me back in with a healthy kick in the ass. Never thought anything about it. I probably was just glad I hadn't done it during an actual game. Today I could file a $$ lawsuit.

It was open season back then, the '60s. Uncles and neighbors and nuns could smack you upside the head, and I had a DI who rearranged my face with a sawed-off broom handle. Again, never thought anything about it. Somehow we all survived.

[Brian wolf]

It was funny watching Lou Holtz back in the day coaching college teams ... he had no problem yanking players by their facemasks, regardless of whether their necks were attached or not.