Week five of the NFL season has come and gone with plenty of surprises. The NFL’s strong offensive showings have made for exciting games throughout the league play. Here are some things to be looking for in the coming weeks.
If you haven’t jumped on the Patrick Mahomes wagon yet, you probably should soon. Mahomes is the leading MVP candidate and has led the Kansas City Chiefs to a 5-0 record. Most recently, they’ve beaten one of the best defenses in the league: the Jacksonville Jaguars. Mahomes is only a second year player, but he is playing like a seasoned veteran. He leads the league in terms of touchdowns, with 16 total. Overall, he is playing like the best quarterback in the league. Many fans questioned the Chiefs going into week five, thinking they haven’t played anybody tough, but after beating the Jaguars, the Chiefs are legitimate. They’ll be tested again in the upcoming weeks, with an away game versus the Patriots, and a home game against the 4-1 Bengals. It will be interesting to see how Mahomes and his team handle the adversity.
Now, onto the lack of defense in the NFL. In five weeks, the NFL has had 14 games where the quarterback has thrown for over 400 yards. In all of 2017, there was eight such games. What is accounting for all of the big numbers? Nothing is definite, but it could be because of the new rules the NFL has implemented. In short, defenders are not allowed to land with their body weight on top of the quarterback. This is causing defenders being more cautious in hitting the quarterback, giving him more time to throw and make more plays. That isn’t necessarily the only reason, but it is a big one.
Records were made to be broken, especially if your name is Tom Brady or Drew Brees. On Sunday, the long-time Patriots quarterback and arguably best quarterback of all time, Tom Brady, hit a huge milestone. Brady completed a pass to Josh Gordon in the end zone to throw for touchdown number 500. Drew Brees is at 496 touchdowns, and could possibly end Monday Night Football with 500 touchdowns and the most passing yards in NFL history. Brees currently sits at 71,740 and is only 201 yards away from Peyton Manning’s record.
The New York Giants will always be in the spotlight because they have one of the most dynamic athletes in the planet, Odell Beckham Jr., on their team. But this week Beckham Jr. was interviewed about his quarterback and his answers were less than kind. When asked if the team had a quarterback issue, Beckham Jr. said he “didn’t know.” He was also asked if he was happy with the team, and he said it was a “tough question.” To be fair, the Giants are 1-4, and Odell only has one touchdown, compared to his healthy 2016 season where he had 10 touchdowns on the year. Is it all on Eli Manning, or could it be the offensive line, or possibly even the offensive coordinator? Who knows, but the Giants team is currently struggling with chemistry, as well as winning games.
Week five was big specifically for two teams: the New England Patriots and the New Orleans Saints. Four weeks is usually the time for suspensions in the NFL, and both teams have been lacking huge talents on offense. Edelman hasn’t played since 2016, but when he did, he was Tom Brady’s favorite target, racking up 98 receptions and over 1100 receiving yards. Having him back in the lineup creates more offensive options for Brady. Mark Ingram was the Saints’ primary running back last year, having a monster season of over 1100 yards and 12 touchdowns. Ingram will look to boost an offense that is playing like one of the best in the league.