Nov 22, 20238 min read

Gridiron Talk: "Sloppy"

Sloppy. The only word I use nowadays when I am asked about the NFL comp. Just pure inconsistency across all 32 teams... well except the Panthers. They consistently suck. All the other teams don't have a clue on puttin' everything together. That includes the top five teams in the league. Philadelphia is 9-1 for pete sake and can lose to ANY team; including the Panthers; on any given Sunday. That's not praise for the comp- no, that's because the Eagles refuse to play dominant ball for 4 quarters in a given game. Fortunate wins, left and right. Not a dominant and prestigious 9-1 team that you think. The Chiefs can't score in the second half; Dolphins can't beat good teams; and the Ravens; Browns; and Lions put their fans in hell during wins & losses... it's nuts!

The games are hardly entertaining from a competitive aspect and when they are close- they usually are sloppy in many fashions. The Super Bowl rematch last night was a close nail-biter & had some moments in the clutch, but all in all it was extremely sloppy for two teams collectively 15-3 in a WK11 game. I think Tom Brady hit the nail right on the head with his comments regarding the league's "product" on the SAS show:

video via Stephen A. Smith//X

Looking at the top 4 teams in each conference, it would be like doing a scratch off to determine who I predict to win the Super Bowl. There simply doesn't seem to be a team good enough to want to bet on, right now. The Eagles are 9-1 for back-to-back seasons & 9-1 for the 7th time in franchise history. They have made the championship game/Super Bowl in the previous 6 times, yet I find myself unable to bet on them at the WK12 point of the season. They just beat the Chiefs in Kansas City! Welp, pretty easy to do when the Chiefs haven't scored in the second half of three consecutive games. Philly has a secondary that can be dismantled at any given moment, and OC Brian Johnson simply can't hang as an OC playcalling the offense. To see one of the most talented offensive rosters look bleak is very telling. We don't fully know the heatlh percentage of Jalen Hurts' reported bad leg, but I do know that him not being mobile in the pocket and down the field is going to hurt this team down the line and in the playoffs.

Hurts running the rock will help save Brian Johnson as a playcaller. Not save, can't get ahead of myself, but will help limit the nastiness of Johnson as a playcaller. Eagles rushing attack is not as consistently dominant as they were last season as they rank 8th in the league in total rushing (4th last szn) and have averaged twenty less rushing yards a game this year compared to last. None of that is the running backs or the offensive-line's fault; it's all on Johnson's packages; play sequence; and all-around gameplan. D'Andre Swift can be a game-breaker running the rock, but it's the NFL, you still need the right packages; line movement; and sequence to create holes in the defense for Swift and the other runners to exploit. Johnson has been abysmal at his job & the offensive results reflect off that. This Eagles' squad plays some of the sloppiest football you will see from a 9-1 team. They better find some elevation or they have a strong chance to be a one seed that gets bounced in the divisional round of the playoffs.

Just as you want to rave about the Lions and Ravens, they each have bad moments to throw them off the road of consistency. Baltimore had an embarrassing collapse against the Browns to snap their 4 game-winning streak. A loss is a loss, not mega concerning, but the fashion of the L is one that turns the knife in the wound. Blowin' a 24-9 lead is gut-wrenching, and a bad pill to take for a squad with championship aspirations fightin' for the one seed in the AFC. Ravens did get a big win against the Bengals on Thursday to complete a series sweep of the Cats in 2023. Unfortunately, Joe Burrow left the game early in the first half which has downgraded the value of the dub. Sorry not sorry. Ravens have the Chargers and Rams next on the schedj before they face the 49ers and Jaguars back-to-back. The flock needs to handle business against the LAs and do so by winning each by 10+ points. They do that and avoid giving up a 30 piece, then I may look at them as a serious contender going into the Jaguars game.

Same song, same dance for Detroit. Lions were down to the Bears 26-14 in the fourth quarter before turning gears to complete a comeback win. The comeback was nice, and helps their case. We just figured the 7-2 Lions could handle the Bears handily. Look, they have won 7 of 8 which is great, but their best win is a primetime masterclass of the Bucs in Raymond James. They get dismantled by the Ravens 38-6 and had to fight tooth and nail with the Chargers and Bears. The schedj is weak for the Lions right now; they should be smokin' some of these teams. The defense HAS to step up. The 6 points to the Ravens is a full unit blame ordeal- not all on OC Ben Johnson. He had his own faults forsure, but Ben has been great across the board this campaign and good riddance for Lions fans with the defense giving up points at will. The rush defense has been stellar; ranked 5th in the league. Detroit also have been great on third down conversions. So what's the problem leadin' to the 12th most points given up? Lack of execution; some stupid penalties; and not getting to the quarterback.

Detroit is towards the bottom of the league in total takeaways, but the biggest problem is the lack of sacks and gettin' to the QB. The lack of depth across the defensive line has seen Aidan Hutchinson's production fall due to seeing more blockers on each given rep. Very bad for the Lions' success on defense. Hutch had 3.5 sacks across consecutive games versus the Falcons & Packers in September; since those games he only has two sacks across the last 6 games. Lions' front seven needs to create more pressure in the backfield to help the secondary; who has been solid considering the injury blows they have felt.

Look at the AFC and NFC playoff pictures and tell me you feel confident on bettin' on a Super Bowl favorite. The AFC's four of Baltimore; KC; Miami; and Jacksonville? All four can lose on any given Sunday. NFC? The Eagles; Lions; 49ers; and Cowboys might hold some more weight, but all considering it's still the same song as the AFC. C'mon get real with it. To all the current playoff spot holders, buckle up because now is your only chance to get as good as a team and contender as you can before January. Every game counts. To the coaches- I would tell the players the playoffs start now. It's your best ball or go home.

The rest of the pack gets far more smoke than the contenders. Frankly, teams 8-32 need some medicine for their bipolar habits on the gridiron. The fact that the Seahawks, Texans, and Steelers are currently fightin' on the standings ladder with the likes of the Broncos, Vikings, and Raiders is pure madness. The Broncos are in the Wild Card hunt! Crazy to type that after the start they had to their season. The only constant is the Panthers and Cardinals losing. The only consistency we have been dealt.

Brady's words really speak to these teams, going down the list you will see lackluster coaching staffs; poorly aligned roster depths; awful medical staffs; and an extreme lack of execution on the field across four quarters of ball. I can't recall a time the NFL product and comp was this poor quality. Seems to be the new theme of the Big-4. NFL joins the party. The brains from the front office, the headsets, and to under the center has shrunk in size. Roster depth is abysmal or polluted with non system fits. The coaching is that of Texas High School football. The QBs can't read defenses; can't audible; can't feint with eye/head movements; and need constant coaching in an era with shi*** coaching. Bad dilemma.

The games that are close, mostly are hard to watch. Low scoring offensive games are not as adoring to watch as they used to be for those who love rock solid defenses. It's mostly just super bad offense; bland playcalled three and outs; and penalties. There is no chess matches; just a battle of who will suck more. For example, the Steelers and Browns game in WK11 finished 13-10 with a game winning drive from rookie Browns' QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson... and still was a tough watch across 4 quarters. Kenny Pickett and that Steelers offense is just nasty to watch. Myles Garrett had another great game, I don't take anything away from his havoc. He made things difficult, but all around it was just Matt Canada and co. being bad at their jobs. Which is why Canada got the can the day after and will watch the rest of the season at home on the couch.

More than half of the squads in the league have negative point differentials on the season. We are in WK12 and the standings can take on a whole new look week after week. That's not a bad thing, makes things interesting no doubt, but the inconsistency and quality of games is what stinks the bed. Tomorrow's Thanksgiving trifecta of games could be a trio of slobber-knockers or three blowouts. We have no clue these days. That's the state of the product: just a loop of uncertainties and poor efficiency. I want to get excited for a 3PM (eastern) Black Friday game... but then see it's the Dolphins at the Jets. What are the odds that's a four quarter slobber-knocker? Yeah, I thought so.

Two of the highest paid quarterbacks in the NFL, who total $505 million, have now been placed on IR with season ending injuries. Joe Burrow and Deshaun Watson make up one expensive shelf, leavin' their squads vulnerable and wounded. Burrow's injury will have the most impact. With Joey B gone for the season and the team sittin' at 5-5- you can consider the Bengals season done and gone.

Just gut-wrenching for a team that flipped the switch to their season winnin' four in a row. They now have dropped two straight and lost their face of the 'chise. That's a nail in the coffin to their season, hands down. Being in the best division will solidify that. Now they sit with their fingers crossed that Burrow returns to full form. His recovery is one they can't rush; compared to Aaron Rodgers' Achilles recovery; ligament damage is a serious issue and Burrow has a challenge ahead of him. Godspeed to a full recovery, it's safe to say the league can't lose any superstar QBs. The Bengals certainly feel anxiety with how much they have invested in Burrow.

Same ordeal with the Browns and Deshaun Watson who misses the remainder of the season after having surgery to repair a broken bone in his throwing shoulder. Watson is in the second year of his 5/YR $230 million contract and will have a cap hit increase from $19Ms to $63Ms starting next season. The Browns may have beat the Steelers with Watson's replacement, DTR, but Watson's absence will still cause impact. He may be a shadow of his old self, but that doesn't change the fact the Browns are 5-1 in games Watson started. The financial impact will sure be the biggest impact from the injury. With the list of injuries and the poor quality play, there is a strong chance the Watson/Browns contract could be the worst contract of all-time in the NFL.

I am glad figures like Brady and Peyton Manning are speakin' out on the poor quality of product in the NFL. Things just are not the same. All I know: now is the time for the top 10 teams to adjust and prepare themselves for a playoff run. We don't want this inconsistency carrying over to the playoffs. Or then we really will have a sour taste in our mouths. Take my Power Rankings how you want; I blame the inconsistency:

Gridiron Talk: "Sloppy"

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