NFL Gospel: Book of Kahron, Week 2
It was a weird and wacky first week to the NFL season – full of promise for many teams, and buckets of Crying Jordans for others. Let’s dig into this week’s sermon, as I summon the Word from the Football Gawds on high.
by KAHRON SPEARMAN @yeslikethebook
Once you go Dak?
Rookie QB Dak Prescott started his first game of course, looking like a young Dak Prescott – which is to mean, he looked like he was playing his first real game, away from the preseason hype. He pushed strong out of the gate, but true to his time at Mississippi State, throwing the ball into wastebaskets with just enough touch isn’t his strong suit. Like possessive girlfriends, the Giants did a great job not allowing the physical Prescott to use his legs to run away, never finding many openings on the boot plays.
To his credit, he took zero sacks and gave up the rock zero times – making it a net positive. However, Prescott went 25-45 for 227 yards — not exactly efficient or dangerous, as the Giants took away WR Dez Bryant, as well as most of the intermediate plays. The rookie was left with dink-and-dunk options, like hitches and drags. Too many times Dak ended up taking those 3s and 4s when the lights came on at the club.
Prescott doesn’t have any direct analog to point to for progress, but you have to believe what your eyes are seeing. He’s a kid with tremendous poise and calmness, but he was a 62% passer in college (66% as a senior). Most of his completions out of the Bulldog power spread were short routes, not challenging defenses often beyond 15 yards. Going forward, teams will bring the safeties upfield, until Prescott shows coordinators he can push the ball in deeper areas with accuracy – which isn’t just going to show up. Until they involve him directly into the running game (the Cowboys dominate the point of the attack with Elliott running better) I think the Dak Train will slow down.
Did it ever really even get started?
Hurt Players and Feelings
Crying Jordans all around for San Diego, Chicago, and Cleveland.
The Browns are a factory of sadness. 😂
Credit – @woodymlb4 pic.twitter.com/cmaw7mJ1aF
— Crying Jordan (@CryingJordan) September 12, 2016
Talented WR Keenan Allen is, once again, lost for the season, with a torn ACL and cartilage damage. Allen, still only 24, injured himself coming out of a break in the second quarter. San Diego will count on newcomer Travis Benjamin, as well as Dontrelle Inman, to make up gapping hole.
We might as well put a white sheet on Cleveland QB Robert Griffin III’s unfortunate career. RGIII is now on injured reserve, likely to miss at least 8 games, due to a broken coracoid bone in his shoulder, suffered Sunday against the Eagles. You have to wonder if he’s ever going to be a NFL starter again, given Cleveland – where careers are lain to rest, sometimes before they start – was the only place willing to give him a shot. On top of it, lending to his situational intelligence, he was injured on a play that probably didn’t need to happen.
In other news, the Chicago Bears started Jay Cutler again. Yeah, that happened.
Performances not to be fooled by:
Eagles QB Carson Wentz hit for 278 yards and 2 TDs in a win over the Cleveland Browns. There are levels to this. And the Browns are Glass Joe in this game.
Both Stafford and Luck in their 39-35 duel slash Lions win over the Colts, where each threw for at least 340, 3 TDs, and no picks. Neither defense created much pressure (3 total sacks between both teams,) and both the secondaries are awesomely bad.
49ers QB Blaine Gabbert is still terrible, regardless of the 28-0 win over the hapless Rams and his absurd ESPN QBR. Case Keenum doesn’t belong in the NFL Europe right now, much less the real thing.
As much as I hate to say it, Oakland QB Derek Carr’s downfield march and game-winning TD to Seth Roberts (and subsequent 2 point conversion to Michael Crabtree) has to be reduced to “yeah, that was kinda cool.” He’s an impressive young talent, but it’s still the Aints defense.
Eh, okay:
Second year Buccaneers QB Jameis Winston looked like a future Pro Bowler (and fantasy starter,) in his win over the Atlanta Falcons. Bouncing back from an early pick, Winston touches souls, and made deep connections with Mike Evans and Austin Seferian-Jenkins for touchdowns in the third quarter.
As long as they have pretty decent starters, Saints QB Drew Brees is going to win summabitches their leagues singlehandedly.
In a strong showing as replacement, Patriots QB Jimmy Garoppolo looked like a legitimate starter, living the WWBD (What Would Brady Do) life. He spread the ball around like a just-single Kardashian at Fred Smoot boat party.
I’ll be here all weekend, ladies and gentlemen.
One Comments
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Trashman, is marshawn lunch and K.Dixon worth adding?