What are the surprise stores in the NFL, and what are the biggest disappointments among them? Learn more in this NFL rundown.
We’re halfway through the NFL season and it’s time to take stock of where we’re at.
In a way, we’re having one of those DTR conversations (determine the relationship) with the 2019 season.
The Patriots are a flying juggernaut scoring four times more points than their opponents for the season so far (PF: 250 v. PA: 61). Ohio, New York, and the capital are bad places to play professional football with the Browns, Bengals, both New York teams and the Redskins holding six wins between the lot of them.
But a lot of that was somewhat expected. What wasn’t expected was just how much disappointment there is to sift through for fans of the NFL.
Let’s walk through a collective therapy session and recap the five biggest disappointments of the season so far.
Key QB Injuries
There are a lot of big money quarterbacks suffering physically right now.
Patrick Mahomes, the Kansas City wonderchild, is out recovering from a dislocated kneecap. Ben Roethlisberger, the 2018 passing yards leader, broke his elbow. Cam Newton has a dreaded Lisfranc injury.
And Andrew Luck is so deeply scarred that he decided to enjoy what health the game hasn’t taken by retiring altogether.
These are the players that are the keystones of game-winning offenses. Take this QB out of the picture and things start to fall apart. This is increasingly true based on how long your star QB has been unchallenged in his role.
On the bright side, it’s never been a better time to be backup QB in the NFL.
The Atlanta Falcons
The team is on its worst skid in decades. The team has lost six straight so far, has yet to win on the road in 2019 and carries a 1-7 record.
This all happens with 2016 season MVP Matt Ryan still in the QB slot. While Matt Ryan tends to get forgotten in the chatter about the best QBs in the league, remember he holds to record for the fastest QB ever to amass 40,000 passing yards. And he had the third most pass yards in the NFL last year with 4,924 yards.
As an extension of the previous header, he was out with an ankle for week eight’s Sunday games.
Antonio Brown’s Disappointments
Starting with the fact he’s not playing now is a huge disappointment. He was the league’s receiving touchdown leader in 2018 and had secured his spot as one of the most dynamic WRs in the league.
But a haircut, some frostbite, helmet kinks and (this is the big one) a sexual assault allegation against him has buried is 2019 and likely his career. It can’t be overstated that Bill Belichick’s Last Chance New England Patriots showed him the door almost as fast as he rolled in.
Now, he’s taking shots at Vince McMahon and the XFL.
The LA teams
The Rams are playing in one of the toughest divisions in the league. But with a defense that sports the league defensive MVP and a QB-WR combo that made every fantasy manager drool in 2018, a 5-3 record feels a little flat.
And Philip River’s LA Chargers sit at 3-5 unquestionably because of Melvin Gordon’s hold out. Rivers and Gordon are a potent duo. And even with injuries nagging the team, they ought to have at least one or two more wins under their belts, making these NFL picks the best you’ll get.
For The Win?
There are so many reasons for gloom in 2019 for so many fans. Where are you at with deal with that? What has your puss sour these days? Let us know in the comments or sound off on our Facebook to air out that salt you’ve been holding.
