Mina Kimes and Field Yates discuss the impact of Deshaun Watson's season-ending surgery on the Browns and the AFC North race, analyze the Cleveland Browns' search for a quarterback solution, compare the Browns and Steelers, evaluate DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett's performances, talk about the Miami Dolphins' playoff potential, question Jordan Love's future with the Packers, and give predictions for upcoming NFL games.
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Quick takeaways
The Saints have been underwhelming this season, raising concerns about their ability to dominate the NFC South.
The Buccaneers have been a pleasant surprise, showcasing their solid performance in the NFC South.
The Falcons have been disappointing, failing to maximize the potential of their talented skill players.
Deep dives
The Saints, Bucs, and Falcons are in a tight race for the NFC South division title
The Saints, Buccaneers, and Falcons are all closely clustered together in terms of their performance and rankings. The Saints currently lead the division, but they have been disappointing given their potential. The Bucs have been surprising in a positive way, reminding everyone of their talent and solid performances. The Falcons, on the other hand, have also been disappointing, failing to live up to expectations. Ultimately, the Saints should be the team to win the division, but their underwhelming season thus far raises concerns about their ability to dominate.
The struggles with the Saints offense and the bet on quarterback Jameis Winston
The Saints offense has been underwhelming this season. Despite acquiring quarterback Jameis Winston in the offseason, he has not met expectations and has failed to dramatically impact the team's ceiling. The running game has also seen a downward trend, which may have impacted the effectiveness of their play-action passing game. Additionally, the team has faced challenges with offensive line continuity, resulting in inconsistency and affecting the rhythm of the passing game. Overall, the Saints offense has not maximized the talent of their skill players, leading to a disappointing season thus far.
The Buccaneers' solid performance and surprise contributions from players
The Buccaneers have been a pleasant surprise in the NFC South. Despite having a similar performance and ranking to the Saints and Falcons, the Buccaneers have shown that they are a solid football team. The offensive line has performed better than expected, providing decent protection for quarterback Baker Mayfield. The receiving group has also been impressive, showcasing the talent and depth of their skill players. Defensively, the Buccaneers have good players who have performed well, contributing to the overall success of the team. While the Saints and Falcons have disappointed, the Buccaneers have reminded everyone of their capabilities.
Falcons' disappointment and underutilized skill players
The Falcons have been a disappointment in the NFC South. Despite having talented skill players like Chris Olave, Bijan Robinson, Kyle Pitts, and Drake London, the team has failed to maximize their potential. The offense has struggled to capitalize on the strengths and abilities of these players, resulting in underwhelming performances. Taysom Hill and John Smith have been bright spots within the offense, but overall, the Falcons have been unable to fully utilize their skill players and generate the desired offensive output. This disappointing season raises questions about the team's ability to compete in the division.
Struggles in Pass Protection on Third Down
The podcast highlights the offensive line's struggles in pass protection, particularly on third down, as a major factor contributing to the team's offensive woes. With multiple personnel changes and the absence of key players, the line has had difficulty keeping the quarterback protected on crucial downs. The team ranks poorly in third down conversion rate and the quarterback has faced a high pressure rate on third downs. These issues on the offensive line are identified as the primary reason behind the team's offensive struggles.
Lack of Explosive Plays and Offensive Consistency
Another main point discussed in the podcast is the lack of explosive plays in the team's offense compared to the previous year. While individual players have performed well, there is a sense that the offense overall lacks consistency and the ability to sustain drives, particularly on third downs. The absence of a player who can consistently gain moderate yardage on short passes is highlighted. Despite the team's current record and position in the league, there is an expectation that the offense will improve and find a better balance, especially with the return of key players and improved offensive line performance.
Mina Kimes and Field Yates react to the Deshaun Watson news that he will have season-ending surgery. Where do the Browns go from here and what does this mean now for the AFC North race? Plus, Mina and Field try to solve the Seahawks offense and are they concerned that the Dolphins can’t beat good teams? And Mina gives her pick for every game this weekend.
