Just when it feels like fans around the NFL have finally got a handle on things, a backup running back on a disappointing team makes NFL history or two NFC powerhouses play to a 6–6 tie thanks to a pair of missed chip-shot kicks.
After seven weeks of the 2016 season, there are many more questions than answers. So as the mid-point of the campaign approaches, we’ve tried to provide some answers to four of the league’s biggest questions ahead of Week 8.
Is Jay Ajayi and the Dolphins run game for real?
Ajayi’s turnaround this season has been astounding.
After starting the season in the doghouse—he didn’t even make the trip to Seattle for Miami’s season opener—Ajayi is now a part of NFL history as one of just four players to record back-to-back 200-yard rushing games.
Some credit for the breakout needs to be given to improvement along the offensive line—especially from Laremy Tunsil and Ju’waun James, who Pro Football Focus graded well over the weekend. And more credit needs to be given to Adam Gase for sticking with his new-found No. 1 even when his team trailed 17-6 in the third quarter. Without the threat of the run, Kenny Stills’s game-winning catch and run TD may not have been possible.
Mainly, though, Ajayi has been a monster: his 423 total yards over the last two games accounts for 45.5 percent of Miami’s total offence over that time; he has just 28 fewer yards than the entire Vikings team combined this season. More than half of Ajayi’s yards against the Bills were gained after contact (128) and he’s now racked up 20 missed tackles on the season, 10 of which came against Buffalo.
Exhibit A:
Exhibit B (!!):
He’s obviously not going to maintain his 200-yard-per-game pace, but the last two games suggest Ajayi has turned a corner, and the Dolphins appear to have their first bona-fide No. 1 back for the first time in years.
Is the Vikings offence in trouble?
The Vikings offensive line was a problem when it was healthy, but with both of their tackles out injured and a carousel at the position currently the go-to strategy, well… things are dire.
On Sunday, the Eagles’ front seven—one of the league’s best, to be fair—got after Sam Bradford all game long, racking up six sacks and 16 total hits on the quarterback, and leading to two lost fumbles and an interception. The line struggled to block at every position and Adrian Peterson’s absence hasn’t helped matters any, as the loss of his skills and experience in pass protection remain unaccounted for in the backfield.
This means trouble for two reasons: one, Bradford has already dealt with his fair share of injuries throughout his career, and getting smacked 16 times a game isn’t exactly great for one’s health.
Two, if the Vikings are indeed the class of the NFC they’re going to have to learn how to deal with quality pass rushers. The Eagles, Cardinals and Seahawks are all potential playoff matchups for the Vikings, and all rank in the top five in sacks through seven weeks.
Without any semblance of a run game—the Vikings rank dead last in rushing yards and average just 2.6 yards per carry—the least Minnesota needs to do is pass protect. If they can’t, it doesn’t matter how well Bradford plays.
Are the Falcons blowing it in the NFC South again?
After wasting a 5-0 start and ultimately missing the playoffs last season, it’s understandable that Falcons fans may be squirming.
Questionable play calling and a rare mediocre outing from Matt Ryan ultimately sunk the Falcons at home against San Diego over the weekend, but if Atlanta fails to win a division title this season, consistently terrible defence will be its downfall.
The Falcons unquestionably boast the league’s top offence, leading in points and yards with the NFL’s top quarterback, wide receiver and running back tandem. On the other hand, outside of exciting youngsters Vic Beasley, Desmond Trufant and Deion Jones, the defence is kind of a hot mess. Ranked 26th and 27th in points and yards against, respectively, the Falcons have given up just one fewer touchdown defensively (22) than Atlanta’s No. 1 offence has scored (23).
Like we saw Sunday, every once in a while the offence is going to struggle. On a more complete team this would be when the defence steps up. Unfortunately, the Falcons don’t have that luxury: Atlanta has surrendered at least 26 points in six of their seven games, forcing the offence to average 33 a game, which isn’t sustainable.
All that said, the division doesn’t offer many other title-contending options. At 1-5, it’s almost to the point where we can rule out the Panthers. The Saints defence is too bad and inconsistency on the road is a problem, so they’re done.
The Buccaneers are an interesting case considering they’ve already defeated Atlanta once, and they boast an ever-improving Jameis Winston at the helm, a newly discovered run game with Jacquizz Rodgers and a surprisingly opportunistic defence that has forced seven turnovers in the last two games. But Tampa’s efficiency ratings, according to Football Outsiders, on both offence and defence are still in the bottom half of the league and a tough second-half schedule means the road for the Bucs will be a tough one.
So even after slamming Atlanta’s defence, it would be a shock to see the league’s best offence fail to lift the Falcons to the playoffs and an NFC South title. But defensive struggles will keep Atlanta from being the top dog in the NFC.
Will Blake Bortles ever come around?
Two and half seasons into his career, it doesn’t look good.
Sunday’s matchup against the Raiders only amplified Bortles’s struggles as the No. 3 pick in the 2014 draft faced off against Derek Carr, who was selected 33 spots lower than him and yet is light years ahead in his development.
After Bortles threw 35 touchdowns last season, expectations were high for him and the Jaguars offence coming into the season. But the 24-year-old appears to have taken a step backwards, reverting to the same troubled mechanics that so many questioned when Bortles was drafted…
This clip below is even worse: with that same palm-down windup Bortles throws one of his two interceptions into triple coverage…
In addition to his mechanical problems, in 36 career games Bortles has already racked up 59 total turnovers (to 58 total TDs), continues to complete less than 60 percent of his passes and has an average rating of just over 79.
So far Gus Bradley’s time as head coach in Jacksonville has been a disaster, and the early failures of his young starting quarterback perfectly sum up the four-year tenure.
Bradley likely won’t be able to save his job unless Bortles turns it around soon. Ironically, the best thing for the young quarterback might be a coaching change.
