Fracassi: Bills doing fine as NFL season reaches the quarter pole
· Yahoo Sports
We're at the quarter pole in the National Football League.
As such, let's take a look at the Buffalo Bills, and around the league, including surprises and disappointments.
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As for the hometown team, it's certainly better to be 3-1 than the other records. Though, it could easily be in the reverse. If Houston Texans defensive back Kamari Lassiter doesn't drop the potential game ending interception in the season opener, if the Los Angeles Chargers score more than 10 points off of five Bills turnovers in the game prior to the debacle versus New England, we could be having quite a different conversation.
As is, 3-1 is good, especially with the new defense and its growing pains under Jim Leonhard. Linebacker Greg Rousseau has emerged as a pass-rushing force with six sacks, while youngsters like rookie corner Davison Igbinosun and second-year defensive tackle Deone Walker have shown flashes.
Offensively, "Josh is Josh" Allen, with 13 total touchdowns, continues to perform largely well, though some decisions, including that hero-ball interception at the end of the Patriots loss, was head-scratching. James Cook is still a force running the ball (not enough in Patriots game), though the fumbles are a concern. Receiver Keon Coleman is looking like the big target Allen needs, while the offensive line has been OK to good. They'll need to be better with opponents like the Los Angeles Rams and Las Vegas Raiders coming up, who are a pair of franchises I'll focus on here.
So much for the Rams "Super Bowl Juggernaut," at least so far. High-profile defensive end Myles Garrett has played all of one game while rehabbing a knee injury. The offense has been a bit uneven, though they got a monster reprieve vs. the Philadelphia Eagles, as their at times too cute head coach Nick Sirianni passed on a sure field goal that would have given them a 13 point lead in the fourth quarter. Instead, the Rams defense held; would score on long drives on their next 2 possessions and steal one in Philly. These are the kind of games that get franchises going. I anticipate quarterback Matthew Stafford and company to get going, while Garrett and fellow future Hall of Famer Aaron Donald may yet wreak havoc on the opposition.
As for the Raiders, it appears the Silver and Black are back. Quarterback Kirk Cousins and company are off to a solid 3-1 start, with a very competitive loss to the revived Kansas City Chiefs, where Vegas led at four different points in the game. Cousins has 11 touchdown passes in his first four games, breaking a franchise record held by my SiriusXM NFL Radio colleague Rich Gannon. They have a lethal tight end combo in Brock Bowers and Michael Mayer, while newcomers in veteran linebacker Nakobe Dean and rookie corner Hezekiah Masses have injected life into a previously porous defense, while incumbent Maxx Crosby is still playing his way back into shape. Clearly, there's direction with new head coach Klint Kubiak and general manager John Spytek.
As I mentioned in a previous column, quarterback Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs appear to be back to their dangerous form, with Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce as their future Hall of Fame selves. Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III leads the NFL in rushing, while the defense continues to play well in the shadows of the aforementioned offensive stars. I expect this team to be playing well into January.
The Minnesota Vikings could be considered a surprise at 4-0, considering they've gotten one touchdown pass from new quarterback Kyler Murray, who, in fairness, missed time with a concussion. Receiver Justin Jefferson has just 13 catches in four games. However, the defense under coordinator Brian Flores has been great, as they lead the NFL in sacks with 16 and are top-five in yards allowed and turnovers. However, Murray has to get going for this team to be taken seriously.
Houston, we have a problem! The Texans were viewed by many (guilty as charged) to make a legitimate run at the Super Bowl, yet, an 0-4 start doesn't portend well. Granted, three of the four losses came late and by a combined total of 11 points, so it's not as if they've been blown out. Yet, that so-called vaunted defense has allowed 112 points thus far, 5th-worst in the NFL, and in passing yards allowed, even with the great corners in Lassiter and Derek Stingley Jr.
Quarterback CJ Stroud has been efficient, not throwing any interceptions, while the ground game has yet to get going. They got going after an 0-3 start a year ago. But 0-4 may be a harder road to overcome.
Finally, a job well done to Philadelphia Eagles tackle Lane Johnson. Johnson, a 14 year veteran, six-time Pro Bowl selection and twice a Super Bowl Champion, issued a statement announcing he's retiring from the NFL saying, in part, that his personal and family priorities have changed. Lane, who's dealt with numerous injuries over the years, including last year's Lisfranc sprain, also stated it was critical for him to focus on his mental health.
To show what he meant to that team, with Johnson, the Eagles were 98-42-1. Without Johnson: 15-29. The man was, and is a winner. I hope he finds his happiness and peace after a career that may land him in Canton, OH at some point.
We'll do this NFL review thing again when we get to the halfway point of the season!