Sorting the NFL Sunday Pile, Week 1: Tyreek Hill goes full Scottie Scheffler, Deshaun Watson nightmare

The Scottie Scheffler comparisons had been thrown out instantly when the information broke on Sunday morning. Tyreek Hill, one of many greatest stars in your entire NFL, was detained by police in handcuffs on the facet of the street whereas driving to Onerous Rock Stadium for the Dolphins‘ season opener in opposition to the Jaguars. Little did we all know simply how apt the Scheffler comp actually was.

After Scottie spent the morning in a Kentucky jail for a really minor site visitors incident, he casually went out and fired a five-under 66 within the second spherical, one of many low rounds of the day. Tyreek’s afternoon adopted the same vogue. After a gradual begin that noticed him sitting at simply over 20 receiving yards for a lot of the day, Hill took benefit of his finest attribute — pace — and flipped the sport on the Jaguars’ head. 

And similar to one very good and really good-looking particular person predicted instantly following the arrest, Hill celebrated the rating by getting handcuffed. 

Like Scheffler — who had all fees dropped with a quickness — Hill additionally ended up getting fast judicial justification for no matter occurred, with an officer concerned being placed on administrative depart earlier than the Dolphins even made it again to the locker room. Hill additionally mentioned he had “no concept” why he was pulled and famous, like Scheffler, he did not say who he was when the arrest occurred. 

There’s most likely a bigger societal level to be made right here, however this can be a soccer column so let’s deal with what the tip of this recreation says concerning the two groups concerned as a substitute. The Jaguars had no enterprise dropping this recreation. They held a 17-7 lead with 2:27 left within the third quarter of this recreation and had accomplished an unbelievable job on protection, preserving Hill quiet and customarily snuffing out the high-powered Dolphins offense. 

Making issues worse, on the very subsequent play, Travis Etienne fumbled into the tip zone. The Dolphins recovered and the primary play of their drive was the 80-yard bomb to Tyreek. Out of the blue as a substitute of 24-7 and recreation over, it was 17-14 and recreation very a lot on. 

What occurred over the remainder of the sport is actually inexplicable: newly minted (actually within the sense of him getting paid this offseason) franchise quarterback Trevor Lawrence tried simply ONE PASS on the Jags’ closing three drives. Technically two — the Dolphins jumped offside and the Jags accepted the penalty, so there was no play. Lawrence additionally dropped again two extra instances, on the Jags closing possession, and was sacked each instances. 

The Jags totaled 13 yards on 11 performs on these three drives. Miami managed to get six factors on their closing three drives and Jacksonville left south Florida as big-time losers. The AFC goes to be extremely aggressive and the Jaguars handed the Dolphins a essential win early within the season by being outrageously conservative down the stretch. Lawrence was wholesome, had been dealing and he was getting nice contributions from rookie Brian Thomas Jr., and offseason free company addition Gabe Davis. 

Turtling up made no sense within the second, not with the flexibility for Lawrence to stretch the sphere and drive Miami to be sincere on protection. It actually is not sensible in hindsight, both. 

Bengals Pay Value for Not Paying?

It is exhausting to have a look at what occurred for Cincinnati on Sunday and take into consideration something apart from the group’s unwillingness to pay Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase this offseason as dangerous karma and dangerous enterprise for the 2024 season. The Bengals fell 16-10 to the lowly New England Patriots, dropping as the largest favourite (they closed round nine-point favorites), wiping out an enormous chunk of survivor leagues and placing themselves in a large gap to begin the season whereas opening up some fairly large questions for the viability of this offense. 

Joe Burrow averaged lower than 6 yards per cross try on the day, did not throw a single landing and located himself in not-so-elite firm when it got here to the Anticipated Factors Added (EPA).

Burrow, regardless of what the memes will inform you, is a really elite quarterback. However it’s important to surprise how a lot of an affect the Bengals not coughing up the money to get Higgins and Chase locked up impacted the offense. Higgins was famously miffed about being franchise tagged and it appeared clear Cincy wasn’t going to pay him and easily draft Jermaine Burton to switch him after 2024. Sadly, Burton’s within the doghouse, is perhaps staring down the barrel of a redshirt season and when Higgins suffered a hamstring damage heading into Week 1 (the timing and the data surrounding mentioned damage are awfully odd, by the by) it actually put the deal with Chase and the backups. 

Chase was himself fairly peeved about not getting a brand new deal this offseason from the Bengals, who apparently initiated the contract convos. The previous first-round decide ultimately declared he would play Sunday, however can be restricted. Chase caught all six of his targets however was hardly efficient, going for simply 62 yards. 

It makes zero sense to draft Burrow, pay him a ton of cash, and draft two extensive receivers with excessive picks to assist Burrow however maintain off on paying mentioned receivers for pretty questionable causes. By not paying anybody, it is attainable the Bengals paid the worst worth attainable, a debilitating loss to the Patriots in Week 1 that opened up quite a lot of questions concerning the viability of this offense in 2024. 

… is fairly untenable for the Browns at this level. The one particular person having fun with Watson’s efficiency on Sunday ought to have been Tom Brady, who could not be heard over the cascading boos coming from Browns followers as Watson turned in one more unimpressive efficiency in opposition to the Cowboys in a 33-17 loss that wasn’t almost as shut because the rating signifies. 

Watson completed 24-for-45 for 169 yards (3.75 yards per cross try), a pair of picks and a landing cross to Jerry Jeudy that got here basically in rubbish time. 

Yet one more meh effort from Watson stays in stark distinction to Baker Mayfield’s continued success. However even if you wish to be cheap and simply let Baker transfer on and easily deal with Watson, it is unimaginable to not be fully pissed off by the place the Browns discover themselves with their “franchise” quarterback. 

Cleveland gave up three first-round picks to the Texans for Watson. The Texans have revitalized their franchise thanks largely to these picks (and, in equity, touchdown C.J. Stroud). The Browns promptly gave Watson an unprecedented, absolutely assured contract that has change into an entire albatross for the membership. 

Even when the Browns wished to drive their means by the season and transfer on from Watson after this 12 months, properly, they could not. Watson’s pre-June 1 useless cap quantity for reducing him can be $172 million. Say it out loud: 100 and seventy-two million {dollars}. The 2024 NFL wage cap for each group was $224 million. And it isn’t even so simple as simply consuming the largest useless cap quantity in NFL historical past both. 

That is an unmitigated catastrophe for Cleveland. And the Browns have zero leverage with Watson both: he might or will not be injured, and if he’s, he can shut it down with zero repercussions. 

Just one hope exists for Cleveland … Deshaun magically will get higher. Hope will not be a technique nevertheless it’s the one factor the Browns can cling to proper now. And for some time sooner or later as properly. 

Rookie QB debuts

Actually cannot name the three rookie begins we noticed on Sunday something greater than a “combined bag” and that is being fairly beneficiant. Let’s bear in mind taking part in quarterback within the NFL is difficult and it is actually exhausting if you’re a rookie quarterback who was taken excessive within the draft, since you’re possible going to a less-than-desirable state of affairs. 

Now that wasn’t the case for Caleb Williams, per se, however you would not have identified he was loaded to — ahem — bear with weapons with how Williams and the Chicago offense carried out on Sunday afternoon. Granted, the Bears received, however they did it because of Will Levis throwing an absolute soften of a decide six, Chicago scoring one other particular groups landing and the offense producing a complete of 148 yards. 2.8 yards per play is ugly. Belief me, I do know, I watched my Wolfpack on Saturday night time do the identical in opposition to Tennessee. However the Titans aren’t pretty much as good defensively because the Vols, making this a really auspicious begin for the Bears, even when it resulted in a win. Caleb completed with, and this isn’t a typo, 93 passing yards. Not nice, Bob! He did not use his legs and the Bears did not use Rome Odunze both. The draft capital felt wasted and all eyes must be skeptically on Shane Waldron’s offense shifting ahead.

Jayden Daniels DID use his legs on Sunday, speeding for probably the most yards within the first half of a recreation by any quarterback in Commanders historical past, turning into simply the second Washington quarterback with 70+ speeding yards and a speeding rating in a recreation and in the end ending with 88 speeding yards and two speeding touchdowns. It was an superior day for Fantasy soccer homeowners, however the passing manufacturing actually wasn’t there. For now, let’s chalk it as much as a questionable Washington offensive line in opposition to an excellent Tampa Bay protection and look warily within the path of Kliff Kingsbury who continues to line up his group’s high receiver in the identical spot on virtually each play. The Commanders did get fully blown out, 37-20, in spite of everything.

Bo Nix almost pulled off an upset however I am not solely certain we will pinpoint his passing for almost defeating the Seahawks. Nix completed 26-for-42 for 138 yards and in the event you’re questioning if that is a low yards per try, properly, you would be appropriate: sure it’s! It doesn’t put him in nice firm both:

We all know it’ll be fast and brief with Nix on this Sean Payton offense and taking part in in Seattle along with your first begin in opposition to a Mike Macdonald protection is a troublesome project. I belief Payton to educate Nix up so, as with the opposite rookies, am actually not going to hit the panic button simply but.