From the Shotgun Formation: The Madness Called AFC – Week 8 NFL Season 2021

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With seven weeks into this regular season, the only thing clear in the AFC is that nothing is clear. That and other impressions from week 7 of the 2021 NFL Season, all from the Shotgun Formation.

There are no favorites in the AFC

The NFL has always been based on the idea of ​​parity, and that should translate into no clear favorites since the start of the season. Building on that, the league is achieving the goal, and the AFC is a prime example of that. They do not believe me? Let’s quickly review who the leaders of each division are:

Buffalo Bills. This team, which was presumed to be the best in the league, had a surprise loss in week 1 to the Steelers and then fell dramatically to the Tennessee Titans in week 6. Those two losses have them classified as a great team, but with the door open to let go of some games.

Cincinnati Bengals. Without saying anything else, it’s the Bengals. Did anyone think this team was a contender? Right now they have wins over the Steelers and Ravens in their division, just as they have losses over the Packers and Bears. It is clear that they are far from being the best team in the AFC, but today they are in first place in the division.

Tennessee Titans. At the moment you can think that there is no team more stoned than the Titans, who add victories over Bills and Chiefs. But they are the same team that was beaten by the Cardinals in Week 1 and lost to the Jets not long ago. They have all the talent to be considered the leaders in the race, but there is a history of surprise losses.

Las Vegas Raiders. This team, which has come off all the Jon Gruden drama, is ranked first in the AFC West with a 5-2 record. Are they a clear contender? No. Is it possible to discard them after this start? Not at all.

Behind them are teams like the Ravens (5-2), Browns (4-3) and the Chargers (4-2), and both have given their fair share of surprise this season. Right now, these seven teams are going to the postseason, and if you ask me, I can’t tell you which is the favorite. Of course, it is clear that they will be completely unpredictable matches.

So when asked “why do you like the NFL?” The answer can be as simple as explaining that with seven weeks into the regular season there is absolutely no clarity on who can be the best team in the conference.

Quick impressions from Week 7

This week a lot happened in the NFL … but from everything we saw, these are three things that caught my attention:

1. I keep seeing the same thing. While many insist on putting all the blame for the Chiefs’ offensive woes on Patrick Mahomes, the reality is that this team is plagued with problems: from an entirely rebuilt offensive line to a defense that borders on the nonexistent, Kansas City alone. he has a fully resolved position: quarterback. And, as I said last week, Mahomes is trying to overdo it.

That’s the worst thing that can happen to this team. Now is when Andy Reid must show his talent as a head coach and make the necessary adjustments to prevent Mahomes from falling into this dynamic.

2. Bad sign. When a team acquires a quarterback to see if he can be the answer, it is a very bad sign that they quickly lose confidence. This week, the Panthers showed they are no longer convinced with Sam Darnold, and they showed it by benching him in the loss to the Giants.

This can be seen as the first rift in the Darnold / Panthers relationship, and it wouldn’t be strange to think that it could end exactly the same as the previous QB / team relationship in Carolina – with Darnold playing for another team in 2022.

3. The story of D’Ernest Johnson is great. Johnson, who rose to fame in the Browns’ victory over the Broncos last Thursday, was literally posting messages on Instagram to Alliance of American Football teams asking for a shot. He got it, and then the league disappeared, but his desire to play football remained intact. And those messages serve as a reminder of how this league is about taking a chance and taking it.

The things that I think I know

After what happened in the seventh week of the 2021 NFL Season, here are some things I think I know:

1. They are worth something. The Detroit Lions’ 2021 NFL Season is full of very painful victories, and this week’s against the Rams is on that list. Of course, all this will serve as experience for a young team with a coach with a lot of heart. In 2021 all these results are very disappointing, but they will serve to build the character of a team that will improve as the weeks progress.

2. It is a pleasure. When you think of the careers of players like Matthew Stafford, DeAndre Hopkins or JJ Watt, you think of great talents with few favorable results. Seeing all three of them on highly competitive teams, it’s impossible not to be happy for them. It seems like a given that they will have a chance to fight for the Super Bowl, and that will help build on their already successful personal careers with some collective success.

3. Defined background. In last week’s column I said that I was clear about who would be the first place in our Power Rankings. This week I think I am clear about who should be the last place on our list. And no, it is not necessarily the team with the worst mark. We will discuss that on Wednesday.

Thinking about the MNF

Many questions… Will there be answers? Tonight’s game between the Saints and Seahawks is an extremely complex one to predict because there is an inordinate amount of doubt surrounding both teams. Can the Seahawks win without Russell Wilson? Which version of Jameis Winston will we see tonight? Are the Saints a team with real postseason aspirations? Is the campaign winding down in Seattle? I don’t know if it will be the best game of the week, but at least it is one with many questions.

I think the Saints have a more balanced team than Seattle right now and Wilson’s absence will continue to weigh on. I’m going with New Orleans, 20-17.

the song of the week

After the Bengals’ tremendous win over the Ravens, it’s time to put on this song:

That’s right, welcome to the jungle.

Talking about college football

Every week there are many things to talk about college football, so we open a space to do that. Let’s see what was the most striking thing about this day in the NCAA:

1. They stay alive. Jim Harbaugh’s stay in Michigan has been full of disappointments, but there seems to be some excitement at last. The Wolverines beat Northwestern 33-7 in a game that had started very close, but just as the ghosts of previous disappointments began to materialize, things turned in Michigan’s favor.

Cornelius Johnson blocked a punt and Hassan Haskins (23 carries for 110 yards) hit the TD to tip the balance in his team’s favor.

2. Oklahoma State’s undefeated is over. The Cowboys entered the game against Iowa State 6-0 and ranked 8th in the rankings, but the Cyclones decided it was an excellent day to surprise their rivals. The key play was a fourth chance, with just over a minute to play, as Iowa State managed to stop the advance and with that they sealed the victory.

3. Nine extra sets. Illinois beat (7) Penn State in a game that will go down in history for being defined in NINE extra series. That’s right, the game was, based on the number of series needed to win, the longest in NCAA history. In addition to the 60 minutes of regular play, two normal extra series were played (where each team has a chance to score from the 25-yard line) and then seven series where both teams tried to score two points. Illinois got a 20-18 victory after all that.

Interestingly, this happened because the NCAA decided to change the overtime rules for this year, requiring two-point conversions to be played from the third overtime series. Because both teams were struggling a lot on offense, that tie was preserved until the ninth extra series. The result, by the way, knocked down Penn State and will knock them out of the Top 10 in what turned out to be a memorable game.

The data of the week

It turns out that Zach Ertz’s first TD with the Cardinals is the longest TD of his career.

Mishandling clock of the week

There are things that, in theory, are thought out in advance. When you’re in a last-minute series, logic tells you to hit the ball if you want to give your field goal unit time to settle in. Instead, Colorado State decided to let the clock tick and wreak havoc before failing the attempt that would have given them victory over Utah State:

Intercept of the week

Now maybe Colorado State didn’t try to whip the ball because they saw the interception that came in this high school game:

The emotional video of the week

During the game between Buccaneers and Bears a child held up a banner that read “Tom Brady helped me beat brain cancer”. The legendary QB approached the boy with 33 seconds left in the match and gifted him the “A Crucial Catch” campaign cap that he was wearing in the match.

Here we end this installment of this column. You already know that you can leave me here below this article in the comments or on my Twitter account your suggestions for topics to be covered From the Shotgun Formation. You can also share videos that you think should appear in one of the weekly sections.

We want to give thanks to the writer of this article for this outstanding content

From the Shotgun Formation: The Madness Called AFC – Week 8 NFL Season 2021

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