Kurt Warner: Colts asking too much from Andrew Luck.
There's nothing like a fruitless trip across the pond for forced introspection.
The latest London loser to wonder where it all went wrong, the Indianapolis Colts have already fired two players while fielding criticism of high-profile members of the organization such as quarterback Andrew Luck, coach Chuck Pagano and general manager Ryan Grigson.
Echoing the sentiments of Colts legend Reggie Wayne, NFL Network analyst Kurt Warner explained to Andrew Siciliano of Up to the Minute Live that Luck is carrying the burden of too much responsibility for his team's fortunes.
"Let's be honest here. Since Andrew Luck has been with the Colts, they have not had a great supporting cast around him in any way, shape or form," Warner said. "... He has to do so much for this football team if they're going to have any chance of winning. How many times have we seen him fight and bring this team back late in the game with big plays and give them opportunities to win?"
After three NFL seasons, Luck was on pace to shatter the record for come-from-behind victories in the fourth quarter. As the talent around him dissolves, though, those dramatic comeback attempts tend to fall short -- just as they have against the Lions, Broncos and Jaguars in the season's first month.
"This kid has been really special at times," Warner continued. "But they've asked him to do a whole bunch within this organization, and I think they're asking him to do way too much to expect to be able to do that every time out with the guys around him.
"So I point the finger much more at things around him whether it be the organization, the general manager and putting the pieces together around him to succeed more than I point it at Andrew Luck, even though after the last year and a half he hasn't played his best football, either."
Are Wayne and Warner guilty of concocting elaborate excuses for a perennially over-hyped signal-caller?
Quite the contrary.
Whereas an oft-injured Luck deserved a heaping helping of blame for the Colts' 2015 meltdown, he has been the team's brightest light through four games this year.
Luck took the Wembley Stadium field behind an offensive line that featured rookies at center, right guard and right tackle. His receivers dropped a handful of passes and had trouble separating against Jacksonville's defense. The Colts still scored 27 points and came within one fourth-down conversion of a game-tying field-goal attempt.
How many quarterbacks have more factors working against them? Luck leads the league in sacks absorbed. His second-leading target this season is undersized, undrafted rookie tailback Josh Ferguson. He hasn't played with a 100-yard rusher since Vick Ballard late in the 2012 season. His perennially porous defense ranks 30th in scoring.
It's preposterous that Luck finds himself on the receiving end of criticism this season. His ball placement and pocket movement were downright sublime in Weeks 1 and 3. He's been impeccable in the red zone, completing 15 of 20 passes (75.0 percent) for six touchdowns and a 123.8 passer rating. Through four games, only Oakland's Derek Carr boasts a higher quarterback grade from the analytics site Pro Football Focus.
In analyzing Luck's value, the case of Atlanta's Matt Ryan is instructive. Did Ryan take a magic pill that transformed him from a 2015 liability into a 2016 MVP favorite?
Football is the ultimate team sport. The performance of the quarterback cannot be extracted from that of his surrounding talent.
If you're seeking the root cause of the Colts' dismal September, start with the architect and the overseer of a threadbare roster.
What to watch for in Cardinals-49ers on 'TNF'.
Before the season started, few Cardinals fans would have circled this Thursday Night Football divisional matchup as a must-win game for their franchise. But here we are, previewing a game between two struggling offenses inhabiting the cellar of the NFC West with 1-3 marks. The deep-ball offense that characterized Arizona's division-leading offense in 2015 has disappeared. The Cardinals' ball-hawking secondary is getting spliced by average wide receivers. Arizona has lost as many games through the quarter mark of 2016 as it did all of last season.
While the Seahawks and Rams lead the wild NFC West with stingy defenses and opportunistic offenses, Arizona's units have played well below the expectations set by their NFC Championship campaign just one year ago. With a talent-poor roster and enigmas at quarterback, San Francisco is almost overachieving at 1-3. The Cardinals, on the other hand, are entering must-win territory, and it doesn't help that their veteran leader on offense, Carson Palmer, has been ruled out after suffering a Week 4 concussion.
Can the Cardinals save their season behind a backup quarterback? Will the 49ers spoil Arizona's run at a second consecutive division title?
1. Taking over for Palmer is Drew Stanton, who is in his third season with the Cards. He was serviceable in eight starts in 2014, while Palmer dealt with finger and ACL injuries. Stanton averaged 203.3 yards per game, threw for seven TDs and five interceptions in his eight starts, and led Arizona to the postseason with five wins despite completing under 55 percent of his passes. In his short showing last week against the Rams, Stanton was tasked with leading Arizona on a game-winning drive without the support of a run game and couldn't play up to the moment. Stanton went 4-of-11 passing for 37 yards with two interceptions, including one ugly dart across the middle.
The journeyman backup will come into Thursday's game with a blank slate, so we shouldn't see a replication of his hurried, nervy performance against Los Angeles, just as long as he's upright. The Cardinals' offensive line subjected Palmer to an atypical amount of pressure in their three losses, surrendering 11 sacks, including the takedown that knocked Palmer out of the game last week. If the more mobile Stanton can evade whatever minimal rush San Francisco's front seven presents, then the Cards' offense shouldn't see too much of a setback with a backup under center.
2. Contributing to the Cardinals' struggles on offense has been their inability to score first, or at the very least, score in the first quarter. Through four games, Arizona has yet to score a single point in the opening 15 minutes and instead the team has punted 10 times. With Stanton under center, it's unlikely there will be any increased confidence in play calling to spur a hotter start. However, instead of forcing the ball downfield early as Palmer is oft to do, the Cards can use David Johnson as their workhorse and Andre Ellington as a change of pace in short situations to keep drives moving against San Francisco's poor run defense. Putting Gabbert and the San Francisco offense behind on the scoreboard in the first quarter would be a surefire way to put this game to bed early.
3. The Cardinals' cornerbacks across from Patrick Peterson were exploited time and time again against the Rams' league-worst passing game; Marcus Cooper looked overmatched against Brian Quick of all people, who beat the fourth-year cornerback for two touchdowns, including the game-winner. Arizona's defensive backs have to rebound this week against a similarly mediocre crop of wideouts in San Francisco. The 49ers' yards-per-play average (4.7) is the second-worst in the league, just above the Rams (4.6). Their deep threat wideout, Torrey Smith, is frustrated with Blaine Gabbert's play at quarterback, despite the quarterback's claims that their relationship is "fine." If Arizona can't shut down journeyman slot receiver Jeremy Kerley, Garrett Celek -- the second-best Celek -- and San Francisco's passing game, then there will be legitimate reason to panic in the desert.
4. How will the 49ers' defense perform without NaVorro Bowman? The linebacker was lost for the season during last week's loss with an Achilles injury, and following his departure, Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott really turned it on. Without their captain and emotional leader, the 49ers will be hard-pressed to match Bowman's presence and production with Nick Bellore and Gerald Hodges on the inside. San Francisco will also likely be without promising rookie defensive DeForest Buckner (foot), who leads the team in tackle assists.
5. Across the field from San Francisco's banged-up front is sophomore stud David Johnson, whose massive expectations have been tempered by Arizona's offensive inefficiency and poor line play. Still, Johnson leads the league in yards from scrimmage (510) and will prove to be Stanton's best friend out of the backfield on screens and wheel routes on Thursday night. D.J. should take advantage of the 49ers' league-worst rush defense (140.5 YPG) and carry the load for Arizona.
Around The NFL's Quarter-season Power Poll.
The NFL season moves quickly. We're already a quarter way through the campaign, with leafy September leaving plenty of ponderous offseason narratives shattered and scattered behind us in the rear-view mirror. Four weeks in, mounds of assumptions have been destroyed:
» Carson Wentz will be sealed in bubble wrap until 2017: WRONG.
» The Cardinals and Panthers will cruise: DEAD WRONG
» The upstart Jaguars will steal the show: DANGEROUSLY, WILDLY WRONG
Also incorrect: Loads of the headstrong predictions we put into print during our Preseason Power Poll.
With Week 5 around the corner, the Around The NFL gang is back to set the story straight -- we pray -- with our Quarter-season Power Poll.
Here's how this works: We rank all 32 teams from top to bottom, while you attempt to contain your excitement. Let's roll:
Chasing Lombardi
1. Patriots
2. Broncos
3. Seahawks
4. Vikings
5. Steelers
Sunday's implosion against the Bills aside, the Patriots have earned the trust of our Around The NFL scribes. A 3-1 start and the return of Tom Brady are enough to keep Bill Belichick's roaming masterwork atop the pack. It's worth noting, though, that New England's three first-place votes (from Chris Wesseling, Dan Hanzus and Marc Sessler) were equaled by three top votes for the Broncos from Gregg Rosenthal, Kevin Patra and Colleen Wolfe. The Patriots, though, netted more second-place votes to ultimately nab the No. 1 spot. Conor Orr shied away from groupthink to name the Steelers as his first-place squad.
The Seahawks land third after earning our No. 1 spot in the Preseason Power Poll. Rosenthal, Hanzus and Sessler all placed Seattle at No. 2, while Patra had them at No. 3. The Wolfe Woman had them fourth while Orr, earning no friends in the Pacific Northwest, dropped them to No. 5.
The Vikings are the real surprise here, landing at No. 4 after maxing out at No. 16 in the preseason version of this exercise. Nobody had Minnesota higher than Colleen, who gave the 4-0 upstarts a No. 2 ranking. That was evened out by Wesseling placing them sixth. As for the Steelers, everyone but Hanzus sees them as a top-five team.
Knocking on the door
6. Eagles
7. Packers
8. Falcons
A rash of surprises here. The Packers fall to seventh after being seen by the gang as a top-five team before the season. Wentz and the undefeated Eagles fly to No. 6, up 20 spots from August. Orr registered Philly's lowest ranking at No. 10, but nobody else had them lower than seventh. Like the Eagles, the Falcons have made us look like a raging cadre of fools, ignoring their preseason ranking (No. 21) to finish eighth after four weeks.
Playoffs or Bustville
9. Cowboys
10. Bengals
11. Raiders
12. Ravens
13. Cardinals
14. Texans
15. Panthers
Ugliness abounds for Carolina and Arizona. The offseason-darling Cardinals easily grabbed our No. 3 spot before the games began. A 1-3 start, though, has them floating at No. 13. Most writers agreed with this final ranking, but Patra (No. 15), Wolfe (No. 16) and Orr (No. 17) thought they should be lower.
The equally trumped-up Panthers have floundered out of the gate and paid for it on this ULTRA-IMPORTANT SPORTS LIST, coming in at No. 15. They were helped by Rosenthal and Hanzus, who placed them 10th and 11th, respectively. They were left for dead by a from-the-wilderness Orr, who ranked Carolina as the 28th-best team in the NFL. This wasn't the only fascinating/bizarre/spirit-fueled entry by ConAIR, so read on.
If the football gods smile
16. Rams
17. Chiefs
18. Giants
Take a bow, Los Angeles. Laughed at by the masses for starting Case Keenum over first-overall pick Jared Goff, the Rams have shrugged off their critics to open the season 3-1 -- good enough for our 16th spot. Should they rank higher than the pair of 1-3 teams we discussed in the previous section? Only Patra and Orr thought so, placing L.A. above both clubs. Quite a climb after the Rams ranked 29th in our Preseason Poll.
The inconsistent Chiefs sit in the middle of the pack after grabbing our No. 8 spot in August, while the G-Men -- with plenty to like on both sides of the ball -- sit at No. 18. This feels fair.
Flotsam/Jetsam
19. Bills
20. Jets
21. Redskins
22. Chargers
23. Colts
24. Saints
25. Jaguars
26. Lions
27. Bucs
28. Titans
29. Dolphins
We bought into the offseason hype on the Jaguars, ranking them 15th in our preseason poll. Their ugly start, though, has the club buried at No. 25. They would have been lower were it not for Spaceman Orr, who believes the Jaguars are the 19th-best team in pro football.
Back-to-back wins have lifted the Bills to the group's No. 19 spot, but Wesseling isn't buying what Rex Ryan is selling, placing them 24th on his list. Then there's -- yes -- Conor Orr, who put the Bills up at No. 12, in what amounts to a predicted playoff run in Western New York.
Like the Jaguars, the Titans were the subject of offseason fascination, but Mike Mularkey's "Exotic Smashmouth" attack has proven heavy on the bells-and-whistles and light on the actual "smashing" of anybody. Fed up with Tennessee, Rosenthal and Hanzus dropped the Titans to No. 31, while nobody had them higher than 26th.
Nowhere to go but up
30. Bears
31. Browns (tie)
31. 49ers (tie)
The Bears have been on national television twice -- a terrible development for humanity. The Browns are the NFL's last winless team despite showing more punch than a handful of clubs ranked higher. At least Rosenthal agrees, placing them above the Dolphins, Bears, Titans and 49ers.
Cleveland wouldn't have been tied for last, though, were it not for a bit of funny business involving the 49ers. While San Francisco was ranked dead last by five of seven scribes, Our Friend Orr placed this Blaine Gabbert-led vehicle up at No. 23. Orr, a Browns fan, ultimately screwed Cleveland on this list, but we adore his uber-unique view of the universe.
Orr -- a human floating through new vistas of thought and mystery -- defended his approach on Tuesday's Around the NFL Podcast. Tune in or live a life unfulfilled.
The NFL season moves quickly. We're already a quarter way through the campaign, with leafy September leaving plenty of ponderous offseason narratives shattered and scattered behind us in the rear-view mirror. Four weeks in, mounds of assumptions have been destroyed:
» Carson Wentz will be sealed in bubble wrap until 2017: WRONG.
» The Cardinals and Panthers will cruise: DEAD WRONG
» The upstart Jaguars will steal the show: DANGEROUSLY, WILDLY WRONG
Also incorrect: Loads of the headstrong predictions we put into print during our Preseason Power Poll.
With Week 5 around the corner, the Around The NFL gang is back to set the story straight -- we pray -- with our Quarter-season Power Poll.
Here's how this works: We rank all 32 teams from top to bottom, while you attempt to contain your excitement. Let's roll:
Chasing Lombardi
1. Patriots
2. Broncos
3. Seahawks
4. Vikings
5. Steelers
Sunday's implosion against the Bills aside, the Patriots have earned the trust of our Around The NFL scribes. A 3-1 start and the return of Tom Brady are enough to keep Bill Belichick's roaming masterwork atop the pack. It's worth noting, though, that New England's three first-place votes (from Chris Wesseling, Dan Hanzus and Marc Sessler) were equaled by three top votes for the Broncos from Gregg Rosenthal, Kevin Patra and Colleen Wolfe. The Patriots, though, netted more second-place votes to ultimately nab the No. 1 spot. Conor Orr shied away from groupthink to name the Steelers as his first-place squad.
The Seahawks land third after earning our No. 1 spot in the Preseason Power Poll. Rosenthal, Hanzus and Sessler all placed Seattle at No. 2, while Patra had them at No. 3. The Wolfe Woman had them fourth while Orr, earning no friends in the Pacific Northwest, dropped them to No. 5.
The Vikings are the real surprise here, landing at No. 4 after maxing out at No. 16 in the preseason version of this exercise. Nobody had Minnesota higher than Colleen, who gave the 4-0 upstarts a No. 2 ranking. That was evened out by Wesseling placing them sixth. As for the Steelers, everyone but Hanzus sees them as a top-five team.
Knocking on the door
6. Eagles
7. Packers
8. Falcons
A rash of surprises here. The Packers fall to seventh after being seen by the gang as a top-five team before the season. Wentz and the undefeated Eagles fly to No. 6, up 20 spots from August. Orr registered Philly's lowest ranking at No. 10, but nobody else had them lower than seventh. Like the Eagles, the Falcons have made us look like a raging cadre of fools, ignoring their preseason ranking (No. 21) to finish eighth after four weeks.
Playoffs or Bustville
9. Cowboys
10. Bengals
11. Raiders
12. Ravens
13. Cardinals
14. Texans
15. Panthers
Ugliness abounds for Carolina and Arizona. The offseason-darling Cardinals easily grabbed our No. 3 spot before the games began. A 1-3 start, though, has them floating at No. 13. Most writers agreed with this final ranking, but Patra (No. 15), Wolfe (No. 16) and Orr (No. 17) thought they should be lower.
The equally trumped-up Panthers have floundered out of the gate and paid for it on this ULTRA-IMPORTANT SPORTS LIST, coming in at No. 15. They were helped by Rosenthal and Hanzus, who placed them 10th and 11th, respectively. They were left for dead by a from-the-wilderness Orr, who ranked Carolina as the 28th-best team in the NFL. This wasn't the only fascinating/bizarre/spirit-fueled entry by ConAIR, so read on.
If the football gods smile
16. Rams
17. Chiefs
18. Giants
Take a bow, Los Angeles. Laughed at by the masses for starting Case Keenum over first-overall pick Jared Goff, the Rams have shrugged off their critics to open the season 3-1 -- good enough for our 16th spot. Should they rank higher than the pair of 1-3 teams we discussed in the previous section? Only Patra and Orr thought so, placing L.A. above both clubs. Quite a climb after the Rams ranked 29th in our Preseason Poll.
The inconsistent Chiefs sit in the middle of the pack after grabbing our No. 8 spot in August, while the G-Men -- with plenty to like on both sides of the ball -- sit at No. 18. This feels fair.
Flotsam/Jetsam
19. Bills
20. Jets
21. Redskins
22. Chargers
23. Colts
24. Saints
25. Jaguars
26. Lions
27. Bucs
28. Titans
29. Dolphins
We bought into the offseason hype on the Jaguars, ranking them 15th in our preseason poll. Their ugly start, though, has the club buried at No. 25. They would have been lower were it not for Spaceman Orr, who believes the Jaguars are the 19th-best team in pro football.
Back-to-back wins have lifted the Bills to the group's No. 19 spot, but Wesseling isn't buying what Rex Ryan is selling, placing them 24th on his list. Then there's -- yes -- Conor Orr, who put the Bills up at No. 12, in what amounts to a predicted playoff run in Western New York.
Like the Jaguars, the Titans were the subject of offseason fascination, but Mike Mularkey's "Exotic Smashmouth" attack has proven heavy on the bells-and-whistles and light on the actual "smashing" of anybody. Fed up with Tennessee, Rosenthal and Hanzus dropped the Titans to No. 31, while nobody had them higher than 26th.
Nowhere to go but up
30. Bears
31. Browns (tie)
31. 49ers (tie)
The Bears have been on national television twice -- a terrible development for humanity. The Browns are the NFL's last winless team despite showing more punch than a handful of clubs ranked higher. At least Rosenthal agrees, placing them above the Dolphins, Bears, Titans and 49ers.
Cleveland wouldn't have been tied for last, though, were it not for a bit of funny business involving the 49ers. While San Francisco was ranked dead last by five of seven scribes, Our Friend Orr placed this Blaine Gabbert-led vehicle up at No. 23. Orr, a Browns fan, ultimately screwed Cleveland on this list, but we adore his uber-unique view of the universe.
Orr -- a human floating through new vistas of thought and mystery -- defended his approach on Tuesday's Around the NFL Podcast. Tune in or live a life unfulfilled.
'Fins close facility Thursday due to hurricane prep.
The Miami Dolphins are bracing for Hurricane Matthew. The team closed their facility on Thursday in anticipation for the Category 4 storm. The Weather Channel expects Hurricane Matthew to reach South Florida on Friday and Saturday, and could bring winds from 39 mph to north of 74 mph to the southeast coast.
Thursday was a planned day off for players after last Thursday's loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. Coaches and the rest of team personnel are instructed to handle their preparations as needed.
The Dolphins are slated to host the Tennessee Titans this Sunday. At this point, the game is still on as scheduled, per NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport. Both teams and the NFL are monitoring the situation.
A Dolphins spokesperson told Rapoport: "No decisions have been made for contingency as of yet. We are monitoring the storm closely and will make adjustments as needed."
On Tuesday, coach Adam Gase said his team is preparing for the storm impacting their practice schedule and this week's contest.
"We have protocols that we have in place," Gase said, via the Associated Press. "It's just now kind of a wait-and-see for us."
Titans coach Mike Mularkey said Tuesday on his weekly radio show there have been preliminary discussions about moving the game to Nashville if necessary.
"We're prepared to go down, to travel down there," Mularkey said. "And if we got an extra home game, that wouldn't hurt either."
The NFL hopes to avoid moving the contest, but Mother Nature doesn't always comply with human desires.
The Miami Dolphins are bracing for Hurricane Matthew. The team closed their facility on Thursday in anticipation for the Category 4 storm. The Weather Channel expects Hurricane Matthew to reach South Florida on Friday and Saturday, and could bring winds from 39 mph to north of 74 mph to the southeast coast.
Thursday was a planned day off for players after last Thursday's loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. Coaches and the rest of team personnel are instructed to handle their preparations as needed.
The Dolphins are slated to host the Tennessee Titans this Sunday. At this point, the game is still on as scheduled, per NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport. Both teams and the NFL are monitoring the situation.
A Dolphins spokesperson told Rapoport: "No decisions have been made for contingency as of yet. We are monitoring the storm closely and will make adjustments as needed."
On Tuesday, coach Adam Gase said his team is preparing for the storm impacting their practice schedule and this week's contest.
"We have protocols that we have in place," Gase said, via the Associated Press. "It's just now kind of a wait-and-see for us."
Titans coach Mike Mularkey said Tuesday on his weekly radio show there have been preliminary discussions about moving the game to Nashville if necessary.
"We're prepared to go down, to travel down there," Mularkey said. "And if we got an extra home game, that wouldn't hurt either."
The NFL hopes to avoid moving the contest, but Mother Nature doesn't always comply with human desires.
Kubiak: Stopping Julio Jones 'the ultimate challenge'
If Atlanta's high-powered offense comes as a surprise to most, that isn't the case with Gary Kubiak.
After all, the Broncos coach spent years mentoring Falcons play-caller Kyle Shanahan during their time together in Houston, leading to plenty of shared DNA in how both coaches attack defenses.
Still, Kubiak knows that Atlanta has one very unusual and uber-gifted X-factor in-house: The insanely dangerous Julio Jones, who will face the Broncos on Sunday one week after the pass-catcher fried the Panthers for 300 yards and a touchdown off 12 catches.
"It's the ultimate challenge -- the job that he does, and Kyle moves him all over the place," Kubiak said this week, per the Falcons team website. "In this league there's one challenge after another, and you just try to get your guys to stay focused on what we do and how we do things. So that's what we really try to do as a group. On defense, all 11 of us will have to play well; it's not about one guy. So we're really going to try to stay focused on our football team and what we need to do to be successful."
While the Broncos boast the fiercest defense league-wide, the Falcons offense looms as the stiffest test yet for a Von Miller-led unit that has guided Denver to a 4-0 mark to open the year.
While Jones remains the centerpiece of Atlanta's attack, the Falcons also have receivers Mohamed Sanu, Taylor Gabriel and Aldrick Robinson making plays alongside two versatile backs -- Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman -- who can hurt teams on the ground and through the air. To top it off, quarterback Matt Ryan is playing at an MVP-level under Shanahan's direction.
"It's extremely difficult," Kubiak said of defending the Falcons. "Like I said, because Kyle does move people all over the place, and in this league you've got to do that to get guys the ball. They're running the ball extremely well; they're making a lot of explosive football plays. It's a lot of guys making those plays for them. They're extremely balanced in what they're doing and that's a credit to Kyle and the staff and the job they're doing."
Kubiak also noted that while he and Shanahan lean on plenty of shared philosophies, his former pupil has grown into his own man.
"I've studied his film all the time, obviously, because, being together for a long time, he's really branched out. Playing a lot of personnels," Kubiak said. "I think his offense has had new identities every year -- I think that's a credit to him. He studies really hard."
Not everyone will agree, but Sunday's matchup between student-and-master -- and Atlanta's whirlwind offense vs. Denver's historically special defense -- has many around the NFL Media newsroom calling this the game of the week.
If Atlanta's high-powered offense comes as a surprise to most, that isn't the case with Gary Kubiak.
After all, the Broncos coach spent years mentoring Falcons play-caller Kyle Shanahan during their time together in Houston, leading to plenty of shared DNA in how both coaches attack defenses.
Still, Kubiak knows that Atlanta has one very unusual and uber-gifted X-factor in-house: The insanely dangerous Julio Jones, who will face the Broncos on Sunday one week after the pass-catcher fried the Panthers for 300 yards and a touchdown off 12 catches.
"It's the ultimate challenge -- the job that he does, and Kyle moves him all over the place," Kubiak said this week, per the Falcons team website. "In this league there's one challenge after another, and you just try to get your guys to stay focused on what we do and how we do things. So that's what we really try to do as a group. On defense, all 11 of us will have to play well; it's not about one guy. So we're really going to try to stay focused on our football team and what we need to do to be successful."
While the Broncos boast the fiercest defense league-wide, the Falcons offense looms as the stiffest test yet for a Von Miller-led unit that has guided Denver to a 4-0 mark to open the year.
While Jones remains the centerpiece of Atlanta's attack, the Falcons also have receivers Mohamed Sanu, Taylor Gabriel and Aldrick Robinson making plays alongside two versatile backs -- Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman -- who can hurt teams on the ground and through the air. To top it off, quarterback Matt Ryan is playing at an MVP-level under Shanahan's direction.
"It's extremely difficult," Kubiak said of defending the Falcons. "Like I said, because Kyle does move people all over the place, and in this league you've got to do that to get guys the ball. They're running the ball extremely well; they're making a lot of explosive football plays. It's a lot of guys making those plays for them. They're extremely balanced in what they're doing and that's a credit to Kyle and the staff and the job they're doing."
Kubiak also noted that while he and Shanahan lean on plenty of shared philosophies, his former pupil has grown into his own man.
"I've studied his film all the time, obviously, because, being together for a long time, he's really branched out. Playing a lot of personnels," Kubiak said. "I think his offense has had new identities every year -- I think that's a credit to him. He studies really hard."
Not everyone will agree, but Sunday's matchup between student-and-master -- and Atlanta's whirlwind offense vs. Denver's historically special defense -- has many around the NFL Media newsroom calling this the game of the week.
Mularkey blames lack of chemistry for Titans' woes.
The Titans' passing offense is not as regressive as we imagined through four weeks. The team ranks 11th in the NFL in passing attempts deep left, seventh in attempts deep middle and 14th in attempts deep right.
The problem lies with the success rate. The Titans are 29th in completion percentage deep right. They've completed fewer than half of their shots deep left and are 15th in attempts deep middle, though they are only averaging 13 yards per play to that portion of the field.
According to the Tennessean, Marcus Mariota has only completed 41 of his 80 attempts to any wide receiver. Head coach Mike Mularkey blames chemistry.
"We really haven't been efficient outside," Mularkey said this week. "We haven't been very precise. We haven't been very detailed. That starts with those guys outside. They need to carry over what they're being taught in the classroom and what they're doing on the practice field. ... It needs to carry over into games, and it will function better."
He added: "They haven't been together for years. That was (Mariota's) 16th start. That's four with some of these guys, four regular-season games. You're hoping you see (improvement), and I think it will based on what we're going to do. ... I think it will improve. I'm almost ensuring that it will.
"A lot of it is with the timing of Marcus because Marcus is a guy that will unload it with their backs still turned. If he understands and trusts that they're going to be where they're supposed to be, that ball will come out quicker and there won't be that hesitation you're seeing. They need to be where they're supposed to be."
Mularkey makes some good points here, but it is also hard to lean on the lack of chemistry card when a pair of rookie quarterbacks (Carson Wentz and Dak Prescott) are currently tearing up the NFL. While it is most certainly a factor, isn't it on the coaching staff to ensure that chemistry is getting developed?
General manager Jon Robinson did a nice job of surrounding Mariota with professional, experienced talent at the wide receiver position and invested in a high-upside rookie -- Tajae Sharpe -- to give Mariota someone to grow with.
Mularkey says he is "almost ensuring" that the product will improve over the next few weeks as the Titans (1-3) try to claw into second place in the ho-hum AFC South, though he might have to do better than that to make everyone believe he's the right man for the job.
The Titans' passing offense is not as regressive as we imagined through four weeks. The team ranks 11th in the NFL in passing attempts deep left, seventh in attempts deep middle and 14th in attempts deep right.
The problem lies with the success rate. The Titans are 29th in completion percentage deep right. They've completed fewer than half of their shots deep left and are 15th in attempts deep middle, though they are only averaging 13 yards per play to that portion of the field.
According to the Tennessean, Marcus Mariota has only completed 41 of his 80 attempts to any wide receiver. Head coach Mike Mularkey blames chemistry.
"We really haven't been efficient outside," Mularkey said this week. "We haven't been very precise. We haven't been very detailed. That starts with those guys outside. They need to carry over what they're being taught in the classroom and what they're doing on the practice field. ... It needs to carry over into games, and it will function better."
He added: "They haven't been together for years. That was (Mariota's) 16th start. That's four with some of these guys, four regular-season games. You're hoping you see (improvement), and I think it will based on what we're going to do. ... I think it will improve. I'm almost ensuring that it will.
"A lot of it is with the timing of Marcus because Marcus is a guy that will unload it with their backs still turned. If he understands and trusts that they're going to be where they're supposed to be, that ball will come out quicker and there won't be that hesitation you're seeing. They need to be where they're supposed to be."
Mularkey makes some good points here, but it is also hard to lean on the lack of chemistry card when a pair of rookie quarterbacks (Carson Wentz and Dak Prescott) are currently tearing up the NFL. While it is most certainly a factor, isn't it on the coaching staff to ensure that chemistry is getting developed?
General manager Jon Robinson did a nice job of surrounding Mariota with professional, experienced talent at the wide receiver position and invested in a high-upside rookie -- Tajae Sharpe -- to give Mariota someone to grow with.
Mularkey says he is "almost ensuring" that the product will improve over the next few weeks as the Titans (1-3) try to claw into second place in the ho-hum AFC South, though he might have to do better than that to make everyone believe he's the right man for the job.
Preview: Arizona at San Francisco
When: 8:25 PM ET, Thursday, October 6, 2016
Where: Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, California
The Arizona Cardinals have been plagued by turnovers of late and the trendy preseason Super Bowl pick temporarily could be faced with turning over the keys to backup quarterback Drew Stanton on Thursday when they visit the San Francisco 49ers. With veteran Carson Palmer considered day-to-day with a concussion, Stanton may be left looking to conjure the magic that saw him pull a 5-3 mark out of his hat during a stint in 2014.
Stanton struggled mightily in taking over for the concussed Palmer on Sunday, completing just 4-of-11 passes in a 17-13 setback to Los Angeles and his two interceptions upped Arizona's turnover total to nine during its two-game skid. "I'll say this, I never envisioned this type of start," Cardinals general manager Steve Keim told Arizona Sports 98.7 FM. "I don't know that anybody -- fans or anybody in the organization -- would have envisioned this." The 49ers had no such issue with the Rams with a 28-0 season-opening shellacking, but the defense of Chip Kelly's club summarily has been shredded to the tune of 458.3 yards and 35.7 points per contest during its three-game losing streak. To add injury to insult, four-time NFL All-Pro linebacker NaVorro Bowman sustained a torn left Achilles in Sunday's 24-17 setback to Dallas and will miss the rest of the season.
TV: 8:25 p.m. ET, NFL Network. LINE: Cardinals -3.5 O/U: 42.5
ABOUT THE CARDINALS (1-3): David Johnson (64 carries, 300 yards, three TDs) leads the NFL with 510 yards from scrimmage and has recorded 100 or more total yards in all four contests this season and eight of his last nine games. Johnson amassed 124 from scrimmage (83 rushing, 41 receiving) versus the Rams, but the workload was decidedly different in last year's season series with San Francisco (15 carries, 46 yards). The 24-year-old will be spelled by Andre Ellington, as veteran Chris Johnson (groin) was placed on injured reserve Tuesday. Tyvon Branch was also shuffled to IR, with fellow safety Tyrann Mathieu temporarily being moved into the slot while D.J. Swearinger plays in nickel packages.
ABOUT THE 49ERS (1-3): San Francisco collected eight takeaways in its first three games to provide a helping hand for the NFL's 28th-ranked offense, which scored a league-best 45 points off the turnovers after mustering an NFL-worst 25 for the entire 2015 season. The 49ers failed to force a turnover versus the Cowboys on Sunday and Blaine Gabbert's fourth interception of the season ended his team's bid for an upset. Carlos Hyde (73 carries, 299 yards, NFC-best five TDs) is averaging 4.9 yards per rush over his last two games, but was limited to just 51 yards in a 47-7 loss at Arizona on Sept. 27.
EXTRA POINTS
1. Arizona has yet to score in the first quarter this season and has been blanked over the first 15 minutes of a contest in six straight dating to 2015.
2. San Francisco WR Jeremy Kerley, who had six receptions for 88 yards and a touchdown last week, leads the team in catches (18) and receiving yards (202).
3. Cardinals LBs Chandler Jones and Markus Golden each have recorded a sack in all four contests this season.
When: 8:25 PM ET, Thursday, October 6, 2016
Where: Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, California
The Arizona Cardinals have been plagued by turnovers of late and the trendy preseason Super Bowl pick temporarily could be faced with turning over the keys to backup quarterback Drew Stanton on Thursday when they visit the San Francisco 49ers. With veteran Carson Palmer considered day-to-day with a concussion, Stanton may be left looking to conjure the magic that saw him pull a 5-3 mark out of his hat during a stint in 2014.
Stanton struggled mightily in taking over for the concussed Palmer on Sunday, completing just 4-of-11 passes in a 17-13 setback to Los Angeles and his two interceptions upped Arizona's turnover total to nine during its two-game skid. "I'll say this, I never envisioned this type of start," Cardinals general manager Steve Keim told Arizona Sports 98.7 FM. "I don't know that anybody -- fans or anybody in the organization -- would have envisioned this." The 49ers had no such issue with the Rams with a 28-0 season-opening shellacking, but the defense of Chip Kelly's club summarily has been shredded to the tune of 458.3 yards and 35.7 points per contest during its three-game losing streak. To add injury to insult, four-time NFL All-Pro linebacker NaVorro Bowman sustained a torn left Achilles in Sunday's 24-17 setback to Dallas and will miss the rest of the season.
TV: 8:25 p.m. ET, NFL Network. LINE: Cardinals -3.5 O/U: 42.5
ABOUT THE CARDINALS (1-3): David Johnson (64 carries, 300 yards, three TDs) leads the NFL with 510 yards from scrimmage and has recorded 100 or more total yards in all four contests this season and eight of his last nine games. Johnson amassed 124 from scrimmage (83 rushing, 41 receiving) versus the Rams, but the workload was decidedly different in last year's season series with San Francisco (15 carries, 46 yards). The 24-year-old will be spelled by Andre Ellington, as veteran Chris Johnson (groin) was placed on injured reserve Tuesday. Tyvon Branch was also shuffled to IR, with fellow safety Tyrann Mathieu temporarily being moved into the slot while D.J. Swearinger plays in nickel packages.
ABOUT THE 49ERS (1-3): San Francisco collected eight takeaways in its first three games to provide a helping hand for the NFL's 28th-ranked offense, which scored a league-best 45 points off the turnovers after mustering an NFL-worst 25 for the entire 2015 season. The 49ers failed to force a turnover versus the Cowboys on Sunday and Blaine Gabbert's fourth interception of the season ended his team's bid for an upset. Carlos Hyde (73 carries, 299 yards, NFC-best five TDs) is averaging 4.9 yards per rush over his last two games, but was limited to just 51 yards in a 47-7 loss at Arizona on Sept. 27.
EXTRA POINTS
1. Arizona has yet to score in the first quarter this season and has been blanked over the first 15 minutes of a contest in six straight dating to 2015.
2. San Francisco WR Jeremy Kerley, who had six receptions for 88 yards and a touchdown last week, leads the team in catches (18) and receiving yards (202).
3. Cardinals LBs Chandler Jones and Markus Golden each have recorded a sack in all four contests this season.
