It’s getting (a little) cold outside, which means it’s time to cozy up and get ready for the holidays. The NFL is going to hold us over the next few weeks before the playoffs start, which gives us a good chance to slow down and focus on the important things around us – like Netflix having to re-enact that Christmas Day after a terrible show with the Jake Paul -Mike Tyson fight.
Netflix better clean this up before the NFL comes out on Christmas
This is a no-judgment zone. I promise. As someone who held a watch party at their apartment for the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson “fight,” I have no way of judging how people decided to spend their precious Friday night electric bill.
However, I consider myself, and everyone else who went through that wretched last card, an expert on streaming stuff from Netflix. We have endured a disaster of almost Biblical proportions while trying to feed on our porridge from the digital pig trough. The stream clearly couldn’t handle the flood of people trying to get in to see the latest celebrity boxing match, which is as good a time as any to shout from the rooftops: THE NFL IS COMING TO NETFLIX FOR CHRISTMAS!
At this point, this just seems like a disaster waiting to happen. At times it felt like Netflix was broadcasting this fight through the screen of a Game Boy Color. And that was on a Friday evening, where there were other things to see and people outside enjoying the start of their weekend. Netflix’s next entry into the streaming wars will see four of the major teams in the league playing on its service.
The Chiefs travel to Pittsburgh to take on the Steelers in a game that will help decide the top spot in the AFC playoffs. The Ravens are currently taking on the Texans in another matchup between two of the most popular and entertaining teams in the league. Oh yeah, Beyonce will also be performing at Ravens-Texans halftime. This is the perfect storm of intense viewership that will test Netflix and their ability to actually hold together what will be the most watched live entity they’ve ever had before.
For all of us who will be dodging our families’ time to hunker down and watch some intensely important NFL games, this stream is our life force. And if things go the way of the Tyson and Paul pillow fight, we’re all in for a world of mild small talk conversations that are never as bad as you imagine in your head. The horror. The nerve. Get it right, Netflix. This is the only reason to log in to that streaming service anyway.
New England appears to have a budding superstar at quarterback
The Patriots might have done it again. Drake Maye has hit the ground running since taking over for Jacoby Brissett as the team’s starting quarterback this fall. Maye seems to be improving week by week, and his elite-level athleticism, combined with his understanding of what is asked of him in the Patriots’ offense, has rejuvenated this franchise after he left in the years following Tom Brady’s departure to Tampa Bay was milling about at quarterback.
This is different from what Mac Jones was able to accomplish as a Patriots starter when he was a rookie Pro Bowler in 2021. This feels like something has real sustaining power.
There were those who were a little concerned about Maye’s ability to function behind a shaky offensive line, but he is much better than Brissett was during his time as a starter. Maye’s expected points added per dropback (0.04) has improved dramatically over Brissett’s (-0.19). The Patriots’ success rate on dropbacks is seven percentage points higher with Maye and Maye applying less pressure and getting sacked at a slower rate. Despite all the hassle of getting Maye into the lineup, he definitely gave the team a better chance to win than their previous quarterback situation.
Even in the somber atmosphere of the Patriots offense, Maye has been able to produce explosive play and execute the offense in a timely manner. He’s not afraid to make hard throws under pressure and has the arm strength to make true top 1% throws that most quarterbacks can’t even dream of. This is high praise, but Maye’s playing style feels somewhere between a cross between Josh Allen and Justin Herbert. He has the tools to stay in the pocket and execute plays as requested, but the overwhelming athleticism and arm strength to make some truly incredible off-script plays.
In a world where it seems So Many teams have tough quarterback situations, having a quarterback with legitimate MVP talent is a godsend. Josh Allen and Tua Tagovailoa are in the division and now they have a quarterback who will be able to lead elite offenses if they can continue to grow the supporting cast.
Sorry to anyone who was fed up with the Patriots for 20 years. It seems like they’ll be back sooner or later with another inevitable quarterback talent at the helm.
Jaguars? Come on
Agree. The Lions and the Jaguars are clearly in different universes when it comes to what they expect from their seasons at this point, but damn! 52-6? Even with Detroit being the best team in the league, it’s still hard to get that many points while having so few points. Even with Mac Jones in the lineup and a bad defense on the other end, there’s no reason to get beat that badly.
The Jags were defeated so thoroughly that we’re going to run through some of the numbers from this game to get a glimpse of how gruesome it was at the end.
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The Lions averaged 5.78 points per drive. They scored a touchdown on their first seven drives of the game. At the end of the third quarter the score was 49-6. Rise up, Jaguars!
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Detroit averaged 13.6 net yards per attempt. For reference, the leader in this category is the Baltimore Ravens, who are averaging 8.6 net yards per attempt this season. That’s an increase of 58% compared to leader of the competition in a sample size of one game.
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The Lions’ offense produced 36 first downs in 76 plays without penalty kicks. They gained two first downs on penalties, giving them 38 first downs on 76 plays for the day. Fifty percent of the time they were on the field, they suffered a first loss. If you remove those penalty first downs and just stick with what they earned on their own merits, they convert a first down on 47.4% of their plays. The Ravens also lead this category this season, with 34.4% of their plays going for first downs.
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According to TruMedia, Jared Goff averaged 1.04 expected points per dropback. That means every time the Lions called a passing play, they gained a full value point. For every seven Goff dropbacks, the Jaguars allowed one valuable touchdown – what kind of tracks, if you remember they gave up SEVEN STRAIGHT TOUCHDOWN DRIVES to start the game.
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44.2% of the Lions’ rushing plays went for five or more yards. They have physically moved the Jaguars defensive line time and time again.
That’s just not NFL quality play from the Jaguars. Yes, their season is over and Doug Pederson is toast, but fight back next time.
49ers don’t look like themselves
After the 49ers’ season fell to 5-5 at the hands of the Seahawks, it appears they may be on life support. Due to a crowded NFC West this year, the 49ers find themselves at the bottom of the division, with the same record as the Rams and Seahawks, while the Cardinals hold a narrow one-game lead over the rest of the division with a 6-4 record. . Their season is certainly not over, but they may not have what it takes to reach the playoffs, let alone make a run in the playoffs.
One thing that is actually working on this offense is Brock Purdy. Amid the loss of Brandon Aiyuk and the absence of Christian McCaffrey at the height of his powers, Purdy has performed admirably for the 49ers. They still rank in the top five in dropback success rate and expected points added per dropback as the effectiveness of their running game has declined. They ran the ball a little better against the Seahawks than in recent weeks, but they still lack the explosives on the ground that made them such a dangerous offense. Still, Purdy along with George Kittle, Deebo Samuel and Jauan Jennings have done enough in the passing game to keep them steady and moving forward in the right direction.
The defense has also taken a step back from recent seasons where they just weren’t the dominant unit people had become accustomed to. They still have top defenders on their roster in Fred Warner, Nick Bosa and Deommodore Lenoir, but they are only a viable defense under certain circumstances. Overall, they are just a mid-tier defense with some high-end talent. Enough to win matches, but no longer impenetrable.
Through attrition and perhaps some roster management strategies, the 49ers simply don’t have the big shield and sword they normally have when trying to stay on top of the NFC. Purdy and the passing game will keep them in these games, but their upcoming schedule will prove difficult as they try to fight until the end of the season to make it to the wild card round. A first-round bye is certainly not possible given the way Detroit is currently performing.
The 49ers close out the season with games against the Packers, Bills, Bears, Rams, Dolphins, Lions and Cardinals. WOW. That’s a tough ask for any team, let alone one that is fragmented and currently at the bottom of the division, no matter how small that gap is. The 49ers could be on the outside looking into the playoffs for the first time since 2020 — and not at least make it to the NFC Championship Game.
