Opinion
As Week 7 wraps up with an upset at Foxborough, we put almost a third of the 2022 season in the books.
We can all agree that this season, even by NFL standards, has been a roller-coaster and made the off-season speculation look sillier than ever.
By my count I’d say we have about five teams living up to the expectations of the off-season: Bills, Chiefs, Panthers, Browns and Texans. The remaining 27 teams are either way above or below where they were pegged early on.
So with that said, let’s take a look at five teams who are currently living below that expectation and ask the question” is it time to panic?
Green Bay Packers: good lord, yes, it’s time to panic
Cheesehead nation I, like many of you, have known fairly green pastures in my fandom (pun intended), so it’s hard to not live in a fantasy world where the Packers right the ship and end up in the divisional race.
But the pastures are currently anything but green. The defence, pegged as top three in August, cannot get off the field. Last year they got the benefit of the doubt early on – the new Joe Barry defence and an offence that could carry the load – but this year is shaping up really poorly, particularly in a secondary that looked mean as all hell on paper but is currently below a 0.3 interception per game average.
With Aaron Rodgers in all likelihood done after this year and with an unproven backup in Jordan Love and Romeo Doubs – a guy who never met a catch he couldn’t drop – being the ‘best’ talent you can build on in the receiver room, I can confirm, you are welcome to unfettered, unadulterated panic.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: it’s definitely panic time
They lost to the Panthers – the Panthers! Mike Evans pulled the worst drop that you’ll see, possibly ever, and Tom Brady played a dink-and-dunk football behind a subpar offensive line and screamed at them for the world to see. It’s time to throw the tablet Tampa and give into the panic. Brady I’m sure played a part in giving Bruce Arians the boot, and that may be one of the worst moves of his legacy in Tampa Bay. But Bucc up, at least you can cry into your one-year-removed Lombardi, unlike the other teams on this list.
(Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images)
Las Vegas Raiders: not yet, but it’s almost time to panic
Sitting at 2-4, the black and silver army are sitting at the blackjack table with a 12 on the deck and an ace with the dealer. These are scary times. But hold steady, Raider nation. You are in a tough division, there’s no doubt, but there is a silver lining here.
Josh Jacobs, in a year in which he’s trying to prove to the new regime he’s worth a damn, is starting to absolutely ball out, with three 100-plus-yard rushing games on the season. Davante Adams is hot and cold, but give him time with a new quarterback, even one who’s his best mate. And Maxx Crosby is looking like a bona fide defensive player of the year candidate every game.
I should also mention the Raider have the sixth easiest remaining schedule of the year. So chin up, Raiders fans, I have faith you’ll be playing meaningful football in January.
Arizona Cardinals: sorry, but yes, it’s time to panic
It doesn’t take four hours of independent study per week to realise the Cardinals are taking on water in all areas. Marquise Brown is out for at least six weeks, Kyler Murray isn’t playing particularly badly but is significantly more erratic than expected, and most of all the coaching staff doesn’t seem to know what they are doing. Now consider that both the coaching staff and quarterback just got a big payday extension.
Even with Robbie Anderson on board and Nuk Hopkins back in the mix there is something about this Cardinals team that screams dumpster fire. It’s a little intangible, kind of like the end of the 2021 season, and when it’s intangible, that generally means coaching.
LA Chargers: Chargers will always Charger, so yes, it’s time to panic
Like many fans, I had the off-season hots for the Chargers. They looked so talented, so fun, and Justin Herbert looked like the next Tom Brady. I’m not ripping on Herbert – he’s had some bad games but, honestly, he’s doing the best he can – I’m pointing the finger squarely at Brandon Staley. He’s made poor decisions this season, including letting Herbert stay in a losing game when he was so injured he couldn’t even throw it out of bounds.
“If Justin wants to stay in, who am I to say he can’t?”.
I don’t know, Brandon. You’re just the coach.
It’s the coach’s job to be objective and make the calls these competitors don’t have the clarity to make in the heat of the moment.
Sure, 4-3 isn’t a bad record, but with some key injuries, including star cornerback JC Jackson out with what could be a season-ending injury, the Chargers are once again destined to Charger right into a one-and-done playoff run at an absolute unlikely best.
And that about wraps it up. There are obvious panic teams that didn’t really need the write-up, and a shout-out to San Francisco, who almost made the list, but with their coaching and injuries returning I think we can all agree they can calm down for now.
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