The Debrief Week 10 What to panic about -- and what not to

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The Debrief, Week 10: What to panic about -- and what not to Published: Nov 13, 2017 at 12:02 PM Around The NFL Podcast Co-Host Bill Parcells and Bill Belichick that the NFL season doesn't start until after . For the upstart and the rest of the teams that make up this crowded NFC , that schedule is getting moved up a week this season. The upcoming Week 11 clash -- two surprise 7-2 teams -- kickstarts a frantic stretch for coach Sean McVay's crew, which will face the other four best teams in the NFC in a span of five weeks: at Minnesota in Week 11, , and . An organization whose onfield product has mostly been ignored or gawked at nationally since the middle of the last decade will be at the very center of the NFL universe for the next five weeks. It's not that these haven't been tested -- they have wins . But they're stepping up in cla s for the most high-profile games since Mike Martz was the coach, Lovie Smith was the defensive coordinator and Georgia Frontiere was the team's owner. It's been a while. The score in bunches against sagging teams, , over the last three games by a combined score of 117-24. The defense, led by a burgeoning Defensive Player of the Year campaign from and a ballhawking secondary, is . Now it's time to find out if this is just a great regular-season story or a team that could be playing in Minneapolis for a second time in February. After a deeply thus far, at least the Football Gods are showing mercy with the closing-stretch schedule in the NFC. The ' gauntlet is extreme but not atypical for this year's Jeff Teague Jersey best teams. Consider these upcoming slates: -- The team's Week 12 showdown in Los Angeles -- which the NFL should absolutely flex to prime time (#FlexNOLA) -- starts a three-game stretch that includes games . New Orleans has only a half-game lead over the the surging and two games left against Atlanta, meaning the NFC South is far from decided. As great as this reborn defense has been, it hasn't been tested by a true offensive powerhouse . -- Over the next six weeks, the NFC's best team of the decade , while . Following suffered by cornerback , no outcome for this season would be truly surprising. could carry them on the way to an MVP award, or they could slip right out of a deep NFC playoff picture because of this schedule. -- Will their season finale even matter for seeding or the division title? Not if the prove to be road warriors with , before that. -- After on Sunday, the face three consecutive road games against NFC teams in the playoff mix, including and . In short, this fascinating NFC season is just about to start, with Weeks 11-14 particularly crowded with conference-shifting matchups. You don't even have to wait for . Don't panic 1) The ' lack of pizzazz. My wise colleague Marc Se sler said on our Week 10 recap episode of that he couldn't remember a team on a four-game winning streak that excited him le s than the 2017 . It's a fair criticism. The fighting Mularkeys trailed at home late on "Monday Night Football" . They beat , by a combined 10 points. They are 6-3 but rank and it feels like the team has underachieved because its bedrock running game tastes vanilla. But there were great signs of progre s . 's healed hamstring opened up the offense, with the quarterback rushing for 51 yards. The team held the ball for over 40 minutes and had 27 first downs. hasn't looked right all season, but their running game was better than it had been since Week 3. The defense has been far better over the last month, albeit against shaky competition. If not for a few fluky plays, the would have won in a rout. Tenne see is in an enviable position, with a strong record and room for improvement. Consider it a good thing that expectations have been raised so much for an organization that won only five games between 2014 and '15. 2) 's disappearing act. The racked up the most yards in a two-game stretch in franchise history during the two games the No. 4 overall pick . Fournette returned to average under 2 yards per carry while watching most of the fourth quarter from the sideline. owners shouldn't freak out, though: His were consistent with what they've been over the entire year. Jacksonville's staff learned once again Sunday about the dangers of putting too much on . After an 11-play touchdown drive that only included Bortles pa ses, the team's fourth-year quarterback melted down against the down the stretch. This followed up 11 straight solid quarters of Bortles climbing a hill of dependability before tumbling down the other side. The somehow won despite Bortles throwing two picks, while trailing, in the final two minutes of regulation. (NFL Research confirmed this has never happened for a winning team before, with data going back to 2000.) After this setback for Bortles, it's clear that, while the need to do a better job finding room for Fournette (via the offensive line and play-calling), Fournette is going to be the centerpiece of this offense, through good times and bad. 3) slipping into a supporting role. Receiver in early October about his small role on the ' offense. He has only seven catches on 14 targets in his four games since making comments to that effect, yet he's singing a different tune. "I have Rob . ," he said Sunday via the Orange County Register. "I've got the line. I'm surrounded by so many guys on this team that can make plays." Watkins still talks like a guy who sees himself as a true No. 1 receiver, but his stay in Los Angeles could change that perception. He's the fourth leading receiver on the team, with Woods making more big plays and now 250 yards ahead of Watkins on the season. Being a role player won't be good for Watkins' free agency value this offseason, but it's just fine for the . 4) 's uncertain status. If running back of "Monday Night Football" after suffering a concu sion, it will end the second-longest active starting streak among running backs at 30 games. (The incomparable is first ... at 102 straight starts.) It's a disappointing blow for the offense, which played efficiently . did a nice job, however, filling in as Jeremy Lin Jersey the primary back and keeping the offense on schedule with chain-moving runs. He is more than capable of filling the role of primary back for a week or more, even with a tough matchup . Some panic is acceptable 1) The ' run defense. It's not just the ran on the on Sunday, it's they ran. On play after play, New Orleans gashed Buffalo right up the gut of their defense. By the time fullback rumbled for 9 yards up the middle during a streak of 24 straight runs, the hyped ( ) defense of 2017 had been e sentially laid to rest on the field. It was as if the were awestruck by the ' firepower during their 298-yard rushing performance. The had their offensive line fully healthy for nearly the first time all season. and are the most dynamic 1-2 punch in the league. Kamara broke two tackles to turn a routine third-and-long swing pa s into a fourth-and-1 that coach Sean Payton aggre sively went for. Ingram blasted over defenders on the ensuing short-yardage run for a 25-yard gain down to the 5-yard line. No matter how much credit the deserve, however, the ' defense giving up 81 points and 492 rushing yards in a two-week span is demoralizing because a tough-minded defense was the bedrock of its identity. That these performances came directly after Bufalo defensive tackle , who had an excellent game as a run-stuffer on Sunday, makes them more painful. 2) The ' special teams woes. One of the keys for any new coaching hire: What kind of staff can he put together? coach Anthony Lynn got plenty of credit for retaining offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt and hiring defensive coordinator Gus Bradley, but the hire of special teams coordinator George Stewart might have sunk this Los Angeles season. Stewart hasn't coached special teams since Trae Young Jersey 1999, and it has showed. The team was ranked giving up Sunday (on a play that Jacksonville had run before), and before a poor punting day that included multiple bone-headed penalties. There will be many ways to examine the autopsy of this disappointing campaign, but the Bolts would probably be 6-3 instead of 3-6 if they'd had even average special teams. It's a shame, because the are wasting a truly special season from and as a pa s-rushing duo, who would both be among my top 10 defensive players in football. They outplayed the vaunted pa s rush Sunday. While the offense was far from great, it outplayed the ' offense. The special teams made the difference in . 3) Washington's precarious position. In a muddled NFL season, the are the rare team that has played better than its record. They have overachieved, especially on defense, and have been hit with poor luck with injuries and during games. Now 4-5, Washington is heading to New Orleans . The schedule eases up considerably after that, but this feels like a last-stand type of game for a team that just hasn't been able to find a running game. 4) Miami's season. The were the shakiest 4-2 team in football three weeks ago and are now the shakiest 4-5 team after allowing to the . It shouldn't surprise anyone, probably including coach Adam Gase, if they finish as the league's shakiest 6-10 team. Gase called this the "worst offense in the league" and now the defense can't get a stop either. They were their 24-point lo s Monday. and the ' coaching staff deserve credit for making Newton's rushing ability the centerpiece of its offense again over the last two weeks, and 495 team rushing yards has been the result. Miami's lack of tackling and inability to get off blocks will be difficult to stomach in the film room. After a season and a half with Gase, this team is still looking for some part of the team to build around, to be excited about beyond and 's golden years. Monday night showed how much this team needs. This article has been reproduced in a new format and may be mi sing content or contain faulty links. Please use the Contact Us link in our site footer to report an i sue.
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