Inside the Huddle: Mad, mad football world
Welcome to a mad, mad football world.
Over the past two weeks, there have been plenty of eye-opening games. They have already begun to shape some divisional races and raise some scenarios.
Here are some questions being bantered around that can create an initial sense of some possible parity in this year’s NFL season.
Have the Chiefs totally returned to their Super Bowl form after their 0-2 start? Will Aaron Rodgers carry the Steelers back to the postseason after their division-leading 3-1 record? Can the Bears make it interesting in the NFC Central with their 2-2 start? Are Indianapolis and Jacksonville legitimate after their 3-1 beginnings?
There are others, but those are a few that came to mind.
And, finally, are you worried about the Eagles’ offense in spite of their 4-0 start? It certainly is an unusual situation for an undefeated defending Super Bowl champion.
Maybe Eagles’ fans should look at their undefeated start and not worry. You were spoiled with Saquon Barkley’s debut last season.
In this edition of my Inside the Huddle, I’ll take a look at the Eagles’ situation as well as a swing around the league — notably in the state’s Steel town.
Also, I’ll look at Notre Dame’s rising quarterback, and turn back the clock to review the career of a former Jim Thorpe and Lehigh standout.
Still Flying High ... When the Eagles host the Broncos Sunday, they’ll enter the game with some low individual and team marks, which is a true enigma.
The Birds are 30th in total offense, yet seventh in scoring (27 points per game). Through the air, they are 31st, and 16th on the ground.
They are 33rd in total defense and 16th in points allowed (22). Philly is 17th defensively against the pass and 21st against the run.
Jalen Hurts is 27th in passing yardage, but has five touchdowns and zero interceptions. Barkley is the league’s 20th best rusher and has a 3.1 average per carry.
Last season, Hurts has 930 yards passing compared to his 609 this year. He had four touchdowns and four interceptions through four games last year. Hurts does have 179 yards rushing for a 4.4 average per carry.
Barkley has run for 237 yards with three touchdowns, and had 435 with four touchdowns after four last year (including 109 in the opener against Green Bay).
A.J. Brown is unhappy with his role in the offense, with just 14 catches for 151 yards with one touchdown. Against the Rams, however, Brown had six receptions for 109 yards with his lone score. DeVonta Smith appears fine with his 17 catches for 158 yards and a score.
There is some concern about the Birds’ defense, but Hurts’ and Barkley’s numbers are not far off from last year.
Better Check It Twice ... If you recall, there was plenty of overall concern when the Eagles began the season 2-2, and Nick Sirianni’s job security was in question.
They suffered the shocking home flop to the Falcons on a Monday night before they escaped with a win in New Orleans. Then came their twisted tilt in Tampa Bay.
They had committed five turnovers and forced five.
This season through four games, the Eagles have forced five turnovers and have committed just one for a plus-four differential, which is third in the league.
Last season, the Eagles ended the regular season 29th in passing (behind the 28th Giants), second in rushing (Barkley had 2,005 of the 3,048 yards), and eighth in total offense.
So, how do you try and figure this out?
Mr. Rodgers’ New Neighborhood ... After his season-opening four touchdowns and .733 completion percentage against the Jets, Rodgers seemingly rediscovered his MVP form via some Pittsburgh pierogies.
He slipped against Seattle, but recovered with two above-average games against New England and Minnesota. Through four games, Rodgers has completed 74 of 108 passes for 726 yards with eight touchdowns and three interceptions.
With Baltimore’s sudden slip, the Steelers can regain the AFC Central if Rodgers can stay steady. They have a meeting with Green Bay in late October, and have a favorable schedule outside Buffalo, Detroit, and Los Angeles (Chargers).
It could be a good story to watch, especially for you die-hard Steeler fans.
Topping off ... Here is one man’s opinion of the current top five teams in the NFL.
1) Bills (4-0) - They have beaten teams with a combined 2-14 record, and have a favorable schedule that could get them 13 or 14 wins. However, they have kept it in high gear.
2) Eagles (4-0) - They’re winning differently this season. If they can maintain it, they can reach another level if the offense kicks in.
3) Lions (3-1) - After a slow start and a transition period, they are piecing it together. And they have a great coach.
4) Chiefs (2-2) - Yes, they may have dropped a notch, but they’re still near the top. Patrick Mahomes and DC Steve Spagnuolo are the catalysts.
5) Rams (3-1) - They gave the Eagles a great game and showed their mettle. If Matthew Stafford stays healthy, it could be another NFC Championship appearance.
Bottoming out ... Here are the five worst teams (worst to fifth worst).
1) Titans (0-4) - It’s been a rough start for Cam Ward, who has little support on both sides of the ball. The Titans have scored 51 points, and average less than two visits to the red zone per game.
2) Saints (0-4) - They aren’t the “Aints” from years ago, and they have been in games. Their running game is rounding into form.
3) Jets (0-4) - It’s the same old Jets with a new head coach. They haven’t changed much from last season, and their defense is worse.
4) Panthers (1-3) - It looked for a moment that the Panthers had recaptured some of the magic they had last season. It’s on quarterback Bryce Young to be consistent.
5) Browns (1-3) - You won’t see Shedeur Sanders yet, but instead Dillon Gabriel. Just don’t expect to see Roman Gabriel.
Scrapbook ... Each column, I’ll peel back the pages to recall a former standout from our coverage area.
Craig Zurn was a star quarterback at Jim Thorpe, and became the first Olympian player to be selected to the Pennsylvania Scholastic Football Coaches East-West All-Star Game. Zurn also was the 2006 Anthracite League Co-MVP, as he was a first team selection on offense, second team on defense, and a return specialist.
Zurn took his talents to Lehigh, where he was a steady contributor as a wide receiver. In three seasons, he caught 88 passes for 1,058 yards with five touchdowns. Zurn had five receptions for 107 yards against Colgate his senior year, and seven catches for 76 yards against Fordham his junior year. In a playoff game against Delaware his final year, Zurn caught four passes for 42 yards.
Zurn is currently an assistant on the Olympians’ staff, and is a member of the school’s athletic hall of fame.
Matriculating Down the Lane ... Each column, I’ll also look back at a former player or game from the gridiron.
The Eagles and Broncos have previously met 14 times with the Birds claiming nine of them. Philly’s first victory was during the 1980 season opener at the Vet by a 27-6 score.
Ron Jaworski was 18 of 28 for 281 yards with three touchdowns — one a 56-yard touchdown to Harold Carmichael — and others to John Spagnola and PSU alum Scott Fitzkee. Wilbert Montgomery ran for 71 yards and caught six passes for 50 yards.
Broncos quarterback Matt Robinson was 18 of 48 for 178 yards with two interceptions, one each by Brenard Wilson and Jerry Robinson. It was running back Otis Armstrong’s last season with the Broncos, and he was held to 24 yards by the Birds’ defense.
Driving the Carr to the Golden Dome: Before the season, the jury was out on Notre Dame starting quarterback freshman CJ Carr. Since then, the verdict has been in his favor.
Against Arkansas last week in the Irish’s 56-13 victory, Carr was 22 of 30 for 354 yards with four touchdowns and a quarterback rating (QBR) of 98.1.
Since the opener, Carr’s QBR rating has steadily climbed from 70.6 to 86.7, 90.5, and 98.1. Granted Carr’s QBR numbers increased against non-ranked teams (Purdue and Arkansas), but he has looked more confident and stable.
Overall, Carr is tied with Vanderbilt’s Diego Pavia for the second-best QBR at 88.4 behind Southern Cal’s Jayden Maiava (93.4). Carr is ahead of Penn State’s Dru Allar (88th), along with highly touted Texas’ Arch Manning (71st) and Clemson’s Cade Klubnik (94th).
Yes, it is still early, but Irish fans can breathe a sigh of relief. Notre Dame does have a favorable schedule with USC as its only potential roadblock.
The 21st-ranked Irish (2-2) will host Boise State (3-1) in the first-ever matchup between the two teams Saturday. Boise State lost its opener to South Florida (34-7) before it reeled off three straight against Eastern Washington (51-14), Air Force (49-37) and Appalachian State (47-14).
Notre Dame is a 17-point favorite, and you can see what likely is coming here.
In case you’re going, it is a “green-out.”
Penn State’s “white-out” didn’t work too well against Oregon.
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