Anatomy of a Play: Josh Dobbs’ TD to T.J. Hockenson showed great command of Vikings’ offense
Josh Dobbs’ throw to T.J. Hockenson showed that he has a good command of the Vikings offense
Tag: Touchdown Wire
Dolphins jump back up in power rankings after beating Patriots
Miami moves back up recent power rankings.
The Miami Dolphins defeated the New England Patriots 31-17 on Sunday, bringing their record to 6-2 on the season.
Mike McDaniel’s team showed some grit, as they finished with a two-score lead despite missing four of their starting offensive linemen at one point. They continue to beat the teams they should, but they’ll have some bigger tests coming up.
With the season ongoing, Touchdown Wire’s Jarrett Bailey has been producing weekly power rankings for the NFL. The Dolphins had dropped to No. 5 last week, but after the win, they’ve climbed back up to No. 4.
“The Dolphins’ offense is a video game, and the video game is Need For Speed. Plus they got Jalen Ramsey back well ahead of schedule to help the defense- watch out for ‘The Greatest Show on Surf.’”
Ahead of the Dolphins are now the Jacksonville Jaguars (No. 3), Kansas City Chiefs (No. 2) and Philadelphia Eagles (No. 1).
Miami jumped the San Francisco 49ers, who fell all the way to No. 9, after losing to Cincinnati.
The three teams ahead of the Dolphins have at least a 6-2 record (Eagles are 7-1), and Philadelphia holds a head-to-head victory of Miami.
Going against Kansas City this week, Miami should jump past them with a win.
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Every NFL team’s (potentially) fatal flaw
What’s the potentially fatal flaw for every NFL team?
No NFL team is perfect. Even the truly great teams have potentially fatal flaws. The 1972 Dolphins, the only undefeated team in pro football history, were pilloried at the time for their relatively weak schedule. The 1985 Bears were undone by Dan Marino’s quick passing game in their only loss of the season. The 1998 Vikings looked like an unstoppable juggernaut until that whole kicker thing happened. And the 2007 Patriots were unable to seal the deal on the second undefeated season in NFL annals when they proved unable to block Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s NASCAR packages in Super Bowl XLII.
So, as we come into the 2023 season, it’s time to ask — what’s the potentially fatal flaw for every NFL team? Fortunately, our NFL Wire team site editors were at the ready with their informed analysis.
NFL analyst has the Commanders much higher than others in Week 1 power rankings
The Commanders come in at No. 16.
ESPN analyst Mike Clay predicted the Washington Commanders to be the NFL’s lowest-scoring team in 2023. He also ranked the Commanders No. 28 in his power rankings, noting how the team is a question mark until Sam Howell proves he’s a legitimate NFL starting quarterback.
We strongly disagree with Clay’s projection about Washington’s offense in 2023. There’s no way Sam Howell and Eric Bieniemy aren’t better than Carson Wentz/Taylor Heinicke and Scott Turner. However, it’s fair to question Howell, with only one NFL start on his resume.
Touchdown Wire released its Week 1 power rankings Monday, and it’s safe to say that Jarrett Bailey is much higher on the Commanders than others. Bailey ranks Washington at No. 16 in his power rankings, offering the following explanation.
I will continue to drive the Washington Commanders bandwagon from now until January, so get on before it’s too late. Sam Howell showed a lot of promise throughout the preseason, and the roster is quietly really deep. The defense was a top 10 unit in DVOA last season, and they won eight games with a combination of Carson Wentz and Taylor Heinicke at quarterback. That isn’t a high bar for Howell to clear. In an Eric Bieniemy offense with Terry McLaurin and Jahan Dotson, he’ll have a lot of help.
Justin Jefferson ranks 2nd in third top 100 poll
Justin Jefferson in the unanimous second-best player in the NFL
The Minnesota Vikings got tremendous value in the 2020 NFL draft when they selected wide receiver Justin Jefferson with the 22nd overall pick. His peers and ESPN both ranked him as the second-best player in the National Football League.
Touchdown Wire released their final 25 players in their rankings and Jefferson once again ranked second. This should be no surprise considering how great Jefferson has been and Doug Farrar said it best in his write-up.
The Vikings selected Jefferson with the 22nd pick in the 2020 draft out of LSU, and through his first three seasons, Jefferson ranks first all-time in targets (476), receptions (324), and receiving yards (4,825). That’s throughout pro football history, which is pretty good.
There were those who believed that when Jefferson came out of college, he would be limited to a slot role in the NFL. That’s not the way things turned out — last season, Jefferson caught 46 passes on 73 outside targets for 530 yards, 345 air yards, and three touchdowns. Jefferson didn’t have as many outside targets as many of the players on this list, but the impact of those plays was undeniable.
Jefferson’s combination of route correctness, speed off the snap, and physical geometry (how he uses his body to create short-area openings) is unparalleled, and makes him the NFL’s toughest receiver to cover on a consistent basis.
Jefferson is going to continue terrorizing defenses for years.
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Three Chiefs rank in top six on Touchdown Wire’s 101 best players list for 2023
Three #Chiefs ranked in the top six of Touchdown Wire’s 101 best players list ahead of the 2023 season.
The Kansas City Chiefs host an incredible amount of talent heading into the 2023 regular season, and if the team can maintain its health in the coming months, it should have no problem competing for another Super Bowl title.
Doug Farrar of Touchdown Wire recently compiled his list of the NFL’s top 101 players and ranked three Chiefs in his top six heading into the new season.
Prolific tight end Travis Kelce took the sixth spot behind Cleveland Browns edge rusher Myles Garrett and was the only player at his position to crack the top 10.
Defensive tackle Chris Jones ranked as the third-best player in the league, according to Farrar, and was placed just one spot behind All-Pro receiver Justin Jefferson, who took second place.
It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Patrick Mahomes was Farrar’s top player at the number-one spot, but the accolade is yet another feather in the MVP’s cap ahead of the 2023 season kickoff next week.
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Touchdown Wire ranks Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes as NFL’s best
Touchdown Wire ranked #Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes as the NFL’s best signal-caller ahead of the 2023 season.
Touchdown Wire has been compiling a list of the top players in the NFL at every position and revealed a quarterback ranking on Sunday that put Kansas City Chiefs superstar Patrick Mahomes as the league’s best signal caller.
While this should come as no surprise to Chiefs fans who have borne witness to Mahomes’ excellence in recent years, the accomplishment shouldn’t go unnoticed. The reigning MVP manages to wow observers in nearly every game that he plays, and also ranked in the top spot on the NFL 100 list earlier in August.
Mahomes is poised to defend Kansas City’s Super Bowl LVII title in 2023 as he looks to win consecutive championships for the first time in his career. This lofty goal would be overkill for any other quarterback in the league, but Mahomes is chasing greatness as he enters his seventh season as the Chiefs’ starting signal-caller, so anything short of a Super Bowl repeat will be considered a failure.
Vikings rank 22nd in Touchdown Wires’s preseason power rankings
Are the Vikings really a bottom 11 NFL team in 2023? Touchdown Wire’s Jarrett Bailey believes so.
The Minnesota Vikings are coming off of a 13-4 season and opinions are mixed on them with many having them as contenders to win the NFC North. Touchdown Wire’s Jarrett Bailey doesn’t think they are contenders, as he ranked them at 22nd overall in his preseason power rankings.
I can understand being low on them considering how poor the underlying metrics were at times, but 22 is crazy low. Here is Bailey’s reasoning behind it.
The Vikings’ offense will remain fun with Kirk Cousins and Justin Jefferson still tormenting defenses, along with the added threat of Jordan Addison joining the fray. However, two things prevent me from seeing Minnesota as a playoff contender- they aren’t winning 11 one-score games again, and their defense is still horrid. Brian Flores may help the issue, but this isn’t a one-year fix. Even in an up-in-the-air division, I think the Vikings take a step back.
Taking a step back makes some sense, as they won’t go 11-0 in one-score games. They also aren’t going to be blown out in all of their losses again nor will they have poor underlying rushing metrics or go three and out 58 times.
The one thing about regression that people don’t often realize is that you can show growth in the same way. They aren’t all of a sudden going to be worse in every unstable metric that was really good and stay the same in the metrics that were bad. This is a situation where you can’t have your cake and eat it too.
What’s even worse is the Chicago Bears were ranked at 19, three spots ahead of the Vikings. Yes, you read that correctly.
The Bears feel like a team that will take a step forward. They did all the right things in the offseason, notably adding D.J. Moore to a receiving group that previously consisted of three mops and a drawing of Muhsin Muhammed. They added both Tremaine Edmunds and T.J. Edwards to clean up the middle of the field, and most recently signed Yannick Ngakoue to be their predominant edge rusher. It all comes down to Justin Fields becoming a more efficient passer. With a bolstered group of receivers, and improved offensive line, that leap is justifiably expected.
The Vikings are going to prove a lot of people wrong this season.
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Touchdown Wire ranks Danielle Hunter’s extension worst of month
Touchdown Wire’s Jarrett Bailey doesn’t believe the Minnesota Vikings did right by giving Danielle Hunter a raise on Sunday
The Minnesota Vikings agreed to a one-year extension with edge rusher Danielle Hunter yesterday to secure him for the 2023 season. The deal was worth $20 million with $17 million guaranteed.
Jarrett Bailey of Touchdown Wire recently ranked the 12 contract extensions from around the NFL.
The Vikings’ extension of Hunter ranked dead last, getting an underwhelming D grade.
“For Hunter, the one-year, $20 million extension is great. He’s been one of the best defensive ends in football for a while, and he’s getting financially rewarded for his efforts. For the Vikings as a team, though, I’m not sure this makes sense.
Minnesota is going to take a massive step back in 2023. They won’t win 11 one-score games again, and they have shown signs of a small rebuild. Za’Darius Smith was traded to Cleveland for a pair of fifth-round picks, both Patrick Peterson and Chandon Sullivan went to Pittsburgh via free agency, and Dalvin Cook is in the middle of being courted by the entire AFC East like he’s this year’s host of The Bachelor.
It would have made more sense to find a trade partner and get something for Hunter. No, the Vikings wouldn’t have gotten the type of capital they were looking for in a trade, but it’s better than winning six games and watching him walk out for nothing next offseason.”
Bailey thinks that keeping Hunter and salvaging this season is not worth it in the grand scheme of things. After all, this is a competitive rebuild.
But to be competitive, keeping players like Hunter is essential, even if it is just for a year. While harsh, it is understandable that Bailey would want the Vikings to turn the page and start to get to the rebuilding part of the competitive rebuild mantra.
But that’s just part of the intrigue with this Minnesota team. How much longer will they be able to tread the line of staying competitive and rebuilding their roster?
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Texans earn B-minus grade for Tytus Howard contract extension
The Houston Texans earned a respectable grade for their work with the Tytus Howard contract extension.
The Houston Texans guaranteed they would have a solid tackle duo for the next three seasons with the Tytus Howard extension.
Houston worked out a deal with their former 2019 first-round pick on the eve of training camp and finalized the contract by the end of day one.
Along with Howard, the Texans have three-time Pro Bowler Laremy Tunsil as a stalwart at left tackle. Presuming C.J. Stroud wins the starting quarterback job, the rookie will have quality pass protection as he makes his foray into the NFL.
According to Doug Farrar from the Touchdown Wire, the Texans’ contract with Howard grades as a B-minus in the vertical’s analysis of recent contract extensions across the league.
Howard is a solid option at right tackle for Houston. Could you do better? Sure, but you could also do much worse. He also gives Houston some versatility, as he can also be kicked inside to play guard if need be.
When it comes to pass blocking efficiency amongst tackles to play at least half the snaps of the league-leader in snaps played, Howard had a very respectable score of 96.6, per PFF. Locking him down with a three-year, $56 million extension is respectable money for a respectable option at right tackle opposite of Laremy Tunsil.
An offensive line is a cohesive unit of five players moving in concert to clear running lanes and provide protection on passing downs. In the abstract, Howard’s extension may be in the B range. However, when factored into the capital improvements general manager Nick Caserio has made to the line in the offseason, along with new coach DeMeco Ryans’ belief the trenches are a foundation to a great team, the Howard extension deserves a higher mark than flirting with C territory.
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