Chiefs take control, Eagles falter Week 5 has

The Baker’s Dozen Color Rush Qadree Ollison Jersey , Week 5: Rams hold on,come and gone. We saw some heartbreaking outcomes (the Falcons’ horrible loss comes to mind), and some very exciting games. While some teams are clearly starting to take shape, others continue to baffle us with inconsistency and sloppy play. Several teams, too, have effectively dropped out of the playoff race by hitting the death knell of 1-4.At any rate, I’m here to bring you all the best takeaways from Week 5. Let’s begin.The Patriots are back to being unstoppableThere was a brief moment, like there is early in every season, that we thought: just maybe the Patriots (3-2) dynasty could be coming to an end. And, like every season before it, this proved to be nothing more than a mirage. Julian Edelman made his return to New England, and all the sudden the maligned Patriots’ WR corps looks absolutely stacked—with Josh Gordon getting his first real snaps. The whole thing was so...typical.The Broncos and the Jets are the two most confusing teams in the NFLTwo teams that I’m absolutely confused by are the Broncos (2-3) and the Jets (2-3), who have taken turns looking competent and absolutely terrible. When the two met in Week 5, the same pattern emerged: one looked competent, the other terrible. Denver’s run defense—which is supposed to be good—gave up over 300 yards to Isaiah Crowell and Bilal Powell. Are either of these teams actually playoff-caliber? No, but they’re capable of looking good once in awhile. That’s gotta be infuriating for fans.Graham Gano kicked a 63-yard field goalThis one deserves it’s own entry. The Giants (1-4) surely thought they had beaten the Panthers (3-1) when Carolina sent out Graham Gano to attempt a ludicrous 63-yard field goal. Well, Graham nailed it Qadree Ollison Atlanta Falcons Jersey , sending New York into the basement of the NFC East. Incredible. This Carolina team is also very inconsistent, but they’re finding ways to win.The Titans are so incredibly bad on offenseSomehow, we let one good Marcus Mariota game give us hope. That was dumb. This Titans (3-2) team—featuring Matt LaFleur at OC (someone Falcons’ fans were clamoring for the team to hire)—has now put up miserable numbers in almost every game this season. Against a Bills’ (2-3) team that is probably the least talented in the NFL, Mariota managed only 129 yards passing. Perhaps he’s still recovering from his nerve issue, but this team looks downright pathetic on offense.The Browns won another gameIn a battle of field goals, the Browns (2-2-1) surprisingly came out on top against the Ravens (3-2) in overtime. Cleveland held Baltimore to only 9 points on the day, smothering their rushing attack and keeping the Ravens out of the end zone. While Baltimore doesn’t have anywhere near the league’s best offense, it’s safe to say that the Browns have a very good defensive unit in the making.Kansas City wallops Jacksonville in a battle of AFC heavyweightsWhat many predicted might be one of the best games of Week 5 turned out to be pretty one-sided. The Chiefs (5-0) got on the board early and never looked back, with their bad defense still managing to intercept Jaguars’ (3-2) QB Blake Bortles four (!) times. Jacksonville has an elite defense, but that won’t save them if Bortles commits that many turnovers. With RB Leonard Fournette out of the lineup for some time, the Jags are forced to rely upon Bortles—and it hasn’t been pretty, to say the least.Vikings stabilize, keep playoff aspirations aliveThe Minnesota Vikings (2-2-1) were circling the drain after a series of disappointing losses—including a ridiculous upset at the hands of the dreadful Bills. That put the Vikings in a must-win situation going into Philadelphia, and they answered the call with a strong performance. Kirk Cousins was efficient and accurate, and Minnesota’s strong receiving corps and a solid defensive effort lifted them over the Eagles. They looked like contenders again on Sunday.The Eagles are strugglingThe defending Super Bowl champions have looked lackluster through Week 5. Philadelphia (2-3) just barely held on at home against the Falcons (when they still had a defense), then got walloped by the Bucs, scraped out a win against the Colts, and then lost to the Titans in overtime. Those last three teams have proven that they’re competent Youth Qadree Ollison Jersey , but not particularly good. That’s cause for concern for an Eagles team that clearly had high aspirations in 2019. At 2-3, they’re just one game ahead of the Falcons—and that means they’re one loss away from oblivion.The Rams and Seahawks played the best game of Week 5This one was a barn burner. The Rams (5-0) went on the road to face a vulnerable but game Seahawks (2-3) team, and what a match it was. Los Angeles lost their top two receivers in short order, leading to a much more limited passing attack and an emphasis on RB Todd Gurley. Seattle played their best game of the season on both sides of the ball, with RB Chris Carson having a strong day and Russell Wilson throwing for 3 TDs. It wasn’t enough to take down the Rams, however, who are proving every week that they’re the best team in the NFL.The Cardinals got their first winArizona (1-4) has been struggling mightily in 2018, but managed to find their first win of the season against the injury-ravaged 49ers (1-4). While it isn’t much to brag about, it’s nice to see the rookie QB Josh Rosen get his first win. David Johnson was clearly a bigger part of the gameplan, and the defense made enough plays to seal the game.San Francisco is facing a lost season, much like AtlantaJust like the Falcons, the 49ers are facing an injury-ravaged season of their own in 2018. While San Francisco didn’t have the same caliber of roster (or sheer number of injuries) that Atlanta had, they did lose their QB Jimmy Garoppolo—and while C.J. Beathard has been putting up decent numbers, it’s clear that he can’t overcome the obstacles necessary for the team to stay competitive.The Texans kept their season alive with a win over the CowboysDeshaun Watson and DeAndre Hopkins led the floundering Texans (2-3) to a victory over the Cowboys (2-3) in overtime, keeping their playoff hopes alive for the time being. Neither of these teams has looked especially good over the first five weeks of the season, but the Texans have the much better roster. This being the AFC, there’s plenty of opportunity for a team like Houston to finish strong and end up firmly in the Wild Card race. Meanwhile, the Cowboys are one loss away from falling out of it themselves—though the NFC East has been a lot weaker than expected.Baker’s Bonus Take: Washington isn’t inconsistent Black Desmond Trufant Jersey , they’re just badI’ve often remarked that Washington (2-2) is among the NFL’s most inconsistent teams, year in and year out. Well, in 2018, that inconsistency might turn into badness. Facing the Saints (4-1) and their tissue-paper defense, Washington managed only 19 points. The rushing attack was completely stonewalled, and the defense—the most talented unit on the team—got eviscerated by New Orleans to the tune of 43 points. We’ll see how they react at 2-2, but this team clearly has serious issues.What are your thoughts on the games of Week 5? Are the Browns a competitive team in 2018? Are the Eagles really going to miss the playoffs? Who’s on top in the NFC North? The Falcons signed OT Ty Sambrailo to a 3-year extension this offseason and Dan Quinn referred to him as a "starter". That doesn’t mean Atlanta has stopped looking for the RT of the future, who could be found in the 2019 NFL Draft."The Atlanta Falcons are in the midst of an offensive line rebuild. Prior to free agency, the team had two quality starters entrenched: LT Jake Matthews—who was just named to his first Pro Bowl in 2018—and All-Pro C Alex Mack. Outside of those two, no one appeared to be safe. Longtime RT Ryan Schraeder was released for cap savings after two down years. LG Andy Levitre was not re-signed in free agency. RG Brandon Fusco could possibly be on the chopping block.Additions began in free agency. First, the team brought back swing tackle Ty Sambrailo—who finished 2018 as the starter at right tackle and played quite well—on a 3-year deal. Then, two guards were brought in: James Carpenter and Jamon Brown. Based on their contracts, both are expected to start. Recently, the team signed C/G Adam Gettis, presumably to back-up Alex Mack at center.Even though all three “vacancies” on the offensive line have been addressed, it seems clear that the Falcons aren’t finished adding talent. The signings of Carpenter, Brown, and Gettis make it seem very unlikely that Atlanta is planning to add an interior offensive lineman early in the 2019 NFL Draft. But what about OT Desmond Trufant Jersey 2019 , where the team has invested considerable scouting resources and time? Does Ty Sambrailo’s contract prevent the Falcons from adding the RT of the future? Let’s take a closer look at the numbers.On the surface, Sambrailo’s contract looks like a starter’s deal. When first reported, agents talked up the $18M maximum value of the contract. But the “real” value of the deal without playtime or playoff escalators is $14.25M, and only $6M is guaranteed. If you look more closely at the structure of the cap hits, however, the contract is really a “bridge starter” deal with easy outs for the Falcons in 2020 and especially in 2021.Dan Quinn has called Sambrailo a “starter”, and I don’t think there’s any reason to believe that he’s lying. I do think the Falcons view Sambrailo as a starting option. If Atlanta went into the 2019 season with Sambrailo at the top of the depth chart, I think the team would be comfortable with that. After all, Sambrailo is two years removed from his disastrous early career in Denver. While he didn’t see the field much in 2017 for the Falcons, his 2018 play was much improved. Sambrailo looked like he could be a serviceable-to-good starter on the right side.Sambrailo is still young at 27, but the Falcons would be wise to “hedge their bets” by adding a high-upside rookie to the mix. It’s clear that Atlanta wants to add an offensive tackle in the first three rounds based on their scouting. They’ve shown interest in several first round targets, like Jawaan Taylor, Cody Ford, Andre Dillard, and Dalton Risner. The team has also looked into potential Day 2 options, with a lot of attention paid to Tytus Howard and Kaleb McGary in particular.Based on what we know, I believe the Falcons are targeting a Day 2 developmental OT. Atlanta will consider one of the first round OTs at 14 if their top choices are gone, but I think that’s more of a fallback plan. So Black Damontae Kazee Jersey , let’s say the Falcons do go after Tytus Howard—who seems to be one of their top targets. Howard is a physical marvel with some impressive highs on tape, but his technique is incredibly raw. He’ll almost certainly need a year to develop before being thrust into the lineup.That’s where Ty Sambrailo’s value—and contract—make the most sense. In 2019, Sambrailo carries a cap hit of only $3.25M. If he ends up starting the season at RT and plays well, that’s a bargain—though he will likely early some incentive-based pay that could bring his total up closer to $6M. If Atlanta does elect to draft an OT at 14 and Sambrailo loses the starting job, $3.25M is a pricey but not unheard of contract for a swing tackle.In 2020, the Falcons will then have a lot of flexibility with Sambrailo. If Tytus Howard or a similar draft pick still needs time—or if Sambrailo is playing really well—the team can keep him at a cap hit of $5.75M. In the case that someone like Howard is ready to start or the Falcons drafted a first-round OT in 2019, the team can move on from Sambrailo quite easily. If made a post-June 1st cut, Sambrailo would carry only a $1M dead cap hit and save the team a whopping $4.75M in cap space.In 2021, Atlanta is in essentially the same place. If Sambrailo has been a great RT and/or the developmental rookie has disappointed, you can keep him at a $5.25M cap hit—which is still a bargain for a good OT. If the Falcons are ready to move on, you lose only $1M in dead cap and save $4.25M in cap space.As you can see, Ty Sambrailo’s contract doesn’t prevent the Falcons from adding their right tackle of the future in the 2019 NFL Draft. If anything, his presence gives Atlanta the flexibility to target their preferred player—whether that’s a first round OT like Cody Ford, or a Day 2 developmental player like Tytus Howard. The team can go into the draft with the knowledge that they have a—hopefully—capable bridge starter in place, and that allows them to pick the player that’s the best fit for the team depending on how the draft plays out.What are your thoughts on the right tackle situation with Ty Sambrailo? Do you expect him to be the starter in 2019? Do you think the Falcons still take an OT in the 2019 NFL Draft?