The NFL’s greatest offensive and defensive participant by way of Week 4

October is right here, which suggests so is playoff baseball. What a beautiful time to be alive.

As the autumn absolutely arrives (hopefully cooler climate will comply with), we are able to lastly begin to attract reputable conclusions about who every NFL workforce is right here in 2024.

A month’s value of information is in our palms and whereas that’s nonetheless not sufficient to totally freak out it’s definitely a robust sufficient set for us to say issues with some extent of conviction.

That is the premise of immediately’s version of The Skinny Submit. We, as in Michael Peterson and RJ Ochoa, are going by way of issues that we consider in firmly, even when they upset you.

Let’s get together.

Who’re your Offensive and Defensive Rookies of the Month for September?

Michael:

We’ve seen some nice rookie performances up to now by way of the primary 4 weeks.

Offensively, it’s robust to not go Jayden Daniels for all the explanations we touched on above. If it wasn’t Daniels, I feel it must be Giants wideout Malik Nabers. He at the moment leads the NFL with 35 receptions and sits second within the league in yards and touchdowns with 386 and three, respectively. He’s successful together with his elite athleticism and I’m fairly positive he’s going to be an issue on this league for a very long time.

Defensively, let’s roll with Rams edge rusher Jared Verse. He’s solely acquired one sack, however he’s been wreaking havoc with 5 tackles for loss in 4 video games. I don’t assume many defensive rookies have been as distinctive as their offensive counterparts, however Verse has finished sufficient to be ranked tied for third in TFLs this yr.

RJ:

Forgive me for being boring, however it is rather tough to disagree with Michael right here.

We now have famous that Daniels has been on absolute hearth to start out his profession. Dare I say he’s the best participant within the Washington franchise’s transient historical past because the Commanders.

Because it pertains to Verse although… he might “solely” have one sack, however he’s prime 5 within the league in strain fee on opposing quarterbacks. This isn’t prime 5 amongst rookies. We’re speaking about prime 5 throughout the complete NFL. Solely Myles Garrett, Will McDonald IV, Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson Jr. are forward of him. That could be a bizarre listing, but it surely’s true!

It’s hilarious that the Rams didn’t have a first-round decide in endlessly and that the very first one was superb. Such is life.

The Baltimore Ravens stay very a lot for actual

RJ:

This annoys me enormously because the Dallas Cowboys individual round these elements, however we tend as a soccer society to make every thing about playoff success.

Clearly the playoffs matter. Clearly they matter essentially the most. However we throw away full common seasons as a result of causes, and that’s so silly when it’s the majority of video games performed throughout what an NFL season truly is.

Take into account the Baltimore Ravens for instance. We act just like the details that they’ve a two-time MVP winner in Lamar Jackson, resident dashing king at his aspect now in Derrick Henry with all-world expertise everywhere and a head coach who has already gained the Tremendous Bowl are all meaningless in a relative sense. Baltimore has not gotten it finished in essentially the most important moments as of late, however my goodness they’re stable.

The Ravens flexed their muscle groups but once more on Sunday Night time Soccer of their thrashing of the then-undefeated Buffalo Payments. It isn’t an overreaction to say that they’re top-of-the-line 2-2 groups ever. Actually ever!

It’s a lengthy season and far will change earlier than the calendar even reads November, however I’m so impressed with how they’ve develop into precisely what we feared they’d by including Henry. It isn’t straightforward to repeatedly be nice or dwell as much as expectations like that.

Michael:

The NFL has all however laid a demise sentence on groups that begin the season 0-2 with regard to their postseason probabilities. Since 1990, 279 groups have misplaced their first two video games to start a season. Solely 32 of them have come again to make the postseason. That’s roughly 11.5 p.c. With that in thoughts, I feel it’s honest that some believed the Ravens’ season was already a wash after the 0-2 begin, particularly after a type of groups they misplaced to was the lowly Raiders (someway they’re 2-2 as effectively?).

Right here’s the factor: The extra I cowl the NFL, the increasingly I understand it’s all simply madness and nobody is aware of something till the common season lastly ends. A lot can occur, and the craziest of issues truly DO occur extra usually than you’d count on.

The Ravens have been one of many winningest groups of the final decade. John Harbaugh is a hell of a coach and even when the Ravens look horrible, it’s by no means for for much longer than that one week. If I had been a betting man at this very second, I’d be choosing the Ravens to win the North after which some.

Is that this referee conspiracy involving Shawn Smith legit or just a loopy coincidence?

Michael:

So Shawn Smith was the pinnacle official for Chargers-Chiefs on Sunday.

Since 2018, he ranks No. 1 in highway workforce win share (see tweet beneath). The Chiefs had been the highway workforce they usually had been known as for 5 penalties to the Chargers’ 9. From the very starting, the flags had been raining in opposition to Los Angeles. Virtually each drive started with a penalty and it appeared as if the Chargers confronted a first-and-15, second-and-18, and so forth., each time they acquired a brand new possession. Granted this was a brand new beginning 5 configuration for the offensive line, but it surely appeared like a bizarre quantity of imploding for a gaggle that also had over 232 mixed profession begins to their title.

In the long run, the Chargers weren’t constructed to continually dig themselves out of those holes they put themselves in as they finally went scoreless by way of the ultimate 45 minutes of regulation. They had been a foul offensive soccer workforce for almost all of the night time and actually, the flags simply added insult to harm.

So do I feel there’s a much bigger state of affairs happening behind the scenes right here? Completely not. I’m not THAT a lot of a homer. But it surely’s nonetheless fascinating that issues went the way in which historical past stated it was going to.

RJ:

My private opinion is that individuals usually dismiss issues like this as being purely homer type of takes. However as a rule I feel there’s on the very least a kernel of fact to them.

Michael raised my curiosity in noting the quantity of drives that had been impacted by penalty. 5 of the primary eight possessions for the Chargers had some type of penalty concerned. That’s over 50%! And the primary drive, the one touchdown-scoring one, didn’t. Hmm.

I’m unsure that I’d go so far as saying there’s some type of conspiracy happening right here, but it surely on the very least highlights how officers have to relax a bit. To not make this entire dialogue tremendous homer, however did you watch Thursday night time’s Dallas Cowboys recreation? It was insane what number of penalties there have been on each side.

Possibly that is simply the results of it being the primary 4 weeks of the season and time being mandatory for issues to be correctly ironed out. Whether or not you might be upset about this or not although, it isn’t enjoyable to observe.

Washington could be contending for extra than simply the NFC East

RJ:

I’m not ready to supply a full on Take on Caleb Williams but, however I’m very sure that Jayden Daniels is a dude. Washington seems like the actual deal.

For essentially the most half, current division titles for that franchise have come when everybody else within the group is experiencing pure and utter chaos. This Commanders squad feels totally different than the iterations the franchise has provided earlier than. They’re dominating individuals and their rookie quarterback is a giant cause why.

A lot has been made about how sometimes the Commanders are punting within the Daniels period. Whereas he is probably not throwing for 400 yards a recreation, historical past tells us that the most effective rookie quarterbacks perceive how necessary taking good care of the soccer is. Have a look at C.J. Stroud final yr, or Dak Prescott throughout his rookie season. They entered the NFL with unimaginable poise and understanding and their groups benefitted from it.

Daniels’ Commanders look very outfitted to be severe gamers this season, even even if the NFC East is falling throughout themselves. He’s the longer term and he’s right here.

Michael:

As somebody who positively forgot about Jayden Daniels on this rookie class for awhile resulting from all of the Caleb Williams hype, this has been actually cool to see. Daniels has been crushing it and it’s particularly notable when contrasted with the preseason expectations set forth for the Commanders. They weren’t alleged to be that nice! However alas, right here had been are. They’re 3-1 and on the prime of their division.

What Daniels is doing so far as his accuracy by way of the primary 4 video games is large. I don’t assume anybody thought the Commanders ability group was going to be superb this yr, however they’re all coming collectively and enjoying a synergistic sort of soccer that’s elevating all of them on the identical time.

The Commanders are formally this yr’s Texans. They’re younger, enjoyable to observe, and except they’re in your division, you’re most likely rooting for them in impartial matchups each time.