What We Learned from Week 5 of the NFL Season

1) The Cowboys have issues

The Cowboys were taken to the woodshed by the Green Bay Packers. Is this a sign of things to come for the Cowboys? Probably, because so far when playing below-average teams they look great, but when contenders are lined up across from them they have been found woefully lacking. It all comes down to one thing for me and it’s not talent! It is Jason Garrett! As long as Garrett’s the head coach there is a ceiling on the Cowboys and that ceiling will always fall short of the Super Bowl.

2) The Bengals and Cardinals are pathetic

Watching Zac Taylor and Kliff Kingsbury coach football teams is about like watching a man with no legs trying to cross a highway. It’s amusing for a short period until you realize there is no chance of getting across the street. Kingsbury will be gone in two years and Taylor will fail before the Bengals ownership will admit that they made a mistake.

3) Andy Reid is a problem in Kansas City

Reid is known for ignoring the running game and he did it once again in Sunday night’s surprising loss to the Colts. Frank Reich, on the other hand, ran the ball right down Reid’s throat and played old-time smash-mouth football and Reid had no answer. You would have thought it was a playoff game! Without a running game and at least an average defense the Chiefs are doomed to come up short in the playoffs once again.

4) Are the Raiders a playoff team?

The last nine teams to win International Series matchups have reached the playoffs! Does this mean the Raiders will make it 10? Probably not, but even after saying that, when you look around at the AFC landscape, maybe they can. Jon Gruden has done a great job so far this season and Derek Carr has played very well. Who knows, stranger things have happened in the NFL.

5) It’s only a matter of time

Not much to say here but Jay Gruden will probably be working with his brother in Oakland soon.

6) Dan Quinn’s days are numbered also

The Falcons have progressively gotten worse since giving away a Super Bowl a few years ago and Quinn’s days have to be numbered after giving up over 50 points to the Houston Texans. The defense was supposed to be improved this year but that has obviously not happened.

7) Not so fast on Lamar Jackson

He looked great against Miami and Arizona but things have changed and he is not looking like a slam dunk franchise quarterback anymore. Jackson has turned the ball over 5 times in the last 2 games and he threw for just 161 yards against a poor Steelers secondary on Sunday.

8) Teddy Ballgame

Teddy Bridgewater led the saints to a third consecutive win and this one, unlike the first two, was won on his arm as he threw 4 touchdown passes and led the Saints over an improved Buccaneers team. The biggest takeaway here is with Teddy playing and winning the Saints will not have to hurry up Drew Brees’ recovery.

9) Christian McCaffrey MVP?

He is the best running back in the game right now and he just may be the MVP of the entire league if he can keep up this torrid pace up. McCaffrey began Sunday with a league-best 629 yards from scrimmage … then piled 237 more (plus 3 TDs) on the Jags in Carolina’s 34-27 victory. McCaffrey has made life much easier on inexperienced quarterback Kyle Allen and the Panthers are starting to look like a playoff contender.

10) If not McCaffrey, Wilson?

Russell Wilson’s stats so far this season include a completion rate of 73.1%, a TD pass total of 12 and passer rating of 126.3–all paced the league entering Sunday. The Seahawks have a sub-par offensive line and the defensive is not what it used to be but Wilson may just be the best quarterback in the entire league right now.