The NFL season is heading for the mid-term mark – and the SPOX panel draws a first interim conclusion.Which teams have been able to surprise so far?What heavyweights are missing out on the playoffs, how are the Green Bay Packers handling the injury to Aaron Rodgers and which players have been particularly impressive over the first six weeks?Tobi Krause from the Backfield Boys, mySPOX user Petzie and the SPOX editors Pascal De Marco and Adrian Franke reveal and explain their impressions after Week 6.
Tobi Krause (The Backfield Boys Show): In a season where the AFC East, despite jets and bills in refuelling rebuild mode, has no team with a negative record, a season in which the Eagles have the best record in the NFC, with the Jags Houston, Baltimore and Pittsburgh taking apart but still 3-3 or Rams and 49ers the best Thursday Night Football Game.It’s a crazy, but horny NFL season.Only the Browns are the Browns in this dimension, too.Of course, the Eagles and Chiefs are positive, but I am most surprised by the Los Angeles Rams.I was sure that Sean McVay would pull the rudder, but it was impressive that in two of the first three games it took the rams ten years between 2007 and 2016 to score over 40 points.Now the Defense and Special Teams are getting going.The backbone in L. A.and the seahawks and cardinals don’t make the NFC West stand out.On the downside, my gut feeling about the Raiders came true.With one leg and half a head in Sin City, a retired lead back and unfortunately injury worries about Derek Carr – a 2-4 start in this division is more than difficult to catch up with.
Adrian Franke (SPOX): At the top of the picture you surely have to see the Eagles.Carson Wentz is on a very good path, the defensive line plays even better than expected and the offensive line also exceeds expectations.A great mix, considering that the Secondary will receive individual upgrades over the coming weeks.In my second surprise team, I’m with you, the jump of the rams from last season to this season is enormous and McVay has been able to hide Goff’s limitations impressively so far.Negative surprise number one for me is the Giants, and the victory in Denver doesn’t change that either.In New York, the situation is even more frustrating as the problems were the same last year, but on a lesser scale.With the Raiders you had to expect problems in the defense, the weaknesses in the offense also with Carr, as soon as the short pass game is taken away (plus: Cooper’s Drops!) but I had not seen so coming.I personally expected more from Tennessee, the only team part that has so far been able to tap its full potential is the offensive line.Possibly, the strong game against the Colts may be a seasonal turning point for Mariota and their own Secondary.One more word about the Browns, Tobi:”I had really hoped for a visible development in Cleveland at the moment, but I can’t see any sign of that at all.The Browns were a candidate for four to six victories, currently they are back on 0-16-Watch.
mySPOX-User Petzie: Most of the time I go with you, Adrian.The Giants are a total disappointment to me.Of course, things went very badly for the G-Men with the injuries, but McAdoo’s play calling was already underground and almost all the team parts have underperformed.Giving Williams the play calling was definitely the right move.Further negative surprises for me are the Browns, from which I also expected a further development and which are not going to spill fame with their decisions about the quarterbacks, as well as the raiders, who are currently just not getting going and continue to act defensively weakly.In addition, I have the cowboys and bucs on my note, which are also very mixed.And positive?I had already appreciated the Eagles before the season, I had the Cowboys in my predictions at the top of the division, but Pederson as coach of the year on the screen.The Philadelphia front office did a good job in Offseason and Draft, but I didn’t expect the team to be so stable.Another positive surprise for me are the Panthers, the defense looked promising so far and Cam also stabilized after some initial difficulties.Last but not least, the jets.The team hadn’t been able to claim three victories before the season, and it looked as if they could be taken by surprise against New England for at least half a season.
Pascal De Marco (SPOX): I am a little more sceptical, clear positive or negative surprises to name because of the unbelievable performance fluctuations of the teams up to this moment is hard for me to say.Sure, the Eagles and the Rams are positive: Philly is a very good all-round team right now.A much improved Wentz benefits from great O-Line-Play, while Brandon Graham and Vinny Curry play well against the run on the defensive side.The return of Fletcher Cox made a good unit a very good one.Ronald Darby will also be reinforcing the secondary in the near future.In the rams, I think the development leap seems to be the biggest of all teams compared to last season.Goff fully lives out the new offensive scheme with creative play calling and Todd Gurley shows his face from the rookie season after a catastrophic season.The defensive performance alone is still too inconsistent.At least against the Jaguars this side also worked better, however, when one could collect five sacks and Leonard Fournette after his touchdown in the opening drive could hold at 2.8 yards per run attempt.Among the negative surprises for me are the Giants, the Patriots, the Cowboys and the Falcons.
Page 1: My surprise teams are…
Page 2: Without Aaron Rodgers, the Packers have no chance to play the playoffs.
Page 3: The first head coach dismissal of the season takes place…
Page 4: The Cowboys, Raiders and Falcons miss the postseason
Page 5: The best player of the first six weeks was…