Jets suffer worst win, probably ever

It burns.  It stings.  It’s something I would never in a million years wish upon anyone.  Being a Jets fan is pure torture.  You can’t have nice things, you lose when you’re supposed to win and you win when you’re supposed to lose.  I should also mention that you miss out on arguably the two most talented quarterback prospects of the last 25 years because of the worst conceivable luck imaginable.

 

Frankel Five: Top 5 Takeaways from Week 10

Thankfully, the Jets were off in Week 10, which meant I could enjoy some football without unnecessary nonsense. With that said, here are my top 5 takeaways from Week 10 of the NFL season:

1. Lamar Jackson has been officially exposed – When Lamar Jackson decides to walk away from the NFL or the Ravens choose to move on from him (which I recommend they do sooner rather than later), we’ll look back at the 2019 season as his apex mountain. I’m extremely confident about that. Following Sunday night’s loss to the Patriots, the Ravens are now 6-3 and have already surpassed their loss total from all of last season. It is worth nothing they could very easily be 5-4 if Jonathan Taylor doesn’t fumble in Week 9, but I digress. Lamar is now 0-6 in his career when trailing by 10 points at any point in a game. What that shows is when Lamar faces adversity, he lacks the ability to bring his team back, and that’s a major problem. This is why Lamar is not in the same stratosphere when it comes to pure quarterback talent as the likes of Patrick Mahomes and Russell Wilson who are never out of a game. The Ravens are still good enough to make the postseason, but they’re far from a serious contender for a championship. Sorry, Baltimore.

2. Kyler Murray is the on-field story of the 2020 season – Much like Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson before him, this season is Kyler’s coming out party. This narrative has been building up all season but Sunday’s “Hail Murray” to DeAndre Hopkins solidified it. He has rushing touchdowns in 5 straight games and is the first quarterback to accomplish that feat since Tobit Rote of all people in 1956. He’s the first QB since Cam Newton in 2015 to rush for 10 touchdowns in a season and he’s accounted for 27 touchdowns so far. At this point last season, Lamar had 21. There’s a major log jam atop of the NFC West, but if any player is destined to come out on top, it’s Kyler.

3. Panic City in Seattle – The Seahawks were the fad of the first five weeks of the NFL season. They were 5-0 and Russell Wilson was the clear favorite to win MVP. Since then, they’ve lost 3 of 4, Wilson as it turns out is indeed human and their defense can’t stop a nosebleed. Over his last two games specifically, Wilson is 0-2, has thrown two touchdowns to four interceptions, he’s been sacked 11 times and has turned the ball over seven times. Thursday night’s showdown against the Cardinals might turn out to be the biggest game of their season. In my opinion, the winner of that game wins the NFC West. Luckily for Seattle, their upcoming schedule includes games against the Eagles, Giants, Jets and Washington, so theoretically they should win all four of those games, but when it comes to being a legit title contender, I think the Seahawks have too many issues they would have to overcome.

4. Who are the Buccaneers?? – Perhaps the hardest team to get a read on this season is the Buccaneers. Against every team besides the Saints, they look like world beaters. Tom Brady probably has the best arsenal of playmakers around him in the game with Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Antonio Brown, Rob Gronkowski, Ronald Jones who Tampa should start feeding as much as possible and Leonard Fournette, but no matter how great they looked against the Panthers on Sunday, I can’t get how they flat out quit against the Saints out of my head. They have all the makings of being one of if not the best team in the NFC, but they’re also capable of laying an absolute dud when it matters most which is why I ultimately do not trust them to represent the conference in the Super Bowl when all is said and done. FWIW, I’m usually wrong on these things so there’s that.

5. The Raiders can’t possibly be this good – I don’t care how much they flat out dominated the Broncos on Sunday, I do not see the Raiders as a team I am seriously afraid of in the AFC. I view the Chiefs, Steelers, Bills and Dolphins as teams I trust more to win when it matters most in the AFC and that’s due in large part to Derek Carr. I know he has 16 touchdowns to just two interceptions, which is phenomenal, but in a big spot, I can’t see Carr being the reason why Las Vegas wins a big game. They host the Chiefs on Sunday and if by some miracle they win that game and sweep the season series, I’ll eat crow. I do fully expect the Chiefs to win by at least 14 points. Hammer Kansas City minus the points.

For more of me, follow me on Twitter @LucasFrankel and be on the lookout for my weekly podcast “Lucas and Lucas” which is available on YouTube and Apple Podcasts.

 

INSTANT REACTION: New York Jets 2020 schedule

The New York Jets have released their 2020 schedule.  This is the path Sam Darnold and company will have to conquer if they are to return to the postseason for the first time since 2010:

 

New York Jets: Re-grading the 2007 draft

The New York Jets were a surprise playoff team in 2006, going 10-6 before getting trounced by the Patriots in Foxboro on wild-card weekend.  Still, with Chad Pennington showing his vintage form and several young players gaining valuable experience, there was plenty of optimism surrounding the team heading into the 2007 draft.

 

New York Jets: Re-grading the 2006 draft

Once upon a time, the Jets were actually really good at drafting players.  No year better exemplifies that than 2006, when general manager Mike Tannenbaum and rookie coach Eric Mangini struck gold with multiple foundational pieces that nearly brought the franchise to its first Super Bowl since the 1960s.

 

New York Jets: Re-grading the 2013 Draft

Entering the 2013 NFL Draft, the Jets were at a crossroads with Mark Sanchez.  Management realized he probably wasn’t going to be the face of the franchise he looked poised to become after making the AFC Championship Game in 2009 and 2010.