Post Thanksgiving notes on the NFL

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Thanksgiving Day marks the home stretch for the NFL season, so I thought I'd take this time to make some observations about this NFL season. One thing that jumps out about this season is how well an NFL team plays is closely tied to the performance of their quarterback. There have been some surprises in that area, both good and bad.

The Brady Bunch remains elite

I keep thinking Tom Brady is going to start showing his age and he keeps proving me wrong. The New England Patriots sit comfortably atop the AFC East while top Tom Brady leads the NFL in QB rating at 110.9. The Patriots are so comfortable with Brady they traded Jimmy Garoppolo to the 49ers for a second round pick in the 2018 draft. I still don't think Brady will be playing at a high level until he's 45, but he's defied odds so far, so who knows?

NFL quarterbacking suddenly looks better

DeShaun Watson looked like the real deal before tearing up his knee in practice while Carson Wentz has led the Eagles to a 9-1 start and looks like a potential MVP. Jared Goff has made a leap in effectiveness for the LA Rams this season. The Rams are 7-3 and the change in coaching staff seems to have made a real impact. (Are you watching Bears?) As recently as last season the NFL looked to have a severe lack of outstanding quarterbacks. It looks like their stock is being replenished.

The better Bear

Jay Cutler went to Miami to quarterback the Dolphins in a decision both parties probably regret. Cutler has retained his penchant for turnovers but seemingly lost his ability to throw the long ball. Actually, another Bears castoff, Josh McCown is having a better year with the Jets than Cutler is with the Dolphins.

Will Dez and Dak make it back?

After a nice start the Cowboys have regressed since the loss of Ezekiel Elliott. Dak Prescott looks a lot more ordinary when the tools at his disposal are reduced. Dez Bryant has been relatively quiet this season. That could well be a function of age and mileage.

Maybe these guys are really are good

Two guys I haven't been as high on have had somewhat of a renaissance this year. Drew Brees is now working with a solid ground game and a stout defense. There is reason to be bullish on the Saints going forward. Interestingly enough, the Saints ground game got better after they traded Adrian Peterson. I really haven't thought of Russell Wilson as an elite quarterback, but he's surprised me. Still, he's got a huge load to carry with the decline of the Seahawks defense. I suspect the loss of Richard Sherman will be more than Wilson and the Seahawks can overcome.

I think he got me

Alex Smith looked like he had turned into Alex Smith, Super QB, but now seems to have lapsed back into Alex Smith, Game Manager. Eli Manning and the Giants look like the NFL's version of the Walking Dead.

And the Bears got their guy

The Bears look to finally have a quarterback to go forward with in Mitch Trubisky. That's the good news. The bad news is they grossly overpaid at the quarterback position. Free agent signing, Mike Glennon was signed as a game manager. It turned out he couldn't even do that. It also seems the Bears probably grossly overpaid to move up one slot to draft Trubisky. It's like the Bears were so obsessed with covering their rear end, they wore a belt and suspenders. Not a good look guys. 

Another year, another Brownout

And of course, there is the NFL's punchline, the Cleveland Browns. They're winless, and their rookie QB, DeShone Kizer, has thrown 5 TDs vs. 14 interceptions. It reassuring to see some things don't change.

Look for a part two on these notes.