Author: Sean Tyler - @SeanTylerUK

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Better Than Advertised: Two players proving us wrong

After roughly a quarter of the regular NFL season, let’s look at a couple of players who were vastly underestimated before a ball was thrown in anger. The $72 million that Jacksonville coughed up for Christian Kirk was widely ridiculed as a massive overpayment for an underwhelming choice. Meanwhile, the Seahawks took a lot of flak when they settled for a QB room populated by Drew Lock and Geno Smith rather than filling their Russell-Wilson-shaped hole with a bigger name. But as we’ve seen, Kirk and Smith are making us rethink our initial judgements.

Christian Kirk, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars

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Having cashed in their #1 overall draft pick for a franchise quarterback last offseason, it was clear from Trevor Lawrence’s shaky rookie campaign that he needed better offensive weapons around him. Cue the arrival of Arizona Cardinals wideout Christian Kirk in a deal inked literally hours into the legal tampering period.

It wasn’t Kirk’s name than made the deal one of the most questioned of the 2021 offseason. After all, the former second-round pick from Texas A&M was coming off his best year, having snared 77 targets for 982 yards and five TDs. It was more about the money.

Kirk got an absolute bag: $72 million over four years, with $37 million guaranteed – and with incentives, it could reach $84 million. Even for a franchise swimming in cap space, an average annual salary of $18 million was widely considered to be crazy money for a WR2. Kirk has largely played second or even third fiddle to the likes of Larry Fitzgerald, DeAndre Hopkins and AJ Green during his career. Furthermore, he is yet to have 1,000 receiving yards in any of his four seasons as a pro.

You could argue that, given their limited success over the years, Jacksonville needed to pay top dollar to attract talent. They needed someone young enough to develop alongside Lawrence (Kirk is 25). They needed someone with speed and separation (he has both). And they needed someone who’s been relatively healthy (he’s only had a couple of short-term foot and ankle injuries, and missed one game through COVID).

Deebo Samuel, Tyreek Hill and Davante Adams were going to break the bank, and Amari Cooper has a poor injury record. As for the draft, the Jags were selecting #1 and #33, leaving them out of the mid-Round 1 sweet spot for WRs. So of all the viable receivers available to them, Kirk seemed to fit the bill. But even then, the deal seemed like a massive – and expensive – gamble for someone with still so much to prove. 

Yet a month into the regular season, maybe the Jags knew something we didn’t. Sure, General Manager Trent Baalke paid through the nose but so far, it seems that Kirk is holding up his side of the bargain.

Kirk’s season so far:

Week 1 v Commanders: 6 catches, 117 yards
Week 2 v Colts: 6 catches, 78 yards, 2 TDs
Week 3 v Chargers: 6 catches, 72 yards, 1 TD
Week 4 v Eagles: 2 catches, 60 yards

Unlike in the desert, he’s now the No.1 target for a QB that gets the ball out quickly, leading an attack that also features Zay Jones, Marvin Jones, Laviska Shenault and Jamal Agnew. Mainly lining up in the slot, but also popping up out wide and in the backfield, how is he doing?

  • #9 in the NFL with 327 receiving yards from just 20 receptions.
  • #2 in yards per reception at 16.4 (among those with an average of 5+ catches per game), trailing only Jaylen Waddle.
  • Only Tyreek Hill (8) and Justin Jefferson (7) have had more 20-plus-yard receptions than Kirk’s six.
  • His three receiving touchdowns, while tied with a dozen others, is bettered only by Stefon Diggs and Jahan Dotson (4).

The trick now is to keep up the pace for the rest of the year and make sure this isn’t a flash in the pan. Sure, Kirk’s numbers to date might not yet have convinced you that he was worth the investment. But if he maintains this trajectory, a few critics will have to get the cutlery and crockery out, ready to eat a big slice of humble pie.

Geno Smith, QB, Seattle Seahawks

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In contrast to the sniggers that greeted Christian Kirk’s move to the Jaguars, the offseason move with the biggest fanfare was arguably Denver’s acquisition of long-time Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson. As part of the blockbuster trade for Dange’Russ, a boatload of picks and players – including QB Drew Lock – went in the other direction.

Lock was widely considered to be a makeweight in the deal so in the weeks after Wilson signed his five-year, $245 million deal with the Broncos, speculation was rife about who would replace him in the Pacific North West. Deshaun? Matty Ice? Jimmy G? Baker? Nope. In the end, Seattle sat tight and let Lock battle it out with their existing QB2, one Eugene Cyril ‘Geno’ Smith III. And against the odds, the 10-year backup won the starting job.

I don’t think it’s a hot take to say that nothing much was expected of Smith who, between 2015 and 2020, made only two starts. In short, the guy hasn’t played a lot of football and Seattle fans braced themselves for a tough season. And although the 2-2 ‘Hawks aren’t exactly setting the world on fire yet, Geno Smith is more than holding his own.

Smith’s season so far:

Week 1 v Broncos: 23 of 28 (82.1%), 195 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT
Week 2 v 49ers: 24 of 30 (80%), 197 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT
Week 3 v Falcons: 32 of 44 (72.7%), 325 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT
Week 4 v Lions: 23 of 30 (76.7%), 320 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT

The 31-year-old put Wilson and the Broncos to the sword in Week 1 and, after a relative dip against the Niners in Week 3, posted a career-best performance this weekend. In Seattle’s wild back-and-forth 48-45 win over the Detroit Lions, Smith completed 23 of 30 for 320 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. He added 49 rushing yards and an 8-yard tuddy on the ground for good measure. Seattle racked up 555 total yards and 48 points, and 14 of Smith’s completions went for first downs. And yet, after the game, the man himself played down his efforts: “No, I can play better. I have not exceeded my expectations. I can play a lot better.”

Geno has now made 77.3% of his passes, which is almost 5% better than anyone else in the league. According to ESPN, it’s also the highest completion rate for a QB (with at least 125 attempts) in the opening four games of a season in NFL history!

In addition:

  • Geno’s thrown six TDs (top 10) to just two interceptions (tied 5th)
  • He’s in the top 10 for passing yards (1,037)
  • Smith is tied 6th for completions, ahead of Mahomes, Tua, Jalen Hurts and, importantly, Russell Wilson
  • He is #6 for adjusted QBR (72.2) and has a passer rating of 108.0, which puts him third in the league, behind only Tua and Mahomes
  • His average of 7.9 yards per passing attempt is tied for 4th in the league.

Geno’s form to date has been a very welcome surprise for Seahawks fans, especially when you consider the second-round pick in 2013 had thrown 34 TDs and 36 INTs before this season. It seems Smith has found a more consistent, conservative groove, and is far less volatile than his old self (and indeed, Drew Lock). So I hope they Let Geno Simmer Gently and he puts all his doubters firmly in their place.

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Winless teams: should anyone hit the panic button yet?

We’re just two weeks into the fledgling NFL season and seven teams have yet to record a win. I don’t think it’s a hot take to suggest that three of them – the Texans (0-1-1), Panthers (0-2) and Falcons (0-2) – weren’t destined to set the world on fire this year. But the other four are arguably all playoff contenders in the AFC and clearly off to a poorer-than-expected start.

Last year, the Titans were the AFC’s top seed, the Bengals made a miraculous run to the Super Bowl, the Raiders reached the postseason despite the most tumultuous of seasons and the Colts only missed out on January football with an inexplicable loss to the Jaguars – hold that thought – in Week 18.  

With 16 weeks of regular season action still to come, none of these franchises should be freaking out quite yet… or should they? We’ve only seen one team this century – the 2018 Texans – fight back from 0-3 to reach the playoffs so it looks like now is the time to get that elusive W on the board.

Indianapolis Colts (0-1-1)

How are they faring?

Indy have a reputation for starting slow (they began 0-3 last year) and this has been another sluggish opening, with a loss and a tie. Even though they were both on the road, their games at the Texans and Jaguars should have eased the Colts into their campaign with a couple of straightforward divisional scalps. But somehow, they tied 20-apiece in OT with Houston, having overcome a 17-point deficit in the fourth quarter, only for Rodrigo Blankenship to miss a 42-yard FG that would’ve sealed the comeback. They then found themselves on the wrong end of an embarrassing 24-0 shutout in Jacksonville – their eighth straight loss there – when they should have been wreaking their revenge for last year. And next up, it’s only the Kansas City Chiefs. Gulp! It’s important to note that three of the four AFC South teams have a sub-.500 record so all is not lost yet. But realistically, from Week 4, they need to start winning.

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What’s going wrong?

In the 24-0 “ass-whupping” (DeForest Buckner’s words, not mine) by the Jaguars, the defence let Trevor Lawrence do what he wanted, but the offence shoulders most of the responsibility. Matt Ryan, supposedly an upgrade from Carson Wentz, went 16-of-30 for 195 yards, 0 TDs and 3 INTs (passer rating: 34.0), while star running back Jonathan Taylor had just nine carries. The offensive linemen and wide receivers are offering nothing either. Yes, injuries to Michael Pittman Jr and Shaquille Leonard have played their part but I bet HC Frank Reich is starting to feel the flames on his derriere when he sits at his desk. The Colts need to show some fight, some urgency, if they’re to stop their season derailing completely before it’s even begun.

Panic-o-meter: Ominous (8 out of 10)

Las Vegas Raiders (0-2)

How are they faring?

On the opening weekend, the Raiders succumbed to the Los Angeles Chargers, losing 24-19. No shame in that, you’d argue. But they then chucked away a 20-point lead at home to the Cardinals, mustering just 48 yards of offence after the break before losing 29-23 in OT. Not so great. With the Chiefs setting an ominous pace, the Raiders are already two games off the top of the AFC West. But at least they stand a chance of turning the ship around this week, when they play the equally winless Tennessee Titans. Something has to give.

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What’s going wrong?

The blame for the slow start in the desert has been spread far and wide. For one thing, they need to get their new star wideout Davante Adams into the game more. He meshed well with his old colleague QB Derek Carr in Week 1 (10 receptions, 141 yards, 1 TD) but Adams went AWOL this weekend. Just two receptions for 12 yards (and a TD) this week is inexcusable. Then there’s the pass rush – or lack of it. A measly one sack in two weeks wasn’t what we expected from Maxx Crosby and the so-far invisible Chandler Jones, signed for $50 million in free agency. Heat is also being thrown the way of head coach Josh McDaniels who, like an anti-King Midas, turned a lead of 20-0 into an L on Sunday. By his own admission, “In the first half, we played the game the way we wanted to. But we lost control in the second half for sure.” They can’t afford for that to happen again or the Black and Silver will start to slip into the brown stuff.

Panic-o-meter: Concerning (7 out of 10)

Tennessee Titans (0-2)

How are they faring?

Despite being just one game back from the table-topping Jaguars, the 0-2 Titans look a shadow of the team that romped to the top of the AFC rankings last season. No one would have expected victory at the rampant Buffalo Bills, even though the 41-7 scoreline will have raised a few eyebrows, but it only piled on the misery after the opening week’s 21-20 loss at home to the New York Giants, which ended with kicker Randy Bullock missing a 47-yarder as time expired.     

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What’s going wrong?

Offensively, their big weapon – RB Derrick Henry – has yet to hit his stride, and the big man slumped to just 25 yards and a TD from 13 rushes (1.9 yards per carry) against Buffalo on MNF. QB Ryan Tannehill hasn’t faired much better and was actually benched in favour of rookie Malik Willis late in the third quarter at Orchard Park, having completed 11 of 20 for 117 yards and 2 INTs, one of which went back for six. Of their 11 possessions on Monday night, six ended with punts, three with turnovers and one, at the end of the first half, saw them let the clock run out with a minute and two timeouts up their sleeve. I’m not entirely sure what HC Mike Vrabel was thinking there. And rookie Kyle Phillips muffed a punt return for a second week in a row, which is never great.

While this is the Titans’ first 0-2 start for a decade, the season is still young and the whole AFC Conference is still wide open. With just three teams starting 2-0, there’s still everything to play for, especially with the similarly winless Raiders up next, but falling to 0-3 is not an option.

Panic-o-meter: Troubling (7 out of 10)

Cincinnati Bengals (0-2)

How are they faring?

The losing finalists of the previous season’s Super Bowl rarely set the world on fire but the Bengals are looking especially wobbly so far. They have lost two close games to walk-off field goals – a 23-20 OT loss to the Steelers (largely due to missed kicks hindered by a tight end standing in when the long snapper got injured) and a 20-17 defeat to the Cowboys. So on paper, they’re not that far away. Luckily, their AFC North rivals all lost this weekend too so they’re only a game behind the field. That means this week’s tilt against the Jets isn’t quite a “must-win” game. But it’s closer to being one than they’d like it to be, especially with the likes of the free-scoring Dolphins, Bills and Chiefs on the schedule. If they lose three straight to the likes to Mitchell Trubisky, Cooper Rush and Joe Flacco, then heaven help them when Allen, Mahomes and co. pitch up.

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What’s going wrong?

Cincy fans are at a loss to exactly what’s going on, probably because there are several factors at play in their sub-par start. Having failed to play a snap during the pre-season, the revamped O-line has yet to gel, which means the running game is stagnant and Joe Burrow is running for his life once again. After sustaining 70 sacks last year, he’s already been taken down 13 times in two games, which will put him on a similar path to Andrew Luck if he’s not careful, and he threw four interceptions in Week 1 against Pittsburgh. But it’s not all down to his lack of protection; Joey B’s also hanging on to the ball too long. Teams are also stopping the long, explosive plays that defined the Bengals’ high-octane offence in 2021, leaving Burrow to dink and dunk more than he’d like. Zac Taylor is also under fire for his highly predictable, ultra-vanilla play-calling and his seat is starting to warm up. It’s time to get creative, ZT!

Panic-o-meter: Unsettling (6 out of 10)

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Bengals finally sell stadium naming rights

It’s the end of an era in Cincinnati as the Bengals become the 30th NFL team with a stadium carrying the name of a corporate sponsor. Just Lambeau Field and Soldier Field remain as outliers… 

A partnership for the future

The list of NFL stadia for the coming 2022 season was updated twice in the last week. The Pittsburgh Steelers found a new corporate sponsor, with Heinz Field morphing into Acrisure Stadium after a $10 million per year deal was struck with the Michigan-based insurance company. But arguably more newsworthy was the decision by their AFC North rivals, the Cincinnati Bengals, to finally sell the naming rights to Paul Brown Stadium, which has honoured the franchise’s legendary founder since it opened in 2000.

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The rights have gone to Paycor, a payroll and human resources software provider. Paycor has been headquartered in the city for more than 30 years and the 16-year arrangement is an extension of an existing business relationship.

Even though the Bengals’ owner and president, 86-year-old Mike Brown, is Paul Brown’s son, the switch to Paycor Stadium wasn’t a total bolt out of the blue. He told reporters last month that selling the naming rights was necessary for his team to be able to compete.

“This is a move that I think my father would have agreed to. He was always for what’s best for the football team. This partnership allows the Bengals to continue to compete at the highest level in the NFL and exemplifies our long-term commitment to the community.”
Mike Brown, President, Cincinnati Bengals

Paul Brown died three decades ago, when the Bengals were still playing at their former home (Riverfront Stadium), so he never saw the arena that would bear his name. I guess we have to believe Mike Brown’s assertion that his father wouldn’t mind being usurped by a HR software business.

It’s all about the money, money, money

Despite their unexpected run to Super Bowl LVI, the Bengals generated “just” $458 million in revenue in 2021 – a league low. The franchise is apparently worth $2.8 billion, which is also the lowest in the NFL. Plus Mike Brown doesn’t have any outside business interests and therefore hasn’t got the same financial clout as his peers. 

While the terms of the Paycor/Bengals deal haven’t been disclosed, according to The Cincinnati Enquirer, Cincy will receive the first $60.5 million and then 70% of the remaining revenue, with Hamilton County receiving the other 30%. Whatever the absolute value of the deal, it won’t be anywhere near the $31.2 million per year being paid by fintech company SoFi for the rights to the Rams’ and Chargers’ stadium in Los Angeles for the next 20 years, or the $25 million a year that Allegiant Airlines is forking out in Las Vegas. But, as they say, every little helps.

“We’re a small-market team, we need the revenue streams that we can obtain. The fact that about 30 teams have naming rights and a revenue stream from that, and they have more revenue than we do to begin with. We have to do some things just to keep up.”
Mike Brown, President, Cincinnati Bengals

Why now for Cincinnati?

The move comes as the Bengals are looking to capitalise on one of the best seasons in their history. The team reached the Super Bowl for the first time 31 years and the front office clearly wants to keep this young, exciting and improving team together for years to come.

As part of a general drive by the franchise to generate much-needed income, this deal could help to fund contract extensions coming down the track for the likes of Joe Burrow, Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase (hence some initial social media fun about “PayJoe Stadium”). It might also contribute to the financing of a new indoor practice facility and some recently revealed renovation plans.

Similarly, Paycor has been increasing its profile since the company went public. Cincy’s Super Bowl run was perfect timing and the team’s on-field success was clearly attractive to the HR company.

“NFL stadium naming rights are a scarce asset. There are only 30 stadiums with naming rights in the U.S. and Paycor is now one of those 30. That was a unique opportunity, coupled with being a hometown team and a team on the rise, that we felt we had to take advantage of.”
Raul Villar Jr., CEO, Paycor

Sports Business Journal

And then there were two…

There are now just two NFL stadia remaining without naming rights deals with a corporate sponsor: Green Bay’s Lambeau Field and Chicago’s Soldier Field. So is either franchise likely to follow the Bengals and sell the name of their stadium?

The short answer is no.

The Packers are actually owned by local residents through a community-based model that is unique in the NFL. Back in 2015, team president Mark Murphy told shareholders that the naming rights to Lambeau Field (much like Paul Brown Stadium, named after the team’s founder and long-time coach Curly Lambeau) would never be sold.

“We will not sell the naming rights to the stadium. We will never do that. It will always be Lambeau Field.”
Mark Murphy, President, Green Bay Packers

Well, that seems fairly unequivocal.

As for the Bears, Soldier Field is more likely to change name at some point, but it’s far from a given. The league’s oldest home field is likely to undergo some major renovations in the near future, with proposals to make it a domed stadium for year-round use on the table. But those plans come with a hefty price tag of up to $2.2 billion, which increases the appeal of securing new revenue via sponsorship and naming rights agreements.

Even if the Soldier Field name is retained and a corporate sponsor added (along the lines of the Denver Broncos’ Empower Field at Mile High Stadium), there would be resistance. That’s because it was named in honour of those who fought and died during World War I and is considered by many to be a war memorial as well as a sporting arena.

“The people of Chicago don’t want their war memorial attached to a corporate name for money. It’s just not right. We’re Chicago and we’re Soldier Field, we’re not Jacksonville. There’s no tasteful way of attaching a corporate name to a war memorial. It’s a desecration.”
Pat Quinn, former Illinois Governor

So, there you have it. The Bengals have finally joined the fold and we now have 28 NFL arenas (SoFi Stadium and MetLife Stadium are shared) bearing the names of banks and financial institutions, car manufacturers, logistics businesses, energy companies, telecoms providers, even Hard Rock Café, all in pursuit of the almighty dollar. And given the unique situations in Green Bay and Chicago, I suspect that’s how it will stay for the foreseeable future. 

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Checkmate: The NFL’s Top Chess Players

At first glance, there’s very little that football has in common with chess. Football is physical, violent and played at full speed, with each player trying to batter everyone standing in their way. Chess, on the other hand, is a battle of minds. It’s two opponents trying to out-think one another rather than pulverise them.

But if you dig deeper, football’s not just about who’s bigger, stronger or faster. There are game plans and playbooks, mental preparation and strategic analysis. And on the field, some positions – quarterback and defensive back spring most readily to mind – are a lot like chess. You need to read the whole field/board in front of you, know the capabilities of each player/piece, interpret your opponent’s plans and predict several moves in advance. 

So it shouldn’t be that surprising that quite a few NFL players enjoy a game of chess, and even use it to improve their football. And being athletes in a sport awash with rankings and data, there are naturally going to want to know who’s the best at the ‘royal game’.

So, who is the best chess player in the NFL?    

There has been little empirical evidence up till now, mainly because these guys don’t face each other very often. But last weekend, Chess.com ran a two-day online ‘rapid chess’ tournament called BlitzChamps. Six NFL players were invited to compete for a share of a $100,000 charity prize fund.

And our very first champion? Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Chidobe Awuzie.

Chess.com

Initially, Awuzie was up against Browns WR Amari Cooper and Giants outside linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux in Group A. The much-fancied Cooper won both of his round-robin matches, but Awuzie also advanced to the semi-finals. This was despite a slip of the mouse that cost him one game against Cooper and a pre-programmed move that went wrong in the other. The banter between them after the blunder was one of the highlights of the event.  

Meanwhile, veteran wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, 49ers defensive end Arik Armstead and former Dolphins cornerback Will Davis (a late stand-in for Micah Parsons) made up Group B. Fitzgerald and Davis progressed to the semi-finals.

On the Sunday, Awuzie knocked out Fitzgerald 2-0. He needed just 18 moves to win the first game and while the second was closer, Awuzie was confident enough to risk pre-programming more moves, then sit back to watch them unfold. Amari Cooper triumphed against Davis in the other semi 1.5-0.5, winning one game and tying the other, to set up an AFC North rematch in the final.

Chess.com

After some back and forth, Awuzie exacted his revenge with a 2-0 win to claim the inaugural BlitzChamps crown. He also won $25,000 for the Awuzie Kickstep Foundation, while Cooper secured $22,500 for his chosen cause, The Barnyard.

So Awuzie, who has thousands of online games logged on Chess.com, has bragging rights over Cooper for now. But it won’t count for anything come Halloween, when the Bengals and Browns next meet on the football field.

How can chess help with football?

Another participant in the competition, rookie Kayvon Thibodeaux, is no stranger to chess. He even attributed part of his success to the game in his first interview after being drafted by the Giants.

The former Oregon edge rusher also told the Draft Network: “Chess is life and chess is football. You talk about your first move, and your first move is going to set up your second move, then your third move.”

Thibodeaux was drawn to chess by the chance to compete against his uncles. They didn’t take it easy on him and when he got tired of losing, he went online and taught himself more about the game.

Dallas’ Micah Parsons was originally down to compete this weekend but was seemingly unable to fulfil the commitment. He too has also spoken about the role chess plays in his football career. He even compares the various chess pieces with positions on the football field, claiming his role as linebacker equates to the queen, the most versatile piece on the board.

Naturally, he sees the king – the piece you have to defend at all costs to avoid defeat – as the quarterback.     

Who else is good at chess?

If we’re looking for players – other than the absent Micah Parsons – who might compete next time, Kyler Murray must be a hot favourite. The Cardinals QB has been playing chess since fourth grade and left Degan Elementary in Lewisville, Texas, as his school’s champion.

He mainly plays on the Chess With Friends app, but also took on Fitzgerald in real life when they were together in Arizona. Back in 2019, he told ESPN, “I think just I was born with the feel of just how to see things before they happen.” Handy for chess and playing QB.

Oklahoma Athletics

Apparently, Murray was disappointed not to feature in last weekend’s tournament. On finding out, the organisers sent a tweet asking him to get in touch. Alas, that offer wasn’t taken up. Fitzgerald joked that Murray probably shouldn’t be invited anyway, so that other people can win something for a change. So he sounds quite good!

Another quarterback, Joe Burrow, has played chess since elementary school and is another potential contender. Although relatively inexperienced, he and Awuzie have done battle in the Bengals locker room. His teammate may be Cincy’s – and the league’s – chess champion for now but I suspect Burrow won’t be content with that situation. He’ll be keen to ramp up his game and who knows, he may be able to give Chido and Amari a run for their money next time. 

Chess power rankings, anyone?