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5 things to look out for in Week 6

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Buffalo Bills, Kansas City Chiefs rematch and NFC East nail-biter standout in stacked Week 6 slate

1. Ravens travel to the big apple to play in-form Giants

The 4-1 New York Giants pulled off an impressive comeback win over the Packers in London last week, after Daniel Jones and Saquon Barkley came in clutch and Wink Martindale’s defense stepped up to shut down Rodgers and co when needed. 

Lamar Jackson’s Baltimore Ravens are in town and are hitting form at the right time, having just taken the lead of the AFC North after beating their divisional rival Bengals.

Contrary to their first two home games, the defense was able to eliminate big plays, more of that on Sunday will go a long way towards finding the consistency needed to contend in January.

2. Minnesota Vikings in Miami to play banged up Dolphins

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It’s perhaps the perfect time for Minnesota to play Mike McDaniel’s Dolphins, who could be missing multiple starters.

7th round rookie QB Skylar Thompson will make his first start for the Fins, after Teddy Bridgewater joined Tua Tagovailoa in concussion protocol this week, whilst Terron Armstead and Raheem Mostert are questionable and Austin Jackson and Byron Jones remain on IR.

The Vikings are looking hot right now, having won three close games in a row, righting last years wrongs as the team that lost the most games by one score in 2021.

3. Two LSU legends return to the state to face the New Orleans Saints

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LSU Tigers legends Joe Burrow and Jamarr Chase return to Louisiana on Sunday as their Cincinnati Bengals play the Saints at the Caesars Superdome, the very stadium where the Tigers became national champions.

New Orleans’ defensive line will be a tough test for a Bengals pass protection unit that has looked better in recent games, a great time to see where they’re at.

It’ll be intriguing to see what Dennis Allen does with Marshon Lattimore, will he shadow Chase, like he did Jefferson in London, or cover one of Higgins and Boyd, with the superstar WR being double covered. 

4. Chiefs and Bills back to play in rematch of the greatest playoff game

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The Kansas City Chiefs welcome the Buffalo Bills to Arrowhead in the rematch of the 2021 Divisional Round game, potentially the greatest contest we’ve ever seen.

Buffalo beefed up their pass-rush with Von Miller to get to Patrick Mahomes this year, whilst the home team used the cap space left after trading Tyreek to upgrade their own defense, one that needs to contain Josh Allen.

This one could be the game of the year, certainly the game of the week, why wouldn’t it be when it features the two most complete teams in the league, it’s a shame they can’t meet in the Super Bowl.

5. Cooper Rush’s Dallas Cowboys out to give rival Philadelphia Eagles their first loss

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In what could be Dallas’ final game without Dak Prescott they have a chance to go 5-1 and end their bitter rivals unbeaten start.

NBC has what may turn out to be one of the better primetime games we’ve seen this year, who would’ve thought that when the Cowboys were forced to turn to their backup QB.

With Micah Parsons good to go, Dallas has certainly got the defense to hamper Jalen Hurts and co, he’s turning into one of the best players in the whole league. 

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5 things to look out for in Week 5

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Aaron Rodgers’ Packers completing the London set, and a huge AFC North clash on SNF are standouts in an extra-long NFL Sunday

1. Green Bay Packers become 32nd team to play in London

Aaron Rodgers, Saquon Barkley, Aaron Jones, Rashan Gary, and Jaire Alexander are some of the superstar players on display as the Packers host the New York Giants at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

Giants QB Daniel Jones is set to start, after initial fears he’d be out for a while after suffering an ankle injury in Sunday’s win over the Bears.

This matchup will be the first ever London game to feature two teams with winning records.

2. Can the Miami Dolphins go 3-0 in the AFC East?

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Mike McDaniel’s Dolphins team has had an excellent start to the season, going 3-1 with the second toughest schedule so far in 2022.

They’re without their starting QB, Tua Tagovailoa, who suffered a concussion on TNF against the Bengals, just days after stumbling in the win against Buffalo, right now when exactly he’ll be back is unclear.

Their opponent, the New York Jets, had an impressive win over the Steelers on Sunday, Zach Wilson in particular inspired the win in the fourth quarter, another win will see both teams move to 3-2, a great start for New York.

3. 2-2 Falcons and Bucs fight for lead of NFC South

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Somehow both of these teams are 2-2, Arthur Smith’s Falcons have a knack of winning games they shouldn’t.

Tampa Bay has played the league’s toughest schedule through four weeks, losing to KC last week, although their offense did get going, scoring more than 20 points for the first time this season.

Atlanta will be without their two best offensive pieces in Kyle Pitts and Cordarelle Patterson.

4. Eagles looking to go 5-0 at Arizona

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The league’s only 4-0 team plays PFF’s 30th ranked defense in Sunday’s late window.

Arizona has looked awful these past few weeks, but sit 2-2 due to the individual brilliance of Kyler Murray, he’ll keep this one close.

Jalen Hurts has been a top 5 quarterback so far this season, the battle between him and Murray, two of the league’s most mobile QB’s should be thrilling.

5. Huge AFC North battle on SNF

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Cincinnati looks like a different team from the first two weeks of the year, the offensive line is protecting Burrow and the defense has stepped up.

Ravens QB Lamar Jackson has been lights out this season, but his defense has let him down in the fourth quarter twice.

They’re yet to win at home this season, suffering heartbreaking losses to Miami and Buffalo, whilst a loss for the Bengals will see them go 0-2 in the division.

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5 things to look out for in Week 4

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Tom Brady vs Patrick Mahomes, and the start of the 2022 NFL International Series are highlights in a packed NFL Sunday

Vikings, Saints meet in first London game of 2022

Plenty of offensive talent is on show at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday afternoon as the Minnesota Vikings and New Orleans Saints touch down in London.

New Orleans, who act as the home team, look set to start Andy Dalton at quarterback, as Jameis Winston is sidelined with a back injury, as is star WR Michael Thomas with a leg issue.

Minnesota possess one of the best offenses we’ve seen brace the UK recently, both Justin Jefferson and Dalvin Cook are among the best at their position, this should be an exciting London game.

Two MVP Candidates face off in Baltimore

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Lamar Jackson’s Baltimore Ravens and Josh Allen’s Buffalo Bills grace the same field in Sunday’s early window, this matchup being the game of Week 4.

The Ravens are struggling on defense right now, will Josh Allen, who many perceive to be the best quarterback in football, feast?

Buffalo have lost star safety Micah Hyde for the season, and the team may again be without his partner back there, Jordan Poyer, which Lamar Jackson will try and take advantage of.

Huge game in race for the AFC South

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Tennessee travels to Indianapolis on Sunday for a crucial matchup in the race for the AFC South, which Jacksonville have taken an early lead of.

Both teams are fresh off their first wins of the season, having come out of the first two games without a win.

Neither Derrick Henry, nor Jonathan Taylor have set the world alight through three weeks, whoever has the best day on the ground will likely determine this matchup.

Raiders looking to turn season around with visit of rival Broncos

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A doubt many people expected Las Vegas to go 0-3 to start the year, they’ve looked bad, really bad, which is a huge surprise with what we saw last year.

If they’re unable to beat Denver on Sunday this could be it for a team with the likes of Davantae Adams, and Darren Waller.

As for Denver, they’ve not been what we’ve expected either but have managed to grind out two wins, going 3-1 whilst they’re growing as a team will be massive. 

Brady and Mahomes duel in Tampa despite Hurricane Ian

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Two teams with elite quarterbacks, who look set to be playing playoff football deep into January face off on SNF in Tampa Bay, despite the recent hurricane in the area.

Initially the venue of the game was due to be moved to Minneapolis, but luckily for local Buccaneers fans, the stadium is safe to host the game, giving those who have gone through so much this week a place to take their minds somewhere else for a few hours.

Tom Brady will be pleased to have Mike Evans back from suspension this week, the Bucs offense struggled without him, Julio Jones, and Chris Godwin in Green Bay last time out, the latter two are questionable. 

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5 things to look out for in Week 3

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Bills @ Dolphins, Packers @ Buccaneers headline a stacked third NFL Sunday of 2022

1. Will Miami finally beat Buffalo?

After the Dolphins’ outstanding comeback win over the Baltimore Ravens, they now face perhaps their toughest test all season on Sunday.

Buffalo walked over the Tennessee Titans on MNF, but are depleted with injuries in the secondary.

The Bills have won their last seven straight over the Fins, but with a better team down in South Beach, on top of those missing players, could this be the end of the streak?

2. Raiders and Titans looking for their first win.

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Both of these sides are looking for a lifeline, having both been expected to be a part of the AFC playoff picture late in the year.

Neither quarterback has looked great these past two games, Carr especially having a particularly poor game two weeks ago in Los Angeles.

Who would’ve thought Josh Jacobs, whom many saw as a trade candidate would have more rushing yards than Derrick Henry, who’s only averaging 3.1 ypc.

3. A huge game at home for the Colts against the Chiefs

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Kansas City has looked better than many expected this season, whilst the Indianapolis Colts are very much trending in the other direction, sitting winless after two games.

The Colts have hardly had a difficult schedule either, failing to win against division rivals Houston and Jacksonville, they’ll need to massively up their game to beat one of the best teams in the league in the Chiefs.

Matt Ryan hasn’t been his usual reliable veteran self, throwing three interceptions away to the Jaguars last week, not even Jonathan Taylor has been able to save a heavily fancied team at the start of the year.

4. Brady vs Rodgers for the last time?

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Sunday’s late window sees Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers face off for what could be the last time, certainly in the regular season, FOX did well to get this one!

Brady’s Buccaneers offense could go into the game without Chris Godwin, Mike Evans and Julio Jones, after Evans’ one-week suspension for the fight with Marshon Lattimore.

With similar offensive weaponry on both sides of the ball, this one will be interesting.

5. Will Jimmy and the Niners take care of a struggling Broncos team?

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Who would’ve thought that Jimmy Garoppolo would be starting in Week 3! Trey Lance’s unfortunate injury may be a blessing in disguise for San Francisco, they moved the ball a lot better in the rain on Sunday.

Meanwhile, the Russell Wilson and Nathaniel Hackett era in Denver has not started well at all, with the new HC already looking out of depth in his new role.

Any clock mistakes on SNF may escalate the situation even more, they need to sort it out before facing a nationwide audience on primetime.

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5 things to look out for in Week 2

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Week 1 of the 2022 NFL Season was exactly as predicted, chaos. We saw upsets, injuries, big plays, and massive coverage busts. Now we know a little bit more about the 32 teams in the league, here are five things to look out for in Week 2’s slate of games.

1. Lamar’s big audition?

Sunday’s early window sees Lamar Jackson’s Ravens host the Miami Dolphins. Could this be Lamar’s big audition to the Fins for next year? If Tua Tagovailoa doesn’t improve, then they’re in the market for a QB. Whilst Tua was about average in the win at home to the Patriots, the general consensus is that he’s been much better in TC. This game will come down to which offense can score the most against two top defenses.

2. Chicago looking for their first Lambeau win since 2015.

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Sunday Night Football sees Green Bay welcome the Bears for the first of their two annual matchups. The Packers have won the last six straight in the series. We saw that last year with the iconic “I still own you” from Aaron Rodgers after rushing for a TD at Soldier Field last year. Could that change? GB looked poor in Minnesota, whilst Chicago outfought the 49ers in the rain in their home opener.

3. Will the 49ers right Week 1’s wrongs at home to Seattle?

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7 days ago we expected the home team to be 1-0 coming into this one, and the away coming off a loss. But after Seattle’s surprise win over the Broncos on MNF, and the Niners were washed away in Chicago, this game is suddenly much more interesting. Trey Lance will have to be better to beat Pete Carroll’s defense. His job got a lot easier with the news that safety Jamal Adams won’t be a threat to him in the box.

4. Last year’s #1 seed Titans host Super Bowl favourite Bills on MNF.

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The first of two games on a MNF doubleheader should be a good one. Buffalo are coming into the game fresh off a dominant victory over the Bills, whilst Tennessee blew a fourth-quarter lead vs the Giants. Von Miller made the Bills’ defensive front look scary, the area that was lacking last year, destroying Matt Stafford’s protection. Derrick Henry will need to average more than 3.9 yards per carry if the Titans want to win this game.

5. Justin Jefferson to haunt the Eagles on MNF?

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Philadelphia really screwed up by taking Jalen Reagor over JJ in the 2020 draft, he’ll be looking to haunt them again, this time alongside Reagor, after he was acquired by trade in training camp. The Eagles’ offense moved the ball really well against the Lions last week, AJ Brown being a big factor in that. If they can do the same against their NFC North rivals then this Eagles team could be on for a perfect start. They’ll have to tighten up to stop this Vikings offense though

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5 things to look out for in Week 1

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Last night saw the 2022 NFL Season get underway as the Buffalo Bills walked away from SoFi Stadium as winners over the Los Angeles Rams in NBC’s Kickoff Game. The reigning Super Bowl Champions were defeated 31-10 in an epic start to the season. Luckily there are still 15 more games on this weekend’s slate for you to enjoy, here are five things to look out for in Week 1.

1. Will Baker Mayfield stick it to the Cleveland Browns?

Many feel that the 2018 number one overall pick, the first Browns quarterback to win a playoff game in 26 years, was harshly treated by the organisation in their acquisition of Deshaun Watson. He has a chance to get one over them on Sunday, as his former team rock up to Charlotte, NC, to play the Carolina Panthers. The Browns will be without Watson, who faces the first of his eleven-game suspension for sexual misconduct.

2. A first look at Tua and the Dolphins’ exciting new offense.

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Miami did a lot of work this offseason to give third-year QB, Tua Tagovailoa, everything he needs to succeed. He’s got a new offensive head coach who seems to believe in him, a run-game, explosive new weapons in Tyreek Hill and Cedrick Wilson, and vastly improved protection in front of him. He’s not had the easiest of starts to his NFL career, but this season things seem to have calmed down. We’ll know a lot more about his future after Sunday evening’s game at home to New England.

3. 2015’s top two picks go head to head

Week One seven years ago saw quarterbacks Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota face off to start their NFL careers. Sunday sees them meet for the first time since. It’s fair to say that both of their careers haven’t panned out as expected, with the two of them now on their second starting job, this time in the same division! Mariota’s Titans were 42-14 victors back then, will his Falcons win the first of two meetings with Jameis’ Saints this season? 

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4. Who will take the early bragging rights in the AFC West?

We don’t have to wait long for an inter-division matchup in the highly talented AFC West. Sunday sees the Los Angeles Chargers welcome the Las Vegas Raiders to SoFi Stadium. Both sides are vastly improved this season and are looking to end the Chiefs’ recent dominance of the division. Victory here will certainly help towards that, with every win counting in an absolutely stacked conference.

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5. It was a ride, 12’s 

Russell Wilson will brace Lumen Field for potentially the last time as his Broncos travel to Seattle to face his former Seahawks teammates. Denver kicked off an insane free-agency period this offseason by acquiring the Super Bowl XLVIII winning QB via a blockbuster trade. This game will certainly be filled with emotion, what a story it would be if the home team could pull off an upset. The perfect way to finish off the week, Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, and Mr Unlimited on Monday Night Football. 

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What’s the deal with Tua? Is this his breakout season?

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I think it’s fair to say that Tua Tagovailoa hasn’t had the best of starts to his NFL career. Before the injury he was seen as one of the best quarterback prospects since Andrew Luck, but things haven’t quite worked out in the league.

That being said, I don’t think there are many quarterbacks at all that would be able to succeed if they went through what the ex-Alabama QB has had to deal with over these past few years. Yes, he’s been nothing more than average, but he’s not had the chance to be anything else.

That could be set to change as Tua has been spectacular so far in Training Camp. The front office has surrounded the QB with a loaded offense, and there is a whole load less noise around him and the team, even with the Brady stuff, there’s positivity there.

But before we delve further into why I believe the narrative is about to change, let’s recap Tua’s career so far.

Going into the 2019 college football season, Tua Tagovailoa was the expected number 1 overall pick in the 2020 draft. He was one of the biggest stars in college football after his come from behind 2018 (2017 season) National Championship win from the bench as a freshman. The following season he came second behind Kyler Murray in the Heismann voting and lost the Natty to Clemson, but did break Baker Mayfield’s single-season FBS passer rating record of 199.4. 

2019 looked set to be just as successful, before a shootout loss to LSU and a season-ending injury occurred in the space of 7 days. His season was ruined against Mississippi State on November 16th, the 10th Week of the CFB season, dislocating his hip and sustaining a posterior wall fracture, a very uncommon injury to suffer on the football field. A bad one.

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After he was drafted in 2020 (5th overall), Tua was cleared to play medically in the summer but was expected to sit behind Ryan Fitzpatrick for the year. 2019 proved that the team were all in on him, and Tagovailoa had spent the offseason rehabbing rather than training. Some believed it was possible he’d never play football again, so it seemed right to take a slow approach. The lack of a pre-season in 2020 too meant he was very raw in terms of NFL snaps. 

Joe Burrow of LSU, the quarterback who eventually went number one overall, started from the get-go for Cincinnati, whilst Justin Herbert took the opportunity to start that game vs Kansas City and ran with it, looking like a star as a rookie.

Tua’s first snaps were in relief of Fitz in a blowout win vs the Jets in Week 6. Bar a situation like that, it seemed highly unlikely that Tua would play a game that season, especially with the Fins in the hunt for a playoff spot.

The team’s bye week then followed, in which Tua was suddenly announced as the starter for the Week 8 game at home to the Rams, out of nowhere. After that, nothing really made sense with the team’s handling of him.

It’s expected that Brian Flores was pressured by Stephen Ross to start him, probably caused by how good Herbert looked. I think Ross was determined to prove that they didn’t make a mistake by not drafting him by showing Tua off to the world, which was totally the wrong choice to make. 

As we know, he didn’t play anything like the Chargers QB, he wasn’t awful, but didn’t show off anything bar his ability to scramble when the pocket closed. It was hardly surprising, you could tell the training wheels were on. He also looked lighter and weaker, like he wasn’t ready to play yet. Almost as if he spent the last 12 months recovering from a serious injury.

Flores’ decision to pull him late in games when the offense was struggling to find a groove backfired massively. I admire the ambition to win, but ultimately that was probably the beginning of the end of his time in Miami. It created a huge media story of a lack of confidence, which just wouldn’t have been there if he kept Tagovailoa in the games and let him learn.

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2021 came around, and the team attempted some moves to help him succeed, but not many worked out. The very heavily RPO-based offense suited his skill set, but the decision to have not one, not two, but three guys in his ear relaying it to him was dumb. New England looks to be learning that at the moment.

Drafting Jaylen Waddle was also smart, reuniting Tua with one of his college receivers, without him the offense would have absolutely stunk last year. Since Tua has been in Miami, his receivers have created the least amount of separation in the entire league. Imagine how bad it would’ve been without Waddle.

There were however some absolute disasters too, the main one being the failure to address the offensive line. The unit got even worse after losing Ereck Flowers. 

Don’t forget Will Fuller too. Signing him would have been such a good idea, had he played. An odd finger injury kept the WR out virtually the whole year. All of this was going on whilst the Deshaun Watson situation was developing. Fuller’s addition only sparked more rumours. 

Surprise surprise, the line got the QB hurt at home to Buffalo in Week 2, derailing the season from the very start, missing three games, of which the team lost all three. Week 7, also against the Bills, saw Tua sustain an finger injury that put him out for the game against the Texans, the game after the trade deadline.

Baltimore were the next opponent after Houston, on TNF, a game where the quarterback, who lead you to a win at Foxborough, was active, but not starting, as a ‘precaution.’ What the hell was that? His finger was healed enough to be active. Heck, he was even on the golf course on the day of the game.

Jacoby Brissett hurt his knee just after the half, prompting Tua to go in and try and extend a 6-3 lead. The unit was moving better with Tagovailoa, so even when Brissett was cleared to go back into the game, Flores stuck with him. How odd. 

These kinds of decisions just didn’t make any sense, and they happened regularly. We know you didn’t get on, but your replacement was the disaster that was Brissett, I thought you wanted to win Flores?

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After the game, Tua started the rest of the season. The continuity, paired with a significantly better defensive performance saw six more wins follow, before a collapse from the offense on a win-and-in-game in the rain in Nashville. A bad game, towards the end of a season. 

A season in which we saw improvement from Tua Tagovailoa in less than ideal circumstances. The Dolphins finally going back down to their level after beating up on bad teams down the stretch. 

Anyway, enough of the old regime, bar the meddling owner trying to illegally pursue Tom Brady for the second time, the team looks in a much better place. It seems that GM Chris Grier is more fond of the now third-year signal caller than Flores was, together with Mike McDaniel they’ve given him everything he needs to succeed this offseason.

Bringing us to today, where confidence in Tua seems higher than ever.

It’s almost as if you give a QB a relatively trouble-free offseason, with minimal noise, an upgraded offensive line, two more playmakers and a running game, he’d look pretty damn good in training camp.

I’m not surprised, he’s got some very key attributes to be a successful QB in this league. The pocket presence is good, you really can’t deny that. Tagovailoa knows exactly where to go under pressure, often stepping up into the pocket when it collapses. He needs to protect himself when scrambling though, trying to truck defenders isn’t wise. Tua had the league’s 5th best pressure to sack percentage last season at only 14.4% Brissett was 2% higher on that list and took just one less sack in 169 fewer snaps. 

Then there’s touch, the Dolphins #1 throws a very catchable ball, which is often very accurate, accuracy being his main strength. Tua is rarely off target, especially in short range. He’s one of the best in the league at completing those quick throws. 67.8% of the quarterback’s throws were completed last year, putting him right between two very similar players in Jimmy Garoppolo and Mac Jones.

Tua’s going right into the offense that has seen Jimmy reach two NFC Championship Games and a Super Bowl. A QB-friendly system that creates opportunities off of play action thanks to an excellent run game. I’d argue that if he was in Josh McDaniels or Kyle Shanahan’s offense last year, the young QB would’ve been better, than his former Alabama teammate and, certainly Garoppolo. The numbers are so similar, and consider situations. 

His first year without rehabbing since the injury has helped, he’s clearly worked on his arm strength and throws outside of the pocket. The two biggest criticisms of his game since his debut. Both elements have been poor so far in his NFL career. Local reporters have been impressed with the difference.

It feels like every single practice we’re hearing about a 50-yard connection to one of his many receivers. His accuracy has shown up too, with many balls that are expected to be intercepted, ending up right at the chest of the intended target. 

Tagovailoa’s play has been recognised, being one of only five players to have worn the orange jersey twice since the start of OTA’s. The orange jersey is awarded to the player with the best practice the previous day, by the coaching staff.

Elsewhere on the offense, the wall protecting him is looking much better. They’ve now got a veteran leader in Terron Armstead, to pair with Robert Hunt who’s been the only acceptable lineman these past two years. Playing Conor Williams at C is odd, but if it allows you to get your best five out there then I guess it makes sense. 

By the sounds of it, the run game has been the phase that’s impressed the most though. Which is exactly what is needed in this offense, Chase Edmonds, who by the seems of things may be the feature back, has been impressing. 

All of this should really help Tua, who I expect to have a much better season. I’m not expecting him to be Justin Herbert, Josh Allen, or Patrick Mahomes, but can he be Kirk Cousins? Absolutely. 3500 yards, 25 TD’s and 10 INT’S or so seems entirely possible from what we’ve been hearing is going on in Training Camp. 

Tua and the offense were the standout unit in Thursday’s joint practice against the Buccanners. Everything that’s happened so far on the lead-up to the season points towards a much improved year from the Fins’ 3rd-year quarterback. 

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The Pro Bowl is broken, how can we fix it?

The Pro Bowl has been a hot topic around the league this week, as the NFL and its owners are discussing the future of the game at this week’s owners meeting in Atlanta.

Those around the league are finally starting to notice that the current format of the Pro Bowl is dying. The actual game has been below-par for ages, the players play at less than full speed, attempting not to get hurt. That was made very evident in the 2021 game, where it seemed even more so than usual.

The game always used to be in Hawaii, but has recently been played in Orlando and Las Vegas, an attempt to spice things up a bit, but also where the money is at.

Roger Goodell, the league’s commissioner has had his say on the situation at a press conference this week, stating “I think the conclusion was that the game itself, doesn’t work. And that we needed to find a different way to celebrate our players. Celebrate the fact that, these being our Pro Bowler players, the best players in our league, and give them an opportunity to celebrate that with our fans. We talked an awful lot about some of the events around the Pro Bowl are really extremely popular, whether it’s the quarterback challenge or some of the other events, so those are things that we’ll probably build on.”

What I can take away from what Goodell has said there, is that those in the meeting are discussing multiple ways to change up the event. Perhaps removing the game entirely, instead focusing on the popular skills challenge that’s held in the lead up to the game, as well as some other alternatives to celebrate the players.

I like that as an option, but I believe I can make it better. I have a few ideas that I think the league should consider.

One of those is making it an all-day event, having the skills challenge first, before finishing with a flag football game. It keeps the game element of the Pro Bowl, but offers something that’s new and most importantly should be very entertaining.

Having a flag football game should seem more enticing to the players too, as there’s no chance of a contact caused injury. It would also be no way near as long and drag as much as the Pro Bowl game has in recent years.

Like what Goodell told the media this week, the QB target challenge is perhaps the best part of the entire event, seeing ‘some’ of the league’s best quarterbacks, and non-QB’s show off their arm strength and accuracy. Dodgeball is always great, I’d keep that, as is the gauntlet, and any sort of catching challenge.

I put an emphasis on the ‘some’ just then because one of the worst things about the current Pro Bowl format is the fact that the players of the teams in the Super Bowl can’t take part in it, due to the fact it’s played on the Sunday between the Conference Championship weekend and the big game. I’d put it back to when it used to be, a week after the Super Bowl.

2022 saw a new challenge make its debut, the fastest man race that put four of the quickest players, two from each conference, up against each other over a 40-yard dash. The race, won by Micah Parsons after a Tyreek Hill stumble was awesome this year, but it could be better. Make it a 100m sprint. My only gripe was that the race was only a couple of seconds long. This solves that.

It should 100% remain an AFC vs NFC game and event, whatever the future holds. The NBA style all-star game they trialled between 2013 and 2015 didn’t work.

One last thing I think the league should consider is putting the Pro Bowl on tour, as they do for the draft. It would probably make the event better as different teams and cities would want to put on a show. The game could even go international. I believe it would work in the UK, Germany or Mexico.

Even if they keep the game as it is, but use a couple of these suggestions, that’s still an improvement on the current Pro Bowl. What would you do to fix it? Let us know on Twitter.