NFLRT 6/28/2024

The questions and discussion…

1) Every season tends to put a slew of coaches on the hot seat…

Entering the 2024/25 NFL season which head coach is on the shakiest ground possible? Whose HC job is on the hottest seat? Why?

After last season’s unfortunate event four plays into the New York Jets season with their new star quarterback going down with an Achilles injury, going into this season is featuring extremely high expectations. And if the expectations aren’t met, or the playoffs not even met, then the entire coaching staff and a lot of players will be moving on to different organizations. The New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh is on the hottest seat in the NFL as the success of the Jets is falling on his shoulders.

With their expectations of a Super Bowl appearance, falling short will be heavily scrutinized. Missing the playoffs or having a first-round exit is going to be the mark for major changes. A first-round exit or missing the playoffs completely is going to cost Saleh his job. A lot is riding on this season, and Saleh definitely has that in the back of his mind. His seat is on fire this season, and I believe he’ll coach games like every game is a one-and-done playoff game. 

In three seasons with the Jets HC Robert Saleh’s record is 18-33.

In five seson with the Jets GM Joe Douglas has create a team through the draft and free agency that has gone 27-56.

Saleh’s forte is defense and under his tutelage the Jets have had one of the best defenses in the NFL. However their offense sucked. A big part of why the Jets’ offense was terrible is that Douglas drafted QB Zach Wilson second overall in the 2021 NFL Draft. Douglass also created an offensive line that to be kind has deficiencies in pass protection which didn’t help matters with Wilson’s development.   

In an effort to fix the Jets QB problems Douglas traded for Aaron Rodgers to head the team. Championship hopes rightfully surfaced once Douglas landed Rodgers from the Packers. But i the opening game of the 2023 seson the offensive line’s deficiencies reared its ugly head and o the teams fourth play on offense the 40-year-old Rodgers was pressured by the opponent’s defense and went down with an Achilles injury essentially ending his and the team’s seson.

Now with supposedly a full healed Rodgers QBing the team it’s no more excuses.

Its either win or get fired. Owner Woody Johnson will have run out of patience. 

Robert Saleh is on the hottest head coaching seat in the NFL this year.

And Joe Douglas is also on the hottest seat as a GM. 

2)  The NFL offseason is arguably in its quiet stage, the six-week lull between the end of minicamp and the beginning of training camp. However there are always rumors that tend pop up or some news that comes out about various storylines.

What is the one offseason storyline you are already tired of hearing about? Why?

The one off-season storyline I’m tired of hearing is Caleb Williams and the revitalized Bears’ offense. The Bears seem to be cursed at the quarterback position. I’m not expecting them to be world beaters just because Caleb Williams walked through the door. I, personally, don’t think he’s going to be as good as he’s hyped up to be, especially with the extremely high expectations riding on his shoulders.

I’m also tired of hearing about the Bears at all because that’s the Packers’ rival. So anything positive for them is tiring. And I’m just not high on them.

I do think that they have improved. But it’s rookies, and Keenan Allen, who hasn’t really stayed healthy for an entire season. So we’ll see how the Bears’ team goes, but I think they’ve been too hyped for most of the off-season and will get hit with reality early into the 2024-2025 NFL season. 

As a Jets fan it’s the constant stories surrounding Aaron Rodgers and the Jets and the expectations he brings to be the Jets savior and take them to the playoffs and an expected Super Bowl.

Rodgers brings a lot of it upon himself with his sometimes inexplicable antics and decisions off the field but the press… especially the New York press… seems to be fixated on reporting Rodgers each and every move whether it has any bearing on how the team is being prepared for the upcoming season or not. Simply put… enough already.

If it’s not significant news about how the Jets are preparing for the upcoming season then leave well enough alone and report nothing.  

3) Heading into the new NFL season which player is your pick as the best offensive player in the NFL? Why?

Best offensive player is Patrick Mahomes, hands down.

What he’s done since he stepped on an NFL field for the first time has been absolutely incredible. He’s not only won multiple Super Bowls but won a Super Bowl last season with only Travis Kelce as a weapon, and a disappointing regular season in which they were in danger of losing the division title to the Broncos late in the season.

He has two regular season MVP Awards and has another top-three finish. He’s thrown for over 4,000 yards in every season as a starter. He’s done miraculous things as a quarterback. He’s on his way to being better than Brady, if he can play longer than him. (I’m not saying he is, so don’t crucify me on this. But he has the potential to be better, he still has a long career ahead of him). 

Patrick Mahomes.

Since being drafted by the Chiefs in 2018 Mahomes has led the Chiefs to six consecutive AFC Championship games and four Super bowl appearances with three wins in those appearances.

He is one of five quarterbacks in NFL history to win three or more Super Bowls as a starter. And heading into his seventh year in the NFL he already considered to be one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history.

Since becoming the Chiefs starting QB he has never passed for less than 4,000 yards in any season and has twice surpassed 5,000 yards.

Among his NFL records NFL records he is the fastest QB to achieve 10,000 career passing yards (34 games), fastest to 25,000 career passing yards (83 games), fastest to 100 career passing touchdowns (40 games), fastest to 200 career passing touchdowns (84 games), owns the record for total yards (passing and rushing) in a season: 5,608 (2022), owns the career passing yards per game (minimum 1,500 attempts) at 296.1, has the highest career playoff passer rating (minimum 150 attempts) at 105.8.  

 Mahomes is a three-time SB MVP, two-time NFL MVP, and has been on the all Pro team six times with two first team selections and one second team selection.

Besides being a record setting Q he is also very arguably the most imaginative and inventive QB/offensive player to ever play in the NFL.

Entering the 2024 season Patrick Mahomes is the best overall offensive player.

4) Heading into the new NFL season which player is your pick as the best defensive player in the NFL? Why? 

Best defensive player is TJ Watt.

Yes, we could pick any position for this question, but I think TJ Watt takes the title. He’s a fantastic pass-rusher, he can stop the run, he can drop in coverage, he can lead an entire defense, he can play special teams, they could utilize him as a blocker or tight end/full back option if required. His versatility is unmatched among the league.

He’s a sack monster. You could argue he’s just as good as his brother, JJ Watt. You could argue that he was on the same level as Aaron Donald, or better. He’s a dominant force on defense, and the best defensive player in the NFL. 19 sacks last season and 96.5 sacks for his career. He’s led the NFL in sacks three times, with 22.5 sacks three seasons ago. His rookie season, and the season he only played ten games were the only two seasons he has been under 10 sacks in a season. 

Nick Bosa.

At 26 years of age Bosa a is the reigning Sporting News with his league-best 18.5 sacks and 48 QB hits.

He was also the NFL DPOY in 2022.

In five NFL seasons he has 53.5 sacks, 10 forced fumbles and  3 fumble recoveries.

Right now I have Bosa as my best defensive player going into the upcoming season.

5) Which present NFL player is your top pick to earn his first Pro Bowl selection in his career? Why?

Jaylen Waddle.

To see that he has never been to a Pro Bowl is actually surprising to me. He’s a very good receiver and definitely has been overshadowed by Tyreek Hill in Miami. I think this season is going to be the year that he gets the respect that he deserves and gets a nod to the Pro Bowl.

Tua is going to find him a lot. They’re going to utilize him fully in a high-speed offense. Miami is going to put up a lot of points, and they’re going to keep the scoreboard turning, that’s their goal. Speed and big plays. Waddle benefiting from that will lead him to put up a Pro Bowl-type season. He just needs the fans to be able to vote his way in. And I think he could do very well in a flag football format of a game if he was elected to the Pro Bowl. He’s been deserving, and he should get his nod for the first time in his career in 2024-2025. 

Brandin Cooks.

He has had an excellent career that includes six 1,000-yard seasons, and he may have had a seventh had he played all 17 games in last season.

The 30-year-old has earned a 70.0-plus receiving grade in seven of his nine professional seasons, and his 84.9 career receiving grade stacks him up well with players such as Jordy Nelson, Desean Jackson and Demaryius Thomas, all of whom made the Pro Bowl.

Cooks may have a hard time getting there this year too, with a loaded NFC that includes Justin Jefferson, A.J. Brown and CeeDee Lamb as legitimate picks that could go ahead of him. Regardless, he still deserves a Pro Bowl selection on some level for his production year in and year out.