Week 5 Preview

Baltimore @ Mason Rudolph (1-1)

W: A win would move Rudolph into the 2 win column, tying him with Todd Blackledge (2-3), Steve Bono (2-1), Michael Vick (2-1), and Dennis Dixon (2-1).

COMP: Rudolph (50) is 2 completions away from passing Byron Leftwich (51), and 11 from passing Todd Blackledge (60).

ATT: Rudolph (74) will pass a number of forgotten Steeler QBs, but a strong day could see him pass Leftwich (96).

YDS: Rudolph (515) should pass Bono (548), Leftwich (617), among others.

TDS: Rudolph (6) has already passed most of the bottom part of the Steelers list, but throwing at least one TD will move him past Bono (6), Dixon (6), and Mewelde Moore (6).

Luke Falk (0-1) @ Philadelphia

COMP: Falk (32) should pass Tony Easton (35), Quincy Carter (35), and move within striking distance of Michael Vick (64).

ATT: Falk (47) should pass Carter (58), and Eason (64).

YDS: Falk (296) should pass Eason (410), Carter (498) and move close to Vick (604).

TDS: Falk (0) is tied with injured Trevor Siemian (0), as well as Tim Tebow (0), and Jeff Blake (0). A single TD would tie him with Jay Fiedler (1), Greg McElroy (1), and Eason (1). A real breakout game could see him tie with former punter Tom Tupa (2), Mark Brunell (2).

W: A win would move Falk (0-1) into the 1-win Jets Club, along with Frank Reich (1-6), Glenn Foley (1-7), Bryce Petty (1-6), Buby Brister (1-3), and Michael Vick (1-2).

Gardner Minshew II (2-1) @ Kyle Allen (3-0)

The QB Watch Game of the Week!

COMP: Allen (63) will pass David Carr (73), and inch closer to Vinny Testaverde (94).

ATT: Allen (90) could catch Carr (136) with a killer game, but likely will only move closer.

YDS: Allen (759) should pass Testaverde (952) and move into 10th on the Panthers List.

TDS: Allen (6) could catch Derek Anderson (7). Passing him would place Allen in 8th on the Panthers List.

W: Allen (3-0) can’t catch anyone this week. Matt Moore is the next highest at (7-6).

COMP: Minshew (84) will pass Cody Kessler (85) and move into 8th on the Jaguars List.

ATT: Minshew (121) should pass Jonathan Quinn (125), Kessler (131), and Steve Beuerlein (142), to become 8th on the Jaguars List.

YDS: Minshew (905) should pass Beuerlein (952) to move into 8th on the Jaguars List.

TDS: Minshew (7) would need a killer game to catch Quinn Gray (12).

W: A win for Minshew (2-1) would move him past Kessler (2-2), and Gray (2-2), to have the 7th most wins in Jaguars history.

New England @ Colt McCoy (1-5)

Washington is making the baffling decision to start Colt McCoy, just barely recovered from a broken leg, over Case Keenum or Dwayne Haskins.

COMP: McCoy (132) will pass Jeff George (136).

ATT: McCoy (193) could pass George (236), but it’ll be close because I doubt they let him pass that much.

YARDS: McCoy and George are tied (1557). McCoy hopefully will pass him.

TDS: McCoy (8) needs a big game but could catch Tony Banks (10) and Alex Smith (10).

W: McCoy (1-5) has been unlucky in Washington. But a win will let him pass Josh Johnson (1-2), Rich Gannon (1-3), Tim Hasselbeck (1-4), John Friesz (1-3), and George (1-6). The win will bring him into a tie with Danny Wuerffel (2-2), Jeff Hostetler (2-1).

Kyler Murray (0-3-1) @ Cincinnati

COMP: Murray (106) should pass a number of people with the possibility of passing Jay Schroeder (133) and Ryan Lindley (134).

ATT: Murray (169) should pass Blaine Gabbert (171)

YARDS: Murray (1071) should pass Gabbert (1076) among others.

TDS: Murray (4) has been stuck here, but a TD could move him past Schroeder, and former Heisman winner John David Crow. 2 TDs will catch him up with Gabbert (6).

W: Murray (0-3-1) has been stuck at 0 wins for the first quarter of the season. A win, which he needs desperately, will push him up to the levels of Lindley (1-5), and M.C. Reynolds (1-5), and remove him from the 0-win Cardinals Club that contains legends like Stan Gelbaugh, Sam Bradord, Shaun King, Brian Hoyer, Jim McMahon, and Stoney Case.

Tampa Bay @ Teddy Bridgewater (2-1)

COMP: Bridgewater (73) should pass Todd Bouman (75).

ATT: Bridgewater (110) should pass Bouman (135).

YARDS: Bridgewater (653) should pass Bouman (803).

TDS: Bridgewater (3) is tied with Bouman and Jake Delhomme. A TD will move him into a tie with Kerry Collins and Dalton Hilliard (4).

W: Bridgewater (2-1) is tied with Collins (2-5), Danny Wuerffel (2-4), and Billy Joe Tolliver (2-9). A win moves him up and closer to Heath Shuler (4-5).

Minnesota @ Daniel Jones (2-0)

COMP: Jones (49) should pass a number of people including former Bachelor Jesse Palmer (63).

ATT: Jones (71) should pass a number of Giants this week such as Emery Nix (72), Travis Tidwell (76), and move him closer to Palmer (120).

YARDS: Jones (578) should pass Eddie Miller (700), and Tom Kennedy (748).

TDS: Jones (3) is tied with David Carr, Dave Meggett and Palmer.

W: Jones (2-0) is tied with Jerry Golsteyn (2-3), George Shaw (2-3-1) and Jeff Rutledge (2-5-1). A win moves him into a tie with Travis Tidwell (3-0-1).

Chase Daniel (1-1) @ Oakland in London

COMP: Daniel (75) should pass Chad Hutchinson (92), and Mike Glennon (93).

ATT: Daniel (106) should pass Craig Krenzel (127), and Glennon (140).

YARDS: Daniel (710) should pass Krenzel (718), Glennon (833), and Hutchinson (903).  

TDS: Daniel (4) is tied with Glennon, Hutchinson, and Steve Stenstrom (4).

W: Daniel (1-1) is tied with Brian Hoyer (1-4), Matt Barkley (1-5), Stenstrom (1-6), Glennon (1-3), Doug Flutie (1-0). A win will tie him with Kordell Stewart (2-5).

Josh Allen/Matt Barkley @ Tennessee

*Buffalo has not announced a starter as of press time. Stay tuned for more.

Minshew out? Dobbs in?

With the potential for Gardner Minshew to miss his first start since assuming temporary control of the position, the Jaguars are giving first-team reps this week to backup Joshua “Josh” Dobbs.

Dobbs, a former starter at the University of Tennessee, has very little pro experience. He was drafted by the Steelers in 2017, and was placed on the 3rd string behind Ben Roethlisberger and Landry Jones.

In 2018, he appeared in 5 games for the Steelers, going 6/12, 43 yards, 0 TDs and 1 INT.

In 2019, the Steelers traded him to Jacksonville thinking they were set at QB with Mason Rudolph. While Dobbs may not start, the high number of sacks could cause Minshew even more harm. Jacksonville has given up 10 sacks in their last 4 games, so Dobbs will be on standby.

Week 5 QB Watch Questions

1. New England @ Washington

Q: How does Jay Gruden handle the lose-lose decision he’s about to have to make?

Do you a) start Case Keenum, crush whatever is left of his spirit and confidence and let him and your team sink to 0-5?

OR

b) Risk crushing the confidence of rookie and current zero-time starter Dwayne Haskins as he faces one of the league’s best teams?

There are arguments to be had on both sides, but if Gruden’s decision comes down to which QB is likelier to get a win he’s really in trouble because I think he has to lean to Haskins. Haskins showed in his relief appearance against the New York Giants that he is not ready for prime time, despite the fact that he helped make the offense move coherently than Keenum.

2. Baltimore @ Pittsburgh

Q: How can Pittsburgh find a way to get Mason Rudolph to throw the ball downfield?

Rudolph has shown glimpses of potential stardom (such as his two long ball TDs against the 49ers), but 24 of his 28 passes against the Bengals were attempts of under 10 yards. Tomlin and his staff will have to find a way to get him to throw the ball downfield before opposing defenses realize they can cut off the underneath routes and back him into unpleasant 3rd down situations.

3. New York Jets @ Philadelphia

Q: Did the Jets properly use the bye week to give their QBs a fighting chance?

Reports are that the Jets were hoping that Sam Darnold would be cleared in between their loss to New England and their game this week, but have had no luck on that front. Darnold has been cleared to lift weights, but hasn’t fully practiced yet.

The hope would be that the Jets found a way to give Luke Falk enough reps to give him a real chance against Philadelphia, but it appears that the Jets waited too long to give him full reps in practice.

While there’s still some time to prepare Falk, it sounds like a potential missed opportunity.

4. Tampa Bay @ New Orleans

Q: Can the Saints find a way to rev up the offense?

Teddy Bridgewater has been solid enough to lead the Saints to two wins in three starts this year, but hasn’t thrown for over 200 yards in any of those starts. 2 TDs and 1 INT in 3 games is solid but unremarkable. Bridgewater will have to find a way to get the offense moving, especially against a suddenly potent Tampa Bay team.

5. Jacksonville @ Carolina

Q: In the battle of the backups, which QB has more magic in his tank?

Gardner Minshew (2-1) and Kyle Allen (3-0) have been two of the standout backup QBs this year, playing extremely well in tough spots. Minshew, in particular, has shown a remarkable ability to stay poised in the pocket, and survive under duress. The game winning drive last week against Denver was maybe not incredibly impressive based on the opponent, but for a rookie qb it showed an incredible amount of presence to be able to pull it off.

The two QBs are going to need to rely heavily on their offensive lines. Allen has 4 TDs in 2 games, but has been sacked 3 times. Minshew has 7 TDs, but has been sacked an incredible 10 times in 4 games.

6. Buffalo @ Tennessee

Q: Can Matt Barkley hold on long enough to keep the Bills from stumbling?

Josh Allen has not been cleared as of this writing, but it appears likely that Matt Barkley could wind up as the starter this week. At 3-1, the Bills are currently leading the wild card race, but a potential loss against a winnable opponent in Tennessee could hurt the Bills in the long run. Buffalo will have to find a way to have Barkley game manage and pick up a W.

7. Chicago @ Oakland

Q: What is Chase Daniel’s ceiling?

Chase Daniel, perennial backup, has proven himself to be valuable enough to Chicago that they kept him around for a second season. But can Daniel lead the Bears to wins over the next month or two as Trubisky recovers? His first start is a bit daunting having to play overseas in London. Between trying to get all the reps and practices in, and fighting jet lag, Daniel’s performance this week will need to be strong enough to pick up a W against a baffling proto-Vegas Raiders.

8. Arizona @ Cincinnati

Q: Is this finally the week for Kyler Murray?

Murray’s first four starts have been a mixed bag so far: 4 TD and 4 INTs, a game where he threw for 349 yards, and one where he threw for 173. He led a comeback, but only got a tie out of it. Murray looks like he has the potential to eventually succeed as a starter, but the first step is picking up the first win. At 0-3-1, Murray is in need of a win to boost his confidence and playing a beleaguered Cincinnati Bengals team is likely to be the victim. If he can’t get the win this week, it could be awhile because they go on the road to Atlanta and then the Giants the week after. Getting a win before the end of October could boost Murray and give him the lift he needs.

9. Minnesota @ New York Giants

Q: Can Daniel Jones rebound after a lackluster 2nd outing?

After his first start, Daniel Jones appeared to be the next big thing in the NFL. After his second start, Daniel Jones appeared to be a guy who was just ok. If Washington could have moved the ball at all, Daniel Jones would be 1-1, not the 2-0 superstar that he currently is.

Playing a better team in Minnesota will give Jones a challenge, but also an opportunity to play closer to his first start. Given how an off the bench Chase Daniel played against Minnesota last week, Daniel Jones could have a big 300+ yard game like he did against Tampa Bay.

QB Injury Updates – Monday Edition

Chicago Bears

Mitchell “Mitch” Trubisky dislocated his left shoulder but will not require surgery. The odds of him playing this week appear to be next to none.

Starting duties will likely fall to backup Chase Daniel. Daniel, in his 10th year in the pros, has only started four games, compiling a 2-2 record as a starter.

Making the start more interesting is the game will be in London, so in addition to only have a few days of first-team reps, Daniel is likely to be fighting jet lag as well. He’ll be backed up by Tyler Bray, late of the Chicago practice squad.

Bray entered the league as an UDFA in 2013, but did not play. In 2014 he spent all of the year on IR with knee injuries. In 2015, he tore his ACL and missed the whole season. His first pro appearance came in the final week of 2017 where he fumbled his first snap, and then threw one incomplete pass. He has not played in a game since.

An injury to Chase Daniel this week could really hurt the Bears as they hope to stay alive in a suddenly competitive NFC North.

Buffalo Bills

Joshua “Josh” Allen is currently in concussion protocol with little word on whether or not he’ll be available to play at Tennessee next weekend. If he is unavailable, Draco Malfoy impersonator Matt Barkley will once again take the reins. Barkley was serviceable in his appearance off the bench against New England, but will need a lot of reps to get up to full starter speed.

The likely backup for Barkley will be Davis Webb, currently the lone QB on Buffalo’s practice squad. Davis Webb, once a 3rd round pick of the New York Giants, has never taken a snap during an NFL game.

Webb is on his 3rd New York-based team. After one year with the Giants, they cut him. He signed with the New York Jets the next day, suited up in one game but did not play, and was cut this summer before being picked up by the Bills.

The Bills would be in real trouble if Allen can’t play, and in especially bad trouble if Barkley found himself hurt.

Week 4 Backup* Power Rankings

     *Backups being QBs who started the year as backups

1. Daniel Jones           23/31, 225 yds, 1 TD, 2 INTs; 5 carries, 33 yards

Jones might not wind up as the great white hope that the Giants want him to be, but the early results have proved promising. While the numbers aren’t eye popping, and we’re in an era of eye-popping numbers, seeing Daniel Jones look like a veteran in just his second career start has to make Giants fans happy.

When things got tough for the Giants, Jones found a way to make things worse. Facing a 3rd and 13, Jones got swallowed up in the pocket, fought his way free and ran for a first down. His ability to keep plays alive with his feet and quick thinking mean that Jones and the Giants might not be the train wreck we all expected.

2. Gardner Minshew II            19/33, 213 yard, 2 TDs

Minshew Magic is real! When Denver scored the go-ahead TD with under 2:00 to go, it appeared the Jags were headed towards the kind of loss that they’ve experienced far too often in recent years. Instead, Minshew led the Jags downfield where they kicked a game-winning FG.

The aspect of Minshew’s game that is setting him apart is his ability to avoid mistakes. 7 TDs to 1 INT so far in his young career. He also has 0 delay of game penalties. 3.5 games is a small sample size but the early returns are hopeful.

3. Kyle Allen              24/34, 232 yards, 0 TDs

Allen has been under the radar in his two starts for Carolina this season. Counting his one start last year he’s 3-0 at the helm of the Panthers, and that’s both good and bad news for them. The good news is they may have an answer for what happens if Cam Newton can’t come back. The bad news is what do they do with Kyle Allen if Cam Newton comes back?

Carolina barely snuck past Houston today, but Allen has consistently put up solid numbers, 6 TDs to 0 INTs in his time with the Panthers. They may not be a playoff team this year, but the possibility of Kyle Allen leading them there in the future is not unrealistic.

4. Chase Daniel                      22/30, 195 yards, 1 TD

Like Kyle Allen, Chase Daniel is in his second season as a backup with his franchise. The Chicago Bears have been inconsistent under Mitchell Trubisky, aka Mitch Trubisky. Chase Daniel put up decent numbers coming off the bench today, and never looked out of place. If Trubisky is out for a long period of time, Daniel could be a solid enough replacement to keep Chicago in the running for a playoff spot.

Daniel is an odd horse to bet on in terms of being the long-term starter. He’s 32, in his 10th year in the league, and the Bears are his 6th franchise he’s played for in that time. Whatever Daniel has to offer will be on display this season.

5. Josh Rosen              17/24, 180 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT

The continual head scratching over what Rosen brings to the table continues. These are better numbers than last week against Dallas (18/39, 200 yards, 0 TD), so perhaps the reps are starting to pay off. The main question surrounding him is does he have what it takes to be an NFL starter? Arizona said yes, and then quickly said no. Miami’s response so far seems to be “Well, we were going to lose all these games anyway so who cares who’s at QB?” That’s not a terrible attitude to have for a team that is headed towards 0-16, but it’s certainly left Rosen in the lurch. He has no weapons around him, no offensive line (he’s already been sacked eight times), and no real hope of succeeding.

Even worse, the only plan the Dolphins appear to have is let Rosen survive if he can, and hope he’s bad enough not to improve because they need that first pick where they presumably take a quarterback. Rosen likely will be on his 3rd team in three years in 2020, but for now his best hope is to be slightly better next week.

6. Dwayne Haskins     9/17, 107 yards, 0 TDs, 3 INTs; 2 carries, 23 yards

The good: He led all the scoring drives that Washington had.

The bad: The only scoring drive was the first one he was on, and they only got a FG.

The good: The offense hummed much better under Haskins than it was under Case Keenum.

The bad: Against a bad defense, Washington still only managed to put up 176 yards.

The good: He had 130 of those yards!

The bad: Haskins doesn’t have a great command of the field just yet. He’s easily pressured into making mistakes

The bad: The team around him isn’t any good. Even when Haskins made throws, his WRs would drop the ball or bobble it, a scenario that led to the 3rd interception.

The good: Washington plays Miami in two weeks.

The bad: Washington plays New England next week.

7. Matt Barkley           9/16, 127 yards, 0 TDs, 1 INT

It wasn’t a terrible performance from Barkley. Against arguably the best team in the league, and having no first-team reps during the week, Barkley came off the bench and held his own for most of his time on the field.

The final drive was going quite well until the interception – the only real mistake he made while on the field.

If Buffalo is without Josh Allen for an extended period of time, they might be in real trouble. Barkley is 2-5 as a starter, although he was 1-0 last year with Buffalo. This feels like a situation where you may hear about multiple QBs coming in for tryouts during the week.

Fun fact: Matt Barkley has never led a game winning drive!

No Dwayne, No Gain – 1st Half Edition

Rookie Dwayne Haskins has survived his first drive as an NFL quarterback. Successfully leading the Washington Redskins down field, culminating his drive with a FG, the first points of the day for Washington. This cut the New York Giants’ lead to 14-3.

Haskins finished the drive 2/4, 15 yards as a passer, but picked up 14 more yards on a run.

The numbers aren’t eye popping, but it was enough to likely hand him the keys for the foreseeable future.

Haskins started the day as the 163rd Washington Redskin to attempt a forward pass. After his drive, he has moved up to 105th in completions, 111th in attempts, and 117th in passing yards. He should be one of the Top 100 Washington QBs of all-time by the time he finishes today, especially if he can throw a TD. 86 Washington players attempted a forward pass but were unsuccessful in finding the end zone.

Game of the Week Updates

Great White Hope Daniel Jones goes 5/6, 42 yards and throws a TD to put the Giants up 7-0.

The TD, DJ’s 3rd, moves him past Odell Beckham and places him into a tie with former RB Dave Meggett.

On the other side, Jammed Case Keenum went 0/2 with an INT. The two attempts move him past Rich Gannon so he has that going for him!

An Early MNF Preview

Monday Night Game: Andy Dalton (68-53-2) @ Mason Rudolph (0-1)

The Curious Case of Andy Dalton

Andy Dalton starts his 16th career game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Dalton has been mystified by them throughout his career, with a sad 3-15 record against the Steelers. Facing off against a rookie qb making his 2nd career start could provide Dalton with enough of an advantage to pick up a win.

In those 18 starts, Dalton has thrown 17 TDs and 13 INTs. Not a great set of numbers. Even worse, 2 of Dalton’s 3 wins came at home, and this game is on the road. This game is likelier to come down to the Bengal defense having to stop the former Oklahoma State standout since the Steeler defense is quite familiar with the redheaded stepchild.

Dalton has more sub-200 yard games against the Steelers (6) than he does 300+ yard games (2). While a Dalton explosion against them is possible, it’s not likely based on history.

Andy Dalton is #2 in every key stat in Bengals history, trailing Ken Anderson in every category.

2nd in Completions (2524), 130 behind Anderson (2654)

2nd in Attempts (4050), 425 behind Anderson (4475)

2nd in Yards (29079), 3759 behind Anderson (32838)

2nd in TDs (193), 4 behind Anderson (197)

2nd in Wins (68), 23 behind Anderson (91)

Barring something catastrophic, Dalton will likely pass Anderson in completions and touchdowns this season, and pick up attempts and yards next season. Dalton hasn’t had a double digit win season since 2015, so the win total might elude him for awhile. In fact, over the last three+ seasons, Dalton only has 18 wins:

2016: 6-9-1

2017: 7-9

2018: 5-6

2019: 0-3

Will Andy Dalton supplant Ken Anderson as the winningest quarterback in franchise history? It’s certainly possible, but it overlooks the fact that Andy Dalton has no career postseason wins, while Anderson has 2. Two isn’t much but Ken Anderson did lead the Bengals to Super Bowl 16.

Overall:

Andy Dalton is #45 all-time in completions (2524) and could pass Rich Gannon (2533) this week.

Dalton is #55 all-time in attempts (4050) and could pass Kurt Warner (4070) this week.

Dalton is #52 all-time in yards (29,079) and could pass Jake Plummer (29,253) and Roman Gabriel (29,444) this week.

Dalton is tied at #51 all-time in passing TDs (193, with Alex Smith) and could pass Ken Stabler (194) this week.

Dalton is tied at #60 all-time in wins (68, with Cam Newton) and could move up to tie Jake Plummer and Sonny Jurgensen (69) this week.

Mason Rudolph (0-1)

It was not a great debut for Mason Rudolph, who struggled mightily throughout his start against the San Francisco 49ers. While he did have some TD highlights, he also struggled to throw the ball beyond the line of scrimmage.

This week:

COMP: Rudolph has 26 completions and could pass notable players like Dennis Dixon (35), Michael Vick (40), and Steve Bono (44).

ATT: Rudolph (46) could pass Dixon (59) and Vick (66).

YDS: Rudolph (286) could pass Vick (371) and Dixon (402).

TDS: Rudolph (4) is tied with Antwaan Randle-El.

WINS: The Steelers, possibly due to their success, don’t have a large group of 1-win qbs. In fact, they have none. So a win would move him into a class of nearly his own. Just him and Jack Scarbath (1-0). It would also get him away from 0-win qbs like Byron Leftwich (0-1).

QB Watch Prediction:

Pittsburgh 24, Cincinnati 17