Dolphins, Bengals, Texans and Jets among the NFL storylines...
Monday 5 October 2015 14:44, UK
That’s another week of NFL action in the books and what a special weekend it proved to be once again for British fans as America’s sporting passion could not be ignored in London.
First up we had the Trafalgar Square Fan Rally with more than 40,000 NFL supporters on hand. And then we had the game itself at Wembley Stadium, which kicks off my six big talking points from the weekend.
Philbin in danger
By the time you read this column, the Miami Dolphins could be searching for a new head coach. At the very least, Monday is going to see some high level meetings being held in Miami and a demand that Joe Philbin turn things around sooner rather than later.
Like many others, I had high hopes for the Dolphins coming into the 2015 campaign but after scratching out an ugly win in Washington, they have now dropped three games in a row to Jacksonville, Buffalo and now the New York Jets following a 27-14 capitulation at Wembley.
I had to get back to Sky Sports for our evening show so was only at Wembley to watch the Dolphins receive the opening kick-off, produce very little on their first few plays and punt the football to the Jets. Little did I know that was as good as it would get. I did watch the remainder of the game and Miami showed poor discipline, seemed void of ideas on both sides of the ball and, most worrying, once again appeared to show a complete lack of passion.
When results and performances start to stack on top of each other like they are for the Dolphins, the head coach does not last long. But would a coaching change now be writing off the entire season with 12 games to play? And who would be the natural replacement because a suitable interim coach does not appear to be on the staff right now. Those are all questions being asked in Miami right now as Philbin shifts uncomfortably in his hot seat.
Bengals look the real deal
There is a lot to like about the Cincinnati Bengals as they recorded a 36-21 win over the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday night to move to 4-0 on a season for the first time since 2005.
We all know that quarterback Andy Dalton will be judged by how he fares in the play-offs at the end of the year as he is currently winless during the knockout stages, but there can be no denying that he is in the form of his life.
Dalton enjoyed another strong showing on Sunday with 321 passing yards and one touchdown, but what is most impressive about these Bengals is that big-time plays are made throughout the offense from week to week.
Last weekend it was AJ Green who was the star of the show, and the week before that it was running back Gio Bernard. Last night, it was the turn of running back Jeremy Hill and wide receiver Brandon Tate. Add in tight end Tyler Eifert, wide receiver Marvin Jones, one of the best offensive lines in American football and a defense that did not allow a touchdown on Sunday and you can see why the Bengals have been dubbed one of the most talented teams in the NFL.
Texans embarrassed in Atlanta
I enjoyed watching the Hard Knocks series on Sky Sports this summer as NFL fans were taken behind the scenes at the Houston Texans' training camp. During that series, I really grew to like a head coach I didn't previously know too much about in Bill O'Brien.
One thing I did learn during that series is that O'Brien can turn the air blue from time to time. And I bet he did that on Sunday as his team fell behind 42-0 to the dominant Atlanta Falcons. The Texans only started scoring points when the Falcons eased up and even then Houston were required to turn to back-up quarterback Brian Hoyer.
There is so much uncertainty surrounding this Texans team that ended up losing 48-21. O'Brien cannot find the answer at quarterback and is not helping the situation by flip-flopping between Hoyer and Ryan Mallett. And given Houston's poor start to 2015, you have to wonder if O'Brien's seat is getting a little warm at this early stage.
Jags miss an opportunity
When they look back on games they let slip away this season, the Jacksonville Jaguars will have to point to this one as they fell to a 16-13 loss to the Andrew Luck-less Indianapolis Colts.
Facing off against 40-year-old reserve quarterback Matt Hasselbeck, the Jags defense did their part. But they just could not score enough points on offense, even with Blake Bortles again flashing signs of his true potential with a 298-yard passing day. There were four drives in which Jacksonville had a first down inside the Colts' half of the field and they came away with no points on those possessions.
While the Jags' offense has to take some blame for not being able to finish drives, the real villain of this contest was rookie kicker Jason Myers. He missed a 53-yard game-winner at the end of regulation but was given a reprieve as the Colts had called a time out. He then missed that 53-yard effort once again and also sent a 48-yard game-winning effort in overtime wide of the uprights.
If the Jags are in the market for a kicker, they could always sign Josh Scobee - the man they traded away to Pittsburgh in the pre-season and who was cut for his own kicking problems in Pennsylvania late last week.
Stormin' Norman
Write this name down and file it away because I think we'll be talking about Carolina Panthers cornerback Josh Norman for many years to come. He is developing into one of the hottest young defenders in the NFL and is a big reason the Panthers are off to a 4-0 start.
Norman made several big plays during Carolina's 37-23 win over Tampa Bay but none was bigger than his 46-yard interception return touchdown. It was his second pick six of the 2015 campaign and I think there is much more to come from this big, rangy and athletic corner.
Norman now has four interceptions this season and is fun to watch on Sundays.
A word on the Jets
I kicked off this column with a sombre look at the problems surrounding the Dolphins. But how about ending on a real high by looking at the form of their opponents - the 3-1 New York Jets?
Ryan Fitzpatrick is a game manager at quarterback and there is nothing wrong with that, in my mind. He has two good and big receivers in Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker and it looked like Chris Ivory was running like a man possessed at Wembley Stadium. On that kind of form, he is one of the toughest running backs in the NFL to bring down.
And that's before we even get to a defense that features nine former first round draft picks and a demanding, creative and growing head coach in Todd Bowles. The arrow is definitely pointing up on these Jets and they will be fun to monitor as the remainder of the 2015 season unfolds.