The Lions entered Sunday’s showdown against the Ravens with the spotlight. Many pundits made the case this week that the Lions are as good as the NFC’s 49ers and Eagles.
As for the Ravens, they were being overshadowed in the AFC North by the Bengals’ recent surge. Not many were taking Baltimore seriously, thanks to two puzzling losses to the Steelers and Colts earlier this season.
It’s safe to say that the Ravens have regained the football world’s attention after a lopsided 38–6 victory over the Lions that probably no one saw coming. But is it safe to say that the Ravens will make noise in the AFC postseason? They’ll have plenty of competition with the Chiefs, Dolphins, Bengals and Jaguars.
Notice how I didn’t list the Bills? They might be pretenders after a surprising loss to the Patriots.
After another thrilling Sunday in the NFL, let’s examine a few narratives to decide whether they’re fact or fiction—starting with Tyson Bagent’s impressive starting debut for the Bears.
Bills pretenders after ugly loss vs. Patriots
Bob DeChiara/USA TODAY Sports
Manzano’s view: Fact
Once again, the Bills struggled against a one-win team. They survived vs. the Giants, but they didn’t avoid the upset loss against the Patriots. What happened to the Bills’ team that defeated the Dolphins in Week 4? Buffalo has delivered three consecutive stinkers offensively, including the loss to the Jaguars in Week 5. With an inconsistent offense and an injury riddled defense, it’s time to label the Bills as pretenders. Buffalo gave up 29 points against a Patriots’ offense that was held to 20 points combined in their previous three games.
The Bills will likely find a way into the postseason, but they can’t be trusted against the best teams in the AFC until they find consistency with offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey.
Bears should stick with Tyson Bagent over Justin Fields
Manzano’s view: Fiction
First of all, the undrafted rookie quarterback had an impressive starting debut in Chicago’s win over the Raiders. He deserves plenty of credit for that. But it would be premature to say the Bears should stick with Bagent over Fields, who was ruled out with a thumb injury. Fields has had his highs and lows this season, but he was finally developing chemistry with wide receiver DJ Moore, and he was showing signs of improvements as a passer.
The Bears (2–5) need more time to evaluate whether Fields, a 2021 first-round pick, is their long-term quarterback, especially with the organization possibly having two high first-round picks next season (Chicago also owns the Panthers’ first pick). Sure, the Bears might have something with Bagent, who completed 21-of-29 passes for 162 yards and one touchdown. But there are many games left on the schedule to give Bagent a legit opportunity later this season. Also, there’s a chance Bagent starts next week against the Chargers if Fields isn’t cleared to play.
Ravens are legit AFC contenders
Tommy Gilligan/USA TODAY Sports
Manzano’s view: Fact
I’ve had many overreactions this season, but probably none worse than giving up on the Ravens’ offense after an ugly loss to the Steelers in Week 5. Welp, Baltimore might have figured out its offensive issues. Lamar Jackson was sensational during the Ravens’ dominant victory against the Lions, whose defense struggled to keep the quarterback in the pocket. But what made Jackson’s performance special was his patience in the passing game, allowing his pass catchers to break free before lengthy completions. Jackson could have easily taken off as a runner many times, but he played within the scheme (like he has for most of the season).
The Ravens’ early struggles as an offense could be attributed to the many changes made by new offensive coordinator Todd Monken. Turns out, all the Ravens needed was time to get this Jackson-led offense in sync. Also, we can’t overlook Baltimore’s defense, which delivered another productive performance against one of the better offenses in the league. Many questioned whether the Ravens had enough pass rushers—they entered Sunday leading the league in sacks with 24—but they added five more sacks vs. the Lions.
With both sides of the football playing well, the Ravens are definitely legit AFC contenders. It won’t be easy winning the AFC North, but this team is capable of advancing to the playoffs and making a deep run.
Myles Garrett is the front-runner for Defensive Player of the Year
Manzano’s view: Fact
Garrett single-handedly kept the Browns in the game before the offense delivered a game-winning drive against the Colts. In the first half alone, Garrett blocked a field-goal attempt, recorded two sacks and had a forced fumble in the end zone that led to a touchdown for the Browns. Garrett gave the Colts plenty of fits, but his defensive teammates went back to their old ways of forcing Garrett to do the bulk of the work. A week after containing the 49ers, the Browns’ defense delivered a flat performance against Gardner Minshew and the Colts.
The Browns’ defense as a whole was a letdown, but this Garrett performance will be remembered for a long time. SI Sportsbook agrees with my take of Garrett being the front-runnner for Defensive Player of the Year: Garrett and Dallas’s Micah Parsons entered Sunday as the betting favorites (+185), but I have a feeling Garrett will soon be the lone favorite.
Saints need to make a trade to improve offense
Manzano’s view: Fiction
The Saints don't need more skill players, because they already have plenty of talent. Wide receiver Michael Thomas is having a solid comeback season, and running back Alvin Kamara hasn’t missed a beat since returning from his three-game suspension. What the Saints truly need is more time to build chemistry with quarterback Derek Carr, who spent the past nine seasons with the Raiders before joining New Orleans. Carr was visibly frustrated with Chris Olave during Thursday night’s loss against the Jaguars after the second-year wideout ran the wrong routes a few times. Also, Carr might need more time to grasp offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael’s complex scheme.
The Saints could use more help on the offensive line as they deal with injuries, but teams rarely let go of quality offensive linemen. If the Saints don’t play better offensively in the coming weeks, then maybe they have a quarterback or scheme problem. Those types of problems are rarely fixed with trades.
