NFL: Watchability Rankings
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The Debrief, Week 5: Fresh faces top Watchability Rankings
By Gregg Rosenthal, Around The NFL Editor
Published: Oct. 9, 2017 at 07:59 p.m.
Updated: Oct. 10, 2017 at 12:05 p.m.
Watchability Rankings
A reminder for those new to this exercise: These rankings, unlike Elliott Harrison's scientifically engineered Power Rankings, are completely subjective and change on a whim. It's all about which teams are the most fun to watch. Below are my top five through Week 5 of the 2017 season.
1) Philadelphia Eagles: My two favorite plays of the season were authored by Carson Wentz and Nelson Agholor, which is a very 2017 thing to write. Facing a third-and-19 against the Cardinals on Sunday, Wentz saw a blitz coming, stepped up in the pocket and tossed the ball high enough into the Philly sky to bring rain. Agholor did the rest, complete with a splash into the end zone:
Wentz will miss a routine throw or four each week, and he'll make some head-scratching decisions, like on his red-zone interception against Arizona. But he's so much fun to watch, like a cross between the young versions of Daunte Culpepper, Ben Roethlisberger and Cam Newton. His other possible Play of the Year, a wild Week 1 scramble before finding Agholor deep, was typical of this season, in which defenses have been unable to get Wentz to the ground:
In a league bereft of capable offensive line play, the Eagles are strong up front on both sides of the ball. Their best defender, Fletcher Cox, was out -- but the team barely missed a beat because of Tim Jernigan and Brandon Graham. Until Sunday's blowout win against Arizona, their games have come down to the final minutes each week, making the Eagles a safe pick for an entertaining game in a season needing a few more. There's no way to guess where they go from here, which is sorta the point.
2) Los Angeles Rams: Like the Eagles, the whiff of something new makes this Rams team fascinating to watch develop. They were a Cooper Kupp catch away Sunday from controlling the NFC West and accumulating runaway hype, but perhaps the setback against Seattle isn't such a bad thing. The official team of The Around the NFL Podcast can continue to grow out of the spotlight, while Wade Phillips' defense keeps improving and the team's entirely new set of pass-catchers learns the finer points of coach Sean McVay's offense.
3) Denver Broncos: From peak Von Miller to vintage Jamaal Charles to wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders breaking ankles to cornerback Aqib Talib busting chops, this is a team with players who pop off the screen on both sides of the ball. Quarterback Trevor Siemian could captain the More Talented Than You Think They Are All Stars.
4) Dallas Cowboys: Sunday's Packers-Cowboys tilt was a great early candidate for Game of the Year. It also felt familiar. Just think back to the Tony Romo-Peyton Manning duel of 2013 or the Cowboys' comeback in the "Odell Catch" game in 2014 or the shootouts with Pittsburgh and Green Bay last season. All of those games had something in common: A Cowboys defense that doesn't get many stops. Watching this young Dallas team, already with as many losses (three) as it had in all of 2016, trying to find itself will be one of the stories of the 2017 season.
5) Carolina Panthers: The Panthers won in Detroit despite averaging 1 yard per carry (!) on 28 tries. I never thought a Panthers team without a rushing attack could be 4-1. It gives this team room to grow, with so many players on each side of the ball that can win a game on a single play -- starting with a suddenly in-form Cam Newton. In other words: Carolina's best should rival that of any team in the NFC.
Honorable mention: Green Bay Packers, New England Patriots and Kansas City Chiefs. Any teams with Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers near the peak of their powers are going to be watchable. And the Chiefs deserve kudos for delivering every week in a topsy-turvy league.
[www.nfl.com]
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/10/2017 07:42AM by MamaRAMa.
By Gregg Rosenthal, Around The NFL Editor
Published: Oct. 9, 2017 at 07:59 p.m.
Updated: Oct. 10, 2017 at 12:05 p.m.
Watchability Rankings
A reminder for those new to this exercise: These rankings, unlike Elliott Harrison's scientifically engineered Power Rankings, are completely subjective and change on a whim. It's all about which teams are the most fun to watch. Below are my top five through Week 5 of the 2017 season.
1) Philadelphia Eagles: My two favorite plays of the season were authored by Carson Wentz and Nelson Agholor, which is a very 2017 thing to write. Facing a third-and-19 against the Cardinals on Sunday, Wentz saw a blitz coming, stepped up in the pocket and tossed the ball high enough into the Philly sky to bring rain. Agholor did the rest, complete with a splash into the end zone:
Wentz will miss a routine throw or four each week, and he'll make some head-scratching decisions, like on his red-zone interception against Arizona. But he's so much fun to watch, like a cross between the young versions of Daunte Culpepper, Ben Roethlisberger and Cam Newton. His other possible Play of the Year, a wild Week 1 scramble before finding Agholor deep, was typical of this season, in which defenses have been unable to get Wentz to the ground:
In a league bereft of capable offensive line play, the Eagles are strong up front on both sides of the ball. Their best defender, Fletcher Cox, was out -- but the team barely missed a beat because of Tim Jernigan and Brandon Graham. Until Sunday's blowout win against Arizona, their games have come down to the final minutes each week, making the Eagles a safe pick for an entertaining game in a season needing a few more. There's no way to guess where they go from here, which is sorta the point.
2) Los Angeles Rams: Like the Eagles, the whiff of something new makes this Rams team fascinating to watch develop. They were a Cooper Kupp catch away Sunday from controlling the NFC West and accumulating runaway hype, but perhaps the setback against Seattle isn't such a bad thing. The official team of The Around the NFL Podcast can continue to grow out of the spotlight, while Wade Phillips' defense keeps improving and the team's entirely new set of pass-catchers learns the finer points of coach Sean McVay's offense.
3) Denver Broncos: From peak Von Miller to vintage Jamaal Charles to wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders breaking ankles to cornerback Aqib Talib busting chops, this is a team with players who pop off the screen on both sides of the ball. Quarterback Trevor Siemian could captain the More Talented Than You Think They Are All Stars.
4) Dallas Cowboys: Sunday's Packers-Cowboys tilt was a great early candidate for Game of the Year. It also felt familiar. Just think back to the Tony Romo-Peyton Manning duel of 2013 or the Cowboys' comeback in the "Odell Catch" game in 2014 or the shootouts with Pittsburgh and Green Bay last season. All of those games had something in common: A Cowboys defense that doesn't get many stops. Watching this young Dallas team, already with as many losses (three) as it had in all of 2016, trying to find itself will be one of the stories of the 2017 season.
5) Carolina Panthers: The Panthers won in Detroit despite averaging 1 yard per carry (!) on 28 tries. I never thought a Panthers team without a rushing attack could be 4-1. It gives this team room to grow, with so many players on each side of the ball that can win a game on a single play -- starting with a suddenly in-form Cam Newton. In other words: Carolina's best should rival that of any team in the NFC.
Honorable mention: Green Bay Packers, New England Patriots and Kansas City Chiefs. Any teams with Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers near the peak of their powers are going to be watchable. And the Chiefs deserve kudos for delivering every week in a topsy-turvy league.
[www.nfl.com]
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/10/2017 07:42AM by MamaRAMa.
| Subject | Author | Views | Posted |
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 | MamaRAMa | 501 | October 10, 2017 07:40AM |
| RamsFanSinceLA | 122 | October 10, 2017 08:25AM |
