NFL The Closing Phrase: Jared Goff’s staggering revival as Detroit Lions flex their Tremendous Bowl credentials

From Jared Goff’s extraordinary profession revival to strain on Brock Purdy, Sky Sports activities NFL presenter Neil Reynolds has his remaining say on Week Seven of the 2024 season on the street to Tremendous Bowl LIX…

Week Seven within the NFL is within the books and the 2024 season is beginning to take form, and that is the place this column begins, with a few groups which have laid down severe markers by way of main the race to the Tremendous Bowl.

Goff taking part in his greatest soccer

I feel it is truthful to say Jared Goff is within the type of his life because the quarterback of the Detroit Lions. He was excellent as soon as once more of their 31-29 win over the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, near excellent for the third week in a row. He accomplished 22 of 25 for 280 yards, two touchdowns, no interceptions and I feel he now has the arrogance to tackle any protection within the NFL and the backing of a superb coach in offensive coordinator Ben Johnson.

It appears like Goff has the solutions to the entire exams. That was so spectacular on Sunday given he was going through Brian Flores, who did an absolute quantity on him when he was defensive coordinator of the New England Patriots throughout Goff’s time with the Rams at Tremendous Bowl 53.

Lamar’s huge evening

I picked the Baltimore Ravens to characterize the AFC within the Tremendous Bowl at the beginning of the 12 months, and nonetheless felt fairly good after they had been 0-2 and now I am feeling superb following their Monday Night time Soccer win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. I really feel just like the Ravens are one of the best group within the AFC, presumably one of the best group within the NFL of their present kind.

There have been nonetheless huge runs from Derrick Henry after all, however Monday evening was about Lamar Jackson placing on an absolute present by means of the air. He had a few unimaginable lengthy completions to Rashod Bateman, Mark Andrews is getting up to the mark at tight finish, and there is a lot to love with these Ravens. They’ll nonetheless make performs on protection as Marlon Humphrey confirmed, however they’re led by an absolute field workplace participant at quarterback in Lamar Jackson, backed up by Derrick Henry. They’ve the look of a Tremendous Bowl group for positive.

The Chiefs proceed to chase historical past

The Kansas Metropolis Chiefs may need one thing to say about that. At 6-0 they’re the lone undefeated group within the NFL and their chase for a 3rd straight Tremendous Bowl crown, which has by no means been achieved earlier than, could be very a lot alive. It isn’t about Patrick Mahomes, which makes these Chiefs so attention-grabbing.

He had no landing passes, a few interceptions on Sunday in opposition to the San Francisco 49ers and now leads the NFL with eight picks, however Mahomes refuses to be overwhelmed. He is now received 11 begins in a row. He made performs along with his legs and scored an unimaginable landing on the bottom, and is backed up by top-of-the-line defenses within the NFL. The Chiefs had been capable of management that 49ers assault from begin to end and I feel Steve Spagnuolo’s unit is legit and a serious cause why this group has not misplaced a recreation but this season.

Is the Watson period over in Cleveland?

Is the Deshaun Watson nightmare going to return to an finish quickly for the Cleveland Browns? For the third straight 12 months since they signed him to a completely assured $230m contract, his marketing campaign has ended early. Watson, who carries a lot off-field baggage with him resulting from greater than 20 instances of sexual misconduct in opposition to him, just isn’t liked by Browns followers in any respect.

He was booed upon getting into the sector of play on Sunday, after which Browns followers cheered as he left the sector on a cart with a torn Achilles later within the day and now you must marvel what the Browns do transferring ahead. They must pay him $92m in wage over the subsequent two years and that may depend as $73m in opposition to the cap for every of these remaining two years. There are monetary implications, they must pay that cash it doesn’t matter what. I do not assume they’ll run him out on the sector once more in 2025 – they should take their lumps, draft a younger quarterback who can play on a rookie deal and begin once more.

Lawrence offers the Jags hope

There was a much-needed win for the Jacksonville Jaguars at Wembley on Sunday as they beat the New England Patriots 32-16, easing a bit little bit of strain on head coach Doug Pederson. This recreation jogged my memory that Trevor Lawrence just isn’t this group’s long-term downside, he’s truly the pillar round which every thing could be constructed.

He’s the explanation Doug Pederson can flip this round, and if it can’t be rotated this 12 months and it is a completely different head coach sooner or later then Trevor Lawrence is the explanation why this Jacksonville job can be so enticing. It was large for the Jags to get again on monitor, profitable in London earlier than heading again to the US.

Participant of the Week – Saquon Barkley, RB, Philadelphia Eagles

Barkley caught it to his outdated group because the Philadelphia Eagles romped to a 28-3 win over the New York Giants. This was in all probability an excessive amount of to take for for Giants followers – that they had one respectable offensive participant final season and for the previous few years and so they let him out of city. Saquon returned to hold the ball 17 occasions for 176 yards and a landing, proving to the Giants what they’re lacking and to Philadelphia that he’s an ideal match for his or her offense.

Play of the Week – Washington’s historic punt return

I am going with Parker Washington’s 96-yard punt return landing for the Jaguars in opposition to the Patriots. I’ve waited a very long time for this, I have been speaking in regards to the reality there was no kick or punt return touchdowns within the historical past of the London video games, I’ve written about it, I’ve at all times needed to see it occur – and I used to be 10 miles away sitting in make-up within the Sky Sports activities studios preparing for our present when NFL UK messaged and requested if this was the primary one. I mentioned ‘sure it’s!’ – I had some main particular groups FOMO not seeing that play. A bit of historical past made in London.

Coach of the Week – Dan Campbell, Detroit Lions

I talked earlier about Ben Johnson serving to Jared Goff from an Xs and Os standpoint. Dan Campbell has not solely helped out Goff from an emotional and confidence standpoint, however I feel it’s truthful to say he has saved his profession and put him on a path to what Goff is now, an elite quarterback within the NFL.

While you take a look at the broader image of his affect on this group, Campbell’s Lions had been down by 10 on the street in Minnesota and belief me, that may be a raucous and hostile atmosphere for a visiting group. And they didn’t blink, they labored their manner again and took that recreation. The Lions love their coach, they play onerous for his or her coach and he has them believing, fairly rightly, that they’re a Tremendous Bowl group.

On my radar…

On my radar is how the 49ers reply to their offensive issues. It is a group that also hasn’t received back-to-back video games this season. The offense going into Sunday was ranked second within the NFL with greater than 400 yards per recreation, however they had been right down to the naked bones: Deebo Samuel left the sport with illness, Brandon Aiyuk has suffered a torn ACL and MCL ending his season earlier than it even actually received began, and Christian McCaffrey continues to be on the sideline and but to play this season.

A lot goes to be on Brock Purdy in these weeks transferring ahead till CMC returns, and a lot can be on Kyle Shanahan. Can he dial up something to assist this group? That wasn’t the case in opposition to the Chiefs on Sunday – Kansas Metropolis labored round their lacking individuals to the tune of 28 factors and 180 yards on the bottom, however Shanahan did not try this for the 49ers. He wants to do this transferring ahead, and Brock Purdy might want to take centre stage for this group.

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