We are almost finished with Week 8 in the NFL season, and just when we think we have it all figured out…everything changes…again. Every week it seems like we see different teams flash and every week it seems like we see different teams crash. Who is for real? Are there really any favorites? Are we ever going to have a week where we don’t question the officiating? These are questions that many NFL fans are asking themselves as we approach the midpoint of the season. Anyway, here are a few things that caught my eye over the weekend.

Trouble In Paradise

A few weeks ago we looked at the NFL and we knew that the 49ers and the Eagles were the best teams in the NFC, and the Chiefs and Dolphins were the best teams in the AFC. We could say that and almost no one would have disagreed with us. Now, that isn’t quite the case. The 49ers look very beatable, the Dolphins had a stumble, and the Chiefs don’t quite have that same swagger. The Eagles…well they still look like they are the class of the NFC. So, what does that tell us? I think it tells us that there is more parity amongst the middling teams of the league than we want to admit. I still think there is a big discrepancy between the best teams in the league and the worst teams in the league, but for the teams in the middle…I think that all of them could say they have a chance at the playoffs.

Injuries Matter

As much as we, the fantasy community, hate to admit it, injuries are a huge part of the story of every NFL season. This year feels like that statement is truer than ever. Every week we get news of another crushing injury to a fantasy relevant player. NFL teams understand that injuries are going to be a part of the story more than most fantasy owners do. That is why they attempt to build depth and competition at every position. Sometimes, a team simply needs to weather the storm of an injury, and come out the other side ready to make a run. I think the team that embodies that the most this year is the Bengals. We knew that Joe Burrow was banged up at the beginning of the year, but I’m not sure anyone outside the team knew exactly how banged up he was. Even still, the Bengals found a way to make it into their bye week at .500, and now coming out of the bye, Burrow seems to be back to his true form. We as fantasy managers should look at our rosters the same way. Find a way to weather the storm by making smart waiver wire moves and trades, and set ourselves up for a nice playoff push. Then once the playoffs hit, anything can happen.

New Jersey Questions

Watching the battle for Met Life Stadium today was borderline torture. It was almost like neither team actually wanted to win. The two teams combined to set NFL offenses back 50 years. And, I’m not sure it was actually because the defenses were playing particularly well. Both coaches looked like they were disgusted with what they were seeing. Both teams had pretty poor body language. I mean, I just didn’t see much of anything to be happy with in this game. That being said, the Jets did what they had to do to eke out a win, and there is something to be said for that. But moving forward, I think both teams are left with far more questions than they have answers. Are they buyers or sellers at the trade deadline? And, if they are one or the other…what are the biggest needs? I am not sure if they even have the answers to those questions.

Hot Seats

This is the time of the year that NFL fanbases start discussing their teams’ futures. Even though we still have more than half the season to go, fans are ready to burn it down and start over, or in some cases they are ready to mortgage their futures for a chance to go all in on this season. After this Sunday, I think we can start to have some legitimate questions about a couple of positions. First, I think we can start to question if Arthur Smith is the right guy in Atlanta. Every week he seems to make decisions that make it more difficult for his team to win the game, and sometimes the decisions are just downright poor. This week that decision was benching Desmond Ridder, and then coming out after the game saying that he wasn’t benched for poor performance, and that the team still had full confidence in him. This is head scratching to me because anyone who watched that game noticed that the Atlanta offense was markedly better with Taylor Heinicke at the helm. If his questionable decisions continue, I would keep an eye on this as a potentially good coaching job that could be open next year. 

The other seat that I think is starting to get a little too warm for comfort is that of Colts GM Chris Ballard. Now, I don’t think anyone expected this team to be a contender this year, but the reason I think his position is in jeopardy is because he is simply far too reactive in his moves rather than being proactive. Anyone who looked at this team knew that the secondary was a position of need coming into this year, and not nearly enough was done to address the depth of the position. Today, that lack of depth came into focus in a very real way. And now, it feels like it is too late to do anything about this year. Now maybe that was part of the plan, look just good enough so that no one thinks you are tanking this year in an attempt to secure another top 5 draft pick. I’m just not sure that I buy it.

Well, those are just a few of my observations on this final Sunday of October. As always, if you have any questions about your fantasy rosters, please feel free to reach out on X(Twitter) @2fatguysff