The 2023-24 NFL season is in full swing, and the storylines grow more and more interesting each week.
Bengals buried?
The Cincinnati Bengals have opened their 2023 campaign with a 1-3 win-loss record. The worst of their losses occurred on the weekend, a 24-point loss to the Tennessee Titans.
Bengals Quarterback Joe Burrow, has not looked 100% healthy all season. Burrow suffered a calf injury during training camp and despite being carted off due to this injury, the star quarterback has started in every game this season. But he has not performed anywhere close to as well as he did in previous years.
Burrow has completed only 57 per cent of his passes and averages 182 passing yards per game. His career rating is 97.3; however, it’s a low number of 69.1 this season.
Cincinnati Bengals Quarterback Joe Burrow. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
It’s obvious that he should’ve been rested at the beginning of the season, as im sure any team would rather have their quarterback absent for one or two games than have an injured one on the field.
The tension is heating up in Cincinnati, shown in the response of as a superstar wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase to a reporter’s question by saying “I’m always F***** open” after their frustrating Tennessee loss. Chase has underperformed immensely this season, off the back of a struggling offense in general.
The Bengals’ next game is against the Arizona Cardinals, a team that many think is tanking this season for the number one pick in the 2024 draft. The Cardinals are respectfully one of the worst teams in the league, which means there will be more than just alarm bells ringing if Cincy can’t get their second win on the board next week.
Problems for the Pats
Since the departure of Tom Brady the New England Patriots have played just a single playoff game and their hopes of reaching the playoffs this season are very low already. New England began the season with just one win from four games and is ranked second last in the point-scoring category.
Their only victory so far this campaign came against a significantly injured Jets team. Quarterback Mac Jones has averaged one interception per game, which has been a major part of the lack of productivity from the offense. Despite having both Ezekiel Elliot and Rhamondre Stevenson available, their running game is the tenth worst in the league.
The Patriots most recent game against the Cowboys summed up their season so far, as they scored just three points and conceded 38. Mac Jones completed only 12 of 21 passes and threw two interceptions.
The New England Patriots are a long way from their Super Bowl glory days. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
Their running offense wasn’t any better, as Stevenson’s thirty yards from 14 carries were their most running yards all night. The only positive for New England is the fact three of their first four matches have come against playoff teams from last season.
Their next two games are arguably must-wins – they play the Saints at home before heading to Las Vegas to take on the Raiders. Two wins from these clashes would guide their win-loss record back to .500, before taking on the Bills and Dolphins. Mac Jones’ starting role is without a doubt on the line this season, as coach Bill Belichick won’t be afraid to play backup quarterback Bailey Zappe.
C.J Stroud’s big Texan statement
The Houston Texans are on a two-game winning streak after dominating the Jacksonville Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers. Houston has been in rebuild mode for the past few seasons, but their rookie quarterback C.J Stroud is looking very promising.
Stroud is averaging the fourth-most passing yards this season and has guided the Texans to an average of 33.5 points in their past two appearances. The Texans defense has also improved from sixth worst in the league last season, to being eleventh best in the first month of 2023/24.
Zero credit should be taken away from how well this defence has performed, but it’s the other side of the ball that has just made such a difference and has transformed the Texans from being a near unwatchable team into a squad that is very competitive and exciting to watch. Every game on their schedule in the next two months is very winnable.
The Falcons, Panthers, and Cardinals are just a few teams they’ll be up against In the next five weeks. I can easily see the Texans having a 6-4 win-loss record or even 7-3 after ten games.
There is plenty of potential in this Houston team, and C.J Stroud is at the centre of it.
Christohttps://https://ift.tt/KPkXZx2 for the Pats, Stroud’s statement and are the busted Bengals buried? NFL week 4 wrap
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