NFL Week 4 overreactions: Should Cowboys weigh QB change?
The first quarter of the NFL season is in the books for most teams, still plenty of time to overreact in various cities. Our take on some of the hot topics around the league, and whether the kneejerking is warranted.
1. The Dallas Cowboys should give Matt Cassel a chance
Sure, America's Team is 0-2 without Tony Romo. But Sunday night’s loss to the New Orleans Saints wasn’t about quarterback play. Brandon Weeden was 16-for-26 passing for 246 yards and a touchdown. He hit a deep ball. He led a successful two-minute drive. Then, a short-handed Dallas defense hemorrhaged consecutive touchdown drives, the latter an 80-yard score on an intermediate throw in overtime to lose it. Reinforcements will arrive imminently, with defensive end Greg Hardy and linebacker Rolando McClain eligible to return from their respective suspensions Monday. That should help more than turning to Cassel, a 33-year-old journeyman who’s been in the offense all of two weeks and didn’t even dress as the backup Sunday. Plus, the Cowboys’ next opponent knows Cassel well: Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots visit Texas next week.
2. The 4-0 Atlanta Falcons are one of the NFL’s elite teams
Tough to say — and it may stay that way until close to Thanksgiving. The Falcons can only play their schedule, but consider this: They’ve beaten a Philadelphia Eagles team that continues to struggle, the New York Giants on a day when Eli Manning mismanaged the clock, the Cowboys without Romo and the Houston Texans. Atlanta's next five: Washington Redskins, at the Saints, at the Tennessee Titans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and at the San Francisco 49ers. The Falcons resemble the 2013 Kansas City Chiefs, who faced a string of backup quarterbacks while racing to a 9-0 start before coming back to earth after their bye. But give credit where it’s due: the Falcons are rolling under new coach Dan Quinn and dominated an inferior opponent Sunday. What that means in the big picture remains to be seen.
3. Todd Gurley makes the St. Louis Rams a playoff contender
They already were, mainly because of their defense. But perhaps Gurley is the piece the Rams have been missing to end the letdowns that seem to follow every big win. The rookie’s breakout performance in Sunday’s road upset of the Arizona Cardinals — 19 carries for 146 yards — helped the Rams end a two-game skid and improve to 2-0 in division play. Gurley gained 106 of those yards in the fourth quarter. He can be the Rams’ closer, which is essential for a team built to beat people up and win ugly. Another tough test awaits next week against the undefeated Green Bay Packers.
4. The Philadelphia Eagles are finished
Not really, though sole possession of the NFC East cellar at 1-3 (and 0-2 against division foes following Sunday’s loss at Washington) — isn’t a great signal. Neither is DeMarco Murray going public with frustration over his role in Chip Kelly’s offense. Nobody’s running away with this division, though, and the Eagles are as talented as any of their rivals, who are all 2-2 with their own problems. The turnaround for Philadelphia would start with figuring out how to run the football and schematically take pressure off a protection unit that’s going to get Sam Bradford killed if it keeps playing like it did Sunday.
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