The title of America’s team usually refers to the Dallas Cowboys. The nickname was conferred on the team in a 1978 highlight film by John Facenda where the narrator felt like the players were as famous presidents and movie stars. By 1996, the team had won 5 world championships and failed to win another title in the last 27 years. The New England Patriots could be considered the modern-day America’s team because of dominating the league for nearly two decades with 6 Super Bowl Champions. In week 5 of the NFL, both teams suffered humiliating losses, and fans should really be looking for a new America’s team. The Patriot’s stock is an abyss with a rebuild needed in Foxboro while the Cowboys will need to lick their wounds after their mauling in Northern California. In this article, we determine whose stock is up and plunging from the action in week 5.
Stocks Up
1. Jacksonville Jaguars- after winning their second straight in London, the franchise owner Shahid Khan may consider moving the team across the pond. The billionaire owns a soccer team named Fulham based in the city, but Duval County wouldn’t allow that to happen. The Jaguars dominated the Bills from the start of this game. Despite two fumbles, Trevor Lawrence was brilliant in completing 25-37 for 315 yards and one touchdown pass. The Bills pressured Lawrence for five sacks, but otherwise, he completed 10 of 13 passes for 145 yards and one touchdown. Travis Etienne finished the game with 136 yards rushing on the ground and two touchdowns. Travis totaled 180 scrimmage yards, which is a new career high, while Calvin Ridley caught seven balls for 122 yards. The Jaguars look like a contender in the AFC.
2. Detroit Lions dominating under the radar-Detroit laid down a marker as the third-best team in the NFC after a dominant 42-24 win over the Panthers. Jared Goff was brilliant in completing 20-of-28 with 236 passing yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions. Aidan Hutchinson continued his case for Defensive Player of the Year consideration with an incredible one-handed interception. The win was the third consecutive win for the Lions, and momentum is starting to build in Mo-town.
3. Chase is on the Case- the Bengals were reeling at 1-3 and were desperate to win yesterday. Chase stepped up tremendously by reminding the world he is one of the best Wide Receivers in the game. The Bengals receiver set the franchise record for receptions in the game and finished with 15 catches, 192 yards, and three touchdowns in the team’s 34-20 win over Arizona. In the process, JaMarr broke the record for franchise catches and became just the fourth player in NFL history to record a stat line of 15 catches, 190 yards, and three touchdowns in the same game.
Stocks Plunging
1. Ravens’ sloppy offense- if the Ravens somehow lose the division or fail to make playoffs they will look back on this loss versus the Steelers as the starting point. The Ravens led the game 10-3 at halftime and failed to show up for the second half by being shut out by their divisional rivals. They made several mistakes including a block punt, a terrible late interception by Lamar Jackson, and his wide receivers had eight drops in a sloppy performance. The skill position players were catching rugby balls before the game, and it showed because they could not catch the real football which is much smaller in size. The Ravens will be kicking themselves because they had the golden opportunity to take a stranglehold of the division with the Steelers now atop and the Bengals lurking.
2. Giants in the abyss-the Giants season keeps getting worse, and their defense flamed out against the high-flying Miami attack. Although grabbing two interceptions, the defense still failed to contain the Dolphins, who gained 524 yards of total offense. De’Von Achane had 11 rushes for 151 yards, while Tyreek Hill torched the secondary with eight catches, 181 yards, and a touchdown. A consulation that the Giants can latch onto is that Daniel Jones did not throw an interception in the game, but without the threat of Saquon Barkley, this team can’t even compete with good teams.
3. The Debacle in New England-we mentioned the misery in New England at the outset, but here are some stats that make week five an extreme low for all involved. The New England 34-0 loss to New Orleans means Bill Belichick has lost two 30-point losses over the past two weeks. The combined loss margin is more than he had in his previous 453 games combined. It is also the largest home shutout loss in franchise history. Mac Jones is playing for his career in the league because he has four pick-sixes at Gillette Stadium in his three years than Tom Brady did in his entire 20-year career in New England. Ouch! As a Patriots fan, It’s not all Mac’s fault because the offensive line is terrible, and the wide receivers can’t get any separation. However, the team must start over by getting one of the best under center, and he is not at this point.