Some call it parity. Others consider it bad football.
No matter how it’s viewed, the NFL is providing plenty of close games, thrilling comebacks, big upsets and late-minute heroics. It keeps viewers entertained — or at least tuned in until the end.
Five weeks in, 24 games have featured a winning score in the final two minutes of regulation or in overtime. That’s the most through Week 5 in league history. Seven teams did it last week, including Tampa Bay for the fourth time already this season. Six teams overcame double-digit deficits last week. Four of those teams trailed by 14 points or more.
“There’s a lot of parity in this league right now,” Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles said, trying to explain all the comebacks. “Without a lot of people playing in training camp, these first five weeks are really preseason ball games as far as penalties and getting everybody on the same page and doing those types of things. Hopefully that calms down, and hopefully we can do the right things and cut down on the mistakes and stretch the games out a little bit and not win them at the end. It’s been like that all over the league and you see it every week.”
Bowles isn’t the first coach to refer to the first month of the season as the preseason. Bill Belichick used to say it often. Now, even more starters aren’t playing in exhibition games, offseason sessions have decreased and there isn’t much hitting in training camp except for joint practices.
“That’s this league right now. There is so much parity,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said after Kansas City had 13 penalties in a 31-28 loss to Jacksonville on Monday night. “That’s why I mentioned after the game the penalties, turnovers, and so on. You can’t have those; the games are too close, too much competition — equal competition, so you have to take care of business there and it’s my responsibility to make sure that is done.”
All of those factors lead to sloppy, mistake-filled, penalty-riddled football games. But it also means there aren’t any dominant teams, games are tighter and upsets are more common.
“This league is full of one-score games. It’s the way it’s designed; there’s a lot of parity,” Bears coach Ben Johnson said. “It’s five weeks in and we have no undefeated teams. Any given Sunday; that’s a true mantra. … There’s a million ways you can win games in this league. Even watching some of the games on Sunday, there’s a lot of bad football still being played early in the season here. We needed special teams to come out on top last week. We needed defense to come through with all those turnovers or else we don’t come out on top. We needed offense despite how rocky it was in the first half to find a little bit of a groove there in the second half and score 16 points on four possessions. Each week’s different, but you’re never out of it, not in this league. You can score points in a hurry, which is, always exciting.”
Another upset
Week 6 kicked off with another surprise outcome when the New York Giants routed the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles 34-17 on Thursday night.
This one wasn’t about turnovers and penalties and mistakes. The Giants, who were 7 1/2-point underdogs, simply outplayed the Eagles in every facet of the game.
Somehow, a team with Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley, A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, Dallas Goedert and one of the best offensive lines in the NFL is struggling to find consistency. They’ve been out of sync under new offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo, who is already hearing intense criticism in Philly.
After a 4-0 start, the Eagles have lost two in a row. The Giants opened 0-3 but are 2-1 since Jaxson Dart became the starting quarterback.
Any given Sunday or Monday or Thursday. It’s not just a cliche. It’s the new NFL.
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