Tag: Justin Herbert

The hype is real, but the results won’t match for these NFL teams

Disappointment reigns supreme when it comes to these overrated clubs

Here we are, at that time of the year when training camps are underway throughout the NFL. This is truly the occasion where all of the teams arrive with hopes of winning the Super Bowl. Of course, games will be played, and the field dwindles down until one squad is left standing in February. Until then, the hype trains will be gassed up in record levels, and there are a few who continue to have many fans and media try to speak a championship season into existence. Much more often than not, the results (inevitably) fall far short of the hype, and these teams fit that category perfectly.

It probably shouldn’t be much of a shock the Dallas Cowboys are amongst the top when it comes to results and hype not matching. If marketability and business is the topic, there isn’t a team on this planet that beats the Cowboys, with their value being over $10 billion (with a “b,” according to multiple sources). While Dallas is on top of the franchise value world, games are actually played on the field, and the Cowboys aren’t thriving between those lines. The normal talk has already started. Quarterback Dak Prescott will be looked at as a potential MVP candidate. Wide receiver CeeDee Lamb will get pub as someone who can break the receiving yards record. Defensive end/linebacker Micah Parsons (who’s in a contract dispute with the team, much like Prescott and Lamb was at this time last year) will get built up as the best defensive player in the league, not just currently, ever. What has happened in previous years is Prescott, Lamb and Parsons have inflated their stats against inferior opponents, only to get exposed when a step-up in weight class occurs. That’s Dallas as a whole, and if they didn’t wear that blue star on their helmets, the hype isn’t nearly as loud. It’s widely know the Cowboys haven’t been to the NFC Championship Game since the 1995 season, and there is no indication that changes as long as Jerry Jones remains the team owner in Dallas.

Speaking of clubs that can’t get right, there’s no need to look past the Los Angeles Chargers. How many years (in a row) have people waited for the Chargers to take the next step toward becoming a championship contender, especially since Justin Herbert has been the QB? Now, that talk has only amplified since Jim Harbaugh took the reins as the head coach before last season. Harbaugh made some interesting comments a few days ago, saying everyone else on the team has to get on Herbert’s level. If that’s the case, higher levels need to be strived for, because there hasn’t been a playoff win with this “elite” quarterback leading the pack. Football is the ultimate team sport, and there is probably truth to what Harbaugh is saying. With that said, multiple things can be true, and if Herbert is the top QB everyone seems to think he is, then he will elevate his teammates to a level where they can challenge the Kansas City Chiefs for the AFC West crown (and beyond). For a reminder, titles cannot be given to someone. They have to be earned, and while Herbert has shown signs of brilliance throughout his career, it’s not worthy enough to match the hype. It’s past time for the Herbert and Los Angeles to put some substance behind the style, and it’s questionable whether or not that happens in a few months.

While this team may not be on the level of disappointment the Cowboys and Chargers have given the hype pushers, the Green Bay Packers are starting to enter that territory. This goes back to the latter years of the Aaron Rodgers (now with the Pittsburgh Steelers) era, and has carried on with Jordan Love as the triggerman. Like Prescott and Herbert, Love is in the conversation for MVP, but with the exception of the second half in the 2023 campaign, the performance has been a little underwhelming. This is supposed to be the season where it all comes together for Love and the Packers. The roster looks like it’s one of the best in the league, and they have a good coach in Matt LaFleur. Now, there’s no excuses, and it’s time for Love to lead the charge bringing another championship back to “Titletown, USA.” It won’t be easy, especially considering Green Bay plays in the NFC North, which might be the toughest division the NFL has to offer.

With these three teams (and there are others), the noise surrounding them has been loud, and the hype has been just as blinding. After a while, the truth always comes to the light, and people can only believe the words without substance and action for so long. No matter how hard many try, there’s no argument for results, and if the Cowboys, Chargers and Packers want to change their respective narratives, then it’s time to actually win on the field. Hope springs eternal, and there’s every reason to be optimistic. Based on past history, it shouldn’t be a surprise if (and probably when) these clubs have a derailment of the hype train.

Three tips to keep sanity through sports seasons

Let’s prevent ourselves from going viral for the wrong reasons.

Before we dive in, I think it’s fair to acknowledge we all have things we are passionate about. Maybe it’s writing, reading, traveling or working out. It could also be entertainment, business or politics that gets the emotions going. One thing that’s unique about sports is it qualifies as one of the few places where all of these differences (from multiple backgrounds and viewpoints) can unite for the common goal of rooting for one team to win. All of those passions are carried over to the stadium, arena or whatever device you’re watching the game from, and similar to other walks of life, those feelings can drive people to irrational thoughts (just talking about sports in this case). Have no fear, because yours truly is here to give three tips on how to stay sane when watching your favorite team or player navigate through the roller-coaster ride called the regular season. The focus is on the NFL, but these can help through all of the other sports as well.

The first tip is to be realistic with expectations. I know every team has the goal of winning a championship when training camps begin, but there are squads who are nowhere close to achieving that goal. For example, the Jacksonville Jaguars had the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft for the past two years. While they may have building blocks for the future, they’re probably not ready to compete for titles. The Dallas Cowboys (and their fans) believe they can win the Super Bowl every year, but how long has it been since they even made it to the big game in February (over a quarter of a century, but I’m not counting)? On the other hand, the Buffalo Bills have been knocking on the door, and look like the favorite to win it all this year. There aren’t too many people I know who are more optimistic than I am, but realism has to set in at some point. As a San Francisco 49ers fan, I know there’s a chance they can win a title, but Jimmy Garoppolo is the ultimate wild card at quarterback. Therefore, I’m always ready for the back-breaking interception if and when it comes. So if fans are being realistic, the sanity can still remain. In saying that, it doesn’t mean the pain lessens during losses.

Secondly, remember regular seasons are marathons, not sprints. Overreactions from the hot take media runs rampant through every forum, but regardless of what is said or heard, no team has ever won a championship after the first week of the year, in September, or during October. The Baltimore Ravens didn’t see their season come to an end by blowing a large lead to the Miami Dolphins in Week 2. The New York Giants probably aren’t going far into the playoffs, even though they have a surprising 4-1 record. It’s fun to get into debates with family and friends, and easy to get lost with all of the opinions and data, but understand things have to play out over time. So if there’s a team you thought could make some strides in the right direction, but it hasn’t worked out that way to this point, give it time before jumping off the bandwagon commences. If there is a player who is hyped up to be the best thing since sliced bread (Los Angeles Chargers QB Justin Herbert comes to mind), can he at least lead a team to the playoffs before we rush him to the Pro Football Hall of Fame? All I’m saying is things have to develop. It’s about the big picture, not the small prism of what happens in a game.

Finally, keep in mind sports is part of life, not life itself. It’s understood there is a lot of money involved because of the gambling craze, but at its core, games are supposed to be fun. If you are going to gamble, please do it responsively, and let’s stay in one piece. Too many times, fans have fought each other because of game results (Philadelphia Eagles fans in particular. There was a jail at old Veterans Stadium after all). As much as we might want to think we’re part of the squad, we don’t actually play for them. Life continues, and there’s no reason to make social media clips showing people burning jerseys, or smashing televisions they spent their hard earned money on. Yes, fan is short for fanatic, but we can make sure to stay sensible through it all.

So there you have it, the three tips for someone to stay sane during regular seasons. I’m not different from the next person when it comes to passion for a team. In today’s world, it’s easy to let those emotions bubble over when our team loses, especially with the real life issues we have to face in our daily lives. A loss can send people over the edge, but sports is supposed to be an outlet from those issues. There’s still a way for us to root for our teams, sensibly. If these tips are followed, you’ll ensure calmness, and save a few limbs from breaking furniture in frustration. By the way…I’m not a psychologist, I just play one on my blog.

Everything is fine in Chiefs Kingdom…right??

This past Sunday, the Kansas City Chiefs had what a lot of people looked at as a “get right” game against the Philadelphia Eagles on the road. The Chiefs did win 42-30 at Lincoln Financial Field to even their record at 2-2, but it looked eerily similar to a good amount of games involving Kansas City. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes looked good in throwing five touchdowns, including three to wide receiver Tyreek Hill. That in and of itself is no surprise, but what’s also no surprise is the leaky defense, and the lack of a consistent running game to compliment Mahomes. The assumption from most in the sports media is the two-time defending AFC champions will get it together, and eventually, be back in the Super Bowl for a third consecutive season. The reality is the Chiefs have serious issues that need fixing before any postseason play can be thought of. Three of those issues have nothing to do with the team itself, and those are the rest of the clubs in the improving AFC West. They (at least after the first month of NFL action) are turning what was seemingly a walk in the park for Kansas City into anything but.

Let’s start with the Los Angeles Chargers, who are sitting at 3-1. The Chargers, under first-year head coach Brandon Staley and the next big thing (maybe) in quarterback Justin Herbert, look like they are starting to turn the corner after years of inconsistency. It’s no secret Los Angeles has one of the most talented rosters in the league, but bad coaching blunders and inexcusable penalties have kept the club from even coming close to reaching their potential. Lack of mental toughness has also hurt the Chargers, but based off of what we have seen in the last couple of weeks, there’s reason to believe that might be past history. Los Angeles beat the Chiefs on the road and the Las Vegas Raiders at home (there were far more Raiders fans than Chargers supporters in SoFi Stadium on Monday night). In both games, the Chargers had to stave off comebacks from their opponents, and in years past, those games would have been losses. So far, L.A. has been able to show why this year will be different, and if it continues, they could factor into results impacting not just the division, but the conference.

Speaking of Las Vegas, they, like the Chargers, also sit at 3-1. It would be reasonable to say the Raiders and Los Angeles have a good amount in common when it comes to talking about what holds them back (undisciplined play, clock management issues, etc.), but Vegas has also found ways to win games that would be losses any other year. The Raiders have had to come from behind to win in all of their victories, including two from double-digits against the Baltimore Ravens and Miami Dolphins, respectively. From the exterior, it looks like head coach Jon Gruden and quarterback Derek Carr are finally on the same page (stay tuned to see if this continues), and the defense looks respectable for a change. Slow starts in games is something the Raiders will have to fix going forward. If the loss to the Chargers taught them anything, they would learn it’s hard to win week after week having to climb out of huge holes, especially a 21-0 deficit at halftime. If Vegas can remedy that problem, they can find themselves in the middle of the playoff picture. On top of all this, the Raiders believe they should have swept Kansas City last season, so anyone can bet those two games are circled on the calendar.

Finally, there are the Denver Broncos. Any guess what their record is? If your answer is 3-1, that would be correct. Yes, the Broncos caught a loss to the Ravens last Sunday, but that doesn’t take away from the identity they have built through the first four games. Unlike L.A. and Las Vegas, Denver’s strength lies on the defensive end, where they are fourth in the league in total yardage allowed. The offense doesn’t lack for talent either if they can stay healthy. Wide receivers Jerry Jeudy and KJ Hamler both suffered significant injuries (Hamler is gone for the year with a torn ACL in his left knee), and quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, who has played well after winning the job from incumbent Drew Lock, is battling a concussion. The running game, led by Melvin Gordon, has been solid. Long story short, if the offense can catch up to the defense, this is a team that is also dangerous to the Chiefs chances of running away with the division.

Keep in mind I still expect Kansas City to win the AFC West. Like many others, the Chiefs were my pick at the beginning of the year, and it’s far too early to jump off of that wagon. Having said that, there are a few issues the team has to deal with in a quick manner, or the percentage of things not being okay go up in a hurry. The defense is a turnstile, and the lack of a consistent ground attack is a red flag. These factors, along with the other three teams in the division, could combine to be too much for even the great St. Patty (Mahomes) to overcome. In other words, it’s not safe to assume all is well in Chiefs Kingdom, because right now, that’s far from the truth.