The NFL Roundup 2017 - Week 9

Written by John Edward Betancourt

(Ed Zurga/Associated Press)

​Here we go ladies and gentlemen, the back half of the NFL is more or less upon us and already we’re seeing a sense of urgency from teams around the league. Some made a few surprising trades in the hopes of bolstering their playoff chances and others, are making drastic changes to improve their fortunes period and all of these moves will no doubt lead to some fascinating storylines in Week 9, so without further ado, here are the top stories we will be keeping an eye upon this weekend.

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Will Brock Osweiler fix the Denver Broncos offensive woes?
Well, it finally happened in the Mile High City, after weeks of poor performances under center, the Broncos benched Trevor Siemian in favor of Brock Osweiler and really, everyone is wondering, is this the magical fix Denver has so desperately needed on offense, and the answer to that question is…maybe? Because really, newfound success for this team will only come about if two key things happen. First, the offensive line still has to protect the QB because if Osweiler spends all day on the turf then the team still isn’t scoring points and second, Denver’s success also depends on which Osweiler shows up. If it’s the solid game manager that took over for Peyton Manning in 2015, the Broncos are in great shape, but if it’s the #17 from 2016…well then, it’s business as usual in Denver. Either way, at least the Broncos are making a long overdue change and considering how bad the season has gone, they have nowhere to go but up, right?
 
Is this the week where the San Francisco 49ers finally win a game?
One would have to imagine that the mood is far more upbeat in San Francisco this week. After all, they have a brand-new quarterback in Jimmy Garoppolo and one has to wonder if his addition to the team means that at long last this team can start winning and well, it honestly depends on whether or not a few things happen. First and foremost, they have to start Jimmy. As of press time the team hasn’t announced if he will be under center come Sunday and second to that, Jimmy has to command the playbook on the field. They didn’t just bring him in here to execute plays at a higher level than his cohorts, they want him to be able to read a defense and adjust accordingly, so if he’s not up to speed on the playbook, he may not deliver a stunning performance. Either way, he’s still quite the upgrade and his leadership alone might help will this team to victory, provided he gets the nod on Sunday.
 
Where does the Houston Texans defense go from here?
The Texans secondary has been in dire need of an upgrade all season long, and it seemed as though the trade with the Seahawks helped bolster that part of the defense. But sadly, Jeremy Lane failed his physical and was sent back to Seattle, leaving Houston with a better draft pick in exchange for Duane Brown, but really, they need help now so what do they do on Sunday? Well, now it comes down to the coaching for this team. In order to get the secondary rolling, the defensive coaches have to put their players in a position to succeed. That means play calling that is catered to their talents, and they need to push these guys a little bit harder to evoke a sense of pride. Of course, these aren’t exactly some earth-shattering ideas, but if they can get a couple of the players to buy in and get fired up, they may achieve wonders when they take the field against the Colts.
 
How will the Dallas Cowboys respond on the field to the turmoil surrounding Ezekiel Elliott?
Football coaches hate distractions. After all, they want their team focused on football and football alone. But in Dallas, it cannot be easy for this team to be locked in on the Chiefs game when it comes to the whole matter surrounding Ezekiel Elliott and really, how on earth will the Cowboys handle this mess? Well, truthfully speaking, any future success with or without Zeke on the field is going to come down to the players. Prescott and other leaders on this squad need to keep their teammates focused on the ‘next man up’ mentality in case Zeke is out on Sunday and honestly, this is the kind of unity they need to put together period. Because regardless of who is at tailback, this team has been in need of a tighter focus on the game all season long as is, so if Zeke is out on Sunday and Dallas still goes out there and looks great, we’ll know their heads are finally in the right place.  
 
How will the Cleveland locker room handle this week’s unfortunate turn of events?
Normally, I don’t discuss teams on a bye week in this feature simply because hey, they’re not playing on Sunday. But the Browns deserve a moment of our time because holy cow, this was a bad week for them. Not only did they lose again on Sunday, a trade for QB A.J. McCarron fell through due to gross incompetence and really, that locker room has to be in turmoil right now. I’m fairly certain the players don’t feel like they matter and that this franchise has zero direction or understanding of how to succeed and while they’re right, that’s a dangerous place for their minds to go. Because if this team is concerned that the Browns don’t care about them, they will take care of themselves, shattering any hopes of this unit playing together as a team. So really, while the locker room is likely a jittery mess right now, it’s up to Head Coach Hue Jackson and quite frankly, someone, anyone in the front office with a spine to talk to this group of men about staying together and finding a way to win as a team, otherwise, they will lose this team entirely…  

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