The NFL Roundup 2020: Week 5 – What We Learned

Written by John Edward Betancourt

At this point it is outright safe to say that fans should expect the unexpected when it comes to the 2020 NFL Season. Because every single week, there are new surprises dropping into our laps and Week 5 was no exception to that rule. After all, there was a Tuesday Night game for the first time in years and there were more surprise coaching changes and incredible upsets and everything in between and who knows what Week 6 will have in store for us. Before we get to that wild ride, it is best we take a moment to discuss all the incredible storylines that played out during this past weekend of football and all the lessons that these wild and stunning games sent our way. 

The Seattle Seahawks are in desperate need of a defense.
Make no mistake about it, the Seahawks have been an absolute joy to watch this season. Because every game they’ve been involved in this year has been an outright thriller, with lead changes galore and incredible heroics from Russell Wilson. But while they boast a stellar 5-0 record and are a blast to watch, there is cause for concern when it comes to this team. Simply because, their defense is downright terrible. For they have allowed no less than 23 points a game, and that’s kept some lesser teams in the hunt for a win and eventually, that’s going to come back to haunt them. Because someone is going to figure out how to slow down Wilson and that offense and when they do, they will torch that defense on their way to a huge victory. So hopefully, Pete Carroll and the coaching staff get to work on fixing this problem now, before it becomes a liability in a super important game.
 
The Cleveland Browns are having one incredible start to the season.
So, it wasn’t that long ago that this writer had a lot of sassy things to say about the Cleveland Browns. In fact, I straight up inferred that their 2020 campaign would be an irrelevant joke. But a funny thing happened after the Browns lost badly to the Ravens in their season opener. In that, they turned it around and have played some incredible football and well, I definitely have no problem with eating crow and tipping my cap when respect is due, and this team definitely deserves that respect right now. Because they’re 4-1, they’ve beaten some quality teams and they are playing some lights out football. So, I outright apologize to the Browns for doubting them and their abilities this year and I hope they continue to rack up the wins in a fun and dynamic manner. Because the fans of this team deserve some joy and it will be interesting to see how far this team will go in 2020.
 
The Raiders pulled off one incredible upset on Sunday.
I think it is safe to say that everyone was expecting the Chiefs to stay undefeated a for a better part of this season. Because Kansas City kept finding ways to win when the odds were against them, or they’d outright dominate their opponent. Plus, their normally porous defense was keeping offenses out of the end zone and that really is a recipe for an epic win streak. But alas, their first loss came early this year, at the hands of the Oakland Raiders no less and well, Jon Gruden and his team deserve some serious credit for how they pulled this off. Because they actually managed to slow down the KC offense and they found holes in the defense to exploit and well, that’s a huge deal. Because up until this week, the Champs seemed invincible. But now the Raiders have exposed some flaws that other teams will make use of and that will make the season quite interesting for Kansas City, as they continue to defend their title.
 
The Tennessee Titans are a contender this year.
One would think that being in the COVID bubble and spending weeks away from the practice field would leave the Tennessee Titans rusty and in a rough place. But yesterday’s ‘Tuesday Night Special’ matchup showed us otherwise. Because this team played some downright incredible football, the kind that handed the mighty Buffalo Bills their first big loss of the season and really, this big of a win, and how it went down; makes the Titans a contender for sure this year. Because they came out and straight up dominated a good team, and that’s huge, and it just goes to show that they have the right players on defense and that they have the right QB under center and when you mix the right players with some top notch play calling, you get this kind of result and it is obvious now that this hearty team is going to go quite far when the playoffs get underway in January.
 
Welcome back to the NFL, Alex Smith.
You outright hate to see a player leave this league because of injury. Because that is just a cold and brutal way to bid one’s career farewell. Which is why we celebrate when a player is able to recover and take the field again, because it means they conquered insurmountable odds in order to live their dream and that’s why we need to take a moment and tip our cap to quarterback Alex Smith. Because the gruesome injury he suffered a while back, made it seem as though his football days were over. But after multiple surgeries and a ridiculous number of hours in rehab, Alex Smith finally took the field again on Sunday. And while he didn’t notch a win, the fact that he made it back under center is incredible and downright inspiring. Since it reminds to never give up. But more importantly, this epic comeback means that Mister Smith is going to able to end his NFL career, on his terms.

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