The NFL Roundup 2022: Week 5 Recap

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Well football fans, it is clear now… that the honeymoon regarding the 2022 season, is over. Because just like that, sloppier play is starting to become a norm, the refs are once again ticking people off and controversies are center stage in the league. Making this past weekend’s games a touch frustrating at times and some moments even overshadowed some of the great stuff that happened. Which means, we have a lot to sort out regarding one messy weekend of football, so let’s dive right in and recap the good, the bad, and the downright ugly from Week 5 in the NFL.
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The Giants might be the real deal.
That was… a supremely awkward series of words to type, but they’re true. Because the New York Football Giants crossed the pond and shocked the talented Green Bay Packers in London and just like that… they’re 4-1 and riding high and well, they look like a legit team. After all, their run game is phenomenal, the defense is playing well and Daniel Jones isn’t turning over the ball, and that means this team may have turned a corner and is destined for one epic season. One that is apparently going to be an incredible comeback story, and you can never go wrong with that.
 
Turns out the Dallas Cowboys are alive and well.
So, this writer made the mistake of writing off the Dallas Cowboys a few weeks ago, thinking they were toast with Dak Prescott out. But I was wrong, dead wrong in fact. Because they are kicking ass and taking names with Cooper Rush under center and while they won’t acknowledge it, they have a bonafide QB Controversy brewing, and that’s not a bad thing. But more importantly, for the moment… they deserve our respect. Because this team is firing on all cylinders, and they are gunning for that number one spot since they keep nipping at the Eagles wings.
 
Russell Wilson needs to get out of his own head.
There are some who say Russel Wilson is washed up, that it was great that he was traded out of Seattle. But the fact of the matter is, he’s not washed up just yet. He still has an arm, he can still scramble and make plays and he can still wow folks with deep bombs, as evidenced by last week’s game. However, something is wrong. He is missing open receivers and he is making rookie mistakes with his reads, and his throws. Which means that the pressure of being the Denver Broncos QB and the expectations surrounding him might be getting to his head, and he needs to settle down and clear his head and ball, because when he does that, he’s great and he needs to do it soon. For the season is slipping away and any further delay, will put the Broncos in a painful spot in a season that started with great hope.
 
The league needs to continue to be aggressive with concussion protocols. 
After the Tua incident, the league and the NFLPA finally came to new terms on concussion protocols that did indeed keep players safter on the field this weekend. Since it saw several players immediately be removed from the game and not allowed to return when they were obviously suffering from a concussion. But that’s still not enough. Because we are still seeing avoidable concussions and scary moments take place and I hate to say it, but the league and the NFLPA need to enact better practice protocols as well, to ensure that safety is a fundamental in practice so it translates over to the field and they need to be more aggressive with punishment for teams that don’t follow the protocols, because enough is enough. Plain and simple.
 
The NFL also needs to fix its officiating.
Now, to err is human and the refs in the league are indeed human and will indeed make mistakes. Because that is just how life goes. But with that in mind, what’s happening right now with terrible calls on the field, the kind that are blatantly incorrect to even the most casual of fans… is unacceptable. Because it speaks to a lack of care and a lack of concern for the integrity of the game and that needs to stop. And once again, the league is at fault for not stepping in and expecting more of its officials. So, the league needs to do something. Such as say, more training? Or perhaps some penalties for in season gaffes. Or best of all, make these folks full time employees and subject to termination for poor performance. But whatever the league decides, they need to enact it quick, so that the quality of the game doesn’t continue to suffer.   

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