These teams might be a little lost and we can't quite decide what to make of them. Playoff bound? Maybe. Dazed and confused? Perhaps. We'll be finding out soon...
Jacksonville Jaguars
Ah hem, I mean, the Sacksonville Jaguars. They are sitting at 3-3, and it is hard to look at them and have a clear understanding of where they are as a team. Under center, we’ve seen the many sides of Blake Bortles. We’ve seen the game manager, we’ve seen Nathan Peterman, we’ve seen Mr. 400 passing yards. The Jags have been good at covering up Bortles’ inconsistencies with the run game and defense, and right now, I am not sure what’s going on with either of them.
The acquisition for Carlos Hyde is certainly ominous for Fournette’s rest of season outlook. Despite being the most feared defense in the league, it’s hard not to notice they’ve been playing a little differently. In the last two weeks, the defense has given up 49 first downs and 802 total yards. Weeks 1-4 combined, the defense let up a total of 58 first downs and 1,037 total yards. The Jaguars are right in the mix to bring home another division title, but it’s hard to know what defines them as a team right now.
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers have been little talked about as playoff contenders amidst their troublesome locker room, lackluster defense, and much penalized team. Most of their NFL coverage seems to surround the Lev Bell saga, trade rumors, and Tomlin’s loss of the locker room. Unfortunately for the rest of the AFC North, when the Steelers are regarded as the underdog, they tend to turn things around. They’re starting to clean up the penalties and Brown and Roethlisberger are looking in sync.
The biggest question that remains is Lev Bell’s status. If Bell does report to sign his franchise tag, it may muddy the water. Given his price tag, it would be inconceivable to sit him, despite James Conner’s emergence as a strong downhill runner and proficient pass catcher. To sit Conner when he’s having this much success is also difficult to imagine. Deciding how the workload will be split between them may take time, trial, and error, but they can’t afford any more losses while they figure it out. It’s hard to know if we really are starting to see the Steelers gel and what kind of days they’re headed for, but the AFC North is a tight race, and the Steelers are in line with the rest of them.
Seattle Seahawks
The Seahawks have been working through their season with missing pieces on both sides of the ball and are sitting now at 3-3 behind the ever undefeated LA Rams. They’ve been a scrappy team, battling through the absence of Baldwin at WR, loss of Earl Thomas, and the rest of the Legion of Boom.
Russell Wilson has disappointed many fantasy owners but when it comes to NFL football, he’s been managing the game fairly well. He’s taken the 6th most sacks in the league but has managed the 10th most passing TD’s with a QB rating of 104.8. Luckily for him (and the run game), the offensive line has seemingly improved since making some adjustments in week 3 and is allowing Wilson more time with the ball. Their defense, despite the missing pieces, has managed to create the 5th most turnovers in the league and has been able to keep them in the game. What the Seahawks haven’t yet found this season is the danger of Wilson in the rushing game. He’s on pace for the fewest rushing attempts of his career, but if they can get him going after the bye, they might find another key to success. Are they a good team? I can’t really tell. But they’re getting the W’s, and in the NFL, every win counts.