There are formally extra preseason video games behind us than in entrance, which implies that true and legit soccer is correct across the nook. The great occasions are right here, people.
With soccer to any diploma occurring although, our ideas and opinions on the state of the NFL are always altering. New issues are being unveiled, previous issues are being proven to be barely totally different and scorching takes are flying left and proper.
Right here at The Skinny Publish we, Michael Peterson and RJ Ochoa, do our greatest to sift by all the noise and get to crucial issues and happenings from the Soccer League of Nationwide so that you’re caught up.
What have you ever modified your thoughts on essentially the most to this point?
I don’t assume it’s a scorching take to say that the Minnesota Vikings have been in a bizarre spot for some time. Bizarre isn’t essentially unhealthy, nevertheless it was bizarre nonetheless.
It sounds bizarre (there’s that phrase once more) to behave like dropping Sam Darnold was going to be what sunk their battleship. I don’t know that I felt that approach, however I carried (and nonetheless do to a point) doubts about whether or not or not J.J. McCarthy may reside as much as his first-round billing from a yr in the past.
Clearly we’re solely within the preseason, however I believe that I really feel assured and able to say that I don’t assume they are going to skip a lot of a beat. This can be much less of a I FULLY BELIEVE IN MCCARTHY NOW take and extra of a affirmation that Kevin O’Connell is likely one of the finest coaches within the league. However yeah, the Vikings really feel tremendous secure proper now.
After watching the Rams transfer the ball between the 20s nearly at will through the their 23-22 win over the Chargers on Saturday, I’ve utterly modified my thoughts on simply how good that unit may be for Sean McVay.
I don’t know if it’s the system or the backs or a mix of the talent gamers merely enjoying above themselves to hold an in any other case non-notable group up entrance, however they bought performed what they wished to for many of the evening, together with towards 80 p.c of the Chargers beginning protection.
If McVay can get this rather more out of his offensive line than what it seems to be to be on paper, then I’d be frightened concerning the Rams being one of the vital underrated groups within the league this yr.
Did the Browns rookie QB Dillon Gabriel do sufficient in his preseason debut to eclipse Shedeur Sanders’ efficiency?
We lastly bought our first glimpse of Gabriel, who was chosen by the Browns within the third spherical of this yr’s draft. That was infamously two full rounds forward of the place his eventual teammate Sanders went, to a lot of the nation’s disbelief.
With Gabriel nursing an damage through the Browns’ first preseason sport, Sanders bought the possibility to play many of the sport and he impressed with a pair of landing passes and 0 turnovers. In distinction, Gabriel threw zero touchdowns and had an interception however total was pretty environment friendly going 13-for-18 on his go makes an attempt.
With every rookie getting one sport of motion, has something modified within the thoughts of Kevin Stefanski on who the higher quarterback is correct now? Will we see Sanders leap up from his QB4 spot on the staff’s first unofficial depth chart?
Possibly not this week, however I might really be stunned if backup Kenny Pickett, who has been damage this whole preseason, remains to be above Sanders when it’s all stated and performed.
The Browns have already named Joe Flacco as their starter so this entire scenario feels sort of insignificant to me.
I don’t know the way the depth chart will finally shake out in Cleveland, however I do assume Shedeur has the possibility to stay round longer. Which will take a while earlier than it’s mirrored in an official approach, nevertheless it feels inevitable.
It’s about that point for drafting… who’s your high fantasy sleeper?
For a very long time now, the Arizona Cardinals backfield has been dominated by James Conner. That he’s nonetheless producing at such a excessive degree seems like a narrative that ought to get instructed extra typically.
With all due respect to Conner it seems like that is the yr that Trey Benson totally takes over and turns into a star within the backfield. He’s my choose.
The Vikings made the commerce for former 49ers backup Jordan Mason as a result of they wished to strengthen the depth behind beginning working again Aaron Jones whereas additionally not forcing him to the touch the ball almost as a lot as he did in 2024 at his superior age.
I believe Mason will get a really wholesome workload because the staff’s RB1b and I might not be stunned if he finally ends up main the backfield in touchdowns as a large vulture of Jones as soon as they get contained in the five-yard line. If that’s the case, he could possibly be a really stunning RB1 in fantasy, as properly.
Does something in any respect within the preseason really matter?
The commonest sentiment concerning the preseason is that nothing issues in any respect and it’s dumb to get in any approach emotional about an consequence or efficiency you didn’t like. The factor is, I don’t assume that’s totally true.
Outcomes and win-loss information of the preseason clearly don’t matter or have any impact in your staff’s precise report for the common season. It is a truth. Nonetheless, I believe there’s nonetheless lots that occurs within the preseason that may maintain some weight.
The exhibition video games are nonetheless performed by your second and third-string gamers. These guys are nonetheless going on the market and doing their finest to impress their teaching workers in hopes of protecting a job by the subsequent calendar yr. So sure, the efficiency of those gamers does in truth matter as a result of they would be the subsequent guys up in case your starters get injured.
Additionally, in case your backups beat one other staff’s backups, it in all probability means you’ve gotten the higher backups! Or it means your teaching workers is sweet sufficient to teach worse gamers to victory over one other staff’s teaching workers.
So sure, there’s nonetheless lots to care about even when the sport doesn’t “matter” in direction of making the playoffs or profitable a Tremendous Bowl.
I believe that this time of yr is essential and might present context. We are able to be taught issues and take what occurs and retailer it away as meals for thought.
That being stated… if you’re drawing exhausting conclusions because of preseason soccer then you might be actually taking it too severely. There’s a completely happy medium for all of this and that’s the place I’m attempting to reside.
In the end, as at all times, crucial factor within the preseason is for everybody to outlive it and emerge wholesome. That can by no means change.
