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Vikings title contenders? First coach to be fired? Will the Browns bench Deshaun Watson?

2 weeks ago

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Vikings title contenders? First coach to be fired? Will the Browns bench Deshaun Watson?

There have already been 30 games decided by a single score (eight points or less) in 2024, the most through Week 3 in NFL history. Steelers And Seahawks are definitely winning the close ones, while The Vikings Just blowing away teams.

Entering Week 4, FOX Sports’ NFL experts provide their thoughts on those three teams, as well as a number of other topics, including which team is in real trouble without a win, what the Browns can do with a struggling quarterback Deshaun WatsonAnd which coach will be removed first.

let’s get started.

Buying or selling: The Vikings Are you a real contender for the Super Bowl?

I like Vikings. Like… me really, really Like the Vikings. Maybe too much, because it’s hard to trust a team like that Sam Darnold At quarterback. He’s been fantastic. And yet, we’re all waiting for his three-interception game, right? For now, I’ll trust my eyes and say he’s the perfect quarterback for this offense, which will only get better as it gets TJ Hockenson (ACL) and Jordan Addison (ankle) back in the lineup.

On the other hand, the Vikings have a defensive coach, Brian Flores, who has figured out how to neutralize some of the NFL’s best quarterbacks. Brock Purdy and no more CJ Stroud Can figure out what to do with Minnesota’s defensive front. daniel jones was a total disaster. There’s no measurable reason to doubt the Vikings — except for those who are already biased against Darnold. But I’m looking beyond that. I’m saying they’re contenders. — Henry McKenna

For Minnesota, it starts at the top. Head coach Kevin O’Connell has created a lasting winning culture for the Vikings, inspired by his time as a player. Patriot As an assistant coach under Bill Belichick and under Sean McVay RamsThe Vikings have a defensive coordinator in Brian Flores on the heater, who is the best receiver in the game Justin Jefferson And there’s finally a quarterback playing up to his potential in Sam Darnold. Minnesota’s 3-0 start is no mirage. The Vikings are for real — they’ve beaten teams by an average of 18 points — and should be playing meaningful games in December and January. , Eric D. Williams

Which of these teams is surprisingly struggling — Bengal, Cowboys, Jaguar, 49ers – Is there really a problem?

Oh, it’s the Jags. There’s a lot wrong at 0-3. Two of the three teams they’ve lost to are 1-2. They’re 30th in scoring offense and 28th in scoring defense. Already without a corner tyson campbellThey are now without a linebacker. Foye Oluokun for a few weeks. trevor lawrence Two touchdowns in three games. They still get it Titans And The Colts twice but if they don’t show anything against it Texans The situation that has arisen this week will not be so deep that we can get out of it even by 2024. , Greg Auman

Definitely the Jags. They don’t seem to have any answers and are losing confidence every week. An 0-4 start is very possible, with a matchup with the Texans coming up this week in Houston. Injury problems haven’t helped the Jags either. Top cornerback Tyson Campbell (hamstring) is on injured reserve, and other top starters like tight end Evan Engram (hamstring) and linebacker Foye Oluokun (plantar fasciitis) are also ruled out. , ben arthur

Is Trevor Lawrence heading toward a bust label after the Jaguars’ 0-3 start?

The Bengals shouldn’t be 0-3, which is usually the death knell for a team’s playoff chances. Only one team since 2000 has made the playoffs after starting with that record. Cincy Joe Burrow. it is Ja’Marr Chase. it is Tee Higgins. it is trey hendricksonThey are cornerstone players at premium positions. But the Bengals have two big problems: 1) an owner who won’t pay the price needed to fill out a playoff-caliber depth chart and 2) a coach who is clearly limited in his abilities, but also by financial constraints. So, the Bengals are wasting the prime years of Burrow’s career. I wouldn’t be surprised if he never wins a Super Bowl with Cincinnati — only to jump ship in a few years and win elsewhere (like Matthew Stafford (moving from Detroit to the Rams) — Henry McKenna

Deshaun Watson Enters Week 4 with the lowest QBR among starting QBs. What do Kevin Stefanski and the Browns do with Watson?

Nothing. There’s literally nothing they can do because he’s in the third year of that ridiculous, fully guaranteed, five-year, $230 million contract the Browns gave him. He’s locked into their roster for the next three seasons and given the size of his unfathomable commitment, they have to let it play out. They can’t keep a guy like that on the bench, or on injured reserve, or off the roster — even though some of those options might be better, given the way he’s currently playing. Right now he’s terrible.

All they can hope is that he at least returns to the level he played at in his six games last season. Yes, in an ideal world where money and cap space are of no concern, they would sit him and back him up, jameis winstonA shot. But we don’t live in that kind of world. The Browns need to justify this contract. They can’t let it become an anchor that drags their franchise down by 2027 (though it probably will anyway). They need to see if the talent that Watson once possessed is still somewhere there. In other words, to use a cliché, they’ve made their bed. Now they have to lie in it, even if that means the franchise will be taking a very long, restless sleep. — Ralph Vacchiano

Trade him. Put him on IR. Do whatever you have to do. But get him off the top of the depth chart. Because of his contract, the Browns can’t cut him. They can’t even really trade him. If he continues his play at this (appalling) level, Watson’s contract will be considered the worst in NFL history. The trade made to acquire him, in which Cleveland gave Houston three first-round picks, may go down as the worst transaction in NFL history.

The Browns have Jameis Winston. While Winston is more or less a clone of him Gardner Minshew (all stats and no game management), the Browns have no choice but to see what Winston can do. And frankly, they should hand the offense over to Winston TodayBecause that would allow them to have success in the game plan, rather than putting Watson on the bench mid-game and putting Winston on the field with limited preparation. — Henry McKenna

Steelers And the Seahawks are surprisingly unstoppable so far, mainly because of their defense. Which team has more potential and how well can it take advantage of its defense?

That would be Pittsburgh. It’s hard to overstate how dominant the Steelers’ defense has been. To say it’s the best defense in the NFL would be an understatement.

No. 1 in scoring defense: A full touchdown better than the best in the NFL last season.
No. 1 in total defense: 230 yards/game allowed. Two years ago, nobody got under 300.
No. 1 on third downs: 22% allowed. None lower than 29% last year.
No. 1 in the red zone: Allowing a ridiculous 17% of TDs. Best in the NFL was 37% in 2023.

If the Steelers can do something similar on defense and pair it with a mediocre offense, they will be good enough to host multiple playoff games. Remember when Steelers fans were worried about Cleveland or Cincinnati? , Greg Auman

This is a tough one, because Mike Tomlin might be the second-best coach in the NFL right now, behind Andy Reid. But I think the Seahawks are the more dangerous team on paper. It’s just that their first-year coach Mike McDonald is unproven. But I’d take the risk and trust the Seahawks. And it’s not really because of the defense, because the Steelers and Seahawks are probably equally strong at that stage. No, I’d pick Seattle because of the offense. Geno Smith Really getting better in the same way we’ve seen Stafford mature mentally over his career. Smith has a powerful offensive line and excellent pass-catchers. Seattle quietly has the total package. — Henry McKenna

Even though Mike Tomlin has never had a losing season, I’d pick Mike McDonald’s Seahawks here. Seattle has returned to the winning formula the franchise adopted under Pete Carroll: play stingy defense, run the rock and take care of the football. I’d pick Seattle over Pittsburgh because the Seahawks have a better quarterback in Geno Smith and have a more explosive offense. DK Metcalf, Jackson Smith-Njigba And Tyler Lockett on the periphery. , Eric D. Williams

After three weeks, which coach seat is the hottest and who will be evicted first?

There can be two different answers to these questions. I think the hottest seat in the NFL is Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy’s, and it will go up in flames if Dallas loses. Giants on Thursday night. He’s in the final year of his contract, coaching the most high-profile team in the league, coming off three consecutive 12-5 seasons, Super Bowl hopes. It’s a disaster that his team is 1-2 and it would be unthinkable if they fell to 1-3. But Jerry Jones has historically, despite his reputation, been very patient. There’s almost no way he’d fire McCarthy midseason (even though he has a ready-made replacement in defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer).

However, the man most likely to be fired is actually in Jacksonville, where Doug Pederson’s team is 0-3 and Trevor Lawrence, the quarterback once considered the NFL’s next big thing, has become a long-haired guy. daniel jonesPederson also works for a more impulsive owner, Shad Khan, who has fired coaches twice during the season (both in December) and has shown he’s willing to make big, bold moves. One thing in Pederson’s favor: There’s probably no obvious replacement on his staff. But lose a few more, and don’t be surprised if Khan gets angry and Bill Belichick gets at least one call. —Ralph Vacchiano

Can the Cowboys save their season?

I’d pick Doug Pederson. Before training camp, owner Shad Khan said this was the best Jaguars team ever. But through three weeks, the Jags are one of three winless teams in the NFL. They look just as lost as they did during their collapse last season. The regressiveness of Trevor Lawrence and the rest of the offensive line in Year 3 is an indictment on Pederson’s coaching. , ben arthur

Doug Pederson is the easy answer in Jacksonville, but I’ll go with Matt Eberflus here. For Chicago, this season is all about winning Caleb Williams Playing efficient football as a rookie, and so far the No. 1 pick, is getting through a rough start. Part of the reason is shaky protection from the offensive line, but offensive coordinator Shane Waldron hasn’t done Williams any favors. Chicago must simplify things on offense so Williams can play more decisively in the passing game, and ultimately his development falls on Eberflus’ shoulders. If Williams continues to struggle, Bear They might want to pull the cord early and move on to the head coaching search process for next season. , Eric D. Williams

The following writers contributed to this story: Ben Arthur (@benyarthur); Greg Auman (@gregauman,, Henry McKenna(@McCainAnalysis); Eric D. Williams (@eric_d_williamsRalph Vacchiano (@RalphVacciano,