Welcome back to another Overreaction Tuesday. Playoff races are in their final stretch, rebuilds are starting to take form and teams are rebranding. I break down the biggest overreactions from the NFL’s week 16.
Not an Overreaction: The Dolphins need to shut Tua down for the rest of the year.
Tua Tagovailoa has been placed in concussion protocol for the third time this season. Tua had his horrific concussion in week 4 against the Bengals where he had to be carted off the field and taken to a hospital. This is now his third time in the concussion protocol this season and needs to be considering his physical health going forward in his football career.
Tua finished the game but from 2:40 left in the second quarter, the Dolphins did not score and struggled to move the ball in the second half. Tua is seen hitting his head on the turf and did not play the same from that point on, throwing all three of his interceptions in the fourth quarter and the Dolphins did not score again after the hit. Tua finished the game 16/25 passing for 310 yards, one touchdown, and three interceptions.
Tua has made great strides this year and made the Dolphins look like a real contender, but his health should be the priority for himself and the organization at this point. The Dolphins sit as the current seven-seat in the AFC playoff picture, putting them in Kansas City for the first round of the playoffs. This isn’t the only year that the Dolphins will have this Superbowl window open and need to prioritize Tua’s longevity if he is indeed their franchise QB.
Overreaction: Firing Hackett saves Russell Wilson and the Broncos.
After a disastrous 16-week tenure, the Broncos have moved on from Nathaniel Hackett after going 4-11. Hackett struggled in clock management and getting the Bronco’s offense going this season. The former Packers offensive coordinator did not bring any offense to Denver as the Broncos were dead last in points per game, points per play, 3rd down conversion percentage, and touchdowns per game. The Broncos could not muster more than a 15-point-per-game average.
The Bronco’s defense however was incredible. Holding opposing teams to 20 points per game and keeping the Broncos in close games down to the wire. The offense just couldn’t hack it and was the reason for so many losses this season. Wilson has been sacked more than any other quarterback in the NFL, the atrocious play from the Bronco’s offensive line deserves some of the blame for Wilson’s lack of production in Denver this season.
The Broncos sold their soul for Russell Wilson in the offseason and are going to force this to work even if “Russ is cooked”. Denver is loaded with offensive weapons and would show flashes from time to time, the inconsistency to score and inability to get into the end zone decided their fate more than once this season. The Broncos were supposed to shake up the hierarchy of the AFC West, but instead, continue to force a reload instead of a rebuild since winning Superbowl 50.
Overreaction this is Brady’s last postseason.
Tom Brady will go down as the greatest football player of all time, but it is clear to see he cannot carry the Bucs to a Superbowl. In his three-year stint in Tampa Bay, Brady has made it to the NFC Championship twice and won the Superbowl. He has added to his legacy and cemented himself as the NFL’s G.O.A.T.
However, the Buc’s current state is much more debilitated than the Superbowl winning team from two years ago. The Bucs lost almost their entire offensive line to season-ending injuries and have had multiple weapons on the injury report throughout the season. Yet Brady continues to be Bready, throwing for over 4,000 yards at 45 years old, with a TD/INT ratio of 21:9 Brady can still play.
Team debilitation aside, Brady and the Bucs are still in the driver’s seat to win the NFC South at 7-8 and need to win out to make the playoffs. This coupled with the instability of the NFC South could mean that Brady could see a few more postseasons, if his line and health hold up the Bucs could become real contenders again. The Bucs’ first postseason with Brady at the helm was a dog fights against Washington and Los Angeles in 2021 and had the offensive line been healthy this year I think their season would have looked quite different.
Not an Overreaction: Chiefs and Eagles is the best Superbowl matchup for 2023
Everyone wants their team to win it all, that is sports, but the best game available from the options in the NFL postseason is Chiefs vs Eagles. The Eagles have been the best team all year and despite a hiccup loss to the Commanders and a loss with their MVP-caliber quarterback the Eagles have been the best team in the NFL. Having the most pro bowlers selected 8 and the Chiefs are right behind them with 7.
Kansas City has the number one offense in the NFL and the Eagles have been top 5 in every major offensive category. In 2021 Ram’s vs Chiefs was at the top of everyone’s list for a Superbowl matchup and this matchup would be no different as both teams have high-powered offenses that would surely cause fireworks.
Not to mention the matchup would feature the two best QB’s from 2022 and most likely the NFL MVP vs the runner-up at Mahomes has the best odds (-550) to win the NFL MVP this year. Hurts is listed at (+1000) currently behind both Joe Burrow (+600) and Josh Allen (+1000). In terms of the best game available to the public Chiefs vs Eagles is number one in my book, followed by Bills vs Eagles, Bengals vs Eagles, Chiefs vs Vikings, and Cowboys vs Bills.
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