We’re officially in the second half of the 2023 NFL season, the time when some teams are starting to turn their attention to next April’s NFL Draft. Meanwhile, playoff contenders are assessing their fitness for title runs.
Let’s get to the five questions for this week’s NFL Cheat Sheet.
1. Kyler Murray looked good in his first game back. Can the Cardinals rebuild around him?
I had the pleasure of speaking with Cardinals first-year offensive coordinator Drew Petzing on my podcast, “The Season with Peter Schrager,” this week, and if there are any doubts about how the coaching staff feels about Murray, give that a listen.
Petzing was effusive in his praise of Murray, who not only came back from a major ACL injury in less than a year, but spent much of his time rehabbing in the Cardinals’ facility and around the team. Remember, this was a new offense for Murray to learn, too, and just his second as a pro. He dove into the playbook and not only devoured the verbiage but helped new additions Josh Dobbs and Clayton Tune, as well.
Murray was vintage Kyler when it mattered most Sunday in Arizona’s win over Atlanta, with the play of the week coming on a must-have third-and-10 scramble. If Arizona has the first overall pick, I’m sure there will be all sorts of talk about quarterbacks. And maybe the Cards take one. I don’t know. It could all be a moot point if Murray plays the way he did Sunday and continues to be the leader that he has been since the day he met this new coaching staff.
2. A Giants source told FOX Sports’ Ralph Vacchiano the team isn’t sure it would take a QB high in the 2024 draft. If New York is in position to draft a top QB, it would be very hard not to pull the trigger, right?
It’s too early to discuss draft boards, but I don’t think quarterback is off the table for the Giants. They’d have to consider all options.
As I’ve detailed before, the contract Daniel Jones signed was a big one — but there also are ways out of the deal with minimal damage after two years. Not speaking to the Giants directly, it doesn’t sound implausible that they’d draft a QB if they love one.
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3. Aaron Rodgers has said he might be able to return in mid-December. Can the Jets stay afloat until Rodgers comes back?
I’m in NYC, and the knives are out for not only offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett, but now head coach Robert Saleh as well. Jets fans on talk radio and the message boards are saying the team is wasting an all-time defense and another year of star young talent on rookie deals (Sauce Gardner, Breece Hall, Garrett Wilson, Jermaine Johnson, Mekhi Becton, etc) by not doing something — anything — about the offense.
The truth is, the Jets didn’t go after Carson Wentz. They didn’t get Josh Dobbs. And they didn’t sign Colt McCoy. They head to Buffalo this weekend and have a quick turnaround for the Black Friday game against the Dolphins. Win those and the Jets are not only alive for a playoff spot, but they could be sniffing a division title. Lose both, and we are talking about a 4-7 team with one of the least effective offensive lines in football.
Is it smart for Rodgers to rush back for that? Do the Jets even have a say? There are legitimate questions that will be answered in the coming weeks.
4. The Ravens (7-3) have two of the season’s most impressive wins, and their DVOA ratings are phenomenal. They’ve also lost several games they shouldn’t have. What do you make of Baltimore?
At some point, it becomes more than a statistical anomaly. The Ravens may have an issue closing out games.
John Harbaugh defended Lamar Jackson‘s fourth-quarter play this week and went as far as saying he’d want Jackson as his QB for the rest of his coaching career. But Ravens fans spent the week questioning the coach — yes, even with his Super Bowl ring and numerous playoff wins — as much as the QB.
The stat that blows my mind is that Baltimore has held the lead for more minutes than not only every team this season, but the Ravens have had the lead for more time than every team in NFL history through 10 games than just two squads. Both of those teams went to the Super Bowl. Both of those teams were 10-0. The Ravens somehow are just 7-3.
Look, the Ravens are very good. They’re loaded on offense, defense and special teams. They’ll be in it until the end. I just hope the inability to put opponents away in the fourth quarter is a quirky coincidence and not a bad habit.
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5. C.J. Stroud’s incredible success is one of the stories of the year. Will we see a backlash to the S2 test that created so much scrutiny against him this spring?
No. A lot of teams use the S2 test. The more data the better. Watch; there will be even more in the marketplace this draft season. Buckle up!
