NFL – 2024 WEEK 5 – STATS THAT STICK OUT

PASSING – KIRK COUSINS (QB – FALCONS) TB 30 at ATL 36

With his franchise and career high most passing yards (509) in Week 5, Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins earned his first NFC Offensive Player of the Week award.  During the overtime win against Tampa Bay, the 36-year-old also set a franchise record and career best record in completions (42), completed 42 of 58 passes (72.4%), finished with a 114.8 passer rating and tied his career high 4 TDs including a walk-off TD in OT.  Additionally, Cousins became the first quarterback in league history to pass for 450 or more yards in a game for 3 different teams (WASH, MIN and ATL).  Atlanta’s Week 5 win also became the third time this season the Falcons were very close to losing and somehow pulled out the win.  This team trait could be taken as a positive (Atlanta won’t go easily and will fight back) or negative (the inability to get decisive wins).  But IMO all signs point to the season looking up for the Falcons.  With a few tweaks (clean up penalties, get the rushing attack going more), the return of defensive reinforcements, plus continued clutch plays from their elite kicker Younghoe Koo, Atlanta is starting to look like the team with the best shot to win the AFC South division.

RUSHING – TYRONE TRACY, JR. (RB – GIANTS) NYG 29 at SEA 20

Official NFL Combine Reports don’t always nail the player being evaluated.  But, in the case of rookie Giants RB Tyrone Tracy, Jr., they just about hit the nail on the head for this young talent.  Tracy’s 2024 Report gave him a “prospect grade” of 6.18, or “Good Backup With the Potential To Develop Into Starter”.  And that’s how the fifth-round pick’s early NFL career has unfolded with the Giants so far.  After performing as a backup for the first 4 weeks this season, Tracy stepped in for injured Giants veteran starting RB Devin Singletary in Week 5 and helped the Giants beat the Seahawks on the road with 18 carries for 129 yards (this week’s leader) and an average 7.2 yards per attempt.  In addition to a possible contribution on special teams, it is likely that the Giants will pursue Tracy’s ability to be a “Dual-Role Back” in the future.  In college, he performed both rushing and receiving duties for first Iowa as a WR and then Purdue as a RB.  In the meantime, the 24-year-old will try to keep the sticks moving for the Giants while Singletary nurses a groin injury.    

RECEIVING – JA’MARR CHASE (WR – BENGALS) BAL 41 at CIN 38

One of the most surprising teams so far through Week 5 to me has been the 1-4 Bengals.  When I scouted the team in the preseason, I did notice that they had some question marks on the roster which gave me a little pause.  But I didn’t think Cincinnati would struggle so much early because of the elite QB-WR tandem of Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase.  In year’s past, their contributions helped bail out the lack of a running game and a mediocre defense and so, I assumed this year would be the same.  Well, through Week 5 of the 2024 season, Cincinnati has similar conditions: the defense is not tackling well, there’s no real running game and Burrow/Chase still have that spark.  And yet the last time the Bengals had a worse start to the season through Week 5 was in 2019.  Going forward, I think there are reasons for fans to be hopeful that this team will turn things around, especially after what we saw in Week 5’s loss in overtime to the Ravens.  If not for a missed FG, the Bengals were right there with the Ravens, who some experts believe are the best team in football right now.  The fans should also take comfort in the fact that their star four-year wideout was outstanding in Week 5 when he had 10 receptions for 193 yards, 19.3 AVG, and 2 TDs including a 70-yard TD catch.  For his performance the 24-year-old was awarded by fans with the FedEx Air and Ground Player of the week award along with his guy Joe Burrow who completed 30-of-39 passes for 392 yards and 5 TDs.  Chase also became the first player in the SB era (since 1966) to have 10 career TD receptions of 60+ yards before turning 25 years old.  

INTERCEPTIONS – PAT SURTAIN, II (LB – BRONCOS)

Another surprise of the early 2024 season is the 3-2 Broncos and particularly, the success of their Top 3 defense.  This is especially shocking because just a year ago, Denver’s defense was historically bad, having given up almost 800 yards total offense and 70 points to the Miami Dolphins in Week 3.  But, through the first 5 weeks of 2024, Denver has only allowed 73 total points and are holding opponents to 271.2 yards on average per game.  A good part of the quick turnaround in success is due to the incredible play of four-year cornerback, Patrick Surtain, II.  While he has been a force through the first 4 games of the season, he absolutely shined in Week 5 getting 2 crucial interceptions including a pick-six TD for 100-yards, the second-longest pick six in franchise history.  For this performance, the 24-year-old was rewarded with an AFC Defensive Player of the Week award.  His name is now being tossed around as a frontrunner for Defensive Player of the Year.  The Broncos franchise has only ever had one winner of this award in NFL history and that was Randy Gradishar in 1978.  But, the humble Surtain has downplayed this discussion saying on Oct 9, “I think it is a little early right now because it’s so early on in the season… I appreciate all the talks. But I feel I got a lot more work to do. And I’m just looking to build, and build, and build, and get better each and every week.”  

FIELD GOALS – KA’IMI FAIRBAIRN (K – TEXANS)

“It’s a special one.  I don’t take it lightly,” was this talented kicker’s response when he was asked about becoming the Texans all-time leading scorer during Houston’s Week 5 win against Buffalo.  The eight-year veteran hit all three field goal attempts in the game (47y, 50y, 59y) plus 3 PATs to score 11 total points on his way to breaking the scoring record previously held by kicker Kris Brown.  Brown had spent 8 years with the Texans (2002-2009) and had set the record in 128 games played with Houston.  It also took Fairbairn 8 years, but only 111 games to get the special accolade…  So far this season, Fairbairn has made 10-11 field goals (8 of those 50+ yards) and 9-9 Pats made.  But outstanding stats aside, his special quality as a kicker has been his quiet confidence.  After Week 5, Fairbairn said, “I feel a sense of calmness when I’m walking out and I think that’s just from preparation.  And when it comes off my foot, it’s not up to me anymore… I love opportunities like [that}… I want that shot.  I think that’s part of being good at this job is wanting that and wanting that opportunity… I look forward to them.”

DUBIOUS DISTINCTION – NEW YORK JETS  NY 17 at MIN 23 

My first reaction to the firing of Jets HC Robert Saleh after NY’s Week 5 loss to Atlanta in London, was: why now?  Why change team leadership with two-thirds of the season still to go?  Does the owner really believe that switching to a former player with no head coaching experience (Jeff Ulbrich) will turn things around?  Apparently, Woody Johnson is holding out hope that will happen.  He said in a statement this week, “This was not an easy decision, but we are not where we should be given our expectations, and I believe now is the best time for us to move in a different direction.” 

Granted, Saleh’s 20-36 (.357) record as a HC with the Jets in the regular season was not stellar.  During his 3.5-year tenure, the Jets never won more than 7 games in a season or finished better than third in the division.  But IMO the main culprit of the losing record stems from terrible offenses and never having had a stable situation at the QB position for his first 3 years as the HC.  Saleh also only coached a healthy hall of fame QB (Aaron Rodgers) 5 games this season.  Meanwhile, defenses flourished during Saleh’s term as HC from 2022-2024, finishing top 5 in 2022 and 2023 and currently ranked second in 2024.

Interestingly, one of the first things new interim HC Ulbrich did was to demote the offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett and promote Todd Downing from within the org to run the offensive play calls.  He said it is, “just a different take on things, a fresh approach.”  It makes me wonder why Woody Johnson didn’t give Saleh this chance when he reportedly had made plans to replace Hackett right before he was fired.  Again, what does Jets ownership think Ulbrich will bring to the table different than what Saleh was dishing up?  

One further note:  Multiple Jets players have come forward this week to praise Saleh.   Star cornerback Sauce Gardner’s comments about him were even poignant.  He said, “[Saleh] changed my life… If I’m being honest, we’re doing it for him still.”  And according to Albert Breer of SI, the sentiment in the locker room after the firing was one of shock and “why are we doing this, we’ve got a really strong defense, a defensive-minded HC … and Saleh for his part was planning to switch [offensive] play callers this week…”  

In the end, only time will tell if this was the correct decision for the Jets.  But it does seem to be oddly timed and questioned by not just the media and fans, but also the players who apparently, continue to have Saleh’s back.

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