We want to think there is. Every week I hear Simmons and Sal say something like I don't know what to make of this Saints team. They blew out the Packers but then lost big to the Panthers. So are the Packers bad or are the Panthers good?
That's not how the NFL works. Teams with worse records can beat teams with good records. Good teams can have bad games. Bad teams can have good games. Every year, there will be playoff teams with bad losses and teams picking in the first 10 picks who have surprising wins.
2. It takes a village team
When you look at Matthew Stafford who played 12 seasons in Detroit and went 3-0 one time, now start 3-0 with the Rams, it's clear that it's not just up the quarterback. Yet, fans collectively make blanket statements about individual players all the time.
Sometimes in the case of Stafford on the Lions, it's an organization-wide problem. Or as we've seen with Tannehill and Darnold, sometimes it's just Adam Gase holding you back. We're willing to admit this when there's a change of scenery, but we're very quick to say that so and so is a bust when they're not playing well in their first system. Like, look at Mahomes and Herbert doing so well right away. And look at Wilson and Lawrence struggling as rookies. I mean, they're on the Jets and Jags. Look at their coaches. Look at their teammates.
People always wanted to nitpick who deserved more credit between Brady and Belichick when of course, it's the combination that made them succeed. Same for Reid and Mahomes.
When I see Justin Fields struggling in his first game for the Bears it makes me wonder what he would be like under Reid instead of Nagy. Nagy was a good OC for the Chiefs under Reid with Alex Smith. But again, it takes a team. Maybe he's not the guy you want for your head coach. Or maybe he just needs the right players around him.
I think Mac Jones is 10x more likely to succeed in the NFL than Zach Wilson not knowing anything about them as players, and knowing everything about the situations they're in.
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