1. The Chicago Bears and New England Patriots finished the 2024 season with a combined eight wins. Just seven weeks into this year, they have seven wins combined and only two losses each. They went about it in different ways, with the Bears leaning heavily into offensive culture and scheming under Ben Johnson and the Patriots opting for the grizzled, defensive-minded Mike Vrabel. But the results have been about the same. That’s exactly the kind of growth you want to see from two young squads with two aspiring
franchise QBs looking to make big leaps in Year 2. Speaking of which…
2. I have a challenge for you in the comments below: find me five NFL QBs playing better than Drake Maye right now. Because I don’t think you can. He’s somehow making a massive sophomore leap—even being compared to a young Patrick Mahomes (who obviously only played one game his rookie year as opposed to )—with little star power aside from 31-year-old Stefon Diggs coming off a knee injury. He’s literally doing things as a passer that not even Tom Brady did and has put himself on lists whose only members are Patrick Mahomes and Dan Marino. He’s the best deep-ball thrower in the league, and his efficiency is almost off the charts. And before we point to 5-2 New England’s strength of schedule, here’s your reminder that they beat the 4-2, AFC Division-owning Bills on the road. No disrespect to Sam Darnold, but Maye would have my MVP vote right now.
3. It’s hard to talk about Maye’s superstar without also mentioning Caleb Williams, who was taken two picks before Maye last year. The Bears sit at 4-2 more with Williams than because of him. Which is fine for now. It’s just not what you drafted him for. It’s also somewhat worrisome watching him miss his patented throws on the run, which is supposed to be his Superman trait. It’s also hard to use the “new offensive coordinator/new offense” excuse when the three QBs I just referenced are all in brand-new offenses, including the fellow second-year passer in Maye. Thankfully, Ben Johnson and the Bears’ defense have been as advertised. We’re still waiting on Williams to consistently hold up his end. It will come.
4. The D’Andre Swift redemption arc is honestly captivating. I specifically labeled him as an ex-factor this last game because I didn’t think he would have two strong games in a row. ‘Lo and behold, he did. Perhaps he’s figured something out, or Ben Johnson has figured it out for him. Either way, the Bears wouldn’t have won these last two contests without him.
5. It’s been over for Justin Fields as a viable long-term NFL starter. But now it’s over in the short term, too. And thank goodness because that was two straight games of straight-up SUCK. At some point, you have to get a guy off the field, not just for the team’s sake but his own. Time to learn Taysom Hill, buddy.
6. How Mike McDaniel makes it to the end of this season as the Dolphins’ head coach, I have no idea. Because that locker room looks lost, and Tua Tagovailoa is a living, breathing INT right now. He had a good run for a minute there, and some time will be getting a very talented offensive coordinator next season. Same with Brian Daboll. Because I don’t think Jaxson Dart will save him from collapses like the one his team just had against the Broncos.
7. Slightly off the NFL track, but I can’t wait to see where Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love goes in the 2026 NFL Draft. Teams might be a bit wary of selecting a running back over, say, the second-best tackle in the top 10 after watching how much Ashton Jeanty is struggling behind abysmal run blocking. On the other hand, watching Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs offer the tantalizing potential of how a playmaker like that can transform your offense regardless of what position they play. And Love, while not necessarily the “generational” talent Robinson or Saquon Barkley were coming out of the draft, might still be the best player in college football this year. The Bears probably won’t be in position to take him, but man…if only.
8. How can teams like the Cincinnati Bengals and Houston Texans consistently fail to protect their quarterbacks? I know offensive line issues are prevalent throughout the league, but this needs to be studied. Joe Burrow might have to retire early at the rate he’s been getting blown up and missing games, and C.J. Stroud’s drop-off from his Rookie of the Year campaign has as much to do with shoddy work in front of him as his own shaky play. Just once, it would be nice not to feel like these guys aren’t risking their lives every time they drop back to pass.
9. Not to get lost in the AARP Bowl last Thursday, between Joe Flacco and Aaron Rodgers, is the fact that Ja’Marr Chase is probably underpaid for how good he is. As long as his quarterback has a functioning arm, Chase is capable of embarrassing your defense from anywhere on the field. If Chase had been paired up with a younger version of Flacco, he might routinely put up 2,000-yard seasons with all the YOLO balls he’d be getting down the field. This could very well be Flacco’s last NFL ride, so let’s enjoy this while it lasts.
10. Bill Belichick potentially going into the Pro Football Hall of Fame after not being an objectively good coach for about four years—as he’s currently turning the North Carolina Tar Heels into a national headline, no less—is Twilight Zone stuff. Just a few years ago, we were counting down the games until he broke the all-time wins record. He’ll still get the gold jacket at least, but it doesn’t fully gloss over how sad he’s going out.
