Giant DeVito returns & Cowboys’ woes – 5 NFL storylines

Michael McQuaid of Pro Football Ireland looks at some of the key storylines ahead of Week 12 of the NFL season, which gets underway tonight (1.15am Irish time) with the visit of the Pittsburgh Steelers to the Cleveland Browns.

Daniel Jones era is over in NY, Jets Struggles

Every week in New York is an interesting one. The New York Giants announced they have benched quarterback Daniel Jones after the team’s bye week, with the Giants record standing at 2-8. Since Jones signed a $160 million contract extension last year, the Giants have had a 3-13 record – the QB’s higher interception to touchdown ratio contributing to no wins at home in Metlife Stadium.

Something had to give for Big Blue, who have decided to go back to Tommy DeVito, who became a cult figure last season. In six starts, DeVito led the Giants to three wins, with a notable performance against the Washington Commanders.

While the decision to go back to DeVito is popular, back-up quarterback Drew Lock (who has starting experience in Denver) seemed perplexed: “It was expressed to me that I was going to be QB2. It’s an interesting situation.”

The Giants move on to face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at home this weekend.

The New York Jets have also made a significant change this week, firing GM Joe Douglas. In his time with the organisation, Douglas secured several impactful draft picks including Garrett Wilson, Sauce Gardner, Breece Hall, Will McDonald, Braelon Allen, Jermaine Johnson, and Michael Carter II.

The team also pulled off a coup, landing Aaron Rodgers. However it’s been a season to forget for the Jets, who sit at 3-8 heading into a bye week. The long-term future of Aaron Rodgers will now certainly be called into question.

Cowboys falling to earth

The sky is beginning to fall in for the struggling Dallas Cowboys. When the team attempted to open the roof of their $1.15bn AT&T stadium on Monday night a giant metal sheet fell on to the pitch.

It has been a difficult year for the Cowboys, with quarterback Dak Prescott earlier this month ruled out for the season with a hamstring problem. Speaking with The Dallas Morning News this week, he mentioned just how hard this season has been. “On the football field, it’s probably been as tough of a season as I’ve ever had,” he said. “I’d probably say the toughest.”

It doesn’t get much easier for the Cowboys. This weekend, they face a road trip to play the Washington Commanders. Dallas have a short week thanks to a Thanksgiving date with the New York Giants next Thursday, which now looks like a dead rubber.

Long term, one wonders how owner Jerry Jones can turn the fortunes of this team around – or if he can. Most would expect head coach Mike McCarthy to be out after this season. For the Cowboys, it is another year lost.

Bryce Young’s new lease of life

With all the negativity this week, let’s have some good news.

Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young seems reborn. After a bye week post Munich, the Panthers go up against the Kansas City Chiefs this weekend, who lost their first game of the season on Sunday to the Buffalo Bills. Facing Patrick Mahomes and company is never a simple task, but Young enters this game with a real spring in his step.

Young has regained some of the confidence that he had as a starting number one draft pick in 2023. Since Andy Dalton suffered an injury he has started three games in a row for the Panthers. In the game against the Giants in Germany, Young was 15-of-25 (60%) for 126 passing yards and he also had a touchdown. He has had five ‘big time plays’ (a play which is a rush of at least 12 yards or a pass of at least 16 yards), with four of these coming in the past three weeks.

49ers need to take a stand at Lambeau

One of the standout games this week is the visit of the San Francisco 49ers to Green Bay. After a close game against the Chicago Bears, the Packers will feel confident at Lambeau Field taking on a 49ers team who sit 5-5 and bottom of the NFC West after a defeat to the Seattle Seahawks last weekend.

The 49ers will lean on ther defence, which is currently ranked sixth in the league. The Niners look strong against the run, which may not only be a test for the Packers running back core, but quarterback Jordan Love also. Nick Bosa is a key element of this game. How he will manage this defence, especially on short yardage situations, will be key.

Wicklow’s Dan Whelan will look to continue a strong season this weekend at home. Through 12 weeks, Whelan is sixth in the league in net yards at 44.0 yards per punt, with his longest punt reaching 74 yards. He has a solid return percentage of 34.4%, while his total return yards are 77, placing him seventh in the league. Whelan’s punts also have an impressive hang time of 4.64 seconds, ranking him fourth among NFL punters.

Monday Night Magic

There could be no better way to finish off Week 12 than this. A rejuvenated Chargers team going up against a Baltimore Ravens offence that will be disappointed with their performance in their loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers last weekend.

The Chargers defence held one of the league’s best passing attacks last week in beating the Bengals. Through 12 weeks, Jim Harbaugh’s defence sits top in the NFL’s defensive rankings with an average of 14.5 points allowed per game. It has proven it can handle pressure – but can they do this for a second consecutive week, especially against a lethal running game, headlined by Derrick Henry?

Lamar Jackson is having another MVP calibre season, with 2,876 passing yards and 25 touchdowns already this year. His use of Zay Flowers and Mark Andrews in Los Angeles this Monday night will be key to how they perform on the night.

We haven’t even mentioned how much better Justin Herbert looks this season. This should be a great game.

herbo cooked here pic.twitter.com/WcGY3KelTI

— Los Angeles Chargers (@chargers) November 19, 2024