Seven Simple NFL Truths Ahead of Week 6; Jayden Daniels and Sam Darnold lead the MVP race

4) The old Deshaun Watson is never coming back. It’s time to give up those hopes. The Browns are off to a 1-4 start and scored just 13 points against one of the worst defenses in the league in a 21-point loss to Washington. It’s hard to see what will happen next, but it’s safe to assume Watson won’t help the situation. He hasn’t thrown for more than 200 yards in any game this season and has produced just five touchdown passes (with three interceptions). The bottom line is that this was never a great marriage of plan and player. Cleveland head coach Kevin Stefanski favors a play-action offense that relies on a strong running game to lay the foundation for everything else. Watson is most effective as an improviser, similar to Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes or Buffalo’s Josh Allen. We also got a look at the Browns offense could look like when Joe Flacco ran it at the end of last season, and that will always be a big problem for Watson going forward. What Flacco has proven is that the scheme can work quite well when the right quarterback is running it. Watson just isn’t that guy.

5) The Jets need Davante Adams more than any other competitor. The deeper the Jets go this season, the more obvious it becomes that quarterback Aaron Rodgers needs another weapon he can trust. That’s not to say the Jets don’t have talented, talented players. It’s because they don’t have enough guys who can play with the same innate connection to the quarterback that Adams enjoyed when he and Rodgers were together in Green Bay. Adams still has the ability to win from the line of scrimmage, and that’s where he could be most helpful to Rodgers, especially if offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett sticks with a system that relies primarily on the quarterback’s ability to pick apart opposing defenses. Imagine if Adams was the receiver looking for the throwback late in Sunday’s loss to Minnesota, rather than Mike Williams. Maybe that pass is completed and the Jets find a way to win instead of watching Stephon Gilmore seal the contest with an interception. To be honest, New York’s situation is starting to resemble what Tampa Bay went through with Tom Brady in his first season. It wasn’t until the Bucs acquired Antonio Brown and made some system adjustments towards the end of the season that the offense got going. The same thing could happen if the Jets were able to pull off the trade for Adams.

6) The NFC South does not meet our expectations. No division has faced lower expectations than the South, so it’s nice to see it get more interesting this season. Kirk Cousins ​​has quickly developed into the quarterback the Falcons were hoping for when they signed him as a free agent. They have achieved three victories because he has brought them decisive successes in each of these competitions. Baker Mayfield was a similarly effective signal-caller in Tampa. He re-signed with the Buccaneers because he liked the fit with the franchise, and he has thrown 11 touchdown passes and just two interceptions for a team that is currently 3-2. Ultimately, the Saints may be the biggest surprise based on their offensive potential alone. They have a strong running game and new coordinator Klint Kubiak understands how effective quarterback Derek Carr can be when protected. After all, this is a team that suffered two defeats by a total of five points in the duel with the Chiefs in Week 5 and was among the top 10 in offense and defense. Ultimately, these teams will battle each other all season long.

7) The NFC North meets our expectations. This is the only division where three teams look like they could reach the Super Bowl: Minnesota, Detroit and Green Bay. The fourth, Chicago, is coming into form as rookie quarterback Caleb Williams begins to find more consistency and effectiveness in his game. His best performance came in Sunday’s win over Carolina — he threw for 304 yards and two touchdowns — but he’ll need more days like this to stay close to contention in this division. The Lions’ offense has reached a new level with the emergence of speedy wide receiver Jameson Williams. The Packers have a slew of weapons centered around quarterback Jordan Love and a revamped defense that leads the NFL in takeaways. Of course there is also Minnesota. No team in football has played better in the last five weeks. So that’s the reality for Chicago: The Bears have a strong defense and an improving quarterback, but it’s also unlikely the NFC North will send four teams to the postseason. At the very least, you’ll end up disappointed with how things turn out.