The NFL season is already almost halfway done. For a few teams like the New York Jets, this season is basically over. Others like the Miami Dolphins still have playoff hopes. This week features some amazing rivalry matchups, with the Steelers going to Baltimore to face the Ravens, the 49ers taking on Seattle, and of course Tua’s debut. Here’s what to look for in this week’s games.
Is Tua Tagovailoa actually better than Ryan Fitzpatrick?
The Dolphins made headlines when they took Tagovailoa with the 5th pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. The signal-caller out of Alabama could have potentially been the number one overall pick if it wasn’t for injury concerns. Tua now has additional pressure on his back as the Dolphins benched Ryan Fitzpatrick, who was arguably the best quarterback in the NFL. If Tua is able to perform better than Fitzpatrick, he could be on pace to potentially win Rookie of the Year. If not, the Dolphins might be very quick to bring back their veteran quarterback.
Can Big Ben step up against the Ravens?
Big Ben has had a shaky few years as QB. He’s struggled with interceptions and almost lost the game against Tennesse. As good as the Steeler defense is, they cannot beat the Ravens without the offense. The Ravens’ front seven is stacked with former Jaguars Calais Cambell and Yannick Ngakoue, and rookie LB Patrick Queen who I think could be the Defensive Rookie of the Year. This means that the Steelers will have to go to the air and utilize their trio of young receivers. Ben doesn’t need to do anything special in this game. He just needs to keep the ball moving and not give the ball away. If they do that, the Steelers should come out with the win.
Is it Brandon Aiyuk’s breakout game?
After gaining a lot of attention for his spectacular hurdle over Eagles’ safety Marcus Epps, Aiyuk has fallen out of the spotlight. He had a nice game against the Patriots last week, hitting the 100 yard milestone for the first time in his career. Aiyuk’s Niners will take on their division rival Seattle Seahawks this week. This is a good opportunity, as the Seahawks pass defense is horrendous. If Aiyuk can put up big numbers, he could become a sensation similar to DK Metcalf who had a monster year last year.
That’s it for this article. Don’t forget to check back to see my analysis of these games next week. If you have any thoughts on these players, let me know in the comments section.
Nice article, will Antonio Brown and Tom Brady combine to have a big day for TB would be another thing I would be looking out for this week.
Thanks for the comment. He didn’t play last week but I will feature him next week.