Early nfl season story lines to watch

By:  Henry Kvech

We are already 5 weeks into the NFL season, and it's been nothing short of surprising. Let's dive into some of the major headlines that have emerged thus far.

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Minnesota Vikings
​Despite coming into the season with incredibly low expectations, the Vikings, with QB Sam Darnold, are just 1 of 2 remaining undefeated teams. This comes as a shock to many because of Darnold’s early career struggles. But this could be less of a lesson on Darnold, and more of a lesson on the Jets' system. This isn’t the first instance of a QB who struggled with the Jets, only to turn into a solidified starter later in their career. In 2022, we saw career backup Geno Smith start a season for the first time since his stint with the Jets, and he ended up top 10 in MVP voting that year. Darnold’s odds for MVP currently sit comfortably in 5th place, and he’s shown he can perform against tough teams like the Texans and Packers. The Vikings are making a serious push for the NFC North, spearheaded by Darnold, their biggest surprise of the season.

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Miami Dolphins
​Across conferences we have the Dolphins, who started the season in the top 10 for highest odds to win the Super Bowl, but have fallen mightily. Before week 5, the Dolphins were the only team to have never held a lead during a game this season, their week one win coming on a game winning field goal with zeroes on the clock. A low scoring game against the 1-4 Patriots was also nothing to write home about. With superstars on both sides of the ball, their 2-3 start to the season is less than optimistic. Last year's passing yards leader and Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was diagnosed with his third concussion in just 2 NFL seasons, creating an instant hole on the team in his absence. With Tua slated to return in week 8, and no current solution at QB, the Dolphins will have to sprint to catch their flight to the playoffs this year.

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Washington Commanders
The Commanders came into the season in a rebuild. With new coaches, and a reworked roster, the Commanders were looking ahead at the future with new second overall pick Jayden Daniels. Despite drafting the Heisman winner from LSU, the commanders had the fourth lowest odds at reaching the super bowl to start the season. They picked up their QB of the future, but the roster didn’t seem to be in a good spot, and it was looking like another usual Commanders season. Daniels showed promise in his first start, rushing for two touchdowns on the day, but the Commanders ultimately fell short to the Buccaneers on the road. And after a close  three point win over the Giants at home -- a game in which the commanders couldn’t reach the endzone -- the Commander's expectations remained low after 2 weeks. Entering a primetime game on the road against the Bengals where the Commanders were 7.5 point underdogs, Daniels showed up and won. The week after he went on to beat the cardinals 42-14. The Commanders sit at the top of the NFC east with a 4-1 record, and Daniels has surpassed expectations with his accuracy, having the highest completion percentage through a four game span in NFL history. If he can keep this up against the Super Bowl hopeful Ravens in week 6, the Commanders can be contenders very soon.

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Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs have an opportunity to do what no NFL team has ever done: win the Super Bowl three years in a row. Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs seem to be able to win in any circumstance. Despite injuries, poor play, and double digit deficits, the Chiefs stand undefeated. Travis Kelce is having the worst start to a season of his career, and the Chiefs lost their lead receiver Rashee Rice to IR after a knee injury sustained against the Chargers. The Chiefs WR 2 is currently Justin Watson, yet they still defy odds and win. It seems like as long as Mahomes is healthy, the Chiefs will continue to win games. In many people's eyes, if Mahomes can complete the three-peat, he will surpass Tom Brady as the greatest QB who ever lived, even before Mahomes has reached the age of 30.

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San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers are a team that has been plagued with injuries this season, especially with star running back Christian McCaffrey out. McCaffrey will be able to return to the field following week 6, but the severity of his injury points to him returning week 10 or after. This comes at a bad time for the 49ers, as in that span they’ll face the Chiefs, Cowboys, Buccaneers, and the Seahawks, who they’ll play twice. McCaffrey no doubt makes a crucial impact to the games, and even when he returns it won't get easier for them. Games against the Packers, Bills, and Lions sprinkle the rest of their season. The 49ers are a great team, no doubt, but their Super Bowl hopes might have to ride through the wild card position, as the Seattle Seahawks currently hold the No. 1 position in the division.

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Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals currently sit at 1-4, their only win coming against the Panthers, who finished last season at an abysmal 2-15. When looking at the stats, this Super Bowl contender's poor record shouldn’t fall at the hands of QB Joe Burrow. Through 5 games, Burrow has a completion percentage of 72.3%, with a terrific touchdown to interception ratio of 12 to 2. Problems are found when looking at the defense, who in games this year have let up 29 points per game, which is good for second to last in the league. The Bengals schedule won’t get any easier, and the defense will need to get into shape if they want to mold their season around their 2021 model of a Super Bowl appearance. 

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