This is the first installment of the Four Minute Offense, the moment where the team possessing the ball must run the ball, call high-percentage pass plays, and the war daddies (also known as the offensive linemen), can get off the ball and turn up. Four talking points will be served up ahead of next week’s action. With that in mind, here we go!
Number one: The rumors of Jalen Hurts’s demise are greatly exaggerated.
After last week’s disastrous outing against the New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts faced a wave of criticism and harsh commentary. However, his stellar performance on Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings should silence any remaining doubters. Hurts delivered an exceptional game, completing 19 of 23 passes for 326 yards and three touchdowns, leading the Eagles to a 28-22 victory at U.S. Bank Stadium — without throwing a single interception.
What makes this feat even more impressive is that Hurts dominated the NFL’s second-ranked pass defense. He became the first quarterback this season to record a perfect passer rating of 158.3. With this game, Hurts now boasts 44 career performances with a passer rating above 100. Only a handful of elite quarterbacks have achieved more within their first six seasons — Patrick Mahomes (57), Russell Wilson (52), Dak Prescott (45), and Josh Allen (44).
Howard Eskin’s calls for backup QB Tanner McKee to start ahead of Hurts must be quashed. Immediately.
Number two: Joe Flacco was not the problem in Cleveland.
In ten days, Flacco was traded away from the Browns to the Cincinnati Bengals, started against the Packers and four days later, beat the Pittsburgh Steelers. Yes, Flacco threw for 342 yards and three touchdowns. However, this is where things get interesting.
Flacco admitted he was consulted about the move by Browns general manager Andrew Berry before the trade. On the surface, it was weird a starting quarterback would be traded within the same state and within the same division. However, Flacco is a man. He is 40. He was owed that right as an accomplished veteran and an OG in the league.
Number three: Patience will be a virtue in Tennessee.
The dismissal of head coach Brian Callahan after just 23 games underscores a growing theme within the Tennessee Titans organization — the impatience of owner Amy Adams Strunk. Frustrated and embarrassed by her team’s lackluster performances, Strunk made it clear that accountability ultimately rests on her shoulders.
Now, Chad Brinker, the Titans’ president of football operations, and general manager Mike Borgonzi are set to lead the search for Callahan’s replacement. According to team insiders, the next head coach will likely have only a two- to three-year window to turn the Titans back into playoff contenders.
Importantly, the new head coach’s success will be tied to the success (and development) of first overall pick, Cam Ward. Through seven games, Ward has completed 57.6 percent of his passes for 1,356 yards. He has thrown 4 touchdowns and 5 interceptions. Ward’s passer rating is 70.9. Notably, he has lost five fumbles.
Ward is signed with the team through at least 2028.
The Titans will move into the new (and domed) Nissan Stadium across the parking lot in 2027. And, Adams Strunk is expected to bid for upcoming Super Bowls. Whether or not Tennessee will have a competitive team at that time will be dependent upon Adams Strunk’s patience.
Number Four: Woody Johnson has seen enough of Justin Fields, backs HC Aaron Glenn
Watching the New York Jets this season has often felt more like an endurance test than entertainment. At times, their games demand patience and resilience from fans. One thing, however, is undeniable — the Jets’ offense has struggled mightily. Through seven games, New York ranks near the bottom of the NFL, averaging just 271.3 total yards per game, the fourth-worst mark in the league, and scoring an average of 18.4 points per contest.
“I see what you see, but I see more hope than you do,” Johnson said. “You can’t win with hope, but it helps.”
But, he has little faith in Fields.
“If we could complete a pass, it would look good,” Johnson said of his team. “It’s hard when you have a quarterback with a rating that … he has the ability but something is just not jiving. But if you look at any head coach with a quarterback like that you’re going to see similar results if you go across the league, you have to play consistently at that position and that’s what we’re going to try to do for the remainder of the season.”
Sunday, Fields was pulled in favor of backup Tyrod Taylor in the loss against the Carolina Panthers. Fields completed six out of twelve passes for 38 yards. Overall, Fields has not turned the ball over, but has been sacked 18 times. It should be clear Taylor will start against the Jets’ next game against the Cincinnati Bengals. However, this Jets job is tough because the offensive line is not great. That room must be torn down to the studs and be rebuilt. It’s not about the x’s and o’s but the Jimmies and the Joes.
The Point After
Remove the ‘former’ tag from Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham. He has announced his intentions to return to the team on his Unblocked Podcast. Graham felt he never was fully done with football, but he could not pass up the storybook ending after winning Super Bowl LIX.
“I understood both sides of it, man,” Graham said. “Year 15, there’s no better way to go out. They was probably thinking the same thing. But then reality set in for both of us. Another opportunity came. That first one I was like, ‘Nah, I’m gonna stick with it.’ And then I was like, ‘Who am I fooling?’ If it come again though, baby, we gonna get it.”
Graham also said he has stayed in shape and is ready to roll.
“I put myself through some stuff already,” Graham said. “I’m excited with where I am and I feel like I’m springy, I’m bouncy. I feel like myself. I feel good. I can’t wait to go out there and be like, ‘Lane (Johnson), what’s good?! You thought I was finished?!’ That’s where I’m at, man. I just can’t wait for that first initial jog out. I’m going to mess with Jordan (Mailata) first and then I’m gonna come see Lane. Then I’m gonna go get the ones on the inside. Everybody gonna get it.”
