It’s Time To Admit Ryan Poles Has Authored Another Disaster
Ryan Poles should thank his lucky stars for managing to land Caleb Williams and Ben Johnson. Were it not for those two, the Chicago Bears would likely be 0-4, and Poles might already be fired. It has become increasingly evident that the man has poor evaluation skills in critical areas. Nowhere has that proven more obvious than the defensive line. Outside of Gervon Dexter, the Bears have failed to develop anybody of note for their front four. Meanwhile, Poles has tried subsidizing it with multiple high-priced veterans.
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All of them are either underachieving or outright bad.
Friday’s injury report brought further confirmation of Poles’ blunder. Grady Jarrett, who signed for $14.25 million per year in March, was the only player not to practice. He already missed the game in Las Vegas with a knee injury, and it doesn’t seem as if there’s been any improvement. Add the fact that Jarrett has yet to register a sack, and you can’t help but wonder what purpose he serves outside of veteran leadership. What’s worse is that the contract is basically locked in place due to dead money until 2027. So the Bears are stuck with it.
Ryan Poles’ misfires don’t end there.
Jarrett’s issues have managed to hide how underwhelming Dayo Odeyingbo has been as well. The big defensive end signed for $16 million a year. While he has been a great run defender, he has only one sack in five games. His six total pressures rank him 82nd in the NFL. Ryan Poles’ two biggest veteran additions to the roster have been massive disappointments. This furthers the growing list of evidence that the Bears GM has a serious issue evaluating the veteran market. We can’t forget other setbacks, such as Chase Claypool, Nate Davis, Darrell Taylor, and Ryan Bates.
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All of this has put the Bears in a tight financial situation. They don’t have any clear ways to free up cap space for next offseason unless they’re willing to restructure several contracts. That is something they’ve wanted to avoid. The only way to get rid of Jarrett’s deal is by trading him, and that is all but impossible given recent events. Barring an unexpected turnaround, it appears that the organization will need to correct these mistakes early in the draft.
Having Poles involved in that process doesn’t exactly inspire confidence.
Broncos HC Sean Payton Admits What Concerns Him About the Jets
Many people around the NFL are dismissing the New York Jets
The Broncos' head coach echoed his quarterback, Bo Nix, on Friday, relative to the mythical "trap game" in the NFL (see the video above). Nix said he doesn't believe in trap games, while Payton emphasized how the talent level in the NFL is so off the charts that no opponent can be taken for granted.
The Jets signed quarterback Justin Fields, and they've stayed committed to the run game with Breece Hall. Plus, one of Payton's former coaching pupils, Aaron Glenn, is now the head coach in New York.
Glenn has been in the inner sanctum of Payton's coaching staff and knows how the sausage gets made. The truth is, the Jets present some threats that Payton finds concerning.
“There are a number of things. Obviously, they’re running the ball extremely well, really well. We’ve seen Fields and his explosiveness," Payton said on Friday. "He’s involved in the run game. I think the runner [Hall] is having one of his better seasons. The young receiver [Garrett Wilson] is explosive. The run game is going to be really important."
The Fields/Hall Tandem
Hall has 352 rushing yards and his averaging 5.3 yards per carry. Fields has more than double the rushing yards that Nix has through five games. The Jets rank third in the NFL, rushing for 144.4 yards per game.
New York's offensive has been sputtering when it comes to the pass, but they're a force to be reckoned with on the ground. And just when opponents start loading the box, and selling out to stop the run, that's when the Jets dial up a play-action shot for Wilson to hit Wilson for chunk yardage.
However, if the Broncos can stop the Jets' run game, it's hard to see Fields having himself a day. The Broncos have an excellent defense, but the unit has been inconsistent through five games.
The Glenn Factor
Payton also pointed to his own side of the street when it came to sharing some of the concerns he has about this game, before focusing on the challenge that is Glenn. Payton admires how hard the Jets are playing for Glenn, even if it's yet to come together.
"Offensively, that first half last week, eliminating some of the self-inflicted, the things that slow you down or keep you from getting momentum," Payton said. "They do a really good job in the special teams phase. The other thing is this, and I’ve known Aaron Glenn a long time. As a player, he was with us in Dallas, and then luckily, I was able to hire him as a coach. You see a team that’s playing their tails off. A different type team relative to their structure compared to last week. But nonetheless, the focus is really on us and being ready to go.”
Long story short, the Broncos can't afford to sleep on the Jets. And they won't — not with a veteran coach like Payton leading the way and keeping everyone's mind right.
