Jeffri Chadiha offers a single item for which each team should be grateful as we approach Week 12 of the 2023 NFL season in this exclusive Thanksgiving edition of The First Read. See you back here for Chiefs and Eagles analysis following Monday Night Football.
They will be able to choose. The Cardinals seemed more than happy to accept their status as the worst football team prior to the season, so it’s surprising that they aren’t. Then an odd thing occurred: they engaged in competition. In Week 3, they defeated the Dallas Cowboys. The team triumphed once more in quarterback Kyler Murray’s Week 10 season debut after he made his comeback to the field following an ACL tear in December of last year. It’s difficult to predict how Arizona will manage Murray’s enormous contract going forward, but one thing is certain: this team is expected to select among the top three picks in the draft the following year. With that, the Cards will have some options.
The building is full of young talent. Why the Falcons can’t get more production out of their talented skill players is one of the league’s most puzzling mysteries. Even though tight end Kyle Pitts isn’t a big threat in the offense, he was a Pro Bowl player as a rookie. Drake London, a wide receiver, caught 72 passes in his debut campaign in 2022, and his influence hasn’t been the same this year either. Next is Bijan Robinson, an undrafted rookie running back selected in the first round by Atlanta this season. Though he spends time with Tyler Allgeier, he looks special when he touches the ball. Arthur Smith, the head coach, has yet to demonstrate how to get the most out of this group. What is not in doubt is
Intricacy. This season, the Ravens have experienced their fair share of injuries. Despite the loss of running back J.K. Dobbins due to an Achilles tear in Week 1, Baltimore still boasts the top rushing attack in the National Football League. Earlier in the season, safety Marcus Williams missed multiple games, which allowed Geneco Stone to tie for the league lead in interceptions with six. Due to a fractured fibula and torn ankle ligaments, tight end Mark Andrews♿ is now predicted to miss the rest of the season. It is a severe setback for this roster. Baltimore will manage to survive it, according to history as well.
Their experience dealing with hardship. The past few weeks have been quite bizarre in Buffalo: Josh Allen, the quarterback, has mishandled the ball once more; wide receiver Stefon Diggs has had to respond to remarks made about the team by his younger brother on Twitter; and head coach Sean McDermott abruptly fired offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey (despite the fact that the Bills had a top-10 offense). For those who have followed the Bills in recent years, this isn’t all that crazy either. They were 7-6 at the end of the regular season in 2021 after losing three of their last four games. However, they ended the season on a four-game winning streak. Despite numerous injuries sustained the previous season—including the deaths of safety Micah Hyde and edge rusher Von Miller, as well as the terrifying near-death encounter with safety Damar Hamlin—they were still able.
