Seahawks' stellar draft class; The Different LaFleur: Peter Schrager's Cheat Sheet

By Peter Schrager
FOX Sports activities NFL Analyst

Six weeks in, we have seen some rookies begin to make a significant impression, a pair veterans preserve their traditional excellence and NFL standings that look a bit … uh, completely different.

Let's get to this week's Cheat Sheet.

1. The "Different" LaFleur

When your older brother is beneath 50 and has the NFL's finest all-time profitable proportion via 50 video games as a head coach, it is easy to get misplaced within the shuffle. 

However when mentioned brother is within the midst of a befuddling begin to his fourth NFL season because the Packers head coach, and your squad is flourishing regardless of no preseason expectations to do something? Possibly it is time you get just a little love. 

Mike LaFleur, welcome to the nationwide dialog. Simply 35 years previous, LaFleur is the offensive coordinator of the youngest offensive unit within the league, and perhaps probably the most enjoyable one to observe on a week-to-week foundation, too. 

Offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur, proper, has the Jets assault buzzing beneath coach Robert Saleh. (Picture by Wealthy Schultz/Getty Photographs)

The Jets — sure, the Jets — are an offense fabricated from what Robert Saleh has known as "infants," and but, this group of first-, second- and third-year gamers are all blossoming on the identical time earlier than our very eyes. LaFleur deserves a ton of credit score for placing all of it collectively. 

This did not occur in a single day. 

It was an uphill climb from the get-go in New York for the youthful LaFleur. When he took the job, becoming a member of his older brother's finest buddy for his first large function, he assumed he'd have an enormous ally and mentor in his nook.

Zach Wilson and the Jets soar

Greg Olsen and Kevin Burkhardt focus on rookie working again Breece Corridor and the Jets offense's efficiency in a victory at Inexperienced Bay.

 Then, final summer season, LaFleur's first within the NFL as an offensive coordinator, tragedy got here within the type of the tragic loss of life of longtime beloved offensive coach Greg Knapp. The "Knapper," as my FOX NFL Kickoff colleague Michael Vick lovingly refers to him, was killed in an accident whereas using his bike in California. 

Knapp had all of it. A fatherly contact, nice expertise and training acumen that LaFleur was anticipating to lean on all through his transition into the massive function. Because the workforce and training workers grieved the lack of their senior voice on the offensive aspect, the Jets pressed on and did what they might in what grew to become an uneven rookie season for each the quarterback and the OC. 

With that first 2021 season of tragedy, adversity, and inconsistency beneath their belts and within the rearview, the Jets entrance workplace entered the 2022 NFL Draft with two most important objectives: 1. Choose playmakers; 2. Choose gamers who might assist the workforce's tradition. 

They went to work and began utilizing their bounty of picks on gamers who not solely carried out nicely on the NFL Mix and professional days but additionally performed for high applications and achieved large issues on the school gridiron. 

"We're simply so blessed to be a part of this nice journey"

Breece Corridor talks in regards to the workforce tradition that's being constructed by Jets coach Robert Saleh.

They obtained a handful on protection — resembling Sauce Gardner, Micheal Clemons and Jermaine Johnson — who're already making performs. 

And on offense? First- and second-round picks Garrett Wilson and Breece Corridor each have been excellent. Issues appeared doomed when each 2020 first-round choose Mekhi Becton and 2021 first-round choose Zach Wilson went down with accidents in August, and the workforce started the season with a loss. 

However one thing occurred after a comeback victory in Cleveland. Whether or not it is confidence or Saleh's now well-known "receipts" speech … I am undecided. However the workforce began believing. And by the point Wilson returned to the lineup in Week 4, Wilson, Corridor, and the opposite younger offensive gamers began to search out their groove. Now? With the curious exception of second-year participant Elijah Moore (zero targets within the Week 6 win at Inexperienced Bay), nearly all of the "Child" Jets are clicking, and their offensive coordinator is dialing it up, too. 

Jets upset Packers

The Jets pulled off an enormous upset at Inexperienced Bay, beating the Packers 27-10. Craig Carton celebrates his workforce bettering to 4-2.

Contemplate the ages of the Jets' high offensive stars. Corridor is 21, Garrett Wilson is 22, Moore is 22, Zach Wilson is 23 and the perfect of all of them — offensive lineman Alijah Vera-Tucker — is simply 23, too. This offense is simply scratching the floor, and their OC is simply beginning to get just a little recognition, too. 

Mike obtained the perfect of Matt final week. He deserves just a little extra love, too. 

2. Seattle's rookies

The Jets aren't the one ones having fun with just a little youthful infusion this season. 

The Seahawks completely needed to nail their 2022 NFL Draft to stay aggressive, and guess what? Six weeks in, it seems as if they've completely nailed their 2022 NFL Draft. What makes it all of the extra thrilling is that Pete Carroll has by no means regarded extra enthused, extra energized, and extra prepared to educate for one more 10 years. 

A rookie bursts on the scene

Robert Smith and Chris Myers focus on the impression rookie Kenneth Walker III had within the Seahawks' 19-9 victory over the Cardinals.

Every one of many rookie standouts has his personal story to inform. 

You can begin with the 2 rookie tackles defending quarterback Geno Smith. Each Charles Cross and Abe Lucas — first- and third-round picks — have been strong and steadily bettering of their first seasons whereas being requested to play enormous roles. 

Third-round choose Kenneth Walker III began his first NFL sport on Sunday and was excellent, notching 97 speeding yards and forcing an NFL-high 12 missed tackles. 

"Preparation" was the important thing for Kenneth Walker III

Seahawks rookie working again Kenneth Walker III talks about his first NFL begin through which he ran for 97 yards and a landing.

Then there's the dynamic duo within the defensive backfield. Fourth-round choose Coby Bryant — sure, Coby Bryant — has been fabulous as a beginning security, making the important thing play, jarring the ball free out of Kyler Murray's arms after the latter transformed a key first down in Seattle's 19-9 victory over Arizona on Sunday. 

After which there's the ball hawk, fifth-round choose and beginning cornerback Tariq Woolen. Woolen has been a revelation. One first-year participant — Jairus Chicken of the 2009 Buffalo Payments — has ever performed 5 straight video games in his rookie season with an interception in every one. Woolen now has 4. And every one has been of nice significance. 

Seattle has nice hopes for uncooked rookie go rusher Boye Mafe, too. Extensive receiver Dareke Younger, a seventh-round choose, is a participant to observe down the road as nicely. The Seahawks have been presupposed to have a down yr. They're nonetheless related as we head towards November. 

Thank the veterans who believed, the entrance workplace who did not panic, thank Pete Carroll and his coaches — and, sure, thank the rookie class. 

3. Season check-in

It has been a weird-ish season. Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers aren't enjoying to the extent we anticipated, the Jets and Giants would each be within the playoffs if the postseason began at this time and Russell Wilson seems like a shell of his once-invincible self. 

And although the soccer has been shoddy at occasions and the officiating has been even shoddier, the NFL is not too upset with how issues are going. Contemplate these three cool factoids: 

— There are 10 groups with 3-3 information proper now. Ten! That is practically a 3rd of the league at precisely .500. Parity is alive and nicely. 

You've got obtained Tampa Bay, Inexperienced Bay and each Tremendous Bowl contributors all there at 3-3. The Ravens, the 49ers, and the Colts, too. Then there are the Falcons, who nobody anticipated, and each the Dolphins and Patriots. These are 10 groups, with 10 completely different tales, all wanting into the mirror like that Spider-Man meme. 

— There have been 19 video games in 2022 through which a workforce overcame a deficit of 10 or extra factors to win or tie. The NFL Community analysis workforce despatched me that magnificence and I needed to embody it within the Cheat Sheet. That is tied for probably the most via Week 6 of a season in NFL historical past. What's that imply? Followers have to stay round. Followers need to imagine. Followers need to maintain watching soccer!

— If the playoffs have been to begin at this time, here is how the playoff matchups would look:

NFC

No. 1 seed Eagles have a bye

No. 2 seed Minnesota internet hosting No. 7 seed L.A. Rams

No. 3 seed Tampa Bay internet hosting No. 6 seed Dallas

No. 4 seed San Francisco internet hosting No. 5 seed N.Y. Giants

AFC

No. 1 seed Payments have a bye

No. 2 seed Kansas Metropolis internet hosting No. 7 seed Indianapolis

No. 3 seed Tennessee internet hosting No. 6 seed N.Y. Jets

No. 4 seed Baltimore internet hosting No. 5 seed L.A. Chargers

Kinda cool. Kinda funky. I am right here for it. 

4. Nationwide Tight Ends Day

I at all times like Nationwide Tight Ends Day, and need to shout out my man Greg Olsen for all he does. Olsen has been a fantastic advocate for therefore many worthy and noble causes, and this one? It is simply plain enjoyable. 

What's superb this season is that regardless of all of the up-and-coming names and all of the dudes you took in your fantasy draft earlier than him, it is nonetheless Travis Kelce's world. At 33 years previous. Kelce leads the complete NFL in receiving TDs and leads the NFL's top-scoring offense in scrimmage yards. Darren Waller and TJ Hockenson and Kyle Pitts (we predict) might all have their time as The King. Simply not but. 

5. Generally it is value it

Von Miller has been value each penny. Because the Payments head to their bye week, I can say with nice certainty there are not any regrets in Buffalo for the huge contract they paid the veteran go rusher. 

Miller is already a Professional Soccer Corridor of Fame linebacker. However this chapter — sure, solely six weeks in — has been excellent. The Payments, small market or not, paid for what may find yourself being the ending piece to their championship run. 

That is deliberate, aggressive, and savvy work from GM Brandon Beane. The impression on the sector (six sacks, eight tackles for loss and eight QB hits) has solely been made secondary by Miller's impression off of it, mentoring Buffalo's younger defensive stars. Superior man and teammate — we knew all that. 

Three-time Tremendous Bowl champion? We will see about that.

Peter Schrager is an NFL author for FOX Sports activities and a bunch of "Good Morning Soccer" on NFL Community.

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