Schrager’s Cheat Sheet: Why the wide-open NFC West fight is simply heating up

Every week, FOX Sports NFL Insider Peter Schrager opens his notepad and suggests on 3 of the greatest stories around the league. Here are his takes heading into Week 9, consistingof a four-team department fight that will supply plenty of intrigue down the stretch.

The Wild, Wide-Open NFC West 

The NFC North is the finest department in football this year. The NFC West is the most interesting. It’s as if the season begins right now, and in a race to the finish, each group has a various path to a department title and a various story to that opening-round home playoff videogame. 

I appearance at the Arizona Cardinals, winners of 2 walk-off videogames in a period of 6 days, and they’re presently on top of the NFC West standings at 4-4 and 2-0 in the division. In Sunday’s remarkable win over the Miami Dolphins, Kyler Murray looked like an elite NFL quarterback and somebody deserving of the No. 1 total choice status that he bestows. And yet, the story hasactually been the Cardinals’ offensive line. Unheralded, unidentified, and fairly under the radar, Arizona’s O-Line hasactually been a brick wall. They sanctuary’t provided up a sack for the last 3 videogames. It’s the finest we’ve seen from their line giventhat the 1975 season when the team played in St. Louis and Jim Hart was handing the rock off to Jim Otis and tossing to Terry Metcalf. Arizona is unbeaten in the department, boasts one of the youngest lineups in the sport and has a home videogame versus the Chicago Bears this weekend. 

Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Rams are this rising engine that is allofasudden re-energized after being put down for dead a coupleof weeks back. Los Angeles has a brand-new ambiance, their stars aren’t being delivered anywhere, and having talked to head coach Sean McVay this weekend (while he was commemorating his boy’s 1st birthday at his home on Saturday), there’s a belief that this group can go on a run. The intense area for L.A.? Rookies Jared Verse and Jaylen “Tank” McCullough have both been impressive. Verse had a nationwide coming-out celebration versus the Minnesota Vikings last Thursday, consistingof a Mic’d up sector published by the group that made the rounds all weekend. McCullough is an undrafted superstar at security out of Tennessee. When the NFL Network put together their binder of 412 draftable gamers in April, he was not consistedof. It’s the mix of veterans who’ve been there (Cooper Kupp, Matthew Stafford), novice and second-year standouts, and probably the finest training personnel in the league, all working on the “Nobody Believes in UnitedStates” fuel. 

And then there are the San Francisco 49ers, who will mostlikely get Christian McCaffrey back following their bye, and the Seattle Seahawks, who are as up and down a group in the NFL as there comes. Yet both are presently connected with the Cardinals for veryfirst location in the department.

There are 10 weeks staying in the routine season, the department is broad open, and the finest is yet to come. 

The Eagles’ Defense is Flying Again

Funny thing, isn’t it? All that ink spilled and voices lost on Philly sports radio in September over this group’s imperfections — and appearance now, the Eagles are quite damn excellent, no? The offense can’t rating in the veryfirst quarter — a strange curiosity — however they appear to have figured things out over the past 3 weeks. We understood they’d get it . But the defense is what’s worth highlighting. There’s been so much disappointment over the past 2 seasons with the Philly D. The Eagles were 10-1 and fired their protective planner last season. No one blinked. Objectively, looking back on it, it was a wild choice. But that’s how high the expectations were a year ago and after Sean Desai, it just got evenworse under Matt Patricia. 

So, insert Vic Fangio, who spokenwith for them and worked with Jonathan Gannon for their Super Bowl LVII loss to the Chiefs, flirted with the Philly protective organizer task before taking the exactsame gig in Miami, and then, bolted from the Dolphins to signupwith the Philadelphia personnel last January. The early returns weren’t excellent, however then came the bye week. And unexpectedly, Philly’s defense — with all those young Georgia kids playing tough, with their veryfirst 2 draft chooses starring in the protective backfield, and with secret stops in huge minutes — is back on the map. It was 17-17 on Sunday versus the Cincinnati Bengals, and you might hear the WIP-FM phone lines currently lighting up. But, then, on 3 of the last 4 drives, the D stepped up and put the videogame away. On the roadway, versus Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase, and the D made 2 vital stops and required 2 turnovers. 

The novice tandem of Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean hasactually been a discovery over the last coupleof weeks. With so numerous eyes on the Eagles draft, they took not one, however 2 gamers at their mostsignificant position of requirement of cornerback. And both gamers…haveactually been great. DeJean was exceptional on Sunday vs. the Bengals. In his 3rd NFL begin, the slot corner was a satanicforce in the open field with secret takeson, consistingof the essential 4th down things of Chase in the 4th quarter. DeJean has likewise been an reliable punt returner.  Mitchell was the finest gamer on the field not called Saquon Barkley versus the New York Giants 2 weeks earlier. One by one, you go through the names, and whether it’s Carter, Dean, or Josh Sweat — they’re all beginning to come together. Though there are still some minutes of tension — that’s natural — this defense is much enhanced. And silently, the young guys are leading the method. 

Ken Dorsey’s Big Day

Coaches get their minutes, too. Ken Dorsey was personality non grata after being fired by the Buffalo Bills mid-season in2023 The previous University of Miami star quarterback was rolling with Josh Allen till the offense hit a rut last year. Dorsey was canned, and then Joe Brady’s system got hot and rolled all the method to a department title. Dorsey took the 2nd half of the season off, viewed from afar, and hit the path to discover a brand-new gig. Kevin Stefanski tapped him to assistance the Browns offense, and he was back and utilized by an NFL group. But last week, Stefanski, a two-time Coach of the Year who has long called plays in Cleveland, turned to Dorsey and provided him the secrets to play-calling and the offensive gameplan for Week 8. With Jameis Winston under center, the Browns’ offense came alive. The numbers are incredible. In Week 1-7, the Browns balanced 15.6 points per videogame. In Week 8, the Browns put up 29 in a stunning win over the Baltimore Ravens. The Browns had more than 400 lawns of offense for the veryfirst time all season and dedicated no turnovers. It was an psychological win for the franchise — with Winston beginning, and in the veryfirst videogame giventhat the passing of veteran radio commentator Jim Donovan — however Dorsey coming in mid-season to draw up the gameplan worked marvels. It may be too littlebit too late for Cleveland in a packed AFC, however Sunday was a testimony to sticking with a dream and thinking in one’s self. Jameis, of course. But Ken Dorsey, too. 

Stat of the Week

Two gamers have had 2+ death TDs and a hurrying TDs in numerous videogames this season: Josh Allen…and Bo Nix. 

Peter Schrager is an NFL Insider for FOX Sports and a host of “Good Morning Football” on NFL Network. You can follow him on Twitter at @PSchrags.