As we shift to the second quarter of the NFL season, it seems a few notable changes are on the horizon, including with starting quarterbacks.
It’s gotten to the point where the Titans might consider benching Cam Ward, the No. 1 pick from last year’s draft.
As for this year’s top pick, Fernando Mendoza might soon be overtaking Kirk Cousins on the depth chart now that the Raiders have dropped two consecutive games after a 3–0 start.
The Cardinals already opted for change, giving up on talented wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. after two and a quarter seasons and shipping him to the Texans.
However, sometimes sticking to the plan is the better option. The Jets shouldn’t give up on coach Aaron Glenn any time soon after how much the Jets have improved in his second season.
Let’s assess the job Glenn has done to kick off this week’s NFL Fact or Fiction.
Aaron Glenn needs more credit for keeping Jets competitive
Admittedly, I’ve gained a soft spot for Glenn because he’s so entertaining on the sideline. We need more coaches high stepping after touchdowns and making funny faces with the challenge flag.
But yes, none of that matters if the Jets (2–3) don’t win more games. Still, let’s not forget that he’s barely a season and a quarter through one of the more difficult coaching jobs in the league. Given the circumstances he inherited, including being forced into a hard reset in the middle of his first season with the Quinnen Williams and Sauce Gardner trades, Glenn has done a fine job of keeping the Jets competitive in his second season.
They just beat the much-improved Browns and opened the season by cruising past the Titans. Sure, beating those two teams doesn’t say too much, but it does say the Jets are no longer at the bottom. That’s called improvement. New York also lost by one score to the Packers and Lions earlier this season.
The only time the Jets played poorly was in the 23–12 loss to the Bears. That performance was certainly a mark against Glenn’s résumé, with Bears players saying afterward it was boring and easy to play the Jets.
But the Jets quickly responded against the Browns and it wasn’t just about playing hard for a coach who may or may not be on the hot seat. The talent and development was on display, especially from rookie edge rusher David Bailey, who was dominant in the three-sack performance. New York held Cleveland to 198 total yards, the third time this season it kept an opponent under 200. That never happened once last season.
Glenn has the Jets trending in the right direction and more people need to acknowledge that.
Manzano’s view: Fact
Cardinals don’t have a problem with developing players
There was a lot of attention on the Texans’ side after they executed the Harrsion trade last week. But the Cardinals not making it work with a player who was regarded as a sure thing coming out of the 2024 draft needs to be evaluated more.
It’s easy to overlook Arizona in the aftermath because this type of deal is expected from a franchise that has become accustomed to losing. However, if the Cardinals couldn’t develop Harrison, the No. 4 pick two years ago, then maybe they shouldn’t draft Jeremiah Smith if presented the opportunity in April. That sounds absurd because Smith has been unstoppable the past two seasons at Ohio State and there’s a strong chance he’ll be the first wide receiver to lead off a draft since 1996. Currently, the 1–4 Cardinals are slated to pick sixth.
On one hand, though, the Cardinals do deserve credit for finding a gem in wide receiver Michael Wilson, a 2023 third-round pick who recently landed a three-year $75 million contract extension. They also have one of the league’s best tight ends in Trey McBride, a 2022 second-round selection.
Left tackle Paris Johnson Jr., whom Arizona selected No. 6 in 2023, has developed into one of the better players at his position, but the team had a chance to draft Will Anderson Jr. at No. 3 before deciding to trade down. Then again, an Arizona roster with Anderson and Harrison might not look as good as it does in Houston.
Overall, the Cardinals have three cornerstone players and several holes throughout the roster. It’s on GM Monti Ossenfort, who’s been in Arizona since 2023, to draft more talented players, and it’s on coach Mike LaFleur, who just got there, to develop those picks.
Perhaps adding an extra second-rounder next year from the Harrison deal will end up helping this team in the long run. Still, the Cardinals can’t be left off the hook for fumbling a player as talented as Harrison.
Manzano’s view: Fiction
It’s time the Raiders bench Kirk Cousins for Fernando Mendoza
Part of me wants to say the Raiders should bench Cousins because he’s been a roller coaster throughout his career and it appears he’s headed downward again after back-to-back losses against the Chiefs and Patriots.
But Cousins hasn’t been the problem during the Raiders’ mini slide. There’s a lot more to this two-game losing streak, and now isn’t the time for a change just because there’s a rookie No. 1 pick standing on the sidelines. It also didn’t help that coach Klint Kubiak decided to put Mendoza on the field during garbage time against the Patriots, which prompted more questions about when he’s going to make his starting debut.
However, it was a good opportunity for Mendoza to get reps amid a season he’s not supposed to be playing in. The Raiders (3–2) should stay the course, at least a little longer, because the 45–17 loss in New England was the first time this season that the Silver and Black were outclassed.
Cousins was sensational in the three-point loss to the undefeated Chiefs, attacking them relentlessly with tight ends Brock Bowers and Michael Mayer, and did it with an inconsistent running game. Ashton Jeanty hasn’t played well in his second season and it could be because he sustained an ankle injury during the summer. Las Vegas had only 38 rushing yards against New England.
Maybe Jeanty should be the one to take a seat, at least for a week or two to allow his ankle some time to recover. Maybe it’s better to get off the Cousins roller coaster sooner rather than later, but all the good from the first month of the season can’t just be forgotten with one bad game in New England.
Manzano’s view: Fiction
Titans should consider benching Cam Ward
Speaking of benching quarterbacks, it’s time the winless Titans consider that option with Ward, who’s off to a dismal start in his second season.
Ward has completed 63.3% of his passes, a slight improvement from the 59.8% as a rookie, and has thrown for 896 yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions. As for a more concerning stat, Ward has a 3–19 record as a starter.
What’s happening with Ward might reassure the Raiders that keeping Mendoza on the sideline is the right move. And yes, every situation is different, including Caleb Williams’s with the Bears. The 2024 No. 1 pick took his lumps as an every-day rookie starter and is now considered one of the league’s best young signal-callers. But good days were expected because of the hiring of Ben Johnson and the roster that GM Ryan Poles built in Chicago.
The Titans are far from a finished product and they don’t have Johnson calling plays for Ward. Perhaps the best comparison for this situation is what the Panthers did with Bryce Young, the 2023 No. 1 pick. He was benched in the middle of his second season and has slowly made progress ever since. Young is in the midst of a breakout fourth season.
Sometimes it takes top picks longer to develop, such as Young and Trevor Lawrence, the Jaguars’ top pick in 2021. But Ward continuing to misfire and the team hoping that eventually all the reps will pay off doesn’t seem to be the way to go. It’s time for drastic changes, even if it means having Ward learn from the sideline for a few games.
Manzano’s view: Fact
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