Four September takes that went cold in October: Why we were wrong on the Chiefs, Colts, Jaguars, Bills

2 weeks ago 4
  • Bill BarnwellOct 20, 2025, 08:45 AM ET

    Close

      Bill Barnwell is simply a elder NFL writer for ESPN.com. He analyzes shot on and disconnected the field similar nary 1 other connected the planet, penning astir in-season X's and O's, offseason transactions and truthful overmuch more.

      He is the big of the Bill Barnwell Show podcast, with episodes released weekly. Barnwell joined ESPN successful 2011 arsenic a unit writer astatine Grantland.

If you're definite astir thing successful the NFL, conscionable hold a fewer weeks. Heck, if you were definite astir thing from Week 7's Giants-Broncos game, waiting a fewer minutes of existent clip seemed to enactment conscionable arsenic well. After six months of waiting for the NFL to instrumentality implicit the offseason, what we spot successful the archetypal fewer weeks of enactment feels stickier and much meaningful than thing else, and we signifier opinions quickly.

Of course, we should cognize that what happens successful September doesn't always mean precise overmuch by the clip we get to the postseason. Patrick Mahomes looking similar a superstar successful the archetypal fewer weeks of the 2018 season? Important. The Eagles hitting their bye astatine 2-2 a twelvemonth agone aft losing to the Kirk Cousins-led Falcons and getting blown out by the Bucs? Nope. Philly casually went 16-1 the remainder of the way, winning by an mean of astir 2 touchdowns per contest.

Subscribe: 'The Bill Barnwell Show'

Everyone has their opinions and feelings astir what we saw implicit the archetypal period of the 2025 season. How galore of those thoughts really ringing existent arsenic we deed the mediate of October? Some things that seemed evident oregon important person faded into the September void, portion different opinions lone consciousness similar they've hardened and calloused.

Today, let's tally done 4 of those September feelings and spot however Week 7 impacted what we knew -- oregon thought we knew -- astir immoderate of the NFL's astir absorbing teams.

Jump to a September take:
The Chiefs' discourtesy was broken
The Jaguars' defence could enactment the offense
The Colts' discourtesy would regress
The Bills would person a wide way successful the AFC

Kansas City Chiefs

What we said successful September: "This discourtesy is broken."

Well, it was. The Chiefs looked similar a messiness done their 0-2 start, and portion they came up with a triumph successful Week 3 to get their play backmost connected way successful a 22-9 triumph implicit the Giants, the discourtesy inactive felt astir wholly babelike upon Mahomes scrambles and out-of-structure magic. We knew things were going to beryllium astatine slightest a small amended erstwhile Xavier Worthy and Read Entire Article