Mike Freeman's 10-Point Stance: Beckham, Watt, Luck Victims of Unfair Backlash

1. The backlash begins

The predictable backlash has begun with three of the brightest stars in football.

In New York, Odell Beckham Jr. just last year was celebrated. The one-handed grab. The comparisons to receiving legends. This year? Bills players recently called him a prima donna, as Tyler Dunne of the Buffalo News reported.

Cornerback Stephon Gilmore was particularly acerbic in his description of Beckham.

"I don't know what's up with him," said Gilmore, who covered Beckham most of the Bills' game against the Giants. "He acts like nobody's supposed to hit him and you're supposed to let him catch the ball. He's weird. He gets mad when you play physical with him. He's weird."

He's weird.

Jets corner Antonio Cromartie, on ESPN's SportsNation, called him a "one-year wonder" late last week. On Monday, a basketball writer for the New York Daily News sounded off on Twitter:

A sports writer for the Buffalo News wrote this after the Giants' win over San Francisco on Sunday night:

In Houston, J.J. Watt last season was trumpeted—rightfully so—as already one of the greatest defensive players of all time.

This season? He's faced more social-media slander than at any time in his young career. It's hard to measure, but it's there: a growing, and unfounded, sense of cynicism that he's almost too good to be true.

Watt is the real deal, but in the Backlash Era, the truth doesn't seem to matter.

Some of this backlash was recently in full effect. On the NFL Network pregame show Thursday, Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk went on sort of a cynical mini-rant about Watt's perceived greatness. Maybe mini-rant isn't the right phrase. It was Faulk being highly cynical about just how good Watt really is.

David Goldman/Associated Press

Then, after the Texans' game against Indianapolis, in which Watt was held to zero solo tackles and zero sacks, Indianapolis tight end Dwayne Allen was quoted in the Colts' media notes calling Watt "Justin James."

"Justin James is arguably the greatest defensive player in this league and for him to have a quiet night, attributed [sic] to a short week and great coaching," Allen said. "He's definitely a guy we have to game-plan for as a game-wrecker. We tried our best to keep him from affecting plays."

Justin James.

Is calling Watt "Justin James"—what J.J. stands for—a big deal? No, not a big deal. Would it have happened last year? Probably not.

And, in Indianapolis, a struggling Andrew Luck has taken a social-media drubbing himself.

Three great players who are, by the way, still great. This year, however, they are targets, both on the field and in the nebulous worlds of online commentary and locker room talk.

Patric Schneider/Associated Press

What's happened?

Part of it is simple. The production of Beckham, Watt and Luck isn't what it was last year. It's still incredible at times. Highly remarkable. (Beckham destroyed the 49ers on Sunday night.) The production just hasn't reached the levels it did last season.

Also, with Beckham, as teams have focused on him, punishing him physically, he hasn't responded well. The cheap-shot punch he threw during the Bills game is the kind of thing that will engender backlash.

Also, again especially in the case of Beckham, he was so spectacular, there was bound to be backlash on the field. Teams weren't going to allow Beckham to keep embarrassing them.

But there is a larger reason for the pushback against the three players, and this comes into particular play with Watt: It's jealousy.

I've heard rumblings for the past few years from players around the league who say that Watt is great but not as good as the media says. I'm definitely guilty of praising Watt and believe he has earned his status as potentially an all-time great. But there has definitely been an undercurrent among more than a few players that Watt has received far too special treatment from the press and advertisers.

Watt was one of the few non-quarterbacks featured in a recent Forbes story about athletes' off-field earnings. It estimated that Watt earns $7 million a year. Don't think that isn't part of the backlash.

Some of what's happened to these three is also part of human nature. We do love to build up heroes and then, in some cases, when they show just the faintest trace of humanity, we turn on them.

It's all a highly complicated mix, and to some degree, expected. Especially with Beckham and Watt. There's something else that should be expected, with all three of them...

They will dominate for years to come. No matter how strong the backlash is now.

2. What would it take to get Sean Payton?

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ESPN's Adam Schefter reported several teams will inquire about Saints head coach Sean Payton. It was a solid, accurate report. And it will certainly happen. They will inquire.

The issue isn't that. The issue is: What would it take to wrest Payton away from the Saints? The answer is: a helluva lot.

Several sources said Payton has two years left on his contract with the Saints. Three general managers said they believe it would take, at a minimum, first- and third-round picks to get Payton. One of those general managers said it would take two first-round picks.

The reason? "Super Bowl-winning coaches don't grow on trees," the general manager said.

The GM also said the fact Payton is such a talented offensive coach, and teams like the Colts and Dolphins would be the ones that would take a look at him, would make Payton that much more desirable.

There is precedent for a coach trade. The Jets gave up four draft picks—including a first-rounder—to get Bill Parcells from the Patriots. Getting Payton would require that kind of haul.

3. Harbaugh decision proving cataclysmic for 49ers

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I remember tweeting after Jim Harbaugh took the Michigan job that he would have the Wolverines in the national title hunt in one to two years. Ohio State fans flamed me for days, saying I was insane (among other interesting language).

I was wrong in thinking Harbaugh wouldn't leave the 49ers for college. I didn't know, until recently, just how toxic things had become between Harbaugh and ownership. I knew it was bad, but I'm hearing stories that show it was far worse than anyone knew. More on that in the coming months.

But the easiest thing to predict post-Harbaugh going to Michigan was Harbaugh doing extremely well. He's possibly the second- or third-best NFL coach of his generation.

The current juxtaposition—Harbaugh kicking ass at Michigan and the 49ers falling apart after he left—shows just how good he was.

These types of moments, when you see just how great an effect coaching can have, are rare.

4. Close games buoying NFL

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If it seems like there are so many close games this season in the NFL, it's because there are.

Week 5 had 10 games that were decided by seven or fewer points. The NFL said the total number of such games through five weeks is 40. That's the second-most through fives weeks in NFL history. There were 41 in all of 1999.

What does this mean?

I think part of it is the poor offensive line play, which allows defenses to make more plays.

Hall of Famer Bill Polian said on ESPN he queried a dozen offensive line coaches/experts who said the linemen coming into football are the least technically adept they've ever seen.

Translation: Linemen coming into football suck. This has led to crappy offensive line play and, I believe, acted as a beachhead for defenses to close the gap on offenses.

5. Broncos kicking game, defense saving season

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This note from NFL guru Gil Brandt says a great deal about why the Broncos are winning:

"Broncos defense and kicker have accounted for 65 of team's 113 points this season." That's 57.5 percent. Brandt said that's the highest percentage of any team in the NFL.

What's interesting is the next three teams—Seattle (49.5 percent), Kansas City (47) and Baltimore (46.3)—have four wins combined. The Broncos are undefeated, with five wins.

6. Undefeated-teams power rankings

Bill Wippert/Associated Press

(I reserve the right to change my mind by the hour.)

1. Patriots (4-0)

2. Packers (5-0)

3. Bengals (5-0)

4. Panthers (4-0)

5. Broncos (5-0)

6. Falcons (5-0)

7. Carroll baffled

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After Pete Carroll's Seahawks lost to the Bengals by doing something they rarely did last year—fail to finish off a team—Carroll was stumped.

When asked why a veteran team is failing to finish, Carroll said, "That's why I'm baffled a little bit. We're very clear about what we want to do and how to get it done. What's startling is that it's not happening.

"We've had to be terrific in this mode for years to be able to do what we've done. The last three games have been the same storyline at the end. If we can fix that, we can change the season, and that's what we plan to do."

This question is the one Carroll has to answer, or the season will be lost:

Why aren't the Seahawks finishing?

My own opinion? It's not having Marshawn Lynch. Lynch is the Seahawks' great finisher, a player who wears down defenses and the clock. Lynch's backup is good. Really good. But the Seahawks, to me, aren't built around offensive explosion. They are built around violence and collisions, and without Lynch they lose an element of that.

8. Remarkable Rodgers

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Even when Aaron Rodgers has just an OK game, he still does pretty incredible things. One of Rodgers' two touchdown passes against the Rams was a 65-yarder to James Jones. The NFL says that since Rodgers became a starting quarterback in 2008, he has thrown 31 touchdown passes of at least 50 yards, the most in football over that period.

9. Charles Woodson in GOAT talk?

Charles Rex Arbogast/Associated Press

I've been making the argument recently that maybe Raiders defensive back Charles Woodson isn't just one of the best defensive backs of all time. Maybe Woodson is one of the top three to five players of all time.

I'm beginning to think we should put Woodson in the same sentence as players like Lawrence Taylor and Reggie White and Deion Sanders.

Woodson turned 39 last week. Against Denver on Sunday, he had two interceptions. The NFL says he is the first player in league history to get two picks in a game at 39 or older. And he is the second defensive back in NFL history to get an interception at 39 or older. The other is Darrell Green.

10. History

Gary Wiepert/Associated Press

This is the first step toward ending the use of what is a despicable nickname. According to a press release, The California Racial Mascots Act "will remove all R-word mascots from public schools statewide." Huge deal. Big news. Hopefully other states will follow.

Mike Freeman covers the NFL for Bleacher Report.