J.J. Watt has not been his usual self during the first three games of the 2016 season as he returns from offseason surgery.

Watt has had a Pro Football Focus grade of 87.7, 98.5, 98.8, 97.2 and 93.8 in his first five NFL seasons, while his number this season is just 46.9.

Watt has nine total pressures through games compared to 5.75 per game in 2015 when it was down from 7.4 the season before. 

Watt has recorded only two sacks and three defensive stops through three games this season.

Rob Gronkowski is known as one of the NFL's most physically dominant offensive weapons and for being a partier off the field but he also plays the tight end position at a high level intellectually.

“The tight end position is, probably after quarterback, the hardest position to play in our offense," said Bill Belichick. "That’s the guy who does all the formationing. The running back is usually in the backfield. The receivers are receivers. But the tight ends could be in their tight end location, they could be in the backfield, they could be flexed. They could be in the wide position. To formation the defense, those are the guys you’re going to move. It’s moving the tight ends that changes the defensive deployment.”

Belichick has long been impressed by how he understands the game.

“Rob is a versatile athlete, but he’s also a versatile guy mentally. He can handle a lot of different assignments. Some guys can’t. Either they mentally can’t do it, or it’s just too much and their game slows down. They don’t play to the same skill set you see athletically because they’re thinking too much. That’s not the case with Rob.”

“Many, many times you have to be a football mind,” said Gronkowski. “I’ve seen a lot of athletic juggernauts throughout high school, college, even the NFL who can’t play the game. When you first get [to the league], it’s learning a whole new language. You have to learn the playbook inside and out. You have to learn code words for each play. You have to learn defenses. You have to just have football knowledge. Without football knowledge, it doesn’t matter how much skill you have.”

Sean Payton is prepared to quit calling offensive plays if it helps him manage his entire team better.

Payton figures Pete Carmichael Jr. is capable of doing it well for the New Orleans Saints.

"He's been with us now, with me now, for going on 11 years," Payton said. "He has a great feel for what we're looking to do.

"If I'm managing the game, or paying attention to what just happened on a punt return, we are far enough along in this process where it is easy for us," Payton said.

Carmichael was the primary play caller in Drew Brees' ear in Sunday's season-opener against the Oakland Raiders. 

Carmichael was essentially forced into play-calling duties by a fluke injury to Sean Payton, who broke his leg when caught up in a tackle along the sideline at Tampa Bay in the sixth game of that season. Carmichael handled play calling for the final nine regular season games.

The New England Patriots didn't change their offense at all during the first NFL start of Jimmy Garoppolo.

Garoppolo completed 72.7 percent of his passes (24-of-33) for 264 yards and a score in the Week 1 win over the Arizona Cardinals.

Garoppolo showcased his quick release, pocket management and ability to run the Patriots' offense with efficiency similar to Tom Brady.

The underneath routes to Julian Edelman, the play-action, the pick routes and the combination concepts that create space for receivers to work were effective with Garoppolo.

Bruce Arians didn't get a head coaching job until he was 60 and he's since emerged as one of the NFL's best.

Arians wants the Arizona Cardinals not just to win games but teach football to his players.

“We have one of the largest staffs in the league, because I want small classrooms," said Arians. "Michael Bidwill was very gracious. Let’s say I have $450,000 to hire one coach. Could I have three for $150,000? So I have smaller classrooms, and more eyes. I had a different idea how I wanted to get rookies ready. We have two tight end coaches. We have three offensive line coaches. When we come to the spring, and we have 90 guys on our roster, we have two practices going on. I want to have enough quality people to go to that other field, and those rookies get those 48 snaps that day, and the veterans get 48 snaps, rather than the veterans getting all the snaps and the rookies get three. You’re not gonna find a diamond in the rough standing on the sideline. With the larger coaching staff, not only do we get the reps, we got ‘em coached. We’re bringing quality young coaches into the NFL. Our job is to make the game better, not just win games.”

NFL coaches and executives have become concerned by the lack of experience of the players they're putting on the field.

Due to changes at both ends of the age spectrum, players have become younger. Record numbers of less experienced rookies are entering the league which is pushing out veterans.

“Everything from defensive linemen not knowing where their eyes should be looking, not knowing where blocks are coming from,” said John Harbaugh. “Defensive backs not recognizing routes, not knowing how to burst, stop, start, and change direction so they don’t tear their ACLs. Offensive linemen not knowing where blitzers are coming from. Just not a lot of technique anywhere.”

In 2015, the league-wide average age hit its lowest mark since Football Outsiders started keeping track a decade ago. In 2006, the average age of the players on the field was 27.2; in 2015, it was 26.6. On offenses alone, the average age of players on the field dipped almost a full year, from 27.6 in 2006 to 26.8 last year.

“This is a real serious concern,” Harbaugh said. “Not just for the quality of the game, but for the well-being of these young guys coming into the NFL.”

Despite medical and nutritional advancements, NFL careers are ending earlier for anyone who isn’t a quarterback or a special teams cog.

The 2016 NFL Draft featured 107 early entrants, which was easily a record.

“Let’s be honest, the younger the league, the less experienced the league is and with that, the quality of play doesn’t start off at the same level,” said Mike McCarthy. “I think what you see, particularly in the early part of the season, is a reflection of that.”

“The way the CBA is structured now, it’s really no different from any other workforce in that you want to find the healthiest, youngest, least-expensive talent and infuse it into your corporation,” said Titans general manager Jon Robinson. “We’re the same model.”