Week 9 in Review

Happy Wednesday! I know I’m late, and I’m really sorry. Things have been remarkably busy as the Fall semester winds down, so please try to forgive me. We are officially more than 50% done with the 2020 regular season. Where has time gone? Now that over half the season is done, we have a pretty good idea of where many teams stand, but there is still so much left to unpack and unfold in these final 8 weeks. That’s why they play the games. That was very apparent this week, as there was a bunch of awesome and unexpected things that took place. Let’s get into it.

Packers 34-17 49ers

There really isn’t a lot to take away from this game. The Niners were reduced to playing their C team against a Packers team that matches up against them so well that it was overwhelming. It was way too easy for QB Aaron Rodgers and WR Davante Adams once again because of course it was. Most teams would have blown out San Francisco on Thursday. Still, what they did was impressive, as Rodgers totaled 305 yards and 4 touchdowns on 81% completion, and Adams caught 10 balls for a whopping 173 yards and an impressive touchdown catch. The game was honestly over before it started, but it didn’t stop the Packers from pouring it on to the tune of a 34-3 lead in the 4th quarter. Nick Mullens and his 49ers were able to score a couple of consolation touchdowns in the final 5 minutes of the game, but it meant nothing. The Niners did have a standout performer, and it was WR Richie James. James, who doesn’t play much when the team is fully healthy, caught 9 passes for 184 yards and a score. Good for him to make the most of this opportunity. As predicted, it seems like the 49ers are headed downhill very fast. The Packers picked up a much needed win, but it doesn’t really tell us anything about them. The concerns are still very much apparent with Green Bay.

Falcons 34-27 Broncos

Thank God the Falcons didn’t blow it again. Atlanta dominated for almost this entire game, but still somehow almost found themselves losing… again. They had a 21 point lead in the 4th thanks to some very good play all day long from QB Matt Ryan, who threw 3 TDs, including some nice throws to WRs Olamide Zaccheaus and Julio Jones, and a pick. The Broncos offense simply could not get anything going as QB Drew Lock and company were completely stagnant against a subpar Falcons defense. Lock’s struggles continued again as he played quite poorly all game long with the exception of the last few drives against a Falcons defense that was simply being the Falcons 4th quarter defense. The Broncos statpadded to a respectable final score and statline, but anyone who watched the game knows that it was not close. The Falcons have now picked up back to back wins and are finally looking like the team that they were supposed to be. It’s hurting their chances at a top QB in April, but still, good for them. Meanwhile, Denver is really struggling against everyone, and their season is very much over. I wouldn’t be surprised if they start looking for Lock’s replacement. As I have been saying, he is not the answer.

Bills 44-34 Seahawks

As I predicted, there were lots and lots of points on Sunday in Orchard Park. There just happened to be way more than I anticipated. That is in large part due to the Seahawks defense being so appalling that it’s almost impossible to watch, mainly because it’s not possible to watch something that doesn’t exist. The Bills passing attack chopped up the Seattle secondary all game long, and the game was clearly over from the start. QB Josh Allen was leading touchdown drive after touchdown drive to the tune of 3 first half touchdowns with just 2 incompletions. It was easy pickings for Bills WRs all game long against the worst defense in football. Seattle tried to claw back in it and even cut the lead to as little as 7, but the Bills put the game away in the fourth quite easily. Allen finished the game with an insane 415 yards on 82% completion to go along with 3 touchdowns and no picks. Star WR Stefon Diggs also had another huge game with 118 yards on 9 catches. It wasn’t necessarily a struggle for Seattle on offense, but it wasn’t enough. Almost all of their points came at times where the game was already out of hand. The Seahawks were bound to lose a game like this. QB Russell Wilson had bailed them out so many times in games that they 100% deserved to lose. I’m almost glad they lost. They needed a reality check. Their grip on the 1 seed is loosening fast, and they need to wake up on defense if they want to have a shot to reclaim it.

Titans 24-17 Bears

This one was boring. As expected. I honestly can’t recall most things that happened in this game. Once again, the Bears offense decided that they wanted to stay home in Chicago for the week. They were held scoreless until the 4th quarter thanks to a surprisingly good performance by the Titans defense, which has struggled all year long until now. The trade for CB Desmond King is appearing to pay off in a big way, as the newcomer had a 63 yard fumble return for a touchdown to put Tennessee up 17-0 in the third quarter. The Titan’s offense also did its thing just as much as it needed to. WR A.J. Brown had himself another huge day, catching 4 passes for 101 yards and a score. Tennessee only put up 228 total yards, but their defense dominated the game for long enough to help them get a comfortable lead to the point where it didn’t matter. Chicago statpadded to make this game look closer than it was, but they were never really in it. It’s the 3rd straight loss for this team that once commanded respect and is slowly slipping out of the playoff picture. Once again, their glaring issue is their offense, which is going nowhere fast. I don’t think they’ll figure it out anytime soon, and because of that, we’ll be sticking a fork in them very soon.

Ravens 24-10 Colts

What do you know, the Ravens decided to win a big game. The win definitely belongs to one unit in particular: the defense. Baltimore’s D did huge things to help their offense, returning a fumble 65 yards for a score, and getting a very, very questionable interception that led directly to 7 more points from their offense. Much like Tennessee, the Ravens offense didn’t do anything flashy or amazing on Sunday. They simply capitalized on every opportunity they were given, and it helped them win. Their defense suffocated the Colts all game long, as they were held to just 3 points in the final 50 minutes of the game, and 0 second half points. This is the Ravens’ formula for winning games, but I just don’t think it will work against teams with dangerous offenses, which the Colts do not have. It’s a good win for a team that needed it badly, but I still have my questions and doubts about this team in big spots. They’ll have plenty of chances to prove me wrong. Meanwhile, I would say that Indy needs to figure out their situation on offense, but I believe in them against other teams. Baltimore just happens to have one of the best defenses in football. They get the Titans on Thursday in a game that will really dictate the rest of their season. They better hope they don’t mess it up.

Chiefs 33-31 Panthers

This one was surprisingly very fun. This game was an offense-fest and a shootout from the jump. Carolina actually dictated the game for majority of the first half, jumping out to 7-0, 14-3, and 17-13 leads in the first 30 minutes. The return of RB Christian McCaffrey paid huge dividends, as he reached the endzone twice in the game, and clearly gave the offense an extra gear that they had been missing for the previous 6 games. The Chiefs wouldn’t be held back for long, as they slowly got back into the game, and eventually put it away in the 4th thanks to more stellar play from QB Patrick Mahomes, who is the new MVP frontrunner in my eyes. The Panthers didn’t go away quietly at all, as they cut the lead to 2 twice in the 4th, but it wasn’t enough to overcome Kansas City’s passing attack. Mahomes finished the game with 372 yards and 4 touchdowns, 2 of which went to WR Tyreek Hill in the 4th quarter. Hill also had 113 yards on 9 catches. Despite the loss and now likely being out of playoff positioning, the Panthers should be proud of the fight they put up. QB Teddy Bridgewater had 310 yards passing and 2 touchdowns, and WR Curtis Samuel had another huge game with 105 yards and a score on 9 catches. McCaffrey ended up hurting his shoulder, and will likely be out again for at least another week. It’s a shame for one of the league’s best players and a team that once had a lot of promise. Meanwhile, the Chiefs continue to win game after game in pursuit of the 1 seed in the AFC. I’m sure they can’t wait for Pittsburgh to drop a game, but they’ll have to keep on waiting.

Vikings 34-20 Lions

Dalvin. Effing. Cook. That was the story of the game once again for Minnesota. Not much else needs to be said. The Vikings controlled this game from start to finish, and it was largely thanks to the performance of their star RB. Cook finished the game with 206 yards and 2 touchdowns on 22 carries, including a 70 yard sprint to the endzone in the fourth quarter. QB Kirk Cousins also had himself a nice game with 220 yards passing and 3 touchdowns. The Lions were able to produce offensively, but for most of the game, they simply struggled to put points on the board. They only scored 10 points through 3 quarters and were down by as much as 21 in the 4th. They were simply never in it in the second half. Once again, a team and a coach that prides themselves on defense was absolutely gashed. The Lions need to take a long, hard look at themselves and make some changes. This is going nowhere in Detroit. Meanwhile, the Vikings have to feel good about themselves, but they also need to remember where they are and who they played. Anyone can move the ball on Detroit. It is a good confidence booster for a team that needed it, but it doesn’t mean anything in the big picture. The team is still firmly out of any playoff or division race.

Giants 23-20 Washington

Sigh. It never ends. I don’t know what’s cursed… the team? The stadium? The owner? All of the above? Whatever it is, I am really just sick and tired of it. Washington got off to a very slow start, falling into a 10-0 hole thanks to a ridiculous hot potato fumble and a nonexistent offense. On the first real promising drive of the day, QB Kyle Allen was sacked on a low diving tackle by Giants S Jabrill Peppers and his leg was rolled up on. Replays showed how his leg bent inwards and he dislocated his ankle. That makes 3 Washington QBs in the last 3 years and 4 in the last 8 with gruesome, career-altering leg injuries. As I said, it never ends. You can’t help but feel awful for Kyle Allen, who was trying his hardest to prove himself as a starting QB in this league. I’m hoping for the best for him. Since the once-starter Dwayne Haskins was inactive for this game, Washington had to turn to Alex Smith once again, and… it wasn’t horrible? Not yet at least. The rest of the half played out very embarrassingly as the Giants took a 20-3 lead into the break thanks to a poor interception thrown by Smith deep in Giants territory. Washington stormed out of the gates in the 2nd half and took the opening possession for a touchdown. After a couple of field goals, Washington struck again, this time on a terrific catch and run for a 68-yard touchdown by star WR Terry McLaurin, who showed out once again in his first game as a captain. McLaurin finished with 7 catches for 115 yards and that touchdown. After forcing a punt, the WFT got the ball back with 5 minutes left with a chance to tie the game or take the lead. They got the ball into Giants territory, but in typical WFT fashion, Smith threw another pick on a poor, high throw that fell right in the hands of Jabrill Peppers. Washington forced another 3 and out, and thanks to having all 3 timeouts, got the ball back with 2 minutes left. But, it happened again, because of course it did. Smith threw another very bad interception to put the game away for good. I don’t want to knock Alex, because he had a very good game in relief outside of those pretty big mistakes. He finished with 325 yards on 75% completion, which is no small feat considering the Washington offense in 2020. His performance was good enough for him to be named the starter for next week, as the coaching staff still refuses to give Haskins another shot, for whatever reason. I suppose it doesn’t matter, since this team is now 2-6 and playing for a top QB in the upcoming draft. The Giants are now 2-7 with their only wins coming against Washington. QB Daniel Jones is now 4-0 in his career against the WFT and 1-17 against the rest of the NFL. Woof.

Texans 27-25 Jaguars

If there’s anything the Texans can do right in 2020, it’s beat the Jaguars. It wasn’t easy though, and that is largely because of the very impressive performance from Jags QB Jake Luton, a rookie taken in the 6th round of the 2020 NFL Draft. He came out of the gate firing, as just his 2nd throw of the day was a deep shot to WR D.J. Chark for a 73 yard touchdown. After that, the Texans were able to dictate the game for almost the rest of the way. They responded with a long touchdown of their own from QB Deshaun Watson to WR Brandin Cooks. With a 4 point second half lead, Watson found WR Will Fuller V for another deep touchdown throw to but Houston up 27-16. The Jags couldn’t get any offense going in the second half until the end of the game, just to make things spicy. Thanks to an earlier field goal, it was just an 8 point game, and Luton had the game in his hands. With just 90 seconds to play, he had a very impressive 13 yard touchdown run in which he spun past a defender to reach the endzone. All Jacksonville needed was a 2-point conversion to force OT, but they were stopped, and the Texans held on. It was a tough loss for a Jags team that is practically begging for a win at this point. I’m sure their fans are fine with this as they’re sitting comfortably in position to draft a top QB in April. The Texans are now 2-0 against Jacksonville and 0-6 against the rest of the league in 2020, but they’ll take any wins they can. They don’t even have a first rounder, so they can use any confidence boosters and as much momentum as possible.

Raiders 31-26 Chargers

Chargers gonna.. Charger? Charge? I don’t know. All I know is that they did it again. This was an entertaining, back and forth affair from the jump, as both offenses were able to move the ball with efficiency all game long. Los Angeles was able to take a 3-point lead into the halftime break thanks to more great play from QB Justin Herbert and WR Keenan Allen and a late fumble from Vegas. The 2nd half belonged to the Raiders, as they came out of the locker room on fire, scoring 2 touchdowns on their first 2 drives to take a 28-17 lead. In the 4th, the Chargers, now down just 8, were back in the endzone, but couldn’t punch in the 2-point conversion. After a Vegas FG, LA had a chance to go win the game. Herbert, who is never afraid of the moment, led a very impressive drive down the field and put the Chargers right on the goal line with a chance to win the game with a touchdown. With 5 seconds left, Herbert lobbed a pass to WR Mike Williams on a fade route, and Williams almost made a tough grab, but it was broken up and incomplete. 1 second was left for the Chargers, and they tried to do the exact same thing. This time, the fade went to TE Donald Parham who caught it after a bobble, and it was incredibly ruled a touchdown to win the game for the Chargers. However, upon review, it was clear that the ball touched the ground and was incomplete. The referees confirmed it, and Vegas won. For the 6th time this season, the Chargers lost a game by one possession. I don’t know how it keeps happening, but it does. Herbert had another great game with 326 yards and 2 TDs, and Allen added 103 yards and a touchdown on 9 catches, but once again, it simply wasn’t enough. You can definitely make the argument that LA was the better team in this game, but it didn’t matter. Vegas is now 5-3 and poised to make a playoff run. This team looks good, but once again, their defense is giving me a lot of concerns. They need to figure that out ASAP. Other than that, this team is very talented and very well-coached. I can definitely see them playing in January.

Steelers 24-19 Cowboys

What the hell was that, Pittsburgh? How on EARTH do you struggle all game long against some dude named Garrett Gilbert? The Cowboys started the 29-year old who nobody has ever heard of, but he did what he needed to do and then some on Sunday. Dallas somehow controlled this game through 45 minutes, leading by as much as 13 points in the first half, holding the Steelers scoreless through almost 29 minutes. It wasn’t until there was 70 seconds left in the first half that the Steelers had points. Entering the 4th quarter down 19-9, they finally decided to wake up and dominate the rest of the game. The first play of the 4th was an impressive catch and run for a touchdown by WR Juju Smith-Schuster. The Steelers would get a field goal on their next possession, and upon getting the ball back again, QB Ben Roethlisberger found his TE Eric Ebron for an 8-yard score to put Pittsburgh on top for the first time all game with just over 2 minutes to play. The Steelers defense forced a turnover on downs to seemingly end the game. However, in a very weird turn of events, Pittsburgh themselves turned the ball over on downs after electing to go for a 4th and 1 rather than kicking a field goal from the Dallas 15 yard line. Dallas got the ball right back and were actually able to drive it down to the Steelers’ 23 yard line. On the last play of the game, Gilbert chucked it to the endzone, but it was broken up by S Minkah Fitzpatrick, and the Steelers escaped with a win. It should have never been that tough, and it was rather embarrassing of the Steelers to put up such a dud. They won, but it was not convincing whatsoever. They may be 8-0, but they are not the best team in the league.

Dolphins 34-31 Cardinals

As predicted, this one was a blast. It was full of offense and young talent on both sides of the ball. The Dolphins defense got off to a hot start, picking up where they left off last week, as the first score of the game was a fumble return for a touchdown following a strip sack of Cardinals QB Kyler Murray. In the 2nd quarter, down 14-7, Murray lobbed a gorgeous pass to WR Christian Kirk, who has emerged as an elite deep threat, for a 56 yard strike to tie the game. Trailing by 7 again in the 3rd quarter, the Cards scored two touchdowns to take a 31-24 lead heading into the 4th. In the final frame, Dolphins rookie QB Tua Tagovailoa showed up and showed out, making a huge statement. Tua made play after play, especially moving around in the pocket like Russell Wilson and either running for big gains or extending plays and finding his receivers. He found WR Mack Hollins on an absolutely perfect throw in the endzone for the game-tying score. On the Cardinals’ next possession, they were faced with a 4th and 1 in Dolphins territory. Rather than opting for a field goal to take the lead, Arizona went for it, and they were stuffed by the Dolphins defense. Miami took advantage and drove all the way down the field for a go-ahead field goal. Arizona got the ball back and once again drove it into Dolphins territory. Faced with another 4th and short, they opted to kick a field goal to potentially tie the game, but it came up just short, and that proved to be the knockout punch. It was a very tight game throughout, and one that could’ve gone either way. Perhaps if the Cardinals had better decision making, they could’ve left with a win. Kyler was spectacular, throwing for 283 yards and 3 touchdowns on 81% completion. He also had a career day on the ground, running for 106 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries. It wasn’t enough to overcome a Dolphins team that is playing amazing football lately. This is their 4th straight win, and they are in great position to make a playoff push. The move to start Tua is appearing to be paying off just fine. The rook had a very nice game with 248 yards and 2 touchdowns. He looks like he belongs. Good for him.

Saints 38-3 Buccaneers

Uh… wow. That was one of the most embarrassing games I have ever seen in any sport. The Bucs entered this game as decent favorites, and nobody was picking the Saints to win it. Oh, how wrong we all were. From the start, this game was not close. Tampa started the game going 3 and out, and New Orleans responded with an impressive touchdown drive. The Bucs went 3 and out again, and the Saints came 2 yards away from another touchdown, but TE Jared Cook fumbled the football on the goal line. What did the Buccaneers do with this newfound opportunity? They went 3 and out. The Saints went right back down the field and scored another touchdown. Tampa needed to get things going, so what better way to respond than by going 3 and out again? New Orleans appreciated that gift and scored, you guessed it, another touchdown. The Bucs, after four 3 and outs leading to a 21-0 deficit, decided they didn’t want to do that anymore. They decided to reinvent the game and instead took just TWO plays to get off the field as QB Tom Brady was picked off after being hit on a throw. Yada yada yada, another Saints touchdown. In the blink of an eye, New Orleans was up 28-0. Tampa was FINALLY able to move the chains after 22 minutes of doing absolutely nothing, but they ended up turning the ball over on downs later in the drive. It led to more Saints points, but it was just 3 this time. After another horrible Brady INT, it was finally halftime. It was 31-0. It was disgusting, it was ugly, and it was over. The Bucs would turn the ball over on downs once again and Brady would throw another awful pick before it was all said and done. The Saints were up as much as 38-0 before the Bucs finally got a field goal on the second to last drive of the game. Nothing else really needs to be said. The box score, the final score, everything speaks for itself. The Saints doubled the Bucs in time of possession, more than doubled them in yards, and forced 3 absolutely inexcusable interceptions from Tom Brady. Tampa made history by becoming the first team to ever rush the ball less than 6 times in a single game, only running it 4 times all game long. How on Earth does that even happen? I don’t even want to think about it. Saints QB Drew Brees had himself a beautiful game, throwing for an efficient 222 yards on 81% completion to go along with 4 touchdown tosses. The Saints are now 6-2 with 5 straight wins and have leapfrogged to not only 1st place in the NFC South, but the 1 seed in the NFC. I’m not sure how long that will hold, but it is a huge development. Meanwhile, Tampa… I don’t even want to waste my time talking about them. What a disgrace.

Patriots 30-27 Jets

Zzzzzzzz… oh yeah, this game happened. Honestly, it wasn’t bad at all. The Jets were absolutely the better team for most, if not all of the game. QB Joe Flacco got the starting nod in lieu of Sam Darnold’s nagging injuries, and played very well, for the most part. He was dotting the New England secondary to the tune of 262 yards and 3 touchdowns. After his 3rd touchdown pass, the Jets led 27-17 heading into the 4th. They were in very good position to win their first game, as even their defense was doing a good job. I will admit that it is very easy to contain the Patriots offense, but the Jets doing a good job at anything commands respect. The 4th quarter stalled for a very long time. After a field goal from the Pats, it was just a 7 point game. The Jets should have been able to chew some clock and help secure a win. Instead, Flacco launched a deep ball into double coverage on the first play of the drive, and it was picked off. The Patriots took advantage of the gift and drove down for the game-tying touchdown. Once again, presented with an opportunity to do literally anything, the Jets decided, “nah”, and went 3 and out within seconds. With the ball back in his hands, QB Cam Newton led an impressive drive to put the Pats in position to win. With just 8 seconds left, Newton found WR Jakobi Meyers, who had himself quite a night with 169 yards on 12 catches, at the Jets 33. The Pats called timeout, and thanks to a lack of a timeout call by the Jets, nailed the game-winner from 51 yards out. It almost felt like the Jets were trying to lose. I don’t blame them, and the tank is reaching honestly impressive levels, but come on. That’s just poor. The Patriots needed a win and got one, but it was very ugly and arguably undeserved. This team is still really bad and going nowhere, but hey, at least they could beat the Jets!

All stats taken from ESPN.