Well, this has been an interesting NFL season. We have had quite a few notable players go down (breaking fantasy football managers’ hearts in the process). We’ve seen some highs, some lows, and one team is making a strong case to be considered a contender for the Super Bowl. Let’s recap all the action.
DOLPHINS 21 – BILLS 31
This was definitely a lot closer than I thought it was going to be. Nevertheless, the Buffalo Bills managed to turn away a challenge from the Miami Dolphins. Reigning MVP Josh Allen completed 22 of 28 passes for 213 yards and three touchdowns. Look, the Bills aren’t perfect. Their defense is sorely lacking (I mean giving up 21 points to a team like the Dolphins is not good). Fortunately, they have a favorable matchup next week against the Saints to fine tune their flaws. As for the Dolphins, I know what people are going to say: this game showed that the Dolphins has the spark to turn things around. In the words of the retired Lee Corso: NOT SO FAST MY FRIEND! History says only one team since 2000 has made the playoffs after losing the first three games. So, yes, this was a good game, but they need A LOT to go their way from now on. That starts next week against the Jets.
RAMS 26 – EAGLES 33
Well, this didn’t go exactly like last time, but it looks like the Los Angeles Rams are still not yet ready to challenge the Philadelphia Eagles. They blew a 26-7 lead at the half and lost once again to the Eagles. Jalen Hurts threw for 226 yards and three touchdowns, but the majority of his damage came in the second half. It was a good recovery from a bad start for the Eagles, but this does not alleviate fears that the Eagles are vulnerable. Eventually, a more steady team will take advantage of their miscues, but they’ll have a chance to finally end their offensive frustrations next week on the road against the Buccaneers. As for the Rams, their uneven play is definitely not acceptable. They are not going to be in the Super Bowl conversation if they don’t play a consistent game. They will try to fix their flaws next week when they host the Colts.
BRONCOS 20 – CHARGERS 23
On the other side of LA, one team IS making a statement to be a Super Bowl contender. It’s not the Rams…it’s…the Chargers! The Los Angeles Chargers now have complete control over the AFC West after outlasting the Denver Broncos. Justin Herbert didn’t have the prettiest game throwing an interception. But Herbert did complete 28 of 47 passes for 300 yards and a touchdown to get the job done. Now, the bad news is Najee Harris is done for the year. However, the main takeaway is that the Chargers have beaten everyone in their division at least once. If they can keep this up, the AFC West is theirs for the taking. Next week they play the Giants (much to the chagrin of the rest of their division). As for the Broncos, this is a troubling trend. Back-to-back blown leads means that instead of 3-0…the Broncos are now 1-2. They have some serious work to do starting next Monday against a Bengals team that’s also searching for answers.
FALCONS 0 – PANTHERS 30
HOLY MOLE HOLES! We had a big blowout this week, and it is not where you were probably expecting. The Atlanta Falcons were steamrolled by the Carolina Panthers (no, I am not on the sauce, it really happened). I’m looking for a decent performance out of somebody in this game. Uh…Carolina CB Chau Smith-Wade intercepted a pass for a touchdown (wow, I’m really stretching for this once). Is this the turning point for the Panthers? Well, they faced a team possibly worse than they are…but it’s still a step in the right direction. The challenge now is to maintain the momentum next week on the road against the Patriots. As for the Falcons, it really doesn’t get any worse than this. The supposed high-powered offense has sputtered. Their WR coach was just fired, and it’s possible that Michael Penix Jr. may see his job taken back by Kirk Cousins. It doesn’t get better when they play the Commanders next week.
STEELERS 21 – PATRIOTS 14
I wouldn’t call it this a war of attrition (because you need an offense for that), but it was a close win for the Pittsburg Steelers over the New England Patriots. Big game for Patriots TE Hunter Henry, who hauled in both of the Patriots touchdowns to add to his 8 catches for 90 yards. Look, the Steelers offensive inconsistency is enough to drive any Steeler fan nuts. They need to find a rhythm, and they better do it quick because the Vikings are coming to town. As for the Patriots, another interception for Drake Maye, but the real trouble was running back Rhamondre Stevenson’s two fumbles. They have a matchup next week against a Panthers team that is looking to build on their momentum, so they better fix their turnover issues.
PACKERS 10 – BROWNS 13
Here we go again: HOLY MOLE HOLES! In a stunning turn of events, the seemingly high flying Green Bay Packers’ huge hopes have come to a screeching halt against…the Cleveland Browns? All I can say is that the Landslide brought them down (yes, this is my Stevie Nicks reference for this week). Also once again, I’m looking for someone who did outstanding in this game. This was a little easier, running back Quinshon Judkins rushed for 94 yards for the Browns which resulted in a touchdown. I’m not saying this is the formula to win games, but it might be the formula for the Browns to win games. Their defense really stepped up, and they’ll need to do it again next week on the road against the Lions. As for the Packers, what happened? Well, it didn’t help that they lost two offensive linemen, but this can’t happen again. Next week will be interesting: the first meeting between the Packers and Cowboys since the Micah Parsons trade.
BENGALS 10 – VIKINGS 48
This battle of the backup quarterbacks goes to the Minnesota Vikings. They triumphed over the Cincinnati Bengals in a game that was a must win for both teams. The Vikings are now led by Carson Wentz, who completed 14 of 20 passes for 173 yards and two touchdowns. Two questions for the Vikings after this game: will JJ McCarthy have a job to come back to if Carson Wentz keeps this up, and who is this Isaiah Rodgers guy? This sixth round pick from the 2020 Draft seemed to come out of nowhere for the Vikings in his first season as a starter: an interception return for a touchdown, and forcing two fumbles and return one of those for a second touchdown (that’s a good SEASON for a lot of people). We’ll see if the new look Vikings can keep it up next week against the Steelers. As for the Bengals, it wasn’t a bad game…okay, that’s a lie…it’s the worst loss in their franchise history. Honestly, this wouldn’t have been so bad if they hadn’t had so many turnovers. They better do some yoga or whatever kind of meditation helps them shake this off before they face off against the Broncos next week.
JETS 27 – BUCCANEERS 29
Well, this was too close for comfort for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but they managed to pull off the win against the New York Jets. It wasn’t a pretty game for Baker Mayfield, only passing for 233 yards and a touchdown, but who are we to argue with results? I’m not sure how much longer this Frankenstein offensive line is going to hold up, and now Mike Evans went down. Unfortunately, things don’t seem to be looking up as they have a date next week against the defending champion Eagles. As for the Jets, I don’t believe in moral victories. So, can they take anything positive out of this loss…not really. The real good news is that the schedule gets easier, starting with a juicy matchup against the Dolphins.
COLTS 41 – TITANS 20
The word you’re looking for when you’re seeing the box score of this game is “ouch.” This wasn’t close and it wasn’t pretty as the Indianapolis Colts put the hurt on the Tennessee Titans. A monster game from Jonathon Taylor, who turned 17 carries into 102 rushing yards and three touchdowns. So, how have the Colts been so dominant lately? Well, creating turnovers helps a lot (or maybe Daniel Jones just needed to get out of New York…worked for Saquon Barkley). Well, their first real test to see if they’re real comes next week: a date with a Rams team looking to rebound from this week’s disappointing loss. As for the Titans, this disastrous start at 0-3 has put coach Brian Callahan in the hot seat. These turnovers are absolutely destroying the Titans, and they better figure out something before they go on the road to meet the Texans.
TEXANS 10 – JAGUARS 17
This was a close game to watch, and both teams needed a win. In the end, it was the Jacksonville Jaguars that came out on top over the Houston Texans. It wasn’t one to write home about for Travis Etienne Jr., but his 56 rushing yards and touchdown was the difference between victory and defeat. I expect the Jaguars’ offense to play better and more efficiently, but also to get Etienne and Brian Thomas Jr. more involved. They have a winnable matchup next week against the 49ers, but only if they can stay disciplined. As for the Texans, this madness must stop. I cannot stand seeing a good quarterback like CJ Stroud being wasted like this. It’s do or die next week against the Titans; a matchup that features two teams that cannot afford to lose another game…or risk the dreaded 0-4 hole.
RAIDERS 24 – COMMANDERS 41
Despite all the injuries the Washington Commanders suffered, they still managed to bury the Las Vegas Raiders. It’s unfortunate for the Raiders since Geno Smith had a decent game, completing 19 of 29 passes for 289 yards and three touchdowns. Marcus Mariota was efficient both running and passing the ball for the absence of Jayden Daniels. So, can they keep it up? We’ll see next week in a juicy matchup against the Falcons. As for the Raiders, their offensive line has become a red flag. What was the point of getting a great running back like Ashton Jeanty if you can’t create any opportunities for him? It is true I’m not high on Geno Smith, but even if he was good…he won’t do anything with a miserable offensive line. Their next game against the Bears is a must win.
SAINTS 13 – SEAHAWKS 44
Boy, we had a lot of teams beating up other teams this week. The New Orleans Saints don’t appear to be going anywhere as the Seattle Seahawks dismantled them with ease. It was a respectable outing for Sam Darnold, throwing for 218 yards and two touchdowns. Are the Seahawks legit contenders? Well, hold the phone…because the Saints aren’t very good. They need a real test…and it’ll come on Thursday Night Football against their division rival, the Cardinals. As for the Saints, I’m not sure how much more they can fall before they hit rock bottom. They are not getting any better, the schedule is not getting any easier, and next week they must play the Bills. I’m not sure they made the right decision passing on a quarterback in the last draft.
COWBOYS 14 – BEARS 31
Now this is the Chicago Bears that we expected from the start of the season. They found the winning formula and handed the Dallas Cowboys a punishing loss. Caleb Williams was on fire and showing the stuff he had in college, completing 19 of 28 passes for 298 yards and four touchdowns. Everyone got involved for the Bears as Williams spread the ball around. We’ll have to see if they can keep up the momentum next week against the Raiders. As for the Cowboys, this defense is nothing without Micah Parsons because their pass defense is a joke. Things only get worse as Parsons returns to Dallas…this time as a Packer. If the Cowboys lose to the Packers next week…they’re in a 1-3 hole.
CARDINALS 15 – 49ERS 16
This wasn’t a pretty game for either team, and honestly…the Arizona Cardinals should have won against a San Francisco 49ers team that was banged up and bruised. But nope, the 49ers won, and the Cardinals have no one but themselves to blame. It’s not that it wasn’t a good, 355 to 260 total yards of offense is nothing to sneeze at. But the lack of actual points made this sort of disappointing. It’s a good thing the 49ers have an easy schedule, because I can’t see how this banged up team can keep winning. They do have a hard time up ahead as they host a surging Jaguars team next week. As for the Cardinals, now they’ve been bitten by the injury bug. James Conner is done for the year and now Trey Benson takes over. Benson is a capable backup, and he’ll have a chance to prove it as the Cardinals face the Seahawks in another tough divisional matchup.
CHIEFS 22 – GIANTS 9
I honestly thought if the Kansas City Chiefs lost this game, the “experts” and the sports world would have lost their minds (kind of what the Joker was going for in the movie The Dark Knight). Fortunately, they won against a hapless New York Giants team. It was Tyquan Thornton that stepped up for the Chiefs, hauling in 5 catches for 71 yards and a touchdown. Does this mean that the Chiefs’ problems are over? Hold up there; this was the New York Giants…this was a good rebound team to win against, but it doesn’t solve their problems. They’re in a three way tie for last place, and the Chargers have a stranglehold on the division. The Chiefs have some serious catching up to do, but this won’t be easy. The Chiefs’ next game is against a rival that is looking forward to exploiting the Eagles’ gameplan to beat them: a seriously ticked off Ravens team. As for the Giants, we knew this was a bad team, but good grief. This was literally their best chance at winning besides last week. And it doesn’t get better next week. Remember the Chiefs need the Chargers to start losing? Well…next week, the Chargers face the Giants. A change of quarterback is coming…but do the Giants want to throw a rookie quarterback at one of the best-looking defenses in the league?
LIONS 38 – RAVENS 30
The main event of the week was a battle between two heavy Super Bowl favorites: the Detroit Lions and the Baltimore Ravens. It did not disappoint as both teams traded blow for blow. Lamar Jackson outdueled Jared Goff; putting up 288 yards and three touchdowns against Goff’s 202 yards and one touchdown. In the end though, mistakes doomed the Ravens and the Lions lived to fight another day. The Lions seem to be finding their groove after their disastrous start to the season. They have a favorable matchup next week against the Browns to prove that they’ve gotten over their early miscues. Now are the Ravens in a hole? Yes…but are they out? Not by a long shot. You forget that they’re in one of the weaker divisions in the league. It’s no secret that the Ravens are hungrier than ever, and they want to prove that they can lay claim to the AFC’s top spot. And they have the perfect test next week to prove it: a revenge match against the Chiefs.
