Well folks, we’re now more than halfway through the season. Even though no one has been mathematically eliminated from playoff contention (how, I don’t know), we are getting a clearer picture of the postseason picture. I’m going to say it right now: it’s not what I expected at all. We also had more injuries this week (making this season of the NFL feel more like Game of Thrones). Of all the madness that happened this week, only two teams were spared from it due to having a bye: the Colts and the Saints. Let’s look at what everyone else did this week.
JETS 14 – PATRIOTS 27
See, this is what I meant at the start when I said the playoff picture was NOT at all what I expected. The New England Patriots defeated the New York Jets and put them in the No. 2 seed in the AFC playoff picture. Drake Maye continues his remarkable season by completing 25 of 34 passes for 281 yards and a touchdown. I like how much of an improvement I’m seeing from Maye this season. He has just half as many interceptions as he did last season for a much better improvement. The question is what TreVeyon Henderson’s role will look like when Rhamondre Stevenson eventually returns. The Patriots are going on the road next week against the Bengals. As for the Jets, look…I get a lot of people want to put Justin Fields on the bench. I’m not saying not to; Tyrod Taylor is very capable of taking over. But putting Fields on the bench is not the solution to the Jets’ problem…not when the problem is practically the whole team! The Jets will be on the road against, unfortunately, a resurgent Ravens team.
COMMANDERS 13 – DOLPHINS 16 (OT)
For the first time, the NFL set foot upon the home country of some of my family’s ancestors: Spain. Madrid hosted what turned out to be an exciting game between the Miami Dolphins and the Washington Commanders. We needed overtime (and an interception) to determine the winner, and it was the Dolphins. Marcus Mariota did his best to fill in for the injured Jayden Daniels, completing 20 of 30 passes for a touchdown, but his interception in overtime doomed the Commanders’ chances. So, how about those Dolphins? Are they back in the playoff race? I heard some of the “experts” try to defend that possibility. I’ll admit they made a fair point: their next two games are very winnable. However, let’s look at something else: they’ll have to face the Steelers, Buccaneers, and AFC leading Patriots as well…not to mention they’ll have to pass up the Chiefs (even I don’t see that happening). The Dolphins have a bye next week, but they’ll be back after Thanksgiving to play the Saints. As for the Commanders, I can’t imagine the team falling any further down the abyss unless they ACTUALLY name their new stadium after a certain someone (but if they take Saturday Night Live’s suggestion for the name, I won’t complain or argue against it). The Commanders just can’t stop finding ways to lose, and no one seems to be in any kind of sync whatsoever. Considering how many players are injured and their remaining schedule, an end to this fall seems nowhere in sight. The Commanders also have a bye next week, and things don’t get better as they have a Sunday Night Football showdown after Thanksgiving with the Broncos.
CHARGERS 6 – JAGUARS 35
I would like to ask our hometown LA sports fans to turn away from this next part. Yeah, this wasn’t pretty as the Los Angeles Chargers were mauled by the Jacksonville Jaguars. Credit to Travis Etienne Jr. in this matchup, he may have only rushed for 73 yards, but he had two touchdowns. I am beyond impressed that the Jaguars pulled this off win with so many people injured. They should get all of those people back before they are really put to the test against the Colts (well, all except Travis Hunter, who has already been ruled out for the year). Now if they can just hold a lead like they did against the Chargers and not blow it like they did against the Texans the week before, then they have a chance to shake things up in the postseason. They have a very winnable game on the road next week against the Cardinals. As for the Chargers, it’s time for some tough love. Justin Herbert is a great quarterback, but he CAN NOT keep taking hits like this! The inconsistency of the lines on both sides of the ball is beyond frustration for coach Harbaugh and the rest of the Chargers’ leadership. They need solutions, because, while I believe they will make the playoffs, they will not get very much farther than that. They have a bye next week to rest, think, get healthy, and figure things out before returning after Thanksgiving for a rematch with the Raiders.
SEAHAWKS 19 – RAMS 21
Okay LA sports fans, you can peak from behind your 2025 Dodgers World Series Champions gear now. That’s because the Los Angeles Rams scored a major victory over the Seattle Seahawks to put themselves in the driver’s seat in the NFC West. If you look at Matthew Stafford’s stats, you may ask how on earth the Rams actually won this game. Stafford only threw for 130 yards and two touchdowns, but the defense is what really won the game for the Rams. Davante Adams only had one catch for one yard, but it was for a touchdown, and it was enough for his 1000th career reception. As I said before, this victory puts the Rams in the driver’s seat for the NFC West, not to mention the No. 2 seed in the NFC playoff picture. However, they’ll need to maintain their drive for the stretch run of the season. The Rams will be playing on Sunday Night Football next week against the Buccaneers. As for the Seahawks, they’re down but not out. However, the number of turnovers committed was alarming for the Seahawks. Sam Darnold threw four interceptions in this game, and they can’t allow this to happen again. This loss shows that the Seahawks can get away with it against lesser teams, but not against contenders like the Rams. They have a bounce back game next week against the Titans.
PACKERS 27 – GIANTS 20
Well, this was a lot closer than any of us thought it would be, but the Green Bay Packers walked away with a much-needed win against the New York Giants to keep them in the playoff picture. It wasn’t a pretty game for Jordan Love, who completed 13 of 24 passes for 174 yards and two touchdowns, but it still was enough to win. Does this eliminate the doubts about the Packers? Uh, not so fast. The Packers struggled for most of the game against a team that only had two wins going into this showdown. They need to do more convincing if they want to reclaim the spotlight. They’ll play the Vikings next. As for the Giants, clearly firing their head coach was not the answer to their problems (big shocker there…). But at least he’s aggressive, I’ll give him that. They have a tough opponent next week in the Lions.
BEARS 19 – VIKINGS 17
HOLY MOLE HOLES! What an amazing game this was! Thanks to a stunning walk-off field goal, the Chicago Bears beat one of their hated division rivals, the Minnesota Vikings, to seize control of the division. Let me tell you this, it may have been a good game, but offensively…it wasn’t that great. I am going to highlight D’Andre Swift of the Bears, rushing for 90 yards and no touchdowns, but only because I wasn’t blown away by the quarterbacks or anyone else for that matter. Now, look, I know people aren’t giving the Bears much of a realistic chance to win the NFC North, but given the inconsistency of the Lions and Packers…it’s not as much out of the realm of possibility than people think. They can prove that they belong with a statement win next week against the Steelers. As for the Vikings, I’m not so sure that JJ McCarthy is developing as the Vikings wanted. I will also say that this is definitely the way to squander Justin Jefferson’s prime. They get their other bitter division rival, the Packers, next week.
BUCCANEERS 32 – BILLS 44
We figured that the Buffalo Bills would want a big game after last week’s debacle. Well, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers put up a fight, but the Bills got the bounce back win they were looking for. Josh Allen threw two interceptions in this game, but he also threw for 317 yards and three touchdowns while also rushing for 40 yards and three touchdowns on the ground. Don’t get me wrong, this does not alleviate the fears about the Bills defense at all. They have a short week this week as they’ll play the Texans next in the Thursday Night Football game. As for the Buccaneers, this is concerning. Their grip on the NFC South is getting weaker with each loss like this one. Right now, they’re only a half game up on the Panthers with no room for error. Unfortunately, it isn’t getting easier as they’ll play the red-hot Rams next week during Sunday Night Football.
TEXANS 16 – TITANS 13
HOLY MOLE HOLES! This was a pretty close game, but the Tennessee Titans fell once again, and the Houston Texans live to fight another day for a playoff spot. I wasn’t blown away by the quarterbacks on either team, but I’ll give the highlight to Cam Ward this time. Ward threw for an underwhelming 194 yards and a touchdown, but he did rush for 33 yards as well. It’s a good thing the Texans have an amazing defense, because their offense is absolutely abysmal. Unfortunately, they have a short week, and CJ Stroud did not clear concussion protocol for Thursday Night Football against the Bills (which means Davis Mills will get the start once again). As for the Titans, I’m surprised they still haven’t been mathematically eliminated from playoff contention. Still, there’s no way they’re getting in, so it’s time to evaluate their roster down the stretch. Back to the drawing board this offseason. They play the Seahawks next.
BENGALS 12 – STEELERS 34
Considering their performance as of late, the Pittsburg Steelers needed this win badly against the Cincinnati Bengals. However, with what we all want most…there is a price that has to be paid. Aaron Rodgers had to leave this game, and the initial concern is that he has a “slight break” in his left wrist. This honestly couldn’t have come at a worse time for the Steelers as we head into the stretch run for the playoffs with a resurgent Ravens right behind them. They’ll play a stingy Bears team next week. As for the Bengals, I honestly don’t blame Joe Flacco at all. Yes, throwing for only 199 yards, a touchdown, and an interception isn’t great, but look what Flacco has to work with. The Bengals were a mess even before Joe Burrow went down. Now it looks like their hopes may be beyond repair. Add to the fact that we had that scuffle between Steelers DB Jalen Ramsey and Bengals WR Ja’Marr Chase. Ramsey was ejected for punching Chase, but video evidence shows Chase was the instigator for spitting at Ramsey. Chase has been suspended and it’s unknown if Ramsey would face any additional punishment. The Bengals play the Patriots next (most likely without Chase).
PANTHERS 30 – FALCONS 27 (OT)
HOLY MOLE HOLES AGAIN! This ended up being a pretty good game as the Carolina Panthers hung on to defeat the Atlanta Falcons in overtime. Bryce Young had an impressive game, completing 31 of 45 passes for 448 yards and three touchdowns. Now, this is a good sign for Young and the Panthers, but I have some concerns. They’ll need a LOT more from their run game than just a couple dozen yards or so. They play the 49ers next week on Monday Night Football. As for the Falcons, it might be time to call it a season. They’ve suffered a five game losing streak and now Michael Penix Jr. is heading for the IR. They will have to make due with veteran Kirk Cousins next week against the Saints.
49ERS 41 – CARDINALS 22
The 49ers won a must-win game in dominating fashion, beating the daylights out of the Arizona Cardinals in the process. It’s a shame that the Cardinals lost because quarterback Jacoby Brissett set a new NFL record for completions. Brissett completed a whopping 47 of his 57 passes for 452 yards, two touchdowns, but he also threw two interceptions. So what do I think of the 49ers’ chances? Well, they have a manageable schedule coming up. Only the Panthers and Colts should give them any real problems. Of course, they will have to play the Seahawks one more time in the final week of the season. That game will be the decider in whether they play in the playoffs or not. That game against the Panthers is next week on Monday Night Football. As for the Cardinals, I don’t blame Brissett saying that he would have rather had the win than the record. It seems like the Cardinals’ season is pretty much over, and their defense seems to be what needs to be addressed this offseason (as well as getting some of their key players healthy again). They play the Jaguars next week.
RAVENS 23 – BROWNS 16
Well, this definitely could have been messy for the Baltimore Ravens, but they still got a much needed win over the Cleveland Browns to get back to .500 for the season. Derrick Henry carried most of the offense for the Ravens, rushing for 103 yards and a touchdown. Everyone is throwing up red flags concerning the Ravens offense, and I’m not saying that they’re wrong. However, the Ravens are still getting wins, and at this point…beggars cannot be choosers (especially since their chances at the playoffs are still pretty low). The Ravens have a winnable matchup against the Jets next week. As for the Browns, look…no one expected Shedeur Sanders to bust out of the gate once he got his chance to play. If he looked like a rookie that hadn’t taken many snaps with the starting unit…that’s because he HAS NOT. If Dillon Gabriel doesn’t clear concussion protocol in time for next week, we’ll get a better picture of what Sanders is capable of. The Browns play the Raiders next week (I’m actually excited for this game, and I’ll explain why next week).
CHIEFS 19 – BRONCOS 22
The “experts” have been desperate to try and convince us that the Kansas City Chiefs’ season is not over yet. However, if they keep playing and losing one score games like they did against the Denver Broncos…this season might be over for the Chiefs. Truth be told, the Chiefs could have won because Bo Nix didn’t exactly set the world on fire for the Broncos. Yes, he threw for 295 yards and no interceptions, but he didn’t throw a touchdown either. The Broncos have full control of the AFC West so long as the Chargers’ struggles continue. Because, if you recall, the Chargers already beat the Broncos this year and has a better division record than them. The Broncos have a bye next week, but they’ll be back after Thanksgiving to play the Commanders on Sunday Night Football. As for the Chiefs, okay, let’s get this out of the way. I have heard plenty of “experts” say the Chiefs are not done this season and that they can make the playoffs and possibly win the Super Bowl. Take that with a grain of salt. These same “experts” wrote off the Dodgers from winning the World Series. Let’s get real here: the Chiefs are currently in ninth right now. They have to overcome the Texans (who they’ll play later) and the Jaguars (who they’ve already lost to) in order to sneak into the last playoff spot. Not to mention, they play a rested Colts team that has exceeded all expectations next week. If they lose to the Colts next week, and the Ravens win…the Chiefs are in major trouble.
LIONS 9 – EAGLES 16
This was a close game…and also a little boring if I’m being honest. But, the defending champion Philadelphia Eagles fought off a challenge from the Detroit Lions in a defensive slugfest. The problem with a defensive slugfest is finding someone who actually performed great on offense. But here I go: Jahmyr Gibbs caught five passes for the Lions for 107 yards and no touchdowns. Now, there was a price for the Eagles, they lost Lane Johnson to a foot injury that could land him on the IR. It hasn’t been smooth sailing for the defending champs, but they are getting wins and that’s what matters at the end of the day. They have a matchup with one of their more hated rivals next week, the Cowboys. As for the Lions, I’m not saying to panic, but I have some concerns. The good news is, the Lions typically win after a loss. The bad news is that this way of playing is NOT going to work if they make it to the Playoffs. Right now, they’re on the outside looking in, sitting behind the 49ers for the last playoff spot in the NFC, but there is time. Their next game against the Giants is a must win to keep their playoff hopes alive.
COWBOYS 33 – RAIDERS 16
After a week full of exciting games, we end this week…with a blowout. The Dallas Cowboys easily defeated the slumping Las Vegas Raiders, a week after a tragedy saw one of the Cowboys’ young players die so tragically. Dak Prescott completed 25 of 33 passes for 268 yards and four touchdowns. So is this the spark that finally propels the Cowboys back into the spotlight?! It’s rare that I agree with a certain “expert” at ESPN (who has a pretty big head), but I’m going to say it: hold up there. The Cowboys have a LONG way to go before we can make that statement. After all, this was a win against a pretty hapless team, not a contender like the Colts or Broncos. If the Cowboys want to prove they are back for real, they need to win next week against their hated rivals: the defending champion Eagles. As for the Raiders, enough is enough. This team has more problems than I can list. Why did they abandon the run game and leave prized rookie Ashton Jeanty out to dry? Well, their offensive line stinks worse than a piece of dog poop in the summer sun. When this offseason rolls around, first thing to do is get rid of Geno Smith. This experiment needs to stop. Their next game is against the Browns.
I will say it was touching to see the tributes that have come in for Mashawn Kneeland since his death. If you or someone you know is struggling and needs emotional support, please call or text 988. The suicide and crisis lifeline is available 24/7 to help.
