HOLY MOLE HOLES! I’m just going to get this out of the way right now, because we had a doozy of a week. Evidently, some in the NFL heard me last week when I said there were a lot of blowouts that made last week boring. This week, we had upsets and close games, and the whole thing was amazing (we still had a few lopsided wins, but not as many as last week). Of course not everyone played. We had the Browns, Jets, Eagles, and Buccaneers on a bye this week. Let’s look at how everyone else did.
RAVENS 28 – DOLPHINS 6
This was one of the lopsided wins I mentioned. The Baltimore Ravens seem to have finally snapped out of it to win their second in a row with their victory over the Miami Dolphins. Lamar Jackson, in true Jack Skellington fashion, was his old MVP self again: torching the Dolphins with 204 passing yards and FOUR touchdowns (can I get a Chee Hoo for Jackson? Yes, a little joke for all you Moana fans out there). Jackson and the Ravens are BACK after a troubling start to the season. But, they still have quite the hole to dig themselves out of if they still want a shot at the playoffs since the teams ahead of them (especially the Chiefs) are still vulnerable. They have a showdown with the Vikings next week that’s a must win for both teams. As for the Dolphins, apparently…enough was enough. The team announced the departure of general manager Chris Grier. For now, Mike McDaniel will remain the coach, but that is not a given. The question now is what they do before the trade deadline? They are due for a possible beatdown next week against the Bills.
CHARGERS 27 – TITANS 20
This was by no means a pretty victory, but it was a victory nonetheless as the Los Angeles Chargers beat the Tennessee Titans. Justin Herbert’s only ding of the game was an interception that Titans linebacker Cody Barton returned for a touchdown. That aside, Herbert threw for 250 yards and two touchdowns, and he ran for 57 yards and a touchdown! Now, this game came with a price. Offensive tackle Joe Alt suffered a high right ankle sprain that required surgery, effectively ending his season. I’ve never been too big on Alt, but I do acknowledge that the Chargers did need him (so losing him for the year is definitely going to hurt). This offensive line is decimated, and I can’t see them going very far in this state (translation: they need trade deadline help). They have a Sunday Night Football matchup next week against the Steelers. As for the Titans, I see encouraging signs from their defense and special teams. Their offense, however, is still pretty bad. If you take away the 14 points they got from the interception and punt return, this is a much different game we’d be talking about. The Titans have a bye next week, plus they might be dealing during the deadline, but they’ll be back to face the Texans.
SAINTS 10 – RAMS 34
It was apparently a big weekend for the Los Angeles teams with victories all over (although it would have been better if the LA Kings and Angel City FC had won as well). But the day after the Dodgers won another championship, LA fans were treated to another celebration as the Los Angeles Rams put the hurt on the New Orleans Saints. Matthew Stafford, high school friend to the retiring Dodger legend Clayton Kershaw, threw for 281 yards and four touchdowns. Now, let’s be clear, the Rams need some serious changes to their special teams. Their kicker missed an extra point and a 39 yard field goal. Coach Sean McVay said that the Rams’ kicking issues “can’t continue like this.” He’s right, it’s only a matter of time before it costs them. They have a big divisional rematch next week against the 49ers. As for the Saints, the run game has been nonexistent. True, Alvin Kamara isn’t the running back he once was, but this is DEFINITELY not all his fault. The offensive line hasn’t been very good, and the uncertainty at quarterback hasn’t helped. It’s pretty clear the Saints won’t make the playoffs, but they could spoil the Panthers’ chances next week.
49ERS 34 – GIANTS 24
Well, this wasn’t a pretty victory, but the San Francisco 49ers stayed in the hunt for the division title by beating the New York Giants. The 49ers were once again without Brock Purdy, so they turned again to Mac Jones. The ex-Patriot threw for 235 yards and two touchdowns. I will say this, Christian McCaffrey has been doing an amazing job keeping this team afloat. Nevertheless, they’ll need reinforcements at the trade deadline given the amount of injuries this team has suffered through this season (including the news that DL Mykel Williams is done for the year with a torn ACL). They also need to prepare for a rematch with the Rams with the fate of the division on the line. As for the Giants, another week…another loss. Clearly their defense isn’t as good as they had hoped. I’m not sure what else to say other than the Giants’ goose seems to be cooked. They will play the Bears next week.
FALCONS 23 – PATRIOTS 24
This was definitely close, but the New England Patriots managed to hold off a late rally by the Atlanta Falcons to win the game. Drake Maye was picked off in this game, but he still threw for 259 yards and two touchdowns. I have a concern: the increasing number of hits on Maye. As someone that has seen Justin Herbert take a few hits this season, let me just say that it is a big concern, and it is something that needs to be fixed. The Patriots will look to continue their momentum next week against the Buccaneers. As for the Falcons, their success depends on them getting their star Bijan Robinson rolling. The reason I say that is because this team is literally helpless without him doing what he does best. They’ll play next week in Berlin against the Colts.
COLTS 20 – STEELERS 27
After last week’s letdown, Pittsburg Steelers fans mourned what they felt like was the death of their vaunted defense. This week, the defense stepped up BIG time as they stunned the AFC leading Indianapolis Colts. Daniel Jones had a performance that reminded us of his days with the Giants: 342 passing yards, a touchdown, and three interceptions. The Steelers got a lot of contributions from their defense, but they need to prove that their defense can keep playing like this. They’ll get the chance to prove it next week in a Sunday Night Football matchup against the Chargers. As for the Colts, look, everyone has a bad game. Their offensive line had a pretty sloppy game and it showed as Jones was constantly pressured and Jonathan Taylor couldn’t get the ground game going. They’ll have a chance to bounce back next week when they face off against the Falcons in Berlin.
VIKINGS 27 – LIONS 24
HOLY MOLE HOLES! The Minnesota Vikings recovered from their beating last week to stun the Super Bowl favorite Detroit Lions. JJ McCarthy did pretty good considering he was gone for a while. It wasn’t a pretty game, he only threw for 143 yards and an interception, but he did throw for two touchdowns. It was an up and down return for McCarthy, so he’s going to need the rest of his team to step up, not just star Justin Jefferson. The Vikings will have a tough test in a resurgent Ravens team in a must win game. As for the Lions, this is a little concerning. This is the third game this season where the offense seemed to underperform. They need more people to step up if this is how they’ll perform this year. They have a bounce back opportunity next week against the Commanders.
PANTHERS 16 – PACKERS 13
HOLY MOLE HOLES! In a complete stunner, the Green Bay Packers fell flat on their face and the Carolina Panthers and their playoff hopes live to fight another day! Panthers running back Rico Dowdle had an amazing game rushing for 130 yards and two touchdowns. It’s fair to say that the Panthers have a legitimate shot at the playoffs if they can keep up the momentum since they don’t play the Buccaneers until the stretch run. The Panthers have a very winnable matchup next week against the Saints. As for the Packers, hit the panic button. Not only did the offense look flat, but the Packers got the terrible news that tight end Tucker Kraft tore his ACL. With Kraft done for the year, the Packers need help for the offense. They have a Monday Night Football matchup next week against the defending champion Eagles.
BRONCOS 18 – TEXANS 15
It was a heavyweight struggle between two great defenses, but this close game went to the Denver Broncos over the Houston Texans. Bo Nix led his team to rally for the victory, throwing for 173 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception. Many were concerned about the Broncos’ chances when cornerback Pat Surtain II went down. Fortunately, the rest of the defense stepped up, and now the Broncos have sole control of their division. Of course, they will have to face the Chargers again, who already hold the tiebreaker over them, but one step at a time. The Broncos have a game on Thursday Night Football next week with the Raiders. As for the Texans, it’s definitely time to hit the panic button. CJ Stroud’s concussion has left the Texans’ offense without their most important piece. David Mills is not a person you want at quarterback, especially next week against a surging Jaguars team.
BEARS 47 – BENGALS 42
The NFC North is now completely up for grabs. A lot happened this weekend to throw the most competitive division in the NFL for a loop, including the Chicago Bears victory over the Cincinnati Bengals. Caleb Williams had a great game for the Bears, throwing for 280 yards and three touchdowns while completing a trick play that resulted in HIM catching a touchdown pass. Hats off to the run game of the Bears; totaling 283 yards on the ground alone. If they can keep this going, they can survive the dogfight brewing in the NFC North. They have a winnable matchup next week against the Giants. As for the Bengals, it’s definitely not Joe Flacco’s fault. The Bengals defense is abysmal, and I don’t think things would be different even if Joe Burrow was there. They have a bye week to think things over, and then they’ll be back to face the Steelers.
CHIEFS 21 – BILLS 28
It was a highly anticipated battle between two familiar foes: the Buffalo Bills and the Kansas City Chiefs. The Bills have always had the edge in the regular season, and that trend continued this time. It was Josh Allen who outdueled Patrick Mahomes in this bout. Allen threw for 273 yards and a touchdown, while rushing for 19 yards and two touchdowns. Meanwhile, Mahomes threw for 250 yards and zero touchdowns, but he did throw an interception and only managed to rush for 5 yards. The Bills seem to be trending in the right direction. They could use a little more from their wide receiver corps, but things look great as long as they can beat the Patriots later this season to reclaim the division. First things first, a showdown next week against the Dolphins. As for the Chiefs, I did warn you not to be deceived by their record of success. They still have only one win against a credible opponent, the Lions, and now the Bills have shown the cracks that the Eagles and Chargers exploited are still there. They have a bye next week to fix the real problems facing this team before they face the Broncos with the division on the line.
JAGUARS 30 – RAIDERS 29 (OT)
This was probably the best game of the weekend. A big game that needed overtime to decide ended with the Jacksonville Jaguars topping the Las Vegas Raiders. He may have lost, but let me just say this: Brock Bowers is BACK! Bowers caught 12 passes for 127 yards and three touchdowns in his return. The Jaguars may not always play like a contender, but the improvement of both Trevor Lawrence and Travis Etienne Jr. is very encouraging…they just need Brian Thomas Jr. to get the memo (they also need their receivers to get healthy, especially Travis Hunter). They have a showdown with playoff implications next week against the Texans. As for the Raiders, it’s pretty much time to call it a season even though they have a player that’s going to be the best tight end in the league. Obviously Brock Bowers and Ashton Jeanty are off limits, so it’s time to rebuild…and I would also say get rid of Geno Smith. They face the Broncos on Thursday Night Football next week (but this is probably not going to end well for the Raiders…)
SEAHAWKS 38 – COMMANDERS 14
For all the comebacks, close calls, and upsets this week…the Sunday Night Football game was no contest. The Seattle Seahawks easily routed the Washington Commanders. Sam Darnold had a near perfect game, completing 21 of 24 passes for 330 yards and four touchdowns. The Seahawks are cruising, but their success masks their one weakness. Their receiving corps is not exactly a great one. Yes, Tory Horton is having a great rookie season, but the other receivers have had less luck, including the injury prone Cooper Kupp. Their next game is against the Cardinals, but it may be a little harder than they think. As for the Commanders, it’s time to panic. Jayden Daniels went down again, this time with a dislocated elbow. Although initial reports say he avoided any fractures, we have to think of the possibility of Daniels missing a lot of time…and possibly the rest of the season. The season may end for the Commanders next week when they take on the Lions.
CARDINALS 27 – COWBOYS 17
Considering how bad both teams are, I wouldn’t call this exactly an upset, but it was still surprising to see the Arizona Cardinals knock the Dallas Cowboys on their behinds. It was a great performance from journeyman Jacoby Brissett, passing for 261 yards and two touchdowns. Brissett will probably have to fill in for a while since reports came in that Kyler Murray could be out another 4-8 weeks. With not much chance of making the playoffs, it might be best to put the season to bed and let Murray have time to properly heal. They go on the road against the Seahawks next week. As for the Cowboys, unless the defense turns things around, the season might as well be over. Still, Jerry Jones sounds confident…although he’s the only one. The Cowboys join the other losers of this week (the Bengals, Titans, and Chiefs) on a bye next week. When they return, they’ll play in the Monday Night Football game against the Raiders.
EXTRA: DEADLINE DEALS
After the week ended, the focus turned to the Trade Deadline. It was the last chance for any playoff contenders to bring in reinforcements before the stretch run. I’m not going to break down the trades, I’m just going to tell you about all the trades that happened on Tuesday before the deadline. So Stand Back and see what you think of these trades (yeah, you thought I wasn’t going to throw out a Stevie Nicks reference, didn’t you? Too bad…).
- The Cowboys acquired LB Logan Wilson from the Bengals in exchange for a 2026 seventh round draft pick.
- The Jaguars acquired WR Jakobi Meyers from the Raiders in exchange for a 2026 fourth round draft pick and 2026 sixth round draft pick.
- The Colts acquired CB Sauce Gardner from the Jets in exchange for WR Adonai Mitchell, 2026 first round draft pick, and a 2027 first round draft pick.
- The Seahawks traded for WR Rashid Shaheed from the Saints in exchange for a 2026 fourth round draft pick and a 2026 fifth round draft pick.
- The Cowboys acquired DT Quinnen Williams from the Jets for DT Mazi Smith, 2026 second round draft pick, and a 2027 first round draft pick.
- The Bears traded for Edge Joe Tryon-Shoyinka and a 2026 seventh round draft pick from the Browns in exchange for a 2026 sixth round draft pick.
- The Chargers acquired OT Trevor Penning from the Saints in exchange for a 2027 sixth round draft pick.
