By Lucas Camacho
Welcome to another week of the NFL season. For those of you who are into fantasy football, this is the part of the year you dread, because it’s BYE-MAGEDDON. It’s that time of the year when numerous teams go on bye. This week it’s the Falcons, Bills, Bengals, Saints, Jets, and Jaguars. That means a lot of good players not seeing any action this week (although the teams they belong to in reality aren’t that great with the exception of the Bills and Bengals). Let’s take a look at how the other games unfolded (my apologies in advance to fans of the Carolina Panthers).
EAGLES 37 – RAMS 20
Well this game couldn’t have gone worse for the Rams. They were shredded nearly single handedly by Saquon Barkley as the Eagles cruised to a win in the Sunday night prime time matchup. Barkley rushed for over 255 yards for 2 touchdowns for a personal and Eagles best. Right now the offense is firing on all cylinders for the Eagles, their defense looks great, but I’m sure their kicker hasn’t quite made them feel comfortable about their special teams. As for the Rams, time is running out for them to find some consistency on offense. You can’t score 28 points against the Patriots one week and then get shut down for a full half the next. Fortunately, they’re in a weak division, so there is still time.
RAVENS 30 – CHARGERS 23
This was NOT a good weekend for LA football teams. The next day after the Rams fell, the Chargers also underperformed against the Ravens (who in some ways needed this win more than the Chargers). It didn’t help that Justin Herbert only completed 21 of his 36 pass attempts for only 218 yards and no touchdowns. The Ravens certainly have confidence in their offense for coming back from an early deficit. However, I’m sure they would want their offense to not get off to these slow starts very often. As for the Chargers, I think this proved my point about how the front office did not construct a very good offense around Justin Herbert. Sure, Ladd McConkey has done surprisingly well as of late, but all the other receivers just looked flat and could not catch a ball no matter what Herbert did. This unfortunately goes to show that the Chargers’ offense is not ready to compete against the best teams in the league.
STEELERS 19 – BROWNS 24
This game was pumped and ready to get heated between division rivals, the Steelers and the Browns. As the game got started, I noticed something and asked my dad if that looked like snow starting to fall. He said that it might be a little bit. But…that little bit turned into a flurry in a hurry. In this “frozen tundra” (if I may respectfully borrow that phrase), the Browns scored a huge upset victory over the Steelers (prompting a well-deserved snowball fight). Quarterbacks Jameis Winston and Russell Wilson battled it out in a frozen duel. Jameis Winson completed 18 or 27 passes for 219 yards, an interception, and a quarterback rating (QBR for short) of 80.1. Meanwhile, Russell Wilson completed 21 of 28 passes for 270 yards, a touchdown, and a QBR of 76.4. This will hopefully be a wakeup call for the Steelers, as their offense sputtered in the snow against a team they should have beaten easily. As for the Browns, this was a pleasant surprise. Just remember, they’re only a few weeks removed from a huge upset win over the Ravens. Maybe their season is over, but that doesn’t mean they can’t play spoilers.
VIKINGS 30 – BEARS 27
Before I get too much into the recap for this game, allow me to say this: HOLY SMOKES, IS THAT SIMONE BILES IN THE STANDS?! Okay, I got it out, on with the recap where the Vikings beat the Bears. Caleb Williams and Sam Darnold dueled to a near draw. Williams completed 32 of 47 passes for 340 yards and 2 touchdowns, while Darnold completed 22 of 34 passes for 330 yards and 2 touchdowns. So how did the Vikings let this go to overtime? For one thing, Simone Biles’ husband, Jonathan Owens, came up with a big fumble recovery in the red zone. Also, that freak on-side kick that hit tight end Johnny Mundt in the foot. If it hadn’t and the Bears hadn’t recovered it, we wouldn’t be having this discussion. As for the Bears, Caleb Williams has been holding onto the ball a lot less under the new offensive coordinator. Now their defense needs to get with the picture.
LIONS 24 – COLTS 6
I can honestly say that I thought this game was going to be more lopsided than it actually was. In spite of that, the Lions silenced the Colts to continue their rampage toward the playoffs (and possibly a Super Bowl). Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery are in the conversation for the NFL’s top rushing duo for the Lions. The two seemed to have earned their nickname, “Sonic & Knuckles” (although this may be a shameless way to plug the new “Sonic” movie), rushing for a combined 127 yards and 3 touchdowns. There’s not much to say about the Lions; they’re clearly the best team in the NFL and they are playing like it. As for the Colts, I’m not sure how much more of a beating their playoff chances can take at this point. They’ve lost four of their past five games, and their run game was absolutely atrocious. It may take a miracle to get them into the postseason at this rate.
PATRIOTS 15 – DOLPHINS 34
Another day, another complete beatdown for the Patriots at the hands of the Dolphins. Tua Tagovailoa was brilliant, completing 29 of 40 passes for 317 yards and 4 touchdowns. The Dolphins have been great on offense lately since Tua’s return from a concussion, winning their last three games in a row. However, we get to see if the offense is for real next week for Thanksgiving, where they travel to Green Bay for a frosty matchup with the Packers…and with history as freezing temperatures have always been the Dolphins’ biggest weakness. As for the Patriots, this was exactly the kind of team I thought they had. They were lacking in effort and in talent, and…I cannot emphasize this enough…Drake Maye is a turnover machine. He was picked off for an interception and fumbled again. Maye was better off being drafted by a team with a veteran quarterback to learn from. I wish I could say that things will get better…but this ain’t that kind of movie…
BUCCANEERS 30 – GIANTS 7
The blows keep coming for the worst team in the NFL, as the Giants were slaughtered by the Buccaneers, who came out of their bye desperate for a win. Mike Evans only hauled in 5 catches for 68 yards, but the Buccaneers were still glad to have their star wide receiver back. Granted it was only a win against an atrocious team, but don’t be shocked if this is the spark that finally lights the Buccaneers’ fire. As for the Giants, I’d normally say the wheels have finally fallen off…but I’d argue they were never on to begin with. Also, Daniel Jones has been officially released by the Giants. People say his release led to this blowout loss…I say they lost because they didn’t release him soon enough. Dexter Lawrence and the other Giants can say that Jones was the best quarterback on the team all the live long day…but that isn’t a high bar to climb considering Tommy DeVito and Drew Lock isn’t much better (it’s like saying you’re the best student in your class…when you’re being home schooled).
COWBOYS 34 – COMMANDERS 26
The Cowboys are a funny team. In spite of their clear struggles, especially at home, they find a way to win on the road. They did so again against the Commanders this last weekend. In fact, all four of the Cowboys’ wins this season have come on the road. So…how did the Cowboys actually win? Their injured reserve includes Dak Prescott, DeMarcus Lawrence, Zack Martin, Trevon Diggs, and Brandin Cooks (that’s a lot of money to spend on injured players…). Cooper Rush proved to be steady enough to man the helm of the Cowboys for the rest of the season…let’s see if he can lead the Cowboys on Thanksgiving against the hapless Giants (if this game is even a little close, there is no hope for the Cowboys). As for the Commanders, what’s going on? Jayden Daniels keeps putting up great numbers to keep up his status as frontrunner for Rookie of the Year. But throwing for 275 yards and 2 touchdowns wasn’t enough to lead this slumping offense. It’s too soon to hit the panic button, but the Eagles don’t look to be slowing down any time soon…
CHIEFS 30 – PANTHERS 27
After last week’s loss took away their hopes for a perfect season, the Chiefs assured everyone that they would use the loss to finally get better. I’m here to tell you that they did not, as they survived a near upset by the lowly Panthers. Patrick Mahomes was nearly beaten by Bryce Young in their duel. Mahomes threw for 269 yards and 3 touchdowns while Young threw for 263 yards and a touchdown. This really can’t be how the Chiefs play for the rest of the season. The Panthers entered this game averaging 281 yards and 17 points (both are near bottom of the league), but somehow they ran all over the Chiefs this game and even tied them with less than two minutes to go. On one hand, this might have been a great confidence booster for the Panthers as they went toe-to-toe with the champs and almost won. On the other…the Chiefs haven’t calmed any fears about their chances to repeat again as champions.
TITANS 32 – TEXANS 27
Maybe the world is flat after all; because the Titans managed to get a huge upset win over the Texans. This was a forgettable game for both CJ Stroud and Will Levis, as 3 interceptions were thrown in the game. That being said, this was a big day for the Titans’ offense, who scored more than 30 points for the second time this season. Now, things still aren’t great as Will Levis took seven sacks in the first half alone. The line needs improvement going forward before Levis gets hurt. Speaking of hurting, the Texans are hurting for some answers. Their defense is in shambles, and Ka’imi Fairbairn missed yet another short range field goal. It is frustrating to see CJ Stroud struggle a year removed after dazzling the league as a rookie. It’s looking like the Texans won’t make a deep playoff run this year unless they can fix their defensive issues before they face the Dolphins, Chiefs, and Ravens.
BRONCOS 29 – RAIDERS 19
The Chargers and Chiefs should look behind them, because here comes the Broncos. It’s looking more and more like the Chiefs were the lucky ones in that matchup not long ago because the Broncos have been on a hot streak since. Their latest victims, the Raiders, felt their dominance firsthand. It certainly didn’t help the Raiders that their prized rookie Brock Bowers was held to just 4 catches for 38 yards. Bo Nix threw for 273 yards and 2 touchdowns for the Broncos, and he’s still in the mix for Rookie of the Year. It looks more and more like the Broncos are positioning themselves for a deep playoff run. As for the Raiders, they’re on the fast track for a top pick in the draft. They face the Chiefs in the big Black Friday showdown on Prime Video, and then they have the Buccaneers after that. Given how bad their situation is at quarterback; a high draft pick may not be a bad thing…
49ERS 10 – PACKERS 38
The fortunes of the 49ers is not improving, and it didn’t get better against the Packers, who are red hot right now. Jordan Love didn’t have the best day, throwing for only 163 yards and 2 touchdowns. Now the question is what kind of shape will the Packers be in for the Dolphins on Thanksgiving. Josh Jacobs went down with cramps, and Romeo Doubs is in concussion protocol. They will also be without one of their corners and one of their linebackers. We’ll have to see if this finally cools off the mighty Packers team. As for the 49ers, they better be smashing that panic button right now. They haven’t looked like the team they were last year, and they have a tough matchup against the Bills coming. Granted, the 49ers have been hit hard with injuries this year, but this is definitely a team running on fumes. With the NFC West very much up for grabs, anything can happen…but it sure does feel like the 49ers’ chances are going dim very quickly. This will be a very interesting stretch run for the NFC West division as all four teams have a legitimate shot at the division title.
CARDINALS 6 – SEAHAWKS 16
As I was watching this game, I flashed back to my childhood watching the Lakers. I saw many times where the Lakers won because of the dazzling play of one of the greatest players to ever pick up a basketball, the late great Kobe Bryant. This weekend, the Seahawks had their own Mamba, cornerback Coby Bryant (I’m sure the name was on purpose), come through as the Seahawks beat the Cardinals to throw the NFC West race in a total free-for-all. Both Kyler Murray and Geno Smith threw interceptions, but only Murray’s hurt more when Bryant intercepted him and returned it 69 yards for a touchdown. So are the Seahawks the best in the west? For now…yes. Like I said, anything can happen in the stretch run of the season. The Cardinals are going to be asking themselves how they could have played so badly after the bye. Their offense couldn’t get it going and their defense wasn’t much help either. With the division race tightening, the margin of error for all four teams, including the Cardinals, is slim.
