By Lucas Camacho
If you listen closely, you can hear the sounds of champaign corks being popped by happy Dolphins fans as the last undefeated team fell this week. The two worst teams in the league, the Giants and the Panthers, had the week off, as well as the slumping Buccaneers and the surging Cardinals. Let’s take a look at all the fireworks from the last week. As always, we start with the LA native teams.
RAMS 28 – PATRIOTS 22
The Rams did well in their bounce back after last week’s letdown against the Dolphins. They only scored in the second and third quarters, but it was good enough against the Patriots. This was the first time the Rams didn’t turn the ball over since Week 3. And how about Matthew Stafford? He completed 18 of 27 passes for 295 yards and 4 touchdowns. The Rams have a tough test in the Eagles coming up, but a win against them would definitely put them right back into the playoff race. As for the Patriots, I think time has run out. Drake Maye had another two turnovers against the Rams. This is not the kind of offense that will take the Patriots very far into the future, but there doesn’t seem to be anything they can do except wait until next year.
BENGALS 27 – CHARGERS 34
HOLY MOLE HOLES! This game was electric, but the Chargers held on against the Bengals in what became a must win for both teams. Justine Herbert and Joe Burrow were locked in a big duel of superstar quarterbacks. Although Burrow outdueled Herbert, throwing for 356 yards and 3 touchdowns against Herbert’s 297 yards and 2 touchdowns, it was Herbert who had the last laugh. Should the Chargers be worried about how they blew the lead? The “experts” say yes (but we know how accurate those guys are). My argument is no, and I’ll tell you why. Wind the clocks back to Herbert’s only playoff game. The Chargers had a big lead against the Jaguars led by Trevor Lawrence, but they blew it and never recovered. This time, they managed to hold on despite losing the lead, and credit to that goes to coach Jim Harbaugh. After going into the bye with a miserable start, the Chargers are looking like a playoff contender. As for the Bengals, it’s not that they should be worried either…they just get the short end of the stick. They’ve come close so many times just to fall short, it’s upsetting. The Bengals are a lot better team than their 4-7 record gives them credit for.
COMMANDERS 18 – EAGLES 26
A few weeks ago, Jayden Daniels looked to be a lock for Rookie of the Year. However, this stretch of games has shown he may not be quite the lock after all. The Commanders fell to the Eagles in a big divisional matchup. After faltering at the beginning of the season (which many began to worry about because of their epic collapse last year), the Eagles are now in the driver’s seat in the division, led by Jalen Hurts who threw for 221 yards and no touchdowns. The Eagles are soaring into the stretch run healthy and hot, but they’ll have to contend with an equally hot Rams team next week. As for the Commanders, there is something wrong with Daniels. He hasn’t looked the same since the rib injury back in Week 7. It didn’t help that they faced two strong defenses in the Steelers and the Eagles. But one can’t help but wonder if Daniels is 100% healthy or if they injury was more severe than we all think…
PACKERS 20 – BEARS 19
Another blocked Field Goal that decides the game? HOLY MOLE HOLES! The best part was that it came in a battle between two of the greatest rivals in football: the Packers and the Bears (it doesn’t get much better than that). The Packers managed to escape with a win, despite Jordan Love only throwing for one touchdown and an interception (although he did throw for 261 yards for a respectable performance). Honestly, the Packers got lucky. They looked pretty flat and could have lost more ground in the NFC North if not for Karl Brooks blocking the Field Goal in the final play of the game. The Packers need to be on top of it more to avoid these scenarios down the stretch. As for the Bears, this was a big improvement despite the loss. Caleb Williams was holding onto the ball less, the run game was more effective, and they got their three big men involved (DJ Moore, Keenan Allen, and Rome Odunze). However, the fact that they did almost everything right and still lost hurts…the fact that it was to the Packers though makes it worse…
JAGUARS 6 – LIONS 52
I remember my aunt on Sunday morning cautioning me against going for the Lions too heavily. She said “any given day, the best team can lose”. I also remember me saying that no way that the Lions were gonna lose, and I even told her it would be a blowout. Once again…I’m right, as the Lions routed the Jaguars. This was a very impressive game for the entire Lions’ offense as they scored 4 touchdowns in the air and 3 touchdowns on the ground. We’ll see if the Lions’ depth can keep them going as they become the new Super Bowl favorites. But the Lions shouldn’t be taking anything for granted as the Vikings aren’t going away anytime soon. As for the Jaguars, time may be up on coach Doug Pederson. Granted the Jaguars had next to no chance of winning this game, but it was still painful to watch. Their season, for all intents and purposes, is done. Might as well let Trevor Lawrence lick his wounds and be ready for next year. And most likely, Lawrence will have a new coach fairly soon.
VIKINGS 23 – TITANS 13
Boy, this game was closer than I thought it would be, but the Vikings managed to hold on against the Titans to keep pace with the Lions. Sam Darnold and the offense definitely struggled, but that’s what happens when you can’t get a clear shot to Justin Jefferson. Still, Jefferson managed to salvage the day by catching 6 of his 8 targets for 81 yards. Jefferson is still the best receiver in the league, and the Vikings need to find routes for him to allow him to inflict more damage, or else they will have a tough time getting anything going on the offense. As for the Titans, it may be too late to salvage the season, but at least the Titans are finally showing flashes. The time to experiment has begun since there isn’t much left for the Titans to lose. This game may have saved Will Levis’ hopes of remaining the Titan’s QB, but whether or not he keeps the job will depend solely on how he performs the rest of the season. Their season is pretty much done, so the rest of the way will be considered an audition for next year.
RAIDERS 19 – DOLPHINS 34
What started as a season of promise has fallen into despair as the Raiders’ season appears to have ended at the hands of the Dolphins. All credit to the Dolphins’ offense, led by Tua Tagovailoa who threw for 288 yards and 3 touchdowns. Does this mean the Dolphins are officially back? Well, maybe, I’ll have to see how they do against better teams before I make that statement, but they are definitely a better team when Tua is at the helm. As for the Raiders, I truly did expect more from them this season. But the problems at quarterback are too apparent. Despite that, I am encouraged due to the amazing play of rookie Brock Bowers. With 13 catches for 126 yards and a touchdown, I would definitely put him in the running for Rookie of the Year against both Jayden Daniels and Bo Nix.
BROWNS 14 – SAINTS 35
It seems the Saints have found the three keys to getting their offense back up and running: GIVE, TAYSOM HILL, THE BALL! Yes, he did turn it over twice, but that’s to be expected of a guy that can throw, rush, and catch. Hill accounted for a total of 206 yards! To put that in perspective, the Saints total yards was 473, which means the rest of Hill’s teammates barely out did him alone by 61 yards! Bottom line is this: HOLY MOLE HOLES! The Saints should look to keep Hill involved after they take time during their bye to finally get healthy. As for the Browns, this wasn’t a bad game for a team that is pretty much done. Jerry Jeudy had his best game of the season with a 142-yard performance (his first 100-plus-yard game since 2022). Elijah Moore delivered an acrobatic touchdown catch. And wide receiver Cedric Tillman chipped in with 47 yards. Their season may be over, but at least they have the makings of a great wide receiving corps that they can build upon.
COLTS 28 – JETS 27
It was a very close game that had a playoff feel to it as both the Colts and Jets needed a win to keep their playoff hopes alive. But now it looks like the Jets’ season is over while the Colts live to fight another day. Anthony Richardson was back at the helm and threw for 272 yards and a touchdown (while rushing in 2 touchdowns himself). It was an okay game, but the Colts will need to think of something better for the running game as Jonathan Taylor only managed 57 yards. As for the Jets, this game should have been theirs for the taking. They managed to get the offense up to speed…only for their vaunted defense to let them down. They allowed Richardson to lead the Colts down the field, and then they flubbed their final drive. It was a brutal way to end the game…and possibly the Jets’ playoff chances.
RAVENS 16 – STEELERS 18
This wasn’t just a matchup to determine top dog in the AFC North, but it would also join the Bills in challenging the Chiefs for the top seed in the AFC. In a battle of stout defenses, the Steelers managed to defeat their bitter rivals, the Ravens. It wasn’t pretty for Russell Wilson, completing 23 of 36 passes for 205 yards, no touchdowns, and an interception. It wasn’t a good game for Wilson, but it gave hope for Justin Fields to possibly take back the starting quarterback position. As for the Ravens, this loss puts a huge dent in their playoff hopes. They should still get in, but how can they go far when they’ve struggled this much this season. The Ravens don’t look like Super Bowl favorites anymore and their once vaunted kicker, Justin Tucker, finally looks human. The Ravens may still have faith in Tucker and their chances, but I personally now have a reasonable doubt about them…
CHIEFS 21 – BILLS 30
The final undefeated team has fallen. After weeks of red flags saying that everything was not okay, the Chiefs’ sloppy play of late finally caught up to them as they lost to the Bills, who have emerged as their primary rival in the AFC in recent years. It was a good game for Josh Allen, who is looking to challenge Lamar Jackson for the MVP award, as he threw for 262 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. This win for the Bills keeps them in the race for the No. 1 seed, and keeps the entire AFC interesting. As for the Chiefs, this was a long time coming. I kept waving red flags saying that the Chiefs’ way of winning was unsustainable, and this put a big dent in their chances to get the No. 1 seed. Yes, the Chiefs can use this loss as fuel to keep them going the rest of the way, as they said during numerous interviews after the game. However, it is easy to speak the words…but doing them is the trick. Honestly, it’s looking more and more like they just got lucky against the Broncos last week.
FALCONS 6 – BRONCOS 38
Speaking of the Broncos, they had a very nice bounce back win after nearly upsetting the Chiefs last week, and they gave the Falcons a punishing loss. If Bo Nix keeps playing like this, throwing for 307 yards and 4 touchdowns with no interceptions, then he has a legitimate shot at Rookie of the Year. The Broncos look like a playoff bound team, and as many of their fans will tell you…it’s about damn time. As for the Falcons, they have to be shaking their heads. Two weeks ago, it looked like the Falcons had a stranglehold on the NFC South. Now the Buccaneers are about to get a few key players back after a bye week to rest, the Saints are showing signs of life again, and the Falcons have lost two in a row. Now the Falcons will have to go into their bye week thinking about how to keep their lead in the division with both the Buccaneers and the Saints smelling blood in the water.
SEAHAWKS 20 – 49ERS 17
It seems inconceivable. At the beginning of the season, I had the 49ers as the favorites to win the Super Bowl. Now, the 49ers are not only in danger of losing their division to one of their rivals, but they’re in danger of missing the playoffs ALL TOGETHER! That’s the result of them losing to the Seahawks in what turned out to be the most entertaining game of the afternoon slate. To be clear, both quarterbacks did not do well. Brock Purdy and Geno Smith both threw interceptions. Purdy threw for one touchdown while Smith ran in a touchdown that also turned out to be the decider. It hasn’t been an easy season for the Seahawks, but this is the kind of win that can turn anyone’s season around. As for the 49ers, it’s time to smash that panic button. They’re now in a dogfight for the division with the Cardinals, who have a bye, having a one game lead over everyone. The 49ers are now on the brink…and they need answers now…
TEXANS 34 – COWBOYS 10
I was nervous before the game started as debris fell from the roof of AT&T Stadium during pregame, just less than two hours before kickoff. It turned out to be a bad omen alright, and another reminder of the terrible season that the Cowboys have had. They lost their sixth straight home game, and it came against the Texans who needed this win. Reigning Rookie of the Year CJ Stroud has struggled as of late. He failed to throw a touchdown and was picked off, but still threw for 257 yards. Joe Mixon was the one who dropped the hammer on the slumping Cowboys, rushing for 109 yards, catching 2 passes for 44 yards, and 3 rushing touchdowns (which is worthy of a HOLY MOLE HOLES!). This was definitely the shot in the arm that the Texans needed to keep their lead in the division. As for the Cowboys, the debris from the roof was the perfect metaphor for how their season has gone: falling to pieces. This epic collapse might be even worse than what their rivals, the Eagles, went through last year. It’s a sad state of affairs for a franchise allegedly worth more than any other sports team in the world (for what reason, I don’t know…the Dodgers are probably worth a fortune in Japan alone…).
