NFL Week 15 Winners and Losers

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After many weeks of waiting, teams are finally clinching playoff berths. Some teams secured their divisions and have chances at the number one playoff seed. Even more exciting are the teams that had chances to clinch and couldn’t, setting up more anticipation for the holidays. It’s time to see who or what else stood out during week 15.

Winners: Aaron Rodgers

It’s been a rough season for one of the NFL’s all-time best quarterbacks. While Aaron Rodgers has been mediocre this year, he’s starting to get back to his old form the past few weeks. Sunday might have been his best game in two years.

Rodgers completed 16 of 30 passes for 289 yards, three touchdowns and a 120 quarterback rating in a late win against Jacksonville. Two of the three scores went to receiver Davante Adams in the second half and both gave New York a lead. Aaron Rodgers also converted a two point conversion for the third week in a row. Yesterday’s two pointer forced the Jaguars to tie the game late. That tie led to a game-winning touchdown Rodgers led.

While Aaron Rodgers won’t be back with the Jets next season, he’ll be viewed favorably by most teams as a quarterback who can return to MVP form if he finishes the regular season playing like he has the last few weeks.

Houston Texans

Houston hadn’t beaten a playoff caliber opponent in months due to late game blunders. The Texans played one of their best games of the season yesterday and beat the desperate Dolphins.

The offense did enough with quarterback C.J. Stroud IV throwing two touchdowns to receiver Nico Collins. Kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn made all his field goal and extra point attempts. The defense sacked and intercepted Miami starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa three times (each) and gave up less than 250 yards of offense.

The best part for Houston was their fourth quarter shutout. After the Texans gave up a touchdown to tight end Jonnu Smith with four and a half minutes left in the third quarter, head coach DeMeco Ryans got the defense to tighten up. Both Dolphins fourth quarter offensive possessions ended in interceptions. That fourth quarter shutout led to Houston winning the AFC south and clinching a playoff spot.

James Conner

Runningback James Conner has been Arizona’s best offensive player this year. Whenever franchise star quarterback Kyler Murray’s struggled, Conner’s stepped up and kept the Cardinals in close games. When Murray and the passing attack plays well, Conner’s on another level.

Arizona’s decisive home win versus New England was led by the newly re-signed starting runningback. Conner ran 16 times for 110 yards and two touchdowns. He also caught five passes for 28 yards. Although both his scores were in the fourth quarter when the Cardinals had a double digit lead, James Conner already had more than 100 all-purpose yards and sparked ten of Arizona’s 16 points.

James Conner should be the main offensive player if the Cardinals have any chance of winning the NFC west. He does almost everything to keep Arizona’s offense relevant and can help steal at least one more division win.

Sean Payton

Many viewers wondered if Denver would keep head coach Sean Payton after this season if the Broncos had another awful year. Well, Payton led Denver to their first winning record in a decade. It’s also the first winning record for the franchise since their last championship. He could be a coach of the year candidate.

The Broncos trailed all but one quarter in a crucial home game against Indianapolis. This was the first game Denver played in years that would determine how close they’d stay in the playoff race. The Broncos needed a strong finish against a Colts defense that flustered rookie quarterback Bo Nix and shutdown the running game.

Payton’s team responded with a 21 point fourth quarter. Nix threw two touchdowns and linebacker Nik Bonitto returned a fumble/interception for a touchdown after an Adonai Mitchell lateral pass. The win all but eliminates Indianapolis from playoff contention.

Better news came for Denver when Los Angeles (more on them later) got crushed at home against Tampa Bay. The Broncos are second in the AFC west and could draw a weaker opponent for wild-card weekend.

Losers: Jake Haener

Every year there’s a quarterback fans forget for all the right reasons. This year it’s Jake Haener.

Haener was named starter for New Orleans last Friday by interim head coach Darren Rizzi. While social media quickly joked and memed his team photos taken earlier this season, his on-field play wasn’t funny. Washington was on its way to an easy shutout win with Haener leading the Saints offense. Jake Haener completed four of ten passes for 49 yards and an interception before Rizzi pulled him for Spencer Rattler after one half.

Many analysts said the Saints could’ve beaten the Commanders had Rattler completed a few more passes at the end of the game. Yes, Rattler did well in the half he played and should’ve converted a crucial two point conversion at the end. However, when a new starting quarterback leads an offensive possession more than five plays just once in five tries, that’s usually a sign of an incoming loss. The new quarterback usually doesn’t last more than a few games. At least Jake Haener can say he got to play in an NFL regular season game.

Jameis Winston

Unlike the unfortunate Jake Haener, Jameis Winston has been in the NFL for ten years, was a number one overall draft pick, and a league record holder. Their only similarities were ugly Sunday losses.

Winston underperformed against an elite Kansas City defense. He completed 16 of 25 passes for 146 yards and three interceptions. Two of the three turnovers ended offensive drives that would’ve led to points and one interception led to a Chiefs touchdown. Winston was benched after the third interception at the start of the fourth quarter.

Cleveland’s quarterback mess will continue regardless of who starts. Many believed the Browns had a chance to win more games with Jameis Winston under center. He’s led Cleveland to two wins and a lot of hair-pulling moments with his wild, turnover prone moments. Winston should return to a backup quarterback role next year.

Los Angeles Chargers

The first half of Tampa Bay v. Los Angeles was what many expected. It was a close game where both offenses put up double digit points, but the defenses also made great plays. The second half stunned many as the Chargers looked lost.

The Buccaneers played aggressive in the third quarter and scored 17 points. 14 went to franchise star receiver Mike Evans for a combined 92 yards. Tampa then closed out the game with a ten point fourth quarter. Los Angeles was shutout the second half and both fourth quarter offensive possessions ended in turnovers on downs.

It’s possible this was an early test for the Chargers before they got into the playoffs. Some teams need a late season loss to get ready for the postseason. It didn’t help that division rival Denver won a crucial conference game and is now second in the AFC west. Los Angeles can’t have another embarrassing home loss before the playoffs.

Seattle Seahawks

Seattle entered Sunday night as the NFC west division leader and a playoff favorite. They left Sunday night out of the playoff race with an injured starting quarterback.

Green Bay was ready and started the game with a touchdown on a near six minute, 10 play, 63 yard drive. After Seattle’s first offensive possession ended in a three-and-out, the Packers scored another touchdown on a five minute, eight play, 80 yard drive.

The Seahawks were close to getting back into the game multiple times but committed too many errors. The first possession Seattle scored on, quarterback Geno Smith took a six yard sack on a third and three. The next possession, Smith threw a careless interception in Green Bay’s endzone to cornerback Carrington Valentine. That interception ended what was the best offensive possession Seattle had in the first half.

The night got worse when Geno Smith injured his lower leg mid-way through the third quarter. Backup quarterback Sam Howell came in and was overwhelmed, facing constant pressure and was sacked four times.

While the loss stung, it was Seahawks lack of fight and loss of Smith that stood out. Seattle was known to dominate their home games. That advantage has disappeared and the Seahawks have won a single home game in their last six. According to ESPN’s SportsCenter with Scott Van Pelt, that’s the second most losses for a team at home since week five (the Giants are worse as they have lost all six of their home games). Seattle’s a sub .500 team at home since November 2023. NBC broadcasters Mike Tirico and Cris Collinsworth saw throughout the game that the once feared and raucous fanbase was split with travelling diehards from Green Bay.

It was also Seattle’s third game this season where the offensive line allowed seven sacks or more in a game (also via SportsCenter with Scott Van Pelt). That’s the most allowed by the franchise in a season. One issue is how many offensive linemen have been hurt and then returned to full health throughout the season. Still, NFC teams realize if they can beat Seattle’s offensive line, they’ll usually leave with a win. That’s why even if Geno Smith isn’t seriously hurt, he shouldn’t consider playing another game the rest of this season. His health shouldn’t result in at least one extra game in January.

Notes: The writer, editor and publisher is officially on break with the publishing of this article. This is the last Winners and Losers for the NFL season. Wild-card weekend playoff picks will be up before January eleventh.

Happy Holidays to you all. Many thanks to those who have read, liked, commented on and shared jdsportscorner.com articles this year. The first post of 2025 will contain more updates of my growing writing career in the sports journalism field. May you all enjoy the rest of 2024.

NFL Week 14 Winners and Losers

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The fourteenth week of the regular season eliminated teams from playoff contention and solidified division leaders. The postseason is a month away and most franchises are getting ready for a higher playoff seed or the offseason. Time to break down this weekends winners and losers.

Winners: Zach Charbonnet

Seattle went into Sunday without starting runningback Kenneth Walker III and played their second game against Arizona in three weeks. Not only did that put more pressure on starting quarterback Geno Smith to get creative and throw for more yards behind a young offensive line, it was a test for the runningbacks to get more positive yardage against a Cardinals defense that’s improved each week.

Charbonnet had his best game of the season and led Seattle to a 30-18 road win. He ran 22 times for 134 yards and two touchdowns. Charbonnet’s second score was a 51 yard run in the second quarter. That gave the Seahawks their first double digit lead of the afternoon.

One of the best parts of Zach Charbonnet’s breakout game was how he adapted. The offensive line did well and created open holes, but the backup runningback created a lot of problems for Arizona’s defensive front with his agility and creativity. Charbonnet’s big game led Seattle to their third divisional win of the season and shows coach Mike Macdonald can count on him in must-win games.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

I wrote on here back in August that Atlanta or Tampa Bay would win the NFC south in a close race. December would be the month we’d see which team pulls away. It’s safe to say after Sunday the Buccaneers should be the team that wins the south.

Tampa Bay rolled over Las Vegas in a 28-13 home win. Quarterback Baker Mayfield completed 18 of 29 passes for 295 yards, three touchdowns, two interceptions and a 101.9 quarterback rating. Mayfield started hot and played his best on the Buccaneers last scoring drive, throwing his third touchdown to receiver Jalen McMillan.

When Raiders kicker Daniel Carlson made a field goal to cut Tampa’s lead to four, the Buccaneers defense knocked out quarterback Aidan O’Connell and played tighter defense. Tykee Smith’s interception off an O’Connell pass late in the third quarter eliminated any chance of Vegas getting their third win of the year.

It got better for the Buccaneers when Minnesota pulled away in the second half versus the Falcons and won 42-21. Tampa Bay is now in sole possession of first place of the NFC south. Both rivals have one team with a winning record each on their schedules, but that one game advantage after yesterday gives the Buccaneers the edge.

Byron Murphy Jr.’s one handed interception against Kirk Cousins

Speaking of Minnesota, their win wasn’t the only impressive feat against Atlanta.

Cornerback Byron Murphy Jr. had a fabulous, one handed interception against Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins with six minutes left in the fourth quarter. One would’ve thought he was the receiver if the uniforms weren’t different. Down 14, Atlanta had a chance to score and cut the Vikings lead to seven. That would’ve forced Minnesota to play smart and wear down Atlanta’s defense.

Murphy Jr’s sixth interception of the season sealed a Vikings win. He also downed the ball in the endzone, giving Minnesota enough room to start another scoring drive. That’s a play no one will forget anytime soon.

Losers: Will Levis

Tennessee had an opportunity to build offensive confidence, beat a division rival that’s almost quit the regular season, and give fans some hope. None of that happened in a home loss to Jacksonville.

Tennessee entered the fourth quarter against the Jaguars with six points. Starting quarterback Will Levis struggled against a defense that can’t stop deep-field threats and mobile quarterbacks. Levis excels in both areas, but went 19 of 32 for 168 yards.

The two most important drives of the game after Jacksonville took a four point lead turned into turnover on downs. Levis completed only short passes after Calvin Ridley’s 30 yard catch and run on the first play of the penultimate drive. His three straight, forced incompletions led to the Jaguars getting their third win of the season.

It’s been a wild year for Will Levis. His inability to get the Titans more wins due to his drop in play at serious moments validates the views he’s not a quarterback who can lead a franchise to at least a division title.

Buffalo Bills

Many sports pundits will harp on MVP front-runner Josh Allen’s amazing gamestats and laud Buffalo for only losing by two points to a playoff contender. The comeback and stats are ok, but losing on the road to a Rams team they were favored to beat makes the Bills one of Sundays biggest losers.

For one of the few times this season, Buffalo’s corners were outplayed as Los Angeles receivers Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua did whatever they wanted for four quarters. The receiving duo combined for 17 catches, 254 yards and two touchdowns. When Kupp and Nacua weren’t shredding the Bills secondary, runningback Kyren Williams ran through Buffalo’s front seven with little resistance.

The loss is a step back for the Bills after they beat Kansas City and trailed them for the one seed by one loss. Buffalo is now the third seed in the AFC and would draw Baltimore on wildcard weekend if the standings stay the same. The Ravens pummeled the Bills early in the season and they have the better roster and coaching staff. There’s little chance Buffalo gets the one seed if Kansas City goes into Pittsburgh on Christmas and wins. That could hurt the heads of the same people going crazy over empty stats in a two point loss.

Thomas Brown’s coaching debut

What a circus in Chicago. Bears players and staff members wanted former coach Matt Eberflus fired after complaints of poor leadership and not wanting to win after a jaw-dropping Thanksgiving loss in Detroit. One would think that firing would’ve given Chicago a better chance to win, especially since their next opponent was a battered 49ers team on the road. Talk about wishful thinking.

It was a lopsided loss in San Francisco and the Bears didn’t score until the game was out of reach midway through the third quarter. Interim coach Thomas Brown had a week and a half to prepare Chicago against a depleted 49ers roster and a head coach that could be traded next year. At one point in the first half, San Francisco had 310 yards on offense while the Bears had two. The score made people wonder if the 49ers All-Pro offense was fully healthy.

There’s one month of Chicago football left and that might be too long for any serious fan. Brown has four games left to show why he can be a head coach. Unfortunately they’re all against playoff favorites, (three are against division rivals). It’s also possible Chicago considers another full roster rebuild if things look worse by January.

Analyzing a Decade into Adam Silver’s Tenure, Part One: Is this the best we could get?

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NBA Commissioner Adam Silver implemented a lot of changes since the COVID-19 pandemic. However the league doesn’t have a good direction moving forward like it did with predecessor David Stern.

Yahoo senior NBA reporter Vincent Goodwill ended March with a well-written article detailing the fast-changing landscape taking place in the league. In Goodwill’s article, the main focus was how commissioner Adam Silver has been tasked with maximizing profits, growing the game and making sure the players compete after new rules take place. The league’s improved with players rights, safety and dialogue compared to 20 years ago. Most of the improvements are because Silver values the league and cares about who benefits.

There has been a lot of difficult things to navigate through. Most issues took place after the COVID-19 pandemic almost five years ago. The play-in at the end of the regular season draws ratings, but many viewers complain it disrupts a sport that should be determined by the top eight teams. A good number want to forget about the remaining four play-in teams not in the top eight. There’s the creative and new in-season tournament, but it isn’t needed less than one month into a new season. What’s there to show for a tournament that doesn’t stand out compared to the playoffs in April?

There’s also the recent All-Star game format fiasco. Silver believes that how the NHL does their All-Star game, so should the NBA. While it’s a preposition, popular analysts like Stephen A. Smith had a strong rebuke of the new format idea. The NBA has been criticized for constant elimination of defense, terrible officiating and a growing season schedule. There’s now a rule in place that any player up for an award must play 65 games to be considered. Silver’s not respected nor taken seriously enough by the players when it comes to play and events like the All-Star game.

While some of these changes are to grow revenue and make the game safer, it’s also difficult to watch and pay attention to for nine straight months. Silver’s predecessor David Stern got many things wrong in his 30 year tenure, but he also got a lot of things right. Stern knew how to grow the league, who to promote and market, how to get players and owners on the same page and how to make events fun. Adam Silver has failed to make the NBA fun once play resumed (minus increasing the number of games), made both the players and owners unhappy (for various reasons) and doesn’t know how to grow the league past revenue, sales and promotions.

It doesn’t help commissioner Adam Silver that with the longer schedule and added tournaments, the playoff race is a non-factor. Yes, all but a half dozen teams can clinch high seeds, but there’s no reason to watch a sport an extra week or two when audiences know who’s going to at least a play-in game for two or three more extra days.

While it’s important the consumer understands the league’s current business model, viewership has declined every week of this new season. I’ll discuss in the next NBA power rankings (part two) how gambling has tied in and how the league struggles to stay at or near the top while balancing revenue and growing the brand for future generations. Commissioners consistently balancing both is how they leave a positive mark once stepping down. They also need to deal with certain obstacles and detriments that harm the sport. When one is prioritized more than the other, business plateaus. There should be easier solutions implemented before the profits become losses.

Minnesota center Rudy Gobert was ejected out of a March 8th loss to Cleveland for making the money gesture at referee Scott Foster. While Gobert’s a controversial player on and off court, it’s another chapter in how the players don’t trust officials to make the right calls.

Here’s the first power rankings of the new season. Similar to the NHL rankings, this one will be objective in placement as the season is still young.

#30 Washington Wizards (last season’s final ranking: 30)

Congratulations to Washington on their recent accomplishment. The Wizards join last year’s Pistons as the second team in the last nine years to lose every game in November. Unlike Detroit, there’s little hope they play better before spring.

#29 Utah Jazz (last season’s final ranking: 22)

You won’t find a blunder like the one Utah committed in a home loss against the Lakers December first. Jazz coach Will Hardy called his last timeout right before Colin Sexton’s game-winning layup. Utah lost by one point and Hardy’s been compared to former Chicago Bears head coach Matt Eberflus.

#28 Toronto Raptors (last season’s final ranking: 24)

Toronto’s offense is better, but the defense has to improve. It’ll be a hard month to play better with the number of postseason favorites on their schedule.

#27 Philadelphia 76ers (last season’s final ranking: 17)

Philadelphia’s the true test of patience for anyone doing power rankings. While the NHL power rankings weren’t too difficult outside of Nashville, the 76ers push the envelope on how they play worse each game. From former league MVP center Joel Embiid’s extreme load management, players arguing in the locker room and now Paul George’s left leg injury, Philadelphia went from title contender at the start of the season to selling tickets for $1 in their Wednesday home game against Orlando.

#26 Charlotte Hornets (last season’s final ranking: 28)

Franchise star point guard LaMelo Ball’s fully healthy yet Charlotte has the worst field goal percentage 21 games into the season. The efficiency will get better but it could be slower than expected.

#25 Portland Trail Blazers (last season’s final ranking: 26)

Portland surprised viewers with their better start to the season despite injuries to center Deandre Ayton and forward Matisse Thybulle last month. Solid play from guards Anfernee Simmons and Shaedon Sharpe makes the Trail Blazers more competitive than last year.

#24 Chicago Bulls (last season’s final ranking: 19)

If there’s any national station talking about the Bulls, the conversation is on how Josh Giddey shouldn’t be a point guard. This wasn’t what Chicago had in mind when they traded for him in the offseason. Though a lot of analysts did say trading Alex Caruso for Giddey wasn’t a good idea. The Bulls are a mess despite the roster talent.

#23 San Antonio Spurs (last season’s final ranking: 27)

When coach Gregg Popovich had another stroke and star center Victor Wembanyama missed some games after a bruised right knee, veteran point guard Chris Paul stepped up. Paul’s been one of the Spurs’ better free agent signings the last five years. Chris Paul’s leadership got San Antonio wins against Sacramento and Oklahoma City, two teams expected to make the playoffs this year. The Spurs will be a tough team to keep out the play-in.

#22 Detroit Pistons (last season’s final ranking: 29)

The Pistons have more wins after one month than they had after December 2023. They finished November at 8-9 for the first time since the 2018-2019 season. It’s already a success for Detroit and coach JB Bickerstaff was a great hire for the team. They might be the best early season story.

#21 New Orleans Pelicans (last season’s final ranking: 11)

Unlike Philadelphia, New Orleans has legit reasons for a poor start. Injuries to stars Zion Williamson, Dejounte Murray, Brandon Ingram, C.J. McCollum and Jose Alvarado doomed their season after a month. It’s not fair when so many people were excited to see how New Orleans would hold their own in the west.

#20 Miami Heat (last season’s final ranking: 18)

We might be having a different conversation about Miami if they pulled out wins in November against Phoenix and Detroit. If we take those two games out of the Heat’s first month of the season, they’ve beaten playoff hopefuls Minnesota and Indiana while losing to Denver, Sacramento and division rival Orlando. Miami’s not a good team to start the season.

#19 Brooklyn Nets (last season’s final ranking: 23)

This will be one of the hardest teams to analyze throughout the season. Brooklyn barely beat New Orleans and Charlotte but almost beat Boston, New York and Cleveland. The Nets are last in rebounding but top five shooting three-pointers. At least they’re interesting to watch.

#18 Atlanta Hawks (last season’s final ranking: 20)

After last rankings had the hilarious mediocre Hawks stat, Atlanta’s won five straight to get back to over .500 at 12-11. One couldn’t find a more average sports franchise if they tried.

#17 Indiana Pacers (last season’s final ranking: 13)

Indiana still has a top ten offense but the defensive issues balance out the positives. The Pacers are a bottom three team in rebounding and that’s a factor in losses to Orlando (twice), Philadelphia and New Orleans. They have to show growth on defense or it’ll be a fast postseason exit.

#16 Memphis Grizzlies (last season’s final ranking: 25)

Almost every basketball fan knew last year was an anomaly for Memphis. Now that almost everyone’s back fully healthy, the Grizzlies are top three in rebounds and field goal percentage and second in points scored. Starting forward Jaren Jackson Jr. has improved the most for the veterans while rookie Scottie Pippen Jr. and undrafted center Jay Huff look like offseason steals.

#15 Milwaukee Bucks (last season’s final ranking: 9)

Milwaukee should feel good they won seven of their last nine but remember, this was a championship team that decided to tweak their roster two years after winning a championship. The Bucks remain stagnant since winning their second franchise title back in 2021. That’s a shame since many wanted to see the smaller franchise dominate the league this decade.

#14 Sacramento Kings (last season’s ranking: 14)

If Sacramento makes the playoffs as a top six team, forward De’Aaron Fox has to be an MVP candidate. He’s averaging 28 points, five rebounds, six assists and two steals a game. It would be criminal for him to miss accolades and awards he deserves.

#13 Houston Rockets (last season’s final ranking: 20)

Ime Udoka should be the favorite for coach of the year. Houston’s gone from worst team in the league to division leader in the southwest and second place in the western conference. It’s a surprise the Rockets are this good.

#12 Phoenix Suns (last season’s final ranking: 12)

Though star forward Kevin Durant will only miss a week with a sprained ankle, Phoenix is a different team without him. They’re 10-2 when Kevin Durant plays and a stunning 2-6 without him. No wonder Suns owner Mat Ishbia said Durant’s not leaving.

#11 Dallas Mavericks (last season’s final ranking: 6)

Although it’s on Facebook, the site Full Court put some very interesting stats on the current Dallas winning streak. Franchise star point guard Luka Doncic has been a liability for the Mavericks and the starting forwards and centers. Dallas is a .500 team when he’s started games compared to 5-1 without him. It’s eye-opening that forwards P.J. Washington and Naji Marshall score 20+ points a game and Dallas’ offense averages ten more points without Doncic in the starting lineup.

#10 Los Angeles Clippers (last season’s ranking: 5)

Los Angeles went on a three game losing streak, four game winning streak, three game losing streak and five game winning streak. No wonder Ty Lue’s more gray than usual.

#9 Los Angeles Lakers (last season’s final ranking: 15)

Media outlets will talk about the emergence of shooting guard Dalton Knecht, and for good reasons. Right now the Lakers are doing well because Anthony Davis averages 28 points and eleven rebounds a game. This is how Davis used to play in New Orleans before the trade to Los Angeles. It would be fun if he stayed at this level of production the whole season.

#8 Golden State Warriors (last season’s final ranking: 16)

No one expected the Warriors to be a top team in the western conference after trading Klay Thompson to Dallas. Center Trayce Jackson-Davis and forwards Jonathan Kuminga and Andrew Wiggins have done well to start the season but the two areas that count for all but three of Golden State’s wins are better rebounding and bench depth. The Warriors haven’t had a decent scoring bench in years and they’re top three in second chance scoring opportunities. Once Golden State finds ways to stop choking fourth quarter leads, they’ll be one of the best teams in the west.

#7 Minnesota Timberwolves (last season’s final ranking: 3)

Star shooting guard Anthony Edwards was right for blasting his team on playing, “soft” and “growing apart.” A big reason Minnesota struggled was their drop in rebounding. Center Rudy Gobert can still get a good number of second chance points, but Minnesota’s one of the worst rebounding teams in the NBA. There’s a valid discussion that the nosedive in offensive rebounds is a downside of trading Karl Anthony-Towns to New York last summer.

#6 New York Knicks (last season’s final ranking: 8)

What a dominant win over Orlando. New York’s already a top five team in points scored and third best in both regular and three point field goal percentage. Now the Knicks are playing like the team many wanted to see in October. Don’t be surprised if the New York is in the top five or top ten all year.

#5 Orlando Magic (last season’s final ranking: 7)

The Magic have done well since star forward Paolo Banchero went down to a torn, right oblique. Franz and Moritz Wagner have stepped up on offense and Jalen Suggs is more efficient. That’s something to build on once Banchero returns.

#4 Denver Nuggets (last season’s final ranking: 1)

Two things can be true: Russell Westbrook’s 200th triple-double is a feat worth celebrating and he’s not going to be what makes the Nuggets a title contender. Denver needs starting point guard Jamal Murray to play like it’s the 2023 postseason if the Nuggets want to make a deep playoff run.

#3 Oklahoma City Thunder (last season’s final ranking: 4)

Signing center Isaiah Hartenstein was one of the best free agency moves for any team. Chet Holmgren’s hip injury means he’s out at least another month. The veteran Hartenstein makes Oklahoma City rebound better. It’s made the Thunder stay in first place in both the northwest division and western conference.

#2 Boston Celtics (last season’s final ranking: 2)

Should it concern more viewers a good number of Celtics wins to playoff contending teams have been closer than they should be? It’s still early in the season but keep an eye on Boston after Christmas. The Celtics have the depth and talent to wrap up the eastern conference before 2025. It’s odd they aren’t separating themselves this early.

#1 Cleveland Cavaliers (last season’s final ranking: 10)

Head coach Kenny Atkinson became the only coach in NBA history to win his first 15 games to start a tenure with a franchise. Cleveland will also improve throughout the season, especially on second chance scoring opportunities. That should get more attention.

Scoring depth from players like guard Ty Jerome (2) are a good reason Cleveland has the league’s best record.

December 2024 NHL Power Rankings: Nauseous in Nashville- How the Predators Became Prey

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Nashville starting goaltender Juuse Saros takes a stick to the face in a shutout loss to Calgary earlier in the month.

General manager Barry Trotz had a hard decision to make on March eighth earlier this year: should he trade Nashville’s core talent after a hot winning streak or keep everyone together and try for a deep run in the Stanley Cup playoffs. It was a hard decision. The Predators were one of the NHL’s most dangerous teams last spring and pushed well-coached Vancouver to a thrilling six game series in the first round of the postseason.

Many serious viewers believed Nashville would be one of the top western conference teams when the season began in October. They signed Tampa Bay’s franchise scoring leader and long tenured captain Steven Stamkos and former Conn Smythe winner Jonathan Marchessault. They added defenseman Brady Skjei after trading Ryan McDonagh back to the Lightning. Barry Trotz was already a contender for general manager of the year before the Predators played a regular season game.

The free agency period could be the highlight of Nashville’s year. The Predators were one of two teams to not win a game until the end of October. They’ve won the same number of games in November as they’ve been shutout. While the team’s leading goal scorer is Filip Forsberg, the acquisition of Jonathan Marchessault is a dud. Marchessault has three goals and seven assists after two months. This is a forward who was the core of many successful Golden Knights offenses once they grabbed him in the 2017 expansion draft.

The former Stanley Cup finals MVP isn’t the only one struggling. Former Conn Smythe winner Ryan O’Reilly is having a hard time after last year’s solid season. While O’Reilly and Marchessault both have 12 points as of this writing, at least the former plays better defense. Still, that’s a problem when two of the team’s best signings the last two years went from MVP of a champion winning team to non-existent on offense and the power-play.

This is where most of the struggles are for the Predators. They’re bottom five in goals scored and bottom ten in goals against. No player has gotten double digit goals in almost two months, and former Vezina candidate Juuse Saros is giving up an average two and a half goals a game. Part of Saros’ issues stem from doing too much when the offense can’t score. Five-on-five has been this team’s worst area, and it doesn’t look like a one or two month slump. Captain Roman Josi said at the beginning of November to FanSided’s Nashville page Predlines that, “there’s a hard time breaking out. We’re having a hard time on the backcheck, we’re not playing as a five-man unit and we’re not playing as a team right now. It’s almost like every guy is on their own page.”

This leads us back to Trotz and how he re-tooled the roster the last year and a half. Sports journalist Scott Maxwell wrote an honest opinion on why the Predators are struggling this early. He believes Barry Trotz spending just under $31 million for super stars was the “Plan A” the franchise had in mind. That’s one third of the team’s salary cap before a regular season game. Maxwell also addresses free agent signings the year before and how Nashville needs more center depth than star scorers.

Finally, many say this is also on coach Andrew Brunette. The calls to fire Brunette are constant, but he’s lucky Nashville is unlike many NHL teams where they don’t fire coaches just because there’s a slump. The Predators front office will give Andrew Brunette as much time as possible to fix the ongoing issues throughout the season. If this is just a slow start, there should be an uptick in production. Unfortunately for him, there isn’t much time left until 2025 begins.

Every game in the NHL is hard, and Nashville’s schedule is rife with playoff bound opponents. December has Toronto, the Rangers, Dallas, Colorado, Los Angeles, Winnipeg, Minnesota and a resurgent St. Louis. Barry Trotz could make some harder decisions before the next trade deadline if the Predators are just as bad these last two months.

The Predators struggle to score especially at close range. If Nashville wants to improve, they’ll have to play better offense and score more on second chance opportunities.

Time for the first power rankings of the season. These show where all 32 teams objectively stand going back to the rankings from last season. Some teams will have tiebreakers based off of how they’d perform on a neutral site.

#32 Chicago Blackhawks (final ranking last season: 31)

It shouldn’t be a surprise the worst team in the NHL is the one that can’t score and is second to last in assists. It should surprise viewers that they’re bottom five in shots on the power-play at 0.9. It’s an early season warning when an offense struggles to find time to get shots on net with a one man advantage.

#31 Montreal Canadiens (final ranking last season: 28)

RG’s Marco D’Amico reported veteran Stanley Cup winning defenseman David Savard could be traded before the March deadline. It’s possible Savard gets dealt before the new year if Montreal’s defense continues the downward spiral.

#30 Anaheim Ducks (final ranking last season: 30)

If there was one play that sums up starting goaltender John Gibson’s career in Anaheim, Friday night’s overtime loss to Buffalo had one. Gibson made a highlight reel save against two Sabres scorers and no help. However the save bounced to the front of the net and forward Jiri Kulich scored his second goal of the season up high when John Gibson was sitting in front of the net. No defender came close to stopping Kulich’s shot and there was no way Gibson could make another save given how he made a spectacular one not even five seconds before the game winner.

#29 San Jose Sharks (final ranking last season: 32)

San Jose’s 7-8 since their second, league record-setting nine straight losses to start the season. The Sharks have also beaten playoff hopefuls the last month and play hard. This could be a one month resurgence, but it’s another reminder there are no easy wins in the NHL.

#28 Pittsburgh Penguins (last season’s final ranking: 24)

When both Stu Grimson and Dave Reid subtly suggested on NHL Network for the first time it was time for Pittsburgh and general manager Kyle Dubas to move in a different direction on coach Mike Sullivan, it was like watching a marathon runner reach the final mile on a race. It’s a matter of time before the Penguins decide to let Sullivan go and bring in a fresh face. The big decision the organization must decide before Sullivan goes is what they should do with the roster. As Mike Johnson said not even 24 hours after, Sidney Crosby must be involved. If that means Crosby wants a trade, then it’s time for a re-build.

#27 Columbus Blue Jackets (final ranking last season: 29)

Columbus will be a dark-horse playoff contender. They already have impressive wins against Colorado, Toronto, Edmonton, Boston (where coach Jim Montgomery was fired after the loss), Carolina and a high-scoring thriller over Tampa Bay. Coach Dean Evason’s getting top ten league scoring with players who wouldn’t make first or second lines for most NHL teams.

#26 St. Louis Blues (last season’s final ranking: 17)

All the trade rumors and roster issues St. Louis had went out the window late Saturday night when general manager Doug Armstrong fired Drew Bannister and immediately hired Jim Montgomery. The defense gave up eight goals in a game twice in November and has a bottom five offense. Armstrong wants the Blues to remain a playoff contender and admitted he made the move this fast because of Montgomery’s excellent decision making and the defensive improvements he’s coached to every team. A dominant win against the Rangers in Jim Montgomery’s debut backed it up.

#25 Philadelphia Flyers (last season’s final ranking: 16)

Starting goaltender Samuel Ersson landing on injured reserve puts a bottom five scoring defense further behind. Coach John Tortorella is known for getting the most out of defensive depth but even this is too much for him.

#24 Detroit Red Wings (last season’s final ranking: 19)

One could argue Detroit should be lower in the rankings, but the two things stopping that is the amount of roster talent and how worse the other eight teams are. However we can agree head coach Derek Lalonde’s on the hot seat and viewers are impatient with the Red Wings slow start.

#23 Utah Hockey Club (last season’s final ranking as the Arizona Coyotes: 27)

If you take out the four wins out of their first six games, Utah’s lost 11 their last 15. Since the relocation to another state could finally be on everyone’s mind, it’s ok to excuse some of the play for now. Remember, this is mostly a young roster that’s been outmatched most of the last five years.

#22 Buffalo Sabres (last season’s final ranking: 22)

Is it possible the game’s passed coach Lindy Ruff? He’s excellent with improving offenses wherever he’s gone, but the run-and-gun style creates problems for his defenses as many saw in New Jersey. Buffalo is plus three in goal differential and has given up five or more goals to Pittsburgh, Columbus, Florida, Montreal and Philadelphia. The Sabres need a lot of help in net the next five months.

#21 New York Islanders (last season’s final ranking: 20)

General manager Lou Lamoriello’s master plan of transforming the roster with Patrick Roy as coach features one of the worst offenses a viewer could lay eyes on, the second worst power-play in the league, the second worst penalty kill and the most blown third period leads with six. Islander fans shouldn’t be upset though. At least they have the fewest penalty minutes two months into the season with 121.

#20 Ottawa Senators (last season’s final ranking: 26)

One topic under-discussed is how decimated the Senators goaltending depth is again. This time it’s coming from minor league systems. Linus Ullmark and Anton Forsberg will be relied on the next month or two in every game. Fortunately for them, coach Travis Green is known to stay a few steps ahead and is balancing when their play. This will show how much the defense improves against playoff contending opponents.

#19 Nashville Predators (last season’s final ranking: 10)

Nashville has too much talent to be a bottom ten team in the rankings. This is after all, an objective analysis of where teams stand almost two months into the regular season. There will be few times where an NHL or NBA team skyrockets ten spots or higher.

That said, the Predators do have some positives left they can use to claw back into the playoff race. Special teams is a big reason there’s still hope. Nashville’s great on the power-play and has the best penalty killing unit. While you could argue that won’t last long, ask how confident you’d be with that thought if the Predators start playing as a team.

#18 Seattle Kraken (last season’s final ranking: 25)

Seattle’s painfully mediocre, which is surprising given how general manager Ron Francis’ hiring of Dan Bylsma excited everyone. Still, painfully mediocre is better than what the other 14 teams behind the Kraken have right now.

#17 Calgary Flames (last season’s final ranking: 23)

Calgary fans won’t be happy with this ranking. Yes, they’re ahead of Edmonton, Colorado, Vancouver, Los Angeles and Dallas. However, this is an objective ranking. There’s no debate Dallas and Los Angeles are complete teams. The Oilers, Avalanche and Canucks will also have winning streaks at some point because of scoring depth, talent and coaching. When that happens, there’s not much leading scorers Rasmus Andersson, Matt Coronato, MacKenzie Weegar and Andrei Kuzmenko can do to counter.

#16 Edmonton Oilers (last season’s final ranking: 9)

Still, that doesn’t exempt neither the Oilers nor Avalanche for their early season sputters. Edmonton had an exhausting run to the finals last season and hasn’t played with the same energies similar to when Jay Woodcroft was fired last year. Kris Knoblauch balancing Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl’s minutes could give this team the extra push when spring starts.

#15 Colorado Avalanche (last season’s final ranking: 7)

As for Colorado, they’re in trouble if there’s no solid goaltending. Alexandar Georgiev is struggling and all Avalanche netminders combine for second worst in goals against. This puts more pressure on the the offense to out-score opponents in high scoring games. Don’t be surprised if general manager Joe Sakic is forced to trade for a netminder before Christmas.

#14 New Jersey Devils (last season’s final ranking: 21)

Everything written on this site about the Devils has been accurate. The defensive improvements have made New Jersey a playoff contender nearly two months into the season. Their highlight and earliest test was a five-on-three penalty kill on the road at Florida, November 12th. Not only did they shut down the Panther power-play, they won 4-1. The Devils won again in a higher scoring game two nights later 6-2. The coaching and goaltender changes make New Jersey a top team this season.

#13 Boston Bruins (last season’s final ranking: 5)

General manager Don Sweeney fired Jim Montgomery because of an 8-9-3 start. Montgomery had 41 losses in 184 games. That might be the dumbest move Sweeney’s made in a long time. If Boston continues to play average the next two months, it will be a firesale at the trade deadline.

#12 Vancouver Canucks (last season’s final ranking: 4)

Surprisingly the Canucks are better in net to start the season than many expected. Vancouver must improve their five-on-five play if they want to be taken seriously. That shouldn’t be a problem once winter begins.

#11 Tampa Bay Lightning (last season’s final ranking: 11)

What a difference a healthy Andrei Vasilevskiy makes for Tampa. The Lightning have a top ten defense and have won at least a dozen games over playoff hopefuls because he’s started most of them. Their dominant home win of Winnipeg made Vasilevskiy the fastest goaltender in NHL history to reach 300 wins. If the offense and special teams can have a better December, Tampa Bay could be near the top of the eastern conference standings.

#10 Los Angeles Kings (last season’s final ranking: 14)

This and the next two team placements won’t be popular given how well all three teams have played to start the season. Remember, these are objective rankings. Los Angeles started hot last year and cooled down to where Jim Hiller took over as coach. Right now they’re unpredictable despite the veteran talent. Another month will show us what we can expect of the Kings.

#9 Minnesota Wild (last season’s final ranking: 18)

It’s almost criminal how there’s little conversation on Minnesota. If Winnipeg didn’t have a historic start, everyone would be praising forward Kirill Kaprizov’s play and Filip Gustavsson’s goaltending. Regardless of conversation, the Wild learned last year’s lessons and had a great start in October. Their mental confidence should keep the stellar performances consistent.

#8 Washington Capitals (last season’s final ranking: 15)

After forward Alex Ovechkin surpassed Gordie Howe for second most goals scored all-time, I made the prediction he could be the first NHL player to score 1,000 goals. He’s going to shatter Wayne Gretzky’s goal record this year and get 900 (outside of missing four to six weeks with a fractured fibula). 1,000 is easily the next barrier he gets to and should surpass.

#7 Toronto Maple Leafs (last season’s final ranking: 12)

In some ways center John Tavares is still team captain with Auston Matthews’ slow start to the season. That’s helped the Leafs keep a top ten offense while the defense has injury issues. It’s early, but replacing Sheldon Keefe with Craig Berube at coach looks like a win.

#6 Vegas Golden Knights (last season’s final ranking: 13)

There’s a difference between Vegas and Los Angeles’ hot starts from last year. The Golden Knights grew tired after winning a championship and scraped into the postseason. The Kings sputtered and needed a new coach. Vegas’ start this year is similar to last season’s minus the fatigue. It’s fascinating to see how they haven’t missed a beat after losing Jonathan Marchessault to free agency.

#5 New York Rangers (last season’s final ranking: 1)

New York’s already one of the best teams due to their goaltending tandem of Igor Shesterkin and Jonathan Quick. They’ll be on another level once center Mika Zibanejad gets hot. When that happens, this could be the best team in both the metropolitan and the eastern conference.

#4 Dallas Stars (last season’s final ranking: 2)

I was hesitant to have Dallas back in the playoffs due to how much the central division improved in free agency. The Stars still dominate every side of the puck while younger players like Mason Marchment and Logan Stankoven get better. No one expected Matt Duchene to lead the team with eleven goals two months into the season. All credit goes to coach Peter DeBoer for how he keeps improving the players.

#3 Florida Panthers (last season’s final ranking: 6)

Coach Paul Maurice talked about how the mentality of facing everyone’s best actually came last year after Florida won the President’s trophy. Two months into the season, it’s hard to tell if that’s true. The Panthers have lost four straight but still look like the team to beat. Florida needs more consistency on defense and to stop taking dumb penalties. Only serious injuries and mistakes could derail a deep Panthers postseason run.

#2 Carolina Hurricanes (last season’s final ranking: 3)

During Carolina’s eight game home winning streak, the Hurricanes have:

  • scored 41 goals (four plus goals in each game during streak)
  • given up 16 goals on defense
  • have a 36.4% power-play
  • have an 85% penalty kill

Good luck to the future road teams playing in Lenovo Center.

#1 Winnipeg Jets (last season’s final ranking: 8)

The top spot shouldn’t surprise anyone. 18 wins in 22 games should make almost every team number one in the rankings. Winnipeg doesn’t have a bad loss after two months. That’s something no other team can brag. Coach Scott Arniel found another gear previous coaches didn’t think possible.

Winnipeg’s Vezina winning goaltender Connor Hellebuyck makes one of his 26 saves against the Lightning earlier this month.

NFL Week Eleven Winners and Losers

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The eleventh week of the NFL season was as chaotic and fun. The upsets shocked not just the football world but the playoff picture in both conferences. There’s still a lot to process and breakdown because most fans and analysts didn’t expect so many highlights. Time to break down the best and worst of week eleven.

Winners: Taysom Hill

Anyone who’s watched the NFL for a while knows the Saints’ Taysom Hill is one of the best gadget players in the league. He can play any position on offense or special teams. Hill had one of his best career games Sunday.

Taysom Hill completed two passes for 18 yards and an interception, but he had a better day running and catching the football. The former quarterback turned tight-end ran seven times for 138 yards and three touchdowns, caught eight passes for 50 yards, and ran for 42 kick return yards. His first score gave New Orleans their first lead of the game. His last two in the fourth quarter sealed the Saints’ fourth win of the season.

New Orleans had their best offensive game since week two back in September. Interim coach Darren Rizzi is finally getting production from offensive players like Taysom Hill. Both have figured out that if the Saints want to stay alive in the playoff race, they have to run the football and dominate time of possession.

Miami Dolphins

Miami went from a solid, Monday night win in Los Angeles to playing a home game against the Raiders coming off a bye week. It would be understandable if the Dolphins played terrible given the timing. However, Miami played better than they did last Monday night.

The Dolphins offense started hot with a quick touchdown from starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa to tight-end Jonnu Smith. After Vegas trailed by four with Daniel Carlson’s second field goal in the game, Miami made second half adjustments and got their second touchdown from receiver Tyreek Hill. The Dolphins followed up with a 17 point fourth quarter from Smith, runningback De’Von Achane and kicker Jason Sanders.

While it was a good sign the offense played better each quarter, the defense again stepped up and had another good performance. They sacked quarterback Gardner Minshew II three times, intercepted him once and gave up 268 passing yards. Outside of a Jakobi Meyers 20 yard run, the rushing game was snuffed out.

Miami’s back to two games under .500 after a week. Many expected the Dolphins to fade away with other AFC hopefuls playing well since October. Miami has New England and their first of two games against the Jets the next three weeks. The Dolphins could return as a playoff threat before Christmas.

Geno Smith and Jaxon Smith-Njigba

Seattle struggled to beat San Francisco since star quarterback Russell Wilson was traded to Denver. The 49ers beat the Seahawks six straight times heading into Sunday’s matchup. Seattle needed quarterback Geno Smith to play well and keep their postseason hopes alive with a division win.

Smith completed 25 of his 32 passes for 221 yards and an 82.4 passer rating. Although he threw an interception to start the second half, Geno Smith led an eleven play, 85 yard drive that included passes of 10+ yards to receivers D.K. Metcalf and Jaxon Smith-Njigba on the Seahawks’ final drive of the game. Smith ran for the winning touchdown with 12 seconds left.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba had another big game with ten catches on eleven targets for 110 yards. Four of those catches went for 38 yards on the final drive and kept Seattle’s chances of victory alive. Smith-Njigba’s had 17 catches for 290 yards and two touchdowns his last two games. Per the Seahawks PR department, that’s the third most over a two game span in franchise history, and the most for any receiver this century. Only retired Hall-of-Famer Steve Largent did this (more than once) with more yards. The sophomore wide receiver’s talent and growth helps Seattle’s chances of winning the NFC west.

Losers: Cleveland’s last first half possession in New Orleans

The Saints offense made it easy in the fourth quarter versus Cleveland, but before the offensive barrage began, the Browns kept it close for three quarters. While it didn’t determine the outcome, Cleveland could’ve had a better second half game-plan if they scored at the end of the first half.

The Browns had a 14 play, 84 yard drive that began after the two minute warning. Quarterback Jameis Winston led a good drive, but stalled a couple of plays into New Orleans’ redzone. After Winston threw incomplete past Cedric Thompson, kicker Dustin Hopkins came onto the field for a 33 yard field goal. He hooked it left for a miss.

Yet the Browns caught a break. A side judge called a penalty on the Saints for holding. That meant Cleveland had a fresh set of downs with eleven seconds left and could either cut the deficit to four or take the lead. Jameis Winston threw two incomplete passes at New Orleans’ nine yard line in four seconds. The Browns opted for another Dustin Hopkins field goal attempt, this one for 25 yards.

Hopkins hooked it left for another miss as time expired.

Justin Tucker

If someone told me the first kicker would make the losers column eleven weeks into the season, I could believe it. If I was told it would be one of the most accurate kickers of all-time in Justin Tucker, that would be a shock. It’s also a shock this is one of Tucker’s worst seasons half-way into the year.

The difference between Pittsburgh having a two game, first place lead and Baltimore having the tie-breaker for first place came down to two missed field goals by Ravens kicker Justin Tucker. The Steelers didn’t score a touchdown against their division rival, but their kicker Chris Boswell made all six field goal attempts. Tucker missed two late in the first quarter and is no longer the most accurate kicker in NFL history. The Steelers won 18-16.

Part of Tucker’s struggles are miscommunication with the new ball-holder after punter Sam Koch retired. While that’s understandable for some of his early season misses, it doesn’t explain why Baltimore relies more on quarterback Lamar Jackson near mid-field than they would with their kicker. Perhaps it’s a one season issue, but it’s something to be aware of before the playoffs.

Kansas City Chiefs offense

Kansas City finally lost their first regular season game since December 2023 on Sunday. Buffalo played their most complete game of the season and left no doubt who was the better team. Conversations about how the Chiefs offense have multi-layered problems ring true.

If Kansas City put up better offensive stats, the nine point loss wouldn’t be seen as a big issue. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes II might’ve thrown less than 200 yards and two interceptions, but he also threw three touchdowns and gave the Chiefs a lead multiple times in the first half. While runningback Kareem Hunt ran 14 times for 60 yards, no one else had more than one rushing attempt.

The receivers weren’t much better. Xavier Worthy was the leading receiver with four catches for 61 yards and a touchdown. All of Worthy’s stats were on Kansas City’s first touchdown of the game, and 31 of those yards were on one catch. This would’ve been a great game for Worthy to be the featured receiver and continue a breakout game. Instead he disappeared after the scoring drive and couldn’t use his speed to separate himself from defensive backs. DeAndre Hopkins being used on slant routes isn’t creating mismatches downfield and increases risks of dangerous throws. Even tight-ends Noah Gray and Travis Kelce struggle finding separation against opposing linebackers.

It doesn’t help that even if Mahomes recognizes these issues, he’s trying to cover it up by doing too much. That always leads to more turnovers and scoring opportunities for opposing offenses. Buffalo’s first touchdown and lead came after a Patrick Mahomes interception 45 seconds into the game. The offense has to fix a lot of things and start using dynamic playmakers in the right ways.

Note: NFL’s Winners and Losers will not be published until mid-December due to the writer, editor and publisher having personal reasons and time off. Publications will resume around the conclusion of week 14. The NBA and NHL power rankings will return around U.S. Thanksgiving.

NFL Week Ten Winners and Losers

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It was a fun-filled and memorable week ten. There was a game in Germany, coaches and players shed tears, a roller coaster matchup in Washington D.C. and a wild Sunday night game. Then there’s playoff implications for a lot of teams struggling to stay above .500. In an eventful weekend, here are the winners and losers.

Winners: Minnesota Vikings defense

Minnesota’s win in Jacksonville was brutal. Both offenses were awful and struggled to score. The Vikings stole a win thanks to their defense.

Defensive coordinator Brian Flores had the defense ready to confuse backup quarterback Mac Jones (more on him later) and shut down the Jaguars running game. The Viking defense had three sacks and two interceptions against Jones while running back Travis Etienne Jr.’s afternoon highlight was an 18 yard gain in the first quarter.

Minnesota has to fix the offense after a few ugly games, but the defense is getting head coach Kevin O’Connell needed wins to stay alive in the playoff race.

Russell Wilson

It’s been a long time since Russell Wilson was in the winners column. The 13 year veteran quarterback has been through a lot of challenges the last three years but is almost back to his elite form.

Sunday’s win in Washington gave viewers a taste of how coveted Wilson was in previous offseasons. He completed 14 of 28 passes for 195 yards, three touchdowns, one interception and a 93.6 passer rating. All three of his scores gave Pittsburgh a lead at some point in the game. His last passing touchdown went to new trade acquisition Mike Williams for 32 yards with two and a half minutes left in the game.

Wilson playing better football with an improving offensive line makes Pittsburgh one of the more dangerous teams in the AFC. They’ll be fun to watch the rest of the month if the offense keeps playing like they did against the Commanders.

Philadelphia Eagles offense

Any team playing Dallas the second half of the season is probably going to put up a lot of points and yards. However, Sunday’s win in Texas gives the Eagles offense more confidence heading into Thursday’s first divisional matchup against Washington.

Quarterback Jalen Hurts was the star of Sunday’s divisional beatdown. He completed 14 of 20 passes for 202 yards, two touchdowns, an interception and a 115 passer rating. Hurts also ran seven times for 56 yards and two scores. Philadelphia would’ve hit 40 points if head coach Nick Sirianni didn’t pull him in the fourth quarter.

Runningback Saquon Barkley didn’t have to do much with Hurts getting most of the points. He ran 14 times for 66 yards and caught a 12 yard pass. Sirianni also let him rest in the fourth quarter to make sure he gets more usage Thursday. Top receiver A.J. Brown had 109 yards on five catches and former first round pick Jahan Dotson is getting more game reps. The offense gets better and more dangerous every week. It’s quietly made Philadelphia the second best team in the NFC.

Sunday Night Football

The Lions and Texans might have played the best Sunday night football game anyone’s watched in the last year. Unlike other slotted primetime games (more on those later), Detroit versus Houston lived up to and surpassed expectations.

The Texans roared out to a 23-7 first half lead, catching the Lions off-guard. Star receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown was held to two catches on three targets at halftime. Both quarterbacks threw seven combined interceptions, with Jared Goff throwing five (Goff threw a total of four the first nine weeks of the season). Defensive backs Carlton Davis and Kamari Lassiter had two interceptions each and the opposing defenses found ways to neutralize each offenses go-to receivers.

Detroit’s comeback started before Goff’s fourth interception. After getting their second touchdown of the game, the Lions missed the two point conversion. The defense made sure Houston’s offense never found rhythm in the second half and flustered sophomore quarterback C.J. Stroud IV. Detroit kicker Jake Bates had a game-tying and game-winning field goal that almost bounced off the goal uprights. Audiences won’t forget this game anytime soon.

Losers: Whoever is Jacksonville’s starting quarterback

There’s been a lot of criticism of Jaguars starting quarterback Trevor Lawrence for years. No matter what you think of how average he (at best) plays, Lawrence could have gotten Jacksonville their third win of the season if he started Sunday.

That honor went to fellow 2018 first round pick Mac Jones since Trevor Lawrence was out with what could be a season ending shoulder injury. Jones had a good start, giving the Jaguars a lead with a one yard touchdown run in the first quarter. It went downhill from there.

Jones barely threw over 100 yards and his two interceptions came at the worst time after Minnesota took the lead midway through the fourth quarter. He had a hard time finding open receivers and completed only one pass longer than 20 yards. Mac Jones isn’t a mobile threat either as he ran four other times for seven yards (outside of his touchdown run).

A lot of viewers wondered how Trevor Lawrence regressed after an epic playoff collapse against Los Angeles in early 2023. Watching Jacksonville play offense for four quarters yesterday showed it might be everything quarterback related and not just the injured starter.

Indianapolis Colts offense

Indianapolis is in the middle of the playoff race after getting back to .500. A big part of why was due to the offense playing better and the receivers improving each game with Joe Flacco at quarterback. Those days could be a distant memory after Sunday.

Flacco completed 26 of 35 passes for 272 yards and two touchdowns, but he also threw three interceptions. His second touchdown was a meaningless ten yarder to Alec Pierce with eight seconds left in the game. Joe Flacco was a big reason the Colts lost against a better coached Bills team. Buffalo was more aggressive after cornerback Taron Johnson returned a 23 yard interception for a touchdown early in the game. After Indianapolis got their first lead in the second quarter, the offense couldn’t run out the clock to end the half. That meant Buffalo’s offense had one more chance to score. The Bills got a field goal as time expired.

Joe Flacco led the offense to three straight turnovers in the second half: a sack fumble, turnover on downs, and an interception. Buffalo got ten points off those turnovers and put the game out of reach before Indianapolis’ last score. Many will blame Joe Flacco for the loss, but offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter and head coach Shane Steichen should’ve made more changes after one of those second half turnovers.

Todd Bowles

It’s rare a veteran, Super Bowl winning coach gets unlucky twice in one week. Head coach Todd Bowles and the Buccaneers were dealt another deflating loss Sunday after playing for a tie.

Bowles probably had the right plan, but Chase McLaughlin’s 26 yard field goal on fourth and goal at San Francisco’s eight yard line left too much time on the clock for the 49ers offense. Quarterback Brock Purdy had a great game and San Francisco’s offense got a lot of yards throughout the afternoon. There was a good chance the 49ers could get a game winning score with 44 seconds left in the fourth quarter.

Purdy did his best, throwing four passes for 39 yards in 34 seconds. Kicker Jake Moody made his only kick of the game for 44 yards. Tampa took their second loss in a row.

It’s worse knowing NFC south-leading Atlanta lost to a Saints team that fired their head coach last week. The Buccaneers have battled injuries throughout the season and now bad luck decisions from their head coach. Their bye week came at the best time.

Whoever scheduled the late afternoon games

There were complaints before the season began that Germany would be stuck with the worst game of the year in Giants versus Panthers. That matchup turned out to be decent compared to what U.S. audiences got late Sunday afternoon on CBS and FOX.

The most competitive game of the later afternoon trio was Tennessee at Los Angeles. The Titans offense had little chance of scoring more than ten points against one of the league’s best defenses, but it was close. Arizona and Philadelphia obliterated their opponents by halftime. While the Jets have quit on the season and their interim head coach, the Cowboys are one of the most inept teams to the point AT&T stadium blinds their own receivers when trying to score. The media made this a trending topic and several quotes from receiver CeeDee Lamb and owner Jerry Jones went viral.

After ten weeks of regular season action, one ponders why the league hasn’t flexed better games into the late afternoon spot. Denver v. Kansas City would’ve been a more thrilling matchup than watching gaffe-prone Will Levis and backup quarterback Cooper Rush get slapped around for three hours.

NFL Week Nine Winners and Losers

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We’re officially in the second half of the NFL 2024-2025 regular season. Some teams are rising in draft position while others inch closer to the playoffs. Postseason hopefuls want higher seeding further into November. Without further delay here are the winners and losers after week nine.

Winners: Josh Allen

Buffalo’s starting quarterback Josh Allen is an MVP candidate this year. Another good game and home win against a division rival increased his chances for the award.

Josh Allen completed 25 of 39 passes for 235 yards, three touchdowns and a 95.6 passer rating. Allen played his best in the second half, throwing two of his three touchdowns for 64 yards in the third quarter. His third score was a two yard touchdown to Quintin Morris to give the Bills another lead with six minutes left in the fourth quarter.

Josh Allen’s lauded for his mobility, toughness and improved accuracy the last two years. This season is his career best and division wins like the one yesterday show it.

Baltimore Ravens offense

Most who follow the NFL had a feeling Denver wouldn’t get a road win in Baltimore due to their lack of offensive talent. However, many viewers did expect the Broncos to keep the score closer. The Ravens offense made sure that never happened.

Baltimore’s offense started hot and didn’t let up. The league’s best runningback Derrick Henry began the scoring barrage with a seven yard touchdown run. It was the 100th rushing touchdown of Henry’s NFL career. He also ran for a six yard score midway through the third quarter.

Franchise star quarterback Lamar Jackson made it look easy against Denver’s secondary, throwing the same number of touchdowns as he did incompletions (three). Two of his scores went to Zay Flowers in the second quarter, sealing an early double digit win. Jackson set a record for most games with a perfect passer rating (four) and recorded his 37th game with a passer rating of 100 or above (via StatMuse).

Denver has one of the league’s best defenses and got crushed. Baltimore’s scored more than 40 points for the third time in five games. It’s hard for any opposing defense to keep the Ravens offense off the scoreboard all four quarters with a fully healthy Henry and Jackson on the field.

Bryce Young and Chuba Hubbard

The former 2023 number one overall pick struggled every start heading into Sunday. Quarterback Bryce Young is constantly criticized for not scoring more than ten points a game unless it’s garbage time. Sunday could be a turning point in his young career.

Young led Carolina to a divisional home win against New Orleans. He completed 16 of 26 passes for 171 yards, a touchdown and a 77.6 passer rating. His passing score gave the Panthers their first lead of the game.

Once Young grew more confident, it opened up more big play opportunities for runningback Chuba Hubbard. Hubbard got both of Carolina’s second half touchdowns including the game-winner. His 72 yards on 15 carries took a lot of time off the clock and the Panthers offensive line wore out the Saints defensive front.

There aren’t many highlights for Carolina’s season, but there could be something to build from if the young team can win another game like this in Germany next weekend.

Arizona Cardinals

Not many people had Arizona with a one game first place lead in the NFC west after week nine. The Cardinals finished Sunday on a three game winning streak and still have tiebreakers over the Rams and 49ers.

Arizona cruised to a 20 point victory against Chicago. Most would assume star quarterback Kyler Murray put up big numbers in the win. Instead it was the runningback quartet of James Conner, Emari Demercado, Trey Benson and Trey McBride combining for 211 yards and three touchdowns. It didn’t matter that no receiver had more than 35 yards when their defense snuffed out the Bears offense.

The Cardinal defense sacked rookie quarterback Caleb Williams six times and gave up less than 200 passing yards. Chicago also had less than 70 rushing yards. Any time the Bears offense tried to find rhythm, Arizona’s secondary shut down their star receivers and put more pressure on Chicago’s offensive line. This was the Cardinals most complete game outside their division and it sets up a smoother second half schedule after their week ten bye. It’s possible the Cardinals keep their division lead heading into December.

Losers: Gardner Minshew II

For years, many wondered if Gardner Minshew II could be an NFL starting quarterback. In Minshew’s defense, he played for multiple, unstable teams where ownership wanted quick changes. This meant most viewers didn’t know if he could be a long-term starter.

After Vegas’ road loss to Cincinnati, it’s clear Gardner Minshew II isn’t a long-term starting quarterback for any NFL team. Although Minshew helped the Raiders get a fast seven point lead and later tie the game at ten, he struggled to find open receivers and couldn’t create any game-changing plays in the second and third quarter. Gardner Minshew completed ten of 17 passes for 124 yards before head coach Antonio Pierce benched him midway through the third quarter in another double digit loss.

The Raiders have a talented receiving core and need to run the football. Minshew doesn’t utilize offensive talent well and can’t scramble in the pocket or help run the ball. He lacks creativity on a struggling offense. Minshew’s also been benched in almost half his starts this season. It’s time Vegas goes another direction at quarterback.

Dallas Cowboys

Everything went wrong for Dallas Sunday. The Cowboys had one of their most embarrassing performances of the season. The road loss was so bad, it could determine whether owner and general manager Jerry Jones fires head coach Mike McCarthy at the end of November.

This year’s Cowboys team was the first in 24 years to have four turnovers on downs. The plays called on each failed fourth down attempt were read well by Atlanta’s defense and picked apart by FOX color commentator Greg Olson. Outside of fourth down, the Dallas offense was decimated with injuries to starting quarterback Dak Prescott and star receiver CeeDee Lamb. Backup quarterback Cooper Rush did little outside of a meaningless touchdown pass with the Cowboys down 14 late in the fourth quarter.

Most analysts knew Dallas’ defense wasn’t going to be as good as last years, but it’s shocking to watch how much it’s regressed. Starting quarterback Kirk Cousins was 19 of 24 for 222 yards, three touchdowns and a 144.8 passer rating. Runningbacks Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier combined 104 yards and another touchdown. The Cowboys are awful on every side of the ball and probably won’t improve with the number of playoff-bound opponents on their schedule the next three weeks. It’s possible the whole coaching staff will be jobless by January if Dallas looks as bad, if not worse than they were Sunday.

Matt LaFleur

Many will laud Detroit for another dominant road win against a divisional opponent this week. The Lions deserve praise for proving they’re again the best team in both their division and conference. That said, Green Bay’s head coach made a lot of errors that sealed Detroit’s win.

It starts with not pulling starting quarterback Jordan Love after the first half. Love’s 41 yard completion to Jayden Reed was a great play. However, Love limped off the field after the second quarter ended. There were heavy rains throughout the game in Green Bay and playing Jordan Love the second half was a danger to the young quarterback’s legs. Backup Malik Willis has won every game he’s played this season. His mobility in wet weather would’ve added more creativity to a stagnant offense.

There were more mistakes in the second half. After a nine yard run by Chris Brooks early in the fourth quarter, LaFleur insisted the Packers get the remaining yard by throwing two straight incompletions. On fourth-and-one, Green Bay finally ran it for no gain. The Lions got the ball back at their own nine yard line.

A hobbled starting quarterback who should’ve been pulled after one half led an inept offense that converted only three of 12 third downs. Sportscenter with Scott Van Pelt revealed Matt LaFleur is also 1-5 in his last six home games against divisional opponents. LaFleur’s got to prepare better against the NFC north if Green Bay wants to make the playoffs and not have his team worry about Detroit running up the score.

Geno Smith’s two red zone interceptions

You won’t find many instances where starting quarterbacks play like they’re blind, but there are exceptions. Seattle’s starting quarterback Geno Smith had the unique ability to commit two of these plays deep in a division rivals territory in one quarter.

The first one is awful because runningback Kenneth Walker III was wide open and near the opponent’s goalline, something rarely seen in a divisional matchup. Smith might not have peripheral vision because Walker didn’t get the ball on the play. That honor went to Rams defensive-back Kamren Kinchens. His 103 yard interception return for a touchdown is the longest defensive play in franchise history.

The second might’ve been worse since the Seahawks blocked a Rams punt and should’ve gotten points the following possession. Kinchens again intercepted Smith at Los Angeles’ four yard line. Those two interceptions are a big reason Seattle lost and is at the bottom of the NFC west.

NFL Week Eight Winners and Losers

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Week eight was a fun and wild end to October. There are some surprising teams in first place while some playoff seasoned teams are getting worse. The first two months of the season were anything but dull. It’s time to break down the week eight winners and losers before Halloween.

Winners: Jameis Winston

Cleveland had one of the league’s worst offenses when Deshaun Watson was the starting quarterback. After Jameis Winston started yesterday, there might be hope for the Browns offense in November.

Winston completed 27 of 41 passes for 334 yards, three touchdowns and a 115.3 passer rating in an upset home win over Baltimore. All three of his scores were in the second half. Every time the Ravens tied or took the lead, Jameis Winston responded with a scoring drive. The Browns last possession of the game was a 38 yard touchdown to receiver Cedric Tillman (however he couldn’t convert the two point conversion).

The end of October divisional win keeps Cleveland’s faint playoff hopes alive. It wouldn’t be surprising if Winston replicates Sunday’s performance the next few weeks and the Browns win more games.

Houston Texans

It was easy to overlook an AFC south divisional matchup Sunday due to other headline games and bigger storylines. While Indianapolis and Houston wasn’t seen by many to be an attractive matchup, the game wound up as one of Sunday’s best.

The Colts scored ten of the 13 first quarter points and slowed down the Texans offense. Head coach DeMeco Ryans made the necessary changes and the defense tightened up in the second quarter. The secondary made sure starting quarterback Anthony Richardson grew frustrated and tired of throwing incomplete passes. Houston’s offense scored two touchdowns to take a seven point lead late in the first half.

Indianapolis almost took the lead multiple times in the second half but the Texans defense stepped up and kept the Colts offense out of the endzone for all but one possession. Houston forced two turnovers and sacked Richardson five times. It wasn’t perfect, but the Texans got enough from every side of the ball to seal a needed win and retain their division lead by two games.

Ladd McConkey

The Chargers entered the 2024 season thin at wide receiver. Head coach Jim Harbaugh and starting quarterback Justin Herbert had to find new targets who could play well and improve each game. Two months into the regular season, it’s safe to say Ladd McConkey has been a great find for Los Angeles.

In an easy home win against New Orleans Sunday, the second round rookie had six catches on six targets for 111 yards and two touchdowns. McConkey scored two incredible touchdowns for a combined 69 yards against a solid Saints secondary. He still averaged ten yards a catch when he didn’t score.

Los Angeles loves to run the ball and use at least two tight-ends. A rising star in Ladd McConkey will keep Harbaugh’s offense multi-faceted. McConkey’s been a top three name in team receiving stats every game the Chargers played this month. He’ll be fun to watch the second half of the season.

Bo Nix

While one could say the Panthers defense is the league’s worst, Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix had a great game Sunday and keeps showing audiences why head coach Sean Payton was right to draft him.

Nix was responsible for all four Denver touchdowns Sunday. He completed 28 of 37 passes for 284 yards and three touchdowns and a 124.2 passer rating. He also ran for an additional score that sealed a double digit win in the third quarter.

There will be moments when Bo Nix plays like a rookie and gets overwhelmed, but not many analysts believed the Broncos would have a winning record after October. Denver finally looks like a playoff team with a competent offense and quarterback.

Losers: Everyone who thought Drake Maye should’ve been New England’s starting quarterback

It’s funny when audiences watch a terrible team and demand that team start a promising rookie to generate a spark and lift team spirits. When it comes to the NFL, most of the time it’s a dumb idea. One player can make a difference but there are 52 others who can nullify the confidence.

The latest example of this is Patriots rookie quarterback Drake Maye. There’s a lot to like with Maye and many can see why he should start. However, many football fans knew even if Drake Maye played, New England would still be a bad team. He didn’t have to start at any point the first two months of the season.

Although there were highlights and good signs in his first October starts, Maye was concussed early against the Jets Sunday. He did get the Patriots an early lead, but New York came back and got the lead next quarter. It was up to veteran Jacoby Brissett to play the rest of the game.

Ironically, Brissett led a final drive that resulted in a game-winning touchdown and threw a two point conversion that sealed a three point win. He has both of New England’s wins this season, and they’re against opponents many viewed as playoff favorites. There’s no reason to force a rookie quarterback to start especially if the offense lacks talent. The concussion was avoidable and the Patriots would be wise to let Maye learn offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt’s schemes the rest of the season. It’s not like New England has playoff hopes. They shouldn’t bother damaging a franchise player to build around.

Miami Dolphins defense

Miami won’t make the playoffs even if the offense is one of the league’s best because of their awful defense. Starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was a needed spark for an offense that couldn’t score or put up yards. After multiple double digit leads, the Dolphins lost because their defense failed to keep Arizona’s offense off the field.

After Miami got another ten point lead, the Cardinals found ways to keep the score close. The Dolphins offense didn’t help themselves giving Arizona’s defense an easy two point score off a Tagovailoa fumble. The safety made it an eight point game. The Cardinals offense worked fast and got a Marvin Harrison Jr. touchdown the following possession (though they didn’t get the two point conversion), cutting Miami’s lead to two.

After both offenses scored additional touchdowns, the Dolphins defense had to hold the two point lead. One would think with five minutes left, defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver would call his best plays and seal up Miami’s third win of the season. Arizona went 73 yards on 13 plays and kicked a game winning field goal as time expired.

The Dolphins ended October stuck at two wins. The defense struggles to stop the run. They can’t get opponents off the field on third down, pressure opposing quarterbacks or force turnovers. It doesn’t matter how good head coach Mike McDaniel’s offense is if the defense gives up a minimum of 22 points per game.

Seattle Seahawks offense

In hindsight, it should’ve concerned more analysts Seahawks receiver D.K. Metcalf wouldn’t play Sunday against Buffalo. While the Bills defense isn’t spectacular, Metcalf’s presence gives Seattle’s receiving core more advantages against opposing secondaries.

The Seahawks offense was dreadful. Not only did starting quarterback Geno Smith have his worst game of the season, everything that could go wrong, did. From Smith having his foot stepped on and messing up multiple passes, to an Austin Johnson interception leading to a third quarter Buffalo touchdown, Seattle’s offense struggled to get anything right.

The worst possessions were in the first half when Seattle kept the score close. The first ended in a field goal after center Connor Williams fumbled the ball and runningback Kenneth Walker III recovered it for a 28 yard loss. The Seahawks then took a five yard delay of game penalty before the next play. The second possession started after cornerback Josh Jobe became the first player to intercept Buffalo’s starting quarterback Josh Allen all season and returned it 33 yards to the Bills seven yard line. Seattle’s four plays to start what should’ve been a scoring possession were:

  • three yard run from Kenneth Walker III
  • three yard run from Zach Charbonnet
  • no gain run from Walker III
  • Geno Smith self-sacked for a six yard loss due to Williams stepping on his foot snapping the ball.

The Seahawks lone touchdown came midway through the fourth quarter when the Bills sealed the win. A one yard run from Charbonnet wasn’t enough to give Seattle hope. Offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb assumed a high octane offense would steamroll Buffalo’s veteran defense at home. That game-plan put Seattle into a three-way tie for first place in the NFC west instead of alone in first.

Tyrique Stevenson

If you haven’t seen the Jayden Daniels game-winning, 52 yard Hail Mary touchdown pass to Noah Brown, please watch it. Everyone will laud Daniels for his timing, scrambling, accuracy and the deflection into Brown’s arms for the win. Many will miss how Bears defensive back Tyrique Stevenson put Brown in position to catch the pass because he was taunting the Washington fans in Northwest Stadium as Jayden Daniels snapped the ball. After Bears fans screamed at Stevenson to pay attention, he quickly rushed to the ball and deflected the pass high to Noah Brown. The deflection was perfectly placed backwards where Brown wasn’t covered by any Chicago defender. The Commanders became the first team in 20 years to score their only touchdown in a game as time expired since the 2004 Jaguars against the Buffalo Bills (via Sportscenter with Scott Van Pelt). Don’t expect Tyrique Stevenson to play meaningful minutes the next few weeks.

NFL Week Seven Winners and Losers

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As we near the end of October, more teams are separating from playoff contender to having a high draft pick. Coaching plays a part in which team advances or goes home. It’s time to break down the weekends winners and losers.

Winners: Philadelphia Eagles

Philadelphia has dominated their division rival Giants the last few years. Sunday didn’t change.

The Eagles played their most complete game of the season. Quarterback Jalen Hurts completed ten of 14 passes for 114 yards, a touchdown and a 119.3 passer rating. He also ran seven times for 22 yards and two scores. Former New York franchise star runningback Saquon Barkley ran 17 times for 176 yards and a touchdown. Wide receiver A.J. Brown had five catches for 89 yards and the only touchdown thrown by Hurts. The Giants defense is good, but the Eagles offensive line dominated game pace and time of possession.

On defense, Philadelphia shut down New York’s offense. Giants starting quarterback Daniel Jones threw 99 yards in three quarters. Jones was sacked eight times and struggled to find open receivers without a defender in his face. Defensive linemen Jalen Carter and Nakobe Dean each had two sacks.

Head coach Nick Sirianni is under pressure to close the gap with division leader Washington. The defense got better this month and the offense improved against the best defense in their division. That’s a good sign this late in October.

Marcus Mariota

The only thing the Eagles didn’t get on an almost perfect Sunday was a Commanders home loss. After jumping to a quick ten point lead, Washington lost their starting quarterback Jayden Daniel to a rib injury. That meant backup quarterback Marcus Mariota played the rest of the game.

While Mariota’s inconsistency and injury history made him a backup, he played like a starter Sunday. Mariota completed 18 of 23 passes for 205 yards, two touchdowns and a 132.8 passer rating. He also ran eleven times for 34 yards. A nine year NFL veteran, Marcus Mariota plays well when scrambling outside the pocket.

Washington didn’t need a high octane offense to beat Carolina (more on them later), but they needed offensive depth to step up. The Commanders now know they have a good backup to run offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury’s plays if their starting quarterback gets injured again.

Los Angeles Rams defense

The Rams defense has been one of the worst this year. Reasons vary from offseason transactions, young talent adjusting to playing in the NFL, and lack of roster depth. Sunday was a boost for the learning unit.

Vegas’ offense struggled to move the ball downfield against Los Angeles. After starting quarterback Aidan O’Connell left with a hand injury, Gardner Minshew II completed 15 of 34 passes for 154 yards, three interceptions and a 21 quarterback rating. The defense’s best play of the game was defensive-back Cobie Durant sacking Minshew for eleven yards and forcing a fumble. Fellow defensive-back Kam Curl recovered the fumble and ran it back for a 33 yard touchdown. That score was the difference in Los Angeles’ second win of the season.

The Rams might be stuck at the bottom of the NFC west but it’s more important the defense develops and plays better the second half of the season. Sunday was a good starting point.

Patrick Mahomes’ 33 yard scramble against San Francisco

Every time viewers think they’ve seen Patrick Mahomes II do it all, he does something new. Kansas City’s dominant win against San Francisco had many fun plays, but the best was a 33 yard run by Mahomes with 1:08 remaining in the third quarter. His agility and improv behind the line of scrimmage show he’s the best in the league.

Losers: Bill Callahan

Every rookie head coach has highs and lows their first season. However, new Titans coach Bill Callahan continues having the worst luck after week seven.

Callahan decided to bench gaffe-prone starting quarterback Will Levis before Tennessee played the Bills. Backup Mason Rudolph got the start for multiple reasons and helped the Titans get a ten point lead at one point in the first half. Tennessee went into halftime at Buffalo leading by three.

Unfortunately, Callahan forgot how to make second half adjustments while leading against a veteran, playoff caliber team. A 10-7 lead wouldn’t stay for another half with how the Bills played better the last few minutes of the second quarter. While the Titans offense was shut out the second half, Buffalo scored ten points in the third quarter and 17 in the fourth.

The offensive-minded Callahan was brought in to further develop talent at runningback and wide receiver. That’s been a struggle most of the season. It’s harder when Rudolph was chosen to play a conservative game. Bad luck is a factor in each Titans loss, but viewers have seen both quarterbacks struggle to adjust with second half gameplans. This could be a long, remaining two months of the regular season for Tennessee.

Atlanta Falcons offense

Atlanta was on a three game winning streak with the tiebreaker for first place in the NFC south before Sunday. The Falcons ended yesterday with questions on offense. It didn’t help starting quarterback Kirk Cousins talked trash about Seattle “walking into their trap” last week. Cousins had to back it up and play well against a younger, battered defense. That didn’t happen.

While Atlanta dominated the first half against the Seahawks in time of possession, they had seven points and trailed by ten at halftime. Kirk Cousins did throw a five yard touchdown to receiver Drake London to start the third quarter, but Seattle’s defense sealed a win late in the fourth when linebacker Boye Mafe forced a fumble and linebacker Derick Hall recovered and returned the ball 64 yards for a touchdown. The Seahawks secondary intercepted Cousins twice and limited top receivers London and Kyle Pitts to 63 and 65 yards.

The Falcons are 1-3 outside the NFC south. The one win was from a last minute score in Philadelphia. Atlanta hasn’t “walked into anyone’s trap” and played a dominant game this season despite the amount of talent on offense.

Andy Dalton

It looks like the offensive spark Carolina needed with Andy Dalton at quarterback is gone. Sunday was one of the worst games he’s had in his long career.

Dalton was overwhelmed early by Washington’s defense. On the Panthers first offensive possession of the game, he threw an interception to linebacker Dante Fowler Jr. that was returned 67 yards for a touchdown. That return covered 67% of the yards he threw the entire game. Andy Dalton threw 93 yards and another interception before benched former number one overall pick Bryce Young played late in the fourth quarter.

Ever since Carolina got a surprise win in Vegas, the offensive struggles have gradually returned to where injury-prone backup Marcus Mariota is better than the playoff experienced Dalton. It’s time Bryce Young starts again. Head coach Dave Canales needs to see if he’s progressed and can try to finish the Panthers long season.

San Francisco 49ers

The Chiefs know how to beat San Francisco. Every franchise has that one team they usually struggle and lose against no matter the talent level or what changes take place. While it’s understandable to lose every matchup to an opponent, having every bad thing happen hits harder for the losing team.

The 49ers loss yesterday went past stats. Starting quarterback Brock Purdy had one of his worst NFL performances with three interceptions. Injuries to Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk depletes an already anemic receiving core. The running game barely had 100 yards (from four players) and backup kicker Anders Carlson missed a critical extra point in the third quarter.

San Francisco’s defense intercepted Patrick Mahomes II twice, but gave up a highlight reel 33 yard run and 150 combined rushing yards to Mahomes, runningback Kareem Hunt, receiver Mecole Hardman and fullback Carson Steele. Kansas City got four rushing touchdowns from three of the aforementioned players. The defense also shares a league worst record: since 2017, the 49ers are 0-40 when trailing by eight or more points in the fourth quarter, including playoff games (via NFL Network).

The lowest part of San Francisco’s loss was offensive left tackle and captain Trent Williams sucker punching Chiefs defensive lineman Bryan Cook late in the fourth quarter. Cook openly agitated the veteran and Williams snapped. One could say that’s a snapshot moment of how Kansas City keeps beating San Francisco.