Tag: fantasy-football

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: Jesse Minter

The Chargers entered Sunday anticipating a must-win divisional game after their defense sealed an overtime victory last Monday night against Philadelphia. Los Angeles had the chance to eliminate Kansas City from playoff contention and keep the top wildcard spot. Sunday’s win was one of their best of the season.

Defensive coordinator Jesse Minter called a great game. Despite a 13-3 Chiefs lead in the second quarter, the Chargers defense never relented and played better each possession. Los Angeles recorded five sacks and didn’t give up any points in the second half. Even after Kansas City star quarterback Patrick Mahomes II exited with a torn ACL, the Chargers pressured and intercepted backup quarterback Gardner Minshew II. Los Angeles intercepted both quarterbacks once.

Audiences wonder if Los Angeles can remain a constant playoff threat even if star quarterback Justin Herbert plays with an injured hand. The Chargers are peaking at the right time and are a true postseason threat because Jesse Minter has this defense playing aggressive and determined.

Houston Texans

Audiences have been waiting for Houston to get on a roll and play quality football most of the season. It has finally happened after another dominant win Sunday.

The Cardinals are certainly not playoff contenders and faced an uphill battle. The Texans dominated every side of the ball start to finish. Their offense steamrolled a hapless Arizona defense and didn’t turn the ball over. Quarterback C.J. Stroud IV completed 22 of 29 passes for 260 yards, three touchdowns and a 137.1 passer rating. Running back Jawhar Jordan had 15 carries for 101 yards and helped the offense dominate time of possession. Receiver Nico Collins and tight-end Dalton Schultz combined for 11 catches, 161 yards and all three receiving touchdowns.

Houston’s defense made sure to hold a double digit lead after Ka’imi Fairbairn’s first field goal. Cornerback Kamari Lassiter intercepted Cardinals quarterback Jacoby Brissett to start the third quarter and the defense forced a fumble. All three touchdowns yielded were meaningless since the Texan offense scored the following possessions. Arizona had no answers unless Houston let up.

Like the Chargers, the Texans are playing their best football at the right time. They’ve won six of their last seven since the start of November. While almost no NFL team wants to play head coach DeMeco Ryans’ defense, the offense is becoming a nightmare for opposing defenses. There is a chance Houston has a long playoff run if they keep playing like this.

Jalen Hurts

A gut-punching Monday Night Football loss to Los Angeles because of an overtime interception brought up a lot of questions on what else is wrong with Philadelphia quarterback Jalen Hurts. Hurts has appeared off most of this season from his throws to reading the field. While it looked as if there was improvement last Monday night, there was also bad luck. There was none of that Sunday in a shutout win over Las Vegas.

Hurts finally led the Eagles to an easy 31-0 win and looked good. He completed 12 of 15 passes for 175 yards, three touchdowns and an almost perfect 154.9 quarterback rating. Jalen Hurts also ran seven times for 39 yards. His four yard touchdown pass to start the game erased some doubts that last Monday night’s game left scars and mental fatigue for Philadelphia’s offense.

Some will say the shutout win against the Raiders doesn’t say much about the fragile state the Eagles are in, but a shutout win is hard for every team– even reigning Super Bowl champions. If Philadelphia’s offense finally gets hot and plays their best football of the season, they’ve picked the best time.

Tyler Shough

All of the surprising things this season one might not compare is how New Orleans starting quarterback Tyler Shough has played the last month and a half. Shough has led the Saints to three of their four wins and played well in all of them.

New Orleans faced a tough task in stopping a confident, first place Panthers team that hasn’t been close to a division winning berth since last decade. Carolina’s defense has improved, but Tyler Shough had the blueprint to beat them twice. He completed 24 of 32 passes for 272 yards and a touchdown for a 110.4 passer rating. Shough also ran eight times for 32 yards, including a late, four yard scramble that drew an unnecessary roughness penalty on the Panthers defense. That play got New Orleans in position for the game winning field goal.

The Saints still have a lot to work on and evaluate with the roster, free agency and the upcoming draft. Viewers expected the quarterback position to be a top need and area of concern, but it appears that Tyler Shough may have eliminated the necessity to for at least another season.

Losers: John Hussey and his officiating crew in New England

There are few games this season, last season, this decade, and the last overall decade where referees determine games single handedly. Usually blaming officials for certain finals will make people roll their eyes and say it’s because of certain biases clouding judgement. Not Sunday. An extremely high number of serious viewers and analysts who closely studied Buffalo’s “comeback” win in New England Sunday are certain the referees both stole a win from the Patriots and were awful at making simple calls.

It seemed apparent early when New England dominated Buffalo that referee John Hussey and his sideline crew weren’t going to call many penalties. There was a belief by many that the referees would be biased against the Bills. The Patriots offensive line got away with some blatant holds on TreVeyon Henderson’s runs. Those rooting for Buffalo were probably most incensed when Kayshon Boutte made a 30 yard catch during New England’s first possession and there was no review for it being complete. Perhaps some audiences thought those weren’t too bad…until the second half.

Hussey and his fellow officials picked and chose what to penalize New England for the last two quarters. The problems began to show on Buffalo’s second possession of the third quarter where a Patriots stop on third and five should’ve been a field goal attempt. The referees called holding, and shortly after the Bills scored a touchdown and trailed by three. The following possession, veteran cornerback Tre’Davious White intercepted New England quarterback Drake Maye in what’s a clear defensive pass interference while a line judge looked directly at it. The non-call was bad, but what made it worse was the exact same thing happened two Bills possessions after when New England defensive back Marcus Jones intercepted Josh Allen. Not only did the referees call pass interference when Jones turned around to find the ball, they also ruled receiver Khalil Shakir miraculously caught the ball even though Jones had it in his hands. The referees somehow couldn’t differentiate between Shakir’s hands and arms wrapped around Marcus Jones’ head and throat, and what counts as a catch, or what was a penalty all in one play. The Bills got their second lead change and scored the last touchdown of the game three plays later.

The wildest part about this whole mess is how referee John Hussey has been viewed by many in past years as one of the most respected and honest NFL officials. So, when one of the most transparent and highly regarded referees and his crew blindly miss textbook illegal block in the back penalties on punt returns, Stefon Diggs being held on New England’s last possession of the game, and face-mask penalties on blatant pass interference calls, those are serious problems the league should address in specific detail. The fact that almost no major network or online sports site seriously covered the disturbing officiating issues in New England is an alarming indictment of so-called fair and objective sports broadcasting and journalism.

New York Giants

Some games didn’t have blatantly terrible officiating issues. Some featured cringe-worthy teams that make dumb decisions. New York has made terrible choices much of the season, and rushing starting rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart to play a meaningless divisional game against Washington was one more on a long list.

Dart didn’t play bad. He completed 20 passes for 246 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. However the Giants trailed the entire game. According to NFL insider James Palmer, Jaxson Dart has been evaluated for a concussion in half the games he’s played in, and missed two. Dart could have also played with more after effects from the most recent one. Somehow that didn’t matter to an interim head coach, staff or organization that’s in prime position for the first overall pick in the 2026 draft.

There continues to be serious questions about injury negligence and disturbing team decisions concerning playing injured or almost injured NFL players every week this season. The Giants’ organization is one of the biggest culprits and hasn’t been fined once despite putting multiple quarterbacks at risk. At some point it must stop because players like Jaxson Dart will get seriously hurt, and there will–again, be a massive uproar about why the NFL hasn’t been more strict with teams suspected of protocol violations.

Green Bay Packers championship aspirations

The conversation after week 14 was about how Green Bay controlled their destiny in the NFC North, was a valid championship contending team, and were hot at the best time. After Sunday’s deflating loss in Denver, none of that may be true by week 16.

Injuries devastated the Packers in a critical second half. The best addition of last offseason was linebacker Micah Parsons. Parsons tore his ACL on a Denver first down in the third quarter. He is done for the remainder of the season. That wildly, was not the only big injury Green Bay had. Receiver Christian Watson also left with a chest injury that left quarterback Jordan Love with no talented options to throw to most of the second half. Not surprisingly, the Broncos took advantage of the Packers injuries and sealed an easy win.

Today’s updates reveal Watson should return to practice before the next game or two, but Green Bay’s defense will be easier to attack. Chicago’s re-match with the Packers will be more favorable after Bears head coach Ben Johnson now knows how to attack them with the running game. Any opponent Green Bay plays will exploit and go after a more vulnerable defense without it’s biggest star and playmaker. Many believed the Packers could go on a championship run after the trade for Parsons from Dallas. That’s off the table with how many quality NFC teams have their stars fully healthy.

Next week’s Sunday Night Football

The last two of three Sundays have featured terrible night games. The poorly chosen ones featured at least one team out of the playoff race. The NFL chose not to flex them leading up to last Sunday night. During half-time last night in Dallas, NBC gleefully announced that instead of the audience being tortured with Miami versus Cincinnati, we would instead be treated to a groan-worthy New England versus Baltimore matchup.

Some readers may be confused with what the problem is. The issue isn’t New England and Baltimore getting featured, it’s how this late in the season, the NFL promised again to air the most quality games the closer we get to the playoffs. Green Bay versus Chicago should be seen by a whole, national audience. Not only does it fetch higher ratings (particularly in the nations’ third-largest media market), it has direct NFC North and conference implications everyone should have the chance to watch. Baltimore’s second game against Pittsburgh, which will determine who wins the AFC North, takes place the last Sunday of the regular season. Menwhile, the Ravens are unwatchable against serious contending playoff teams and have deserved audiences’ ire this year.

There have been a lot of perplexing decisions by commissioner Roger Goodell this season, but not using the power to flex second half regular season Sunday night games boggles minds since Goodell was the one who proposed and pushed for these ideas years ago.

NFL Week 13 Winners and Losers

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The last Sunday of November had fewer games but just as much entertainment compared to prior weeks. Upsets, injuries and comebacks led headlines and will be the focus as December begins. The playoff picture has never looked more crowded. It’s time to break down who or what stood out most; positively or negatively.

Winners: Davante Adams

A stunning loss in Carolina said a lot of things about Los Angeles. It appeared head coach Sean McVay and most of the Rams didn’t take the Panthers seriously. One player who did and played well all four quarters was wide receiver Davante Adams.

Adams had four catches on five targets for 58 yards and two touchdowns. His first score gave Los Angeles their first lead of the game and his second tied the game at 14. According to NFL Network’s GameDay Watch, Davante Adams became the fourth player in NFL history with 13+ reception touchdowns in at least four career seasons (the other three are Hall of Famers Jerry Rice, Terrell Owens and Randy Moss).

Davante Adams left Sunday tied sixth with San Diego Chargers tight-end Antonio Gates for all-time receiving touchdowns with 116. Adams will end up alone in sixth place some time this season. It’s cool to see that even in some down years, Davante Adams is still one of the best and most dangerous receiving threats a defense can face.

New York Jets

Not many people expected New York to go on a winning streak or have a span of winning football a month ago. The Jets end week 13 with three wins in their last four games. Their recent victory against Atlanta may be their best of the season.

New York battled hard against the Falcons. The Jets defense struggled against quarterback Kirk Cousins and runningback Bijan Robinson. However, New York’s offense kept the game close and even had a few leads. Receiver Adonai Mitchell stood out with eight catches for 102 yards and a touchdown. 52 of those went on the touchdown run he had in the first half to tie the game at 14.

Many viewers wondered if the Jets were the worst NFL team heading into November. Rookie head coach Aaron Glenn didn’t have a lot of talent to work with on the defense, and the offense struggled to dominate games and control the game clock. Glenn has turned things around from fiasco and hopeless to competent and optimistic. This time New York may have found their head coach of the future and are a team to keep an eye on the last month of the regular season.

Kimani Vidal

The Chargers have been battered at the running back position most of the season. They have needed someone to step up the last few weeks who can give quarterback Justin Herbert some relief when he isn’t throwing the ball and leading the offense. Los Angeles might have found a new gem Sunday in Kimani Vidal.

The sophomore back was the Chargers’ best player. Vidal ran 25 times for 126 yards and a touchdown. He also had a catch for eleven yards. Kimani Vidal made the game clock a constant issue for Las Vegas’ defense and helped Los Angeles keep the ball for nearly 36 minutes.

Head coach Jim Harbaugh promoted Vidal at the best time. After the Chargers win, news broke Sunday night that team star Justin Herbert will need surgery for a fractured hand. The surgery likely sidelines Herbert at least one week. Los Angeles must now rely on their running game to dominate offensive tempo and do most of the work against their next opponent, the Philadelphia Eagles. Get familiar with Kimani Vidal the next few games.

Losers: The second half Cleveland Browns

The 49ers and Browns played a slugfest first half Sunday afternoon. The score at halftime was 10-8. Both defenses were phenomenal, but both offenses made a lot of great plays. San Francisco pulled away in the second half because Cleveland committed a lot of blunders.

Offense and special teams kept turning the ball over. The Browns’ second possession ended in their territory after tight-end Harold Fannin Jr. fumbled a fourth down pass and 49ers linebacker Luke Gifford recovered. San Francisco had a short field to work with and scored a touchdown five and a half minutes later. The second major gaffe was a punt return fumble by returner Gage Larvadain at his own 18 yard line. The 49ers recovered the fumble and scored an easier touchdown minutes later (their two point conversion after the touchdown failed). The third and last major blunder was a turnover on downs by the offense next possession. San Francisco took enough time off the clock and added three more points from a 31 yard Matt Gay field goal. Cleveland officially lost when the offense committed another turnover on downs their last possession.

It’s torturous to watch the Browns take a step forward after finally finding a quarterback who can make the right plays in rookie Shadeur Sanders, but then take two steps back because of special teams and offensive errors and turnovers. Cleveland’s defense is Super Bowl caliber and will miss the playoffs again because the offense and special teams are among the NFL’s worst. What a shame.

Tyler Shough’s two point conversion attempt

New Orleans rookie quarterback Tyler Shough may be a great quarterback in the future. Shough has mostly kept the Saints competitive since he was named starter early November. For now, Tyler Shough still has a lot to learn and it showed Sunday in Miami.

The Saints rallied late Sunday afternoon and were two points away from tying the Dolphins at 19 and taking the game to overtime. Shough attempted a two point conversion pass, and it epically failed. Not only was the pass bad, it was easily picked off by veteran cornerback Minkah Fitzpatrick and returned for a Miami two point score. The final was 21-17.

In Tyler Shough’s defense, he is a rookie gaining more hands-on experience, and every quarterback learns the hard way not to force a bad throw in heavy defensive pass coverage to a competent receiver. Still, the loss stings and keeps the Dolphins in the playoff race.

Pittsburgh Steelers offense, especially Aaron Rodgers

Buffalo versus Pittsburgh was important for both teams Sunday. Although to many that’s obvious, both the Bills and Steelers are in tight division races and have been behind at least one opponent at some point this season. A game this important meant both offenses would have to play at a high level. Buffalo found offensive rhythm the longer the game went. Pittsburgh? Not so much.

The Steelers offense did nothing after runningback Jaylen Warren scored their only touchdown a few plays after linebacker Patrick Queen recovered a fumble from Bills quarterback Josh Allen. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers completed ten of 21 passes for 117 yards. Rodgers shouldn’t have played this game because he has three fractures in his left wrist. Both Rodgers and Pittsburgh knew this before Sunday, yet he still played. After a sack fumble from Joey Bosa in the second quarter, Buffalo got the lead and never trailed again.

The Steelers offense played even worse once backup Mason Rudolph replaced Rodgers. Rudolph completed one of his three passes–to the Bills defense. Aaron Rodgers had to close out a game with no hope of winning down by nine, and then by 16 points.

It’s another season where Pittsburgh goes through multiples crises on offense, while the defense and special teams are expected to keep games close. At some point, there must be massive changes because no one likes the offense the Steelers put on the field each week.

NFL Week Eleven Winners and Losers

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The eleventh week of the NFL season was both chaotic and fun by various turns. The upsets rocked not just the football world but the expected playoff pictures in both conferences. There is still a lot to process and breakdown because most fans and analysts didn’t expect so many storylines. It is time to break down the best and worst of week eleven.

Winners: Davis Mills

After C.J. Stroud IV was injured two weeks ago, many wondered if Houston could salvage their playoff chances with veteran backup quarterback Davis Mills named starter. Mills is now undefeated after both his starts. Those wins were both against divisional opponents.

Davis Mills completed 26 of 41 passes for 274 yards, a touchdown and a 90.9 quarterback rating. His scoring pass to receiver Nico Collins gave the Texans their first lead of the game. Mills also led two critical scoring drives in the fourth quarter to tie and then take Houston’s second and last lead.

The AFC South now has an opportunity to have two teams make the playoffs. The Texans winning two important division games without their starting quarterback keeps them in the postseason picture before December.

Sean Tucker

Tampa Bay’s controversial loss in Buffalo (more on that later) dampened a lot of positive talk on the Buccaneers’ running game. Since Bucky Irving’s absence for a few weeks, Tampa Bay couldn’t afford a one dimensional performance in a pivotal road game at Buffalo. A runningback like Sean Tucker had to step up and play well.

That is exactly what Tucker did. The sophomore had 19 carries for 106 yards and two touchdowns. He also had two catches for 34 yards and another score. Sean Tucker had 18 of the Buccaneers 32 points before the Bills pulled ahead and forced Tampa to commit more mistakes.

If the Buccaneers are going to have a solid playoff run, they need the running game to step up more. Sean Tucker brings a lot of skill and grit many teams covet in a starting back. Once Bucky Irving returns, Tampa Bay should use both to throw more teams off balance.

Pittsburgh Steelers

It has been a rough last four weeks for Pittsburgh. The Steelers were able to beat the NFL-best Colts, but lost to Cincinnati, Green Bay and Los Angeles. In all three losses, Pittsburgh’s defense gave up at least 25 points and the offense was either great or terrible. On Sunday, the good Steelers showed up.

Both quarterbacks Aaron Rodgers and Mason Rudolph combined for 243 yards, two touchdowns and a 112 quarterback rating. Runningback Kenneth Gainwell had seven catches on eight targets for 81 yards and both scores. The offense played well against a historically bad Bengals defense.

Pittsburgh’s defense played their best game of the season. While they sacked veteran quarterback Joe Flacco once, the Steelers gave up less than 200 passing yards. Safety Kyle Dugger sealed a win with an interception return for a touchdown late in the third quarter. Cornerback James Pierre also returned a Noah Fant fumble for a touchdown.

Many wonder if Pittsburgh can keep both their division lead and win the AFC North late in the season. If the Steelers heat up or play like they did Sunday, there is no doubt they win the division.

Mark Andrews

Baltimore’s second game against Cleveland was almost unwatchable. Any updates that appeared showed the Browns and Ravens in a slugfest. No matter which team won, it was a big deal if Baltimore tight-end Mark Andrews either scored or set the franchise record in receiving yards. He did both on Sunday.

Andrews broke former Raven great Derrick Mason’s receiving yards record with three catches for 32 yards. Given how tough Cleveland’s pass defense is, Mark Andrews wasn’t going to have a breakout performance. Yet he did clinch the record five plays into the game. Andrews also had the play of the game when he lined up for a Tush Push play, but faked the run up the middle, and ran for a 35 yard touchdown. It shocked audiences and sealed the Ravens fourth straight win.

Losers: Washington Commanders

Watching Washington play American gridiron football the past two weeks heading into week eleven was awful. Two playoff favorite teams went into the DMV and pummeled the Commanders. Washington dealt with serious injuries and ejections from fighting. Sunday’s loss in Madrid was another low, but in different ways.

Commissioner Roger Goodell decided audiences in Spain should be treated to a lowly Washington versus Miami matchup. In the first NFL game played in Iberia, the Commanders played the Dolphins to a deadlock until a breakout third quarter. Backup quarterback Marcus Mariota’s 20 yard touchdown pass to Deebo Samuels finally gave the team some hope and their first lead of the game.

Washington’s defense had a better game, but they gave up a tying touchdown to start the fourth quarter. Despite some breakout plays by Mariota the next two possessions, the Commanders couldn’t score because of a turnover on downs and a missed field goal attempt. That meant overtime. Miami intercepted Marcus Mariota the first play of overtime, and finished their only drive of the quarter with a field goal.

It’s one thing to get blown out two straight weeks in the worst ways possible. To go overseas and lose an unwatchable, close game against another bad team in overtime feels worse.

NFL referees, beginning with Alex Moore and his crew

Here it is. Overall officiating was a hot mess in most of Sunday’s games, but there was none worse than referee Alex Moore and his crew in Buffalo. Most pundits will laud Bills quarterback Josh Allen for his six touchdown performance and conveniently ignore certain parts of the game that led to some of those scoring opportunities.

The errors and bad calls started late in the second quarter. A questionable roughing the passer penalty on Tampa Bay gave Buffalo a fresh set of downs a minute left in the half. The Bills offense capitalized with a 52 yard touchdown three plays after. On the Buccaneers first drive of the second half, tight-end Cade Otton had a nine yard gain that was close to the first down marker. CBS’s J.J. Watt said it looked like a first down to him, and audiences saw the side and overhead views. It looked like a first down. Not only did the referees not look into the play past a digital camera measurement, head coach Todd Bowles let them off the hook by not challenging the play.

The most egregious call came late in the fourth quarter when the Buccaneers defense finally stopped a crucial Buffalo drive. On a third and four, Tampa Bay held the Bills to what should have been a field goal attempt. However, Alex Moore threw a flag for a facemask penalty, and that led to an automatic first down and 15 yards for Buffalo. Everyone who saw the replay all said the same thing: there was no penalty because the hands never went inside the mask. The defender’s hand hit the helmet screw on the side. Two plays later, Allen and the Bills scored another touchdown.

Yes, there are always calls with which viewers, refs and fans in the stands will disagree. Loudly. NBC and NFL broadcasters disagreed on referee Alex Kemp’s pass interference call on Detroit cornerback Rock Ya-Sin against Philadelphia receiver A.J. Brown late Sunday night that sealed an Eagles win. The call was considered so bad that Yahoo!’s Jay Busbee wrote an article on how receivers drawing pass interference calls is their revenge for the NFL’s complicated catch rules. John Hussey’s crew missed several holding calls in Los Angeles could have impacted Seattle’s last field goal attempt. When sports outlets like ProFootballNetwork show disproval over calls like Otton’s failed first down conversion, it can only make the audience’s distrust of the officials grow.

Jonathan Gannon

One would think after November ninth’s brutal loss in Seattle, head coach Jonathan Gannon may have found ways to inspire confidence against a division rival Arizona tends to play their hardest and best games against the following week. Apparently, Gannon did nothing to inspire confidence with his roster, since the Cardinals were blown out again in another embarrassing loss to San Francisco. This time it was at home.

The 49ers had a double digit lead for almost three quarters. While the score was terrible, the worst part for Arizona was the number of penalties. The Cardinals committed 17 penalties for 130 yards. According to Theo Mackie of the Arizona Republic, it was a new record in over a century of the team’s franchise history. Broadcaster Kevin Kugler said close to half-time that the Cardinals committed 13 in one half. The mistakes gave San Francisco more scoring opportunities and nullified touchdowns and positive plays for Arizona.

Two blowouts against division rivals certainly should have Jonathan Gannon on the hot seat and fighting for his job the remainder of the season. If the Cardinals can’t improve and continue playing like this heading into Christmas, there will be no doubt about Gannon’s job status.

Klint Kubiak

The same people who heaped praise on Bills quarterback Josh Allen for a six touchdown game and did not consider the officiating issues sound like same ones dumping vicious criticism on Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold for a four interception game without considering it wasn’t all on him. It is most certainly true Darnold’s four turnovers were a headache and held Seattle back in what may have been the most important NFC west divisional game all season. However, a lot of Seattle’s game plan should not have involved him throwing the ball on five step drop-backs or in shotgun formation.

Serious analysts said prior to Sunday’s game that the Seahawks dual running game and offensive line would determine which team won. Both areas have been serious concerns every time Seattle has played Sean McVay’s Rams. Backup center Olu Oluwatimi’s first start of the season was in the most important NFC West game this year. Offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak should have emphasized that runningbacks Zach Charbonnet and Kenneth Walker III get the ball two of every three downs. The running game is great for offensive linemen because they go into attack mode and lead with pushes against the defense. Two quality running backs make the ground game harder to stop. It also leads to play action passes (where the quarterback fakes the hand-off to runningbacks and then settles in to pass), which could have and should have been encouraged.

Kubiak also casually ignored high risk throws. Sam Darnold has thrown in triple and quadruple coverage a few times the last few games, and while accuracy and luck have bailed him out, that should have been stressed weeks ago. It wasn’t until the third quarter and the last two drives of the game that Darnold was more careful with the ball. Coincidentally, that’s when the running game got going and gave Los Angeles issues.

Seattle will regret not winning Sunday’s game for a lot of reasons. The possibility of rookie offensive guard Grey Zabel landing on injured reserve is season altering. If there had been a better offensive game plan from the offensive coordinator, a lot of upcoming issues would be non-existent.

Note: NFL’s Winners and Losers will not be published next week due to writer, editor and publisher personal reasons and necessary time off. Publications will resume around the conclusion of week 13.

NFL Week Six Winners and Losers

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Week six was full of eye-opening play and revealed who is closer to the playoffs. Conversely, some teams are close to preparing for the offseason. It’s time to break down the weekend’s winners and losers.

Winners: Bryce Young

Another slow regular season start for former number one overall pick Bryce Young had a lot of people wondering if head coach Dave Canales would bench him at some point. Those questions are shelved for the rest of October.

The third year quarterback had a rare, shootout win against the favored Cowboys. Every time Dallas’ offense scored, Bryce Young answered back with a scoring drive. Young completed 17 of 25 passes for three touchdowns and a 114.8 quarterback rating. His most impressive drive was the game’s last possession as he led Carolina’s offense down the field the remaining six minutes and seven seconds for kicker Ryan Fitzgerald to attempt a game winning field goal. Bryce Young completed three passes for 25 yards and used his intangibles and game intelligence to both position the spot for Fitzgerald’s game winning field goal and take maximum time off the clock each play.

This game is big for Young’s confidence as the first half of the season is nearly over. The Panthers are at .500 and are in position to be a dark-horse wild card team. More NFC teams are faltering and losing quality players to season ending injuries. As Bryce Young showed us last season, the more he plays, the better he gets. Carolina’s offense could be hard to stop by Thanksgiving.

The number one seeded Tampa Bay Buccaneers

If someone said Tampa Bay would be the NFC’s best team at the end of week six a week ago, many would have called it crazy. The Buccaneers sit atop their division and conference as the only team with one loss after six weeks.

Tampa played their most complete game Sunday in a dominant home win against another team with only one loss, San Francisco. After quarterback Mac Jones threw an interception to cornerback Kindle Vildor on the 49ers first possession of the game, the Buccaneers scored a touchdown on two plays. After San Francisco got their first lead in the second quarter, Tampa’s offense scored two straight touchdowns and went into half-time up four.

Head coach Todd Bowles called a great game for the defense. Besides the Vildor interception that helped the offense get in position for an easier opening game score, the defense inflicted nightmares on the 49ers offense. The Buccaneers sacked Jones five times and intercepted him once more. The blitzes Bowles threw at Jones and San Francisco’s offensive line showed audiences who controlled the game start to finish. Head coach Kyle Shanahan had no answers and at one point, offensive captain and tackle Trent Williams was so frustrated he picked a fight with Tampa Bay safety Tykee Smith and drew a personal foul.

The Buccaneers didn’t need a fourth quarter rally after quarterback Baker Mayfield found rookie Tez Johnson for a 45 yard touchdown to close out the third. Both the fans and analysts believe Mayfield is an MVP candidate given how poised, tough and bold Tampa Bay plays every game. As David Carr said on NFL Network’s Game Day Final, “There isn’t a team in the NFC that Tampa Bay thinks they can’t beat.”

Patrick Mahomes II

Baker Mayfield isn’t the only MVP favorite after Sunday night. Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes II had a good game against Detroit. The aggressive Lions defense played like rookies against the NFL’s most dangerous quarterback.

Mahomes completed 22 of 30 passes for 257 yards, three touchdowns and a 132.2 passer rating. He also ran ten times for 32 yards and another score. Patrick Mahomes found a way to complete at least one pass to eight different receivers, even when the Lions applied more pressure. The Chiefs last two offensive drives were the most important. Both went over 4:40 and ended any chance of a Detroit comeback. Mahomes found Hollywood Brown for the final touchdown of the game and made sure Harrison Butker was in position to make a 33 yard field goal before the two minute warning.

Viewers love the big plays Mahomes makes, but former NFL quarterback Tim Hasselbeck’s segment on ESPN’s Sportscenter with Scott Van Pelt shows why he’s the NFL’s best passer, especially against the league’s best teams. Kansas City had no penalties on offense or turnovers. Hasselbeck broke down Mahomes’ wits, throwing speed, reading the field and redzone decision making late Sunday night (for those who want to watch the analysis and fast forward past the game recap, start around the 1:30 mark). This offense will also get better each week.

Losers: Cam Little

Anyone who reads Winners and Losers knows at some point a kicker will be featured for the wrong reasons during the year (minus last week because of the odd injuries so close together). This year’s annual first kicker in the losers column award goes to Cam Little.

Little cost Jacksonville a home win Sunday against Seattle. He missed an extra point after the Jaguars scored the game’s first touchdown. The Seahawks scored 10 straight points and took the lead, but Jacksonville had a chance to close the deficit to one with a 50 yard field goal and one minute left before halftime. Since Cam Little’s in the losers section, you know how this went. Seattle then went down the field in 51 seconds and kicker Jason Myers made his field goal attempt.

Four points may not be a lot for new viewers, but when a team trails 20-6 to start the fourth quarter, it’s a problem. The Jaguars scored on a Trevor Lawrence 26 yard pass to Tim Patrick, but because Little missed important kicks earlier, Jacksonville went for two…and failed.

The difference between 20-12 and 20-17 came down to critical errors. Instead of a 52 yard field goal with under six minutes left in the game, the Jaguars punted. That was their best scoring chance before Seattle closed out the game a few possessions later. Even if Cam Little made one of his attempts, having an additional point or three would’ve helped Jacksonville’s patience and not play scattered near the end.

Baltimore’s last possession of the first half against Los Angeles

Baltimore suffered an awful home loss against the Rams Sunday. The turnovers, sloppy play and quarterback change showed how bad the Ravens are this season. However, one drive crystalized how bad it’s been not even two months into the season.

Baltimore’s offense was gifted a starting drive deep in Los Angeles territory late in the second quarter. The Ravens offense had to go 32 yards and score a touchdown for their first lead of the game. Baltimore got a first and goal at the Rams four yard line. The first and goal play wasn’t bad. Derrick Henry ran for three yards. One would think the next play or two would give the Ravens the touchdown.

But no. Instead, Baltimore decided to do two tush-push plays (when the ball is snapped to the primary ball carrier at a very close distance and an offensive player or two push the carrier forward through both offensive and defensive lines) with tight-end Mark Andrews. On paper, this should work. This season though, Baltimore hasn’t been good so of course, neither attempts worked.

That meant head coach John Harbaugh had to rely on his strengths as a former special teams coach and go for a…who am I kidding, he went for it on fourth down. This time the offense decided to hand the ball to their best player and runner Derrick Henry for the score. Henry was pancaked for a two yard loss by Los Angeles’ defense. The Ravens did not score the rest of the game.

Marvin Harrison Jr.

It has been a cruel start for wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr.’s Arizona Cardinals career. He wasn’t utilized well his rookie year in head coach Jonathan Gannon’s offense. His struggles continue this season.

Harrison Jr. left in the second quarter of Sunday’s game in Indianapolis due to a concussion. Backup quarterback Jacoby Brissett had a hard time finding open receivers and Indianapolis took advantage of the mistakes until Marvin Harrison Jr. got dinged up. After Harrison Jr. left the game, the Cardinals offense broke out. Arizona’s offense scored 17 of their 27 points in the second half.

Maybe Brissett and the offense found out what to fix at half-time. There was a late, controversial no-call on the Colts for defensive pass interference that led to a turnover on downs and sealed an Indianapolis win. One has to wonder if Harrison Jr. had been in for the play and final drive if it would have led to an easier decision and scoring play for the Cardinals offense. No matter what viewers think, almost everyone can agree Marvin Harrison Jr. has had one of the unluckiest timelines since Arizona drafted him.

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.

Mike Holmgren on Jamal Adams: ‘Sometimes you just have to eat the money’

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Seahawks strong safety Jamal Adams is rapidly approaching Clay Bennett levels of infamy on the Seattle sports scene. Adams came to the Seahawks in an ill-conceived trade in July of 2020, a deal which included sending two first-round draft picks to the Jets. Later, Adams signed what was at the time the richest contract for a safety in NFL history. Then, the injuries began taking their toll. Next, Adams got even worse in coverage. Finally, Adams started taking out his frustrations on beat reporters’ wives on Twitter.

Needless to say, fans have had about enough of No. 33 and are desperate to get rid of him this coming offseason, no matter the cost. It would be a considerable one, though. No team will take on Adams’ contract so the only way out is to cut him. However, that move would come with over $20 million in dead money over the next two years.

It’s a steep price to pay to get rid of a three-time Pro Bowl defender who’s still highly-effective around the box. Some folks think it’s worth it, though. That includes former Seahawks head coach Mike Holmgren. Speaking on 93.3 KJR radio yesterday, Holmgren said he had to release good players that were hurting the team and sometimes you have to eat the money.

Coach Holmgren on what the #Seahawks could or should do re: Jamal Adams:

“I’ve been in position where I’ve had to release good players that were hurting the team. And sometimes you just have to eat the money.”

On Pete and John re: Jamal:

“I trust them, they both have each…

— 93.3 KJR (@933KJR) December 13, 2023

Cutting Adams should probably be high on the team’s list of priorities once the offseason begins – but it can’t end there. Writing off Adams should be part of a larger shedding process of getting rid of burdensome contracts for veterans on the back end of Seattle’s defense. While Quandre Diggs is an excellent safety, he’s had a bad year. Soon to be 31 years old, cutting Diggs would also carry a brutal dead money penalty, but it would save $11 million in cap space for the 2024 season.

The Seahawks also have to consider a total reset at linebacker, where both Bobby Wagner and Jordyn Brooks are about to become free agents. Wagner will always be our favorite defender in franchise history, but he’s become a liability in coverage too often and re-signing him is probably not worth the investment considering his age and the team’s situation. Brooks is much younger and may be worth re-signing after his huge step forward this year – but there’s also a case for letting him walk and starting over with a couple of linebackers on rookie contracts.

Once the dead weight at linebacker and safety has been shed, the Seahawks need to shift whatever resources they have saved towards their offensive and defensive lines – which is the biggest obstacle between them and the contenders they’ve been losing to lately. Radically upgrading both sides of the line of scrimmage is a non-negotiable prerequisite for catching up with heavyweights like the 49ers, Cowboys, Ravens and Eagles.

Then again, we feel this team’s greatest problems are not on the field but rather in the booth and on the sidelines. We have a tremendous amount of respect for what Pete Caroll has accomplished and he’s still better than average at his job. That said, he’s out of his league against two much younger head coaches within his own division and the odds of returning to the Super Bowl after a 10-year layover are extremely slim. The Seahawks likely won’t get back to the top of the mountain unless they have somebody else leading them.