Tag: 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: 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.

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.

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. On the opposite end, some teams are close to preparing for the offseason. Time to break down the weekends winners and losers.

Winners: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

It’s been a hard, emotional week for anyone affiliated with the Tampa area. While they weren’t at home yesterday, the Buccaneers played to keep the divisional tie with Atlanta and for hometown pride.

Tampa Bay started hot with a 17 point first quarter. Starting quarterback Baker Mayfield threw his first of two touchdowns to Chris Godwin for an early lead. Less than two minutes later, safety Antoine Winfield Jr. recovered a Chris Olave fumble and returned it 58 yards for another touchdown.

New Orleans took the lead after a 27 point second quarter, but the Buccaneers got the lead back in the third with Godwin’s second score of the game. Tampa’s offense had a three touchdown, 20 point fourth quarter while the defense shut out the Saints offense in the second half.

The Buccaneers had to rebound after a wild, Thursday night loss almost two weeks ago. A strong second half against another divisional rival was important to stay in their first place tie with Atlanta. Tampa Bay’s schedule gets harder and they have to win more divisional games by playing well on all sides of the ball. That’s why the road win in New Orleans was important for the Buccaneers playoff chances.

Joe Flacco

What a wild chapter in Colts backup quarterback Joe Flacco’s career. He’s led Indianapolis to two wins in their last three games after sophomore starter Anthony Richardson’s been out with an oblique injury.

The Colts played a close game to divisional rival Tennessee. Late in the third quarter, Titans runningback Tony Pollard gave Tennessee the lead after a 23 yard touchdown run. Joe Flacco led a scoring drive the next possession and Indianapolis cut the deficit by four. Halfway through the quarter, the former Super Bowl champion quarterback threw the eventual game winning touchdown to Michael Pittman Jr. The Colts struggled last month to score in the fourth quarter of close games. The veteran quarterback completed a comeback win the second Sunday of October.

It’s hard to admit, but Indianapolis is a playoff contending team when Flacco’s under center. Receivers Pittman Jr., Josh Downs and Mo Alie-Cox play harder and run better routes when he leads the offense. Joe Flacco’s performances give the Colts a hard choice in who starts at quarterback when Richardson’s fully healthy.

Detroit Lions offense

The last game Detroit played before Sunday was a shootout home win over Seattle without an incomplete pass. What the Lions offense did Sunday against the Cowboys was almost better.

Detroit didn’t punt once in a dominant road win in Dallas. Quarterback Jared Goff wasn’t perfect (unlike his last Monday night performance), but he completed 18 of 25 passes for 315 yards, three touchdowns and a 153.8 passer rating. Goff was rewarded with rest late in the game as the Lions led by 38 points.

While Detroit’s passing attack shredded the Cowboys secondary, the runningback tandem of David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs combined for 24 touches, 143 yards and two touchdowns. Montgomery and Gibbs cut through the Dallas front seven for at least five yards a carry.

Offensive coordinator Ben Johnson’s creativity was the highlight of the game. Goff threw a flea flicker touchdown to tight-end Sam LaPorta early in the second quarter. Starting right tackle Penei Sewell would’ve had his first career touchdown if it wasn’t for two offensive linemen drawing an illegal downfield penalty (offensive linemen can’t go past one yard of the line of scrimmage unless the ball-carrier is further ahead). Left tackle Taylor Decker almost caught a few passes. Backup tackle Dan Skipper lined up as a wide receiver against the Cowboys secondary. Detroit preferred turning the ball over on downs late in the game than punting it back to Dallas. The Lions let backups at multiple positions seal the win. No team has a hotter offense than Detroit. The NFC north might be the league’s best division, but it’ll be hard for any of the three teams to get an edge over the Lions offense.

Losers: Bo Nix

Denver’s rookie quarterback has improved since the first two weeks of the season, but there will be games where he both looks like a rookie and part of an offense needing more offensive talent.

The Broncos offense was smacked around by the Chargers defense yesterday. Midway through the third quarter, Nix completed four of 14 passes for 27 yards. Los Angeles had a 23 point shutout lead before the fourth quarter and only sacked Bo Nix twice.

Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minster had a great game plan to confuse the rookie quarterback, but Nix could’ve ran the ball more instead of throwing forced passes off his back foot. Head coach Sean Payton will emphasize that throughout the week.

Johnny Hekker’s 15 yard punt

This is the first and should be one of the few times a punt makes the losers section. If there was a play to summarize the Panthers season, it would be this one.

Late in the second quarter, former All-Pro punter Johnny Hekker punted back to Atlanta when defensive lineman Zach Harrison partially deflected it. The punt went 15 yards. Falcons cornerback Clark Phillips III returned it for 15 yards. However, Atlanta was gifted more yardage after a holding penalty was called on Carolina. The Falcons offensive possession started at the Panthers 27 yard line. As one can guess, Atlanta scored a touchdown their last possession of the first half.

The NFL’s primetime scheduling

At least a few times a year, the NFL decides not to flex their primetime games. This leads to audiences complaining about terrible teams and match-ups shown on national broadcast t.v.

Thankfully, most people weren’t subjected to the horror that is the Jacksonville Jaguars in the early morning. That was cancelled out by the Sunday night atrocity that is the Cincinnati Bengals and New York Giants. The Bengals offense and Giants defense are fun to watch, but Cincinnati’s defense and New York’s offense are awful. It’s hard to have a good game when at least one side of the ball stinks.

It didn’t matter which team won Sunday night, the league should’ve flexed for the Washington-Baltimore matchup. Unlike the teams in the night game, both the Ravens and Commanders are near the top in their divisions. The NFL pushed to flex primetime games earlier in the season and somehow doesn’t act on this change despite having the power. It would be fun if the league could somehow flex next week’s game or the week nine matchup with Jacksonville before news outlets complain.

NFL Week Five Winners and Losers

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Week five in the NFL had a lot of thrills, surprises and hair-pulling moments. Some of the best games of 2024 were yesterday. Audiences are finding out which teams could be contenders and which ones could be one and done if they reach the playoffs. Here are this weeks winners and losers.

Winners: Shane Waldron

Chicago entered week five lucky to be at .500. The defense kept them in close games while the offense struggled to score. Part of that is because there’s a new offensive coordinator in Shane Waldron, number one overall pick quarterback Caleb Williams and a battered receiving core trying to improve every week. Sunday’s dominant home win against Carolina could be a turning point for Waldron’s offense.

Chicago dominated a lackluster Panthers defense. At one point the Bears scored four touchdowns on five first half drives. Williams threw two touchdowns to wide receiver D.J. Moore while running backs Roschon Johnson and D’Andre Swift ran for a touchdown (each). Chicago had a 20 point second quarter, almost securing a win before Carolina scored ten points.

The Bears offense is fortunate they play a few more easier defenses the next few months (and have a bye week soon). The NFC north is the best division so far and Chicago needs consistent scoring to keep up with their three rivals. That dominant win could be the start of something special for Shane Waldron’s offense.

Houston Texans

The best game Sunday was Houston’s home win versus Buffalo. It looked and felt like a playoff game. The Texans dominated until the third quarter. Buffalo then came back with two straight touchdowns and tied it late in the fourth quarter.

Houston didn’t panic. After the defense forced Bills quarterback Josh Allen to throw three straight incompletions at his own two yard line, sophomore quarterback C.J. Stroud IV led a quick game winning drive. Texans kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn drilled a 59 yard field goal as time expired and Houston got their fourth win of the season.

The Texans struggled at the end of September despite winning three of four games. Beating Buffalo at home after the Bills were embarrassed in Baltimore last Sunday night showed Houston’s maturity on every side of the ball. Head coach DeMeco Ryans had them prepared even if the Bills had a second half surge.

Brian Daboll and the New York Giants offense

New York went into Seattle without leading playmaker rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers and the offense gave up a 101 yard fumble return touchdown to Seahawks strong safety Rayshawn Jenkins their first drive of the game. The Giants could’ve let that affect their play and mentally given up after trailing, but the offense rebounded the next possession and tied it back at seven. New York didn’t trail the rest of the afternoon.

Head coach Brian Daboll’s had a lot of pressure to succeed after getting the Giants to the divisional round of the playoffs his first season. It hasn’t helped that New York’s front office fails to acquire and retain top roster talent. Daboll knows his team won’t be favored most Sundays and he’s used that to his advantage.

The Giants didn’t have starting runningback Devin Singletary, so Daboll decided Tyrone Tracy Jr. should start and be the main focus of the offense. Tracy Jr. ran 18 times for 127 yards, the offensive line played better and quarterback Daniel Jones played with more confidence. Jones’ two passing touchdowns gave the Giants a double digit lead until late in the fourth quarter.

New York has to scrape for every win this season, but they can feel good knowing their coach does his best each week.

Arizona Cardinals

Arizona was competitive in all but one of their September games. It was important they saw more progress under head coach Jonathan Gannon Sunday. The Cardinals always play San Francisco hard, even in blowout losses. Getting a late win in Santa Clara is big for both the team and the division.

At one point Arizona trailed by 13 after one half. They were down ten to start the fourth quarter, but a quick touchdown and two point conversion made it a two point game. After a late Chad Ryland 35 yard field goal, the Cardinals needed a defensive stand to get their second win of the season. Linebacker Kyzir White intercepted quarterback Brock Purdy and sealed Arizona’s victory.

The Cardinals win is big in the NFC west as they have the second place tiebreaker over San Francisco. Both Arizona’s wins are against division opponents. It got better as Los Angeles and Seattle lost their late afternoon games. Management has to feel optimistic after this weekend.

Losers: Cincinnati for playing conservative with a three point lead in the fourth quarter

Cincinnati’s most important game of the season might have been the overtime loss to Baltimore Sunday. The Bengals led by ten points multiple times and somehow couldn’t get the win. There were two critical possessions the Ravens offense scored while Cincinnati didn’t score on their last two. Many will blame the Bengals defense, but the offense came up short when it mattered most.

Cincinnati’s last possession of the fourth quarter was a quick, three-and-out series where franchise starting quarterback Joe Burrow was sacked and threw an incomplete pass. A nine yard run by Chase Brown got some yards back, but the Bengals had to punt the ball to Baltimore as time expired, forcing overtime. The Bengals wasted a minute and a half trying to end regulation instead of going down the field and getting a last second score.

After Cincinnati’s defense recovered a Lamar Jackson fumble in overtime, the Bengals decided to play conservative again and give kicker Evan McPherson a chance at a game winning field goal. That idea might have worked if the Bengals weren’t near mid-field. Three run plays went to Brown, who got three yards. McPherson missed a 53 yard field goal partly because his holder (the holder snaps and holds the ball in a way the kicker can attempt his best kick to score) botched the snap. Perhaps there would be no missed field goal attempt or botched snap if Cincinnati’s head coach Zac Taylor decided Burrow stay aggressive and play to win. The former number one overall pick threw five touchdowns and almost 400 yards. He could’ve gotten more than three yards on three plays.

Baltimore took advantage of the missed kick, did what the Bengals couldn’t and went down the field playing to their strengths. Ravens kicker Justin Tucker got the game winning field goal and again put Cincinnati three games under .500.

The Jerod Mayo experiment

It seemed the Patriots head coaching hire of former champion linebacker Jerod Mayo was good the first two weeks of the regular season. New England played hard those first two weeks and got an upset win over Cincinnati. After week two, the Patriots scored 26 points the last three games. All three were losses.

Sunday was a low-point for Mayo. The anemic Miami Dolphins offense couldn’t do anything right until late in the fourth quarter. After Alec Ingold’s three yard touchdown run (Miami didn’t convert their two point attempt), New England had two possessions to get a touchdown and win the game. The Patriots ran 14 plays for 99 yards in under seven minutes. They didn’t score a point.

The Dolphins are one of the league’s worst teams with or without starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. New England couldn’t beat them at home despite leading most of the game. This is going to be an ugly rest of the season for the Patriots.

Las Vegas Raiders

Anyone who’s kept up with the AFC west knew Denver would snap their almost-five year losing streak against divisional opponent Las Vegas at some point. Many believed that when the Broncos beat the Raiders, it wouldn’t be lopsided. They were wrong.

Vegas started strong and led by ten after the first quarter. The game flipped when Denver cornerback Pat Surtain II intercepted Gardner Minshew II and ran for a 100 yard touchdown. The Broncos stayed aggressive after that score and the Raiders had no answers. Head coach Antonio Pierce’s frustration with the offense led to Minshew’s fourth quarter benching for backup Aidan O’Connell.

The loss wouldn’t be as bad if it weren’t for the rising drama the last few weeks. From Pierce calling out his coaches and players in the media to Davante Adams publicly asking for a trade to a playoff contending team, the franchise is a mess top to bottom and it’s impacting on-field decisions. The Raiders getting crushed to a divisional opponent they’d swept almost five straight years is another deflating time for the franchise.

That awful interception Jordan Love threw to Jaylen McCollough

Green Bay quarterback Jordan Love had a great road win in Los Angeles, but it wasn’t perfect. Love threw an interception seconds before the two minute warning that gave the Rams optimism. At first, it appeared Love would take a safety, which is bad enough because Los Angeles quickly pressured him. However, Love threw an interception to Rams safety Jaylen McCollough. McCollough easily toe-tapped his way into the endzone. The defensive scoring play is a quarterback’s worst nightmare. Hopefully Jordan Love doesn’t recreate this moment the rest of the year.

NFL Week Four Winners and Losers

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What an exciting week four. An All-Pro linebacker scored his first NFL touchdown, Cincinnati got their first win of the season and two teams remain undefeated after four games. The last Sunday of September delivered surprising results and some exciting divisional matchups. Here’s what stood out at the end of the month.

Winners: Sean Payton

Denver had the ugliest win but it wasn’t possible without head coach Sean Payton keeping the team focused. At one point rookie quarterback Bo Nix had seven completed passes for minus seven yards in the first half. Thankfully the Broncos trailed by six points and played better the second half.

The 12th overall pick threw his first career touchdown to wide receiver Courtland Sutton in the third quarter, taking a brief one point lead. On defense, Denver’s front seven dominated and the secondary was perfect. Jets kicker Greg Zuerlein missed a 50 yard field goal to end the game after the Broncos special teams goaded New York’s long snapper into messing up the snap before the kick. It was the first loss of quarterback Aaron Rodgers’ career where he didn’t throw a touchdown.

This is where having a head coach who’s been in the league for decades became a positive. Payton had the Broncos ready to play even if the rookie quarterback and offense had few bright spots. Denver’s still building and finding what identities they want on all sides of the ball, but it’s easier to find and work with after winning two straight games against quality playoff opponents.

Fred Warner

Until he left the game with an ankle injury, San Francisco’s star middle linebacker and defensive captain Fred Warner was an early candidate for league MVP. This was one of Warner’s best months of his career, and that’s saying how great he’s been since leading head coach Kyle Shanahan’s defense to the Super Bowl five years ago.

The 49ers all but sealed a win in a dominant first half against New England. Fred Warner intercepted a tipped Jacoby Brissett pass and ran it back 45 yards for the first touchdown of the game. It was Warners first score of his professional career. He also had an important pass deflection that could’ve been intercepted and recorded seven tackles in one half.

San Francisco’s banged up on offense with a lot of injuries to star players, but the team is at .500 because Warner and the defense kept them in one score games or held double digit leads. Let’s hope he’s not out long.

The Washington Commanders offense

The 2024 Washington offense might be one of the best in the NFL. The Commanders ended September scoring at least 20 points a game. At one point they scored on 16 straight drives (excluding game ending kneeldowns) and continue to set league scoring records without giveaways.

It starts with offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury. The former Cardinals coach wanted revenge for getting fired less than two years ago. He made sure Washington never let up whether by pass or run. Rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels completed 26 of 30 passes for 233 yards, a touchdown and a 96.3 quarterback rating. His 82.1 completion percentage is the best through four games of a season (minimum 40 attempts) and his 218 rushing yards is the second-most by a quarterback through four games of a season (via NBC’s Football Night in America). Daniels played almost two perfect football games in six days and is a big reason Washington has first place in the NFC east.

It’s not just the Kingsbury-Daniels tandem looking stellar. Brian Robinson had another 100 yard performance in Arizona and a touchdown. The receiving duo of Olamide Zaccheaus and Terry McLaurin could be one of the NFL’s best. Veteran tight-end Zach Ertz remains one of the league’s best red zone threats. Opposing defenses will struggle to stop this offense all four quarters the rest of this season.

Losers: Philadelphia Eagles

Philadelphia was hard to gauge this month. They either won close games, or found ways to lose at the worst times. Sunday they were beaten in the same way the Buccaneers eliminated them last postseason. Tampa Bay’s offense racked up over 400 yards and four touchdowns. At one point the Eagles were down 24-0 before a late, Parris Campbell one yard touchdown in the second quarter.

Philadelphia’s inconsistency is mostly on the coaching staff and offense. While right tackle Lane Johnson and receivers A.J. Brown and Devonta Smith have missed time due to injuries, the regression continues for quarterback Jalen Hurts since the Super Bowl loss to Kansas City. Linebacker Lavonte David forced Hurts to commit another fumble on a promising third quarter drive. It didn’t help that new starting center Landon Dickerson watched the fumble happen and didn’t do anything to recover the ball. Still, Jalen Hurts led an offense that had zero yards six minutes left into the second quarter. Tight end Dallas Goedert and receiver Jahan Dotson are great targets Hurts hasn’t built more chemistry with in Brown and Smith’s absences. Finally, head coach Nick Sirianni didn’t use his running backs as much as he should’ve after the first possession and the Eagles never had a chance.

Thankfully Philadelphia gets their bye week and has more time to get healthy and fix the offensive issues. The Eagles better fix their mistakes on every side of the ball and find ways to get back to their 2022-2023 Super Bowl form or the season will be over before Thanksgiving.

Cleveland Browns offense

There’s no worse disaster after September than the Browns offense. Not only is franchise quarterback DeShaun Watson losing the off-field reputation battle (he’s now being sued by multiple women yet again for sexual assault), he’s definitely lost the top value talent he had before his 2021 Houston hiatus. They’re third worst in yards per game and lead the league in drops. It’s been a nightmare start for a team picked by many to make the playoffs.

Cleveland went to Vegas a week after backup quarterback Andy Dalton shredded the Raider defense. Watson and the offense started fast, scoring ten points on their first two possessions. The Browns ran 21 plays for 87 yards in 12:44. The last three quarters? Nothing. Cleveland’s defense had their lone second half score after Vegas runningback Zahir White fumbled the ball and safety Rodney McLeod Jr. returned it for a touchdown. The Browns thought they had a lead on Amari Cooper’s 82 yard touchdown, but that was called back due to a holding call on center Nick Harris. Cleveland’s offense mustered 98 yards before their last possession of the game. They lost when Watson was sacked on fourth down trying to find one of his receivers double covered in the Raiders endzone.

It’s not like Watson and head coach Kevin Stefanski don’t have talented players to help out. Receivers Jerry Jeudy and Cooper are almost non-existent. Runningback Jerome Ford isn’t a starting runningback who can handle a constant workload, and Elijah Moore isn’t a deep field threat.

There’s a lot of blame to go around from the organization to the offensive coaches. Head coach Kevin Stefanski isn’t getting the most out of the available talent. Not only is the Browns offense worse than last year’s, they make opposing defenses like Vegas’ (without defensive captain and star pass rusher Maxx Crosby) look great. It might be time to start trading players before the week nine deadline.

Any team in the AFC that thinks they’ll get past Kansas City

You’d think a Chiefs team dealing with all kinds of offensive injuries would get smacked around by opposing defenses each Sunday. Somehow head coach Andy Reid finds ways for his offense to score more than expected.

Starting quarterback and face of the franchise Patrick Mahomes II accidentally injured go-to receiver Rashee Rice’s knee with his elbow (in what could be a season ending injury) and it didn’t matter. Tight end Travis Kelce and rookie receiver Xavier Worthy combined for ten catches and 162 yards. The runningback duo of Kareem Hunt and Samaje Perine had 19 touches for 83 yards. Both will get better with more playing time and running behind the interior offensive line.

The other 15 teams in their conference can’t get out of their own way. Baltimore and Los Angeles are two teams that could end Kansas City’s Super Bowl three peat run, but they’ve both lost to them a month into the season. The Chiefs are the lone undefeated team in the AFC after September.

There’s a lot of football left to be played and anything could happen the next three months. Injuries usually factor who goes up or down in the standings. Yet it must be deflating for a lot of teams to realize they can’t beat Kansas City no matter the circumstances.