NFL WEEK 9
In a year that has felt like an eternity and a week that has felt like an eternity, we needed a break. We needed a day that could bring us to the sport that we collectively love. The NFL has surpassed the halfway point and we started to see the top teams in both conferences float to the top. Week 9 gave us some dud games but enough exciting games to remind us why we keep coming back every week to this sport.
Panthers-Chiefs
The Carolina Panthers confuse me. They are 3-6 now, yet somehow I am ready to buy into the belief that Matt Rhule has turned this team around. They were ten-point underdogs and only lost by two. The Panthers somehow have been in almost every game they have played this season and were leading this game 14-6 early on. Is this Matt Rhule’s doing or maybe Teddy Bridgewater is good enough to keep the Panthers in every game they play (we will find out as the season continues)?
The Chiefs, on the other hand, make us wonder whether they were playing down to the Panthers or reminding us why they are still the best team in the NFL. As much as I detest the comparison, I can see why someone would compare the Mahomes-era Chiefs to the Golden State Warriors of the previous decade. The Chiefs are able to beat you in any given quarter with just a barrage of scores. The Chiefs have a sneaky-good defense and a team full of stars that make you wonder how they can afford to keep the unit together. Sunday’s game reminded us that the Chiefs don’t need to play their best in order to win, they just need to play in their top gear.
Broncos-Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are doing what many experts feared they would do. After firing Dan Quinn in the midst of a winless season, the Falcons started to win a string of games and are currently 3-6. The big nightmare in my opinion is for this team to finish 7-9 and eliminate any possibility of rebuilding through the draft. In a hard-fought win on Sunday, we saw the strategy of punting for next season slip away once again. The end of this season may boost the morale of the Falcons players and fans but it will lead to Matt Ryan staying another year, Julio Jones being kept for another season instead of being traded for a plethora of draft picks, and so on.
The Broncos almost reminded us of who they truly are. They didn’t fool anyone by defeating a Chargers team that is just bad at football on the last play of last week’s game. This is a Broncos team that can possibly run the table and push for the playoffs, but this game gives anyone doubt of that being a real possibility.
Giants-Washington
It almost feels like a waste of time to talk or even think about the game that happened between these two teams. This truly felt like a rerun of Week 6 with the Giants barely winning the battle but certainly losing the war. The only addition to this game is another season-ending injury to a Washington quarterback. The way Kyle Allen went down early on in this game you’d have to wonder how cursed this franchise is. Once again, the Giants won and in a useless game that doesn’t change anybody’s opinion of the team, they still stink.
Texans-Jaguars
The Jaguars seem to have figured it out. Like many of us, the Jaguars are punting in 2020 and preparing for 2021. The extent that this team looks done for this season involves them starting a quarterback I never knew existed. The only question that I have is if they will just start making up names and putting those players at quarterback. History can be made with this team as they can accidentally lose their first game only to lose their next 15. The Texans showed up and won their second game, it’s a shame that their only wins have come against the Jaguars (they also have not had the best of years).
Seahawks-Bills
I believed that the Seahawks were still the best team in the NFC after last week. This is despite the continuous proof that they don’t have a secondary that can stop any passing attack whatsoever. Once again, I have to doubt my own belief in the Seahawks. Josh Allen carved the weak secondary throughout Sunday’s contest. The odd part about Sunday’s games is that most of the top teams in the NFC lost today. It makes you wonder if everyone just had a bad game or if the conference is doomed in a potential Super Bowl matchup.
The Bills with this win have me scratching my head. I believe they are good and likely to be one of the top teams come playoff time. At the same time, we’ve seen Josh Allen almost flip the switch and make the worst decisions at quarterback. We’ve also seen the Bills look like college teams when they faced top teams like the Titans or the Chiefs. We must watch the next few games of the Bills to get a clearer understanding of the team as they are ready to prepare for January and the playoffs.
Ravens-Colts
The Ravens winning this game should come as no surprise. They barely lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers last week who have been the best team in the AFC record-wise. In addition, they tend to have great rebounds following losses. The surprise is the way the Ravens won this game. This team has won games this season with their defense rather than the offense which was assumed would carry them this season. A defensive touchdown and only holding the Colts to 10 points will be enough regardless of how the offense performs. The Ravens may have taken a step back this season but it is minor when you consider how the defense has continued to look better than last year’s group. The Colts have become a predictable team over the past few weeks. They will beat the easy opponents on their schedule but lose to anyone who is a playoff team.
Lions-Vikings
I am starting to believe in something I didn’t want to accept. Matthew Stafford isn’t going to be the future in Detroit. Stafford was good and has one of the best arms in the league. Unfortunately, the ceiling leaves the Lions with little upward mobility. Two interceptions and not being able to finish the game might be an indicator that time is running out. The Vikings are starting to salvage their season in the sense that job security became one win safer. I don’t know if Kirk Cousins will be back next year. The same can be said about half of the defense, but the Vikings aren’t trying to play for a top draft pick.
Bears-Titans
When you have two pilots, you have none. This operation has been a success but the patient is dying. Whatever metaphor you want to use, the Bears starting two quarterbacks is essentially starting zero quarterbacks. The season is slipping through the hands of this team. At the rate of their current success, you wonder if the Bears will even finish .500. I don’t know if Matt Nagy wants to start Mitch Trubisky now. But the next move is almost a guaranteed disaster waiting to happen (just like this season).
The Titans are back on course. They almost needed to play the Bears to get back on track. This was a Titans team that was coming off one of the worst losses possible last week. This win reminds us that the Titans are a good team but like the Bills, raise concerns when it comes to the big stage. I like Ryan Tannehill, but can he win a playoff game if he needs to throw the ball 25 times? I like Derrick Henry but can the Titans still succeed if the opposing defenses place eight men in the box? The Titans will need to figure out these small issues in their quest to return the AFC prominence.
Raiders-Chargers
One has to start to feel almost empathetic towards the Chargers. Another game that comes down to the final play, another game that the Chargers lose. I have been convinced that the Chargers are a genuinely bad football team but they have proven that if they had one or two plays go their way in every game, they would be undefeated. The optimism is there, Justin Herbert looks great and the Chargers can be a force next year. The problem is they threw a fade at the goal line. The goal-line fade is considered the worst in the offensive playbook.
The Raiders are now 5-3. It’s games like these, games that you are supposed to win, and then claw away with a victory that makes you a playoff team. The Raiders aren’t great, they don’t have a great offense and don’t have many game-changers on defense. Yet, this team is good enough to crawl into the playoffs when it’s all said and done. The Raiders will have a telling schedule but there is more than enough reason to believe they can get the job done.
Cowboys-Steelers
Once again, we wonder how a win can feel like a loss. The undefeated Steelers played down to the Cowboys for the entire game. This is a team that was 14.5 point favorites and by all metrics was supposed to blow out the lowly Cowboys. The Steelers somehow won this game in the final quarter with two touchdowns to take the lead. This game raised more questions for the Steelers as they are becoming serious Super Bowl contenders. I know they beat the Ravens last week in one of the games of the year. The problem is if they play Kansas City. How do they expect to hold Patrick Mahomes when they struggled early on against the fourth-string quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys.
Dolphins-Cardinals
It felt weird realizing that this was a more desirable late game than the Cowboys-Steelers contest. The Dolphins have become one of the best teams in the AFC (which confuses us to an extent). Meanwhile, the Cardinals have been one of the more exciting teams in the NFL.
This game was interesting as it reminded us of the Tua-Kyler contrast from college. Kyler Murray had a historically great game with three passing touchdowns and 100 yards on the ground with a rushing touchdown. Tua Tagovailoa once again didn’t have mind-blowing stats but was efficient enough to carry out the victory and use the help around him to fuel the win.
The Dolphins are now 5-3 and the more I watch this team, the more I believe in them. They made the moves in the off-season to make them competitive and now we see a good roster that can sneak into the playoffs.
Saints-Buccaneers
This game was a referendum on Tom Brady and Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ hype. This was a team that was considered the best team in the NFC entering this game and looked anything but. The Bucs had every go wrong for them but the game reminded us why we can’t sleep on the Saints. The Saints offense seemed to find its groove with Michael Thomas back and Drew Brees was not missing on almost any of his dropbacks. What made this win more decisive is how the Saints defense is constructed. The defense is built to win on obvious passing downs. With an early lead, the Bucs aborted the running game and fell right into the Saints trap. I won’t say that the Saints are suddenly Super Bowl worthy. Yet, they reminded us this week that they are one of the top teams in the NFC.
