We are entering week 9 and officially into the second half of the NFL season. We are in the middle of the World Series, and Madison Square Garden was sold out over the weekend for a non-sporting event… In John Lennon’s song, “Nobody Told Me”, there is a line where he sings…” Strange days indeed”…INDEED.
Again, a team that many consider to be the no.1 team in the league falls to a lesser team. In what I consider to be the biggest upset of the season, the Browns defeated the Ravens 29-24. A big winner this week is Browns QB Jameis Winston, who was 27-41 with 334 yards and three TDs. Conversely, this was a horrible loss for the Ravens. They probably weren’t going to chase down the Chiefs for the no.1 seed in the AFC, but this all but guarantees it.
On Thursday night, the Rams pulled off a mild upset at SoFi Stadium, defeating the Minnesota Vikings and handing them their second consecutive loss of the season. It’s amazing what a good QB can do when he has his weapons. Stafford went 25 for 34 with 279 yards and four TDs.
This was a big win for the scrappy Cardinals and a textbook victory for Murray. He went 26 for 36 with 307 yards and two TDs. The Cardinals have now won two in a row and are now 4-4 on the season.
The Patriots were behind 13-7 at the half to the Jets, and their starting quarterback, Drake Maye, left the game with a concussion. Enter Brissett. They managed to pull the upset at home, scoring 18 second-half points. In that half, Brissett went 15 for 24 and 132 yards.
Hurts was an efficient 16-20 with 236 yards and a TD. He also rushed for 37 yards and three rushing TDs. This is great for his fantasy owners, and it was a big win for the Eagles, making them 5-2 on the season and keeping them a half-game behind the Commanders. But I have to believe that at some point, the man they pay to score those rushing TDs, RB Saquon Barkley, is going to have an issue with Hurts’ tush getting pushed so frequently into the endzone.
Goff has been amazing in so many ways this season. This week, he managed to have a dominant game, only passing for 85 yards and completing 12 passes. Three of those competitions were for TDs. The Lions are now 6-1.
With the injuries to Tampa Bay’s receiving core, this is Atlanta’s division to win. They took a giant step towards that goal this week with their victory over those Buccaneers. They are now ahead of them and three games ahead of the New Orleans Saints. On Sunday, Cousins went 23-29 with 276 yards and four TDs.
In many seasons, Nix would be the favorite to win the Rookie of the Year award. This year, he’ll be lucky to crack the top three. Even still, he has led the Broncos to a 5-3 record and smack dab in the heart of the AFC playoffs. On Sunday, he completed 28 out of 37 passes for 284 yards and three TDs.
What better day for the tight ends around the league to go off than National TE Day? It can’t be a coincidence; the offensive coordinators around the league had to get together, didn’t they?
After Kelce, many in the league feel McBride is the second-best TE in the league. Although I don’t think he’s quite there yet, he’s definitely in the top 7 and possibly top five. On Sunday, he caught nine passes for 124 yards.
LaPorta has had a down year but has the talent to be the heir apparent as the next great TE. On Sunday, he caught six passes for 48 yards and a TD.
Pitts was the former heir apparent but has never quite lived up to the hype or talent. But he’s still young and has a great QB getting him the ball. He caught four passes for 91 yards and two TDs on Sunday.
When I see Kelce, I think of the late great Toby Keith’s song, “I may not be as good as I once was, but I’m as good once as I’ve ever been.” He looked like the “old” Kelce (not old Kelce), catching ten passes for 90 yards and a TD.
And now the Godfather of TE DAY, George Kittle, it wouldn’t be TE Day unless Kittle went off. He caught six passes for 128 yards and a TD.
The Vikings have now lost two in a row, and the Vikings are looking mortal…and QB Sam Darnold is looking like he did when he saw ghosts with the Jets.
Speaking of the Jets, QB Aaron Rodgers is beginning to look like Darnold and Zach Wilson circa their NYJ years. Put a cork in the team this season, and quite possibly Rodgers for his career. He got his HC fired, and that didn’t help, and he lobbied to get Davante Adams, and that hasn’t helped either. The team is now 2-6 and in the hunt for the No. 1 draft pick in the 2025 draft.
In something Boomer Esiason has said he’s never seen before, QB Anthony Richardson tapped his helmet, a move often seen by RBs to leave the field for a breather. Maybe he was gassed, but maybe losing and only completing 10 out of 32 passes contributed to his exhaustion.
Without DK Metcalf on the field, QB Geno Smith looked lost at times, and no other WR stepped up. The result was a 31-10 drubbing by the Buffalo Bills. This is the spot where Tyler Lockett normally rises to the occasion, but he could only muster one catch for nine yards.
Owner Jerry Jones has threatened the jobs and livelihoods of radio hosts he’s had weekly interviews with. It’s time for him to actually take the job of someone: his HC, Mike McCarthy. There is still time to salvage the season, but time is running out fast. They are now 3-4 on the year and in desperate need of some spark. Before it’s too late, Jones has to wake his team up…and although it may not be all McCarthy, there is an old adage that says you can’t fire the whole team. Does anyone have Bill Belichick’s phone number?
