Well, there were definitely some intriguing games and scenarios, and a couple of surprises, in yesterday's NFL games.
The biggest surprise, I think by far, was how the Tamp Bay Buccaneers lit up the previously unbeaten L.A. Rams, ultimately scoring 55 points on them. But that was not the only surprise. Another Florida team, the Jacksonville Jaguars, came from a 17-3 deficit in Denver to ultimately steal one away from the Broncos, securing the win with a field goal on the final play, as time expired. The Raiders also surprised people with an upset win on the road at Indy, while the Texans also lost in a surprise at home to Carolina.
There is one division where every team sports an identical 2-2 record, which means that each team in that division is tied for both first and last place.
Several unbeaten teams were handed their first loss yesterday. These included the Lions and the Bills, both of whom lost to other undefeated teams. Dallas lost to New Orleans. I already mentioned the Rams, and of course, the Packers lost to the Eagles, ending their perfect start at 3-0.
So, as we enter October, there are now only a few undefeated teams left. There are two teams in the AFC with perfect records, the Pats and the Chiefs. No surprise there.
In the NFC, the 49ers are still unbeaten and now alone atop the NFC West, despite not having played a game yesterday. They are also the only remaining undefeated team in the NFC.
As for the winless teams, we are still awaiting the results for tonight's match-up between the Steelers and Bengals. But the Jets, who were off, also have yet to win, as do the Dolphins, the Broncos, Washington, and Arizona, although it should be noted that the Cardinals managed a tie against the Lions, at least.
So, what happened in this somewhat bizarre week of NFL play? Let's take a close look at each game:
N.Y. Giants 24, Washington 3 - Yes, Big Blue actually won a second game in a row, which is a rare treat. They managed an upset win at Tampa Bay last week, and follow that up with a thoroughly dominant performance in beating division rivals Washington. Combined, Washington quarterbacks had less than 150 total passing yards, and suffered four INT's. Their rushing game did not fare much better. Meanwhile, Daniel Jones completed 23 of 31 passes for 225 yards, with one touchdown and two picks. He had an impressive game overall. Wayne Gallman, starting in the place of injured back Saquon Barkley, collected 63 yards and one touchdown on 18 carries. The G-Men held the ball for over 36 minutes, dominating the time of possession battle, and outgained Washington's offense by more than 200 yards. Really, it was the perfect way to follow up on last week's win at Tampa Bay, as New York not only earns their second straight win, but remains tied for second in the division with Philadelphia. My pick: Accurate
New England 16, Buffalo 10 - This was one of the big showdowns this weekend, and it probably does not come as a surprise that New England managed to win. However, they struggled, particularly on offense, as that Bills defense is proving to be an elite unit week in and week out. Tom Brady only completed 18 of 39 for 150 yards, with no touchdowns and one interception. Sony Michel added 63 yards on 17 carries, but this was hardly a glorious day for the Pats, offensively. However, on a day when New England certainly needed to play sharp on defense, their D produced the desired results. Yes, Buffalo's offense was also largely grounded, as Josh Allen only completed 13 of 28 for 153 yards, and suffered three INT's. Matt Barkley completed 9 of 16 for 127 yards, and also had one pass picked off. Frank Gore was strong on the ground attack, collecting 103 yards on 17 carries. Buffalo's offense actually was far more productive than New England's, winning the time of possession battle, gaining 375 yards to just 224 for the Patriots, while the Bills earned more than double the amount of first downs that New England had. Really, it was the turnovers which ultimately sank Buffalo, and knocked them from the ranks of the undefeated teams, as they fall to 3-1, and in second place now behind the Pats in the AFC East. The Patriots, meanwhile, are now alone in first place, having beaten each team in their division at least once, and showing that they can win in more ways than one, either by winning in a shootout, or by overwhelming their opponents with dominance on both offense or defense or, as in this game, winning a low-scoring, physical slugfest. A solid win for them, even if it looked ugly. My pick: Accurate
Kansas City 34, Detroit 30 - This was another great and close game, but one which, ultimately, went the way that most people probably expected it to. Yes, the Chiefs won, although they did it in a different fashion than they are used to doing it. Patrick Mahomes did not have his usual brilliant day, yet he did enough to help his team ultimately earn the win. Mahomes completed 24 of 42 passes for 315 yards, but did not throw a single touchdown, which is a rarity for him. This was a dangerous game for KC, and there were five lead changes in the second half alone. But Kansas City survived tough scare on the road, and ultimately handed Detroit their first loss of the season to remain unbeaten at 4-0, tied with only the Patriots as the two remaining undefeated teams in the AFC. The Lions, meanwhile, fall to 2-1-1, and are in third place, half a game behind the Bears and Packers in first, and one game ahead of 2-2 Minnesota. My prediction: Accurate
Cleveland 40, Baltimore 25 - Now, here was a result that I was not expecting. Baker Mayfield completed 20 of 30 for 342 yards, with one touchdown and one INT. Cleveland running back Nick Chubb had an incredible day on the ground, gaining 165 yards and three touchdowns on 20 carries, as the Ravens could not stop him, and had no answers for the impact he was having. All in all, the Browns gained 530 yards on offense, far more than the Ravens could produce. Baltimore's Lamar Jackson completed 24 of 34 passes for 247 yards, with three touchdowns, but also two interceptions. Both teams are now 2-2, and tied for first in the AFC North, although as of right now, Cleveland would own the tiebreaker by virtue of this head-to-head win. My prediction: Inaccurate
Oakland 31, Indianapolis 24 - Another rather stunning result, one that was admittedly not foreseen by me, at least. The Raiders jumped ahead early and kept managing to stay more or less just ahead of the Colts, who ultimately, and rather surprisingly, fell short at home. Derek Carr completed 21 of 31 passes for 189 yards and two touchdowns, helping guide Oakland's offense to a productive day, and earning the second win of the season for the old silver and black. Jacoby Brissett completed 24 of 46 for 265 yards, with two touchdowns and one INT for Indy, in an effort that ultimately fell short. Both teams are now 2-2, and the Colts are in a four way tie for first (and last) in the AFC South. The Raiders remain two games behind KC for first in the AFC West, but they are tied with the Chargers for second place. My prediction: Inaccurate
Tennessee 24, Atlanta 10 - Well, I think it might be panic time for the Falcons, who look on the edge of yet another lost season. They still have some tremendous talent on the team, especially on offense. But it appears that this era for Atlanta might be defined by the Super Bowl collapse that they never really seemed to have gotten past. The Titans managed a huge road win, earning it in what is often a loud and tough place for road teams. Marcus Mariota completed 18 of 27 for 227 yards and three touchdowns. Meanwhile, Matt Ryan completed 35 of 53 for 397 yards for Atlanta, but threw no touchdowns or interceptions. This was a solid win for the 2-2 Titans, who are tied with every other team in the AFC South. Meanwhile, this loss sinks Atlanta to 1-3, and sole possession of last place in the NFC South. My prediction: Inaccurate
L.A. Chargers 30, Miami 10 - The Dolphins fell to 0-4 with another blowout loss, their third such loss at home in these first four games. At least they did not allow 40 or more points, which is something of an accomplishment for this team, apparently. Still, it was not very close, nevertheless, and their offense still looks just awful. The Chargers, meanwhile, stop the bleeding by snapping a two-game losing streak, and raise their record to 2-2, while winless Miami sinks to 0-4, and three of those have come at home. My pick: Accurate
New Orleans 12, Dallas 10 - For only the 4th time in franchise history, the Saints won a game while failing to score one touchdown. And they did it against the explosive Cowboys, who most experts figured would convincingly beat the Saints, who were not at full strength and missing their star quarterback, Drew Brees. Indeed, the offense looked sloppy, but the Saints defense played extremely well, keeping Dallas in check all night, and ultimately making the limited offensive production for the Saints nevertheless stand up and be enough to earn the crucial win. New Orleans improves to 3-1, and 2-0 without Drew Brees. The Cowboys suffer their first loss of the season, and drop to 3-1. My pick: Inaccurate
Tampa Bay 55, L.A. Rams 40 - This was the big shocker of the day, at least for me. This one was completely unforeseen. It reminded me quite a bit of the Bucs seemingly inexplicable win at New Orleans last year to open up the season in explosive fashion. That came seemingly out of nowhere, just like this one did. Indeed, Tampa Bay looked like one of the most explosive offenses in the league today, even though they have not really looked quite that good through the course of this season to this point. But man, were they ever prepared for the Rams, at least on offense! And their defense was good enough to make the incredible offensive production stand up enough for a win, and a convincing one, at that! The Bucs improve to 2-2, while the Rams drop to 3-1, and a tie with Seattle for second in the NFC West. My pick: Inaccurate
Carolina 16, Houston 10 – This one was a surprise to me. I had not expected the Panthers, without Cam Newton, to really be able to contend against Houston. But they played well, particularly on defense by neutralizing Houston’s offense, and managing to keep the game close. These two teams were even in almost every major statistical category in this game, with the Panthers committing one more turnover than the Texans. In the end, however, that really did not make much of a difference. Kyle Allen completed 24 of 34 passes for 232 yards for Carolina, while Christian McCaffrey added 93 yards and one touchdown on 27 carries. For Houston, Deshaun Watson completed 21 of 33 passes for 160 yards. The Panthers have now won two in a row, and largely erased the memories of a poor 0-2 start. Houston, meanwhile, drops to 2-2, and is in a four way tie for first and last in the AFC South. My pick: Inaccurate
Chicago 16, Minnesota 6 - The Bears seemed to dominate this one in some key areas. They had a decisive advantage in time of possession, committed no turnover, to two by Minnesota, and their defense was physical and intense, and kept the Vikings off the scoreboard until very late in the game. By then, it was starting to be too late, and indeed, the Vikings were never very seriously in this game in the second half. Mitch Trubisky was injured early in the game with a dislocated left shoulder. He will not likely play against Oakland in London this weekend, and did not come back against Minnesota. In his place Chase Daniel completed 22 of 30 passes for 195 yards and one touchdown. Kirk Cousins completed 27 of 36 passes for 233 yards. The Bears improved to 3-1, and are now tied with the Packers for first place in the NFC North, while the Vikings sink to 2-2, and for now, are in last place in the NFC North. My pick: Accurate
Seattle 27, Arizona 10 – No surprise here. The Cardinals tried, but their offense just could not keep their end of the bargain. Seattle took a decisive lead early, owned a 17-3 lead by halftime, and never seriously allowed Arizona to get back into the game. Russell Wilson completed 22 of 28 passes for 240 yards and one touchdown. Chris Carson added 104 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries. In a losing effort for Arizona, Kyler Murray completed 22 of 32 passes for 241 yards, and suffered one INT. Seattle improved to 3-1, and are tied with the Rams for second place in the NFC West, while Arizona drops to 0-3-1, and are solidly in sole possession of last place in the NFC West. My pick: Accurate
Pittsburgh 27, Cincinnati 3 – Not exactly a shock here. The Steelers have absolutely dominated the Bengals in recent years, even decades. They always seem to get the better of Cincy. Even here, with the Steelers having uncharacteristically started the season 0-3 and looking very vulnerable, they manage to right the ship somewhat and earn their first win by beating the also 0-3 Bengals, who looked just awful, again. Yes, Cincinnati lost, and badly, which was about what everyone expected from them, right? Now, the Bengals are 0-4, which is their worst start since 2008. Andy Dalton completed 21 of 37 passes for 171 yards, with one interception. Meanwhile, Mason Rudolph was a major reason why Pittsburgh earned it’s first win of the season, as he completed 24 of 28 passes for 229 yards and two touchdowns. Ironically, the Bengals started off okay, getting a field goal midway through the first quarter to take an early 3-0 lead. But that was all that they would produce, and it was all Pittsburgh after that. The Steelers outgained Cincy, 326 yards to 175, and the Bengals just were not able to hold their end of the bargain and even make much of a game of this, particularly in the second half. They remain winless, while the Steelers raise their record to 1-3, and move within one game of the Browns and Ravens in the AFC North. My pick: Accurate
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