The Good, The Bad, The Ugly
Opinion
San Antonio-(RYM)-All I can say about week 9 is WTF!!!!!! I cannot believe it.
Team on bye-Lions, Seahawks, Buccaneers, Washington
Colts 45, Jets 30
The Colts dominated but good on The Jets for making it a game even with the 3rd string QB
Colts RB Nyheim Hines does a back flip after scoring a TD/Indianapolis Colts
Good:
The Colts had issues all season, but finally, they have figured out the formula to winning games, and that is running the ball; with a back like Taylor that can cut and move like a fish in water, how can they not feed him the ball. Taylor ran for 172 rushing yards, which helped keep the defense on edge and open up a passing attack that has been lacking for weeks.
The Jets lost Zach Wilson to injury and had to start Mike White, who had a massive win over The Bengals, but he gets hurts in The Colts game and then comes Josh Jonson and does all he can to keep them in the game, and yes they lost but only by 15 which is good considering they were down 30-7 at one point.
Bad:
The Colts defense is terrible but ill cover that in the ugly.
The Jets are a huge question mark; they lost but put up almost 500 yards of offense, and the defense is allowing just as many yards. HC Robert Saleh was the DC with the 49ers; that was very good. One can say maybe it is time to start calling the shot on defense to help even things out, hopefully.
Ugly:
The Colts put up 45 points, but the defense who dominated at the begging of the game could not stop The Jets and their third-string QB from putting up 30 points and 486 yards. If they want to start thinking about the post-season, they need to get the defense fixed, or else they will be on shootouts, and I do not feel that passing game is strong enough for them good enough or stable enough to win games like that.
Overall:
Both The Colts and Jets need to fix the defense, but there is hope in both organizations.
Patriots 24, Panthers 6
Mac Jones is coming together
Good:
Mac Jones is still a rookie and needs help sometimes, so with that in mind, Bill went and fixed up the defense, and let me tell you what a fix he did. The Patriots defense did not allow CMC to get anything going and made The Panthers one dimensional, allowing the defense to pick Sam Darnold and take over the ball game.
The Panthers played horribly on Sunday but have finally been able to answer a fundamental question. Is Sam Darnold the long-term answer? No, he is neither a short nor long-term answer for The Panthers.
Bad:
Mac Jones is still having issues protecting the ball, and it is time now for him to take the next step and grow as a QB. Once Jones takes that next step, The Patriots will be a force to be reckoned with. One other problem that has risen is with the injury to WR N'Keal Harry; who will they use to replace him? OBJ is out there, and they have the cap space to get him, or will they go with the weapons they have now? We will have to wait and see.
Sam Darnold's playing was horrible, but the ugly will explain more.
Ugly:
Sam Darnold made deplorable decisions during the game that cost them the win, and turning to P.J. Walker is not a better option considering he takes too many costly chances. What can they do? Stick with Sam or go to P.J.? or have a reunion with Cam is still available and open to playing for anyone who wants him.
Overall:
The Patriots are heading in the right direction finally. The Panthers are heading the opposite way.
Giants 23, Raiders 16
Another stunner
Giants TE Evan Engram walks into the end zone during Sunday games versus The Raiders/New York Giants
Good:
The Giants are slowly but surely moving up in the world, and this colossal win goes a long way. The defense allowed only 16 points, and S Xavier McKinney was a massive help with his two INTs. The Giants running game that was in question came to live with Devontae Bookers 21 carries for 99 yards; now we are also seeing why they drafted Daniel Jones; he may not play amazingly but did all he could to keep ahead of the chains and bring a W home before the bye week.
The Raiders once again had to figure out how to control their emotions and win a game; they did their best to keep it under control.
Bad:
Now the bye week is here, and time to get healthy; if they can get healthy, then Daniel Jones will have more weapons, and even with a make shift OL, they could give teams a run for their money, but again the question is if they can all get healthy.
The Raiders played with a lot of emotional cabbage, and it showed, but we will discuss it further below.
Ugly:
The Raiders came into the game with emotional baggage from the Gruden fiasco and thought they could finally turn the corner and put that behind them. Then suddenly, Henry Ruggs III gets cut and faces 50+ years in federal prison stemming from a car crash that killed a woman and her dog and injured one other person. Then they get word that CB Damon Arnette is publishing videos with guns and threatening people; in the end, it was just too many emotions to overcome. Carr threw two INTs and had a lost fumble in the red zone and looked like he was thinking more about what was going off the field than what was going on the field.
Overall:
The Giants head into the bye week happy, but can they get healthy and keep the winning going is the question yet to be answered. The Raiders need to take time to get their emotions in check; otherwise, they are done.
Broncos 30, Cowboys 16
It hurts! It hurts so bad!
Broncos WR Tim Patrick celebrates a TD against The Dallas Cowboys(Gabriel Christus)/Denver Broncos
Good:
The Broncos connected in all levels of the game on Sunday; the defense shut out The Cowboys number one offense until the 4th quarter when they allowed two trash TDs with 2 point conversions. The offense ran/flew all over a defense with the hottest CB and front seven, who was stopping everyone till Sunday.
The Cowboys prevented a good shutout.
Bad:
The Broncos beat up on The Cowboys, and as happy as they should be, they now have more significant problems. Two OL are hurt, and both with leg injuries, which can be very tricky; if they cannot protect Bridgewater or make holes for the run game, then all the momentum that they got from the win is for nothing.
We will talk about The Cowboys in the ugly.
Ugly:
Dak Prescott was inaccurate the whole game and could not get the run game moving (Zeke also seems hurt). On defense could not stop the run, which then opened the passing game for The Broncos. Put The Broncos exposed all aspects of The Cowboys offense and defense, but lucky for us, it is nothing that they cannot fix, but it won't be easy.
Overall:
The Broncos have issues with injuries, but they needed a huge win. The Cowboys got knocked in the jaw, but to show they are different, they need to come back and prove it next week versus The Falcons.
Jaguars 9, Bills 6
I am speechless
Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence celebrates with HC Urban Meyer after beating The Bills (James Gilbert/James Gilbert Photo)/Jacksonville Jaguars
Good:
The Jaguars needed a win like this to happen, and it helped a lot when it came to the morale of a young rebuilding organization. The defense played great and stopped a very potent offense in The Bills; of course, let us not forget the AMAZING performance by DE Josh Allen, who had an INT, Fumble Recovery, and eight tackles. As long they keep this up, they can make anything happen. Jags fans celebrate because you did something no one (including myself) did not believe you could.
The Bills did nothing good on Sunday.
Bad:
The Jaguars did not play a beautiful game by any means. They had four drops, and penalties voided two field goals that could have given them an even bigger lead, do not get me wrong, kicker Matt Write did also miss one field goal. They need to get the penalties and kicking game in order; once they do, we will start winning games more convincingly.
We shall talk about The Bills in the ugly.
Ugly:
Another big issue that we have discussed many times in the past is penalties, especially on the defense. The Bills had problems all over the place, starting with the OL; with two of their starters out for the game, they could not create a combination strong enough to be able to protect Josh Allen, and as we saw, once under pressure, he could not complete a pass or move the ball. The defense needed stops to get off the field, yet they could not get it done thanks to all the penalties. The Bills ended with 12 penalties for 118 yards and caused them to win; for them to get things back on track, they need to fix the penalties and get back to playing with the spark they had before the bye week.
Overall:
The Jags got a big win question now is, can they keep it going? The Bills have more questions to answer before anyone talks about playoffs.
Browns 41, Bengals 16
My heart hurts for The Bengals
Good:
The first game without OBJ and The Browns looked pretty good. Baker Mayfield spread the ball like hot butter on toast and had a 158.3 QBR in just the 3rd quarter alone. Then they did something that was not done since 2012; they had 3 TDs of 60 yards or more in one game. The Browns finally looked like the contenders we thought they could be at the begging of the season.
The Bengals played well and put up 16 points; let's leave it at that.
Bad:
The Browns now have a new breath of life that can catapult them into the future, but can they keep it up? Last year after the Cinci game in which OBJ got hurt, they went on a great run to make the playoffs; they can do that again here, but The Browns have to be careful they have a much more demanding schedule this time around, and one wrong move can derail their playoff hopes.
The Bengals played terribly but well; talk to them in the ugly.
Ugly:
Two first-half turnovers and a defensive collapse is what we saw from The Bengals on Sunday. To get back to playoff contention, they will need to get back to playing as they did in the first half of the season; lucky for them, there are still more games to be played, and they have plenty of time to make things better.
Overall:
The Browns are back on track, and The Bengals have tripped, but nothing that can't be fixed.
Atlanta 27, Saints 25
I did not see it coming
Falcons QB Matt Ryan celebrates after scoring a TD against The Saints (Brandon Gallegos/Atlanta Falcons)/Atlanta Falcons
Good:
The Falcons did what they do best; they take a huge lead and then see it disappear slowly. But instead of the same old things happening, they stayed calm, stayed collected, and with only 1 min left in the game, they put one hell of a drive to set up one of the best kickers in the NFL for a game-winning field goal. New HC Arthur Smith wanted to show how different this team is, and they showed that on Sunday.
The Saints rallied back from a 24-6 point deficit in the last quarter of the game and made sure to take advantage of a Falcons team that loves to lose games they are winning, and they got close to getting the win.
Bad:
The Falcons play very well, but they still allowed a 10+ lead to get away from them. For The Falcons to turn the table from who they are to who they want to be, The Falcons need to learn how to keep the lead.
The Saints have WR trouble with a bit of sprinkle on QB trouble; Siemian was just scary in the first three quarters but did what he could to get them back in the game in the 4th. As for the WR, they were the real issue, they could not catch a ball to save their lives, and if they want to be able to make the playoffs, the WRs need to be the safety net for a backup QB like Siemian.
Ugly:
Nothing ugly here, just wrong.
Overall:
The Falcons surprised everyone, while The Saints raised a lot of questions.
Dolphins 17, Texans 9
The only game that made any sort of sense
Good:
The Dolphins did just enough to overcome who they are and get a win against another team that is just as sad as they are, but no matter how ugly or horrible the success is, it is just a win and The Dolphins losing streak finally comes to an end.
The Texans defense caused five turnovers and gave the offense a sense of hope.
Bad:
Everything here is ugly on both teams.
Ugly:
The Ugly Truth is that both teams stink, and the only reason The Dolphins won is that The Texans just stunk a little more than The Dolphins. Both QBs played horrible. Both offenses could not make things happen, and to add wood to the fire that is both organizations', the defense somehow could make turnovers to make it an actual game. Both teams stink, but at least The Dolphins have a chance to make things happen and turn the organization around.
Overall:
The Dolphins won, but they still stink. The Texans are just what we thought sub-par college teams in the NFL.
Ravens 34, Vikings 31-OT
The Ravens and Vikings need to stop with close games.
Ravens K Justin Tucker Kicks the game winning FG in the OT win over The Vikings(Shawn Hubbard/Baltimore Ravens)Baltimore Ravens
Good:
When The Ravens have Lamar Jackson on the field, they are never out in a game. The best part is that he is doing with his arm more than his legs (he did use his legs but not as much), and that was impressive.
The Vikings made it a game against The Ravens; HC Mike Zimmer wanted to give the playmakers the ball, and boy did he; both Justine Jefferson and Dalvin Cook had amazing plays of 40+ yards.
Bad:
The Ravens are tremendous but somehow cannot start as they finish, and at some point, they won't be able to overcome their slow starts to become genuine contenders for a Super Bowl; they will need to fix the slow starts.
The Vikings started great and then fell apart in fantastic Viking manner but more on the ugly.
Ugly:
At the beginning of the game, the Vikings put up two great scoring drives and got out to a massive 14 point lead at the half, and could not keep the momentum going. The offense sputter and defense could not stop Lamar Jackson and allowed them to come back and beat them on OT. I am not sure what more to say about The Vikings its groundhog day every single game with them.
Overall:
The Ravens need to fix the slow start, or a quick finish to the postseason is coming. The Vikings are the NFL team version of the movie groundhog day.
Chargers 27, Eagles 24
Way to close for comfort
Good:
The Chargers returned to their old ways with Justine Herbert going for 32 of 38 for 356 yards and one heck of a winning kick by Dustin Hopkins.
The Eagles finally found a way to make things happen by doing what everyone has said all along. RUN THE BALL!!!! As long as they keep the ball running, they have a chance to win games.
Bad:
The Chargers need to figure out what they are going to do about the secondary. The backups that they put there were, at best, a tiny bandaid on a torn ACL. They were able to make it past a horrible Eagles team, but they need to fix it ASAP for them to win the division.
The Eagles thought that by taking away the big plays, they could handle stop teams, yet Herbert was able to play nearly perfect and pick on the front seven of The Eagles.
Ugly:
The Eagles found a slight sense of an offensive identity by running the ball, but can they keep it up? I am not sure they seem to stay away from the run-in games they need and use them in games that they don't. To move forward and have the offense leap forward, they need to figure it out.
Overall:
The Chargers are moving in the right direction. The Eagles need to find their identity.
Cardinals 31, 49ers 17
I did not see that coming
Good:
The Cardinals were missing their start QB, WR, DE, RB, and were able to put up 31 points; they 100% dominated the 49ers.
The 49ers put up 17 points which is good, but that is the only good thing here.
Bad:
The Cardinals get a pass on The Bad cause DAM!!!!!
The 49ers had a chance to put themselves in playoff contention, yet look what happened, but more in them in The Ugly.
Ugly:
The 49ers have lost eight straight at home, yet in a game that should have been an easy win against a battered Cardinals team, they could not make it happen. The 49ers defense could not stop James Connor, who ran for over 100 yards and multiple TDs and could not generate any turnovers; I am not even going to get started on tackling cause, dear lord!!! I have seen better tackling in middle school than what I saw out of the 49ers defense. Now you may be asking Hershey, what about the offense? Let me tell you, if the phrase, putting your foot in mouth had a picture, it would be the 49ers offense. They could not get out of their way with two turnovers that were turned into points in the first half alone, adding that they could not protect Jimmy G or even have any sense of a run or passing game, overall it was a horrible performance by the 49ers.
Overall:
The Cardinals are the team to beat in the NFL. The 49ers need to start over.
Chiefs 13, Packers 7
Jordan Love played better than expected
Good:
The Chiefs won and have put themselves in the position to make the playoffs which is good.
The Packers defense played amazingly and held a very explosive Chiefs offense to 13 points while doing their best to help their young QB in his first start. Now Jordan Love did not play lights out but did have a compelling scoring drive at the end of the game, his performance was not over the top, but it was enough to say he can see that the future can be bright after Aaron Rodgers.
Bad:
The Chiefs played well, but there were still issues on offense and defense that they need to fix because they should have shut out The Packers and Jordan Love.
Is Jordan Love the hair apparent to Aaron Rodgers? The answer to the question is MAYBE! Love played as expected for his first start, 19 of 34 for 190 and 1TD/1INT and 23 rushing yards, so not horrible, but the coaching staff did not help him and could not give him the plays that helped his confidence.
Ugly:
The Packers offensive staff failed Jordan Love by not giving him the plays and setting him up with easy completions to get his confidence up. We were not expecting them to win, but give him easy passes and rush the hell of the ball.
Overall:
The Chiefs are now in a position to turn the season around, but The Packers need to look inward on many different things.
Titans 28, Rams 16
I am just not sure what to say here
Titans S Kevin Byard celebrates his Pick Six during Sunday Night game versus The Rams
Good:
The Titans came into the game without their main RB, and with everything against them, and what did they do? They hit The Rams right in the jaw and said WHO IS YOUR DADDY?!!!!!!! The Titans defense was all over Matthew Stafford and did not allow anything that they didn't want to happen.
I am not sure what happened here, but nothing good happened here.
Bad:
The question coming into the game for The Titans is can the offense produce without Derrick Henry? Now I know this is in the bad section, but the reason is that they could have done more, especially with how dominating the defense was. The Titans defense had 195 total yards with a sputtering rushing attack that only had 70 yards; to show that the offense can make it without Henry, they will need to get more from the RBs to get close to replacing a 2k rusher.
Matthew Stafford had back-to-back picks at the begging of the game and could not establish any proper rhythm, as we have seen in past games. The main struggle here is the offensive line; they could not stop the physicality brought by The Titans defensive front. I mean, in one sack, a defender bull-rushed the OL for the sack; that cannot happen.
Ugly:
The Rams played ugly; one can only blame the OL for the way the game went. Once Matthew Stafford was able to have some protection and get the rhythm going, they scored points quickly. Now we ask was Sunday night's performance was a one-time thing or do we need to press the panic button?
Overall:
The Titans looked amazing without Henry but they still have some work to do, while The Rams have some serious questions to answer.
Steelers 29, Bears 27
The Refs won the game for The Steelers
Steelers TE Pat Freiermuth catches a TD over Bears CB Kindle Vildor (Jared Wickerham/Pittsburgh Steelers)/Pittsburgh Steelers
Good:
The Steelers won but won ugly, they led most of the game, and even after giving up the lead, they got it together and, of course, had Chris Boswell to bail them out with a 40-yard game-winning field goal. Even though it was an ugly win for The Steelers, they still played consistently on both sides of the ball; to keep winning and hope to take control of the division, they will need to keep it up for the rest of the season.
The Bears made it a game and did what they needed to overcome a bad first half. Of course, I am very impressed with their young QB Justine Fields. He stayed calm and made the plays he needed in both the red zone and when he was in his 2-yard line; he is now developing in the way we hoped at this point of the season which is impressive considering all the flaws within The Bears team.
Bad:
The Steelers won but what we want to talk about is how in the world do you dominate the first three quarters and yet give up a two-score lead, but how did it get that bad considering that they were dominating on both sides of the ball. The simple answer is special teams were horrible. First, they had a bad punt from their rookie punter, then had a fumble from Ray-Ray McClouds during a punt, which was taken to the house. Special Teams are a huge problem; they cannot and will not win in the post-season if they cannot fix the special team.
I said earlier in The Cardinals vs. 49ers game that the 49ers were the picture of foot in mouth, but sadly that changed; it is The Bears on Monday night. The Bears main issue are the drive-killing, TD removing, not getting off-the-field penalties; they ended the game with 12 penalties for 115 yards. The Bears have to, and I mean HAVE TO!!!!! Times a million stop the penalties, I saw plenty of drives that were going so well and then were stopped because of offside or holding or everything else in between.
Ugly:
As Ugly as The Bears penalties was, what was even uglier was the calling by the refs. They had multiple calls that were called and not called, one of which was not named was the cut block on The Steelers that took away a TD by The Bears. The most horrific one was the taunting call by Cassius Marsh that was 100% not a taunting call and gave a free set of down to The Steelers, even the broadcasting crew that had Gene Steratore, who is a Rules expert for the NFL, said that should not have been a taunting call. The Refs need to do better, simple as that.
Overall:
The Steelers need to fix the special teams, and The Bears need to fix the penalties.