2020 Football (American, that is)

Week 3: Sunday’s Other Games (Pt 2 of 2, due to length)

Houston Texans at Pittsburgh Steelers, 1 p.m., CBS | Pick: Steelers
The Texans (0-2) opened the season with games against the NFL’s two best teams (KC and Baltimore), and did an excellent job of not standing in either team’s way. The run defense is awful, with an average of 198 yards allowed per game. Pittsburgh loves to focus on the run and will be happy to let RB James Conner carry them to a win at home. Pittsburgh’s stellar defense is likely smarting after allowing a combined 37 points against weak competition in the Giants and Broncos, and they should be amped up for a challenge from Houston’s Deshaun Watson.

Tennessee Titans at Minnesota Vikings, 1 p.m., CBS | Pick: Vikings
The Titans (2-0) put most of their energy into preserving the team’s offense this off-season and that is showing up in the results so far, with QB Ryan Tannehill (six passing TDs, no interceptions) and RB Derrick Henry (200 yards rushing) doing their thing. But the team’s defense keeps things so close that both games have come down to a last-minute field goal by Stephen Gostkowski. Their offense should meet very little resistance from the woeful defense of the Vikings (0-2), but if Tennessee can barely slow down Denver or Jacksonville, it could be in for a world of hurt against Kirk Cousins and Minnesota.

Detroit Lions at Arizona Cardinals, 4:25 p.m., Fox | Pick: Cardinals
Any football game can go sideways, so this should be taken with a fairly large grain of salt: but the path to a 5-0 start seems to be cleared for the Cardinals (2-0), who are red-hot and have their next three games against the Lions (0-2), the Panthers (0-2) and the Jets (0-2). Things get decidedly more difficult beyond that, with Dallas and Seattle ahead of Arizona’s Wk 8 bye, but so far Arizona seems like a team that can beat up on the league’s lesser teams at the very least.

SF 49ers at Giants, 1 p.m., Fox | Pick: 49ers
The 49ers (1-1) will be without their entire first-string backfield and are down to their third-string QB Nick Mullens. They’ve lost Nick Bosa and Dee Ford on the pass rush, as well as CB Richard Sherman AND his back-up Solomon Thomas. Yet they’re favored by 4.5 points on the road. The Giants (0-2) stink.

Carolina Panthers at LA Chargers, 4:05 p.m., CBS | Pick: Panthers
Rookie Justin Herbert turned in a phenomenal performance during an OT loss to KC last Wk. Herbert was just the third QB to ever have 300-plus passing yards and a rushing TD in his first NFL game (Otto Graham and Cam Newton are the others). If he follows that with a win over the Christian McCaffrey-less Panthers (0-2), injured Tyrod Taylor may find it hard to unseat him from the starting QB job.

TBay Buccaneers at Denver Broncos, 4:25 p.m., Fox | Pick: Buccaneers
When Tom Brady chose the Buccaneers (1-1) it was likely based on the team’s terrific defense and its depth at WR. Having RB Leonard Fournette fall into the team’s lap was icing on the cake. Things seemed to be running at full speed in a Wk 2 win over Carolina. The Panthers weren’t the toughest competition, but neither are the Broncos (0-2) - especially with QB Drew Lock and wide receiver Courtland Sutton both out. At this point, getting Fournette into a rhythm and developing chemistry between Brady and his receivers is an important step for when TBay does face someone good.

Jets at Indianapolis Colts, 4:05 p.m., CBS | Pick: Jets
Even as 49ers players dropped like flies last week, the Jets (0-2) never made things close. They were playing against backups, and backups to backups, and got blown out. Now the team faces the Colts (1-1), who shook off an opening week letdown against Jacksonville by looking strong on both sides of the ball last Wk.

The Jets were leaving open running lanes last week, so a huge day from Jonathan Taylor, the Colts’ rookie RB, may be in order. There’s no reason to expect a Jets victory, but banking on Indianapolis to keep its foot on the gas long enough to justify a double-digit point spread is unrealistic.

Chicago Bears at Atlanta Falcons, 1 p.m., Fox | Pick: Falcons
The Falcons (0-2) came into the season believing some additions to the team’s offense could put them back on the playoff map. Through two weeks, their defense has allowed 953 total yards and 78 points, so even if they found a way to sneak the Ravens offense onto the field they’d still be in trouble. Now Atlanta faces an interesting challenge in the Bears (2-0) who have a little momentum to start their season (with the extremely large caveat that their wins came against the Lions and the Giants).

Matt Ryan has enough options at his disposal that he absolutely should be able to out-duel Mitchell Trubisky at home. But this game is a tossup based on Atlanta’s defense and the psychological impact of last week’s collapse against Dallas.

Cincinnati Bengals at Philadelphia Eagles, 1 p.m., CBS | Pick: Bengals
He may not have a win yet, but Joe Burrow of the Bengals (0-2) is impressing a lot of people. The top pick in this year’s draft had an exciting TD run in Wk 1 and threw for 316 yards and three TDs in Wk 2. Wk 3 against the Eagles (0-2) seems like an excellent opportunity for him to get his first career win, though his chances swing heavily on the health of Philadelphia’s offensive line.

Washington Football Team at Cleveland Browns, 1 p.m., Fox | Pick: Washington
The Footballers (1-1) crashed to Earth a bit in Wk 2, though there’s no shame in losing to the Cardinals. If there’s a glimmer of hope in a road game where they’re a sizable underdog, it’s that the Browns (1-1) have allowed 64 points through two games, which could give this game shootout, rather than blowout, potential. Cleveland is a much more talented team, but if they’re going to let Cincinnati play them close, there’s reason to believe they’ll do the same with Washington.
 

Cam Newton move to NE may have been what he needed, that and Mr. Bill. He certainty showed he had a lot of gas left in his tank.

Again, Saints lost to Raiders, still don't understand

Boy's flubbed and dubbed as usual, lost three fumbles in first quarter; two fumbles will lose a game. Then they took a nap. They are a mess!
I could not get thrilled about their last second win, they should have lost by 2TD's
They will got to Settle this week and get the spanking they deserved last week.

Lethe200 points out good games kickoff time at 1PM EST, 12 PM Central, seems like a waste of viewers that would have watched had they played at 3 PM or in the evening.

Still waiting for Ravers vs Stealers-Ravens by 9, but it will be a good football game.

KC vs Black Birds (Ravens) don't be surprised by upset.
Gosh, how teams much hate knowing they have to play these manglers on Sunday.

Hey, since Lethe200 gives us the favorites, you have any upsets you want to post?
 
Tx vs Texas Tech
Texas Tech isi a QB school (Mahomes and others ) If you play these guys you had better be prepared to pass, pass and pass.

Lots of mistakes, dropped passes, lots of comebacks... Texas needed 2 point conversion to tie with 40 seconds to go-They Made It!
Overtime coming up...College games have always been more exciting than pros, if you have a horse in the race.

Texas wins in a barn burner 63 to 56, that''s 119 total points.

Kansas State beat 3rd ranked Oklahoma
LSU #6 lost-where are you Joe Burrows?
 

Where is the chatter?

Browns may make playoffs: Yes, No?

We've not heard the last of the Pats, their still dangerous; us see what they do with Buffalo

If your lacking a team to follow, you can watch Cowboys and Settle,and hope Cowboys don't embarrassed themselves-again.
 
I watched the Patriot's defeat the Raiders today, New England played a great running game. It looks like Cam Newton was a good choice to replace Tom Brady. When the Patriot's are doing well, all's right in my world (at least for a few hours while I'm absorbed in the game!)
 
I just finished watching the KC Chiefs vs. the Baltimore Ravens. The Las Vegas oddsmakers had Baltimore winning by 6 points, but the Chiefs won 34 to 20....and except for a couple of "lapses" on the part of the KC defense, the score would have been quite lopsided. If the Chiefs can maintain their efforts, the way they have performed in their first 3 games, they may well make the Super Bowl, again....we are hoping.
 
Don M. said:
I just finished watching the KC Chiefs vs. the Baltimore Ravens. The Las Vegas oddsmakers had Baltimore winning by 6 points, but the Chiefs won 34 to 20....and except for a couple of "lapses" on the part of the KC defense, the score would have been quite lopsided. If the Chiefs can maintain their efforts, the way they have performed in their first 3 games, they may well make the Super Bowl, again....we are hoping.
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Yeah, I wanted to watch that, but it's on frickin' ESPN, which I don't get. No Monday night football for me. Meh, there are other things to do.
 
Record setting first SEC week for my Mississippi State Bulldogs. Transfer quarterback KJ Costello broke all time passing records for a SEC game. He threw for 623 yards to lead the Bulldogs to a 44-34 victory over LSU.

Costello's post game interview is great! He explains a little about how he got from Stanford to Mississippi State. I hope someday he writes about his experiences as a Californian moving from a top rated university to Mississippi in crazy 2020, esp given that his degree from Stanford is political science.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1310004716248547330


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With the college and pros playing 'air ball' scoring 50 something points and the defense lagging so far behind-the game has changed.
It takes the defense 2 years to counter new offense tactics-it been over five years and the defenses have yet to find a deterrent.

The pros wanted 'air ball' as it is more exciting than 'three yards and a cloud of dust,' now they have it.
College and the Pros mimic any successful game plan.

I guess it is exciting, but I would really like to see some defensive teams-The Ravens are the best defensive team in the Pros, as you'll
saw, they could not stop Mahomes.
 
Jerry stated (and I agree);
"The pros wanted 'air ball' as it is more exciting than 'three yards and a cloud of dust,' now they have it.
College and the Pros mimic any successful game plan."

College football is a joke in today's world. Fun to follow and watch but let's be honest. It's no longer students playing football. It's more like minor league football players occasionally attending some BS classes (in some cases) to allow them to continue their tryouts for the NFL.

Take a look at the real cream of the college academic world and their sports activities are far below the college football powers that spend millions on coaches and facilities. Some of the annual "powerhouses" depend on the football entertainment dollar to partially fund their school budgets .

And the new "air ball" game could be easily tempered by a few rule changes regarding pass interference. Now, if behind, late in the game, teams just throw long bombs hoping to draw a pass interference penalty which is as good as a completed pass. Some receivers should also get acting awards for their PI performances.

Baseball has minor leagues, why not call college ball what it has actually become - -minor league football?
 
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DaveA said:
Baseball has minor leagues, why not call college ball what it has actually become - -minor league football?
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Baseball minor leagues exist because kids go straight from high school to the minors; MLB doesn't require college attendance like the NBA and NFL. I'd like to see the pros drop all college requirements for football and basketball and have the kids that want to bypass college go into minors. Then basketball and football players who actually care about college will attend just as college baseball players do. Many college baseball players turn down millions out of high school and choose college instead. It's not a coincidence that college baseball recruitment is much more ethical than football and basketball.
 
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Athleticism is, for the most part an innate ability. Athletic ability can be coached, refined, but the physical ability has to be there.
College is a training ground for the NFL. If we discount the actually money the athletics receive, we still have to count receiving
a college education. Is this comparable to the salary minor league baseball players earn?
Yes it is and a lot more.

Many quit after their football eligibility is met, and those that do receive degrees major in PE.
The idea of paying college football players has been recommend again and again, it won't fly.

Let use not forget that colleges have basketball and baseball teams.
Football and basketball are the minor leagues for the pros.
There are exceptions, but few...

Finally hitting a round ball with a round bat remains the most difficult accomplishment in sports.
If you can do it 1/3 of the time, you will be a wealthy man.

The NFL won the TV wars, we do like to see people knocked on their butts.
 
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What We Learned From Week 3 of the NFL Season Pt 1 of 2
Fourth quarter leads were far from safe in a week where GBay, Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Tennessee, Seattle and Chicago - yes, the Bears - improved to 3-0.
NY Times by Benjamin Hoffman, Sept. 27, 2020 (edited for length by Lethe200)

QB Josh Allen plays a remarkably physical game for a QB. The Bills raced to a huge lead, but the team’s D - and the officials - let the LA Rams back into the game. Allen showed some of his worst tendencies along the way. He threw an interception on an ill-advised throw (that should have been overruled by officials), he fumbled away a drive and he was constantly running away from Rams defenders. On a memorable game-winning drive, however, he took a huge sack, was called for unsportsmanlike conduct when he face-masked a defender, converted a third-and-22, and threw incomplete on fourth-and-8 with less than a minute to play, seemingly ending the game. A pass interference call gave the Bills new life, and the good version of Allen suddenly reappeared, throwing a 3-yard TD pass to Tyler Kroft to win the game.

Allen has thrown for at least 300 yds in all three games this season after not doing it a single time over his first two seasons.

Russell Wilson might need his own cooking show. For years, fans of the Seahawks implored Coach Pete Carroll to “Let Russ Cook.” The conservative coach seems to have finally gotten the message, and Wilson is no longer being held back in a run-focused attack. He followed up last week’s five-TD performance against New England with another five against Dallas - including a 29-yard go-ahead score to D.K. Metcalf with 1:47 left in the game - and now has 14 in the first three weeks of the season, breaking Patrick Mahomes’s NFL record of 13, which was set in 2018.

The Vikings needed former All-Pro cornerback Xavier Rhodes more than he needed them. It’s hard to not be wistful for Vikings’ past defenses when now- Indianapolis Colts Rhodes had a monster day, pulling down two interceptions and returning one of them 44 yds for a TD.

There is still nothing more demoralizing than Aaron Rodgers’s hard count. With GBay clinging to a 3-point lead over the Saints late in Q4, Rodgers used his signature hard count to draw Demario Davis offside. Once Rodgers had earned a free play, the veteran took his time in the pocket, found a receiver in the end zone and launched a perfect pass. Saints cornerback Janoris Jenkins was left with no other choice than to blatantly interfere with Allen Lazard, setting the Packers up at the 1-yard line, where a few plays later they scored the insurance TD they needed in an eventual 37-30 victory.

Mike Evans is nothing if not efficient. Tampa Bay’s supersize WR had a line for the ages: 2-2-2 (two catches for 2 yds and two TDs). He’s the third player since 1950 to have such a day, according to Pro Football Reference, joining Lee Folkins of the Cowboys in 1963, and Howard Cross of the Giants in 1994. Evans’s efficiency helped power Tom Brady’s best passing game (297 yds, three TDs, no interceptions) since Week 1 of last season.

The NFL should consider relegation. The 49ers were playing without their starters at QB, RB, WR, TE and center, and their defense was missing two defensive ends and its top cornerback. Led by the forgettable trio of third-stringers QB Nick Mullens and RB Jerick McKinnon and rookie WR Brandon Aiyuk, the 49ers somehow beat the Saquon Barkley-less Giants, 36-9, on the road. SF just might get through this injury mess unscathed thanks to a remarkably soft schedule. After wins over the Jets and the Giants, the 49ers face the struggling Eagles and the middling Dolphins. The Giants, OTOH, appear to be hapless, and seem a strong contender for ending up with the NFL’s worst record.

Sunday’s Top Performers

Top Passer: Russell Wilson. Wilson has reached the point in his career where if he has the ball, his team is within a score and there is any time left on the clock, you simply assume he’s going to win. He did just that on Sunday, outlasting Dak Prescott in a shootout in which the stars combined for 787 passing yds and eight TDs.

Top Runner: Derrick Henry. After leading the NFL in rushing yds last season, and carrying nearly the entire load in Tennessee’s playoff run, there was some fear of a drop-off from Henry this season. Thus far, he’s up to 319 yds through three games - 109 more than he had at the same point last season - and his two TDs on Sunday were crucial as Ryan Tannehill couldn’t find the end zone and threw his first interception of the season.

Dalvin Cook’s huge yardage day was spoiled with a fumble and his team’s loss, and Sony Michel’s incredible 13 yds a carry certainly warrants mentioning, but no player’s running was more important to a win than Henry’s.

Top Receiver: Tyler Lockett. Lockett scored TDs on a 43-yarder, and twice on goal-line plays. He finished the day with nine catches for 100 yds.
 
Pt 2/2, plus a longer summary on the Monday Night game Chiefs vs Ravens

One* Sentence About Sunday’s Games (*Except when it takes more.)
NYTimes by Benjamin Hoffman, Sept. 27, 2020 (edited for length by Lethe200)

Seahawks 38, Cowboys 31. Dak Prescott kept up with Russell Wilson for nearly the entire game, throwing for 472 yds - his second straight game with 450 or more yds passing - and three TDs, but after getting Dallas as close as the Seattle 22-yard line on his team’s final possession, he scrambled around before throwing an interception in the end zone that cost his team a potential upset.

Bills 35, Rams 32. LA controlled the time of possession, had a 103-yard advantage in total yds, took all the second-half momentum as they erased a 28-3 deficit, and then they lost. Maybe this season isn’t so different from last season for the Rams, who seem to have used up all their good luck during the 2018 regular season.

Packers 37, Saints 30. GBay’s streak of 40-point games ended at two, but the Packers have still set a franchise record with 122 points through the first three weeks of the season.

Patriots 36, Raiders 20. New England ran what amounted to a modified version of the Air Raid offense during Tom Brady’s best seasons, but the Patriots are loving running the ball thus far in the Cam Newton era, with 250 rushing yds on Sunday - the second time they have gone over 200 this season. They dedicated the run-heavy win to RB James White, who missed a second consecutive game after the death of his father.

Steelers 28, Texans 21. At halftime in Pittsburgh it looked like an upset could be brewing, with Deshaun Watson having no trouble scoring against the Steelers’ vaunted defense. In the second half, Houston managed just 51 yds and two first downs.

Titans 31, Vikings 30. Derrick Henry chewing up yardage, Ryan Tannehill finding room to work downfield, Tennessee’s defense looking absolutely useless and Stephen Gostkowski trotting onto the field in the final two minutes to win the game with a field goal. It’s a bit like “Groundhog Day,” but it’s also a recipe that has worked just fine for the Titans in all three games this season. Unfortunately, nine Titan players/staff have tested positive for COVID-19, so Week 4’s game vs Steelers has been postponed.

Buccaneers 28, Broncos 10. There wasn’t much hope for a decent game once Denver starting QB Drew Lock was injured last week - his backup, Jeff Driskel, was pulled in the second half, leading to snaps for third-stringer Brett Rypien. Tampa’s Tom Brady made it a laugher. That Brady looked young again in a game in which Rob Gronkowski shook off the rust was not a coincidence.

Colts 36, Jets 7. Philip Rivers joined Drew Brees (553), Tom Brady (547), Peyton Manning (539), Brett Favre (508) and Dan Marino (420) as the only players in NFL history with 400 or more career passing TDs.

49ers 36, Giants 9. The most interesting aspect of a game in which SF’s practice squad embarrassed the Giants’ starters in New Jersey was the fact that it was a Scorigami, i.e., it was the first time this score has happened in a game - the 1,056th unique score in NFL history.

Bears 30, Falcons 26. The Mitchell Trubisky experiment is likely over. Trubisky was pulled for ineffectiveness against Atlanta, and Foles engineered a thrilling comeback with three TD passes in the fourth quarter. For Atlanta, a second straight week with an epic collapse could have Coach Dan Quinn on the hot seat.

Lions 26, Cardinals 23. In retrospect, predicting a 5-0 start for Arizona may have been a rash decision. The win for Detroit snapped an 11-game losing streak.

Panthers 21, Chargers 16. Despite playing without RB Christian McCaffrey, Carolina won for the first time since Week 9 of last season, ending a 10-game losing streak. And while Justin Herbert lost again, the rookie threw for 330 yds, becoming just the fifth player to have 300 or more in each of his first two starts.

Browns 34, Footballers 20. Washington kept things fairly close for three quarters, but Cleveland asserted itself in the fourth, Nick Chubb continued to thrive and the Browns (2-1) have a winning record for the first time since 2014.

Bengals 23, Eagles 23 (OT). A 59-yard field goal is hardly a gimme, but Philadelphia guard Matt Pryor has to be blaming himself for his team’s failure to win after his false start late in overtime took away Jake Elliott’s chance at hitting what would have been a game-winner.

Monday Night: CHIEFS 34, RAVENS 20

Patrick Mahomes Flexes Chiefs’ Muscle to Beat the Ravens. The Chiefs’ star beat his Ravens rival Lamar Jackson for the third time, showing off an efficient and varied offense as Kansas City moved to 3-0.

Mahomes completed 31 of 42 passes for 385 yards and four touchdowns. By rushing for his team’s first score, he had a direct hand in all five Kansas City touchdowns. He turned what was supposed to be a showdown between two of the league’s best teams led by two of the league’s best QBs into another reminder of how far he is ahead of his peers.

“You have to take your hat off to Patrick Mahomes,” Ravens DE Calais Campbell said. “Right now, they play like the best team in the league.”

Mahomes has now beaten Jackson in all three of their head-to-head matchups since 2018. In his young career as a starting QB, Jackson is now 0-3 against the Chiefs and 21-1 against every other team in the league during the regular season. It was the Ravens’ first regular-season loss in a year.

The Chiefs went up, 27-10, with less than three minutes left in the first half. The Ravens’ lone touchdown in the half came on a 93-yard kickoff return. For much of the game, the Ravens looked flustered. Jackson ran for 83 yards but ended up with 97 yards passing on only 15 completions and one TD pass. His receivers didn’t help. The usually sure-handed TE Mark Andrews couldn’t pull in one of Jackson’s passes in Q3.

Still, the Ravens crept closer after two KC miscues in Q3 - a fumble led to a FG; then a defensive stop on fourth down gave them the ball at midfield. On the resulting drive, Jackson took the Ravens down the field and hit TE Nick Boyle to cut the Chiefs’ lead to 27-20.

But Mahomes brought them right back, throwing his final TD pass to Fisher, an OT who lined up as an eligible receiver. As Mahomes jogged off the field, he counted to four with the fingers on his right hand to signify how many TD passes he had thrown.
 
After watching Mahomes in his rookie year, I was convinced this kid was one of the greatest football talents I have ever seen, and I have been watching the NFL since before the Super Bowl was invented.

If he doesn't get injured, he is far and away the best QB right now. KC may not stay on top for long - free agency, retirements, injuries, and the salary cap combine to make that almost impossible - but we are all truly fortunate as fans to be watching the game at a time when there are so many genuinely great players currently active.
 
DaveA said:
Did I read that correctly? Rob Gronkowski is active again, teamed up with Brady??
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