2022-3 NFL Pro Football (Pls, no other sports - thx!)

Good news for Cowboy fans:

Cowboys get positive Dak Prescott news and how they plan to move forward with Cooper Rush
The Athletic 13Sept2022

Dak Prescott had surgery on his right thumb Monday afternoon. The Cowboys quarterback was originally expected to miss at least a month and possibly two. But Cowboys owner Jerry Jones says that’s no longer the case. During his weekly Tuesday morning appearance on 105.3 The Fan, Jones said Prescott is not going on injured reserve because the team now believes he will be able to return within the next four weeks. A move to the IR would prevent Prescott from playing in the next four games.

“We want him to be in consideration for playing within the next four games,” Jones said. “We feel very good after surgery, listening to the medical people that Dak has a real chance to be back out there, throwing the ball pretty quick. Nobody in medical knows those timelines good, but if we thought he wouldn’t be ready to go until after four games, we would put him on IR. We’re not doing that. We think he can come in and play, so we don’t want to not have him out there practicing, we want him getting prepared. We’ll see how he handles this thing, how it heals, mainly his strength, how he can grip the ball, what his status is.”

The early speculation was that Prescott might not return until the Cowboys traveled to Green Bay in Week 10. They now believe he could be back by Week 4 or 5. “That’s not being optimistic,” Jones said. “The proof is that we got a good surgery, got a good technique. We feel better about it than we did Sunday night.”

Either way, the immediate focus shifts to who will be replacing Prescott. Cooper Rush will be the starter this week against the Cincinnati Bengals. His backup will be Will Grier, who will be elevated from the practice squad.

The Cowboys were originally expected to move Prescott to the injured reserve and add a third quarterback to the mix. In the 24 hours following Prescott’s injury, names like free agent Cam Newton, the NFL’s 2015 MVP, and 49ers backup QB Jimmy Garoppolo were mentioned most by media members.

49ers coach Kyle Shanahan was asked Monday if Prescott’s injury opens up the possibility of trade talks with the Cowboys for Garoppolo. “Just like all players, we’ll listen to anybody on anything,” Shanahan said. “That never changes for any player or coach. We’ll always listen to anybody.”

But a move like that would cost the Cowboys significant draft picks, which was always a highly unlikely possibility for a team built around drafting and developing. “It’s unlikely that you’d have a veteran quarterback that could get in here and be ready to play as well as those guys can play,” Jones said Tuesday, referring to Rush and Grier, “even if you thought (that player) might have a talent advantage.”

Rush has been Prescott’s backup for the majority of the past five years. He has appeared in 11 games, completing 38-of-63 passes for 488 yards, three touchdowns, one interception and a 93.9 passer rating. His lone start came in last year’s 20-16 win over the Minnesota Vikings in Week 8.
 

Monday Night Football 9/12/2022: SEAHAWKS 17, BRONCOS 16

In Russell Wilson’s Seattle Return, Seahawks Have the Last Word
Wilson connected on big passing plays in his return to the city he led to a Super Bowl title, but a missed field-goal attempt in the final minute denied his Denver Broncos a victory.
NYT Sept. 13, 2022

SEATTLE — It didn’t take long for the Seattle Seahawks and their fans to move on from the Russell Wilson era. Never mind that he had led the team through a decade of winning. Never mind that he had helped secure the team’s only Super Bowl title.

The Seahawks traded Wilson to the Denver Broncos in the off-season after he grew disillusioned with his former team’s lack of protection for him, and its unwillingness to give him a voice in personnel decisions. Ultimately, the gap between Wilson and the club grew too wide to close.

That gap was a big reason Wilson, despite all his success during 10 seasons in Seattle, was showered with boos from the moment he took the field for warm-ups before the Broncos played the Seahawks in their season opener on Monday. The boos continued when the teams re-emerged for kickoff, and every time Wilson touched the ball or overthrew a receiver.

The boos only stopped, in fact, when they were replaced by Seattle cheers in the game’s final moments: Wilson’s final drive ended when Broncos Coach Nathaniel Hackett opted to send out kicker Brandon McManus for a 64-yard FG attempt with 20 seconds on the clock. With Wilson watching from the sideline, his night over, McManus missed the kick, allowing the Seahawks to escape with a 17-16 victory.

Wilson very nearly silenced his doubters, passing for 340 yds and a TD and repeatedly connecting with his new receivers, Jerry Jeudy and Courtland Sutton, for big gains. Playing from behind in the third quarter, Wilson led the Broncos on back-to-back drives into the red zone. But the Broncos came away with no points because his RBs, Melvin Gordon and Javonte Williams, fumbled on goal-line stands to help the Seahawks maintain a 17-13 lead. The heralded Denver defense also did Wilson few favors. Denver had 12 penalties overall, for 106 yds, but several by the defense allowed the Seahawks to extend drives.

But Wilson said he had no problem with Hackett’s decision to go to McManus to try to win the game. “I don’t think it was the wrong decision; I think he could make it,” Wilson said. “Obviously in hindsight, we didn’t make it, but if we were in that situation again, I wouldn’t doubt whatever he decided.”
 

Bonnie said:
Oh, the drama of Tom Brady ..... is he going to retire and start going to PTA meetings? .. Or is there a divorce in the works? Family meetings must be interesting now.
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I don't think one can blame Gisele; she has been worried for years about the concussions Tom Brady has taken and the possible effects of CTE. And really, what else does he have to prove? Your kids only grow up once - miss those occasions and you've lost them forever. He's already missed a lot of time with them.

Brady is a truly great QB, but I think he needs to move on in life.
 
NFL Week 2 Predictions: Our Picks Against the Spread (also Thurs Nite Ftball results)
Tom Brady brings a grudge to New Orleans, the Bengals and Cowboys look to rebound, and the Eagles and Vikings cap a Monday night doubleheader.
NY Times Sept. 16, 2022

What a wild and unpredictable week of football it was: five upsets, 14 missed FGs, five games that came down to the final minute, both Super Bowl teams losing, a penalty for using a towel to dry the field and, strangest of all, a tie.

Thursday Nite Football saw two AFC West rivals, the Chargers and KC, go head-to-head, as well as a Monday night doubleheader. The Saints will try to keep their regular-season shutout streak against Tom Brady alive. Jaguars matchup provides some betting intrigue.

All times Eastern.
Sunday’s Best Games

TBay Buccaneers at New Orleans Saints, 1p, Fox
Pick: Buccaneers

Tom Brady has been shut out only three times in his career, the last time coming against the Saints last season in a 9-0 loss. In fact, the Saints have beaten the Buccaneers in their last seven regular season contests, a fact that might have figured into Brady’s reconsidering his retirement.

The Saints (1-0) are coming off a dramatic win in Atlanta, in which they gave up over 200 rushing yds to the Falcons and Jameis Winston was sacked four times. The Buccaneers, who were the NFL’s top passing team last season, showed they can run the ball, too, in Week 1, when Leonard Fournette got 127 yds on 21 carries. The Buccaneers (1-0) always attract a lot of public money, and this week is no different, with 68 percent of the bets so far on the visiting favorites.

Miami Dolphins at Baltimore Ravens, 1p, CBS
Pick: Ravens

Lamar Jackson is undefeated in all three home-openers he has started. Jackson, the Ravens (1-0) QB, may be bolstering his case for an elite QB contract by proving to the team that he’s more than just a rushing QB: He ran for just 17 of Baltimore’s 63 rushing yds in Week 1, (the lowest team total of his career as a starter), and threw for three TDs in a 24-9 rout of the Jets last week.

The Dolphins (1-0) didn’t need to show the full extent of their passing offense last week to beat the Patriots, but they could look to get Tyreek Hill his first TD of the season against a Ravens secondary that may struggle without CB Kyle Fuller, who tore his anterior cruciate ligament.

Cincinnati Bengals at Dallas Cowboys, 4:25p, CBS
Pick: Bengals

Dak Prescott fractured his thumb in last week’s loss to the Buccaneers, forcing the Cowboys (0-1) to turn to the inexperienced backup Cooper Rush for a tough schedule stretch - unless Jerry Jones picks up Jimmy Garoppolo or Cam Newton to fill in. In Rush’s only other NFL start, in 2021, he led the Cowboys to a thrilling comeback win against Minnesota, with 325 passing yds and two TDs, including six completions to CeeDee Lamb for 112 yds.

He’ll need a similar game to beat the Bengals (0-1) this week as 8.5-point home underdogs. Joe Burrow is coming off a dreadful performance - four interceptions, seven sacks and a lost fumble - in an OT loss to the Steelers and will be looking to get Cincinnati back on track.

Sunday’s Other Games

Carolina Panthers at Giants, 1p, Fox
Pick: Giants

The Giants’ first-year head coach Brian Daboll’s gamble to go for 2 at the end of last week’s upset over the Titans paid off with a win and buy-in from players. The Giants (1-0) are favorites this week against the Panthers (0-1), who also come off a close game.

The teams’ Week 1 performances were mirror images: The Giants out-rushed the Titans but were beaten in the air; the Panthers out-passed the Browns but were beaten on the ground. We may see those same strengths and weaknesses play out in another tight finish.

Indianapolis Colts at Jacksonville Jaguars, 1p, CBS
Pick: Colts

The Colts (0-0-1) were one of the biggest favorites last week and ended up playing the much-maligned Texans to a tie. Despite having lost seven straight games in Jacksonville, the Colts are the favorites.

NE Patriots at Pittsburgh Steelers, 1p, CBS
Pick: Patriots

Pittsburgh is a home underdog, though the line opened at some books as a pick ’em. The total is the lowest of the week, which all points to this game ending up a battle between defenses. The Steelers (1-0) defense looked stellar against the AFC champion Bengals in Week 1, but T.J. Watt tore his pectoral muscle in the Q4 of that win and will be out for this game and possibly the entire season.

Jets at Cleveland Browns, 1p, CBS
Pick: Browns

The Jets (0-1) were handled by the Ravens last week but still managed to put up nearly 400 yds of offense. The Browns (1-0) pulled off a win in Charlotte, thanks to a big rushing game and a 58-yard last-minute FG. Cleveland should win this one at home, but the Jets will put up a good fight. The market so far favors the Jets, with the line having moved a half point toward the Browns.

Washington Commanders at Detroit Lions, 1p, Fox
Pick: Lions

This game’s line opened with the Lions as betting favorites.

Atlanta Falcons at LA Rams, 4:05p, Fox
Pick: Rams

Both teams will look to get past embarrassing Week 1 miscues: The Rams (0-1) are hoping to avenge their home loss in the season opener, and the Falcons (0-1) are still smarting after blowing a big lead in the Q4 to the Saints. The Rams have all the advantages in this matchup, and should win, but 10.5 seems like a half point too many.

Seattle Seahawks at SF 49ers, 4:05p, Fox
Pick: 49ers

After the Seahawks (1-0) beat the Broncos on Monday night, Geno Smith said “they wrote me off; I ain’t write back, though.” He may have convinced Seattle fans that he could fill Russell Wilson’s shoes, but he didn’t convince the bookmakers, who made the Seahawks big underdogs against the 49ers.

Niners' sort-of-rookie-QB Trey Lance, with far fewer doubters, had a disappointing game against the Bears last week in a downpour.

Arizona Cardinals at LVegas Raiders, 4:25p, CBS
Pick: Raiders

The Cardinals looked terrible on last Sunday, but looks could be deceiving - they might have simply been outshined by an impressive KC team. Kyler Murray threw for 193 yds, two TDs and no interceptions. That’s a stat line that could have won against a lot of opponents. It might be enough to play within a TD of the Raiders.

Houston Texans at Denver Broncos, 4:25p, CBS
Pick: Broncos

Broncos Coach Nathaniel Hackett has been raked over the coals this week for his decision to try for a record-setting 64-yard FG rather than going for it on fourth down at the end of their loss to Seattle last week. But that was only the final mistake. The Broncos (0-1) went 0-4 in the red zone and fumbled on the 1-yard line TWICE. The Texans (0-0-1) fought valiantly to come away with a tie against the Colts in Week 1 and are now in first place in the AFC South.

Chicago Bears at GBay Packers, 8:20p, NBC
Pick: Packers

The Bears (1-0) are coming off a big win. The Packers (0-1) are coming off a big loss. The Packers looked like one of the worst teams in the NFL in their opener, with nothing going right. This week they should get back to form at home against a Bears team that was helped last week by some miserable weather at home that kept the score low and the game close.

Monday’s Games

Tennessee Titans at Buffalo Bills, 7:15p, ESPN
Pick: Bills

The Bills (1-0) looked like a Super Bowl contender in their 31-10 drubbing of the reigning champions last week. Everyone knew the Bills had a powerful offense, but they showed off an improved defense, with the newcomer Von Miller getting two of the team’s seven sacks. The Titans lost a heartbreaker to the Giants after looking solid for three quarters. They should put up a better defensive effort against the Bills than the Rams did. It won’t be enough to win, but it might be enough to keep it interesting.

Minnesota Vikings at Philadelphia Eagles, 8:30p, ABC
Pick: Eagles

Minnesota’s former coach, Mike Zimmer, had a style that was run-first, defensive-minded, smash-mouth football. Now, with Kevin O’Connell at the helm, we get to see what this team can do when they look to receiver Justin Jefferson as the offense’s first option. Last week, Kirk Cousins threw for 277 yds without an interception and connected with Jefferson nine times for 184 yds and two TDs.

The Eagles, on the other hand, barely survived against the Lions. Jalen Hurts doesn’t look bad, but can the Eagles (1-0) defense that allowed 35 points from Detroit handle this new Minnesota offense?

Thursday’s Result: KC 27, LA Chargers 24
We picked KC figuring that Patrick Mahomes’s offense would continue its steam-rolling pace from Week 1. Justin Herbert and the Chargers got out to a 10-point lead in the third quarter but, true to form, allowed KC to make enough plays to hang close before Jaylen Watson’s 99-yard pick-6 changed the game.

Mahomes collected 235 yds and two TD on 24 of 35 passing, mostly on short passes as LA’s secondary prevented big play outbursts. In a battle of star young QBs, Mahomes was the clear winner, with one TD pass that left viewers gasping in amazement as he avoided the rush, neatly escaped an almost certain outside tackle, and flipped the ball in a sidearm throw that was gathered in for a score.
 
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I noticed that Thursday Night Football will now only be available to those with an Amazon Prime membership. What a Crock! I just hope the viewership drops substantially in coming weeks, and forces the NFL to rethink that dumb move.
 
Don M. said:
I noticed that Thursday Night Football will now only be available to those with an Amazon Prime membership. What a Crock! I just hope the viewership drops substantially in coming weeks, and forces the NFL to rethink that dumb move.
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Well, in the long run it'll probably be a success - but in the short term I agree it will hurt them. I'm a Prime member, so I can access them. But we recently dropped cable and oddly, although I was able to add Amazon Video (where TNF resides) to our Roku menu on our TV, I had a terrible time FINDING the taped video at first!

I went thru Roku to add AVideo, which was a simple process. Then I accessed Amazon and told it to record the 9/15 game - being on the West Coast, it starts too early and I'm in the middle of making dinner by then. But I couldn't figure out where the video was stored - both Roku and Amazon have cloud storage, but even Googling didn't help me find a straight answer.

Frustrated, I gave up and went to Hulu to watch one of my other taped games....and there was my Amazon TNF video. To me this is just strange, because Hulu and Roku are entirely separate companies, and I can't watch Amazon Prime live through Hulu, only thru Roku.

So why does the football video store itself on Hulu's cloud? I have absolutely NO idea, LOL.
 
Don M. said:
I noticed that Thursday Night Football will now only be available to those with an Amazon Prime membership. What a Crock! I just hope the viewership drops substantially in coming weeks, and forces the NFL to rethink that dumb move.
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And you can't watch Monday Night Football without a subscription to ESPN, although last night, there were two games... one on ESPN and one on network TV. I'm a Bills fan and wasn't able to watch them play, but I did watch the highlights. Looked like a hell of a game!
 
What We Learned From Week 2 of the NFL Season Pt 1 of 2
Kyler Murray and the Cardinals had Sunday’s best comeback, Russell Wilson’s Broncos offense needs more time to cook, and the Giants are … working on some things.

NY Times Sept. 18, 2022
No more Week 1 rust, no more excuses. Fifteen teams entered Week 2 looking to avoid starting the season in an 0-2 hole. That desperation sparked collapses in Baltimore in Cleveland and LVegas or chest-thumping finishes for Miami, the Jets and Arizona.

The Most Interesting Games:

Cardinals 29, Raiders 23
Kyler Murray went into video game mode. The Cardinals had no business toppling the Raiders, after getting shut out in the first half. But Kyler Murray led two Q4 TD drives, finishing them both with successful 2-point conversions, to force an OT period that Arizona unbelievably pulled out.

With over 8 minutes remaining and an Arizona fourth-and-4 from the 25-yd line, Murray looked to newly added receiver (and former college teammate) Marquise Brown for a sideline shot right on the front left pylon.

Somehow, Murray pinned the ball between two defenders in tight coverage, giving Brown the chance to haul in a one-handed grab to put the Cardinals on the 1-yd line. Darrel Williams carried in the TD.

On the 2-point attempt, Murray scrambled for 20 seconds to keep the play alive as he searched for a target in the end zone. Finding none, he punched it in himself to narrow the score to 23-15.

The Cardinals’ next drive was slower and more methodical, but also required some magic. Another Murray scramble on a fourth-and-1 kept the possession alive, and a defensive holding call bailed Arizona out of an incompletion on another fourth down at the Raiders’ 7-yd line with just 16 seconds to go.

Murray eventually scampered for a 3-yd TD as time expired before nailing a throw to the back of the end zone to convert the 2-point attempt that pushed the game to OT.

The Cardinals fell flat in their one OT possession, but were saved when linebacker Isaiah Simmons forced a fumble by Raiders receiver Hunter Renfrow just as LVegas entered FG range, giving way to a Byron Murphy scoop-and-score to close the game.

Broncos 16, Seahawks 9
Russell Wilson’s Broncos offense seems undercooked. If letting Wilson cook is Denver’s game plan, they are going to need more time in the kitchen. The Broncos’ offense was mostly fine in the opener on the road against Seattle - never mind all the late game mismanagement from head coach Nathaniel Hackett - but probably not as explosive as the team had hoped when they traded for Wilson.

A jittery and emotional opening night is one thing. A second, much worse performance should worry Denver.

Wilson and the Broncos eventually mustered the game’s first TD in the Q4, and held on to beat the Texans, but were discombobulated in the 45 minutes of clock before that. Wilson completed just six of his first 20 passes for 93 yds, missing a handful of throws by a country mile.

The only explosive play the offense had for a good while was a back shoulder ball to Courtland Sutton that was eerily reminiscent of when Wilson used to bail himself out of ruts in Seattle with deep sideline throws to DK Metcalf.

Wilson’s second-quarter interception came on a pass attempt in which he seemed to squeeze in a seam throw to Sutton with the Texans in Tampa 2 coverage, a staple for head coach Lovie Smith. The pass needed to be threaded past the linebacker Christian Kirksey, who was close enough to rip the ball away from Sutton and take it for himself.

Hackett earned blame for the offense’s sputtering in this game too, but has said throughout training camp and the preseason that this is Wilson’s offense so it’s impossible for either to shoulder all the responsibility for an unimpressive start. When they’ll look like the dynamo that was billed when Wilson arrived is anyone’s guess.

Rams 31, Falcons 27
A win doesn’t obscure the Rams’ troubles. In Week 1, LAR looked nothing like the team that won last season’s SB. Against the Buffalo Bills, Matthew Stafford’s passes seemed weaker, no receiver besides Cooper Kupp could get open, and every defensive player not named Aaron Donald seemed to be playing at 0.75x speed. Sunday’s game against the Atlanta Falcons was expected to be a "get right" game, but the Rams’ win provided only a little relief.

Let’s quickly touch on the good: Coach Sean McVay was in his bag again. On a down-to-down basis, the Rams offense looked cohesive and the Darrell Henderson-Cam Akers rushing platoon was just good enough to free up the passing game. Stafford looked stronger with the Falcons pass rush unable to generate anything near the pressure the Bills did. Receiver Allen Robinson caught four of five targets for 53 yds.

The bad news is the Rams could not stop turning the ball over. Stafford threw his second pick in the game’s second half, the first of three turnovers over a four-drive stretch.

Two drives after that interception, Falcons rookie Troy Andersen blocked a punt that Atlanta returned for a TD. On the Rams’ next drive, Kupp caught a wide-open pass over the middle from Stafford, only to have the ball knocked out from behind and recovered by Atlanta.

LA avoided embarrassment on their home field thanks to Jalen Ramsey Moss-ing a Falcons receiver for an interception on the potential game-winning drive, but the Rams allowed Atlanta to make this one much closer than it should have been.

Dolphins 42, Ravens 38
Tua Tagovailoa took full advantage of the Ravens’ ravaged secondary. Heading into Q4, the Ravens had the Dolphins dead to rights. Up 35-14, Lamar Jackson was putting together an MVP-level performance, throwing for over 10 yds per pass while rushing for 119 yds and a score on just nine carries. The Dolphins’ offense could only get short bursts of yardage, mostly thanks to Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle gaining ground after their catches.

Baltimore took a three score lead into the final period and surely thought it would be enough to win. But the Ravens’ secondary has been a monstrosity since 2021, when four CBs finished the season on injured reserve and the team allowed the most pass yds of any defense in the league.

With Marcus Peters playing his first game since tearing his ACL last season and Kyle Fuller out having sustained the same injury in Week 1, the Ravens’ secondary blew coverage after coverage, allowing both Hill and Waddle to get 10 yds behind them on multiple occasions. Tua Tagovailoa had no issue finding the Dolphins’ two track stars running wind sprints past the Ravens’ safeties. He threw three TDs within the first 10 minutes of the Q4 to tie the game, 35-35.

Baltimore responded with a 51-yd FG to go ahead, giving Miami the ball back with just over 2 minutes remaining. Last season, that would have been a safe bet. With aggressive first-year head coach Mike McDaniel and a newly stocked receiver corps, not so much.

Tagovailoa found Hill and Waddle with a string of quick throws to drive to the Ravens’ 7-yd line with 23 seconds left. After a first-down incompletion, Miami’s QB made his best play of the day, dancing out of a sack to his left to thread a pass just over Damarion Williams’s fingertips for Waddle in the middle of the end zone.

Lions 36, Commanders 27
The scrappy heart of the Lions is its OL. Lions HC Dan Campbell once told everyone that his team would bite kneecaps off, but instead they’re looking like the fun, scrappy charmer of the NFL. It’s a respite from the weekly heartbreak of the 2021 season, when Detroit would go for it on fourth downs to get an edge and still lose because the Lions just didn’t have the horses.

Detroit took on a solid Washington team on Sunday, getting a win at home. Through the first 30 minutes of the game the Lions (1-1) dominated, going up 22-0.

Jared Goff put up a better-than-solid performance, throwing for 256 yds and four TDs on 20 of 34 passing, but the heart of this effort was Detroit’s reserve OL. Down all three of their Week 1 starting interior OL men, the Lions’ bigs still ran through Washington’s front. With no Jonah Jackson, Frank Ragnow or Logan Stenberg in the lineup, the OL ground out consistent gains and cleared a few highway-sized rushing lanes for D’Andre Swift to rip off explosive runs. There are few tests of a coaching staff like being able to keep backup OLs ready, and Detroit’s line coach, Hank Fraley, has kept that unit at the top of the league through three seasons in the role.

Commanders (1-1) QB Carson Wentz (30 of 46, 337 yds, 3 TDs) dug deep into his bag of bizarre tricks, throwing TD passes on four of his first five possessions of the second half. But Lions DE John Cominsky came up with a huge sack on Wentz on fourth-and-4 at the Commanders’ 39-yd line to end their final drive.
 
What We Learned From Week 2 of the NFL Season Pt 2 of 2
NY Times Sept. 18, 2022

Giants 19, Panthers 16
The Giants offense is still looking for ways to stretch. After years of ineffective offense, the Giants’ first-year HC Brian Daboll crafted a game plan in Week 1 that both unleashed Saquon Barkley on pulling plays to the outside and gave Daniel Jones a healthy buffet of open targets. But in the first three quarters of Sunday’s game against the Panthers, the Giants turned the clock back to 2021.

The Giants (2-0) recovered a fumble on the opening kickoff, getting the ball on the Panthers’ 22-yd line. Daboll opted for screens and quick passes on three plays from scrimmage instead of trying for the end zone, eventually accepting three points on a 36-yd FG.

The Panthers (0-2) fumbled again on the next drive, gifting the Giants another short field. Taking over on the Carolina 40-yd line, Daboll again dinked and dunked down to the 5-yd line before Jones took back-to-back sacks to force another FG. Carolina kept pace with FGs, sending the game to a 6-6 tie at halftime.

It wasn’t until the second half that Daboll got back to what worked in Week 1. The coach opened with a number of horizontal stretches in the passing game that gave Jones easy targets in the 10- to 20-yd range. Jones capped off a TD drive on the Giants’ second possession with a pass on a slide route into the flat area to rookie TE Daniel Bellinger off a play-action fake to bring back a tie at 13-13.

Carolina’s secondary tightened up again, but not enough to stave off a pair of field-goal drives. And the Giants left their home stadium with a two-game(!) win streak.

Around the NFL

Packers 27, Bears 10: After forcing the passing game in Week 1, GBay leaned on RB Aaron Jones, who rushed for 132 yds and a TD plus a receiving score. Aaron Rodgers had 234 yds on 19 of 25 passing and relied on veteran receivers Randall Cobb and Allen Lazard on pivotal plays.

Cowboys 20, Bengals 17: The supposedly improved Bengals OL allowed the Cowboys to pressure and bring down Joe Burrow six times while Cowboys backup QB Cooper Rush (19 of 31 passing for 235 yds) did just enough to get the Cowboys the win. He got an unexpected lift from receiver Noah Brown, who caught all five of his targets for a game-high 91 yds and a TD.

49ers 27, Seahawks 7: Trey Lance was carted off after just three passes and underwent season-ending surgery for a broken ankle. Jimmy Garoppolo stepped in at QB and did what he usually does: played fast, efficient football with throws underneath and over the middle. The Niners' offensive line, considered shaky in pre-season, allowed just nine total pressures on 36 pass-blocking snaps and didn't give up a single sack to the Seahawks. The unit finished with a 78.8 pass-blocking grade.

Niners HC Kyle Shanahan has a bad habit of going conservative with a big lead (Niners led 20-0 at the half) but the SF D was ferocious even with Hawks QB Geno Smith's quick release.

Niners D dominated with seven total pressures - four hurries, two sacks and a quarterback hit - highlighted their edge-rushing phenom Nick Bosa, who finished with a 90.0 pass-rushing grade on 25 snaps.

Jets 31, Browns 30: Cleveland surrendered four TDs - two of which came in the game’s final 90 seconds - to a Joe Flacco-led team, which will prompt a new level of angst among Browns fans. First Flacco found Corey Davis down the right sideline for a 66-yd score on a broken coverage. The Jets then recovered the onside kick, and went on a 9-play march that ended with a 15-yd TD connection over the middle between Flacco and rookie Garrett Wilson.

Patriots 17, Steelers 14: It’s one thing to have a defensive battle; it’s another thing to have two offenses trade punts like a bottom-tier Big Ten game. NE’s offense clawed their way to 17 points, thanks in part to a muffed punt in Q3 that led to a quick TD run from Damien Harris. If the Steeler defense hadn’t dropped a couple of interceptions, things could have gone very differently.

Buccaneers 20, Saints 10: After a sloppy Week 1, Dennis Allen’s Saints defense came out swinging against the Bucs, a common occurrence since Tom Brady showed up in TBay. Tied 3-3 heading into the Q4, the game turned on a fight between Saints CB Marshon Lattimore and Bucs receiver Mike Evans that resulted in both being ejected. Brady found Breshad Perriman for a TD on the next drive and Jameis Winston threw three picks, including a Q4 pick-6.

Jaguars 24, Colts 0: Trevor Lawrence has a new coach in Doug Pederson and a few new teammates to throw to, and he used them both to dominate the Colts. A #1 overall pick in 2021, Lawrence was just as effective on intermediate and deep passes as he was taking the quick underneath options, showing crucial development in his second season. His stat line (25 of 30 passing, 235 yds, 2 TDs, 0 INTs) came close to perfection even though Jamal Agnew dropped a would-be TD on a deep crossing route late in Q2.

Monday Night Football Doubleheader

Bills 41, Titans 7
The Buffalo Bills put together a dominant performance against the overmatched Tennessee Titans at Highmark Stadium on Monday night, blowing out the visitors 41-7. The Bills dominated from pillar to post, as they led for most of the game, doubled Tennessee's total yards (414 to 187) and forced four turnovers.

Offensive spotlight: The Bills offense was the Josh Allen and Stefon Diggs show all evening, as the duo thoroughly dominated an overmatched Titans defense. Due to the blowout, Allen and Diggs sat out the fourth, but they still put up numbers that would be impressive even had they played the entire game. Allen finished 26-of-38 for 317 passing yards, four touchdowns, two big-time throws and an 84.4% adjusted completion rate while Diggs secured 12 of his 14 targets for 148 receiving yards, six first downs and three touchdowns. Diggs also forced three missed tackles and finished with a dominant 90.0-plus receiving grade on first review.

With two straight 30-plus-point performances to start the season, the Bills offense looks like a juggernaut that will be tough to stop all season long.

Bills pass rusher Von Miller continues to thrive with his new team, as he put together another excellent performance in his second game. He totaled four pressures, three pass-rush wins that didn't result in a pressure and a dominant 41.2% pass-rush win percentage. Like Allen and Diggs, Miller sat out Q4 due to the blowout.

Bills LB Matt Milano also had a notable performance in coverage, allowing only one of his three targets to be caught for 16 yards while securing an interception and dropping another. Milano also notched a coverage stop en route to a 90.0-plus coverage grade on first review.

Rookie spotlight: Titans rookie receiver Treylon Burks put together one of the team's only notable performances, catching four of his six targets for 47 yards, three first downs and an 80-plus receiving grade on first review.

Offensive line spotlight: The Titans' pass protection unit stood out for all the wrong ways, as the team allowed an abysmal 15 pressures across 28 pass-blocking snaps. Rookie tackle Nicholas Petit-Frere was particularly bad, as he allowed six pressures and four pass-rush wins that didn't result in a pressure.

Eagles 24, Vikings 7
Hurts lit up the Vikings defense all evening, both on the ground and through the air. Hurts recorded an 88.0-plus passing grade on first review thanks to two big-time throws and 10.7 yards per pass attempt. On the ground, Hurts averaged five yards per carry and forced three missed tackles on first review, as the Vikings defense had no answers for the dynamic signal-caller.

Defensive spotlight: Eagles LB T.J. Edwards had an all-around productive evening against Minnesota, finishing with three pressures, a run stop and a forced incompletion en route to an 80-plus overall grade in addition to an 85.0-plus pass-rushing grade an a 70-plus coverage grade on first review. This was a stark improvement from Edwards' Week 1 performance when he failed to post a 65.0-plus grade in any facet.

Offensive line spotlight: The Eagles' pass protection unit fared well against the Vikings' pass rush, allowing just seven pressures and zero sacks across 38 pass-blocking snaps. Left guard Landon Dickerson was particularly impressive, allowing zero pressures en route to an excellent 85.0-plus pass-blocking grade on first review.
 
Week 3: Thursday Night Football
4 Winners and 3 Losers from Steelers' Loss to Browns
The Pittsburgh Steelers need more from their run defense if they want to win, particularly in tight games.
FanNation 23Sept2022

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers dropped a disappointing divisional game to the Cleveland Browns, 29-17 to fall to 1-2. Nick Chubb didn't just control the clock, he manhandled it, running right at a Steelers defense that really didn't even have a hope of bringing him down.

The Steelers showed flashes of improvement on offense but their defense, which has already been burdened with carrying this flawed team, was simply not good enough to win. As a result, the offense earns some praise while the defense takes the bulk of the blame in this week's winners and losers.

Winners

Matt Canada
This may ring hollow in the face of a loss in which the offense scored just 14 points, but Canada called a good game. Maybe some of the criticism he's been hearing hit home or it's as simple as the Steelers evolving like he had promised (although that seems unlikely, especially given the short week, but there was a clear uptick in aggressiveness and creativity.

Canada opened up the game for Mitch Trubisky, who was impressive using his legs, letting the ball fly early and often, and getting many different weapons involved. They were undoubtedly shut down in the second half, but one good half of offense is better than none and the lack of offense came because they weren't completing aggressive plays, instead of getting stopped short on passive ones, which is an improvement, even if only a marginal one.

Najee Harris
Harris did not look particularly quick but was physical and nonetheless dynamic in the run game. He played like a bruiser and it resulted in his best rushing game of the season - 56 yards and a touchdown on 15 attempts. If he can figure out how to turn some of those five and six-yard gains into 10 or more, he'll return to form as one of the best in the NFL at his position.

Jaylen Warren
Warren provided an excellent change of pace from Harris. He used his speed more than his strength against the Browns. He averaged 7.5 yards per carry as the backup to Harris and the undrafted rookie could be playing his way into a more vital role for the Steelers. The offense was at its best when it could be balanced and if Warren can provide some relief for Harris, that should help the steelers get there.

James Daniels
It's no coincidence that the entire offensive line was outstanding on the same night that the offense looked as sharp as they have all season. Daniels was particularly stout against an immensely talented Browns front seven. Sure, their opponents were without Jadaveon Clowny and lost multiple starting linebackers, but this is the third straight game that has caused you to look up and reconsider whether or not the line is truly a weak link in the offense.

Losers

Pat Friermuth
Freiermuth didn't get a target until the waning minutes of the fourth quarter after being one of Trubisky's favorite pass-catchers through Weeks 1 and 2. His pair of 20-yard catches, which came on the same drive, made one wish Trubisky had been able to find him more often in the second half, when the Steelers were struggling to even collect first downs.

Ahkello Witherspoon
Witherspoon faced a tough matchup but did not make the most of his chance to faceoff against the Browns' number one wideout. Amari Cooper burned Witherspoon over and over to the tune of six receptions for 69 yards and a touchdown. The Steelers were unable to send help over with Nick Chubb gashing them in the run game and Witherspoon paid the price before exiting early with a hamstring injury.

Steelers Run Defense
For the second straight game, the Steelers defense got worn down by a powerful, run-first opponent. Nick Chubb is perhaps the most difficult running back in the NFL to tackle this side of Derrick Henry, but it really doesn't matter when you are looking to win football games. Mike Tomlin said so himself. "If you can't slow down Chubb, you can't beat this group."

The reality is that this defense needs to be tougher against the run if this team hopes to win. They've allowed opponents to drain the clock with a lead late in consecutive close fourth quarters. Whether it's fair or not to ask for so much is irrelevant. No other part of this team is more important to overall success than the ability to play well against the run for four quarters.
 
I think I will be closing this thread down after this final post. Doesn't seem to be much interest in it any longer, unfortunately.

NFL Week 3 Predictions: Our Picks Against the Spread
Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers go head-to-head, Tua Tagovailoa will get his stiffest challenge yet against the Bills, and the Cowboys will try to hand the Giants their first loss.
New York Times Sept. 22, 2022

Week 2 was a wild one. Underdogs went 10-4 against the spread, and seven won their games straight up, with some improbable second-half comebacks. This week there are no double-digit favorites, and no team is favored by more than a TD.

All times Eastern.

Buffalo Bills (2-0) at Miami Dolphins (2-0), 1p, CBS
Pick: Bills
Through the first two weeks of the season, the Dolphins were a popular pick among experts. This week, they get their biggest challenge against a Bills team that looks more and more impressive, and that is coming off a thumping of the Titans Monday night.

Miami should be confident after a dramatic comeback against the Ravens in which Tua Tagovailoa threw for an eye-popping 469 yds and six (yes, six) TDs. Two of those were passes to receiver Tyreek Hill, who appears to have arrived. This game will be a statement game for either undefeated AFC East team.

Detroit Lions (1-1) at Minnesota Vikings (1-1), 1p, Fox
Pick: Vikings
The Lions ranked 25th in the league in points scored last season but are its second-highest scoring team so far, with at least 35 points in each game. Detroit’s offense is good, as evidenced last week when Jared Goff averaged 7.5 yds per pass and threw four TDs to beat Washington, 36-27.

The defense? Not as good. QB Kirk Cousins and receiver Justin Jefferson should be able to bounce back in this game, after struggling against the Eagles Monday night.

Philadelphia Eagles (2-0) at Washington Commanders (1-1), 1p, Fox
Pick: Eagles
The Eagles played Monday night and have to travel to Washington on a short week. The QB the team shipped out after five seasons, Carson Wentz, has put up back-to-back games of 300 or more yds and three or more TDs in his first season in Washington and may be looking to prove something.

Jacksonville Jaguars (1-1) at LA Chargers (1-1), 4:05p, CBS
Pick: Chargers
Betting odds are concerned with the rib cartilage fracture Chargers QB Justin Herbert sustained in last week’s narrow loss at KC. Herbert is expected to start for the Chargers on Sunday, however. This one, really, is a coin flip.

LA Rams (1-1) at Arizona Cardinals (1-1), 4:25p, Fox
Pick: Rams
The Rams needed to take an intentional safety to lock up a scary-close win over the Falcons last week despite being 10.5-point favorites. The Cardinals won a thriller against the Raiders in OT after Kyler Murray took over the game.

GBay Packers (1-1) at TBay Buccaneers (2-0), 4:25p, Fox
Pick: Buccaneers
The Buccaneers were already dealing with injuries to their receivers, with Julio Jones (knee) and Chris Godwin (hamstring) both out in Week 2. Both are questionable for this game, in which another receiver, Mike Evans, will be out serving a suspension for fighting in last week’s win over the Saints.

Aaron Rodgers has also been auditioning receivers, with eight different Packers having recorded catches in Week 2.

New Orleans Saints (1-1) at Carolina Panthers (0-2), 1p, Fox
Pick: Saints
QB Jameis Winston has four fractured vertebrae, but the Saints plan to play him anyway, saying they aren’t as concerned with further injury as managing his pain. But Winston looked to suffer plenty, throwing interceptions on three straight possessions in the Q4 last week against the Buccaneers, including a pick-6 on the final one. The backup Andy Dalton and the do-everything Taysom Hill may see reps if things go awry again. Saints RB Alvin Kamara is also questionable to play because of a rib injury, which means this is as good a chance as any for the home-underdog Panthers to get their first win.

Houston Texans (0-1-1) at Chicago Bears (1-1), 1p, CBS
Pick: Bears
Both of these teams rank fairly low on the power rankings. Despite low expectations, the Bears ran the ball well against the Packers last week, getting 8.4 yds per carry from the RB duo of David Montgomery and Khalil Herbert. Chicago may lean on the run too much to overpower a Lovie Smith-coached defense: Bears QB Justin Fields has thrown for 121 and 70 yds in his two starts this season. Houston’s offense has also underperformed — the unit has scored only two TDs this season — so they’ll trust the defense to keep this one close.

SF 49ers (1-1) at Denver Broncos (1-1) 8:20p, NBC
Pick: 49ers
The betting odds think veteran QB Jimmy Garoppolo is an upgrade for the 49ers over Trey Lance, who broke his right ankle last week and is out for the season. Or it might be a reaction to Denver’s coaching issues. Broncos fans have taken to not only booing the first-year head coach Nathaniel Hackett’s play calls, but also have been counting down the play clock in an effort to help the team avoid delay of game penalties. Russell Wilson has played against SF many times in his career, having shared the NFC West during his Seattle tenure, and it's unknown what adjustments the 49ers may need with having Jimmy G. back under center.

KC (2-0) at Indianapolis Colts (0-1-1), 1p, CBS
Pick: KC
KC gutted out a win against the Chargers last week, but failed to cover by a half point. The Colts have struggled to find an effective unit to build around, having tied the Texans and gotten shut out by the lowly Jaguars despite being favored in both games.

To change course, Indianapolis will have to get Jonathan Taylor more involved. Last season’s league-leader in rushing yds (1,811), attempts (332) and TDs (18) had just nine carries in last week’s loss while Colts QB Matt Ryan threw three interceptions.

Baltimore Ravens (1-1) at NE Patriots (1-1), 1p, Fox
Pick: Ravens
Baltimore QB Lamar Jackson was getting M.V.P. chants last week after a showstopping first-half performance against Miami. In the second half, however, the battered Ravens secondary gave up 319 passing yds and five TDs, dropping Baltimore to the worst-ranked passing defense in the NFL for a second year. The Patriots, coming off a win, are throwing the ball better behind Mac Jones, who may get Coach Bill Belichick’s blessing to air it out against the Ravens.

Cincinnati Bengals (0-2) at Jets (1-1), 1p, CBS
Pick: Bengals
The Bengals are struggling against Cover 2 defenses and as a result the OL has given up a league-high 13 sacks for 73 lost yds (also a league high). Joe Burrow has been holding the ball to try to make those long completions that got Cincinnati to last season’s Super Bowl, and is now at the bottom of the league in passing yds. The Jets are coming off a thrilling upset win over Cleveland, but they’re still the Jets.

LVegas Raiders (0-2) at Tennessee Titans (0-2), 1p, Fox
Pick: Raiders
Betting has been active on both sides of this game. The Titans opened as slight favorites, but after a Monday night drubbing from the Bills, the money came in on the Raiders, moving them to 2.5-point favorites on the road.

Atlanta Falcons (0-2) at Seattle Seahawks (1-1), 4:25p, Fox
Pick: Seahawks
This year’s Falcons are looking like last year’s Lions at 0-2. The Seahawks had a disappointing 27-7 loss to the 49ers last week. These two teams are evenly matched – flip a coin to pick the winner.

Monday’s Game
Dallas Cowboys (1-1) at Giants (2-0), 8:15p, ESPN/ABC
Pick: Giants
Cooper Rush proved that he could be a capable fill-in at QB for the Cowboys last week and Dallas’s defense has looked especially impressive in the pass rush, recording eight sacks so far this season (third in the NFL). Saquon Barkley should get plenty of carries this week, as the Giants can’t yet rely on their passing attack and the Cowboys are a bit more vulnerable to the run.

Thursday’s Game
Browns 29, Steelers 17 (analysis in Post #89, above)
 
Cardinals are now somehow 2-2 despite only playing about two good quarters so far this season. Not sure how long Kingsbury will last if the offense doesn't show some signs of life soon. Overall I thought it was kind of a strange week in the NFL.
 
Note, watch at youtube link.

TV announcer's voice on highlight video
Dave's paused play by play comments in ()

quick throw
(With 43 yard scrimmage line, Jimmy Gorropollo back at the Niner 36 passes left to 49er #19 Deebo Samuel [DS] that catches at 49ers 48 yard line as a ram tried to intercept by cutting in front but the ball was further left.)
what a catch
DS stays upright

(Ram defensive back Taylor Rapp [R24] grabbed at DS's right leg as he turned around just starting to run. R24 speared diving at DS's lower legs and that landed a hand at DS's right kneecap. As DS pulled back with a jump from his left leg, R24's hand never caught hold. DS runs towards Grant Haley [R36] who guesses wrong left towards the sidelines as DS at the Ram 43 yard line veers right towards a mix of more players further downfield as he diagonals right behind them and at the Ram's 36 left hash mark veers more downfield towards the goal line as he see veteran defensive back Jalen Ramsey [R5] heading diagonally left shutting off areas further right.)

One on one with Ramsey
can't bring him down

(Next Ram's last defensive back R5 that DS needed to get through that had been running diagonally towards the middle of the field where he positioned himself about 7 yards in front of where DS was speeding towards him at right hash marks at the Ram 22. When DS was about 4 yards away DS veered some to his right that made R5 commit towards spearing left with outstretched arms. R5 got his arms around DS's left leg but DS running powerfully at full speed just power stepped through his desperate grip leaving R5 spinning in a 360 degrees tumble as DS stumbles beyond before accelerating over the final 20 yards. That DB failure to tackle when DS has accelerated up to speed with bull snorting momentum is what defines his fame.

(The last Ram linebacker Ernest Jone R53 was running towards the right corner touchdown line but wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk N11 running ahead to block, ran bumping him away.)
Samuel highlight reel
TOUCHDOWN !!!
 
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Glad to see some life back on this thread. Here's the Week 4 results summary:

What We Learned From Week 4 in the NFL Pt 1 of 2
NYTimes Oct. 3, 2022

Thursday Night Football:
Bengals 27, Dolphins 15
The Bengals badly needed this one, and they got it. This was billed as an offensive explosion. It really did look that way early, but both the Bengals and Dolphins offenses struggled off and on throughout the night. Part of that is these defenses doing a great job to step up on third down. Some of it was just timing issues and poor play calling. Still, knocking off an undefeated team to climb back to .500 is a huge statement to make on Thursday Night Football. Sadly, the game was overshadowed by Tua Tagovailoa getting viciously sacked and hitting his head off the turf. He was down for an extended period of time before he was taken off on a stretcher. He was replaced by Teddy Bridgewater, who did a decent job but couldn't overcome Joe Burrow's two TD passes.

KC 41, Buccaneers 31: The final score was a lot closer than the game ever felt. Patrick Mahomes ascended in the first half, ripping off three consecutive scoring drives to open the game. Mahomes capped off the third drive with an "only he can do this" flick from outside the pocket, adding to his ever-growing file of signature TDs*. Tom Brady fought back valiantly, but with a rushing offense that produced just 3 yds - yes, 3 - on six carries, he did not have enough support to match KC’s firepower.
* You can see it in this free article: https://sports.yahoo.com/patrick-mahomes-spinning-stunning-td

Cardinals 26, Panthers 16: The mid-timeout spat between Cardinals HC Kliff Kingsbury and QB Kyler Murray was the memorable part of this game. The Cardinals’ offense scraped together a fine performance, but the shortest receiving corps in the league again made things tough. In a tough division, Arizona needs DeAndre Hopkins back. His suspension ends for the Oct 17th game vs the Saints, but he will be limiting practices as he recovers from Dec 2021 MCL surgery.

Fortunately for Arizona, HC Matt Rhule and QB Baker Mayfield managed to be much, much worse on the other side. Timing and accuracy issues, as well as poor pass protection, plagued Mayfield again. Mayfield was a bottom-10 starter toward the end of his run with the Browns, but given all the drama and injury factors, the hope was that he could bounce back in Carolina. But Mayfield is somehow playing worse than he ever did in Cleveland. His accuracy has waned, his ability to create outside the pocket has all but vanished, and he has yet to build chemistry with a talented receiving corps.

Raiders 32, Broncos 23: By beating the Broncos, the Raiders saved whatever hope they have left for this season. The LVegas rushing offense looked awake for the first time all year as Josh Jacobs tore through a Denver run defense that had been impressive through the first three weeks. Broncos QB Russell Wilson found a handful of explosive plays, but between a poor rushing attack and inconsistent passing underneath, the Denver offense struggled to string together drives and match the Raiders blow for blow. It didn't help that Denver's OL was no match for Raiders pass rusher Maxx Crosby, who sacked Wilson twice and pressured him all day.

Packers 27, Patriots 24 (OT): Take a bow, Bailey Zappe. Though the Patriots lost this game, third-string QB Zappe deserves praise for coming off the bench and leading two TD drives to force OT on the road against GBay. Alas, Aaron Rodgers had an even bigger second half. After a slow start, Rodgers ripped off several throws down the seams to find explosive gains, including a TD to Robert Tonyan with 9:20 left in the third.

For GBay, trading away receiver Davante Adams to LVegas came with the understanding that its offense would not be as explosive. RBs Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon have become the centerpieces. Split-back shotgun formations have become LaFleur’s weapon of choice for getting both backs on the field. The Packers regularly line up with Jones and Dillon flanking Rodgers, giving the Packers the flexibility to hand the ball off either way. They can also motion one of the backs out of the backfield, a tool the Packers often use to either clear defenders out of the box or throw quick-hitting passes to the perimeter. It’s not something they can do on every play, but it’s one of their favorite change-ups.

Bills 23, Ravens 20: No two teams ask more of their QBs, and it showed. The Ravens’ defense swarmed on all of the Bills’ underneath passing to start the game but wore down, eventually crumbling to Josh Allen’s superhero ways. Allen was up and down as a passer, but he was a force on the ground, making a number of third- and fourth-down plays to keep drives alive.

Buffalo’s defense, in turn, had zero issues swarming Baltimore’s passing offense. It was easier for the Bills to dedicate resources to the middle of the field and pounce on everything the Ravens were doing, ultimately leading to two interceptions on the way to a second-half shutout.

The Ravens’ offense has Lamar Jackson and not much else. Jackson, the 2019 MVP, has been as brilliant from the pocket as ever and is responsible for a majority of Baltimore’s rushing success. But he may not be able to hold this house of cards together much longer.

Lamar looked excellent in the first half. Then the Ravens lost leading wideout Rashod Bateman in the second half. The offense screeched to a halt. Bateman is the Ravens’ best receiver and the only one they have who can win on the outside consistently. He was the last piece the fragile offense could not afford to lose. When Bateman went out, the Ravens lost their ability to stress the Bills’ defense vertically and outside the numbers. The Ravens were already struggling to spread defenses out considering that they often play with heavier personnel sets; losing Bateman was a death knell.

The Ravens will not face defenses as good as the Bills’ unit every week, but they also don’t have a clear answer for Bateman’s absence - and they can’t count on Jackson saving them every week.

Giants 20, Bears 12: Justin Fields and the Bears’ offense collapsed again. Fields was sacked five times in the first half and once more in the second, again making it difficult for the Chicago offense to get in a rhythm. The coaches are receiving heat for extremely conservative playcalling during Year 1 of a rebuilding phase, using a run-heavy offense that doesn't allow Fields to gain useful experience.

The Giants are 3-1 for the first time in 11 seasons, an unexpected development in Brian Daboll's first season as head coach. How they got there in Sunday's victory over the Bears is wild - wild as in, Saquon Barkley took key snaps as Wildcat quarterback, handling direct snaps with injured QB Daniel Jones lined up at wide receiver and injured back-up QB Tyrod Taylor in the locker room being evaluated for a concussion. But Saquon showed up big for the Giants, carrying the ball 31 times for 146 yds.

Falcons 23, Browns 20: The Falcons’ offensive box score looked like that of a triple-option team. Marcus Mariota went 7 of 19 for 139 yds and a pick, while the rushing offense fought for 202 yds and two scores on 35 carries. Five different Falcons had a carry.

The defense has been a huge struggle for Cleveland through four weeks. Big plays have littered the boxscore as Browns defenders seem lost. After the Jets game, DC Joe Woods simplified play calling so defenders weren’t running two different coverages. The run defense was plagued by over-aggressive defenders.

Eagles 29, Jaguars 21: The wet, rainy conditions in Philadelphia were ideal for the home team. The Eagles had no issue running the ball, ending the day with 50 carries to just 25 passes. QB Jalen Hurts played a major role in the run game as the Eagles called a number of option runs. Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence also helped them out a bit, losing four fumbles and throwing an interception despite otherwise being able to move the ball. The Eagles are now the sole undefeated NFL team.

Jets 24, Steelers 20: The Steelers finally made the switch to the rookie QB Kenny Pickett, casting Mitch Trubisky to the bench. Pickett was not much better overall, tossing two legitimate interceptions before throwing a third on a Hail Mary, but he was more aggressive than Trubisky. The Jets, on the other hand, were lucky to get by with a two-pick performance from their own young QB, Zach Wilson. This was Wilson’s first regular season game this year, but the pressure is on to start producing with a talented receiving corps sooner than later.
 
What We Learned From Week 4 in the NFL Pt 2 of 2
NYTimes Oct. 3, 2022

Titans 24, Colts 17: Week by week, the Titans’ offense looks more like what it’s supposed to look like. RB Derrick Henry erupted in the first half, allowing the Titans to dip into their play-action and screen game and setting up a number of chunk plays over the middle of the field. Their offense fell flat in the second half, thanks in part to penalties, but their first half was as promising as any that they have played this season.

Colts HC Frank Reich's reputation as an offensive mastermind is in jeopardy, and GM Chris Ballard's player picking hasn't helped. The Colts rank dead last in points per game. They score a TD on just 46% of their trips to the redzone, 6th worst in the NFL. They are second in giveaways with 9. They have the 6th worst YPC number. They rank 1st in sack yards lost. Fan and media rumblings are getting louder.

Chargers 34, Texans 24: Justin Herbert doesn’t need to be 100% healthy to obliterate a team like the Texans. Despite battling a rib injury, Herbert was clinical from the pocket and daring outside it, completing several throws to keep the chains moving. Perhaps more important, the Chargers’ rushing game looked competent for the first time all year, at least in the first half, with Austin Ekeler springing a couple of nice runs.

Seahawks 48, Lions 45: A 22-point Lions Q4 made this game look closer than it should have been. The Seahawks’ offense dominated for four quarters: Geno Smith was lethal to every level of the field, and Rashaad Penny rampaged around for 151 yds, his first time over the 100-yard mark this season. Detroit is still a fun, scrappy team, but its youth on defense makes it susceptible to games like this one.

Sunday was a ripe opportunity for HC Pete Carroll to highlight what the new offense can do now. Smith peppered the underneath areas of the field with exceptional timing and accuracy. The consistent, efficient gains made it easy for the Seahawks to stay on schedule and in favorable down-and-distance situations, keeping the entire playbook open. That kind of offensive stability hardly existed with previous QB Russell Wilson, even if the highs were much higher.

Smith’s ball placement has been impeccable all season. Per Next Gen Stats, Smith has now completed 10% more of his passes than expected through four weeks, the best mark in the league. Smith proved again that when he finds the right target, and he often does, he can deliver the ball with pinpoint accuracy all over the field. It would be optimistic to expect Smith to pilot the Seahawks to a deep playoff run, but the offense under his guidance is clearly better than many thought it would be.

Cowboys 25, Commanders 10: The Cowboys’ offense goes as CeeDee Lamb goes. When the offense was humming on Sunday, it was because OC Kellen Moore found creative ways to get Lamb into favorable positions. Enabling Lamb to be the engine for the offense seems critical for the Cowboys’ hopes of success this season, both now and when Dak Prescott returns.

Against Washington on Sunday, the Cowboys' secondary had one of its best games. Despite starting the season against Tom Brady and Joe Burrow, the defense has yet to allow 200 yards passing in a game. It wasn’t all good for the Cowboys defense as they surrendered 142 rushing yards. It was their third game this year where they’ve allowed 140+ yards on the ground, which is why they are currently ranked sixth-worst in rushing yards allowed.

Vikings 28, Saints 25: The engine for the Vikings on Sunday, as usual, was receiver Justin Jefferson. To cap off a day of excellent work beating Saints corner Marshon Lattimore one-on-one, Jefferson snagged a 39-yard deep ball down the left sideline to set up the Vikings’ FG that gave them a 3-point lead with less than 30 seconds to go. The Saints almost answered on the final drive, but for once, the Vikings ended up on the winning side of a game decided by a painful missed FG. Saints kicker Wil Lutz tried to tie the game up with a 61-yarder, but a double-doink off the left and bottom parts of the uprights in London sounded the third loss of the season for New Orleans.

Monday Night Football
Niners 24, Rams 9: One can argue QB Jimmy Garoppolo will never be a great – or even very good – first-string QB in the NFL. But you can't argue his record versus the LA Rams. He's a perfect 7-0 against them in regular games. The Niners may have lost the 2021 NFC Championship game, being riddled with injuries, but they have won seven of their last eight meetings with the Rams, and outscored LAR 55-19 in their previous two meetings at Levi's Stadium.

SF has the leading D in the NFL so far. Pass rusher Nick Bosa (Joey's little brother) leads the NFL in sacks with six. He is one of only three players to record at least one sack in each of the four games this season. Bosa recorded a whopping 14 pressures vs the Rams, giving Bosa 30 on the season, which leads the entire NFL. The next closest player is Dallas' Micah Parsons, with 22. The most terrifying statistic for opposing QBs? Parsons is only 23 yrs old, and Nick Bosa is all of 24 yrs.

The 49ers are a team specifically built to bully the Rams, and boy, do they do an outstanding job of it. LA’s usual quick and finesse offense is easily blown-up by the physicality of San Fran’s defensive front, and when it's not the offense getting manhandled, it is the defense getting bulldozed. The Niners have LA’s number, it is as simple as that.

The last time the Rams won a regular-season meeting against the 49ers was December 30th, 2018. One thousand three hundred seventy-four days have passed since then. The next time they play will be October 30 – and then, of course, there will be the playoffs.
 
Last night the Bronco's could have tied the score in overtime. On 4th and 1 from about their 15 yard line they went for the win, and lost the game. I think that was a coaching BLUNDER! :)
 
Paco Dennis said:
Last night the Bronco's could have tied the score in overtime. On 4th and 1 from about their 15 yard line they went for the win, and lost the game. I think that was a coaching BLUNDER! :)
Click to expand...
I watched most of the first half and decided not to waste any more time watching two mediocre teams. Life is too short for that. Could it be that Russel Wilson was way over rated and isn't worth 1/10th of what he's being paid?
 
Colts vs. Broncos final score, results: Indy wins FG-fest in OT after brutal red-zone failures by Denver
Sporting News 07Oct2022

The Colts netted what might be the ugliest win of the 2022 NFL season to date, beating the Broncos 12-9 in overtime as Denver put on another clinic of what not to do on offense.

Myriad mistakes led to the loss for the Broncos (2-3). The biggest: passing the ball on third down in the red zone while leading late in the fourth quarter and getting intercepted; and going for it on fourth down while trailing in overtime after the offense was anemic all game.

Quarterbacks Russell Wilson and Matt Ryan combined for four interceptions and no touchdowns. Wilson went 21 of 39 for 274 yards while Ryan finished 26 of 41 for 251 yards.

This game had seven field goals, a blocked field goal attempts, 12 punts and a combined 0 for 6 on touchdowns in the red zone.

In fact, the story of the night was the Broncos' red-zone ineptitude. Wilson was 1 of 6 for 5 yards with an interception and a sack inside the Indy 20. Coach Nathan's Hackett confidence in his offense cost him and the team dearly.

The Colts, for their part, did enough to win and get back to .500 (2-2-1). Wide receiver Alec Pierce had a huge game (eight receptions, 81 yards) and cornerback Stephon Gilmore made two huge clutch plays: the end-zone interception of Wilson that kept the Colts alive and the game-winning pass breakup in the end zone on fourth down in OT.
 

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