Tom Brady--welcome back to the shit list. His magnificent shortcoming in Pittsburgh was the only blemish on a couple big parlays of mine. As if I needed another reason to dislike the man...
All in all, week six was probably the most lackluster we've had so far this year. Not a ton of excitement across many of the games, with even a couple of the higher scoring affairs not really moving the fun needle. Can't all be winners though, we'll have to hope for better come week seven.
But let's cover week six first!
Commanders 12- Bears 7
Wow. Just wow.
The most entertaining part of this game may have been the speculation on Commanders' owner Dan Snyder alleged dirt on other pillars of the league. That'll be quite the saga to follow along with as it plays out.
Back to the game though, very briefly. The only action worth mentioning occurred in the 4th quarter. The Bears led 7-6 and forced a Washington punt. Rookie Velus Jones then muffed another crucial punt, with the Commanders recovering inside their ten yard line. Brian Robinson pounded the ball in two plays later, putting Washington in front 12-7. It was his first career touchdown, just a few weeks after getting shot twice in an attempted carjacking-- a testament to his grit.
Justin Fields would lead two drives after this, each resulting in turnovers on downs. The second of which was particularly painful. Darnell Mooney bobbled a catch at the goal line on 4th and goal with 30 seconds left. While he did secure the catch, it was not until the ball was pushed out of the end zone. It was an incredibly close call in a game that neither team deserved to win. Commanders come out on top though. Apologies to anyone who tuned in, you cannot have a refund on that wasted time.
Falcons 28- 49ers 14
First of a few big misses by me as a bettor this weekend. The 49ers completely failed to bring the energy they smoked Carolina with a week ago, quickly digging themselves into a 14-0 hole after an opening Atlanta touchdown and a defensive score off a Jeff Wilson fumble.
San Fran climbed out of the hole however, tying the game up halfway through the second quarter after two Brandon Aiyuk touchdowns. But it was all Atlanta from there. Jimmy Garoppolo threw two interceptions and their defense couldn't stop the Falcons.
Marcus Mariota was nearly perfect on the day, going 13/14 for 129 and two scores, adding another with his legs. It was an uncharacteristic lack of discipline by what had been a top defensive unit in the league. This team definitely misses Cordarelle Patterson in the backfield, but Tyler Allgeier and Caleb Huntley were sufficient. Credit to Arthur Smith for a job well done so far.
Patriots 38- Browns 15
I liked the Patriots in this one but never expected it to go like this. They turned three Jacoby Brissett turnovers into 17 points, which alone could've been the difference. Browns fans who hoped he would be able to bridge this team through Deshaun Watson's suspension have to be losing confidence. Even with improved quarterback play, their defense is abysmal.
Bailey Zappe may be earning himself a job in New England. The 4th rounder did lose a fumble, but was excellent outside of that--throwing for 309 yards on 9.1 YPA. He also distributed the ball beautifully, with five different players catching four passes. He was aided immensely by Rhamondre Stevenson, who's also cementing his bell cow position. Stevenson scored twice and totaled 91 yards, looking explosive in the process. Will be curious to see how this QB situation ends up unfolding.
Jets 27- Packers 10
Called this upset too, but again, who could've seen it going like this? Bad weather or not, the Packers just look like a bad team. Their receivers are predictably underachieving and the running game is starting to suffer as a result. The defense is soft and Aaron Rodgers still hasn't eclipsed 255 passing yards in a game. Not what you want from your $50 million dollar man.
The Jets didn't have to do much through the air in this one, with Zach Wilson only completing ten passes for 110 yards. It was more then enough with the way Breece Hall was rumbling. The rookie rushed for 116 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries, his second consecutive game with over 100 total yards. He may end up running away with rookie of the year with a few more performances like this.
New York still feels like they've got room to improve too. Defensively they're coming together strong, but this offense has so much untapped firepower at their disposal. Possibly just scratching the surface of a high octane attack for the Jets, something they haven't really had in my lifetime.
Colts 34- Jaguars 27
Now that's the Matt Ryan Indy fans have waited five weeks to see. What a game for the 37 year old quarterback, targeting Michael Pittman, Parris Campbell and third string running back Deon Jackson 37 times. It was also the first game this year Ryan didn't fumble, a very welcome development. Jacksonville was unable to stop the vet, ultimately resulting in a big divisional victory for the Colts.
This Jaguars team felt so close to decent just three weeks ago, after going into LA and rolling the banged up Chargers. They've completely floundered since then, with either their offense or defense electing to fail them. It was the defense that didn't show this week, giving up over 400 yards to the Colts and not recording a single sack. The Jags have flashed plenty of potential at times this year, but continued poor showings like this has to be taking a toll on the morale in Duval.
Vikings 24- Dolphins 16
Good thing Teddy Bridgewater was cleared from concussion protocol, otherwise we'd have been subjected to Miami's fourth string QB in this one. Whoever that is. Skylar Thompson suffered a thumb injury after just thirteen attempts, likely putting an end to any meaningful playing time for him this year.
Bridgewater was able to connect with Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle for big yardage but it didn't equate to many points. Mike Gesicki showed out, snaring both touchdown passes from the Louisville product. Chase Edmonds had just four touches and seems to now be way down the pecking order at running back, a discouraging sign for fantasy managers who drafted him relatively early. Mike McDaniel has this team playing hard at least.
Kirk Cousins did what he does against mediocre teams at 1 PM: win. It wasn't always pretty, but he was able to get the ball to Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen at crucial moments. Dalvin Cook was contained most of the day, but also broke through late with a 53 yard touchdown run. They don't feel like a 5-1 team, but their record is what it is. Minnesota's very much in the driver's seat of the NFC North.
Bengals 30- Saints 26
Andy Dalton revenge game?? Not so fast! Down by two points with about two minutes left, Joe Burrow found Ja'Marr Chase on the left side of the field. He broke a tackle and beat another defender up the sideline and took it the rest of the way for a 60-yard game winning touchdown. An electric end to a fun back and forth game.
Alvin Kamara had his second straight game with over 100 total yards, starting to rebound from a slow, injury-filled beginning to the season. He'll only stand to benefit when any of their three talented wideouts return from their own ailments. Whoever is under center for New Orleans will also benefit from reuniting with any combination of Thomas/Landry/Olave.
Credit to Dalton for keeping this offense relatively humming in spite of their absences. But at the end of the day, this Saints team is 2-4, a far cry from their expectations. Luckily for them, they're just one game back of the divisional lead-- thanks largely to Tom Brady and the Bucs miserable start. I never expected to think Atlanta would look like the front runners after 1/3 of the schedule, but that's the state of the NFC south right now.
Giants 24- Ravens 20
Still fuming over this loss. Absolutely inexcusable from Baltimore. It feels like change is needed, just a matter of identifying the extent.
The Ravens yet again led by double digits late, this time up 20-10 with under 13 minutes to go. The offense fully sputtered, turning it over twice in the final frame. Lamar needs to have better decision making in those critical moments. The defense couldn't get a stop when it mattered, allowing 29 plays over the final three drives for 147 yards and the decisive 17 points. Meltdown.
Brian Daboll should be the favorite for coach of the year. On paper, his team doesn't compare to the competition they've faced thus far. But they play clean, opportunistic football-- never getting too down or out, and striking relentlessly when the momentum starts shifting. Saquon Barkley has been a revelation and the defense is disciplined. These 5-1 G-Men may just be for real.
Steelers 20- Buccaneers 18
Bucs cost me a ton of money with this one. What a joke. I'm beginning to think Todd Bowles maybe just isn't a great head coach. Maybe Tom Brady is finally old. Who knows. Regardless, this was a hard fought win by the Steelers and their practice squad defense.
Despite his weapons back from injury, TB12 struggled to push the ball down field. With each passing loss, it seems like the offense rides as far as Leonard Fournette can carry them. He was unspectacular Sunday, only averaging three YPC. Tampa suffered as a result.
Kenny Pickett wasn't picking up huge chunks of yards, but he led Pittsburgh to 13 points prior to being knocked out of the game in the third quarter with a concussion. That opened the door for Mister Biscuit Mitch Trubisky to get back under center. He found Chase Claypool for a late touchdown to go up eight, then once again on 3rd and 11 to ice the game away. Season saving win for Mike Tomlin and the Steelers.
Rams 24- Panthers 10
This game predictably was bad. PJ Walker had 60 passing yards late in the fourth quarter before he was knocked out of the game and replaced by Jacob Eason. Robby Anderson got kicked off the sideline midgame by interim coach Steve Wilks. Christian McCaffery put on a nice show for potential trade suitors, most importantly retaining his health. Their defense was respectable, managing a pick six off Stafford. Carolina might not win another game this year.
The Rams are also bad however. They struggled to move the ball for most of this game and really let a non-threatening Panthers team hang way longer then they should've. Virtually any other team in the league would've beaten LA last Sunday. They've got a ton to fix before I can consider them a contender come playoff time.
Seahawks 19- Cardinals 9
Kyler Murray and the Cardinals are broken. They scored for the first time in the first quarter in this one, with Matt Ammendola kicking a field goal to put them up 3-0 early. That was the last time Arizona would lead.
Murray took six sacks, lost a fumble and threw a pick. He was electric on the ground, hitting the century mark on ten carries, but it felt more out of necessity then luxury. This offense is one dimensional and not even close to good at it. Arizona's sole touchdown came off of a blocked punt in the end zone. Deandre Hopkins returns from suspension this week, but how much better will that actually make them? I said it last week and I'll say it again, Kliff Kingsbury's seat has to be heating up.
Geno Smith wasn't at his best, but he did more then enough to get this win. He was only able to connect with DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett on 4 of 12 targets but adapted well by finding his tight ends nine times, pacing the way for the offense. Kenneth Walker is a bright young talent too. Can't sleep on Seattle right now!
Bills 24- Chiefs 20
Should've gotten to watch this game Monday night, but it was the marquee afternoon game instead. While it didn't live up to the over/under of 55, this game was a competitive and fun battle.
Josh Allen was impeccable throughout the evening, throwing for 329 yards at an 8.2 YPA clip and three touchdowns. When there was a play he needed to make, it was done-- putting a cherry on top with his physics-defying hurdle over safety Justin Reid, which set up the game winning score. If you haven't seen that replay yet, stop reading and do so now. Stefon Diggs and Devin Singletary were also integral pieces of this Buffalo attack. Huge, monkey-off-the-back type win for the Bills.
Down four, 1:04 left on the clock, two timeouts, Patrick Mahomes at QB. Sounds like as much of a lock as you could ask for right? Wrong. Kansas City's quarterback was intercepted on the first play of the drive, targeting rookie Skyy Moore. It was an emphatic slamming of the door in a tightly contested matchup. Juju Smith-Schuster had his best day as a Chief and Travis Kelce was unstoppable per usual, but it wasn't enough. This loss will likely end up having home field implications come January.
Eagles 26- Cowboys 17
The Eagles are so good in the second quarter, averaging 18.7 points in the frame. For perspective, there are currently ten teams averaging less then that per game. Crazy statistic.
They put up 20 in the second on Sunday night, pulling ahead of Dallas 20-3 at the half. They were able to move the ball on the ground and by air at will, aided by two Cooper Rush interceptions and a turnover on downs. It felt like the Cowboys blinked and this close game was out of hand.
Until it wasn't. Dallas forced two punts on Philly's first two possessions of the second half, punching in touchdowns after each and drawing the score to 20-17. They were unable to stop the Eagles on their subsequent drive, giving up the final score of the game.
No shame in this loss for the Cowboys, but that doesn't take the sting away. The Cooper Rush hype train seems to officially have been derailed in the City of Brotherly Love. Definitely interested to see how this team does with Dak back under center.
Chargers 19- Broncos 16
Russell Wilson started this game 10 for 10, completing passes to nine different pass catchers. I'm not sure if that's a record for ball distribution or not, but it's got to be close. Then he literally just stopped doing his job, passing for -9 yards in the second half and OT. Can't blame it all on the "hamstring injury" either, because he looked pretty okay in his few rushing attempts.
This game was terrible. 19 accepted penalties for 240 yards between the two teams, just under the total yardage Denver put up. Justin Herbert looks lost without Keenan Allen, but rewarded Austin Ekeler owners with 16 targets-- which he turned into 10 receptions for 47 yards. Mike Williams drew some penalties deep, but those won't help his fantasy owners as he posted a paltry 2/17 line.
At this point, it wouldn't shock me if Nathaniel Hackett gets the axe after his inaugural season. He's looked overwhelmed, outmatched and completely unable to adapt in his position. Denver's stuck with Russ for the next five years, making this an easy financial decision if someone has to go.
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@Choppinglines
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