Another week of football in the books, with favorites cashing big parlays across America for the common man. We were due...take that Vegas! Lots of quips and storylines to check in on from all the action:
Next Man Up
Many questions arose in San Francisco once news came out that Christian McCaffery wasn't going to be active week one, but Jordan Mason's been quick to alleviate those concerns by rushing for the second most yards in the league ever since. After Mason exited Thursday with a shoulder injury, Isaac Guerendo stepped in with a 99-yard outing on just 9 carries. That good ole Shanahan system, still in full swing!
Laviska Shenault Jr.
The Colorado University alumni had a ton of hype surrounding him coming out of college, but never has formulated into a real weapon in the NFL. He fumbled the ensuing kickoff after a 76-yard Deebo touchdown, really crushing spirits in Seattle while helping dig a 13-0 hole. 20 minutes later, he was running back a 97-yarder to help spark what almost turned into a Seahawks comeback. Short memory goes a long way out there.
Keep Your Bags Packed Dougie
The Jaguars are so, so sad. 2-10 through their last 12 and just paid Trevor "Suck Shine" Lawrence a ton of money. Organization's in a bad place. They're in London for one more week, so it wouldn't make much sense to fire Pederson just yet. But give it a week, they might not even all fly back together.
Chef Caleb on the Pop
That's what a real #1 pick looks like. Caleb Williams has been absolutely dialed in these last couple of weeks, culminating with the beatdown he put on Jacksonville in London. 23/29 passing for 226 and 4 touchdowns-- with DJ Moore coming up just a yard short of #5. Really special performance from a kid whose quickly progressing along the learning curve.
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| Photo: Harry Murphy/ Getty Images |
Texans Dominating Under the Radar
Houston's been one of the quieter 5-1 teams, with nice wins over the Bears and Bills on that streak to boost their resume. It's not always pretty, but they're loaded with talent on both sides of the ball and have a QB that looks more than capable of leading them to the Promise Land. Future and the present are bright down in H-Town.
Welcome to the Big Leagues, Drake
Not the most hapless debut for #3 pick Drake Maye, going 20/33 for 243 yards with 3 touchdowns and 2 picks. Sure a nice chunk came when the game was already out of reach, but it was an offensive avalanche compared to the overwhelmingly pedestrian Jacoby Brissett. Can't wait to see the encore.
Dynamic
This Ravens offense is averaging 33 more yards per game than the second best. Derrick Henry looks as good as ever, things are clicking for Rashod Bateman and Lamar is dishing dimes like never before. Almost everything Todd Monken's dialed up has been working and it has Baltimore looking like an unstoppable force with the ball in their hands.
An Impressive Loss
If ever there was a moral victory, this might've been it for the Commanders. Going toe to toe on the road with one of the elite franchises in the league but just not having the juice to pull the upset-- nothing to be ashamed of. Jayden Daniels showed a ton of poise in the pocket, continuing to demonstrate that he can be as effective passing and he can running. Still leading the NFC East.
Back...
Tampa was up 17-0 on rookie QB Spencer Rattler in less than 11 minutes of game time. Chris Olave lost a fumble that was ran back for a touchdown, being forced out of the game on the play with a concussion. Things looked about as grim as they could for New Orleans.
And Forth...
A Rashid Shaheed punt return TD and some short fields from Bucs turnovers caused a 20-point swing over a 5 minute span to start the second quarter. In an absolute whirlwind, the Saints found themselves leading, ultimately finishing the first half ahead 27-24.
And Back...
Tampa scored 27 unanswered in the second half to put a 50 burger on the Aints, sending them to a pitiful 2-4 record after an electric 2-0 start. The NFC South comes down to the Bucs and Atlanta, while Dennis Allen should start prepping the resume.
Brown Stain of an Offense
Deshaun Watson has led Cleveland to one touchdown drive in their last 11 quarters. One. Their backup safety Rodney McLeod Jr. has more touchdowns during that span, off a fumble recovery and a blocked kick. For a team perpetually devoid of quality quarterback play, this is a brand new low.
Nice Win?
Really bad showing off of a bye from the Eagles. You never apologize for winning, but they shouldn't have been tied with 7 minutes left against a team that put up less than 250 yards. Philly is wholeheartedly not back.
Cheesy Love
Only one interception today for Jordan Love, his single misstep on an other wise sharp day. Four touchdowns and 258 passing at 8.1 yards a clip is a day any team would take. Love's got to chill with the turnovers, but he's quickly reverting to the form we saw in the second half of last season.
Who Are You Kyler Murray?
Dude just looks so indecisive, so unconfident. He hardly ever throws the ball deep and isn't even adding much production with his legs. Outside of the Rams blowout and the second half of the Niners game, Murray's put out virtually no good tape in 2024. An expensive liability thus far, with a sputtering offense to match.
Will Levis
At home, off a bye, and beautiful weather for a showdown versus one of the weaker pass defenses the league has to offer. Levis parlayed those supremely favorable circumstances into a 16/27 day, failing to eclipse 100 passing yards while throwing his seventh interception in six games. It's starting to look like he's a big, big part of the problem in Tennessee.
One Failed Back from San Francisco
The aforementioned Kyle Shanahan scheme that never fails any running back-- well, there was one. Many fantasy managers remember the hype train that was Trey Sermon a few years back, whose now getting some looks in Indianapolis due to Jonathan Taylor's injury. After taking 18 carries for a paltry 29 yards, it's safe to say he just might not be getting another full workload anytime soon.
Bad Nix
The Broncos accrued 63 yards of offense on their first seven drives of the afternoon, turning the ball over twice along the way. Yes, expectations need to be modest for the rookie quarterback. But yikes.
Comeback Player of the Year
JK Dobbins has been a force in this Chargers backfield, racking up 438 rushing yards through their first 5 games at 5.4 yards a pop. After an injury-plagued start to his career, Dobbins is starting to stand out as not only a top back on this team, but league-wide.
Najee Harris Actually Looked Good?!
Maybe all it took was Jaylen Warren coming back to put some pressure on him, but Harris was consistently effective all afternoon for Pittsburgh. He'd finish the day with 106 and a score on the ground, plus 16 receiving yards.
Tough Spot for Antonio Pierce
Your top receiver's now gone. You have no quarterback. The defense is starting to wilt and hope is fleeting. While Pierce seems to be at least somewhat capable as a coach, you have to wonder how likely it is that Vegas retains him after the season-- while also wondering what type of expectations they had for this roster in the first place. This was never was going to be a successful year.
Legit Contenders
Man, the Detroit Lions are a whole machine right now. Jared Goff's locked in, their backfield is one of the best in the league, Jameson Williams has emerged as a WR2 and the defense is legit. Losing Aidan Hutchinson is a big blow, but they've got enough talent to weather the storm-- plus plenty of draft capital if they wanted to make a splash move to replace him. Maxx Crosby?? Myles Garrett??
Happy Birthday Mr. Jones
Jerruh probably wasn't wishing for a 38 point loss in Dallas for his birthday present, but here we are. The Cowboys have real problems that need to be ironed out ASAP if this team wants to make the postseason-- or if Mike McCarthy wants to maintain his employment.
Well-Rounded Attack
The Falcons offense has been clunky at times early on, but they're starting to figure out how to play together. Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier combined for 200 rushing while Kirk Cousins spread the ball around to his weapons pretty amicably. Even Kyle Pitts got involved! This group's really solid when all the parts are clicking.
Xavier Leggette
The viral sensation known for his supremely southern voice has stepped up for Carolina in Adam Thielen's absence, catching 10 of 15 targets for 98 yards and 2 touchdowns over the last three weeks. Admittedly, they're not numbers that jump off the page, but this is the Andy Dalton Panthers here. Not too shabby for their rookie WR2.
That Game Sucked
Sorry if you stayed up late to watch the Bengals squeak by the Giants, real opposite of a barnburner there. Cincy fans will swing it as a positive, saying their defense finally stepped up. The reality's probably closer to Daniel Jones sucking.
Ray Davis
The Bills' backup running back stole the show early on and never looked back, racking up 152 total yards in his first career start. James Cook's absence created the opportunity for an increased workload and Davis quite literally ran with it. Buffalo would be wise to continue working him into the game script.
Davante Adams-- Not the Fix
It's a cool move that'll appease the diva quarterback running the show in New York, but the Jets can't block and they can't stop the run. Another receiver's not going to fix their biggest issues, as the team mortgaged a little more of their future at the demand of Aaron Rodgers. They're currently sitting at 2-4, behind teams like Denver and Miami in the early playoff hunt. Hard to imagine this is how Woody Johnson envisioned the first few weeks going.
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@Choppinglines
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