Week 11 in the books and it was a good one. Lots of storylines, so with no further adieu...
No Longer a Shoo-In
After these last two weeks, we can't affirmatively say Jayden Daniels is going to be walking away with the Offensive Rookie of the Year. He wasn't great against Pittsburgh two weeks ago, but fell particularly flat against Philly, failing to connect with any receiver more than once while missing some pretty open throws as the game went. Still would be thrilled about him as my QB moving forward, but the OROY award may not be as locked up as it was on Halloween. More on that later.
Worth the Price
Saquon Barkley's reminding the NFL why you can afford to pay your star running backs. The man absolutely stole this game away for the Eagles in the fourth, busting off his two touchdown runs to flip the script on their rival Commanders. Barkley would finish with 146 yards and 2 touchdowns on 26 totes.
Chris Bombs-well
Chris Boswell scored all of Pittsburgh's points in their win over Baltimore, going 6/6 on field goal attempts, including three from over 50 yards. The dude's built different, kicking in that stadium with a rate of success never before seen.
Beating this Drum Again
Justin Tucker two missed field goals, Lamar can't beat Pittsburgh, the Ravens coaches got worked over by Tomlin again and the AFC North title seems like a pipe dream. Possibly overreacting, but this was an ugly loss for Baltimore.
Deed of Ownership
Even with Aaron Rodgers gone, the Packers ownership over the Chicago Bears rages on. They've won 11 straight in this façade of a rivalry, routinely big-brothering a truly inferior franchise. To do it on a blocked kick was even more salt in the gaping wound.
Time's Up Eberflus
14-30 as Chicago's head coach, including a winless record in road games on Sunday. It's truly miraculous, and a testament to the Bears' stubborn ownership, that he hasn't been relieved of duty already.
Welcome to the Machine
The Detroit Lions. Scoring 33.4 points a game while allowing just 17.7. They do everything really well and have a killer instinct that's unmatched in recent memory. It'd be truly surprising if they didn't emerge from the NFC come February.
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| Photo: USA Today |
This Can't Go On Any Longer, Doug
Jacksonville has to fire Pederson. This team was/is pathetic, sad, undisciplined, hopeless and many more adjectives with negative connotation. And to think, this time last year they were firmly atop the AFC South at 7-3.
4-14 since. Woof.
Sam, I Am
After a couple consecutive stinkers, Sam Darnold got back to decent form, against a challenging Tennessee secondary at that. It's usually not pretty, but Minnesota's sitting at 8-2 overall and would take a catastrophe to miss out on the postseason. Wouldn't be a team I'd want to face once that starts up either.
98 yards?!
Sick play by Nick Westbrook-Ikhine housing a 98-yarder to help the Titans attempt a comeback. Calvin Ridley gets all the love in Nashville, but Westbrook-Ikhine has quietly found pay dirt in 5 of their last 6 games, scoring on 1/3 of his receptions. Odd little anomaly for an odd team.
Bower Hour
The Raiders are an all-out disaster, but they do at least have one foundational piece on offense in Brock Bowers. The rookie tight end absolutely rolled Miami to the tune of 126 on 13 catches and a touchdown. He's second overall in receptions and tenth in receiving yards, in the entire NFL. With Gardner Minshew and Aidan O'Connell throwing him the ball. The future's now for this super star.
Waddle Conundrum
After inking a hefty extension last May, the Dolphins' WR2 has dramatically failed to take flight this season. He's averaging just 40.4 yards per game while only finding the end zone once. He's got as many games with negative yardage as he's had 60+. Not saying he's washed, but this certainly isn't what Miami was expecting when they forked over $76 million guaranteed.
Tantalizing Tandem
Few better duos in the league than Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp. The two steamrolled New England, combining for 229 yards and 3 scores on 13 catches. If the Rams plan to sneak into the playoffs, these guys are going to play an integral role.
OROY Sleeper?
As mentioned above, it's probably still Jayden Daniels' award to lose, but let's not throw Drake Maye out of the Rookie of the Year discussion just yet. The third overall pick's done wonders for the Patriots offense over the last few weeks, giving them a competent look while helping inspire the defense by knowing they have a chance. They should be comfortable with Maye under center moving forward, helping kick start this rebuild.
Taysom Hill, Versatile Weapon
What an explosion from Taysom Hill, averaging 19.7 yards on seven carries-- three of which wound up in the end zone. He also added 50 receiving yards on 8 receptions and threw an interception, providing one of the fuller box scores you'll ever see.
Empty Calories
So many passing yards for Jameis Winston, 395 to be exact. Somehow, the Browns only had 14 points to show for his efforts-- thanks in part to two horribly missed field goals by Dustin Hopkins. A classic Jameis performance however, putting up big numbers in a big loss.
Y'all Really Want to Run This Back??
Rumor has it that Woody Johnson does not want Aaron Rodgers back next season, but the 40-year-old quarterback has some other thoughts on his ayahuasca-ridden mind. It's been an all-time debacle for New York, with no end anywhere in sight.
That's How You Answer Adversity
What a bounce back performance from Anthony Richardson. The kid diced an overrated Jets secondary, completing two-thirds of his passes at 9.1 YPA while adding 32 yards and two touchdowns with his legs. He showed grit and composure on their game winning drive, leading the team 70 yards on just 6 plays with 2:41 left on the clock. Here's to hoping Richardson can build off this.
OROY Contender
Unlike Drake Maye's sleeper status for the award, Denver QB Bo Nix has emerged as a legitimate challenger for Daniels. He demolished Atlanta on Sunday, going 28/33 for 307 yards and 4 touchdowns, raising his total for the year to 14. The win also bumped the Broncos up to 6-5, putting them in the 7 seed of the playoff picture. If he stays anywhere near this hot, that trophy could end up going to the Mile High.
Frauds
The Falcons. The offense is sputtering and the defense isn't good. All of these weapons and things just aren't clicking consistently in the ATL. When do we start blaming Kirk and his contract? The 36-year-old may be third in yards, but he's 16th in QBR and hasn't really passed the eye test-- outside of their games versus Tampa. Not quite an Aaron Rodgers-esque situation here, but one that might put Terry Fontenot's job security at risk.
Also Fraudulent
The 49ers just can't close games. They get ahead by the slightest of margins then just coast. Christian McCaffery still hasn't found pay dirt, the defense is a shell of it's old self and Kyle Shanahan is the same choke-artist he's always been. Could a changing of the guard possibly be mutually beneficial?
Who Are You?
Really gritty road win for Seattle, one that truly salvaged their season. Geno Smith is wishy-washy while the defense has a low floor and high ceiling. Kenneth Walker explodes one week then averages 1.5 yards a pop the next. Nearly impossible to get a read on this team, but they're at least decent.
Undefeated No More
Glad we can finally put this storyline to bed. The Chiefs are clearly a good team, but nobody believed they were worthy of running the table. Wonder if they're capable of holding onto that top seed?
Josh Allen: Super Star
Toppling the undefeated Chiefs coupled with Lamar Jackson's flop versus Pittsburgh has firmly reinserted Buffalo's quarterback's back into the MVP discussion. The Bills now have a shot at the #1 seed, which would likely lock up the award for Allen.
What A Waste
Joe Burrow's having a career year, currently ranking #1 in passing yards, touchdowns and QBR. Unfortunately for him, his thoroughly nonexistent defense is allowing just under 27 PPG-- good for 5th worst in the league. The result? A disappointing 4-7 record, from a team that had aspirations for a deep playoff run. Again, what a waste.
That'll Do McConkey
The shifty slot man from Georgia has quietly been approaching the top of the rookie WR rankings. After a six catch, 123 yard performance Sunday night, Ladd's upped his totals on the year to 43 receptions, 615 yards and 4 touchdowns. After a slow start, he's now second among first-year wideouts in catches and yards-- kind of exactly what we expected from him.
A Trio for Mixon
Predictably, the Texans star running back torched Dallas on Monday night, taking 20 carries for 109 yards and 3 trips to the end zone. He's been sensational since coming down to Houston, racking up 967 total yards and 11 touchdowns in just 8 games. And they only had to give up a 7th rounder for him...
Winless in Jerry World
The Cowboys host the Giants, Bengals, Bucs and Commanders over the next seven weeks. It'll be their final four chances to salvage a win in Big D. Crazy to think they could go the entire season without a home win, but let's see it happen!
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@Choppinglines
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