Thoughts On The NFL: Week 9

Tampa Bay vs. Atlanta

I can’t overstate how well Jamies Winston is playing right now. It helps that his #1 receiver Mike Evans is playing very well too. Winston and Evans linked up for some pretty amazing catches this game. Tampa definitely has their franchise QB. They need to continue building their offense around him and fix all the gaps on defense.

Even with Winston looking impressive and efficient Matt Ryan and Julio Jones looked a little bit better. The Falcons benefit from a more well-rounded team.

New York (Giants) vs. Philadelphia

Carson Wentz threw two early picks and threw nearly 50 times and could never get truly back on track after those mistakes. This was a moment of joy for me as I despise the Eagles more than any other division rival. Landon Collins may be one of the best safeties in the division. He has been on the prowl in the secondary for a few weeks now. The Eli Manning that showed up this game is the Eli Manning Giants fans what to see all the time (kinda). He was very good this game despite throwing two picks. He spread the ball to over a handful of receivers.

Green Bay vs. Indianapolis

Wow. Green Bay is unraveling. They went down by a TD early and were never able to recover. Injuries and a lack of balance on offense are to blame but you still expect constant success from this team. The Colts are one of the worst teams in the league but apparently the Packers aren't far behind. It’s a shame for the Packers because Ha Ha Clinton-Dix had a career game on defense.

San Diego vs. Tennessee

The Chargers alternate light blue jerseys are arguably one of the best-looking uniforms in the NFL. Ironically the Chargers defense came through this game. They scored on both a fumble six and a pick six. The real star for them on offense though was Melvin Gordon. He is just a completely different player that he was last year and is playing like a really good running back right now. Marcus Mariota gave up those scores but he had several beautiful throws on the day as well. The kid definitely has something but consistency and turnovers are an issue.

Denver vs. Oakland

The way to attack the Denver defense is definitely by running the ball. Latavious Murray and Jalen Richard had very good games and carried Oakland’s offense. Derek Car didn’t have a bad game he just took what the secondary gave him which wasn't much. I don’t know much about Jack Del Rio but he needs to be given some serious props for turning this Raiders squad around. The Broncos barely attempted to run the ball and when they did they didn’t get the results. Trever Siemian has been way better than my expectations but he’s still a guy right now who can’t carry a team on 35+ throws (he played well btw).

Minnesota vs. Detroit

Minnesota is in a free fall right now and they are dealing with key injuries on defense. Meanwhile, Detroit is a contender in the NFC North. Something is wrong with Blair Walsh. It would be unfair of me to pin the Vikings woes on the kicker though did it arguably cost them 10 points this game. There was no run game and the Vikings are going to be in real trouble if they continue to lean on Bradford week in and out to deliver them on offense. Golden Tate’s OT TD grab and flip was awesome.

Jacksonville vs. Kansas City

The Jaguars finally ran Chris Ivory. It was weird and rare. Kinda like a good looking girl approaching you, but you really appreciate it and get a warm feeling of confidence. The run game took a lot of pressure off of Blake Bortles. He didn’t force the amount of throws he normally does. Charcandrick West is the go to back (he wasn’t before?) now that the Chiefs have placed Jamaal Charles on IR. He had a surprisingly bad game against the Jags front 7 which proved in the past they could be run on. Nick Foles in on the bad side of OK Alex Smith is on the good side. I bet Chiefs fans are hoping he makes a speedy recovery.

Los Angeles vs. Carolina

All hail Aaron Donald. Donald still cements himself as one of the best defensive tackles in the NFL even if he is on a less impressive defense on a bad LA Rams team. The Rams offense is pretty bad but the Rams could have won this game had Lance Kendricks not dropped an easy TD pass. Both teams played pretty bad offensively. The Panthers eek one out.

New Orleans vs. San Francisco

The 49ers have some players that can make some splash plays but they are really far away from having anything resembling a cohesive offense. They can’t get out of their own way with turnovers either. Drew Brees put on another show. Michael Thomas is the best rookie WR in the league. He would be a good fill in for people who hate on Josh Doctson. “Who would you have picked at 22? Michael Thomas”. Not only did the Saint dominate through the air but Mark Ingram had a great day rushing as well.

Cleveland vs. Dallas

I take full responsibility for hyping you guys up about Cleveland. I realize this game wasn’t competitive and for that I’m sorry. It looked some much more promising on paper. The Browns secondary is trash and Dak Prescott picked them apart. The rest of their defense can’t tackle and Zeke Elliott ran all over them. Thanksgiving is a must-win for the Redskins.

New York (Jets) vs. Dolphins

Ryan Fitzpatrick is terrible. He’s really regressed since that one game at the beginning of the season. The best part about the Jets offense right now is the old veteran Matt Forte. While Fitzpatrick looks awful Ryan Tannehill looked much better. Jay Ajayi is for real.

Baltimore vs. Pittsburgh

Baltimore dominated this game all the way to the 4th quarter where they surrendered a couple TD’s in garbage time. Big Ben definitely doesn’t look the same. I’d guess his injury might still be affecting him. Le’Veon Bell didn’t do well either (I have him in fantasy). You would think Pittsburgh would al least put together an effort on the ground with their star back healthy. The AFC North is a complete toss up right now. It should make for an interesting finish and potential wildcard spot.

Seattle vs. Buffalo

Jimmy Graham had his best game as a Seahawk. The Seahawks somehow won this with no rushing attack at all. Russell Wilson got sacked 4 times but looked better than he has in many weeks. Honestly, Shady McCoy is one of my favorite running backs now that he’s a Bill. I hated him as an Eagle but you gotta respect his skill. Buffalo is lacking a difference maker at the WR position. They are an offense that's one or two star players away from causing trouble in the league.