NFL Game Recaps: Week 9, 2021

NFL Game Recaps of previous weeks and seasons can be found via links at the bottom of the page.

Colts 45, Jets 30

I was not looking forward to a Colts-Jets matchup one week prior to this contest because it would certainly be a boring blowout. Everything changed, however, when Jets backup quarterback Mike White set records for his amazing first start in his victory against the Bengals this past Sunday. White was every bit as good as his 400-yard passing performance indicated. He displayed tremendous accuracy throughout the afternoon.

I was eager to see White perform on a national stage, and he didn’t disappoint to start the game. He threw a touchdown to Elijah Moore on the second offensive drive of the evening, tying the score at seven. However, White hurt his hand on the play. He was tested on the sideline and told the medical staff that he couldn’t feel anything while trying to throw a football. And just like that, White’s night was over, as he finished 7-of-11 for 95 yards and a touchdown on just two possessions.

It’s such a shame that White couldn’t play more than two drives. Save for one pass, a near-interception on a trick play, he looked excellent once again, albeit in a small sample size. Replacing White, Josh Johnson struggled until garbage time. Johnson finished with some strong stats – 27-of-41, 317 yards, three touchdowns, one interception – but he had nothing going for him until the Colts took their foot off the gas. That indicative of the score. The Jets lost 45-30, but they were trailing 42-10 before Indianapolis stopped trying. Johnson nearly covered the spread at the end, but a pass of his was tipped and picked in the red zone at the very end.

Moore had a huge performance, catching seven passes for 84 yards and two touchdowns. He did much better than the disappointing Jamison Crowder, who logged five receptions for only 38 yards.

The Jets couldn’t run the ball in their deficit, which is why Michael Carter (13-49) had such meager stats. Carter was expected to have a big receiving game, but that changed when Johnson replaced the injured White. Carter ended up catching only one ball for 37 yards.

The Colts, meanwhile, dominated this game. They scored on every possession until they were up big in the third quarter. In fact, their first drive without any points occurred when they had a fourth-down failure right at the goal line. They trampled over the Jets’ poor defense, repeatedly picking up huge chunks of yardage on the ground.

Jonathan Taylor led the way with a monstrous performance. He rushed for 172 yards and two touchdowns on just 19 carries. He also chipped in with two catches for 28 receiving yards. Nyheim Hines, meanwhile, tallied 74 yards and a touchdown on just six attempts to go along with four catches for 34 receiving yards. His score set the tone of this game, as it came on Indianapolis’ initial drive.

Carson Wentz fed off the ground attack, as he was given easy passing opportunities all evening. He misfired just eight times as a consequence, going 22-of-30 for 272 yards and three touchdowns. It was a fine rebound performance for Wentz, though it came against one of the worst defenses in the NFL. This victory doesn’t absolve him of his dreadful fourth quarter and overtime versus the Titans.

One of Wentz’s touchdowns went to an expected player, Michael Pittman (5-64), who paced the team in receiving. The other scores were thrown to Jack Doyle (1-1) and offensive lineman Danny Pinter (1-2).

Jaguars 9, Bills 6

The Bills were considered one of the top teams in the NFL heading into Week 9. The Jaguars were easily one of the worst teams in the leagues. Naturally, Jacksonville pulled the upset in an exceedingly frustrating 9-6 affair.

Josh Allen had some nice moments early in this game. He picked up a pair of first downs on third-down scrambles on the opening drive. He then completed a 10-yard pass when a defender grabbed him by the face mask. Allen spun around and somehow stayed on his feet on the play. Unfortunately for Allen, it was all downhill from there. He had a major issues dealing with Jacksonville’s pass rush, which came alive out of nowhere. Josh Allen – the edge rusher; not the quarterback – sacked the quarterback and then snatched an interception when Allen – the quarterback; not the edge rusher – heaved the ball up for grabs irresponsibly in a 6-6 tie. The turnover gave the Jaguars a chip-shot field goal, which ended up being the decisive scor of the game. The Bills had one more chance, but Allen – the quarterback; not the edge rusher – lost a fumble, and Allen – the edge rusher; not the quarterback – recovered the loose ball to clinch the victory.

Josh Allen – the quarterback; not the edge rusher – went 31-of-47 for 264 yards and two interceptions. He also lost a fumble in Jacksonville territory. Allen managed to scramble five times for 50 rushing yards, but struggled mightily as a passer despite battling a horrific defense. That said, he should’ve thrown a touchdown pass to Zack Moss in the first quarter, but Moss was guilty of a drop. There were other crucial drops as well. Cole Beasley had a drop of 17 yards, and then Gabriel Davis dropped a ball on the final offensive drive of the game. Allen took a big sack on the very next play.

Though Allen struggled, Stefon Diggs posted a quality stat line with six receptions for 85 yards. Emmanuel Sanders (4-65) and Beasley (8-33) had disappointing yardage totals. Beasley’s 17-yard drop would have moved the chains into Jacksonville territory, obviously creating a scoring opportunity that Buffalo sorely needed.

The Bills couldn’t run the ball, as usual. Aside from Allen, Buffalo’s leading rusher was Devin Singletary, who rushed for 16 yards on six carries. Singletary caught seven passes for 43 receiving yards, so he was able to contribute in that regard. Zack Moss, conversely, did very little (3 carries, 6 yards) because he left the game with an injury. As mentioned, he dropped a potential touchdown before he got hurt.

As for the Jaguars’ offense, it did very little to win this game. Jacksonville converted 2-of-13 third downs, averaging just 3.8 yards per play. The important thing is that the Jaguars, unlike the Bills, refrained from committing turnovers.

Jacksonville made plenty of blunders, however. Tight end Luke Farrell and Jamal Agnew each dropped passes on the initial drive. The second possession saw Trevor Lawrence throw an incomplete pass because the intended receiver slipped, and Lawrence took a sack eventually because he held on to the ball too long. He was lucky not to throw a pick on the third drive when he launched a pass into triple coverage.

Lawrence was not impressive, going 15-of-26 for only 118 yards. His teammates hurt him with drops, but he also threw some bad passes. In addition to the near-interception, he overthrow Marvin Jones by a mile for a potential touchdown in the fourth quarter. There was a scary moment when a defender rolled into Lawrence’s leg. Lawrence left the game with an ankle injury and was replaced with C.J. Beathard, but he managed to return to the field on the next drive.

Dan Arnold was Lawrence’s leading receiver, catching four passes for 60 yards. Arnold, however, dropped a deep pass from Beathard right before halftime. Laviska Shenault (4-24) and Marvin Jones (3-21) disappointed once again.

Carlos Hyde started in place of the injured James Robinson. Hyde managed 67 yards on 21 carries, losing a gain of 12 to an illegal motion penalty. He lost a fumble in field goal range just prior to intermission.

This game was horribly officiated. The Bills were called for a false start on a key fourth-and-2 in the second half even though the Jaguars were blatantly offsides. The officials also announced the wrong numbers throughout the afternoon.

Patriots 24, Panthers 6

I had interest in betting the Panthers heavily when it was believed that Phillip Walker would start at quarterback. Things changed late in the week, as Sam Darnold was cleared from his concussion. This caused the spread to move in Carolina’s favor, but I thought it was less likely that the Panthers would prevail. Darnold, after all, once famously said that he saw ghosts versus Bill Belichick’s defense. Darnold had not developed mentally since that embarrassing defeat, so he would undoubtedly see Inky, Blinky, Clyde and Sue in yet another matchup against Belichick.

Predictably, that is exactly what happened, as Darnold imploded versus Belichick yet again. He was just 5-of-12 for 32 yards in the opening half. He didn’t commit a turnover, but was close when a tipped pass of his was dropped by a defender. The give-aways came following intermission. Darnold was responsible for three interceptions, including a pick-six where he heaved an inaccurate pass on the run.

Darnold finished 16-of-33 for 172 yards and the three picks. The second interception wasn’t really on him because Jamie Collins made a great play to snatch the pass at the line of scrimmage. The third pick, however, was an ugly underthrow into the end zone. J.C. Jackson, who had great coverage on the play, made the pick.

Darnold gave the Panthers no chance to win with his horrible play. Aside from his three picks, he also threw some helpless passes. He lofted a 2-yard pass on a third-and-12 in the red zone, and on the next drive, he tossed a 0-yard pass on a third-and-7 that, according to one of the announcers, “never had a chance.” Carolina should have just started Walker, and that should be the plan going forward. For the long term, here’s a list of Charlie Campbell’s 2022 NFL Draft Quarterback Prospect Rankings.

When the Patriots weren’t scoring off Darnold interceptions, they were running the ball down Carolina’s throat. New England’s three primary running backs combined for 146 rushing yards, with Rhamondre Stevenson leading the way with 62 yards on just 10 carries. He was much better than Damien Harris (15-30), though Harris scored a touchdown. Stevenson picked up a first down on a third-down carry with a violent stiff-arm, and he also turned a short toss into a 41-yard reception. That allowed Stevenson to lead the team in receiving as well (2 catches, 44 rec. yards).

Stevenson’s 44 receiving yards led the Patriots in that category because Mac Jones didn’t need to throw very much. With a huge lead, Jones attempted only 18 passes. He completed 12 of them for 139 yards, one touchdown, an interception and a lost fumble. Jones was strip-sacked because he didn’t see the blind-side pressure. His interception was a great play by former Patriot Stephon Gilmore, who ran the route better than the receiver.

Jones had a mixed game overall. He made some nice throws, including a terrific touch pass to Brandon Bolden in the 2-minute drill prior to halftime. He ultimately finished the drive with a strike to Hunter Henry. However, Jones was responsible for the two turnovers, and he was guilty of a delay-of-game penalty coming out of a commercial break. The Patriots were able to successfully hide him against Carolina’s terrific pass rush and aerial defense.

Excluding Stevenson, the Patriots’ leading receiver was Kendrick Bourne, who caught only three balls for 34 yards. Henry (2-19) reeled in Jones’ sole touchdown. Jakobi Meyers (1-8) was a huge disappointment in a tough matchup. His only reception was actually a bad play because he bobbled the ball and was pushed backward. As a result, the Patriots had to punt on a fourth-and-1 when they would’ve moved the chains had Meyers not bobbled.

Going back to the Panthers, much was expected from Christian McCaffrey in his return from injury, but he was a disappointment. He rushed for just 52 yards on 14 carries, and he caught four passes for 54 receiving yards. Like Stevenson, McCaffrey was a running back who led his tam in receiving, though most of McCaffrey’s receiving production came in garbage time for some reason. It’s puzzling why the Panthers didn’t get him into space more often when the game was in question.

I suspected Belichick would limit D.J. Moore, and he did not let me down; the top receiver caught just three passes for 32 yards. Darnold nearly got Moore killed on one play, but Moore turned out to be OK. Robby Anderson (1-2) once again was a complete non-factor. Even worse, he spent some time yelling at Darnold on the sideline. So much for that chemistry the two had from their days in New York!

Browns 41, Bengals 16

The Browns made a run late last year after Odell Beckham suffered an injury. They announced Beckham would be waived Monday, which seemed to lift a weight off the team’s shoulders. Cleveland was excellent without Beckham versus a competent Cincinnati defense. The team didn’t punt until the third quarter, and it averaged 10.7 yards per play in the opening half, establishing a 24-7 lead until the Bengals kicked a field goal heading into the break.

Cleveland dominated in all facets. It hit some big plays, including a Baker Mayfield 60-yard touchdown to Donovan Peoples-Jones, and it also moved the chains well with Nick Chubb runs and catches. The Bengals, meanwhile, allowed the Browns to get out to a 17-point lead because of several mistakes. The first came on the opening drive. Joe Burrow led the team down the field into the red zone on a possession that featured some great, precise passes, but stared down his receiver at the goal line. Denzel Ward jumped the route and ran 101 yards the other way for a pick-six. On the ensuing drive, Burrow should have advanced the sticks with a pass to Samaje Perine, but Perine dropped the ball. The next pass was incomplete on fourth down, though some may argue that pass interference should have been called. Later in the opening half, Ja’Marr Chase lost a fumble near midfield, giving the Browns a free field goal.

It was more of the same for the Bengals following halftime. Burrow heaved a second interception, and Chase later dropped a touchdown. The Browns, meanwhile, continued to be efficient offensively, allowing them to cruise to a 41-16 victory.

Chubb was the best player in this game, rushing for 137 yards and two touchdowns, one of which was a 70-yard sprint that broke the game open in the third quarter. He also caught a pair of passes for 26 receiving yards. Cincinnati’s defense had absolutely no answer for him.

With Chubb running wild, and the Bengals self-destructing, Mayfield didn’t have to do very much. He threw just 21 passes, completing 14 of them for 218 yards and two touchdowns. It’s no coincidence that he looked better without Beckham.

Given that Mayfield didn’t throw very much, only one Cleveland player logged more receiving yardage than Chubb. That was Peoples-Jones, who caught two passes for 86 yards and a touchdown.

Going back to the Bengals, Burrow went 28-of-40 for 282 yards and two interceptions. Burrow and the rest of the offense often looked good in between the 20s – Burrow was especially accurate with some impressive throws – but they failed repeatedly in the red zone, and they had the other horrible mistakes that were mentioned earlier.

Chase, who dropped a touchdown and coughed up a fumble, caught six of his 13 targets for 49 yards. Only one Bengal generated more receiving yardage, and that was Tee Higgins (6-78).

Cincinnati’s best fantasy player in this contest was easily Joe Mixon. He didn’t get to run very much because of the constant deficit, but he picked up 64 yards and two touchdowns on just 13 carries.

Broncos 30, Cowboys 16

The Cowboys had a miserable first half against the Broncos. They failed on fourth down during their first two drives, with Ezekiel Elliott being stuffed and then Dak Prescott skipping a pass to a receiver. Dallas generated just 109 net yards in the opening half, compared to 227 for Denver.

The Broncos’ offense, meanwhile, took advantage of some terrible plays from Trevon Diggs. The star second-year cornerback has been terrific this year, but he was humiliated in this matchup. Denver scored its first touchdown right after Diggs committed pass interference on Courtland Sutton in the end zone. Its second score was a Teddy Bridgewater bomb to Tim Patrick, who torched Diggs. Bridgewater eventually tossed an interception, but the play was negated by a Diggs holding penalty that occurred on the other side of the field.

The Cowboys appeared as though they would turn things around early in the third quarter when the score was 16-0. The defense sacked Bridgewater, forcing a punt. The punt was blocked, but the ball bounced forward and a Dallas player touched it before Denver recovered. This was effectively ruled a muffed punt, allowing Denver to maintain possession and keep full control of the game.

Prescott had a miserable performance in his first game back from injury. He was 19-of-39 for 232 yards, two touchdowns and an interception, and even those stats were enhanced by garbage time. Prescott was just 5-of-14 for 75 yards in the opening half, and both of his scores were thrown very late in the afternoon when the game was decided.

Both of Prescott’s touchdowns went to someone named Malik Turner. Both Amari Cooper (2-37) and CeeDee Lamb (2-23) were colossal disappointments, and both had their opportunities, seeing five and nine targets, respectively. Dalton Schultz (4-54) paced the Cowboys in receiving.

Elliott didn’t get a chance to run very much because of the constant deficit. He rushed for 51 yards on just 10 carries, and he caught three balls for 25 receiving yards. He missed some action because of a knee contusion, but he eventually returned to action.

The Broncos obviously had more of an opportunity to establish their ground attack. Both Javonte Williams and Melvin Gordon were terrific. Williams tallied 111 yards on 17 carries, while Gordon gained 80 yards and a touchdown on 21 attempts.

Being able to lean on his ground attack, Bridgewater was a clean 19-of-28 for 249 yards and one touchdown. As mentioned earlier, he had an interception negated by a hold that had nothing to do with the play.

Patrick was the Broncos’ leading receiver with four catches for 85 yards. Jerry Jeudy registered six catches for 69 yards, while Sutton was limited to only one catch for nine yards, but was able to contribute with that pass interference in the end zone.

Dolphins 17, Texans 9

It was rather easy to identify this as the game between 1-7 teams without knowing their records, as this contest featured a comedy of errors. The Texans made the initial blunder, as Tyrod Taylor, returning from injury, drove down the field, but threw an interception into the end zone when staring down his receiver. There was a wild turn of events after that when Jacoby Brissett, starting for the injured Tua Tagovailoa, heaved an interception late across his body. Taylor was strip-sacked immediately after that, but was ruled down via replay. It didn’t matter, however, as Chris Conley dropped a big gain.

The Dolphins had a string of turnovers after that, with Myles Gaskin losing a fumble on his own 33, and then a Miami special-teamer muffing a punt. The Texans could only get field goals off those take-aways, however. It got much worse for the Texans when Taylor carelessly flipped the ball out of bounds. A Dolphins player was waiting right by the sideline to pick off the pass, however, setting up a touchdown on a short field for Miami, which is how it went up 17-6 heading into intermission.

Yes, all of this occurred in the first half alone! Both quarterbacks threw interceptions in the first couple of minutes of the third quarter. The Texans were ultimately able to take over at midfield, but a 33-yard gain was wiped out by a Danny Amendola offensive pass interference. Taylor also missed an open Amendola for a touchdown. Naturally, this game was decided at the end when Houston, with a chance to tie, lost possession because Jordan Akins fumbled the ball.

Taylor was a major disappointment in his return, going 24-of-43 for 240 yards and three interceptions. Brissett wasn’t much better; he was 26-of-43 for 244 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions.

Neither team ran the ball very well. Myles Gaskin was given 20 carries, but he turned those into just 34 yards. Luckily for his fantasy owners, he scored a touchdown on a direct snap. He also caught six passes for 23 receiving yards. The Texans, meanwhile, got 28 yards from Phillip Lindsay on just eight carries.

Jaylen Waddle was the leading receiver in this game, catching eight passes for 83 yards. Mike Gesicki (4-54) made an amazing one-handed catch, but had a disappointing game overall, given how bad Houston has been against tight ends. Mack Hollins (3-22) snatched Brissett’s lone touchdown.

As for Houston’s receiving corps, Brandin Cooks led the way with six catches for 56 yards. Amendola (3-49) was next on the list.

Falcons 27, Saints 25

The Saints were coming off a big victory against the Buccaneers, but were looking to avoid suffering a letdown against the three-win Falcons. In past years, they could lean on Drew Brees to help carry them to a win, but it was on Trevor Siemian’s shoulders in this contest. Siemian actually wasn’t a huge liability for the Saints in this contest, as many other players were responsible for the loss.

New Orleans made some blunders throughout the game. For example, Deonte Harris dropped a gain of about 15 yards. Later, the Saints went for it on fourth down during the second quarter, but Adam Trautman committed another drop. On the ensuing possession, the Saints took over at the Atlanta 44-yard line because the Falcons failed miserably themselves on fourth down, but New Orleans’ drive actually lost yardage because of a penalty, negating what should’ve been an easy field goal try.

Defensively, meanwhile, the Saints allowed some big plays. Kyle Pitts dropped a pass of about 40 yards on the opening drive, but then went on to record a 39-yard reception. Olamide Zaccheaus snatched a 49-yard grab, but the biggest gain of the game occurred on the final drive. The Saints came back from down 24-6 to take a 25-24 lead, but the Falcons, with a minute remaining, engineered the game-winning drive when Matt Ryan fired a ball to Cordarrelle Patterson. The former first-rounder was able to tight-rope the sideline somehow for an amazing 64-yard gain. This set up Younghoe Koo’s decisive 37-yard field goal.

Ryan was spectacular against a Saints defense that just stymied Tom Brady. He misfired on just seven occasions, going 23-of-30 for 343 yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed in a third score. Ryan also had an aforementioned deep drop toward Pitts, so his stats could’ve been even better.

Both of Ryan’s aerial touchdowns went to Zaccheaus, who caught three balls for 58 yards. Patterson led the team in receiving with six grabs for 126 yards, while rushing for 10 yards on nine carries. Russell Gage chipped in with seven catches for 64 yards, while Pitts (3-62) missed out on a huge day because of the drop, as well as Marshon Lattimore’s excellent coverage.

Despite Patterson generating just 10 rushing yards, he nearly led the Falcons in rushing. Mike Davis was a disaster with 13 yards on just nine attempts. He was stuffed on a fourth-down try, and he fumbled at the end of the game, but was able to recover the ball.

Alvin Kamara didn’t have much success running the ball. He managed 50 yards and a touchdown on 13 attempts, though he had a 30-yard rush negated by a penalty. He also caught four passes for 54 receiving yards. Kamara’s largest gain of the day, a 19-yard reception, occurred when Deion Jones whiffed horribly on a tackle attempt. Kamara saw fewer touches with Mark Ingram taking some snaps away from him.

Kamara led the Saints in receiving, with Tre’Quan Smith (3-52) and Harris (6-52) right behind him. Harris drew a deep interference flag in the fourth quarter. Kenny Stills (2-30) and Marquez Callaway (3-25) both caught touchdowns.

Siemian went 25-of-41 for 249 yards and two touchdowns. Again, he didn’t hurt the Saints very much, though he wasn’t exactly a strength either. His lone mistake was losing a fumble on a blind-side strip-sack, which came after Taysom Hill fired to excellent passes in relief. This lost fumble set up an Atlanta touchdown, but Siemian did a good job of rallying the team to a lead after falling behind 24-6. He left too much time on the clock, however.

Ravens 34, Vikings 31

Ask most football fans, and they’ll tell you that the Ravens still have a strong defense. That, however, has not been the case this year. Baltimore has missed a high number of tackles, and that was evident once again in this contest.

The Vikings established a big lead with some huge plays. Kirk Cousins found Justin Jefferson for a 50-yard touchdown to open the game, and then Dalvin Cook burst through for a 66-yard gain to set up another Minnesota score. The Vikings went up 17-3 just prior to halftime, but some more miserable time management allowed the Ravens to score a touchdown in the final seconds before intermission. This would end up making a huge difference when the Ravens made their comeback from yet another two-touchdown deficit in the second half.

The Ravens eventually tied the game on an 18-play, 82-yard drive, which featured a third-and-15 conversion, which Marquise Brown moved the chains via an 18-yard reception on a screen. Baltimore took the lead on the next possession, but the Vikings moved right down the field and scored the tying touchdown, sending this game to overtime. The Vikings, however, made some mistakes in the extra session, including several missed tackles and a 12-men-on-defense penalty, which allowed Baltimore to move in position for the decisive Justin Tucker kick.

Jackson had a great second half. He struggled early when he threw an interception as a result of not seeing the safety. He failed to complete half of his passes prior to intermission, but was 19-of-24 for 201 yards, two touchdowns and a pick in the second half and overtime.

Jackson ultimately finished 27-of-41 for 266 yards, three touchdowns and two picks, one of which was the result of a tipped pass in overtime. He was amazing to close out the game otherwise, showing that he should be considered for MVP if Kyler Murray misses time and the Rams slow down.

Brown had a huge performance against the Harrison Smith-less Minnesota secondary. He caught nine of his 12 targets for 116 yards. Rashod Bateman (5-52) drew a deep interference flag. Jackson’s touchdowns went to fullback Patrick Ricard, Devin Duvernay and Devonta Freeman.

Speaking of Freeman, he rushed for 79 yards on 13 carries. Le’Veon Bell saw a bit less work – 11 attempts, 48 yards – but managed to score a touchdown.

Excluding Jackson, the leading rusher in this contest was Cook, who dashed for 110 yards on just 17 carries. He caught three passes as well, but for only 12 receiving yards. Cook was tackled inches shy of the goal line on one play. The officials initially ruled it a touchdown, but replay review overturned it.

Cousins had a nice performance despite the loss, as he went 17-of-28 for 187 yards and two passing touchdowns. He also vultured a rushing score from Cook, leaping into the end zone after Cook’s touchdown was overturned.

Jefferson didn’t do much following his early 50-yard touchdown. He caught three passes for 69 yards and a score. Tyler Conklin (5-45) was next on the stat sheet. Adam Thielen, meanwhile, hauled in only two balls for six yards, but managed to catch a touchdown.

Giants 23, Raiders 16
By Charlie Campbell – @draftcampbell

EDITOR’S NOTE: One of my friends is a Raiders fan, and he told me on Saturday that the “Raiders are on bye this week.” I should have known then to make a huge wager on the Giants.

The Raiders’ season of adversity finally caught up with them this week, and their offense missed former Raider Henry Ruggs in their loss to the Giants. Derek Carr had been phenomenal in recent weeks, but he played poorly in New York. He overthrew a wide open Darren Waller for an easy touchdown in the second quarter, had the uncharacteristic pick-six where he threw late and fired a second fourth-quarter telegraphed interception. Losing to the 3-6 Giants and falling to 5-3 on the season was a painful loss for the Raiders in the AFC playoff race.

New York took the opening drive down the field into Las Vegas territory before Daniel Jones threw a perfect pass to Evan Engram (3-38-1) for a 30-yard touchdown. Las Vegas responded with Josh Jacobs running well and Carr making a big third-down conversion to Hunter Renfrow (7-49-1) to get inside the 10. To finish the drive, Carr threw a dart to Renfrow, who shook James Bradberry to get open and tie the game. After trading punts, Yannick Ngakoue strip-sacked Jones, and Darius Philon recovered the loose ball to set up a short Las Vegas field goal.

Midway through the second quarter, the Giants put a field goal drive together with a completion to Kenny Golladay (2-28) and 20-yard run by Devontae Booker. Just before halftime, Carr led a field goal drive to give the Raiders a 13-10 lead at intermission.

To open the third quarter, New York’s Xavier McKinney undercut a route for an interception and returned it 41 yards for a touchdown. Las Vegas responded with a field drive to make it a 17-16, leaving New York with a one-point lead. The Giants added to their lead thanks to conversions to Golladay and Kadarius Toney (1-9), and a roughing the passer penalty that set up a short field goal for Graham Gano. The Raiders put together a nice drive using Kenyan Drake, but Daniel Carlson missed the 25-yard field goal attempt. After getting the ball back, Xavier McKinney intercepted Carr again at midfield, and that spotted the Giants a field goal to make it 23-16.

Las Vegas had one chance with just over three minutes remaining. Carr moved the ball inside New York’s 20-yard line, but Quincy Roche burned Kolton Miller on a speed rush for a blind-side strip-sack that was recovered by the Giants to clinch the victory.

Daniel Jones completed 15-of-20 passes for 110 yards and a touchdown.

Booker ran for 99 yards on 21 carries.

Carr completed 30-of-46 passes for 296 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions.

Josh Jacobs ran for 76 yards on 13 carries and made four receptions for 19 yards.

Waller had seven receptions for 92 yards.

Cardinals 31, 49ers 17
By Charlie Campbell – @draftcampbell

EDITOR’S NOTE: I bet two units on the Cardinals, but if I had enough time to think prior to kickoff, I would have bet more on them. Good teams are such great bets when they’re missing their starting quarterbacks.

Prior to the start of the game, Arizona ruled out quarterback Kyler Murray, and that thrust Colt McCoy on the field without the inactive DeAndre Hopkins and A.J. Green. Those changes didn’t matter though, as McCoy was efficient while James Conner dominated the San Francisco defense. The Cardinals cruised to 8-1, while the 49ers are virtually out of the NFC West division race at 3-5.

After trading punts, Byron Murphy stripped George Kittle of the ball to set up Arizona close to midfield. The Cardinals moved down the field before Conner scored from 13 yards out. On the next Arizona drive, a checkdown to Conner went for 21 yards to convert a third-and-18, and an Arik Armstead sack was falsely called a hit to the head to gift the Cardinals a first down. Christian Kirk took a reverse on the very next play and threw the pass for a 33-yard completion to Antoine Wesley to the 1-yard line. Conner then plunged in to the end zone to put the Cardinals up 14-0.

The 49ers got inside the 10-yard line on a completion to Brandon Aiyuk, but he was stripped by Isaiah Simmons, and Jordan Hicks recovered the ball for Arizona. A few plays later, McCoy laid out a 50-yard completion to Kirk to flip the field, but the drive stalled out for a field goal. With just seconds remaining in the first half, Jimmy Garoppolo found Kittle for a touchdown to cut the Cardinals’ lead to 17-7 at intermission.

In the second minute of the third quarter, Conner took a screen pass 45 yards for a touchdown, and shortly later, Eno Benjamin powered over Dre Kirkpatrick en route to a 21-yard touchdown run. The 49ers used Kittle to get a first-and-goal, and Garoppolo connected with Aiyuk in the back of end zone for a touchdown to make it 31-14 entering the fourth quarter.

The 49ers would add a field goal in the fourth quarter, but the drive took a ton of time off the clock. Arizona got a few first downs to work the clock, and then the game was clinched when Budda Baker picked off Garoppolo.

McCoy played extremely well, completing 22-of-26 passes for 249 yards and a touchdown.

Conner was superb. He ran for 96 yards and two touchdowns on 21 carries while catching five passes for 77 yards and a score.

Kirk (6-91) led Arizona in receiving with Hopkins and Green out.

Garoppolo completed 28-of-40 passes for 326 yards, two touchdowns and an interception.

Elijah Mitchell was San Francisco’s leading rusher with 36 yards over eight carries.

Kittle (6-101-1) and Aiyuk (6-89-1) led the 49ers in receiving.

Chargers 27, Eagles 24

The Chargers began the year with a 4-1 record, but lost their previous two games as a result of Justin Herbert not playing well. Herbert struggled against the blitz-happy Ravens, then had a tough matchup against Bill Belichick’s defense. This contest was projected to be much easier for Herbert because the Eagles don’t blitz frequently. Herbert managed to rebound, leading his team to victory, thanks to an impressive first half in which his offense scored on every single drive.

This was a close battle throughout, with the Eagles matching the Chargers, point for point. It seemed as though the Chargers would settle for a field goal with two minutes remaining, which was a loser move because the Eagles would have had enough time to kick their own field goal or try for the game-winning touchdown. After trying to draw the Eagles offside, the Chargers used a timeout. They came back from the short break with their offense, however, and Herbert managed to sneak for the first down, the second time he did so on a fourth down during the final possession. Following an Austin Ekeler 16-yard run, the Chargers drilled a 29-yard field goal with two seconds remaining to clinch the victory.

Herbert had an excellent game. In addition to sneaking for the two first downs, he also misfired on just six passes, completing 11 consecutive tosses at one point. Of course, it helped that the Eagles barely blitzed him at all. Herbert had all day to throw on most dropbacks, which makes you wonder what defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon was thinking. He had a foolish game plan prepared.

Herbert went 32-of-38 for 356 yards and two touchdowns. He barely missed out on a third touchdown on a crazy drive that began on the San Angeles 1-yard line and ended on the Philadelphia 1-yard line without any points. Mike Williams dropped a ball in the end zone, and then Keenan Allen was tackled inches shy of the goal line on that possession.

Speaking of the Charger receivers, Allen had a monster game with 12 catches for 104 yards. Williams, conversely, hauled in just two passes for 58 yards to go along with the dropped touchdown. During the broadcast, CBS color analyst Charles Davis mentioned that Williams is dealing with a knee injury that “no one knows about.” Still, Williams made a great play on a 49-yard reception while matched up with Darius Slay.

Herbert’s touchdowns didn’t go to his primary receivers, but rather his backup tight ends, Donald Parham (3-39) and Stephen Anderson (4-39).

Ekeler didn’t have a good fantasy performance despite some heroics on the final drive. He rushed for only 59 yards on 17 carries. He also caught three passes for 23 receiving yards. However, Ekeler came up big when it mattered most, making three key plays on the final possession.

The Eagles, meanwhile, were able to run the ball down the Chargers’ throat, as San Angeles’ soft run defense was a huge liability once again. Boston Scott was a disappointment with 40 yards on 10 carries. Instead, it was Jordan Howard who had the best performance with 71 yards on 17 attempts. He also scored a touchdown, as did Kenneth Gainwell, though Gainwell attempted only two runs for three yards.

Jalen Hurts also had a big game on the ground. He scrambled 10 times for 62 rushing yards, picking up some key third downs in the process, one of which included a mid-air flip. Passing-wise, Hurts was an economical 11-of-17 for 162 yards and a touchdown. The Chargers were missing their top two outside cornerbacks, so this was an easy matchup for Hurts. He made some terrific passes, though ball-placement issues hurt him on a couple of occasions, including one toss into the end zone toward DeVonta Smith.

Only four Eagles caught passes: Smith accumulated most of the yardage, catching five passes for 116 yards and a touchdown. Elsewhere, it was Dallas Goedert (3-43), Quez Watkins (2-9) and Jalen Reagor (1 catch, minus-6 yards). Goedert dropped a potential touchdown in the opening quarter.

Chiefs 13, Packers 7

Aaron Rodgers dominated the headlines entering this game, but the biggest story regarding this contest, in my opinion, was the struggles of the Chiefs’ offense entering this contest. Kansas City was coming off an embarrassing defeat to the Titans and a near-loss to the Giants, two games that saw them combine for just 23 points.

Kansas City fans had a reason to be optimistic to begin the afternoon, as the Chiefs went right down the field on the opening possession. They put together an 8-minute drive with Patrick Mahomes finding Travis Kelce for a touchdown. All optimism waned after that, however, as the Chiefs scored just six points the rest of the way.

It wasn’t just one thing with the Chiefs. They messed up on a fourth-and-1 because of pressure from Rashan Gary. Mecole Hardman dropped several passes, including one that was initially ruled a lost fumble, and another that fell through his hands on third down. Mahomes threw some terrible passes, including one potential interception that was dropped. He overshot Tyreek Hill twice for big gains and fired behind Kelce once. Kelce, meanwhile, committed a drop. FOX analyst Troy Aikman even bashed Andy Reid’s play-calling, citing that Reid wasn’t running the ball nearly enough.

Kansas City, however, was able to hold on to a 13-0 lead because of the ineptitude of the Packers’ offense. That margin was trimmed to 13-7 late in the game, but Mahomes finally came up big with a third-and-long conversion to clinch the victory.

Mahomes went 20-of-37 for only 166 yards and a touchdown. He had some potential big gains negated by drops, but he should’ve been intercepted, and he fired many inaccurate balls. Mahomes looked frustrated for most of the afternoon.

Kelce, who caught the touchdown, led the Chiefs in receiving with five catches for 68 yards. Hill (4-37) was a major disappointment, as was Hardman (3-20), though Hill, unlike Hardman, was not responsible for his poor numbers.

Darrel Williams picked up chunks of yardage whenever he was handed the ball, gaining 70 yards on 19 carries. However, he missed out on some touchdown chances when he was stuffed at the goal line on three occasions.

As for the Packers, their stagnant offense was led by No Cookie Jordan Love. The 2020 first-round pick was horrific in his first start. He heaved so many inaccurate passes, including some missed easy throws. He was lucky he was only intercepted once, as he heaved a pass very late over the middle to Randall Cobb on one occasion. He failed to connect with open receivers constantly, and he had to use a timeout just before halftime to avoid a delay-of-game penalty. This was when Aikman said, “He’s a little out of sorts right now.” That was a nice way to describe Love’s play. I take notes during the games, and I wrote this about Love: “His passes are all over the place.”

Love did marginally better in the second half, and he even threw a touchdown to Allen Lazard, who beat the anemic Daniel Sorensen. He finished 19-of-34 for 190 yards, one touchdown and an interception, which was an inaccurate toss toward Davante Adams. Packer fans can only imagine where their team would be right now had the front office used the Love pick on Chase Claypool, Michael Pittman Jr. or Tee Higgins.

Adams had a glimpse of his post-Rodgers life with six catches for 42 yards despite seeing 14 targets. He also drew an interference flag. Cobb (3-50) led the Packers in receiving.

Aaron Jones had some nice runs, though a 15-yard gain of his was wiped out by a hold. He finished with 53 yards on 12 carries. A.J. Dillon (8-46) also had a strong running performance.

This game was decided by two field goals. Mason Crosby happened to whiff on two field goals. However, it was the holder who was responsible because he the laces were facing Crosby on both occasions. Crosby was not happy with this on the sideline.

Titans 28, Rams 16

Many eulogized the Titans in the wake of Derrick Henry’s injury. Certainly, no one gave them a chance to win this game, as they were touchdown-plus underdogs with plenty of public money coming in on the Rams. However, the reports of their demise were an exaggeration, as Tennessee dominated this game with its terrific defense.

Matthew Stafford entered this game with some missed practices due to a back injury, and he can’t be feeling better after how the Titans treated him. Tennessee overwhelmed the Rams’ offensive line, swarming Stafford in the pocket. Stafford was sacked on five occasions, with Jeffery Simmons recording three in the first half alone. On a pressure play that did not involve a sack, Simmons broke through to Stafford near the Rams’ end zone. Stafford spun around in the grasp and heaved an interception. It was nearly a pick-six, but the Titans converted a touchdown when Ryan Tannehill found Geoff Swaim in the end zone.

Stafford wasn’t finished committing turnovers. On the ensuing drive, he heaved another interception, with this one being a pick-six, as Kevin Byard jumped the route to give the Titans a 14-3 lead. The Rams continued to struggle offensively throughout the night. They did a bit better in the second half when they got Stafford out of the pocket, but all they could muster were two field goals before a very late touchdown.

Stafford’s numbers don’t look too bad. He went 31-of-48 for 294 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. However, much of that occurred in garbage time. Stafford, at halftime, was just 9-of-16 for 62 yards and the pair of picks.

Despite Stafford’s struggles, his two primary receivers still posted quality stats. Robert Woods (7-98) barely edged out Cooper Kupp (11-95). Meanwhile, Tyler Higbee (5-51) appeared to score a touchdown, but it was overturned by replay review because he barely stepped out of bounds. Van Jefferson (3-41) also missed out on a touchdown with a drop in the end zone.

With his team in a deficit throughout the evening, Darrell Henderson was able to run just 11 times. He picked up 55 yards on those attempts. He also caught three passes, but registered just three receiving yards.

Henderson would outgain all the Tennessee rushers. Adrian Peterson got the start, but mustered just 21 yards on 10 carries, though he scored a touchdown. D’Onta Foreman (5-29) looked better, as did Jeremy McNichols (7-24).

Tannehill did a good job of managing the game outside of an early interception. He misfired just eight times, going 19-of-27 for 143 yards, one touchdown and the pick. He also scrambled four a touchdown on one of his patented bootleg runs.

A.J. Brown dropped an early third-down pass, but played better the rest of the way. He paced the Titans in receiving with five catches for 42 yards. Julio Jones (4-35) was next on the stat sheet. He and Tannehill connected on a big third-and-10 play in the second half to move the chains.

Steelers 29, Bears 27

There are many people whose opinions I respect who stated that this was the worst-officiated game they had ever seen in their lives. I’ve seen some many stinkers in my life, including some from the woefully inept Walt Coleman, but this is certainly up there in that category.

The officials seemingly did everything in their power to decide this game. At first, the Bears were just kicking themselves in the foot with procedural penalties. For instance, an illegal formation negated a significant early gain to Allen Robinson, while an ineligible man downfield ruined a 20-yard reception. Jimmy Graham also dropped a touchdown, while a Chicago player fumbled a kickoff return. The refs, as bad as they were, were not responsible for all of Chicago’s ineptitude.

However, things changed in the red zone during one sequence. The Bears, aiming to draw to within four, scored a touchdown when Justin Fields found Graham in the end zone. However, an illegal low block negated the flag even though the blocker never engaged with the defensive player. Two plays later, a Steeler player hit Fields late and no flagged was thrown even though the officials penalized the Bears earlier for a ticky-tack roughing-the-passer infraction on some light Ben Roethlisberger contact.

The greatest offense by the officials occurred when the Bears seemingly forced a punt in the fourth quarter. Cassius Marsh sacked Roethlisberger on third down, but Marsh was flagged for taunting even though he only stared at Pittsburgh’s bench. He didn’t even say anything. Yet, the flag was thrown, and the Steelers were allowed to continue their drive. It didn’t seem to matter in the short term because another sack on Roethlisberger finally forced the Steelers to give up the ball, albeit after a successful field goal. Chicago fans must have been shocked that another roughing penalty wasn’t called.

Fields took over in worse field position than initially anticipated, but he had more than two minutes and a single timeout in his back pocket. Fields didn’t even need the timeout, as he went down the field rather easily versus Pittsburgh. He hit Allen Robinson with a 39-yard bomb and then drilled Darnell “Mad-Eye” Mooney in the end zone for the go-ahead touchdown.

The Bears had a 27-26 lead, but left too much time on the clock. There was 1:46 remaining, which was more than enough time for the Steelers. Aided by more Chicago penalties, Roethlisberger drove into field goal range, hitting Diontae Johnson for a 22-yard gain to get there. Chris Boswell drilled a 40-yard field goal to give Pittsburgh a sure victory with 26 seconds remaining.

Fields, however, did what he could with those 26 seconds, masterfully moving across midfield in that limited amount of time. He could have done more, however, if he possessed the timeouts his team didn’t need to waste following the bogus Marsh infraction. A Cairo Santos 65-yard field goal was well short, allowing Pittsburgh to hang on to the victory. The Steeler fan officials undoubtedly celebrated the victory.

It’s a shame for Fields that the Bears lost this game because he was incredible. Staring down on of the top defenses in the NFL, Fields went 12-of-18 for 228 yards and a touchdown after halftime, as Pittsburgh had no answer for him as the evening progressed. Fields began slowly, which is why his overall numbers aren’t as impressive – 17-of-29, 291 yards, one touchdown, one interception on odd deflection; eight scrambles, 45 rushing yards – but his evolution is taking place before our very eyes. The rookie who self-destructed versus the Browns and Buccaneers seems like a distant memory.

Given that Fields took a big step forward this week, it wasn’t a surprise that he developed more of a connection with Robinson, who caught four passes for 68 yards. He finished just below Cole Kmet (6-87) on the receiving list, while Mooney logged three receptions for 41 yards and two scores (one rushing).

David Montgomery made his return to action and had some nice runs in this difficult matchup. He gained 63 yards on 13 carries. He also caught two passes for 17 receiving yards.

Montgomery barely outgained Najee Harris on the ground, as Chicago’s defense played better versus the run this week. Chicago limited Harris to just 62 yards on 22 attempts, though Harris scored a touchdown. Harris also caught three passes, but for only 16 receiving yards.

Roethlisberger enjoyed a rare positive performance this season, going 21-of-30 for 205 yards and two touchdowns. He connected on some deep passes, with Diontae Johnson (5-56) being his leading receiver. Pat Freiermuth (5-43) caught both of his scores.

Elsewhere in the Steeler receiving corps, James Washington had one of those deep gains, a 42-yarder. Chase Claypool (3-30) left the game early with an injury.

For more thoughts, check out my updated NFL Power Rankings, which will be posted Tuesday morning.

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