10 Things We Learned from the NFL this Week
- The Browns finally remembered how to win!!! Tyrod (pronounced TUH-rod) Taylor was not the answer in this one, but Baker Mayfield definitely was. After the Jets were staked to a 14-point lead thanks to a pair of rushing touchdowns by Isaiah Crowell (who had a rather provocative touchdown celebration) Mayfield came in and dashed the hopes of Crowell’s revenge game. Isaiah Crowell earns the “C’mon Man” of the week for this one. How ironic is it that during his tenure with the Browns Crowell was a whopping 1-31, and then he loses to them the very first chance he gets?
Anyways, the Browns finally did it. With Baker officially named the starter Monday morning the Browns hope to see more of what they saw on Sunday. Sitting with a 1-1-1 record the Browns are already a game-and-a-half ahead of where they were last year. Hats off to the former armpit of the NFL.
- Three teams who are have hopes of fighting their way to the Super Bowl received a serious gut-check this weekend.
Starting with the 17-point favored, Minnesota Vikings who faced the lowly Bills AT HOME. The same Bills that more or less forced Vontae Davis into an early retirement. Needless to say, this didn’t go as planned. Just ask the ESPN gameday analysts. (They, along with the rest of the nation, picked the Vikings to win). Well, we were all wrong. The Super Bowl hopeful Vikings looked just about as bad as they could have in this one. Falling in a 27-0 hole, they went on to finish with a measly six garbage-time points, a -3 turnover margin, and 14 rushing yards.
- Next on tap we have the Jaguars. Also at home this weekend, the Jaguars faced the Titans and an injured Marcus Mariota/healthy Blaine Gabbert duo. It seemed as if in this one the Jags’ offense took a trip to somewhere that was not TIAA Bank Field. Good thing the defense stayed home, right? It’s just the Titans. Wrong. In a defensive struggle, Blake Bortles and the Jaguar offense sputtered this week, falling just short in a 9-6 loss to the Titans.
- The last of the Super Bowl contenders to miss the boat this weekend….. The 1-2 Patriots. Now, you are probably wondering if you read that right. I am here to tell you that, indeed, you read that right. The same Lions team that was used as a mop in the first week of the season by the Jets and rookie QB Sam Darnold dominated the Super Bowl runner-up Patriots this Sunday. Wait a minute… does that mean that since Sam Darnold beat the Lions and the Lions then beat the Patriots, that Sam Darnold is better than Tom Brady? Just a thought.
- Patrick Mahomes is still here, and it doesn’t look like he’s going away anytime soon.
In his first test against what many consider a “real defense,” Showtime Mahomes and Co. took the 49ers to the cleaners. After leading the Chiefs to a 100% touchdown rate in the first half, and giving them a 35-7 lead, Mahomes could afford to coast through the second half and Andy Reid’s overly-conservative play calling.
The Chiefs went on to win 38-27, a score that really doesn’t do justice to the all-around dominance showcased in this one by Kansas City. I am just going going to call it right here and now. Patrick Mahomes is winning the league MVP this year.
- The Dolphins have a two-game division lead in the AFC East. Yes, we are just now realizing that the Dolphins have the division lead. Through three games the Dolphins have eked out three wins against the below-average Titans, the Jets and their rookie QB, and the 0-3 Oakland Raiders. While their competition level has been less than average and they have barely managed to beat these teams, are the Dolphins for real this year? Survey says… not a chance. Miami has run essentially every trick play they can think of to this point and that’s just not going to get the job done. Dolphins fans should just sit down, relax, and wait for Tom Brady and the Patriots to go on a run and win the division. Maybe next time, Miami.
- Aaron Rodgers’ knee is looking like it could be a problem.
Watching Aaron Rodgers throw passes off his back foot all day, only to have those passes dropped by the ENTIRE Green Bay team, was adding insult to a literal injury. The Packers’ higher-ups should really consider giving Aaron Rodgers some time off to avoid a more serious injury that would certainly derail the Packers’ season.
With their upcoming schedule including a two home games against the post-Garoppolo injury 49’ers, the 1-2 Bills, the inconsistent Lions, and a bye week, the time is definitely now to give the Franchise a rest.
- So long, 49ers….
San Francisco received news on Monday that would devastate them, as well as most of the NFL. Jimmy G was confirmed to have a torn ACL on Monday. Losing a guy with such a good rapport with fans around the nation is not good for anyone.
That being said, I don’t think that C.J. Beathard is the answer in The Bay. The playoffs will elude the 49’ers yet again.
- Michael Vick’s return to NFL this weekend was truly something to behold. Sporting the number nine and leading the Saints to a 43-37 OT win against the Falcons, Vick looked like the Vick of old in this one. He also passed Brett Favre for the most complete… woah, wait a second. Go ahead and replace “Michael Vick” with “Drew Brees” everywhere you see it.
Drew Brees single-handedly fought off the Matt Ryan-Calvin Ridley duo this week with his legs, not his arm. Following Drew Brees’ 7-yard scamper to paydirt, which included the greatest spin-move the NFL has ever seen, the game headed to overtime. Drew Brees then jumped over the offensive and defensive line for the game winning score. One may ask WHODAT? That my friend, is Drew Brees.
- Fitzmagic is finally over, or is it?
The box score from the first half was less than impressive for Ryan Fitzpatrick on Monday night. It included one touchdown strike to Cameron Brate, but also included three interceptions, one of which was a pick-six. The world thought the magic was over for sure after that half, but they wound up being wrong.
While the Bucs didn’t have quite enough Fitzmagic to pull out a win on Monday night, the Harvard QB finished 30 of 50 with three touchdowns, 411 yards, and three picks. Upon a closer look, one could even argue that the three picks weren’t really his fault. One of the picks included Mike Evans stopping in the middle of his route, another where Steeler Linebacker Jon Bostic came around the edge unblocked and deflected the ball off his helmet. On the last one, the Bucs center olé’d the defensive tackle, causing Fitzpatrick to alligator-arm his pass, leading to a pick-six.
Let’s wait and watch to see what Fitzmagic does in Week 4 against a formidable Bear’s defense, assuming he still gets the nod.