This will be a weekly series where I will be looking at the box score and giving a summary/ my thoughts of how I felt each game went if I was able to watch it. This may change as the season goes on and the article progresses but for now this is how it is.
Buccaneers 42 VS Falcons 35
So close but so far for the Falcons. They almost got their first win but couldn’t win in the end. The switch to Penix was made in this game and it had mixed results. Penix threw for 3 touchdowns and 3 interceptions on 41 passing attempts. I think this was the right move, however, he shouldn’t be the focal point of the offense. Robinson only had 9 carries which unless he is injured shouldn’t be happening. Baker and the Bucs continued their dominant stat season in this game with Baker throwing for 354 yards, 4 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions.
Jets 22 VS Vikings 48
Tannehill was just picked up in free agency and he immediately came in and had his best game of his career. He threw for over 450 yards, 6 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. Rodgers was no match as he threw for 2 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. Rodgers hasn’t had the season he would have hoped for when he came back from his injury. This Vikings team was already good with Darnold as the quarterback but with Tannehill throwing like this, he could be the factor they needed to make a deep playoff run.
Panthers 49 VS Bears 54
This game was a lot closer than most expected given the seasons each of these teams have had so far. Caleb Williams quite possibly either broke a record or came close to the record by throwing for 7 touchdowns in this game. Some speculation has been that the Bears let the Panthers stay in the game in order to keep throwing touchdowns with Caleb. Regardless of this, no team is a given and the Panthers almost had this one. They played smart football, only throwing 1 interception with Young. Even though they lost the game, this could be the spark they needed in order to turn around the season.
Ravens 31 VS Bengals 28
This division is going to come down to who can win the most division games. Both quarterbacks played to perfection in this game. Lamar threw 3 touchdowns and Burrow threw for 4 touchdowns. It wouldn’t be a Ravens division win if it didn’t come down to a Justin Tucker field goal and that is exactly what happened. This was a big win that put the Ravens in first place at the moment.
Dolphins 14 VS Patriots 15
Was this a Madden game or the NFL? This is a type of score that you would see from a real life Patriots and Dolphins game. It should be a crime for the fastest team in the game to be held to only 186 passing yards and 62 rushing yards. Don’t get me wrong, the Patriots played great defense but this box score shouldn’t look like this. Hill and Waddle have to find ways to get open. Nonetheless, both quarterbacks couldn’t do much, but Maye outplayed Tua due to not throwing any interceptions.
Browns 28 VS Commanders 33
We may have to be on tank watch earlier than expected. The Browns were in a perfect position to win this game. They got the lead 28-27, then were able to get an interception near midfield with a few minutes remaining. All you had to do was play standard offense and hope for a first down or 2. Nah, that’s not HD’s style, he wanted to be smarter than the other guy and catch him off guard. Only HD was the one caught off guard when a reverse pass was intercepted and the Commanders drove down to score the game winning touchdown. We all lose games but to lose like this could hurt in a close division race. We’ll have to check back on this near the end of the season.
Colts 25 VS Jaguars 43
After being on a sabbatical for 4 weeks, the official coach of the Jaguars is back and he is making noise inside the division. He may have felt bad and let the other guys get a head start to make it interesting. The mix of run and pass was too much for the Colts defense. Lawrence threw for 3 touchdowns and Etienne ran for 2. Rhciardson threw 4 of his own touchdowns but also had 3 interceptions, 1 of which went for a touchdown. This is another division that is going to come down to interdivision play and so far the Colts have not fared well. Well see what happens but the Jags are looking up and the Colts are trending down.
Bills 38 Texans 21
Josh Allen continues to take over the league. He once again played mistake free football by throwing for 3 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. When you have a quarterback who doesnt turn the ball over it makes it hard for opposing defenses to stop you unless a random fumble occurs. It’s a no-brainer that the Bills undefeated streak correlates to Allens play on the FIeld. Going over to the other quarterback in the game, C.J Stroud isn’t replicating his great rookie season in his second year. He threw 3 interceptions on 17 attempts and was benched for Davis Mills. To have a quarterback controversy so early in the season doesn’t pan out well for the Texans season. They will need to figure something out, however given the records in the division at the moment, they still have time.
Raiders 30 VS Broncos 37
Such a great game from two of the lower rated rosters in the league. Both teams have great coaches who know how to get the best from their players. The Raiders made a switch to Max Duggan and he was able to throw for over 350 yards, 4 touchdowns, and 1 interception. That is fantastic stats in your first game. Bo Nix continued his good rookie season adding 2 touchdowns to his total. With the game ending by 7, the lone interception of Duggan being taken for a touchdown seems to be the key difference.
Cardinals 31 VS 49ers 28
The 49ers were supposed to be the team to beat in the West. They had a playoff caliber coach who took over one of the best rosters in the game and became the instant favorite before the season started. Purdy does have his flaws given his throw power but he is still a superstar quarterback who has some good abilities. You have to lean on what you have and that’s not happening at the moment. Ironically, the 49ers must have realized they needed to change and ran with Mccaffrey to the tune of 14 rushers for 211 yards in a touchdown. Purdy did throw 2 interceptions, however, Ridder did the same. What cost the 49ers the game was the fumble that was recovered which ironically was from Mccaffrey.
Packers 14 VS Rams 30
Before the season started Coach Wimmy was slated to take another team but it was speculated that he was moved due to issues with the coaches in the NFC West. He played one of these coaches in this game and it didn’t go as expected. Both these coaches know one another and Wimmy hates Fallens playstyle. He vowed to beat him and take his nonexistent anger out on him. Stafford had other plans for that as he threw all over the vaunted Packer defense. He threw for 3 touchdowns and 1 interception compared to Love’s 1 touchdown and 1 interception. The Packers have not had the start that many expected but with practice comes winning and as the season moves along I am sure things will change.
Giants 52 VS Seahawks 36
Daniel Jones versus Sam Howell…Who would have thought that offenses led by these two quarterbacks would turn out as a shoot out? Turnovers played a big factor in this game and even though Jones threw 4 interceptions, he and the Giants found a way to win. This was due in part to the defense forcing Howell to throw for 7 interceptions. It’s rare to be able to win a game throwing 4 interceptions but it’s even rarer to win a game throwing 7. I don’t think that has ever happened in the PML. Regardless, the Seahawks still put up a lot of points, but the defense couldn’t bail them out enough to take the win. If the Giants can play defense like this every game, then they may be on their way to the top of the NFC East.
Cowboys 35 VS Steelers 10
Besides the Giants game, the Cowboys have been impressive. They have a few quality wins against unknown players and havent got themselves in trouble with turnovers like some people in the league. Drama is known for his methodical approach on offense so if he can get the running game going, mixed in with the playaction corner routes it will be a long day. That’s exactly what happened here with Rowdle rushing for 168 yards and 4 touchdowns. I am not even sure who this guy is but he made the Steelers defense look like a joke. Until otherwise the Cowboys look like a favorite in the AFC and the Steerlers continue to fall.
Saints 35 VS Chiefs 3
I don’t believe that this was the true box score because I believe the game had to be simmed but I know that the Saints were up big. This is a signature win for the Saints versus a team that has superbowl aspirations. If they can beat let alone blow them out then they can beat anyone. That division is a two man race with the Bucs so it may come down to head 2 head games to see who wins.
