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.
Texans 34 VS Jets 20
CJ Stroud was rumored to be on the trade block a few weeks ago. I don’t think that is the case anymore. Stroud stood tall in this game and battled the great Aaron Rodgers, where I’d say that he came out of this game as the winner. Stroud was overall pretty accurate while throwing for over 250 yards and 2 touchdowns, while Rodgers completed about the same passes for the same yards except he only threw for 1 touchdown and 1 interception. He couldn’t do much to help this team win and doesn’t look like this will be his farewell tour this season. He may retire at the end of the season, however, it won’t be on top.
Cowboys 28 VS Falcons 31
It’s a good thing that another bet was placed on this game as Arod would have another tough time getting that money. This was a trap game for the Cowboys and they fell for it. Whether it was taking their opponents lightly since they didn’t have a win yet or just playing badly for a change, the fact of the matter is you can’t call yourself a favorite in the NFC when you give a team their first win. The Falcons relied on their workhorse Robinson rushing 25 times for 151 yards and 2 touchdowns. This is exactly what they needed to do in order to defeat a big time opponent. It worked to perfection and maybe exposed a weakness in Dallas.
Dolphins 39 VS Bills 47
Did anyone have the Allen vs Thompson rivalry game as such a high scoring affair? No, me either? Josh Allen dominated the Dolphin defense in this one throwing for 478 yards, 6 touchdowns, and 1 interception. The Dolphins defense had no answer for him. They were able to make it a game with the help of Thompson who threw for 437 yards, 3 touchdowns, but 5 interceptions. The thing with the Dolphins isn’t their ability to put up points, it’s the ability for whoever is playing quarterback to not throw interceptions. Whenever the interceptions get under control is when the Dolphins will be looked at like a legit threat in the AFC.
Raiders 42 VS Bengals 10
The Cinderella story that the Bengals were on struck midnight in this game. Codes and the Raiders brought them back down to earth after two great wins over the Giants and Eagles. Chalk this one up to another game where low overall Duggan is outplaying a superstar quarterback. Duggan was able to throw for over 300 yards and 3 touchdowns on the Bengal defense. Burrow didn’t hurt the team too badly as he only threw 2 interceptions,however he did not lead or help the team either. The Raiders get a nice win here that keeps them in the pack while the Bengals with the loss are still in play for the AFC North.
Chargers 35 VS Browns 28
The Browns have played most of their games close but can’t quite get over the hump at the end of the game. They have multiple games where they were almost to the point of winning but something different would go wrong. Is this going to be the end of the story? Is this going to be the season that could have been? It’s going to be a real shame for HD and the Browns, especially considering it is looking like this division winner will be under .500. As for the Chargers, Herbert played almost perfectly against a good Browns defense. These games are just practice for the real challenge which are their division games. We may actually see all four AFC West teams make the playoffs and that is saying something considering the Broncos are the computer.
Patriots 52 VS Titans 30
Ouch…One week the Titans are looking like a powerhouse, being able to compete with the elite teams in the NFC, then the next they are getting blown out by the Patriots. Drake Maye finally stepped out of his game manager role and worked a defense. He was able to throw all over the Titan defense as he threw for almost 200 yards and 4 touchdowns. The Titan quarterbacks combined for 7 interceptions. The Patriots have not been known to blow out their opponents but if they can follow this game plan for the rest of the year they could be a sneaky favorite to get the final wildcard spot.
Colts 42 VS Vikings 49
These AFC South teams are doing great against the NFC North. Each one has been close in the games they have played. This one we saw the Colts who have been up and down on the season almost upset the favorite to win the NFC in the Vikings. It’s eerie how similar the statistics are for both teams. Both teams threw 3 touchdowns and had similar offensive yardage gained while each sacking the quarterback 3 times. The difference and what I believe was the deciding factor was the extra interception that Richardson threw that Tannehill did not. That was the dagger in the game and you can bet that if this was replayed the Colts would want the chance to redo that last read.
Commanders 27 VS Giants 21
It’s always nice to get a win over a divisional opponent, just not like this. Both teams have conflicting availability so it was a forced sim. The better overall team came out on top which is usually the case in these types of sims.
Saints 37 VS Panthers 16
I didn’t think that the Saints would have it in them to come back to compete for the division after that Bucs loss a few weeks ago. Not only have they come back, but they have come back with a vengeance. If the winning ways keep up from both of these teams then when week 18 comes it could be the chance for the Saints to take over the division. We can only hope all of these week 18 divisional games are that close. As for the Panthers, they are almost there in some games then in others they have a few setbacks. I think what they need is a good draft and they will be able to put it together next season.
Broncos 66 VS Ravens 45
A chance to take over sole place of your division and you let the computer put up 66 points on you. I know that the computer can be tough but you have to cheese them somehow, someway so that you come out on top. The Ravens may look back at this game and see that this is what cost them the division.
Bears 47 Vs Cardinals 26
The Bears come back with a vengeance from the disappointing game versus the Commanders. They hadn’t been playing well as of late but they were able to put all of that behind them and get a big win against an up and coming team in the Cardinals. Williams and Murray both played about the same throwing 3 touchdowns and 3 interceptions, however, the Bears defense forcing two fumbles and recovering them was the outlier difference. You never want to fumble but to fumble twice in what could have been a close game is a killer.
Lions 20 VS Packers 6
This one was a close defensive game that resulted in no touchdowns being thrown while 7 interceptions were thrown between both quarterbacks. Generally only letting up 20 points should land as a victory, however, when you can’t put up any points due to your quarterback throwing 5 interceptions, well that will do it. Love was terrible in this one and could find anyone on his team to throw to. I also don’t know if this is right but based on mymadden the Packers only ran 8 times. A divisional loss and a potential suspension isn’t something that you want going into the most important part of the year.
Rams 42 VS Seahawks 45
I watched some of this game and it was a wild one. The Seahawks were up big at some point only to lose their lead in the fourth and to have it tied going into overtime. In overtime the Seahawks were able to pull it off which I’m sure was all the emotions of both coaches all over the place. To be able to gain a big lead, lose a big lead, then come back in overtime and win the game shows good composure that will take you far in the league. Stafford got hurt at some point because the Rams had a trio of quarterbacks play in the game. I am assuming that was the cause of the hole they started with. Bennett and Jimmy G combined for 0 touchdowns and 3 interceptions while Stafford had 3 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. Howell was inaccurate only completing 59 % of his passes but he was able to secure the win. This was a big win for the Seahawks as the division will come down to these two teams. Having the tiebreaker will go a long way to securing the division.
Jaguars 14 VS Eagles 21
This game ended in dramatic fashion that sparked a nice debate on how realistic Madden is. After losing my last two games and Hurts combining for 9 interceptions thrown in those two games, I went more of a conservative approach on offense mixed with the same philosophy on defense. I didn’t want to beat myself and I didnt want Thomas to beat me deep. The offense did just enough to win but it almost ended in disaster. After playing it conservatively, I gabe the ball back to Lawrence where he was driving down the field to tie up the game. He was able to take the Jags over midfield where he threw the ball to what looked to be an open tight end. This wasn’t the case as I was able to switch to the defender to jar the ball loose resulting in Slay’s ability activating when he made a diving interception. This was the first time I have seen this ability activate and it was the perfect timing.
Buccaneers 52 VS Chiefs 41
Casper and his Bucs have played great all season. He is really showing out this season, however, he hasn’t had that signature win that puts him up with the NFC’s Elite. Well, we can officially scratch that off his bucket list. He came out in this one and went toe to toe with one of the best users in the league, with one of the best teams. This was the favorite to come out of the AFC and represent them in the Superbowl and the Bucs almost won by double digits. Both defenses definitely sat on the sidelines in this one but how often do you think you can say that Mayfield outdueled Mahomes. I don’t think I would ever have said that but it happened in this one. Mayfield threw for 437 yards, 6 touchdowns, and 1 interception while Mahomes threw for 336 yards, 4 touchdowns, and 1 interception. Both offenses have nothing to worry about but what should be concerning is the defenses. Will this be the downfall of both of these teams? It doesn’t matter how much you can score if you give up more. This is what happened in this one. When we think about superbowl matchups, this could be one we come back to.
