Welcome to the latest edition of The Sunday Recap, a weekly column dedicated to thoughts on the previous day’s NFL action! Here are the five most surprising things I saw in Week Six.
Negated touchdown sends Jets fans back into pit of misery
No doubt about it: the Jets were robbed in their 24-17 loss to the Patriots on Sunday. There was little doubt that tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins lost control of the football as he fell into the end zone during that ill-fated fourth quarter play; but there was, however, plenty of doubt as to whether he didn’t recover it in time to cross the goal line, which would’ve put the Jets within three points with just under nine minutes to play. In short, there was simply not enough evidence to overturn that touchdown.
Nonetheless…as a Patriots fan…boy was that moment hilarious! What a way to lose! Jets fans: to the inescapable pit of misery! Dilly Dilly! DILLY DILLY!
However, should I really proud of this win? No, probably not. The Patriots’ defense allowed yet another quarterback to top 300 passing yards (Josh McCown ultimately finished with 354 on the day). And we caught plenty of other breaks throughout the game in addition to the negated touchdown, particularly on that dropped interception by Buster Skrine in the second quarter. Simply put, this wasn’t exactly an impressive win.
But here are two positive takeaways from our fourth victory of the season. First, we have two manageable games coming up before our bye in Week 9. Next Sunday night we’ll play the Falcons, who were just upset by Jay Cutler and the Dolphins (more on that game shortly). Clearly Atlanta, now losers of two in a row, is reeling heading into Foxboro. After that, we have the Chargers, who still sit at 2-4 after losing their first four games to open the season. Don’t expect Los Angeles to waltz into Gillette Stadium and win considering it has to fly across the country for what will feel like a 10 am kick off on October 29th. So, with our win today, we’re on track to be 6-2 before a difficult two-game stretch against Denver and Oakland in mid-November.
And here’s my second takeaway. This win provides Bill Belichick ample evidence that the Patriots have a lot of room for improvement. What I mean by that is this: during the game on Sunday, a friend of mine (a Jets fan) mentioned how the Jets have used headlines from pundits saying they might not win a game this season as bulletin board material. It made both of us wonder: what might New England possibly use as extra motivation? The answer, usually, is nothing.
Now, though, the Patriots have been humbled after not only this latest win, but a relatively shaky start to the season. Yet I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: one of the hallmarks of New England’s dynasty is its resiliency. You could include our ability to peak at the right time (i.e. December & January) as another defining attribute, as well.
Armed with the league’s best quarterback and coach, and with no reason to be cocky, the Patriots will still be in contention when it matters most.
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Rodgers is likely done, so should Green Bay sign Kaepernick?
Yesterday’s biggest development was undoubtedly Aaron Rodgers’ collarbone injury. His season is likely over, which means that Green Bay is essentially screwed. Think back to how many times Rodgers has bailed out the Packers in recent years. For instance, remember when Rodgers took Green Bay to the Divisional Round–and almost beat Arizona thanks to that ridiculous Hail Mary? Let’s not forget that, due to injuries, Rodgers’ top receiving target that postseason was Jeff Janis. In short, the two-time MVP has been the main reason why the Packers have been able to overcome their weaknesses in recent years.
But now Green Bay is in trouble. It would be foolish to think that the Packers, who dropped to 4-2 after losing to Minnesota, would benefit from tanking this season: they’re still firmly in playoff contention. With that said, I doubt backup quarterback Brett Hundley is good enough to take Green Bay to the postseason. The former fifth-round pick wasn’t expected to be a starting-caliber QB when he entered the league three years ago. There isn’t any reason to think that he has the skills necessary to keep the Packers afloat, especially after throwing three interceptions yesterday.
It might be risky, but who would you rather have at quarterback: Brett Hundley or Colin Kaepernick? Sure, signing Kaepernick might be a bad move considering: a) the level of attention he would bring, b) the high cost Green Bay would likely need to pay in order to sign him, and c) how little time Kaepernick would have to learn the playbook in order to effectively produce. But I’m still sticking by my previous statement: I would rather have Kaepernick, who has quarterbacked in a Super Bowl, than Hundley.
Depending on how Kaepernick’s collusion case against the NFL plays out over the next week, Green Bay should at least consider signing the league’s most controversial player if it wants to maximize its chances of making the postseason.
Pittsburgh’s defense proves it’s legit in win over previously unbeaten Chiefs
I said last week that the end is near for Ben Roethlisberger. I still stand by that opinion. After all, Roethlisberger threw another interception, bringing his total on the season up to eight, and posted just a 44.9 Total QBR in yesterday’s game against Kansas City.
Nonetheless, the Steelers must certainly feel better about their Super Bowl chances after beating Kansas City 19-13 yesterday. Main reason why: its defense proved it is for real. Pittsburgh entered the week ranked third in total defense and first against the pass. The one caveat, however, was that they hadn’t played a strong offense yet. That obviously changed this weekend, as the Steelers aced their first true defensive test, holding the Chiefs, who entered Sunday first in the NFL in scoring, to just 13 points and 4.9 yards per play. They also became the first team to keep running back Kareem Hunt in check, as the rookie finished with a paltry 21 yards on 9 carries (although he did have over 80 receiving yards). And I would be remiss not to mention their defensive stand at the end of the game. How clutch was that?
Pittsburgh’s identity may be shifting from an offensive juggernaut to a defensive powerhouse. That obviously isn’t a problem, though. The Steelers are still a solid bet to be in the thick of things come January, no matter how they manage to win games.
Atlanta lost to Jay Cutler: What’s wrong with the defending NFC champs?
Despite being 13-point favorites, the Falcons lost to the Dolphins in the day’s biggest upset. This is the second consecutive game Atlanta has dropped as a big favorite at home, so it makes you wonder what’s wrong with the team that came so close to winning the Super Bowl last February.
My answer: I don’t have an answer. Matt Ryan hasn’t been nearly as prolific as he was last season, but he’s still been pretty good. Yesterday, for instance, he managed 7.1 yards per pass. The Falcons have also been running the ball well: Devota Freeman and Tevin Coleman combined to average 5.3 yards per carry against Miami; and on the season, Atlanta entered this week fourth in the NFL in yards per rush attempt. And you really can’t blame the defense, either. In Atlanta’s two losses, it has only allowed an average of 18 offensive points.
There is simply no explanation for why the Falcons have regressed over the past two weeks. Regardless, they are clearly no longer one of the five strongest teams in the NFL.
Five defensive/special teams touchdowns scored in Saints’ 52-38 victory over the Lions
Was that a record for defensive and special teams scores? And did anyone have either the New Orleans or Detroit D/ST in fantasy this weekend? If you did, you’re a genius.
As for the Saints, even though they almost blew a 45-10 third quarter lead (the Lions cut the lead to seven late in the fourth quarter), they look like they’re playing their way into playoff contention. Take a look at their schedule over the next three weeks: at Green Bay (no Aaron Rodgers), home versus Chicago, home versus Tampa Bay. New Orleans might be 6-2 by mid-season, and that could be enough of a boost to at least grab one of the NFC’s two Wild Card spots. Given Carolina and Atlanta’s struggles, the NFC South might even be the Saints’ to lose, too.
Monday Night Prediction
Indianapolis Colts (2-3) vs Tennessee Titans (2-3)
Spread: TEN -8 Over/Under: 48.5
DVOA: IND (31) < TEN (22)
Public Betting: TEN 51%
Marcus Mariota is probably going to play tonight. I think the Titans might be the stronger team than Indianapolis even without Mariota, so his presence means I’m confident that Tennessee will get back on track.
Tennessee 27, INDIANAPOLIS 20
*CAPITALS indicate pick with spread
