rozomaldini NFL Column, Smashmouthing Football

The QB and Coaching Carousel 

By David McDonnell

Welcome back to the ‘Six Points for a Touchdown’ column.

This week I am going to bang on about three quarterbacks, two of which are almost certainly heading to free agency and I’ll also give my opinion on some of the more recent coaching hires in the NFL.

So lets get to it.

Hut, Hut!!

Quarterbacks 

  1. Test driving Derek Carr 

Derek Carr is taking the Saints for a test drive in New Orleans today. 

It made me chortle when it broke last night that the Las Vegas Raiders gave Carr ‘permission’ to speak to the NFC South franchise, considering in seven days they have to release him as a free agent or pay him $41 million dollars.

Even though they excluded him from football duties for the last two weeks of the regular season, it was spun by both camps that him sitting on the bench would be a distraction for the team, as if benching a player or even a quarterback at that was somehow uncommon in the NFL.

The Raiders showed him the door and they they won’t be paying him next week. Carr is out because he had an average season and was evidentiary a poor fit for Josh McDaniels’ offence. He couldn’t spin gold with Josh Jacobs excelling at running back and a host of talented receivers.

H did get the ball with regularity to Devante Adams, but it was mainly off play action, and he particular missed the talent of Hunter Renfrow in the slot and tight end Darren Waller in the red zone for large chunks of the season.

Carr will have plenty of suitors. I would also add the Bucs, who need someone to step into Tom Brady sized shoes in Tampa Bay as well as the aforementioned Saints. If Carr goes to the Saints, it leaves the Bucs in a similar pickle to where New Orleans have been since Drew Brees retired.  I can also see the Commanders and the Jets being two others with a preference for a veteran under centre.

It will be interesting, which way the Raiders will approach the quarterback position in the off season.

If they stump for a rookie QB with the seventh overall pick in the draft, it will allow the franchise to build up a roster over four or five years that has a lot of holes on both sides of the ball. Or they might pluck for one of the next two veterans on this list. 

  1. Rodgers joins the Dark Side?

The Green Bay Packers have a similar decision to make regarding Aaron Rodgers. 

Will they push their chips into the middle of the table once again with the future Hall of Famer or is this when this oft rocky marriage is parked once and for all? 

When I read that Aaron Rodgers is spending a number of nights attending a darkness retreat to figure out whether to play for the Packers, retire or to play somewhere else next season, I thought it was an obvious joke. However, it seems to be true and I think all three are viable possibilities and I would guess in that order.

I am not sure if the decision will be solely his to make.

The Packers need to make a decision this offseason on whether to pick up the fifth-year option on Jordan Love, the QB they surprisingly took in the first round in 2020. He has been a forgotten man in the NFL save for a nine-minute cameo this season against the Eagles where he found Christian Watson for an impressive touchdown.

Should Green Bay not pick up his fifth year, then it will be a public admittance of wasting a first round pick on a player without really giving him much of a chance to play. This decision could also leave the Packers entering the 2024 season without a QB.

I think it’s least likely Rodgers will play for another team but should he do so I could see him picking the Raiders and pairing up again with Davante Adams. Rodgers in a Raiders jersey would be a sight to behold.  Another AFC team that would be interested in his services are the Jets, who have his former QB coach in Nathaniel Hackett installed as offensive coordinator and more importantly, a Superbowl-ready defence. 

  1. Jimmy to make a few G’s

I have never been a huge fan of Jimmy Garoppolo, but he will get a starting job in the NFL next season and he will get well paid to do so too, after coming off arguably the best season of his career.

He has previous connections to Josh McDaniels, having played under his tutelage in New England, while two former 49ers Defensive Coordinators are head coaches in Robert Salah and DeMeco Ryans in New York and Houston respectively. Especially if Carr ends up in New Orleans, I wouldn’t be surprised if Garoppolo comes in to replace Tom Brady at the Buccaneers. 

However, if I was to call it, I think Jimmy G ends up at the Jets. 

Coaches 

  1. DeMeco Ryans

I believe the Texans knocked it out of the park with the hiring of DeMeco Ryans as head coach. It is a great fit for both for a number of reasons.

He is young, smart and energetic, with a boatload of NFL experience and he is coming off being the defensive coordinator for the best defence in the NFL this season with the San Francisco 49ers. 

He also knows the Texans franchise intimately, as one of their former outstanding players, where he won Defensive Rookie of the Year as a linebacker in 2006 before securing All Pro honours in 2007. 

The Texans, especially in the prime JJ Watt years, were regarded as having one of the best defences in football and it has become a part of the fabric of how the club is viewed around the world. Having a defensive emphasis at the head coaching position suits how they want to play football.

It really seemed from the outside that the Texans head coaching position looked like a poison chalice after the last two head coaches were fired after only a year in the job. I thought in particular Lovie Smith being fired a few hours after the season ended was unfair considering the Texans were highly competitive in most games this year with a relatively poor and unbalanced roster. 

The GM Nick Caserio worked in building a squad in New England with Bill Billichick so working with a coach with a penchant for defensive players is something already in his wheelhouse and it’s encouraging that Ryans has signed a six-year contract, which should hinder him being shopped after a year or two.

Additionally, there is a lot of defensive talent on the Texans roster that Caserio has brought to Houston since his arrival.

Roy Lopez is a very competitive D-Tackle, who was drafted in the fifth round in 2021, while Houston added Derek Stingley Jr and the outstanding Jalen Pitre to their defensive backs in the first two rounds as well as linebacker Christian Harris in the third round during the 2022 NFL draft.  

This is a good core of excellent young players to build a defence around. 

They will need to add talent to their D line, but with the second overall pick. I would not be surprised if they go defence if and when a team leaps ahead of them to trade for Alabama quarterback Bryce Young.  

I think this is how the draft is likely to play out as the Chicago Bears already have an impressive young QB in Justin Fields and they could acquire a king’s ransom by trading down.

Should that happen, that second overall pick could go to Young’s Alabama teammate Will Anderson, who had 207 total QB pressures during his three years playing for the Crimson Tide. For a recent comparison, the second overall pick last year Aiden Hutchinson had 128 QB pressures during his four years in Michigan.

  1.  Payton’s fits the Broncos

Sean Payton certainly looks a step in the right direction for the Broncos and I think for Russell Wilson as well. 

Denver is stuck with Wilson, coming off the worst season of his NFL career, for at least another two seasons with his salary guaranteed. Payton will suit Russ because just like Wilson, he is used to working with a smaller sized QB in Drew Brees.

Let me extrapolate this point. 

Payton likes his QBs to get the ball out quickly and Russ earlier in his career used brag about playing like a point guard in basketball. This is how Payton will want him to play with the addition of being comfortable throwing the deep shot downfield, which was certainly in Wilson’s wheelhouse in Seattle. 

Payton was great at scheming lanes for Brees to throw down the centre of the field which should help a smaller QB like Wilson. Expect young tight end Greg Dulcich’s targets to go up in this scheme next season.

Another trait of Payton is to have talented pass-catching running backs who can line up as a wide receiver. Think Darren Sproles or Alvin Kamara and he also uses a varied screen game to allow the QB to dump the ball off in the backfield. 

A worry I have about Wilson is his conditioning.

In my opinion, and I have wrote this during the season, Russ is carrying too much weight for a quarterback under six feet. He is too built up and is built like a linebacker.

This knock on effect is that he is slower to move in the pocket and he can’t get away from opposing pass rushers. When he was starting his career in Seattle, he great at extending plays by his movement and was a weapon at picking up first downs with his legs. 

An improvement in his mobility could see him return as one of the top QBs in the league, but for this to happen he needs to spend less time in the gym and more time on the track.

  1. Steve Wilks and Brian Flores

I will be rooting for Steve Wilks, who has taken over as Defensive Coordinator in San Francisco. For me, he earned the shot to be the head coach in Carolina after turning the ship around last season as interim coach. He may have to wait a year to get his just desserts on that front.

Brian Flores has a good opportunity to show the NFL what a great coach he is as well after being named DC at the Vikings. Again this seems to me a great hire but it is a much more difficult challenge to get the Minnesota defence to put fear into the opposition like he did with his former Miami Dolphins.

If he can achieve this over the next year or two, then we can expect the Vikes back in the playoffs next season and hopefully Flores will get another turn as an NFL head coach.

This week I’ll kick for one.

7. Jim Harbaugh to the Colts?

I want to see Jim Harbaugh back in the NFL.

He is another excellent coach who has been missed in the National Football League.

I can see the Colts tipping their hat to Harbaugh. He has an advantage being a former player but I also think he is the type of coach, Colts owner Jim Irsay would strive to have prowling the sideline with his explosive and combative disposition.

Harbaugh was a hell of a coach during his time with the 49ers and they mirrored his super competitive nature. He is box office entertainment at times and the NFL is a more fantastic place with him in it.

If I was an owner and needed a head coach, Jim Harbaugh would be at the top of my shortlist.

rozomaldini NFL Column, Week 18

Green Bay hold Ace in the Pack

NFL Week 18 Sunday Preview

By David McDonnell

I hope the Seattle Seahawks lose against the LA Rams later today because I want to see another do-or-die clash when the Green Bay Packers host the Detroit Lions.

How things stand in the NFC playoff position are as follows: Only one of Green Bay, Seattle and Detroit, in that order, can progress to the postseason and two of the hopefuls, the Packers and Lions, compete against one another at Lambeau Field at 1.30 am (GMT)  later tonight.

Should  the Seahawks beat their NFC West divisional rivals, the Rams, then only Green Bay can overtake them in the seedings with a victory. However, should the Seahawks fail to win then the winner of the Lions v Packers will be playing football next weekend. 

I hope you can follow that. 

NFC 

Lions v Packers 

The last time these sides met was on November 6th when the one-win Lions gave Aaron Rodgers one of his toughest days in the green and gold with a 15-9 victory. At the time no one expected that the Packers with a record of 3-6 and playing terribly would make the playoffs.

I certainly didn’t. That the Lions would be on the cusp of achieving the same feat was unthinkable at the time. I remember Dan Campbell at the after-match press conference saying he wanted to go home and drink a beer, after snapping a five game losing streak when some critics were calling for his head. 

But Dan Campbell is made of stern stuff and so is Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who has sharpened up to look as good as he has done for much of the last decade and a half.

So where has it gone right for both sides? Let’s start with the Packers. 

The emergence of rookie Christian Watson at wide receiver has been a huge factor and he has racked up nine touchdowns since that loss to Detroit in November. With huge speed after the catch, Watson has the potential to hit a home run on every play. Green Bay have leaned heavily on their run game with Arron Jones and AJ Dillon making telling contributions and the return from injury of David Bakhtiari at left tackle has also been a significant addition in recent weeks. 

However, in the last few games the Green Bay defence has woken up and is making the telling contribution.

It starts up front where they are starting to put pressure on opposing QBs and I have been banging on all season about the talent they have across their linebackers and defensive backs. All of a sudden the Packers D are playing as a unit and competing hard and in particular Jaire Alexander at corner-back and rookie linebacker Quay Walker have stepped up. 

If the Green Bay defence continues to do excel, they could be a potential Superbowl outsider from the NFC.

Tonight, the Detroit Lions’ scorching attack stands in their way.

There is a feeling of optimism around this Detroit team that I have never felt with the Lions before and many of their standout talents are still young in NFL terms.

The strength of this team is their offence. The Lions O-line has been the bedrock of this attack and they have had huge success running the ball. The are anchored at centre by former first-round pick Frank Ragnow and bookended by tackles Taylor Decker and Penei Sewell, who were also drafted as first round talents in recent years. They have allowed their running backs to make hay.

Their best RB is D’Andre Swift who has clocked up 845 all purpose yards and eight touchdowns, while his partner in crime Jamaal Williams has accrued 994 yards and 15 touchdowns.

This team can beat you from the pocket as well and Jared Goff has had a resurgent career year by putting the ball on the money for his receivers throughout the season. In his last five games, Goff has thrown 12 touchdowns with zero interceptions. His best weapon is Amon Ra St Brown, who has become an NFL superstar this season and they have just got the 12th overall pick in the 2022 draft, Jamison Williams, back from injury in recent weeks.

The Lions will be comfortable if the game turns into a shootout. It is when they have been at their best this season. 

On defence, their best players are their youngest players with rookies Aiden Hutchinson, Kerby Joseph and Malcolm Rodriguez adding to other young talents in Jeff Okudah at corner and Derrick Barnes at linebacker. They are not the finished package on defence by nay means and they will be coming up against a better Aaron Rodgers than the one who didn’t throw a touchdown pass in November. 

This game could go either way and to be honest I am expecting a shootout. It should be fun to watch and worth staying up for. I’ll call the Packers to win in front of a packed home audience, as I feel their defence has more playmakers that could make the difference in the fourth quarter.

AFC 

There is still one place to play for in the AFC after the Jaguars beat the Titans last night to win the AFC South. 

In the running are the Patriots, Dolphins, and Steelers, who play the Bills, Jets and Browns respectively. 

After a very difficult week in Buffalo, I can’t see any team beating the Bills this weekend in what should be a very emotional game after Damar Hamlin’s cardiac arrest on the field last Monday. I think it will have a galvanizing effect on the team and their supporters coupled with the fact that they are a much stronger team than the Pats at the moment. 

It should be well contested but New England lacks the firepower to cause too much damage to the Bills. I would be surprised if Bill Belichick can pull out a win given the circumstances and I don’t usually write off the old man.  

That leaves the Dolphins, with Skyler Thompson at quarterback, needing to beat the New York Jets. I wouldn’t be very confident that Miami will win but the Jets are very poor on offence right now. I am not in any way convinced by Mike White at quarterback. But with Joe Flacco starting, it will make things trickier but I expect the Dolphins to pull out a win because their need is greater. 

Should they lose, it leaves the door open for the Pittsburgh Steelers, who should be able to account for the Browns. The Steelers have been getting healthier and more experienced by the week and they are in a much stronger place than they have been all season with their D-line balling out and rookie QB Kenny Pickett looking more comfortable by the week under centre. 

Of the three hopefuls, I’d like to see the Steelers in the postseason. 

rozomaldini Monday Night Football, Week 15

Monday Night Football: Rams @ Packers

By Conor Perrett 

To close out Week 15 of the NFL season, we have a Monday Night Football edition which features two teams that would have been solid preseason bets to meet in the NFC Championship. 

A lot can change in the space of a few months though and now both teams are staring down the barrel of a losing season, in which they are playing meaningless games in December.

Green Bay Packers (5-8)

Power Rankings – 20th

DVOA Rankings: Offence – 11th, Defence – 23rd, ST – 30th: Overall – 15th

The Packers will be the first to admit, it has been a bit of a messy past year for their organisation. 

With all the drama that has gone on with Aaron Rodgers, the fact is he still remains with the team. After starting the season 3-1, it’s gone downhill since winning just two games in their past nine matchups. Both offence and defence has had their fair share of mistakes that has resulted in Green Bay having a less exciting season than usual.

The Packers have had a bright spot come to light over the recent weeks with the emergence of rookie wide receiver Christian Watson. After catching just 10 passes for only 88 yards in his first six games, he has caught 15 passes for 314 yards and seven touchdowns over the past four games. That stretch of games also includes at least one touchdown catch in every game. 

He may face his toughest match-up yet though, when tasked with star cornerback Jalen Ramsey for the Rams.

I also wonder if we will see Jordan Love tonight after his recent cameo.

Los Angeles Rams (4-9)

Power Rankings – 29th

DVOA Rankings: Offence – 26th, Defence – 14th, ST – 24th Overall – 27th 

The Rams snapped a six-game losing streak last week with a comeback against the Las Vegas Raiders that will be remembered for a while. The past few weeks of the NFL season has had some classics which can overshadow one another, but Baker Mayfield’s comeback last Thursday Night was one of the more impressive come-from-behind victories.

Mayfield had only been on the roster for two days before he was thrown into action, which saw him overturn a 13-point deficit in the last three minutes of the game. With Matthew Stafford and John Wolford looking done for the season, Mayfield will have more time to show LA why he was a former first overall pick in the Rams last four games.

With a running game which has improved only recently, Sean McVay may be able to work some magic to give the new QB some help. But the team’s best player Aaron Donald, still remains sidelined with an ankle injury, which will continue to have huge repercussions for the defensive side.

Prediction

This contest is an interesting one with both teams having disappointing seasons compared to what their high expectations would be. To be fair, they are both coming off the wave of a win, as they try to find some success before the season ends. 

From a match-ups side of things despite not having the presence of Donald on the field the Ram’s defence has been manageable. They stop the run well and Rodgers will have his work cut out for him.  

Right now we still can’t put a finger on how good this Rams’ offence is under Mayfield. It’s great seeing him ignite that comeback victory last week, but the reason they were in that position was because the offence was lacklustre in the previous 57 minutes of the game.

Under the lights in a cold Lambeau Field, it will be tough conditions to play in. Green Bay will feel more at home as the freezing atmosphere dawns on the teams, and I think that will get them in rhythm on offence quicker, as they jump out to a lead the Rams won’t be able to catch.

Rams 13-20 Packers

rozomaldini NFL Column, Week 12

NFL Week 11 Preview

By David McDonnell 

Sorry it’s only a short preview this week. 

Bengals v Titans 

The most interesting match-up for me is the Bengals visiting the Titans and these are two teams that have been in great form over the last few weeks. 

Tennessee were very impressive on Thursday Night Football in Week 11 against a resurgent looking Packers in Lambeau Field, where again they leaned on Derek Henry and the threat of Derek Henry to do the damage. 

I am not the biggest fan of Ryan Tannehill but very like Kirk Cousins he is a play-action specialist and he can throw down the field accurately when he gets time and space in the pocket. Having first-round pick Treylon Burks back after injury will help in this regard and the rookie wide-out had over 100 yards receiving last time out. 

The best way to stop play action is to stop the run but that is easier said than done when you have to come up against a behemoth that is Henry. With his power, speed and acceleration, and also a hand-off akin to being hit by a baseball bat, he is an unstoppable force and as long as he stays healthy then the Titans can beat any team on their day. 

They come up against a Cincinnati defence who are clever and well-coached with excellent players across their line-up. Sam Hubbard and Trey Hendrickson are the standouts on the line but Logan Wilson as the ‘will’ linebacker has impressed me all season. 

It will be interesting to see how the Bengals defensive plays against Tannehill and the Titans. Will they pack the box to stop Henry as we have seen many teams do and leave themselves vulnerable to play action from Tannehill? Or will they mix it up and try something different? If it was me,  I would try and make Tannehill beat me from the pocket even if he is coming off an excellent display against Green Bay.  

The Bengals offence has been on fire all season led by Joe Burrow at quarterback. 

They die and ride with his performances and decision making and they haven’t skipped a beat since their superstar receiver Ja’Marr Chase was out over the last few weeks with a rib injury. 

Instead Burrow has learned more from Tee Higgens, who is coming off his best performance of the season with 148 receiving yards with an average of over 16 yards per catch against the Steelers defence. In the last two games, their running backs Joe Mixon and Samaje Perine have also combined for eight touchdowns.

With Chase listed as questionable for this game, he could be back on the field sooner than expected and the Bengals will need him as they are facing a tough schedule of games with the Chiefs, Browns, Bucs, Pats, Bills and Ravens rounding out their schedule after this game against Tennessee.

The Titans have won seven of their last eight games and have the league’s top run defence according to the metrics.  The Titans have a particularly aggressive defence that takes their lead from their head coach Mike Vrabel and the best way to stop this high-powered Bengals offence is to get to Joe Burrow. 

The Titans are averaging two and a half sacks a game and will need to improve this in my opinion to stop Joey Cool, or whatever they are calling him these days.

I’m going for a road Bengals win.

Packers v Eagles 

Another interesting game in Week 12 is the Packers visiting the Eagles in the late kickoff on Sunday night. 

We all know Aaron Rodgers loves it when the lights shine brightest and I think the Packers are a team trending in the right direction with two good performances in a row. 

They will find it tough against an excellent set of defensive backs in Philly and it will be interesting if rookie receivers Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs can get much change out of a pair of elite corner-backs in Darius Slay and James Bradberry.  

Still I think this game will be won in the trenches and coming off a loss, I expect the Eagles to go back to basics and let their O-line lead them to another victory. For this reason I suspect the Eagles will be the team singing Christmas songs in the locker room afterwards.

It is still November right? 

Just checking.  


rozomaldini Thursday Night Football, Week 11

King Henry cans Packers on TNF

By David McDonnell 

The Titans are fast becoming one of the dark horses in the race for the Superbowl after their seventh win in their last eight games came after a highly entertaining contest in a snowy and cold Lambeau Field.

The key to their success is being very physical on their offensive and defensive lines and the rushing talent that is Derek Henry. He is without doubt one of teh best running backs inNFl history and when he gets motoring, it opens up the play action game for a specialist like Ryan Tannehill.

The Titans QB back for the second week after missing time through injury was excellent and on the night completed 22 of 27 passes attempted for 333 yards and two touchdowns. On the first drive of the contest he gave us a hint of what lay in store when he found Dontrell Hilliard for a touchdown. 

Just as time was about to tick to zero at the end of the first quarter, in classic Aaron Rodgers fashion, the Packers quarterback took an unexpected snap, which drew a defensive flag and knowing he had a shot to nothing, threw up a contestable ball and rookie Christian Watson mossed his marker to reply with a six-pointer for the home side. A blocked PAT marked the end of the first quarter. 

The contest was hotting up and a great throw by Tannehill on third and 10 down found Austin Hooper to extend the drive. Matt LeFleur challenged the call and Tennessee had to make it from fourth and inches to pick up the first down, which they did with an interesting play call. I’m not sure Tannehill will be picking up an Oscar after this play as I don’t think anyone expected someone other than Derek Henry to get the ball.

However, in the drive on another fourth and one, the Titans gave it again to King Henry but time the Packers got the stop to cause a turnover in the football. Green Bay didn’t make the turnover pay on the scoreboard and There was no stopping Tennessee on their next drive where they leaned more in Henry and the big man smashed his way over the line to extend the lead.

Tennessee had an eight point lead after having the football for double the amount of the home side in the first half. 

In the third quarter, the Titans went 91 yards in only six plays as Henry broke through on a long run to bring the play into the redzone. The big running back then faked a run and threw a jump-shot to Hooper on a delayed run for a touchdown.

This time it was the Titans kicker to miss the added point.

Green Bay hit back with Rodgers in excellent form.  On second and goal, he found Watson again in the endzone for the rookie’s fifth touchdown in five days. Aaron Jones then converted a two-point play to leave just three points between the sides.

Two minutes later on the first play of the fourth quarter, Tannehill on play action found his tight end Hooper with a dart into the endzone to make it 27-17.

For the rest of the game, both defences started to dominate and there were no more scores.

It was a good performance by the Green Bay Packers against one of the toughest teams in the NFL. The Titans who look already destined for play-off football in January. If they can keep Henry healthy and in his current form, they will be a match for anyone going forward.

rozomaldini Thursday Night Football, Week 11

TNF: Titans v Packers 

By Conor Perrett 

With the Green Bay Packers coming off an overtime win to America’s team; Dallas Cowboys on Sunday, they now host another top team when the Tennessee Titans come to Lambeau Field for Thursday Night Football. 

Both sides are still in the playoff hunt, and both need to keep stacking up wins so read on and I’ll tell you who I think will win this exciting match-up tonight. 

Green Bay Packers (4-6)

Power Rankings: 18th

DVOA Rankings: Offence – 9th, Defence – 17th, ST – 30th: Overall – 14th

Thanks to a five-game losing streak that buried them deep in the NFC standings, it has been a difficult season for the Packers.

Aaron Rodgers has looked like a fraction of his former self and the offence has just been stuck in gear following the off-season trade of wide receiver Davante Adams. That was until last Sunday when we got our first bit of spark from them this season, when they came from behind to beat a fancied Cowboys team.

The man at centre of this renaissance was rookie second-round pick Christian Watson, who caught four passes on the day for 104 yards and three touchdowns. He is one of the new young receivers that was brought in to replace Adams, and he has had a rough start to life in the NFL being on concussion protocol and also dropping a number of catchable passes. It has left an unhappy Rodgers throwing to him, and numerous times this year the quarterback has shown his frustration on the field and on the sideline.

It’s clear Rodgers is not happy with the current situation or where the team is heading towards. Despite winning last week, his demeanor really wasn’t much different until the last drive. He tends to take his frustration out on head-coach Matt LaFleur despite a winning relationship with him over the last two years.

Having a group of young receivers isn’t ideal, but he also has Randell Cobb returning for this game. The defence hasn’t been living up to its potential. With a good second half of the season, Green Bay could find themselves in the playoffs, but that still might not cement Rodgers’ future with this team.

Tennessee Titans (6-3)

Power Rankings: 12th

DVOA Rankings: Offence – 21st, Defence – 9th, ST – 11th: Overall – 13th

The Titans are in the driving seat for the AFC South title and now that starting quarterback Ryan Tannehill is back, they have a resemblance of a passing game once again. On Sunday he threw for a pair of touchdowns on his return to the lineup in the Titans’ win over the Denver Broncos.

The King, Derrick Henry, has got himself back on track in the past month, having topped the 100 rushing yard mark in five of his last six games. He looks just as scary as he did back when he won Offensive Player of the Year in 2020, and tonight he gets to take on statistically the league’s worst run-defence this week in Green Bay.

On the other side of the ball, the Titan defence has been hotting up as well, and in their last six games they have not given up more than 20 points in four quarters. That six games stretch includes the Kansas City Chiefs who have the No. 1 scoring offence in the league and are first in offensive DVOA. They will be missing their top pass rusher Bud Dupree for this clash, but a strong and gritty Mike Vrabel team won’t let that set them back.

Prediction

This matchup will be closer than the records suggest and feels like a coin toss in my opinion. 

With the Packers being at home, they enter the game as three-point favourites in the bookies and have had the better fortune with injuries. They looked good on Sunday night and I think Rodgers will get this offence motoring again. How soon in the game will this happen is the question, as this Titans defence has been playing up near the league’s best in recent weeks.

Despite the arrows pointing towards Green Bay in some situations, I like the matchup for Tennessee. I don’t think they will be able to run the ball as effectively as people might think, with the Packers run-defence often showing up when it matters most. 

But Tennessee is a real tough outfit and won’t be fearing the cold reception when they will get at Lambeau Field. They nearly went into Kansas City two weeks ago and beat them without a serviceable passing attack and I think this time round, in another difficult place to perform, they walk out with the win.

Titans 20, Packers 17

rozomaldini SMF Awards, Week10

Our Week 10 Awards

By David McDonnell

We always post these on our socials, but we’ve decided this week to throw them up on a post.

Offensive Player of Week 10: Justin Jefferson (Vikings)

Defensive Player of Week 10: Patrick Peterson (Vikings)

Rookie of Week 10: Christian Watson (Packers)

Touchdown of Week 10: Justin Fields (Bears)

Smashmouthing Football’s Smash of Week 10: Andre Cisco (Jaguars)

Fist-pump of Week 10: Who else? (Packers)

How does Aaron Rodgers celebrate when he gets a question right on Jeopardy?
rozomaldini NFL Column, Week10

Jefferson settles the Bills

By David McDonnell 

It was a game for the ages in upstate New York!!!

Anyone watching the NFL could not but have been blown away by the best game of the season and perhaps the most incredible regular season win in Minnesota Vikings history.

Even now, Josh Allen and the Bills mafia must be scratching their heads wondering how they let this victory slip from their grasp but it was a win based on merit even if the circumstances which brought it are still puzzling. 

The star of the show was undoubtedly Justin Jefferson, who finished with 193 receiving yards and a number of unforgettable plays during a contest likely to go down in folklore, especially if either side should go on to win the Superbowl.

Vikings v Bills

To say that the contest was decided by the smallest of margins does not come close to telling the tale, so I’ll begin midway through the third quarter and I’ll try to keep the hyperbole to a minimum. 

It has been a well-contested affair up to that point and the Super Bowl favourite Bills enjoyed a 17-point lead with two first-half Deven Singletary scores. Then Dalvin Cook rattled off a wonderful 71 yard touchdown run during which he was clocked at a speed  of 21.7 miles an hour. It left 10 points between the sides by the start of the fourth quarter. 

Soon after Josh Allen was in the redzone looking to extend Buffalo’s lead when he threw an interception to Patrick Peterson. In hindsight this was the first of a number of game-changing plays. Kirk Cousins led the resultant drive and full-back CJ Ham punched it in but a missed PAT by Greg Joseph left four points of a margin.

By the time Cousins got the ball back there was 3.30 left on the clock. On third and long, Cousins was sacked by Von Miller and it left Minnesota with a fourth and 18.

It seemed a hopeless case. 

Cousins threw down the sideline and somehow Jefferson managed to pull the ball from a defender’s arm and gain possession by the time he had reached the ground for the best and most important catch of his young and distinguished career to date.

Let’s take a closer look.

Another pass from Cousins to his favourite receiver brought the play inside five yards with just over a minute left on the clock. On third and goal, Cousins again went back to Jefferson and although he was ruled on the field to have scored a touchdown, the video referee judged that the wideout’s knee was down half a yard shy of the endzone. 

On fourth and inches, and once again with the game on the line Cousins went for a QB sneak, but he was stopped short and there was a turnover on downs. The Bills players and crowd celebrated a wonderful goal-line stand and it seemed to all that the game was over. 

All the Bills had to do was snap the ball and regain possession and time would run out.

However, Allen fumbled the snap into his endzone and Viking linebacker Erik Kendricks came up with the ball from on the bottom of the pile for a go ahead touchdown. This time it was the Vikings turn to celebrate a three point lead after a barely believable happenstance.  

With 41 seconds still on the clock. Allen bounced back and led his team up the field to kick a field goal to bring the game into overtime. The Vikings won the coin toss and on third and long, Cousins again found Jefferson in double coverage to extend the drive which ended with a Greg Joseph field goal. 

It meant Allen had three and a half minutes to win or tie the game. 

On the drive he picked up 46 yards with his feed and converted two passes to Stefon Diggs to bring the play into the red zone. With a win looking on the cards, Allen was intercepted, again by Peterson, to finish the game in dramatic style.

The result drops the Bills to third in the AFC East division with problems defending the run and with their own rushing attack. The Vikings are now 8-1 and they have won their last seven games by less than one score. This week, Patrick Peterson had the honour of wearing the chains on the flight home to Minnesota.

Cowboys v Packers 

The second best game of the weekend turned out to be a thriller in Lambeau Field and again it took overtime to separate the sides.  

It was a fantastic contest throughout and in the end the small margins made the difference as the Packers snapped a five-game losing streak to beat the highly fancied Cowboys. It adds another chapter to a long storied rivalry between two of the NFL’s most iconic franchises.

Ceedee Lamb had statistically the best game of his career and he opened the scoring in the second quarter, but he was matched by the rookie Christian Watson, who did well tracking a ball over the top for a 37-yard touchdown.

That drive began when Dak Prescott was picked by Rudy Ford and when Ford picked him again, it led to an Aaron Jones touchdown.  Dak responded with a two minute drive which ended up with Dalton Schultz leveling the scores by half time.  

For Dallas, Tony Pollard had 122 yards on the day and he opened the third quarter with a touchdown and by the start of the fourth, the Cowboys led 28-14, when Ceedee Lamb got his second TD to go with 150 yards receiving on the night.

The Packers running game was very impressive throughout and they rushed for over 200 yards. It allowed Rodgers to use play action which allowed him to make bigger chuck plays down the field. With the Green Bay season on the line, Rogers caught fire finding the rookie Watson for his second and third touchdowns of the contest to send the game to overtime. 

The Cowboys won the coin toss and on their drive, they turned down a field goal opportunity and went for it on fourth and two, but were stopped. Rodgers brought his team down to the 10-yard line with a lot of fist-pumping and some passes thrown in for Mason Crosby to kick the winner.

It leaves the Packers second in the NFC North on a record of 4-6. If they can perform like this every week, they would give themselves a great chance of making the NFC playoffs as a wildcard. 

Lions v Bears

Another brilliant game involving teams from the NFC North ended up as a shootout between the Lions and the Bears. 

Justin Fields scrambled for an impromptu score to leave the score 10-10 at the break. 

Two touchdown passes to Cole Kmet saw Chicago into a 14-point lead heading into the fourth quarter. The game took on a life of its own when a D’Andre Swift touchdown was followed up soon after when Fields was picked off by his old Ohio State teammate Jeff Okudah to level the scores at 24 apiece.

Not to be outdone by his former Buckeye teammate, Fields answered back by taking off on a great run to score a sensational touchdown, and he even managed to leave Okudah in his dust. Last week Fields scored our Touchdown of the Week and is looking likely to do so again with this brilliant effort. 

Very tellingly, the Bears kicker Cairo Santos missed the PAT and the Lions spent the next eight minutes driving down the field and Jamaal Williams scored his ninth touchdown of the season from close range. They had no problem adding the extra point. Fields got the ball back with just over two minutes remaining but a pair of sacks gave Detroit their first away victory in almost two years. 

Round Up 

Jimmy Garoppolo had one of his best games for San Francisco as the 49ers edged out the LA Chargers in the late kickoff, where both defences excelled. A pair of touchdowns from one-yard out from Jimmy G and Christian McCaffery won a competitive contest 16-22. 

The most interesting play of the game came at half time when linebacker Dre Greenlaw was ejected from the field for a helmet-to-helmet collision with Justin Herbert. Due to the post-Tua update to the concussion protocol, Herbert was also forced to leave the fray but returned for the second half. 

After a week of being publicly bashed by everyone in football, Jeff Saturday got his reign as Colts head coach off to a winning start by beating the Raiders. He made a big call by starting Matt Ryan under centre. It paid off when Ryan found Paris Campbell for what turned out to be the winning score. A Jonathon Taylor touchdown in the third quarter was a season highlight for the under-performing running back. 

Josh McDaniels and his team are floundering and for the second time in his head coaching career, not having a Bill Belichick coached defence to lean on continues to be a major stumbling block to him winning games. 

Miami had their fourth win in a row by overcoming the Browns 17-39 as Tua Tagovailoa passed for 285 yards and three touchdowns. Their biggest contributor to the win was their ground attack and recent arrival Jeff Wilson ran for 119 rushing yards and a touchdown. 

Speaking of the winning teams, Patrick Mahomes threw for 331 yards and four touchdowns in a 27-17 triumph against the Jacksonville Jaguars. With a record of 7-2, they currently hold the best record in the AFC.

Colt McCoy started ahead of the injured Kyler Murray and led the Cardinals to a 27-17 win  over the Superbowl champion LA Rams in his 13th season in the NFL. Cooper Kupp had to leave the field with a leg injury and may miss a couple of weeks, although there is not believed to be any fracture. 

The New York Giants overcame the Texans with a comfortable win. Sequon Barkley got his sixth touchdown of the season but it was Darius Slayton, who caught the eye when he converted a terrific touchdown.

Kenny Pickens led the Steelers to victory over the Saints on a day when TJ Watt returned to the lineup. It was a poor outing for Andy Dalton, who may very well find himself back on the bench going forward. 

The Tennessee Titans handed the Denver Broncos a welcome back 10-17 loss after their recent visit to London. The game will be best remembered for a terrific flea-flicker touchdown by Tristan Westbrook-Ikhine on a busted coverage. 

Earlier yesterday afternoon, the Bucs were victorious in an entertaining affair against the Seahawks in in Munich. Here is a link to our match report with the accompanying action: https://tinyurl.com/2s3vk4vz

Later today, we will have a preview of the Monday Night Football contest from the NFC East as the Washington Commanders try to hand the Eagles their first loss of the season. 

rozomaldini NFL Column, Week10

Europe has more to offer the NFL 

By David McDonnell

A few months ago when I saw that Tom Brady was coming to play in Germany, I knew I needed to get to that game. 

Unfortunately the tickets got sold before I had realised they had gone on sale, so I put my hopes in applying for a press pass. After hearing that over three million people expressed an interest in attending the Munich game, I can now leave behind any anger, frustration and resentment to the good people at NFL Germany for not even responding to my request.

Sounds like they have had a busy time of it. Maybe I’ll have better luck next year.

I have found it entertaining at times in the run up to the game in Munich this week watching some American pundits trying to gauge the level of interest and knowledge of the NFL in Europe.When I heard one notable journalist ask if the crowd would be cheering wildly when a team came out to punt, I nearly fell off my chair laughing at the ridiculousness of it.

Certainly that journo wasn’t watching when the Broncos were booed to high heaven for punting in the second quarter against the Jags two weeks ago. That booing came from fans wearing Broncos orange in Wembley and I am convinced it was a factor in helping Russell Wilson be more aggressive in throwing the ball down the field. 

So what is the level of interest in the NFL in Europe?

Certainly in Ireland and the UK, since they started showing the full season of fixtures on Sky Sports in 2012, there has been a massive surge of interest in America’s game that has grown year upon year. There is now a whole generation, particularly of young people under 30, who have grown up watching the NFL every Sunday. 

There is also an older generation who have followed the game when it was televised regularly in the early ’90’s, and I remember watching a match-of-the-day type programme on Mondays, which helped inform a generation of the stars of the day and of the basic rules. Certainly the emergence of John Madden Football over the years also helped in that regard.  

But throughout Europe, the interest and numbers of young people playing club and academy football has grown significantly and the most successful semi-professional league has been Germany until the emergence of the European League of Football last summer.

Even in the last five years, the numbers of young players throughout Europe playing American Football has doubled if not tripled and you see young men from countries like Sweden, Denmark, Italy, Germany, Holland, Belgium, France and the UK with aspirations of playing college football in the States. 

It is a very difficult route not made easy due to a lot of red tape and the system to cater for talented players going to America is not easy. Like every sport the best players come from the working classes and financial costs as well as a lack of opportunity are key factors.  

In my opinion the American colleges and universities are way behind in scouting the talent that Europe has to offer. Many of these players have played the game since they were kids but still the American institutions pay too much attention to the metrics and look for anomalies. To put it simply, they only take the biggest guys that they can find and often not the best football players. 

This is where I believe they are missing a trick.

There are many smart players, tough players, fast players at the skill positions throughout Europe that have not been evaluated properly and it may take one or two safeties, linebackers or receivers to make it at a big university or in the NFL in order to open up more doors for more players to enter the American college system. 

I also believe that a university programme similar to the international pathway programme with fully paid scholarships across all D1 Colleges would help the top talent in Europe and I would also add in Africa from falling away from the sport when they possess the athleticism and aptitude to make it in both the college and in time the professional game.  

So let’s get into three of this week’s match-ups starting in Germany. 

Seahawks v Bucs

Who knew when this fixture was selected for Munich just how important this game would be?

The Seahawks have been brilliant this season and no one outside of the Seahawks’ facility saw this coming. No-one! I remember when talk of a change of head coach and general manager at Seattle was prevalent in pre-season, but such talk has completely disappeared. 

The Seahawks made a number of big calls in trading Russel Wilson and cutting Bobby Wagner, their best player last season but they have come up trumps with undoubtedly one of the best rookie classes I have seen in a number of years.

In addition, the emergence of Geno Smith as one of the top 10 quarterbacks in football has been a revelation again that nobody even suspected. I certainly didn’t and I am no longer waiting for the wheels to come off as he has consistently performed at a high level week in, week out. 

Let’s look further into this rookie class and see how much they have added to the team.

Last April, the Seahawks drafted a pair of starting tackles in Charles Cross and Abraham Lucas, who were drafted in the first and third round respectively. Lucas has a 93% pass blocking win rate and is top 10 in the NFL in this regard. Cross has been even better at left tackle and with Cross only 21 and Lucas aged 24, you can see this pair anchoring the offensive line for the next 10 years. 

Any rookie class that drafts two starting tackles would be considered a home run, but they have also drafted two starting corners. Pete Carroll loves to play zone defence and having tall corners has long been a favourite of his.  The 6 ‘3 Tariq Woolen was drafted in the fifth round  and is the only rookie corner-back in the last 10 years to have recorded four interceptions in four successive games. He is playing way beyond his years and could make the Pro Bowl this year. Bryant has been playing nickel and is fast and can double up as a linebacker when needed. They also added Boye Mafe in the second round, who has added to their pass rushing ability 

The jewel of this draft class is running–back Kenneth Walker. 

‘K9’ is phenomenal running with the ball and is my personal rookie of the year so far. He has god-given talent and a natural instinct and if a defender misses a tackle, Walker will take it to the house. He has scored six touchdowns in his last five games and if he keeps going the way he is going, he might turn out to be a generational talent at the running-back position. 

If you haven’t seen much of Walker yet, look at some of his touchdowns that we have posted almost every week this season and you can see what a special player the Seahawks have on their hands.

I mentioned earlier about Geno Smith but what he has done this season has been incredible. He has turned himself from being an after-though and he was a punchline during his time with the Jets a number of years ago to being one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. He has made big time throws when his team has needed him to and he has led by example in how he approaches his job. 

What he has achieved this year is almost intangible. I believe the legacy of his play this season will show teams that they need to have more patience in developing talent, especially at QB and he is a shining example of a player not hearing the word ‘No’ and continuing to improve and work on his game regardless of criticism and circumstance. 

Indeed, a potential part of his legacy could be winning a Superbowl and the Seahawks look as good as any team in the NFC this season and should continue to be competitive over the next few years.  They are playing as a team and they have been very consistent. 

Playing the Bucs is a good yardstick for how far they have come as the Tampa Bay side still have a host of players who won the Superbowl in 2021. It’s been well documented how poorly they have played this season and they can’t seem to get their run game going at all. They are also not giving Tom Brady enough time to work his magic from the pocket and their defence has tapered off where they were during the first quarter of the season. 

They got an important win against the Rams last weekend and I have been very impressed with the form of Vita Vea at defensive tackle. If the rest of his teammates can row in behind him, I would not rule out the Bucs winning the NFC South. But to be competitive in January, they need to find a way to get the rushing attack going. This is key to solving most of their problems but until I see more evidence of this, I will not be giving them the benefit of the doubt any more. 

For me, Seattle will win and stay on top of the NFC West.

Cowboys v Packers 

Another game that is peaking my interest on Sunday is the Cowboys v Packers. 

I think the Packers are done after their loss last weekend but I hope I’m wrong and if there is one player in the league capable of pressing a switch and turning on the greatness, well that player is Aaron Rodgers.

He is coming off arguably the worst game of his career but being back at Lambeau Field for what is essentially a game of play-off importance should focus the minds. I am expecting Rodgers to pull something special out of the bag. Last week aside, I think he is building up a good rapport with Romeo Doubs and adding in veterans Allen Lezard and Arron Jones, that gives him three options where he can go with the ball. 

Where Green Bay needs massive improvement is their defence, easily one of the most under-performing units in the National Football League when you see the talent they possess in their locker room. They are struggling to get teams off the field on third down and they have been spared the public wrath due to the profile of their QB. Will they be able to stop the Cowboys running game? For me, that is the most important question and if I am honest I don’t think they will. 

The Cowboys are playing to a winning formula of controlling the clock and keeping their defence fresh. The Packers will need to wear this defence down and try to get the Cowboys to play catch up. For this to happen Rodgers will need touchdowns early and try to turn this game into a shootout. I don’t think this Packers team has the fight or possibly the talent to win this game in the trenches. It will be interesting how things unfold. Another loss and the Packers can start preparing for next season. 

Chargers v 49ers

The late kick-off on Sunday night looks like an enthralling contest on paper but I think it will be more one-sided than expected. 

With the 49ers coming off a much needed bye-week and with their roster looking healthier than it has been all season, I think we could see the emergence of the best team in the NFC over the next few weeks. 

This is a side that has in my opinion the best defence in the NFL and a top-three offensive line with a host of attacking talents across their roster.  We will also get to see what Kyle Shanahan has in store for Christian McCaffrey and Deebo Samuel and it’s going to be exciting to watch. 

There is no excuse for Jimmy Garoppolo not to succeed in bringing this team to victory. This team is primed to make a run at the Super Bowl and all they need from their quarterback is not to turn over the ball. I think they will start to build momentum beginning with a victory against the Bolts.

Justin Herbert looked better last week than he has all season but down their top two receivers, I think the 49ers away will be a step too far. The Chargers are relying too much on Austin Ekeler for scores and if the Niners defence can halt the Chargers rushing attack, I expect San Francisco to win comfortably.

Hopefully, we have an exciting weekend ahead, starting in Germany.

rozomaldini NFL Column, Week 7

A Sunday of Surprises

By David McDonnell

Surprise, Surprise!!!

A brilliant NFL season threw up a few surprises this weekend, and once again it was the turn of Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady, which leaves both future Hall-of-Fame quarterbacks with losing records after seven weeks.

To put this in perspective, the last time Brady was in this predicament was in 2002 when many of the young stars in the NFL were still toddling around in nappies. 

And after giving the benefit of the doubt to both teams over the last few weeks, now is the time for the Packers and Bucs faithful to panic as it was the manner of their defeats on the road against the Commanders and Panthers that will be of most concern to their respective fan bases.

Packers v Commanders 

Rodgers in particular has looked a ball of frustration on the field as he continues to struggle to connect with all of his new teammates on offence. Against the Commanders he did not convert one third or fourth down during the entire game and by the end of the third quarter, his longest drive was only 40 yards.

Green Bay had an early 14-3 second quarter lead when linebacker De’Vondre Campbell intercepted a throw by Taylor Heineke. 

This score more than anything seemed to kick the Washington attack into life and they scored the next 20 points unanswered. Taylor Heineke, on his first start this season, found Antonio Gibson at the back of the endzone and his favourite target from last season Terry McLaurin in the right corner to take a third quarter lead.  

Trailing by nine, Green Bay rallied and closed the gap to two points when Rodgers went to Aaron Jones with a heads up play and the running back did well to find the endzone. It looked set up for a Packers comeback but Washington weren’t finished and when the pressure was greatest Heineke routinely found McLaurin on third down to close out the game. 

McLaurin was immense throughout and gave All-Pro corner Jaire Alexander a torrid afternoon. Heineke was an improvement on anything Carson Wentz has shown in recent weeks and the Washington defence was outstanding. With the return of Chase Young on the immediate horizon, Ron Rivera has a team that will surprise a few more teams visiting the capital before the season is out.

Afterwards Rodgers spun the story to the media that the loss “might be the best thing for us” as they now look down the barrel of facing a rested Buffalo Bills, coming off their bye week on prime time next Sunday. 

Bucs v Panthers

Another of the pre-season favourites in the NFC, Tampa Bay have now lost four of their last five matches.

On offence against Carolina, the Bucs averaged only three yards per carry and Brady struggled to connect with his receiving corps throwing multiple errant passes but even when he was accurate, his receivers couldn’t connect with the play. Their afternoon was best summed up when Mike Evans dropped a clanger, when he could have strolled in for an easy first quarter touchdown. 

The much vaunted Bucs defence were just as culpable as they couldn’t stop a Panthers offence a week after they traded their best player Christian McCaffery to the 49ers and their second best receiver Robbie Anderson to the Cardinals. 

Quarterback PJ Walker,  who started the season as third-string quarterback, even before the arrival of Baker Mayfield, led the way throwing for two touchdowns, the best of which was a first half dart to DJ Moore at the back of the endzone. 

Its been a hell of a week for interim coach Steve Wilks, who has Carolina one win from the top of the NFC West after starting the season 1-5.

Chargers v Seahawks 

Without doubt the surprise of the season has been the quarterback play of Geno Smith. He has been outstanding and is going from strength to strength by the week. He currently leads the NFL in completion percentage, which sees the Seahawks perched on top of the NFC West.

The first half of this contest was most entertaining as Seattle raced into a 17-0 lead with touchdowns from Marquise Goodwin and rookie running-back Kenneth Walker. The Chargers responded with two touchdowns of their own from Austin Ekeler and Mike Williams. 

Before half time, Geno found the former Olympian long-jumper Goodwin in the endzone for the second time on a play that resulted in Pro Bowl corner-back JC Jackson being carried off the field with what looks like a significant injury. 

The Seattle defence got on top in the second half with the game-deciding score from Kenneth Walker, nicknamed ‘K9,’ who pulled out a 75-yard touchdown. Last week, we awarded the 22-year-old with ‘Rookie of the Week’ and he is in line to pick up the super prestigious accolade once again, as he recorded 168 rushing yards and two TDs. 

Steelers v Dolphins 

Perhaps the most surprising feature of the late game in Miami was the lack of concussion controversy as the returning Tua Tagovailoa led the Dolphins back to winning ways. The home side started the game with a whirlwind and put 13 points on the board in the first quarter.  

Just as it looked to be getting out of hand, the Steelers responded with Kenny Pickett picking out George Pickins for an ‘offensive pick-six.’ See what I did there? … (Silence) … Anyone?

But the game petered out and turned into a festival of punting as both defences took control and Pickett threw two fourth quarter interceptions as Miami go to 4-3. 

The AFC East is statistically the strongest division in football and if the Patriots win against the Bears on Monday Night Football, all four teams in the division will have winning records. Our preview for that game will follow later today. 

Giants v Jaguars

The second strongest division in the NFL is the NFC East as the Giants joined the unbeaten Eagles with six wins.

Sequon Barkley was again to the fore rushing for 110 yards, while Daniel Jones also used his legs for good effect running for over 100 yards. This game had multiple lead changes and with 16 seconds left and six points separating the sides, came the most important play of the game. 

Jags receiver Christian Kirk looked about to score the winning touchdown but was tackled by Fabian Moreau just shy of the endzone to secure victory for the Big Blue in the Big Apple. 

Round Up 

The Jets join the Bills on top of the AFC East with five wins after beating the Denver Broncos convincingly in Mile High Stadium. This was another game where both defences were on top throughout but there was one moment of magic for Breece Hall, who lit up the game with a blistering 62-yard first quarter touchdown. 

It ended up being a disastrous afternoon for the rookie running-back when he was taken from the field on a kart after picking up what looks like a serious knee injury. An MRI scan scheduled later today will likely rule him out for the season.

Patrick Mahomes returned to winning ways after opening a can of whoop-ass against San Francisco. Entering the fourth quarter there were only five points between the sides, which is hard to imagine when you see the final scoreline. The Chiefs ended up with 30 second-half points against the highest ranked defence in football. On the day, Mecole Hardman had three touchdowns and the pick of the Kansas scores was a Juju Smith-Schuster effort as they ran out 44-24 victors.

A keg of whoop-ass was opened by Joe Burrow when he threw for 481 passing yards as the Cincinnati Bengals put the visiting Atlanta Falcons to the sword. They must have been worried they were in for a long day when Burrow threw Tyler Boyd open from 60 yards on the first drive of the game. 

Boyd would finish with 155 receiving yards, while Ja’Marr Chase finished with 130 yards and two eye-catching TDs. If Tee Higgens had run for seven more yards instead of running into touch, all three receivers would have gone for over 100 yards in this 17-35 win. 

The Baltimore Ravens are now joint top with the Bengals with a record of 4-3 after they won their divisional AFC North match-up with the Browns. Cade York has a late 63-yard attempt to tie the game but he fluffed his effort on a day when the Ravens defence stepped up with a bunch of eye-catching plays.

The Las Vegas Raiders handed another loss to the Houston Texans on the back of a terrific display from Josh Jacobs. This is the third week in a row where he has rushed for over 140 yards and he also added three touchdowns. It seems to me that his high volume of carries with his physical running style will result in an injury sooner rather than later if the Raiders don’t get someone in to share the load.

The Tennessee Titans extended their lead at the top of the AFC South with a divisional win against the Colts with their only touchdown coming form an interception by Andrew Adams. 

Zeke Elliot had two touchdowns from short range as Dak Prescott led the Cowboys to the victory against the Lions. The most memorable play of the game was a massive hit by Kerby Joseph on Cowboys receiver Noah Brown which resulted in a second quarter turnover.

Ouch! I felt that one from my couch.

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