This week, I was able to test my claim that the NFL is always reliable. The NFL has never had a game decided by just one possession. CBS Sports’ research shows that nine games were won by 18 or more points. This is the most wins ever for a week. But, oh! That one-possession match. Jets 39 – Bengals 38. Justin Fields, just five days after the owner of his team fired at him with a gun, led three fourth quarter scoring drives and secured a remarkable comeback. Aaron Glenn won his first game as a coach. Breece hall, who was kept out of the endzone all season, and the subject of trade rumors scored two touchdowns on the ground, and then threw Mason Taylor the game-winning score. Fields, after the game, described the emotional week he had, including how he cried in his closet. Jets are not indifferent. You can criticize them all you want, but they care.
Justin Fields is a great athlete. Aaron Glenn deserves a pat on the back. Good for the Jets. What else was good in the last week?
Five things that we liked about Week 81. Jordan Love is a star, and he shows it. FootballThe matchup was centered around Aaron Rodgers, who faced Green Bay for the first of 18 years, the place where he began his career. But the guy that had to wait after him, before eventually succeeding him, stole the show. Jordan Love’s best game as a professional was a 29 for 37 with 360 passing yards and three touchdowns. He also had no interceptions or sacks. It was his highest start ever with 0.52 points expected added per dropback. Love’s numbers were excellent, but his performance reflected a quarterback who was maturing, combining his incredible arm talent with the ability to stay on schedule. At one point, Love made the Pittsburgh defense appear hopeless by completing 20 consecutive passes. All 20 can be viewed (or relived) here. Let’s focus on two. Christian Watson, first of all:
This is the kind of trick shot that only a select few quarterbacks can pull off. This is highlight reel stuff. Off-platform throws, moves on the fly, and deep downfield. Love has made or tried to make throws like these for years. How about this throw to Romeo Doubt?
What we like most is that Love will make throws which aren’t as exciting, but keep the offense going. Love was 23-for-30 on throws of 10 yards or less downfield. The 23 completions were his third most in a career game. He was 28-for-31 in Week 4 against Dallas. Love has made the most progress in this area. He can throw those trick shots, but he does not have to.
Jordan LoveThis seasonPrevious career bestComp pct70.9%64.2%Turnover-worthy throw rate1.4%3.3%Explosive play rate11%10.6%Off-target rate7.5%10.6%Expected points added per play0.260.12He’s more accurate and more careful with the ball while still producing big plays. This is a great formula. Love, who is only second to Daniel Jones this season in EPA per game, has had a great Sunday night. Love is an MVP candidate and his performance in Week 8 proved that. Tucker Kraft is all you could ask for in a Tight EndTucker Kraft saved National Tight Ends Day by catching seven passes, covering 143 yards, and scoring two touchdowns against the Steelers.
This is a…
Kraft’s 128 yards came after the catch. He also quoted some of the quotes he used to support it.I want to create chaos on the other side.””I start by trying to be violent with my other hand and move north-south.”A tight end from the inside out. Don’t take my word alone. Check out where Kraft caught his passes in this year’s season:
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He can win deep. He can win short. He can win in the short. No one wants him to tackle them. He is a willing blocking. C.J. is a good, fun player. C.J. Stroud does not give in to bad habitsWithout their best offensive weapon, and after a week of a poor offensive performance and a short-week, the Texans offense could have continued in the wrong direction against the 49ers. Instead, C.J. Stroud was one of the most impressive players in recent history to bring Houston back into winning ways. Last year, only Aidan O’Connell Anthony Richardson, and Bo Nix had a higher average of yards lost per tackle. This year, his 9.3 yard loss per sack puts him dead last. However, on Sunday, the quarterback didn’t get sacked and he escaped a few times.
Stroud faced pressure on just 23.8% of his dropbacks, the sixth-lowest rate in his career. He was not sacked for the second time in the past two seasons. Stroud only faced pressure in 23.8% of dropbacks – the sixth lowest rate in his career – and was not sacked just once in the past two years. The 96.2% success rate is the highest of any player who has attempted at least 25 throws. Since Tom Brady’s 2021 game, 25 attempts have been made in one game. Stroud showed his skill in the field when he let fly.
The Texans knew exactly what they were going to focus on (short passes) against a 49ers’ defense that was weakened. Their best win this year. Let’s give Broncos’ and Colts’ offensive lines some loveThe Broncos ran for a season-high 179 yards against the Cowboys, and the Colts ran for 164 yards, second-most this season, against the Titans. Dallas or Tennessee won’t be mistaken for the Bears of 1985, but these are impressive numbers. Here are two of this week’s most impressive runs. Quinn Meinerz is the better choice than RJ Harvey or Jonathan Taylor. Tanor Bortolini, (No. On these plays, Tanor Bortolini is No.
PFF has rated Indianapolis guard Quenton Nelson as the top-graded NFL run-blocking guard. Meinerz is fourth. Bortolini is ranked No. 3-ranked center. PFF’s top pass blocking unit is Broncos. The Colts rank fourth in pass blocking as well as run blocking. These are outstanding units. Ravens finally stop the run. Baltimore held a Bears offensive unit that showed real improvements in their running game to just 96 yard on the ground. They had limited the Rams’ rushing yardage to just 74 yards two weeks prior. Alohi Gillian, the Chargers acquired safety, was a great addition. Roquan had his best game this year. The Ravens hope that he will continue to improve throughout the season, as he did in 2017. Lamar Jackson’s return is a positive, but it’s not enough. The Ravens defense must improve to make this matter. In the last two games it has improved. Oh, and the Steelers and Bengals both lost on Sunday. This means that Baltimore, at 2-5, can still be first in the AFC North despite its two-game deficit. The Ravens are one of those teams that have a relatively easy schedule left. Five things we didn’t enjoy in Week 81. Anyone know when the forward progress stops? There’s a long list of officiating problems facing the NFL. But the notion of “forward progression” popped up several times during Week 8; my colleague John Breech summarizes it.
It’s a joke. Jalen Hurts literally pushes his body forward and the ball. What on earth is that? It is impossible to defend, and it’s even more difficult to officiate the tush press. The Eagles won’t be able to get every possible advantage. Jonathan Jones, CBS Sports Senior NFL Insider, said that the Tush Push could be dead due to this exact play.
The tush pushed didn’t die on a Monday in Philadelphia; it died a Sunday.
Jonathan Jones
Olamide Zaccheaus was also halted at the 1-yard-line, even though he literally had just caught the pass. Marlon Humphrey then stripped him.
Players must be able wrestle for yards. They will be penalized if they make mistakes.
2. The Atlanta FalconsAfter a 24-14 victory over the Bills, there was a lot of hope for the Atlanta Falcons. They’ve since lost to the 49ers, and then the Dolphins. This week was particularly damning. Kirk Cousins managed just 173 passing yardage as Michael Penix Jr. was injured. Bijan Robinson lost the ball without ever being touched.
The biggest letdown was in fact the defense. The Dolphins’ second-best pass success rate in the season was achieved one week after their dismal 31-6 loss to the Browns. They also had the third-best rush success rate. TuaTagovailoa had only been sacked once. This was a Falcons’ defense that had been excellent all season long!
The Falcons lost to the Dolphins 34-10 and the Panthers 30-0. Yikes. 3. Caleb Williams, and the Bears’ lack of situational intelligenceDo you ever yell at the TV in vain to stop a bad player from doing something? Caleb Williams, who is neither a Bears supporter nor a TV-yelling guy, almost made me one. This play with 57 seconds to go in the half was the culprit.
Things only got worse. Williams’ completion to Zaccheaus for 5 yards came after Chicago had taken its second timeout. Under duress, Williams committed an intentional grounding. The Bears were forced to use their third-timeout to stop a 10-second playoff. Cairo Santos missed a 55-yard field-goal after Colston Loveland completed a 9 yard pass. Santos was returning from a long-term injury.
Williams, who was down 30-16 late in the game, completed a 42 yarder to DJ Moore, which landed at the Baltimore 3 yard line. Williams didn’t run out of bounds.
It almost made me shout at the television. The Bears were in a frenzy and had no timeouts. They then had an incompletion. A complete pass was stopped just short of the endzone, a quarterback sneak that ended short, and finally, an incompletion. Almost.
4. Cam Skattebo’s InjuryEvery single injury stinks, and reminds us how unpredictable the NFL can be. Cam Skattebo’s dislocated foot is a huge, major disappointment. The Giants, while not a good team, were fun this year, thanks to Skattebo. [his] “It’s a journey,” he says, and he is right. It’s a sad end to what was an excellent start. The Steelers’ uniformsReally? Rodgers has to wear these uniforms when he plays against his old team with all eyes on him?
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2025-10-28 13:17:35
