The NFL season is officially half over after a week that was a real doozy. Week 8 had only one game decided by a single score? Week 9 saw seven one-score games, four of which were decided in the last minute or overtime. Underdogs went 5-8 straight up in their second best week of the season. The third month of NFL calendar will open some space and the trade deadline is today. Some teams will look to the future. There are many intriguing playoff and divisional races. The Chiefs won the AFC West 9 times in a row, but are behind the Broncos as well as the Chargers. Bills are the only team to have won five consecutive AFC East titles, but they trail the Patriots. The already-competitive NFC North has become even more competitive following a week filled with upsets. Three teams in the NFC West have six wins. We enjoy games becoming more significant as the season progresses. We always enjoy the second half of the NFL season. J.J. McCarthy delivered. Coaches and fans learn a lot from key moments late in the game. You’ll enjoy this one: Vikings 28, Lions 24, with 1:41 to go, Minnesota faces third-and-5. Detroit has only one timeout.
Right? J.J. McCarthy is playing in his first game for over a week, and your defensive line has dominated all day. Forcing Detroit to use their last timeout is wrong. Kevin O’Connell dialed a slot fade for Jalilor. McCarthy was on target. Nailor’s first reception was a fantastic catch, with tight coverage.
It’s game over. It’s important not to handle McCarthy — to give him credit for just a few good throws here and there. But on Sunday, McCarthy made tons of big boy throws. The first throw below is my favourite.
It’s true, he is a great athlete. His movement skills are not to be underestimated. He’s a very good athlete, and his movement skills shouldn’t be slept on.McCarthy got love in Cody Benjamin’s Week 9 winners and losers and Tyler Sullivan’s Cover 32, and we’re going to pile on here, too. Coaches who don’t trust their quarterback won’t call that play. O’Connell has faith in his quarterback. If McCarthy keeps making these throws, then the Vikings may be worth believing in as well. Walter Nolen and Calais Campbell: the rookie and the vetThe Cardinals finally got their defensive line to full strength with Walter Nolen making his NFL debut after an offseason calf injury. It was a great debut: four tackles and a sack, plus two tackles for losses.
Calais Campbell is 39 years old and still doing it. Campbell’s two sacks brought his career total up to 114.5. He now passes JJ Watt to take 24th place on the list. Here’s a video of him bullying Nathan Thomas:
The Cardinals set a new season-high with five sacks. Nolen’s inclusion in this front is appealing. Campbell is a strong athlete and Sweat, Zaven Collins, and Campbell are all able to bring it. After their bye break, the Cardinals desperately needed a victory, and they did.
3. The Alohi-Odafe Oweh trade has been a win for both parties. When the Harbaughs did business early in October, trading Alohi for Odafe Oweh signaled an important change for the Ravens, and a swing that was significant for the Chargers. It has been one of the few in-season wins for both. Gilman’s presence in Baltimore since Week 6 has seen the team more than double its dime personnel rate (six defensive backs or more on the field), which is now the fourth highest in the league. Kyle Hamilton is now able to get closer to the line-of-scrimmage and Baltimore’s defense has improved from being the fifth-worst in the league to being the 12th best. Meanwhile, Oweh has registered four sacks with the Chargers, after recording zero in the Ravens’ first five games. Two of those sacks came against the Titans on Week 9.
4. Lamar Jackson is under centerGilman has been added to save the defense. Lamar Jackson’s Week 9 return rejuvenated the offensive. In the three games Jackson was absent, the Ravens only threw a touchdown pass. Jackson scored four touchdowns in a rout of the Dolphins. It’s the Ravens’ new attack that is more impressive. Jackson played under center for a season high 50% of snaps and used play-action on a record 37% of dropbacks. Jordyn brooks (No. Charlie Kolar was able to reach the seam with a throw Jackson enjoys.
The midseason wrinkle could bear fruit. Tee Higgins monster dayThe caption on this photo is perfect.
It’s the best catch that I’ve ever seen. This is a feat of concentration, coordination and body control. Then how about this?!
Tee Higgins: Have a good day. What about that defense?
Cowboys sign former defensive star in 2025 NFL Trade Deadline tracker
Zachary Pereles
The five things we did not like about Week 91. The Bengals defenseIf you somehow haven’t seen the all-time finish between the Bears and the Bengals, we have all the details here. This Colston loveland touchdown is still worth a rewatch, even if it was already on your screen.
Loveland throws a fantastic effort. Caleb Williams makes a fantastic throw. Chicago deserves credit.
Oh my goodness, what a terrible defense! It’s been atrocious. Doug Clawson provides the details. They have given up 500 yards total in three games this season and two consecutive games. They have done it twice as a league. [the] 1966 Giants.They’ve allowed at least 27 total points in eight consecutive games. That is the longest streak of this kind in NFL history.
Yikes.2. Bo Nix is putting the football in danger.The Broncos lead the AFC West, are 7-2 and have won 5 straight games. On first glance, you might be surprised to see the Broncos in this section.
Look below the surface, however, to see that the Broncos beat…the Eagles, 21-17 (outscoring them by 18-0)the Jets, 13-11; the Giants, 33-32 (outscoring them by 33-13 in their fourth quarter); the Cowboys, 44-24; and the Texans, which lost C.J. Stroud to a concussion early, 18-15, outscoring them 11-0 in the fourth quarterThe Broncos’ first three quarters have been an eyesore.Yards per play21st2ndYards per attempt31st16thPoints18th1stPass success rate29th23rdExpected points added per play23rd2ndI am a huge proponent of “wins are wins no matter what,” but playing like one of the NFL’s worst offenses for 75% of the game and then playing like one of its best for the final quarter is not a great strategy, even if it works against some of the NFL’s worst offenses.I think this will eventually even out, at least a little bit. Bo Nix may not be able to keep the ball in his hands. He has five interceptions from throws of 10+ yards. This is tied for the third most in the NFL. One interception was dropped, and two others were also missed on Sunday.
It would be nice to have more discretion on the field.3. Colts suffer Steelers’ voodooAcrisure Stadion (it’ll be Heinz Field forever to me) can be a place of horrors for opposing teams, and the Colts have been the latest to discover this. Indianapolis had four turnovers at the start of the season. They ended with six. This includes the one below, which spelled a long day to come:
The Colts won by 368 to 225. Pittsburgh has won 13 times in the last three seasons despite being outgained, but still winning the turnover war. This is a rare feat. It’s not just a matter of luck. TJ Watt, Alex Highsmith, and Steelers linebackers were all excellent. The Steelers keep using the same formula for winning. Hate the game, not the player. We hated to see the Colts lose this game. Tucker Kraft’s injury was brutal. There were other names who got injured this week — Jayden Daniels Stroud and Puka Nacua. Joe Alt’s ankle surgery that will end the season is devastating to a Chargers’ offensive line that has been ravaged with injuries. But the injury I find most sad is Tucker Kraft’s ACL tear. Kraft made the “like” section of this column just last week for being everything a tight end should be: physical, nasty, talented, athletic, a true football psycho.And now he’s done, just like that. Luke Musgrave can be a good tight end, and he is fast, but he does not have Kraft’s strength in the running game or the ability to gain yards after catching the ball. The Kraft-Jordan Love connection is tremendous.Passer rating148.62ndTD-Int ratio6-02ndExpected points added per dropback0.814th>> min. The tandem has 20 targets. It is the best in the league. The Packers lack a true number one. Matt LaFleur detests the phrase “No. The passing game was Kraft’s No. He was able run past safety and linebackers, and even some defensive players. He can be a tight end or slot receiver. This is a devastating blow to Green Bay. Could Special Teams woes be imminent? This year’s special teams are more important than ever, with the dynamic kickoffs and increased long-distance goals. While the highlights were fun, some of the lowlights could scare away some good teams. Four of the six are in the current playoff race, and the sixth could make the playoffs with a competent special team! It’s time to raise the alarm! The Rams are especially concerning. Joshua Karty missed three kicks, including two within 40 yards, in their collapse against the Eagles. Younghoe Koo also missed a field goal that would have tied the game against the Buccaneers earlier in the season in a loss of 23-20. Atlanta is last in yards returned per kick. The Buccaneers, one of the worst teams at covering punts and punts, have blocked two punts. Brandon McManus is currently struggling to kick for the Packers due to an injury. The Chargers rank as the NFL’s lowest team for yards per return on punts and kickeoffs.
2025-11-04 15:06:15
