Category: Game Analysis

Reviewing the Week 14 games from a fantasy perspective.

HOU 7, CHI 36
The Bears  gave up a big lead last week but that wasn’t a problem here since the Texans were playing without David Johnson and Brandin Cooks. Deshaun Watson only passed for 219 yards and a score to Keke Coutee (3-24, TD). Chad Hansen (7-56)  and Duke Johnson (2-53) were the top receivers, and Johnson also ran for 38 yards on seven carries. The Texans could never get much going and their lack of defense meant the Bears ate up the clock and controlled the ball.

Matt Trubisky threw for 267 yards and three scores with Allen Robinson (9-123, TD) as the only receiver with more than 42 yards. Both Jimmy Graham (4-23, TD) and Darnell Mooney (2-22, TD) scored. David Montgomery broke an 80-yard touchdown but was only given 11 carries in the game to gain 113 yards. As usual, the Bears wasted six runs on Cordarrelle Patterson for no apparent reason other than keeping Montgomery from hitting production marks where bonuses would be triggered. The Bears lead throughout and only gave their highly productive running back 11 carries. The 4-9 Texans head to Indianapolis this week, while the 6-7 Bears end their six-game losing streak and play in Minnesota.

DEN 32, CAR 27
Christian McCaffrey continues to be a no-show this year.  Mike Davis ran for 51 yards and two scores on 11 carries and added five receptions for 42 yards. Teddy Bridgewater passed for 283 yards and no scores. Robby Anderson (8-84) and Curtis Samuel (7-68) were the most productive receivers but almost all of the passes were short. They trailed 25-10 at halftime and fell short in their comeback attempt.

Drew Lock passed for 280 yards and four touchdowns. The rookie KJ Hamler (2-86, 2 TD) led the Bronco receivers, and Jerry Jeudy (2-42) and Tim Patrick (3-36, TD) did a lot with just a few catches. Melvin Gordon ran for 68 yards on 13 rushes while Philip Lindsay gained 24 yards on his 11 runs. Drew Lock was the difference-maker here, completing 21-of-27 passes and keeping the Broncos in the lead. Now the 4-9 Panthers head to Green Bay and the 5-8 Broncos host the Bills.

TEN 31, JAG 10
Nothing new here. Derrick Henry cruised for 215 yards and two scores on 27 carries and added two receptions for seven yards. Ryan Tannehill only bothered to pass for 212 yards and two scores between A.J. Brown (7-112, TD) and Geoff Swaim (3-34, TD), while Corey Davis settled for three receptions for 34 yards. The Titans never trailed and the Jaguars’ only touchdown came in the late third quarter.

The disastrous year continues unabated for the Jaguars who ended up benching Mike Glennon and going back to Gardner Minshew. Keelan Cole (7-67, TD) and Laviska Shenault (6-49) were the lead receivers but all the passing was short from both quarterbacks. James Robinson ran for 67 yards on 12 carries and added four receptions for 16 yards. The Jags looked worse than usual but the Titans were playing a divisional rival and needed the win. The 9-4 Titans  host the Lions in the final home game while the 1-12 Jaguars head to Baltimore where nothing gets any better.

KC 33, MIA 27
The Dolphins put up a good fight despite trailing 30-10 at the end of the fourth quarter. They brought the score to 30-24 with four minutes to play but the Chiefs managed to hold them off. Patrick Mahomes threw for 393 yards and two scores but had a shocking three interceptions. Travis Kelce (8-136, TD) continues to be in a class all by himself while Tyreek Hill (3-79, TD) also added a 32-yard run for a second score. Clyde Edwards-Helaire ran for 32 yards on 16 rushes and added five receptions for 59 yards. The Chiefs added a 67-yard punt return for a score by Mecole Hardman and also recorded a safety.

Tua Tagovailoa passed for 316 yards and two scores since he was trying to catch up from the second quarter onward. Mike Gesicki (5-65, 2 TD) continues to show chemistry with the rookie quarterback while Devante Parker left injured without a catch. Lynn Bowdon (7-82)  and Mack Hollins (5-66) were much more productive than usual. DeAndre Washington (13-35) didn’t add much but was the primary rusher with Myles Gaskin out. The impressive part was Tagovailoa throwing to eleven different receivers. The 12-1 Chiefs  play at the Saints this week while the 8-5 Dolphins  host the Patriots.

ARI 26, NYG 7
The Giants were never remotely in this game and their only score came with they were already down 20-0 in the third quarter. As a team, they only passed for 145 yards with no receivers gaining more than 39 yards or scoring. Wayne Gallman gained 57 yards on 12 carries and added three catches for 16 yards as the only Giant with a shred of fantasy value. The Cardinals defense is below average in every fantasy category this year and it looked like the Giants were playing a Top-5 defense.

Kyler Murray threw for 214 yards and one score while adding 47 yards on 13 rushes. DeAndre Hopkins caught nine passes for 136 yards but no other receiver topped 27 yards in the game. Dan Arnold caught the only score. Kenyan Drake (23-80, TD) only added a 10-yard catch in this dull, spark-less game. The 7-6 Cardinals return home to host the Eagles while the 5-8 Giants ended their four-game winning streak in a decidedly disappointing manner. They  host the Browns this week.

MIN 14, TB 26
The surprise here is that the Buccaneers are ranked No. 27 versus wide receivers, but Justin Jefferson (4-39) and Adam Thielen (3-39) were ineffective and Kirk Cousins only passed for 225 yards and one score despite trailing from the second quarter. Irv Smith (4-63, TD) was the only decent fantasy play for receivers. Dalvin Cook ran for 102 yards and a score on 22 rushes and added two catches for eight yards. But this wasn’t the fireworks that were expected with the Buccaneers’ weak secondary and the  Vikings featuring one of the top pairs in the NFL.

Tom Brady also faced a weak secondary and yet only threw for 196 yards and two scores. Mike Evans (3-56), Antonio Brown (5-49), and Chris Godwin (2-25) only water each other down while Scott Miller (1-48, TD) and Rob Gronkowski (1-2, TD) handled the scoring. Leonard Fournette was a healthy scratch and Ronald Jones ran for 80 yards and a score on 18 carries but only caught one four-yard pass. The Vikings gained more yardage than the Buccaneers but were sacked six times and lost a fumble. Brady was never sacked and had no turnovers. The 6-7 Vikings have their final home game against the Bears this week while the 8-5 Buccaneers play in Atlanta.

DAL 30, CIN 7
The Cowboys controlled the entire game and the Bengals lost three fumbles.  Brandon Allen was unable to take advantage of one of the weaker defenses. He passed for 217 yards and one score to A.J. Green (6-62, TD) who led the team while Tee Higgins (5-49) and Tyler Boyd (5-43) were held in check. The running game was handled by three different running backs and Trayveon Williams (12-49) was the most effective. The Bengals were at home against a weak defense and yet still looked like they did not belong on the field.

Andy Dalton had a chance to stick it to his old team but only passed for 185 yards and two scores. Amari Cooper (4-51, TD) and CeeDee Lamb (2-46) were the top receivers from the meager passing. Ezekiel Elliott played with a sore calf and only gained 48 yards on 12 carries while Tony Pollard ended with 11 runs for 39 yards and a seven-yard touchdown catch. The 4-9 Cowboys host the 49ers this week while the 2-10-1 Bengals hope to trap the visiting Steelers.

IND 44, LV 27
The Raiders led 14-10 in the second quarter but the Colts  scored 17 points in the fourth quarter, including a 50-yard interception-return for a touchdown. The Raiders managed a touchdown in the final minute to make the score look closer than it really was. Philip Rivers passed for 244 yards and two scores to T.Y. Hilton (5-86, 2 TD) but no other receivers gained more than 44 yards or scored. Jonathan Taylor had his first monster game with 150 yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries that included a 62-yard scoring run. Even Nyheim Hines ran for 58 yards on seven runs with the Raiders’ rushing defense almost nonexistent.

David Carr threw for 316 yards and two scores with two interceptions and  ran in a touchdown. Josh Jacobs posted a sure-to-be-infamous Instagram post saying he would be active but not be used.  He ran for 49 yards on 13 carries and added three catches for 25 yards. Nelson Agholor (5-100, TD) and Darren Waller (7-75) were the top receivers though Foster Moreau caught a 47-yard touchdown on his only reception. Despite the loss, the 7-6 Raiders are still in contention for a wildcard even if it looks like they won’t go far in the playoffs. They host the Chargers this week and the 9-4 Colts host the Texans.

NYJ 3, SEA 40
And that is what the white flag looks like. The Jets actually scored first in this game, and then headed for the tunnel. Sam Darnold faced the worst secondary in the NFL and only bothered to throw for 132 yards and no scores. Braxton Berrios (3-49) and Breshad Perriman (3-26) were the top receivers. The backfield welcomed back Frank Gore (8-23) and then still went to the bother of a three-man rotation that included Josh Adams (6-27) and Ty Johnson (8-16).  The only thing that you can hope for in a Jets matchup is that their opponent has a reason to not mail in their effort.

Field position was rarely a problem so the yardage was lower than the score would usually suggest. Russell Wilson threw for 206 yards and four touchdowns. DK Metcalf (6-61, TD), Tyler Lockett (5-52), and Will Dissly (2-23, TD) were the top receivers. Chris Carson (12-76, TD) and Carlos Hyde (15-66) ran at will and Carson added three catches for 22 yards.  Plenty of touchdowns to share but almost the entire game happened in Jets territory. The 0-13 Jets hurdle towards infamy and  face the Rams while the 9-4 Seahawks  get to figure out how Washington wins games without any players. Might have to do with their defense.

GB 31, DET 24
This was more competitive than expected, but since the Lions dumped HC Matt Patricia, they look undeniably better. The Packers led 28-14 with six minutes left to play and had to hold off the surging Lions. Aaron Rodgers passed for 290 yards and three touchdowns between Davante Adams (7-115, TD), Marquez Valdes-Scantling (6-85, TD), and Robert Tonyan (5-36, TD). Aaron Jones rushed for 69 yards on 15 carries but only caught two passes for six yards. The Packers though they had it won and lightened up almost too much in the fourth quarter.

Matt Stafford threw for  244 yards and one score but left with injured ribs late in the game. Danny Amendola (6-66), Marvin Jones (4-48), and T.J. Hockenson (6-43, TD) were the best receivers. D’Andre Swift started but only ran seven times for 24 yards and one score since they fell behind and threw 40 passes. Swift added 26 yards on four receptions but the Packers’ normally paper-soft rush defense was adequate and the Lions only attempted 13 rushes. The Lions lost, but they looked competitive. The 10-3 Packers host the Panthers this weekend while the 5-8 Lions head to Tennessee.

ATL 17, LAC 20 
Not a lot of scores or even passing in this matchup and that was a bitter disappointment. Matt Ryan’s decline looked steep when he only threw for 224 yards and one score with three interceptions versus the Chargers. Calvin Ridley ended with 124 yards on eight catches with one score thrown by Russell Gage on a trick play. Gage also caught five passes for 82 yards replacing Julio Jones but no one else gained more than 12 yards as a receiver. Todd Gurley only ran for 19 yards on six rushes, and Ito Smith led the team with 11 runs for 42 yards. The Falcons are starting to look like a car that didn’t make it to the gas station in time.

Justin Herbert only threw for 243 yards and two scores. Austin Ekeler (9-67) and Tyron Johnson (6-55, TD) led the receivers but Keenan Allen was the most targeted catching 9-of-11 for 52 yards and a touchdown. Ekeler also rushed for 79 yards on 15 carries. Two bad teams met and it wasn’t a case of both teams taking advantage of the other inferior defense. It was just a low-key offensive effort by both franchises. Now the 4-9 Falcons host the Buccaneers and the 4-9 Chargers travel to play the Raiders.

WAS 23, SF 15
And another upset. No matter that the Football Team did not have their star running back Antonio Gibson, and they lost their starting quarterback. Or that they only passed for 108 yards and one interception. Washington won this game because they returned both a fumble and an interception for touchdowns. Logan Thomas led the team with six receptions for 43 yards and no other receiver gained more than 24 yards. Alex Smith injured his leg and Dwayne Haskins took over with the same lackluster results that saw him benched in the first place. But the defense recorded four sacks, an interception and returned two turnovers for scores.

Nick Mullens passed for 260 yards and one touchdown but Brandon Aiyuk (10-119) had 16 targets. Deebo Samuel left injured  before he had a catch and no other receiver managed more than 42 yards. Raheem Mostert gained 65 yards on 14 carries but only gained five yards on two catches. Jeffery Wilson scored on his 11 runs for 31 yards and added a 13-yard catch. The Football Team was opportunistic on defense and and would have lost were it not for the two defensive scores. The win sends the 6-7 Football Team home to host the Seahawks while the 5-8 49ers head to Dallas.

PIT 15, BUF 26
The Steelers opened the scoring but then stayed off the scoreboard until the fourth quarter. Ben Roethlisberger only threw for 187 yards and two touchdowns, along with two interceptions. As usual, even the meager passing yardage was split up between the five usual receivers and JuJu Smith-Schuster (6-55, TD) and James Washington (3-29, TD)  caught the scores. Diontae Johnson (4-40) and Chase Claypool (3-15) disappointed. James Conner was back as the primary back but only gained 18 yards on ten carries. The Steelers offense couldn’t generate long drives, much less score many points.

Josh Allen passed for 238 yards and two scores, though only Stefon Diggs (10-130, TD) offered any fantasy value among the receivers. Cole Beasley was next best with just 41 yards on five catches. The Bills didn’t get much from their rushing offense as well. Zack Moss (13-43) and Devin Singletary (7-32) failed to score or catch more than one short pass. But Diggs was the difference-maker and the defense held the Steelers wideouts to just marginal production. The 11-2 Steelers  head to Cincinnati looking to end their two-game losing streak while the 10-3 Bills travel to Denver.

 

The Game-o-the-Week

NO 21, PHI 24 
Welcome to “any given Sunday.”

The Saints fell to a 3-8-1 team that no one had ever faced since Jalen Hurts was given his first NFL start. He passed for 167 yards and one score to Alshon Jeffery on his only catch. Jalen Reagor (2-46) and Dallas Goedert (4-43) were the top receivers. The Eagles won the game mostly because Jalen Hurts running for 106 yards on 18 rushes and Miles Sanders gaining 115 yards and two touchdowns on 14 carries, plus he added four catches for 21 yards. Hurts lost a fumble but threw no interceptions and was never sacked.

Taysom Hill only ran for 33 yards and threw for 291 yards and two scores with one interception.  He was also sacked five times and lost a fumble. Michael Thomas (8-84) and Tre’Quan Smith (3-60) were the leading receivers but Emmanuel Sanders (3-48, TD) and Jared Cook (3-37, TD) caught the touchdowns. Alvin Kamara ran for 50 yards and a score, and added seven receptions for  44 yards while finally being used as a receiver by Hill.  The Eagles led 17-0 at halftime and then held off the Saints thanks to a rushing offense that consumed the clock. The 10-3 Saints  host the Chiefs this week while the 4-8-1 Eagles  head to Arizona.

A quick rundown of the Sunday NFL games from a fantasy perspective.

NO 21, ATL 16
Close game but the Saints always led.  Each team scored just one touchdown after the 14-6 halftime score. Taysom Hill passed for 232 yards and two touchdowns – the first of his career. He also ran for 83 yards on 14 rushes. Michael Thomas (9-105) still had a good fantasy showing though all passes were short. Tre’Quan Smith (3-42, TD) and Jared Cook (3-28, TD) split the receiving touchdowns. The best part of the game was Alvin Kamara who was decimated in fantasy terms with the change in quarterbacks. He still only caught two passes for nine yards, but he ran 15 times for 88 yards and a touchdown. There were a lot of short passes, but only three targeted Kamara.

The Falcons had almost no rushing offense, and Matt Ryan passed for 273 yards but only one score. Calvin Ridley (5-108) and Julio Jones (6-94) dominated the passes while Russell Gage (4-51, TD) ended up with the touchdown. Todd Gurley was clearly not 100% when he ran for only 16 yards on eight carries. The 10-2 Saints head to Philadelphia this week while the 4-8 Falcons travel to meet the Chargers.

DET 34, CHI 30
This is not a resume builder for the Bears head coach Matt Nagy, and maybe he should start thinking about his next job after six straight losses. David Montgomery ran for 72 yards and two touchdowns on 17 carries and added 39 yards on four catches. But Mitchell Trubisky only passed for 267 yards and one score. Allen Robinson (6-75) and Anthony Miller (5-56) were their top receivers, and at least the rookie Cole Kmet (5-37, TD) caught the lone touchdown pass. The Bears have gone from leading their division to now sharing the cellar with the Lions.

Adrian Peterson rushed for 57 yards and two scores on just 16 carries while Matt Stafford threw for 402 yards and three scores on the Bears defense in Chicago. Marvin Jones (8-116, TD) and T.J. Hockenson (7-84) were the lead receivers and Quintez Cephus (2-63, TD) made the most of his increased playing time. The Lions shouldn’t have been this good and the Bears shouldn’t have been that bad. The 5-7 Lions host the Packers this week while the Bears host the Texans and keep checking to see if Nagy is collecting empty boxes.

IND 26, HOU 20
These divisional rivals played it close for the entire game and the only score in the second half was a safety by Deshaun Watson in the fourth quarter. Jonathan Taylor ran for 91 yards on 13 rushes and added three catches for 44 yards and one score. Nyheim Hines (6-10, TD) ran for one score and caught three passes for 22 yards. T.Y. Hilton is finally connecting with Philip Rivers and ended with a team-high eight catches for 110 yards and a touchdown. Rivers used ten different receivers and had a QB rating of 119.3 but was playing the Texans.

Deshaun Watson passed for 341 yards but no touchdowns. He ran for 38 yards and one score while David Johnson gained 44 yards and a touchdown on his ten rushes. Keke Coutee (8-141) was the surprise top receiver and previous free agent Chad Hansen (5-101) more than doubled the stats from his three-year career. Brandon Cooks (5-65) left for a time to be checked for a concussion. The win sends the 8-4 Colts to Vegas this week while the 4-8 Texans head to Chicago.

CIN 7, MIA 19
The Bengals started the scoring with a touchdown to Tyler Boyd (1-72, TD) before he was later ejected for throwing a punch. Brandon Allen only passed for 153 yards and one score before leaving the game with a chest injury. Tee Higgins (5-56) was the other top receiver and Giovani Bernard gained 30 yards on 12 runs. Good thing Boyd caught the long touchdown or this would have been a shutout.

Tua Tagovailoa was able to play and passed for 296 yards and one score to Mike Gesicki (9-88, TD), but Devante Parker (4-35) suffers with Ryan Fitzpatrick on the sideline. Myles Gaskins was activated from injured reserve and ran for 90 yards on 21 rushes and  caught two passes for 51 yards thanks to a 35-yard catch and run. The Dolphins beat the woeful Bengals but the drop in offensive spark is notable when the rookie is under center. This was an easy opponent at home, but the Fins only posted one touchdown. The 2-9-1 Bengals  host the Cowboys this week while the 8-4 Dolphins play in Tampa Bay.

JAC 24, MIN 27
This was much closer than it should have been. The Jaguars tied the score 24-24 with a minute left to send it into overtime. The Vikings drove the field and kicked the game-winning field goal from the Jaguars’ 5-yard line.

Mike Glennon passed for 280 yards and one score while doing a great job spreading the ball around which meant that there were no decent fantasy plays. Collin Johnson (4-66) was their top receiver and no one else gained more than 45 yards including DJ Chark (2-41). Laviska Shenault (3-38, TD) scored thanks to a pass that caromed off a defenders’ helmet. James Robinson ran for 78 yards and a touchdown and added 30 yards on six catches.

Kirk Cousins passed for 305 yards and three touchdowns with both Justin Jefferson (9-121, TD) and Adam Thielen (8-75, TD) turning in high production. Dalvin Cook gained 120 yards on 32 rushes and caught six passes for 59 yards. No other players gained more than 18 yards. At least the three main fantasy starters all shined, even if the Vikings almost let this one get away from them. The 1-11 Jaguars host the Titans this week while the 6-6 Vikings head to Tampa Bay.

LV 31, NYJ 28

The collective “WHEW” from Las Vegas probably changed their weather pattern. This was a Game-o-the-Week contender with the Raiders almost becoming the 2020 version of “it” in this trap game that oh-so nearly happened. The Raiders led until five minutes left after the Jets scored two fourth-quarter touchdowns. It looked like it was over for the Raiders when they failed to convert a fourth-and-three at the NYJ-9 yard line with 1:42 left. But – these are the Jets. They went four-and-out and punted. With 35 seconds left at the LV-39 yard line, Carr was blitzed and he hit the single-covered Henry Ruggs for a 46-yard touchdown with four seconds left to play.

The Jets.

Derek Carr ended with 381 yards and three touchdowns with Darren Waller (13-200, 2 TD) turning in a career-best day. Henry Ruggs (3-84, TD) was the only other receiver with more than 50 yards or a score. Devontae Booker (16-50) replaced Josh Jacobs but this game was mostly about Waller, with a final touchdown throw to Ruggs.

Sam Darnold passed for 186 yards and two scores plus ran in a touchdown. Jamison Crowder showed up again with five catches for 47 yards and two touchdowns but no other receiver topped 40 yards. Ty Johnson (22-104, TD) replaced the injured Frank Gore and had a career-day in the process. Josh Adams (8-74) also surprised. In the end, so close, yet so far. The 7-5 Raiders  host the Colts this weekend while the 0-12 Jets head to Seattle in their march on infamy.

LA  38, ARI 28
This was a Game-o-the-Week contender with 66 combined points. Jared Goff passed for 351 yards and one score to Tyler Higbee (4-24, TD) while the top receivers were Robert Woods (10-85) and Cooper Kupp (8-73). Cam Akers (21-72, TD) was allowed an actual full-time workload and added a 22-yard catch. Darrell Henderson (3-49, TD) ran in a 38-yard score in the fourth quarter to put it out of reach.

Kyler Murray threw for 173 yards and three touchdowns between Dan Arnold (2-61, 2 TD) and DeAndre Hopkins (8-52, TD) but no other receivers gained more than 27 yards. Kenyan Drake ran for 49 yards on ten carries and scored once.  Murray was held to only 15 yards as a rusher. The Rams won this because they were able to cover the wide receivers and that throws everything off for the Cardinals. Murray shifted to throwing two scores to his tight end but the offense sputtered against the Rams. That leaves the 6-6 Cardinals  heading to play the Giants this week while the 8-4 Rams host the Patriots.

NYG 17, SEA 12
Welcome to “Any Given Sunday.” Did someone forget to practice this week? Thought maybe a homefield mail-in effort was enough? The Seahawks fall back into a tie with the Rams for the NFC West and can forget any chance of a first-round bye.

Wayne Gallman ran for 135 yards on 16 carries thanks in part to a 60-yard run. Alfred Morris gained 39 yards and a touchdown on eight carries by trotting in while Gallman was tired from his long run. Morris scored a second touchdown in his six-yard catch as well. Colt McCoy won his first start ever, and it only needed 105 yards and one score. No Giants’ receiver gained more than 32 yards.

Russell Wilson’s day off saw him limited to 263 yards and one score to Chris Carson (3-45), while DK Metcalf (5-80) and Tyler Lockett (6-63) fell below expectations. Carson ran for 65 yards on 13 rushes while Wilson gained 45 yards on his seven rushes. When Colt McCoy records his first career win as a visitor against a division leader, it is safe to define this as a “mind-warping trap game.” The 5-7 Giants won their last four games – and not just NFC East matchups – and host the Cardinals while the 8-4 Seahawks host the Jets with a chance to double down on unimaginable trap games.

PHI 16 , GB 30
The only notable part of this loss by the Eagles was swapping over to Jalen Hurts (5-12-109, TD) in the middle of the game and seeing him look better than Carson Wentz (6-15-79). Dallas Goedert (5-66) and Greg Ward (3-57, TD) were the best receivers and Zach Ertz (2-31) returned after missing five games. Miles Sanders (10-31) still doesn’t look back to form. The only reason that this game looks remotely competitive was because the Eagles scored two touchdowns late in the fourth quarter, including a punt return.

Aaron Rodgers threw for 295 yards and three scores with Davante Adams (10-121, 2 TD) predictably dominating the game. Alan Lazard (3-50) and Robert Tonyan (4-39, TD) were the next best receivers but Adams alone was enough to win the game. Aaron Jones ran for 130 yards that included a 77-yard touchdown run at the end of the game. The only interesting part of this entire game was that the Eagles allowed Hurts to do more than throw the final pass in a loss. The 3-8-1 Eagles host the Saints on Sunday while the 9-3 Packers head to Detroit.

NE 45, LAC 0

The Chargers were favored. It all went bad from the start and never got any better. The Patriots only passed for 130 yards and two scores with no receiver gaining more than 38 yards. The only receiver with more than two catches was James White (3-1). Damien Harris (16-80) and Sony Michel (10-35) shared the backfield while Cam Newton gained 48 yards and two touchdowns in his 14 runs. The Pats added scores via a 70-yard punt return and the return of a blocked field goal. The Chargers had a trash game of epic proportions.

Justin Hebert only threw for 209 yards and two interceptions. Keenan Allen (5-48) and Mike Williams (4-43) consumed 20 targets with minimal production. Austin Ekeler only ran for 36 yards on eight rushes and caught only four passes for 32 yards. This was a beat down from the first series that just never got any better. The Pats already led 28-0 at halftime. The 3-9 Chargers host the Falcons this week while the 5-6 Patriots  travel to Los Angeles to play the Rams.

DEN 16, KC 22
Strange how the Chiefs decimate everyone unless they face a team in their own division, then they squeak past. Drew Lock passed for 151 yards and two scores with two interceptions at the Chiefs. Noah Fant (4-57) and Tim Patrick (4-44, 2 TD) did most of the damage in the passing game. Melvin Gordon ran for 131 yards on 15 carries with a 65-yard gain thrown in as a stat booster. Phillip Lindsay also rushed 14 times but only gained 26 yards. The game wasn’t close thanks to the offensive success of the Broncos. It was because the Chiefs settled for field goals or failed on fourth-down attempts.

Patrick Mahomes threw for 318 yards and just one touchdown to Travis Kelce (8-136, TD). Tyreek Hill (6-58) was the only other receiver with more than 39 yards. Clyde Edwards-Helaire was active yet unused, but Le’Veon Bell only gained 40 yards on 11 rushes and added two receptions for 15 yards. The Chiefs mostly played down to the Broncos as was common throughout the league this week. The 4-8 Broncos play in Carolina this week while the 11-1 Chiefs  head to Miami. 

The Game-o-the-Week

CLE 41, TEN 35

Speaking of surprises…

The Browns previously unknown passing attack not only led 38-7 at halftime, but Baker Mayfield had already thrown for 290 yards and four touchdowns. The Browns would only kick one field goal in the second half while they tried to run the clock out before the Titans could catch up. Both teams spewed fantasy points only it was all Browns in the first half and all Titans in the second half.

Mayfield ended with 334 yards and four touchdowns, Rashard Higgins (6-95, TD), Donovan Peoples-Jones (2-92, TD), and Jarvis Landry (8-62) did most of the damage. Nick Chubb ran for 80 yards and one score on 18 carries and added a 26-yard catch. Kareem Hunt gained 33 yards on 14 rushes and added three catches for 24 yards. The best fantasy players were Higgins and Peoples-Jones who likely no one started.

Derrick Henry only ran for 60 yards on 15 carries since the Titans never had the luxury of just rushing the ball.  Ryan Tannehill ended with 389 yards and three touchdowns. Corey Davis (11-182, TD) had a career day while A.J. Brown was held to 87 yards on four catches. Tannehill did a great job mixing his receivers but it was too little, too late after trailing by 31 points at the start of the second half.  The 9-3 Browns  host the Ravens this week in a big NFC North matchup while the 8-4 Titans play in Jacksonville,

A quick rundown of the Sunday NFL games from a fantasy perspective.

LV 6, ATL 43

The wheels fell off the Raiders wagon and the same team that beat the Chiefs once and almost twice was never remotely in this beat down. Derek Carr passed for 215 yards and one interception while Hunter Renfrow (7-73) and Henry Ruggs (3-56) were the top receivers. Josh Jacobs only ran seven times for 27 yards. The Raiders looked like their loss to the Chiefs last week just took it out of them and they mailed this in. Carr lost three fumbles and Jacobs fumbled once as well.

The Falcons were already without Todd Gurley and Julio Jones, but no matter. Ito Smith (12-65, TD) and Brian Hill (13-55) both had no trouble running the ball. Matt Ryan only needed to throw for 185 yards and two scores with Calvin Ridley (6-50, TD) and Hayden Hurst (4-48) were the top receivers. The Falcons even ran in an interception for a touchdown alone with Younghoe Koo kicking five field goals. The 6-5 Raiders travel to play the Jets this week, while the 4-7 Falcons host the Saints.

LAC 17, BUF 27

The Bills led throughout this matchup and ruined the return of Austin Ekeler, who was not limited in any way. He ran for 44 yards on 14 carries and was the leading receiver with 11 receptions for 85 yards. Justin Herbert passed for 316 yards and one score to Keenan Allen (4-40, TD) but most of the yardage was late in the game. Hunter Henry (7-67) and Tyron Johnson (2-63) both turned in better-than-average production and Johnson hauled in a 55-yard Hail Mary pass that came up a few yards short. Josh Kelley ran in the touchdown on his seven rushes for 35 yards, but broke a 33-yard run to pump up his stats.

Josh Allen threw for just 157 yards and one score while Cole Beasley also tossed a 20-yard touchdown to Gabriel Davis (3-79, TD) who was a great replacement for John Brown.  Stefon Diggs (7-39) was the next best receiver but the Bills ran the ball 30 times. Devin Singletary (11-82) and Zack Moss (9-59) were both effective but Allen (9-31, TD) ran in the only rushing score. The 3-8 Chargers host the Patriots this week while the 8-3 Bills head to San Francisco.

NYG 19, CIN 17

This matchup was every bit as unexciting as expected. By the end, it was a duel between Brandon Allen vs. Colt McCoy with all the firewords that suggests. Wayne Gallman (24-94, TD) turned in a nice day rushing and Evan Engram (6-129) even gained 53 yards on one catch. There were no passing scores and Graham Gano kicked four field goals to take the win.

Brandon Allen only passed for 136 yards but included a touchdown to Tee Higgins (5-44, TD) with two minutes left to bring the score closer. Life without the rookie Joe Burrows does not look to be very productive. Giovani Bernard ran for 32 yards on eight carries and no Bengals player gained more than the 49 total yards by Bernard. On the plus – opponents will play down to the Bengals. On the minus – still won’t matter. The 4-7 Giants head to Seattle this week while the 2-8-1 Bengals travel to Miami.

TEN 45, IND 26

This was 14-14 in the second quarter before it all broke open for the Titans. Derrick Henry once again had a monster performance with 178 yards on 27 carries and three touchdowns. Ryan Tannehill passed for 221 yards and one score to AJ Brown (4-98) that included a 69-yard catch and score. Brown even turned in a 42-yard touchdown on a kickoff return when the Colts were attempting an onside kick.  This was just a romp by the Titans that took advantage of defensive absences of the Colts.

Philip Rivers passed for 295 yards and two scores including T.Y. Hilton leading the team with 81 yards on four catches along with his first touchdown of the season. Since Jonathan Taylor was out, Nyhem Hines ran for 29 yards on ten carries and caught eight passes for 66 yards. No other Colt receiver gained more than 42 yards.  This was just another game where Henry ran over their opponent who could not stop him. The win sends the 8-3 Titans  home to face the Browns while the 7-4 Colts head to Houston.

CLE 27, JAC 25

This was closer than their records in the standings would have suggested. Baker Mayfield passed for 258 yards and two scores while Jarvis Landry finally had a big game with eight catches for 143 yards and a score but no other receivers topped three catches or 32 yards.  Nick Chubb predictably ran for 144 yards and a score on 19 carries plus added 32 yards on three catches while Kareem Hunt gained 62 yards on ten rushes. The Browns trailed 17-19 in the third quarter before mounting a late comeback to win.

Mike Glennon’s first start produced 235 passing yards and two scores with the rookie Collin Johnson (4-96, TD) led the team while replacing DJ Chark. No other receiver gained over 44 yards. James Robinson ran for 128 yards and a score on 22 carries and added 31 yards on five catches while cementing his wing in the Undrafted Rookie Running Back Hall of Fame. The 8-3 Browns enjoy their first non-losing season in 12 years and  head to Tennessee. The 1-10 Jaguars play at the Vikings this week.

ARI 17, NE 20
Not a lot of offense on either side in this one. Kyler Murray only passed for 170 yards and one interception while rushing for 31 yards on five runs. DeAndre Hopkins was held to five catches for 55 yards while no other receiver gained more than 33 yards. Kenyan Drake scored twice on his 22 rushes for 78 yards but this was nothing like the electric offense we’ve seen this year. The Cardinals took a 10-0 lead in the first quarter but did not score again until the middle of the fourth quarter when they tied the score, 17-17.

The Patriots were little better. Cam Newton only threw for 84 yards and two interceptions and ran for 46 yards on nine rushes. Jakobi Meyers (5-52) and Damiere Byrd (3-33) consumed all of the passing other than James White losing a yard on his only catch. Damien Harris (14-47) and White (5-18, 2 TD) were the only running backs and they allowed White to take the two touchdown runs. The Cardinals missed a 45-yard field goal attempt with 1:52 left to play and the Patriots got into field goal range mostly thanks to an unneccessary roughness call after Newton ran for 14 yards. Nick Folk kicked the 50-yard field goal for the win.

MIA 20, NYJ 3
Thank goodness HC Adam Gase took the play-calling duties back. Sam Darnold passed for 197 yards and two interceptions with a QB rating of 51.0. Breshad Perriman (4-79), Denzel Mims (4-67), and Jamison Crowder (3-31) took care of the receiving-but-not-scoring chores. Frank Gore ran for 74 yards on 18 carries. The Jets’ lone field goal came in the first six minutes of the game. Then 54 minutes of the Jets not scoring, but with a different play caller not calling scoring plays.

Ryan Fitzpatrick replaced the injured Tua Tagovailoa and threw for 257 yards and two scores. Devante Parker (8-119) was the only receiver with more than 35 yards but both Mike Gesicki (2-35, TD) and Adam Shaheen (1-7, TD) handled the touchdowns. With Salvon Ahmed out, DeAndre Washington (13-49) and Matt Breida (8-36) handled the backfield duties. This was a yawner chock-full of replacement players. The 7-4 Dolphins  host the Bengals this weekend while the 0-11 Jets host the winning Raiders.

NO 31, DEN 3
It was everything we expected. This should be the game of the week if only because when has a practice squad wide receiver been given a chance to start a game as the quarterback? Kendall Hinton maybe a record holder now that he started an entire game and yet threw more interceptions (2) than he had completions (1). Noah Fant (1-9) was the leading receiver. Royce Freeman (8-50), Melvin Gordon (12-31) and Phillip Lindsay (9-20) shared the rushing workload but this game was over when someone for the Broncos said, “Hey, I know! There’s a guy on the practice squad…”

Taysom Hill only passed for 78 yards and one interception though he rushed for 44 yards and two touchdowns. Michael Thomas (4-50) was the only receiver with more than one reception. Latavius Murray ran for 124 yards and two scores on 19 carries while Alvin Kamara fantasy owners got back only 54 rushing yards on 11 runs and he now has one career catch from  Hill for a new of a one-yard loss. The 9-2 Saints head to Atlanta this week while the 4-7 Broncos head to Kansas City. Hopefully with a new (or used) quarterback that can throw more completions than interceptions. But – kinda fun to watch. A game with one completion? In good weather?

SF 23, LAR 20
The NFL is hard enough to forecast without this sort of game. The Rams had everything to win and were at home. The 49ers did get Raheem Mostert, Jeff Wilson, and Deebo Samuels back. Their offense didn’t do that much with Nick Mullens passing for 252 yards and one interception, and Samuel (11-133) as the only receiver with more than 34 yards. Mostert ran for 43 yards on 16 carries with one score while Wilson gained 43 yards on 12 rushes. Each side had a defensive touchdown.

Jared Goff only passed for 198 yards and two interceptions. Robert Woods (7-80) and Cooper Kupp (2-41) lead the Rams, while the only spark came from Cam Akers (9-84, TD) because he broke a 61-yard run in the fourth quarter and they allowed him to punch in the touchdown. Darrell Henderson (10-19) and Malcolm Brown (3-4) also contributed and next week, they’ll go back to the same coin-flip rotation in the backfield. The 5-6 49ers  were supposed to host the Bills this week but are in search of a new place to play for a few weeks since San Jose shut down all college and pro sports for at least two weeks. The 7-4 Rams have to play in Arizona this week.

KC 27, TB 24
Game-o-the-Week contender. The Chiefs led 27-10 entering the fourth quarter but the Buccaneers turned to Mike Evans for two touchdowns and a 27-24 deficit with four minutes left to play but never got the ball back. Tom Brady passed for 345 yards and three touchdowns with two interceptions. Rob Gronkowski (6-106), Chris Godwin (8-97), and Mike Evans (3-50, 2 TD) all rewarded fantasy owners. Ronald Jones ran for 66 yards on nine carries and added a 37-yard touchdown catch. The two interceptions were costly since both were on the Chiefs’ side of the field.

Patrick Mahomes passed for 462 yards and three touchdowns that all ended up with Tyreek Hill (13-269, 3 TD). Travis Kelce caught eight passes for 82 yards but no other Chiefs’ receiver gained more than 38 yards. Clyde Edwards-Helaire ran for just 37 yards on 11carries while Le’Veon Bell was limited to 22 yards on five rushes. It doesn’t matter that the Chiefs rely so heavily on two players when no one can stop them. The 10-1 Chiefs  host the Broncos while the 7-5 Buccaneers go onto their bye.

CHI 25, GB 41 

The final game of the day was never close. The Packers jumped out to a 27-3 lead in the second quarter and then coasted their way to the win. David Montgomery broke off a 57-yard run and ended with 103 yards on 11 carries, plus five receptions for 40 yards and a touchdown for his best fantasy showing of the year. Mitchell Trubisky returned as the starter and passed for 242 yards and three touchdowns with two interceptions but most of that was in the second half when the Packers no longer cared as much. Allen Robinson caught eight passes for 74 yards and two touchdowns but no other receiver gained more than 34 yards. The Bears’ defense is typically better so opponents don’t get so far ahead that they give up that much trash time production.

Aaron Jones ran for 90 yards on 17 carries while Jamaal Williams gained 73 yards on 17 rushes with one touchdown. Aaron Rodgers was in top form, completing 21-of-29 passes for 211 yards and four touchdowns. Robert Tonyan (5-67, TD) and Davante Adams (6-61, TD) were the only Packers with more than 39 yards. It gave the 5-6 Bears their fifth-straight loss but they host the Lions this week. The 8-3 Packers welcome the Eagles to Green Bay.

The Game-o-the-Week

CAR 27, MIN 28
The Panthers led this 24-13 in the fourth quarter but the Vikings drove the field and Kirk Cousins found Justin Jefferson for a 10-yard touchdown  plus a two-point conversion to Obisi Johnson to make it 24-21. The Panthers reached the MIN-9 yard line with 2:10 left to play but had to settle for a 21-yard field goal and a 27-21 lead. The Vikings had the ball with 1:51 left to play on their own 35-yard line. Cousins threw five straight completions to reach the CAR-10 yard line with 1:03 left to play. After one incompletion, he hit Chad Beebe for a touchdown and the 28-27 lead. The Panthers ended with a 54-yard field goal attempt that as no good.

Teddy Bridgewater passed for 267 yards and one score to Robby Anderson (4-94, TD). Curtis Samuel (5-72) and D.J. Moore (4-61) were big contributors though Moore left injured. Mike Davis ran for 55 yards on 15 rushes and added three receptions for 24 yards. The only reason the Panthers were in this was thanks to rookie linebacker Jeremy Chinn returning two fumbles for touchdowns on successive plays.

Dalvin Cook ran for 61 yards on 18 carries and added four catches for 21 yards. Kirk Cousins passed for 307 yards and three scores split between Justin Jefferson (7-70, 2 TD)  and Chad Beebe (7-63, TD). Obisi Johnson (7-74) and Kyle Rudolph (7-68) also contributed with a total of five different receivers catching exactly seven passes.  Cousins won this game while Cook was ineffective and banged up. The 4-8 Panthers go onto their bye while the 5-6 Vikings  host the Jaguars.

Taking a quick rundown of the Sunday NFL games with a fantasy perspective.

TEN 30, BAL 24 OT

This is the second time the Titans left Baltimore as a winner though less painful than the playoffs last January. The Ravens led 21-13 entering the fourth quarter but gave up a field goal and touchdown to trail 21-24 with 2:18 left to play. The Ravens couldn’t score with three plays from the TEN-15 yard line and kicked the field goal for overtime. After a three-and-out by the Ravens in overtime, the Titans drove the field and scored a touchdown when Derrick Henry broke a 29-yard run for the winning score.

Ryan Tannehill passed for 259 yards and two touchdowns between A.J. Brown (4-62, TD) and Jonnu Smith (4-20, TD). Corey Davis led the team with 113 yards on five receptions. Henry finished with 133 yards and the score on 28 rushes. As is usually the case, most of Henry’s production came late in the game when the Ravens defense were just tired of trying to stop him.

Lamar Jackson threw for 186 yards and one score to Mark Andrews (5-96, TD) while no other receivers gained more than 28 yards. The normal three-man rotation in the backfield became mostly just J.K. Dobbins (15-70, TD) who added two catches for 15 yards. Gus Edwards (3-6) and Mark Ingram (2-2) were ineffective. The 7-3 Titans head to Indianapolis this week while the 6-4 Ravens try to salvage their season by playing the Steelers in Pittsburgh.

DET 0, CAR 20
Ugly. Matt Stafford played with a bad thumb and only threw for 178 yards and no touchdowns. T.J. Hockenson (4-68) and Marvin Jones (4-51) were the top receivers and Jones had a long touchdown called back on a penalty. Without D’Andre Swift, the Lions proved that neither Adrian Peterson (7-18) not Kerryon Johnson (6-17) were the answer at running back. The Lions haven’t looked this bad this season and the absence of Swift coupled with the inefficient passing from Stafford doomed their offense.

P.J. Walker replaced Teddy Bridgewater after initially being active for the game but the Panthers changed their minds an hour before kickoff. P.J. Walker’s first start resulted in 258 passing yards and one score with two interceptions. But he hit his wideouts surprisingly well with D.J. Moore (7-127). Curtis Samuel (8-70, TD), and Robbie Anderson (7-46) all contributing. Mark Davis rushed for 64 yards and a touchdown and he added two catches for 15 yards. The 4-6 Lions host the Texans this week still looking for points while the 4-7 Panthers head to Minnesota.

PHI 17, CLE 22
Close game played in what seems to be perpetual bad weather in Cleveland each week. The Eagles offense sputtered as usual and Carson Wentz threw for 235 yards and two scores but also two interceptions. Dallas Goedert caught  a team high five passes for 77 yards and a score while Richard Rodgers (2-48, TD) took care of the other touchdown. Jalen Reagor (4-52) was the top wideout but it was a rainy game with depressed passing stats for both teams.

Baker Mayfield only managed 204 passing yards but had no interceptions. Khadarel Hodge (3-73) and Rashard Higgins (3-65) led the Browns only because each one caught a 40-yard pass. Nick Chubb rushed for 114 yards but did not score or have a pass target. Kareem Hunt ran in a touchdown but only gained 11 yards on 13 carries. This was a sloppy game, but the Eagles were just a bit more sloppy. The 3-6-1 Eagles host the Seahawks hoping for a trap game while the 7-3 Browns head to Jacksonville.

NE 20, HOU 27
This was a surprising game on all counts. The Patriots normally formidable rushing offense struggled versus the Texans No. 29 ranked defense versus running backs. Damien Harris (11-43, TD), James White (5-19), and Rex Burkhead (4-7) found little running room and Burkhead appeared to have a serious injury. But Cam Newton passed for 365 yards and one score to Damiere Byrd (6-132, TD) while Jakobi Meyer’s 3-38) hot streak ended. James White (6-64) even came back to life as a receiver.

Deshaun Watson threw for 344 yards and two scores while adding 36 yards and a touchdown as a rusher. Duke Johnson only managed 15 yards on ten carries. For all the passing, there were no big games by a receiver. Brandin Cooks (4-85), Jodan Akins (5-83), and Will Fuller (6-80) were all good without scoring. It was a reverse game for the Pats who usually are great versus the pass and then weak versus the run. That matched the Texans defense suddenly being great against the run but let Newton pass for 365 yards. The 4-6 Patriots host the Cardinals this weekend and the 3-7 Texans head for Detroit.

PIT 27, JAC 3
The Jaguars were never remotely competitive in this matchup while the unbeaten Steelers looked even better than usual. Ben Roethlisberger passed for 267 yards and two touchdowns with Diontae Johnson (12-111) and Chase Claypool (4-59, TD) leading the receivers. James Conner gained 89 yards on 13 carries and once again, the Steelers let Benny Snell (7-15, TD)  take the short touchdown plunge. The beauty of the Steelers offense is that so many different players can score and contribute significant yardage and yet their individual inconsistencies makes it all hard to defend.

Jake Luton  is just getting worse. He completed just 16-of-37 for 151 yards, four interceptions and a QB rating of 15.5. D.J. Chark (4-41) was as good as it got for the Jaguars receivers. James Robinson ran for 73 yards on 17 carries and added two catches for 21 yards as the only fantasy play from this offense. The 10-0 Steelers host the Ravens in a divisional matchup that doesn’t seem as big or as important with the Steelers already four games ahead of them and having won their first meeting. The 1-9 Jaguars host the Browns.

ATL 9, NO 24
The Saints really did start Taysom Hill at quarterback and won the game – so he’s the new fixture under center. Hill ran for 51 yards and two scores while passing for 233 yards with no interceptions. Alvin Kamara (13-45, TD) never caught a pass and Hill seems a lock to depress with Kamara does. And so far – significantly. Latavius Murray used 12 runs to gain 49 yards but he had more usage late in the game once the Saints took over after trailing 3-9 in the second quarter. Michael Thomas (9-104) and Emmanuel Sanders (4-66) led the receivers and didn’t lose anything with the switch from Brees to Hill, at least not while facing the No. 31 defense versus quarterbacks.

Matt Ryan had all of his receivers back but only passed for 232 yards and two interceptions, even with Marshon Lattimore out. Calvin Ridley (5-90) and Russell Gage (7-58) were the top receivers with Julio Jones only thrown two passes that were both caught for only 39 yards. Todd Gurley ran for only 26 yards on eight carries. The Saints defense looked like the same one that crushed the Buccaneers back in Week 9. The 3-7 Falcons  host the Raiders this week while the 8-2 Saints head to Denver.

CIN 9, WAS 20
This was as dull as the score suggests, and then made tragic with the season-ending injury to Joe Burrow. With Joe Mixon also on injured reserve, Samaje Perine led the team with five carries for 19 yards, while Giovani Bernard only managed 18 yards on nine runs and added four catches for 37 yards. Tyler Boyd (9-85) and even A.J. Green (4-41, TD) were the top receivers but that all goes out the window with a change in quarterback.

Alex Smith only passed for 166 yards and one score. The only notable receiver (ever) was Terry McLaurin (5-84) while Steven Sims (3-13, TD) caught the only touchdown. Antonio Gibson ran for 94 yards and a score on 16 carries and J.D. McKissic totaled 69 yards with his three catches factored in. The Football Team won thanks to their defense. They held the Bengals scoreless in the second half while posting 13 points. The 2-7-1 Bengals host the Giants this week while the 3-7 Football Team travels to Dallas for an NFC East showdown.

MIA 13, DEN 20
The Dolphins’ string of five consecutive wins went to the wayside against the Denver defense. Tua Tagovailoa only completed 11-of-20 passes for 83 yards and a score before being benched for Ryan Fitzpatrick. HC Brian Flores already said that the rookie remains the starting quarterback. Salvon Ahmed only gained 43 yards on 12 carries as the starter but added five receptions for 31 yards. Devante Parker (6-61, TD) and Mike Gesicki (4-43) were the top receivers in this sluggish matchup.

The Broncos won thanks to Melvin Gordon rushing in two touchdowns on his 15 carries for 84 yards. Phillip Lindsay also added 82 yards on 16 runs. Drew Lock ended with 270 yards and one interception. Tim Patrick (5-119) and Noah Fant (4-55) were the only receivers with more than 40 yards. The Broncos’ offense was much more efficient than the Dolphins who looked much more like the 2019 version. The 6-4 Dolphins  play at the Jets this week while the 4-6 Broncos  host the Saints.

NYJ 28, LAC 34
The Chargers tried to give this game away, but the Jets wouldn’t accept the gift that almost every opponent gets. Joe Flacco had one of the better days for a Jets arterback when he passed for 205 yards and two scores with only one interception. Breshad Perriman (2-54, TD) and Chris Herndon (2-32, TD) both scored and Denzel Mims led the team with 71 yards on three catches. Since Jamison Crowder is the only Jet with any fantasy value, he ended with just one catch for 16 yards. Frank Gore ran for 61 yards and a score while La’Mical Perine gained 33 yards and a touchdown.  That’s four touchdowns by the Jets in one game. And it still wasn’t good enough.

Justin Herbert threw for 366 yards and three touchdowns that involved Keenan Allen (16-145, TD), Mike Williams (4-72, TD), and Hunter Henry (4-48, TD). Kalen Ballage was held to 44 yards on 18 carries but added seven catches for 27 yards. The Bolts ended their three-game losing streak and all it took was hosting the only 0-10 team. The Chargers led 31-13 in the third quarter when the Jets got hot and the curse of the Chargers almost held true giving up two late touchdowns to make it a game. The Jets  host the Dolphins this week while the 3-7 Chargers  head to Buffalo.

DAL 31, MIN 28
The Cowboys ended a four-game losing streak looking a lot like they did in the first two weeks. Ezekiel Elliott ran for his first 100- yard effort of the year when he gained  103 yards on 21 rushes and added two catches for 11 yards and one touchdown. Andy Dalton passed for 203 yards and three scores with Amari Cooper (6-81) as the lead receiver and no other players had more than 35 yards. CeeDee Lamb (4-34, TD) and Dalton Schultz (4-25, TD) handled the other touchdowns. There were fewer mistakes and more effective passing from Dalton this time.

Kirk Cousins threw for 314 yards and two scores with Adam Thielen (8-132, 2 TD) as the top receiver and Justin Jefferson (3-86, TD) snaring the 39-yard score in the fourth quarter. Dalton Cook ran for 115 yards and a touchdown on 27 rushes and added five catches for 45 yards. The Vikings offense played well enough to win but lost two fumbles and the Vikings defense did what no other had done before – made the Dallas offense look good without Dak Shepard. The 3-7 Cowboys host the Football Team this week while the 4-6 Vikings host the Panthers.

KC 35, LV 31
Game-o-the-Week contender, to be sure. If the Raiders scored with 28 seconds left, it would have been a potential Game-o-the-Year. The game played out in perfect order as both teams took turns scoring. The Chiefs had one more touchdown when the Raiders only had a field goal but they took turns every score. That reverses the damage from losing in Kansas City for the Chiefs.

Patrick Mahomes threw for 348 yards and two scores that included driving the field with 1:43 left to play and ending with a 22-yard touchdown pass to Travis Kelce with only 40 seconds left to play. Kelce finished with a team-high 127 yards on eight catches with one score while Tyreek Hill turned in 11 catches for 102 yards and the other touchdown. Clyde Edwards-Helaire ran 14 times for 69 yards and two touchdowns while Le’Veon Bell added 25 yards and a score on his seven carries.

Derek Carr passed for 275 yards and three touchdowns with one interception on a desperation throw at the end of the game. Darren Waller (7-88, TD) and Nelson Agholor (6-88, TD) led the receivers with no one else gaining more than 37 yards. Josh Jacobs ran for 55 yards on 17 carries and one score but only added a nine-yard catch. The win sends the 9-1 Chiefs  to face the Buccaneers while the 6-4 Raiders play in Atlanta this week.

The Game-o-the-Week

GB 31, IND 34 OT
Big game that ended in overtime – what’s not to love? The Packers led 28-14 at halftime but then watched the Colts reel off three field goals and a touchdown with a two-point conversion to lead 31-28 in the fourth quarter.  The Packers took over at their 6-yard line with only 1:25 left to play and drove the field to the IND-15 yard line with 43 seconds left. After three plays that could have won the game, they kicked a 26-yard field goal to send it into overtime.

The Packers won the toss and started at their 22-yard line. On second down, Aaron Rodgers hit Marquez Valdes-Scantling who fumbled the ball away and the Colts recovered at the Packers’ 30-yard line. Three carries by Jonathan Taylor and the Colts kicked the 39-yard winning field goal.

Aaron Rodgers passed for 311 yards and three touchdowns with Davante Adams (7-106, TD) and Robert Tonyan (5-44, TD) as the only good fantasy plays. Aaron Jones ran for 41 yards and a score on 10 rushes and added four catches for 30 yards. Other than one field goal to tie the game, the Packers’ offense stopped scoring in the second quarter.

Philip Rivers passed for 283 yards and three touchdowns in the win. Michael Pittman (3-66, TD) and Zach Pascal (3-54) were the top receivers but Rivers connected with 11 different players.  Nyheim Hines big Week 10 performance was quickly forgotten since he only gained two yards on six rushes and added 31 yards on three catches. Jonathan Taylor (22-90) was back as the primary back and even Jordan Wilkins had four carries for 21 yards. The loss sends the 7-3 Packers home to face the Bears while the 7-3 Colts host the Titans.

Taking a quick rundown of the Sunday NFL games with a fantasy perspective.

TB 46, CAR 23
The Buccaneers bounced back from their thrashing by the Saints in Week 9. Tom Brady threw for 341 yards and three touchdowns and ran in a score as well. Chris Godwin (6-92), Mike Evans (6-77, TD), and Antonio Brown (7-69) were the top receivers and Rob Gronkowski (2-51, TD) scored as well. Ronald Jones ripped off a 98-yard touchdown run and ended with 192 yards on 23 carries. Leonard Fournette gained just 19 yards on eight rushes and two receptions for 11 yards in another case of the “hot hand” taking over.

Teddy Bridgewater passed for just 136 yards and two scores against a very motivated Buccaneers defense. He added a rushing score to salvage his fantasy value. D.J. Moore (4-96, TD) was the only receiver with more than 21 yards. Mike Davis ran for just 32 yards on seven carries in this beatdown. The Panthers actually led this 17-10 in the second quarter before the wheels came off. The 7-3 Buccaneers host the Rams this week and the 3-7 Panthers welcome the Lions.

HOU 7, CLE 10
It rained with 25 MPH wind which was more than either team could handle. Deshaun Watson ended with 163 passing yards and one touchdown but ran for 36 yards. Randall Cobb (3-41) and Brandin Cooks (6-39) were the top receivers and Duke was limited to 54 yards on 14 rushes while covering for the inactive David Johnson. It was a yawner of an effort by both teams and each struggled to do much.

Baker Mayfield threw for 132 yards and no scores. Rashard Higgins replaced Odell Beckham and led the team with just 48 yards on three catches. Nick Chubb was back and ran for 126 yards and a score on 19 rushes while Kareem Hunt gained 104 yards on his 19 carries and added three catches for 28 yards. Hunt and Chubb were the only players in the entire game with any notable fantasy stats and that’s exactly how the Browns want every week to transpire. The 2-7 Texans host the Patriots for Week 11 and the 6-3 Browns welcome the Eagles.

WAS 27, DET 30
Washington gave the Lions all they could handle and this game was tied 24-24 with six minutes left when they scored 21 straight points in about 11 minutes on the Lions. Then the Lions took the lead 27-24 with a field goal with just 2:37 left to play. But wait, there’s more. Washington kicked a tying field goal with 16 seconds left for a tying score of 27-27. But wait, there’s more. Washington couldn’t keep the Lions from scoring with only 16 seconds left. Matt Stafford hit a nine-yard completion from his 35-yard line and took a timeout with 12 seconds left. Washington opted for the ill-timed roughing the passer next which game the Lions the ball at midfield. They completed a nine-yard pass to the Washington 41-yard-line where Matt Prater kicked a 59-yard game-winning field goal.

Alex Smith passed for 390 yards but no scores, and Terry McLaurin (7-95) and Logan Thomas (4-66) were the top receivers. Antonio Gibson only gained 45 yards on 13 carries but ran in two touchdowns. McLaurin added a 27-yard run as well. The good news was that Smith threw for high yardage, used nine receivers and still gave McLaurin a big game.

Matt Stafford faced one of the stingiest secondaries in the NFL and still threw for 276 yards and three touchdowns. Marvin Jones (8-96, TD) and Marvin Hall (2-61, TD) were the best wide receivers. D’Andre Swift took the start and gained 81 yards on 16 runs and added five receptions for 68 yards and a touchdown. Adrian Peterson only ran four times in the game as Swift shifted into being a workhorse this week. The 2-7 Football Team host the Bengals this week while the 4-5 Lions head to Carolina.

JAC 20, GB 24

This was not a trap game, at least not for the final ten minutes or so. This was yet another slow, “play down to their level” sort of game. Jake Luton threw for 169 yards and one touchdown to Keelan Cole (5-47, TD) while DJ Chark turned in a team-high 56 yards on four catches in the colder, windier matchup. James Robinson ran for 109 yards on 23 carries and added two catches for three yards. The Jaguars didn’t do much, but the Packers mostly played flat and let them stay in the game.

Aaron Rodgers passed for 325 yards and two scores that included a 78-yard touchdown to Marquez Valdes-Scantling (4-149, TD). Rodgers also ran in a score. Davante Adams ended with eight catches for 66 yards and a touchdown but had another 22-yard score called back on a penalty. Aaron Jones only managed 46 yards on 13 runs  and caught five passes for 49 yards for a disappointing outing. The 7-2 Packers got away with mailing in the first three quarters and head to Indianapolis this weekend while the 1-8 Jaguars  host the Steelers and hope they, too, do not take them seriously.

PHI 17, NYG 24

Well. This ensures that the NFC East is a sad mess this year. Carson Wentz passed for 208 yards and no scores with Richard Rodgers (4-60) and Jalen Reagor (4-47) as good as it got for receivers. Miles Sanders was back and ran 15 times for 85 yards and added ten more on two catches. Boston Scott (3-63, TD) broke open for a 56-yard touchdown run or this would have been an even more lackluster effort.

Daniel Jones threw for 244 yards but made a bigger difference with 64 yards and a touchdown on his nine runs. Darrius Slayton (5-93) and Sterling Shepard (6-47) were the best receivers and Wayne Gallman ran for 53 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries as he replaced Devonta Freeman who was placed on injured reserve. The Giants are more successful running the ball lately – including their quarterback – but the Eagles’ inability to generate much offense is troublesome since Miles Sanders, Dallas Goedert (4-33) and even Alshon Jeffery (no targets) are back. The 3-5-1 Eagles  play in Cleveland this week and the 3-7 Giants go onto their bye.

DEN 12, LV 37
The Broncos just never really made the plane trip to this loss. Drew Lock passed for 257 yards and one score but had four interceptions. Jerry Jeudy (4-68) and Tim Patrick (4-61) were the top receivers and DaeSean Hamilton (4-33, TD) caught the late fourth-quarter meaningless touchdown. Melvin Gordon only ran for 46 yards on 11 runs while Phillip Lindsay only managed two yards on his four rushes and neither back had a catch.

The Raiders just let the Broncos kill themselves and then rushed in touchdowns off turnovers. Derek Carr only threw for 154 yards and no receiver topped 37 yards or scored. Josh Jacobs ran for 112 yards on 21 rushes with two scores, and Devonta Booker mopped up with 16 carries for 81 yards and two more touchdowns. The 6-3 Raiders barely broke a sweat and host the Chiefs this week. The 3-6 Broncos host the Dolphins this week and even that isn’t much fun anymore.

LAC 21, MIA 29
The Dolphins never trailed and tore off 17 points in the second half to secure this win. Justin Herbert threw for only 187 yards and two scores and Keenan Allen (3-39, TD) led the receivers in yardage. Kalen Ballage ran for 68 yards on 18 runs as the primary back and added five catches for 84 yards as the only notable fantasy play from the Chargers this week.

Tua Tagovailoa won his third game and threw for 169 yards and two scores. he only netted a one-yard loss on six rushes so last week’s 35 rushing yards is the fluke so far.  Jakeem Grant (4-43, TD) was the leading receiver and only player with more than two catches. DeVante Parker was held to only 31 yards on two receptions. Salvon Ahmed ran for 85 yards and one score on 21 rushes and no other back ran more than twice. The 2-7 Chargers still lost within a touchdown and host the Jets this weekend. The 6-3 Dolphins head to Denver to see how long this Tagovailoa thing can last.

SEA 16, LAR 23
This was not the shoot-out we wanted and expected. Russell Wilson disappointed with 248 passing yards and two interceptions for the rare down game. He led the Seahawks with 60 yards on eight rushes while Alex Collins (11-43, TD) became the newest primary back . Since the Seahawks take their bye now, both Chris Carson and Carlos Hyde should be back for the next game. Tyler Lockett (5-66) led all receivers while DK Metcalf (2-28) finally met his match in CB Jalen Ramsey. Russell Wilson settled for a 57.0 QB rating, so it was a very different sort of game for him.

Jared Goff faced the worst seconday in the history of the world NFL and while he passed for 302 yards, he had no touchdowns. Josh Reynolds (8-94) was the top receiver and no other wide receiver gained more than 50 yards – a rarity against that secondary. The backfield is back to being three-wide with Cam Akers (10-38), Malcolm Brown (6-33, 2 TD) and Darrell Henderson (7-28, TD) all sharing the workload. It was a Seahawks win, but short of the expected points by both sides. The 6-3 Seahawks return home for a revenge game against the Cardinals while the 6-3 Rams  head to Tampa Bay.

SF 13, NO 27
This was a trap game in the making with the 49ers leading 10-0 in the second quarter but then the Saints returned the kick 75 yards and kicked a field goal. And then three Alvin Kamar touchdowns and a field goal later, it was 27-10 and well in hand. The Saints lost Drew Brees for the second half and Jameis Winston only passed for 63 yards.  Michael Thomas ended with only two catches for 27 yards. The only notable player was Kamara who ran for only 15 yards on eight carries but scored twice and added a third touchdown on his seven catches for 83 yards. The 49ers offense may be ravaged by injury, but the defense still has a punch.

Nick Mullens passed for 247 yards and a touchdown with two interceptions. Brandon Aiyuk (7-75, TD) and Jordan Reed (5-62) were the top receivers while no others gained more than 27 yards. Jerick McKinnon was the lead back again when he ran for 33 yards on 18 carries but only added one catch for 13 yards. The 49ers somehow looked formidable for the first quarter but it all fell apart after that. The 4-6 49ers head onto their bye while the 7-2 Saints  host the Falcons.

CIN 10, PIT 36
This was an easier win than expected. Joe Burrow only passed for 213 yards and one touchdown to Tee Higgins (7-115, TD) but all other receivers were held below 45 yards. Joe Mixon missed another game but Giovani Bernard only gained 30 yards on eight rushes before they threw in the towel and let Samaje Perrine run the ball seven times for 48 yards when the Steelers no longer cared when they ran the ball.  This was a setback in the sense that the offensive progress this season seemed to disappear. It was one of their worst venues of the year though and Bernard is no Mixon.

Ben Roethlisberger passed for 333 yards and four touchdowns. Diontae Johnson (6-116, TD), JuJu Smith-Schuster (9-77, TD), and Chase Claypool (4-56, 2 TD) handled all the scoring. James Conner only gained 36 yards on 13 carries as the lone disappointment from the Steelers offense. The best part of the game was that the Steelers did not just mail in the win but kept chunking the ball even in the fourth quarter. The 2-6-1 Bengals  head to Washington this week while the 9-0 Steelers travel to face the Jaguars.

BAL 17, NE 23
This was a rainy, messy game. And for once, the Ravens passed better than usual, didn’t run much and lost the game. Lamar Jackson completed 24-of-34 passes for 249 yards and two scores with one interception. Willie Snead caught five passes for 64 yards and both touchdowns while Mark Andrews finally showed up with seven receptions for 61 yards but no other receivers did much. Jackson was the leading rusher with 55 yards on 11 runs while Gus Edwards (7-42) and J.K. Dobbins (5-13) never saw much volume. Snead’s second touchdown came with only eight seconds left, so the game wasn’t as close as the score may suggest.

Cam Newton only threw 17 passes with 13 completions for 118 yards and one score. Jakobi Meyers led the Pats with five catches for 59 yards. Both he and Newton threw a touchdown to Rex Burkhead (4-35, 2 TD). Damien Harris ran for 121 yards on 22 carries as the star in the wet victory. Newton would also run in a touchdown as well. This soggy Sunday night game mostly says that the Ravens offense cannot keep up whenever they fall behind and have fewer chances to just run the ball. The 6-3 Ravens  host the Titans this week while the 4-5 Patriots  head to Houston.

The Game-o-the-Week

BUF 30, ARI 32

No question which game deserves this recognition. This is why we watch football and play fantasy football.

The Bills led 23-9 midway through the third quarter.  All the Cardinals had done was kick three field goals. Finally, Kyler Murray ran in a score and then led drives that ended in two field goals for the 26-23 lead heading into the fourth quarter. The team traded punts and then Josh Allen threw an interception. The Cards did little and punted.

The Bills took over at their 22-yard line with 3:35 left to play. Allen led the team on a 13-play drive that ended with a 21-yard touchdown pass to Stefon Diggs with only 34 seconds left to play for the 30-26 lead.

The Cards took the touchback and started at their 25-yard line.

Murray hit Andy Isabella for 14 yards to the ARZ-39 yard line with 27 seconds left and took a time out.

Murray hit DeAndre Hopkins for a 9-yard gain to the ARZ-48 yard line with 21 seconds left to play and took their final timeout.

Murray hit Larry Fitzgerald with a 9-yard gain to the BUF-43 yard line and he went out of bounds with 11 seconds left.

Murray gets chased out of the pocket, angles over toward the left sideline and throws a desperation lob into the endzone just before getting hit. It falls to DeAndre Hopkins who leapt higher and was better positioned than the three defenders for the touchdown.

The 32-30 lead was locked down when they  kneeled on the extra point so that the Bills could not possibly get the ball and return it for a two-point tying play.

Josh  Allen passed for 284 yards and two touchdowns, plus ran for 38 yards as the Bills leading rusher. Devin Singletary (4-15) and Zack Moss (7-20) did little to help.

Cole Beasley caught a team-high 11 passes for 109 yards and a touchdown, Stefon Diggs ended with ten receptions for 93 yards and a score while John Brown turned in 72 yards on six catches before leaving with an injured ankle. And just to lend a bit of whimsy, Allen also caught a touchdown on a trick play.

Kyle Murray threw for 245 yards and one score and added 11 runs for 61 yards and two touchdowns. Kenyan Drake was a game-time decision and still gained 100 yards on 16 rushes. Chase Edmonds gained 56 yards on eight runs. It was a great game that ended with the “Hail Murray” pass. Football needs those sort of endings. We all probably need it.

 

Taking a quick rundown of the Sunday NFL games with a fantasy perspective.

DEN 20, ATL 34
No big surprises in this one. Drew Lock passed for 313 yards and two scores between Jerry Jeudy (7-125, TD) and Tim Patrick (4-29). KJ Hamler ended with 75 yards on six catches while Lock relied on the wide receivers. Lock also added 47 yards and a touchdown on his seven runs as the Broncos’ leading rusher. Phillip Lindsay (8-23) and Melvin Gordon (6-18) were ineffective as rushers and combined for only one catch. Denver trailed 6-27 entering the fourth quarter and mounted a three-touchdown fourth quarter that fell short.

Matt Ryan threw for 284 yards and three touchdowns and relied on Olamide Zaccheus (4-103, TD), Hayden Hurst (7-62), and Julio Jones (5-54, TD) while Calvin Ridley was inactive. Todd Gurley ran for 53 yards and a score on 19 runs. The Falcons dominated the Broncos through the first three quarters but the Broncos made it look much closer than it really was. The 3-5 Broncos play in Las Vegas this week while the 3-6 Falcons head onto their bye.

SEA 34, BUF 44
What a great game. And kudos to the Seahawks for not upgrading their secondary and making every week into a shootout. Russell Wilson threw for 390 yards and two touchdowns but with two uncharacteristic interceptions. DK Metcalf (7-108, TD) continues his elite level of play. David Moore (4-71, TD) and Jacob Hollister (5-60) were the top receivers while Tyler Lockett was held to only 40 yards on four catches. Chris Carson was inactive, so DeeJay Dallas (7-31, TD) and Travis Homer (6-16) handled the rushing role but the Seahawks trailed 0-17 and never had the lead so they did not run as much.

Josh Allen rekindled his early-season form facing the non-defense of the Seahawks and he ended with 415 passing yards and three touchdowns. Stefon Digs (9-118), John Brown (8-99) and Greg Davis (4-70, TD) were the main beneficiaries. There was no rushing effort other than Zack Moss (9-18, TD) ran in a score as did Josh Allen (7-14, TD). Devin Singletary was held to only one yard on two runs and caught three passes for 33 yards. The win sends the 7-2 Bills to Arizona this weekend and the 6-2 Seahawks travels to play the Rams.

BAL 24, IND 10

The Colts led 10-7 at halftime  but never scored again. Lamar Jackson only passed for 170 yards and no receiver had more than 45 yards. The lack of passing success is no surprise here, but it still points at the problem that the Ravens have whenever they fall behind in games. Jackson ran for 58 yards and one score while Gus Edwards (11-23, TD) and J.K. Dobbins (12-30) were marginally effective when they tried to run. The Ravens defense was good enough to secure this win and even scored on a 65-yard fumble return.

The Colts offensive problems were back against a great defense like the Ravens. Philip Rivers passed for 227 yards and one interception. No receiver was better than Michael Pittman (4-56). Jonathan Taylor (6-27, TD) took the rushing score and Jordan Wilkins (11-39) had a heavier workload with marginal results. The Colts playoff hopes will be dim if they cannot generate offense when facing an upper-tier defense. The 6-2 Ravens head to New England this week while the 5-3 Colts face a critical divisional matchup in Tennessee.

HOU 27, JAC 25
Close game  with the Jaguars getting more out of their new starting quarterback than expected. Jake Luton debut produced 304 passing yards and one touchdown plus he ran in a second score in his only rushing attempt in the game. DJ Chark ended with a team-high 146 yards on seven catches that included a 73-yard touchdown. No other receiver gained more than 52 yards or scored but Luton’s first game saw him throw to nine receivers. James Robinson ran for 99 yards and a score on 25 carries. The Jaguars trailed 27-16 in the third quarter but drew to 27-25 on their late touchdown but failed to get the two-point conversion. Still – the rookie was impressive.

Deshaun Watson passed for 281 yards and two scores and added 50 yards as a runner. Will Fuller (5-100, TD) and Brandin Cooks (3-83, TD) were the only receivers with more than 32 yards. David Johnson suffered a concussion and left Duke Johnson to run for 41 yards and a touchdown as a rusher, plus four catches for 32 yards. The 2-6 Texans get their second win on the year and play in Cleveland this week. The 1-7 Jaguars bring their new quarterback to Green Bay on Sunday where it won’t be nearly as easy.

CAR 31 , KC 33

This was a great game. The Panthers welcomed back Christian McCaffrey who jumped right back into the heavy workload before the injury. He rushed for 69 yards and one score, plus caught a team-high ten passes for 82 yards and another score. For fantasy owners, it was the performance that was sorely missing the six previous weeks. Mike Davis still caught five passes for 34 yards but only ran once for three yards. Teddy Bridgewater threw for 310 yards and two scores and also ran in a touchdown. Curtis Samuel (9-105, TD) has really come on strong in recent weeks. Robby Anderson (9-63) was still busy but DJ Moore (2-18) gave up his normal workload to Samuel.

Patrick Mahomes ended with 372 passing yards and four touchdowns. Travis Kelce (10-159) and Tyreek Hill (9-113, 2 TD) did most of the damage while the rushing effort was anemic. Le’Veon Bell gained a total of three net yards while Clyde Edwards-Helaire was held to just 14 yards on five rushes but caught a score on his three receptions for 20 yards.  The Panthers led 14-3 to start and then was in this until the final gun.

DET 20, MIN 34

The undercard of the NFC North didn’t crank out the fantasy points much other than Dalvin Cook who, yet again, went nuclear with 22 runs for 206 yards and one touchdown and two catches for 46 more yards. Kirk Cousins passed for 220 yards and three scores that were split between Ameer Abdullah (1-22, TD) and Irv Smith (2-10, 2 TD). Justin Jefferson (3-64) was the only receiver with more than 50 yards. This was another one of those games that Cook took over but at least Cousins still scored three times.

Matt Stafford threw for 211 yards and a score but had two interceptions and left with a concussion. Chase Daniel finished the game with 94 yards and one touchdown. Danny Amendola (7-77), Matt Jones (3-42, TD), and T.J. Hockenson (5-39, TD) were the top receivers but as always, the absence of Kenny Golladay made a difference. D’Andre Swift ran for 64 yards and added 33 more on three receptions. The Lions couldn’t rely on any player for a big game despite facing a weaker defense. The loss sends the 3-5 Lions back home to host Washington and the 3-5 Vikings  head to Chicago.

CHI 17, TEN 24
The Bears trailed 24-3 until well into the fourth quarter when they reeled off two touchdowns to make it look like they had been there for the full game. Nick Foles passed for 335 yards and two scores and Allen Robinson ended with 81 yards on seven catches as the top receiver. Anthony Miller (5-59) and Jimmy Graham (6-55, TD) were the next best and most of the passing  and both touchdowns happened later in the fourth quarter. David Montgomery only gained 30 yards on 14 rushes but left with a concussion late in the game. The Bears offense struggled badly until the Titans stopped caring later on.

Derrick Henry was held to only 68 yards on 21 carries and was never thrown any targets. Ryan Tannehill threw for just 158 yards and two scores with AJ Brown (4-101, TD) and Jonnu Smith (2-32, TD) providing all but four catches for 25 yards in the game.  The Titans returned a fumble for a 63-yard touchdown to help them win the game. The Titans never lost the ball and the Bears lost two fumbles that made a difference.  The 5-4 Bears head onto their bye this week while the 6-2 Titans host the Colts in an AFC South showdown.

NYG 23, WAS 20
The Giants may only have two wins, but they swept Washington this year. Daniel Jones only threw for 212 yards and one score to Evan Engram (5-48, TD). Undrafted Austin Mack led the receivers with four catches for 72 yards and only had one career reception coming into the game. He replaced Golden Tate who was suspended this week after a faux pas on Twitter regarding his own team.  Wayne Gallman scored on his 14 carries for 68 yards while Alfred Morris ran for 67 yards on nine rushes. The Giants best stat was no turnovers while Washington lost the ball five times.

Kyle Allen got leg whipped and it looked like a Dak-Prescott quality  injury compete with a cringe-worthy foot pointing the wrong way. Alex Smith came in and threw for 325 yards and a score but tossed three interceptions that killed any chance of a comeback. Terry McLaurin (7-115, TD) and Cam Sims (3-110) delivered on the day and J.D. McKissic kicked in nine catches for 65 yards as Smith’s preferred option. Antonio Gibson scored on a run but only totaled 55 yards in the game. The 2-7 Giants host the Eagles.

LV 31, LAC 26

The Chargers lost another close one but at least it wasn’t in the final minute. Justin Herbert passed for 326 yards and two touchdowns with Keenan Allen (9-103, TD) and Mike Williams (5-81)  as the only receivers with more than 50 yards. Justin Jackson was hurt to start the game and Kalen Ballage took over with 15 rushes for 69 yards and a touchdown. He added two catches for 15 yards while Joshua Kelley added 28 rushing yards on nine carries and five receptions for 31 yards. It was yet another solid effort that fell short of what the Chargers defense was giving away.

The Raiders had no big performances. Derek Carr threw for 165 yards and two touchdowns between Nelson Agholor (2-55, TD) and Darren Waller (5-22, TD). Hunter Renfrow led with 60 yards on two catches while Henry Ruggs never caught any of his three targets. Justin Jacobs ran for 65 yards and one score on 14 rushes  but only added one catch for three yards. Devontae Booker gained 68 yards on eight rushes including a 23-yard touchdown to start the game. It was a close game as any that involves the Chargers have been. The 5-3 Raiders host the Broncos this week while the 2-6 Chargers head to Miami.

PIT 24, DAL 19

The Steelers dropped by the post offense and mailed in this win. The Cowboys led 19-9 going into the fourth quarter before the Steelers woke up and posted 15 straight points to take the game. James Conner only ran for 22 yards on nine carries. Ben Roethlisberger passed for 306 yards and two scores that mostly happened in the final 15 minutes of playing time. JuJu Smith-Schuster led the team with six catches for 93 yards and a score while Diontae Johnson (6-77) and Chase Claypool (8-69) also pitched in. This is the only undefeated team in the NFL and one of the top defenses. They only looked like it during the fourth quarter.

The Cowboys started Garrett Gilbert who passes for a respectable 243 yards and one score to CeeDee Lamb (4-71, TD). Amari Cooper ended with 67 yards on five catches and the passing game, while mediocre, still exceeded all expectations for starting the fourth quarterback this year. Then again, the Steelers did mail in this game. Ezekiel Elliott’s hamstring healed enough to let him play and he handed 18 carries for 51 yards and added two catches for 18 yards. Tony Pollard pitched in nine runs for 57 yards as well. The 2-7 Cowboys lost but looked better than expected in the process. They go onto their bye while the 8-0 Steelers host the Bengals.

NO 38, TB 3

This is going to set the Buccaneers 2020 season back. We expected fireworks but only the Saints remembered the lighter. This was a shocking domination in all aspects. Drew Brees passed for 222 yards and four touchdowns but 11 different receivers caught a pass and none gained more than the 51 yards on five catches by Michael Thomas. No other receivers topped 40 yards and Emmanuel Sanders (4-38, TD) was the only likely fantasy start that delivered. Alvin Kamara only gained nine yards on five catches and ran for 40 yards on nine carries with one touchdown. The Saints defense shut the Buccaneers down and kept them in great field position.

Tom Brady’s duel with Brees didn’t happen. He only threw for 209 yards and three interceptions. Mike Evans (4-64) and Chris Godwin (3-41) were the top receivers and Antonio Brown’s debut ended with only three receptions for 31 yards. The Buccaneers only ran the ball five times for a net of eight yards. This was a dud of a matchup and a real headscratcher given how well the Buccaneers had played and what was on the line for them. Now the 6-2 Saints host the limping 49ers and the 6-3 Buccaneers have to play in Carolina. 

The Game-o-the-Week

MIA 34, ARI 31
Just a year or so ago, this would be a battle of the cellar-dwellers but both teams have improved dramatically. And obviously with 65 total points in a game that went down to the wire. Tua Tagovailoa was far better in his second start, throwing for 248 yards and two touchdowns and running for 35 yards. Devante Parker (6-54) and Preston Williams (4-60, TD) were the top receivers and Mike Gesicki (3-42) was involved as well, unlike last week. With Myles Gaskin gone and Matt Breida out, Jordan Howard (10-19, TD) reprised his low-yardage role from earlier this season and undrafted rookie Salvon Ahmed (7-38). Patrick Laird  only had two touches.

Kyler Murray passed for 283 yards and three touchdowns but Christian Kirk (5-123, TD) was the only receiver of any note including DeAndre Hopkins (3-30). Murray also ran for 106 yards and a score on 11 rushes while Chase Edmonds only gained 70 yards on 25 carries and caught three passes for 18 yards. The Dolphins got the upset by somehow shrinking the Cardinals down to little more than Kyler Murray running or dinking-and-dunking when he passes. The 5-3 Cardinals host the Bills this week and the 5-3 Dolphins host the Chargers.

Taking a quick rundown of the Sunday NFL games with a fantasy perspective.

PIT 28, BAL 24

And the Steelers keep marching along.  James Conner ran for 47 yards and one touchdown plus just 13 yards on three catches. Ben Roethlisberger threw for 182 yards and two scores between Eric Ebron (4-48, TD) and Chase Claypool (5-42, TD). JuJu Smith-Schuster led the team with seven receptions for 67 yards in this mostly defensive game. The Steelers also returned an interception for a 33-yard touchdown to open the game. This was a huge game for the Steelers and sets up the rematch on Thanksgiving.

Lamar Jackson ran for 65 yards on 16 rushes and threw for 208 yards and two touchdowns but his two interceptions were costly. Willie Snead (5-105) was the only receiver with more than 39 yards. Mark Andrews was held to only 32 yards on three catches and Marquise Brown scored but on his only catch in the game. With Mark Ingram sidelined, Gus Edwards (16-87, TD) and J.K. Dobbins (15-113) both ran effectively in this close loss. The 7-0 Steelers now take a two-game lead over the Ravens for the AFC North and  play in Dallas this week. The Ravens are at the Colts.

NE 21, BUF 24

The Patriots scored more points in this one but not quite enough. Cam Newton only lost one fumble and threw for 174 yards with his best receivers down to only Jakobi Meyers (6-58) and Damiere Byrd (3-39). Damien Harris ran for 102 yards and a touchdown while Newton also added a score on his nine rushes for 54 yards. The Pats were competitive until Newton lost that fumble with 36 seconds left at the BUF-19 yard line.

The Bills only passed for 154 yards and no scores but Josh Allen ran in a touchdown on his ten carries for 23 yards. Stefon Diggs (6-92) was the only receiver with more than 24 yards and the backfield took care of business with Devin Singletary (14-86) and Zack Moss (14-81, 2 TD) doing most of the damage. The 6-2 Bills had trouble putting the Patriots away even with the home venue but maintain their lead in the AFC East where the Patriots fall to a hard to imagine 2-5 on the season. The Bills host the Seahawks this week and the Patriots play at the Jets.

TEN 20, CIN 31

The Bengals may not have a winning record but they cannot be taken lightly. Derrick Henry ran for 112 yards and one score on 18 carries while Jeremy McNichols (4-49) and Donte Foreman (5-37) split up the relief work. Ryan Tannehill threw for 233 yards and two scores but Corey Davis (8-128, 2 TD) was the only receiver with more than 36 yards.  A.J. Brown settled for 24 yards on four catches but caught the other touchdown.

Joe Burrow passed for 249 yards and two scores with Tee Higgins (6-78) and Tyler Boyd (6-67, TD) leading the team. With Joe Mixon out, Giovani Bernard started and ran for 62 yards and a score plus added a second touchdown on his three receptions for 16 yards. Samaje Perine also chipped in a score on his ten rushes for 32 yards. The win sends the 2-5-1 Bengals onto the bye and the 5-2 Titans  host the Bears this week.

LV 16, CLE 6

This was the game that points forgot. Derek Carr threw for just 112 yards and one score to Hunter Renfrow (4-26, TD) and Darren Waller was the lead receiver with just five catches for 28 yards. Josh Jacobs ran for 128 yards on 31 carries and even Carr gained 41 yards as a rusher. This was a cold, defensive matchup that just never caught fire.

Baker Mayfield only passed for 122 yards with Jarvis Landry (4-52) as the best receiver. He caught a touchdown that was overturned but nothing else happened for this offense despite playing at home. No other receiver gained more than 25 yards. Nick Chubb is due back in Week 10 but this offense has been in decline and the absence of Odell Beckham didn’t help, but nothing in this effort suggested that any individual player would have mattered. The 5-3 Browns head onto the bye to figure out where it all went wrong and the 4-3 Raiders travels to play the Chargers.

IND 41, DET 21

The Colts took this one handily and yet none of the right players had a big game. Jonathan Taylor only gained 22 yards on 11 carries while Jordan Wilkins took over and turned in 89 yards and a score on 20 rushes, plus caught a 24-yard pass. Philip Rivers showed up for the second time this year with three touchdowns and 262 passing yards. Nyheim Hines (3-54, 2 TD) and Jack Doyle (2-18, TD) caught the scores while T.Y. Hilton was knocked out of the game. The Colts won, easily, and produced nearly no fantasy points for starters.

Matt Stafford passed for 336 yards and three touchdowns but Kenny Golladay was also knocked out of the game. Marvin Hall (4-113) and T.J. Hockenson (7-65) were the top receivers while Marvin Jones scored twice on his three receptions for 39 yards. The Lions only gained a total of 29 yards on 13 carries and ten of those were Stafford.  Adrian Peterson (5-7) and D’Andre Swift (6-1) did well enough to get past the line of scrimmage. Swift only added three catches for 22 yards in this beatdown. The 5-2 Colts host the Ravens this week and the 3-4 Lions  head to Minnesota.

MIN 28, GB 22

The Packers won this matchup 43-34 in the season opener so playing at home is always easier. So goes the theory, anyway.  Dalvin Cook  was unstoppable with 163 yards and three touchdowns on 30 carries plus he was the lead receiver with two receptions for 63 yards and one score. Kirk Cousins only threw 14 passes with no receiver gaining more than 27 yards other than Cook who owned the Packers. In their stadium.

Aaron Rodgers passed for 291 yards and three touchdowns that all went to Davante Adams (7-53, 3 TD). Robert Tonyan (5-79) was the only other receiver with more than 50 yards in the game though Rodgers connected with ten different receivers. Aaron Jones was inactive so Jamaal Williams ran for 75 yards on 16 rushes and AJ Dillon added five runs for 21 yards. The entire game came down to the Packers’ inability to slow down Dalvin Cook. The loss drops the Packers to 5-2 and then head to San Francisco this week. The 2-5 Vikings  host the Lions.

NYJ 9, KC 35

The beauty in this matchup is that the Chiefs didn’t mail in their effort and win 9-17. Patrick Mahomes threw for 416 yards and five touchdowns like every quarterback should when they play the Jets. Travis Kelce (8-109, TD), Tyreek Hill (4-98, 2 TD), Mecole Hardman (7-96), and even Demarcus Robinson (4-63, TD) all scored with big fantasy games. The backfield was surprisingly ineffective with Clyde Edwards-Helaire (6-21) and Le’Veon Bell (6-7) doing little. Bell added three catches for 31 yards but was expected to do more facing his previous employer. Four of the touchdowns were long – 30, 36, 26, and 41 yards.

The Jets struggled as always in this one. Sam Darnell trailed badly for the entire game and yet only passed for 133 yards and no scores. Denzel Mims (2-42) was the top receiver and gives some hope to 2021. Frank Gore ran for 30 yards on ten carries and La’Mical Perine  gained 27 yards on eight carries. For once, this was a blowout win that did not fall short in expectations, other than the Chiefs’ rushing effort. The 7-1 Chiefs host the Panthers this week and the 0-8 Jets look to keep their perfect record hosting the Patriots.

LA 17, MIA 28

Don’t look now, but the Dolphins are on a three-game winning streak. And not just against weak opponents. Jared Goff threw for 355 yards and one score with two interceptions and two lost fumbles in the first half. The Rams trailed 7-28  in the first half, giving up scores on a 78-yard fumble return and an 88-yard punt return. Cooper Kupp ended with 11 receptions for 110 yards on 21 targets. Robert Woods (7-85, TD) caught the only touchdown and ran in the only rushing score as well. Darrell Henderson (8-47) left the game and Malcolm Brown (10-40) and even Cam Akers (9-35) finished out the game. Goff could not get on track until the second half and the Fins held on for the win.

Tua Tagovailoa only passed for 93 yards and one score in his debut but mostly just handed off the ball to Myles Gaskin (18-47, TD).  No receiver gained over 16 yards though the rookie connected with eight different receivers all for short gains. Devante Parker scored but only had one catch for three yards. It was a bizarre win but no team is going to take the Dolphins lightly again this year. The 4-3 Dolphins  head to Arizona this week while the 5-3 Rams go onto their bye.

NO 26, CHI 23 OT

The Bears almost pulled this off despite an offense that continually sputtered but occasionally worked.  David Montgomery ran for 89 yards on 21 carries while Nick Foles passed for 272 yards and two touchdowns. Allen Robinson (6-87, TD) led the receivers but Anthony Miller (8-73) and Darnell Mooney (5-69, TD) both had better performances than usual. Carlos Santos kicked three field goals to keep them in the game and his 51-yarder with 10 seconds left to play sent the game into overtime.

Drew Brees passed for 280 yards and two scores with Alvin Kamara as the leading rusher (12-67) and the top receiver (9-96). Jared Cook (5-51, TD) and Taysom Hill (2-30, TD) caught the touchdowns. The Saints pulled this one out in overtime on their second offensive series when they kicked the 35-yard field goal with 1:36 left to play. The 5-2 Saints play at Tampa Bay this week while the 5-3 Bears  head to Tennessee.

SF 27, SEA 37

The Seahawks led this 30-7 in the fourth quarter before the 49ers took advantage of a relaxed Seahawks defense. Jimmy Garoppolo was hampered by his high-ankle sprain and gave way to Nick Mullens who passed for 238 yards and two scores in the second half (again – they trailed by 23 points). Brandon Aiyuk (8-91, TD) and Kendrick Bourne (8-81) were the only receivers with more than 40 yards. Tevin Coleman re-injured his knee and left after three carries so James Hasty ran 12 times for 29 yards and a score but the 49ers never had the luxury of just running the ball. During the contest, Coleman, Kittle and Garoppolo were all injured again.

Russell Wilson passed for 261 yards and four touchdowns, so just a standard day. DK Metcalf dominated with 12 catches for 161 yards and two scores while no other receiver gained more than 33 yards. DeeJay Dallas replaced Chris Carson and ran for 41 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries, plus caught five passes for 17 yards and a second score. This game was more of the same – the Seahawks posting a bunch of touchdowns while the 49ers fought the good fight while losing players along the way.

DAL 9, PHI 23

The Cowboys led 9-7 at the half, so that’s already a leap forward from the last month. The former third-string Ben DiNucci debuted with 180 passing yards and no turnovers and he ran for 22 yards as well. Ezekiel Elliott ended with 63 yards on 19 carries but only caught one pass for ten yards. Michael Gallup led the receivers with seven receptions for 61 yards but CeeDee Lamb (4-27) and Amari Cooper (1-5) have lost all fantasy value for now.

The Eagles didn’t nearly as much offensive fun as most Cowboys’ opponents. Carson Wentz  only passed for 123 yards and two touchdowns and even threw two interceptions. Travis Fulgham (6-78, TD) led the receivers and Jalen Reagor (3-16, TD) recorded his first NFL touchdown. Dallas Goedert was active but only caught one pass. Boston Scott took another start and ran for 70 yards on 15 carries but only caught two passes for nine yards. It was a ho-hum matchup where fantasy fans were at least hoping the Cowboys defense would be a no-show again.The 2-6 Cowboys  host the unbeaten Steelers while the 3-4-1 Eagles head onto their bye,

 

The Game-o-the-Week

LAC 30, DEN 31

Wouldn’t have guessed these teams would combine for 61 points though sadly, the Chargers are getting used to losing games they seem to have won. Justin Herbert turned in yet another great performance with 278 yards and three touchdowns. Mike Williams (5-99, TD) and Keenan Allen (9-67, TD) fielded almost half the targets and catches. The backfield is now a three-headed monster with Justin Jackson (17-89), Troymaine Pope (10-67), and Joshua Kelley (7-32) and Austin Ekeler will be returning soon to make it change again. The Chargers defense had been hit with injuries as well and usually cannot hold off their opponents despite a solid offensive performance.

The Broncos were down 24-3 in the third quarter but mounted a comeback with three passing scores from Drew Lock who ended with 248 passing yards. DaeSean Hamilton (4-82, TD), and Jerry Jeudy (4-73) led the receivers while Phillip Lindsay gained 83 yards on just six carries with 55-yard scoring run starting the third-quarter comeback.  Melvin Gordon had a quiet performance with only eight runs for 26 yards but added six catches for 21 yards. The Chargers took a 30-24 lead with only 2:30 left to play.

Drew Lock led the Broncos on a 16-play drive that ended with the one-yard touchdown pass to KJ Hamler with one second left to play. The extra point secured the win with no time left on the clock. The 2-5 Chargers host the Raiders this week while the 304 Broncos  head to Atlanta.

Taking a quick rundown of the Sunday NFL games with a fantasy perspective.

DET 23, ATL 22
The Falcons defense will preserve a lead, but it’s not going to happen this year. They took the lead with 1:04 left to play when Todd Gurley couldn’t stop himself in time to down the ball at the one-yard line so that the Falcons could bleed the clock to zero and kick the winning field goal 17-16. Instead, he scored and they added a two-point play to make it 22-16. But these are the Falcons 2020. They allowed the Lions to complete four passes to the ATL-11 with spiking the ball every time since they had no time outs. With two seconds left to play – TWO SECONDS – Matt Stafford hit T.J. Hockenson with the 11-yard touchdown for the win.

Matt Stafford  threw for 340 yards and one score with Kenny Golladay (6-114) and Marvin Jones (5-80) led the receivers and Hockenson (5-59, TD) had the game-winning catch. Adrian Peterson (11-29) remained the primary rusher but De’Andre Swift (9-27, TD) scored and caught four passes for 21 yards.

Matt Ryan passed for 338 yards and one score. Julio Jones (8-97) and Calvin Ridley (5-69, TD) led the receivers but Hayden Hurst (6-68) turned in one of his best performances as well. Todd Gurley ran for 63 yards and two touchdowns which ironically lost the game because he could not stop at 62 yards and one score and then kick the game-winning field goal. It was yet another heartbreaking loss for the 1-6 Falcons, who play at the Panthers this week. The 3-3 Lions host the Colts.

CLE 37, CIN 34

Two months ago, could anyone guess that the highest-scoring game of the week would be the Browns at the Bengals? This was the Game-o-the-Week until the Seahawks-Cardinals overtime game.

Joe Burrow is learning what life is like when you don’t have a great defense. The Bengals led 34-31 with only 1:05 left to play but Baker Mayfield became Superman once Odell Beckham was lost to a knee injury. He threw for 51 yards with three completions to reach the CIN-24 yard line and then with 15 seconds left, hit Donovan Peoples-Jones with a 24-yard touchdown for the win.

Mayfield passed for 297 yards and five touchdowns. Rashard Higgins (6-110) and rookie tight end Harrison Bryant (4-56, 2 TD) led the team but Peoples-Jones (3-56, TD), Kareem Hunt (3-26, TD) and David Njoku (2-20, TD) also scored. Hunt rushed for 76 yards on 18 carries.

Joe Burrow did his part throwing for 406 yards and three touchdowns, plus ran in a score on his six runs for 34 yards. Tyler Boyd (11-101, TD), A.J. Green (7-82), and Tee Higgins (5-59, TD) were the best receivers and Giovani Bernard replaced Joe Mixon and rushed for 37 yards while adding five receptions for 59 yards and a touchdown. The 5-2 Browns host the Raiders this week while the 1-5-1 will probably lose to the visiting Titans on the last play of their game.

GB 35, HOU 20
This game was never in doubt and the Packers led 21-0 at halftime. Aaron Rodgers passed for 283 yards and four touchdowns but Davante Adams (13-196, 2 TD) did almost all the damage and no other receiver gained more than 32 yards. Aaron Jones was out, so Jamaal Williams ran for 77 yards and one score and caught four passes for 37 yards. The offense is finally back to normal – the primary running back does well and Adams dominates the game.

Deshaun Watson threw for 309 yards and two scores and ran for 38 yards. Randall Cobb (8-95) was the best receiver facing his original team and yet not facing either of the Packer’s cornerbacks. Brandin Cooks (7-60) was busy just not very far down the field. David Johnson ran for only 42 yards but added four catches for 42 yards and one touchdown. The 5-1 Packers  host the Vikings this week while the 1-6 Texans head onto their bye.

CAR 24, NO 27
Yet another great game. Drew Brees passed for 287 yards and two scores plus ran in a touchdown as well. Alvin Kamara ran for 83 yards and added eight receptions for 65 yards. Marquez Callaway (8-75) replaced Michael “The Ghost” Thomas and Tre’Quan Smith (4-54) was the best of the rest. Jared Cook also scored on his three catches for 32 yards. By this point, it’s hard to remember what the Saints were like when Michael Thomas played. Oh yes, like what Davante Adams and Aaron Rodgers did on Sunday.

Teddy Bridgewater threw for 254 yards and two scores with D.J. Moore (4-93, 2 TD) and Robby Anderson (6-74) handled most of the workload as usual. The Panthers only rushed for 37 yards from six runners combined. This has all been fun, but it is time for Christian McCaffrey to return. The 3-4 Panthers  host the Falcons this week so there’s a last-second win on the way. The 4-2 Saints head to Chicago for a bigger test.

BUF 18, NYJ 10
Someone thought they could mail in a game and still win. And someone was right. Josh Allen ended with 307 passing yards but no scores, and he added 61 yards on 11 runs as their leading rusher. Devin Singletary only gained 29 yards on eight carries with two catches for 18 yards. Zack Moss was more productive with 47 yards on seven runs and 25 yards on three receptions. Cole Beasley (11-112), Tyler Kroft (4-64),  and Stefon Diggs (6-48) were the only notable receivers.

Sam Darnold returned as the starter and passed for 120 yards and two interceptions, so he’s healthy again. The rookie Denzel Mims debuted with a team-high 42 yards on four catches since Jamison Crowder wasn’t active. Frank Gore ran for 60 yards on 11 carries while the rookie La’Mical Perine gained 39 yards and a touchdown on his 11 rushes. Good to see Mims finally play, but this game was a yawner with few fantasy points. The 5-2 Bills get back on a winning track and host the Patriots this weekend while the 0-7 Jets take their perfect record to Kansas City where we’ll likely see another successful mail-in winner versus the Jets.

PIT 27, TEN 24

Lots of close games this week. The Steelers led 27-7 in the third quarter and barely held off the comeback attempt by the Titans. Ben Roethlisberger passed for 268 yards and two touchdowns with Diontae Johnson (9-80, 2 TD) and JuJu Smith-Schuster (9-85) leading the receivers. James Conner ran for 82 yards and caught three passes for 29 yards. The Steelers led 24-7 at halftime and mostly ran the ball in the second half.

Ryan Tannehill passed for 220 yards and two touchdowns between AJ Brown (6-153, TD) and Corey Davis (6-35, TD) but no other receiver gained more than 19 yards. Derrick Henry scored once but only gained 74 yards on 20 carries and was stuffed for most of the game. This matchup leaves the Steelers as the lone unbeaten team in the AFC and the Titans missed a 45-yard field goal in the final seconds which could have sent this into overtime. Kickers matter. The 6-0 Steelers head to Baltimore this week for maybe their biggest and toughest challenge of the season while the 5-1 Titans play in Cincinnati.

DAL 3, WAS 25

This was a week with close, hard fought games. Except one. The teetering Cowboys were thoroughly humbled by a nameless football team. Ezekiel Elliott only gained 45 yards on 12 carries and caught one pass for six yards. Amari Cooper ended with 80 yards on seven catches but no other receivers gained more than 22 yards. Andy Dalton completed just 9-of-19 for 75 yards and an interception before losing his helmet on a brutal head-shot from LB Jon Bostic who was ejected from the game because of the hit. The Cowboys went to the rookie Ben DiNucci who debuted with only 2-of-3 for 39 yards and three sacks.

Kyle Allen passed for 194 yards and two scores almost entirely in the first half  of the beatdown. Terry McLaurin (7-90, TD) and Logan Thomas (4-60, TD) did all the damage in the passing game that really wasn’t needed. Antonio Gibson rushed for 128 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries while J.D. McKissic added 35 yards on five runs and two catches for 16 yards. The Football Team barely broke a sweat in this game where the Cowboys looked even worse than last week. The 2-5 Football Team heads onto their bye while the 2-5 Cowboys  head to Philadelphia, where mercy may be in very short supply.

TB 45,  LV 20

For the first quarter, this was a competitive game with the Raiders leading 10-7. It was downhill from there onward. Tom Brady passed for 369 yards and four touchdowns with Scotty Miller (6-109, TD), Chris Godwin (9-88, TD) and Rob Gronkowski (5-62, TD) leading the way. Mike Evans, unfortunately, was limited to only two catches for 37 yards. Most notable was that Ronald Jones (13-34, TD) started the game but Leonard Fournette (11-50) looked better and added six catches for 47 yards. Not what the RoJo owners were hoping to see. Or the Evans owners for that matter.

Derek Carr passed for 284 yards and two scores between Nelson Agholor (5-107, TD) and Darren Waller (6-50, TD) but no other receivers did much including Henry Ruggs (2-35). Josh Jacobs was limited to only 17 yards on ten carries and added just three catches for 14 yards in one of his worst performances. The Buccaneers looked scary good in a road game while the Raiders just erased whatever spark they had from beating the Chiefs before the bye week. The 5-2 Buccaneers  head to New York to face the Giants while the 3-3 Raiders go against the Browns in Cleveland.

KC 43, DEN 16

The only surprise here was that the Chiefs defense was the best fantasy play.  Patrick Mahomes only passed for 200 yards and one touchdown, and he was replaced by Chad Henne who ran in a touchdown at the end of the game. Tyreek Hill (6-55) and Mecole Hardman (2-57) was as good as it got for receivers in the easy win. Travis Kelce only caught three passes for 31 yards. Clyde Edwards-Helaire had to share his backfield this week and only gained  46 yards and a score on eight carries with one catch for 17 yards. Le’Veon Bell debuted with 39 yards on six rushes. This was the sort of game that fantasy hates since the defense scored twice and the Chiefs offense barely broke a sweat.

Drew Lock threw for 254 yards and two interceptions in this matchup that was never close and never in doubt. The rookie Albert Okwuegbunam (7-60) was the leading receiver, along with Tim Patrick (3-44) and Noah Fant (3-38) who played despite a sprained ankle. Melvin Gordon ran for 68 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries while Phillip Lindsay gained 79 yards on his nine rushes in this committee backfield. Both rookie receivers (KJ Hamler and Jerry Jeudy) were limited to only two short catches. The 6-1 Chiefs host the Jets this week and fantasy owners have to hope it doesn’t replicate what happened against the Broncos. The 2-4 Broncos host the Chargers this week.

JAC 29, LAC 39

Not often that two teams with a combined 2-9 record meet and produce 68 points. Gardner Minshew threw for 173 yards and two scores but the best receivers were Laviska Shenault (3-44) and James O’Shaughnessy (3-32). James Robinson ran for 119 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries and added a second score during his four receptions for 18 yards. The Jaguars returned a blocked punt for a touchdown to lead 21-16 at the start of the third quarter but then only managed one more touchdown against 23 points scored by the Chargers starting in the middle of the third quarter.

Justin Herbert was the highest-scoring fantasy quarterback this week. He passed for 347 yards and three touchdowns plus ran for 66 yards and another score. Keenan Allen (10-125) and Jalen Guyton (2-84, TD) were the only receivers with more than 50 yards. Joshua Kelley ran for 29 yards on 23 rushes with five catches for 24 more yards. Justin Jackson ran for 12 yards on five runs and added five receptions for 43 yards. The rushing effort was mediocre but Herbert is not playing like a rookie. The 1-6 Jaguars  head onto their bye while the 2-4 Chargers  play in Denver this weekend.

SF 33, NE 6
The 49ers sometimes look like a team ravaged by injuries and that can barely compete. In others, they look like the reigning NFC Champs. In New England this week, they looked like the Champs. Jimmy Garoppolo passed 277 yards and two interceptions. Brandon Aiyuk (6-115), Deebo Samuel (5-65), and George Kittle (5-55) were the only receivers with more than 18 yards. The 49ers won the game by rushing the ball with shocking ease. And in a further surprise, they relied on Jeff Wilson (17-112, 3 TD) who only totaled 24 carries for 51 yards on the season.

Wilson injured his ankle near the end of the game, so that performance may need to last him for a while. JaMycal Hasty ended with 57 yards on nine runs and a 16-yard catch.  Even the fullback Kyle Juszczyk rushed in a touchdown.

Cam Newton only threw for 98 yards and three interceptions before getting benched for Jared Stidham who was no better. Jakobi Meyers (4-60) was the only receiver with more than 35 yards. Damien Harris ran for 58 yards on ten carries but the offense was just flat and never showed any life. When the 49ers had the lead and the Patriots were forced into passing, the offense completely unraveled. The loss drops the Patriots to only 2-4 and they play in Buffalo this week. The 4-3 49ers  head to Seattle for a critical NFC West showdown.

 

The Game-o-the-Week

SEA 34, ARI 37 OT

This was an incredible game to watch, and one that the Cardinals never led until there was only 15 seconds left in overtime. This game featured 98 passes. The Seahawks led 34-24 with under three minutes to play and held the Cardinals to a field goal attempt on 4th-and-12 on the SEA-34 yard line and if they made it, they would still trail by seven points. But the Seahawks were called for unsportsmanlike conduct and that gave the Cards a first down at the SEA-19 yard line. Two passes later and Christian Kirk caught the touchdown to make it 34-31.

They held the Seahawks and got the ball back with only 52 seconds left but three completions and one run later and Zane Gonzalez kicked the tying field goal, 34-34.

In overtime, the Seahawks won the toss and then reached the 44-yard line before having to punt. The Cardinals drove the field and with 2:47 left to play, tried to kick a 41-yard field goal to win but missed wide left.

Seattle took over and reached the ARZ-48 yard line where Russell Wilson threw a touchdown to DK Metcalf but it was called back on a hold. On the next play, Wilson was intercepted. The Cards reached the SEA-30 yard line where they kicked the game-winning 48-yard field goal.

Russell Wilson passed for 388 yards and three touchdowns with three interceptions. He also ran for 84 yards. Chris Carson was injured and Carlos Hyde filled in with 68 yards and a score on 15 carries.

Tyler Lockett caught 15-of-20 targets for 200 yards and all three touchdowns. No other receiver gained more than 54 yards or scored, including DK Metcalf (2-23).

Kyle Murray threw for 360 yards and three scores plus ran for 67 yards and one touchdown. DeAndre Hopkins ended with ten receptions for 103 yards and  a score while Christian Kirk went for 37 yards and two touchdowns in his five catches. Kenyan Drake left injured and Chase Edmonds ran for 58 yards on five rushes and caught seven passes for 87 yards.

This was the first loss for the Seahawks and a game that both teams had several chances to win.

Taking a quick rundown of the Sunday NFL games with a fantasy perspective.

CHI 23, CAR 16

The Bears are proof that a team can win without any offense as long as the defense shows up. Nick Foles passed for only 198 yards and one score with a 70.2 QB rating. David Montgomery only gained 58 yards on 198 carries but added four catches for 39 yards. Allen Robinson, of course, was the leading receiver with only five catches for 53 yards. The lone rushing touchdown was scored by Foles and the only receiving score went to Cole Kmet.

Teddy Bridgewater passed for only 216 yards and two interceptions and an even worse 50.4 QB rating. But DJ Moore (5-93) and Robby Anderson (4-77) turned in moderate yardage and Mike Davis ran for 52 yards on 18 carries with one score and caught a couple of short passes. This was the defensive battle that was expected and and it ruins the 3-2 Panthers three-game winning streak and sends them to New Orleans this week. The 5-1 Bears  hope their defense will be enough again next week at the Rams.

CIN 27, IND 31

When the Bengals led 21-0, they had to know that this pending close loss would hurt more than usual. It did. The Colts finally got the lead in the fourth quarter and the Bengals only managed one field goal in the second half.  Joe Burrow threw for 313 yards with Tee Higgins (8-125) and A.J. Green (8-96) the top receivers though all scores were on the ground. Joe Mixon ran for 54 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries with 15 receiving yards thrown in. Giovani Bernard stole the first rushing score and Burrow ran in the other. It was yet another winnable game that got away from the Bengals.

Philip Rivers rightfully landed on many waiver wires after a horrible start to the season. Got get him back. Rivers passed for 371 yards and three touchdowns with Marcus Johnson (5-108) the lead receiver and somehow T.Y. Hilton ending with only one catch for 11 yards. He scored a touchdown, but it was called back on an unrelated penalty. Jonathan Taylor only ran 12 times for 60 yards since they fell behind early but he added four catches for 55 yards. Trey Burton ran for a touchdown and caught one on his four catches for 58 yards. The 4-2 Colts squeaked this one past and go onto their bye. The 1-4-1 Bengals  host the Browns next week, and will hang in for three quarterbacks before the Browns pull away in the closing minutes.

DET 34, JAX 16
The Lions took this road win with very little trouble. Matthew Stafford was expected to  have a big day but only passed for 223 yards and one score. Kenny Golladay (4-105) was the only receiver with more than two catches or 21 yards. Adrian Peterson ran for 40 yards and one score but D’Andre Swift finally had his breakout game with 116 yards and two touchdowns on 14 carries. That’s very good news for the Lions who need a payoff on their 2.03 pick and bad news for every Peterson owner .

Gardner Minshew only managed 243 passing yards and one score to James Robinson who totaled  only 53 yards in the game. Keelan Cole (6-143) had his best game of the year while D.J. Chark was active but settled for only seven catches for 45 yards despite being thrown 14 targets. The Jaguars Week 1 heroics are long gone and the 1-5 team is on a four-game losing streak and heading out to play the Chargers in Los Angeles. The 2-3 Lions head to Atlanta where the Falcons may have discovered a defense.

ATL 40, MIN 23

The surprises just keep coming. Matt Ryan hadn’t thrown a touchdown since Week 3 but then passed for 371 yards and four scores at the Vikings. Julio Jones (8-137, 2 TD) and Calvin Ridley (6-61, TD) both gave solid fantasy performances and even Hayden Hurst (4-57, TD)  was better than usual. Todd Gurley totaled 67 yards and was much less effective than in recent games. The Falcons led 33-7 in the fourth quarter with a defense that played lights out for three quarters.

Alexander Mattison took the start, at home, against the No. 26 rush defense and could only manage 26 yards on ten carries and one catch for four yards. Kirk Cousins struggled early but finally came to life in the second half and ended with 343 yards and three touchdowns along with three interceptions. Justin Jefferson (9-166, 2 TD) and Adam Thielen  (3-51, TD) did the scoring but this was mostly Justin Jefferson and not nearly enough anything else. The 1-5 Falcons get their first win and  host the Lions this week while the 1-5 Vikings go onto their bye to figure out how to turn around a season gone very bad.

DEN 18, NE 12

Maybe the biggest upset of the weekend. Drew Lock passed for only 189 yards and two interceptions with a 34.9 QB rating. Tim Patrick (4-101) was the only receiver with more than 45 yards. But at least Phillip Lindsay ran for 101 yards on 23 rushes replacing the ill Melvin Gordon. The Broncos won thanks to six Brandon McManus field goals and two were over 50 yards.

Cam Newton had a very forgettable game as well. He ran for 76 yards and a touchdown though it was the only one by the Patriots and it came halfway through the fourth quarter when they trailed 18-3. Newton passed for just 157 yards and two interceptions while all receivers all were held below 38 yards except for James White (8-65). The Patriots trailed for the entire game, so having a running back as the lead receiver with just 65 yards signals just how bad the Patriots receivers are and how much Newton struggles against a good secondary. Julian Edelman ended with only two catches for eight yards. The 2-3 Broncos  host the Chiefs this week while the 2-3 Patriots host the broken-down 49ers.

WAS 19, NYG 20
Game-o-the-week contender only for the way that it ended. The Washington Generics could have tied the game with 36 seconds left when they scored on a 22-yard touchdown pass to Cam Sims. But instead of the extra point to make it 20-20, “Riverboat Ron” gambled on the two-point conversion for the win and lost when an option run was immediately swallowed up by the Giants defense. Kyle Allen passed for 280 yards and two scores that should keep Dwayne Haskins on the outside looking in for a while. Terry McLaurin (7-74) was the only receiver with more than 45 yards and Antonio Gibson only ran for 30 yards and caught four passes for 25 more. J.D. McKissic was the better fantasy play with 41 yards on eight rushes and six receptions for  43 yards.

The Giants win this thanks to a few field goals and a returned fumble for a score in the fourth quarter. Daniel Jones only passed for 112 yards and one touchdown but ran for 74 yards as well. Darius Slayton (2-41, TD) scored the only offensive touchdown but injured himself on that first-quarter play.  The loss sends the 1-5 Bad Football Team back home to host the Cowboys while the 1-5 Giants get their first win of the year and  play in Philly this weekend.

BAL 30, PHI 28
The Eagles trailed for the entire game and was behind 30-14 with only seven minutes remaining. But they made a game of it and pumped up their stats in the process. Miles Sanders ran for 118 yards on nine rushes thanks to a 74-yard gain but left injured. Carson Wentz passed for 213 yards and two scores while running for 49 yards and a touchdown. Travis Fulgham rewarded those waiver wire scrapers with six catches for 75 yards and one touchdown. No other receiver topped 50 yards.  This was the standard beatdown that was expected but hats off to the Eagles who mounted a big comeback and failed on the two-point conversion that could have tied the game 30-30 with 1:55 left to play.

Mark Ingram left injured after only five carries and that split the workload between Gus Edwards (14-26, TD) and J.K. Dobbins (9-28). Lamar Jackson was the leading rusher with 108 yards and one score on nine runs. He also threw for 186 yards and one score to Nick Boyle (3-33, TD) instead of Mark Andrews (2-21). Marquise Brown led the pack with 57 yards on four receptions. The Ravens controlled this game and let up in the fourth quarter when they gave up three scores to the Eagles. The 1-4-1 Eagles  host the Giants this week while the 5-1 Ravens  go onto their bye.

CLE 7, PIT 38
Yet another team that was reminded – maybe they’re not as good as they thought. The only score by the Browns was a second-quarter pass and otherwise, the Steelers were in control from the first to the last play. Baker Mayfield threw for 119 yards and two touchdowns, though one of the scores was to the Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick. Kareem Hunt only totaled 57 yards and the best receiver was Austin Hooper (5-52). This was a thorough beatdown and erased all the apparent gains by the passing game.

The Steelers’ offense didn’t do much considering the 38 points. Ben Roethlisberger passed for only 162 yards and one score to James Washington (4-68, TD). Week 5 superstar Chase Claypool led the receivers with four catches for 74 yards and ran in a touchdown. James Conner (20-101, TD) could have been bigger, but Benny Snell used six runs for 17 yards to also score a touchdown at the end of the game. The 5-0 Steelers remain the only undefeated team in the AFC and  head to Tennessee while the 4-2 wounded Browns  play in Cincinnati this weekend.

GB 10, TB 38
The Packers took the day off, apparently, when they were throttled by the Buccaneers in a game where they were never remotely competitive. Aaron Rodgers was held to only 160 yards and two interceptions for a 35.4 QB rating. Davante Adam’s return only produced six catches for 61 yards and no other receiver was better than 32 yards. Aaron Jones only gained 15 yards on ten runs but ran in the only touchdown of the game. He added three catches for 26 yards but nothing worked on this offense and the Packers suffered their first loss in a most painful manner.

The Buccaneers defense played a masterful game and was most responsible for the big win. Ronald Jones ran for 113 yards and two touchdowns on 23 carries while the Buccaneers reeled off 38 straight points. Tom Brady passed for 166 yards and two scores but only Rob Gronkowski (5-78, TD) had any notable performance and the return of Chris Godwin (5-48) was a non-event. Still better than Mike Evan’s ten yards on one catch. The Bucs made up for their Week 5 loss in Chicago with a vengeance. Now the 4-1 Packers trail the Bears by a half-game and  play in Houston while the 4-2 Buccaneers  head to Las Vegas to face the Raiders.

NYJ 0, MIA 24

The Jets pull into the lead for the first-overall draft pick in April as the only team without a win in the NFL. And losing 24-0 says they are not even remotely competitive. Joe Flacco threw for 186 yards and one interception and Jamison Crowder led the receivers with seven catches for 48 yards while Breshad Perriman was next with four catches for 62 yards. Frank Gore ran for 46 yards on 11 carries and even caught four passes for 24 yards. This offense has to rely on trash time to post any significant stats. Even HC Adam Gase has to wonder, “why am I still here?”

Ryan Fitzpatrick passed for 191 yards and three touchdowns though no receiver topped 51 yards and there was no fantasy starter here other than Myles Gaskin who ran for 91 yards on 18 rushes and added 35 yards on four receptions. Davante Parker was limited to 35 yards on three catches. Beating the Jets is so easy now, that opponents are just using no-name players for touchdowns. The 0-6 Jets next loss is at home against the Bills while the 3-3 Dolphins head onto their bye.

LAR 16, SF 24

The 49ers looked dramatically different from the team that lost 43-17 to the visiting Dolphins last week. Jimmy Garoppolo was benched in that matchup but passed for 268 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions. George Kittle (7-109, TD) and Deebo Samuel (6-66, TD) were the top receivers and the backfield combined for 120 rushing yards between the injured Raheem Mostert (17-65), Jerick McKinnon (6-18), and new guy JaMycal Hasty (9-37). The 49ers offense was efficient and effective – the opposite of Week 5.

The Rams trailed throughout and only passed for 198 yards and two scores by Jared Goff. Tyler Higbee (3-56) and Josh Reynolds (2-45, TD) were the top receivers and Reynolds touchdown was for 40 yards in the final minutes of the game. Darrell Henderson ran for 88 yards on 14 carries while the rookie Cam Akins never played a down. The Rams were overmatched from the start against the motivated 49ers. This week the 4-2 Rams host the Bears while the 3-3 49ers  head to New England.

 

The Game-o-the-Week

HOU 36, TEN 42

What a great game! This matchup rewarded every reasonable fantasy starter from either team. The Titans even scored with only four seconds left to play to tie the game because they, unlike the Bad Football Team, just kicked the extra point to tie the game. And then rolled up more yardage and a touchdown in overtime.

David Johnson ran for 57 yards and one score while Deshaun Watson did all the heavy lifting by throwing for 335 yards and four touchdowns. Will Fuller (6-123, TD), Brandon Cooks (9-68, TD), and Randall Cobb (3-17, TD) made sure all starting wideouts scored. With Jordan Akins out, Darren Fells became the primary receiving tight end and finished with six catches for 85 yards and a touchdown. Watson did a tremendous job keeping the Texans in the game against a very good defense. They just never got the ball in overtime.

The Texans offense exploded for 647 yards and six touchdowns. Derrick Henry ran for 212 yards and two scores plus caught two passes for 52 yards. He scored the game-winning touchdown on a wildcat play as the quarterback. Ryan Tannehill passed for 384 yards and four scores between Anthony Firkser (8-113, TD) Adam Humphries (6-64, TD), and AJ Brown (5-56, 2 TD). Jonnu Smith was injured in the game and that led to tight end Firkser having his career-day. The loss sends the 1-5 Texans home to host the Packers while the 5-0 Titans welcome the Steelers to Tennessee this week.

Here’s a quick rundown of the Sunday NFL games from a fantasy perspective.

CAR 23, ATL 16

Defying all odds, the Panthers have improved without Christian McCaffrey and take this win by playing good defense and facing the Atlanta secondary which is just a treat in 2020. Teddy Bridgewater passed for 313 yards and two scores but mostly handed off in the second half. Robbie Anderson (8-112) and D.J. Moore (4-93, TD) both predictably tore up the cardboard cutouts parading as the Atlanta secondary. Mike Davis continues to look very McCaffrey-esque with 89 rush yards and nine receptions for 60 yards and one touchdown. The Panthers offense hasn’t been nearly as diverse as expected, and yet it’s been far more productive.

The Falcons saw Todd Gurley run 14 times for 121 yards and that included a 35-yard touchdown. For one magical day, Gurley was back to form (in a loss though). Matt Ryan only passed for 226 yards and no touchdowns. Calvin Ridley not only caught eight passes for 136 yards, but no other receiver managed more than 29 receiving yards. The 3-2 Panthers host the Bears this week while the 0-5 Falcons head to Minnesota still searching for their smile.

CIN 3, BAL 27

No big surprise here. The rookie Joe Burrow’s new record of three-straight 300-yard games came crashing down when he only managed 183 yards and one interception. Tee Higgins (4-62) and Tyler Boyd (4-42) were the top receivers while Joe Mixon was limited to only  59 yards on 24 carries. He added six catches for 35 yards to salvage some  fantasy value. The Bengals only managed 253 total yards of offense in a game that they always trailed. Their field goal came with 32 seconds left to prevent the shutout.

Lamar Jackson missed practices and had a sore knee plus the stomach flu but still played. He passed for 180 yards and two touchdowns but only ran twice for three yards in a game that didn’t ask any of the offense to do that much. Marquise Brown (6-77, TD) and Mark Andrews (6-77, TD) were the only receivers that mattered. The backfield was the normal mess with Mark Ingram (11-57), Gus Edwards (7-25) and J.K. Dobbins (1-34) all mixed. This yawner sends the 4-1 Ravens to Philadelphia this week while the 1-3-1 Bengals travel to Indianapolis.

JAC 14, HOU 30

The Jaguars drew to within 14-20 in the fourth quarter before allowing the Texans to score ten unanswered points to take the win. James Robinson only gained 48 yards on 13 carries in a game that the run didn’t work. Gardner Minshew passed for 301 yards and two scores but Laviska Shenault (7-79) and Chris Conley (2-58) were the only receivers with more than 35 yards. Minshew hit nine different receivers  and D.J. Chark (3-16) left late in the game with an ankle injury.

David Johnson ran for 96 yards on 17 carries but only added one catch for 11 yards. Deshaun Watson passed for 359 yards and three touchdowns with two interceptions. Brandon Cooks (8-161, TD) was finally what they hoped when they chose him to replace DeAndre Hopkins. Will Fuller (4-58, TD) and Darren Fells (2-57, TD) were the next best. Jordan Akins was out and Fells stepped in admirably with his 44-yard touchdown catch. This is what the offense should have looked like this season but hadn’t until they fired HC Bill O’Brien. The 1-4 Texans finally get their first win to celebrate O’Brien’s departure and play at the Titans next week. The1-4 Jaguars have lost four in a row and host the Lions.

ARI 30, NYJ 10

The Cards ended their two-game losing streak while taking the NFL’s version of the “Sweaty Bye”. Not as relaxing as a real bye, but it’s a free win and everything works like it was just a practice. Kenyan Drake (finally) ran for 60 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries but only added one catch for two yards. Chase Edmonds ran for 36 yard and a score on just three runs and added five catches for 66 yards as the receiver that Drake was supposed to be. Kyler Murray ran for a score and 31 yards and passed for 380 yards and a touchdown. DeAndre Hopkins (6-131, TD) came to life later in the game and Christian Kirk (5-78) was the only other notable receiver.

Joe Flacco kept up the standard left behind by Sam Darnold when he passed for 195 yards and one touchdown in a game that they lost by three touchdowns. Once again, Jamison Crowder (8-116, TD) is the only receiver that matters or that is even remotely worth covering.  Le’Veon Bell returned to gain 60 yards on 13 rushes and caught a seven-yard pass. He looked like a big upgrade over Frank Gore who still had nine runs to gain 30 yards. The 0-5 Jets look for their first win traveling to the Chargers while the 3-2 Cardinals head to Dallas, where everything should continue to work well.

PHI 29, PIT 38

The Battle of Pennsylvannia produced 67 total points, so it was worth watching. Miles Sanders surprised with two rushing scores on his 11 runs for 80 yards and he added two catches for 19 more yards. Carson Wentz did throw two interceptions and he did not run in a touchdown like usual. But he made a lot of great throws against one of the better secondaries. He threw for 258 yards and two scores. Travis Fulgham (10-152, TD) was everything we thought he   Jalen Reagor would be. His first ever game was Week 4 when he caught a freakish 42-yard touchdown. Apparently, that was not so freakish. No other receiver had more than 37 yards. They lost, but they made a game of it and Wentz looked better.

By no means was Fulgham the most surprising rookie in this game. Ben Roethlisberger threw for 239 yards and three touchdowns that all went to Chase Claypool (7-110, 3 TD) and he scored on another bomb that was called back on a questionable offensive pass interference call. No other receiver gained more than 43 yards and no other scored. James Conner totaled 63 yards and one touchdown while Super Man Chase Claypool also ran in a score giving him four in one game. It was a very memorable game for Claypool and all his relatives. Memorable too since he almost certainly did that while on fantasy benches since his last game only produced one catch. The 1-3-1 Eagles host the Ravens while the 4-0 Steelers host the Browns.

LAR 30, WAS 10

Alright, alright. So where’s Haskins? The Football Team flopped hard with Kyle Allen getting knocked out of the game and Alex Smith finished the game, all the while the announcers mentioning “gruesome leg injury” about every three minutes. All combined, they passed for 111 yards and no scores though Kyle Allen did rush in a touchdown. Antonio Gibson (11-27) led the rushers while J.D. McKissic (6-46) was the best receiver. It was a miserable offensive performance at home. The kind that is hard to shake and even harder for HC Ron Rivera to explain in the post-game interview.

Jared Goff passed for 309 yards and two scores with Gerald Everett (4-90) and Robert Woods (4-71, TD) as the top receivers. Cooper Kupp caught five passes for 66 yards but the Rams passed because they could, not because of need. Darrell Henderson scored on his three catches for 30 yards and rushed in a touchdown on his team-high 15 carries for 38 yards. Malcolm Brown gained 30 yards on eight rushes while Cam Akers covered 61 yards on his nine runs that included a 46-yard gain. The 1-4 Football Team travel to play the Giants this week. The 4-1 Rams  head to San Francisco.

MIA 43, SF 17

The 49ers defense was already known to be missing a lot of players, but the expectation was that they would at least show up.  This upset was about as bad as it gets for the 49ers who have to forget 2019 and rethink just what they are now. Raheem Mostert was back and ran for 90 yards on just 11 carries and added three receptions for 29 more yards. But Jimmy Garoppolo was benched after two interceptions and C.J. Beathard was marginally better – at home against the Dolphins. No receiver was better than George Kittle’s four catches for 44 yards. The 49ers were throttled in all aspects by the Fins. The game was exactly what you would have expected at the end of 2019 – only with teams swapping sides. The 49ers were so bad that it is hard to wrap your head around what this really means.

The win was one of the most dominating and satisfying for the Fins in years. Jordan Howard was inactive and Myles Gaskins ran 16 times for 57 yards and one score plus caught five passes for 34 yards. Ryan Fitzpatrick passed for 350 yards and three touchdowns with a QB rating of 154.5. He completed 22 of 28 throws. Preston Williams (4-16, TD) and Mike Gesicki (5-91) were the top receivers and Gesicki caught a pass and rumbled for 70 yards. Devante Parker only managed two receptions but gained 50 yards and scored once. The Fins rushing didn’t work until later in the game but overall, it was a thorough win. The 2-3 Dolphins head to Denver this week while the 2-3 49ers  host the Rams.

IND 23, CLE 32

The Browns led 27-10 in the third quarter but the Colts drew within 23-29 with 2:50 left to play. Jonathan Taylor ran for 57 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries in a game where he was usually stuffed at the line. Philip Rivers passed for 243 yards and two interceptions with T.Y. Hilton (6-69) and Marcus Johnson (3-53) led the marginal receivers. The Colts passing game has never come into focus and by now mostly focuses on the dink-and-dunk passing instead of the deep game that Rivers was hoped to reinvigorate. The defense and running offense are good enough to win most games, but the passing effort continues to fall well short of expectations.

The Browns once again did well without Nick Chubbs. Kareem Hunt ran for 72 yards and caught three passes for 21 yards and a touchdown. D’Ernest Johnson filled in as the No. 2 back and ran for 32 yards on eight runs but never fielded a target. Baker Mayfield passes for 247 yards and two scores but also two interceptions. Jarvis Landry (4-88) and Odell Beckham (5-58) were back to being good without a hint of great. The 3-2 Colts host the Bengals in Week 6 and the 4-1 Browns head to Pittsburgh for a very important AFC North matchup.

NYG 34, DAL 37

The Cowboys pulled out the last second win, again, versus a bad opponent who suddenly looked great, again. But none of the Cowboys were smiling after losing Dak Prescott for the rest of the year when his fractured ankle had his foot pointing the wrong direction. CeeDee Lamb ended with 124 yards on eight catches and Michael Gallup turned in 73 yards on four catches with his final 38-yard reception that allowed the game-winning field goal. Ezekiel Elliott ran for 91 yards and two touchdowns on his 19 carries and added a 14-yard catch. But losing Prescott means that the Cowboys cannot rely on shootouts to compensate for everything that their defense gives away.

The Giants were in this thanks to returning an interception for a score and getting a rushing touchdown from Evan Engram. Devonta Freeman ran for 60 yards and a score on his 17 rushes and added two catches for 27 yards. Daniel Jones only passed for 222 yards but Darius Slatyon hauled in eight passes for 129 yards as the only receiver with more than 42 yards. The notable element was relying on Freeman with some success. The 0-5 Giants host the Redskins this week while the 2-3 Cowboys host the Cardinals.

MIN 26, SEA 27

The Seahawks are 5-0 for the first time in franchise history. This was a great Sunday night matchup that saw the Vikings lead 13-0, fall behind 21-13 and then took the lead 26-21 with only 1:56 left to play. Russell Wilson brought them down the field and on fourth-down at the Vikings six-yard line, he hit DK Metcalf with the game-winner with only 14 seconds left to play.

Dalvin Cook left with a groin injury after gaining 65 yards and a score on 17 carries. Alexander Mattison filled in admirably with 20 rushes for 112 yards and three catches for 24 yards.  Kirk Cousins passed for 249 yards and two scores to Adam Thielen (9-80, 2 TD) while Justin Jefferson only caught three passes for 23 yards.

Russell Wilson ended with 217 yards and three touchdowns passing, plus he ran for 58 yards. DK Metcalf was the hero with six catches for 93 yards and two scores including the fourth-down game-winner. No other receiver gained more than 44 yards. Chris Carson only ran eight times for 52 yards and a score but added six catches for 27 yards. The Vikings ran the ball 39 times for 196 yards but left too much time on the clock.

The Game-o-the-Week

Raiders 40, Chiefs 32

No surprise that this matchup spawned 72 points, but it was unexpected that the Raiders would have more of them. The reigning NFL champions finally lost a game and to a divisional rival.

The game was tied at half-time 24-24 and then scoreless during the third quarter. But the Raiders were the ones with the late-game heroics while the Chiefs played the unfamiliar role of not keeping up.

Derek Carr passed for 347 yards and three touchdowns for one of his career-best efforts. Henry Ruggs (2-118, TD) finally hit his highest gear when he turned a catch into a 72-yard “you cannot catch me” touchdown. Nelson Agholor also turned in a 59-yard score with just two catches for 67 yards. Darren Waller (5-48, TD) rounded out the scoring. Almost half of their pass yardage came on just two plays and that was exactly why Ruggs was drafted.

Josh Jacobs ran for 77 yards and two touchdowns in his 23 runs but only added two receptions for eight yards. The game followed a well-read script, only the Chiefs and Raiders traded roles.

Patrick Mahomes threw for 340 yards and two scores, plus ran in a touchdown as well. Travis Kelce (8-108, TD) and Tyreek Hill (3-78) were the top receivers and Hill caught a beautiful 50-yard score that was called back on a hold. No other Chief had more than 50 yards which is true in most games. Clyde Edwards-Helaire only ran for 40 yards on ten carries and added three catches for 40 yards to fall short of expectations.

It is not unusual starting in the second month of the season that surprising outcomes happen. Trap games, slop-fests and surprise monster performances happen since teams get tired and just let down for a week. The Raiders are better this year, but probably not beat the Chiefs in Kansas City good. At least not usually. But for Week 5 of 2020, they were that good.