Tag: 2023 NFL Week 4

The Titans were bullying the Bengals so badly that even Derrick Henry threw a TD pass with ease

This officially gave Henry, a RB, more TD passes than Joe Burrow!

To say the Cincinnati Bengals have disappointingly begun their 2023 campaign would be an understatement. Entering Sunday’s matchup with the Tennessee Titans, the Bengals were just 1-2 and were clearly feeling the effects of an unfortunate Joe Burrow calf injury.

Instead of getting back to .500, the Titans absolutely clocked them all around. By the late second quarter, Tennessee held a commanding 17-3 lead. And with mere seconds left on the clock, the Titans decided to pour it on with Derrick Henry. Ah, OK. Cool. Yeah, a good Henry run always makes sense.

Oh, no, scratch that. They had Henry throw the ball on a way-too-easy touchdown pass to Josh Whyle for a 24-3 lead. Cincinnati, what are we doing?

The Bengals wanted to even up after a poor start to their season. Rather than give them what they wanted, the Titans took the opportunity to humble their AFC rival by using a running back touchdown pass. For what it’s worth, Henry has been uncharacteristically good as a passer despite his reputation as a runner.

Burying a conference rival with a trick running back play? It doesn’t get more beautiful (or petty?) than that.

ESPN’s Laura Rutledge confirmed Dan Orlovsky was, in fact, wearing pants in awkward TV shot

These were probably not the best pants to wear on live TV!

With the Jacksonville Jaguars dispatching the Atlanta Falcons in a (mostly) drama-less 23-7 affair Sunday, there wasn’t much to write home about from London. Well, except for the time the ESPN+ camera appeared to show an unflattering shot of Dan Orlovsky’s beige pants.

You might be saying: “I’m sorry, what?” Let me explain.

Based on an unfortunate camera angle, it almost seemed like the announcer — who was in the booth with Louis Riddick and Chris Fowler — wasn’t wearing pants for a moment. That couldn’t have been further from the truth as the camera really was playing tricks on our eyes, and Orlovsky came fully dressed to work.

Orlovsky’s colleague, Laura Rutledge, would hilariously confirm on Twitter that Orlovsky was indeed wearing pants. (Even though the lining on his pants is plainly visible.)

This is how Orlovsky clarified his fashion decision in response to former NFL player Chris Long:

There have been a lot of fashion faux pas in professional sports and commentating. This one from Orlovksy would have been wild if it was actually true.

Kirk Cousins valiantly tried to stop a 99-yard pick-six but he was destroyed by a block

Cousins sprinted so far just to get ERASED!

If the Minnesota Vikings are earnestly trying to resuscitate their 0-3 season, they picked an awful way to start on Sunday. After Minnesota drove down in the red zone against the Carolina Panthers on its first possession, Kirk Cousins reared his ugly (quarterback) head.

The veteran lofted up a terrible pass that Sam Franklin Jr. picked to go the other way. But Cousins wasn’t done. He took a good angle and heroically tried to make up for his mistake by at least trying to make the tackle and prevent a 99-yard pick-six.

Cousins’ plan went swimmingly until Carolina’s D’Shawn Jamison saw a clean shot at a vicious block. He didn’t waste it:

Look, I’m almost never going to frown upon a quarterback trying to finish a play. The Vikings are in a place with no margin for error. They can’t afford to fall behind the eight-ball with avoidable defensive touchdowns. But Cousins’ attempt at heroics couldn’t have turned out more disastrous.

And the Vikings paid for it.

Mack Hollins appeared to big time Desmond Ridder on an in-game high-five

Was Hollins upset with Ridder about his play?

The Atlanta Falcons seemed to be anything but normal in their game across the pond Sunday. Not only did Atlanta never get off the ground in a 23-7 loss at the hands of the Jacksonville Jaguars, but starting quarterback Desmond Ridder was absolutely horrendous. The first-year full-time starter struggled to get the Falcons’ offense in a rhythm, and he finished with a putrid line by completing 19-of-31 passes for 191 yards for one touchdown and two picks. Not even the Toy Story broadcast could make this performance look fun.

And, at least from afar, it appeared one Falcons teammate wasn’t entirely pleased with Ridder’s play. After the signal caller walked off the field while down 17-0 in the first half, he tried to encourage receiver Mack Hollins with a high-five. Hollins didn’t even reach his hand out and stood up, seemingly displeased with Ridder about something. (And yes, in case you were wondering, this sequence didn’t receive a Toy Story animation.)

All that to say, this wasn’t a great look for a team trying to rally from a massive deficit.

I’m not sure what’s going on behind the scenes in Atlanta or if Hollins was even upset with Ridder. It could’ve been the receiver trying to hype his quarterback in return. But the optics from a distance say something else for a quarterback that has now arguably cost the Falcons in two straight losses.

Quay Walker’s senseless leaping penalty on a Lions’ FG wiped away the Packers’ comeback chances

There’s just something about Quay Walker and the Lions in night games.

There’s just something about Quay Walker whenever he plays against the Detroit Lions in a home night game, it seems. Last year, the linebacker got ejected from a must-win Packers regular-season finale because he shoved a medical trainer. This year, with the Packers chasing the Lions in a (now) fruitless comeback attempt on Thursday Night Football, Walker effectively ended their hopes of a come-from-behind win.

As the Packers started to close the gap after an abysmal first half, Detroit found itself with an opportunity to salt away the win late in the fourth quarter. Except its offense came up short, and had to settle for a field goal.

That is until a late flag from an official brought everyone back when they realized that Walker had leaped over a Lions player to block the kick. In case it isn’t clear — you’re not allowed to do that. The Lions would take a fresh set of downs and use it to score another touchdown and build an insurmountable 34-17 lead.

Of course, even if the Lions had only tacked on the field goal, it still would’ve been tough sledding for the Packers to come back from 30-17 in just about half a quarter. That said, you play NFL games until the whistle. You never know what could happen. And Walker effectively gifting Detroit four points might as well have been the final nails in the coffin in this early-season primetime matchup.

Al Michaels’ description of a Lions’ Step Brothers sweater made it clear he’s probably never seen the movie

This movie reference went right over Al Michaels’ head.

It’s not Citizen Kane in terms of quality by any means, but Step Brothers is probably one of the more memorable films of the 21st century. Who could possibly forget the movie where Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly play two man-children in the silliest “turf war” about refusing to grow up?

Well, if you’re Al Michaels — who was already having a wild Thursday night — you’ve probably never seen the 2008 movie, somehow. At least, that’s what Michaels’ bizarre description of a Detroit Lions sweater said.

The clothing — clearly a meme — featured Lions head coach Dan Campbell and starting quarterback Jared Goff posing like Ferrell and C. Reilly for the Step Brothers’ movie poster. And the reference went right over Michaels’ head on the Thursday Night Football broadcast:

Look, I’m not going to pretend that it’s easy to keep up with culture as a working adult. But it’s still kind of wild to me that Michaels didn’t know this Step Brothers reference. It was pretty popular! I feel like a lot of people saw it — over $128 million at the box office, and for a comedy!

I guess the time spent announcing football comes first.

NFL fans were shocked by the Lions’ sheer dominance of the Packers after just 1 half of play

We might have underestimated how good the Lions are.

Thursday night at Lambeau Field was supposed to be a battle of new NFC powers. A showcase of the two titans of the NFC North. Instead, somewhat surprisingly, it turned into a definitive statement for the Detroit Lions. And the Green Bay Packers probably never had a real chance.

After an early Jared Goff mishap, Detroit turned on the afterburners. It absolutely pummelled the Packers for the better part of 30 minutes en route to a rousing 27-3 halftime lead. It got so bad that Packers fans actually began booing the team at the break.

The disparity between the two teams couldn’t have been bigger on a statistical level, too:

Total yards: Lions (248) to Packers (20)

Third-down efficiency: Lions (5/9) to Packers (1/6)

Yards per play: Lions (7.1) to Packers (1.0)

The 27-3 deficit was also one of the biggest the Packers have faced at home in the last 50 years:

I think it was easy to see that the Lions were better beforehand. Perhaps we might have underestimated just how much better. Because this Detroit squad resembles an NFC juggernaut — provided they can hold on.

Al Michaels introduced Jordan Love on TNF by recalling Aaron Rodgers’ night of drinking when he was drafted

Only Al Michaels would even attempt this wild introduction.

Thursday night was a momentous occasion for Jordan Love. With a key divisional matchup against the Detroit Lions on deck at Lambeau Field, that meant the first-year full-time starter was set to enjoy his first-ever home night game. When it comes as a member of the Packers, that is no small feat. Because of their rich tradition, the Green Bay faithful expect many occasions like this.

So, of course, Al Michaels had to put his own unique spin on Love’s milestone.

As Love took the field for the Packers’ first possession, the legendary announcer referenced how Aaron Rodgers immediately (and infamously) took to the “liquor cabinet” after Green Bay drafted the young signal caller in 2020.

Not the moment I’d choose to highlight, that’s for sure. But I guess that’s what Michaels does. And it’s not like he told a lie — that is indeed what happened when Rodgers realized he’d have a backup the Packers were grooming to play behind him.

But still. What an outlandish thing to say on live television.

Video shows a horde of Lions fans stunningly overrunning the Packers at Lambeau Field

Who knew ANY opposing fans could take over Lambeau Field???

The Detroit Lions are in the midst of an unprecedented renaissance (for them, anyway). They look like a bona fide powerhouse and are probably the favorites for the NFC North. It’s abundantly clear that Dan Campbell has turned the Lions into a marquee draw again.

And Lions fans gave us a perfect example of the power of their Honolulu blue wave Thursday.

As Detroit geared up for a pivotal NFC North matchup against the Green Bay Packers, Detroit News reporter Justin Rogers filmed a stunning video that showed a lot of Lions fans at Lambeau Field. Trust me when I say this: I don’t think I’ve ever seen this many opposing fans at the most famous NFL stadium.

Folks, this isn’t some random one-off stadium of a bottom-feeding franchise. This is Lambeau Field, the place where the Packers play — perhaps the most successful team in professional football history. For Lions fans to take over Green Bay’s stadium like this says so much about how far Detroit has come.

NFL Power Rankings Week 4: Dolphins deserve respect as legit Super Bowl contenders

Thanks to Tua Tagovailoa and Mike McDaniel, the Dolphins have their best team in decades.

I’ll admit it. I did not believe in these Miami Dolphins.

I thought the Dolphins had talent — you can’t deny Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle leaving defensive backs grabbing at air every Sunday. And, for as much as I didn’t think Tua Tagovailoa was “special,” I could still acknowledge he was a plus starter; a guy who makes a real difference in an offense predicated on timing and erasing defenders’ angles quickly.

But there was something missing. Was it the mediocre defense? Was the Dolphins’ offense sustainable for an entire season?

Boy, do I feel terribly wrong.

Three weeks into the second year of the Mike McDaniel era, the Dolphins are a buzzsaw. They’re No. 1 in total offense, points per game (43.3!!!), and are already well over 1,000 passing yards. They’ve got the most efficient attack in the sport and look unstoppable. Hill and Waddle continue to prove unguardable. Tagovailoa has taken a definite step toward stardom with decisiveness best exemplified by an absurdly fast-throwing release. Raheem Mostert has continued showing he’s one of the NFL’s more underrated tailbacks. And Devon Achane is an electric sparkplug constructed expressly to embarrass defenders in the open field.

Oh, and that defense? While not a remarkable shutdown unit by any means, Vic Fangio’s players have surprisingly held up well enough in the absence of Jalen Ramsey. Besides, you have more leeway to gel together when your offense could break most relevant professional football records.

I don’t know whether the Dolphins will finally break through with another long-awaited Super Bowl by the end of the season. The AFC is a running gauntlet of superpowers, making it impossible to definitively predict who will even win the conference amidst a bloodbath.

But these Dolphins feel like they’ve got that magic touch. That distinction only the truly great teams possess.

At the very least, I can say I believe in their chances. Even if they don’t get it this year, I believe in Tagovailoa-McDaniel revitalizing football in South Beach and, one day, bringing that Super Bowl back. I stand corrected. They’ve got the goods, and I can’t wait to see how they continue to humiliate teams.

Here are For The Win’s NFL power rankings for Week 4 of the 2023 season, which appropriately feature these mighty Dolphins. — Robert Zeglinski