Tag: Fantasy Football Game Reviews

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.

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

ARI 21, CAR 31
The Cardinals drop their second game in a row and both had them favored. The same team that opened the year winning in San Francisco  looked out of sorts versus the Panthers. Kenyan Drake only gained 35 yards on 13 rushes and never had a target. He’s dropped significantly from how he ended 2019. Kyler Murray passed for 133 yards and three touchdowns and while DeAndre Hopkins led the receivers like usual, he only gained 41 yards on seven catches and no score. Christian Kirk scored but only ended with 19 yards on three receptions. That hot start to the year has cooled the last two weeks.

The Panthers are the opposite. They won their last two games after being written off as dead without Christian McCaffrey. Mike Davis ran for 84 yards and a score while catching five passes for 27 yards. Teddy Bridgewater passes for 276 yards and two scores plus ran in a touchdown on his six runs for 32 yards. Robby Anderson led the team with eight receptions for 99 yards while DJ Moore only managed 49 yards on his four catches.  The 2-2 Panthers are no longer a “soft spot” on the schedule. They head to Atlanta this week where passing games come to life. The 2-2 Cardinals  are back on the road to face the Jets in what should be a “turn around” game.

JAX 25, CIN 33
This matchup did not look like a 58 pointer, but here we are. The Bengals finally logged their first win with Joe Mixon rushing for 151 yards and two touchdowns and he added six catches for 30 yards and a score. After three disappointing outings, Mixon finally turned in the big performance his drafters had expected. Joe Burrow passed for 300 yards and the one touchdown to Mixon. Tyler Boyd (7-90) and Tee Higgins (4-77) led the receivers. The rookie finally notched his first win thanks to Mixon finally getting on track.

The Jaguars dropped their third-straight game which kinda says “same old Jags.” James Robinson ran for 75 yards and caught four passes for 32 yards while Gardner Minshew threw for 351 yards and two scores that both went to DJ Chark (8-95, 2 TD). The rookie Laviska Shenault was next best with five catches for 86 yards but no other receiver did much.  There were seven receivers with 20+ yards and Minshew didn’t lock onto anyone other than Chark. The loss sends the 1-3 Jaguars to Houston this week while the 1-2-1 Bengals head to Baltimore for a likely loss.

NO 35, DET 29

The Saints pulled this out despite trailing 14-0 in the first quarter. Alvin Kamara ran for 83 yards and a touchdown and added three catches for 36 yards but failed to score twice for the first time this year. Latavius Murray ran for 64 yards and two touchdowns for one of his best games as a Saint. Drew Brees passed for 246 yards and two touchdowns that both ended up with Tre’Quan Smith (4-54, 2 TD). Emmanuel Sanders led the team with 93 yards on six catches while the team covered for Michael Thomas again. The rushing effort was the biggest help, particularly with Murray’s contribution.

Matt Stafford faced a secondary that missed its two starting cornerbacks but only ended with 206 passing yards and three scores. Kenny Golladay (4-62, TD) was the top receiver but only caught half of his eight targets. Adrian Peterson ran for 36 yards and one touchdown on his eleven runs and the rookie D’Andre Swift ran for 22 yards and  scored on his four receptions for 30 yards.  Only two receivers gained more than 31 yards and that’s a disappointment for a passing offense that was expected to be much better than this, especially facing a visiting secondary without their best cornerbacks. The 2-2 Saints return home to face the Chargers while the 1-3 Lions go onto their bye.

MIN 31, HOU 23
The Vikings finally got back ontop the winning track with this mild surprise upset. Dalvin Cook ran for 130 yards and two touchdowns on his 27 runs and even allowed Alexander to steal a score late in the game. Kirk Cousins passed for 260 yards and one touchdown on only 20 pass attempts. Adam Thielen (8-114, TD) came back to life to lead the team and the rookie Justin Jefferson  (4-103) topped 100 yards for the second-straight week. The dominating rushing effort won the game and freed up Cousins to be both effective and efficient when he did throw.

DeSean Watson is not the problem. He threw for 300 yards and two scores with a 110.7 QB rating. Will Fuller (6-108, TD) was the only receiver with more than 50 yards but six different players ended with 20 or more receiving yards. He brought the team back from a 31-16 deficit in the fourth quarter but then fell short. The Texans reached the Minnesota one-yard line with 1:18 to play but could not punch it in on four attempts. David Johnson ran for 63 yards on 16 carries but failed to score on two runs and then fumbled the exchange from Watson on third down. The 1-3 Vikings  head to Seattle this week where they’ll have a tougher time and the 0-4 Texans host the Jaguars for an excellent chance to notch their first win.

SEA 31, MIA 23

The Seahawks are like the Cowboys in that they have a great offense and a bad defense. Unlike the Cowboys, the Seahawks still win their games. Chris Carson entered the game questionable and left to be checked for a concussion but later returned. He still ended with two touchdowns on his 16 runs for 80 yards and added 20 more on three receptions. Russell Wilson threw for 360 yards and two scores that split out mostly to the wide receivers – D.K. Metcalf (4-106), David Moore (3-95, TD) and Tyler Lockett (2-39). This was a much closer matchup than expected but the Seahawks scored twice in the fourth quarter to secure the win.

The Dolphins were unable to mount any rushing offense with Myles Gaskin leading the team with 40 yards on ten runs and the only rushing score belonged to Ryan Fitzpatrick who turned in 47 rushing yards on six runs.  He also threw for 315 yards. Devante Parker (10-110) was the only receiver with more than 50 yards in the game. He had his best matchup of the year but only completed 29-of-45 with two interceptions. Mike Gesicki (1-15) and Preston Williams (1-15) were nonfactors. The 1-3 Dolphins travel to San Francisco this week while the 4-0 Seahawks return home to face the Vikings.

LAC 31, TB 38

What a wonderful point-fest. The Chargers ran for just 28 yards on 17 carries and lost Austin Ekeler for the game (or more). The impressive rookie Justin Herbert finished with 290 yards and three touchdowns and completed 20-of-25 passes. Those included Jalen Guyton (1-72, TD) and Tyron Johnson (1-53, TD) made the most of their single catches, and Keenan Allen (8-62) was the only receiver with more than three receptions. The loss digs a hole and losing Ekeler for any amount of time will have a negative impact. But it would be a surprise to see the Bolts return to using Tyrod Taylor at any point.

The Buccaneers fell behind 24-7 in the second quarter and Tom Brady threw yet another pick-six. But Ronald Jones ran for 111 yards with Leonard Fournette out and LeSean McCoy injured during the game. Brady passed for 369 yards and five scores for his best effort as a Buccaneer. Mike Evans (7-122, TD), Scott Miller (5-83, TD), and O.J. Howard (3-50, TD) were the most productive though Howard would later leave injured. This was a home game against a weaker team, but at least all the parts of the offense worked well. The win sends the 3-1 Buccaneers to Chicago this week while the 1-3 Chargers travel to play the Saints.

BAL 31, WAS 17

This game was never in doubt. Lamar Jackson made up for his struggles last week when he ran for 53 yards that included a 50-yard touchdown right up the middle of the defense. He passed for 193 yards and two scores that both ended with Mark Andrews (3-57) while Marquise Brown led the receivers with four receptions for 86 yards. Mark Ingram scored on his eight runs for 34 yards while Gus Edwards’ nine carries netted 38 yards. The Ravens defense carried this win and Jackson was efficient when he passed. He and Andrews are still the only Ravens that are must-start players in this offense.

The Football Team only got 46 yards on 13 carries by Antonio Gibson but he ran in a score. No other back gained more than nine yards. Dwayne Haskins ran in a meaningless touchdown in the final minute and passed for 314 yards and no scores. Terry McLaurin (10-118) was the only wideout with more than 29 yards and the passing favored the running backs the most between Gibson (4-82) and J.J. McKissic (7-40).  Haskins has been on thin ice with poor performances this season, but the Ravens did him a favor by sitting on an early lead and letting him dink-and-dunk with running backs. The 3-1 Ravens host the Bengals this week while the 1-3 Football Team hosts the Rams.

NYG 9, LAR 17

Such a great, high-scoring weekend and then there was this flop. Is there a chance that the Rams did not take this game seriously enough? Is there a chance that they didn’t? Daniel Jones passed for only 190 yards and one interception and none of the receivers were better than Darrius Slayton’s 48 yards on three catches. Evan Engram could only turn ten targets into six catches for 35 yards. No running back rushed for more than 45 yards but Devonta Freeman totaled 68 yards with his four receptions added in. There’s not enough production here to yield a fantasy starter and yet they still divide that up with three different rushers.

The Rams only led 10-9 until late in the fourth quarter. Darrell Henderson only ran for 22 yards on eight runs and Malcolm Brown was given nine runs to produce 37 yards. The two-yard rushing touchdown was scored by tight end Gerald Everett on his only carry. Jared Goff passed for just 200 yards and one score thanks to Cooper Kupp catching a 55-yard touchdown or the game would have been even more embarrassing. The Rams mailed it in and got away with it. The 0-4 Giants  head to Dallas where all things are possible and the 3-1 Rams travel to Washington to play the Football Team.

IND 19, CHI 11
Big scores in all the early games and then the afternoon mostly did a face plant. Mo Alie-Cox scored in the first quarter and that was the lone touchdown until the final minute of the game. Jonathan Taylor ran for 68 yards on 17 rushes but only caught one pass for 11 yards. The best receivers were Zack Pascal (3-58) and T.Y. Hilton (3-29). The expectations were low playing in Chicago and they were soundly met. Rivers only completed 16 of 29 passes and no receiver caught more than three passes. They took the win thanks to  four field goals by Rodrigo Blankenship.

The Bears had even less success than the Colts. David Montgomery only gained 27 yards on ten carries but added 30 yards on three catches.  Nick Foles finished with 249 yards and one score but only produced a 76.4 QB rating. Allen Robinson caught a team-high seven catches for 101 yards and the fourth-quarter touchdown to make it look like the offense was ever there. No other receiver ended with more than 52 yards or any score. The 3-1 Bears drop their first game and host the Buccaneers this week. The 3-1 Colts won their last three games and travel to Cleveland.

BUF 30, LV 23
This match-up was better than expected. Neither team had much success running the ball. Devin Singletary gained 55 yards and a touchdown on 18 rushes and Josh Allen lost a net yard on his three runs. He threw for 288 yards and two scores between Cole Beasley (3-32, TD) and Gabriel Davis (1-26, TD) while Stefon Diggs (6-115) continues to see high production in this offense. The Bills had to score two touchdowns in the fourth quarter to secure the win and recover the onsides kick attempt by the Raiders.

Josh Jacobs was held to only 48 yards on 15 runs and added 25 yards on three catches for a mediocre performance. Derek Carr passed for 311 yards and two touchdowns but the final came with only 1:29 left to play as they failed to finish a comeback. Darren Waller (9-88) was the top receiver and will likely stay that way with both rookie wideouts on the sideline. Hunter Renfrow (5-57) and Nelson Agholor (4-44, TD).  Both teams saw success passing but mostly later in the game. The 4-0 Bills head to Tennessee (maybe) this week while the 2-2 Raiders travel to Kansas City.

PHI 25, SF 20

Nine road teams won so far this week and the Eagles are likely the biggest surprise. The 49ers led 14-8 in the third quarter but the Eagles kicked a field goal, connected on a 42-yard touchdown bomb to Travis Fulgham (signed fromm practice squad on Saturday) and then a pick-six by the defense with five minutes to play. The 49ers switched to C.J. Beathard and reached the Eagles 33-yard line when time expired. Jerick McKinnon ran for 54 yards and one score on 14 rushes and caught seven passes for 43 yards. Brandon Aiyuk  only caught two short passes for ran for a 38-yard touchdown. George Kittle caught 15 passes for 183 yards and one score.

The Eagles didn’t perform much better other than fewer turnovers (1 vs. 3) and returning the interception for a score. Miles Sanders only ran for 46 yards on 13 carries and added two catches for 30 yards. Carson Wentz only passed for 193 yards and one score but rushed in a touchdown for the third-straight game.  The only notable receiver was the practice-squadder Fulgham (2-57, TD). The first win is obviously important and they went in as 6.5-point underdog but the offense did not look any better. The 1-2-1 Eagles head to Pittsburgh for an even tougher task while the 2-2 49ers host the Dolphins.

The Game-o-the-Week

CLE 49, DAL 38

The Cowboys and Seahawks seem to own this spot. This week, the Cowboys.

This was a dagger to the heart for the Cowboys that couldn’t handle the visiting Browns and gave up a franchise-record 307 rushing yards to a team that lost their starting running back at the start of the second half. Nick Chubb ran for 43 yards before leaving and Kareem Hunt gained 72 yards and scored twice on his 11 carries. D’Ernest Johnson plowed through the Cowboys defense with 95 yards on 13 rushes. Even Odell Beckham turned in a back-breaking 50-yard touchdown run to nail down the win.

Baker Mayfield faced the worst defense in the NFL but only passed for 165 yards and two scores because the rushing effort worked so well. Odell Beckham finally had his breakout game of the season when he caught five passes for 81 yards and two more touchdowns. No other receiver was better than Jarvis Landry who also threw one of the touchdowns to Beckham. The Browns trailed 14-7 and then reeled off 34 straight points before the Cowboys scored again.

Ezekiel Elliott was limited to 54 yards on 12 rushes but added eight catches for 71 yards. When he gains more as a receiver than as a rusher in a home game, chances are it did not go well. And it didn’t.

Dak Prescott threw for 502 yards and four touchdowns with one interception to kill the final comeback drive. Amari Cooper (12-134, TD), CeeDee Lamb (5-79, 2 TD), and Dalton Shultz (4-72, TD) handled the scoring. With 502 yards to distribute, it was impossible to find any Cowboys’ receiver that didn’t have a big game… except for Michael Gallup (2-29).

The 3-1 Browns  host the Colts this week while the 1-3 Cowboys host the Giants for a great shot at an actual win. In other news, start your Giants’ receivers…

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

CHI 30, ATL 26
There are precious few absolutes in the world, but one seems to be don’t bet on the Falcons to hold a lead. Yet again, they gave up  26-10 lead at the start of the fourth quarter. At home, no less. David  Montgomery only ran for 45 yards on 14 carries as the rushing effort fell flat. Mitchell Trubisky only completed 12-of-22 for 128 yards and one score with one interception when he was benched for Nick Foles midway through the third quarter. Foles used the final 21 minutes to throw for 188 yards and three touchdowns in a dramatic comeback as the Falcons, once again, crumbled in the final quarter. Allen Robinson (10-123, TD) and Jimmy Graham (6-60, 2 TD) did the most damage while Anthony Miller caught the game-winning 28-yard touchdown with under two minutes left to play.

Matt Ryan only managed 238 passing yards and one score to Hayden Hurst on his only catch in the game. Julio Jones was out but Calvin Ridley continues to impress with five catches for 110 yards that included a 63-yard gain. No other receivers had more than 41 yards or scored. Todd Gurley ran for 80 yards and a score on 14 carries while Brian Hill turned in nine runs for 58 yards and a touchdown. There’s going to be more than a little soul-searching by the Falcons who blew huge leads in the last two games and are now 0-3 and playing in Green Bay this week. The 3-0 Bears host the Colts.

WAS 20, CLE 34
This was a win in the manner that the 2020 Browns hope to do every week. Nick Chubb ran 19 times for 108 yards and two touchdowns while Kareem Hunt ended with 46 yards on 16 rushes plus two catches for 18 yards and a score. The combination of the two works very well when games are kept close and both offer up significant fantasy value so far. Baker Mayfield only threw 23 passes and ended with 156 yards and two scores. Odell Beckham (4-59) and Jarvis Landry (4-36) were still the top two receivers for the Browns and yet still had minimal fantasy points.

The Football Team backfield is, and will always be, a mess. Antonio Gibson ran for 49 yards and a touchdown on nine carries but only added 11 yards on three receptions. Five other backs and wideouts recorded at least one carry though none had more than 22 yards. Dwayne Haskins threw for 224 yards and two scores but also three interceptions. Terry McLaurin (4-83) led the group though Dontrelle Inman (3-38, 2 TD) did all the scoring. The defense is still good, at least against the pass, but isn’t nearly good enough to cover for the mediocre offense. The 1-2 Football Team host the Ravens while the 2-1 Browns head to Dallas this week.

TEN 31, MIN  30
Game-o-the-week contender. The struggling Vikings kept just ahead of the Titans from the second quarter onward and took a 30-25 lead with about ten minutes left to play but then gave up two 54+ yard field goals over the last six minutes to lose. Derrick Henry ran for 119 yards and two touchdowns while Ryan Tannehill passed for 312 yards. Kalif Raymond was a surprise with  three catches for 118 yards while Corey Davis (5-69) was next best. Jonnu Smith still managed 61 yards on five receptions. The Titans had problems punching in touchdowns and Stephen Gostkowski went from a disastrous season opener to kicking six field goals with three over 50 yards.

The Vikings had success on offense. Dalvin Cook ran for 181 yards and a score on 22 carries plus 18 yards on two catches. Kirk Cousins finally had a big day with 251 yards and three touchdowns. The rookie Justin Jefferson enjoyed his breakout performance with a team-high seven receptions for 175 yards and a score. Adam Thielen (3-29, TD) and Kyle Rudolph (2-11, TD) both scored but did little else in the game. This could have been a sorely-needed win for the 0-3 Vikings  who now hit the road to play the Texans. The 3-0 Titans host the Steelers for Week 4 and start a three-game streak of home games.

LV 20, NE 36
The outcome was never in question but both teams score more than expected. Derek Carr threw for 261 yards and two scores with Hunter Renfro (6-84, TD) as the only receiver with more than 48 yards. Josh Jacobs ran for 71 yards on 16 carries and added three catches for 12 yards for a down performance that was expected. Darren Waller was held to only nine yards on two receptions which less surprising after last week’s fireworks showed the Pats that he was the primary receiver to shut down.

Cam Newton only ran for 27 yards on nine rushes and passed for 162 yards and one score – a big step down from the first two games but likely a game plan for future defenses. Rex Burkhead was a nice waiver wire scrape that was the leading receiver with seven catches for 49 yards and a score plus he ran for 49 yards and two touchdowns and 49 yards on six runs. Sony Michel gained 117 yards on nine runs and added two catches for 23 yards. This was a solid win by the Patriots who didn’t need to pass much. But a bad sign for the passing game elements whenever the Pats play at home or against lesser teams. The 2-1 Raiders host the Bills in Week 4 and the 2-1 Patriots  head to Kansas City.

SF 36, NYG 9

Both teams were dealing with significant injuries, but the Giants were able to remotely compensate for their missing players. Jerick McKinnon was the primary back but only gained 38 yards on 14 carries but scored once and caught three passes for 49 yards. Jeff Wilson only had 15 yards on 12 carries but also scored via a rush and again on his three receptions for 54 yards. Brandon Aiyuk was the starting wideout, and he led the team with five catches for 70 yards and even ran in a touchdown on his three rushes for 31 yards. Nick Mullens is still a great plug-in. He threw for 343 yards and one score with no turnovers. The names may have changed on the 49ers offense, but the results were still the same.

The first game without Saquon Barkley and the 2020 prospects are dim. The backfield used all three running backs – in a home game – and only gained 17 yards on ten rushes. Daniels Jones was the leading rusher with 49 yards on five runs but he only passed for 179 yards and one interception. Darius Slayton (3-53) was the leading receiver. The Giants couldn’t generate much offense even with the 49ers missing several defenders. The rest of the season went dark the moment that Saquon Barkley left the field. The 2-1 49ers host the Eagles this week while the 0-3 Giants  travel to play the Rams.

CIN 23, PHI  23

Oh boy, a tie. And just when you thought that at least one team would get their first win. The Bengals only rushed for  49 yards on 17 carries by Joe Mixon who added two catches for 16 yards. Joe Burrow continues to play very well for a rookie and passed for 312 yards and two scores that both went to Tee Higgins (5-40, 2 TD). Tyler Boyd led the team with ten catches for 125 yards while A.J. Green (5-36) continues to underwhelm in his return. Burrow had a 105.5 QB rating and looks like a veteran. This was yet another game that he almost won.

Carson Wentz played more like a rookie than a veteran. He only threw for 225 yards and one score against two interceptions with a QB rating of 62.8.  Miles Sanders ran for 95 yards on 18 carries and added four receptions for 12 yards. Wentz ran for 65 yards and a score that he stole from Sanders. The only notable receivers were Greg Ward (8-72, TD) and Zach Ertz (7-70). Both DeSean Jackson and Dallas Goedert left injured. The tie has to be more of a win for the Bengals and just continued proof that the Eagles offense has taken a big step down, and maybe with worse to come since they continue to suffer injuries on the offensive line. The 0-2-1 Eagles head to San Francisco this weekend while the 0-2-1 Bengals host the Jaguars.

HOU 21, PIT 28
The Texans led 21-17 at the half but then remembered where they were and who they are. David Johnson scored once but only ran for 23 yards on 13 carries with no rush for more than five yards. Deshaun Watson passed for 264 yards and two scores with one interception and he did a solid job spreading the ball around against the Steelers secondary. Randall Cobb (4-95, TD) and Will Fuller (4-54, TD) led the receivers and Brandin Cooks (3-23) still cannot shake coverage. Keeping the score difference to just one touchdown was a victory of sorts for the Texans defense.

James Conner distanced himself from the embarrassing Week 1 by rushing for 109 yards and one score and adding four catches for 40 yards. Ben Roethlisberger turned in a moderate showing with 237 yards and two scores that were divided between Eric Ebron (5-52, TD) and Juju Smith-Schuster (4-43, TD) while no other receivers gained more than 36 yards.  The Steelers opened sluggishly and fell behind  14-3 in the second quarterback but then got into gear and finished the game. The 0-3 Texans host the Vikings while the 3-0 Steelers  head to Tennessee.

NYJ 7, IND  36
This matchup went even more poorly than expected, and it had almost no expectations on the injury-ravaged Jets. Frank Gore gained 57 yards on 15 rushes but Sam Darnold only managed 168 passing yards and one touchdown against three interceptions. Braxton Berrios (4-64, TD) was the only notable receiver and all others remained below 45 yards with no scores. Darnold has no time to throw and no one to throw to, so his 47.0 QB rating is not hard to understand. The Jets defense really isn’t that bad, but they are constantly placed into impossible situations.

The Colts defense scored two touchdowns and recorded a safety. The offense was held to only 59 yards and a touchdown for Jonathan Taylor and Philip Rivers passed for 217 yards and a score on just 21 passes thrown. T.Y. Hilton (3-52) led the team while Mo Alie-Cox (3-50, TD) caught the only passing touchdown. The Colts defense won this because the Jets offense just gets worse and cannot afford the injuries.  The 0-3 Jets host the Broncos while the 2-1 Colts head to Chicago to face the Bears.

CAR 21, LAC 16
The Panthers lost their all-world running back, so of course they win a road game against a good defense. Mike Davis ran for just 46 yards and 25 of those came on one run. He added eight catches for 45 yards and a touchdown though as yet another reminder to back-up your first-round running backs. Teddy Bridgewater was efficient, completing 22-of-28 for 235 yards and the one score to Davis.  DJ Moore (2-65) and Robbie Anderson (5-55) were the top receivers in this mildly surprising win that thanks to five field goals by Joey Slye.

The Chargers had offense. Austin Ekeler ran for 59 yards and a touchdown plus caught 11 passes for 84 yards while Joshua Kelley tacked on 43 more on eight runs. Justin Herbert threw for 330 yards and one score with one interception. Keenan Allen again profited with 13 catches for 132 yards and the one passing touchdown. Hunter Henry (5-50) helped out but no other receiver turned in more than 23 yards.  The problem for the Chargers was the interception and three lost fumbles. They ruined a chance to start out with two wins but now the 1-2 Chargers head to Tampa Bay to face the Buccaneers while the 1-2 Panthers  host the Cardinals.

DET 26, ARI 23
Here is another game that says “don’t get too comfortable yet.” The winless Lions came in with their confusing backfield and struggling passing game but apparently Kenny Golladay makes all the difference. Adrian Peterson ran for 75 yards on 22 carries with a ten-yard catch. Kerryon Johnson only ran three times and had one reception as a non-factor. Matt Stafford finally looked to be in his 2019 form (pre-injury) when he passed for 270 yards and two touchdowns. Golladay (6-57, TD) led the receivers while T.J. Hockenson (4-53) and Marvin Jones (3-51) were next best. It was the first sign that the Lions offense might start to resemble the formidable passing attack of last season.

Kenyan Drake ran for 73 yards on 18 rushes but only caught one pass for six yards. Kyle Murray scored the only rushing touchdown when he ran for 29 yards on five scampers, and also threw for exactly 270 yards and two touchdowns but added three costly interceptions. DeAndre Hopkins (10-137) is still a pass sponge but Andy Isabella (4-47, 2 TD) finally showed up and will no doubt leave waiver wires this week. The Lions defense played better than expected and held the Cards scoreless in the fourth quarter while Matt Prater kicked field goals to tie and then to win as time expired. The 1-2 Lions return home to face the Saints while the 2-1 Cardinals  head to Carolina to meet the Panthers.

TB 28, DEN 10
The Broncos offense couldn’t begin to stay in this game without Drew Lock, though the outcome would likely had been much the same with him there. The Buccaneers backfield remains indecipherable, this time swinging back towards Ronald Jones who ran for 53 yards on 13 carries while Leonard Fournette crawled back under the rock with just 15 yards on seven rushes.  Both caught two short passes and neither scored. Tom Brady turned in his best game as a Buccaneer with 297 yards and three touchdowns without any interceptions. Chris Godwin (5-64, TD) was effective before leaving against with a hamstring issue. Mike Evans had the ever-so rare two catches for two yards and two touchdowns. Scott Miller led the team with 83 yards on five catches. The passing offense looked great while the rushing offense is a weekly coin flip that sometimes no one wins.

The Broncos couldn’t generate much offense. Melvin Gordon was held to only 26 yards on eight runs as they abandoned the run. But Jeff Driskel completed 17-of-30 for 176 yards and one score with one interception and was benched. Brett Rypien was no better throwing for 53 yards and one interception.  The Broncos added Blake Bortles last week, so he may show up in Week 4. Jerry Jeudy was able to play but only totaled 55 yards on five receptions while Noah Fant was next best with just 46 yards on five catches. The passing game is in the dumpster right now and doing no favors to the rookies Jeudy or KJ Hamler. The 2-1 Buccaneers  host the Chargers this weekend and the 0-3 Broncos head to New York to face the Jets.

LA 32, BUF 35

The Rams were all the Bills could handle and they almost won despite trailing 28-3 in the third quarter. The Rams reeled off four straight touchdowns to lead 32-28 with only 4:30 minutes left to play but Josh Allen led a drive to the LA-30 yard line on third-and-25 and took a timeout on when Stephon Diggs caught a 17-yard pass with 25 seconds left to play. On fourth-and-three, he threw an incompletion but the Rams were called for  defensive pass interference and made it first down at the three yard line with 21 seconds left. Allen connected with Tyler Kroft for the winning score and the Rams ruined a near-historic comeback.

Darrell Henderson ran for 114 yards and one touchdown and Jared Goff also ran in a touchdown. He passed for 321 yards and two touchdowns between Cooper Kupp (9-107, TD) and Robert Woods (5-74, TD). Josh Reynolds (4-60) also helped in the comeback that almost was.  Goff only totaled 94 passing yards at the half and almost all production came in the final 20 minutes of the game.

Devin Singletary ran for 71 yards on 13 carries with Zack Moss out and also added 50 yards on four receptions. Josh Allen once again blew up with a rushing touchdown while passing for 311 yards and four touchdowns. Cole Beasley (6-100) and Gabriel Davis (4-81) were the top receivers while John Brown left injured. Stefon Diggs (4-24, TD) and Tyler Kroft (4-24, 2 TD) mattered most near the end zone. The Rams fall to 2-1 and host the Giants for a “get right” game. The 3-0 Bills head to Las Vegas to play the Raiders.

GB 37, NO 30

Yet another Game-o-the-Week contender. Both teams had great quarterbacks that missed their elite wideouts. But the Packers had the better defense, if only marginally so. Aaron Jones ran for 69 yards and one touchdown with two catches for 17 yards and almost a second score. Aaron Rodgers passed for 283 yards and three touchdowns that mostly went to Allen Lazard (6-146, TD) and Robert Tonyan (5-50, TD). The score was tied 27-27 entering the fourth quarter but the Packers scored ten straight points while the Saints could only manage a field goal at the end. The Packers are using their tight ends much more often in recent games and two of the top three receivers were Tonyan and Jace Sternberger (3-36).

Without Michael Thomas, Drew Brees still threw for 288 yards and three touchdowns but struggled to connect with the wide receivers or sustain drives as he once did. Alvin Kamara was their best weapon with 58 rushing yards on just six carries and 13 receptions for 139 yards and two touchdowns. Emmanuel Sanders (4-56, TD) and Tre’Quan Smith (4-42) were the next best in this game of constant checkdowns to Kamara.  Jared Cook left injured as well but from the start, Kamara was the only way to move the ball. The 3-0 Packers return home to face the Falcons with what should be an obscene amount of points scored. The 1-2 Saints stumble into Detroit to meet the Lions.

The Game-o-the-Week

DAL 31, SEA 38
At this rate, the only question is if the Game-o-the-Week contains the Cowboys, Seahawks or Falcons. Each can post a ton of points and yet cannot stop other teams from doing the same. In a word – “delightful.”

The only difference between the Cowboys win over the Falcons and their loss to the Seahawks is that Russell Wilson can accomplish that final winning drive that eluded Matt Ryan. The Seahawks led 30-15 in the third quarter when the Cowboys reeled off two touchdowns and then kicked a 42-yard field goal to take the lead 31-30 with 3:59 left to play.

The Seahawks took over on their own 25-yard line and Wilson marched them down the field and then had a fourth-and-three from the Dallas 47-yard line. Wilson connected with Greg Olsen for 11 yards for the first, then Travis Homer ran for seven yards because Chris Carson was injured. On the first play after the two-minute warning, Wilson hit DK Metcalf for a 29-yard touchdown.

The Cowboys reached the Seattle 26-yard line with 16 seconds left to play when Prescott threw an interception. It was a wild game and hopefully both teams will continue to provide such a bounty to the fantasy community.

Ezekiel Elliott only ran for 34 yards on 14 carries but he scored once and added six receptions for 24 yards. Dak Prescott ended with 472 yards and three touchdowns with two interceptions. Michael Gallup (6-138, TD) and Cedrick Wilson (5-107, 2 TD) took care of the scoring while Amari Cooper (9-86) led in receptions. CeeDee Lamb was relatively quiet with five catches for 65 yards. With 472 yards to distribute, everyone was involved. The Seahawks tried to shut down Cooper and Lamb and were almost killed by Gallup and Wilson.

Chris Carson ran for 64 yards on 14 rushes and caught three passes for 12 yards but left injured. Russell Wilson set an NFL record by throwing for 14 touchdowns over the first three games of the season. He passed for 315 yards and five scores that mostly favored DK Metcalf (4-110, TD) and Tyler Lockett (9-100, 3 TD). Greg Olsen (5-61) also had a big role though Jacob Hollister scored on his only catch. It was a wild game that the Cowboys almost pulled off. They committed the one unforgivable error this year – they left Russell Wilson too much time.

Sunday Snippets

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

NYG 13, CHI 17
This was the snore-fest we feared and made tragically memorable when Saquon Barkley was helped from the field with what appeared to be a torn ACL. Sterling Shepard also left the game and Daniel Jones only managed 241 yards and one interception. Even Engram (6-65) was the top receiver while Golden Tate (5-47) was the best wide receiver which was clearly just a relative term. Dion Lewis becomes the free agent of the week with Barkley out but only gained 20 yards on ten carries with one touchdown. Lewis did add four catches for 36 yards so he’ll have fantasy value. Not Saquon Barkley value by any means, but he’ll be a starting running back that catches the ball well.

The Bears lost David Montgomery temporarily but he returned to the game and ended with a credible 82 yards on 16 carries and was also the leading receiver with only three catches for 45 yards and a score. Mitchell Trukisky only threw for 190 yards and two scores with two interceptions in what may be his easy matchup of the month. Allen Robinson was held to only 33 yards on three catches and the passing game is benefitting no one so far… except for Dion Lewis. The 0-2 Giants host the 49ers this week, and the 2-0 Bears play in Atlanta.

DET 21, GB 42

The Packers appear unwilling to give the NFC North to anyone else this season. The Lions led 14-3 in the first quarter and then it all went very bad, very quickly. Matt Stafford ended with 244 yards and two scores but that was well short of what was needed to be competitive. He still misses Kenny Golladay and it shows. T.J. Hockenson led the receivers with 62 yards on four catches while D’Andre Swift is making a bigger mark as a pass-catcher than a rusher. He  snared five passes for 60 yards but was held to only 12 yards on five carries. Marvin Jones (4-23, TD) scored once to salvage his fantasy value. The backfield was neatly split between the ineffective Swift, Adrian Peterson (7-41) and Kerryon Johnson (8-32, TD) so there is almost no reliable fantasy value here.

Aaron Rodgers only needed to pass for 240 yards and two scores but missed Davante Adams (3-36) who pulled his hamstring. Marquez Valdes-Scantling (3-64) had one long catch and left the game temporarily. Aaron Jones was the difference maker with four catches for 68 yards and a touchdown, plus he ran for 168 yards and two more scores. That included a 75-yard touchdown jaunt. The 2-0 Packers need a healthy Adams but pummeled the Lions regardless. They travel to New Orleans this week for their biggest challenge to date. The 0-2 Lions visit the Cardinals in what is becoming the desert of death.

MIN 11, IND 28
The Vikings offense has looked worse before, probably, but when was that? Dalvin Cook gained 63 yards and a score on his 14 carries but his touchdown came when they trailed 28-3 late in the fourth quarter when the Colts defense was chasing a passing ice cream truck. Kirk Cousins completed just 11-of-26 for 113 yards and three interceptions. His final QB rating was 15.9. The Colts secondary is good, but it is not usually stringing-up-barbed-wire great. Even Adam Thielen was held to three catches for 31 yards despite a team-high eight targets.

This wasn’t the pass-happy fest expected for the Colts but it was clearly not a need for the win. Jonathan Taylor ran for 101 yards and a touchdown on his 26 carries. No one likes to see an injury, but every Taylor owner is less bothered by Marlon Mack landing on IR. Philip Rivers threw for 214 yards and one score to Zach Pascal while T.Y. Hilton (3-28) still has yet to get started. Mo Alie-Cox replaced Jack Doyle as the lead receiver with five receptions for 111 yards. The 0-2 Vikings host the Titans this week while the 1-1 Colts host the Jets.

BUF 31, MIA 28
This matchup defied conventional thought be becoming a high-scoring aerial battle. Josh Allen passed for 417 yards and four touchdowns as a career-best. Stefon Diggs ended with eight catches for 153 yards and one score, while John Brown (4-82, TD) and Cole Beasley (5-70) both enjoyed above-average performances. Devin Singletary ran for 56 yards on ten carries while Zack Moss went for 37 yards on his eight rushes. CB Byron Jones left injured so the passing became easier.

Ryan Fitzpatrick threw for 328 yards and two scores with Mike Gesicki (8-130, TD) leading the team and Isaiah Ford (7-76) popping up on the box score. Devante Parker only caught five passes for 53 yards but scored once. The backfield is still without any real fantasy value, since Myles Gaskin (7-46), Matt Brieda (7-37) and Jordan Howard (5-4, TD) all share the meager production. The 2-0 Bills host the Raiders this week while the 0-2 Dolphins travel to Jacksonville. All things considered, the Fins should be happy with “close” after last year.

SF 31, NYJ 13
This was a beat-down as expected, even though the 49ers were jettisoning starters along the way. Raheem Mostert totaled 107 yards thanks to an 80-yard touchdown run on the first play of the game but left with a knee sprain. Jimmy Garopplo was efficiently winning the game but left with a high-ankle sprain. Jordan Reed replaced Jimmy Kittle and caught both touchdown passes and ended with seven receptions for 50 yards in a very Kittle-esque performance. Jerick McKinnon becomes a red-hot free agent pick-up this week (providing Mostert remains out) thanks to his 55-yard run and a 16-yard touchdown.

The Jets came in without Le’Von Bell and Jamison Crowder and was never remotely in this game. Frank Gore gained 63 yards on 21 carries as Bell’s replacement but recorded no receptions. Sam Darnold only passed for 179 yards and one score to Braxton Berrios (6-59, TD). Chris Hogan (6-75) led the receivers but later left with a rib injury. The notion that Chris Herndon was going to have a break out season remains a secret. The banged-up (1-1) 49ers  play at the Giants this week while the (0-2) Jets travel to face the Colts.

LA 37, PHI 19
After two weeks, it seems that maybe the Rams are really that good and the Eagles are really that bad. The Rams lost Cam Akers early in the game but just switched to Malcolm Brown (11-47) and Darrel Henderson (12-81, TD) for a committee situation no one wants to see. Jared Goff passed for 267 yards and three touchdowns that all ended up with Tyler Higbee (5-54, 3 TD). Cooper Kupp (5-81) was the only wideout with any significance.  The Rams resorted to six different runners including Robert Woods (3-19, TD) and Van Jefferson with one carry.

The Eagles have lost significant offensive linemen and that has derailed the offense that has little time to get plays executed. Miles Sanders ran well regardless with 20 rushes for 95 yards and one score but had several stuffed rushes He also added three catches for 36 yards as the only rewarding fantasy play for the team. Carson Wentz only threw for 242 yards and two interceptions against the Rams secondary. DeSean Jackson (6-64) and Zach Ertz (5-42) were as good as it got. The (0-2) Eagles offense sputters badly outside of Sanders  but host the Bengals this week when it should all work much better. The 2-0 Rams are passing and rushing well, and using a wide variety of players each week. They  travel to face the Bills.

DEN 21, PIT 26
This was a very competitive game even though the Broncos were on the road and lost Drew Lock at the first of the game. Jeff Driskel passed for 256 yards and two scores in replacement. Courtland Sutton (3-66) was able to play but then later left with his knee bothering him. Jerry Jeudy (4-62) and Noah Fant (4-57, TD)  were better than expected as well. Melvin Gordon took over the backfield with Phillip Lindsay out and ran for 70 yards on 19 carries plus he caught a touchdown on his two receptions for 14 yards. The Broncos lost, but they far exceeded expectations.

Ben Roethlisberger passes for 311 yards and two scores between Diontae Johnson (8-92) and Chase Claypool (3-88, TD) with the rookie including an 84-yard catch-and-score. JuJu Smith-Schuster was held to only 48 yards on his seven receptions. James Conner returned as the starter and ran for 106 yards and a score on his 16 runs while Benny Snell (3-5) took a back seat.  The 2-0 Steelers host the Texans this week while the 0-2 Broncos welcome the Buccaneers to Denver.

CAR 17, TB 31
The Panthers defense will be their Achilles heel all season long. Christian McCaffrey totaled 88 yards and two scores but left the game late with an ankle injury. Teddy Bridgewater struggled to throw in the first half but finally caught fire later in the game and ended with 367 passing yards but no scores. D.J. Moore (8-120) finally came back to life and Robby Anderson (9-109) turned in his second productive showing as a Panther. Mike Davis is the backup that almost no McCaffey owner grabbed and he just caught eight passes for  74 yards and will replace McCaffrey if needed.

Tom Brady only needed to throw for 217 yards and one score but at least he discovered Mike Evans (7-104, TD). No other receivers mattered in this one and Chris Godwin’s absence did not matter. The backfield is a bit more convoluted though since Ronald Jones (7-23, TD) started the game and scored first, but then later Leonard Fournette (12-103, 2 TD) was vastly better than his Week 1 showing of five yards on five runs. Almost as notable is that tight ends combined for only one catch and Rob Gronkowski had zero receptions.  The 0-2 Panthers travel to face the Chargers while hoping that McCaffrey’s MRI is good news. The 1-1 Buccaneers play in Denver.

JAX 30, TEN 33
The Titans won on a last-second field goal but the Jaguars gave them all they could handle. James Robinson ran for 102 yards and a score and even added three receptions for 18 yards. He’s truly one of the biggest surprises that popped up right before the season started. Gardner Minshew passed for 339 yards and three touchdowns but threw to ten different receivers. DJ Chark (4-84) and Keelan Cole (6-58) were the most productive but eight of them caught at least three passes.This Jaguars team is already better on offense than expected.

Derrick Henry only gained 84 yards on 25 carries as the Jaguars defense continues to surprise. Ryan Tannehill did the damage with 239 passing yards and four touchdowns. Jonnu Smith (4-84, 2 TD) Adam Humphries (5-48, TD) stepped up with AJ Brown out and Corey Davis scored again but was held to only 36 yards on three catches. The Titans outlasted a furious comeback attempt by the Jaguars with Stephen Gostowski nailing a 49-yard field goal and he made a 51-yarder earlier in the game after missing three in Week 1. The 2-0 Titans  head to Minnesota this week while the 1-1 Jaguars  host the Dolphins.

WAS 15, ARI 30
The jury is still out about how good or bad Washington is this year. Not so for the Cardinals who were stellar in both games while facing good defenses. Kenyan Drake ran for 86 yards on 20 carries but only gained nine yards on two receptions. Kyler Murray threw for 286 yards and one touchdown to DeAndre Hopkins (8-68, TD) while the second-year quarterback ran for 67 yards and two scores on eight scrambles. The Washington defense was good against all facets – except for Murray running when they had no answer. So far, Hopkins is a pass-sponge and that depresses the other receivers.

The Football Team backfield is still a mess to forecast. Peyton Barber scored twice on his 17 carries in Week 1 and then had just one run for one yard versus the Cards. Antonio Gibson finally showed up with 13 runs for 55 yards and one score but only one catch that lost three yards. J.D. McKissic ran for 53 yards on eight carries and yet had no targets. This will likely all change next week anyway. Dwayne Haskins passed for 223 yards and one score which mostly went to Terry McLaurin (7-125, TD). There are no other fantasy plays among the receivers and the backfield rotation is still a’changing. The 1-1 Redskins head to Cleveland this week while the 2-0 Cardinals host the Lions.

BAL 33, HOU 16

How was it this team failed to reach the Super Bowl? Hard to tell with the way they opened the season. This is another committee backfield that is harder to read. J.K. Dobbins ran in two scores in the season opener but then had only two carries in Week 2 – and yet gained 48 yards since one went for 44 yards. Mark Ingram gained 55 yards on nine rushes and scored on a 30-yard run as a wildcat quarterback. Gus Edwards is still around with ten runs for 73 yards while Lamar Jackson settled for 54 yards on his 16 rushes.  He only passed for 204 yards and one score, No receiver topped 42 yards. They were always in the lead and just did not need to throw much.

The Ravens held David Johnson to only 34 yards on 11 runs and he added just two catches for 16 yards. Deshaun Watson passed for 275 yards and one score with Brandon Cooks (5-95) finally making himself known as a Texan after a quiet Week 1. Randall Cobb turned in 59 yards on five catches while Jordan Akins led the team with seven catches for 55 yards. The Ravens defense was just too much to handle and the Texans had to settle for just two field goals in the second half. The 2-0 Ravens  host the Chiefs on the next Monday night game while the 0-2 Texans play in Pittsburgh.

KC 23, LAC 20
Not many quarterbacks that can be down ten points and it only elicits a  “yeah, so?” The Chiefs always have trouble with the Chargers and trailed 6-17 in the third quarter.  Harrison Butker kicked his second 58-yard field goal in the game to win in overtime. Clyde Edwards-Helaire calmed down with only 38 yards on ten carries but added six catches for 20 yards. Patrick Mahomes ended with 302 yards and two touchdowns which mostly happened in the fourth quarter and overtime. The beauty of the Chiefs is that only the fantasy starters post big stats. Tyreek Hill (5-99, TD) and Travis Kelce (9-90, TD) were the two leading receivers and only ones with a score, or more than 30 yards.

Tyrod Taylor re-aggravated a chest injury in pregame warmups and the Justin Herbert era began. The rookie threw for 311 yards and one score while keeping the fantasy fortunes of Keenan Allen (7-96) and Hunter Henry (6-83) still productive. Austin Ekeler ran for 93 yards and added 55 more on four catches while the rookie Joshua Kelley gained 64 yards on 23 runs and caught two passes for 49 yards.  The Chargers ran the ball 44 times in a game that they thought they won. Almost did. The 1-1 Chargers  host the Panthers this week so everything should look better. The 2-0 Chiefs  play in Baltimore on Monday night.

NE 30,  SEA 35

Nice shoot-out to end the day. This came down to the final play and is a contender for the Game-o-the-Week. Cam Newton ran for 47 yards and two touchdowns while passing for 397 yards and one score. Julian Edelman set a career-best with eight catches for 179 yards while Damiere Byrd (6-72) and N’Keal Harry (8-72) both stepped up. There was nearly no rushing with Sony Michel held to only 19 yards on seven carries. But Newton not only rushed effectively, he looked good passing and very nearly produced the game-winning drive from his own 19-yard line in the final 1:55 and it ended on the Seattle two-yard line on a failed rushing attempt.

Chris Carson rushed for 72 yards and added three catches for 36 yards and a score. Russell Wilson completed 21-of-28 passes for 288 yards and five touchdowns. D.K. Metcalf caught four passes for 92 yards that included a 54-yard scoring catch over the top of CB Stephon Gilmore. Tyler Lockett (7-67, TD) and David Moore (3-48, TD) also led the effort. Wilson played nearly flawlessly and ended with a 132.1 QB rating. This is a passing offense that handled arguably the best set of corners in the NFL. The 2-0 Seahawks  host the Cowboys this week while the 1-1 Patriots  host the Raiders who will be on a short week.

The Game-o-the-Week

ATL 39, DAL 40

What a great game that the Cowboys did not even deserve to win. The Falcons led 20-0 in the first quarter since they had recovered three lost fumbles that killed Dallas drives.  They led 29-10 at the half. With just under eight minutes to play, they went up 39-24. But the Cowboys reeled off two touchdowns and a last-second field goal to score 16 straight points in the final 4:57 of the game.

Matt Ryan passed for 273 yards and four touchdowns that went to Calvin Ridley (7-109, 2 TD), Hayden Hurst (5-72, TD), and Russell Gage (6-46, TD) while Julio Jones was held to only 24 yards on two catches. Jones did drop what should have been a 50-yard touchdown. Todd Gurley ran for 61 yards on 21 rushes but never had a target and Ito Smith was used at the goal line (unsuccessfully). The Falcons’ inability to run out the clock left too much time for the Cowboys.

Dak Prescott was one of the best fantasy plays of the day. He threw for 450 yards and one score and ran for three touchdowns. No one in NFL history had ever thrown for over 400 yards and rushed in three scores. CeeDee Lamb (6-106) and Amari Cooper (6-100) both hit the century mark while Dalton Schultz surprised with nine receptions for 88 yards and a score. Michael Gallup only caught two passes but gained 58 yards. Ezekiel Elliott ran for 89 yards and one score on 22 carries and added six catches for 33 yards.

This was the shootout that was expected though it seemed more likely that the Falcons would be the ones playing catch up. Somehow, the Cowboys shaky secondary could cover Julio Jones but no one else.

This was great weekend with 15 teams exceeding 30 points and generating plenty of fantasy benefit. But there were numerous injuries and the shake-out from that won’t be known until during the week.

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

Sunday Snippets

SEA 38, ATL 25
 This was never really in doubt by the end of the third quarter when the Seahawks led 31-12. Russell Wilson ended with 322 yards and four touchdowns which were divided up between D.K. Metcalf (4-95, TD), Chris Carson (6-45, 2 TD),  and Greg Olsen (4-24, TD). Tyler Lockett caught eight passes for 92 yards in this pass-happy scoring fest. Carson only ran for 21 yards on six carries and the lone rushing touchdown was given late to Carlos Hyde (7-23, TD).  This was a competitive game but only the Seahawks stepped up their play after the halftime. The Seahawks rushing offense disappointed, but it did not matter.

Matt Ryan threw for 450 yards and two scores that both went to Calvin Ridley (9-130, 2 TD) while Julius Jones (9-157) and Russell Gage (9-114) both had monster performances when the Falcons were forced to the air. Todd Gurley ran in a score on his 14 runs for 56 yards but only added two catches for one net yard. He was not a factor after halftime and started strong but quickly faded. The Seahawks host the Patriots this week while the Falcons head to Dallas.

NYJ 17, BUF 27
The Jets did not look anywhere nearly as good as the score may suggest. The Jets led 21-0 at the half. Little worked for the Jets until the Bills stopped caring. All combined, they only ran for 46 yards on 14 carries but Josh Adams ran in a late score. Sam Darnold passed for 215 yards and a touchdown but only managed 8-18-86 yards at the half with one interception. Jamison Crowder scored a 69-yard that salvaged the passing stats and ended with 115 yards on seven catches. Chris Herndon was used more with six receptions for 37 yards but this offense looked no better than last year, if not worse. And Le’Veon Bell left injured.

Josh Allen ran for 57 yards and a score plus passed for 312 yards and two touchdowns for one of his best performances. Newly signed Stefon Diggs led the crew with 86 yards on eight catches and John Brown scored on his six receptions for 70 yards but Allen missed several wide-open passes to both. It just did not matter this time. Disappointing was that the backfield workload was split into two with Devin Singletary (9-30) and Zack Moss (9-11) ineffective. In fairness, the Jets defense played well in that one facet. Great to see Allen with better passing stats but they could have been even more. The Jets host the 49ers this week while the Bills  head to Miami.

CHI 27, DET 23
 This was a tale of two halves. The Lions led 23-6 in the third quarter but then allowed the Bears to string out 21 straight points to take the win. Mitchell Trubisky passed for 242 yards and three touchdowns but almost all of that was in the fourth quarter. Anthony Miller (4-76, TD) caught the winning 27-yard touchdown in the final two minutes and Allen Robinson (5-74) was the only other notable wideout. Jimmy Graham only managed three catches for 25 yards but one was a score. David Montgomery gained 64 yards on 13 rushes but Tarik Cohen was given seven carries for 41 yards and even Cordarelle Patterson (4-19) also pitched in the always frustrating rotation in the backfield. Three quarters of play said the Bears were in trouble this year. The final one suggested maybe they just start slowly.

Matt Stafford passed for 297 yards but only one score to T.J. Hockenson (5-56, TD). Danny Amendola was the top receiver with 81 yards on five receptions but the absence of Kenny Golladay was evident. Adrian Peterson ran for 93 yards on 14 carries while Kerryon Johnson left injured. D’Andre Swift scored once but only ran for eight yards on three carries and dropped what could have been the winning touchdown catch at the end of the game. With Johnson likely out for a while, the Peterson addition makes more sense. We’re still waiting for Swift to be busier but he missed time in the summer because of injury. The Bears host the Giants this week while the Lions travel to Green Bay.

MIA 11, NE 21
The Dolphins were expected to struggle in this and likely all other games this year. Ryan Fitzpatrick flopped with only 191 passing yards and three interceptions while the Pats secondary is still pretty good even with the losses to COVID-19 opt-outs on defense. The backfield is a mess with Myles Gaskin the most productive with 40 yards on nine catches and Jordan Howard scoring once despite only gaining seven yards on his eight rushes. Matt Breida was almost a no-show until five carries for 22 yards proved he was at least there. Devante Parker left injured and yet was still the top receiver with 47 yards on four catches.

Overall… it looked like the New England Panthers. Cam Newton only passed for 155 yards but ran for 75 yards and two scores on 15 rushes. Sony Michel ran for only 37 yards on ten carries but scored once. Throw in Rex Burkhead (7-32) and the only running back with reliable fantasy value appears to be Cam Newton. James White (3-30) is not going to figure in much with Newton just running the ball instead of tossing dump-offs like Tom Brady. The Pats won and their defense played better than expected. But almost nothing here looked like the Patriots we’ve seen for the last 20 years. The Dolphins host the Bills this week and the Pats  head to Seattle.

PHI 17, WAS 27
 The Eagles led 17-0 in the second quarter and the game seemed to be over by halftime. But then they sputtered and turned the ball over three times while the Football Team woke up on defense. Carson Wentz passed for 270 yards and two scores but two interceptions. Dallas Goedert  became the top receiver with eight receptions for 101 yards and a touchdown while Zach Ertz (3-18, TD) caught the other score. Miles Sanders missed the game and Boston Scott only gained 54 total yards. Corey Clement pitched in with only 19 yards on six runs. DeSean Jackson (2-46) and Jalen Reagor (1-55) caught long passes, just not very many of them. No rushing game hurt the Eagles and then Wentz had a surprisingly difficult time passing in the second half.

The Football Team did little on offense. Dwayne Haskins ended with 178 yards and one score but completed just seven of 16 for 77 yards at the half. Antonio Gibson only ran for 36 yards on nine carries while Peyton Barber scored twice on his 17 rushes for 29 yards. Terry McLaurin was the best receiver but only had five receptions for 61 yards. The Washington defense showed up after a slow start and the offense did just enough to get the win. The Eagles host the Rams while the Football Team heads to Arizona.

LV 34, CAR 30
This game bodes well for both teams. At least on offense. The Raiders only saw Derek Carr pass for 239 yards and one score but Josh Jacobs ran in three touchdowns on his 25 carries for 93 yards. Jacobs also added four receptions for 46 yards for one of his career-best games. The new-look receivers only provided Henry Ruggs with three catches for 55 yards (and one went for 45 yards) before leaving injured. Bryan Edwards only managed one catch for nine yards but the Raiders were getting solid gains from their backfield. Darren Waller still turned in the most receptions with six for 45 yards.

The Panthers new offense kept them in the game the entire way but their old defense couldn’t seal the deal. The new offense still used Christian McCaffrey for 23 rushes for 96 yards and two scores plus three catches for 38 yards but his role as a receiver was reduced from 2019. Robby Anderson had a big debut with 115 yards on six catches and included a 75-yard touchdown catch. DJ Moore was limited to only 54 yards on four catches as a disappointment. Teddy Bridgewater threw for 270 yards and one score but wasn’t quite good enough to catch up to what his defense was giving away. The Raiders home debut comes against the Saints while the Panthers  head to Tampa Bay.

IND 20, JAC 27
The debut of HC Doug Marrone and OC Jay Gruden was a definite success. Gardner Minshew passed for 173 yards and three touchdowns between Keelan Cole (5-47, TD), Laviska Shenault (3-37, TD), and DJ Chark (3-25, TD). James Robinson was the surprise starting running back and kept the offense going with 16 runs for 62 yards and a catch for 28 yards. The Jags won mostly thanks to the defensive effort that was far better than expected.

Philip Rivers debut saw him with 363 passing yards but only one touchdown and two interceptions. Parris Campbell turned in a team-high six catches for 71 yards while T.Y. Hilton ended with four catches for 53 yards. Jonathan Taylor only ran for 22 yards on nine carries but caught six passes for 67 yards and takes over as the primary back since Marlon Mack tore his Achilles. The Colts’ offensive line should have been better than this. For now, the Colts disappointed while the Jaguars have to be pleased. The Colts will  host the Vikings this week and the Jags  head to Tennessee.

CLE 6, BAL 38
The Ravens looked like they are ready for the AFC Championship while the Browns were never in this blowout loss. The debut of HC Kevin Stefanski was set-up for disappointment playing in Baltimore anyway, but the Browns looked like they weren’t quite ready for the NFL. Baker Mayfield threw for 189 yards and one score to David Njoku (3-50, TD) who left injured. Jarvis Landry (5-61) and Odell Beckham (3-22) both struggled and Beckham had ten targets. Nick Chubb was limited to ten runs for 60 yards while Kareem Hunt took the lead with 13 carries for 72 yards. The loss was expected, but the Browns never really in this or even saw trash time production.

Lamar Jackson opened the year with 275 passing yards and three touchdowns while “only” rushing seven times for 75 yards.  Mark Ingram only managed 29 yards on ten runs while the rookie J.K. Dobbins scored twice on his seven carries for 22 yards as the short-yardage guy. Marquise Brown opened with a big Week 1 showing for the second year in a row with five catches for 101 yards. Willie Snead (4-64, TD) and Mark Andrews (5-58, 2 TD) also enjoyed their first game. The Ravens were at home and the Browns are installing yet another offense, but these Ravens looked like they were in mid-season form and the Browns didn’t seem prepared to play. The Ravens go to Houston this week and the Browns have their home opener versus the Bengals.

LAC 16, CIN 13
The Chargers slink out of Cincinnati with a win thanks to Randy Bullock pulling a hamstring while missing a last-second 31-yard field goal to tie. There wasn’t much happening in this one by either team as the score indicates. Austin Ekeler ran for 84 yards  but only caught one pass for three yards. Justin Jackson left injured and the rookie Joshua Kelley gained 60 yards and a touchdown on his 12 carries. But Tyrod Taylor only passed for 208 yards and no score with Hunter Henry (5-73) and Mike Williams (4-69) as the top receivers. Keenan Allen was held to only 37 yards on four receptions. The Charger ran the ball 33 times but split it up enough that no one had a big performance.

Joe Burrow’s debut saw him complete 23 of 36 for 193 yards and one interception. Pretty standard. Burrow ran for 46 yards and the only team touchdown. Joe Mixon only gained 69 yards on 19 rushes and A.J. Green (5-51) led the receivers. He had the game-winning catch at the end of the game but was called for a push-off. The offense was predictably sluggish but almost pulled it off. That errant field goal ruined a chance for Burrow to get a win. The Chargers  return home to face the Chiefs while the Bengals head to Cleveland.

TB 23, NO 34
Great game, just not in the way we were used to seeing. The first time dueling 40-year-old quarterbacks ever met saw Tom Brady throw for 239 yards and two scores, but also two interceptions including a pick-six. His 78.4 QB rating was lower than usual but he did steal the only rushing touchdown from the backfield. Chris Godwin led the crew with 79 yards on six catches while Mike Evans was held to only one catch for two yards (but a touchdown). Ron Gronkowski (2-11) still not a factor. Ronald Jones opened the game as the starting running back and gained 66 yards on 17 carries plus caught two passes for 16 yards. Leonard Fournette only gained five yards on five carries and caught a 14-yard pass.

Drew Brees only passed for 160 yards and two scores while Michael Thomas went from 11-182-2 in this matchup last year to only three catches for 17 yards though he sprained his ankle during the game. Jared Cook was the lead receiver with 80 yards on five catches and the best fantasy play was Alvin Kamara with a score on his 12 runs for 16 yards and a second touchdown on his five catches for 51 yards. He came within inches of a third score at the end of the game. The Saints took the win, but it wasn’t nearly the offensive fireworks that this matchup generated last year. The Bucs get their home opener against the Panthers this week and the Saints head to Las Vegas.

ARI 24, SF 20
Is the power shifting in the NFC West? The Cardinals left San Francisco as the better team this week when Kyler Murray threw for 230 yards and a score plus gained 91 yards on 13 runs plus one touchdown. Kenyan Drake also scored on his 16 carries for 60 yards though he only caught two passes for five yards. The best feature of the Cardinals was newly-signed DeAndre Hopkins with 14 catches for 151 yards though, as usual, he drained the fantasy value out of all other receivers.  The Cardinals played a solid game but their defense was as much to credit for their win.

Jimmy Garoppolo threw for 259 yards and two scores that included a 76-yard touchdown pass to Raheem Mostert (4-95, TD) who also ran for 56 yards on 15 rushes. The other receivers had a very quiet day though both Deebo Samuels and Brandon Aiyuk were out. George Kittle was held to only 44 yards on four catches though he sprained his knee during the game. We need next week to see if the Cardinals defense is that good or if the 49ers offense is just struggling. The Cardinals host the Football Team this week while the 49ers play at the Jets.

DAL 17, LAR 20
Not exactly the point-explosion that was hoped for, but at least several players turned in significant fantasy production.  Dak Prescott passed for 266 yards and one score  and ran for 30 yards as well. Amari Cooper led the receivers with ten catches for 81 yards and CeeDee Lamb debuted with five receptions for 59 yards. The Cowboys relied mostly on Ezekiel Elliott who ran for 96 yards and a touchdown on 22 rushes and caught three passes for 31 more yards and a second touchdown. The Rams secondary was able to mostly handle the Cowboys vaunted set of receivers. Blake Jarwin may be lost for the year but as expected, the tight ends did not play a major role for the Cowboys with three talented wideouts.

The Rams relied on a committee backfield that saw Malcolm Brown run for 79 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries and add 31 yards on three receptions. The rookie Cam Akers gained 39 yards on 14 rushes and appeared a definite No. 2 behind Brown for now. Jared Goff passed for 275 yards but no scores while Robert Woods (6-105) was the only successful wide receiver.  Cooper Kupp was limited to only 40 yards on four catches which was a disappointment against a Cowboys secondary that lost talent in the offseason. The Cowboys host the Falcons this week while the Rams head to Philadelphia.

The Game-o-the-Week

Packers 43, Vikings 34
This was a great fantasy game. It also wasn’t nearly as close as the score looks. The Packers led 29-10 entering the fourth quarter and the Vikings did almost all of their scoring after the Packers dropped back in the prevent. Dalvin Cook was limited to only 12 runs for 50 yards but scored twice. Kirk Cousins ended with 259 yards and two scores entirely thanks to trash time. Adam Thielen (6-110-2) was the only receiver of any note. The Vikings passing game struggled badly until the Packers stopped caring. Either the Packers’ defense is much better than expected, or the Vikings offense is much worse. Maybe both.

Aaron Rodgers had a monster game with 364 yards and four touchdowns. Davante Adams blew up with 14 catches for 156 yards and two touchdowns and even Marquez Valdes-Scantling ended with 96 yards and a score on four catches. Aaron Jones ran for 66 yards and a score on 16 rushes but that was the Packers’ final touchdown in the game. Jones added four catches for ten yards and wasn’t that productive until the final touchdown. The Packers host the Lions and the Vikings travel to Indianapolis this week.

It was a great opening week and most teams did not play  as sloppily as feared after far less time in practices and without any preseason games. There were surprises and flops as there also are and on average, one out of every 16 players just had their best game of the season. There were no big injuries aside from Marlon Mack’s Achilles but soft tissue problems like hamstrings started showing up in practice last week.

We’re on to a couple of Monday night games and then Week 2. And it feels pretty good to see football again.