Noon Games: 

Texans vs Titans: Due to Covid-19 there was no Thursday night game this week, so we’ll go right into Sunday’s action, with the Titans beating the Texans 42-36 in an overtime thriller. After firing head coach Bill O’Brien, the Texans looked like the team we saw in last year’s playoffs. Deshaun Watson threw for 335 yards with four touchdown passes with a 138.9 passer rating, nearly perfect. However, it was the Derrick Henry show Sunday afternoon and he could not be stopped. He rushed for 212 yards (!) on 22 carries as well as 54 yards receiving. Easily one of the most dominant performances I have ever seen was capped off with this five-yard run to win the game for the Titans. 

Broncos vs Patriots: One of the more surprising outcomes of the day was the Broncos beating the Patriots 18-12. This one was definitely one of the most boring games I have ever watched, as only a single touchdown was scored the entire game. Kicker Brandon Mcmanus was easily the player of the game for the Broncos, as he knocked in all six of his field goals to single handedly beat New England. Both teams now move to 2-3 and will hopefully play more exciting contests down the road. 

Browns vs Steelers: I had my doubts about the undefeated Steelers, but not anymore. What was set up to be a slugfest between the 4-1 Browns and the 4-0 Steelers, actually got out of hand fast. Within four minutes of the first quarter gone it was already 10-0 Pittsburgh, and the lead did not stop there. Going into the second half the Steelers had a 24-7 lead, and added some more salt to the wound in the fourth to stomp Cleveland 38-7. It was clear early what the game plan for the Steelers was: give the ball to James Connor. Connor had 20 carries for just over 100 yards and a score. The rushing game was hitting on all cylinders as three Steelers found the end zone via the ground game. 

Bengals vs Colts: Phillip Rivers and the Colts spoiled rookie quarterback Joe Burrow’s first away win, with a come-from-behind 31-27 win. Rivers threw for 371 yards and three scores to lead the comeback. It looked all but over with Indianapolis trailing 21-0 in the second, but a touchdown frenzy led by the ancient QB himself was able to keep the Colts in the game. Two late scores were able to clinch the win for Indy as they now move to an impressive 4-2. 

Lions vs Jaguars: Two equally awful teams duked it out in Jacksonville this Sunday, and it was the Lions who were able to put down the Jaguars 34-16. Detroit’s rookie running back Deandre Swift had his “breakout” game as he rushed for 116 yards and two touchdowns with an impressive 8.3 yards per carry. Kenny Golladay helped Matt Stafford with nearly half of his passing yards, reeling in a total of 105. The Lions, now 2-3, look to get back to even next week against the Falcons. 

Washington vs Giants: Who was two thumbs and would rather watch paint dry then watch two NFC East teams play each other? This guy. The Giants and Washington played in a battle of a one-win team and a winless team, with the winless team, the Giants, coming out on top 20-19. No one really stood out from the winning side except for linebacker Tae Crowder. Crowder, the literal last pick in this year’s draft, was able to find the endzone on a scoop-and-score touchdown that would clinch the game for the Giants and bring them to a win. Aside from that, no one performed spectacularly, but that’s not really expected with these two teams anyway. 

Ravens vs Eagles: Coming back but always falling short, the Eagles lost once again on Sunday. After nearly upsetting the Steelers last weekend, it was the Ravens’ turn to nearly blow it. Down 30-14 with about seven minutes left to play, Carson Wentz led Philly on an 11-play, 75-yard drive to bring it within a score. A crucial stop by Philly’s defense was able to set up a game tying drive with about three minutes left. Wentz and the Eagles drove down the field again and were able to score with just under two minutes left! However, they still had to get the two point conversion, and came up short once again. The Ravens were able to hang on 30-28. 

Falcons vs Vikings: Two explosive offenses as well as two atrocious defenses faced off in Minnesota, as the Falcons were able to squash the Vikings 40-23. Atlanta’s star wide receiver Julio Jones was active after dealing with a hamstring injury the week before and was able to absolutely dominate the young Vikings secondary. Jones caught eight passes for 137 yards while hauling in two touchdowns. Overall, an absolute demolishing by the Falcons on both sides of the ball as they get their first win of the 2020 campaign. 

Bears vs Panthers: One of the better games of Sunday was the showdown between the Bears and the Panthers. The Bears, at 4-1, actually came in as underdogs for Sunday’s game but quickly proved doubters wrong. Despite a pretty mediocre game from both sides, the kicking is one aspect that was a strong suit for both teams. Cairo Santos came in clutch, knocking in all three of his attempts, while Chicago’s offense was only able to score two touchdowns. But that really doesn’t matter when you have a defense as dominant as the Bears’. Teshaun Gipson and Deandre Houston-Carson were both able to pick off Teddy Bridgewater, with Carson’s coming as the game-sealer. Chicago now sits alone atop the NFC North and looks to maintain that lead as they take on the Rams in primetime Monday night. 

Afternoon Games: 

Jets vs Dolphins: With this game being one of the only two games during the 3:25 slate, I was honestly probably watching something else. And what do you know: the Jets got slapped around again, this time losing 24-0 . Miami, on the other hand, actually looked very good. Coming off an impressive route of the 49ers, they were looking to get back to .500. Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick threw for three touchdowns to three different receivers and Myles Gaskin did his job on the ground, rushing for an impressive 5.1 yards per carry. We even got to see the fifth overall pick, Tua Tagovailoa, come in for the final drive. He completed both of his passes for nine yards.

Packers vs Buccaneers: America’s game of the week was anything but. After Aaron Rodgers and the Packers quickly jumped out to a 10-0 lead, Tom Brady and Tampa Bay had had enough of the cheeseheads. After a pick six to make it 10-7, Ronald Jones found the endzone to make it 14-10 in the span of about a minute. But the Bucs weren’t done yet. Brady found rookie receiver Tyler Johnson for a score, and just before half, Rob Gronkowski caught one as well. Let me save you some time by saying the second half was ALL Tampa Bay. They scored two more times to crush the Packers 38-10 as their defense suffocated Aaron Rodgers. 

Sunday Night Game:

Rams vs 49ers: The battle of LA took place in primetime Sunday night as the 49ers handed the Rams their second loss of the season, winning 24-16. Every girl’s favorite quarterback Jimmy Garappolo finally hit his stride after a bad outing last week, as he threw for 268 yards and three touchdowns. Tight end George Kittle also looked like his normal self, raking in 109 yards, including this 44 yard touchdown. Although winning, at 3-3 the 49ers are looking very inconsistent and could be resembling a Super Bowl hangover. Just something to look out for.

Monday Night Games: 

Chiefs vs Bills: Two Monday night games again? Yes, please. Two of the best gunslingers battled it out Monday night as the Chiefs beat the Bills 26-17. It was an action packed game, as there was a touchdown in every quarter. Surprisingly, it was actually the ground game that led to Kansas City’s victory. Clyde Edwards-Helaire rushed for 161 yards on 26 carries (a season high). Mahomes only threw 26 passes all game, which was a bit disappointing considering that him and Josh Allen have incredible arm strength. In fact, both QBs only threw for about 350 yards combined. Nonetheless, still an awesome game between two likely playoff teams. 

Cardinals vs Cowboys: Without Dak Prescott, the Cowboys looked to get back to .500 with Andy Dalton at the helm. That’s not exactly what happened, unfortunately. The Cowboys defense once again proved that they’re the worst in the league, giving up a whopping 38 points to Kyler Murray and the Cardinals. Murray only completed NINE passes, so the ground game is what Arizona leaned on. Kenyan Drake, who was supposed to be a top-ten running back, has struggled all year. Well, it’s impossible to struggle against the Cowboys defense, as Drake ran for a season-high 164 yards including two scores. Overall, a dominant 38-10 performance from a team that has been rather disappointing, and they look to keep that up next week against a hot Seattle team.