2017-18 NFL (Week 9)

Games I watched (some of):

Bengals 7-23 Jaguars
Man, the Bengals D has sunk so low that I thought Blake Bortles actually looked pretty good for most of this game--not just passable but actually good! His receivers dropped a lot of balls, too, if they could just connect a little more, the Jags would be a legit team in the AFC (and this was all without Forunette). The Bengals have nothing, man. Mixon is coming along but you can just tell by watching him that that kid's a dope and even when he's good, he's probably not worth it. The Jags are now in the driver's set in their division, the Bengals just keep slipping further out of the picture.

Chiefs 17-28 Cowboys
Thought the Cowboy pass rush was impressive, kept Alex Smith off balance all day. Outside of that last drive before halftime (wtf?!?!) and the first drive of the second half, the Chiefs just never established anything on offense. And on the other side, man, I thought Dak was so impressive. His numbers were shockingly nothing special considering how in control he looked out there. When the Cowboys want to be they actually look pretty damn good; the Chiefs just had a bad game on the road, I still think they're the best in the AFC.

Raiders 27-24 Dolphins
Two puzzling teams. They both have such wild quality control problems, each had good drives and each looked just flat fucking awful at times. Oh well. The Dolphins looks strangely revitalized without Ajayi (sometimes getting rid of the annoying dude makes everyone a lot more comfortable) but still didn't have enough of a running game to think they've turned a corner or something. The Raiders had moments where that D line looked fierce and then other times when they looked non-existent. I dunno, I don't get either of these teams, the lack of consistency displayed by both was nothing short of maddening. Both teams still have time to snag a wild card spot and if both could get a regular form going, they might meet in the playoffs (not likely but it could happen).


Other results:

Bills 21-34 Jets
Division games are always a crapshoot where anything can happen, so while the Bills are probably the better team, the result isn't a shock (especially on a Thursday night). The Bills still have a shot at a wild card spot, the Jets had been get going if they want into the playoffs.

Colts 20-14 Texans
Ah, Texans, we hardly knew ye. Remember when the high flying Texans were the most exciting thing in the game....yeah, like it was a week ago. Man, NFL has the NASCAR problem: it kills off its most interesting players and personalities (I don't need Game of Thrones, I'm an NFL fan). Oh well, I think we can now confidently scratch both of these teams from winning that division, making this result kinda meaningless.

Bucs 10-30 Saints
Seems about right. Saints are in a good groove right now, especially at home, while the Bucs are in a bad groove right now, especially on the road. Though the Saints look to have the old school Brees back and a much improved defense, I'm still kinda skeptical until I see them really duke it out with a good team. The Bucs ought to just scout NCAA games for the rest of the year (and may need to look for a new coach); Saints are looking good to win that division and are almost certain to play in the post-season.

Rams 51-17 Giants
Well the wheels are officially off of the NYG train, we've known that for a few weeks. But where do the Rams keep coming up with the offensive explosions? The Rams are way ahead of schedule on both sides of the ball, we'll see how that plays in the post-season. The Giants are threatening to bench Eli Manning begging the question, "Why? You got something better over there?" Oh, man, the Giants stink are heading in the wrong direction at every position on the field.

Falcons 17-20 Panthers
Julio Jones dropped the go-ahead TD late in the 4th, it was that kind of game: the Falcons could've won if they just hadn't made dumb mistakes. And they've got all of their division schedule left, so they could conceivably get back into the playoff hunt but they needed to start right here. The Panthers look good when they're not looking bad, they look like they could beat anybody except that most of the time they don't. They'll dual with the Saints for the division it looks like.

Broncos 23-51 Eagles
The Broncos had been struggling at QB but now they're struggling on D, too. They look like they're falling apart but if they can find some stability (man, have I not written that about 20 other teams already?), they're still in the wild card race, its not like anyone is running away with it in the AFC. Meanwhile, the Eagles are firmly in charge in the NFC. They're having the kind of offensive success that breeds creativity on the defensive side, the Eagles are rounding into a legit dangerous squad.

Ravens 20-23 Titans
What is up with the Ravens? Why aren't they good? They've still got an above average defense and a QB that won a Super Bowl, in a such a slog-filled AFC this is the kind of team that ought to be stepping forward and claiming a playoff spot. Oh right: Joe Flacco sucks and always has. Still though, they're still almost there. The Titans are moving in the right direction on both sides of the ball and in such a mediocre period they could sill emerge as a capable team.

Cards 20-10 Niners
I thought this was a good chance for the Niners to steal a win but now that they've got their QB of the future, they're probably imagining the raft of the picks that can get with the #1 pick. No need to interrupt the reverie with an unnecessary W. Still though, the Niners play hard enough to win, this team won't go winless but the opportunities to win aren't exactly falling off the tree like autumn leaves. The Cards....ahhhhh, man....they just....they just suck, man. Oh well, fitting that on the weekend of daylight savings they get to pretend like they've rolled back the clock. Neither of these teams are anywhere near the playoffs.

Redskins 17-14 Seahawks
Somehow this result didn't surprise me. They're strangely similar teams: good pass defense, so-so running game, embattled QB's. They match up well. The Seahawks are definitely still in the wild card race (think the Rams are steadily vanquishing them in that division) but they'll get W's in the bottom of their division while the other divisions cannibalize each other down the stretch. The Redskins still have a chance to get into the wild card race and solid conference W's like this are how they do it.

Lions 30-17 Packers
Hundley just ain't getting it done in Green Bay. *sigh* It's a dang shame that Aaron Rodgers on an MVP trek won't get the Packers into the playoffs, which seems pretty much gone for good unless Hundley has a massive turnaround. The Lions are such a weird team: occasionally impressive, occasionally sleepy, Stafford is really good when he's healthy but looks like he's struggling out there at times. The Lions are well-positioned to make the most of the Rodgers-less Packers. Probably time to scratch off the Packers, though the Lions are definitely still in the mix for a wild card.


Won and covered: Jags, Cowboys, Jets, Colts, Saints, Rams, Panthers, Eagles, Titans, Cards, Redskins, Lions
Push: Raiders, Dolphins
Lost, didn't cover: Bengals, Chiefs, Bills, Texans, Bucs, Giants, Falcons, Broncos, Ravens, Niners, Seahawks, Packers