Games I saw (some of):
Browns 14-7 Vikings
The Vikings marched down the field confidently for a TD on their opening drive and then...did not do that again. I was impressed with the Browns pass rush, they kept the Vikings off balance all day. The Browns offense had its moments but was hardly dominant, it was the defense that kept them in this game. To me, I think the Browns are well balanced, if a bit unpredictable as to which unit is going to get the job done in any given game. Here it was the defense, other days it'll be the offense. As for the Vikings, they played hard, they just didn't move the ball, which is odd because so far this year that has not been a problem for them.
Steelers 17-27 Packers
The Steelers suck, dude. It's easy to blame it on Roethlisberger (he's washed but he's not dangerous: he's not gonna make the big play any more but I don't think he's gonna give away games, either), but he's not all of it, this team is not good anywhere on the field. That said I am starting to warm up to Najee Harris, I've been unimpressed but I think it's the offense in general that isn't serving him, he's a better pass catcher and he runs with some spice, but his talents are not getting rewarded on this team. As for the Packers, uhh, you probably saw the highlights, the scoreline was clear, Rodgers tied Marino for all-time TD passes, had some hoopla, so you probably think everything's great, right? No. Dude, Rodgers kinda sucked in this game, he was sailing passes, did not have his usual command and it wasn't because of the Steeler D, he just sucked (and I say that to really hammer home that, yeah, man, the Steelers are that bad!). So the Packers are winning games and they're in such a soft division they should pile up W's, but this team is still pretty flakey, they got a ways to go to be really dangerous.
Panthers 28-36 Cowboys
Yeah, man, I'm in on the Cowboys, they are killing it on both sides of the ball right now (the danger is that they're peaking way too early). And, hey, I was impressed with the Panthers in this game, outside of the 3rd quarter (which really got away from Carolina), this was a pretty even game. I think both of these teams are legit. The Cowboys offense is humming and that defense is bold enough to gamble and make plays--and that's how you go 15-2. The Panthers move the ball well (I thought both interceptions were remarkable defensive plays rather than bad giveaways), I think Darnold is actually really good, they didn't even have McCaffrey in this game and I think they're gonna win their division. Good game, Cowboys are rounding into a serious badass squad and the Panthers are still in line to make noise down the stretch.
Bucs 19-17 Patriots
Fun game in its way, every play seemed to carry so much weight. That said, the rainy conditions made both teams kinda shaky and neither team finished well around the end zone, making for a low scoring game. I was really impressed with Mac Jones, he seems to have learned the lesson that so often eludes rookie QB's: get the ball out quick, quit trying to shine out, take your 3-yard gain and move on. The Pats moved the ball well but didn't score and I'm not sure really why, they just kinda broke down when the time came to finish. The Bucs, on the other hand, really didn't move the ball well at all (Brady kinda sucked) and somehow still managed to win this game. The Bucs beleaguered D also tallied up a coupla more injuries, are these injuries devastating or are they better off getting these problems out of the way in early October?
Raiders 14-28 Chargers
The Raiders did absolutely nothing in the 1st half, the Chargers were much more successful and the game felt like it was gonna be a walkover. Key play: with about 4 minutes to go in the 1st half, the Raiders had the ball around their own 25, seemed to get a 1st down on run off-tackle left; Chargers challenged and though it looked to me like the spot was fine and he got the 1st down, the ball was moved back a yard and the Raiders had to punt; now if the Raiders could've held the Chargers even to just an FG, then this game is entirely different. But the Chargers drove for the TD and were up 21-0 at halftime and the game felt completely over. After halftime, the Raiders got some offense going and found their pass rush, too, and made a game of it. But in the 4th quarter, after the Raiders missed an FG, the Chargers were able to eat up clock and add an extra TD. Raiders didn't exactly get blown out, so much as they just waited too long to get going. Another good W for the Chargers, they're really good. They convert 1st downs (they extend the game) and their pass rush gets after people (they shorten the game) and at their best, I think they can hang with anyone.
The rest of the slate:
Jags 21-24 Bengals. Two lame teams on a Thursday night. I still think the Bengals are moving in the right direction. Unfortunately, I think the Jags' schedule was laid out for them to have early success and they didn't take advantage, nothing gets easier for them.
WTF 34-30 Falcons. I thought the Falcons were primed to get a veteran smarts win at home against a crappy team but they blew it. Bad L for the Falcons.
Texans 0-40 Bills. Saw none of it, seems like I didn't miss much.
Lions 14-24 Bears. Lions in the 4th quarter--book it, punters! First win for Fields (congrats, now go beat someone other than Detroit).
Colts 27-17 Dolphins. Man, not a good look for the Dolphins. Nice W for the Colts.
Giants 27-21 (OT) Saints. The Saints are not good enough to take anyone lightly.
Titans 24-27 (OT) Jets. The Titans are not good enough to take anyone lightly.
Chiefs 42-20 Eagles. The Eagles have looked more impressive in defeat than a lot of teams look in victory, they're moving in the right direction, I think they could be good (or at least pesky) by the end of the year. Good W for the Chiefs, keeping Tyreke Hill lively is probably an absolute necessity for them.
Cards 37-20 Rams. Division game, man. The Rams should've handled their business but Kyler Murray is f'n badass, man.
Seahawks 28-21 Niners. Division game, man. Those West teams are gonna beat up on each other all season, huh?
Ravens 23-7 Broncos. Sounds about right.
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