2022-23 NFL (Week 4)

Games I saw (some of):

Dolphins 15-27 Bengals

The Bengals grind one out against a Dolphin squad that is feisty but not yet mature. Tua gets hurt (again). Okay, here's my Tua rant: when Alabama whipped him out, I thought he was the best QB I'd ever seen and I just knew he was gonna be a monster. But his hip injury at Bama made me wonder and he slipped to the Dolphins; then he got a similar hip injury his rookie year and it slowed him down and made his unorthodox style all the more weird. Before any of this concussion stuff happened I already believed that Tua just wasn't going to be the top flight QB he looked like he might be at Bama. I just don't see it with Tua, I know he's a great athlete, he's had big games--I'm not saying he sucks, I just think the injuries have put a ceiling on what he could be. I'm rooting for him, I hope I'm wrong (well, I am a Bills fan, so I'm not hoping that hard), but I don't see Tua as the star he might've been. As for the Bengals, they're rounding into shape, I think they'll be just fine come playoff time. 

Steelers 20-24 Jets

Not as bad a game as I was anticipating. Okay, I'll say it: I like Zach Wilson and I hope the New York fans don't bury him with their unrealistic expectations the way they have with countless athletes before him. He looks good in the pocket, good looking arm mechanics, seems like he has good field vision and understands his options. The Jets are looking up. The Steelers, on the other hand, just keep annoying the shit out of me week after week (ugh, I live in Bengals territory so I see waaaaaaay more Steelers than I want to). The Steelers are not good, but I will say that Kenny Pickett is definitely better than Mitch Trubisky and at least they can move on from that debate. But I don't think the vaunted Steeler D is as good as they think they are, they still have O-line problems and I'm not particularly in on their skill guys. Not really sure about Pickett going forward but I can say the problem at the moment isn't QB--it's everything else.

Chiefs 41-31 Bucs

This'll sound weird but I saw this as a get-right game for the Bucs. Yeah, you don't usually think of a 10-point loss at home in prime time (after fumbling the opening kickoff) as a "get-right", but the Bucs offense looked better here than they have all season. So even though they had no shot at winning this game--Chiefs scored early and often and with ease--felt to me like the Bucs may have finally figured some things out. The Chiefs have a swagger that occasionally lets them down but more often than not propels them through solid victories; I know the Chiefs are good but I'm not sure they're great--they could be but we haven't seen it yet.

The rest of the slate:

Vikings 28-25 Saints. Back and forth, felt like the Saints had it, Vikings steal it late. The Vikings are good but sloppy, the Saints are not good but plucky. 

Titans 24-17 Colts. Titans are getting back to the ground and pound that got them W's last season. I think the Colts might be the worst team in the league: Matt Ryan is done and there's nothing particularly noteworthy on either side of the ball. 

Browns 20-23 Falcons. The Browns have found interesting ways to lose this season. Don't dislike the Falcons but I can't see them being a playoff contender, we'll see.

Commanders 10-25 Cowboys. The Commanders are perfectly mediocre. The Cowboys still keeping it going without Dak. 

Seahawks 48-45 Lions. Fun game! Back and forth action, the Seahawks have a strangely effective offense. Not sure what the Lions do. 

Bears 12-20 Giants. Sloppy game, somebody had to win. The Bears probably won't win another game all year. Not sure what's up with the Giants, getting W's, though. 

Jaguars 21-29 Eagles. Felt like the Jags had this but the Eagles just keep winning. It looks like the Eagles running game and defensive line are going to take them deep into the playoffs. The Jags are young, improving but not there yet. 

Bills 23-20 Ravens. Good W for the Bills. The Ravens got a big lead early but their offense dried up in the 2nd half and the Bills were able to work their way back in. The Bills still getting wins without playing their best is a bad sign for the rest of the league. The Ravens are a weird team: wily veterans but dumb mistakes, which will win out in the long run?

Chargers 34-24 Texans. The Texans play hard, man, they're not going to win a lot of games but they play hard and that alone will net a few W's. The Chargers still don't impress me the way they should. 

Cards 26-16 Panthers. When two bad teams get together, the less-bad one looks good for one week. 

Patriots 24-27 (OT) Packers. Not exactly a blistering performance against a rookie QB (Zappe!), but the Packers got the W against a wily opponent, so I'm gonna give the Pack a pat on the back. As for the Pats, well, I already this year's rookie QB better than last year's (got a weird feeling next year's might be even better!). 

Broncos 23-32 Raiders. Two evenly matched teams, division game, both teams are starting slow but I still believe both will be better by year's end. 

Rams 9-24 Niners. The Rams just do not look like the same team that blew through the NFC playoffs and took home a Super Bowl; veteran team, good coach, you'd like to think they'll figure it out but they do not look like they're going to....we'll see. I'm still in on the Niners: good D, okay QB, good skill position guys and a division that's falling apart. Feels like the Niners for now in the NFC West.