The NFL Sunday Review: Week 8

8 NFL Sundays are now in the books… with another 10 to go! Approaching the halfway point of the season, narratives are starting to become clear, as we get a good idea about who exactly each team in the league are. This week’s slate didn’t have a ton of exciting matchups at first glance – the Sunday afternoon slate was particularly poor – but a couple of games over-delivered with drama, and a few teams made impressive statements as we begin to build a playoff picture throughout the league. As always, we’ll touch on every game, but we start with the big McVay – Shanahan matchup in LA.

The CMC Show In LA

They say “Rams House,” to encourage home fans to get loud at SoFi stadium but, to be blunt, it was 1000% a 49er Hotel on Sunday afternoon. The “visiting” team support dwarfed that of the home squad, re-emphasising why MOVING A TEAM TO A DIFFERENT STATE is (almost always) a dumb idea, even if you’re ending up in a city like Los Angeles. I’ll never understand that about American sports…

Anyway, what was arguably the game of the day on paper, a rematch of last season’s NFC Championship game, between two division foes who don’t like each other, became a fairly comprehensive win for Kyle Shanahan and his boys. Sure, the Rams looked like shadows of their SuperBowl winning selves, but you can only beat the team in front of you, and Kyle Shanahan continued his relative dominance over Sean McVay.

McVay is a whopping 55-21 against coaches not named Kyle Shanahan, and 3-9 against the aforementioned 49ers boss. Interestingly, Shanahan’s overall record against non-McVay coaches is only 34-43… but for whatever reason, he almost always has the Rams number. Why did extend his good record yesterday? Well, the 49ers fancy new piece of backfield bling looks to have settled in and, worryingly for the rest of the league, seems to fit like a glove. 

With Deebo Samuel missing this one, Christian McCaffrey became the first player since LaDainian Tomlinson in 2005 to have a receiving touchdown, a rushing touchdown, AND a passing touchdown in the same game. Magical. What can’t the guy do?! McCaffrey is truly a generational talent and, if he can PLEASE just stay healthy, is destined for a Hall of Fame career. CMC is electrifying on as near as damn it every single play. He’s Garoppolo’s absolute dream of a receiver: McCaffrey turns desperation dump offs into 5+ yard gains. 

I’m still hesitant to crown the 49ers as either division winners or serious SuperBowl contenders, largely due to Jimmy G’s innate ability to fail to deliver when it matters most, but unquestionably the addition of CMC to a run game that already struck fear into most teams in the league. There was a time when you felt like the 49ers could pick any former college RB in the nation, give them 2 days of practice behind their O-Line and make them a 100yd rusher in the NFL on a Sunday. Now, you have arguably the league’s premier backfield swiss army knife, who will be paired with Deebo Samuel, George Kittle, and the improving Brandon Aiyuk… and the 49ers Offense all of a sudden is stacked with weapons.

It’ll all come down to QB play for them. You wonder what would’ve happened had Trey Lance not gotten hurt… but what’s for sure is that as long as CMC is healthy, the 49ers are must-see TV.

Allen & The Bills Pour More Misery Onto Rodgers

CBS

We may not see Josh Allen vs Aaron Rodgers many more times before the ayahuasca man sails off into the sunset on his retirement cruise, and A-Rodg may not be too sad about that after the Buffalo Bills continued their historical home dominance over the Packers, and sent Green Bay to 3-5 for the year. The Pack have now lost 4 in a row, and find themselves miles behind Minnesota in an NFC North that they have owned for so long.

Buffalo is the only place in the league the Packers have never won on the road (0-8 all time), probably largely based on the fact that they play there extremely rarely, but Bills Mafia still provide an extremely intimidating home field advantage. The Packers flew back to Wisconsin after a 27-17 defeat that showed just how far off the elite teams this year’s iteration of the Packers are.

Were there bright sparks? Yeah, there were. Green Bay had over 200 yards rushing, with Aaron Jones going for 143 yards himself. Romeo Doubs had a great Touchdown catch, and Samori Toure – the 7th round pick from Nebraska – caught his first NFL touchdown too. But was that anywhere near enough? Nope. I think we’ll hear this week LaFleur and Rodgers say that they saw improvements in the second half that give them hope for the rest of the year, but Green Bay need to right the ship immediately, but with the Lions, Cowboys, Titans on a short week, and the Eagles their next four opponents… They need something to change sharpish. Rodgers hasn’t surpassed 255 yards passing this season… Wild.

Buffalo were in control throughout, and after an opening drive 3-and-out, scored on 5 straight drives to give them the 27 points they needed to win this game. It wasn’t Josh Allen’s best night – his two INTs were bad throws, the second especially strange – but he didn’t need to do any more than he did. Von Miller led the pressure up front, notably moving two Packers Line men back into Aaron Jones on a 4th down conversion attempt in the second half.

This Bills roster is so stacked that even though they’ve lost key contributors to season ending injuries, and Tre’Davious White still hasn’t suited up yet, they’re still killing teams on both sides of the ball. Stefon Diggs feels almost unguardable, and Gabe Davis is averaging over 25 yards per catch. Devin Singletary ran nicely early on, and yet there are still sources claiming that the Bills reached out to the Saints trying to acquire Alvin Kamara this week! Buffalo is well and truly in “Win Now” mode, and who can blame them?

The Bills face the Jets next sunday, as they turn their attention back to winning the AFC East, following their lone defeat in Miami earlier this season. If the Bills do get the AFC’s #1 seed, you feel like it will be extremely difficult for anyone else to reach the SuperBowl this year. The Chiefs will be a threat no doubt, but I still struggle to envisage any other AFC team coming into Buffalo in January and winning. 

Derrick Henry: King Of Houston

Bit of a strange one to focus on here, as a 17-10 game which featured just 207 yards of total passing might seem intensely boring – and it kind of was – but it just so happened to be a game that I was able to see in person on Sunday afternoon. I can now say I’ve been to an NFL game in the US, having previously only seen games at Wembley or Tottenham Hotspur stadium. I’d be lying if I said that the Texans hosting the Titans would have been at the top of my list of games to go to yesterday, but… when in Houston… and the tickets are free… I was hardly gonna say “no,” was I? 

It was the Derrick Henry show from start to finish, and yet the game felt like it was over from the moment the Titans took the lead with 4:29 to play until HT. The Texans never looked like scoring until Davis Mills started uncorking downfield passes DEEP into garbage time. Dameon Pierce only flashed his play-making ability a couple of times, and Brandin Cooks was visibly frustrated on the Houston sidelines at times, as the Texans offense sputtered to minimal gains and backwards drives throughout. I’d look for Cooks to potentially be on the move as the trade deadline draws nearer…

The final score heavily flattered Houston, who were run all over, and only remained in this game due to Rookie Malik Willis’ nerves getting the best of him, as he never really looked comfortable throwing from the pocket. That said, when you’ve got Tractorcito – King Henry – in the backfield, why throw it at all?

Henry’s resume against the Texans is the stuff of legends. In fact, it’s so impressive that you wonder if he has a personal vendetta against the city of Houston. Did a Houstonite once break his heart?! Who knows, but it’s astounding how one man has such dominance over another franchise. This is Aaron Rodgers vs the Bears level stuff. This was Henry’s fourth straight 200yd rushing game against the Texans, and averaging over SEVEN yards per carry in that span. Just mind-blowing honestly.

Watching from my perch in the 2nd row of the upper deck at NRG Stadium, I was struck by just how large Henry looked, even from a mile away. This is a league filled with superhumans, and monsters of men on either side of the ball. Derrick Henry dwarfed nearly everyone else out there, and ran faster than all of them too. All that was missing from his performance was a trademark long TD run, but maybe he’s saving that as an early Christmas present for the reverse fixture, on December 24th…

Tennessee will move on to face the Chiefs next Sunday night, looking to stay in the hunt for a 2nd consecutive #1 Seed in the AFC. Mike Vrabel deserves so much credit for how well he’s built and coached this team. Don’t sleep on the Titans. They still mean business.

Thursday Night Throwback

Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images

The Baltimore Ravens helped continue a miserable start to the season for Tom Brady and the Buccaneers, as Lamar Jackson helped send the Bucs to a 3-5 record. 

The Ravens have struggled with the injury bug all season, as yet are realistically able to claim they’re a handful of plays from being undefeated, considering their last gasp losses to the Dolphins, Bills & Giants. Considering those facts, Harbaugh can’t be too upset at the 5-3 mark they find themselves at, with a favourable schedule coming up.

It always seems like no matter what happens, the Ravens are, ironically, unflappable. Fingers crossed that the injuries to Mark Andrews, Gus Edwards, & Rashod Bateman (all of which killed my various fantasy teams…) are not too serious, but Baltimore don’t play again until next Monday so there’s plenty of time for them to heal up. 

I don’t know where to start with the Bucs. Brady usually gets all the headlines, but for me it’s their defense that is the biggest story. This defensive unit shut down Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs in the SuperBowl a couple of years ago, and now looks like a sieve. Todd Bowles needs to get his guys back to being ferocious at stopping the run, and hawking at every pass thrown.

Offensively, Leonard Fournette hasn’t had a 100yd rushing game since Week 1 and, despite having Chris Godwin & Julio Jones back alongside Mike Evans, TB12 still doesn’t look comfortable. Getting divorced is no doubt likely to play on your mind, but if ever an athlete has been able to compartmentalise and perform regardless of outside circumstances, it’s Tom Brady. Blessed with being in the NFC South, the Bucs are still in playoff contention, but they need to right the ship quick, starting next week against another team desperate for a win – the Los Angeles Rams.

Quick Hits

Sky Sports
  • The final London game of the season was a rather drab affair, with Mr. “High Knees on the Plane” finding a way to come out victorious. This game will probably be remembered mainly as the “Travis Etienne breakout game,” as the former Clemson Tiger fully stepped into the featured back role for Jacksonville and rushed 24 times for 156 yards and a TD. The Broncos have Latavius Murray to thank for the game winning score, but it’s only fair to say that Russell Wilson did have a few more impactful plays than we’ve seen in recent weeks, including finally getting Jerry Jeudy going down the field. The early season promise for the Jaguars has well and truly faded, but Doug Pederson knew this wasn’t going to be an overnight success story. However, questions about Trevor Lawrence’s performance and production level are starting to be asked rather loudly… 
  • In a game that nobody thought would be between two teams with winning records in Week 8 of this season, the Seattle Seahawks maintained their place atop the NFC West with a gritty win over the New York Giants. It wasn’t pretty, but Geno Smith found both DK Metcalf & Tyler Lockett for TDs, and Kenneth Walker III continues to be one of the most impressive rookies in the league. His late touchdown sealed the deal, as Daniel Jones crashed back down to earth following an impressive performance running the ball last week. The Giants need more than 17/31 for 176, 0TDs from their signal-caller if they’re to keep pace with the Cowboys and the Eagles in the NFC East.
  • As an aside, there was a very interesting quote from Tyler Lockett post-game… He said “It’s amazing what we can accomplish when nobody cares who gets the credit…” Simply being a good, selfless teammate, or a veiled shot at their former QB…?! Interesting, regardless.
  • Staying in the NFC East… we go live to Jerry World. Tony Pollard! Have a day, son! 14 carries, 131 yards, 3TDs. Ezekiel who?! The long-awaited “Pollard-as-the-featured-back Game” was everything the anti-Zeke truthers wanted it to be. Pollard was electric and explosive throughout, scything through the Bears defense. Would Jerry Jones take this opportunity to throw his support behind the youngster?! Nope. “We’ll go as far as Zeke goes,” Jones said post-game. I’d expect a true time-share in the Dallas backfield from here on out. In all honesty, it might help both backs be even more productive than they have been already this year. The Cowboys are 6-2 and looking strong. Scoring 49 points is impressive no matter the opposition. The Bears win over the Patriots looks immediately like a bit of a fluke.
  • It’s well and truly Tua time again! The QB’s return to action has been exactly the shot in the arm that Mike McDaniel’s Dolphins needed, as they’ve now won all 5 games in which Tua has played the whole game this season. What can you say about this Dolphins passing game? Tyreek Hill & Jaylen Waddle are as dangerous a receiving combo as any in the league, and with Tua finding them with relative ease, they torched the Lions secondary to the tune of 20 catches, 294 yards and 2 TDs between them. Tua’s 29/36, 382yd, 3TD performance is exactly what Fins fans (and front office staff) were hoping to see this season as Tua seeks to establish himself as “The Guy.” Detroit… PLEASE stick with Dan Campbell. He’s improved this roster, and is improving this team. Don’t abandon the plan yet.
  • Somehow, the Minnesota Vikings are 6-1. I can’t quite believe it, but give credit to Dalvin Cook and Justin Jefferson who both had good performances in a back and forth one against the Arizona Cardinals. You’ll be hearing a lot of jokes about Call of Duty this week, now that Kyler lost his first game following the game’s release. DeAndre Hopkins has already made a world of difference to the Cardinals offense, but with James Conner still sidelined we still haven’t seen them at anything like 100%. That said, Arizona’s defense needs to step up if this team is to make a push at the division crown, which is well and truly still within their grasp based on the state of the NFC West.
  • The Washington Commanders got a last gasp win over the Indianapolis Colts, as the Taylor Heinicke rollercoaster continues. I know there will be plenty of Washington fans out there who aren’t thrilled with seemingly ruling themselves out of the running for a top 3 draft pick with these back-to-back wins… The Colts… hard to judge Sam Ehlinger on one game, but it didn’t look great. Jonathan Taylor is clearly not 100% either, and they just haven’t got going like they did last season. Tough for Indy.
  • Well, I wasn’t expecting that. It seems fairly obvious that, after barely practising all week, Davante Adams wasn’t 100%, and Darren Waller was out, but for the Raiders to get completely shut out by a Saints team that has been severely below par this year was a huge shock. Credit to the Saints – they finally remembered they have Alvin Kamara in the backfield, and he repaid them to the tune of 158 scrimmage yards and 3TDs. The Raiders were abject, embarrassing, and really made a lot of people question why they thought the Las Vegas outfit might be a contender in the AFC West this season. Josh McDaniels tenure on the strip is off to a poor start to say the least.
  • Bill Belichick moved to 2nd all-time on the list of wins as a Head Coach in the NFL with an in-division win against the New York Jets. Belichick’s historic achievement was definitely the headline of this one, as both these teams are fairly putrid when attempting to move the ball. Credit Garrett Wilson for having a nice day catching the ball, and Zach Wilson racked up a fair few yards through the air late on, but the Jets never really found a consistent scoring threat. Questions will absolutely remain about Mac Jones, but at least the Patriots got back to .500 for his sake. He’ll surely remain the starter ahead of Bailey Zappe as long as he keeps winning.
  • On a day with a number of superstar performances, it was arguably still the AJ Brown show for the Eagles that was the most impressive. Brown had 3 first half TDs, and ended the game with 6 catches for 156 yards. Unbelievable stuff. This Eagles team can beat you on the ground, and they can beat you through the air: It’s really just whichever they choose to use on a week by week basis. Philly remains undefeated, and absolutely THE team to beat in the NFC. 
  • And finally… Maybe the actual Game of the Day?! Carnage and Chaos between the Falcons and the Panthers, in a battle for the right to sit atop the NFC South. Prayers up for anyone who had the under in this game, as there were 33 points scored in the 4th quarter alone, as a crazy game broke out in Atlanta. I feel gutted for DJ Moore, who caught PJ Walker’s hail mary to seemingly win the game, only for Eddy Pineiro to miss the extra point. Why did he miss the extra point? Well, it was from 48yds away because Moore had removed his helmet in the celebration and earned a 15yd “unsportsmanlike conduct” penalty. What a joke. Read the room, Refs!! A travesty that the Panthers didn’t win this game but… Dare I say it… Are the Falcons becoming less Falcon-y?! Atlanta is 4-4, somehow.

MNF Prediction: (Season Record: 5-3)

Rarely have I been more happy to get my MNF Prediction wrong than I was last Monday, when inexplicably the Chicago Bears took apart the New England Patriots. What a ride that was. Still, we remain two games above .500, and look to go to 6-3 with this week’s matchup.

This Monday, we get an AFC North matchup as the Cleveland Browns host the defending AFC Champion Cincinnati Bengals. The Browns have garnered a general sense of disgust from most NFL fans following their pursuit and acquisition of he-who-shall-not-be-named in the off-season. Jacoby Brissett started the season well, but a couple of bad losses has now spiralled and the Browns find themselves – along with the Steelers – almost cut adrift within the AFC North. 

Conversely, the Bengals started awfully, and needed a couple of fortunate wins to get back to .500, before starting to look more like their real selves in the last couple of weeks. The news that Ja’Marr Chase would miss this game (and a few more) was understandably greeted with horror from their fanbase and fantasy owners alike, but Tyler Boyd and Tee Higgins are more than capable of carrying the load of catching passes from Joe Burrow until Chase can return.

The Bengals were the perfect storm en route to the SuperBowl last season, and whilst I don’t see them repeating that this year, I do think they have more than enough talent to win this game. I see Cincy keeping pace with the Ravens atop the division, and sending the Dawg Pound home sad, with their 5th loss in a row. Gimme the Bengals to win.

Week 9 Preview

As we look ahead to next week, I’ll say that we should all avoid the massacre that will be Eagles @ Texans on Thursday night. I won’t be at that one… That game could be 35-0 by the end of the 1st quarter… On Sunday, the early slate gives us a couple of interesting games, as the Colts and Patriots will clash in a far cry from the Brady vs Manning matchups of old, and the Packers desperately try to get back in the win column against Dan Campbell’s kneecap nibblers…

The late slate has only two games, as the Cardinals seek to beat the 5-3 (!?!) Seahawks, and the Rams and Buccaneers clash in a game that has gone from divisional round classic last year to a fairly abject pair of teams this year. SNF features Derrick Henry and the Titans against Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs in a 5-2 vs 5-2 matchup, and the Monday night game is the Ravens at the Saints in a sure-to-be raucous SuperDome in New Orleans.

As always, thanks for taking the time to read this article. I’m @CallumJDSquires on Twitter & Instagram. Come say hey. Hope you all have a great week. Cheers.

Callum Squires

NFL/CFB ANALYST

CALLUM IS FROM LONDON, BUT PLAYED COLLEGE SOCCER AT TRINITY UNIVERSITY IN SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS, WHERE HE LEARNED NEVER TO CHEER FOR THE COWBOYS. CALLUM IS A LONG-SUFFERING DOLPHINS FAN WHO BELIEVES THE TUA HYPE. NOW BACK STATESIDE, HIT HIM UP ON TWITTER @CALLUMJDSQUIRES!

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