Week 15 Recap

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New York Jets @ Los Angeles Rams (23-20 Jets)
Mike The Ace @TheAceWriter

The New York Jets got a win! I didn’t think I’d have a chance to say that phrase in the year 2020, but here we are. After losing the first 13 games of the season, the Jets traveled out west and beat the Los Angeles Rams.

The Rams were a team that I was very hard on before the season started. We discussed their offseason on Episode 6 of the TFINS podcast (26:10). The Rams surpassed my expectations on the season overall, and they currently hold a wildcard spot with the second best record in the NFC West. 

My concerns with the Rams in the preseason were centered around their offensive line. I thought that they had an unproven offensive line, and they did not make enough changes in the offseason to get good play up front. I’ll give credit to the Rams’ coaching staff, as their offensive line has been one of the better units in the NFL. Despite the o-line’s great season, they were outplayed on Sunday afternoon against New York.

The Jets defensive line is a young and athletic bunch. Their success starts in the middle with defensive tackle Quinnen Williams. After a slow rookie season, Williams has come to play as a sophomore. He recorded his 7th sack of the season in this game. Williams was also good against the run, making plays early and often. 

Pressure up the middle is always a difficult task for quarterbacks to overcome. The Jets rattled Rams’ quarterback Jared Goff in the first half, and he was unable to find a rhythm. The Rams only got past midfield twice in the first half, settling for a field goal on their second trip past midfield. The Jets held a 13-3 lead going into the break.

Jets’ quarterback Sam Darnold also had a good game. He was decisive with the football, and was able to limit any mistakes. Darnold would finish the game going 22 of 31, for 207 yards, a touchdown, and no interceptions. The Jets were able to move down the field and score on the opening drive of the 2nd half, increasing their lead to 20-3.

The Rams were able to fight back in this game, but were unable to complete the comeback. Jared Goff and the offense had a chance to tie or take the lead with 4:00 remaining in the 4th quarter, but Goff was unable to convert on a 4th & 4 in Jets territory. Jets safety Marcus Maye was able to force an incompletion in man coverage, deflecting Goff’s pass. The Rams’ turned the ball over on downs, and the Jets were able to run the clock out on the ensuing possession.

If the Rams are going to make the playoffs (let alone get a win), they will need to protect Jared Goff better than they did today. Goff is not a very athletic QB, so giving him time in the pocket is crucial. The Jets got too much pressure on him, and he really struggled in the first half. This was an embarrassing loss for Los Angeles, and they will need to tighten up. They face the division leading Seattle Seahawks next week.

(Tom Fox / Staff Photographer)

San Francisco 49ers @ Dallas Cowboys (41-33 Cowboys)
DK @ayeyoo_biggs

The NFC East has been one of, if not the strangest divisions, this year. Even after losing Dak Prescott and an underwhelming performance of Zeke Elliot, they are 4-9 and still in the playoff picture. Every game from here on out (if not stated explicitly) is a must win. Andy Dalton and company were able to keep their playoff hopes alive by beating a very depleted 49ers team, just trying to get to the end of the season at this point. 

Andy Dalton went 19-33 with 209 yards and 2 touchdowns. He was under pressure all game, but was able to make some plays and get the screen game going with running back Tony Pollard. Pollard has been a revelation for Dallas, with Zeke’s sub-par 2020 campaign. Pollard was able to combine for 124 yards running and receiving. Every week of great play from Pollard has the media and fans question the large deal for Zeke from last season. CeeDee Lamb also had a great game with 8 catches for 85 yards. He was also able to contribute on special teams with a touchdown there. This brings Lamb’s yearly totals to 69 catches, with 892 yards, and 5 receiving TDs, a rushing touchdown, and a touchdown on the return today. He was one of my breakout players of the year that I wrote about at the beginning of the season. I thought being on the other side of Amari Cooper would open up a lot of opportunities for him. With Dak going down and Andy stepping in, there was an obvious downgrade at QB, but Lamb is still having a good rookie campaign. 

The 49ers put up a valiant effort trying to ride their strong running scheme and backup QB Nick Mullens’ arm. He went 21-36 for 219 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions. The rushing attack was a combination of Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson Jr. Those two, with a few other contributors, combined for 150 yards. Mullen was able to keep the offense moving with the run game and play action off the bootleg. He was unfortunately replaced by CJ Bethard late in the 4th quarter. Bethard was able to go 5 for 7 with 100 yards and a last play Hail Mary to Kendrick Borne in the end zone, for a touchdown. This game goes to show that the 49ers are still in serious need of a Quarterback, this was a game they could have easily won if not for poor QB play. With Jimmy Garoppolo constantly getting injured, they will have to seriously look at dragging a QB. Most mock drafts have them taking a quarterback with their 1st round pick this year. 

The Cowboys are still in the fight in the miserable NFC East. They sit right below the Washington Football Team in the standings, but it seems like a forgone conclusion that whoever gets in will have a first round exit. Dallas plays the Eagles next week in another divisional game that will go far in determining the playoff standings and clear up the NFC playoff picture. 

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Week 7 Recap

(AP Photo/Mark Zaleski)

Pittsburgh Steelers @ Tennessee Titans (27-24 Steelers)
Mike The Ace @TheAceWriter

Two of the most talented teams in the AFC faced off in a battle this week. The undefeated Tennessee Titans hosted the undefeated Pittsburgh Steelers. This game was a highly anticipated matchup, and it did not disappoint.

The Steelers started off hot offensively. They used a nice combination of running plays and short throws to keep the Titans defense off balance in the first half. The Pittsburgh defense matched that energy, holding Derrick Henry to just 27 rushing yards in the first half. After two quarters of play, the Steelers held a commanding 24-7 lead.

The second half is where things got interesting. Following a Steelers field goal, Titans wide receiver AJ Brown was able to snap off a 73-yard touchdown on a nice catch and run. The two teams would exchange three-and-outs on the following possessions, before Steelers’ QB Ben Roethlisberger was intercepted in Steelers territory. 

Tennessee settled for a field goal and were now down 27-17. The Steelers second half struggles continued with another punt, after a quick 5-play drive on the following possession. The Titans offense rewarded their defense’s effort, and cashed in with a 70-yard drive that ended with a Derrick Henry touchdown. The Steelers defense almost had a goal line stand, but gave the Titans extra plays after a defensive holding call on 4th & goal.

The Steelers were now up just 3 points after seemingly having this game under control. Big Ben & the offense responded well, taking up a lot of game clock and getting in field goal range. With a chance to go up at least another 3 points, Roethlisbeger turned the ball over again, throwing an interception in the end zone. 

Titans’ QB Ryan Tannehill had 2:34 left in the game to move his team down the field to tie or even take the lead. The offense did their job, and were looking at a 45-yard field goal to send the game to overtime. Kicker Stephen Gostkowski missed, pushing the kick to the right, and sealing the victory for Pittsburgh. 

This was one of the best games I’ve seen all year. Both defenses had dominant stretches throughout the game, putting a lot of pressure on either quarterback. The Steelers remain undefeated and take on their longtime rivals, the Baltimore Ravens, in week 8. The Titans turn their attention to the Cincinnati Bengals.

(AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

Seattle Seahawks @ Arizona Cardinals (37-34 Cardinals)
DK @ayeyoo_biggs

This week’s marquee Sunday night football matchup was of up and coming Kyler Murray, and MVP candidate Russell Wilson. This game produced over 1,000 yards in total offense. Murray came out victorious with some amazing throws down the stretch of regulation and in overtime, while Wilson held the team back with untimely turnovers. 

Russell Wilson had a good game stat wise going 33/50 for 388 passing yards and 84 rushing yards with 3 Touchdowns but also 3 costly interceptions. The first interception was in the red zone on the Arizona 2 yard line.  Safety Budda Baker made the play, and if it wasn’t for the heroics of DK Metcalf hawking him down and tackling him on the Seattle 9-yard line, it would have been a pick 6. 

The second interception was on a deep pass to Metcalf that sailed on him, and cornerback Patrick Peterson intercepted it in the end zone for a touchback. The last interception was in overtime, with a pass intended for receiver Tyler Lockett. There was some sort of miscommunication and he did not turn around, and the pass went right to Cardinals rookie Isaiah Simmons. Wilson was still able to make plays and keep the Seahawks in the game. Tyler Lockett went insane with 15 catches, 200 yards and 3 touchdowns, but the turnovers eventually became their downfall. 

Kyler Murray had another impressive game, going 34/48 with 360 passing yards with 3 TDs and an interception. He also added 67 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown. Kyler did have an interception right after Russell Wilson’s second pick, but he still made the plays at the end to seal the victory. I also liked the play of running back Chase Edmonds, with Kenyan Drake going down with an ankle sprain. Edmonds had 145 total yards, and I’m excited to see what RPOs will look like in the future with him and Murray in the back field.

Like I said last week, the Cardinals still need to get the offense 100% clicking. I think slowly but surely they are coming into their own. They had four receivers going over 50 yards passing. Reciever Christian Kirk had 37 receiving yards, but 2 TDs as a red zone threat. I really like them going forward as they look to take control of the NFC West. These two teams play again on November 19th. We will see if the Cardinals are the real deal, or did Wilson’s uncharacteristic turnovers (3 ints through the first 4 games), give the Cardinals the game. 

Week 6 Recap

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Green Bay Packers @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers (38-10 Buccaneers)
Mike The Ace @TheAceWriter

Through the first five weeks of the season, the Packers looked like one of the most complete teams in the NFL. Despite not having star receiver Devante Adams for most of the season, Aaron Rodgers had looked like an early MVP candidate. The Packers faced a formidable opponent this week, taking on Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The Buccaneers came out very aggressively on the defensive side of the football. Bucs’ defensive coordinator Todd Bowles loves to dial up the blitz, and this week’s game plan was no different. The Green Bay offense responded well to the pressure at first, using short throws and misdirection plays to pick up good yardage.

Following a successful first quarter, the Packers seemed to be in complete control of this game. Green Bay held a 10-0 lead, and their defense was playing well. After another defensive stop, the Packers had the ball again, primed to put more pressure on Tom Brady and the Bucs’ offense. Everything changed after Rodgers was intercepted by Buccaneers cornerback Jamel Dean.

Dean read the route from receiver Devante Adams perfectly, making the interception along the sideline and returning it for a touchdown. Rodgers would go on to throw another pick on the following drive. The second turnover was secured by rookie safety Antoine Winfield Jr., who was able to run the ball back to the 2-yard line.

Rodgers and the Packers’ offense was never able to get back on track after the turnovers. The blitzing pressure from the Bucs defense overwhelmed the Packers’ offensive line. Rodgers was sacked 4 times and finished the game just 16 of 35, for 160 passing yards, and no passing touchdowns.

This game was all about the Tampa Bay defense. They dominated this football game, and kept a high octane offense in check. Both Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady struggled throwing the football, and the Buccaneers relied on their running game to seal the victory. The Packers offense will look to bounce back against a poor Houston Texans’ defense next week.

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Arizona Cardinals @ Dallas Cowboys (38-10 Cardinals)
DK @ayeyoo_biggs

In what was Kyler Murray’s homecoming in Jerry’s World, there were a few big highlights for Arizona.  In comparison to what was a sloppy game for their opponent, the Dallas Cowboys. 

When the season started, we touted Andy Dalton as one of the best backup quarterbacks in the league, but he didn’t have a good showing Monday. He went 34-54 with 266 yards, 1 TD, and 1 interception. The main issue though, was the play of running back Ezekiel Elliott. After both teams couldn’t really get anything going on offense, Zeke then had two fumbles on back to back drives. These turnovers put the Cardinals offense deep in Cowboys territory, and they punched in two touchdowns. This caused the Cowboys to try and use Tony Pollard to maybe switch it up, but that wasn’t much better. This was the reason Andy Dalton had to make 54 pass attempts, which you do not want from your backup quarterback. 

Kyler Murray went 9/24 with 188 yards and 2 touchdowns. He also added 74 rushing yards. He didn’t have a great passing game, outside of a few deep throws. The running game carried the team with 261 total yards, Kenyan Drake accounting for 164 yards rushing. The offense is still a work in progress, trying to work the run game into the air raid offense. I love to see Kliff Kingsbury lean on the rushing game, especially with the Cowboys having the 31st rank rush defense. 

I still like the Cardinals even though their offense isn’t clicking 100%. By that, I mean receivers DeAndre Hopkins, Kirk or Isabella having 80-90+ yard games receiving, with Drake having over 100 rushing yards. The Cardinals have a great young defense, so i feel like they will be able to win them games. Defense is especially important in that tough NFC West division. The Cowboys will need Zeke Elliott to step up in Dak’s absence. He can’t continue being the reason they are losing games.