Week 9 Recap

Associated Press

New Orleans Saints @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers (38 – 3 Saints)
Mike The Ace @TheAceWriter

For those of you who tune in to the podcast, you may remember the NFC South Offseason Review episode from this summer. Towards the end of this episode, Chris, D.K., and I had a discussion about which team would win the NFC South title.

Chris & D.K. threw their support behind the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, while I picked the New Orleans Saints to win the division. After a second Saints-Bucs matchup, it looks like my take will be correct. The Saints completed the sweep in dominating fashion, pummeling the Buccaneers on the road. New Orleans imposed their will on this game, dominating on both sides of the football. 

Offensively, the Saints like to use multiple players to keep the defense guessing. Sean Payton is a fantastic play caller, and he gives his quarterback several options on any given play. Quarterback Drew Brees completed passes to NINE different targets in the first quarter alone. The Saints drove down the field with ease the entire quarter, jumping out to a 14 point lead. 

The Saints’ defense held it down as well, not allowing a first down until about the middle of the 2nd Quarter. After the Bucs’ earned their initial, first down, Tom Brady would go to throw an interception on the very next play. Brady had a terrible night, finishing the game 22 for 38, with 209 yards and 3 interceptions.

New Orleans played this game with an intensity that Tampa Bay simply could not match. This game was over at the half, with the Saints leading 31-0.

The two Saints vs Bucs matchups we have seen do not determine the division winner just yet. The Saints have a commanding 2-0 lead on the series, but there is still plenty of football left to be played. The Buccaneers are still in good standing, sitting at a 6-3 record. The Saints are a half game ahead (6-2), but I do think the Buccaneers should be very concerned.

This matchup seems like one that heavily favors the Saints. I’ll save the details for another podcast episode, but the Saints seem to have the Buccaneers’ number. The Saints’ offensive line did whatever they wanted to do Sunday Night, and they continue to prove to be one of the best units in all of football. The NFC has some powerhouses at the top of the division, and I don’t think you can keep the Saints out of that conversation.

Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports

Seattle Seahawks @ Buffalo Bills (44-34 Bills)
DK @ayeyoo_biggs

In a battle of two playoff contenders, the Bills and quarterback Josh Allen, proved they are the real deal. Allen continued his MVP campaign through the ground and air and dissected the Seahawks secondary. 

Josh Allen went 31-38 with 415 yards and 3 TDs, also adding a touchdown on the ground. I was thoroughly impressed with Josh Allen, and the way he lit up the once vaunted Seahawks defense. I guess we have to put in a caveat that the Seahawks are currently the 24th best pass defense in football, but this was still a big game for Allen. He delivered. I enjoyed seeing him and Stefon Diggs attack Jamal Adams and the secondary. I was impressed by the steady Bills’ defense, and the way they got after Russell Wilson. They did give up a few points at the end, but that was not inductive to the complete game they played. They held the Seahawks to 57 yards rushing, something I thought I would never see from a Pete Carroll offense.

Russell Wilson has started to have up and down performances, after starting off read hot and becoming the MVP front runner. This game, he went 21-41 for 390 yards, 2 TDs and 2 interceptions. One of those interceptions were in the red zone on a 4th & 1.The other interception was in the middle of the 4th quarter, where he was just trying to make something happen. He didn’t get much help in the run game as, as I mentioned earlier, only getting 57 yards on 17 attempts. That same offensive line also allowed Wilson to get sacked 5 times, causing two fumbles. I know we truly all went to “Let Russ Cook” but moving forward they will need more balance in the run game to help take some pressure off Russ and the offensive line. DK Metcalf does continue to be a bright spot for them with 7 catches for 108 and a TD. 

I feel like the Bills just wanted this game more. I loved the direction they’ve been going in for a while with head coach Doug McDermott, and the defense they have built. With Josh Allen and weapons like Stefon Diggs, and the emergence of running back Zach Moss, the offense continues to get better and more creative each week. 

For the Seahawks, the loss of Chris Carson is showing more and more each week. One of the former Miami Hurricanes, DJ Dallas or Travis Homer, need to step up and help out the offense and the quarterback. As for the pass defense, they are playing far below league average, and will not last long in the NFC West playoff picture if they don’t step it up. 

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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 5 Recap

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Minnesota Vikings @ Seattle Seahawks (27-28 Seahawks)
Mike The Ace @TheAceWriter

The Minnesota Vikings have had a rough start to this season. Losses to the Packers, Colts, and Titans left them with an 0-3 record to start the year. Minnesota was able to grab their first win in week 4 against the Texans, but faced one of the best teams in the league in week 5.

The Seattle Seahawks have started the season on the opposite end of the spectrum. The Seahawks had been able to grab wins in all four of their games, scoring over 30 points in each victory.

The Vikings defense came out strong in this football game, holding the Seahawks scoreless through the first half. Their pass rush was able to generate pressure, sacking QB Russell Wilson 4 times. Offensively, the Vikings were poise and methodical, using the running game to control the line of scrimmage.

All of Minnesota’s defensive success absolutely fell apart at the start of the second half. The Seahawks were able to score 21 points in just 10 offensive plays. The Vikings were able to stay afloat offensively in the 2nd half, and the game was decided on one final Seahawks’ drive.

Down 26-21, Russell Wilson drove the Seahawks offense 94 yards for the game winning score. Wilson was fantastic on this final drive, taking care of the football and converting in clutch situations. The biggest conversion was on a 4th & 10, where Wilson found WR D.K. Metcalf for a 39 yard gain. Wilson would end the drive finding Metcalf again for a 6 yard score.

The Seahawks have been one of my favorite teams to watch this season. Their defense is very poor at times, but their offense has been really explosive. If they can get healthy and tighten up on defense, I think they have a great chance to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl.

(AP Photo/Brett Duke)

San Diego Chargers @ New Orleans Saints (30-27 Saints)
D.K. @ayeyoo_biggs

The score of the game was 30-27 the Saints way and they were in a battle pretty much start to finish. We have seen steady improvement from Justin Herbert every week, while on the same hand watching Drew Brees will the Saints to another win without Michael Thomas.

In only his 4th start Justin Herbert continued to prove that the Chargers were right in making him the #6 pick in the 2020 draft. Herbert went 20 for 34 with 264 yards. What I really like about the game was the way he was distributing the ball. He completed a pass to 8 different receivers, with Mike Williams leading the way with 5 catches, 109 yards, and two touchdowns. I think this is key because there are times in a young quarterbacks career where he might try and force it to the main threat on the offense. Something else they might do, is only go to a guy they have good chemistry with in practice. This game showed that he was good at going through his progressions and can make the right throws when needed.

Drew Brees had a Drew Brees game going 33 for 47 with 325 yards and a TD. The offense was a little choppy at the beginning of the game. Brees was under pressure even throwing an interception in the first half. They couldn’t get the run game going and the Chargers have an above average defensive line with Nick Bosa. Slowly but surely, Brees willed them to a win, feeding Emmanuel Sanders for 15 catches and 122 yards. Sanders doing his best Michael Thomas impression. Alvin Kamara also made some great plays with 119 all purpose yards.

The Saints won the game but I was more impressed with the Chargers. I like the development of Herbert and I’m excited to see what he does this season. Drew Brees and Co. did win the game, but Father Time is catching up to him and I’m not sure how much magic he has left in that arm.