Note: We’re switching up our NFL coverage a little, starting this week. We’re splitting up my analysis (don’t worry, still “expert”) from the power rankings. There will be a separate power rankings related post every week, most likely on Tuesdays. We’re working out the details at the moment, so bear with us as we figure it out. Really, this just means more 64tacos NFL content for you to enjoy. You’re welcome!
Ok, with that out of the way, let’s talk week 9 results. We had far fewer surprises this weekend. The most notable scores were the Packers winning 20-3 against the Rams, the Chargers smoking the Jets 27-6, and maybe the Bengals slipping past the Bills 24-18. The last game isn’t too big of a surprise based on how will Cincy’s been playing as of late, and the only eyebrow raise about the Chargers-Jets game was the 27 points New York’s defense yielded. As for the Packers, Green Bay faced Brett Rypien instead of Matt Stafford, so the 3 points allowed isn’t a real shock. Kansas City scored the first 21 points against the Dolphins, then held on as Miami scored 14 in the 3rd quarter and was driving well into Chiefs territory with a minute to go before a bad snap on 4th down sunk the Dolphins. Philadelphia passed the first test in its six part exam by surviving the Dallas Cowboys via an inability of the Texas team to finish a damn drive in the 4th. To be fair, Dallas did get one TD, but the two turnovers on downs that bracketed that score and a fumble at the death let the Eagles of the hook despite Philly’s three 3-and-outs in the final quarter.
The hottest team at the moment is the Baltimore Ravens. Sunday’s 37-3 demolition of Seattle is a nice bookend for their 38-6 trouncing of the Lions a couple weeks ago. The tome in the middle, a 31-24 win at Arizona, looks worse than it is. Baltimore was up 31-15 with fewer than three minutes to go and got bitten by the prevent defense monster. They were in no real danger of losing the entire second half. Baltimore is looking like the favorite in the stacked AFC, and Lamar Jackson is looking like the MVP favorite as well. He’s not throwing too many touchdowns (just nine in nine games), but has limited his INTs (just three) and is completing a career best (and league leading) 71.5% of his passes. He’ll never have the precision of a Brady or a Brees, and isn’t running with the wild abandon of his first few seasons. However, he’s still very explosive with his feet and seems to have improved both his accuracy and decision making, finding a nice balance between running and passing and is leveraging the danger of his legs to create more room for his receivers. And he’s hitting them when they’re open. Jackson is still somehow only 26 and heading into his prime. After some diminishing returns after his first monster season, he seems to have really upped his football IQ. Bad news for the rest of the AFC North!
Detroit is back in action against the Chargers, and the recent yearly ritual of L.A. following up great games with stinkers makes this game difficult to predict. Detroit has been pretty steady most of the year (outside of the defense going AWOL against Seattle and the entire team disappearing against the Ravens), and the off week should give the coaching staff and players the mental and physical recharge (no pun intended) to deal with Bolts. All 53 guys on the roster (including David Montgomery) practiced this week, so the Lions are getting healthy as well. I think a win is in the cards, especially if everybody is back healthy and Jameson Williams spent the last two weeks splitting his time between running routes for Jared Goff and catching balls of the JUGS machine with Amon-Ra St. Brown. The game is in L.A., but Detroit is 3-1 on the road this year and will be fully rested. Not too many tough games left this year, but this won’t be easy. Still, I predict a Lions win!
