Another week is over in the NFL world, and we learned a good amount of new things, and a good amount of things were confirmed for us. With the first slate of byes happening, there was less action, but that’s not to say that the games that did happen weren’t exciting, because they very much were. 2 overtime games and a few more decided late in the game gave us all the excitement we needed for the weekend. Also, the NFL seems to have cured it’s roughing the passer woes as there were far less this weekend, a sign that the NFL is truly going to be great again. Let’s get into what stood out to us.
Mahomes and the Chiefs are for real. Going along with this statement is the confirmation that Patrick Mahomes is far and away the leader for the MVP. After trailing by 10 points in the 4th quarter to the Denver Broncos, Mahomes constructed two touchdown drives that shocked the crowd in Denver. Making throws on the run that would make Cam Newton and Michael Vick jealous, Mahomes showed his full arsenal last night. However, the play that stood out the most was a 3rd down conversion late in the game where Mahomes ran from All-Pro LB Von Miller and flipped a pass to Tyreek Hill for the first down…with his left hand…as a right handed quarterback…while falling down. It was spectacular, and easily something that people would call an “MVP moment”. Aside from Mahomes, the Chiefs are a great team. With offensive weapons all over the field, like Hill and running back Kareem Hunt, Mahomes is able to have a good amounts of options to distribute the ball to. With the Patriots not looking like themselves, and the Steelers struggling early, the Chiefs are clearly the best team in the AFC.
New England is almost back. Those of you that were hating on the Patriots for their slow start better prepare to eat your words soon. After starting the season 1-2, New England bounced back with a 38-7 win at home against the undefeated Miami Dolphins. Quarterback Tom Brady threw for 274 yards and 3 touchdowns in the blowout win, but the real star here was the Patriots defense, who didn’t allow a point until the 4th quarter, holding Miami to just 172 total yards, and forcing coach Adam Gase to pull starting quarterback Ryan Tannehill in the 4th quarter. Running backs James White and Sony Michael were both very productive for the Pats, each finishing with a touchdown and significant yardage on the ground. The one down point to the game was that TE Rob Gronkowski left the game early with an ankle injury and is questionable for the Patriots game on Thursday against the Colts.
Fitzmagic is indeed dead. The clock has struck midnight on Fitzmagic it appears, and there to bid him farewell was Khalil Mack and the Chicago Bears defense, or should I call them Da Bears defense? Suddenly, a team that has been at the bottom of the NFC North for a while seems to have flipped the switch and might just make the playoffs. Quarterback Mitchell Trubisky threw for 5 touchdowns in the first half, the defense was unstoppable, and Ryan Fitzpatrick was pulled at halftime, in favor of the returning Jameis Winston. Winston was able to lead the Bucs’ lone touchdown drive, as the Bears won the game 48-10. Following the game, Bucs coach Dirk Koetter stated that Winston would be the starter following the team’s bye week this week.
The LA Rams are the best team in the NFL. While the Chiefs are running the AFC, the Rams are rolling through the NFC. A absolute shootout went down on Thursday night in LA between the Rams and the Vikings, with the Rams winning by a score of 38-31. Quarterback Jared Goff threw for 5 touchdowns and 465 yards, while Cooper Kupp, Brandin Cooks, and Robert Woods all had over 100 yards receiving and at least one touchdown. While the Rams defense was depleted with multiple members of the defense injured, it was Goff and the offense that kept the Rams unbeaten streak alive, and it looks to be that way for a while as the Rams will travel to face the Seattle Seahawks this Sunday.
The Legion of Boom is no more. Speaking of Seattle, boy did we get some drama with the former Super Bowl Champions this Sunday. They won a close game with the Arizona Cardinals, after Sebastian Janikowski hit a 52 yard field goal to win the game as time expired. But it was the drama that happened before the kick that will have people talking for days. With 8:59 left to play in the game, Arizona quarterback Josh Rosen threw a 22 yard touchdown to Chad Williams that would ultimately tie the game at 17. During the play, Seahawks safety Earl Thomas was injured. He had to be put in an air cast and carted off the field, but as he left the field, he flipped off the Seahawks sideline, his own sideline. Throughout the summer, the Seahawks and Thomas were having contract issues as Thomas wanted to be traded, but Seattle wanted too much in return for anyone to make an offer. Thomas held out until the first week of the season, returned to the team, and was a catalyst as always. Coach Pete Carroll revealed that Thomas fractured his leg, and is out for the remainder of the year, and with that gesture, most likely will never be a Seahawk again.
The Titans might just be good after all. It’s crazy how much having a healthy quarterback makes a difference. Marcus Mariota hasn’t been healthy since Week 1, and it’s shown. The Titans have struggled to get wins over the Texans and Jaguars, but with Mariota back in the fold and healthy, they just defeated the defending Super Bowl Champs. It was one of the best games of the weekend, as the Titans came back to force overtime, then converted 3 fourth downs in overtime, and ultimately won the game on a 10 yard touchdown pass from Mariota to Corey Davis. Mariota finished the day with 344 passing yards and 2 touchdowns in the air, with an additional rushing touchdown.
So there you have it, all the main storylines from Week 4. A little nugget that popped up yesterday, Steelers RB Le’Veon Bell has said he expects to return to the team during the week 7 bye, ending his holdout. That’s a plus for all Steelers fans, and all fantasy owners who took Bell way too high in their drafts (ie: me)
A few of my favorite things include my pet dragon (Drogon), Game of Thrones, Disney movies and theme parks, the MCU, DC movies, Star Wars, sports, and my rather large Funko Pop collection. Daenerys Targaryen is my queen, Robert Downey Jr is my man crush, and Simba is my spirit animal.
