Tom Brady and Bucs crush Packers, Steelers roll, Titans for real and more
Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers started slow and then delivered one knockout punch after the next against the overwhelmed Green Bay Packers.
It started with Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers. It ended with Blaine Gabbert and Tim Boyle.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers dismantled the Green Bay Packers on Sunday afternoon, 38-10, at Raymond James Stadium. Brady was better than Rodgers, largely because of what he didn’t do. The 43-year-old only amassed 166 yards and two touchdowns but avoided turnovers. Rodgers, meanwhile, threw a pair of back-breaking interceptions in the second quarter.
Specifically, Rodgers’ first INT — and the first of his season — changed the game. Leading 10-0 with 12:42 remaining in the second quarter, the Packers were outgaining Tampa Bay 134-39. Green Bay was averaging 6.7 yards per play.
Then, Rodgers threw a pick-six to Buccaneers cornerback Jamil Dean. It was the start of a 38-0 run to close the game. From that point on, Green Bay ran 42 plays for 52 yards.
The following possession was another Rodgers’ pick, with the Buccaneers returning it to the Packers’ 2-yard line. One play later, it was 14-10, and Tampa Bay never looked back.
Coming out of this game, the easy storyline is Brady besting Rodgers. It’s clean, but it’s lazy.
The real talking point is the Buccaneers’ defense. Tampa Bay relentlessly harassed Rodgers, sacking him four times while recording 13 quarterback hits. Green Bay constantly found itself in 2nd and 3rd-and-long, primarily because Todd Bowles’ defense limited the Packers’ running backs to 80 yards on 19 carries. Aaron Jones, who has been dominant this year, had 15 yards on 10 attempts.
Furthermore — and this is a credit to the entire team — the Buccaneers didn’t commit a single penalty. This after coming into the game with 42 markers against. Tampa Bay was dominant in all phases against a previously unbeaten Green Bay team which had the benefit of coming off a bye week.
For the Buccaneers, this is an impactful result. Tampa Bay is now 4-2 and coupled with the New Orleans Saints on a bye and the Carolina Panthers losing to the Chicago Bears, they hold first place in the NFC South. Additionally, the win keeps the Buccaneers within a game in the loss column of Green Bay, while holding an important tiebreaker.
As for the Packers, it’s a burn-the-tape game.
Green Bay is 4-1 and provided star left tackle David Bakhtiari is alright after suffering a chest injury, the Packers will recover. Three of their next four games include the Houston Texans, Minnesota Vikings and Jacksonville Jaguars. No reason to fret.
The NFL journey is a sprint, and yet a long one at that. Tampa Bay put itself in good position by winning, making a point it can contend after an uneven first five weeks. The Packers are 4-1 and will make corrections after being throttled, but will eventually be in January as a team nobody wants to face.
Sunday afternoon was supposed to be about Brady and Rodgers. It ended up a laugher with two backup quarterbacks thanks to a nasty defense and a few crucial errors.
Power rankings
Top 10 under-the-radar seasons thus far
1. Dalvin Cook, Minnesota Vikings (2nd in NFL with 489 rushing yards; 7 TDs, 5.3 YPC)
2. Robby Anderson, Carolina Panthers (3rd in NFL with 566 receiving yards, TD)
3. Derek Carr, Las Vegas Raiders (1,442 passing yards, 8.2 YPA, 11 TDs and 1 INT)
4. Carlton Davis, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2nd in NFL with 3 INTs, 26 tackles, 3 TFL)
5. Trey Hendrickson, New Orleans Saints (4.5 sacks, 6 TFL)
6. Zach Cunningham, Houston Texans (3rd in NFL with 61 tackles, 2 sacks, 2 TFL, 2 PD)
7. Blake Martinez, New York Giants (2nd in NFL with 66 tackles, 2 sacks, 6 TFL)
8. Jared Goff, Los Angeles Rams (1,570 passing yards, 10 TDs)
9. Jack Fox, Detroit Lions (leads NFL in 52.5 yards per punt, 47.3 net)
10. Terry McLaurin, Washington Football Team (9th in NFL with 487 receiving yards, 14.2 YPR)
Quotable
"“The reality is if the pace I’m on in terms of the interceptions, if that were to continue, I won’t finish the season. I won’t — you know what I mean? There’s a little bit of, you got to improve. Whether it’s them telling me, ‘Hey, we gotta improve,’ or them pulling me; we got to get better. That’s what the rest of the season will be about for me, is trying to protect the football as best I can. Because when you turn the ball over, it really hurts your chances to win. I know that. I just need to improve as we look ahead to the rest of the season.”‘"
– Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins on his struggles and their consequences
At 1-5 and fresh off a humbling loss to the previously winless Atlanta Falcons, it would appear anything is on the surface. Realistically, Cousins isn’t going anywhere. He signed an extension the summer, keeping him with Minnesota through 2022. Also, Sean Mannion is the backup.
Still, Cousins has been atrocious with a league-worst 10 interceptions. It’s been a nightmare.
Podcast
Random stat
The longest field goal attempt of all-time was 76 yards by Sebastian Janikowski of the Oakland Raiders in 2008. The next day his coach, Lane Kiffin, was fired.
Info learned this week
1. Steelers, Browns both made statements in Pittsburgh’s blowout win
The Pittsburgh Steelers are Super Bowl contenders. The Cleveland Browns have a long road ahead.
Let’s start with Cleveland. Baker Mayfield is a pedestrian quarterback when the run game isn’t humming. Give credit to Mayfield for playing through considerable rib pain, but he was terrible. Two interceptions including a tone-setting Minkah Fitzpatrick pick-six were the difference. In the second half, Mayfield was benched to escape further punishment, finishing 10-of-18 for 119 yards.
A silver lining for Cleveland’s was a decent showing by the defense despite Pittsburgh’s 38 points. The Steelers only went for 277 total yards but without the takeaways — the Browns led the league with 12 coming into Sunday — there wasn’t much to be done considering the offense.
Now for Pittsburgh.
While the offense has work to do — more on that in a second — the defense might be the NFL’s best. The unit gets absurd pressure without blitzing and can cover both on the perimeter and with Fitzpatrick down the seam. Also, nobody is running on Pittsburgh. The Browns came into the game with a 5.5 yards per attempt, second-best in football. Against the Steelers, they ran for 3.4 YPA.
If there are concerns, they center around the season-ending torn ACL for linebacker Devin Bush and the play of Ben Roethlisberger. Bush is one of the league’s premier linebackers, a sideline-to-sideline blur who can cover, stuff the run and blitz. He won’t be replaced. As for Roethlisberger, he’s constantly throwing short. On Sunday, the future Hall of Famer went for 162 yards.
Still, the Steelers should be thrilled at 5-0. They look every bit a title contender.
2. A deeper look into why the Chiefs wanted to add Bell
When the New York Jets released Le’Veon Bell, the Kansas City Chiefs instantly became the frontrunner. To nobody’s surprise, Bell signed a one-year deal with the defending champs on Thursday.
Per league conversations, there are myriad reasons Kansas City found value in Bell.
Beyond the obvious mismatches he can create, Bell is an upgrade both in the red zone and blocking in pass protection. Additionally, Bell gives Andy Reid a bigger back to utilize in short yardage and on the goal line, a place rookie Clyde Edwards-Helaire has struggled with. In seven carries inside the 5-yard line, Edwards-Helaire has yet to score.
Finally, Bell is a back worthy of taking more of the load off the LSU product, who has taken 65 percent of the snaps thus far. Look for the split to be a bit more even with Bell in the fold, as third-year man Darrel Williams also gets the occasional snap.
Per sources, the Chiefs tried to sign Leonard Fournette before he landed with Tampa Bay. Kansas City also pursued Adrian Peterson. Neither worked out.
Now, general manager Brett Veach landed his man in Bell, and frankly, he’s the best fit of the veteran group. Look for him to get plenty of opportunities.
3. Ravens beat the Eagles, but there are red flag emerging
Lamar Jackson unanimously won the NFL MVP in 2019, and deservedly so. This year, he and the offense are underwhelming.
Yes, the Baltimore Ravens are 5-1 and in a terrific position. This isn’t about the regular season, though. It’s about the playoffs. While the defense has largely been excellent (don’t fret some weird late points against the Philadelphia Eagles), the offense is one-dimensional and at times, barely that.
On Sunday, Jackson threw 27 times for 186 yards while running for another 107. On the year, he’s at 1,135 yards passing and 10 touchdown throws. That’s a pace of 3,026 passing yards and 26 touchdown tosses.
It’s fine against poor teams, who on Sunday, Baltimore beat with five scoring drives consisting of 47, 28, 35, 63, 38 and two yards. However, having only one way to consistently move the ball is a death nell when facing teams such as Kansas City, Pittsburgh and others.
Of course, this isn’t only on Jackson. The offensive line has struggled some compared to last year. This shouldn’t surprise considering the Ravens lost likely Hall of Fame guard Marshal Yanda to retirement. The weapons outside of stud tight end Mark Andrews are also quite limited.
Ultimately, though, Jackson will be squarely under the spotlight come January. He and the Ravens need to get this offense humming.
4. 49ers tighten NFC West underbelly with convincing win over Rams
The Rams had a chance to widen in the NFC West. Instead, they fell back to the pack.
A 24-16 loss to the San Francisco 49ers brought Los Angeles 1.5 games behind the Seattle Seahawks in the division while allowing San Francisco to climb within a game. At 4-2, the Rams are still in fine position but also have concerns, specifically in having already played the entire NFC East. Meanwhile, the Seahawks and 49ers have a combined six games remaining against said atrocity.
For San Francisco, the win is a season-saver. It’s also a relief for Jimmy Garoppolo, who a week after being benched in a blowout loss to the Dolphins, rebounded with 268 yards and three touchdowns without a turnover.
The NFC West is arguably the best division in football. With the Niners’ win, it’s certainly the tightest.
5. Patriots lose, and the offense is not a fixable problem in 2020
Take the Flying Elvis decals off the silver helmets and look at the roster. Does anybody have a less-inspiring group of offensive weapons outside of the New York Jets? It’s debatable.
The New England Patriots scored 12 points in an 18-12 defeat at home to the Denver Broncos. The only touchdown came on a short field in the fourth quarter following a hideous Drew Lock interception. Cam Newton threw for 157 yards on 25 attempts with two interceptions. He ran for another 78, but much like the section on Jackson and the Ravens above, that only goes so far.
New England held Lock to a stat line of 10-of-24 for 189 yards with two picks and still lost at home while trailing most of the fourth quarter by an 18-3 margin. Denver came into the game 1-3, with a litany of injuries and its only win coming against the Jets.
Clearly, Julian Edelman is the only consistent, viable receiving threat on New England and he caught two passes for eight yards. N’Keal Harry — last year’s first-round pick — had two targets and no catches. The leading receiver was running back James White, with eight receptions and 65 yards. Bill Belichick might be the best coach of all time, but there’s no fixing this with scheme.
At 2-3, this is the first time the Patriots are under .500 in October since 2002. The schedule doesn’t do many favors, either, with a trip to Buffalo and both the 49ers and Ravens coming to Foxboro in the coming four weeks.
Gambler’s game
Monday Night Football gives us a twin bill with major future implications. Expect a pair of tight games, which makes the teaser so damn inviting.
Going into Monday, the Buffalo Bills are a home underdog against Kansas City, getting five points. In the nightcap, the Arizona Cardinals are laying a point taking on the host Dallas Cowboys.
The smart play here is teasing the underdogs. Buffalo gets 11 points and the Cowboys only have to keep things within a touchdown. If you prefer to parlay, take the OVERS of 57.5 and 55 respectively.
Two cents
Watch for the Los Angeles Chargers in the season’s final 10 weeks.
Los Angeles is 1-4 and in last place of the AFC West with the Broncos’ win over the Patriots on Sunday. So why keep an eye on the Chargers?
The schedule, the quarterback and the leads.
Los Angeles has led the Saints and Buccaneers by 17 points apiece, and the Chiefs by 11, before ultimately falling twice in overtime and in Tampa Bay to a Tom Brady-led fourth-quarter comeback. Additionally, the Chargers lost to the Saints after a 50-yard, game-winning field goal attempt hit the right upright, and were defeated by Kansas City when Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker hit a pair of 58-yard field goals.
Going forward, Los Angeles has six home games. Justin Herbert — who has been incredibly impressive in his first month — will only be a considerable underdog in road tilts against Buffalo and Kansas City.
The Chargers also get two games against Denver and the Raiders, along with single matchups facing the Miami Dolphins, Jaguars, Falcons and Jets. Is it reasonable to think Los Angeles could go 6-2 or 7-1 in that stretch? Absolutely.
With the expanded playoff format and a weak schedule, don’t count the Chargers out for a wild card berth.
Inside the league
In 1993, the NFL had a Week 18 for the only time in its history. Expect 2020 to be the second occasion.
FanSided reached out to a general manger and two prominent agents to gauge their feelings on why the NFL hasn’t already included a Week 18 in the season, considering the amount of schedule reshuffling and COVID-related issues which have arose in the past few weeks.
The answers were scattershot, reflecting the general mood of a league and country that has rarely agreed on anything in recent times.
One agent pointed to the optics of adding an extra week, texting they “need to make the world think they got it figured out and beat the virus.” Another agrees the NFL is focused on optics but believes in this instance, it’s a measure of practicality.
The general manager sees the NFL holding Week 18 in the “back pocket for later in the year,” because once it’s on the docket, Week 19 and 20 become more likely.
In reality, all these answers help paint the truth. The NFL doesn’t want to change the schedule structure unless need be. It doesn’t want to appear as though its original plan failed, and it also would like to avoid tacking on extra weeks until all options are exhausted.
Ultimately, the general belief among most in the league is Week 18 will happen. It’s just a matter of when.
History lesson
The Baltimore Colts and Cincinnati Bengals met for the first time in the 1970 AFC Divisional playoffs, a season of significance for both.
For Baltimore, it was the franchise’s first Super Bowl title, culminating in a win over the Cowboys. The Colts entered the postseason 11-2-1 and beat Cincinnati 17-0, holding the Bengals to 93 yards passing and 139 yards overall. The following week, Johnny Unitas and Co. downed the Raiders to win the first AFC Championship Game.
As for the Bengals, the ’70 season was magical. Cincinnati began its third-ever campaign at 1-6 before rattling off seven consecutive wins to win the AFC Central, becoming the first team in pro history to go from at least five games under .500 to a postseason berth.
The Bengals would make the playoffs twice more in the ’70s under legendary head coach Paul Brown before his retirement after the 1975 season.
Parting shot
Don’t forget the Tennessee Titans.
In the AFC, everybody talks about Kansas City, Pittsburgh and Baltimore. Rightfully so. Heck, Josh Allen and the Bills are getting the star treatment from some.
Then there are the Titans, who have slipped the mind of many. Why?
Perhaps it’s Ryan Tannehill, who despite elite play since being installed as the starter in Nashville, permanently turned people off during his time with the Dolphins. Perhaps it’s their run-first nature in the pass-happy days of 2020. Perhaps it’s the small market. The reasons are myriad.
Regardless, the Titans are 5-0 and rolling. They’re scoring 32.8 points per game, and at least notching 31 each of the last four contests. The defense is middling, but decent enough especially in this age of 30+ points being normal.
This Sunday, Tennessee meets Pittsburgh at Nissan Stadium. The winner will be 6-0 and in a great spot to challenge for the AFC’s top seed.
Don’t be surprised if the Titans, the team with the better quarterback and weaponry, wins it.