NFL Week 9 Takeaways
1. Todd Bowles is one hell of a football coach. Many thought it was a very real possibility that the Jets would be the worst team in football prior to the start of the season. After nine weeks, they find themselves at 4-5 and in the running for an AFC Wild Card spot. The Jets talent-level is sub-par, it is jarringly evident upon watching them, yet they manage to hang around in nearly every game. It is not very often that a team exceeds expectations in the NFL as the Jets have this season and for that Todd Bowles deserves kudos.
2. The touchdown pass Carson Wentz threw to Alshon Jeffery in the first quarter of the Eagles victory over the Broncos was extraordinary. It was a run-pass option; Wentz faked the handoff to newly minted running back Jay Ajayi, scrambled to his right and then hit Jeffery in perfect stride. It was textbook. Wentz has been sensational all season, but this, by far, has been my favorite play that the Eagles second-year quarterback has made in what might end up being an MVP season.
3. Blake Bortles isn’t as terrible as everyone seems to believe. I have never quite understood the harsh criticism that the Jaguars quarterback has been subject to. Seriously, go back and look at the stats. I know numbers don’t tell the entire story, but the past two seasons Bortles has averaged over 4,000 yards per season while posting a 1.5:1 touchdown-to-interception ratio. That ratio isn’t great, but it is no worse than Jameis Winston’s Eli Manning’s or Carson Palmer’s or Jay Cutler’s. I could go on and on. I understand that Bortles may not be an elite quarterback, but he certainly isn’t a hindrance. On Sunday, without Leonard Fournette the Jaguars bell-cow back, Bortles was 24 of 38 for 259 yards and a score en route to a Jaguars 23-7 win. Not too shabby.
4. When we look back on the Giant’s 2017 season, it can be encapsulated in one play: the third and thirty-three conversion that the Rams completed early in the second quarter. At mid-field, Jared Goff threw a pass behind the line of scrimmage; the Rams were essentially conceding a punt. Instead of stopping the play for little or no gain, the Giant’s defense allowed Robert Woods to break free for a 52-yard touchdown. Devastating; just as the entire 2017 season has been for Big Blue.
5. Jay Ajayi adds another element to what is already the most potent offensive weaponry in the NFC. The Eagles possess a superb passing game with Carson Wentz and a stout power-running game with LeGarrette Blount. Now, with Ajayi in the mix, the Eagles offensive attack has some explosiveness coming out of the backfield. The ex-Dolphin let his presence be known in the City of Brotherly Love on Sunday as he scampered for a 46-yard touchdown late in the second quarter as the Eagles absolutely eviscerated the Denver Broncos, 51-23.
6. Julio Jones, possibly the most sure-handed receiver in the NFL, dropped an easy touchdown in the fourth quarter that may jeopardize the Falcons season. At 4-4, Atlanta finds themselves behind both New Orleans and Carolina in the NFC South a year after being up 25 points in the Super Bowl. There are still eight games remaining for Dan Quinn and company, but Atlanta’s offense has been a shell of itself this season. Matt Ryan is playing nowhere near the MVP level that he sustained last season and the Falcons defense is porous. The Super Bowl hangover is very, very real.
7. Dirk Koetter’s seat has never been hotter. The Buccaneers head coach has completely lost control of his team. Featured on HBO’s Hard Knocks, the Buccaneers were thought to be contenders in the NFC. Instead, they are 2-6 and are right up there with the Giants for the league’s most disappointing team. I am not so sure Koetter makes it to the end of the season.
8. The Seahawks offense is utterly perplexing. A week after dropping 41 points on the Texans in a shootout, Seattle entered the fourth quarter of their game on Sunday against the Redskins with just two points and that was courtesy of a safety produced by their defense. Russell Wilson has proven that when he is on that he is as lethal as any quarterback in football. That’s why it is so puzzling that in the span of a week Seattle’s attack can go from indefensible to pedestrian. If the Seahawks want to make anything of their season it is vital that they win Thursday night as they travel to Arizona for a divisional matchup with Patrick Peterson and the Cardinals. If Wilson and company are as anemic then as they were on Sunday winning the NFC West will be nothing more than a dream.
9. Dak Prescott is more valuable to the Cowboys than Ezekiel Elliott. I am not sure how bold of a statement this is, but I believe it whole-heartedly. For this reason, I believe that when Zeke has to serve his suspension the Cowboys will be just fine. Dallas’ offensive line is so dominant that even an average running back could have a field day with those behemoths up front leading the way. Dak is a different breed. I feel that he might be the most underrated quarterback in the NFL. If the Cowboys lost him for an extended period of time they could flush their aspirations for this season right down the toilet. Now, I know the quarterback position is inherently more valuable than the running back position simply due to the fact that the quarterback touches the ball every single play. With that being said, many feel that this offense goes as Zeke goes, but I disagree. Without Zeke, they would still be productive and win their fair share of games. I do not think the same can be said for Dak.
10. The Raiders put up with all of the baggage that comes along with Marshawn Lynch because of what he put on display last night. Lynch wasn’t spectacular by any measure, but he provided Oakland with some pop coming out of the backfield. The ex-Seattle Seahawk had 14 rushes for 57 yards and two touchdowns, including a 22-yarder that gave the Raiders control of the game that they never gave back. While this iteration of “Beast Mode” might not be what it was circa 2013, Marshawn Lynch is still pretty darn good.
