This looks familiar.
The football stars appear to be aligning for the Bengals at a time when they need it most, while the Ravens are struggling mightily on offense. The Browns are trying to appear competent with their shuffling at quarterback, eschewing controversy for supposed production. And the Steelers are still hanging around.
Every season is vastly different. But this one sure feels the same.
Broncos 9, Ravens 10
The 8-4 Ravens, once considered locks for the AFC North title, looked exceptionally vulnerable in the wake of their lacking victory over the hapless Broncos. QB Lamar Jackson suffered a PCL sprain in the last moments of the first quarter Sunday in an otherwise dull, uninteresting game that featured little movement between red zones and oodles of terrible offense. Ravens offensive coordinator Greg Roman may have sealed his Baltimore legacy with an ill-advised triple-reverse option pass play call on the Denver 6-yard line, which predictably ended in a Broncos interception in the end zone. The Ravens played good defense against a subpar Broncos offense as evidenced by limiting the Broncos to three field goals. There were no standout performances in any facet, capping one of the most dreary NFL games played in recent memory.
Steelers 19, Falcons 16
In another ho-hum, uninspiring contest, the Steelers managed to cobble together a semblance of an offense. Rookie QB Kenny Pickett was reasonably efficient (16-28, 197 yards, 1 TD) in posting his fourth consecutive game with no turnovers. RB Najee Harris has been playing a bit better lately, as he collected 92 total yards (86 rushing) and a respectable 5.1 YPC. Despite reduced activity in the passing game, TE Pat Freiermuth caught three passes for 76 yards to lead all Pittsburgh receivers. The Steelers were again led defensively by DT Cam Heyward, who bottled up the interior of the line all day and forced the Falcons to rely on their suspect passing attack. Heyward contributed a sack and several QB pressures in a balanced effort that seemed content to contain a struggling Falcons offense. S Minkah Fitzpatrick added seven tackles and an INT for good measure.
Browns 27, Texans 14
In the highly-anticipated debut of controversial QB DeShaun Watson, the Browns prevailed, albeit with little help from their polarizing, rusty signal-caller. Watson’s day wasn’t exactly a triumph (12-22, 131 yards, 1 INT), as he appeared jittery and unprepared to face a pass rush – understandable for a QB that’s missed every snap for the last 1.75 seasons. That the Browns scored three TDs, yet none on offense speaks volumes about the sort of day it was. WR/KR Donovan Peoples-Jones’ punt return, the team’s first since 2015, was an exercise in elusiveness, as Peoples-Jones evaded four tackles before successfully breaking for the end zone. CB Denzel Ward added a fumble recovery for a TD, and reserve LB Tony Fields II pitched in with a short-yardage pick-6. Strange days indeed.
Chiefs 24, Bengals 27
Another closely-contested win over the Chiefs should indicate to the rest of the NFL that the Bengals were not/are not a 2021 fluke. The Bengals rode an excellent day from QB Joe Burrow (25-31, 286 yards, 2 TDs, 42 rushing yards, 1 rushing TD) to remain even with the Ravens at 8-4. RB Samaje Perine added 106 rushing yards in relief of injured starter Joe Mixon, and returning WR Ja’Marr Chase led all receivers with seven catches for 97 yards and several crucial third-down conversions. The Bengals defense and LB Jermaine Pratt forced Chiefs stalwart TE Travis Kelce into an uncharacteristic late fumble, setting up the winning drive, which Burrow executed perfectly, culminating in a TD pass to RB Chris Evans. Above all, the Bengals exhibited patience, slowly wearing down the Chiefs until they were able to take advantage.
The last five games of any season are always a fun time. Enjoy yours.
