While the nation splits time between the Vice Presidential Debate and the MLB playoffs tonight, it will have largely forgotten the hijinks and drama that was the NFL last weekend. Week 4 may be the most confusing time to properly judge NFL teams, because team records may or may not reflect the general makeup or disposition of that team. Is everyone really confident that Sam Darnold will continue to play solid, mostly mistake-free football in Minnesota?
Really?
Bengals 34, Panthers 24
In the AFCN’s least-exciting contest, the Bengals allowed the woeful Panthers to hang around, but pulled away convincingly late in the third quarter to seal a much-needed win. QB Joe Burrow (22-31, 232 yard, 2 TDs, 1 INT) had a steady outing, punctuated by favorite target WR Ja’Marr Chase’s 3-catch, 85-yard day including a spectacular 63-yard catch and run for a TD. RB Chase Brown added 80 yards rushing on 15 carries.
The Bengals played effective, stifling defense against old teammate QB Andy Dalton despite recording no sacks and just one INT, instead leaning on tackling, of all things, as their best means to slow the Panthers. Which they mostly did. LB Logan Wilson logged 10 tackles, and MLB Germaine Pratt notched 9. most coming on the short side of the third down marker. It may not be exciting and it’s certainly cliché, but team defense is usually the best defense.
Next: Bengals @ Ravens, 10/6, 1:00 pm, CBS
Steelers 24, Colts 27
Old Steelers nemesis QB Joe Flacco made a guest appearance for the Colts and led his new team to a win after coming off the bench in the first quarter. The Steelers vaunted pass rush only managed to get to Flacco once while he converted several key third downs in the second half, as shown by S Deshon Elliott’s 12 tackles and fellow S Minkah Fitzpatrick’s 9. The defense did just enough to give the offense a final chance…
But they obviously didn’t take advantage of it, with the Colts’ defense able to stop a last-ditch 4th down attempt to seal the win. QB Justin Fields managed 312 yards passing and a TD on the day, but wasn’t helped by multiple offensive line injuries, resulting in increased defensive pressure on almost every passing down. WR George Pickens (7 catches, 113 yards) helped a bit, but his costly fumble in the first half may well have cost the Steelers the game.
Next: Cowboys @ Steelers, 10/6, 8:20 pm, NBC
Raiders 20, Browns 16
The Raiders rushed for 152 yards and scored two rushing TDs en route to nabbing a win against the free-falling Browns, who are reaching new stress levels over their untimely, inconsistent offense and equally confounding defense. Browns QB Deshaun Watson, under pressure for most of the day, cobbled together a 176-yard passing outing on 32 attempts (1 TD, 1 INT), but was unable to convert a late 4th and 3 scenario from the Raiders’ 9 yard line. RB Jerome Ford contributed 58 yards rushing on 10 carries.
Outside of DE Myles Garrett (3 tackles, 2 sacks, 3 QB hits) and LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (9 tackles), the defense was largely uninspiring. Despite holding the Raiders to under 300 yards of total offense, they simply didn’t record enough stops to allow their own suspect offense to score. Like the Pittsburgh game, there’s times when a team may be mistake-free, but just has to do more to be effective. The Browns need more.
Next: Browns @ Commanders, 10/6, 1:00 pm, FOX
Bills 10, Ravens 35
The Ravens scored on their first play from scrimmage and didn’t let up much thereafter. Led by RB Derrick Henry’s bruising 199-yard day, the Ravens scored two rushing TDs and two passing as QB Lamar Jackson kept the Bills defense off balance and confused much of the night. Third-down RB Justice Hill led the team with 78 yards receiving and a TD catch, and the maligned offensive line played possibly its best game so far.
The defense was suffocating and effective, limiting Bills QB Josh Allen to 180 mostly ineffective yards. S Kyle Hamilton logged 7 tackles, with CB Marlon Humphrey and MLB Roquan Smith just behind with 6. Team defense was again the theme here, as the Ravens held the Bills to a total of 236 yards of offense; a very low number for a team that had been +64 in offensive advantage coming into this game.
Next: Bengals @ Ravens, 10/6, 1:00 pm, CBS
See you soon.
Pejsizn
Skfhe