Week 8’s Sunday slate introduced the Hail Mary of the 12 months to date in Washington, to not point out upset after upset: the Cleveland Browns upending the Baltimore Ravens behind backup QB Jameis Winston, and one other backup, Jacoby Brissett, outdueling Aaron Rodgers late within the New England Patriots’ win over the New York Jets.
.@JBrissett12 threading it to @KayshonBoutte1 🎯
📺: CBS pic.twitter.com/oAgSg7YsTS
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) October 27, 2024
We additionally noticed the Philadelphia Eagles proceed their big-time bounceback and loads of backup QB heroics. The Athletic NFL writers Jeff Howe, Ted Nguyen and Dan Pompei share their ideas on all of those storylines and extra.
So much to contemplate in that Commanders win — the Hail Mary (in fact), the misplaced fumble by an offensive lineman on a Bears fourth-quarter possession, the dearth of a landing earlier than the ultimate play of the sport. Is that this Washington Commanders workforce superb, very lucky, or each?
Nguyen: Bears offensive coordinator Shane Waldron’s play-calling was atrocious down the stretch. From the fumble on a handoff to an offensive lineman, to the quarterback draw on a later third down. The Bears have been lucky to be in place to win, after which they squandered it.
It is a superb Commanders workforce and the protection appears to be getting higher. Jayden Daniels was severely affected by his rib damage — he couldn’t run as a lot choice with that damage, however he did sufficient offensively to place them in place to win. This was a gutsy efficiency that ought to all however lock within the Offensive Rookie of the Yr award.
The questions I’ve concerning the Commanders is whether or not offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury can preserve the offense buzzing; his offenses in Arizona sputtered out later within the season. I believe it has to do with groups catching up with their no-huddle alerts. Additionally, can this protection proceed to indicate enchancment? It has solely given up greater than 15 factors as soon as within the final 5 video games.
Pompei: Nobody expects that the Commanders will likely be within the Tremendous Bowl, however the entire of their workforce is larger than the sum of their components, they usually have a knack for doing what they should do to win. That’s a credit score to Dan Quinn and his teaching workers, and it’s a credit score to Daniels, the moment star of 2024.
The Commanders have already got six wins — 10 would possibly get them into the playoffs. If Daniels will get absolutely wholesome (he clearly wasn’t on Sunday), stays that approach and retains taking part in the best way he has, this ought to be a playoff workforce. And hardly anybody thought the Commanders may very well be a playoff workforce.
Howe: By no means apologize for a win. Sure, the Commanders wanted to catch numerous breaks to beat the Bears, however good for them for competing in these conditions to earn these breaks. A Hail Mary could be fluky, however the Commanders did all the things proper to be in place to execute. An offensive lineman shouldn’t be taking a handoff on the purpose line, however the Commanders have been heady sufficient to assault the ball. And Caleb Williams has been taking part in fairly properly of late, however Quinn’s protection made him wrestle for a lot of that recreation. Most outcomes could be traced again to a couple performs. Whereas these performs have been extra dramatic than most, I nonetheless credit score the Commanders for incomes that win.
Are the Eagles again?
Howe: It certain appears to be like that approach. The Eagles seemed out of kinds whilst they have been profitable, and it was robust to evaluate their progress in prior victories in opposition to the Browns and New York Giants. However this thorough beatdown of the Cincinnati Bengals, who seemed like they have been able to make a surge, was spectacular. The Eagles are more healthy at receiver, have a terrific floor recreation they usually’re enhancing on protection. With their expertise, they’re well-equipped to doubtlessly outlast the Commanders for the division title.
Nguyen: Getting two new coordinators takes some getting used to, however the Eagles look extra snug each offensively and defensively. On offense, they sort-of ditched the standard QB choice recreation and are working Saquon Barkley extra on straight runs, which makes numerous sense. After they do run Jalen Hurts, they’re having him go downhill instantly. He simply doesn’t seem like he has numerous burst from a standstill place, which makes it robust on him on zone reads. I just like the changes they’ve made.
Defensively, Vic Fangio’s system is difficult to be taught however the Eagles now seem like they’re taking part in so much sooner. They’re beginning to defend the run very well. Within the final two weeks, they’ve solely given up a mixed 144 dashing yards. When the Eagles can defend the run and get groups into passing conditions, that’s when Fangio can get into his extra unique coverages and pressures.
Pompei: The Eagles have outscored their final two opponents by a mixed 45 factors, and the Bengals aren’t a punching bag. For the reason that third week of the season, opponents are averaging simply 12.8 factors per recreation in opposition to Fangio’s protection. Barkley has been some of the constant runners within the league, in addition to some of the dynamic. A tricky protection and a robust working recreation nearly all the time wins. The Eagles seem like one of the best workforce within the NFC East, and may very well be among the finest groups within the NFL earlier than lengthy.
Are there any bigger classes to be drawn from the Ravens’ struggling come-from-ahead upset losses to the Las Vegas Raiders earlier within the season and now the Browns on Sunday?
Nguyen: The Ravens all the time appear to have one recreation a 12 months during which they can not catch something; although Jameis Winston principally performed a robust recreation for Cleveland, he additionally threw three point-blank interceptions that have been dropped. On the ultimate Browns drive, on which they scored the go-ahead landing, Winston threw one proper to Kyle Hamilton, who ran for a few steps earlier than the ball fell out of his arms.
On offense, they dropped at the very least 4 or 5 passes, together with a deep go to Rashod Bateman late within the recreation. Total, the Ravens’ secondary has been a weak spot they usually have been beat-up coming into the sport. It’s going to be a problem all through the season.
Pompei: Possibly the Ravens deal with adversity higher than they deal with prosperity. Actually, they’re a greater workforce than the Browns. And the Raiders. However they didn’t play their finest soccer in opposition to both. Baltimore has a stable protection, however the Ravens gave up huge performs late to a backup quarterback. The sensation right here is that this was a blip (the form of which nearly each NFL workforce has over the course of a season, save for the 1972 Dolphins). The Ravens ought to be taught and develop from it. They continue to be one of many NFL’s most interesting.
Howe: This has been a problem for the Ravens for a pair years, though this was one of many smaller leads that they’ve blown. They’ve some points on the again finish of the protection, they usually surrendered scores on three of their final 4 collection on Sunday. Lamar Jackson can solely accomplish that a lot. I don’t know in the event that they get a bit too snug with late leads, but it surely’s not going to be a problem that simply magically disappears — it’s been hanging over their heads for approach too lengthy.
Contemplating their offseason spending, are the Tennessee Titans the season’s most disappointing workforce?
Pompei: The Titans are a disappointment, however all people knew they have been going to want above-average quarterback play to comprehend their potential, particularly after permitting Derrick Henry to stroll. They haven’t had the form of quarterback play they wanted in a single recreation this season, whether or not the participant beneath heart has been Mason Rudolph or Will Levis. Titans gamers are nonetheless attempting to regulate to a brand new teaching workers, and the teaching workers continues to be on the lookout for gamers who match what they wish to do. This week, it couldn’t have helped the workforce’s mindset to see two huge title gamers traded.
Howe: The frustration has been Will Levis’ lack of growth, placing the Titans in place to should draft one other quarterback. However no, they’re not the league’s greatest disappointment. That will be the Jets, who’ve misplaced 5 in a row, together with all three video games since firing Robert Saleh. Aaron Rodgers hasn’t been wholesome. The marquee acquisitions haven’t been in a position to carry him. And a protection that was alleged to be a power simply allowed Jacoby Brissett to drive down the sector for a game-winning rating.
Nguyen: Earlier than this week, the Titans have been taking part in like an elite protection however their offense was letting them down. This week, it appears the gamers knew the place the season was headed with the Titans promoting off items (buying and selling away linebacker Ernest Jones and receiver Deandre Hopkins) and simply gave up. A number of the touchdowns that they gave up in opposition to the Lions have been simply inexcusable.
I don’t suppose the Titans are an enormous disappointment; I do know they loaded up within the offseason however they have been loading as much as see what they’ve in Levis by offering him with sturdy environment. I all the time noticed it as a guess (and my expectations weren’t very excessive). It appears they’ve made their evaluations and they’re reducing their losses fast. Now, they’ll be counting their losses.
Which was your favourite game-winning drive by a backup QB: New England’s Jacoby Brissett to beat the Jets, Cleveland’s Jameis Winston to upset the Ravens, or Inexperienced Bay’s Malik Willis organising the game-winning kick in opposition to the Jaguars?
Howe: Winston’s game-winning drive — and maybe his total efficiency — supplied affirmation the Browns ought to have made a QB swap some time in the past. It’s the primary time they’ve scored greater than 18 factors this season. However my favourite could be Willis’s efficiency. He threw an absolute magnificence to Jayden Reed on a 51-yarder to assist arrange the profitable kick.
Willis has been written off so many occasions, from the autumn within the draft to his time in Tennessee, and as he was compelled to interchange Jordan Love earlier this season. Willis’s skill to shrug it off and discover success with the Packers has been one of many higher tales within the league this season. This was simply the most recent instance.
REEEEEEEEED!#GBvsJAX pic.twitter.com/oGewT53OaM
— Inexperienced Bay Packers (@packers) October 27, 2024
Pompei: Willis’s play has been a revelation this season. He clearly has a knack that the Titans should not have acknowledged. This was totally different than his victories over the Indianapolis Colts and Titans as a result of he got here off the bench on this one — not a simple factor to do. His go to Reed may very well be a portent of fine issues to come back. However Winston’s comeback was probably the most spectacular, partly as a result of he completed a 69-yard drive with a 38-yard landing, overcoming a false begin within the course of. He seemed like a veteran who has been there earlier than — which, in fact, he’s.
Nguyen: Willis was superb after taking on for Love at halftime, however the Packers’ manufacturing was a testomony to Matt LaFleur’s playcalling. He was getting guys wide-open for Willis they usually gashed the Jaguars with the run recreation. Reed was large open on that 51-yard go on a leak play due to design.
As talked about above, Winston bought fortunate with a couple of dropped interceptions. Brissett was most spectacular to me as a result of he stood within the pocket and made robust throws. On his 34-yard go to Kayshon Boutte on third-and-10, he remained calm with a free blitzer working at him full-speed and delivered a robust go downfield in the course of the sector in opposition to what seemed like inverted cowl 2.
(High picture: Greg Fiume / Getty Photos)
