Category: Football

Lions win 27-24. Jamal Agnew’s kickoff return for a touchdown was the difference.

Eagles:

• Carson Wentz: 19/36, 259 yards, 2 TD
• Miles Sanders: 13 carries, 53 yards + 4 targets, 2 receptions, 73 yards
• Jordan Howard: 11 carries, 36 yards, 1 TD + 1 target
• Darren Sproles: 2 carries, 4 yards + 1 target
• Nelson Agholor: 12 targets, 8 receptions, 50 yards, 2 TDs
• Mack Hollins: 7 targets, 4 receptions, 62 yards
• J.J. Arcega-Whiteside: 3 targets, 1 reception, 10 yards
• Zach Ertz: 7 targets, 4 receptions, 64 yards
• Dallas Goedert: 1 target

Eagles run defense looked solid, but the pass defense didn’t do enough. The Eagles had 5 drops in this game. The most for any team in any game this year. Mack Hollins is a solid deep threat that nobody is talking about. Nelson Agholor played well. Miles Sanders seems to have been promoted, but dances too much for my liking. Ertz is now 2nd all-time in catches for Philly. Wentz is clearly the best offensive player on the Eagles not named Ertz. If I were an Eagles fan, I would want them to run the ball less.. Eagles at Packers this week.

Lions: 

• Matthew Stafford: 18/32, 201 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT
• Kerryon Johnson: 20 carries, 36 yards, 1 TD + 1 target, 1 reception, 7 yards
• J.D. McKissic: 1 carry, 44 yards
• Ty Johnson: 4 carries, 5 yards + 2 targets, 1 reception
• Marvin Jones Jr.: 9 targets, 6 receptions, 101 yards, 1 TD
• Danny Amendola: 5 targets, 4 receptions, 32 yards
• Kenny Golladay: 8 targets, 2 receptions, 32 yards
• Jesse James: 1 targets, 1 reception, 13 yards
• TJ Hockenson: 4 targets, 1 receptions, 1 yard

Stafford didn’t get sacked for the second straight game.. first time since 2011 that has happened. Interestingly enough, the Lions are 3-0 for the first time since 2011. Stafford is 4-1 against the Eagles in his career now. The Lions o-line can pass block, but they can’t run block it seems. Hockenson has come back to Earth. Marvin Jones Jr had his first big game of the season. Darius Slay recovered a fumble and is still one of the best corners in the league.

Bills win 21-17.

Bills:

• Josh Allen: 23/36, 234 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT + 9 carries, 46 yards
• Frank Gore: 14 carries, 76 yards, 1 TD + 2 targets, 2 receptions, 13 yards
• T.J. Yeldon: 8 carries, 30 yards + 3 targets, 2 receptions, 19 yards
• Cole Beasley: 10 targets, 8 receptions, 48 yards
• John Brown: 5 targets, 4 receptions, 51 yards + 1 carry, 4 yards
• Dawson Knox: 4 targets, 3 receptions, 67 yards, 1 TD + 1 carry, 9 yards
• Zay Jones: 3 targets, 2 receptions, 33 yards
• Tommy Sweeney: 3 targets, 1 reception, 3 yards
• Isaiah McKenzie: 1 targets, 1 reception, 9 yards + 3 carries, 10 yards

The Bills defense is real good. Jordan Poyer, Matt Milano, Micah Hyde, and Tre’Davious White all played great on Sunday. White had two interceptions and now has 8 in his career, the most for anyone from the 2017 draft (Jabrill Peppers, Malik Hooker, Marshon Lattimore, and Jamal Adams draft). Frank Gore doesn’t age like Larry Fitzgerald and Tom Brady. Josh Allen has 200+ passing yards in 8 straight games, the first Bills player to do that since Jim Kelly in the 90s. Brown and Beasley seem to be Allen’s favorite targets.

Bengals:

• Andy Dalton: 20/36, 249 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT
• Joe Mixon: 15 carries, 61 yards + 2 targets, 2 receptions, 34 yards, 1 TD
• Giovani Bernard: 3 carries, 5 yards + 2 targets, 2 receptions, 7 yards
• Tyler Boyd: 11 targets, 6 receptions, 67 yards
• Auden Tate: 10 targets, 6 receptions, 88 yards
• John Ross: 6 targets, 2 receptions, 22 yards
• Tyler Eifert: 1 target, 1 reception, 18 yards
• Alex Erickson: 1 target, 1 reception, 13 yards
• C.J. Uzomah: 1 target

Tyler Boyd has been eating targets. Joe Mixon still doesn’t have a rushing TD. The Bengals are the only team without 100 yards rushing in a game this season. John Ross couldn’t get his big play and lost a fumble. The Bengals defense is bad I think, but played better this week after the 1st quarter. Cincinnati’s offense had only one first half first down. Bengals are what they are with Andy Dalton.

Cowboys win 31-6.

Cowboys:

• Dak Prescott: 19/32, 246 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT + 2 carries, 7 yards, 1 TD
• Ezekiel Elliott: 19 carries, 125 yards + 3 targets, 2 receptions, 14 yards
• Tony Pollard: 13 carries, 103 yards, 1 TD + 3 targets, 3 receptions, 25 yards
• Amari Cooper: 7 targets, 6 receptions, 88 yards, 2 TDs
• Devin Smith: 5 targets, 2 receptions, 39 yards
• Randall Cobb: 4 targets, 2 receptions, 23 yards
• Jason Witten: 4 targets, 3 receptions, 54 yards

Dallas came out sleep-walking, but turned it on in the second half. Elliot and Pollard became the 4th pair of Dallas RBs to rush for 100 yards in the same game. Randall Cobb had a long touchdown called back on a penalty. Leighton Vander Esch became the fastest Cowboys player ever with 200 tackles in 19 games. Amari Cooper is a stud. Dallas needs some work on defense, but they should win their division.

Dolphins:

• Josh Rosen: 18/39, 200 yards, 3 sacks + 3 carries, 13 yards
• Ryan Fitzpatrick: 2/2, 29 yards
• Kenyan Drake: 13 carries, 44 yards, 1 fumble + 6 targets, 3 receptions, 34 yards
• Kalen Ballage: 7 carries, 11 yards + 3 targets, 1 reception, 10 yards
• Preston Williams: 12 targets, 4 receptions, 68 yards
• DeVante Parker: 6 targets, 3 receptions, 56 yards
• Jakeem Grant: 7 targets, 4 receptions, 27 yards
• Nick O’Leary: 1 target, 1 reception, 19 yards

The Dolphins have allowed the most points ever through 3 games in the Super Bowl Era. Miami might trick a team into not gameplanning for them and get a win this year. Tank for Tua. DeVante Parker got half his targets this week after going 0/7 last week. Miami was a dropped pass and fumble from winning at halftime..  Rosen and Preston Williams looked pretty good all things considered. Xavien Howard is good, but has no help on the defense.

Patriots win 30-14, but Jarrett Stidham’s pick 6 keeps New England from covering the 21 points. Good teams win, great teams cover.

Patriots:

• Tom Brady: 28/42, 306 yards, 2 touchdowns
• Jarrett Stidham: 2/3, 14 yards, 1 interception
• Sony Michel: 9 carries, 11 yards, 1 touchdown + 1 target, 0 receptions
• Rex Burkhead: 11 carries, 47 yards, 1 touchdown + 7 targets, 6 receptions, 22 yards
• Brandon Bolden: 2 carries, -2 yards + 3 targets, 2 receptions, 21 yards
• Julian Edelman: 10 targets, 7 receptions, 62 yards, 1 touchdown
• Josh Gordon: 11 targets, 6 receptions, 83 yards + 1 carry, 1 yard
• Phillip Dorsett: 7 targets, 6 receptions, 53 yards, 1 touchdown + 2 carries, 12 yards
• Jakobi Meyers: 2 receptions, 38 yards
• Ryan Izzo: 1 reception, 41 yards

The Patriots allowed fewer than 70 pass yards and fewer than 40 rush yards for the first time in the Belichick era. This defense is legit, even though it was the Jets. Stephon Gilmore has been the best corner in the league this year.. and it isn’t even close. McCourty has 3 interceptions this season. Tom Brady has won 12 games in a row at home against the Jets. The Drew Brees injury allowed Brady to pass Brees for the 2nd-most TDs all-time. The Pats have the easiest schedule I have ever seen for a Super Bowl Champ.. The Chiefs look like their only competition for the Super Bowl through 3 weeks.. but that can change.

Jets:

• Luke Falk: 12/22, 98 yards, 1 interception
• Le’Veon Bell: 18 carries, 35 yards + 4 targets, 4 receptions, 28 yards
• Ty Montgomery: 2 carries, 1 yard + 1 target, 0 receptions
• Robby Anderson: 5 targets, 3 receptions, 11 yards
• Jamison Crowder: 5 targets, 2 receptions, 25 yards
• Braxton Berrios: 6 targets, 2 receptions, 29 yards

Le’Veon Bell had 63 scrimmage yards, the fewest for him since Week 1, 2017. That’ll happen when Luke Falk is your QB and your o-line is the Jets 2019 o-line. I mean I am not going to waste too much time on the Jets. They will be better with Sam Darnold and CJ Mosley after their BYE this week.

Jaguars win 20-7.

Titans:

• Marcus Mariota: 22/39, 282 yards + 6 carries, 34 yards
• Derrick Henry: 17 carries, 44 yards, 1 TD + 2 targets, 1 reception, 2 yards
• Dion Lewis: 3 carries, 13 yards + 1 target, 1 reception, 7 yards
• Tajae Sharpe: 3 targets, 2 receptions, 70 yards
• Adam Humphries: 9 targets, 6 receptions, 93 yards
• Corey Davis: 4 targets, 3 receptions, 44 yards
• A.J. Brown: 5 targets, 1 reception, 4 yards
• Jonnu Smith: 3 targets, 2 receptions, 20 yards
• Delanie Walker: 9 targets, 7 receptions, 64 yards

Mariota has been sacked 17 times through 3 weeks. That is the most for any QB through 3 weeks this season.. and every season since 2002. Their pass protection is bad, but Mariota makes it worse than it is. Arthur Smith has not been calling plays to help out his QB, Mariota. I think Mariota needs more quick-throws and designed bootlegs. Derrick Henry dropped a screen pass that was wide open. Humphries and Walker looked solid. Throw the ball to Dion Lewis more. Give Mariota easier throws. Do what the Bears did against the Redskins this week. Make it easy on the QB, Arthur. I don’t believe in Mariota, but his OC has to help him out. Tennessee’s defense is above average and plays solid. Logan Ryan, Malcolm Butler, and Jayon Brown are all good.. They just need some help from their offense.

Jaguars: 

• Gardner Minshew II: 20/30, 204, 2 TD + 4 carries, 18 yards
• Leonard Fournette: 15 carries, 66 yards + 8 targets, 6 receptions, 26 yards
• Dede Westbrook: 9 targets, 5 receptions, 46 yards
• DJ Chark Jr.: 5 targets, 4 receptions, 76 yards, 1 TD
• James O’Shaughnessy: 3 targets, 2 receptions, 18 yards, 1 TD
• Chris Conley: 3 targets, 2 receptions, 30 yards

Gardner Minshew II is the 2nd Jaguars QB to throw a TD in each of his first 3 games for the team (B. Leftwich). As a result of Minshew playing so well, D.J. Chark Jr. has the most receiving yards through 3 weeks of the season for the Jags since Keenan McCardell had 284 yards in 2000. Fournette has the volume of a great running-back, but he is struggling against stacked boxes. Minshew should help him with that in future weeks. Dj Chark seems to have overtaken Dede Westbrook as the WR1 in Jacksonville. The Jaguars defense is still dominant at times. Campell and Ramsey have played great over the past two weeks, but will they keep Ramsey? Tajae Sharpe had a ridiculous long catch on Ramsey that Mariota under-threw and Ramsey tipped.. but if you take that away, Ramsey’s stats look amazing again. I don’t think Ramsey likes head coach Doug Marrone, but the Jaguars should pay him or trade him soon.