JIM LANG’S 10 NFL THINGS: WEEK 9
Hi there, I hope everyone had a good week. Wow, week 8 was something special. Special in a good way for back-up quarterbacks. And special in a bad way for injuries to key players. Enough of that, it is time for my thoughts on the week that was in the NFL.
1 – Thursday night – Week 8 in the NFL kicked off Thursday night in Arizona as the undefeated Cardinals hosted the Green Bay Packers. The Packers had all the odds stacked against them. They were on the road against an undefeated team. They were also missing receivers Davante Adams and Allen Lazard as a result of Covid protocols. That means the Packers offence was missing 67 catches for 928 yards and five touchdowns. That is why the Packers win over the Cardinals was one of Aaron Rodgers finest moments. Getting a big assist from his running game and defence, Rodgers made the most of the weapons around him and led the Packers to their seventh straight win. Now the battle for the top seed in the NFC is wide open. Not only did the Packers win, but the game also produced an incredible Aaron Rodgers meme, do yourself a favour and look it up. Up next, the Packers take on the Chiefs in KC, meanwhile the Cardinals will try to bounce back when they take on the 49ers.
2 – Mike White! – If you hadn’t heard of Mike White before Sunday, you sure heck know about him now. All White did was become the first Jets quarterback in 330 games to throw for over 400 yards in a game as the Jets upset the Bengals for their second win over the year. That’s right, White is the first Jets quarterback to throw for over 400 yards since Vinnie Testaverde in December of 2000! Heck, White also caught a touchdown on a ‘Philly Special.’ White had not started a game since his days at Western Kentucky in 2017, but he was more than ready when he got his chance. And if I am Robert Saleh, White keeps starting as long as he keeps playing like that and the Jets keep winning.
3 – Deebo Samuel – I am not sure why, but for some reason, nobody seems to talk about Deebo Samuel as one of the most productive receivers in the NFL. Samuel leads the NFL in average yards per game (117) and he is every bit of productive and dangerous as Cooper Kupp and Davante Adams. And unlike Kupp and Adams, Samuel isn’t part of a high-powered offence, and he doesn’t have a Pro Bowl quarterback throwing him the football. Once Trey Lance learns what he takes to be a starting quarterback in the NFL, Samuel’s numbers could be even better
4 – The Steelers – I guess nobody told the Steelers that their season was going nowhere. After Sunday’s win over the Browns, the Steelers have won three straight games and they are very much alive in the Wild Card race in the AFC. TJ Watt did his usual damage with six tackles, one and a half sacks and a fumble recovery. This is where Steelers coach Mike Tomlin deserves a little love. The man is a great coach, period, end of story. Now in his 15th season in Pittsburgh, Tomlin has never had a losing season. Up next, the Steelers have winnable games against the Bears and the Lions,
5 – Bill Belichick – So who made who? Was it Belichick who made Brady? Or did Brady make Belichick? I am a firm believer that the two were a perfect coach-quarterback duo. In his second season post-Brady, Belichick is reminding everyone that he is still a great coach, especially when it comes to coaching defence. Just ask Justin Herbert of the Chargers. Herbert is one of the top young quarterbacks in the NFL, but Belichick dialed up some nasty tricks on defence that helped slow down the Chargers offence and frustrate Herbert. This was one of those games where you look at Belichick and think, ‘damn, that man is a coaching warlock.’
6 – Taunting – The fine line between celebrating a big play and receiving a taunting penalty in the NFL this year is razor thin. The concept of penalizing over-the-top taunting of an opponent after a big play is good in theory. In practice, it has been a train wreck. Does the NFL want robots who make plays and then march back to the huddle? In the Bucs and Saints game, they threw a taunting penalty for a play so innocuous, that it was next to impossible to see what the player did wrong. If a player throws a football at the head of another play after a big play or a touchdown, yes, that is taunting. But 95% of the taunting calls this year have no business being called a penalty.
7 – The Titans – Mike Vrabel barely had time to enjoy the Titans over-time win over the Colts when he was hit with some brutal news. Monday, the news broke the Titans all-world running back Derrick Henry has a foot injury and he is likely done for the season. This is crushing news for Vrabel and the titans. Henry is more important to the Titans offence than any other running back in the NFL. No matter who they sign and how they adjust their offence, losing Henry hurts. Henry is a game-changing power running back who has made some of the toughest defenders in the NFL look like high school players. You don’t replace a player like that.
8 – The Saints – What a game and what a win for Sean Payton and the Saints. After losing Jameis Winston to a knee injury, back-up quarterback Trevor Siemian came in and saved the day. P.J. Williams really hadn’t a made a play all game, until the end of the fourth quarter when they returned a Tom Brady interception 40 yards for a touchdown. The Saints have won three straight games and at 5-2, they are a team to beat in the NFC Wild Card race. Payton and the Saints know that Pro Bowl receiver Michael Thomas is close to re-joining the team. And Saints fans better get used to Siemian for a while, because Winston has a torn ACL. The one thing that Payton can count on is his defence, the Saints defence is among the best in the league when it comes to points allowed. Who dat?
9 – How about them Cowboys? – Cooper Rush wrapped up a crazy Sunday in the NFL by throwing the game winning touchdown to Amari Cooper late in the 4th quarter in the Sunday night game (Cooper to Cooper!). Trevon Diggs and the Cowboys defence held the Vikings to 1-13 on third down conversions! That is what I call a team victory. Week 8 of this NFL season will forever be remembered as the week of the back-up quarterback. Rush, White, Siemian and Geno Smith of the Seahawks, all back-ups, combined for nine touchdowns and all led their respective teams to victory. While they are all back-ups, they were all starting quarterbacks at one point in their football career, and they have been with their respective teams since the spring. That means for the past six months, they have been studying the playbook and practicing just like the starters. I love seeing back-up quarterbacks, players who can go for months and never take a snap in a game, step in and play that well.
10 – Monday Night Mayhem – Week 8 in the NFL wrapped up Monday night as Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs hosted the New York Giants. Yes, the Chiefs won the game, However, it was way too close for a team like the Chiefs with that much talent. Patrick Mahomes doesn’t look like the same quarterback who could do no wrong the past two seasons. So far this year, he already has 10 interceptions in only 325 pass attempts. In the previous two seasons, Mahomes had a total of 11 interceptions in 1,072 attempts. He went from throwing a pick every two or two and half games, to tossing one or two interceptions every game. On top of that, Mahomes is fumbling the ball more than he ever has. It will get no easier for Mahomes as the Chiefs get ready to host Aaron Rodgers and the Packers. Until Mahomes can get out of this slump and get back to playing the way that he can, the Chiefs will continue to struggle to win games. Is it unfair to put all of the Chiefs problems on Mahomes shoulders? Maybe. But when you make the kind of money that he does, you have to produce. If Mahomes can stop throwing so many interceptions and stop fumbling, the Chiefs have a chance at turning their season around.
Week 9 in the NFL will kick off Thursday night in Indianapolis as the Colts host the New York Jets. Colts’ fans now realize what Eagles fans already knew; Wentz is good enough to break your heart. He can make some good plays, but he will also make plays that make you cringe. Meanwhile the Rams will host the Titans in the Sunday night game. While the Titans lost Derrick Henry to an injury, the Rams are loading up for the playoffs. Monday, the Rams acquired linebacker Von Miller from the Broncos for draft picks. Now the Titans and everyone else that faces the Rams, will have to find a way to double team both Miller and Aaron Donald!
(Jim Lang is Canada’s foremost NFL expert. Follow him on Twitter at @JimLangSports)
