Bills @ Seahawks:
This game was not close from the onset, as Seattle could not do anything against Buffalo’s defense. Buffalo’s run defense held Seattle to just 32 yards on 17 carries which is incredible after they’ve gotten beaten very badly by other teams previously. The Bills’ pass rush was also fierce, and even though they only sacked Geno Smith once, they pressured him the entire game. Smith was only able to throw for 212 yards, and the team looked lost without DK Metcalf. James Cook was the star for Buffalo, running for 111 yards and two touchdowns, and was a visionary play that I gave out this past week. Khalil Shakir was fantastic, with 9 receptions for 107 yards. Dalton Kincaid found the end zone as well and looked solid.
Bears @ Commanders:
With two seconds left and the Commanders needing a Hail Mary to win I contemplated turning the game off as I was having dinner with my family. Luckily, I didn’t because I got to see one of the most fantastic endings that I’ve seen in quite some time. Jayden Daniels threw the ball 50 yards down the field after escaping the Bears pass rush, and the ball tipped into the hands of Noah Brown, who caught it for a game-winning touchdown. It was an absolutely terrific finish for Daniels, who played well even through an injury with 326 yards and a touchdown. Terry McLaurin had five receptions for 125 yards, and Zach Ertz had 7 receptions for 77 yards. Make no mistake, Caleb Williams did not play well. If the Bears had won this game, he would have gotten the credit, but he wouldn’t have been the reason they won. It would have been because of D’Andre Swift who was fantastic rushing for 129 yards and a touchdown. Williams was only able to complete 10 passes for 131 yards and didn’t look good at all. The biggest head-scratcher was some of the playcalling by OC Shane Waldron, which was absolutely fireable.
LANDOVER, MARYLAND – OCTOBER 23: Terry McLaurin #17 of the Washington Commanders and Dax Milne #15 celebrate after a touchdown during the third quarter of the game against the Green Bay Packers at FedExField on October 23, 2022 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
Panthers @ Broncos:
Denver is on to something, as you can see, that Bo Nix is turning into a very good young quarterback. He threw for 284 yards and three touchdowns and showed a good command of Sean Payton’s difficult offense. Courtland Sutton caught 8 passes for 100 yards, and Adam Trautman made a fantastic catch for a touchdown. The biggest disappointment in this game was Javonte Williams who only had 44 yards rushing in a game where he was expected to have over 100. The whole backup running backs versus Carolina narrative paid off as Jaleel McLaughlin had 47 yards rushing and caught a pass for a touchdown. Bryce Young did a decent job as the starter, throwing for 224 yards and two touchdowns. WR3 Jalen Coker caught 4 passes for 78 yards and a touchdown in garbage time. Chuba Hubbard was only able to rush for 56 yards in the loss.
Chiefs @ Raiders:
The Raiders lost this game as much as the Chiefs won it. The Raiders had their chances to score, but the play-calling in the red zone was horrific. How many times can you try to run the ball when, for the game, they were only able to get 33 yards on 21 carries? If you obviously can’t run the ball, you’ve got to do some play-action passing or use multi-receiver sets. The Raiders were not able to adapt, and that caused them the game. Jacobi Meyers returned from injury with six catches for 52 yards and a touchdown. Brock Bowers was slightly underwhelming, with five receptions for 58 yards. Patrick Mahomes threw for 262 yards and two touchdowns, and Travis Kelce had 10 receptions for 90 yards and a touchdown. Once again, it was the Chiefs defense that was the standout and led the team to victory.
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI – JANUARY 13: Patrick Mahomes #15 of the Kansas City Chiefs reacts as he takes the field before the AFC Wild Card Playoffs against the Miami Dolphins at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on January 13, 2024 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
Cowboys @ 49ers:
Although this game had a high score, for the most part, it was a difficult game to watch. Jordan Mason left the game with an injury, and Isaac Guerendo came in and was fantastic, rushing for 85 yards and a touchdown. He could have had a second touchdown at the end of the game, too, but he went down to make sure the game ended. George Kittle led the 49ers receivers with six receptions for 128 yards and a touchdown. When you look at the box scores, it will look like Dak Prescott had a good game, but he really didn’t. He threw for 243 yards and two touchdowns but both those touchdowns were late in the game when San Francisco was barely playing any defense. CeeDee Lamb was the beneficiary of the bad defense, with 13 receptions for 146 yards and two touchdowns. No other Cowboys receiver had more than 44 yards. Newly called-up RB Dalvin Cook was awful, with only 12 yards rushing. Even more surprising was the fact that Rico Dowdle didn’t play with an “illness.”
