Cleveland @ Philadelphia:
I honestly feel bad for Cleveland Browns fans. They are stuck with Deshaun Watson, who might just be the worst quarterback in the NFL. Watson threw for 168 yards and didn’t even have a touchdown pass. Jerome Ford left the game with a hamstring issue, so hopefully, Nick Chubb will return next week and keep the team competitive.
Philadelphia didn’t play great, but they played well enough to win the game. Jalen Hurts threw for 264 yards and two touchdowns and also ran for 33 yards. A.J. Brown had a terrific game with six receptions for 116 yards and a touchdown. A big loss for Philadelphia was Dallas Goedert, who left the game and might miss a couple of weeks due to an injury.
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA – DECEMBER 31: Jordan Love #10 of the Green Bay Packers looks to pass the ball in the fourth quarter of the game against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium on December 31, 2023 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)
Arizona @ Green Bay:
Arizona was never really in this game, falling behind early and playing catch-up in bad weather. Kyler Murray had 214 passing yards and one touchdown, but the entire Cardinals roster could only muster 89 rushing yards on 23 carries. It seemed like James Conner got hurt in the middle of the game, and at one point, the team brought in Trey Benson to start the second half. Marvin Harrison Jr. left the game with a concussion, so it’s anybody’s guess as to whether he will return next week. Trey McBride led the Cardinals with eight receptions for 96 yards and was terrific.
The Packers are playing at a very high level, led by Jordan Love, who had 258 passing yards and four touchdowns. Romeo Doubs had the squeaky wheel narrative (which I mentioned on air), catching three passes for 49 yards and two touchdowns. Christian Watson returned from injury with 68 yards and a touchdown. Green Bay also ran for 179 yards on 38 carries. Josh Jacobs led the team with only 62 rushing yards. I don’t want to call Jacobs a bust but he has underwhelmed this season and makes for a great trade candidate.
TAMPA, FLORIDA – DECEMBER 31: Baker Mayfield #6 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers throws a pass during the fourth quarter against the New Orleans Saints at Raymond James Stadium on December 31, 2023 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
Tampa Bay @ New Orleans:
Tampa showed off its high-octane offense even without Rachaad White. The Buccaneers ran the ball 35 times for 277 yards, which is 7.9 yards per carry. Backup Bucky Irving had 81 yards and a touchdown, and RB3 Sean Tucker had 136 yards and a touchdown to lead the team. If I had White in a few leagues right now, I’d be very worried, as it looks like this could be a committee moving forward. Chris Godwin was able to take advantage of the matchup against the Saints as he always does, with 11 receptions for 125 yards and two touchdowns.
I know that the Saints lost this game, but there were a lot of positives as well. Spencer Rattler showed that he does have a future in this league, throwing for 243 yards and a touchdown. He did make a lot of mistakes, and that’s to be expected, especially when Chris Olave left the game in the first quarter with a concussion and never returned.
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – DECEMBER 16: Michael Pittman Jr. #11 of the Indianapolis Colts runs the ball after a catch in the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Lucas Oil Stadium on December 16, 2023 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
Indianapolis @ Tennessee:
At about 11:40 a.m. on Sunday morning, it came out that Joe Flacco was going to start instead of Anthony Richardson. I think this sent fantasy managers into a frenzy, as nobody was prepared for this information. Flacco underperformed, only throwing for 189 yards and two touchdowns. Flacco did help the fantasy output of Josh Downs, who had 7 receptions for 66 yards and a touchdown. Michael Pittman, who was expected to miss a significant amount of time with a back injury, had 3 receptions for 35 yards and a touchdown.
Will Levis is terrible. There’s just no other words to describe him. He had 16 completions for 95 yards, which is only 3.5 yards per completion. Those are Pee Wee football numbers. Luckily, the Titans were able to run the ball with Tony Pollard, who had 93 yards and a touchdown. Calvin Ridley had 0 receptions on 8 targets, and only DeAndre Hopkins was able to muster 54 yards receiving. I just don’t see how the Titans get better with Levis as their quarterback; they might actually be better off with Mason Rudolph, who at least has some experience winning games in the NFL.