Some of the individual losing performances this week found themselves on the winning side of the ball. The biggest example of this was Jared Goff’s abysmal game for the Lions. He’s had a historic season for his accuracy, but it wasn’t there at all this Sunday against the Texans. He only completed 50% of his passes and threw five interceptions. But when it mattered most, he pulled it together and brought the Lions back victoriously, winning 26-23 in Houston.
And pertaining to that game, a big winner is HC Dan Campbell. All season, I have been railing against him, saying he’d be the reason the team ultimately loses a big game…which he still may do, but for this game, he was a big part of the comeback. He has the right temperament to lead this team under adverse conditions, and conditions couldn’t have been worse. His QB was throwing the ball to the other team as much as his own, and he was facing a really good opponent on the road. They kept chipping away until they won on a last-second FG.
Here’s a list of other Winners this week:
Brock Purdy-San Fransisco 49ers:
Purdy’s addition to this list is as much about the 49ers win and his personal performance as it is about the team welcoming back Christian McCaffrey. In his first game back, McCaffrey managed 107 total yds. Purdy was 25-36 with two TDs.
Kyler Murray-Arizona Cardinals:
The Cardinals are starting to look legitimate. They are now 6-4, on a four-game winning streak, and still in first place in the NFC West. Murray was 22-24 with 266 yards and a TD.
Jalen Hurts-Philadelphia Eagles:
Just another ho-hum four total TD game for Hurts. He threw two and rushed for two. The Eagles have now clawed their way into first place in the NFC East, overtaking the young, upstart Commanders. The two teams face off on Thursday in Philadelphia. This will say a ton about both teams. An Eagles win will all but clinch the division. A road win by the Commanders will speak volumes, taking them to the next level in their production.
Chuba Hubbard-Carolina Panthers:
Since the trade deadline, when rumors were swirling around Hubbard, he’s been one-wrecking crew. On Sunday, he rushed the ball 28 times for 153 yards and a TD.
Marquez Valdez-Scantling-New Orleans Saints:
This is the classic inaugural victory of the interim HC. The Saints broke a seven-game losing streak by defeating the first-place Falcons. Valdez-Scantling caught three passes for 109 yards and two touchdowns.
Here are the Losers this week:
Caleb Williams-Chicago Bears:
Williams has now lost to the No. 2 QB taken and the No. 3 QB taken. After a loss to Drake Maye’s Patriots, Chicago fans are losing their collective minds. The Bears were sitting at 4-2 but are now on a three-game losing streak. Williams has been average at best. On Sunday, he was only 16-30 for 120 yards.
Daniel Jones-New York Giants:
Jones is the worst six-year starter the league may have ever seen. It seems the team is only committed to him at the moment due to his contract, but they need to free themselves of him. On Sunday, he was 22 for 37 for 190 yards and two interceptions.
Jayden Daniels-Washington Commanders:
It hasn’t been often where Daniels warranted being on the losers side of this list, but Sunday was definitely one of them. He only completed half of his passes for 202 yards. He didn’t find the endzone, which contributed mightily to their 28-27 home loss to the Steelers.
Mac Jones-Jacksonville Jaguars:
In many ways, this was the start of the second act of Jones’s career. It was much like the first act. He only went 14-22 for 111 yards and two interceptions. There is speculation that Trevor Lawrence’s season is over, which will give Jones a long look by the team, as well as the rest of the league. He’ll need to improve if he ever hopes to latch onto a starting job in the league again.
New York Jets:
Their season is over. They are now 3-7 with no answers. The Aaron Rodgers experiment has failed. Aside from soul-searching, this team is a complete rehab project. If it were a house, it would be taken down to the studs. Even their defense, which was supposed to be their strong suit, has abandoned them. On Sunday, they lost 31-6 against the Cardinals.
Dallas Cowboys:
Speaking about a complete gut rehab…the Cowboys season is over. It is mindboggling how Mike McCarthy still has a job. They were thoroughly pummeled by the first-place Eagles. At home, the Cowboys lost 34-6, and it wasn’t even that close. With Dak Prescott done for the season and no rushing game (they only had 66 rushing yards on Sunday), this team can’t get out of its own way.