A wonderful week indeed.
We predicted this to be the best weekend of the season and there were few complaints after a jam-packed schedule.
Here is the pick of a hectic and electric weekend of NFL action.
JOE, OH NO.
Coming into this season – as a major fan of Joe Burrow’s work at LSU – I was skeptical about Cincinnati’s ability to keep their franchise QB safe, protected and upright.
Despite there only being a couple of wins, Burrow was performing incredibly well under trying circumstances.
Joe Mixon had missed time, AJ Green has struggled to reclaim his mantle as a top wideout and the offensive line has been patchwork.
Burrow tweeted out before the Bengals game with Washington had even ended. His words were see ya next year.
IF I’m running the Bengals, I’m getting him back to full health then waiting a few more months AND spending every dime I need to on the offensive line.
No Burrow, no Bengals. It’s that simple.
OVERTIME AGONY
Whenever a ballgame goes to overtime, it’s epic.
Unless you’re on the wrong end of the result, as Baltimore and Green Bay were this week.
The Packers looked home and hosed in Indianapolis as Aaron Rodgers led the Pack to a 21-7 lead before the Colts marched all the way back and forced OT. Green Bay got the rock and most thought, ‘we’ve seen this movie before.’ Rodgers would march down the field and win the game without Phil Rivers ever seeing the rock.
But, Marquez Valdes-Scantling fumbled on the Packers second play of the drive and gave Indy an easy look at a game-ending game-winning FG.
It was a bitter blow for The Cheeseheads as they let slip the equal-lead of the NFC.
Up in Baltimore, the Ravens lost at home to Tennessee for the second time in 12 months as Derrick Henry rumbled through the Ravens front for a walk-off TD.
Tennessee knocked out Baltimore 28-12 in last season’s divisional round and pre-game this week, some Titans decided to huddle up on the Raven logo at midfield. Ravens coach John Harbaugh took offence and confronted AJ Brown and Malcolm Butler.
After Henry’s 29-yard score, Harbaugh had no interest in shaking hands with Titans coach Mike Vrabel.
Baltimore are on the wrong side of their rivalry with Tennessee and another rival awaits them this week in the undefeated Steelers for some Thanksgiving Football.
TAYSOM THE TERRIFIC
Former Falcons receiver tweeted out after learning New Orleans was planning on starting Taysom Hill at QB in the absence of Drew Brees.
White clearly was of the opinion Hill would struggle.
Hill went onto lead the Saints to a convincing 15-point win with a line of 18/23, 233 yards plus 51 rush yards and two rush touchdowns.
Saints HC Sean Payton logged on to his own Twitter account and decided to retweet White’s tweet. Elite trolling from Payton.
J HERB OROY
With Joe Burrow’s season ending in week 11, former Oregon Duck Justin Herbert is now the unbackable favourite to claim offensive rookie of the year honours.
In a league smitten with awarding everything bar the defensive MVP to quarterbacks, Herbert has done everything incredibly well – except win games.
Herbert has a cannon, is sneaky athletic and does have a handful of weapons around him. The 6-6″ QB has already passed for 2,699 yards and a nifty 22 TD to just six picks.
Sportsbet has Herbert listed at $1.11 to win the award.
PERFECT PITT
The Steelers keep on keeping on.
Jacksonville hung around early before 17 quick points put the game to bed. 11-0 and the only unbeaten in the league.
Chase Claypool and TE Eric Ebron found the end zone whilst Diontae Johnson had a dozen catches for 111 yards.
Baltimore will pose a significant threat to their unbeaten record, though hosting them at Heinz Field is worth a few extra points, especially on defence.
RAMPAGING RAMS
A fortnight ago a few scoffed at our suggestion that LA was the best team in the NFL that no one was talking about.
Well, two games on and everyone is talking about the Rams as potentially the best team in the wide-open NFC.
Two games back they held off Seattle to remain unbeaten at SoFi Stadium then went into Tampa Bay on Monday Night Football and outplayed Tom Brady and the Buccaneers.
Jared Goff is a solid QB, nothing more nothing less.
Aaron Donald and Jalen Ramsey lead a formidable defence and Robert Woods, Cooper Kupp and a bevy of backs form a strong and well-rounded outfit. When the Rams made the Super Bowl a couple of years ago, they were all about their high flying offence but now, Sean McVay calls a conservative offensive game and leans heavily on Donald and Ramsey to make plays on D.
It’s a method which has served them well and until this point, kept them under the radar – well at least in some peoples books!
Josh Jenkins Sports 