The Ringer - Everything You Need to Know About Week 7 of the 2020 NFL Season2020-10-27T15:41:10-04:00http://www.theringer.com/rss/stream/212942302020-10-27T15:41:10-04:002020-10-27T15:41:10-04:00Quarterback Trade Rumors, the Steelers Are Super Bowl Contenders, and the Cardinals Are Legit
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<figcaption>Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Plus, they discuss the Los Angeles Rams’ comfortable defeat of the Chicago Bears on ‘Monday Night Football’</p> <div id="LiCmd9"><iframe src="https://open.spotify.com/embed-podcast/episode/6EHFIWnYn8smXi5btZfaar" style="border: 0; width: 100%; height: 232px;" allowfullscreen="" allow="encrypted-media"></iframe></div>
<p id="TEODD7"><br><a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/6EHFIWnYn8smXi5btZfaar?si=QTPoKgPTTXiItg0RBwww-Q">Ryan and Cole break down the Los Angeles Rams’</a> comfortable defeat of the Chicago Bears on <em>Monday Night Football </em>(2:02). Then they speculate about quarterbacks potentially on the trade block who could help the Bears. After that, they cover the Pittsburgh Steelers’ and Arizona Cardinals’ big wins over the Tennessee Titans and Seattle Seahawks (8:30), the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ signing of Antonio Brown, Andy Dalton’s injury, and more (26:40).</p>
<p id="YTaInk"><strong>Subscribe:</strong> <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/3sYLdv261f5jLvEgDLU9PD?si=PwTF-GumR7qtUP5FZdCKOQ">Spotify</a> / <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com/?id=&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fitunes.apple.com%2Fus%2Fpodcast%2Fthe-ringer-nfl-show%2Fid1109282822%3Fmt%3D2&xcust=xid:fr1570809570442jba%7Cxid:fr1571141035709iah%7Cxid:fr1571400354183cfa%7Cxid:fr1571745693269afb%7Cxid:fr1572005002168iib%7Cxid:fr1572350612110bei">Apple Podcasts</a> / <a href="https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/the-ringer/ringer-nfl-show">Stitcher</a> / <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/ringernflshow">RSS</a></p>
https://www.theringer.com/2020/10/27/21537020/quarterback-trade-rumors-the-steelers-are-super-bowl-contenders-and-the-cardinals-are-legitRyan ShazierCole Wright2020-10-27T08:28:46-04:002020-10-27T08:28:46-04:00NFL Power Rankings: The Buccaneers Are the League’s Most Balanced Team
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<p>Tom Brady and Tampa Bay are rounding into form, the Seahawks defense might be a problem, Josh Allen is showing signs of regression, and Justin Herbert is the real deal </p> <aside id="5FMh0I"><div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data='{"stories":[{"title":"Everything You Need to Know About Week 7 of the 2020 NFL Season","url":"https://www.theringer.com/nfl/2020/10/23/21530189/everything-you-need-to-know-about-week-7-of-the-2020-nfl-season"}]}'></div></aside><p id="sICm86">The already-thin margins separating the NFL’s best teams got even narrower this week, leaving a tightly packed cluster of seven squads all fighting for the title as the league’s best team. With the top-ranked Ravens on a bye, the Chiefs inched closer to my no. 1 spot with a blowout win over the Broncos―a game in which Kansas City showed off its ability to win in a variety of ways, and overcame an uncharacteristically poor offensive outing (they went 0-for-8 on third down) with a pair of defensive and special teams touchdowns. Meanwhile, the well-rounded Steelers made a jump to the no. 3 spot with a win against the Titans—a victory that, combined with wacky loss by the Seahawks, leaves Pittsburgh as the league’s last unbeaten team. The Buccaneers and Packers both move up in the ranks after waltzing to easy wins on Sunday―and close losses by Seattle and Tennessee weren’t enough to push them out of my top tier … at least, not yet. With the Week 7 slate in the books, here’s my updated NFL Power Rankings.</p>
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<h3 id="RDPrlE">
<br>The Top Shelf</h3>
<h5 id="e3GPYk">1. Baltimore Ravens (5-1)<br>2. Kansas City Chiefs (6-1)<br>3. Pittsburgh Steelers (6-0)<br>4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-2)<br>5. Green Bay Packers (5-1)<br>6. Seattle Seahawks (5-1)<br>7. Tennessee Titans (5-1)</h5>
<h4 id="XtjtIW">Reports of Tom Brady’s demise were greatly exaggerated.</h4>
<p id="fdte1p">It wasn’t too surprising to see Brady struggle during his first couple of weeks in Tampa Bay. The 43-year-old future Hall of Famer looked out of sorts at times in the team’s first two games (a loss to the Saints and a win over the Panthers), tossing three touchdowns to three picks while averaging just 6.4 yards per attempt and tallying a meager 79.3 passer rating in that stretch. But it seemed like many were quick to ascribe those struggles more to Brady’s age―the term “washed” got thrown around―and less to the other obvious culprit behind his early-season challenges: the fact Brady had just changed teams for the first time in two decades—and that he did so in a truncated, COVID-19-altered offseason. </p>
<p id="jXNyVe">Brady is still at risk of <a href="https://www.actionnetwork.com/nfl/nfl-qb-cliff-tom-brady-drew-brees-cam-newton-ben-roethlisberger-philip-rivers">falling off the performance cliff</a> that every NFL quarterback dreads late in their career (a massive drop in effectiveness that sometimes happens virtually overnight), but the way he’s played in the past five weeks suggests he simply needed some time to get his legs under him in Tampa Bay. The early-season struggles felt like a distant memory on Sunday: The former Patriot was absolutely dialed in during the Buccaneers’ 45-20 win against the Raiders, completing 33 of 45 passes for 369 yards and four touchdowns. Brady distributed the ball to nine different receivers and <a href="https://nextgenstats.nfl.com/charts/player/season/tom-brady/BRA371156/2020/7/pass">attacked all three levels of the field,</a> showing off precise ball placement and plenty of zip on passes into tight coverage.</p>
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<p id="NHe3lR">His 33-yard touchdown pass to Scotty Miller in the second quarter was an especially impressive throw―perhaps his best pass all year. </p>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">BRADY DIME TO SCOTTY MILLER <br><br>(via <a href="https://twitter.com/NFL?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NFL</a>)<br> <a href="https://t.co/AMZRonHvXY">pic.twitter.com/AMZRonHvXY</a></p>— FanDuel (@FanDuel) <a href="https://twitter.com/FanDuel/status/1320477341777305600?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 25, 2020</a>
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<p id="FN6C9G">That play was a good representation of the value in chemistry between quarterbacks and their receivers. It was the type of throw that Brady had missed a few times earlier in the year, when it was clear he was still developing timing with his teammates. But on the touchdown to Miller, Brady looked perfectly in sync with the second-year pass catcher―while simultaneously proving he still has the arm strength and accuracy to make this offense fire on all cylinders. In his past five games, Brady has averaged 290.8 passing yards per game, thrown 15 touchdowns and just one interception, and is averaging 7.4 yards per attempt with a 111.1 passer rating. Not bad for a guy who’s playing in his 21st year in the league. </p>
<div class="c-float-right"><aside id="DMOz5g"><div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data='{"stories":[{"title":"The Winners and Losers of NFL Week 7 ","url":"https://www.theringer.com/nfl/2020/10/26/21533937/nfl-week-7-winners-losers-todd-gurley-falcons-titans-dk-metcalf-jets"},{"title":"The Patriots and Cowboys Aren’t Just Losing. They’re Getting Embarrassed.","url":"https://www.theringer.com/nfl/2020/10/26/21534533/new-england-patriots-dallas-cowboys-week-7-recap"}]}'></div></aside></div>
<p id="F2aCLl">The Buccaneers’ offense might only get better as the year goes on. Brady should continue to develop chemistry with the versatile group of skill players that Tampa Bay has collected. He has Mike Evans and Miller stretching defenses deep; Chris Godwin is a force over the middle of the field; Rob Gronkowski is starting to look like the Gronk of old; rookie receiver Tyler Johnson has flashed high-end potential when given opportunities; and Ronald Jones II and Leonard Fournette have combined to give the team a solid one-two punch out of the backfield. With Antonio Brown set to join the team after Week 8, Brady’s talented offensive skill group is about to get that much deeper. </p>
<p id="f5IvnF">Brady also has probably the best defense in football at his back. That unit has gifted the Buccaneers’ ascending offense plenty of short fields, thanks to its dominant front line, elite linebacker duo (in Lavonte David and Devin White), and its ball-hawking secondary. Pair those two units up, and Tampa Bay looks like the most balanced team in the NFL through seven weeks. </p>
<h4 id="8RJmr2">The Seahawks’ defense could be the team’s undoing. </h4>
<p id="ArsTI5">The Seahawks are the antithesis of a balanced squad. With Russell Wilson tossing bombs to DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett, Seattle boasts one of the most unstoppable, high-octane offenses in the NFL. But as we saw in their 37-34 overtime loss to the Cardinals on <em>Sunday Night Football</em>, the Seahawks’ defense brings a nearly equal inverse talent for giving up huge chunks of yards and points―and could prove to be the team’s Achilles heel. </p>
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<p id="8h4ikr">That group provided very little resistance to Arizona’s Kyler Murray–led offense, surrendering 519 total yards and 31 first downs while squandering a 10-point fourth-quarter lead. Seattle has issues at all three levels of its defense, but the glaring problem in this game was a complete inability to get pressure on Murray, who dropped back to pass 48 times and was <a href="https://twitter.com/MikeDugar/status/1320582162886750208">not hit or sacked once</a>. In fact, Seattle managed just one―<em>one!!</em>―pressure <a href="https://twitter.com/NextGenStats/status/1320587912921006080">on the night</a>. For a little bit of context, the Chargers generated 32 pressures—<em>32!!</em>—in their 39-29 win over the Jaguars on Sunday, including a combined 15 from Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram alone. </p>
<p id="wqorIp">Now, part of Seattle’s ineptness in that area was strategy based: The Seahawks came into the game with what seemed to be a goal of making Murray beat them with his arm; they mush-rushed on the outsides, sacrificing pressure in order to contain him in the pocket and limit the considerable damage he could do as a runner. The only problem, of course, is that Seattle’s back-end defense has been just as terrible as its pass rush (the Seahawks now<a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/30192923/the-biggest-mysteries-nfl-week-7-how-did-dk-metcalf-do-wrong-cam-newton"> rank 29th in the league</a> in both sack rate and pressure rate, by the way), and Murray had no problem slicing up his opponent’s ham-handed attempts at coverage. Two plays from Arizona’s second-quarter scoring drive illustrated Seattle’s issues in both scheming and communication on the back end. </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">48 yards in 2 plays and this is how close the defenders were <a href="https://t.co/8lHz38cSLU">pic.twitter.com/8lHz38cSLU</a></p>— Computer Cowboy (@benbbaldwin) <a href="https://twitter.com/benbbaldwin/status/1320541434601213952?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 26, 2020</a>
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<p id="5ktw0o">Murray finished the game with 360 yards and three touchdowns through the air, and adding insult to injury, Seattle’s attempts at limiting what Kyler could do on the ground were mostly fruitless, too. The diminutive speedster added 67 yards and a touchdown on 14 rushes. </p>
<p id="YeoRSW">Seattle’s issues on defense have mostly been hidden by Wilson’s exploits as a passer. But on a night when the offense was less than perfect (Wilson uncharacteristically threw three interceptions), they leave the Seahawks with a very small margin for error. That’s an issue that could come back to bite this team if they don’t make any major moves to address their problems on defense at the upcoming trade deadline. </p>
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<h3 id="ykSOGQ">The Contenders</h3>
<h5 id="GdwLm8">8. Los Angeles Rams (5-2)<br>9. Buffalo Bills (5-2)<br>10. Indianapolis Colts (4-2)<br>11. Cleveland Browns (5-2)<br>12. New Orleans Saints (4-2)<br>13. San Francisco 49ers (4-3)<br>14. Chicago Bears (5-2)<br>15. Arizona Cardinals (5-2)</h5>
<h4 id="vE3DUp">Can Josh Allen work his way back into the MVP race? </h4>
<p id="t4PkJu">The Bills were <em>supposed</em> to beat the Jets on Sunday, and, to their credit, they did, dispatching the NFL’s version of a JV squad, 18-10. But in what should’ve been a “get well” game for Buffalo after absorbing losses to the Titans and Chiefs, the team’s previously high-flying offense under Josh Allen left plenty to be desired in this one. The Bills, who went into halftime trailing 10-6 and didn’t take the lead until late in the third quarter, failed to find the end zone in the win, ultimately settling for six Tyler Bass field goals instead. </p>
<p id="nDXTob">Allen’s underlying numbers certainly weren’t bad: He completed 30 of 43 passes for 307 yards while adding 61 yards on the ground, but it just wasn’t the aerial fireworks show that I expected from the third-year pro. The Bills seemed content to dink and dunk the Jets to death in this one; Allen peppered New York’s defense with short passes all game long, completing just <a href="https://nextgenstats.nfl.com/charts/player/season/josh-allen/ALL529264/2020/7/pass">two of his eight attempts more than 10 yards downfield</a>. (He did find Gabriel Davis for what would have been a 22-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter, but the play was nullified by an illegal formation penalty.) </p>
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<p id="ze4cAQ">This rather punchless version of the Bills’ offense ultimately got the job done (thanks more to the defense, which held the Jets to 4 yards (!!) of offense in the second half), but against better opponents, Buffalo will need Allen to rediscover his early-season mojo. </p>
<p id="fj81DR">In his first four games, Allen completed 71 percent of his passes for 1,326 yards (331.5 per game), with 12 touchdowns and one pick, averaging 9 yards per attempt while compiling a 122.7 passer rating. He was astoundingly accurate as a deep passer in those games, too, completing 11 of 16 attempts of 20-plus yards for 354 yards, two touchdowns, and one pick, per Pro Football Focus. Those numbers, along with the Bills’ 4-0 start, helped Allen shoot to the top of many early-season MVP watch lists. </p>
<p id="ZNemVW">But Allen has cooled off significantly in his past three games, completing 63.1 percent of his passes while throwing for 692 yards (just 230.7 per game) with four touchdowns to three interceptions in that stretch and averaging 6.2 yards per attempt while tallying an 81.4 passer rating. His deep passing, disappointingly, has fallen off a cliff, too: He’s completed just two of 10 attempts of 20-plus yards in the past three games, <a href="https://premium.pff.com/nfl/positions/passing/deep?position=QB&season=2020&week=5%2C6%2C7">per PFF</a>, with one touchdown and one pick for a 45.8 passer rating on those throws. Buffalo’s Week 8 matchup with the division-rival Patriots feels like a pivotal moment in Allen’s potential MVP campaign: Were Allen’s first four games a small-sample mirage, or can the Bills’ signal-caller right the ship and rediscover his early-season deep-ball prowess? I’m definitely hoping for the latter.</p>
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<h3 id="PhtGs1">
<br>The Muddled Middle</h3>
<h5 id="DeBAqu">
<strong>16. Detroit Lions (3-3)</strong><br><strong>17. Miami Dolphins (3-3)</strong><br><strong>18. Carolina Panthers (3-4)</strong><br><strong>19. Las Vegas Raiders (3-3)</strong><br><strong>20. Los Angeles Chargers (2-4)</strong><br><strong>21. New England Patriots (2-4)</strong><br><strong>22. Philadelphia Eagles (2-4-1)</strong>
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<h4 id="IGtqlR">Justin Herbert keeps proving he’s the real deal. </h4>
<p id="31E279">Herbert is more impressive every week. The rookie quarterback, who was wildly overshadowed in the predraft process by bigger-name prospects like Joe Burrow and Tua Tagovailoa, has taken the Chargers’ starting job and never looked back. He’s producing jaw-dropping downfield bombs and gutsy open-field runs while exhibiting a veteran-like poise as the leader of a banged-up offensive group. The former Oregon Ducks star put together his most complete game as a pro on Sunday, grabbing his first win as a starter in the Chargers’ 39-29 victory against the Jaguars. Herbert carried L.A.’s offense, completing 27 of 43 passes for 347 yards, three touchdowns, and no picks while adding a team-high 66 yards as well as a score on nine rush attempts. (He also became the <a href="https://twitter.com/danielrpopper/status/1320753953416437760">first QB in history</a> to throw for 340-plus yards and three-plus touchdowns while adding 50-plus rushing yards and a rushing score with no turnovers in a single game.) </p>
<p id="CCZN2c">Herbert’s defining moment came late in the third quarter, less than a minute after the Jaguars had taken a 28-22 lead thanks to a 28-yard touchdown pass from Gardner Minshew to Chris Conley. On a first-and-10 from the Chargers’ 30-yard line, Herbert dropped back, and in the face of pressure, unloaded a perfectly placed rainbow to Jalen Guyton, who ran it the rest of the way for a 70-yard score. </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Herbert answers with 70-yard TD bomb to Jalen Guyton for Chargers to tie the game 29-29.<br><br> <a href="https://t.co/X4FI5YHel8">pic.twitter.com/X4FI5YHel8</a></p>— SportsPac12 (@SportsPac12) <a href="https://twitter.com/SportsPac12/status/1320498080517533696?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 25, 2020</a>
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<p id="WuDGYg">Herbert’s connection with top receiver Keenan Allen remained rock-solid in this one (Allen caught 10 of 13 targets for 125 yards), but the rookie quarterback has continued to unlock the team’s lesser-known skill players. On Sunday, he connected with eight different pass catchers; he had a touchdown throw to Guyton and a pair to backup tight ends Donald Parham Jr. and Virgil Green. As Yahoo’s Matt Harmon notes, Herbert’s ability to elevate the players around him is an incredibly promising sign. </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Fantasy managers hate it but Justin Herbert's ability to throw gorgeous TDs to guys further down the depth chart on a routine basis is the mark of a star-level QB and just one of the reasons it's hard to turn down the enthusiasm about this guy.</p>— Matt Harmon (@MattHarmon_BYB) <a href="https://twitter.com/MattHarmon_BYB/status/1320494106875850752?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 25, 2020</a>
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<p id="QXDRc7">At 2-4, the Chargers find themselves on the outside looking in when it comes to playoff contention―<a href="https://www.footballoutsiders.com/stats/nfl/playoff-odds">Football Outsiders</a> puts L.A.’s postseason odds at just 26.6 percent―but with Herbert under center, it’s tough to completely write off a second-half rally from L.A. Even if that’s not in the cards, Herbert is already looking like a franchise-changing player. </p>
<h3 id="dH61C2">There’s Always Next Year</h3>
<h5 id="AqiJn2">
<strong>23. Minnesota Vikings (1-5)</strong><br><strong>24. Denver Broncos (2-4)</strong><br><strong>25. Cincinnati Bengals (1-5-1)</strong><br><strong>26. Washington Football Team (2-5)</strong><br><strong>27. Dallas Cowboys (2-5)</strong><br><strong>28. Houston Texans (1-6)</strong><br><strong>29. Atlanta Falcons (1-6)</strong><br><strong>30. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-6)</strong><br><strong>31. New York Giants (1-6)</strong><br><strong>32. New York Jets (0-7)</strong>
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<h4 id="sO0oSa">Adam Gase relinquished play-calling duties, and it helped! … For a little while.</h4>
<p id="mw7fpi">Gase’s decision to hand over play-calling duties to offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains actually did seem to generate the slightest bit of energy for the Jets’ typically listless offense on Sunday, and New York probably put together its best half of football all year, carrying a 10-6 lead into halftime against the Bills. Darnold completed 11 of 15 passes for 116 yards and one pick in the first two frames, which was hardly an explosion of production—but a positive start nonetheless. The team also generated 82 yards on 18 rushes in the first half as well, with rookie La’Mical Perine providing a boost (10 rushes for 36 yards and a touchdown). </p>
<p class="c-end-para" id="Vkea6c">Naturally, New York completely imploded in the second half; the offense generated just 4 net yards of offense (including an incredible fourth quarter in which the team’s three drives netted negative-8 yards) to allow the Bills to take the lead and hold on for an 18-10 win. Still, at this point, every loss is actually a win for the Jets, who <a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/draft2021/story/_/id/29682741/projected-2021-nfl-draft-order-no-1-pick">strengthened their bid</a> for the first overall pick with the loss. </p>
https://www.theringer.com/nfl/2020/10/27/21535646/week-7-power-rankings-buccaneers-tom-bradyDanny Kelly2020-10-26T20:14:53-04:002020-10-26T20:14:53-04:00Week 7 Winners, Waivers, and Burns
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<p>Plus, Justin Herbert is a top-five QB</p> <div id="CuZ4Bh"><iframe src="https://open.spotify.com/embed-podcast/episode/4dwbHWD2q99BvSxsZOXzc5" style="border: 0; width: 100%; height: 232px;" allowfullscreen="" allow="encrypted-media"></iframe></div>
<p id="LRRnOc"><br><a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/4dwbHWD2q99BvSxsZOXzc5">We lead the show with the Seahawks</a> taking command of the fantasy football world and Justin Herbert’s ascension as a top-five QB. We also offer up our winners of the week, add to our fantasy burn book, and recommend our top waiver adds after Week 7.</p>
<h5 id="RaCcjb">Headlines</h5>
<p id="DAmMJP">The Seahawks (2:00)<br>Justin Herbert (8:45)</p>
<h5 id="sIl3aY">Winners</h5>
<p id="ntGhah">Diontae Johnson (13:45)<br>49ers RBs (18:00)</p>
<p id="tiie3j">Sleeper Tight Ends (23:00)</p>
<p id="OSkwed">Fantasy Burn Book (26:00)</p>
<p id="nQO9YL">Waiver Adds (32:30)</p>
<p id="3fJMjL"><strong>Subscribe: </strong><a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/0XLPhMzcKmxoNziHkVkYpR">Spotify</a></p>
https://www.theringer.com/2020/10/26/21535416/week-7-winners-waivers-and-burnsDanny HeifetzDanny KellyCraig Horlbeck2020-10-26T13:05:56-04:002020-10-26T13:05:56-04:00The Patriots and Cowboys Aren’t Just Losing. They’re Getting Embarrassed.
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<p>Two of the league’s most iconic franchises have been consistently awful in 2020—and reached new low points in Week 7. How did things get so bad?</p> <aside id="X5Dkzg"><div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data='{"stories":[{"title":"Everything You Need to Know About Week 7 of the 2020 NFL Season","url":"https://www.theringer.com/nfl/2020/10/23/21530189/everything-you-need-to-know-about-week-7-of-the-2020-nfl-season"}]}'></div></aside><p id="l7dUJR">Add the New England Patriots and Dallas Cowboys to the list of crumbling American institutions. On Sunday, these once-proud organizations lost by a combined score of 58-9. The San Francisco 49ers embarrassed the Patriots 33-6, handing Bill Belichick his worst home loss in two decades in New England. The Cowboys played even worse, falling 25-3 to Washington in a result that seemed to cement that their season is over. These teams were reduced to something worse than noncontenders in Week 7—they were noncompetitive.</p>
<p id="Tfyryd">The Patriots and Cowboys are the NFL’s two most valuable franchises and have won a fifth of all Super Bowls in league history. In 2020, they’re a combined 4-9. The Pats (2-4) and Cowboys (2-5) are both reeling from the loss of a superstar quarterback—New England learned Tom Brady was leaving in an Instagram post in March, while Dallas lost Dak Prescott to a broken ankle earlier this month—and are searching for answers as seasons that started with playoff aspirations spiral out of control. Let’s break down each team and see if we can learn anything from picking through the wreckage.</p>
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<h3 id="9aA2XU">
<br>New England Patriots</h3>
<p id="pAdDUI">For 20 years the Patriots were defined by the greatest quarterback and head coach pairing of all time. Now the Pats have a quarterback making rookie mistakes and a defense that looks poorly coached. The result is New England reverting to a state of pre-Brady ineptitude. For the first time in a quarter century, the Patriots have scored a dozen or fewer points in three consecutive games. Unsurprisingly, they’re 0-3 in that stretch. It is the first three-game losing streak for New England in 18 years. </p>
<p id="re6mon">The problems start with Cam Newton, who played horribly on Sunday. He struggled to make the right reads, and when he did he was often inaccurate. Newton missed wide-open receivers without rhyme or reason. He overthrew deep passes and underthrew short ones. Ideally, quarterbacks should throw passes where only their receivers can catch the ball. On Sunday, Newton threw two interceptions where only the defender could make a catch. Late in the second quarter, Newton channeled his inner Luka Doncic and <em>bounced</em> a pass to Damiere Byrd. This throw would embarrass a high school quarterback.</p>
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<p id="NtlfUb">Newton is playing so poorly that it’s fair to wonder if he is fully healthy. He tested positive for COVID-19 earlier this month, and hasn’t looked the same since his return to the field in a loss to the Broncos in Week 6. He also had surgery on both his shoulder and foot in 2019. But Newton insists that he is fine. </p>
<p id="3QyEAE">“I’ve just been pressing,” Newton <a href="https://twitter.com/MikeReiss/status/1320519150654115840?s=20">told reporters</a> after the 49ers loss. “The energy has definitely been off for me, and at times it’s not rewarding when you’re just going out there with this aura about yourself that’s not you. I love playing this game, I have fun playing this game, but the performances here haven’t been delightful for me.”</p>
<p id="2udsb5">Newton ranks 29th in ESPN’s total quarterback rating, ahead of only the Jets’ Sam Darnold and Washington’s Dwayne Haskins among qualified quarterbacks. The Pats have the fewest passing touchdowns (three) and most interceptions (11) of any team in the NFL. Brady had more touchdown passes for Tampa Bay on Sunday than New England has all season. While Belichick said that Newton would remain the starter, it is never a good sign when the question needs to be asked. </p>
<p id="tHJGAu">Every aspect of the Patriots offense has exacerbated Cam’s struggles. It’s no secret that the Patriots’ wide receivers are bad. But now Julian Edelman looks like a husk of his former self, and N’Keal Harry seems destined to be defined as the guy who Belichick drafted over DK Metcalf. New England is so desperate for receiving help that Byrd—an undrafted receiver who couldn’t crack the Cardinals receiving rotation this year—has emerged as one of New England’s top options. The numbers speak for themselves. Entering Week 7, Patriots wide receivers created the least separation of any receiving corps in the NFL, according to <a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/30192588/cam-newton-throws-3-ints-ball-security-struggles-continue-patriots-worst-home-loss-bill-belichick">Next Gen Stats</a>. A lack of separation plus a quarterback with accuracy issues equals turnovers. Passes targeting Patriots receivers this season have produced one touchdown and eight interceptions, according to <a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/30192588/cam-newton-throws-3-ints-ball-security-struggles-continue-patriots-worst-home-loss-bill-belichick">ESPN Stats and Info</a>.</p>
<div class="c-float-right"><aside id="MZUR0G"><div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data='{"stories":[{"title":"The Winners and Losers of NFL Week 7 ","url":"https://www.theringer.com/nfl/2020/10/26/21533937/nfl-week-7-winners-losers-todd-gurley-falcons-titans-dk-metcalf-jets"},{"title":"Cam Newton and the Patriots Are Headed in the Wrong Direction","url":"https://www.theringer.com/nfl/2020/10/25/21533723/cam-newton-benched-patriots-loss-49ers"},{"title":"The NFL’s Worst Division Might Actually Be Its Worst Ever","url":"https://www.theringer.com/nfl/2020/10/23/21530324/nfc-east-cowboys-eagles-giants-washington-football-team"}]}'></div></aside></div>
<p id="06nU0O">The tight ends are somehow even worse than the receivers. New England’s tight ends have combined to make eight catches for 98 yards this season. That makes them the worst group in the NFL—and perhaps the worst group the NFL has seen in many seasons. While New England’s running backs have had to carry a disproportionate amount of the passing game load, their offensive line has struggled as injuries have mounted. Shaq Mason and David Andrews have both missed time, and guard Joe Thuney and backup tackle Justin Herron each suffered ankle injuries on Sunday. But the biggest loss the Patriots feel is legendary offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia, who retired after last season. Scarnecchia was vital to maintaining consistency amid New England’s constant shuffling along the line, and his absence has loomed over that group’s recent issues.</p>
<p id="tls9YX">Belichick-coached teams have historically counteracted ineffective offense with hypereffective defense. But the 49ers gashed the Patriots time and again Sunday. The Patriots allowed 301 yards by halftime, the most that a Pats team has given up at home in the first half since Belichick took over in 2000. San Francisco did not do this with intricate gameplanning minutiae. The 49ers just beat the Patriots up. Take Jeff Wilson’s 16-yard touchdown run in the closing moments of the first half, in which the 49ers offensive line washed the Patriots edge defenders away like the tide taking out driftwood. San Francisco rushed for 197 yards on 37 carries (5.3 yards per carry) in total, and it was actually worse than that. By the time the Patriots benched Newton in the fourth quarter, the 49ers’ average yards per carry was at 6.0.</p>
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<p id="JInIPt">New England’s defensive decline is not surprising. This offseason, the Patriots experienced one of the greatest exoduses of defensive talent since free agency began in 1993. They lost linebackers Jamie Collins, Kyle Van Noy, and Elandon Roberts as well as defensive tackle Danny Shelton to other teams. Then safety Patrick Chung and linebacker Dont’a Hightower—quietly one of the best players Belichick has ever coached—opted out of the season due to the pandemic. In their place, the Patriots have had to rely on a plethora of young, inexperienced players. Ja’Whaun Bentley, Shilique Calhoun, and Anfernee Jennings have shown flashes of promise at linebacker, but overall they’ve been disappointing. Defensive end John Simon is one of the league’s worst run defenders <em>and</em> pass rushers.</p>
<p id="4MXaGx">If this defense seems uncharacteristic of a Belichick group, well, consider that these defenders haven’t gotten much time with Belichick. They had roughly 14 padded practices during training camp, and only about a half-dozen practices in October due to the team’s coronavirus outbreak. This is not an excuse for Belichick as a coach. Instead, it’s an indictment of Belichick as a general manager. Belichick’s issues drafting receivers were funny during the Pats’ run of titles because everything else was going so well. Now those roster holes are being exposed, and he also hasn’t made his new quarterback feel comfortable in the offense. </p>
<p id="kYkYkV">As confusing as Brady’s decision to leave New England seemed back in March, it looks a lot clearer now. While the Pats were embarrassed Sunday, Brady looked fantastic for the Buccaneers, passing for 369 yards with four touchdowns—again, more touchdown passes than New England has racked up all season. Doubling the insult is that the Patriots lost in Week 7 to a team led by Jimmy Garoppolo, the man who was once supposed to replace Brady. But the real gut-check moment for these Patriots won’t come against Brady or Jimmy G. It will come next Sunday against Buffalo. The Bills lead the AFC East at 5-2; the Patriots are three games out of first place for the first time in 20 years. If the Patriots don’t win that game, their reign atop the AFC East might be over. Like everything else, we must brace for the new normal. </p>
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<h3 id="6QwR83">Dallas Cowboys</h3>
<p id="OOVW4b">Like many crumbling American institutions, the Cowboys have made a lot of bad decisions that are being exposed by bad luck. Let’s start with the bad luck. Prescott broke his ankle two weeks ago, and backup quarterback Andy Dalton went out with a concussion this week. That left Dallas to play third-stringer Ben DiNucci, a rookie seventh-rounder, in Washington. DiNucci (Di-<em>who?</em>-cci) was just the latest backup to see game action for the Cowboys. Dallas’s once-daunting offensive line has been decimated. Former All-Pro left tackle Tyron Smith is out for the season with neck surgery; left guard Joe Looney is on injured reserve; All-Pro center Travis Frederick retired this offseason; All-Pro right guard Zack Martin missed last week with a concussion; right tackle La’el Collins is out for the year after having hip surgery. The only starter left on this line is guard Connor Williams, who is average at best. Two years ago, Dallas had perhaps the league’s best offensive line. Now it might have the worst. </p>
<p id="lT5fVx">The Cowboys’ quarterback–offensive line situation is so bad that it renders the roster’s biggest strength—an excellent pass-catching group that features Amari Cooper, CeeDee Lamb, and Michael Gallup—almost useless. There is a serious chance that Dallas will head into next weekend with four backup offensive linemen, including an undrafted rookie free agent at right tackle, protecting a seventh-round rookie quarterback. For a team that entered 2020 hoping to win the division, this is close to the worst-case scenario.</p>
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<p id="fP900y"><br>The bad luck exposes the bad decisions. As bad as the offense has been without Dak, the defense has been worse. Dallas has allowed the most points in the NFL, but that barely scratches the surface of its ineptitude. The Cowboys have allowed <a href="https://stathead.com/football/tgl_finder.cgi?request=1&match=single&order_by_asc=0&order_by=points_opp&year_min=1970&year_max=2020&game_type=R&game_num_min=1&game_num_max=7&week_num_min=0&week_num_max=99&temperature_gtlt=lt">more points</a> through seven games than <em>all but one team in NFL history. </em>Only the 1973 Houston Oilers allowed more points in seven games than the 2020 Cowboys. Dallas can’t stop the run (it ranks 30th in run defense grading per Pro Football Focus) or defend the pass. Its PFF pass coverage grade is 36.4 of 100. Across a whole season, that would be the worst mark any team has had in five years. </p>
<p id="dpI36Q">The cornerback position in particular has been a disaster, with opposing quarterbacks continually targeting Jourdan Lewis and Daryl Worley. This is where Dallas’s decision-making comes in. Over the past few years, the Cowboys front office has paid the wrong guys. Defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence, the third-highest-paid defensive end in the league, has recorded just seven sacks over the last two seasons. Linebacker Jaylon Smith, who signed a five-year extension in 2019, has been awful in run defense, awful in pass coverage, and awful at hustling to tackle ballcarriers (just watch no. 54 <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZQoHgiPl6I">jogging after Odell Beckham Jr.</a>). Meanwhile, the Cowboys let cornerback Byron Jones leave in 2020 free agency. Their cornerback depth was then exposed after both Anthony Brown and Chidobe Awuzie went down with injuries. </p>
<p id="vx2liC">Elsewhere on defense, the free agents Dallas has signed have mostly gotten injured or been ineffective except for Aldon Smith. Now, the Cowboys have perhaps the worst group of interior defensive linemen in the league, and the worst group of cornerbacks too. Oftentimes, teams are weak in the middle of the field or at the edges. Dallas has the distinction of being dreadful in both.</p>
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<p id="96pkx5">There are also basic indicators that the coaching is bad. The Cowboys’ offense leads the league in turnovers, and their defense has the fewest takeaways. Running back Ezekiel Elliott fumbled five times in his first six games, tied for the highest mark in the last 50 years. Offensive coordinator Kellen Moore’s play-calling has been terrible. Moore is a favorite of Jerry Jones and was retained by new head coach Mike McCarthy; perhaps this was a condition McCarthy had to accept to get the job. Thus far, though, Moore’s play-calling has left his quarterbacks exposed in protection. </p>
<p id="2G5sUh">On defense, new coordinator Mike Nolan installed a system that neither puts his defenders in position to get the most out of their skill sets nor simplifies their jobs enough to make learning the scheme in limited practice time realistic. These coaches have made players’ jobs harder, not easier. If there was any doubt about that, it was erased when the Cowboys were blown out on <em>Monday Night Football</em> in Week 6, after which Dallas players anonymously sniped at their coaches to the media. According to the <a href="https://twitter.com/SlaterNFL/status/1318602459300974595?s=20">NFL Network’s Jane Slater</a>, one player <a href="https://twitter.com/SlaterNFL/status/1318602459300974595?s=20">said the staff</a> was “totally unprepared”; another said that “they just aren’t good at their jobs.”</p>
<p id="eitaVY">A coach’s number one job is to get buy-in from players. That has never been more important than in this strange 2020 season, and no coach this side of Adam Gase seems to have done a worse job of it thus far than McCarthy. Most depressing for Cowboys fans is that even in a historically bad division, this season still seems unfixable. Dallas already had its come-to-Jesus moment, when Prescott’s gruesome injury led to an unexpectedly emotional moment for the Cowboys organization. That was this team’s opportunity to come together. Instead, it came apart.</p>
<p id="Mp6VWR">Prescott was so good while healthy this season that he could overcome many of Dallas’s issues. Andy Dalton can not. DiNucci, well, bless his heart. Much of that is on McCarthy. He has failed so spectacularly through seven weeks that it begs the question of why Jerry Jones hired him in the first place. The Jason Garrett era was defined by Dallas stringing Cowboys fans along with hope and then crushing it at the last moment. The McCarthy era thus far has removed any hope as quickly as possible.</p>
<p id="Dpa6mz">But in Dallas, everything comes back to Jerry Jones. “The very first press conference I was ever involved in [in 1989], I explained to everyone how I was going to run the Dallas Cowboys,” Jones <a href="https://www.radio.com/1053thefan/articles/news/jerry-jones-says-cowboys-have-not-met-with-any-coaches">told a Dallas radio station</a> last year. “I said I would be involved in everything from this to jocks and socks, whatever. And I’m not trying to be cute. There has never been any doubt in anybody’s mind how I run the Dallas Cowboys, and how I ran the Cowboys from the day I got here. <em>Nobody</em> can exchange a player, nobody can do anything unless I have approved it tacitly or otherwise.”</p>
<p class="c-end-para" id="Bh2V3C">If Jones makes all the decisions, it’s hard not to give him all the blame. Not coincidentally, this is on pace to be the worst Cowboys team since Jones’s first season, when Dallas went 1-15 in 1989. Dallas could still make the playoffs because no NFC East team has three wins yet. The Cowboys go to Philadelphia next week with the chance to take first place, but this version of Dallas seems destined for last. </p>
https://www.theringer.com/nfl/2020/10/26/21534533/new-england-patriots-dallas-cowboys-week-7-recapDanny Heifetz2020-10-26T08:22:29-04:002020-10-26T08:22:29-04:00The Seahawks Can’t Play Normal Games, Brady’s and Belichick’s Future, and Week 7 Winners and Losers
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<p>Kevin and Nora react to Sunday night’s thriller between the Seahawks and Cardinals before moving on to some of the other Week 7 story lines around the league</p> <div id="dUWYFv"><iframe src="https://open.spotify.com/embed-podcast/episode/5HP1x9E5mMa9WUvs9386f7" style="border: 0; width: 100%; height: 232px;" allowfullscreen="" allow="encrypted-media"></iframe></div>
<p id="uLyeNA"><br><a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/5HP1x9E5mMa9WUvs9386f7?si=dhhwdF9nRvi1TWr59tU5IA">Kevin and Nora start by reacting to the <em>Sunday Night Football</em> thriller</a> in which the Arizona Cardinals defeated the Seattle Seahawks in overtime. Then they discuss what the future holds for the Tom Brady–led Tampa Bay Buccaneers and for Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots. They then give their Week 7 winners and losers, answer some listener questions, and pick their clickbait headline of the week. </p>
<p id="oZCaFF"><strong>Subscribe</strong>: <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/3sYLdv261f5jLvEgDLU9PD?si=PwTF-GumR7qtUP5FZdCKOQ">Spotify</a> / <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com/?id=&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fitunes.apple.com%2Fus%2Fpodcast%2Fthe-ringer-nfl-show%2Fid1109282822%3Fmt%3D2&xcust=xid:fr1570809570442jba%7Cxid:fr1571141035709iah%7Cxid:fr1571400354183cfa%7Cxid:fr1571745693269afb%7Cxid:fr1572005002168iib%7Cxid:fr1572350612110bei">Apple Podcasts</a> / <a href="https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/the-ringer/ringer-nfl-show">Stitcher</a> / <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/ringernflshow">RSS</a></p>
https://www.theringer.com/2020/10/26/21534170/the-seahawks-cant-play-normal-games-bradys-and-belichicks-future-and-week-7-winners-and-losersKevin ClarkNora Princiotti2020-10-26T08:10:09-04:002020-10-26T08:10:09-04:00Kyler vs. Russ, Rookie QB Stars, Pittsburgh’s Ceiling, and the Putrid Pats With Cousin Sal
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<img alt="Seattle Seahawks v Arizona Cardinals" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/3c9Pp7bIx9sIzOOoFlbGqB5ZlOs=/146x0:3505x2519/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/67688865/1282231670.jpg.0.jpg" />
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<p>Plus, guessing the lines for Week 8</p> <div id="yIrGh5"><iframe src="https://open.spotify.com/embed-podcast/episode/6wm5UKxKiM2OnPXfsBtxZI" style="border: 0; width: 100%; height: 232px;" allowfullscreen="" allow="encrypted-media"></iframe></div>
<p id="6ZvDyI"><br><a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/6wm5UKxKiM2OnPXfsBtxZI"><em>The Ringer</em>’s Bill Simmons is joined by Cousin Sal to discuss</a> what’s shaping up to be an exciting World Series, before recapping some NFL Week 7 games, including the Cardinals’ overtime win against the Seahawks, Browns-Bengals, another painful Falcons loss, another Patriots flop, AFC/NFC power rankings, the sad state of the Cowboys, Titans-Steelers, Tom Brady hanging four TDs on the Raiders, and more (2:00). They finish by guessing the NFL lines for Week 8 (48:00).</p>
<p id="36BRuR"><strong>Subscribe:</strong> <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/07SjDmKb9iliEzpNcN2xGD?si=X1S_fYL7REi9NlCpheLw6g">Spotify</a> / <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-bill-simmons-podcast/id1043699613?mt=2">Apple Podcasts</a> / <a href="https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/the-ringer/the-bill-simmons-podcast">Stitcher</a> / <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/thebillsimmonspodcast">RSS</a></p>
https://www.theringer.com/the-bill-simmons-podcast/2020/10/26/21534153/kyler-vs-russ-rookie-qb-stars-pittsburghs-ceiling-and-the-putrid-pats-with-cousin-salBill Simmons2020-10-26T02:35:48-04:002020-10-26T02:35:48-04:00The Winners and Losers of NFL Week 7
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<p>Todd Gurley’s situational awareness came too little too late in a Choke Bowl loss to the Lions. Plus: DK Metcalf goes full Terminator, the Titans’ kicking woes continue, and Ohio is finally getting good football out of its no. 1 picks.</p> <aside id="au1ziH"><div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data='{"stories":[{"title":"Everything You Need to Know About Week 7 of the 2020 NFL Season","url":"https://www.theringer.com/nfl/2020/10/23/21530189/everything-you-need-to-know-about-week-7-of-the-2020-nfl-season"}]}'></div></aside><p id="Cus5d6"><em>Every week this NFL season, we will celebrate the electric plays, investigate the colossal blunders, and explain the inexplicable moments of the most recent slate. Welcome to Winners and Losers. Which one are you?</em></p>
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<h3 id="Mq1p3e">Winner: The Choker Bowl</h3>
<p id="w8MstC">Sometimes the most anticipated matchups deliver. Ali and Frazier go 15 rounds; LeBron comes back to beat the 73-win Warriors in seven games; the Red Sox topple the hated Yankees en route to snapping a decades-long curse. When the greats know what’s at stake, they find a way to do something they haven’t ever done before.</p>
<p id="Vs5glZ">On Sunday, we saw another game that will enter that pantheon. <a href="https://www.theringer.com/nfl/2020/9/21/21448621/the-winners-and-losers-of-nfl-week-2">Since Week 2</a>, I’ve been <a href="https://www.theringer.com/nfl/2020/10/5/21501926/winners-losers-of-nfl-week-4-russell-wilson-joe-burrow-justin-herbert-bill-obrien">using this column to hype up Sunday’s Choker Bowl</a>: a game between the Atlanta Falcons, the first team in NFL history to blow 15-point fourth-quarter leads in back-to-back weeks, and the Detroit Lions, the first team to ever blow six straight double-digit leads. One found new, spectacular ways to choke—<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6JZDR8uTgY">remember the onside kick?</a>—while the other managed workaday, lunchpail chokes week in, week out. Somehow, the game exceeded expectations, as the Falcons invented yet another way to bumble the game away.</p>
<p id="w4eoJS">Trailing by two with under two minutes to go, the Falcons had the ball deep in Lions territory. Todd Gurley broke through the line of scrimmage and had the end zone in his sights, but as he approached his goal, he realized that he didn’t break free because the Lions did a bad job defending—he broke free because <em>the Lions were letting him score</em>. The Lions knew their best hope of winning was to get the ball back, and therefore wanted Gurley to get into the end zone as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, Gurley realized what was happening just a moment too late and couldn’t stop his momentum. You can see Lions defender Jamie Collins celebrating the touchdown like it was his team who scored.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Lions celebrate Gurley's accidental TD for the Falcons, peak 2020 <a href="https://t.co/zzxA3BoeHs">pic.twitter.com/zzxA3BoeHs</a></p>— Vikings Blogger (@firstandskol) <a href="https://twitter.com/firstandskol/status/1320456294768267264?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 25, 2020</a>
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<p id="Fqid7c">The Lions therefore got the ball back with 64 seconds to score and used all of them. With zero seconds on the clock, Matt Stafford threw a game-winning touchdown to T.J. Hockenson.</p>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">TJ HOCKENSON. FOR THE WIN. ON <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NationalTightEndsDay?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NationalTightEndsDay</a>! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OnePride?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OnePride</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DETvsATL?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DETvsATL</a> <a href="https://t.co/IgPI0pOLGy">pic.twitter.com/IgPI0pOLGy</a></p>— NFL (@NFL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1320457983982120960?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 25, 2020</a>
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<p id="09cOfZ">In an era in which teams can move the ball virtually at will, the “let them score” strategy employed by video game users since <em>NFL Blitz</em> has actually become a decent ethos. Just last week, <a href="https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2020/10/19/mike-vrabel-appeared-to-take-an-intentional-penalty-to-stop-the-clock-on-titans-comeback/">Titans coach Mike Vrabel earned praise</a> for giving the Texans a free first down so he could stop the clock, essentially betting that the best strategy was to give up a touchdown and then win on offense. And in yesterday’s Indiana–Penn State game, <em>the exact same thing happened</em>. Indiana let a Penn State running back score a touchdown (<a href="https://twitter.com/rodger/status/1320139280170319872">which they celebrated</a>), then came back, scored a touchdown, and eventually won the game in overtime.</p>
<p id="sY3ApR">But of all the players I would expect to know when scoring a touchdown was actually the wrong thing to do, Gurley would be at the top of my list. In 2018, he held himself out of the end zone <em>twice</em> while cementing Rams wins. He knew that in certain situations, time was more valuable than points, and was willing to pass up personal glory to let the team win. Sunday, he realized it again—but this time, he was a Falcon. So he did what Falcons do: fail by a slim margin in a never-before-seen disaster. </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">This is legitimately one of the funniest football photos I have ever seen. This should be in Canton or the MoMA or both. (h/t <a href="https://twitter.com/erikschlitt?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@erikschlitt</a>) <a href="https://t.co/H2DRzedyL3">pic.twitter.com/H2DRzedyL3</a></p>— Kevin Clark (@bykevinclark) <a href="https://twitter.com/bykevinclark/status/1320526552896065536?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 26, 2020</a>
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<p id="tCkMQQ">Even when the Falcons have the talent and the game plan, failure finds a way. They’re the only team in the NFL that can score touchdowns in a way that helps them lose. We can be mad at Gurley for scoring—but let’s be honest. The alternative was burning the clock and kicking a field goal with the clock expiring. And these are the Falcons. After giving this win to the Lions, they’ve officially cemented themselves as the NFL’s Kings of Choking. If Gurley had dove at the 1 and the Falcons attempted a game-winning 18-yard field goal, the kick would’ve drilled the goalpost with a 700-decibel doink. </p>
<aside id="iaaXp2"><div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data='{"stories":[{"title":"The Scariest Thing This Halloween Season Is the Falcons With a Lead ","url":"https://www.theringer.com/nfl/2020/10/25/21533477/the-scariest-thing-this-halloween-season-is-the-falcons-with-a-lead"}]}'></div></aside><h3 id="HhZmrq">Loser: Time vs. Larry Fitzgerald</h3>
<p id="EjGElK">Larry Fitzgerald is a 37-year-old wide receiver, which doesn’t make sense. He’s in his 17th NFL season and has risen to no. 2 on the all-time leaderboards for receiving yards and receptions. Sunday night, he had a catch in his 250th consecutive game. But time is slowing him down. It’s been three years since he’s had a 1,000-yard season, and this year, Fitzgerald is recording career lows in receptions per game, yards per game, and yards per reception. Time has made him less effective at playing wide receiver—so Fitzgerald has decided to battle time itself. </p>
<p id="wvrGFR">As it turns out, Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury may be entirely unfamiliar with the concept of time. (His name’s not Klocks Kingsbury, after all!) In overtime of Sunday’s game against the Seahawks, his team almost committed a delay of game while trying to kick a game-winning field goal, forcing him to call a timeout that essentially ended up icing his own kicker. But he wouldn’t have even gotten to overtime if the team hadn’t kicked a game-tying field goal in the fourth quarter—and for the timesaving heroics of Fitzgerald. </p>
<p id="uTwsh5">With less than a minute left in regulation and the Cardinals needing a field goal to force OT, Arizona ran three plays to the middle of the field, including two runs. Since they had no timeouts left, each play required the Cardinals to spike the ball to stop the clock. (His name’s not Kliff Klocksbury, after all!) To execute three QB spikes in a minute, a team needs to be really good at getting the ball back to the line of scrimmage and getting set up. Normally, the job of getting the ball to the line of scrimmage belongs to the referees—but Fitz took matters into his own hands, knowing that every second mattered. After the Seahawks tackled Chase Edmonds in the field of play with 10 seconds to go, Fitzgerald instantly swarmed to Edmonds, snagged the ball, and rushed it to the middle of the field so the Cardinals could spike the ball and run another play.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Larry Fitzgerald made sure to set his team up to spike the ball before the game-tying FG <br><br>(via <a href="https://twitter.com/thecheckdown?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@thecheckdown</a>)<a href="https://t.co/FM72EUmbnl">pic.twitter.com/FM72EUmbnl</a></p>— ESPN (@espn) <a href="https://twitter.com/espn/status/1320573440143884290?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 26, 2020</a>
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<p id="5MDqZN">It’s an incredible display of awareness by Fitzgerald—and it’s not the first time he’s done it this year. In a Week 1 win over the 49ers, Fitzgerald also enabled a field goal by sprinting to a tackled teammate, snagging the ball, and hustling it to the center of the field:</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Larry Fitzgerald just made SUCH a heads-up play. With the clock running out and no timeouts, Fitz sprints the ball to the middle of the field to ensure Kyler could kill the clock. Arizona drilled a FG on the next play. It’s the little things!<br><br>(<a href="https://twitter.com/CamCox12?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CamCox12</a>) <a href="https://t.co/NS8MLGsvI1">pic.twitter.com/NS8MLGsvI1</a></p>— Field Yates (@FieldYates) <a href="https://twitter.com/FieldYates/status/1305264338089979904?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 13, 2020</a>
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<p id="okTeu8">Fitzgerald began his career as a <a href="https://www.vikings.com/news/larry-fitzgerald-jr-from-vikings-ball-boy-to-nfl-wide-receiver-16462328">Vikings ball boy</a>. He’s not the Cardinals’ star wide receiver anymore—that’s obviously DeAndre Hopkins—but he <em>can</em> be the best damn ball boy the NFL has ever seen. On Sunday, the Cardinals proved they can defeat time, thanks to a guy who’s been fighting it for years. </p>
<div id="5NdM5K"><iframe src="https://open.spotify.com/embed-podcast/episode/5HP1x9E5mMa9WUvs9386f7" style="border: 0; width: 100%; height: 232px;" allowfullscreen="" allow="encrypted-media"></iframe></div>
<h3 id="kmqGS2">
<br>Winner: Terminator DK Metcalf</h3>
<p id="nL6yL4">Earlier this year, DK Metcalf forgot to finish a play. He caught a ball well behind the Cowboys defense—I think every wide receiver who’s played Dallas this season has caught at least one ball well behind the Cowboys defense—and instead of running to the goal line, he slowed down and celebrated. The defender caught up to him and popped the ball out. It was an embarrassment! A shame! I called him “<a href="https://www.theringer.com/nfl/2020/9/28/21459431/winners-losers-nfl-week-3-josh-allen-sam-darnold-falcons">Leon Lett with a gym membership</a>”! </p>
<p id="A8HsGz">If I had an embarrassing blooper that played on national TV, I would probably delete all my social media accounts and spend the next few months trying to hit 100 percent completion in every video game I own. When a 6-foot-4, 230-pound guy who ran a 4.33 40-yard dash and set bench press records at the NFL combine suffers an embarrassing blooper on national TV, he has other options.</p>
<p id="7CaROf">Sunday, Metcalf provided the cosmic inverse of the goal line fumble, playing the role of the defender stopping an end-zone-bound ball carrier from scoring a touchdown. After a rare Russell Wilson interception, Cardinals safety Budda Baker looked home free. Metcalf chased him down:</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">DK Metcalf is the fastest man on the planet <br><br>(via <a href="https://twitter.com/thecheckdown?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@thecheckdown</a>)<a href="https://t.co/XpCWDvCt6u">pic.twitter.com/XpCWDvCt6u</a></p>— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) <a href="https://twitter.com/SInow/status/1320536529748504576?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 26, 2020</a>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">DK hit 22.64 MPH on that TD saving tackle, the 2nd-fastest speed on a tackle this season <a href="https://twitter.com/dkm14?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@dkm14</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Seahawks?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Seahawks</a> <br><br> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SEAvsAZ?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SEAvsAZ</a> on NBC <a href="https://t.co/a0iCkpE0W8">pic.twitter.com/a0iCkpE0W8</a></p>— The Checkdown (@thecheckdown) <a href="https://twitter.com/thecheckdown/status/1320546282776064000?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 26, 2020</a>
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<p id="XJgWOr">Every player on an NFL field is faster than you. Yes, the linemen too. But the linebackers are faster than the linemen, and the running backs are faster than the linebackers, and the defensive backs are faster than the running backs. Budda Baker is a <em>fast defensive back. </em>He ran a 4.45-second 40-yard dash at the NFL draft combine, making him the fourth-fastest safety in his class. Metcalf gained on him and took him down with ease. He’s faster than fast. </p>
<p id="22t45C">Metcalf runs like a Terminator—every stride is efficient and perfect. He is not merely capable of catching Baker. He is designed and programmed to chase down Baker. He runs like if he doesn’t catch Baker, his entire existence will have been pointless. </p>
<p id="troMlW">The Seahawks kept the Cardinals from scoring after Metcalf’s chasedown—Arizona turned the ball over on downs—meaning Metcalf has karmically earned back the seven points he cost Seattle weeks ago. But more importantly, we’ve learned something about Metcalf. After a prominent and hilarious failure, he is never going to give up on a play ever again. He’s always been built like a perfect, efficient football machine. Now he’s going to play like one.</p>
<aside id="pwaqpH"><div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data='{"stories":[{"title":"Kyler Murray Outdueled Russell Wilson in the Wildest Game of the NFL Season","url":"https://www.theringer.com/nfl/2020/10/26/21533960/kyler-murray-russell-wilson-cardinals-seahawks-overtime"}]}'></div></aside><h3 id="cvCubX">Winner: The Man Who Stopped Derrick Henry</h3>
<p id="f68pCV">For the past year or so, NFL fans, coaches, and players have been asking: Can anybody stop Derrick Henry? Henry is faster than most of the NFL’s players and stronger than everybody else. Henry has made running the ball cool again. It seems impossible that he’s 6-foot-3 and 250 pounds <em>and </em>fast, but trucks weigh like 5,000 tons and they’re still faster than me. What would it take to stop Henry? A piano falling out of the sky and crushing him? Can defenders use flamethrowers? (There’s nothing specifically against it in the rulebook!) Unless an NFL team lined up Godzilla at middle linebacker, who could possibly contain Henry? </p>
<p id="RyDeYb">Sunday, we got our answer: some dude named Robert Spillane. On the goal line in the fourth quarter of a matchup of unbeaten teams, the Titans opened up a hole for Henry. Then Spillane stepped in, voluntarily jumping in front of a speeding truck, and shut the play down.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Robert Spillane sent him back <a href="https://twitter.com/14rspillane?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@14rspillane</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/steelers?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@steelers</a> <br><br> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PITvsTEN?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PITvsTEN</a> <a href="https://t.co/Sc3H9rpaOh">pic.twitter.com/Sc3H9rpaOh</a></p>— The Checkdown (@thecheckdown) <a href="https://twitter.com/thecheckdown/status/1320449233581862912?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 25, 2020</a>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">oh my goodness the sound of Robert Spillane meeting Derrick Henry <a href="https://t.co/Cg4eOYw01j">pic.twitter.com/Cg4eOYw01j</a></p>— Nate Tice (@Nate_Tice) <a href="https://twitter.com/Nate_Tice/status/1320449177151651840?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 25, 2020</a>
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<p id="A55dw9">Spillane was a surprise hero for the Steelers—he was only in the lineup on Sunday because Pittsburgh middle linebacker Devin Bush suffered a season-ending injury last week. That Spillane was next up should be a massive problem for Pittsburgh. This is a guy who went undrafted out of Western Michigan and had only played nine career defensive snaps before Bush’s injury. (As a rookie in 2018, he played special teams for ... the Titans.) But Sunday he proved capable of filling in gaps—both the metaphorical one in Pittsburgh’s depth chart, and the literal one Henry tried running through. </p>
<p id="Ce2RTb">As it turns out, jumping in front of a truck takes its toll. Spillane left the game after the tackle holding his shoulder. A few plays later, Henry dove into the end zone, unbothered by Pittsburgh’s third-string middle linebacker. Spillane returned to the game later and didn’t address his injury in interviews.</p>
<p id="0xnS4N">But the Steelers won, and Spillane proved two things. That the drop-off without Bush might not be as bad as expected, and that it is, in fact, possible to stop Derrick Henry. You’ve just got to be willing to risk everything.</p>
<div id="W2dF8W"><iframe src="https://open.spotify.com/embed-podcast/episode/6wm5UKxKiM2OnPXfsBtxZI" style="border: 0; width: 100%; height: 232px;" allowfullscreen="" allow="encrypted-media"></iframe></div>
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<br>Loser: The Ghosts of Patriots QBs Past</h3>
<p id="z9WmZX">I’ve gotten used to watching NFL games without fans in the stands, but I don’t think I’ll ever get used to watching the Patriots get their asses kicked. It feels like we hit high school, and the middle school bully isn’t the biggest kid in school anymore—and I’m kinda enjoying watching him get whooped. On Sunday, the Niners beat up New England for four straight periods in a 33-6 win. </p>
<p id="BRrSwS">At the start of the year, it seemed the Pats had possibly upgraded at quarterback when an aging Tom Brady left and a resurgent Cam Newton showed up. But Newton was terrible against the Niners, throwing for 98 yards and three interceptions with no touchdowns. </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Going deep and there's <a href="https://twitter.com/Mannymoseley?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Mannymoseley</a>! No. 41 with 49 yards on the return!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SFvsNE?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SFvsNE</a> on CBS <a href="https://t.co/yK9AkTokeI">pic.twitter.com/yK9AkTokeI</a></p>— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) <a href="https://twitter.com/49ers/status/1320483238255710209?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 25, 2020</a>
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<p id="nvkiJm">It was a historically bad showing for Newton—he’d never thrown for fewer than 100 yards in a start before—and it was historically bad for the Patriots, as Brady had only two no-touchdown, three-pick days in his 20-year Patriot career, and those were in 2003 and 2006. Since returning from the COVID-19 list, Newton has thrown no touchdowns and five picks in two games. </p>
<p id="G4NDVc">Pats fans were haunted by their past quarterbacks on Sunday: They lost to Jimmy Garoppolo, whom New England traded away in 2017 for a second-round pick. Meanwhile, Brady has turned things around in Tampa Bay. He threw for 369 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions in a 45-20 Bucs win on Sunday. Brady even passed Drew Brees on the all-time passing touchdown leaderboard, although Drew isn’t done yet.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Tom Brady is now the all-time leader in passing touchdowns! <br><br> (via <a href="https://twitter.com/NFL?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NFL</a>) <a href="https://t.co/mBCSh6KTy5">pic.twitter.com/mBCSh6KTy5</a></p>— #RingerNFL (@ringernfl) <a href="https://twitter.com/ringernfl/status/1320502847033651201?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 25, 2020</a>
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<p id="2pIJGR">Tampa Bay is 5-2 and is third in the NFL in scoring with 31.7 points per game. New England is 2-4 and getting worse. Every negative about the Pats’ season will always be placed side-by-side with a positive about the Bucs’ season. The haunting will continue.</p>
<aside id="UctYk4"><div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data='{"stories":[{"title":"Cam Newton and the Patriots Are Headed in the Wrong Direction","url":"https://www.theringer.com/nfl/2020/10/25/21533723/cam-newton-benched-patriots-loss-49ers"}]}'></div></aside><h3 id="aef7Pj">Winner: The Jets’ Tank</h3>
<p id="R3lF3g">The NFL’s worst team got off to an alarmingly good start Sunday, as the 0-6 Jets jumped out to a 10-0 lead on the Bills. After having just 263 yards in a 24-0 shutout loss last week, the Jets had 193 yards on their first three drives. They were firing on all cylinders: The defense held Josh Allen in check and forced turnovers and field goals; Sam Darnold hit passes; rookies Denzel Mims and La’Mical Perine seemed to provide sparks the team had been missing. </p>
<p id="0MOpc1">Want to know how many yards they had in the second half? Four. Four yards. 12 feet. If you put the Jets on a basketball court instead of a football field, they wouldn’t have gotten to the free throw line. My 2007 Toyota Prius is 175 inches long; the Jets gained 144 inches in the second half. After leading 10-0, the Jets lost 18-10. The Jets’ red zone defense was stunningly stout, allowing zero touchdowns. But Buffalo never punted, attempting eight field goals and hitting six. </p>
<p id="9UY8Xu">It was a truly clutch evaporation by the Jets, as all the promise they displayed in the first half was nowhere to be found when they were at risk of potentially winning a game. The millions of Americans picking the Jets’ opponents every week in their survivor pool stayed alive, as did the dream of an 0-16 season.</p>
<h3 id="IbQHZ8">Loser: The Titans’ One Weakness</h3>
<p id="NjgHuW">Week after week, the Titans have stunned me by proving their weaknesses to be strengths. I thought it was dumb to build a team around a running back; Derrick Henry has trucked me and any other naysayers into the ground. I didn’t think Ryan Tannehill was an effective NFL QB; he’s now put together more than 16 games of near nonstop success. I thought Mike Vrabel would flop just like every other guy hired because they’re in Bill Belichick’s rolodex; instead he’s proved to be a savvy schemer, a rulebook maven, and a leader of men. (Yes, Bill Belichick probably uses a rolodex.) I thought the weeks-long shutdown of the Titans’ facility due to a COVID-19 outbreak would dim their hot start, but they’ve now beaten two teams that had actually been practicing. The Titans are a 52-man dynamo—alas, there are 53 guys on a roster.</p>
<p id="y4m4yn">On Sunday, the Titans played a much-anticipated matchup with the Steelers. Both were 5-0, making it just the fifth matchup of undefeated teams at Week 7 or later in NFL history. And the Titans played great. The defense picked off Ben Roethlisberger three times, and on offense, they bumped the Steelers from tied for third to eighth in scoring defense by putting 24 points on the scoreboard. But then there’s special teams, where the Titans lost on a 45-yard missed field goal by Stephen Gostkowski. </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Gostkowski Appreciation Thread! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Steelers?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Steelers</a> <a href="https://t.co/JzqOtThOau">pic.twitter.com/JzqOtThOau</a></p>— Steelers Depot ♀️ (@Steelersdepot) <a href="https://twitter.com/Steelersdepot/status/1320519694147698688?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 26, 2020</a>
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<p id="JZj0Cu">Gostkowski’s miss turned Big Ben into Bewildered Ben:</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Ben Roethlisberger's reaction is perfect after Gostkowski misses the game tying field goal. <br><br>He says: "He missed it?" <a href="https://t.co/6DWwBXxB2U">pic.twitter.com/6DWwBXxB2U</a></p>— Michael Schwab (@michaelschwab13) <a href="https://twitter.com/michaelschwab13/status/1320458292972425217?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 25, 2020</a>
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<p id="y19uG5">As the Titans have improved, their kicking has regressed. Last year they became the first team since 1987 to hit less than 50 percent of their field goals. They cycled through four kickers, and between Week 12 and the AFC championship game, they did not connect on a single field goal attempt. So they went out and got Gostkowski, Vrabel’s former Patriots teammate. It seemed like a smart move. Gostkowski had spent 14 years with the Patriots, kicking all sorts of critical field goals, and rising to fifth on the all-time field goal accuracy list. </p>
<p id="3utuJR">But earlier this season, Gostkowski came out and missed his first three field goals with the Titans, turning an easy win against the Broncos into a barn burner. He’d seemingly rebounded, hitting nine field goals in a row, including game-winners against the Jags and Vikings. But he missed both attempts against the Texans last week, and missed the critical kick today. </p>
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<p id="AYe1v3">Gostkowski entered the day dead last in the NFL in kicking accuracy (9-for-14, 64.3 percent). By going 1-for-2, he dropped even lower, to 62.5 percent. It’s not a matter of distance: All six of Gostkowski’s misses have been from closer than 50 yards. In half a season, he’s fallen from fifth to ninth on the all-time field goal accuracy leaderboard. (That’s like falling from Tony Romo to Kirk Cousins on the all-time passer rating leaderboard.) And while Gostkowski has struggled, three of the kickers the Titans had last year (Cody Parkey, Cairo Santos, and Ryan Succop) have combined to go 28-for-32—missing fewer combined kicks than Gostkowski despite taking twice as many attempts. </p>
<p id="RJ1bwk">To an outsider, this has an easy solution. Cut him! Go sign somebody else! But it’s not that simple. There aren’t <em>that</em> many NFL-quality kickers out there. Last week, injuries forced the Jaguars to play Jon Brown, a kicker who had never made an NFL or college field goal; this week, the Jets played Sergio Castillo, a kicker who had spent six years kicking in the CFL, AAF, and XFL. There aren’t many guys available, and the ones who are tend to be available for a reason—as the Titans are quickly finding out about Gostkowski.</p>
<h3 id="46i6jZ">Winner: Ohio’s No. 1 Picks</h3>
<p id="FffoBC">Ohio has been cursed with years of bad football. The northeast side of the state has the Browns, a team that failed even at choosing the right color for its logo. (Guys. You’re not the Orange. That’s Syracuse.) The southwest side of the state has the Bengals, who have actually won fewer playoff games since 1990 than the Browns, even though the Browns basically stopped existing for a few years. (Granted, the middle of Ohio has Ohio State. Ohio football is kinda like a Pop-Tart—awful tasting stuff around the edges and a delicious interior.) </p>
<p id="sXd0yA">But all the trash has a payoff: no. 1 picks. Both the Browns and Bengals are guided by top picks at QB, and Sunday, they both played the best games of their careers. Baker Mayfield gave the Browns the lead early in the fourth quarter …</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Mayfield to Njoku! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Browns?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Browns</a> take the lead. <br><br> : <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CLEvsCIN?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CLEvsCIN</a> on CBS<br> : NFL app // Yahoo Sports app: <a href="https://t.co/MIIkbfUwYk">https://t.co/MIIkbfUwYk</a> <a href="https://t.co/Uf7qpUmf8z">pic.twitter.com/Uf7qpUmf8z</a></p>— NFL (@NFL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1320443981499559936?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 25, 2020</a>
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<p id="Pw1jry">But Joe Burrow answered back to give the Bengals the lead …</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">"There's three things in life that's certain: Death, taxes, and 85 will always be open."<br><br> : <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CLEvsCIN?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CLEvsCIN</a> LIVE on CBS <a href="https://t.co/glhj83VE7j">pic.twitter.com/glhj83VE7j</a></p>— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) <a href="https://twitter.com/Bengals/status/1320448455140061185?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 25, 2020</a>
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<p id="JNu65U"><em>But Mayfield answered back to give the Browns the lead …</em></p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Baker Mayfield conecta com Kareem Hunt! Os Browns viram novamente! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NFLBrasil?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NFLBrasil</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CLEvsCIN?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CLEvsCIN</a> <a href="https://t.co/dNl0zdkkus">pic.twitter.com/dNl0zdkkus</a></p>— NFL Brasil (@NFLBrasil) <a href="https://twitter.com/NFLBrasil/status/1320455245105926154?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 25, 2020</a>
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<p id="ijWAky">BUT BURROW ANSWERED BACK TO GIVE THE BENGALS THE LEAD WITH UNDER TWO MINUTES ...</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Joe Burrow is going to be a great one for Cincy. 1:06 left, touchdown to take the lead.<a href="https://t.co/aCeXbOjWZW">pic.twitter.com/aCeXbOjWZW</a></p>— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) <a href="https://twitter.com/NFL_DovKleiman/status/1320456013364023296?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 25, 2020</a>
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<p id="7Ky8vz"><em>BUT MAYFIELD THREW A GAME-WINNING TOUCHDOWN WITH 11 SECONDS LEFT TO A GUY NAMED DONOVAN PEOPLES-JONES, WHO HAD ZERO CAREER CATCHES BEFORE SUNDAY!</em></p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">THE ROOKIE DONOVAN PEOPLES-JONES GAME WINNER <br><br> <a href="https://t.co/b5VM8tOo8n">pic.twitter.com/b5VM8tOo8n</a></p>— PFF College (@PFF_College) <a href="https://twitter.com/PFF_College/status/1320458408055681026?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 25, 2020</a>
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<p id="2JE4Ku">The teams scored on all seven of their second-half possessions, including back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back touchdowns. It was the first time in NFL history that a fourth quarter featured five go-ahead passing touchdowns, and a finish so nuts that I slipped in a Brazilian tweet there and you probably didn’t even notice. </p>
<p class="c-end-para" id="iLDeOZ">Mayfield threw an interception on his first pass of the game, but went 22-for-27 with five touchdowns after that. Burrow, meanwhile, had a career-high 406 passing yards. Burrow led the NFL in passing yardage this week; Mayfield led the NFL in passing touchdowns. There’s finally fun professional football in Ohio—maybe they’ll figure out defenses someday. </p>
https://www.theringer.com/nfl/2020/10/26/21533937/nfl-week-7-winners-losers-todd-gurley-falcons-titans-dk-metcalf-jetsRodger Sherman2020-10-26T02:14:48-04:002020-10-26T02:14:48-04:00Kyler Murray Outdueled Russell Wilson in the Wildest Game of the NFL Season
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<img alt="Seattle Seahawks v Arizona Cardinals" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/BzLvgCIBk444WKtxEbnAZTZHQzk=/99x0:3000x2176/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/67688300/1282231950.jpg.0.jpg" />
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<p>It’s been said that Seattle never plays a normal game, and ‘Sunday Night Football’ was no exception</p> <aside id="TL4Ow2"><div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data='{"stories":[{"title":"Everything You Need to Know About Week 7 of the 2020 NFL Season","url":"https://www.theringer.com/nfl/2020/10/23/21530189/everything-you-need-to-know-about-week-7-of-the-2020-nfl-season"}]}'></div></aside><p id="RUvCkS">Two weeks ago, the Seahawks played a <em>Monday Night Football</em> <a href="https://www.theringer.com/nfl/2020/10/12/21512459/russell-wilson-seattle-seahawks-minnesota-vikings-week-5">nail-biter</a> against the Vikings. They failed to score in the first half and eventually clawed their way back into the contest in the second. Seattle won the game in the first two minutes on a 94-yard drive. It was a classic Russell Wilson performance. It was also part of a longstanding trend of close, wild Seahawks games—especially in prime time.</p>
<p id="eNpabw">After that Week 5 win, head coach Pete Carroll was asked why the Seahawks always get themselves into such tricky situations. He seemed to suggest that it’s by design. “I like to feel like I felt in that fourth quarter, when I was chilled about the whole thing, so that I can think clearly, operate well, function well for these guys and do whatever I can to contribute,” Carroll <a href="https://www.seahawks.com/video/pete-carroll-week-5-postgame-2020-press-conference-vs-vikings">said</a>. “It’s the process of building a mentality of a really successful team.”</p>
<p id="sr900K">This week, on <em>Sunday Night Football</em>, the Seahawks discovered the downside of getting into so many close contests: Eventually your luck runs out. In one of the weirdest games of this NFL season—even for a team that is known to <a href="https://twitter.com/bykevinclark/status/1194116141280460800">never play in normal games</a>—the Seahawks fell just short against the Cardinals, losing 37-34 in overtime. The back-and-forth contest felt like the NFL’s idea of a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwm_N2PCUz8">Stefon skit</a>. It had everything: a wide receiver chasing 90-plus yards downfield to make a tackle and save a pick-six; an incomprehensible number of circus catches; back-to-back interceptions; a coach going for a field goal on second down, that same coach icing his own kicker, and his kicker missing said field goal; two quarterbacks leading their respective teams in rushing; and three interceptions from the MVP front-runner.</p>
<p id="bOQHPs">Let’s start with how the Cardinals won. Quarterback Kyler Murray outdueled Wilson Sunday night, completing 34 of 48 passes for 360 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception. He also picked up 67 yards on the ground via a mix of designed QB runs and scrambles, and added another score with his legs.</p>
<p id="taQWpe">The game demanded that Murray be at his best in the fourth quarter, when he got the ball with 4:16 left to play and his team down 34-24. Murray put together a 14-play, 75-yard drive and punched the ball into the end zone with a dart to wideout Christian Kirk. This drive was also crucially aided by a catastrophic unsportsmanlike conduct penalty against Seattle, which erased a fourth-and-12. When Murray got the ball back after a Seahawk punt, he drove 54 yards for the field goal. He added another 49-yard drive in overtime for another field goal attempt (this one was missed) and a quick, 19-yard drive after that to set up the game-winner. It was the most impressive performance of Murray’s career—and he had a hell of a time putting it together:</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Kyler Murray saw DeAndre Hopkins in man coverage and laughed out loud. <a href="https://t.co/CqE5iDH9Gn">pic.twitter.com/CqE5iDH9Gn</a></p>— Jeff Eisenband (@JeffEisenband) <a href="https://twitter.com/JeffEisenband/status/1320535913806598145?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 26, 2020</a>
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<p id="BTee6j">Wilson’s night was nearly as impressive, but a few key mistakes doomed the Seahawks. His first notable miscue came with a little more than eight minutes remaining in the second quarter, when he threw one of the ugliest interceptions of his career (though, funnily enough, not the ugliest interception he’s ever thrown in Arizona’s <a href="https://twitter.com/PFF_Fantasy/status/1320536235891372033">end zone</a>). The pick should have been returned for a touchdown, but the Seahawks have a 6-foot-4 wide receiver who runs a 4.33 40-yard dash. DK Metcalf sprinted down the field to catch Budda Baker from behind. </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">DK METCALF IS THE FASTEST MAN ALIVE <a href="https://t.co/SdDkZ1ZBx9">pic.twitter.com/SdDkZ1ZBx9</a></p>— PFF Fantasy Football (@PFF_Fantasy) <a href="https://twitter.com/PFF_Fantasy/status/1320536235891372033?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 26, 2020</a>
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<p id="d6ZG0h">Even more remarkably, this takeaway netted zero points for the Cardinals. They gained 5 yards on the ensuing possession before turning it over on downs.</p>
<p id="UkdldW">Wilson threw two other interceptions, but he had his highlights, too. He connected with Tyler Lockett for 200 yards and three touchdowns, including this towering moonshot in the second quarter:</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Russell Wilson is the best deep ball passer in the league. <br><br> (via <a href="https://twitter.com/NFL?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NFL</a>) <a href="https://t.co/nXpAzjAUP8">pic.twitter.com/nXpAzjAUP8</a></p>— #RingerNFL (@ringernfl) <a href="https://twitter.com/ringernfl/status/1320543438937280513?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 26, 2020</a>
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<p id="9HZCxb">And this impossible back-of-the-end zone grab:</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">HOW DID LOCKETT GET HIS FEET DOWN FOR THE TD <br><br>(via <a href="https://twitter.com/NFL?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NFL</a>) <a href="https://t.co/Wud9wJe2Eg">pic.twitter.com/Wud9wJe2Eg</a></p>— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) <a href="https://twitter.com/SportsCenter/status/1320564672081350656?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 26, 2020</a>
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<p id="QurVs5">The weirdness of this game only ramped up in overtime. After the Cardinals tied the game with a buzzer-beater field goal, they lost the coin toss to the Seahawks. That seemed to all but guarantee Seattle victory, as both defenses had struggled throughout the game. But Wilson was sacked twice on the opening drive and Seattle got a false start penalty. Facing fourth-and-21, the Seahawks had to punt.</p>
<p id="Dq9wLm">Murray hit Larry Fitzgerald for 7 yards on first down to start the Arizona drive, then running back Chase Edmonds—filling in for the injured Kenyan Drake—picked up 32 on the next play. The Cardinals were in business. A handful of dink-and-dunk passes later, and Arizona was at Seattle’s 23-yard line facing a second-and-15. That’s when, rather than continue to attack a defense that had let up 500 yards to that point, coach Kliff Kingsbury decided to kick a field goal before he had to. A 41-yard attempt is no gimme, and Kingsbury even iced his own kicker, Zane Gonzalez, before the attempt, calling a timeout just before the ball was snapped. Gonzalez made the practice shot—but he missed the real thing. </p>
<p id="pslZ7n">That set up the chance for more Wilson heroics, and exactly the type of mentality-building situation Carroll described earlier this month. Unfortunately for the Seahawks, Wilson did this:</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">ISAIAH SIMMONS. INTERCEPTED.<br><br> : <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SEAvsAZ?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SEAvsAZ</a> on NBC<br> : NFL app // Yahoo Sports app: <a href="https://t.co/FSTZl0ocgC">https://t.co/FSTZl0ocgC</a> <a href="https://t.co/7iBDB8qJQr">pic.twitter.com/7iBDB8qJQr</a></p>— NFL (@NFL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1320578177228361728?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 26, 2020</a>
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<p id="rXDNII">That interception, Wilson’s third of the night, was fatal. The Cardinals picked up just 19 yards after that, but Gonzalez hit a 48-yard field goal to win the game. It was Seattle’s first loss of the season—and the weirdest contest in the league this year.</p>
<p id="35Ws5n">This game taught us a lot. It showed that the Cardinals, now 5-2, are a real playoff force. It cracked the race for the NFC West wide open. It gave us a glimpse of the kind of magical connection that exists between Wilson and Lockett, even when Metcalf is being taken away by an elite opposing cornerback. It showed us that Kingsbury’s late-game strategy and thinking on field goals needs a lot of work.</p>
<p class="c-end-para" id="LzdJgP">But the biggest lesson is for Carroll. The head coach seems to believe his team thrives in high-pressure, do-or-die situations. That’s clearly been the case for much of his tenure in Seattle—but sometimes it’s probably best to just avoid those situations in the first place. They don’t always work out.</p>
https://www.theringer.com/nfl/2020/10/26/21533960/kyler-murray-russell-wilson-cardinals-seahawks-overtimeRiley McAtee