It has been three weeks since my last NFL rundown, and there are some big questions looming. Which teams are contenders and which are pretenders? Which teams did we count out too early? What should I look out for in the second half of the season? Countless questions are waiting to be answered. But let us begin by breaking down some of this week’s action.
This was the week of the quarterback, with the highs and the lows of the position on display. The first and second picks of last year’s NFL draft, Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young and Houston Texans quarterback C. J. Stroud, faced off in a duel that saw Carolina get the last laugh in a 15-13 final for the Panthers, earning them their first win of the season. Young looked great, completing 22 out of 31 of his throws, 235 passing yards and a touchdown to outperform a struggling Stroud, who averaged 303 passing yards in his first four games but has averaged only 196 yards per game in his last three. In Tennessee, rookie quarterback Will Levis was stunning with an impressive four touchdowns in the Titans’ win over the Atlanta Falcons. Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins went down in the fourth quarter with a torn Achilles tendon, joining fellow quarterback Aaron Rodgers in a lengthy recovery process. In other poor quarterback news, Patrick Mahomes was just disappointing in the Kansas City Chiefs’ surprising loss to the Denver Broncos. This brings us to our first question: Who is a contender to win the championship, and who is a pretender?
Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs started the season with a disappointing loss against the Detroit Lions after winning the Super Bowl last season. From that point on, the Chiefs won six straight games behind the star duo of Mahomes and Travis Kelce (maybe a trio with Taylor Swift). Behind that deceiving six-game run is the fact that three of those wins were one-score games (where the final score was only one touchdown or less of a difference). The Chiefs’ luck ended Sunday as a struggling Mahomes could not muster any semblance of strength or formidability, and Kansas City solidified itself as our first pretender. Our other pretender is the San Francisco 49ers. Heading into a bye week, the 49ers have a lot to sort out after losing their last three games. Most of the 49ers’ early wins were against pretty bad teams, and their only claim to fame was a single impressive victory (frankly, a fluke, if you ask me) against the Dallas Cowboys. San Francisco is banged up (which the time off of a bye week should help with), but they will also need to get to work tightening up their once-solid defense and now mistake-prone offense. The 49ers have the right weapons to be a contender but will need to put the pieces together once again..
The first contender is clear: The Dallas Cowboys. Four weeks ago, Dallas lost by 32 points to the San Francisco 49ers, but the Cowboys have bounced back in a resilient fashion since, posting 43 points in a decisive victory over the Los Angeles Rams this week. Every aspect of the Cowboys’ offense is fantastic. From their tough offensive line to their dangerous running game and explosive passing, it is not going to be easy to stop Dallas. The Cowboys will face their real test next week, in a matchup with our other contender, the Philadelphia Eagles. It is hard to ignore the vengeful play that is coming out of Philadelphia. The Eagles have asserted such dominance behind a seven-and-one record that football fans are even calling for their marquee play on fourth-and-short—the “tush push” (a play where the offensive players rally behind quarterback Jalen Hurts and push him across the first-down line)—to be banned. This Philadelphia offense is special, averaging 26.6 points and 390 yards per game, respectively third and fourth in the NFL. The defense is solid too, allowing an NFL-leading under 70 rushing yards per game. The Eagles look ready for another title run.
Who did we count out too early? I would say the New York Jets and the Cincinnati Bengals. After starting the season 0-3, the Bengals have had their foot on the gas pedal ever since, with their most recent victories coming against a pair of good teams in the Seahawks and 49ers. Joe Burrow, too, is back, posting a career high 87.5 completion percentage behind 28-for-32 passing with 283 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions to give San Francisco their first home loss in 11 games. The Bengals, simply, are back. The New York Jets took care of business after what was frankly a poor game of football against their neighbors, The New York Giants. Zach Wilson forced overtime with an impressive fourth-quarter drive to see an overtime victory in rainy East Rutherford. The Jets have now won three straight games, including a victory over the Eagles. Despite losing quarterback Rodgers with a torn Achilles tendon, the Jets have been an exciting team to watch, now vying for a spot in the AFC playoff race.
Going forward, there are three main things to look out for. First, what is going on with the Buffalo Bills? They were neither a contender nor a pretender because it is just too hard to tell. The Bills topped the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday Night Football but did not look as decisive as they should have. Buffalo has an array of weapons and a star-studded offense, but they have not been able close out games in the fourth quarter this season, with more than half of their games ending in a five-point-or-less margin. Next, are the Chicago Bears making me swallow my words? No—well, yes. I was ready to explain why the Bears qualified for the “Who did we count out too early?” section, but, after a 30-13 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, we are not quite ready for that yet. Rookie quarterback Tyson Bagent has been filling in for Justin Fields and has looked solid in doing so, earning a win last week. The Bears defense has been good the past couple weeks as well, but unfortunately, they could not keep it going against the Chargers’ powerful offense. Look out for the Bears to get going, but they only have so much time to build momentum. Finally, keep an eye out for the AFC North, quietly flying under the radar as an intriguing playoff race. The Ravens, Steelers, Browns and Bengals are all above .500 and have had impressive moments. The Week 17 game—between the Steelers and Ravens, and Browns and Bengals—is certain to have playoff implications.
With more and more on the line, teams will either solidify themselves as contenders or dissipate into the dark realm as pretenders. In what is becoming a season of surprises, I would not be surprised if the Bears staged a late-season playoff campaign or if the contending Cowboys suffered a couple of losses, including one next week against the strong Eagles.
Henry France is an extraordinary writer. Keep it coming.