Bryan Knowles
Brian Knowles Football Outsiders Staff

Bryan Knowles

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Covering NFL since 2006
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Sunday NFL Liveblog: Bills, Ravens Promise Passing Fireworks

October 02, 2022, 12:41 am ET
52
Bills QB Josh Allen
Bills QB Josh Allen
Photo: USA Today Sports Images

NFL Week 4 - Alright, it's Week 4, so let's start the season, but for real this time.

Some early-season struggles can be written off as rust or early day jitters or a lack of chemistry from new faces in new places, especially if you're one of the teams that opted not to play any starters in the preseason. New quarterbacks, new offenses, new coaches and coordinators -- these things take time to gel, and some early September jitters don't necessarily mean that the long-term prognosis for a team is bad. Teams can survive even terrible early season starts and still be in position to make some noise down the stretch, especially in this era of 17 games and 14 playoff teams. Even the 0-3 Raiders still have time to figure out what's wrong with the connection between Derek Carr and Davante Adams.

But as we move into October, that time is beginning to run out. If a team wants to make some actual noise this year, it's time for them to turn things on. We're getting past the point where just saying things will get better isn't really cutting it anymore; teams that want to contend better be rounding into midseason form now, lest they be left in the dust ere All Hallows Eve. Whether you're playing in front of an anxious home crowd, traveling into hostile confines, or jetsetting over to London, it's time to get things started.

And, because we're live, you can participate in the discussion as well! Join in on the conversation -- either in the comment section in this article, on Twitter by tagging @FBOutsiders or @BryKno, or on our brand new Discord server, where some of your favorite writers will be hanging out and reacting live. Questions, comments, and particularly clever quips will find their way into the liveblog proper as we have a running conversation throughout gameday. 

The day technically starts with a London matchup, with the Saints and Vikings battling at Tottenham Hotspur stadium.  While the liveblog itself doesn't start until the normal window of games, you should be seeing this in plenty of time for the comments section to serve as the open thread, just like it does for the Sunday night games.  And who knows; I may well pop in for the second half if things get really exciting.

Here in the states, we have 12 games on tap for you.

Early Window

  • Browns (-1) @ Falcons
  • Bills (-3) @ Ravens
  • Commanders (+3) @ Cowboys
  • Chargers (-6) @ Texans
  • Seahawks (+3.5) @ Lions
  • Titans (+3.5) @ Colts
  • Bears (+3) @ Giants
  • Jaguars (+6.5) @ Eagles
  • Jets (+3.5) @ Steelers

Late Window

  • Cardinals (+1) @ Panthers
  • Broncos (+2.5) @ Raiders
  • Patriots (+9) @ Packers

The night is capped off with the Chiefs at the Buccaneers. We won't be liveblogging that -- I'll shift over the the Discord server for the late night window -- but this will serve as the open thread for discussion of that game, too.

London Calling: Saints vs. Vikings

I've never been a huge fan of these early morning London kickoffs; I prefer it when they're in primetime over there and squeezed in among the regular window back in the States. But the NFL wants the extra window, so here we are -- and, fortunately for the viewers and unfortunately for my sleep schedule, it's a pretty good matchup. Admittedly, it looked better before news came out that Michael Thomas is out and Jameis Winston is doubtful for this one, so it looks like Dalton, Andy Dalton, will be starting for New Orleans in this one. And if the Saints thought they were getting off to slow starts back at home, wait until they're starting with a jetlagged backup quarterback! The last time Dennis Allen coached a team in London, he was fired on the plane ride back. That probably won't happen this time around, but the 1-2 Saints really can't afford to drop to 1-3. We'll see if travel plans affect anything here -- the Vikings stuck as close as they could to their normal schedule, flying overseas on Thursday. The Saints, meanwhile, have been there since Monday, adapting to the time change.

Saturday Evening: Early Window Headlines

The main slate of games today is heavily slanted towards the early window, which is stuffed fill with entertaining matchups.

Ravens-Bills is pretty clearly the game of the week, as Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson may be your two MVP front runners through three weeks. We last saw Buffalo gasping for air in the humid Miami weather, and they now have to pick themselves back up to stop a Ravens offense that has had Lamar Jackson threatening 70-year old NFL records throughout the first month of the season; have fun with that. The Bills are tired, banged up, and likely to be playing in the rainy aftermath of Hurricane Ian in Baltimore, so that should be fun. Then again, even a banged-up and tired Buffalo defense is likely going to provide stiffer opposition than the Ravens' defense; Buffalo currently ranks second in defensive DVOA at -32.1%, while the Ravens are 18th at 4.0%. I'm expecting fireworks in what could well be a playoff preview.

Browns-Falcons will be a matchup between the two top running backs in DYAR...assuming Cordarrelle Patterson plays. He's questionable with a knee, but he's been practicing and we're expecting him to suit up barring any last-minute setbacks. Obviously, Nick Chubb is more the type of player you think of when you think great running backs, but Patterson's actually been used more as a pure rusher this season than the receiver hybrid he technically profiles as; it'll be interesting to see if that workload continues over the course of the season. Also questionable in this one: Myles Garrett, after flipping his car after practice this week. And any 4th quarter lead for either team, with the Falcons and Browns both already showing this year that they are capable of collapsing in huge ways at the buzzer.

Eagles-Jaguars is a matchup between the second and fourth-place teams in DVOA, as well as our preseason NFC favorites against the team we were subjectively high on in the AFC South; call it the "you should buy the Almanac bowl". It's also, you know, Super Bowl champion coach Doug Pederson returning to Philadelphia for the first time since he was let go, if you want actual storylines and stuff like that. I hope Pederson gets a standing ovation from the Philly crowd, booed for three hours straight, and then another ovation when he leaves. At the very least, I imagine Eagles fans have fonder memories of Pederson than they did of Carson Wentz, who they saw in last week's reunion game.  Old faces, new places on the early schedule for Philly.

Chargers-Texans is about as interesting a game as you can get involving a team with no wins to this point in the season. A full-strength Chargers team should wipe the floor with the Texans, but these Chargers are anything but full strength. Justin Herbert is still dealing with the rib fracture. Keenan Allen is out, and it looks like Corey Linsley will be, as well. Joey Bosa is on IR. J.C. Jackson, Austin Johnson and Donald Parham are all on the injury report. Can the half-strength Chargers limp their way through a road game, or can the Texans pounce on an opportunity?

Elsewhere, Zach Wilson returns to lead the Jets against the Patriots. David Montgomery will be out for the Bears, meaning Justin Fields has to lead Chicago to victory over the Giants. Cooper Rush tries to go 4-0 against a Washington team just trying to pull itself together. Detroit tries to figure out what to do without both Aman-Ra St. Brown and D'Andre Swift. And the Colts and Titans meet in what should have been a showdown at the top of the AFC South; now it's just trying to keep pace with a hot Jaguars team.

Saturday Evening: Alternate Helmets

This is the first week in NFL history where teams will begin to wear alternate helmets, thanks to the rule changes this past offseason. Thursday saw the Bengals bust out the all-whites for their Bengal Tiger look, which was met with subpar reviews on the FO Discord. Today, we get the Saints wearing their strange black fleur-de-lised charged helmets. I like the black helmet look a lot, actually -- they experimented with it in the late 1960s, it never became a thing, and now they're reviving it. Not sure about the stripe, mind you, but I think it'll look good with the Color Rush unis they're bringing out in London.

We're also getting the debut of the Commanders' black helmet, which seems very bland and meh, and it's not helped by the fact that the Commanders' whole look has no ties to their previous identity, and so having an alternate of something new seems...pointless? The fact that the helmets don't look good on their own doesn't help. This franchise needs to find some kind of sartorial identity; I get that the sudden change in branding hurts, but c'mon guys, this is what you get paid for.

The Giants are also bringing out their throwback helmets, but we saw them wear the same things last week against the Cowboys.  Well, almost -- that was just a decal swap on their lighter blue helmet; they'll be wearing an ever-so-slightly darker navy helmet to go along with their 1980-99 throwbacks this week. It amuses me to no end that they have two looks which are nigh-identical.

Which one looks best to you?

10:56 AM: Vikings vs. Saints

These early-window games are going to be the death of me, but Vikings-Saints has been going on as I've been prepping for the blog today.  The Vikings are out to a 13-7 lead, but they probably should have more -- they kicked a scaredy-cat field goal on 4th & 1, and then decided to use zero (0) timeouts after getting the ball back in field goal range with 56 seconds left. We'll see if that comes back to haunt them, but against Andy Dalton, it may well be a moot point.

11:35 AM: Early Inactives

We already knew a bunch of stars would be out this week -- Myles Garrett, Amon-Ra St. Brown, D'Andre Swift, David Montgomery, Keenan Allen, Mac Jones and so on.

Add Zay Jones to that list, but there are a significant number of players who are active after being questionable this week, including Shaq Leonard and Cordarrelle Patterson. Some bright spots in what has been an injury-plagued early season around the league.

12:00 PM: Vikings vs. Saints

The Saints have just taken the lead in England. I fully expect the Vikings to have the higher post-game win expectancy, and also to deserve a loss 100% if the score holds.

12:36 PM: Vikings vs. Saints

The score didn't hold!  The Saints kicked a 60-yard field goal with 1:50 left -- one our model didn't like, by the by; giving the Saints a win probability of 27.4% by going for it, and just 19.9% with a field goal attempt. In addition to being a 60-yarder, and therefore tough, it gave Minnesota the ball back with three timeouts.  The Vikings scored, but there was enough time on the clock for the Saints to get BACK into field goal range.  They lined up for a 61-yarder, as Mark Sanchez said that the Saints needed one more yard to be comfortable. Well, that's ridiculous, what's the difference between a 60- and a 61-yarder, he says...

...as Wil Lutz's kick ends up doinking off the crossbar.  No good. One yard further, and we'd be going to overtime. Well, shut my mouth.

Getting ready for the main slate and the start of the blog proper!

1:07 PM: Bills at Ravens

The game of the week, on paper, sees the Ravens and Bills in a potential playoff preview. We said that we expected passing fireworks, but the first big play is a defensive one. Calais Campbell gets a fingertip on a Josh Allen pass, deflecting it just enough for Marlon Humphrey to come down with an interception on Buffalo's first possession.

That gets quickly cashed in, and it's 7-0, Ravens.  Very early, but first blood goes to Baltimore.

1:09 PM: Chargers at Texans

And speaking of interceptions becoming points early, Davis Mills airballs everyone and is picked off by Nasir Adderely. Yes, Khalil Mack got pressure, but that ball needed to be thrown away, not put up for grabs. Justin Herbert hits Gerald Everett for a score a few plays later, and the Chargers are out to an early 7-0 lead.

1:11 PM: Jaguars at Eagles

And speaking of interceptions becoming points early, Jalen Hurts makes a poor decision and throws a late ball, tipped up into the air, and Andre Cisco grabs the interception, returning it 59 yards for a score

Make that 7-0 Jaguars early, too.  Lots of picks!

1:14 PM: Seahawks at Lions

The Lions are slightly undermanned today.

But it's the Seahawks' offense who strikes first, thanks to some nice cooking by Geno Smith -- a 17 yard run, followed by big pickups by Will Dissly and Colby Parkinson leading to a Seattle 7-0 lead. If the Seahawks can't beat the Lions minus all their big playmakers, they've got problems.

Vince Verhei: NFL completion percentage leader Geno Smith goes 6-of-7 on his first drive, capping things off with a touchdown to Will Dissly. Dissly’s up to 3-34-1 after one possession; he’s always had great efficiency numbers, now he’s starting to get volume too.

1:18 PM: Titans at Colts

Speaking of defensive plays becoming points early, Matt Ryan's pocket awareness seems to be in midseason form...

That sack-fumble becomes points, and the Titans are up 7-0 in what should have been a huge AFC South game.  Might still be, if either of these teams can turn things around; it is still early.

1:20 PM: Seahawks at Lions

Seattle forces a quick three-and-out of Detroit, looking fully ready to take advantage of the shorthanded Lions. But Tyler Lockett, of all people, can't hold on to the ensuing punt, and the Lions fall on top of it. On the very next play, the Seahawks opt not to cover T.J. Hockenson ~at all~, and we are...not tied at seven, as Detroit misses the extra point. But game, matched.

1:22 PM: Bears at Giants

Daniel Jones may not be a great quarterback, but he's still got some wheels.

Dave Bernreuther: I'm watching the Giants-Bears game on the main screen right now because a) I'm disgusted with another Carson Wentz - err, Matt Ryan - sack-fumble and b) this uniform matchup makes me feel like it's the 1980s and I'm in the lobby of the Skaneateles NY hockey rink watching Walter Payton battle Lawrence Taylor in the playoffs.

1:26 PM: Jaguars at Eagles

Cale Clinton: I’m deeply impressed with this Jacksonville defense. A pick six and a great pass breakup through the first two drives. The play has been greater than the sun of its parts here, but I’m just really surprised at the defensive line’s ability to get penetration and the secondary providing some fantastic coverage over top. When I wrote up JAX-IND for Any Given Sunday, I figured that the Colts’ really poor offensive performance by VOA wouldn’t look any prettier come adjustment because I thought this run by Jacksonville’s D wouldn’t keep up. Happy to have been proven wrong through the following two games

The Jaguars are playing really well, though they're also catching some breaks early -- the pick six was a tipped ball, and James Robinson fumbled in the red zone, right to his own teammate.  Better lucky than good, but best both lucky AND good, as Trevor Lawrence has the Jaguars moving smoothly -- 8 plays, 80 yards resulting in another touchdown and a 14-0 lead.

Dave Bernreuther: Good for the Jags, going up two touchdowns early. They really do look like a real football team now. Man what a colossally bad hire Urban Meyer was.

1:28 PM: Seahawks at Lions

Geno Smith is dealing today. 9-for-10 for 119 yards and a score, plus two rushes for 25 yards and another touchdown as the Seahawks jump out to a 14-6 first quarter lead. We all remembered to start him in fantasy, yeah?

1:29 PM: Browns at Falcons

There was some doubt if Cordarrelle Patterson was going to suit up for this one, and even if he was, maybe he'd get spelled more by his backups.  So far, not so much -- six carries, 25 yards and a touchdown for Patterson in the battle of the two leading rushers in DYAR.  Falcons have a 10-0 lead late in the first.

1:31 PM: Running With Authority

In the RedZone double box, we got two fantastic touchdown runs simultaneously. For the Ravens, JK Dobbins is back after missing the first three weeks of the season; he's bowling over people once again and pounded his way through the Bills defense for a touchdown and a 14-3 lead for Baltimore, a bit of a surprise early.  And then, for the Titans, Derrick Henry did this.

Shylax, via the FO Discord: Damn, Henry looking like he's playing rookie mode on that TD.

1:40 PM: Titans at Colts

Lots of AFC South fans on the FO Staff; not all of them happy with what's going on.

Dave Bernreuther: Worth pointing out: The Matt Ryan fumble that led to the first score was caused by ex-Colt Denico Autry and came one-on-one against Quentin Nelson on a four-man rush. The Colts' O-Line woes are not entirely due to new personnel or injuries. And, if I'm being honest, I'm getting tired of seeing former Colts pass rushers (mainly thinking about Jerry Hughes here) have good careers in other locations while the Colts struggle to find a pass rush. It's starting to resemble New York Islanders goalies.

Cale Clinton: Quenton Nelson has really looked mortal this year. This o-line has fallen off in a way I never really anticipated. Also, that Isles comment really hit home

1:42 PM: Jets at Steelers

We all had the first Zach Wilson touchdown of the year being a reception, right?  Sure.

Trick plays are great. More, please.

1:43 PM: Chargers at Texans

Not good? The Houston Texans. A terribly shanked field goal gives the Chargers the ball in solid field position, and Herbert starts dealing from there.  Herbert looks more comfortable this week than he did last; he's 6-for-8 for 61 yards and a score. Of course, that touchdown was last drive; this drive saw Austin Ekeler walk in untouched from about 10 yards out, giving the Chargers a 14-0 lead early in the second quarter.

1:45 PM: Jaguars at Eagles

Vince Verhei: Eagles have a fourth-and-3 in no man’s land. They go for it, but Hurts throws a pass under pressure that is so bad I honestly can’t tell if he was trying to throw it away or not. Jaguars follow with their own fourth-and-3 in no man’s land, but Trevor Lawrence stumbles and fumbles while rolling out. Rainy day football!

The remnants of the hurricane are causing some havoc on the East Coast.

1:46 PM: Browns at Falcons

The Browns have been moving the ball well, but hadn't cashed in yet.  Their first drive ended with Jacoby Brissett throwing the ball away on 4th-and-3 inside the five yard line, which is less than ideal, and a fumble killed their second drive.  But Brissett finally gets Cleveland on the board on drive number three, dancing and juking his way around Falcons defenders utterly frozen by a pump fake.  That cuts the Falcons lead to 10-7.

1:49 PM: Titans at Colts

Mike Tanier: Did the Colts just try to draw the defense offsides on 4th and goal?

Dave Bernreuther: Oh man... Pittman was open and Ryan had him, but he sailed it a tiny bit out of bounds and Pittman couldn't get his back foot down. Reich leaves the offense out but then takes the penalty and sends out the practice squad kicker. Down 14-0. You can probably guess my opinion of that one

1:52 PM: Jaguars at Eagles

A quarterback draw on third-and-16? Well, that only makes sense if you're going to go for it on fourth. The Eagles do, in fact, opt to go for it, and Jalen Hurts runs again, getting clobbered at the goal line but just getting the ball across, and the game is joined.  14-7, Jaguars, midway through two.

1:54 PM: Chargers at Texans

This is not a replay; this is Austin Ekeler once again picking up a huge gain for a touchdown.

That's a 21-0 lead early in the second quarter, and I'm calling this one early. The Texans just can't hang with the Chargers in the least.

1:57 PM: Bills at Ravens

A tale of two plays, courtesy of Aaron Schatz:

Aaron Schatz: Bills just blitzed like 8 guys and it looked like 100 guys it was just all the guys. Offensive holding.

...

Lamar Jackson just escaped a sack, I have no idea how he did it, and he chucked it 21 yards downfield and it was a tip drill and Duvernay came down with it. Insane.

Live by the blitz, die by the blitz.

1:58 PM: Commanders at Cowboys.

Warning: Watching the Commanders new uniforms may cause motion sickness and emotional trauma. Consult your doctor if exposed to more than four hours of the Commanders new uniforms.

(Washington takes a 7-6 lead.)

2:01 PM: Bears at Giants

I have no explanation for what the Chicago defense is doing.

Dave Bernreuther: Eddie Jackson (a safety) just blitzed from a different zip code on a handoff to Saquon Barkley. Almost got home, but he chose the wrong gap; Barkley slid slightly to his right and took off for a big gain. I'm not ready to say that you should never send DBs from the other side of the field, because there's always value in variety, but it sure seems to me that Barkley saw that one before the snap and adapted pretty easily to it, and absent a linebacker coming around the edge to fill the gap to Barkley's right... I'm having a hard time seeing the point of that one.

That's followed by an easy, easy, easy walk-in touchdown for Daniel Jones.  The Giants are averaging 8.8 yards per rush, with 123 yards on the ground midway through the second quarter. Chicago can't stop anyone on the ground today.

2:06 PM: Titans at Colts

Dave Bernreuther: I want to pile on Matt Ryan some more about his latest pick, but that was a freakishly good effort by Teair Tart to not just get a hand on that (not that unusual) but immediately react and sprint back to catch the ball as well. That's the second time he has had a great effort to get a hand on a Ryan pass (he came flying left-to-right to tip one earlier) and this one leads to a short field for another Titans score. It's 24-3 now and I am not regretting cutting corners when setting up my TVs this morning.

2:07 PM: Jaguars at Eagles

Remember when the Jaguars had a 14-0 lead? Yeah, that was fun.

Nice to see the battle joined, especially as a few of these other games race towards blowouts.

Vince Verhei: Man, this Jags-Eagles game turned around fast. Jaguars looked like they were driving for a three-score lead at one point. But they go three-and-out after the first Eagles touchdown, and Philadelphia takes the ball and scores again, Miles Sanders running it in this time. We’re tied 14-14 late in the second quarter.

2:11 PM: Seahawks at Lions

Vince Verhei: Seahawks try a wide receiver screen. Of course, they screw it up. “Pass interference, offense, number 14 and 19, repeat first down.”

Well, that aside, things are getting well for Seattle.  A Khalif Raymond fumble sets up the Seahawks in solid field position, and Geno makes it better by hitting D.K. Metcalf for 54 yards, setting up a score.  It's 24-9 midway through the second quarter; I'd bet on a healthy Detroit team making this close, but they're drastically shorthanded.

2:16 PM: Commanders at Cowboys

This is where I plug my Cooper Rush article, right? I think so.

Some great calmness under pressure there, avoiding the Commanders pass rush and finding Michael Gallup in the back of the endzone to take the lead...just 12-6, because the extra point is no good, but still. Nice play.

2:18 PM: Titans at Colts

Don't count the Colts out just yet!  Matt Ryan is hitting some big passes in between the sacks and fumbles, and sometimes, the net effect of that is forward progress.  Ryan's up to 170 yards passing, and just hit Mo Alie-Cox for a touchdown to cut the lead to 24-10, Titans; this is still in play!

2:22 PM: Jaguars at Eagles

Remember what I said about the Jaguars having good luck? Forget that. Get that out of your head. Trevor Lawrence has lost two fumbles already, one from a botched snap, and Philadelphia has turned them both into touchdowns.   The Eagles had to convert a fourth down to make this one happen, but you do what you have to do, and they're more than willing to go for those 4th-and-shorts.

Elliott misses the extra point, so it's 20-14 Eagles. Who said this one would be low scoring due to the weather?

2:25 PM: Bills at Ravens

The Bills get into the end zone before halftime and try to keep this one a contest. Big, gutsy drive considering the way this game's been going -- first drive all day where Josh Allen has looked like, well, Josh Allen.  11 plays, 76 yards in just 1:38, and it's a 20-10 Ravens lead at the half.

Good game.  Not a great game yet, but good, with second-half potential.

2:30 PM: Seahawks at Lions

Detroit Lions Avoid a Fourth Down Decision Challenge (Impossible!)

...Wait, wrong medium.

Anyhoo, the Lions had 1st-and-goal from the 1 at the end of the half.  They got stuffed, then Goff overthrew Hockenson, then they got stuffed again. Dan Campbell goes for it on fourth, as is his want, and they Lions do finally punch it in.  It's great you're OK with going for it on fourth down, Lions, but maybe try using your first three plays!  24-15 Seahawks at the half.

Vince Verhei: Fourth-and-goal, last play of the half, Lions go for it and Jamaal Williams runs in the score. But they miss their second extra point of the day, and the Seahawks still lead 24-15. The Detroit offense is hanging in there without D’Andre Swift or Amon-Ra St. Brown, but their defense looks hopeless. Seahawks have zero punts or turnovers, and have only gotten to third down four times in four drives. Now they will try to hold on with an offense that has not scored a second-half touchdown all year.

2:33 PM: Bad Football Roundup

Cale Clinton:  There’s the Zach Wilson from last year. Missed multiple close passes, then airmailed a ball a few yards over the intended receiver’s head, Sutton leaves his coverage of Elijah Moore to track the ball down and pick him off

Loser League, you are gone, but not forgotten.

2:46 PM: Bills at Ravens

Aaron Schatz: The book was to blitz Lamar Jackson. Jackson responded by being great against the blitz first three games of this year. Bills do not care. They're blitzing a lot. It's doing well.

Indeed, Jackson has cooled off since his hot start.  I mean, he's still 13-for-19 for 108 yards and a touchdown, but the Bills are doing a good job keeping him from having time to hit some of the big plays he was pulling off in Weeks 1-3.  That's what's keeping this game close.

2:47 PM: Seahawks at Lions

Can the Lions turn their points at the end of the first half into back-to-back points? Well, Jared Goff DOES throw a touchdown pass...just to the wrong team.

That was with no pressure too.  That was ugly.

2:53 PM: Jets at Steelers

This is not a drill: Kenny Pickett is in the game.  Three and a half games was apparently more than enough for Mike Tomlin and the Steelers; their first-round rookie takes over down 10-6 early in the third quarter.

2:57 PM: Titans at Colts

The Colts are firing back!  A sack forces a three-and-out on the Titans first drive of the second half, then march down 8 plays, 67 yards for yet another Mo Alie-Cox touchdown. Hope you have him active in fantasy, as the Colts cut the lead to 24-17. Ballgame on...

3:07 PM: Seahawks at Lions

Points are coming in bunches in this one.  The Seahawks were driving again, but a field goal was missed wiiiide to the left, giving the Lions new life.  Three plays later, Jamaal Williams takes the handoff and, well...

The Lions opt to go for two, in part because they've already missed two extra points today. It fails, but the Seahawks hold, giving them a second chance.  THAT one is good, and it's 31-23, Seahawks.  Neither team has ever played a normal game.

Vince Verhei: Second-half Seahawks have arrived! The offense drives into scoring range, then they throw incomplete on third down on a pass well short of the sticks anyway, and then miss the ensuing field goal. Jamaal Williams (my pick for player to have a big game this week) busts out a 51-yard touchdown run. Lions get the two-point conversion, and we have a one-score game at 31-23.

3:09 PM: Jets at Steelers

Kenny Pickett's current career line: 1-for-2 for two yards with an interception; two rushes for three yards and a touchdown.  Clearly, he was misdrafted and should be a fullback instead.

The short Pickett touchdown run came off of a Zach Wilson mistake; a big interception by Mikah Fitzpatrick

That makes it 13-10 Steelers.

3:13 PM: Bills at Ravens

And the Bills come all the way back! The defense is clamping down hard; Baltimore only has 12 yards this half. The last punt set up Josh Allen and company; they go 80 yards in nine plays on a play that's basically all Josh Allen

Tie at 20, and we're approaching a chaotic Witching Hour, with eight games within one score. Hoah boy...

3:18 PM: Browns at Falcons

We're going back and forth here, as the teams exchange touchdowns and leads as we approach the midway point in the fourth quarter. For the Falcons, it was Caleb Huntley on a fantastic drive -- eight rushes, 54 yards and a touchdown, just on that drive for him; his first score in the NFL.  The ensuing drive saw Nick Chubb score very much NOT his first touchdown, as the Browns retake the lead 20-17.

And back and forth we go...

3:22 PM: Commanders at Cowboys

A reminder that Cooper Rush was open for anyone to take on August 30th.

Game's not over yet, but the Commanders need a score right here, right now, or they're gonna run out of time.

3:28 PM: Seahawks at Lions

I'm just gonna let Vince take this one.

Vince Verhei: Third-and-16, Seattle throws incomplete, but apparently I am the only one who heard the whistles blowing the play dead, as the announcers have no idea what happened. There was a clock issue, the Seahawks get a second try, and Rashaad Penny runs for a long touchdown. Seattle finally gets a second-half touchdown on offense. Lions were blitzing, and once Penny hit the second level there was just one corner to beat to the end zone.

Game's not over yet, but the Lions need someone to step up for all their injured weapons.

3:32 PM: Jets at Steelers

20 straight points for the Steelers, as we're beginning to get the Pickett-to-Pickens-in-Pittsburgh plays the alliteration gods demanded.  On that last drive, Pickett hit Pickens twice for 17 yards, hit Pat Freiermuth a few more times, and then scrambled in for his second touchdown of the day.  Maybe not an MVP performance, but you know, not a bad look for a half of football with no real practice.  Again, here 20-10 is not game over, but the Steelers can sit on the ball some of they get it back.

3:35 PM: Seahawks at Lions

Never, ever count the Lions out.  The longest pass play of the year (Goff to Hockenson for 81 yards) sets up a Josh Reynolds touchdown, and it's 38-31.  Someone get the oxygen.

3:37 PM: Bears at Giants

The Giants are out of quarterbacks!  Daniel Jones is limping around the field with an ankle; Tyrod Taylor is in the lockerroom.  Saquon Barkley is playing wildcat quarterback, this is not a drill.

3:45 PM: Jets at Steelers

Hey, the Jets finally scored again!

Cale Clinton: Jets dragging themselves out of a touchdown. First-and-goal on the 1, TD wiped off to a false start. The next play, ineligible man downfield pushes them even further back

They do figure it out before running out of downs, with Zach Wilson hitting Corey Davis to make things a 20-17 Steelers lead with 7:31 left.  It's never easy for the Jets, but they're not out of this yet...

3:48 PM: Bears at Giants

Vince Verhei: The Bears just punted on fourth-and-2 from their own 45, down 20-12 with about three minutes to go.

Fire everyone.

3:50 PM: Chaos!

A (probably) game-losing interception, as Jacoby Brissett airmails one against the Falcons!

The Ravens go for it on fourth down, but Lamar Jackson throws an interception in the end zone to keep things at a tie!  That's doubly bad, because part of the benefit from going for it from close to the red zone is the field position; the touchback brings the ball out.

The Bears force a three and out, but the punt returned muffs the ball, and the Giants are going to win.

Carson Wentz throws an INT that ends the Commanders' chance at a comeback.

Colts try and miss a long field goal on 4th-and-21 with two minutes left, ending their game.

Witching hour in full effect.

3:57 PM: Jaguars at Eagles

Vince Verhei: Eagles have a fourth-and-3 near the 20 at the two-minute warning. Up by eight points, a field goal ices the game. But AJ Brown can’t hang onto the ball, it’s a turnover on downs, and th Jaguars will get one more chance to win. That was some bizarrely aggressive play calling.

And then Lawrence is sacked and fumbles and Eagles recover and Jacksonville is out of timeouts and that’s ballgame. Very sloppy game by Lawrence today, gobs of turnovers on both ends of the field.

Mike Tanier: FLY EAGLES FLY. ON THE ROAD TO #1 IN DVOA

3:59 PM: Seahawks at Lions

I put T.J. Hockenson and Jamaal Williams in my fantasy team as a last-minute change, with all the injuries to Detroit's skill position players.  They're up to 66.8 combined points, so I'm having a pretty good early window.

Vince Verhei: Hockenson’s latest touchdown cuts the lead to 41-37. The Lions have missed two XPs today, but Eberle hits this one to make it 41-38, down by just a field goal with five-plus minutes left still.

4:04 PM: Bears at Giants

Cue the circus music.

Man, I wish that had worked. Giants win.

4:06 PM: Bills at Ravens

The Bills complete the comeback!  There was 4:09 left on the clock when they picked Jackson off in the end zone, and they used every second of it -- even kneeling twice on the goal line, to make sure there was ZERO time left on the clock for the Ravens to try to make a comeback; plenty of respect for the Ravens' offense there. Maybe the karma gods should have penalized them by making them miss the chip-shot field goal, but no, Bass nails the 21-yarder, and Buffalo wins 23-20!

There'll be talk about the Ravens' decision to try to score at the goal line rather than kicking a go-ahead field goal on their last drive, but the Bills were moving the ball enough that a field goal likely means they just lose to a touchdown -- they wouldn't have kneeled at the goal line if they were losing, obviously. Good process, bad results -- though I think you CAN criticize them for passing rather than running, as the interception cost them 20 yards of field position.

4:11 PM: Seahawks at Lions:

Vince Verhei: Third-and-5, Seahawks line up Penny on the left side in shotgun. Left tackle and left guard pull to the right and Penny follows their blocks for another long touchdown, and this one should be over at 48-38.

Defenses didn't show up to this one.  Two minutes left, but this DOES seem done.

4:12 PM: Jets at Steelers

It took a while for a review, but the Jets end up taking the lead!  Michael Carter intercepted Kenny Pickett, and Zach Wilson marched the Jets down the field, lighting up the fourth quarter and marching New York 65 yards in 11 plays. Bryce Hall barely -- barely! -- crosses the goal line, and the Jets will come away with the 24-20 win.  Wow!

4:15 PM: Late Game Storylines

Late Game Storylines

On paper, the three-game late slate is a much less appealing set of matchups than the early window.

Honestly, the highlight might be the 0-3 Raiders trying to avoid dropping to 0-4, taking on Nathaniel Hackett's Broncos who...well, let's not say they righted the ship against San Francisco, as last week's game was difficult to watch, but hey, they're 2-1!  And yet the Raiders are favored, which shows you how little respoect the Broncos have to this point in the season. We expect both of these teams to look better down the stretch than they did in Weeks 1-3, but that needs to start soon.

Elsewhere, the Patriots were still being coy about just who was starting at quarterback all week, but it looks like it will be Brian Hoyer under center against the Packers, which made an interesting game on paper become a 10-point advantage for the Pack.  Brian Hoyer -- not even once.  And, in the other matchup, the Cardinals (without any healthy receivers) take on the Panthers (without any sane coaching) in a game that has been described as "happening".

4:24 PM: Seahawks at Lions

Another big T.J. Hockenson catch-and-run sets up Goff's fourth touchdown of the day, bringing us to 48-45 Seattle.  The onside kick fails, but there's still a minute left, and Detroit has all three time-outs.

We're at 1,065 combined yards already, which is the 20th most in NFL history.  If we go to overtime...

4:27 PM: Bills at Ravens

John Harbaugh with the explanation on why not to go for the field goal at the end of the game. Very well put.

Not going to stop detractors from detracting, but it's nice to see the case laid out like this.

4:41 PM: Patriots at Packers

Do not adjust your set; Brian Hoyer really is starting an NFL game in the year 2022.

I'm not really sure that can be justified in any real way, though that doesn't mean the Patriots will necessarily lose today. We don't need to see what Brian Hoyer can do anymore.

4:48 PM: Cardinals at Panthers

The Cardinals have yet to score any points in the first quarter of a game. That seems bad.

Also bad? Throwing a pick six to Frankie Luvu.

Cardinals have the Panthers right where they want them, down 0-7.

4:54 PM: Broncos at Raiders

Vince Verhei: THE BRONCOS HAVE SCORED A GOAL-TO-GO TOUCHDOWN. THIS IS NOT A DRILL. THE BRONCOS HAVE SCORED A GOAL-TO-GO TOUCHDOWN.

They did, you know. I mean, it took them three tries, but Russell Wilson finally did find Courtland Sutton for a five-yard score to give the Broncos a 7-3 lead.

5:00 PM: Cardinals at Panthers

This is just painful to watch.

Carl Yedor: Things are continuing to go poorly for Arizona and at this rate I wonder whether Cardinals management would pull the plug on Kingsbury at midseason. Yes, I do recall that he received an extension this offseason. The offense has looked that bad thus far and they just paid their quarterback. At least Kyler has no shortage of money for all the Call of Duty operators and weapon camos he could ever want

Kliff WAS my longshot to get fired early...

5:09 PM: Cardinals at Panthers

Vince is just doing everything he can to share the misery in the FO Discord with a carefully curated set of Panthers-Cardinals highlights.

Oof.

5:11 PM: Patriots at Packers

Mac Jones is out. Brian Hoyer went down with a concussion. Jakobi Meyers, the presumed emergency guy, is out. That makes this the Bailey Zappe show the rest of the way, baby!  Feel the excitement!

The Packers finally sustain a drive, all with rushing -- Aaron Jones, AJ Dillion, and even Christian Watson running to give the Packers a 7-3 lead early in the second quarter. With the way the Patriots offense is looking, that may be enough.

5:12 PM: Broncos at Raiders

Highest scoring game of the afternoon so far!

Cale Clinton: 23 on Denver practically helped Jacobs score that. Received the contact as Jacobs was falling and almost sorta propped him up

5:21 PM: Broncos at Raiders

Vince Verhei: Raiders don’t blitz much, but they blitzed Wilson on a third-and-6, and he hits Jerry Jeudy for a 32-yard gain. The red zone remains Denver’s Bermuda Triangle, however, and they settle for a game-tying field goal.

Note that this goes both ways -- the Broncos have yet to blitz Carr, who is perfect when not pressured so far.  Weird strategic choices happening in this game.

5:32 PM: Cardinals at Panthers

Vince Verhei: Panthers get a 54-yard field goal at the gun to take a 10-3 lead at halftime. The only touchdown in this game was a defensive score. Both teams are under 5.0 yards per pass and 4.0 yards per run. Teams are a combined 3-of-14 on third downs, plus 0-for-3 on fourth downs. Thirty more minutes of this treasure!

5:33 PM: Broncos at Raiders

The first Raider defensive touchdown in three years gives Las Vegas a lead!

Vince Verhei: “HE FUMBLED AGAIN! HE FUMBLED AGAIN!” — the always excellent Kevin Harlan as the Raiders get a defensive score.

That's four fumbles on the season for Melvin Gordon; that's bad.

5:44 PM: Broncos at Raiders

The Denver offense is beginning to wake up a sleepy early window!

Vince Verhei: Wilson with big throws to Kendall Hinton and then Jerry Jeudy for the touchdown. Wilson’s now 11-of-12 for 149 yards and two scores. Everything’s going to be fine as long as he can play the Raiders every week. And then DENVER misses an XP so we’re tied 16-16.

Nice to have at least a few points today.

5:47 PM: Patriots at Packers

We haven't mentioned Aaron Rodgers' name much today because, well, he's doing bupkis.  He's 3-for-10 for just 38 yards, as everything short has been dink-and-dunk and everything deep has been nowhere close. And now he just did something very much out of character -- Jack Jones undercuts a route, picks Rodgers off, and takes it to the house.  That's 10-7, Patriots...

Mike Tanier: All you folks who doubted my Patriots +9.5 play won't be invited to the Happy Hour I throw with my winnings.

Vince Verhei: It is halftime. Both Brian Hoyer (5) and Bailey Zappe (6) have completed more passes than Aaron Rodgers (4).

6:01 PM: Cardinals at Panthers

We're tied at 10, and that's about the most interesting thing I can say about this one.  The big play of the Cardinals' last drive was a 37-yard pass interference by C.J. Henderson, who looks beyond washed. How Jacksonville got a third-round pick for him last year is beyond me.

6:13 PM: Patriots at Packers

Well, it took them a half to wake up, but the Packers came out of the locker room firing. First deep shot hit of the game, a 32-yard strike to Lazard.

Then plenty of Jones and Dillion on the ground, now that the Patriots have to acknowledge that yes, the pass is a thing, before Rodgers hits Tonyan on a 20-yard touchdown, and the Packers retake the lead, 14-10.  Rodgers would like you to spell "RELAX" once again, Packers fans.

6:25 PM: Patriots at Packers

Tony Romo: "If you're a Packers fan, you have every right to be upset".

A play after the Patriots had a delay of game, they apparently had a second delay of game, but no flag was thrown despite the ball being snapped a good three seconds after the clock hit zero. I know there's a little bit of a buffer there for the process, but that's ridiculous. About half the players on the field stopped playing, but not DeVante Parker, and Zappe hits him for a go-ahead touchdown.  Very strange play.

Well, the play stands, so the Patriots have the lead...

6:29 PM: Cardinals at Panthers

Things are going fiiiine in Arizona.

And, on top of that, Will Hernandez has been ejected for striking an official.  And yet, we're still tied at 10 and the Cardinals are driving...

6:36 PM: These Games Are Terrible

Vince Verhei: I have had trips to the DMV that were more efficient, enjoyable, and dignified than this red zone trip.

It does end up in a field goal for Arizona and a lead, after about three years of dickering.

And, meanwhile, the Raiders go from first-and-goal from the one to kicking a field goal to go from a three-point lead to a six-point lead.  Nehhhhhaaaa..... 

6:42 PM: Cardinals at Panthers

The best thing either offense can do is give the other team the ball and watch them screw up.

That turns into a touchdown for Arizona, and it's a 20-10 lead.  Panthers need to answer now...somehow.

Vince Verhei: After that interception, Murray lines up in the pistol and fakes a handoff to James Conner, then follows Connor as a lead blocker around the end. The perimeter is so barren for Carolina that Conner is celebrating before even throwing a block. Prater kicks the XP and the Cards go up 20-10, and one would think this is over.

6:43 PM: Patriots at Packers

This might end up being one of the biggest upsets of the season, if Bailey Zappe's team can beat Aaron Rodgers.  Biggest drive of Zappe's career, as Tony Romo jokes, goes 65 yards down the field...on four Rhamondre Stevenson runs, one pass to Agholor, and then two Damien Harris rushes for a score.  That's 24-17 Patriots, and the Packers need to wake up...

Eyes emoji, as the kids say.

6:55 PM: Cardinals at Panthers

On what's been an ugly day for the most if it, at least we can leave this game on a pretty pass.

Two-point conversion, forced by Matt Prater's injury, is no good, but 26-10 should be more than enough to put this one to bed.

6:56 PM: Patriots at Packers

A significant milestone, as Aaron Rodgers throws the 500th touchdown of his career.  Very, very rarified air, that -- and this one is among the more important, as it ties the game at 24 with 6:14 left in the fourth quarter.

You've got to like the odds of the Packers getting the ball back, too, so the Patriots need to score here.

7:08 PM: Broncos at Raiders

Vince Verhei: Third down for Las Vegas, Davante Adams bobbles the pass and is tackled short of the sticks. Fourth-and-1, but Raiders settle for the field goal and the two-possession lead. Vegas now up 25-16 (scorigami?) with 13 minutes to go.

But hold that thought!  The Broncos come back down the field and score after a classic huge Russell Wilson bomb.

Things are looking up for Denver, right?

Vince Verhei: Even on the touchdown drive, Denver had to overcome a first-and-30.

Well, fine Mr. Negative.  25-23, Raiders.

7:21 PM: Broncos at Raiders

I was about to say that the last winless team has won, but the Texans and their one tie breaks that turn of phrase. Ah well -- either way, the Raiders look to be off the schneid!

Vince Verhei: Third-and-1 at the edge of field goal range, Raiders use an I-formation. Fullback steps to the right, but Zamir White takes the pitch to the left for a gain of 22 inside the 10. Next play, Jacobs runs it in. Raiders now over 200 yards on the ground today. Critical XP makes the lead 32-23 with 2:02 to go, and the Broncos need a miracle.

7:23 PM: Patriots at Packers

Bad game management from the Packers. Romeo Doubs nearly had a touchdown, but dropped it.  The Packers opted to challenge it, despite the ball clearly hitting the ground, and that blew a timeout.  So, after the ensuing punt and three and out, the Packers had four seconds rather than 40 seconds or so with the ball back.  That just left time for one desperation pitch play, and it's not good.  We're going to overtime.

7:35 PM: Patriots at Packers

The Packers first drive in overtime goes nowhere, and they're lucky it went THAT far.  Rodgers was nearly sacked, and the Packers had to punt.

The Patriots first drive in overtime goes nowhere, and they're lucky it went THAT far.  Zappe was nearly picked, and the Patriots had to punt.

7:46 PM: Patriots at Packers

The Packers drain the clock all the way down, and line up for a 31-yard field goal.  With a rookie snapper. And a somewhat shaky kicker...

...

No, no, no drama.  Mason Crosby nails it, no problems, and the Packers win 27-24.  Survive an advance, but there will be a lot of talking about how close that one was this week.

And that does it for the liveblog for today! We'll see you in the Discord for the nightcap.

FO100 banner

Comments

52 comments, Last at 04 Oct 2022, 6:11pm

#1 by ImNewAroundThe… // Oct 02, 2022 - 11:19am

Normalize not using every timeout. 

Points: 0

#2 by JS // Oct 02, 2022 - 12:11pm

Glad England gets to see terrible refereeing first hand. Vikings gifted a late TD.

Points: 0

#4 by JS // Oct 02, 2022 - 12:44pm

Thielen was hand fighting. Its either ok to do so or not. The ref commenter agreed. Also the phantom foul on Mathieu on the previous 3rd down.

Points: 0

#5 by Ben // Oct 02, 2022 - 1:18pm

Matt Ryan with his 8th fumble of the season. Titans take advantage of the short field with a TD. 

Points: 0

#21 by Ben // Oct 02, 2022 - 3:14pm

Up to 10 now. Mishandled a shot gun snap earlier and just had the ball knocked out of his hand on second and 10. Titans had a couple of shots at it, but Colts recover 15 yards back. They don’t convert the 3rd and 25 and will have to punt to start the 4th quarter. 

Points: 0

#6 by Joey-Harringto… // Oct 02, 2022 - 1:27pm

Lions offense being short-handed will end up not mattering if their defense continues to not be able to cover anybody.  Things got noticeably worse after Tracy Walker got injured last week in Minnesota.

Points: 0

#12 by Aaron Brooks G… // Oct 02, 2022 - 2:27pm

The Lions also struggle against decent teams who don’t underestimate them.

Points: 0

#7 by JS // Oct 02, 2022 - 1:56pm

Ryan throws late to Pittman twice in a row in the end zone. Both times Pittman almost makes the play anyway. So, so dumb. Even when Ryan was good he would do things like that (in addition to things like a random fumbled snap). Difference between elite and just good.

Points: 0

#8 by JS // Oct 02, 2022 - 2:05pm

Can we get a breakdown article on what happened to the Ind OL? Asking for a friend who has Taylor on his fantasy team.

Points: 0

#9 by Ben // Oct 02, 2022 - 2:10pm

Titans start another drive at the Colts 30 after a nice play by one of their D-Lineman. Jumped up and batted a pass then intercepted it. Shaq Leonard injured on the TD a few plays later. 

Titans 4 for 4 on scoring drives (3 TDs and a FG). Granted two of them started after Colts turnovers. Up 24-3 halfway through the second quarter and the Titans get the ball after half time.

Colts o-line and d-lines are being dominated. For a team that they claimed to build “inside out”, they sure don’t look like it this year. 

Points: 0

#10 by Joey-Harringto… // Oct 02, 2022 - 2:17pm

Seahawks look ready to run away with this one, as the Lions defense is making Geno Smith look like Russ in his prime, while the Lions offense and their practice squad receivers are struggling for every first down.

Points: 0

#11 by Ben // Oct 02, 2022 - 2:22pm

As for Tanier’s comment on the Colts trying to draw the Titans offside on 4th and goal, I assume it’s that Reich would have actually gone for it from the 2, but didn’t want to from the 4. 

Points: 0

#13 by Ben // Oct 02, 2022 - 2:34pm

Well, the Titans finally don’t score on a drive. The Colts called a TO on defense on 3rd and 2 just past the 2 minute warning. The Titans seemed content going into half time up 24-10. Not sure why the Colts thought they could get a stop on defense, since they hadn’t all half. Titans get the 1st down, then march down the field. The Colts get lucky when Tannahill takes a sack with 15 seconds left and no time outs. Titans can’t get the FG off in time. 

Titans with over a 100 yards rushing in the first half. Colts looking like just a bad team this year. 

Points: 0

#14 by Joey-Harringto… // Oct 02, 2022 - 2:36pm

Lions score on 4th and goal as time expires in the 1st half, and their backup kicker misses his second PAT of the game.  24-15 Seahawks at halftime.  Detroit should probably eschew kicking the rest of the game.

Points: 0

#15 by BJR // Oct 02, 2022 - 2:40pm

If I had to guess which team would commit roughing the passer on a Hail Mary, to knock the opponent into FG range, it would definitely be Jets. 

Points: 0

#25 by Aaron Brooks G… // Oct 02, 2022 - 3:32pm

Oh of course I do.

I also remember the GB game where GB won on their second Hail Mary because of a RtP on the first attempt.

Points: 0

#16 by Aaron Brooks G… // Oct 02, 2022 - 2:40pm

Eagles seem to get called for a ton of ticky-tack OPIs.

Points: 0

#19 by JS // Oct 02, 2022 - 2:57pm

If you score six points in a half vs the Jets, you lose your job. Seems fair.

Points: 0

#22 by NYChem // Oct 02, 2022 - 3:17pm

And should have been 3 pts. Trubiskys best play of the first half was getting hit on that lame fail Mary (woe Canada, 7 seconds less, you can get a back shoulder to the sidelines when you have the threat of a hail Mary). 

Let the KEN-NY era get started!

Points: 0

#23 by Ben // Oct 02, 2022 - 3:21pm

Colts have made some halftime adjustments on defense. In the first half, the only thing keeping the Titans from scoring on 5 straight drives was the clock. In the second half, the Titans have had 3 drives, zero first downs, and three punts. 

Points: 0

#28 by Ben // Oct 02, 2022 - 3:50pm

Offense can’t take advantage. A Taylor fumble in Titans territory makes the Colts -3 on turnovers. The Titans only got 3 or 4 first downs in the second half, but the Colts only scored one TD themselves. 

Points: 0

#24 by Pat // Oct 02, 2022 - 3:31pm

Damnit, Mike Tanier! 3 games and no Philly OL injuries, and then we get the "hey, got a Dillard for trade" suggestion and Philly's down to what 1 backup OL?

Aaarrgh!

Points: 0

#26 by BJR // Oct 02, 2022 - 3:39pm

Let’s give credit where it’s due: this latest Lions teams have found a fun way to lose a lot of games. 

Points: 0

#27 by Joey-Harringto… // Oct 02, 2022 - 3:50pm

Lions were both boring and bad under Patricia, so being fun and bad is....somthing.

Points: 0

#31 by BJR // Oct 02, 2022 - 4:00pm

Shipping 40+ to the Geno Smith Seahawks is…..quite something 

Points: 0

#32 by Joey-Harringto… // Oct 02, 2022 - 4:03pm

I like to call that Lionsing (their version of Chargersing or Falconing): making mediocre/bad players look like superstars for a day.

Points: 0

#33 by BJR // Oct 02, 2022 - 4:11pm

I’ll offer a crumb of comfort and say that I’ve been somewhat impressed by Geno so far this year. He looks relatively in command and capable of throwing on time to his talented receivers. Not the car crash I was expecting. 
 

 

Points: 0

#34 by Joey-Harringto… // Oct 02, 2022 - 4:19pm

Geno was #2 by DVOA in the NFC coming into the week!  He has been surprisingly good, and further confirmation that that supposed "quarterback competition between him and Drew Lock was a farce. 

On the other hand, the Seahawks scored 47 points coming into this week, so to give up 41 (and counting) defensivly has to be embarrassing.  I've been kind of giving Aaron Glenn a pass because he's had a pretty bare cupboard to work with, but it's not that bare.

Points: 0

#29 by Cythammer // Oct 02, 2022 - 3:50pm

Ravens pass up the chance to take the FG and the lead on fourth down... Not only do they fail on fourth down, but a pick in the endzone means they don't even have the Bills pinned inside their five.

Points: 0

#30 by BJR // Oct 02, 2022 - 3:56pm

Definitely no problem with them staying aggressive against this opposition. Strange having Lamar Jackson take a straight dropback there, however. 

Points: 0

#44 by Mike B. In Va // Oct 03, 2022 - 8:10am

Seeing it from the opposite endzone, it was a good read, I thought, Poyer just made a good play to get there.

Points: 0

#36 by Cythammer // Oct 02, 2022 - 5:50pm

Wow. Pick six and the Pats will actually lead at the half. More yards on that return (40) than Rodgers has passing (38). It's still hard to imagine the Patriots winning this one, though, with what they have at QB.

Points: 0

#37 by mansteel // Oct 02, 2022 - 5:52pm

I agree that under normal circumstances you should never punt on 4th and 2 close to midfield down eight with three minutes left, but the Bears were not facing normal circumstances. The Giants literally did not have a QB at that point. Jones (sprained ankle) had been in the game but either as a decoy out wide or just to hand off. It worked, too: they pinned the Giants deep, forced a three-and-out, and got the ball back on a punt...err, muffed the punt, virtually icing the game for the Giants. Even so, I thought it was the right call under the circumstances. 

 

Points: 0

#43 by Wifan6562 // Oct 03, 2022 - 1:01am

I suspect the numbers disagree due to removing the “score twice” scenario from any winning formula, but the main reason I would have went for it is because it shows you have faith that the offense will get it done. I don’t have anything tangible to argue, but I think that’s important not just for this game but for the season. 

Points: 0

#45 by mansteel // Oct 03, 2022 - 10:08am

Good point about possibly needing to score twice--that does change things. 

While I get that you want to show confidence in the offense, the counterpoint is that they've done very little to instill that confidence.

Points: 0

#50 by Steve in WI // Oct 03, 2022 - 1:41pm

On the flip side, the Bears run defense this season has been bad enough that if any team could surrender a first down on three consecutive runs when the opponent had a 0.0% chance of passing, it's them.

I think that particular decision pales in comparison to the larger issues with the team, including the coaching in general, but barring a safety or forcing a fumble, they basically had that entire sequence up until the muffed punt go as well as it could reasonably be expected to. They got a very favorable bounce on their own punt and forced the three and out, and they were still going to get the ball back in worse field position than they started with a minute burned off the clock and two fewer timeouts.

Also, the Giants's offensive situation arguably makes going for it a better decision, because if you go for it and fail, you still probably keep them from getting to a reasonable field goal attempt. Granted, in that scenario you're probably pinned close to your own goal line after a punt rather than having decent field position, but the chance of converting the 4th and 2 would seem to more than make up for that risk.

Points: 0

#38 by mansteel // Oct 02, 2022 - 5:52pm

On another note, Justin Fields achieved double-digit completions (11) for the first time this year, meaning the Bears (35) have overtaken Tyreek Hill (31) for the league lead in receptions...at least until Cooper Kupp (28) plays tomorrow.

Points: 0

#39 by Cythammer // Oct 02, 2022 - 6:57pm

Four TDs and FG in five drives in the second half... Just as we all expected after that first. Pats now hoping to have a long, grind it out drive on the ground to leave the Packers with little time left to respond I imagine.

Points: 0

#40 by Cythammer // Oct 02, 2022 - 7:14pm

Interesting decision to punt by GB... I think it's defensible considering who is at QB on the other side of the field. Hard to imagine Zappe driving them down inside of two minutes for a winning FG.

Points: 0

#41 by RevBackjoy // Oct 02, 2022 - 10:50pm

Here was Mike Tanier's 2023 prediction for Baker Mayfield:

Mayfield led the Giants to a 1-3 record, averaging 187 passing yards per game, with three touchdowns and three interceptions. 

Here's his 2022 season to date:

Mayfield led the Panthers to a 1-3 record, averaging 187 passing yards per game, with four touchdowns and three interceptions.

Between this and predicting the Eagles-Bengals tie two years ago... Mike, you wouldn't happen to own a 1985 Delorean, would you?

Points: 0

#42 by vrao81 // Oct 02, 2022 - 11:22pm

Bucs have 3 rushing yards (!) and 333 passing yards. This is not sustainable.

Points: 0

#46 by Ryan // Oct 03, 2022 - 10:18am

Bring back real Audibles :( this is just a collection of highlights from twitter. i might as well watch sportscenter

Points: 0

#47 by Joe Pancake // Oct 03, 2022 - 10:31am

Couldn't agree more.

Reading Audibles Monday morning was a beloved ritual. This live blog is unreadable after the fact. Every Monday I come here to see if they went back to the old format, only to be disappointed.

I don't want to be overly negative, but the old Audibles would get hundreds of comments and spark wonderful discussions. I just don't understand why FO killed something that had so much reader engagement?

Points: 0

#48 by RevBackjoy // Oct 03, 2022 - 11:20am

Thirded, fourthed, Nthed. PLEASE bring back Classic Audibles! I know you guys experimented with the format in 2013 and reverted to the normal structure after negative reader feedback. I appreciate your willingness to mix it up and try new things, but the people have spoken on this issue!

Points: 0

#52 by Moridin // Oct 04, 2022 - 6:11pm

For me, I think Discord is a great place to do the 'live' discussion, and someone can scan through that if they want a live blog after the fact (someone could also be adding an specific emote to the msg for ones that they want to FO highlight). But yeah, the format of the old one was better to read on mondays (this is basically like someone live blogging the Red Zone channel).

Points: 0

#49 by reddwarf // Oct 03, 2022 - 1:35pm

The only thing worse than losing to the Raiders (for the 5th time in a row) is losing to Josh f-----g McDaniels.

Figures Wilson's best game by far would be the same one the D went to crap.  Though, as usual, Josh Jacobs would be the best back in the league if he could play Denver every week.  God *%&%&^% it.

And what looks like a serious knee injury to Jamal Williams, and some sort of injury to Randy Gregory too.  This week HURT.

Points: 0

#51 by Raiderjoe // Oct 03, 2022 - 5:43pm

You mena Javonte Williams. Nwo out for year. Denver willl use Mike boone more now. Capable of being okay. Melvin Gordon good too but  has fumbles problem. Either way, team will lose to Raiders again later tin system. Do think they can help Raiders by beating Cheigs dn Charhers

Points: 0

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