Chops316 Monday Morning Quarterback: 2020 Week 7

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The seventh weekend of the 2020 NFL season is in the books so here are the different thoughts and opinions I have on various things I witnessed this past weekend. It was a painful weekend as my beloved Penn State Nittany Lions dropped a heartbreaker in Indiana (damn you Big Ten officials!) and my formerly beloved Dallas Cowboys decided they've seen enough this season and threw in the towel. Ugh.

Despite my agony I will persevere and continue my posts commentating on NFL action. I'll try to find joy in other team's miseries (thanks Falcons). Just remember I am a Dallas Cowboys fan and I'm extremely biased. Feel free to agree or disagree about anything mentioned here. All comments are welcome.

No-names beat the No-shows


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The Cowboys season in a nutshell
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Maybe since Washington owner Daniel Snyder hasn’t bothered to name his team Dallas figured they couldn’t be bothered to show up and play. That’s the best excuse I can think of to explain the No-names 25-3 drubbing of the Cowboys.

I won’t spend much time here (you’re welcome!), Dallas didn’t put any effort into the game and I won’t put much effort into tearing them a new asshole again. The Cowboys have thrown in the towel. No passion, no fire, no effort. Just show up and wait for a game check. In a division game against one of their all-time biggest rivals no less. Disgusting. If I had to assign a grade to the performance it would be negative infinity.

Now I have to say a few nice things about the No-names. Damn you Dallas for putting me in this position. The No-names brought their “A” game on Sunday, which would be a “D” game at best for most teams, but Washington is in the NFL (L)East so you have to take what you can get.

Washington is the worst rushing team in the NFL (80 yards a game entering Week 7) and their passing game isn’t anything to get excited about either. No matter, when you face one of the worst defenses in the history of the league those obstacles are easily overcome Rookie RB Antonio Gibson (20 carries, 128 yards, 1 TD) ran all over the Cowboys and QB Kyle Allen (15/25, 194 yards, 2 TDs) picked his spots to put up points. The No-names are a sad sack of a team and they just toyed with the Cowboys on their way to an easy victory. Up 22-3 at the half, they just stood around waiting for the game to be over.

The Cowboys fell to 2-5 and would struggle to beat a decent college team. Washington improved to 2-5 and at least try hard enough to beat another NFC (L)East team.

Battle of the Unbeatens


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Containing Derrick Henry is the first step in beating the Titans
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The last two undefeated teams in the AFC squared off on Sunday as the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Tennessee Titans 27-24. The Steelers looked like they were going to run away with this one early, but as they always do the Titans fought back to make this a game right down to the wire.

The Steelers dominated the first half and kicked a FG on their first drive of the second half that extended their lead to 27-7. By that point Titans QB Ryan Tannehill had seen enough and uncorked a 73-yard TD bomb to WR A.J. Brown to get Tennessee moving. Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger got cold and tossed an INT to fuel Tennessee’s comeback as the Titans cut the lead to 3 points with 10 minutes remaining.

At that point the Pittsburgh offense got moving again and drove deep into Titans territory with a clock killing drive. With time winding down, Roethlisberger went for the kill but was intercepted in the endzone. The Titans drove again and with 19 seconds left K Stephen Gostkowski lined up for a game-tying 45-yard FG. He missed and the Steelers held on for the 27-24 win.

The Steelers hot start ended up being too much for the Titans to overcome. QB Ben Roethlisberger (32/49, 268 yards, 2 TDs, 3 INTs) put up points, but nearly blew the game with his turnovers. His main targets were WR JuJu Smith-Schuster (9 receptions, 84 yards) and WR Diontae Johnson (9 receptions, 80 yards, 2 TDs). RB James Connor (20 carries, 82 yards) was solid. The Steelers improved to 6-0 and are playing like a Super Bowl contender.

The Titans have had a few cold openings this season and this week it finally cost them. The Pittsburgh defense is tough on the running game and RB Derrick Henry (20 carries, 75 yards, 1 TD) was contained by his standards. QB Ryan Tannehill (18/30, 220 yards, 2 TDs) led the Titans comeback attempt by connecting with WR A.J. Brown (6 receptions, 153 yards, 1 TD), who ran wild on the Steelers secondary. Tough loss for Tennessee, who fell to 5-1. The Titans can play with the big boys and remain a threat in the AFC.

NFC West Battle of the Birds


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Kyler Murray shows no respect for the Seahawks defense
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Could a Cardinal defeat a Seahawk in real life? Why would they fight each other anyway? I don’t know, but in the NFL it was possible as the Arizona Cardinals beat the previously undefeated Seattle Seahawks in an overtime thriller 37-34. Credit the heart of the Cards, the final score was the first lead they held in the game.

Seattle QB Russell Wilson has been playing at a MVP level this year, but Arizona QB Kyler Murray matched him throw for throw. The difference was turnovers. Wilson threw three bad INTs and Arizona capitalized to steal the win.

The Seahawks took a 34-24 lead with 6:44 left in the 4th quarter on 4th down TD reception by WR Tyler Lockett. It was a gutsy call to go for it instead of just kicking a FG, but with a struggling defense the Seahawks can’t afford to leave any points on the field. Turned out it wasn’t enough anyway.

The Cardinals next drive stalled and they attempted a 52-yard FG. It was good, but a penalty gave them a 1st down and Arizona elected to take the FG off the board. It became a good decision when WR Christian Kirk caught an 8-yard TD pass to cut the lead to 34-31 with a little over two minutes remaining. The Seahawks could have run out the clock with a couple of 1st downs, but the Cards defense held and forced a punt. On his own 20-yard line with 58 seconds left and no timeouts, Kyler Murray led Arizona into FG range. K Zane Gonzalez connected on the attempt as the clock hit zero. 34-34 and we got overtime.

That’s where the game got crazy. Seattle took possession first, but couldn’t score and punted. Arizona drove deep into Seahawk territory. They set up for a game-winning FG as the play clock was winding down. Reacting too slowly, Arizona head coach Kliff Kingsbury was forced to call a time out before a delay of game penalty was called. Gonzalez nailed the kick, but it was too late. So Arizona set up to try again and this time Gonzalez missed the 41-yarder. Holy crap.

Seattle took advantage of their crazy luck when WR D.K. Metcalf took a screen pass from Wilson and blew through the Cardinals secondary for an apparent game-winning score. Hold on though, penalty flag against Seattle nullified the play. Russell Wilson’s next pass attempt was picked off by the Cards. Not wasting this chance, Murray drove them into Seattle territory and this time Zane Gonzalez hit a 48-yard FG to win the game for Arizona with seconds left in overtime. Whew, what a game!

This was a big time win for the Cardinals and a defining moment for their young QB Kyler Murray. Murray had a big game in the air (34/48, 360 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT) and led the team on the ground as well: 14 carries, 67 yards, 1 TD. The trade for WR DeAndre Hopkins (10 receptions, 103 yards, 1 TD) continues to pay off for the Cards. Arizona enters their bye-week with a 5-2 record.

Just like his counterpart, QB Russell Wilson had a big game in the air (33/50, 388 yards, 3 TDs, 3 INTs) and also led Seattle on the ground: 6 carries, 84 yards. Most of his damage was accomplished with the help of WR Tyler Lockett (15 receptions, 200 yards, 3 TDs), who destroyed the Arizona secondary. Wilson’s turnovers were really the difference between winning and losing. The Seahawks fell to 5-1. They need help on defense very badly, teams are just lighting them up.

Close Calls



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Baker Mayfield always has his best games against the Bengals
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Sunday’s NFL slate gave us a few other tight games that came down to the final minutes or even seconds before they were decided. In a crazy battle for Ohio superiority, the Browns and Bengals combined for 34 4th quarter points before Cleveland pulled ahead of Cincinnati in a 37-34 barnburner.

The Bengals held a slim 20-17 lead after the 3rd quarter and at that point both team’s QBs took over for an old fashioned shootout, trading TDs back and forth. It looked like the last team to have the ball would win and that is what happened as Cleveland QB Baker Mayfield hit WR Donovan Peoples-Jones with a 24-yard game-winning TD pass with 15 seconds left. The Browns scored TDs on all three of their 4th quarter possessions as the Bengals scored TDs on their first two. The Bengals last possession consisted of one play, a Hail Mary pass that came up just short. Exciting finish.

Cleveland likes to run the ball, but the Bengals were scoring so much they had to turn to QB Baker Mayfield to lead the offense and he delivered: 22/28, 297 yards, 5 TDs, 1 INT. WR Odell Beckham was injured early (torn acl, out for the year), WR Rashard Higgins (6 receptions, 110 yards) stepped up to fill his shoes. Cleveland improved to 5-2. They can beat middling to bad teams, but have struggled badly against contenders.

Cincinnati remains a one-man show as QB Joe Burrow (35/47, 406 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT) is justifying his selection as the #1 draft pick. He continues to play well despite suffering behind an offensive line that has him running for his life most plays. He was sacked 4 more times against the Browns, 28 total sacks in the Bengals seven games so far. Get that man some help! Cincinnati fell to 1-5-1, but Burrow is making them competitive despite the losses.

At the Superdome, Panthers K Joey Slye attempted a potential record-breaking 65-yard FG late in the 4th quarter, but came up just short as the New Orleans Saints held on to defeat the Carolina Panthers 27-24. What made the miss heartbreaking was Panthers QB Teddy Bridgewater was sacked for an 8-yard loss on the previous play. If he lost one less yard the kick would have been good.

The Saints were missing top WRs Michael Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders, but it didn’t matter as Carolina couldn’t figure out how to stop them. QB Drew Brees (29/36, 287 yards, 2 TDs) made due with the backup receivers. He got a lot of help from a huge effort by RB Alvin Kamara: 14 carries, 83 yards on the ground and 8 receptions for 65 yards in the air. New Orleans improved to 4-2 and I don’t think they have played their best football yet as a team.

QB Teddy Bridgewater (23/28, 254 yards, 2 TDs) did all he could with help from WR D.J. Moore (4 receptions, 93 yards, 2 TDs). He got zero help from the running back committee: 14 carries, 37 yards. Blech. The Panthers fell to 3-4, but in happier news all-world RB Christian McCaffrey is expected to return soon.

In Atlanta the Falcons once again showed us no matter close they come to winning, they will still find a way to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. In a contest between two teams who habitually blow late leads, the Detroit Lions came away with a 23-22 victory.

Detroit held a 16-14 lead late in the 4th quarter as the Falcons were driving down for a go-ahead score. Atlanta made a 1st down on the Lions 10-yard line with 1:12 left in the game. Detroit burned their last time out after the play, they could not stop the clock again. All the Falcons had to do was take a couple of knees, bleed out the clock and kick a chip shot FG to win the game. Easy Peasy as they say. Except this was the Falcons and they just refuse to take a win that is staring them right in the face.

Instead of kneeling, the Falcons handed the ball off to RB Todd Gurley. The Lions happily moved out of the way and let him score a TD. You know something went horribly wrong when the opposing team celebrates your score. Now Detroit would get the ball back and have chance at winning the game.

Lions QB Matthew Stafford coolly led his team 75 yards down the field and hit TE T.J. Hockenson with a game tying TD pass as the clock expired. The extra point was good and the Lions stole the win.

You know it sucks being a Cowboys fan right now, but it has to be even worse being a Falcons fan. The Cowboys lose by being outplayed. The Falcons are losing games by being dumb.

Neither team ran the ball worth a damn, it was a battle of the QBs. Stafford (25/36, 340 yards, 1 TD) teamed up with WR Kenny Golladay (6 receptions, 114 yards) and WR Marvin Jones (5 reception, 80 yards) to move the ball. Detroit improved to 3-3 and that’s not necessarily a good thing because it could help head coach Matt Patricia keep his job.

For Atlanta QB Matt Ryan (31/42, 338 yards, 1 TD) continues to play well in defeat. His top targets were WR Julio Jones (8 receptions, 97 yards) and WR Calvin Ridley (5 receptions, 69 yards, 1 TD). The Falcons fell to 1-6 and should probably be moved to the NFC (L)East. They’d fit right in.

Around the League



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Where's Adams? Oh, there he is wide open again.
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One of the scariest propositions in the NFL is having to face a pissed off Aaron Rodgers a week after his team gets embarrassed. The Houston Texans learned that the hard way after Rodgers used Davante Adams to torch them as the Green Bay Packers beat the Texans 35-20. Don’t be fooled by the score, the Texans loaded their stats in garbage time.

QB Rodgers (23/34, 283 yards, 4 TDs) used WR Adams (13 receptions, 196 yards, 2 TDs) to make a mockery of the Houston defense. He didn’t have to bother finding anyone else. The Packers improved to 5-1.

Texans QB Deshaun Watson (29/39, 309 yards, 2 TDs) is quietly putting up the best season for a QB in franchise history. Sadly it’s all for naught as the Texans fell to 1-6.
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QB Tom Brady is finding his comfort zone in Tampa Bay as he led the Buccaneers to a convincing 45-20 win over the Las Vegas Raiders.

Brady (33/45, 369 yards, 4 TDs) used nine different receivers to load up the stat line. He even rushed in another TD for good measure. The running game contributed with 24 carries for 84 yards and a TD. Just good enough to change the pace once in a while. The Buccaneers improved to 5-2 and the offense is looking really dangerous as Brady settles in. The defense is playing terrific as well. The only thing that could trip up the Bucs right now is signing a goofball like Antonio Brown to upset the locker room. Uh oh, I might have spoken too soon.

The Raiders fell to 3-3 and that is a perfect record for this team. One week they take a step forward, the next they take a step back. Will the real Raiders show your damn face already so I can get a read on this team? QB Derek Carr (24/36, 284 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT) tried with the help of WR Nelson Agholor (5 receptions, 107 yards, 1 TD), but the rest of the offense was pretty blah. The running game could only muster 76 yards in 24 attempts.
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The Kansas City Chiefs showed up with the snow in Denver and whipped the Broncos 43-16. It was a true team effort for the Chiefs. The offense, defense and special teams all scored TDs. Nobody had to work hard to put up big stats because everybody contributed in some way. That should scare the hell out of the rest of the AFC as QB Patrick Mahomes (15/23, 200 yards, 1 TD) had a super quiet day and KC still put 43 points on the boards. Wow. The Chiefs improved to 6-1.

A season that started with so much hope for the Broncos is quickly going right into the toilet. 411 yards of nicely balanced offense (234 in the air, 177 on the ground) only resulted in 16 sad points. The Broncos fell to 2-4.
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For once there was hope in New Jersey as the Jets raced out to a 10-0 lead over the visiting Buffalo Bills. Then the Bills showed up, farted in the Jets general direction and went home with an 18-10 win.

The Jets are so bad the Bills hardly put any effort into this game and still won. QB Josh Allen (30/43, 307 yards in the air and 11 carries for 61 yards on the ground) put up yards but not TDs. The Bill went 0-5 in the redzone and settled for 6 FGs. It’s like they thought it was their bye-week. The Bills improved to 5-2.

The Jets got a false sense of security by scoring the game’s first 10 points, but it was all downhill from there. They led 10-6 at the half and were so inspired they came out in the second half and racked up 4 total yards in offense. That’s right, four yards in the entire second half. Good grief. The Jets fell to 0-7.
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The handicappers in Las Vegas must be losing their minds. They made the Patriots 2.5 point favorites over the 49ers. Aren’t they watching the games? Not surprisingly San Francisco rolled into New England and demolished the Patriots 33-6.

This game would have been an even bigger rout if San Fran QB Jimmy Garoppolo (20/25, 277 yards, 2 INTs) wasn’t feeling so generous with the turnovers. Maybe they were a small payback for all the help he got from Bill Belichick when he was in New England. In the end the turnovers didn’t matter as the defense completely stymied the Pats and the ground attack rolled right over them: 37 carries, 197 yards, 4 TDs. The 49ers improved to 4-3 and are looking better as they get healthier.

The Patriots looked like total garbage. The defense was pushed out of the way by the Niners and QB Cam Newton (9/15, 98 yards, 3 INTs) was benched in the 3rd quarter. It’s looking like Belichick’s deal with the devil is finally expiring as the Patriots fell to 2-4.
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In a game I doubt anyone outside of 4 people in Los Angeles and maybe 2 diehards in San Diego cared about the Chargers beat the Jacksonville Jaguars 39-29.

Chargers rookie QB Justin Herbert dominated the Jaguars defense in capturing his first win in the NFL. He not only had a big game in the air (27/43, 347 yards, 3 TDs), he led the team in rushing too: 9 carries, 66 yards, 1 TD. Big day for Herbert as the Chargers improved to 2-4.

The Jaguars are starting to get the hang of tanking. Their defense was abysmal, wasting good efforts by QB Gardner Minshew (14/27, 173 yards, 2 TDs) and RB James Robinson (22 carries, 119 yards, 1 TD). Jacksonville fell to 1-6.
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The Monday night game gave us a matchup of two NFC playoff contenders who may or may not be good. I mean they have good records, but the jury is still out on if either team is for real. Anyway the Los Angeles Rams defeated the Chicago Bears 24-10.

The Rams played a good game on offense against a top-notch Chicago defense. The numbers weren’t great, good enough to put up 24 points. QB Jared Goff (23/33, 219 yards, 2 TDs) was steady and more importantly didn’t turn the ball over. The running back committee (34 carries, 161 yards, 1 TD, 1 Fumble) kept the chains moving and the clock running. The Rams defense beat up the Bears offense. The Rams improved to 5-2.

All you need to know about the Bears is the defense (7 Points) outscored the offense (3 Points). That is a recipe for disaster. QB Nick Foles (28/40, 261 yards, 2 INTs) was underwhelming again and you really have to wonder if Mitch Trubisky was the problem on offense. They aren’t any better with him on the bench. The Bears need to run the ball to control the clock and support their defense, but they failed in that department too: 17 carries, 49 yards. The Bears fell to 5-2 and need to find some scoring in a hurry.
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Thanks for taking the time to read. Let me know your thoughts on Week 7 while I try to wipe the Cowboys game from my brain by bashing my head against the wall.



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