This week on the Fieldhouse I’ll be taking a look at the three most interesting matchups of the week, at least in my opinion.
On the menu this is week is the heavyweight Rams and Bills matchup, an NFC shootout between the Packers and Saints and the AFC matchup of the yea thus far.
Los Angeles Rams 32, Buffalo Bills 35
The curse of 28-3 struck the Buffalo Bills this week, as they took that accursed lead against the L.A. Rams and proceeded to choke it away.
However, unlike the Atlanta Falcons, the Bills managed to hold on for dear life and actually come out with a win thanks to heroics from quarterback (QB) Josh Allen.
For the Bills, Allen went 24 for 32, racking up 311 yards and four touchdowns against one interception. Allen also recorded a rushing touchdown as well.
The Bills’ ground game was controlled by running back (RB) Devin Singletary, who ran for 71 yards on 13 carries.
Buffalo’s receivers also came out to play, as former Cowboy wide receiver (WR) Cole Beasley caught six passes for 100 yards. WR Gabriel Davis racked up 81 yards on four receptions.
While Beasley and Davis moved the Bills down the field consistently, the scoring production came from WR Stefon Diggs and tight end (TE) Kevin Tyler, who both combined for three touchdowns.
Defensively, safety Jordan Poyer led the squad with 13 total tackles while cornerback Levi Wallace got the team’s only pick. Linebacker (LB) Matt Milano and defensive end (DE) A.J. Epenesa combined for two sacks.
QB Jared Goff led the way for the Rams, going 23 for 32 with 321 yards and two touchdowns against one interception. Like Allen, Goff also found the end zone himself with a rushing touchdown.
RB Darrell Henderson racked up 114 yards on 20 carries and one touchdown. L.A.’s two best receivers were WR Cooper Kupp (nine receptions, 107 yards, one touchdown) and WR Robert Woods (five receptions, 74 yards, one touchdown).
Safeties Taylor Rapp and John Johnson III led the defense with eight total tackles each, with Johnson also recording an interception.
However, the real star on L.A.’s defense was defensive tackle (DT) Aaron Donald, who earned two of the team’s four sacks in addition to forcing a fumble on Allen that was recovered by the Rams.
Interestingly, the Rams beat out the Bills (though mostly not by much) in almost every team statistical category, including total yards, passing yards, rushing yards and even yards per play, but somehow still lost.
The second half of the game was the most competitive matchup I’ve seen in awhile, though the blown lead, a growing trend this year, reared its ugly head.
Buffalo starts off 3-0 for the second consecutive year and now becomes my favorite to win the AFC East this year.
Green Bay Packers 37, New Orleans Saints 30
The Packers triumphed in this NFC shootout that featured two future hall-of-fame QBs in Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees.
However, the end result of this matchup mirrored where both of these QBs currently reside in their careers.
The Packers, on the upswing right now and in championship form, were led by Rodgers, who went 21 for 32 for 383 yards and three touchdowns. RB Aaron Jones tallied 69 yards on 16 carries, adding a touchdown as well.
In place of the injured star WR Davante Adams, WR Allen Lazard caught six passes for 14 yards, averaging 24.3 yards per catch. He also scored a touchdown, with others coming from TEs Robert Tonyan Jr. and Marcedes Lewis.
Defensively, LB Ty Summers led the squad with nine total tackles. DE Kingsley Keke had a big night, recording two sacks.
For New Orleans, Brees went 29 for 36, tallying 238 yards and three touchdowns. The Saints’ run game was almost a non-factor, with their leading rusher RB Latavius Murray only earning 58 yards across 12 carries.
The usual star RB Alvin Kamara was dominant in the pass game, racking up 139 yards on six receptions.
On the defensive side, safety Malcolm Jenkins led the way with 9 total tackles, while LB Demario Davis recorded seven tackles and a sack.
The Packers’ offense has been revitalized since head coach Matt LaFleur’s took over last season and this season so far is proof of that.
Kamara is no doubt the star of New Orleans’ offense now, but I’m concerned for the Saints moving forward, especially about Drew Brees and his diminishing arm strength. This truly signals that this is likely the team’s last chance to make a Super Bowl push with him under center.
Kansas City Chiefs 34, Baltimore Ravens 20
This was the game I was excited to see and, for the most part, it didn’t disappoint. If anything, this reinforced my notion that there isn’t another team in the AFC that can dethrone the Chiefs right now.
QB Patrick Mahomes played out of his mind again, going 31 for 42, racking up 385 yards and four touchdowns. Rookie RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire tallied 64 yards on 20 carries.
TE Travis Kelce led the receiving corp with 87 yards on six receptions. Kelce and WRs Tyreek Hill and Mecole Hardman combined for a whopping 245 yards and two touchdowns.
On defense, safety Juan Thornhill led the way with six tackles, with two total sacks coming from LB Ben Niemann and DE Frank Clark.
Ravens’ QB Lamar Jackson struggled mightily, going 15 for 28 for only 97 passing yards and one touchdown. Jackson was also the leading rusher on their similarly struggling offense, earning 83 yards on nine carries.
RBs Gus Edwards and Mark Ingram Jr. combined for 122 yards. WR J.K. Dobbins led the Ravens’ receivers with 38 yards on four receptions.
On defense, safety Chuck Clark led the way with 10 total tackles. DT Brandon Williams racked up nine solo tackles as well. Baltimore’s defense failed to earn any picks or sacks.
It was a rough night for the Ravens, especially their offense. Their defense limited the Chiefs to an extent (in all fairness, you really can’t limit that offense), but the offense faltered. Jackson even went so far as to say that Kansas City was his team’s kryptonite.
The Chiefs improve to 3-0 after the win, and I can’t really see any other squad in the AFC taking them down. The Ravens, Bills, Pittsburgh Steelers and Tennessee Titans are really the only other AFC teams I can see realistically competing with Kansas City, and even then, I don’t see anyone stopping them this postseason.
Around the League
AFC North:
#1 Pittsburgh Steelers (3-0)
#2: Baltimore Ravens (2-1)
#3: Cleveland Browns (2-1)
#4: Cincinnati Bengals (0-2-1)
AFC South:
#1: Tennessee Titans (3-0)
#2: Indianapolis Colts (2-1)
#3: Jacksonville Jaguars (1-2)
#4: Houston Texans (0-3)
AFC East:
#1: Buffalo Bills (3-0)
#2: New England Patriots (2-1)
#3: Miami Dolphins (1-2)
#4: New York Jets (0-3)
AFC West:
#1: Kansas City Chiefs (3-0)
#2: Las Vegas Raiders (2-1)
#3: Los Angeles Chargers (1-2)
#4: Denver Broncos (0-3)
NFC North:
#1: Green Bay Packers (3-0)
#2: Chicago Bears (3-0)
#3: Detroit Lions (1-2)
#4: Minnesota Vikings (0-3)
NFC South:
#1: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-1)
#2: New Orleans Saints (1-2)
#3: Carolina Panthers (1-2)
#4: Atlanta Falcons (0-3)
NFC East:
#1: Washington Football Team (1-2)
#2: Dallas Cowboys (1-2)
#3: Philadelphia Eagles (0-2-1)
#4: New York Giants (0-3)
NFC West: A
#1: Seattle Seahawks (3-0)
#2: Arizona Cardinals (2-1)
#3: Los Angeles Rams (2-1)
#4: San Francisco 49ers (2-1)
