When one of the stars of the day is a 38-year-old quarterback who was unemployed three weeks ago, when another quarterback benched four times this season plays the hero and when the most spectacular play of Week 14 is pulled off by an obscure player who shouldn’t have been on the field is that it’s a ridiculously strange day in the NFL.
It’s exactly this kind of day that fans love to experience so much and that’s why so many people are heavily addicted to this crazy league. Every week, all sorts of things happen that completely defy logic and make the NFL as hard to follow as it is captivating.
Let’s start with the 38-year-old quarterback, who was supposed to be, in the best case scenario, nothing more than an experienced insurance policy in case of disaster for the Browns.
Joe Flacco has been a reserve since 2019 and has dragged his backpack to three cities since then, without ever managing to cling to a starting role.
Last November 20, the Browns called him when their first two quarterbacks were out of action and with uncertainty surrounding their other quarterback, rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson.
Flacco, who literally seemed finished in recent years, carved up the Jaguars defense with 311 yards and three touchdowns.
The Browns become only the sixth team in league history to win at least one game in the same season with four different quarterbacks.
With their 8-5 record following their victory, they currently hold the fifth playoff berth in the American Conference. All this with their old man, you have to do it!
Other amazing quarterbacks
Getty Images via AFP
Flacco wasn’t the only unloved quarterback to impress. What can we say about Zach Wilson’s performance in an unpredictable Jets victory?
In the pouring rain, the one the Jets have relegated to the bench countless times over the past three years was masterful in the pouring rain. He accumulated more than 300 yards for only the third time in his career, in his 32nd game.
His opposite CJ Stroud, who has been on fire with the Texans since the start of the year, and the young quarterback everyone is talking about in the NFL, was limited to 91 yards and even had to leave the game after being hit hard in the fourth quarter. When we tell you it was a particularly weird day…
We should definitely not forget Jake Browning! In theory, the Bengals were heading to the slaughterhouse when Joe Burrow saw his season end.
Browning, an overlooked quarterback in the 2019 draft, hadn’t thrown a pass in the NFL before the apocalypse hit the Bengals.
Last week, he wowed with 354 yards and a touchdown in an upset win over the Bengals. Perhaps it was beginner’s luck, one might say. He made sure to prove us wrong by tearing up the Colts this time (275 yards, two touchdowns and one rushing touchdown). So what about this damn season? The Bengals (7-6) are knocking on the playoff door.
Tylan who?
I’ll allow myself one last one to demonstrate once again that the NFL was completely drunk on this Sunday afternoon.
Do you know Tylan Wallace? Don’t worry, I myself had to “google” when he made the play of the week to give the Ravens (10-3) victory against the Rams in overtime.
Wallace is a receiver, fourth-round pick in 2021, who has only caught six passes to date.
When punt returner Devin Duvernay was injured, the Ravens assigned the task to Wallace, who had returned just four punts early in his college career at Oklahoma State in 2018.
In overtime, Wallace caught the punt and made a magnificent 76-yard return for the winning touchdown. In a few glorious seconds, the unknown made a name for himself.
It’s easy to become addicted to football. Days like this perfectly explain why I suffer from this incurable disease.
5 KEY MOMENTS
1. The Bills remain hopeful
Josh Allen won for the second time in a row against the Chiefs. Getty Images via AFP
The Bills scored a big victory with a score of 20-17 against the Chiefs in Kansas City. To win, they had to resist the Chiefs’ final assault on a fourth down and 15 yards, which aborted. The Chiefs thought moments earlier that they had scored a spectacular touchdown on their final sequence with a lateral pass from Travis Kelce to Kadarius Toney, but Toney made a fatal error by being lined up offside before the play. Driver Andy Reid lamented the decision, but it was Toney’s responsibility, no offense to him. The Bills find themselves in a six-team field with 7-6 records in the American Conference. Suspense, when you hold us!
2. In tribute to Gleason
The Saints offense struggled during part of the duel against the Panthers, but the special teams took matters into their own hands to sound the alarm. Nephi Sewell rushed to block a punt and D’Marco
D’Marco Jackson grabbed the ball after a blocked punt for a Saints touchdown. Getty Images via AFP
Jackson scooped up the errant ball and returned it to the end zone. The scene was reminiscent of a memorable moment in Saints history, when Steve Gleason blocked a punt in 2006 to symbolize New Orleans’ rebirth in the first home game since Hurricane Katrina. Gleason has been battling amyotrophic lateral sclerosis since 2011 and was on hand at the game.
3. Mayfield’s magic
It was Cade Otton who scored the winning touchdown. Getty Images via AFP
The Falcons traded leads twice in the final four minutes of a hard-fought duel. After a touchdown from Desmond Ridder which gave the Falcons a 25-22 lead with 3:23 to play, the Buccaneers crossed 75 yards in 2:52 to end the debate. After some productive runs from Rachaad White, Baker Mayfield connected with Chris Godwin for a long gain of 32 yards. It was ultimately young tight end Cade Otton who caught the pass for the victorious touchdown. The Bucs, Falcons and Saints are tied (6-7).
4. A game that sets the tone
Christian McCaffrey hurt the Seahawks again. Getty Images via AFP
The 49ers won a fifth straight duel against their sworn enemies, the Seahawks. They set the tone on the very first play of the game when star running back Christian McCaffrey ran to the right before veering the other way and finally galloping 72 yards. The latter was stopped at the goal gate and was deprived of the touchdown, but the message had already been sent. McCaffrey finished the game with 145 rushing yards and an average of 9.1 yards per carry. He takes great pleasure in torturing the Seahawks.
5. A horrible match
Linebacker Ivan Pace in full acrobatics after making the interception that ended the Raiders’ hopes. Getty Images via AFP
A victory is a victory in football, but there are some worse than others. That of the Vikings is definitely one of them, they who won with difficulty and misery by 3-0 against the Raiders. It was the first NFL game won 3-0 since 2007 and only the seventh in the Super Bowl era by that score. This is the only reason worth talking about, other than the fact that star receiver Justin Jefferson, barely returned to the game, left for the hospital after a chest injury. It was also Mauves quarterback Nick Mullens who finished the match in place of Josh Dobbs, relegated to the bench after another painful performance.
WINNERS OF THE WEEK
1. The Bills
The task was really not easy, against the Chiefs in Kansas City. The Bills had blown four fourth-quarter leads this season and finally managed to hang on. They were 8-14 in games decided by one possession since 2021 and turned the tide. This is an important step forward.
2. Martin Emerson Jr.
The Browns cornerback was instrumental in the Browns’ victory over the Jaguars with two of the three interceptions coming off Trevor Lawrence, who was playing through an ankle injury. Emerson becomes a force for the Browns.
3. Deebo Samuel
The 49ers offense was not the same when Deebo Samuel was absent for a few games in the middle of the season and since his return, the do-it-all receiver has demonstrated his importance. In addition to a rushing touchdown, he caught seven passes for 149 yards and another touchdown.
4. Jaquan Brisker
A game of 17 tackles is rare. A game of 17 tackles at the safety position is simply surreal. For the Bears, that’s actually a team record for a safety.
5. L’Jarius Sneed
The Chiefs lost, but cornerback L’Jarius Sneed definitely deserves more recognition. He completely took receiver Stefon Diggs out of the picture. Sometimes you have to highlight a great match, even in a losing cause.
LOSERS OF THE WEEK
1. The Texans
Already deprived of Tank Dell, the Texans also lost the services of another good young receiver, Nico Collins, at the start of the match. That’s still no excuse to justify a 54-yard passing performance against the Jets and 2.6 yards per offensive play.
2. The Chargers
The one-sided loss pretty much eliminates the Chargers from the playoff race, even though they are mathematically alive. Justin Herbert was injured and when your reserve is named Easton Stick, it sounds more like a hockey defenseman than a quarterback.
3. The Lions
The Lions seem incapable of not generously giving the ball to the opponent. Against the Bears, they committed three turnovers. The count continues to roll, with 10 turnovers in their last four games.
4. The Falcons
The Falcons wasted the best game of their quarterback Desmond Ridder (347 yards) to lose against the Buccaneers, who are currently stealing the lead in the South division. Losing is critical in this tight division.
5. Bryce Young
The Panthers’ quarterback is young and poorly supported, but still… Thirteen passes completed in 36 attempts (36.1%) and only 3.8 yards per pass attempt, that’s downright bad!
2023-12-10 22:30:59
#completely #strange #day #NFL
