After an exhilarating Week 8 slate, Week 9 of the common season did not provide the identical pleasure, with a number of cases of horrible quarterbacking and poor teaching choices enjoying a job.
Amidst the chaos, the New York Giants and New Orleans Saints suffered crushing losses that might have them each prepared to show the web page towards 2025. In the meantime, plenty of worthy MVP candidates continued to strengthen their respective circumstances as they helped propel their groups to victory.
Listed here are some knee-jerk reactions from the ninth week of the NFL season:
It’s time for the Giants to bench QB Daniel Jones
On the floor, Jones’ stat line throughout Sunday’s 27-22 residence loss to Washington suggests he had a stable begin by his modest requirements, having thrown his first landing at MetLife Stadium in 672 days. General, the Duke product completed 20-of-26 passing for 174 yards and two touchdowns whereas including a rating on the bottom.
Even so, most of Jones’ manufacturing got here in rubbish time, and he even entered halftime simply 4-of-6 passing for 0 yards with one landing and a fumble misplaced.
Sitting in final place within the NFC East with a 2-7 document, 2024 is formally a misplaced season for New York. Provided that Jones is not anticipated to be within the crew’s future, it appears like the proper time for the Giants to lastly bench him to keep away from triggering his $23M injury guarantee for 2025.
Instead of Jones, the Giants might flip to Drew Lock, although it’d make extra sense to begin Tommy DeVito since he could possibly be a long-term backup for the crew.
Eagles are removed from excellent, however they’re the largest risk to Lions within the NFC
It wasn’t up for debate whether or not Detroit is the NFC’s high crew, nevertheless it additional solidified itself as such throughout Sunday’s 24-14 highway win over the Inexperienced Bay Packers. The Lions are averaging a league-high 32.3 factors this season whereas permitting the sixth-fewest factors (18.5) and yards per recreation (301.79). Whereas few groups are as gifted as Detroit, Philadelphia is proving to be its most formidable challenger within the NFC.
The Eagles survived an upset bid from Jacksonville on Sunday, securing a 28-23 residence victory in a matchup the place HC Nick Sirianni’s aggressive decision-making almost price his crew. The win marked the fourth straight for Philadelphia, a crew averaging the fifth-most factors (28.3) and permitting the second-fewest factors per recreation (14.8) throughout this streak. Whereas Detroit has the teaching benefit, if the star-studded Philadelphia roster continues to play at its present stage, it has all of the items to take down the Lions.
Loss to Panthers needs to be the ultimate nail within the coffin for Saints HC Dennis Allen’s tenure
Bear in mind when the Saints had been 2-0 and boasted the highest-scoring offense within the NFL? How rapidly issues change. After falling to the lowly Carolina Panthers 23-22 on the highway, New Orleans noticed its prolonged shedding streak attain seven video games on Sunday and made unlucky historical past within the course of.
In response to ESPN’s Bill Barnwell, the Saints grew to become the primary crew in 20 years to lose a recreation regardless of successful the turnover battle, dashing for at the least 150 yards and outgaining their opponent by 150 yards.
With one other loss on his resume, Allen is 18-25 as New Orleans’ head coach and a dreadful 26-53 general in his NFL teaching profession. The Saints ought to have a brand new coach in 2025, however with the commerce deadline scheduled for Tuesday, they need to begin getting ready for the long run and reduce ties with Allen.
It is a three-horse race for the MVP Award, and the 2 main candidates play for a similar crew
We’re virtually by 9 weeks of the common season, and the race for MVP honors is heating up. Commanders rookie QB Jayden Daniels is making an intriguing MVP case, nevertheless it’s clear Ravens QB Lamar Jackson and RB Derrick Henry and Payments QB Josh Allen are the front-runners for the award.
The NFL’s new high offensive duo of Jackson and Henry had been phenomenal in Sunday’s 41-10 blowout residence win over Denver. Jackson threw for 280 yards and three touchdowns whereas posting an ideal 158.3 passer ranking, whereas Henry rushed for 106 yards and two scores, which already provides him 1,052 dashing yards on the season.
In the meantime, Allen tossed three touchdowns and led the Payments on a game-winning drive to clinch a 30-27 come-from-behind residence victory over the Dolphins.
Jackson and Henry might have the higher hand over Allen within the MVP balloting since they had been integral to Baltimore’s Week 4 drubbing of Buffalo. Nonetheless, it is shaping as much as be an exhilarating MVP race and can possible proceed to be tightly contested for a number of weeks.
QB Jordan Love’s turnover issues restrict Inexperienced Bay’s ceiling
Though Love was clearly affected by his groin harm throughout Sunday’s 24-14 residence loss to Detroit, his turnover points stay a serious concern. Within the second quarter, the 2020 first-round decide’s 10th interception of the season was returned for a landing, giving the Lions all of the momentum heading into halftime and serving to them ultimately safe an important divisional win.
To this point this season, Love leads the league in interceptions, which is especially troubling contemplating he missed two video games with a knee harm and left final week’s win over Jacksonville within the third quarter. There is no doubt that Love is among the NFL’s extra gifted quarterbacks, but when he does not clear issues up quickly, the Packers won’t be the Tremendous Bowl contenders many have thought of them to be.
Rebuilding Patriots ought to do some buying on the commerce deadline
At 2-7, New England, which traded edge-rusher Josh Uche to the Chiefs final week, will certainly proceed to be sellers forward of Tuesday’s deadline. Nevertheless, following Sunday’s 20-17 highway time beyond regulation loss to Tennessee, the Patriots ought to add expertise through commerce, which NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport advised they may do.
This may sound loopy, particularly after shedding to a Titans crew that has additionally struggled mightily, but rookie QB Drake Maye’s efficiency was encouraging sufficient to contemplate this transfer.
Maye did not fairly mild up the field rating on Sunday, ending 29-of-41 passing for 206 yards, one landing and two interceptions whereas dashing for 95 yards. Nonetheless, the 2024 No. 3 general decide proved he’s the true deal, notably throwing a five-yard fourth-quarter landing move to RB Rhamondre Stevenson as time expired to assist ship the sport to time beyond regulation.
If New England can purchase a wideout it might instantly prolong like Cincinnati’s Tee Higgins, the crew ought to accomplish that to assist Maye’s improvement.
Prime huge receivers from the 2023 NFL Draft are exhibiting they don’t seem to be busts
Seattle’s Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Quentin Johnston of the Chargers, the twentieth and twenty first picks of the 2023 NFL Draft, upset throughout their respective debut seasons. Smith-Njigba caught 63 passes for 628 yards and 4 touchdowns final season and dropped 10 passes, the fourth-most within the NFL, whereas Johnston had 431 yards on 38 receptions. The lackluster output, coupled with the success of their draft classmates, rapidly and unfairly earned them the bust label.
Regardless of this, they’re altering the narrative, as Smith-Njigba and Johnston every loved a profession day on Sunday. Throughout a 26-20 time beyond regulation residence loss to the Rams, Smith-Njigba caught seven passes for 180 yards and two touchdowns.
Johnston, then again, racked up 118 yards and a landing on 4 catches in a 27-10 highway win over the Browns. Although they have not emerged as elite wideouts, Smith-Njigba and Johnston are proving that we should not write off a participant simply because they struggled as rookies.
