The action got off to an early start on Sunday.
The first regular-season game in Germany of the National Football League took place on Sunday morning as the Seattle Seahawks were defeated by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The Minnesota Vikings came from behind for the second time in as many weeks to beat the Buffalo Bills. The Vikings have a good record on the year.
Tua Tagovailoa threw three touchdown passes to lead the Miami Dolphins over the Cleveland Browns, the Kansas City Chiefs offense dominated the Jacksonville Jaguars, and the New York Giants defense was solid in a win.
The Detroit Lions scored 21 points in the fourth quarter to beat the Chicago Bears, the Denver Broncos gave up 17 unanswered points, and T.J. Watt returned to action for the first time since Week 2.
The Indianapolis Colts started the Jeff Saturday era with Matt Ryan back at quarterback, a 66-yard run for Jonathan Taylor and a win at the Las Vegas Raiders. The Green Bay Packers took down the Dallas Cowboys in overtime with the help of a receiver who had three touchdown catches.
The Atlanta Falcons were run over by the Carolina panthers 25-15 in Carolina on Thursday.
Our reporters look ahead to what's next after this week's game and react to the biggest revelations. Unless noted, games are on Sundays. It's time to get to it.
You can jump to a match.
ATL-CAR | SEA-TB | CLE-MIA
MIN-BUF | NO-PIT | DET-CHI
DEN-TEN | JAX-KC | HOU-NYG
IND-LV | DAL-GB | ARI-LAR
Even if the Packers needed overtime to stay alive, they still have a pulse. They might have finally found a receiver that they can depend on, assuming Christian can stay healthy. The rookies touchdown catches helped end their losing streak. The second-round pick needs to prove he can stop dropping the ball. He is the closest thing the Packers have to a big-play player. It was before he added the game-tying score that he became the first Packers receiver to catch multiple touchdown passes in a game. It won't be easy, but the Packers are not out of the woods yet.
Rudy Ford has not been seen by the Packers. The backup safety had played only 20 snaps in the previous five games combined before he picked off two passes. When he was with the Jags, he had his only previous intercept. Ford was promoted to a role in the Packers' secondary this week because of Joe Barry's decision to move Darnell Savage to the slot in the nickelpackage. Barry said earlier this month that he would consider moving if another safety was added to his squad. At the end of training camp, Ford was signed to play on the special teams. The ankle and knee injuries that Eric Stokes sustained last week caused all this.
The next game is against theTitans. The time has not yet been determined.
It looked like the Cowboys were going to follow through on their promise to win one for their coach in Mike McCarthy's return to Green Bay. It all came apart. It must have looked familiar to McCarthy, who used to be the Packers' coach, with Rodgers throwing three touchdown passes. The defense looked shaky when it mattered most, like it did in the loss to Philadelphia. There was a questionable decision to go for it on fourth-and-4 in overtime, because the offense couldn't come up with big plays in the clutch. It seems like a 6-3 record is different from a 7-2 one.
What is next week's game against the Vikings going to be like? With the loss to the Packers, the Cowboys lost a chance at a four-game sweep of the division. If they want to be considered a true contender, they need to beat the Vikings. They went to Minnesota last year and won with Cooper Rush as their starter because of a calf strain. The Vikings are coming off a win against the Buffalo Bills and they have a very good player. The Cowboys will have to deal with their disappointment quickly.
The next game is at the Vikings. The time has not yet been determined.
Christian's third touchdown catch came from the same player.
The Arizona Cards lost four of their past five games on Sunday, but it took Colt McCoy to stop them. In place of Kyler Murray, who was injured, McCoy was able to run the offense efficiently and lead the team to a much-needed victory.
The rest of the season can be kicked off by the Cards. If Arizona can figure out how to prevent all of the self-destructive mistakes it has been making, then it will be all right. The Rams may not be the measuring stick they used to be.
The next game is against the 49ers. The time has not yet been determined.
The Rams have bigger problems than a loss to the Cards if Cooper Kupp's ankle injury is serious. The Rams have been led in receiving by Kupp in both games this season, and he has been the most consistent player on the offense. Kupp had 72 catches for a pace of 153 over the course of 17 games. The Saints' Michael Thomas holds the single-season record in the National Football League. Matthew Stafford is in the concussion protocol so the Rams have to play without him. It's hard to see the Rams improving if Kupp misses a lot of time.
The biggest question is if the season is over for the Rams. Time is running out for the Rams if Kupp misses time with his injury. As the losses piled up this season, a common refrain from the Rams' locker room was that there was plenty of time to turn it around. It looks like that isn't the case after three losses in a row. Even though theNFC is still wide open, it would take a near perfect end to the season for the Rams to make the playoffs.
The next game is at the Saints. The time has not yet been determined.
What we don't know is what kind of coach Saturday is. The Colts' ability to win this game will give Indy's interim head coach at least some credibility. After Frank Reich was fired, Saturday came into the job without any college or NFL experience. He needs a boost at a crucial time.
Will Matt Ryan be the quarterback for a long time? The man should be. It didn't make sense for the Colts to say Ryan would be benched. The struggles of Sam Ehlinger made it difficult to defend. Ryan passed for 222 yards and a touchdown on Sunday. During his first seven appearances he had committed no turnovers. The Colts were given a reason for optimism by Ryan's return.
The next game is against the Eagles. The time has not yet been determined.
This week, the Raiders are a mess. Something is off with this talented roster and first-year coach. The Raiders should not have lost to an interim coach who had never coached above high school, an offensive assistant who had never called plays before, and a quarterback who had been benched. The Raiders are 0-6 in games decided by one point. The longest active streak in the league is their six-game losing streak.
How good is the job done by Josh McDaniels? It's not as hot as fans want it to be. Which member of the coaching staff will be sacrificed if the season ends? Mark Davis made the decision to move on from the staff that led Las Vegas to its unlikely run last winter because he was more invested in the new regime.
The next game is at Broncos. The time has not yet been determined.
The Colts wide receiver takes a 35 yard reception from Matt Ryan on the slant route.
The Vikings are considered one of the best teams in the league after they came back from a 17-point second-half deficit and beat the Bills. One of their touchdown came when Josh Allen fumbled a snap at his own goal line, but that is part of having a great season. The 2003 Ravens were the only team since 2000 to win a game after trailing in the final minute of regulation.
This was the high point of the season for the Vikings. It does not have to be. The Vikings spent a lot of energy to win in Buffalo. They have three tough games coming up against them. They finished the game with their starting left tackle and two of their top three defensive backs out. The Vikings are currently on a four game winning streak at home. They are going to be okay.
The next game is against the Cowboys. The time has not yet been determined.
Josh Allen started the game even though he was uncertain about his right elbow injury, but it was his mistakes in the fourth quarter and overtime that cost the Bills the game. While Allen didn't seem to be hampered by the injury, he threw two picks in the red zone. When Next Gen Stats gave the Bills a 99.1% chance to win, he and centerMitch Morse fumbled a snap. Allen completed 67.4% of his passes, but his mistakes at the end cost him the game.
The Bills' offense hasn't been able to close out games. The coach said that the Bills needed to be more than a one-dimensional team. It was important to establish the run. Allen was the team's leading runner again. The offense stopped the clock too many times while they were up by 17 points. The playcalling needs to stop relying on Allen's arm behind the offensive line.
The next game is at Cleveland on Sunday. The time has not yet been determined.
This week, the receiver finally found a way to make an impact. A 63-yard catch-and-run on a flea-flicker by wide receiver Nick Westbrook-Ikhine was one of two touchdown catches he made. Through the first eight games of the season, none of the Tennessee wideouts had posted a 100 yard receiving performance.
Is it possible that theTitans can compete despite so many injuries? The physical style of football used by theTitans uses players as targets. They were ruled out due to injuries. Through eight games, the team has rostered a total of 69 players, which is nine less than last year. There are 18 injured players. The player who was injured against the Broncos was activated from the injured reserve.
The next game is at the Packers. The time has not yet been determined.
If the Broncos' offense didn't have enough problems, they left Nashville much more battered than when they arrived. Jerry Jeudy, center Graham Glasgow and tackle Billy Turner all left the game with injuries. Russell Wilson held the ball too long at times. The Broncos were unable to run the ball and never really threatened to win the game.
The Broncos have an offensive line. necessity might force the Broncos to bulk up after another day of trotting out one three wide-receiver set after another. A player third on the depth chart at right tackle and a player third on the depth chart at center are being used as backups. It will affect how they plan in the weeks to come. Wilson will be under the same amount of pressure from the TITANS as he was on Sunday.
The next game is against the Raiders. The time has not yet been determined.
Russell Wilson made a mistake in the last 20 seconds of the Broncos' loss to theTitans.
The Giants did what they needed to. They relied on their two best players to take care of business. The Giants won their seventh game of the season on the strength of a career day from running back Saquon Barkley. He has played in four games this season where he has scored at least 100 yards. Jones went 13 of 17 for 192 yards with two touchdown.
What number of games can the Giants win? The playoffs seem to be a lock with a home game against the Lions next. Brian Daboll's team has been playing winning football, so double-digit wins seems realistic at this point. It's possible that 12-5 could still happen.
The next game is against the Lions. The time has not yet been determined.
DameonPierce is a strong candidate for offensive rookies of the year He finished with 122 scrimmage yards against the New York Giants and now has 902 scrimmage yards on the season. The only points of the first half for the Texans came on a field goal. In the first half, there was only one pulse of the offense, and that was the performance of quarterback Davis Mills.
Is it possible for the Texans to get their receiver more involved? The Texans didn't have a lot of players against the Giants. Jordan Akins was their top receiver. It's difficult for an offense to function if it doesn't get production from its receiver group. This has been going on for a long time. It's a combination of several things, including the wide receiver and the offensive coordinator. It starts with the quarterback, with Mills completing less than half of his passes when targeting wide receiver, which is the fifth lowest among all quarterbacks.
The next game is against the Commanders. The time has not yet been determined.
When the Dolphins run the ball effectively, what is the defense supposed to do? Jeff Wilson ran for 118 yards and a touchdown in his second game with the team. The Dolphins set a new season high with 195 rushing yards against a vulnerable Cleveland defense. Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was as sharp as ever, completing 25 of 32 passes for 281 yards and three touchdown. If the offense clicks as it did on Sunday, there isn't a defense in the league that can stop it.
The Dolphins have been waiting for a defensive resurgence. The Cleveland quarterback was pressured 15 times by the Dolphins' defense. He delivered with five pressures and a sack, which is exactly what Miami wanted after trading for Bradley Chubb. Outside of his 33 yard touchdown run, Nick Chubb was held to just 30 yards on 10 carries. The Dolphins enter their bye week with a lot of confidence on both sides of the ball, and if they can carry that over into the last month of the season, they will be a legitimate Super Bowl contender.
The next game is against the Texans. The time has not yet been determined.
Cleveland's defense was destroyed in Miami after showing signs of life in the previous two games. The Dolphins were turned over on downs deep in Cleveland territory, despite the fact that the Dolphins were forced to punt all game. Several defenders from the ClevelandBrowns bragged about having the talent to be a top five defense. The Cleveland defense is one of the worst in the league.
Is Cleveland's season done yet? Not quite, isn't it? It's in danger. The Browns need to win in Buffalo and defeat Tom Brady in order to stay in the race for the playoffs. I wish you good luck with that. If not, Cleveland's season will be over before QB DeshaunWatson even takes his first snap in Week 13 after serving his 11-game suspension.
The next game is at the Bills. The time has not yet been determined.
The Detroit Lions snapped their 13-game road losing streak with the help of receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown. St. Brown became the 11th player since 1950 to record 135 or more receiving yards in his first 25 career games. He had less than eight catches in five straight games.
Do you think it's time for more rushing attempts? When healthy, Swift is the most exciting offensive player on the team. Can he keep his health up? Swift reached the end zone off a 9-yard run in the fourth quarter, despite limited touches since his return from a three-game absence. He carried the ball for 6 yards. The Lions had 16 carries from Jamaal Williams, who scored a touchdown.
The next game is at the Giants. The time has not yet been determined.
The Bears have recorded at least 200 rushing yards in five of their last six games. After Fields threw a pick-six, he ran for a 67-yard touchdown to regain the lead. CairoSantos missed the extra point and it was decisive. Fields gained 132 yards off designed runs, the most by a quarterback in a game over the past 15 seasons. Fields broke the regular-season single-game rushing record by a quarterback when he ran for 178 yards last week. Fields ran off scrambles last week.
The Bears will need to win close games. Cole Kmet became the second Bears player to record two receiving touchdown in a row in back-to-back weeks since 1964, as Fields was terrific as well. At some point in the game, the Bears are going to have to win through the air. They lost to Miami by three points. Fields didn't complete a pass in the fourth quarter.
The next game is at the Falcons. The time has not yet been determined.
Fields runs through the Lions' defense for a 67-yard touchdown.
The trade of Kadarius Toney to the Chiefs is more valuable now that JuJu Smith-Schuster has left the game with a concussion. After Smith-Schuster left, Toney looked like the Chiefs' top receiver. In catches and yards, he was the leader for the Chiefs.
Is a victory over the Bolts next Sunday night enough to sew up the division title? It's hard to imagine the Chiefs allowing the other teams to catch them if they win. After sweeping the season series, the Chiefs would hold the tie-breaker against the L.A. team. The Chiefs would need to fall apart over their last seven games in order to lose their division.
The next game is at the Padres on Sunday. The time has not yet been determined.
TheJaguars have made strides in coach Doug Pederson's first season, but they aren't close to competing with the league's elite teams. They didn't have a big enough margin for error to overcome the plethora of mistakes and missed opportunities they had against the Chiefs, which included failing to get any points off an onside kick and having a touchdown wiped out by a penalty. They're staring at the possibility of double-digit losses for the 11th time in the past 12 seasons as they prepare to face Baltimore, Dallas, Tennessee and the New York Jets.
What's going to happen behind the man who's going to be the leader of the team? Since the trade of James Robinson, JaMycal Hasty has been the second baseman. He has a yard on 13 touches. The Jags don't want to overwork Etienne, but they might not have a choice because Hasty isn't giving them much and the only other backs on the roster are rookies and second year players.
The next game is against the Ravens. The time has not yet been determined.
T.J. Watt's return made a big difference for the Pittsburgh defense in their 20-10 win over the New Orleans Saints. Watt finished the game with four sacks and a quarterback hit. Even without safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, the defense put together one of its best performances of the season with two picks and two sacks, and they held the Saints to just 3-of-11 on third down. The Saints were playing with an injured offensive line, but the Pittsburgh's defensive performance in the win gives them a boost.
The run game may have turned a corner. Najee Harris looked like the 2021. version of himself on Sunday as he ran for 217 yards and a touchdown, his best performance of the season. Harris ripped off a 36-yard run in the first half, fought for extra yards and ran more downhill than he has all season in the win. He finished the game with 99 yards on 20 carries, but he fumbled in the fourth quarter for the first time in his career. Harris and Jaylen Warren complemented each other as Warren caught all three of his targets. After the two-minute warning, he scampered up the sideline for 21 yards.
The next game is against theBengals. The time has not yet been determined.
There was no run game for the second week in a row. Injuries to the offensive line could be the reason for that. For the past two weeks, the Saints haven't done much with running backs, and they only ran the ball in third-and- short situations a few times. If the run game continues to fail, the Saints will have a problem.
There is no hope left for the Saints after another loss. With a long injury list and a lot of defensive penalties, the Saints don't feel like their problems are easy to solve. The problems are bigger than any one position and the Saints could try to get JameisWinston back. The Saints have not been good this year, and that will not change in 2022.
The next game is against the Rams. The time has not yet been determined.
Chris Godwin told Mike Evans just before Brady's game-winning touchdown drive against the Los Angeles Rams last week, "This is the drive that's going to get us back on track." It is possible that his premonition will be true. The Bucs went into the bye week with a 5-5 record and two victories.
The Bucs' offense did not do well against the Seahawks. Two weeks ago against the Ravens, the Bucs rarely used play-action and they had improved their interior run blocking. They converted on third down and in the red zone. They went 15-of-15 on third down After converting 50% of their third downs against the Falcons in Week 5, they haven't done it since. In the red zone, they went 2 for 2. They hadn't scored more than two points there in a week.
The next game is at Cleveland. The time has not yet been determined.
After their worst performance since a Week 2 loss to San Francisco, Seattle's flight home is going to be a lot longer. They were terrible on both sides of the ball for the first three quarters. The offense looked out of sorts and the defense couldn't get off the field. They might have been jetlagged from the cross- Atlantic trip. The sloppy turf may have made their advantage in team speed less apparent. They looked nothing like the team that won four in a row.
What did happen to the defense? They went from one of the worst units in the league to one of the best over the course of the next five games. Their early season struggles reappeared. It's understandable that Brady only got one official hit, since he gets rid of the ball quickly. Allowing 10 of 15 tries to be converted was not. The Seahawks were not prepared for how much of the ball was run by the Buccaneers.
The next game is against the Raiders. The time has not yet been determined.
The Seattle Seahawks had a chance to tie the game in the 4th quarter, but a big first down from White ended their chances.
Since they traded star running back Christian McCaffrey to the San Francisco 49ers, the Carolinas are a better team in the running game. The backs they have are not better. It just means they are committed to it, as they were on Thursday night, with 47 rushes for a season-high 232 yards. They are sixth in the league in rushing with an average of 158.6 yards per game. They had an average of 90.3 in the first six games. The run game and defense give you a chance to win.
Will PJ Walker continue to be the starter? Walker completed 10 of 16 passes. On the same play, he missed a tight end who was wide open, and he should have had an intercept. He took a sack that knocked the team out of field goal position. It seems doubtful that a change will be made after a victory. It is a week-to- week thing.
The next game is at the Ravens. The time has not yet been determined.
The Falcons were a mess. They were unable to stop the run. They couldn't run or throw like they used to. Special teams weren't good. There wasn't anything that worked for Atlanta.
What does a quarterback do? Arthur Smith didn't think about replacing Marcus Mariota with rookies during the game. If the Falcons believe he gives them the best chance to win, I don't think they should replace him in the short term. The pass protection has not been good, which would make it more difficult for a rookies to learn. At some point the Falcons will want to see what they have in him in games, but for now they should stick to their development plan.
The next game is against the Bears. The time has not yet been determined.
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