This past Sunday all teams but one lost, bringing the race for AFC North closer.
This past Sunday all teams but one lost, bringing the race for AFC North closer.
The Pittsburgh Steelers lost two straight games, instead of capitalizing on the division’s weakness and extending their lead. They lost 35-25 to the Green Bay Packers on Sunday after blowing a 16-7 lead at halftime.
The Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers played his old team in Green Bay for the first since leaving the city in 2023. But it was his successor who stole the show. Packers quarterback Jordan Love completed 30 of 37 passes, resulting in 360 yards and 3 touchdowns. He had zero interceptions. Rodgers also had a good performance, completing 24 out of 36 passes, for 219 yard, two touchdowns and zero interceptions. However, it wasn’t enough to stop the offensive assault of the Packers. Pittsburgh’s defense was particularly troubled by tight end Tucker Kraft, who racked up 143 yard and two touchdowns with seven catches.
Roman Wilson, a second-year wide receiver who caught five passes for 55 yards and a score, let his frustrations boil over in a costly move during the game. The star receiver poked Packers linebacker Quay Walker in the eye resulting in e qualmation of 15 yards. DK Metcalf let his frustrations bubble over during the game. The star receiver, who caught five balls for 55 yards, and a touchdown, poked Packers linebacker Quay Walk in the eye. This resulted in a penalty of 15 yards for Pittsburgh on the third down.
The Steelers’ already shaky defense is likely to be even worse off this season after a knee injury sustained during the game.
The Cincinnati Bengals lost 39-38 to the New York Jets, a week after their explosive win over Pittsburgh.
This week, veteran quarterback Joe Flacco maintained his excellent play for his team by completing 21 out of 34 passes, resulting in 223 yards and two touchdowns. He also had zero interceptions. The 40-year old signal caller added a rushing touchdown of one yard, and converted a third-down with a 13 yards scramble. Ja’Marr chase must be pleased with Flacco’s arrival. The superstar wideout has been targeted 19 times and came down with 12 for an impressive 91 yards. Tee Higgins, another star wide receiver, had only one catch in two targets but it was a 44 yard touchdown. Bengals runningback Chase Brown was again impressive, carrying the ball twelve times for 73 yard and a touchdown. But veteran running back Samaje Perine led Cincinnati, with 94 yards to go along with a touchdown.
Cincinnati was down by just one after two minutes, despite the Bengals leading by 15. Three consecutive Jets scoring drives had Cincinnati down by 15, but they were still ahead by 15. The Bengals turned over the ball on downs and suffered their fifth loss this season. Only one win has come since Week 2. Breece hall, the New York City running back, dominated the Bengals’ defense with 133 yards and two touchdowns in 18 carries. Hall also threw an extra touchdown in a trick play. The defense failed to sack Justin Fields even once in the game. No. Shemar Stewart, the 17th overall pick in this year’s draft, has not yet recorded a sack.
Baltimore Ravens won their second match of the season 30-16 against the Chicago Bears after returning from their bye-week with renewed energy.
The Ravens were under intense scrutiny the weekend before their game, after Lamar Jackson’s Friday practice was retroactively reduced to limited. He was then ruled out of the game on Saturday after being initially listed as a participant who had a questionable classification. Baltimore is being investigated by the NFL for the way they handled the situation. John Harbaugh, the Ravens’ head coach, insisted it was an honest error during his press conference following the game.
After the bye, Baltimore hoped that two-time MVP Jackson would be back at the quarterback position. However, Jackson’s hamstring injury prevented him from doing so. Tyler Huntley led the Ravens’ offense instead of Cooper Rush, the backup quarterback. Huntley completed 17 of 22 passes with 186 yards, a touchdown and no interceptions. He also added 53 yards on his legs. Derrick Henry led the ground attack with 71 yard and two touchdowns in 21 carries. Keaton Mitchel, a third-year runningback, also got some much-anticipated play time. He racked up 43 yards in 4 carries and displayed his signature speed with a 25 yard run. Huntley and Zay Flowers had a good connection in the air. The wide receiver caught seven balls for 63 yard, but it was the tight end Charlie Kolar that caught Huntley’s only passing touchdown.
Zach Orr and his unit continued to build on the positive trend that began against the Los Angeles Rams prior to the bye. They stifled Ben Johnson’s offense throughout the day, only allowing one touchdown. Roquan, an All-Pro linebacker who had been out with a hamstring problem for a while, made a big impact in his first match back. He racked up 12 tackles and flew around the field to beat his former team. Nate Wiggins, a second-year cornerback, made the best play, intercepting quarterback Caleb Williams’ pass to wide receiver Rome Odunze in the fourth quarter, while the Ravens were leading by three points.
The Cleveland Browns, who had beaten the Miami Dolphins by 31-6 just a week earlier, were thrashed 32-13 on Sunday by the New England Patriots.
The Browns offense, led by rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel, continues to drag down the team, despite Garrett’s incredible five-sack performance. Gabriel completed 21 of 35 passes and threw 156 yards with two touchdowns against the Patriots. Gabriel threw his first and second career interceptions after not doing so in any of his previous three starts. Shedeur Shaders, a fellow fifth-round rookie, is being urged to take the reins. However it seems that Kevin Stefanski will stick with Gabriel once they return from their bye week.
Quinshon Judkins, the outstanding rookie running back from Ohio State, left Sunday’s match with a shoulder problem. He is now deemed “day-to-day” and could return in Week 10, after the bye. New England held the Ohio State second-round running back to just 19 yards on nine attempts, after a performance that included three touchdowns a week earlier. He was forced to leave the game in the third-quarter. Harold Fannin Jr., a rookie tight end from Ohio State, led the team in receiving yards with 62 and a touchdown. He had six catches. In defense, rookie linebacker Carson Schwesinger capped off a strong rookie campaign with an interception against Maye. Cleveland’s rookie class is impressive, but it won’t matter much this season without a quarterback who can play.