NFL Week 9 got into the Halloween spirit, as “thrillers” were a common theme across the league, and quarterback Daniel Jones played like he was seeing ghosts.
Not so Little leg(s)
Jacksonville Jaguars placekicker Cam Little’s NFL-record 68-yard field goal against the Las Vegas Raiders may have been overshadowed by the thriller of a game the two teams put on at Allegiant Stadium Nov. 2. Little’s feat was done in relatively unspectacular fashion, reducing the deficit from 6-0 to 6-3 as time expired in the first half. His effort was forgotten in the second half, as both offenses put up a combined 50 points in 30 minutes of football.
Raiders quarterback Geno Smith has had his detractors this season, having thrown 10 interceptions coming into this game. Smith showed that he is not done yet, throwing four touchdowns that day. Smith’s dramatically-improved performance could be attributed to the return of star tight end Brock Bowers. The 2024 first-round pick out of University of Georgia caught 12 passes on 13 targets for 127 yards and three touchdowns. Bowers missed time due to injury this season and showed exactly what the Raiders offense has been missing in his time out.
Little proved to be the hero in this game by scoring a field goal as regulation time expired, sending the game to overtime. As the Jaguars scored on their possession, the Raiders had to score on theirs to have a chance at winning the game.
The Raiders and Smith marched down the field, scoring on a two-yard pass to Bowers. Head coach Pete Carroll chose to play for the win, attempting a riskier but more rewarding two-point attempt in order to win and prevent a tie. Jaguars defensive tackle DaVon Hamilton batted down Smith’s pass attempt, giving the Jaguars the win in thrilling fashion.
New hierarchy, same Commanders
Washington Commanders’ fans had seen this before: a mercurial young dual-threat quarterback cleared prematurely and forced to play when it wasn’t necessary, leading to a brutal injury with devastating consequences. Jayden Daniels’ injury Nov. 2 and its sheer avoidability was eerily reminiscent of the Commanders’ (then the Redskins) treatment of their 2013 quarterback and No. 2 pick Robert Griffin III.
To add to the coincidence, both injuries occurred on the same side of Washington’s home field against the same opposition.
Griffin was among the most vocal critics of head coach Dan Quinn’s decision to leave Daniels in the game during a blowout. Quinn took responsibility for leaving Daniels in the game, blaming his play calling for the injury. RapSheet’s Ian Rapoport said that Daniels’ injury wasn’t as bad as it could have been, but Daniels will still miss “several” games. Even if Daniels is fit to return this season, the Commanders should learn from history and let Daniels sit for the rest of the season.
Do you believe in Love(land)?
If you had a nickel for every time the Cincinnati Bengals defense let down a quarterback named “Joe,” you’d have two nickels, which isn’t a lot, but it’s weird that it’s happened twice. Fresh off conceding 39 points to the winless New York Jets, the Bengals defense continued its form into Week 9. It conceded 42 points and a 58-yard touchdown with 17 seconds on the clock to Chicago Bears tight end Colston Loveland, handing the win to quarterback Caleb Williams and the Bears Nov 2.
Both quarterbacks were on form as Williams threw three touchdowns with no turnovers; Bengals quarterback Joe Flacco turned the clock back (again), throwing for 470 yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions.
The Bengals offense tried its best to give its team a chance, scoring two touchdowns and recovering an onside kick in a hectic 49-second span, which erased the Bears’ two-touchdown advantage. The Bears began their final offensive drive down one point with 50 seconds left in the game. After back-to-back incomplete throws, Williams scrambled out of the pocket and connected with Loveland for a 58-yard touchdown, putting the Bears up 47-42.
It was all but over for the Bengals at that point. Flacco’s de-aging potion ran out, and his Hail Mary was intercepted by Bears cornerback Nahshon Wright at the 20-yard line. ending the game and sealing an incredible win for the Bears.
Loveland had the best game of his fledgling career so far, catching six passes for 118 yards, including the decisive touchdown that sealed the game. The Bengals need to strongly consider adding defensive pieces before the trade deadline if they want to contend in the AFC East while star quarterback Joe Burrow is out with injury.
Run C.M.C is like that
One could say it’s “tricky” to stop San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey this season. McCaffrey is enjoying a strong comeback, having rushed for 596 yards while receiving 626 yards, leading his team in both categories. McCaffrey is on pace to achieve the rare feat of eclipsing 1,000 yards in both rushing and receiving, done only thrice in NFL history, once by McCaffrey himself in 2019.
McCaffrey also broke a record against the New York Giants for the most games with both a rushing and receiving touchdown Nov 2, eclipsing the record set by former running back Marshall Faulk. McCaffrey is enjoying a strong start to the season and is putting forward a strong case for earning “Comeback Player of the Year” honors, if not MVP honors, by the end of the year.
All was not rosy and great for the 49ers, however, as yet another defensive lineman fell victim to the notorious MetLife stadium turf: Defensive lineman Mykel Williams suffered an ACL tear, ruling him out for the rest of the season and further thinning depth at the defensive line for the 49ers. San Francisco may need to be another team that shops aggressively at the trade deadline, as McCaffrey cannot be solely relied on to win games in the future.
Sit/start
Many players across the league have been searching for their breakout game to generate momentum for the season. This week, they have favorable matchups and should be able to record big numbers. On the other side, some players have taken too long to live up to their hype and will be shut down by opposing defenses this week. Here is who you should sit and start for Week 10.
Start
Jared Goff (QB, DET) (Away vs. WAS)
Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff is having an all-around average season compared to previous years, but he has still been solid for his team. Goff completed 25 of 37 passes for 284 yards, a season high, and two touchdowns in a Week 9 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. He will likely continue that trend in a Week 10 matchup against the Commanders.
The Commanders defense will be significantly weakened due to several injuries in the secondary. Marshon Lattimore, Quan Martin and Trey Amos all exited their Week 9 matchup against the Seattle Seahawks. Lattimore, who tore his ACL, is out for the remainder of the season, while Martin and Amos may return this week. These injuries will make Goff’s job significantly easier, and he should have no problem making his targets.
Kyle Monangai (RB, CHI) (vs. NYG)
With star running back D’Andre Swift sidelined due to injury in Week 9, the Chicago Bears turned to Kyle Monangai as their leading rusher. Prior to his team’s 47-42 win against the Cincinnati Bengals Nov. 2, Monangai’s best performance was 13 carries for 81 yards Oct. 19. Last week, however, he turned in 26 carries for 176 yards — more than doubling his best performance this season.
The New York Giants’ defense has given up the second most points per game to running backs of any team in the league with 12 rushing touchdowns. Regardless of whether Swift is out again this week or not, expect Monangai to have a lot of carries and pick up yards this week against a weak rushing defense.
Ladd McConkey (WR, LAC) (vs. PIT)
Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Ladd McConkey struggled to start off the year. As his team’s top receiver, he failed to put up the numbers expected of that title. Instead, he took a backseat to fellow wide receivers Keenan Allen and Quentin Johnston.
But McConkey is seemingly turning his season around in recent weeks. Over his last five games, he has recorded 350 yards and three touchdowns from 48 targets.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have the worst receiving defense in the league, something the Chargers will be able to exploit. The team found some help for quarterback Justin Herbert at the trade deadline, adding Trevor Penning from the New Orleans Saints to bolster the offensive line that was riddled with injuries. Now, Herbert will be able to make his targets, and McConkey could pull down passes to have the breakout that he has been waiting for all season.
Sit
Trevor Lawrence (QB, JAX) (Away vs. HOU)
The Jaguars’ start to the 2025 season was unlike anything fans could have predicted, with the team jumping out to a 5-3 record. Despite this, quarterback Trevor Lawrence’s season high is just two passing touchdowns in a game, and he failed to throw a touchdown against the Raiders Nov. 2.
Lawrence will face a major challenge in an elite Houston Texans’ passing defense. The defense has allowed just 177.5 passing yards per game and eight touchdowns. With a 59.7% pass completion rate, Lawrence will struggle to find his receivers against this Texans defense and put points on the board for his team.
Deebo Samuel Sr. (WR, WASH) (vs. DET)
Veteran wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. has been put on the back burner this season, receiving eight targets at most in a single game. Last week, he managed just 41 yards and zero touchdowns from six targets against the Seahawks Nov. 2.
Although not the best in the league, the Lions’ passing defense will give Washington’s receivers a challenge. The team is without Daniels after he suffered a dislocated elbow in Week 9. The Commanders’ offense will have to rely on backup Marcus Mariota for the foreseeable future. Washington has been dealt four consecutive losses, and that streak will likely continue. It’s best to keep Samuel on your bench for the matchup Nov. 9.
Ashton Jeanty (RB, LV) (Away vs. DEN)
Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty was one of the most highly anticipated rookies going into the season. He has not lived up to expectations so far, managing over 100 rushing yards in one game and recording two touchdowns this year. Jeanty still has time in the season to establish himself, but he must do so soon.
Unfortunately, Week 10 will not be the time for him to do this. The Denver Broncos’ rush defense is among the best in the league with 93.1 yards per game allowed. Denver also has the motivation of a red-hot season to spur the team in the Nov. 6 game. Vegas’ offense has been blanked once this season, and it very well could happen again this week. It is highly unlikely that any Raiders players will have a good week, much less Jeanty, who is already struggling.
