EAGLES ENJOY A PRODUCTIVE BYE WEEK
NFL teams almost always enjoy their bye weeks, but none may have enjoyed it as much as the Philadelphia Eagles did this week.
While the Eagles were home, making trades to acquire cornerback Jaire Alexander from Baltimore and edge rusher Jaelan Phillips from Miami, they also found themselves on top of the NFC.
At 6-2, as they prepare to travel to Lambeau Field Monday night to take on the Green Bay Packers, the defending Super Bowl champs are the current No. 1 seed in the NFC. That happened when both the Packers and Detroit Lions were upset at home by the Carolina Panthers and Minnesota Vikings respectively.
So at just around the halfway point of the 17-game season, the NFC East-leading Eagles are the No. 1 seed in the NFC by virtue of their head-to-head win over the No. 2 seed and NFC South-leading Tampa Bay Bucs (6-2).
Seattle (6-2), leading the NFC West, would be the No. 3 seed; Green Bay (5-2-1), still in front of the NFC North, is No. 4. The current wild-card teams would be the Los Angeles Rams (6-2), San Francisco 49ers (6-3) and Detroit Lions (5-3).
In the AFC, the South-leading Colts (7-2) are still No. 1, with West-leading Denver (7-2) No. 2; East-leading New England (7-2) No. 3; and North-leading Pittsburgh (5-4) No. 4. The wild cards would be Buffalo (6-2), Los Angeles (6-3) and Jacksonville (5-3).
Here are some notes from teams that did actually play this week.
HERE COME THE RAVENS
Baltimore began the week with a Thursday night rout of Miami for its second straight win to get to 3-5 on the season.
While the return of quarterback Lamar Jackson makes all the difference for the Ravens offense, it’s the defense that has gotten better as well.
In their first five games this season, the Ravens allowed 35.4 points, 408.8 yards and managed just two takeaways. In their last three games those numbers are 13.0, 315.0 and five.
Pittsburgh (5-4) still leads the AFC North, but there’s a reason the Ravens are the betting favorites to win the division.
THERE’S BAD DEFENSE AND THEN THERE’S THE BENGALS
Against Chicago Sunday, Cincinnati returned a kickoff for a touchdown, had their 40-year-old QB throw for 470 yards and four touchdowns, had two wide receivers go over 100 yards, recovered an onside kick and scored 15 points in a span of 49 seconds.
And lost.
The Bengals allowed 576 yards, the third time this year they have allowed over 500 yards. It was also the most by a Bears team since 1980.
Cincinnati also became the first team in NFL history to allow 38 points, 500 yards and not record a turnover in two consecutive games.
UPSET SUNDAY IN THE NFL
In Detroit’s loss to Minnesota, its vaunted running game managed just 65 yards on 20 carries and David Montgomery lost a fumble. The Lions also had 10 penalties, after having just 32 total in their first seven games.
It was the third loss of the season for the Lions, who didn’t lose their third game last year until the playoffs.
Carolina’s upset of Green Bay made the Panthers 5-4. That’s as many wins as the Panthers had all of last season — and the first time they have been over .500 this late in the season since 2019.
Did midnight strike for Daniel Jones and the Colts? Pittsburgh went into Indy and knocked off the Cinderella-like Colts (7-2). In that game, Jones threw three interceptions and fumbled twice.
In all, the Colts turned it over six times. They had just four turnovers in their first eight games.
SETTING RECORDS
Christian McCaffrey is healthy this year (one of the few 49ers who are) and he is breaking records.
In Sunday’s win over the Giants, McCaffrey recorded his 16th career game with a rushing touchdown and a receiving touchdown. That’s the most in NFL history, breaking the tie he shared with Marshall Faulk.
He also had his fifth game with 100 yards rushing, 50 yards receiving, a rushing touchdown and a receiving touchdown. That’s also a record, moving past Jim Brown and Priest Holmes, who both had four such games.
AND ANOTHER RECORD
Raiders tight end Brock Bowers became just the fourth NFL tight end to ever catch 12 passes, gain over 100 yards and score three touchdowns in a game in the Raiders’ overtime loss to Jacksonville.
Bowers joins San Diego’s Kellen Winslow, who did it twice in 1981 and 1983, Philadelphia’s Keith Jackson (1989) and Denver’s Shannon Sharpe (1996) in the record books.
SEE YOU AGAIN?
Buffalo beat Kansas City Sunday, marking the fifth straight time the Josh Allen-led Bills have knocked off the Patrick Mahomes-led Chiefs.
Mahomes and Co. have gotten even, however, the last four times they have met in the playoffs. So stay tuned.
