Week 9 Thoughts & Observations

[Tom Kessenich]

Here are some random thoughts and observations as I make plans to celebrate Dionte Johnson getting through an entire game without getting hurt.

With all due respect to my guy Al Kamara and Christian McCaffrey, Dal Cook is the best running back in the game right now. He’s also entering the MVP discussion. Yeah, I said it. If the Vikings rally their season and make the playoffs (don’t laugh Darik, it could happen), Cook will be the reason why. He’s not just the key to their entire team he is an unstoppable force of nature.

Oh, and he’s also absolutely destroying the whole “Running backs are replaceable” narrative. I know those folks will cling to it like a baby to its mother’s breast but it’s true. Cook hasn’t just played well this season, he’s taken his game to another level since signing his five-year, $63-million contract in the offseason.

Talk about money well spent.

Oh, and Detroit? It’s not easy stopping Cook with 11 men on the field, but you absolutely aren’t gonna do it with 10. Good work Patricia.

While Cook has flourished can someone find out if Adam Thielen died? Gotta be a reason why the Vikings aren’t using him anymore.

Thanks.

Week 9 update on the Packers’ Top 3 draft picks:

Jordan Love – Covid
A.J. Dillon – Covid
Josiah Deguara – Season ending injury.

Sure that may look like a really awful way to help improve a team that was one win away from the Super Bowl last season but at least general manager Brian Gutekunst made some impressive moves in free agency in the offseason to bolster the lineup.

I’m sorry what did you say? Devin Funchess?

You’re kidding right?

C’mon.

No way you’re serious.

Wait, you’re not?

Oh.

Fair enough. I’m sure Gutekunst learned from his offseason mistakes and aggressively worked the trade deadline to improve his team then.

I’m sorry, who did Will Fuller, Brandin Cooks and Randy Cobb play for on Sunday and who is Jamison Crowder playing for tonight?

Oh.

Ummm …

OK never mind. Let’s move on.

Congratulations to the Falcons on their win over Denver on Sunday. But be honest, you all thought Drew Lock was going to rally the Broncos when they got within a touchdown late in the game didn’t you?

It’s OK, we all thought it too.

I still don’t know what the Broncos have in Lock, but I am looking forward to Jerry Jeudy and Courtland Sutton together for years to come.

Dear Seattle: On behalf of fantasy players everywhere thanks for letting Russ cook but could you do something about your defense? My God it’s horrible. I mean it’s cool if you have players going against it but c’mon have some pride will ya?

I’d say that was a bounce back game from Josh Allen all right.

Remember when everyone was excited to draft Devin Singletary? Those were good times.

This week’s fantasy disconnect from the actual NFL: Russ Wilson turned the ball over a whopping four times and still put up 32 points in the NFFC.

Throughout the offseason I said Tyler Lockett should be drafted ahead of DK Metcalf. I was wrong. Lockett is very good and a terrific player, but Metcalf is the Seattle alpha wide receiver. That is indisputable.

The Titans won on a day when Derrick Henry was shut down almost completely by the Bears and Corey Davis didn’t catch a single pass. That’s impressive.

Tennessee’s defense, though, is a gaping wound. Nick Foles played like pure trash and still dropped 335-2 on them without a turnover and with a line comprised of five guys pulled from the stands during pregame.

So JK Dobbins … ummm … what the hell?

Dear Hollywood Brown: Sometimes the wheel just squeaks.

Nine weeks into the season and I’m not sure anyone should realistically be worried about the Ravens. Good team? Sure. Super Bowl winner? Not lookin like one.

If you were starting an NFL team from scratch which quarterback would you rather have – Lamar Jackson or Justin Herbert?

That’s what I thought.

Sorry Ravens fans.

I’m not saying the Phil Rivers flop on the Ravens’ defensive touchdown on Sunday is absolutely gonna become a thing on the Internet but … well … it’s absolutely gonna become a thing on the Internet.

I’m old enough to remember when Jon Taylor was a really good running back.

I know you can’t put the ball on the ground. I get that. But how do you give Taylor one freakin touch after a fumble for the entirety of the game? I wish I had a single clue what in the actual hell was going on in the Indy backfield, but I don’t. All I know I know is if you have Taylor you can’t start him right now. He’s bench fodder. And that is really depressing for a third/fourth round pick.

Before Sunday’s game there was a report which said Christian McCaffrey and Mike Davis would “rotate series” in CMC’s return from his ankle injury. I laughed about that on Twitter. Should I regret mocking the report? Let’s go to the tape:

McCaffrey: 28 touches
Davis: 6 touches

I’m still laughing.

But now CMC is hurt again. I’m no longer laughing.

Pat Mahomes with four more TD passes on Sunday. He’s QB3 in the NFFC now (not counting Dak Prescott who’s technically ahead of him) and climbing. Mini crisis averted.

Let’s all take a minute just to enjoy Travis Kelce.

Get well soon Kyle Allen.

I still long for the day Terry McLaurin gets to play with a good quarterback. Imagine the possibilities.

So, McLaurin – locked in as a third-round pick next year, right?

Dear Matt Patricia: Revenge Game narratives are fun, but you don’t have to force it if it’s not working. You can use D’Andre Swift more. No really, you can. Honest. It really is OK to do.

All right Jake Luton you got my attention. Now do it against a defense that isn’t hot garbage.

Brandin Cooks and Will Fuller: Best wide receiver duo in the game nobody is talking about.

You hate to see a player get hurt but all the Dukey Johnson truthers may finally get their wish and see what he can do as a feature back.

Jon Gruden has quietly done a real good job coaching the Raiders. Most importantly he’s figured out how to get the best out of Derek Carr. Give him easy throws he can make and take a shot every once in awhile to keep defenses honest. That isn’t going to get the most out of Henry Ruggs, but it could be enough to get the Raiders into the playoffs.

Dear Anthony Lynn: Can you explain to me what in the actual F you were doing with Justin Jackson yesterday? He got hurt during the first series. He then came back and played two snaps but didn’t get a touch. If he wasn’t healthy enough to get a touch why did you bring him back? If he was healthy enough to get snaps why didn’t you give your best running back a touch? Nothing you did there made any sense whatsoever.

That’s not the reason why you lost the game, but it was utterly baffling.

I wish I loved anything as much as Justin Herbert loves throwing the ball to Keenan Allen.

The Chargers tried to get the ball to Hunter Henry in the end zone twice on Sunday. Both attempts failed but … well … yay?

Juju Smith-Schuster has 22 receptions in his last three games. Someone got the memo he’s in a contract season.

BREAKING: Dionte Johnson played four full quarters without a single injury. Drinks on me.

Ezekiel Elliott doesn’t have a 100-yard rushing game this season. He’s been held under 65 yards rushing in four straight games and six of the past seven. He has four receptions in the past three games and has two receptions or fewer in four of the past five.

We’re about to enter Week 10. I realize he’s still Ezekiel Elliott but it’s getting near crunch time with fantasy playoffs fast approaching. It may seem unthinkable to bench your first-round pick and someone you likely took in the Top 3-5 but Zeke isn’t remotely giving you a return on that investment and he really hasn’t for the entire season. I’m not saying you sit Zeke for Jamaal Williams when Aaron Jones is healthy, but if you have someone projected to be a good play for the week you may have to turn there instead of Elliott. He simply isn’t getting it done and we can’t just pretend like it’s not an easy correctable issue.

Not with Week 10 coming up.

Chase Edmonds looks fantastic. He gets the start when Kenyan Drake is hurt and looks like …

Kenyan Drake?

Wait what?

What in the hell was that? Nearly 30 touches and less than 90 total yards? That was 2020 Drake stuff. Edmonds needs to look good if he’s going to earn an enhanced role when Drake returns but that wasn’t the way to do it.

I will say, though, perhaps Kliff Kingsbury’s play calling may not have been the greatest. Is ramming Edmonds between the tackles consistently really the best way to utilize him?

Just askin.

Jordan Howard with 10 carries for 19 yards and a touchdown is peak 2020 Jordan Howard.

The Arizona defense isn’t going to frighten anyone this season but that was an impressive victory for Tua Tagovailoa. If he really is auditioning for 2021 and beyond that’s the type of victory that makes a statement.

Don’t look now but Drew Brees is looking like Drew Brees again. If the Saints’ defense plays like it did Sunday night and Brees keeps playing like he did without needing either Al Kamara or Mike Thomas to make big impacts, New Orleans is gonna walk to the Super Bowl and give Pat Mahomes and the Chiefs all they can handle.

Yeah, I said the Chiefs. Sorry Steelers fans.

Weren’t the Bucs supposed to be better with Chris Godwin and Antonio Brown?

There will be plenty of “What’s wrong with the Buccaneers?” stories this week but here’s how I look at it: Good teams are rarely as bad as their worst game and usually not as good as their best. The truth lies somewhere in the middle. I’d say there’s about a 95%-98% chance Sunday night’s game will prove to be an outlier for Tampa Bay.

This, of course, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t legitimately ask – What in the F was that Tom?

And finally, if you started Jake Luton, Kalen Ballage, Wayne Gallman, Richie James, Olimade Zaccheaus and Irv Smith it’s not true we all hope your man cave is covered in roaches and insects but we aren’t giving you the name of a good insect removal service either.

And lastly, RIP Alex Trebek. A true American legend born in Canada.

[ChiTwn]

Why does Brian Gutekunst hate Rodgers so much? And is wasting another prime year of his career with basically trash at receivers minus Adams?

As a bears fan I am not that sad; but as a football fan just makes me