Week eight was not the best week for some some big name players that had their seasons put in jeopardy, and it downright sucked as a Falcons fan.
Somehow the Texans managed to win a game, while Bill Belichick introduced Dan Campbell to the real NFL.
Let’s not delay the winners and losers from week eight. The longer we wait, the more likely I am to start lighting my Falcons’ gear on fire.
NFL Child of the Week: Dan Campbell. I hope he didn’t think he was going to go undefeated as interim head coach of Miami. He got his come-up-ins from one Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots.
NFL Grown Man of the Week: Peyton Manning. The guy was finally a help to his defense as he and the Broncos rolled right over Green Bay. Manning was the superior QB in this one somehow, outslinging Aaron Rodgers by 262 yards!
Loser: Reggie Bush jacked his knee as he slid on the sideline. He is out the rest of the year because NFL stadiums can’t seem to afford turf all the way around the field. Ridiculous.
Winner: Todd Gurley got off again today for 133 yards as the Rams pounded San Francisco. I can only hope Gurley continues his rise to the top of the NFL while his Alma Mater Georgia flounders over the next few years for hanging him out to dry with the NCAA.
Loser: Dan Quinn. Well, the luster is off the new Falcons head man. Once thought to be a football guru of turnarounds, he appears to be headed for a mediocre season. He is 0-2 against divisional opponents, and they have yet to face the best of their division in the Panthers. Quinn’s Falcons have benefited from an easy schedule thus far and are now exposed as the same old ATL. God help me.
Winner: Jameis Winston found a nice rhythm against Atlanta and helped his Bucs to a division win over the home team Birds. Winston made big plays down the stretch that kept drives alive and appeared very cool under pressure in overtime.
Loser: Geno Smith didn’t have an awful stat line of picks. He played decently in relief of the injured Ryan Fitzpatrick….right until the very end when he made more than one boneheaded play with the game on the line. There was little hope of a comeback, but Geno made sure the hope was down to zero by taking a sack and not running out of bounds on key plays with little time remaining.
Winner: Raider Nation can finally be proud. The Raiders handled the Jets nicely in a 34-20 win that showcased the Raiders’ young offense against a good defense. Carr and company had a big game, and the QB1 threw four touchdowns as his team moved to 4-3.
Loser: Cowboy Karma is my only explanation for the Dallas crew after dropping another game without Tony Romo. Maybe Greg Hardy is such a bad person that karma has settled in over ATT Stadium and refuses to leave. Good.
Winner: Russell Wilson’s comeback win against Dallas was never in doubt. A two-point lead against Wilson was nothing, especially against Dallas. Matt Cassel made some nice runs along the way but only threw the ball for 97 yards. How was this game even close?
Loser: Matt Ryan. If I could trade Matt Ryan for Russell Wilson, I would do so right now. Wilson will never put up the big numbers Ryan is capable of, but Ryan is just floundering. He is forcing the ball in the red zone, and the results are horrendous.
Ryan’s play at home against a bad Bucs team was simply embarrassing.
Loser: Le’Veon Bell went down with a knee injury against Cincinnati. Just when things looked brighter for Pittsburgh with Ben Roethlisberger back in action, down goes their best player in Bell.
Winner: Drew freaking Brees threw 20 touchdowns against the Giants. OK, it was seven. That’s still pretty damn good for a guy who was thought washed up after a rough start to the 2015 season.
His Saints got the best of NY in a hell of a shootout that ended with a last second New Orleans FG.
Loser: Me, Steve Smith, and the Ravens. The meanest wideout in the history of the NFL tore his Achilles Tendon against San Diego. The Ravens got the victory but lost it’s best weapon at receiver. This will likely end the career of Smith, who stated before the year that 2015 would be his final season in the NFL. ‘
Smith can obviously still compete at a high level, but it’s time to set aside the shoulder pads. The “glorified punt returner” has nothing left to prove. The 36-year old was an elite player for 15 years and may have the numbers to reach the Hall of Fame. If this is the end for Steve Smith, I hope he ends up on a broadcast crew somewhere. I’d hate to never hear from the tough little guy again.
Winner: Cincinnati Bengals. They just keep on winning and are now 7-0 for the first time in their history. It was not a game of perfect quarterback play with Dalton and Roethlisberger combining for five INTs. This week it was AJ Green that put the offense on his shoulders, racking 11 catches and piling up 118 yards and a touchdown.
Loser: Ricardo Lockette got fully knocked out against Dallas. He lay motionless long after a hit that didn’t look that terrible. Looks are deceiving though, and the Seattle receiver was carted off the field. The concussion he suffered was one of the scariest we have seen in a while.
Loser: Aaron Rodgers. His Pack is no longer undefeated and his 77 yards passing was a big reason why. 77….for the entire game!