The Washington Football Team wins 34-30. This was a make-or-break game for Washington, a game that could have sent our season spiraling down a black hole of misery. However, Washington found a way to win — it wasn’t a pretty win, but in the NFL, wins are hard-to-come and this was a must-win for us.
The legend of Taylor Heinicke continues with a solid performance, throwing for 290 yards with 3 TDs and zero picks. Terry McLaurin and JD McKissic are playing at an elite level. They are both making spectacular, game-changing plays.
I sense we have something special brewing in our offense. I was happy to see key players like Adam Humphries, Dyami Brown, Curtis Samuel, and Ricky Seal-Jones getting more targets… we just need to get them more involved, and this offense will be special.
It was a bummer to lose Logan Thomas early in the game; I hope his injury is not severe and can come back soon. If Thomas is a no-go for next week, then expect Ricky Seals-Jones to get more targets, and I don’t think they will activate Sammis Reyes just yet. Also, Brandon Scherff is banged up and will be out for 2-3 weeks — it seems like our OL depth will be tested earlier than I expected.
Our Defense is obviously not playing up to the level we all predicted. But our secondary seems to be the biggest issue here. We are getting killed through the air, and the entire secondary is out of sync, and they have become our weakest link; they are not playing as a cohesive unit, and this needs to be addressed immediately.
We lost Jon Bostic and Terry McTyer for the season. We will see how Ron Rivera adjusts the defense around these two losses.
Washington is now 2-2 and about to go through a murderous row of dangerous teams. Next up, we host an inconsistent 2-2 New Orleans Saints loaded with talent. The Football team needs to win this game convincingly. Advantage, Washington.
WFT 34 — FALCONS 30
and for the rest of the NFL…..
COWBOYS 36 — PANTHERS 28
Dallas caught Carolina without some of their crucial weapons and still struggled to pull away. Nevertheless, Dallas’s record is a mirage; they will crumble soon enough. Next week, Dallas hosts the NY Giants. Advantage, Dallas cowboys.
Carolina will continue to struggle without McCaffrey, but I believe Sam Darnold will figure out a way to win some games here and there. Next week, Carolina takes on Philadelphia. Advantage, Carolina Panthers.
GIANTS 27 — SAINTS 21
The NY Giants got their first win of the year in overtime, overcoming a deficit and some up and down QB play from Danny Dimes. Next week, NY visits Dallas. Advantage, Dallas Cowboys.
New Orleans is very close to pushing the panic button if they don’t start winning some games soon. Next week, New Orleans visits Washington. Advantage, Washington.
EAGLES 30 — CHIEFS 42
The Chiefs were supposed to win this game, but going into the 4th quarter, this game was close, which should cause concern for Kansas City. The defense is allowing 31.25 points per game, and the offense has to make up the deficit. Next up, Kansas City takes on the Buffalo Bills at home. Advantage, Kansas City Chiefs.
Jalen Hurts was excellent here, throwing for almost 400 yards with 2 TDs, zero picks, and rushed for 47 yards. The Eagles came out of multiple scoring drives with no points, and it made the difference at the end of this game. Next week, Philadelphia visits Carolina. Advantage, Carolina Panthers.
CHARGERS 28 — RAIDERS 14
Justin Herbert looked fantastic against this highly regarded Raiders defense. Austin Ekeler was dominant running and receiving for a total of 145 yards and 2 TDs. The Chargers are 2-0 against their division, and when it is all set and done, they might end up winning the AFC WEST. Next week, LA hosts Cleveland. Advantage, LA Chargers.
The Raiders got behind early and could not catch up. Derek Carr tried to push some throws into difficult spots and got away from the run. They should have utilized Peyton Barber and Josh Jacobs better, but this wasn’t the case. Next week, Las Vegas hosts Chicago. Advantage, Las Vegas Raiders.
COLTS 27 — DOLPHINS 17
The Colts got their first win of the season against a Miami team slowly falling apart. Carson Wentz played well, throwing 2 TDs and zero picks. The running game was effective; both running backs Jonathan Taylor and Marlon Mack combined for 26 carries. Next week, Indianapolis goes to Baltimore. Advantage, Baltimore Ravens.
Miami was supposed to be better than what they’ve shown so far this season. They have good weapons on offense and what seems to be a solid defense. However, I still feel that Jacoby Brissett is a better QB option for Miami than Tua. The Dolphins have to commit to their running game better to give Brissett a chance. Only 8 carries for their top running back is not a recipe for success. Next week, Miami takes on Tampa Bay, and the good thing is that Brian Flores has a history of success against Tom Brady. Advantage, Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
BILLS 40 — TEXANS 0
Buffalo was too much for Houston and Davis Mills to handle. The Bills look like a well-balanced team; Buffalo’s offense averages 33.5 points per game and has allowed 11 points in the first 4 weeks of the season; extremely impressive. Next up, Buffalo has a primetime game visiting Kansas City. Advantage, Kansas City Chiefs.
Embarrassing loss for Houston — and things will remain pretty bad for them unless they get Tyrod Taylor back. The Texans should probably consider bringing Cam Newton in to add some spark to their offense. Next up, Houston takes on Belicheater. Advantage, New England Patriots.
NY JETS 27 — TITANS 24
Overtime victory for the Jets — Rookie QB Zach Wilson and rookie Head Coach Robert Saleh won their first NFL career game against a very good Titans team. This was a significant victory for a struggling team looking to build some confidence and rhythm this season. Next up, the NY Jets travel to London for an overseas game against 1-3 Atlanta. Advantage, Atlanta Falcons.
Tennessee should have won this game; they had plenty of red-zone chances but came out empty. Not having Julio Jones and A.J. Brown made a huge difference here. Next up, Tennessee visits the 0-4 Jacksonville Jaguars. Advantage, Tennessee Titans
CARDINALS 37 — LA RAMS 20
Kyler Murray is slowly but surely becoming an elite QB, and Arizona looks like a legit contender. They are now 4-0 and in an excellent position to win their NFC WEST Division. Next week, Arizona hosts a wounded 49ers team. Advantage, Arizona cardinals.
Matt Stafford wasn’t really the issue here in the loss; the Rams struggled in every area of this game. Depth will be an issue all season long for LA. When they were healthy, and at full strength, they looked unstoppable. They are missing key players, and Arizona was too much to overcome. Next week, LA visits 2-2 Seattle looking to get into the running for the division. Advantage, Seattle Seahawks.
SEAHAWKS 28 — 49ERS 21
Seattle turned it up in the 3rd quarter and held San Francisco back from getting back into this game. The Seahawks caught plenty of breaks against San Francisco, and they seem to be getting a similar injury-riddled team next week against the LA Rams. Advantage, Seattle Seahawks.
San Francisco lost Jimmy G to injury early in the game, and we got to see Trey Lance come in. Lance looked shaky at first but got settled as the game went on. The injuries will continue to plague San Francisco, but the addition of Trey Lance will add a different dynamic to Kyle Shanahan’s offense. Next week, San Francisco visits Arizona. Advantage, Arizona Cardinals.
BUCCANEERS 19 — PATRIOTS 17
Tom Brady was thrown everything Belicheater could throw at him, and it almost worked for New England. Finally, it came down to a missed field goal to pull off the well-deserved victory for Tampa Bay. Next up, Tampa Bay takes on a Miami team coach by Brian Flores that knows how to rattle Tom Brady. Advantage, Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Mac Jones played well enough to keep New England within striking distance, but once again, I feel that Cam Newton would have won this game by a couple of scores. Next week, New England visits Houston. Advantage, New England Patriots.
BROWNS 14 — VIKINGS 7
It was a tight game, but Cleveland’s run game was the difference maker here. Minnesota had no answer for the Nick Chubb slash Kareem Hunt combo. The Browns are looking like an elite team. Next week, Cleveland visits the LA Chargers. Advantage, LA Chargers.
Minnesota got away from feeding Dalvin Cook, and it cost them the game. The Vikings have got to get more balance out of their running game and rely less on Kirk Cousin throwing the ball around. Next week, Minnesota hosts the 0-4 Detroit Lions. Advantage, Minnesota Vikings.
PACKERS 27 — STEELERS 17
Green Bay is putting together solid wins, but their schedule is about to get a little more challenging. We will learn how far this team can go in the next few weeks. Next up, Green Bay visits Cincinnati. Advantage, Green Bay Packers.
Pittsburgh cannot provide adequate protection for an aging QB like Big Ben. However, I don’t think Roethlisberger is the main issue here; 15 carries for Najee Harris is not enough to get more out of this Pittsburgh offense. Their defense is pretty good, and they will keep them in tight-close games, but they need more from the offense to have a shot at winning the AFC NORTH. Next up, Pittsburgh Host Denver. Advantage, Pittsburgh Steelers.
RAVENS 23 — BRONCOS 7
Baltimore scored 16 unanswered points on what is supposed to be a good Denver defense. Latavius Murray is becoming a good complement to Lamar Jackson. Next week, Baltimore takes on the Colts. Advantage, Baltimore Ravens.
Denver’s offense looks completely different without Terry Bridgewater, and Drew Lock is obviously not the answer at QB for Denver. Next week, Denver visits Pittsburgh. Advantage, Pittsburgh Steelers.
BEARS 24 — LIONS 14
This historic rivalry is not what it once was, and both teams are trying to rebuild and get back to their winning ways. Chicago has been more consistent lately in terms of success but far from their glory days. Chicago has something special in Justin Fields, and building around him will be crucial for their future in a division with two aging Quarterbacks — and Jared Goff. Next week, Chicago has a tough test against the Raiders. Advantage, Las Vegas Raiders.
Detroit cannot catch a break; they have lost some close games, and Jared Goff has actually played pretty well for them. However, they are still many pieces away from becoming contenders for the NFC NORTH. Next week, Detroit has another divisional game against Minnesota. Advantage, Minnesota Vikings.
Rod Rioja 