We are officially the hottest team in NFL, with 3 wins in a row. So we are basically undefeated for the entire month of November, and that is a beautiful thing to say.
Taylor Heinicke had another strong game, showing poise, escape ability, and solid decision-making under heavy pressure. The run game was outstanding; Antonio Gibson looked phenomenal, ending his day with a combined 146 yards receiving and rushing.
The Offensive Line continues to impress me — They consistently provide enough time for Heinicke to make plays and allow our running backs to find holes. The entire unit needs to be commended for how good they have looked these last few weeks.
Additionally, I was happy to see Logan Thomas and Curtis Samuel get some action. Their presence in the field will be crucial in December.
The defense, as a whole, is starting to live up to the hype. Landon Collins looks pretty comfortable with his new role as a hybrid linebacker. The secondary is finally clicking and playing tight.
Hopefully, Montez Sweat returns soon to bolster this defense — I can only imagine how great this defense will be with a healthy Chase Young next season.
Losing our kicker Joey Slye sucked! and now we are on our 4th kicker this season. JD McKissick was injured, but it seems like he will ok for week 13.
It was embarrassing to see the state of FedEx field with pipes bursting over fans watching the game. And how empty the Stadium looked on a primetime game — This is a direct indictment on Snyder and his horrendous track record as an owner.
In any case, with this win, we move to the 7th playoff spot, and we now control our own destiny. So it is all about putting together some crucial divisional wins in the final stretch of the NFL schedule.
This upcoming Sunday, we play the Raiders in Las Vegas — this will be Washington’s last game outside of the division. This team has to keep the momentum going and continue to rack up some wins — and who knows, we could potentially edge out Dallas by the end of the season.
WFT 17 — SEAHAWKS 15
and for the rest of the league……
NY GIANTS 13 — EAGLES 7
The NY Giants stepped up and delivered an early Xmas present to my Washington Football Team. With this win, NY knocked Philly down one spot in the NFC EAST standings, and Washington is now on the driver’s seat for the last wildcard spot in the NFC. Next week, NY visits red hot Miami. Advantage, Miami Dolphins.
Good and bad, it is all about Jalen Hurts for Philly, but it was mostly bad in this game. When Jalen gets loose, he looks almost unstoppable, picking up chunks of yardage. However, scoring or creating any red zone offense was virtually non-existent. Next week, Philly has a chance to get back on the wildcard race visiting the NY Jets. Advantage, NY Jets.
COWBOYS 33 — RAIDERS 36
The Raiders ended their 3 games losing streak and essentially injected new life into their playoff hopes. However, the post-season seems unlikely for Vegas, but they are still pretty much in it. Next up, Las Vegas hosts Washington. Advantage, Da Washington Football Team.
Right on cue, Dallas has begun to fall apart just like I predicted. Their running game seems stuck in the mud — so it all falls on Dak’s shoulders to make things happen. The Cowboys have now lost 3 straight games, and the rest of the NFL schedule is not very promising for them. Next up, Dallas visits New Orleans on Thursday Night. Advantage, New Orleans Saints.
49ERS 34 — VIKINGS 26
The combination of Deebo Samuel and Elijah Mitchell has become the key to San Francisco’s late-season success. The 49ers are playing well-balanced football and seem poised to give the rest of NFC WEST a run for their money. Unfortunately, word got out that Deebo Samuel suffered a groin injury and will be out for a few weeks. Next week, San Francisco visits Seattle. Advantage, san Francisco 49ers.
The Vikings needed to win this game to keep their playoff hopes alive. Now, things are looking dicey for Minnesota as injuries are starting to pile up, and the remaining schedule is looking tough. Next week, Minnesota visits winless Detroit. Advantage, Minnesota Vikings.
PACKERS 36 — LA RAMS 28
Green Bay is riding high at 9-3 and running away with the NFC NORTH. Their defense is complementing their offense nicely, making Green Bay a legit threat in the post-season. Next week, Green Bay has their bye week.
Fumbles and picks were the stories here. Third straight loss for the Rams, and it is time to start worrying. LA needs to get back to the running game and create more balance with their offense. Matt Stafford needs a solid running game to take them to the next level. Also, they need to figure out a way to get OBJ more involved in the offense sooner than later. Next week, LA hosts Jacksonville. Advantage, LA Rams.
BRONCOS 28 — LA CHARGERS 13
Denver refuses to go quietly into the night. The Broncos keep finding ways to win, and they are doing it mostly with solid defensive play and some up and down QB play. As a result, the Broncos are in the mix for the AFC WEST title at 6-5. Next up, Denver visits 7-4 Kansas City. Advantage, Kansas City Chiefs.
The Chargers blew a huge opportunity to challenge Kansas City for the top spot in the AFC WEST. With 4 Interceptions in the last 3 games, picks are starting to become an issue for Justin Herbert, but no reason to panic; he will clean those up. Next up, LA visits Cincinnati. Advantage, Cincinnati Bengals.
BILLS 31 — SAINTS 6
Simply put, Buffalo embarrassed New Orleans at home. The Bills are once again showing how dangerous their high-scoring offense can be. The Bills have to play 3 top 5 defenses in the next 3 weeks of the NFL schedule; we will see if Buffalo can consistently put together some wins. Next week, Buffalo hosts New England. Advantage, Buffalo Bills.
The Saints have now lost 4 games in a row, and the time for panic is at their doorstep. The injuries to Alvin Kamara and Jameis Winston have been magnified in these recent losses. However, I don’t believe that a Sean Payton-coached team will lose 5 in a row. Next week, New Orleans hosts Dallas. Advantage, New Orleans Saints.
DOLPHINS 33 — PANTHERS 10
The Dolphins have won 4 games in a row, and they have officially put the AFC EAST on notice. Jaylen Waddle has emerged as their legit top receiving threat. Next week, Miami will host the NY Giants. Advantage, Miami Dolphins.
Cam Newton struggled to get things going and ended up getting benched. On top of that, Christian McCaffrey got injured and will be done for the year. The Panthers have not been the same since Ron Rivera left, and it seems to me that Matt Rhule might not be the correct type of head coach for this rebuilding team. Next week, Carolina has their bye week.
PATRIOTS 36 — TITANS 13
This was a massive win for New England; beating this 8-4 Tennessee team is a huge confidence booster for a Patriots team looking to challenge Buffalo for the top spot in their division. Next up, New England visits Buffalo. Advantage, Buffalo Bills.
This was a disaster of a game for Tennessee, full of mistakes, fumbles, and interceptions. The absence of Derrick Henry has derailed Tennessee’s chances to make a deep run in the playoffs. Next up, Tennessee has their bye week.
BUCCANEERS 38 — COLTS 31
Tampa Bay needed this win badly to get some type of rhythm going into the final stretch of the NFL schedule. The Bucs found a way to neutralize Jonathan Taylor and keep this game close enough and into overtime. Tom Brady has been looking shaky at times but continues to orchestrate game-winning drives in tight games. Next week, Tampa Bay visits Atlanta. Advantage, Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The Colts were pretty close for most of the game, but Indy was inefficient at protecting the ball with 5 turnovers, which in the end, made all the difference in the outcome of this game. Next week, Indianapolis visits Houston. Advantage, Indianapolis Colts.
RAVENS 16 — BROWNS 10
It was an ugly game for both teams and Lamar Jackson, who ended up with 4 picks. Nevertheless, it only took one brilliant play from Jackson to TE Mark Andrews to put this game away. Next week, Baltimore visits reeling divisional foe Pittsburgh. Advantage, Baltimore Ravens.
The Browns’ inability to get their running game going was the difference maker here. Kareem Hunt had 7 rushes, and Nick Chubb had 8 rushes with a combined 36 yards. It was a pathetic effort from an offense that was supposed to be versatile and dynamic. Next week, Cleveland gets a much-needed break.
BEARS 16 — LIONS 14
The Bears went into this game surrounded by rumors of Matt Nagy getting fired — It did not happen, but unless they win out, Nagy will probably not be coaching Chicago next season. Next up, Chicago visits 9-2 Arizona. Advantage, Arizona Cardinals.
Detroit is 0-10, and their best chance to win at least 1 game this season will come on week 16 against Atlanta. Next week, Detroit hosts another division rival Minnesota. Advantage, Minnesota Vikings.
BENGALS 41 — STEELERS 10
A massive divisional win for Cincinnati, pulling them closer to the division title. The Bengals had the perfect recipe here, running the ball effectively with Joe Mixon, who ended up with 165 yards rushing and 2 TDs. Also, the defense was all over Big Ben, making him look ineffective for most of the game. Next week Cincinnati hosts a desperate for a win LA Chargers team. Advantage, Cincinnati Bengals
Pittsburgh has lost 2 games in a row, setting up a crucial matchup with the division-leading Baltimore. Next week, Pittsburgh is in a must-win game against Baltimore. Advantage, Baltimore Ravens.
FALCONS 21 – JAGUARS 14
Atlanta is a whole different team with Cordarrelle Patterson on the field. And at 5-6 Atlanta should feel good about how well they bounce back after losing two straight games. They are still hanging around and probably will finish the season on a good note. Next week, Atlanta host Tampa Bay. Advantage, Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The Jaguars are 2-9 for the season, but they show flashes of improvement from week to week and seem to be building an identity going into next season. Urban Meyer has a lot of work to do — this complete rebuild will take a couple of seasons. Next week, Jacksonville visits LA. Advantage, LA Rams.
NY JETS 21 — TEXANS 14
The NY Jets showed some grit and guts in this game, converting on 2 fourth-down attempts and playing tough football. Zach Wilson looked shaky at first but recovered and made crucial plays to put this game away. Next up, NY is looking to spoil Philly’s playoff hopes. Advantage, NY Jets.
The Texans could not keep their winning momentum from last week’s upset over Tennessee and struggled for most of this game. Injuries, penalties, and mistakes continue to haunt Houston. Next week, Houston hosts Indy. Advantage, Indianapolis Colts.
Rod Rioja 