Washington is the hottest team in the NFL right now. Even all the sport media haters are praising us. Although reluctantly, they are still praising Washington.
The Defense is playing at the high level we all expected them to. Daron Payne and Jonathan Allen dominate up front and are finally getting recognition and respect as the best in the NFL. The way we neutralized Daemon Pierce was outstanding. The secondary has been playing tighter, better, and more consistently since getting rid of William Jackson III. Also, the development of Jamin Davis is pretty remarkable.
The creative ways we use Curtis Samuel in the running and receiving game are exceptional. Our one-two-punch combo of Antonio Gibson and Brian Robinson is working out terrific, running hard, and gaining solid yards. It was great seeing Logan Thomas getting some production. The O-line is playing much better. Plus, Joey Slye has been money on every kick. Collectively, this offense is getting it done
It is definitely the right call to keep Taylor Heinicke as the starter — having Carson Wentz as a top-level backup is a luxury for Washington; Wentz can come in when Heinicke struggles, and he will struggle at some point.
WASH 23 — TEXANS 10
Next up, Washington visits Atlanta. The Falcons will challenge our run stop Defense; players like Cordarrelle Patterson and Tyler Allgeier are dangerous and elusive. Also, Marcus Mariota can hurt us if he gets loose; he can make plays outside of the pocket. As a result, Mariota must be contained. It will be interesting to see if Chase Young plays in this game and how much he can contribute. This is a crucial must-win game for a Washington team climbing up in the playoff picture. Advantage, Washington Commanders.
And for the rest of the league,
DALLAS 40 — VIKINGS 3
The Cowboys destroyed the Vikings, simple as that. However, I’m still not impressed by this victory; Minnesota is not a Super Bowl contender team, regardless of their 8-1 record. Next, Dallas hosts the NY Giants. Advantage, NY Giants.
Kirk Cousins was awful beyond belief. However, to be fair, the QB protection was horrendous, and Cousins was under constant siege. Nevertheless, Minnesota failed to make proper adjustments and got annihilated. It is insane that a team with Dalvin Cook, Adam Thielen, and Justin Jefferson could not get anything going offensively. Next, Minnesota hosts New England. Advantage, Minnesota Vikings.
NY GIANTS 18 — LIONS 31
The Giants are starting to unravel. Saquon Barkley was utterly neutralized with a sad and pathetic 22 yards of rushing. Next, the NY Giants visit Dallas. Advantage, NY Giants.
The Lions have now won 3 games in a row, becoming a compelling team to watch. However, at 4-6, I don’t expect much from this team except to play spoiler and to provide some drama towards the end of the season. Next, Detroit hosts Buffalo. Advantage, Buffalo Bills.
EAGLES 17 — COLTS 16
The Eagles’ exposure by Washington prompted them to go out and sign Linval Joseph and Ndamukong Suh to tighten up their run Defense. It was a close game at 16-10 in the 4th quarter, and with a handful of minutes left in the game, Jalen hurts was clutch and delivered a 7-yard run for the win. Next, Philadelphia hosts Green Bay. Advantage, Green Bay Packers
The Colts let this game slip away. And it s now clear they will need more than Jonathan Taylor to get their offense in gear. Jeff Saturday has this team playing hard, and keeping Matt Ryan at the helm was the right call. Next, Indianapolis hosts Pittsburgh. Advantage, Pittsburgh Steelers.
49ERS 38 — CARDINALS 10
The San Francisco 49ers put on a dominant performance in Mexico City. Jimmy G threw for over 200 yards with 4 TDs and zero picks. The 49ers looked like a team poised to make a deep playoff run. Next, San Francisco hosts New Orleans. Advantage, San Francisco 49ers.
The Cardinals got crushed in Mexico City. Kyler Murray continues to be sidelined, so Colt McCoy tried duplicating his solid performance from week 10. However, McCoy looked banged up and uncomfortable through most of this game. Arizona is simply a mess. Next, Arizona hosts the LA Chargers. Advantage, LA Chargers.
CHIEFS 30 — LA CHARGERS 27
Another thrilling game between these two division rivals. Patrick Mahomes is quietly making an MVP case, and Isiah Pacheco had his coming out game, rushing for over 100 yards. Next, Kansas City hosts the LA Rams. Advantage, Kansas City Chiefs.
At 5-5, the LA Chargers are still in 2nd place behind Kansas City and should still make the playoffs. Next, the LA Chargers visit Arizona. Advantage, LA Chargers.
BILLS 31 — BROWNS 23
The Bills ended their 2-game losing streak and kept their top spot in the AFC East, but Miami is hot on their tails. Josh Allen continues to struggle to get things going and should be a cause for concern. Next, Buffalo visits Detroit. Advantage, Buffalo Bills.
The Browns had a chance to take over this game, they were leading 10-3 midway through the 2nd quarter, but Buffalo started to get their offense rolling, scoring 25 unanswered points. At 3-7, Cleveland is pretty much one for the season. Next, Cleveland hosts Tampa Bay. Advantage, Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
SAINTS 27 — LA RAMS 20
The Saints needed this win badly to keep their season alive and to keep pace with Tampa Bay. Andy Dalton had a steady game throwing for 260 yards with 3 TDs and zero picks. In addition, Chris Olave has emerged as a legit receiving threat. Next, New Orleans visits San Francisco. Advantage, San Francisco 49ers.
The LA Rams, at 3-7, are done for the season. They released RB Darrell Henderson JR., sending a message to their entire locker room. Next, the LA Rams visit Kansas City. Advantage, Kansas City Chiefs.
RAIDERS 22 — BRONCOS 16
This was a game between two teams viewed as contenders at the start of the season. Sadly, they are both pretty mediocre and have way underachieved. The Raiders effectively utilized Josh Jacobs and Davante Adams to pull past Denver. Next, Las Vegas visits Seattle. Advantage, Seattle Seahawks.
The Broncos continue to nose dive, and, at 3-7, their playoff chances are pretty much gone. For Denver to finish the season positively, massive changes must occur. Next, Denver visits Carolina. Advantage, Denver Broncos.
PATRIOTS 10 — NY JETS 3
This was a defensive struggle for the entire game. Finally, at 3-3 in the 4 quarter and with only seconds left in the game, Marcus Jones returned a punt for 84 yards to seal the win for the Patriots. Next, New England visits Minnesota. Advantage, Minnesota Vikings.
With this loss, the Jets have now lost 14 straight times to New England. And top of that, Robert Saleh has benched Zach Wilson over Mike White. The Jets are 6-4 and are still on the hunt for a playoff spot. Next, the Jets hosts Chicago. Advantage, NY Jets.
BENGALS 37 — STEELERS 30
The Bengals have quietly put together back-to-back wins, bringing them to 6-4 and one spot behind Baltimore in the AFC North. Next, Cincinnati visits Tennessee. Advantage, Tennessee Titans.
The Steelers are officially a rebuilding team, and we are seeing if Kenny Pickett is the future for Pittsburgh. Next, Pittsburgh visits Indianapolis. Advantage, Indianapolis Colts.
FALCONS 27 — BEARS 24
The Falcons delivered a crucial win to bring them one game away from first place in the NFC South. Unfortunately, this win came at the cost of losing Kyle Pitts for the season. Next, Atlanta visits Washington. Advantage, Washington.
The Bears are showing flashes of what this team will look like next season. Justin Fields is as dynamic as advertised; Chicago needs to continue to build around him. Next, Chicago visits the NY Jets. Advantage, NY Jets.
TITANS 27 — PACKERS 17
Ryan Tannehill had a solid game, throwing over 300 yards, 2 TDs, and 1 pick. The Titans showed that even with Derrick Henry running hard and gaining tough yards, they can still hurt you through the air. Next, Tennessee hosts Cincinnati. Advantage, Tennessee Titans.
I’m not too fond of Thursday Night games, especially when teams have a short week to turn around and play again. This was the case for Green Bay after a hard-fought win against Dallas. Aaron Rodgers disclosed that he’d been playing with a broken thumb since Week 5. This is a big deal. Because it is not an injury or a sore thumb, it is a broken thumb, which might explain some of the crappy throws from Rodgers for most of this season. Rodgers says he doesn’t want to have surgery. Next, Green Bay visits Philadelphia. Advantage, Philadelphia Eagles (but I’ll root for Green Bay).
RAVENS 13 — PANTHERS 3
The Ravens had a hard time dealing with Baker Mayfield and the Panthers’ Defense. It took a late-game turnover for Lamar Jackson to deliver the game-winning TD run. Next, Baltimore visits Jacksonville. Advantage, Baltimore Ravens.
The QB carousel insanity continues in Carolina. They announced they are starting Sam Darnold for week 12, and Baker Mayfield will back him up. The Panthers are a disaster. Next, Carolina hosts Denver. Advantage, Denver Broncos.
Rod Rioja 