The Good, Bad And Ugly In Week 9: Drake Maye Is Building An Mvp Résumé

After a week successful which only 1 crippled was competitive, almost each of them were tight early connected Sunday successful Week 9. 

The only blowout wins belonged to nan 49ers and Steelers, who hit nan Giants and Colts, respectively. The second is notable, pinch Indianapolis losing only its 2nd crippled owed to six turnovers, including 2 fumbles and a trio of interceptions from Daniel Jones. 

Elsewhere, nan Chargers escaped against nan Titans, winning 27–20 while everyone successful nan NFC North took their games down to nan wire. In nan AFC, nan Texans and Broncos battled successful a low-scoring matter yet won by Denver to amended its playoff odds.

There are 3 games successful nan precocious window. The Bills big nan Chiefs successful nan premier game, pinch Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes squaring disconnected astatine Highmark Stadium. The different contests characteristic Tyler Shough making his first commencement for nan Saints against nan Rams astatine SoFi Stadium. 

But we commencement pinch nan Patriots and their second-year quarterback, who is progressively coming of property by nan week.

The communal restraint astir nan Drake Maye optimism is that he’s only successful his 2nd year. Yet history says Maye mightiness beryllium correct connected clip if he’s going to beryllium an elite quarterback.

In 1984, Dan Marino burst onto nan segment successful his 2nd year, winning MVP honors pinch 5,084 passing yards and 48 touchdowns, some convention records astatine nan time. In 2018, Patrick Mahomes went for 5,097 yards and 50 touchdowns, starring nan Chiefs to nan AFC title game. 

While Maye mightiness not beryllium Marino aliases Mahomes, who’s to put specified a limit connected him? Through 8 games, nan 2024 first-round prime has thrown for 2,285 yards pinch 17 touchdowns against 4 interceptions. He’s besides been playing lights out, amassing 10 touchdowns and 2 picks successful New England’s anterior 4 games, each victories.

The Patriots are 7–2 aft handling nan Falcons, 24–23, giving New England different week successful first spot of nan AFC East. The Patriots person benefitted from a soft schedule, pinch wins complete nan Falcons, Panthers, Saints, Browns, Titans, Dolphins and Bills (a mixed 18–32 record). Still, Maye’s position arsenic a morganatic MVP campaigner shouldn’t beryllium minimized. 

Panthers kicker Ryan Fitzgerald celebrates pinch punter Sam Martin aft kicking a game-winning section extremity during nan 4th fourth against nan Packers astatine Lambeau Field connected Sunday. / Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

Bad: The Packers against mediocre opponents

One week, nan Packers look for illustration nan champion squad successful football. The pursuing week, they looked tin of losing to anybody. 

On Sunday, Green Bay went nan second way against nan Panthers, who won 16–13 contempt Bryce Young throwing for 102 yards and an interception connected 20 attempts. The Packers chiefly mislaid because of 2 turnovers and 7 penalties, allowing Carolina to bent astir while Rico Dowdle rushed for 130 yards and 2 touchdowns.

For nan Packers, nan losses to inferior opponents (Browns, Panthers) speak to a talented squad that is not yet fresh to beryllium an elite contender. Green Bay has looked ascendant astatine times against nan Lions, Commanders and Steelers, each playoff teams from a twelvemonth ago. It has besides mislaid to Cleveland and Carolina, teams pinch flawed rosters and underwhelming quarterbacks, while settling for a necktie against nan Cowboys. 

At 5-2-1, nan Packers stay atop nan NFC North and person a chance astatine nan NFC’s apical seed. They’re correct wherever they request to be. The problem is consistency, thing which has plagued nan Packers successful caller seasons. Last year, Green Bay was astir cleanable extracurricular nan NFC North, losing only to nan Eagles successful Week 1. But it was 1–5 successful nan North, turning nan Packers into a seventh seed for nan 2nd consecutive campaign. 

Green Bay has stars each complete nan roster including Jordan Love, Micah Parsons, Josh Jacobs, Rashan Gary and others. But until nan Packers show up each week, it won’t matter.

The Chargers survived giving up 2 non-offensive touchdowns against nan Titans successful a 27–20 win, but that crippled could still create a semipermanent mess. 

In nan 2nd quarter, Pro Bowl near tackle Joe Alt sewage rolled up connected successful nan pouch and was carted disconnected pinch an ankle injury. While nan severity is chartless and mightiness stay truthful until further testing is complete, a season-ending wounded would beryllium devastating to a Chargers squad already without tackle Rashawn Slater, who sustained a torn patellar tendon during training camp.

Even pinch Alt, it’s been a struggle for Los Angeles up front. Going into Week 9, nan Chargers had been allowing sacks connected 7.1% of dropbacks, ranking 21st. They besides person lived connected being blitzed, pinch Justin Herbert posting an EPA of +19.3 connected specified downs, but only a +5.3 EPA connected non-blitzed walk attempts. Without Alt and Slater, defenses won’t request to bring much than a four-man unreserved to create unit astir weeks. 

On Sunday, Herbert was sacked six times and deed 11 times against a Titans squad that was without its champion defender successful Jeffery Simmons.  

Looking ahead, nan Chargers look nan Steelers, Jaguars, Raiders, Eagles and Chiefs. Four of those 5 opponents person designs connected nan playoffs, while nan 3 AFC games (Pittsburgh, Jacksonville and Kansas City) could upwind up pinch important tiebreakers arsenic a result.

Steelers moving backmost Jaylen Warren scores a touchdown during nan 2nd half successful Pittsburgh's upset of nan Colts connected Sunday. / Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

Good: The AFC North title is starting to power up

After immoderate injuries and mediocre shot complete nan first 8 weeks, nan AFC North mightiness create immoderate nosy aft all. 

On Thursday night, Lamar Jackson made his return aft missing 3 games pinch a hamstring wounded and looked for illustration a two-time MVP, throwing 4 touchdowns successful a 28–6 rout of nan big Dolphins. On Sunday, nan Steelers throttled nan antecedently one-loss Colts, winning 27–20 connected nan spot of six takeaways, including 3 interceptions of Daniel Jones. 

While nan Bengals and Browns are Ohio afterthoughts, Pittsburgh and Baltimore should springiness everyone a show complete nan adjacent 2 months. The Steelers person a two-game lead successful nan division, and their schedule is daunting pinch nan Lions, Bills, Chargers and Bears remaining, while Baltimore still has dates pinch nan Jets, Browns and Bengals twice. 

However, everything comes down to nan head-to-head contests betwixt nan 2 teams. The first comes successful Week 14 successful Baltimore earlier nan rematch successful Week 18 astatine Acrisure Stadium. 

The different mobility is whether 2 teams from nan North tin ace nan AFC playoff picture. Given nan conference’s comparative weakness, nan Steelers and Ravens some whitethorn make it, apt replacing 1 of nan 3 AFC teams presently successful nan apical 7 seeds.

Before nan crippled against nan 49ers, a level flew astir MetLife Stadium pinch a banner down it, imploring proprietor John Mara to cleanable house. 

After nan game, that plane’s connection only rings truer. The Giants mislaid to nan 49ers, 34–24, dropping their grounds to 2–7 arsenic New York prepares for nan Bears, Packers, Lions and Patriots complete nan adjacent period earlier a far-too-late Week 14 bye.

Some of this isn’t connected Daboll. Superstar second-year receiver Malik Nabers tore his ACL successful Week 4 against nan Chargers. Last weekend, rookie moving backmost Cam Skattebo dislocated his ankle, putting him retired for nan season. The Giants are besides breaking successful a first-year quarterback, Jaxson Dart, who has shown committedness pinch 10 touchdown passes and 251 rushing yards. 

Still, Daboll is successful his 4th year. In his first season, nan Giants made nan playoffs and won a wild-card crippled while Daboll won Coach of nan Year. Since then, Daboll is 11-32-1. Bringing him backmost would only awesome much of nan aforesaid for fans who are starved for success.

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