Sunday Coffee: NFL News & Notes Week 9
It's been a spooky, cooky good first half of the NFL regular season. As we approach the midway point, the majority of teams remain in playoff contention.
By Bo Marchionte | @BoMarchionte
Was eager to get started at midday on Monday at our local coffee shop (Cadence) for Week 9 of the Sunday Coffee. I type the following, “The NFL trade deadline is this week.” Wait, then I realized that my good deed of getting to work early would have to be put on hold until Tuesday Oct. 31 at 4pm eastern, when we know the new landscape of the National Football League.
After the dust settled from the NFL trade deadline, the Washington Commanders traded defensive linemen Chase Young (49ers) and Montez Sweat (Bears). The Arizona Cardinals provided the Vikings wiyh an experienced option at quarterback by trading them Josh Dobbs. Overall, it was relatively quiet in comparison to the rumored possibilities that never came to fruition.
The biggest transaction wasn’t from players changing uniforms but the Raiders cleaning house. Owner Mark Davis dismissed general manager Dave Ziegler, head coach Josh McDaniels and offensive coordinator Mick Lombardi after losing to Detroit on Monday night, 26-14, while the offense contributed just one touchdown.
We are nearly halfway through the 2023 season. Bizarre losses and outcomes continue to keep things very close as the second half of the season awaits us. Without further ado, here is you fresh brew of Week 9 Sunday Coffee:
AFC EAST
Miami Dolphins (6-2)
Jalen Ramsey returned to action and suited up for the first time as a member of the Dolphins since being traded from the Los Angeles Rams for a 2023 third-round pick and tight end Hunter Long. Ramsey recorded the 20th interception of his career after he picked off Patriots quarterback Mac Jones and returned it 49 yards. Ramsey getting his sea legs is critical, as Miami faces off with Kansas City to take on the Chiefs in Germany, along with sole possession of first place in the AFC playoff race on the line.
Buffalo Bills (5-3)
Josh Allen returned to practice after suffering a shoulder injury against Tampa Bay last Thursday. Signs proudly displayed by the Bills fans were encouraging the franchise centerpiece to run it more. It makes me cringe to root for that type of behavior. Allen is in his sixth season in the NFL and currently has 582 carries for 3,276 rushing yards, along with 43 touchdown runs. His size and stature are reminiscent of Cam Newton who had 689 carries for 3,566 rushing yards and 48 touchdowns over the same period. The 2015 MVP would play five more seasons. However, after appearing in 93-of-96 games during his first six years, Newton’s body broke down over the last five, appearing in 55 of the available 80 starts. Word to the wise, protect the 27-year-old quarterback in Buffalo.
New York Jets (4-3)
The Jets are winners of their last three games with Zach Wilson at quarterback. Wilson and the Jets could make it four in a row with a win over the Los Angeles Chargers this weekend. A victory would tie Wilson’s longest career winning streak of four, which he put together last season with consecutive wins over the Steelers, Dolphins, Packers and Broncos.
New England Patriots (2-6)
The next three games are pivotal for New England to save face in the 2023 season. With upcoming games against the Commanders and Colts in Foxborough, then a bye week before traveling to the Meadowlands to face the Giants, New England has three winnable foes on deck. In give the Patriots some glimpse of hope to remain somewhat respectable and escape the embarrassment of their current 2-6 record, while processing the league's second worst offense in the league in points scored.
AFC North
Baltimore Ravens (6-2)
The “the catch” that immortalized Odell Beckham Jr. happened nearly nine years ago on November 23rd of 2014. The last time Beckham Jr. had over 1,000 yards receiving was before Covid-19 in 2019. The Baltimore Ravens signed him to a one-year agreement before the season worth up to $18 million (with a reported 13.835 million signing bonus). Rookie Zay Flowers leads the team with 61 catches, while Beckham Jr. is tied with Nelson Agholor with 14. Clearly one of the worst investments of the 2023 season was Baltimore signing Beckham Jr. to such a foolish amount of money but “the catch” is something that keeps teams smitten, as OBJ continues to monetize.
Pittsburgh Steelers (5-3)
A lot of talk lately about running backs chasing the almighty dollar come contract time. Najee Harris will likely not receive his fifth-year option and it might lead to him playing in a new zip code. Undrafted teammate and second year back Jaylen Warren has been eating into his snap count. It’s been paying off for both Warren and the Steelers. Last year, Warren played in 16 games and caught 28 passes. This season, he has already eclipsed that mark with 29 receptions in eight games. In his rookie season, Warren averaged 23.7 yards rushing per game. He’s now up to 32.9, nearly ten yards greater than last season, as he continues to see an increased role.
Cincinnati Bengals (4-3)
This was written last week, “The question is this – Will the 49ers lose three straight games? Probably not and the Bengals will fall to 3-4 on the season.” Cincinnati went west and dominated the 49ers from the first snap during the Bengals 31-17 win over San Francisco. The same Joe Burrow that helped lead the Bengals to the Super Bowl and AFC Championship game over the last two seasons was in attendance last Sunday at Levi’s Stadium. He missed only four completions, going 28-of-32, for 283 passing yards, plus three touchdowns. With a win this weekend against Buffalo, one might say the Bengals are now the team to beat in the NFL.
Cleveland Browns (4-3)
The Browns defense looked furious early in the year. In the opening three games, Cleveland’s defense allowed just 10.6 points per game—twice in that span, they allowed their opponents to just field goals. However, that stingy mentality has given way to a barrage of points surrendered in their last four games by allowing 26.7 per contest. Currently the Browns ranked 12th in points allowed. At their current pace, it should be a concern that Jim Schartz may have lost some zip on his fastball in getting the defense to execute at the highest possible level.
AFC South
Jacksonville Jaguars (6-2)
The Jaguars entered the NFL in 1995 and played in the AFC Central that featured the Browns, Bengals, Oilers and Steelers. The format changed in 2002 with Jacksonville becoming part of the AFC South, along with the Colts, Texans and Titans. Where am I going with this? Jacksonville has a head-to-head advantage against just six teams in the National Football League. Three of those six teams reside in the AFC North. The Jaguars are 13-11 against the Bengals 13-10 versus the Ravens and 12-6 taking on Cleveland. Jacksonville beat Pittsburgh last week and are now 13-13 (regular season) against the Steelers. The Jaguars are one win away from having winning records against the entire AFC North; while having winning records against just two other teams in the rest of the league.
Indianapolis Colts (3-5)
Offense, offense and more offensive issues are the only thing I hear when it comes to the Colts. The real Achilles heel of the team is the Indianapolis defense, which ranks dead last in points allowed. Over the last three weeks, it has all coincided in losses, as Indianapolis has given up a grand total of 113 points defensively, for an average of 37.6 points allowed per game. This is defensive coordinator Gus Bradley’s second season in Indy—last year the defense finished 28th in the same category. The Jags ‘D’ has fallen to even farther depths of awful in 2023.
Houston Texans (3-5)
Carolina got their first win against the Texans as the battle between the top three picks in the 2023 NFL Draft (Bryce Young 1st, C.J. Stroud 2nd and Will Anderson 3rd) all played in the Panthers 16-15 win over Houston. Stroud is on pace for over 4,300 passing yards, 22 touchdowns and three interceptions, as the Texans have already matched last year’s win total (3) with nine games remaining. Oh, let’s not forget the defensive impact from head coach DeMeco Ryans. Last season, the Texans were 27th in points allowed and this season rank 6th overall. A lot to be happy about in Houston.
Tennessee Titans (3-5)
Barring Will Levis getting hurt, incumbent Ryan Tannehill took his last snap as the starting quarterback of the Titans on October 15th of this season against the Ravens. Levis has shown plenty of poise in the pocket and looks vastly more experienced than his limited sample size might suggest. Sitting in the press box at Acrisure Stadium while covering the game, it was evident that Tennessee has found a capable prospect at the position moving forward.
AFC West
Kansas City Chiefs (6-2)
Kansas City was held to nine points and failed to score a touchdown in their loss to the Broncos. It snapped a 40-game streak (including playoffs) of 10-plus points, which dated back to October 24, 2021, when the Titans defeated the Chiefs 27-3. Kansas City is headed to Germany this Sunday. By the time you read this, it’s likely the Chiefs are back to their old shenanigans and Patrick Mahomes already has a hat-trick of touchdown passes versus the Dolphins.
Los Angeles Chargers (3-4)
The Chargers won easily against Chicago last week, beating the Bears convincingly 30-13. In fact, I turned the game off after the first Tylar Bagent interception because it was clearly another NFL game without much merit in being competitive. For Los Angeles, however, it snaps a two- game losing streak and allows Brandon Staley to remain the team’s head coach a little longer. The Chargers are 3-4; if they would have lost, LA would have had the same number of wins (two) as the Bears, which clearly identifies how underachieving this team is in 2023.
Denver Broncos (3-5)
The Broncos snapped the Chiefs 16-game winning streak that dated back to November 15, 2015. Denver exited the field with Taylor Swift’s ‘Shake if Off’ blaring from the speakers in the Broncos 24-9 victory. The Chiefs turned the football over five times, which is not indicative of the way Kansas City plays. Nonetheless, Denver laid the wood against the defending champs, winning a big game that could possibly lead to success for Sean Payton and company.
Las Vegas Raiders (3-5)
If I told you that a head coach was fired from the AFC West, many of you would have probably guessed the Chargers Brandon Staley. However, the distinction of the first pink slip of the season goes to the Raiders. Owner Mark Davis saw enough from the current regime and fired the trio of head coach Josh McDaniels, general manager Dave Ziegler and offensive coordinator Mick Lombardi. Ironically, the only two coaches who have had winning records during the Davis tenure, were fired in-season. That distinction goes to both Jon Gruden (3-2 in 2021 who was let go with off-the-field issues) and his replacement Rich Bisaccia (7-5, losing to the Bengals in the wild card playoff round). Prior to the 10-7 season that year, the last time the Raiders had more wins than losses was in 2016 under the direction of Jack Del Rio with a 12-4 record, which also ended in a first-round wild card loss.
NFC East
Philadelphia Eagles (7-1)
Philly is the only seven-win team in the league and the only team with one defeat listed in the standings. Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts is 1-2 against Dallas and has been outscored 95-to-64 in those three games. The concern for Philadelphia is the hidden, or lack of information surrounding Hurts’ knee that got dinged during the Eagles win two weeks ago against Miami. He has continued to lead the team to wins but I’m curious to see if there is any lingering effects from the brace he is wearing, which can cause issues for Philly’s offense.
Dallas Cowboys (5-2)
The Dak Prescott that played against the Rams during the Cowboys 43-20 win over Los Angeles is the guy Dallas needs to go deep into the playoffs with, in order to quiet the critics. Prescott went 25-of-31, for 304 passing yards, with four touchdowns and one interception. His 133.7 quarterback rating was the highest it has been in his past 14 outings and the 10th highest quarterback rating in his 104 career starts.
Washington Commanders (3-5)
It’s well known that the Commanders have invested heavy draft capital along their defensive line. Jonathan Allen (2017), Daron Payne (2018), Montez Sweat (2019) and Chase Young (2020). The last two on that list in Sweat and Young were traded last Tuesday. Since the team ranks 31st in points allowed, their contributions weren’t indicative of the Commanders defense being amongst the elite in the league. New owner Josh Harris might have revealed a little bit of his vision of the future with the rebuild. The decision to foreclose on the first-round picks from 2019 and 2020, could be a clear indication that head coach Ron Rivera isn’t a part of the new blueprint.
New York Giants (2-6)
The Giants had the exact opposite record (6-2) at this point last season. Head coach Brian Daboll won the AP NFL Coach of the Year Award but that seems like ancient history to what we’ve seen of late. New York lost 13-10 to the other team that resides in New Jersey last Sunday, while posting one of the more humiliating stats you’ll see in professional football. The Giants passing game consisted of six completions out of 14 attempts, for just seven yards—six completions, for seven yards! In the modern era of the National Football League, where passing football should be at the pinnacle of easy, the Giants clearly haven’t figured it out in 2023.
NFC North
Detroit Lions (5-2)
Two weeks ago I wrote, “Love seeing the Lions at 5-1 and I’ll say it again. I love seeing the Lions at 5-1, but I need to see some more before I put them in the same realm as San Francisco, Philadelphia, and Dallas. They are the new kids on the block and when you are those kids you must beat the big boys up repeatedly to convince us you belong. They opened the season winning in Kansas City and holding the Chiefs to just 20-points in the 21-20 victory. The following week the Lions lost to the Seahawks and gave up 37-points to Geno Smith and company in the 37-31 loss. Their next four wins came against teams with a combined 8-14 record. It’s plausible that their last four opponents, the Falcons, Packers, Panthers, and Buccaneers could finish with six wins or less on the season. Not exactly powerhouses of the NFL. Then last week I wrote, “Detroit got steam rolled by the Ravens 38-6. The jury is still out on who exactly the Lions are in terms of elite teams in the NFL.” I believe the jury remains undecided on the Lions after their win against the Raiders, who were so dysfunctional that their general manager, head coach and offensive coordinator all got fired after playing Detroit last Monday night.
Minnesota Vikings (3-4)
This was written last week, “Kirk Cousins was magnificent in the Vikings 22-17 win over the 49ers to hand San Francisco their second consecutive loss. Cousins threw the football 45 times and was not sacked once by the formidable 49ers defensive front. Hats off to the entire Minnesota offensive for a performance for the ages.” Cousins will miss the rest of the season after suffering a torn Achilles tendon on the 61st offensive snap against the Packers in the Vikings 24-10 over Green Bay. His over-inflated contracts always swayed people to pile on the former fourth round pick out of Michigan State in the 2012 NFL Draft but I think we’ve reached the point where we appreciate the 12-year veteran.
Green Bay Packers (2-5)
Only three other teams in the National Football League have fewer rushing attempts than the Packers (162). Green Bay ranks 25th in the league in passing attempts, which made me check the time of possession. The Packers are the 29th ranked team when it comes to the time of possession battle. They can’t run the ball and Jordan Love can’t throw the ball. Simply put, the Packers are lousy offensively.
Chicago Bears (2-6)
For the second straight season, Bears’ general manager Ryan Poles has given up a second-round pick in acquiring players. Last year, he gave away a second round pick (number 32 overall) for Chase Claypool. He then traded away Claypool, along with a 2025 seventh-round pick to the Dolphins, in exchange for a sixth-round pick. Poles struck again before the trade deadline last week and obtained former Washington first-round pick Montez Sweat. Chicago is dead last in the league with 10 sacks on the season, so clearly the arrival of Sweat should provide a slight boost to the team’s lackluster pass rush. While Poles has received immense criticism for the trade, I’ll cut him some slack because I don’t think the Bears would be able to nail down a stud in the second round of the 2024 draft—this gives them a legit player. [Update: The Bears signed Sweat to 4-year, $98M extension one day after the trade.]
NFC South
New Orleans Saints (4-4)
Wideout Rashid Shaheed is the epitome of big play. His 20.8 yards per reception leads the league—the next closest player is Josh Reynolds of the Lions, at nearly three yards fewer (18.0 yards per catch). Shaheed has four receptions over 41 yards in eight games for the Saints. He has 23 catches for 479 receiving yards (second highest on team) and leads New Orleans in touchdown catches (three).
Atlanta Falcons (4-4)
The Falcons frustrate me to no end. Drake London, Kyle Pitts and Bijan Robinson seem like they are in a vortex of awful offensive philosophy in Atlanta. When the duo of general manager Terry Fontenot and head coach Arthur Smith were hired in 2021, it seemed like the pair would be on the same page on how to utilize the talents drafted high in round one of the NFL Draft. Smith came from Tennessee, where he served two seasons (2019-20) as the offensive coordinator, prior to taking his first head coaching job in the league. After three years, it might be his last, unless owner Arthur Blank gives the duo a pass since they have no quarterback.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-4)
The Buccaneers were twice knocked flat on their back against Buffalo and got up to fight. The Bills were up 10-0 prior to Tampa Bay tying it 10-10 with just under seven minutes remaining in the second quarter. The Bills added another touchdown before the half and went up 17-10. Buffalo scored quickly in the third quarter and with a 24-10 lead, it felt like the final nail was in the Buccaneers coffin. Tampa managed to keep the Bills out of the end zone for the rest of the game and scored a touchdown themselves in the fourth quarter, while converting a gusty two-point conversion to close the gap 24-18. Baker Mayfield launched the final pass of the game as time expired from the Tampa Bay 45-yard line and the ball came within inches of Chris Godwin making the catch. It was a gritty performance by Tampa Bay that otherwise might go unnoticed when glancing at the box score.
Carolina Panthers (1-6)
The Panthers won their first game of the season and technically, could still finish 11-6. It’s possible but highly unlikely to come to fruition. Joking aside, this is a big win for Carolina to help rookie quarterback Bryce Young remain confident early in his career. The Panthers next two opponents on paper provide a lot of optimism for three in a row. Carolina is at home this weekend against the Colts and then travels to Chicago to take on the Bears, before hosting the Cowboys in Week 11.
NFC WEST
Seattle Seahawks (5-2)
This one is simple and sort of wild to imagine during the phase of the season when the 49ers were simply unstoppable. However, the Seahawks have a better winning percentage than San Francisco entering Week 9. That reality seemed impossible just three weeks ago but the Niners have played so poorly. Meanwhile, Seattle travels to Baltimore in what could be a potential Super Bowl LVIII preview!
San Francisco 49ers (5-3)
The Niners were 4-4 after eight games last season and the three-game skid is a stark reminder on how quickly things can go south. The offense has suddenly become stagnant over the course of three straight losses. Scoring 17-points in each losing game is far off the pace of their five victories, which averaged 33.4 points per game. In the span of the first five weeks, San Francisco scored 30, 30, 30, 35 and 42. Then a Cleveland rainstorm in week six left them soaked in weeks seven and eight.
Los Angeles Rams (3-5)
The combination of general manager Les Snead and head coach Sean McVay have guided the Rams to two Super Bowl appearances, including one championship. The approach they took was to disregard draft capital entirely and apply those assets to acquire formidable players via trade from other teams. The bill has now arrived and the Rams are currently adjusted to life without the ability to spend lavishly like they did before—the rebuild is in progress in Los Angeles. I wrote that because I’m curious and hopeful the pair will remain together. When the time is right, will they get back to stockpiling great players at the expense of draft picks? Time will tell but I'm curious to know if the duo is anxious to get back to their winning ways of operation.
Arizona Cardinals (1-7)
Last week I wrote, “Kyler Murray is close to returning to action. What is he returning to in Arizona? With starters James Conner (knee) and Zach Ertz (strained quadriceps) currently on injured reserve the Cardinals are suffering from a lack of talent. Rookie head coach Jonathan Gannon has the Cardinals playing hard and that’s so important for a team lacking elite talent. Will Murray coming back hurt or help his chances to win over a franchise that is possibly looking for his replacement with each loss.” The Cardinals traded starter Josh Dobbs to the Vikings, leaving Murray and rookie Clayton Tune as the lone two quarterbacks available for Arizona. Murray is listed as questionable this weekend, as we await his season debut. Should Tune struggle, will they leave him in or turn to the first overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft? There are so many variables in regards to Murray being on the team in 2024, which really makes the rest of the season in Arizona interesting. Winning or losing, it’s a situation that must be monitored.