When Derrick Henry agreed to team up with Lamar Jackson and join the Baltimore Ravens this past off-season, many were excited to see what this duo could accomplish together.
Once again, they showed opposing defences why it’s a pick-your-poison type of approach when trying to defend against this Ravens offence. Trying to stop Henry in the running game is already a tough task on its own, then you have to contend with Jackson being able to beat defences both through the air and on the ground.
Against the Washington Commanders, the Ravens had 484 yards of offence, with Henry rushing for 132 yards and a pair of touchdowns and Jackson throwing for 323 yards and a touchdown while adding 40 yards on the ground. Despite the impressive numbers, Jackson stopped short of calling this Baltimore offence the best in the NFL but that is just a player who doesn’t want to put a ceiling on what this unit can achieve.
Also, for anyone wondering what Henry would have left in the tank as a 30-year-old who had heavy usage during his time with the Tennessee Titans. Well, it appears there’s definitely a lot left as he became the second player in NFL history to record over 600 rushing yards and eight-plus touchdown runs in his first six games with a new team, joining Eric Dickerson who did it in 1983.
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Lions get revenge in Dallas but suffer a tough blow
When the Detroit Lions were at “Jerry World” to take on the Dallas Cowboys last season, the game had its fair share of controversy with a questionable penalty call that led to a win for the home team.
This time around, the Lions were going to leave no doubt as to who the better team is and it was an emphatic 47-9 win that sent a message to everyone in the league. There was no area of the game that Detroit did not dominate as they had 492 yards of offence while the defence forced five turnovers.
Quarterback Jared Goff recorded his second-straight game with a passer rating in excess of 150.0.
You know things are going well for your team when your offensive co-ordinator is getting off offensive lineman involved in the play calls. The Lions attempted to throw to Taylor Decker in the end zone, but the pass was broken up. Later in the game, Detroit attempted a hook-and-ladder from Amon-Ra St. Brown to Penei Sewell, but it was negated by a penalty.
After emerging as a serious playoff contender last season, the Lions once again showcased their championship form. Unfortunately, the injury to star pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson could put a wrench in those plans.
Hutchinson was carted off the field and had surgery for a broken tibia that will keep him sidelined indefinitely, which now leaves Detroit without its best defensive player.
Jones gifted a Cowboys reality check on birthday
You have to think the last thing Jerry Jones wanted to do on his 82nd birthday was talk about whether his head coach was on the hot seat.
Unfortunately, that’s the reality Jones and the Cowboys find themselves after a demoralizing effort that saw fans leave AT&T Stadium after three quarters.
Dallas enjoyed a lot of success playing at home last season, going undefeated and now it’s became a house of horrors for this team.
In their last four games at home — including their loss to the Green Bay Packers in the playoffs last season— the Cowboys have gone 0-4 and have been outscored 110-35 in the first half.
Heading into the bye week, Jones made it clear he has no intention of giving Mike McCarthy the boot.
“I’m not considering that hypothetical,” Jones told reporters. “I’m not going to be hypothetical in considering a coaching change, and I’m not at all.”
Frankly, the blame for where the Cowboys are should land on Jones’ shoulders, considering the decline this group has gone through with him in charge (no, we’re not just talking about the misery from the last 18 years).
What used to be a strength with the Cowboys’ offensive line and running game has now become a crutch. Quarterback Dak Prescott has the most turnovers in the red zone and has been off-sync with CeeDee Lamb at times.
Injuries to key defensive players in Micah Parsons, DeMarcus Lawrence, Marshawn Kneeland, DaRon Bland and Eric Kendricks provide a convenient excuse but that’s not the only issue to plague this team.
Jones’ decision to hold off on paying Prescott and Lamb prevented the team from going out and making moves that would have helped his team compete this season.
Unfortunately for the Cowboys, it’s going to be up to the players to turn things around but recent games against Super Bowl contenders shows that this Dallas team is nowhere close to being on that level.
Caleb Williams looking like the real deal?
Usually, a trip overseas to London is not an easy adjustment for teams, but Williams was ready to put on a show.
With four touchdowns and 226 yards through the air, Williams is showing steady improvements to his game with every passing week. According to NFL Research, he became the first quarterback to go first overall in the common draft era and to win four of his first six career starts.
The Bears will go on their bye next before setting up a marquee showdown against No. 2 overall pick Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders.
Not only will that be a key test to see how Williams stacks up against Daniels but it will also show if the Bears are trending in the right direction or still need some work before they can be considered a playoff team.
Maye impresses in debut despite loss
There was concern about the New England Patriots throwing rookie Drake Maye into the fire but he certainly performed better than anticipated. While it wasn’t perfect, he did finish 20-of-33 for 243 yards, three touchdowns, two interceptions and one fumble.
It was the best performance from a Patriots quarterback this season and it was not an easy matchup against the Houston Texans defence. He even earned some positive reviews from former top defensive player J.J. Watt.
“If I’m a Patriots fan and I’m watching today’s game, yes, you lost and you gave up a bunch of points,” Watt said about Maye. “But I’m encouraged by the way Drake Maye played. I’m definitely encouraged going forward that he is a guy that I can get excited about.”
The important thing for the Patriots is to try and improve the protection around Maye after he was sacked four times and that his confidence doesn’t get impacted if things start to go wrong. This team cannot afford to have another first-round pick on a quarterback go to waste.
Quick hits
The Packers offence welcomed back Romeo Doubs with a two touchdown game for the receiver who was reportedly not happy with his role in the offence… The Saints first game without Derek Carr was a struggle with the defence allowing close to 600 yards and have not lost four in a row… The Browns had chances to beat the Eagles but Deshaun Watson has looked well below average but Kevin Stefanski is sticking by his quarterback who is hurting his team more than he is helping them.
