NFL Takeaways: Week 9
Week 9 of the NFL season is underway.
With the Giants, Cowboys, Browns, Broncos, Steelers, and 49ers all on a bye this week there was definitely less entertainment but still a lot of action happened.
The Eagles have proved to be the only consistent (and undefeated) team but as for the rest of the teams, they are over the place.
One thing is for certain so far, this season is unpredictable.
Let’s dive into what went down in Week 9:
The Jets Are Full Speed Ahead
The Jets are now 6-3 on the season after a 20-17 division win over the Bills.
This makes the Bills 0-2 in the AFC East and 6-2 on the year.
There is no doubt the Bills are one of the best teams in the NFL right now so this was a super clutch win for the Jets.
The Jets defense held their own with two interceptions and five sacks. Superstar cornerback, Sauce Gardner, had one of the interceptions and has been an absolute powerhouse for this Jets defense.
In a press conference after the game, Josh Allen admitted that the loss was on him. This was definitely a performance we aren’t used to seeing from Josh Allen as he seems to always be on the ball. However, Allen’s lack of performance isn’t the reason the Jets won on Sunday.
The Jets have surprisingly looked pretty good this season and Zach Wilson is proving to be the leader this team was looking for.
The next Jets/Bills matchup is on Dec. 11 which is just about a month away, if these two teams keep winning until then this will definitely be a must-watch game.
Primetime Overtime
Another quarterback who wasn’t at his best this past weekend was Patrick Mahomes.
Everything looks like it comes so easy to Mahomes but this Sunday was a tough one for him. Nevertheless he was able to steal a 20-17 win over the Titans in overtime.
Despite some struggle, Mahomes still threw 446 yards and rushed for a touchdown of his own. With that being said though, he completed 43-for-68 passes and threw an interception. Definitely a back and forth kind of night for him but Patrick Mahomes went to work and did what he does best - win.
Derrick Henry kept the Titans in this game rushing for 115 yards and two touchdowns. The Titans defense also played their part, sacking Mahomes four times on Sunday night.
The Chiefs move to 6-2 and the Titans to 5-3.
Fields Is A One Man Show
The Bears lost to the Dolphins on Sunday but not in their usual fashion. The final score was 35-32, but that is not to say they didn’t look good out there.
Justin Fields threw three touchdowns and rushed a 61 yard touchdown of his own. He rushed for 178 yards in 15 carries, dominating the run game for both teams.
It is safe to say Fields took matters into his own hands and was able to keep this game tight.
He truly had the game of his life so we aren’t surprised to hear he is the NFC Offensive Player of the Week.
We should expect more big things from him and the Bears this season as this is a good turning point for them.
This was definitely a more offensive game as Tua Tagovailoa threw for three touchdowns as well and 302 yards in just 21 completions.
Jaylen Waddle and Tyreek Hill had 228 receiving yards combined and in addition to that, the duo each had a touchdown to contribute.
This moves the Dolphins to 6-3 on the season but third in the AFC East, which is one of the most competitive divisions this year. They need to keep winning out if they are looking to take the division.
Vikings Are Cruisin’
All of this talk about the Eagles being 8-0 that the Vikings aren’t getting the credit they deserve.
They move to 7-1 on the season on Sunday after a 20-17 win over the Commanders.
The last time they were 7-1 was 2009 and the last time they won the NFC North was 2017. This season they are leading the division by a long shot and having the best run we have seen from them in awhile.
A new side of Kirk Cousins has come to life and we are stoked to see what he can do next week against Josh Allen and the Bills.
Gia Sabatino is a first-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact her, please email gms6168@psu.edu.
