Parity reigns across top of NFC
The NFL has reached the halfway point of the 2020 season, and there’s suddenly a logjam at the top of the NFC.
With losses for the Seahawks, Buccaneers and Cardinals, six teams are within one game of the lead (6-2) in the conference. In the AFC, the 8-1 Chiefs, thanks to star quarterback Patrick Mahomes, look like they might be the top team in their conference by a comfortable margin. And Mahomes suddenly might have become the favorite to win his second MVP award. Here are the Week 9 winners and losers.
WINNERS Parity atop the NFC
As the Buccaneers, Seahawks and Cardinals lost and the Packers and Saints won, there’s suddenly a logjam atop the NFC. That sets up what could be a thrilling race for the No. 1 seed in the second half of the season. All those teams have either five or six victories and either two or three losses. The Rams, who were on their bye week, are also in the mix at 5-3.
Due to changes to the playoff format, only the top seed in each conference will enjoy a bye. Making this even more salivating for football fans, each of these teams has a quarterback who can dazzle and take over games when called upon. At different points this season, each squad looked like it might be the best in the conference.
QB futures in Miami and Arizona
Though the Dolphins beat the Cardinals in a thrilling 34-31 game, both teams have to be feeling optimistic about what they saw out of their young quarterbacks. Dolphins rookie Tua Tagovailoa’s second career start answered many of the questions that popped up in his first. He showcased mobility, erasing any concerns from his significant hip injury sustained while at Alabama.
Meanwhile, Murray continued to develop into one of the most dangerous dual-threat quarterbacks in the entire NFL. He became the first player in league history to throw for 275 or more yards with three passing touchdowns while adding 100 or more rushing yards with at least one rushing score.
Patrick Mahomes
While everyone was talking about Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson and Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers early in the MVP race, Chiefs passer Patrick Mahomes kept plugging along in a 33-31 victory against the Panthers.
Mahomes completed 30 of 45 attempts for 372 yards and four touchdowns. He has now thrown nine touchdowns in his last two games and has a touchdown-to-interception ratio of 25to-1. He also became the fastest in NFL history to reach 100 passing touchdowns, doing so in 40 games, four fewer than Dolphins legend and previous record holder Dan Marino. Mahomes is in his third year as Kansas City’s starter, has the defending champions sitting at 8-1 and might be on pace to add his second MVP award after this season.
LOSERS Seahawks’ fatal flaw
Seattle had won eight consecutive games in the early slate of Sunday games but fell Sunday in a 44-34 loss to the Bills. And for the Seahawks, who had looked like one of the top contenders in the NFL, it has become clear that their fatal flaw could be a defense that simply yields far too many yards and big plays. The 44 points were the most a Pete Carroll-led Seattle team has ever allowed. Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen went off in an ultra-efficient performance, completing 31 of 38 passes for 415 yards and four total touchdowns. The Seahawks are now giving up an average of 30.4 points per game, ranking them in the bottom quarter of the NFL.
Buccaneers
Tampa Bay looked utterly lifeless in a 38-3 loss to the NFC South rival Saints. New Orleans swept the Buccaneers, which could prove to be critical in playoff seeding. It was also the most lopsided loss of quarterback Tom Brady’s storied career.
New Orleans’ offensive line completely dominated Tampa Bay’s typically disruptive pass rush, allowing Saints quarterback Drew Brees ample time to find open targets. Most concerning, Brady and the Bucs’ offense looked completely disjointed, going three-and-out in their first four possessions, only to be followed in the fifth by an interception. Brady finished the game with 209 yards, no touchdowns and three interceptions and had some baffling decisions. Tampa Bay rushed the ball just four times.
Chargers’ luck
On a day when quarterback Justin Herbert broke Cam Newton’s record for passing yards through a rookie’s first seven starts, Los Angeles again fell in heartbreaking fashion to the Raiders. On the final play of the game, the Chargers appeared to have a game-winning TD, but a replay reversal showed that tight end Donald Parham bobbled what would have been a touchdown grab as he fell to the turf. They lost 31-26.
The defense has been a letdown during crucial stretches.
Broncos’ slow starts
There’s plenty of blame to go around for Denver’s 34-27 loss to the Falcons, but a slow start — again — was too much to overcome. The first time Denver crossed into the red zone on offense came with 4:10 left to play in the game. The defense started the game letting Atlanta convert 6 of 8 third-down attempts. While the Broncos did outscore the Falcons 21-7 in the fourth quarter, it was their 17-point deficit headed into halftime that sunk them.