The New England Patriots suffered their ninth loss of the season, this one against the New York Giants by a score of 10-7. With this setback, Bill Belichick’s team slips to 31st overall and currently holds the second selection in the next draft. This “payable” defeat was notably attributable to Chad Rylan’s missed 35-yard kick attempt at the end of the game. Mac Jones threw two interceptions before being replaced by Bailey Zappe at the start of the second half. With another poor performance from Jones, Patriots fans are certainly dreaming of Caleb William, best prospect in the 2024 auction, who plays with the University of Southern California (USC). But for that, the Patriots will have to continue to lose, and the Carolina Panthers (1-10), last in the standings, will have to win a few games.
The Denver Broncos are on a roll since their loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 6 of the season. Sean Payton’s men defeated the Green Bay Packers, Chiefs, Buffalo Bills and Minnesota Vikings in order. Then they made the Cleveland Browns their very last victim on Sunday (29-12). During this period, Russell Wilson threw eight touchdown passes and was not the victim of a single turnover. The defensive unit was efficient, allowing only 9 touchdowns during the winning streak, one fewer touchdown than the 10 it allowed in the 70-20 massacre suffered against the Miami Dolphins in Week 3. As the playoffs became a utopia after a catastrophic start to the season, hope was reborn among the Broncos. The Denver team is 9th in the American Conference with 6 wins and 5 losses. She is ahead of the Houston Texans (6-5) and the Indianapolis Colts (6-5), who have the advantage in the tiebreaker.
The Atlanta Falcons broke their three-game losing streak with a 24-15 win over the New Orleans Saints. In doing so, they seize first place in the South division of the National Conference with a record of 5-6. Nothing very encouraging for this division which is swimming in precariousness. That written, we must highlight the performance of Jessie Bates III. The marauder scored a touchdown on a 92-yard interception return. The former Cincinnati Bengals also made seven tackles, forced a fumble and knocked down a pass. Quite a day at the office for the man who agreed to join the Falcons as a free agent last March, signing a 4-year, $64 million deal. On the offensive side, Bijan Robinson carried his team with a combined total of 123 yards and 2 touchdowns. The rookie has 4 majors in his last 4 outings.
C. J. Stroud continues to make eyes widen with performances that speak for themselves. The Houston Texans quarterback produced 304 yards and 2 touchdowns through the air. He added 47 yards and a rushing touchdown to his record in a losing cause against the Jacksonville Jaguars (24-21). After his first 11 games in the NFL, Stroud has 3,266 passing yards. This is good for second among the best productions in NFL history for a player’s first 11 games. Patrick Mahomes did better with 3,434 yards. Additionally, the Texans player produced at least 300 passing yards in the fourth straight game, a first for a first-year player in the NFL. The former Ohio State Buckeyes presents himself as a serious candidate for the title of rookie of the year.
