Nick Bosa Credit: Fox Sports and NFL Game Pass |
The Eagles will be there. So will Minnesota and Dallas. And
that’s not all.
The San Francisco 49ers aren’t just the best team in the NFC
West; they’re one of the hottest teams in the NFL. They won their last four,
passed Seattle in the division and have playmakers galore on offense – like
Deebo Saumuel … and George Kittle … and Christian McCaffrey, Brandon Aiyuk and Jimmy
Garoppolo.
But it’s not the offense that makes the 49ers such a tough
out. It’s the defense. It’s tough, violent and fast. Plus, like the other side
of the ball, it has a litany of playmakers … like Nick Bosa, Fred Warner, Dre
Greenlaw and Talanoa Hufanga.
It also has a litany of accomplishments. San Francisco leads
lead the league in total defense, leads the league in run defense and leads the
league in fewest points allowed. But, best of all, it’s getting better as the
season grows longer.
Over the last four games, the 49ers allowed an average of 10
points per game, outscored opponents 57-0 in the second half and just produced their
first shutout of the season, a 13-0 defeat of New Orleans.
It ended a streak of 332 straight games where the Saints
weren’t blanked.
“I like what I’m seeing from the 49ers right now,” said
Hall-of-Fame coach and NBC analyst
Tony Dungy.
So do I. They’re a run-heavy team that can beat you with the
pass, stifle you with their defense and outmuscle you on both sides of the
lines of scrimmage. Plus, they’re starting to run the table. In short, they’re
a lot like the 2019 49ers that wound up in Super Bowl LIV.
I know, they lost to Chicago, Denver and Atlanta. But that
was then, and this is now … and now they’re on a roll. All that’s needed is a
signature victory, and they have that opportunity next week. They play Miami, and
they’re an early 3-1/2-point favorite.
Philadelphia is the logical favorite to win the NFC, but
don’t sleep on San Francisco. The 49ers have all their bases covered.
SUNDAY SCHOOL: FIVE THINGS WE LEARNED
1. Taylor Heinicke is the Commander in Chief.
All he’s done is win five of his six starts and pull the Commanders … yes, the
Washington Freakin’ Commanders … into the middle of the playoff race. But now the
road turns sharply uphill: Their last five games are vs. opponents that ae a
combined 33-22 (including the 7-4 Giants twice).
2. Cincinnati won’t go away. The Bengals
have a brutal schedule down the stretch, but they just checked Tennessee off
the list … beating the Titans and doing it without Ja’Marr Chase. They’ve won
seven of their last nine and are tied with Baltimore atop the AFC North. But
that’s where things get sticky. The Ravens don’t play an opponent with a
winning record until Week 18 (Cincinnati), while the Bengals have games
remaining vs. Kansas City, Tampa Bay, New England and Buffalo.
3. Trevor Lawrence just took a giant step
forward. Finally, mercifully, he looked like the quarterback Jacksonville chose
first in the 2021 draft. Producing his best game as a pro, he led the Jags to a
last-minute upset of Baltimore – completing 29 of 37 for 321 yards, three TDs
and a game-winning two-point conversion. Biggest difference between this year
and last? Coaching. A year ago, it was Urban Meyer. Now it’s Doug Pederson.
4. The Jets may have found their quarterback.
Mike White, come on down. For the second time in four NFL starts, he threw for
over 300 yards and three TDS. More important, he led the Jets to a victory. If
the season were to end today, the Jets would be in the playoffs for the first
time in 12 seasons. Their defense is stellar. Their quarterback … not so much.
Until now.
5. It doesn’t matter who wins the NFC South.
It’s supposed to be Tampa Bay, but who cares? The division stinks. Nobody is
over .500, and Tampa Bay just lost to Cleveland. Cleveland. Last-place Carolina is a mess, running through its head
coach and three quarterbacks. Yet at 4-8, the Panthers are only a game out of
first.
THIRD AND 20
1. Tell
me again: Why did the Raiders think it was a good idea not to pick up a
fifth-year option on Josh Jacobs? All he did Sunday was produce 303 yards from
scrimmage and score the game-winning TD on an 86-yard blast up the middle.
2. Yes,
those were chants of “MVP, MVP” in Miami Sunday, and there’s a reason: Dolphins’
quarterback Tua Tagovailoa belongs in the conversation. The guy quarterbacks a
first-place team, leads the league in passer rating and has 19 TDs and only 3
interceptions. In all likelihood, the award comes down to Patrick Mahomes and
Jalen Hurts, with Mahomes the frontrunner. But don’t forget Tua.
3. Nope,
this is not the time to face Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs. They
won their last 26 games in November and December. Next victim: Cincinnati.
4. The
line score says the Bengals’ Joe Burrow beat Tennessee with a 27 yard TD pass
to Tee Higgins, but that’s not entirely accurate. The Bengals’ defense won it,
holding Derrick Henry to 38 yards rushing, holding him to zero or minus yards
on seven of his 17 carries. Henry has failed to reach 100 yards in his last
three games.
5. The
only quarterback worth watching in Houston is the one the Texans take with the
first pick of the 2023 draft.
6. The
NFC East is a combined 32-13. The AFC East is 29-15. Neither has a losing team.
Horace Greeley was wrong. Go East, young man.
7. Shame
on Tampa Bay. The Bucs just lost tackle Tristan Wirfs to an injury that never
should’ve happened. Reason: The game had no business going to OT. Someone please
tell Todd Bowles that timeouts are meant to be used, especially when Tom Brady
has the ball. The Bucs kept Cleveland in this one and wound up beating themselves.
8. Memo
to Denver’s new management: You might look into Allstate for help. It claims to
“better protect you from Mayhem,” which is crippling your football team. The
coaching stinks. The quarterback stinks. Nobody can score. Fans are miserable.
Next week is another rock bottom waiting to happen. Take my advice.
9. The
more New Orleans loses, the more Philadelphia wins. The Eagles own the Saints’
2023 first-round draft choice, currently seventh overall.
10. Sorry,
Dallas, but the Cowboys don’t need OBJ. They need to rely more on their running
game, less on the forward pass.
11. Twelve
weeks into the season, and the Ravens are still blowing fourth-quarter leads …
only now to Jacksonville … and, yeah, that’s a concern.
12. Melvin
Gordon, consider yourself lucky. The Broncos just dealt you a Get Out of Jail
card.
13. Green
Bay rookie Christian Watson is a load, scoring six times in the past three
weeks. My only question: Why did it take the Packers so long to wake up to him?
14. Hard
not to like Tennessee’s Mike Vrabel … except when he defies common sense. That
happened Sunday when Vrabel called for a field goal in the fourth quarter vs.
Cincinnati. Down 20-13, the Titans were sitting on a fourth and-5at the
Cincinnati 20 with just over six minutes left. That’s when Vrabel called for a
field goal … when a field goal wouldn’t help. No matter if Tennessee made the
kick – which it did – it still needed a TD to win. Sadly, the Titans never had
a chance. Cincinnati held the ball the last six minutes.
15. There
is no reason for Matthew Stafford to return this season. The Rams can’t run,
can’t block and don’t have Cooper Kupp. So find out what you have in Bryce Perkins
and let Stafford work on those “Pizza, Pizza” audibles at home.
16. Matt
Rhule goes 11-27 at Carolina and doesn’t last three seasons. So what happens?
He gets a reported eight-year, $72 million deal to coach Nebraska. What a great
country.
17. Only
one question left for Green Bay at this point: Will the Packers admit the
obvious – namely, that the season is kaput -- and take a long, hard look at
Jordan Love? We caught a glimpse Sunday night. Time to see more.
18. About
time the Chargers delivered with a late TD. Until the last minute Sunday, they
found the end zone on only one of their previous 19 second-half possessions ...
with Justin Herbert, no less.
19. I
don’t know if the Eagles’ 363 yards rushing (and average of 7.4 yard per carry)
say more about them or Green Bay’s matador defense. What I do know is that
Philadelphia’s offensive line is second to none.
20. Two things I like about the Raiders’ Derek
Carr 1) His toughness and 2) his play in OT. He’s 9-2 when games go to a fifth
quarter.
SUNDAY’S GOLD JACKET STATS
n
The Jets’ Mike White has three TD passes in two
of his four NFL starts. Zach Wilson has none in 20.
n
According to Elias
Sports Bureau, Jalen Hurts’ 103 first-quarter yards rushing were the most single-quarter
rushing yards by a quarterback over the last 45 years. His 157 yards rushing for the game are also the most
ever by an Eagles’ quarterback , breaking Michael Vick’s record of 130 set in
2010.
n
DeSean Jackson has 50-yard receptions from 14 different
quarterbacks.
n
When Justin Tucker’s 67-yard field goal fell
short Sunday, it ended a streak of 65 consecutive field goals made in the
fourth quarter or overtime. He hadn’t missed one since 2015.
n
Carolina’s Sam Darnold wasn’t sacked for only
the third time in his 51 NFL starts.
n
According to NFL
Research, Washington has the time-of-possession advantage in every one of
Taylor Heinicke’s six starts this season.
SUNDAY’S GOLD JACKET QUOTES
n
“He made the easy look easy.” – Jets’ coach Robert Saleh on quarterback
Mike White.
n
“This is the kind of game that great teams win.”
– Cincinnati quarterback Joe Burrow on
Sunday’s win.
n
“We got lackadaisical out there.” – Baltimore linebacker Justin Houston on
the loss to Jacksonville.
n
“In the end, they just made the plays, and we
didn’t.” – Tampa Bay’s Tom Brady on
the Bucs’ latest loss.
n
“I hope the Texans don’t cause Bryce Young to stay
another year at Alabama.” – Tweet from former Houston Chronicle columnist John
McClain.
From Brian wolf ...
ReplyDeleteI still trust my eyes after all these years and it didnt look the Jax receiver had both feet down before his hip hit out-of bounds on the game tying TD against Baltimore ... Whatever
Doubtful the Packers let Rodgers sit for long. Love needs more work but the HC aint gonna create more friction with his HOF QB.
We will see how quickly Rodgers wants to get back on the field.
You might be right about SF, Clark and they have the talent to make the playoffs and go all the way but can Jimmy G stay healthy and better yet, would these owners really want to see Jed York, hoist the Lombardi Trophy ?