The List: NFL Week 8 features star performances, trades, and Watt’s injury
The List: NFL Week 8 features star performances, trades, and Watt’s injury
Week 8 of the National Football League season saw its share of memorable moments, both on and off the field. After another week of mostly competitive games, the NFL trade deadline passed and, although most of the really big names stayed put, there were a few deals struck.
WINNERS
Peterson moves up the rushing list - Redskins running back Adrian Peterson totaled 76 yards against his old team, the Vikings. On a 29-yard run in the third quarter, he passed Chargers great, LaDainian Tomlinson, for sixth place on the NFL’s all-time rushing list (he finished the game with 13,701 yards to LT’s 13,684). Peterson spent the first 10 years of his career in Minnesota, rushing for 11,747 yards and 97 touchdowns. However, the Vikings won the game, 19-9, thanks to strong performances from quarterback Kirk Cousins (285 yards passing), running back Dalvin Cook (98 yards and a score) and wide receiver Stefon Diggs (seven catches for 143 yards). The battle of quarterbacks playing against their former teams was marred when ex-Viking Case Keenum suffered a concussion and was replaced by rookie Dwayne Haskins.
Bosa brother bonanza - Joey and Nick Bosa are certainly very talented players. In fact, they both took home Defensive Player of the Week honors in their respective conferences. Joey, who was the Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2016, put up seven tackles, including three for loss, as well as two sacks, in the Chargers’ 17-16 win over the Bears. Younger brother Nick, who was taken second overall by the 49ers in this year’s draft, totaled four tackles (with three for loss), three sacks and a 46-yard interception return in a 51-13 drubbing of the Panthers. Nick also earned the honor in Week 5, and is well on his way to matching Joey’s Defensive Rookie of the Year title.
Trade deadline deals - The NFL’s trade deadline was Tuesday afternoon, and while the biggest rumors did not get dealt, there were a few deals featuring starters. The movement started last Thursday when the Patriots sent three-time Pro Bowl defensive end Michael Bennett to the Cowboys for a seventh-round pick. Bennett has 2½ sacks this season, upping his career total to 65½, but he started just once in six games. He was suspended for a game after getting in an argument with a position coach, and has drawn negative attention for protesting during the National Anthem in the past.
Cardinals running back David Johnson is dealing with an ankle injury, so on Monday, Arizona acquired Kenyan Drake from the Dolphins for a conditional sixth-round pick. Drake has rushed for only 174 yards in six games this season and 1,532 in his four-year career.
In a minor move, the Browns sent reserve linebacker Genard Avery to the Eagles for a draft choice in 2021. After posting 4½ sacks in 16 games as a rookie last year, Avery has appeared in just two games in 2019, with one tackle.
The two New York metropolitan area teams completed their first trade since 1983, with the Jets sending starting defensive tackle Leonard Williams to the Giants for a third-round section in 2020 and a fifth-rounder in 2021. Williams was selected sixth overall in 2015, made the All-Rookie Team and followed that up with seven sacks and a Pro Bowl selection in 2016. He has 240 tackles and 17 sacks in 4½ years.
Finally, deadline day saw only one trade, with the Dolphins acquiring cornerback Aqib Talib and a fifth-round pick from the Rams for a future seventh-rounder. Los Angeles made the move to clear Talib and his $8 million contract from their roster so they could sign new acquisition Jalen Ramsey to a long-term deal. Meanwhile, Talib suffered an ankle injury that required surgery and is currently on Injured Reserve, so he will likely never take the field in Miami.
Redskins get a “new” player? - The Washington Redskins did not complete a trade before the deadline, but they could be getting better soon. The club announced seven-time Pro Bowl left tackle Trent Williams has decided to end his holdout and report. Although he did not speak to the press during his ordeal, it is being reported that Williams was unhappy with the Redskins medical and training staff and how they handled a situation involving a growth on his head. Although Williams has technically ended his holdout, he has not appeared at practice yet. He failed his physical on Wednesday and interim coach Bill Callahan cited “discomfort with the helmet and the fitting of it” as a possible reason. I’m sure this is not the last we will hear of this saga.
JPP returns for Bucs - Although the Buccaneers fell to the Titans, 27-23, on Sunday, there was one bright spot for Tampa Bay. Jason Pierre-Paul totaled three tackles and a sack in his first action of the season. He suffered a fractured neck in a single-car crash in early May, and there were doubts he would even play in 2019. JPP has 72 sacks in 10 seasons with the Buccaneers and Giants, but unfortunately, he is probably best known for having to get his right index finger amputated after a fireworks accident in 2015.
Top performances - Matt Ryan was dealing with an ankle injury, causing him to miss his first game in 10 years. In his stead, seasoned veteran Matt Schaub had a game that reminded some fans of 2012 Matt Schaub. He threw for 460 yards and a touchdown, but the Seahawks jumped out to a 24-0 lead and held on for a 27-20 win. Drew Brees came back from a hand injury and threw for 373 yards and three scores in a 31-9 Saints win over the Cardinals. Two weeks removed from a game in which he threw for just 78 yards against the 49ers, Jared Goff put up 372 yards and two scores in a win over Andy Dalton and the lowly Bengals (more on him later). Rookie Daniel Jones threw for 322 yards and four touchdowns, but the Giants fell to Matthew Stafford and the Lions, 31-26. Stafford totaled 342 yards and three scores for Detroit.
James Conner led the league with 145 yards, and he added a score in Pittsburgh’s victory over the winless Dolphins on Monday night. The performance could be costly, though, as Conner injured his shoulder late in the contest. Rookie David Montgomery ran for 135 yards and a score, but Eddy Pineiro continued the Bears’ kicking woes, missing a 41-yard field goal as time expired to give the Chargers the win. Nick Chubb ran for 131 yards, but the Browns fell to the undefeated Patriots. Tevin Coleman had 105 yards and three touchdowns, and the 49ers got five rushing scores to stay perfect on the seasons. Christian McCaffery ran for 117 yards and a touchdown in a losing effort. Finally, Latavius Murray totaled 102 yards and a score in the New Orleans victory.
The main beneficiary from Goff’s big game was Cooper Kupp, who caught seven passes for 220 yards and a touchdown in the Rams’ 24-10 win. Mike Evans had 11 catches for 198 yards and two scores, but the Buccaneers fell to the Titans. Aaron Jones ran for 67 yards, but he starred as a receiver, totaling seven catches for 159 yards and two touchdowns in Green Bay’s 31-24 win over the Mahomes-less Chiefs on Sunday night. Schaub’s huge game was good news for Julio Jones, who amassed 10 catches and 152 yards in Atlanta’s loss. Brees wasn’t the only star for the Saints on Sunday. Michael Thomas caught 11 passes for 112 yards and a score against the Cardinals. Kenny Golladay had six catches, 123 yards and two touchdowns in Detroit’s win.
Strange tailgate in Buffalo - One of the highlights of any Sunday at an NFL stadium is the tailgating experience. New Era Field in Buffalo had a unique offering on Sunday. In addition to upstate New York staple Dinosaur BBQ, caricature drawings, a Supercuts station, and the Ultimate Party Truck, there was something unique… hatchet throwing. Any would-be lumberjacks could practice for three hours before gates opened. Thankfully, the Bills are playing well this season, so fans are not trying to put this new skill to use inside the stadium.
LOSERS
Watt to miss the rest of the season - J. J. Watt is a heck of a football player. He is a five-time Pro Bowler, a five-time All-Pro and a three-time Defensive Player of the Year. He has 96 sacks in nine seasons and has led the league twice. He is also a fantastic person, having raised $41 million to help after the City of Houston was ravaged by Hurricane Harvey. However, his career has been marked by injury. He missed 13 games in 2016 after having two back surgeries to fix a herniated disc. The following year, he lost the final 11 games after suffering a tibial plateau fracture in his left leg. After registering 16 sacks last season, Watt saw his 2019 come to an early close thanks to a torn pectoral muscle. Watt had four sacks in eight games this season, and his surgery was a success, so here’s to hoping he can come back better than ever in 2020.
Dareus has surgery - Watt was not the only defensive star to have surgery this week. Jaguars defensive tackle Marcell Dareus went under the knife to repair a core muscle injury, and he could miss 4 to 6 weeks. Dareus has 13 tackles this season and 365 tackles and 37½ sacks overall in nine years.
More Jets issues - In addition to trading Leonard Williams, the Jets allegedly tried to move star safety Jamal Adams (although general manager Joe Douglas said he just “listened” to the offers of other teams). The end of the Kelechi Osemele saga occurred last week as well (hopefully). New York cut the offensive lineman after he had surgery to repair a torn labrum in his shoulder Friday, which the team claimed he didn’t need (while also saying the injury was pre-existing from his time in Oakland, and sending blank MRIs to doctors Osemele was seeing to get a second opinion). I’m sure Jets fans at this point are waiting for a speedy end to the season (and possibly the firing of both Douglas and head coach Adam Gase).
Whisenhunt fired by Chargers - Speaking of firings, there was one this week. Ken Whisenhunt was the offensive coordinator for the Steelers when they won Super Bowl XL and was the head coach when the Cardinals reached the “big game” against his former team three years later. However, with Whisenhunt leading the offense, the Chargers have averaged 19.6 points per game this season and have rushed for less than 40 yards a game over the past month, leading to his ousting on Monday.
A pair of quarterback changes - Joe Flacco has been ineffective this season in Denver, and now we may know why. The veteran has a herniated disk that could keep him out for at least five weeks and possibly the rest of the season, although he will not undergo surgery just yet. Brandon Allen will take over this week for the 2-6 Broncos against the Browns for his first career start after three years as a third-stringer with the Jaguars and Rams. Andy Dalton has been benched in Cincinnati, but he is not injured. He has nine touchdowns and eight interceptions for the 0-8 Bengals, so he is being replaced by fourth-round pick Ryan Finley. Unfortunately, the move happened on Tuesday, which not only did not give the team time to move Dalton before the trade deadline, but was also his 32nd birthday.
Patriots swap out kickers - Missing three field goals and an extra point in four games most likely will get a kicker shown the door, especially in New England. Mike Nugent experienced that first-hand this week. Despite the Patriots remaining perfect, Nugent missed two field goals against the Browns and found himself on the unemployment line. The next option to replace the injured Stephen Gostkowski is Nick Folk, another former Jet who hasn’t kicked in the NFL since a four-game stint with Tampa Bay in 2017.
Browns great dies - Bernie Parrish, a two-time Pro Bowler and a member of the Cleveland Browns’ last championship team in 1964, died from prostate cancer last Wednesday at the age of 83. Parrish started for seven seasons at left cornerback in Cleveland, finishing his time there with 29 interceptions and three returned for touchdowns. He was an advocate for player’s rights, both during and after his career. He spent four years as the Vice President of the NFL Player’s Association and fought for player pensions and licensing rights.
Noteworthy non-football news - Congratulations to the Washington Nationals, who won the first championship in franchise history and the second baseball title for the city of Washington, D.C., and the first in 95 years (the Senators won in 1924).
-By: Kevin Rakas