The List: Steelers stay unbeaten, Tua wins his debut, and two close NFC North games

The league’s lone undefeated team, the Steelers, endured a tough battle with the Ravens before emerging with a victory. The Broncos and Chargers played a barnburner in Denver, Tua Tagovailoa won his first start with the Dolphins, and two matchups involving NFC North teams stayed close until the end. Also, some windy conditions affected at least three games on the schedule. Here are all the happenings from Week 8 of the NFL season.

THE GOOD

Steelers hold off the Ravens to stay undefeated

Ben Roethlisberger threw for 182 yards and two second-half touchdowns as the Steelers beat the Ravens, 28-24, to improve to 7-0. Pittsburgh started off well, with Robert Spillane intercepting 2019 NFL MVP Lamar Jackson on his second pass attempt and returning it 33 yards for a touchdown just 46 seconds into the game. Jackson responded with a nine-play, 75-yard drive, with a six-yard pass to Miles Boykin tying the score. The Ravens improved their lead to 17-7 on a Gus Edwards rushing score and Justin Tucker’s 51-yard field goal right before halftime.

Roethlisberger tossed an 18-yard touchdown pass to tight end, Eric Ebron, early in the third quarter, and James Conner’s one-yard plunge put the Steelers back in front, 21-17. Jackson put Baltimore back on top with a three-yard pass to Marquise Brown with exactly 12:00 remaining in the contest, but Roethlisberger responded, finding Chase Claypool with an eight-yard touchdown on the next drive, allowing the receiver to atone for an earlier lost fumble. The Ravens ran on all 10 plays of their next drive, with Edwards posting a 20-yard run and rookie J.K. Dobbins rushing for 15 on the next play. Jackson tried to run on the play following the two-minute warning, but the ball was stripped by Isaiah Buggs and the Steelers took over.

Baltimore got one more chance after Pittsburgh punted with less than a minute remaining. Jackson found Willie Snead with a 32-yard pass to the Steelers’ 32-yard-line with eight seconds left, but the next two passes were incomplete, including the final one, where Snead was hit hard in the end zone. Conner had 47 yards and a touchdown, and JuJu Smith Schuster led the Steelers with seven receptions for 67 yards. Jackson totaled 208 yards, two touchdowns, two interceptions, and two lost fumbles. The Ravens totaled 265 yards on the ground, with Dobbins amassing 113, Edwards rushing for 87, and Jackson adding 65. Snead posted a game-high 106 receiving yards.

Tua wins his first start with the Dolphins

Tua Tagovailoa threw for only 93 yards and a touchdown in his first start, but the Dolphins were strong in all facets of the game in a 28-17 win over the Rams. Tagovailoa, a star in Alabama’s 2017 National Championship Game victory over Georgia, completed 12 of 22 passes and threw a three-yard pass to DeVante Parker with three seconds left in the first quarter that tied the score at 7-7. Miami took over with three touchdowns in the second. Linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel scooped up a Jared Goff fumble and ran 78 yards for a score. A little more than a minute later, Jakeem Grant returned a Johnny Hekker punt 60 yards for a touchdown. Myles Gaskin finished off Miami’s scoring with a one-yard run to make the score 28-7.

Goff threw for 355 yards and a fourth-quarter touchdown to Robert Woods, but he was intercepted twice, sacked twice, and lost a fumble. In addition to his 85 yards receiving, Woods also had a scoring run on Los Angeles’ first possession. Cooper Kupp outgained the Dolphins passing total by himself, catching 11 passes for 110 yards. The Rams lost despite dominating with 471 yards to 145 for the Dolphins.

The Dolphins top Richie Dordas’ list of biggest winners and losers in Week 8.

Broncos outlast Chargers in wild AFC West game

The Broncos overcame a 24-3 deficit, with Drew Lock’s one-yard touchdown pass to rookie KJ Hamler on the final play of the game giving Denver a 31-30 win over the Chargers. Lock threw for 248 yards and three fourth-quarter scores for his second career comeback victory.

A Brandon McManus field goal was the only scoring in the first quarter, but rookie Justin Herbert followed with three touchdown passes, and the Chargers scored 24 unanswered points to take a commanding lead midway through the third. Phillip Lindsay broke off a 55-yard run and Lock found tight end Albert Okwuegbunam with a nine-yard pass, pulling The Broncos within 24-17 early in the fourth. Lock’s 40-yard touchdown to DaeSean Hamilton was sandwiched between two Michael Badgley field goals and Los Angeles was up, 30-24, with 2:34 left.

Lock and running back Melvin Gordon allowed Denver to move the ball and use up the rest of the time, with two pass interference calls keeping the drive going. The clock showed one second left when Lock rolled to his right and found Hamler, who managed to catch the pass and keep his feet inbounds while falling backward (despite an initial signal of an incomplete pass). McManus kicked the extra point and the Broncos walked away with the victory. 

Herbert had 278 yards and three touchdowns for the Chargers, joining the Texans’ Deshaun Watson (in 2017) as the only rookies in NFL history with at least three passing scores in four consecutive games.

Two NFC North games stay tight through the end

The top of the NFC North was tight at the start of Sunday’s games, with Chicago at 5-2, Green Bay at 4-2, and Detroit at 3-3. The Lions got dissected by the Colts, but the rest of the division played two of the week’s better games.

The wind was a factor at Lambeau field, but the Packers’ bigger foe was Dalvin Cook, who returned after missing a game with a groin strain to run for 163 yards and three touchdowns, and added another score receiving as the Vikings held on for a 28-22 win. The teams traded scores throughout the first half, with the Green Bay duo of Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams connecting for two touchdowns and Minnesota countering with two Cook runs. Cook ran for his third score earlier in the third and ran a screen pass from Kirk Cousins 50 yards for a touchdown, giving his team a 28-14 lead.

Rodgers found Adams once again, and Jamaal Williams’ two-point run cut the deficit to six points with 2:47 left. The Vikings could not run out the clock and Rodgers got the ball back with 47 seconds on the clock. He completed first-down passes to Williams and tight end Robert Tonyan, but he lost the ball on a D.J. Woonam sack and Minnesota recovered to seal the victory. Cook finished with 226 total yards, becoming the first player in Vikings history with 200 all-purpose yards and four touchdowns in a game. Rodgers threw for 291 yards, Williams added 75 yards on the ground, Tonyan led Green Bay with 79 yards receiving, and Adams had 53 yards and all three of Rodgers’ touchdown passes.

The Bears and Saints met in the late afternoon, with Chicago taking a 13-3 lead on a Nick Foles 24-yard touchdown pass to Allen Robinson, along with two Cairo Santos field goals. Drew Brees closed the gap with a 16-yard scoring pass to tight end, Jared Cook, just before halftime, and two Will Lutz field goals gave New Orleans a 16-13 advantage heading into the fourth quarter.

Brees extended the lead to 10 points with a 20-yard pass to Taysom Hill with 10:03 left. Foles completed first-down passes to Robinson and tight end Jimmy Graham and cut into the deficit with a three-yard scoring pass to Darnell Mooney with 3:35 remaining. Chicago got the ball back and Foles converted a pair of fourth downs to set up a 51-yard field goal by Santos with 18 seconds left. The teams traded punts to start overtime, but rushes by Hill and Alvin Kamara, as well as a Brees pass to Tre’Quan Smith, set up Lutz’s game-winning 35-yard field goal.  

Brees threw for 280 yards and two touchdowns, and Kamara combined for 163 total yards (67 rushing, 96 receiving) for the Saints. Foles had 272 yards and two touchdowns, but he threw an interception and was sacked five times. Robinson totaled 87 yards and a score receiving and David Montgomery added 89 yards rushing for the Bears.

Best of the Rest

Russell Wilson threw for 261 yards and four touchdowns as the Seahawks improved to 6-1 with a 37-27 win over the 49ers. Two of those scoring passes went to DK Metcalf, who posted NFL week-high totals with 12 catches for 161 yards. Fourth-round pick DeeJay Dallas had one score rushing and another receiving for Seattle, who went up 30-7 early in the fourth quarter and held off a San Francisco rally.

Nick Mullens had 238 yards and two touchdowns in place of an injured Jimmy Garoppolo, with Brandon Aiyuk (91 yards and a score) and Kendrick Bourne (81 yards) each catching eight passes. San Francisco also got rushing scores from JaMycal Hasty and Jerick McKinnon.

The 49ers lost two key offensive players, as Garoppolo and tight end George Kittle left the game with injuries. Kittle will miss at least eight weeks after breaking a bone in his foot and Garoppolo will be sidelined indefinitely with a high ankle sprain.

Todd Gurley and Matt Ryan each ran for a touchdown and Younghoe Koo kicked four field goals as the Falcons beat the Panthers, 25-17, on Thursday night for their second win of the season. Ryan’s 13-yard run cut Atlanta’s deficit to 14-13 and Koo’s final two field goals gave the Falcons a five-point lead. After Joey Slye cut into the deficit with a 39-yard field goal, Gurley capped off the scoring with 11:06 left.

Panthers wide receiver Curtis Samuel had one touchdown rushing and another on a pass from Teddy Bridgewater, giving Carolina the lead early in the second quarter. Koo missed the extra point on Gurley’s scoring run, and the Panthers had two late drives to try and tie the score. The first ended with a punt, and Bridgewater had one last chance with 2:58 left. He completed a 42-yard pass that moved the ball into Falcons’ territory, but he was intercepted by Blidi Wreh-Wilson with 1:04 remaining. Ryan threw for 281 yards and an interception, and Julio Jones had seven catches and 137 yards for Atlanta. Bridgewater had 176 yards, one touchdown, and one interception in a losing effort.

Stat leaders

You can blame it on Halloween, the full moon, early elections, or the weather, but there were not as many players reaching high statistical marks in Week 8. Chiefs star Patrick Mahomes was by far the league’s best passer, amassing 416 yards and five touchdowns in a win over the Jets. Also hitting the 300-yard mark was Jared Goff, who threw for 355 yards in a Rams loss to the Dolphins, and Matthew Stafford, who had 336 yards and three scores in a Lions loss to the Colts. Also, Russell Wilson threw for 261 yards and four touchdowns for Seattle, and four others had three scoring passes: Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers (291 yards), Los Angeles Chargers rookie Justin Herbert (278), Indianapolis’ Philip Rivers (262), and Denver’s Drew Lock (248). Atlanta’s Matt Ryan leads the league with 2,462 yards, with Mahomes sitting second with 2,315. Wilson has an NFL-best 26 scoring passes, and he is followed by Mahomes (21) and Rodgers (20).

Vikings star Dalvin Cook ran for 163 yards and three touchdowns, and he added another score receiving in a win over the Packers on Sunday. Cook now leads the NFL with 10 rushing touchdowns. Other players with 100-yard games include Las Vegas’ Josh Jacobs, who had 128 yards in a win over Cleveland, Baltimore rookie J.K. Dobbins, who ran for 113 yards in a loss to Pittsburgh, Tennessee’s Derrick Henry, who had 112 yards and a score in a loss to Cincinnati and New England’s Damien Harris, who ran for 102 yards and a touchdown in a loss to Buffalo. Rookie Zack Moss scored two touchdowns for the Bills in that game. Henry now leads the NFL with 775 rushing yards in seven games this season.

Seattle’s DK Metcalf was the top receiver this week with 12 receptions for 161 yards and a score. Atlanta’s Julio Jones had 137 yards in a win over Carolina on Thursday night, Tennessee’s Corey Davis posted eight catches for 128 yards and a score in a loss to Cincinnati and Cooper Kupp totaled 11 receptions and 110 yards in a Rams loss to the Dolphins. Although these receivers did not reach 100 yards, they all put forth solid efforts: Green Bay star Davante Adams had 53 yards and three touchdowns in a loss to Minnesota, Kansas City’s Tyreek Hill had 98 yards and two scores in a win over the Jets, Nyheim Hines, and Marvin Jones Jr. each had two touchdowns in the Indianapolis-Detroit game, with Hines’ Colts coming out on top, and Carolina’s Curtis Samuel registered one score rushing and another receiving in a Thursday night loss. Despite being on bye this week, Arizona’s DeAndre Hopkins still leads the NFL with 57 receptions and 704 yards. Buffalo’s Stefon Diggs is tied for third with 54 catches and ranks second with 695 yards. Metcalf, Adams, and Hill join Seattle’s Tyler Lockett and Minnesota’s Adam Thielen in a tie atop the league’s receiving touchdown leaderboard with seven.

Teams play matchmaker as trade deadline passes

The NFL’s trade deadline came and went on Tuesday afternoon, with very few teams wheeling and dealing over the past week. The movement began on Oct. 28, when the Bengals traded veteran defensive end, Carlos Dunlap, to the Seahawks for offensive lineman B.J. Finney and a seventh-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. Dunlap is a two-time Pro Bowler who spent his first 10½ years with Cincinnati. He is the Bengals’ all-time leader with 20 forced fumbles and 82½ sacks, including a career-high 13½ in 2015. Dunlap also has 490 tackles and 60 passes defensed.

Finney is a center and guard who was signed by the Steelers in 2015 as an undrafted free agent out of Kansas State. He played 59 games as a reserve in four seasons with Pittsburgh before signing with Seattle in 2020. Finney is not the only offensive lineman Cincinnati added in the past week. On Friday, the Bengals signed guard Quinton Spain, who played 70 games with the Titans and Bills during his six-year career.

On Monday, the 49ers and Saints swapped linebackers, with New Orleans getting Kwon Alexander and San Francisco acquiring Kiko Alonso and a conditional fifth-round pick. Alexander has played just 13 games in two seasons with the 49ers, totaling 64 tackles, 1½ sacks, and two forced fumbles. He has missed the past three games with a high ankle sprain. Alonso is recovering from a torn ACL he suffered during a playoff game against the Vikings in January 2019, and he has not appeared in a game this season. The trademarks the fifth time Alonso has been part of a deal in his career. His selection was traded from the Rams to the Bills during the 2013 NFL Draft. Buffalo sent him to Philadelphia for LeSean McCoy in 2015, and he was moved to the Dolphins in 2016 and then to the Saints before the 2019 season.

Also on Monday afternoon, the Titans addressed their 27th-ranked pass defense by acquiring safety Desmond King from the Chargers for a sixth-round pick. King has 213 tackles, 7½ sacks, four interceptions, and 17 passes defensed in 53 games (23 starts) with Los Angeles. The 2018 All-Pro is in the final year of his rookie contract and will be a free agent after the season.

On Tuesday, the Dolphins added running back DeAndre Washington and a conditional seventh-round pick in 2021 from the Chiefs for a conditional 2021 sixth-rounder. Earlier in the day, Miami sent wide receiver Isaiah Ford to New England for a sixth-round pick in 2022.

THE BAD

Former stars Adderley and Orr pass away

Herb Adderley and Jimmy Orr, two former NFL stars and title-winners, passed away recently. Orr died on Oct. 27 and Adderley passed away three days later due to COVID-19 complications. Adderley was a Michigan State product who converted from running back to defensive back with Green Bay, since the Packers already had future Hall of Famers Paul Horning and Jim Taylor on the roster.

Although Adderley was a five-time Pro Bowler and a four-time All-Pro, he was best known as a champion. He was a member of six title teams, three with Green Bay before the creation of the Super Bowl, plus Packers victories in the first two Super Bowls and a win with the Cowboys over the Dolphins in Super Bowl VI. Adderley also ranks third in franchise history with 39 interceptions and is second with seven returned for touchdowns. After nine years with Green Bay, Adderley had a falling out with Vince Lombardi’s replacement, Phil Bengston, and he was traded to Dallas in 1970. He did not get along with Tom Landry, either, so he retired before the 1973 season. After his career, the 1980 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee fought for licensing rights for former NFL players.

Orr was a former Georgia wide receiver who was a 25th-round pick of the Rams in 1957, but he never played for Los Angeles. The two-time Pro Bowler and 1965 All-Pro won the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year Award with Pittsburgh. After three years with the Steelers, Orr went to the Colts, where he spent the final 10 years of his career. He played in Baltimore’s loss to the Jets in Super Bowl III and got a ring two years later, despite not appearing in the Super Bowl V victory over the Cowboys. 

The NFL’s blustery day

Unlike in the Winnie the Pooh version, no one flew away like a kite (sorry, Piglet), but some kick attempts made some crazy turns on Sunday. The wildest of these misses was in Cleveland, where both kickers missed field goals due to the wind, including Daniel Carlson’s attempt that looked to be straight through the uprights before veering left at the end. Carlson kicked three field goals, and Derek Carr tossed a touchdown to Hunter Renfrow, as the Raiders defeated the Browns, 16-6.

Carr (112 yards) was outgained by Josh Jacobs, who ran for 128 yards on 31 carries for Las Vegas. Baker Mayfield threw for 122 yards, with 52 going to Jarvis Landry, and Kareem Hunt added 66 yards rushing for Cleveland. The Browns got their only points on two Cody Parkey field goals.

The other stadium on the Great Lakes in Buffalo also faced some wind issues. Although no kicks were missed in the Bills-Patriots game, the teams modified their offense to be ground-heavy. Buffalo took the lead three separate times, with the most important coming on a Tyler Bass 28-yard field goal with 4:10 left to give his team a 24-21 lead. Cam Newton ran for 19 yards and he led the Patriots deep into Bills territory, but he fumbled on another run, with Dean Marlowe recovering for Buffalo with 37 seconds left.

Zack Moss ran for 81 yards and two touchdowns, and Josh Allen’s two-yard run gave the Bills a 21-14 lead early in the fourth quarter. The Patriots got a 22-yard rushing score from Damien Harris to tie the score at 14-14 late in the third, and Newton scored from two yards out with 9:40 left. He finished with 174 yards passing and 54 rushing, and Harris added a game-high 102 yards on the ground. Allen threw for 154 yards and an interception, Devin Singletary led the Bills with 86 rushing yards and Stefon Diggs led all players with 92 yards receiving.

Brady and the Buccaneers beat the Giants on Monday night

Tom Brady threw for 279 yards and two touchdowns, but it took a questionable call on a two-point conversion for the Buccaneers to secure a 25-23 win over the Giants on Monday night. Ryan Succop kicked a field goal on Tampa Bay’s first possession, but New York responded with two touchdowns to take a commanding lead. Daniel Jones found former Brady teammate Dion Lewis with a seven-yard pass and Wayne Gallman added a touchdown run with less than two minutes remaining in the first half.

Succop kicked a field goal just before halftime and added another early in the third. After the Giants went three-and-out, Brady quickly brought the Buccaneers down the field, completing a 20-yard pass to Mike Evans and getting a pass interference call to set up a three-yard strike to a familiar target, tight end Rob Gronkowski. Although the two-point attempt failed, Tampa Bay still led, 15-14. New York regained the lead on a Graham Gano field goal late in the third, but Tampa Bay responded with a Brady-to-Evans touchdown and another Succop field goal for a 25-17 advantage with 3:44 left.

Jones got in trouble during his final drive, but he completed two clutch passes on fourth down and took off for a 15-yard run. He finished things off with a 19-yard completion to Golden Tate for the touchdown, but the Giants still trailed by two. New York shifted players several times before Jones passed to Lewis on the conversion attempt. Buccaneers defender Antoine Winfield Jr. looked to have made contact with Lewis before the ball reached him, which drew a flag. However, the referees talked it over and decided against a pass interference penalty, and Tampa Bay recovered the onside kick to preserve the victory.

Jones had 256 yards and two touchdowns, but he also threw two interceptions. His favorite target was Sterling Shepard, who posted game-highs with eight receptions for 74 yards. Leonard Fournette led all players with 52 yards rushing for Tampa Bay. Evans and Gronkowski each caught touchdown passes, and things will get even better for the Buccaneers, since they will have newly acquired Antonio Brown in uniform for Week 9.

Burrow and the Bengals bash the Titans

Just two weeks ago, the Titans were undefeated. However, they suffered a tight loss to the Steelers last week and a 31-20 defeat at the hands of Joe Burrow and the Bengals on Sunday. Burrow threw for 249 yards and two touchdowns, and Cincinnati also got rushing scores from Giovani Bernard and Samaje Perine.

Ryan Tannehill had 233 yards, and he joined Burrow by throwing two fourth-quarter touchdowns. Derrick Henry ran for 112 yards and a score, but Tennessee lost despite amassing 218 yards on the ground. Corey Davis was the game’s top receiver with eight catches for 128 yards and a touchdown.

Worst of the Rest

Philip Rivers threw for 262 yards and three touchdowns, leading the Colts to a 41-21 win over the Lions. Rivers spread the ball around, completing passes to 11 different receivers, including running back Nyheim Hines, who caught two touchdowns. Indianapolis also scored twice on the ground, with Jordan Wilkins and tight end Trey Burton reaching the end zone on runs. Kenny Moore also returned a Matthew Stafford interception 29 yards for a pick-six early in the fourth quarter.

Stafford threw for 336 yards and three touchdowns but, in addition to the interception, he was sacked five times. Marvin Hall had a game-high 113 receiving yards and T. J. Hockenson had seven catches and 65 yards for Detroit, which was held to just 29 rushing yards in the contest. Wilkins had game-highs with 89 yards on 20 carries for the Colts.

Carson Wentz had two touchdowns as the Eagles “improved” to 3-4-1 with a 23-9 win over the Cowboys on Sunday. The game was sloppy, with each quarterback getting sacked four times and losing two fumbles. Wentz also tossed two interceptions and the game even featured a safety when Dallas’ L. P. Ladouceur snapped the ball out of the back of the end zone on a punt attempt with four minutes left.

Travis Fulgham led all receivers with 78 yards, and Boston Scott had 70 on the ground for Philadelphia. Ezekiel Elliott ran for 63 yards and Ben DiNucci threw for 180 in his first start for Dallas. The seventh-round pick out of James Madison also had one of his fumbles returned 53 yards for a touchdown by Rodney McLeod late in the fourth quarter. DiNucci was starting in place of veteran Andy Dalton, who suffered a concussion last week against Washington.

Ravens’ Staley signs a big contract, then gets injured

Ravens starting left tackle Ronnie Staley signed a five-year, $98.75 million extension, including $58 million guaranteed, on Friday. Two days later, he suffered what Baltimore head coach John Harbaugh called a “severe ankle injury” against Pittsburgh. The fractured and dislocated ankle will cause him to miss the rest of the season.

More injuries in Week 8

Even before Thursday night’s game began, teams found themselves without star players due to injury. The Saints won without Michael Thomas, who missed his fifth straight game. Last year’s record-setting wide receiver has had ankle and hamstring injuries this season, and missed one game due to suspension after punching a teammate in practice. Also, missing games on Sunday were Green Bay running back Aaron Jones, who is still nursing a calf injury, and New England wide receiver Julian Edelman, who was placed on injured reserve after having knee surgery. Although the Jaguars were on a bye, the team announced that quarterback Gardner Minshew II will miss the Week 9 game against the Texans with a thumb injury. He will be replaced by rookie Jake Luton.

In addition to Jimmy Garoppolo and George Kittle, several other players suffered injuries during Week 8. Lions wide receiver Kenny Golladay (hip) is expected to miss at least one game and Vikings rookie cornerback Cameron Dantzler was taken off the field on a stretcher after suffering a neck injury. Other Sunday injuries include Colts wide receiver T. Y. Hilton (groin), Steelers defensive tackle Cameron Heyward (quad), Jets quarterback Sam Darnold (shoulder), and Chargers defensive end Joey Bosa (concussion).

Finally, Raiders tackle Trent Brown was activated from the reserve/COVID-19 list before Sunday’s game against the Browns, but he did not play after air entered his bloodstream during a pre-game IV. Brown was taken to a nearby hospital and was released on Tuesday.

Cowboys release Poe and Worley

While the Cowboys struggle to generate offense after the injuries to quarterbacks Dak Prescott and Andy Dalton, the team is also making moves on the defensive side of the ball. On Oct. 28, Dallas released defensive tackle Dontari Poe and cornerback Daryl Worley. A two-time Pro Bowler, Poe has played 128 games in his nine-year NFL career, but he had just seven tackles in seven games with the Cowboys and made more headlines after kneeling during the National Anthem (although Jerry Jones never admitted to that being the reason he was cut).

Worley totaled 257 tackles, 35 passes defensed, five interceptions, and two sacks in five seasons with the Panthers, Raiders, and Cowboys. He was signed by the Bills to their practice squad on Tuesday afternoon. 

THE UGLY

The game was what we thought it would be

Much like Dennis Green’s tirade as coach of the Cardinals after a 2009 loss to the Bears, the Week 8 contest between the Chiefs and Jets ended exactly how it was predicted. Kansas City entered the game as 20-point favorites with the oddsmakers and cruised to a 35-9 victory over the NFL’s only remaining winless team.

Patrick Mahomes threw for a week-high 416 yards and five touchdowns, ranging from sidearm flips to underhanded tosses to deep strikes to Tyreek Hill and Demarcus Robinson. Four Chiefs receivers caught touchdowns, led by Travis Kelce, who had eight catches for 109 yards. Robinson had four catches for 63 yards, Mecole Hardman totaled seven catches for 96 yards and Hill added four receptions, 98 yards, and two scores. Le’Veon Bell, playing his first game for the Chiefs and facing the team that released him two weeks ago, posted seven rushing and 31 receiving yards.

Sam Darnold threw for 133 yards and Braxton Berrios had eight catches, but New York’s only points came on three Sergio Castillo field goals, and the team fell to 0-8. After the game, the Jets traded veteran linebacker Avery Williamson and a 2022 seventh-round pick to the Steelers for a 2022 fifth-round selection. Williamson has 59 tackles and an interception in seven games so far this season.

Chicago receiver suspended two games for throwing punches

Chauncey Gardner-Johnson seems to be the NFL’s version of a punching bag. Saints teammate Michael Thomas was suspended one game for punching him in practice and now Bears wide receiver Javon Mims was ejected and received a two-game ban for punching him in the head twice after a play during the third quarter of Sunday’s game. Wims said that Gardner-Johnson ripped out his mouthguard and spit on him earlier in the game, but there is no excuse for walking up to someone whose back is turned to you and just punching him in the helmet.

Wims wasn’t the only player suspended this week. Jaguars practice squad fullback Bruce Miller and Seahawks defensive lineman Damontre Moore both received six-game bans for violating the NFL’s performance-enhancing substance policy. Miller had just one catch for two yards in seven games with Jacksonville this season, his first since playing with San Francisco in 2015. Moore has eight tackles, one sack, and one forced fumble in seven games as a reserve in 2020, his first season with Seattle. 

Teams face more coronavirus issues

Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey announced he contracted the coronavirus with a tweet on late Monday morning. Six other Baltimore players were added to the reserve/COVID-19 list due to contact tracing. The players include linebackers Matt Judon, Tyus Bowser, Patrick Queen, L.J. Fort, and Malik Harrison, as well as defensive backs Terrell Bonds and DeShon Elliott.

Green Bay placed running back A. J. Dillon on the reserve/COVID-19 list after he tested positive. Running back Jamaal Williams and linebacker Kamal Martin joined him on the list, and both will also miss Thursday’s game against the 49ers, after being identified as close contacts. If Aaron Jones can’t return from his groin injury this week, Green Bay will have limited options in its running game. Like the Packers, the Browns held meetings virtually on Monday after one player reported symptoms consistent with COVID-19.

The Cowboys can’t catch a break, either. Andy Dalton had a chance to play in Week 9 after suffering a concussion in a game against Washington. However, on Tuesday, Dallas placed the veteran quarterback on the reserve/COVID-19 list. Other players who are dealing with the condition include Cardinals linebacker Devin Kennard and cornerback Byron Murphy Jr., Vikings linebacker Todd Davis and Giants guard Will Hernandez. 

The coronavirus issues were not limited to players. Broncos CEO Joe Ellis and general manager John Elway tested positive for the disease, joining guard Graham Glasgow and defensive coordinator Ed Donatell, who both received positive tests last week. 

Following all of the new cases, the NFL released updated COVID-19 protocols, including a strong recommendation for all players and personnel to wear masks on the sidelines when they are not actively participating in the game. In addition, players and staff members are required to wear face coverings in the locker room on game day, including before and after the game, as well as during halftime.

What to watch in Week 9: The week starts with the 5-2 Packers facing the injury-riddled 49ers on Thursday night. Plus, the 5-3 Bears face the 5-2 Titans, the Ravens tangle with the Colts in a battle of 5-2 teams, the undefeated Steelers take on the Cowboys and the (5-2) Buccaneers and the 5-2 Saints play on Sunday night. The game of the week will most likely be the 6-1 Seahawks against the 6-2 Bills. Stay tuned for next week’s column for all that and the fallout from the trade deadline.

Writer

-By: Kevin Rakas