The List: comebacks and milestones overshadowed by Thursday night brawl
Although the games in Week 11 of the NFL season could not match the suspense of those from last week, there were several milestones set, as well as a big comeback in Minnesota. However, all of that was overshadowed by the helmet-swinging, fine- and suspension-inducing incident late in Thursday night’s game between the Steelers and Browns.
WINNERS
Cousins leads Vikings to comeback win over Broncos – The nicknames are already starting on social media from Sunday’s performance from the Minnesota quarterback. Things were looking bleak for the Vikings at halftime, as the Broncos were keeping Dalvin Cook in check and held a 20-0 lead on the road. However, that is when things began to click on offense. Cook ran for a short touchdown and Cousins engineered his tenth career fourth-quarter comeback by throwing three touchdowns. Overall, he threw for 319 yards and Minnesota overcame the largest halftime deficit in a regular-season game since the Chargers came from 28-7 down to beat the 49ers, 38-35, in 2014.
Ryan moves up the career passing list – Not only did the Atlanta quarterback outduel Kyle Allen in a 29-3 Falcons win on Sunday, but with his 311-yard performance, he passed Warren Moon for tenth place on the NFL’s all-time passing yards list. Ryan now has 49,383 yards. Moon, a Hall of Famer who played primarily with the Houston Oilers, finished his 17-yard career with 49,325. “Matty Ice” needs about 2,100 yards to reach John Elway, who sits ninth all-time with 51,475.
Thomas sets receiving mark in Saints win over Buccaneers – New Orleans’ top receiver finished the game with eight catches for 114 yards. Not only does Thomas lead the league with 1,141 yards, but he also set a record for most catches through 10 games (94) in NFL history. The previous mark was 89, which was set by the Colts’ Marvin Harrison in 2002 and tied by Atlanta’s Julio Jones in 2015.
McCaffrey shines in defeat – Despite Carolina’s awful loss on Sunday, Christian McCaffrey still managed to make his mark. CMC ran for 70 yards to take over the NFL rushing lead with 1,059 on the season. He also had 11 receptions for 121 yards, helping him set two records. He has 246 catches, the most ever by a running back in his first three years in the league, breaking the previous record of 238 set by San Diego’s LaDainian Tomlinson from 2001-03. McCaffrey’s performance gives him career totals of 2,592 rushing and 2,035 receiving yards, making him just the second running back to reach 2,500 rushing and 2,000 receiving yards in his first three years. Herschel Walker had 3,142 rushing and 2.057 receiving yards from 1986-88 with the Cowboys.
Career highs back-to-back weeks – Jets safety Jamal Adams had a personal-best two sacks against Daniel Jones and the Giants at home last week. New York faced the Redskins in Week 11, and Adams squared off against another rookie quarterback. He set another high with three sacks of Dwayne Haskins and the Jets went on to win, 34-17. Before his outburst, Adams totaled 6½ sacks in the first 40 games of his career.
Darnold makes his mark as well – Adams wasn’t the only star in New York’s victory. Quarterback Sam Darnold threw for 293 yards and four touchdowns, becoming the first Jet to throw for at least four scores in a game in his first or second season in 34 years. Ken O’Brien tossed five touchdowns in Week 11 of his sophomore 1985 season (a 62-28 drubbing of the Buccaneers).
Prescott sets pair of Cowboys franchise records – Dallas held off Detroit, 35-27, on Sunday, with Prescott and his 444 yards and three touchdowns being one of the main reasons why. The performance helped his set two team records. He now leads the league with 3,221 passing yards, becoming the first Cowboys quarterback to throw for 3,000 yards in the first 10 games of a season. Also, over the past three games, Prescott has 1,098 yards, the most by a Dallas quarterback in a three-game stretch.
Chiefs top Chargers in rough game South of the Border – The game started with a show of nationalism, with actress and singer Ana Barbara performing the Mexican National Anthem in a blue and gold traditional dress and matching hat. (Many of the 76,252 in attendance at Estadio Azteca joined in, so take note, America!) Los Angeles started with a field goal and outgained Kansas City by a 312-109 margin in the first half, but the Chiefs held a 10-9 lead. Patrick Mahomes took over from that point on. Mahomes was held to 63 yards over the first two quarters but connected to tight end Travis Kelce on a 23-yard touchdown pass late in the third for a 24-9 advantage. The Chargers closed the gap on a Philip Rivers touchdown pass to Keenan Allen, but Los Angeles could not tie. They had one final chance at the end. Rivers connected with Mike Williams on a 50-yard strike in the final minute (at which point, the clock should have been running but was stopped). The end came when a pass intended for running back Austin Ekeler was intercepted in the end zone by safety Daniel Sorensen. Rivers threw for 353 yards, but his four picks ruined any momentum for Los Angeles. The turf was loose in spots (part of the reason last year’s Mexico City game was moved to Los Angeles), and that led to poor footing for both teams. The field may also have played a role in Tyreek Hill’s hamstring injury.
The best of the rest – Cousins, Ryan and Prescott might have gotten more press, but Jimmy Garoppolo threw for 424 yards and four touchdowns, helping San Francisco to beat Arizona, 36-26, in a game that saw five lead changes. Two other quarterbacks tossed three scoring passes: Josh Allen in Buffalo’s 37-20 win over Miami and Drew Brees, who led New Orleans past Tampa Bay. Lamar Jackson threw for 222 yards and ran for 86 more in Baltimore’s win (and if you don’t believe he is at the front of the list for MVP, just ask his other back, Mark Ingram). Ryan Fitzpatrick threw for 323 yards in a losing effort for the Dolphins.
Only four backs ran for 100 yards this week, with Colts teammates Johnathan Williams (a career-best 116 yards) and Marlon Mack (109 before his injury – more on that later) accounting for two spots. The Ravens ran for 263 yards, with Gus Edwards leading the way with 112. Finally, Raiders rookie Josh Jacobs continued his solid season. He ran for 112 yards and helped the Raiders keep the Bengals winless with a 17-10 victory.
Prescott’s big passing day benefitted Michael Gallup (148 yards) and Randall Cobb (115 yards and a touchdown). Calvin Ridley helped Matt Ryan reach the 300-yard mark by hauling in eight passes for 143 yards and a score. John Brown had nine catches for 137 yards and two touchdowns in Buffalo’s win, outshining Miami’s DeVante Parker, who had 135 yards for the Dolphins. Rookie receiver Deebo Samuel helped Garoppolo attain his big passing day, amassing 134 yards in San Francisco’s win, and Stefon Diggs had 121 yards in Minnesota’s comeback.
LOSERS
Grown men acting like children – By now, I’m sure you’ve seen the play 100 million times. In the closing seconds of the Pittsburgh-Cleveland game on Thursday night, Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph completed a pass to running back Trey Edmunds in the flat for 11 yards on a 3rd-and-29, but that is not an issue. However, behind the play, chaos was breaking loose. After Rudolph released the pass, Myles Garrett wrapped him up, but put him to the ground several seconds after his part in the play was over (which should have been a penalty, in my opinion). As he was going to the ground, Rudolph began to grab at the back of Garrett’s helmet, and he did not let go as the players struggled on the ground (in addition to attempting to kick him, which also should have been a penalty). From there, Garrett proceeded to yank on Rudolph’s helmet, eventually pulling it off as guard David DeCastro and tackle Matt Feiler tried to get him off of Rudolph.
DeCastro moves Garrett back, but Rudolph came back at him, leading to Garrett taking a wild swing and hitting Rudolph on the top of the head with his own helmet. DeCastro then pushed Garrett to the ground and center Maurkice Pouncey came quickly into camera view, throwing several punches while Garrett was going down and even kicking at his head once he was on the ground. While that was going on, Browns defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi came from behind and shoved Rudolph to the ground.
When all was said and done, Garrett was suspended indefinitely, but at least for the rest of the regular season and the playoffs, should the Browns qualify (a suspension he is appealing). Pouncey was suspended for three games and Ogunjobi received a one-game ban. In addition, both franchises were fined $250,000.
The reaction in both the media and on social media encompasses a range of “Rudolph was the instigator,” (an opinion I do not share, but he did further the altercation) to “it was an assault” (thank you, Rex Ryan). Garrett was at least contrite and admitted he made “a terrible mistake” during a tense situation. I believe his punishment fits his actions, considering he succeeded in hitting an opponent in the head who has already sustained one concussion this season. However, Rudolph should have gotten a game for furthering the encounter, rather than just the undisclosed fine he received.
This incident only proves two points about the NFL. First, officials put more emphasis on retaliation rather than the original action. The takedown should have been penalized, as well as Rudolph’s helmet grab and kicking. Second, the fight only further overshadows what happened earlier in the game. Steelers receiver Diontae Johnson could not corral a Rudolph third-quarter pass before he was laid out by a Damarious Randall helmet-to-helmet hit. Johnson was down for several minutes on the field and now is in concussion protocol. Randall was ejected, but I haven’t heard anything about a fine or suspension (which there clearly should be). Ok, NFL, it’s on you. Prove you really care about player safety, not just in the incidents that get national exposure, but also in the less-publicized plays.
More injury news – Unfortunately for Pittsburgh, those weren’t the only head injuries sustained during Thursday night’s game. The other starting receiver, JuJu Smith-Schuster, is also in concussion protocol after his helmet was hit from both sides during a play in the second quarter. Add that to the fact the running back James Conner is still working his way back from an injury to his AC joint, and Steelers could be in trouble, at last on the offensive side of the ball.
So much emphasis was on the Vikings comeback, but Broncos fullback Andy Janovich dislocated his elbow in the game. He caught a pass just after the two-minute warning of the first half and as he was being tackled, he put out his right arm to brace his fall. Unfortunately, that did not occur and his arm twisted around the wrong way. The injury ends his season.
Indianapolis Colts running back Marlon Mack suffered a broken hand during the third quarter of Sunday’s win over the Jaguars. Mack ran for 109 yards in the game, but he will miss at least the team’s next contest Thursday against the Texans and possibly more. He is fifth in the NFL with 862 yards this season.
Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford is still trying to work his way back from fractures in his upper spine, but he could miss six weeks and possibly more. Detroit is currently 3-6-1, and it will be a tough task for the team to make the playoffs behind backup Jeff Driskel.
Finally, Bears tight end Trey Burton was placed on Injured Reserve and will miss the rest of the regular season due to a calf injury. Burton only has 14 receptions this season and has been targeted just twice over the past two games. Adam Shaheen will be Chicago’s starter.
Injury or poor performance? – Mitchell Trubisky found himself watching the final few minutes of Sunday night’s loss to the Rams from the bench while backup Chase Daniel took the snaps. Bears coach Matt Nagy said Trubisky did not have any torque from his legs in his throws, and when confronted, the quarterback said he was dealing with a hip injury. While the problem could be legitimate, some people are skeptical that it is a poor play that has the 2017 Draft’s second overall pick on the sidelines. Trubisky has failed to reach 200 yards passing in the past three games, and he has just 1,580 yards and nine touchdowns in nine games this season.
What is pass interference? – The Ravens are a very good team, especially after trouncing the Texans, 41-7, on Sunday. However, the game could have gone differently based on one play. Houston quarterback Deshaun Watson threw a deep pass to his favorite target, DeAndre Hopkins, who was well in line to make the catch before Baltimore cornerback Marlon Humphrey wrapped him up before the ball even got there. No flag. Well, correction, there was one flag thrown. The color was red and it was thrown not by an official, but by Texans coach Bill O’Brien, who was challenging the play. In typical NFL fashion, replay official Al Riveron refused to overturn the call, taking a potential score away from Houston. Hopkins called out the officials and O’Brien now says he has “no idea” what pass interference is anymore. The league was lambasted in the press and on social media (the funniest was ESPN’s John Buccigross saying he was turning off the game and will watch the replay of the obvious miss that night on SportsCenter, which he was hosting). Mind you, these are the same officials who just got a new collective bargaining agreement, which begs the question shouldn’t you have to at least be GOOD at your job to get a new contract?
The Kaepernick workout – Quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who has not played in the NFL since 2016, held a workout this past weekend and invited every NFL team to scout him. First, it was going to be held Saturday at the Falcons’ practice facility, but Kaepernick switched it at the last minute to an Atlanta high school, so the media could attend. He threw passes for nearly 40 minutes, but because of the late change, only six of the 25 team representatives who made the trip actually were able to attend the event.
Kaepernick and his team cited “transparency” in wanting to have more media personnel at the workout, but inviting teams to watch you and then changing things so the people you invited can’t attend without difficulty is just bad form. There’s a reason you haven’t played in the NFL for three years, Colin, and despite some people’s claims, your skills as a quarterback are not what is at issue here. The first goal here should have been to get as many NFL eyes on you as possible to show you can still play. However, there should have been a second goal: letting everyone know you are in the right frame of mind to be an NFL quarterback. People were already questioning your dedication to playing football, and asking people to come and watch you during the season and then playing games with the scheduling just shows everyone that your head is in the wrong place. You can be both an NFL player and an advocate for change, but you cannot do both FULL TIME. Colin, you need to choose which one you really want.
Sherman playing prognosticator – Owners insist a 17-game regular season is coming with the new collective bargaining agreement, and they are making concessions with the players to try to get that agreement in place. The current CBA runs out after next season, and while there is potential for the sides to reach an agreement soon, Richard Sherman isn’t holding his breath. The current 49ers and former Seahawks cornerback advised his fellow players to start saving their money now, since a strike or lockout is a potential reality. The last lockout in 2011 saw players take out high-interest loans in order to cover their expenses, and Sherman wants players to avoid that result if there is another labor stoppage. Sherman was flagged for three penalties during Sunday’s win over the Cardinals, including a non-call the was overturned into pass interference, and he claimed after the game that referees are targeting him.
Winston ties the wrong kind of record – Tampa Bay quarterback Jameis Winston threw for 313 yards and two touchdowns on Sunday. Unfortunately, his team lost to the Saints, 34-17. The worst part was the four interceptions “Famous Jameis” tossed. He now has 18 picks through nine games, giving him 18 and tying for the most he has thrown in a single season (also in 2016).
-By: Kevin Rakas
Writer