Miami's offensive machine can now also defend
Week 11 in the NFL offers some conclusions: New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers doesn't need to stress about his comeback, Cowboy DaRon Bland is the league's return king and Miami's Jalen Ramsey is still in the preseason.
Week 11 in the NFL provides some insights: Jets star Aaron Rodgers doesn't need to stress about his comeback, nobody steals like DaRon Bland of the Dallas Cowboys and Miami's Jalen Ramsey is still stuck in the preseason.
Rodgers replacement Wilson experiences debacle
A lot depended on the clash against the Buffalo Bills for the New York Jets. Talk of a possible return of star quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who was still injured, grew louder and louder. However, it was also clear that he would only risk his health for the playoffs. So a win against the recently weakening Bills was a must.
But the Jets suffered a debacle. Buffalo returned to winning ways in impressive fashion with a 32:6 victory. Jets receiver Xavier Gipson dropped the ball on the very first kickoff return of the game. After three consecutive field goals for Buffalo, Rodgers' replacement Zach Wilson misplayed a pass and the Bills scored their first touchdown on the ensuing drive. Wilson experienced one of the bitterest evenings of his NFL career anyway, with Jets coach Robert Saleh finally taking him off the field in the second half.
Aaron Rodgers can now take his time with his return to the football pitch. After the game, the New York Times had the rest of the season simulated thousands of times to calculate the Jets' remaining play-off chances. The result: "about two percent". The Bills, on the other hand, remain first in the AFC East behind the Miami Dolphins (7-3) with six wins and five losses. The only downer on an otherwise perfect evening was an injury to defender Taylor Rapp. Next Sunday's top game is against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Amon-Ra St. Brown beats brother Equanimeous
Amon-Ra St. Brown has once again won the duel against his older brother Equanimeous. With his Detroit Lions, the 24-year-old celebrated a 31:26 victory over the Chicago Bears after a comeback. In the fifth meeting between the two German-Americans, Amon-Ra came out on top for the fourth time.
The Lions consolidated their top position in the NFC North with their eighth win in ten games, while Chicago (three wins, eight defeats) remain bottom of the division. The fact that it was so close despite Detroit being the clear favorites was also down to Jared Goff. The Lions quarterback made three interceptions, having previously only thrown five passes to the opposition in the entire season.
At the end of the first half, the 29-year-old found his pass receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown with a throw in the end zone, giving Detroit a 13:7 lead. It was St. Brown's fifth touchdown of the season. Chicago was initially able to capitalize on the Lions' mistakes and turned the game around. But two touchdowns in the final phase decided the game in Detroit's favor.
The return king of the NFL
Sure, defense wins championships. But the headlines in the media and the cheers from the fans all too often go to the spectacular offensive players. The NFL is no exception. However, DaRon Bland is slowly but surely turning into one of the stars of the Dallas Cowboys team. Keyword: Pick Six. This is the name for what is probably the most impressive play that a defensive player can achieve. In a pick six, a defender intercepts the opposing quarterback's pass, tucks the ball under his arm and promptly runs into the end zone himself - the opponent's, of course. Scores six points, just like a touchdown. DaRon Bland achieved this feat for the fourth time this season in the game against the Carolina Panthers. An NFL record, and on the eleventh matchday. It was the cherry on the cake of a never-threatened 33:10 victory for Dallas. With seven wins and three defeats, the Cowboys remain in second place in the NFC East behind the Philadelphia Eagles. The Carolina Panthers, on the other hand, are still waiting for their second win of the season in fourth and last place in the NFC South.
Rams win and lose Superbowl MVP
In the NFC West, there was a division clash between the Los Angeles Rams and the Seattle Seahawks. The signs are clear. While the Seahawks lead the division, the Rams have only won three games this season. The team no longer has much to do with the 2022 Super Bowl winner.
The Seahawks marched confidently to a 13-0 lead, while the Rams were able to score a touchdown of their own seconds before the end of the first half, but lost one of their best players in the process. Cooper Kupp, voted best player in the 2022 Super Bowl, had to come out with an ankle injury. It is unclear how long he will miss the team. After the shock, the Rams' defense stepped up to the plate. The Seahawks scored three points in the entire second half.
Shortly before the end of the third quarter, Seattle quarterback Geno Smith was injured and also had to be substituted. He returned in the last drive of the game and led the Seahawks into field goal range, but kicker Jason Myers missed from 55 yards. The Rams narrowly won 17-16, meaning Seattle had to cede the lead in the division to the San Francisco 49ers, while the Rams now have four wins and six losses to keep their chances of making the playoffs alive - making the injury to catch machine Kupp all the more bitter.
The leaps of a good dolphin
As the saying goes, a good horse only jumps as high as it has to. This also seems to apply to dolphins. Because the Miami Dolphins beat the Las Vegas Raiders with a somewhat shaky 20:13. The Dolphins gave the Raiders the ball three times, but Las Vegas was unable to capitalize. The game ended the way it had to end. Star cornerback Jalen Ramsey intercepted a Raiders pass for the second time with 22 seconds left, ending the game.
Tyreek Hill, usually the highlight machine in the Dolphins' offense, went into raptures after the game: "He's the best cornerback in the league, man. The length he goes to intercept that last pass shows how much this team means to him." Ramsey came to Miami from the LA Rams in a high-profile trade in the summer, but missed the first seven games of the season with an injury. "Technically, I'm just in pre-season, training camp," he says, referring to his short season so far. It sounds like a threat to the competition.Miami scored fewer points than ever before this season, but still won and remains in first place in the AFC East. Las Vegas remains in second place in the AFC West.
You can find an overview of all the NFL results here.
Source: www.ntv.de
