1. When’s the last time we left a quarterback duel between two young, emerging stars and came away feeling completely contented about both players? (I’m sure it’s happened, I just need a refresher.) Because last Thursday’s battle between Caleb Williams and Drake Maye, the respective No. 1 and No. 3 picks in the 2024 NFL Draft, was just about perfect, especially since Williams’ Bears came out on top. Both guys balled out, with Maye putting on a one-man show to keep New England alive and Williams doing…stuff
like this. If we saw this matchup again on the second week of February, it could feed families.
2. There’s been a lot of conversation about this throw from Williams and catch by Rome Odunze—some from people who know ball and some who don’t. So let’s be clear: this is an unbelievable grab by Odunze, who had an incredible fourth quarter to bounce back from an early penalty/touchdown drop. But this is a deity-level throw from Williams into a keyhole I can’t believe he had the temerity to throw it through. Dozens of receivers could make that catch, as brilliant as it was. There might not be another quarterback in the league who can make this throw. Hope that helps. Glad the Bears have a guy who can do that.
3. We have gone from Deshaun Watson being on his career deathbed to him leading the Cleveland Browns to an AFC North-leading 5-2 record—tied with Aaron Rodgers’ Steelers. (They play each other next.) We are officially in the Twilight Zone. Or the Upside Down. Or whatever place you go where nothing makes sense. Maybe that Todd Monken guy knows what he’s doing after all.
4. Speaking of quarterbacks from the 2024 class…a couple of them made some statements this past Sunday. Michael Penix continues to prove Tua Tagovailoa shouldn’t touch the field again as long as Penix is healthy, playing a clean 3-TD game against the previously undefeated San Francisco 49ers, while formerly cast-off fellow first-round pick J.J. McCarthy (20-of-28, 252 yards) got off the scrap heap and helped the Giants knock off the Texans in overtime. I trust the former a lot more than the latter still, and I’m not convinced a mere change of scenery will erase all McCarthy’s flaws. But credit where it’s due. I do love a good comeback story, after all.
5. There are different ways of playing to win a game, and they manifest themselves differently depending on the situation. On one hand, you could say Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs sliding down inside the 5-yard line rather than simply scoring a go-ahead touchdown with Detroit and Green Bay tied 17-17 was lame. (Then again, you’re probably a gambler if you think that.) Why not “take the points?” There’s something to be said for not just playing for the win, but doing as much as you can to also ensure the other team can’t win either. I’ve watched arrogance come back to bite teams who believed they had it won in the last minute, going up seven points and watching with frustration as the other squad tied the game before the end of regulation. Sometimes, you have to play smarter, not harder. Well played, Dan Campbell.
6. The more aggressive side of that coin, unsurprisingly, was Campbell’s old protégé in Detroit, Ben Johnson, last Thursday. Because throwing the ball on third down and inviting the possibility of a sack when you’re trying to kill clock and kick a game-winning field goal is a risky proposition, and it bit the Bears in that situation. When Williams went down around the 40-yard line, it didn’t even enter my mind that Johnson would try a 58-yarder with Cairo Santos, who famously doesn’t have the strongest leg in the world (at Soldier Field, no less). I thought they’d punt it and play the field position game for sure. My bad, dawg. Johnson wants to win, not play to avoid losing. And Santos stepped up and rewarded his coach’s faith in him. That’s football right there.
7. I understand the frustration some Ravens fans have with Lamar Jackson not being able to get back on the field and make the difference in a game like Sunday’s rout at the hands of the Cincinnati Bengals, in which Tyler Huntley and Baltimore’s offense couldn’t get anything going in the second half. But for people who want the Ravens to “look into” the quarterback position for next season, I’m going to need to know what that means. If you’re talking about drafting a young kid at the back end of the first round or sometime on Day 2 to groom in Jackson’s stead, I don’t hate that. If you want to look for an upgrade over Huntley, that’s fine, too. (Good luck with that, though.) But if you mean letting Jackson walk or trading him, that’s wild. When healthy, he’s still one of the five best quarterbacks in the league. There will come a time when keeping Jackson around won’t be the right move. I don’t think now’s that time.
8. If you want anyone on the Indianapolis Colts roster, the Vikings probably just did you a big favor. This latest Indianapolis loss, which drops the team to 2-5, has reportedly all but sealed their fate as fire-sale candidates at the trade deadline coming up in a few weeks. Why yes, I would happily take a DeForest Buckner, thank you very much. (Only eight years after I personally would’ve preferred him on the Bears, but so be it.) For the first time in a while, I will actually be disappointed if the Bears don’t make a move before the deadline passes. With Caleb Williams playing like this, it’s go-time.
9. Nothing in the NFL is easy, including kicking. (Especially if, like me, you can’t kick anything.) But man, there have been some brutal performances from kickers in recent weeks. Packers kicker Trey Smack had a case of the yips, missing two kicks inside of 40 yards against Detroit. (I’m sure Packers fans feel great about having yet another kicker you can’t trust in crunch time.) Kansas City’s Harrison Butker continued his fall-off as well, missing wide right again against Seattle. Even Santos missed a 53-yarder off the upright, a sound Bears fans never want to hear again. But hey, at least Santos got it together when it mattered.
10. Talk about calling your own number… Jay-Z saw all these young guns, namely Kendrick Lamar and Bad Bunny, putting up record numbers and decided to put himself on the stage for this upcoming Super Bowl. Given his commercial success and status as one of the best to ever do it, I’m predicting a successful show from one of rap’s GOATS. (Just think of all the people he can summon on stage to perform with him, including Queen Bey herself.) But what made the last two performances so special was the storytelling, not just the songs. And I won’t lie…I’m not sure what Jay-Z has to say aside from simply playing the greatest hits. But hey, must be nice being the guy in charge.
