We are officially halfway through the NFL 2022-23 season and, to say the least, I am surprised at how it’s going.
To kick off our recap, we’ve got the big upset of our Sunday games- the Ravens and the Buccaneers. While the Ravens came home with a win, the game was neck-and- neck until the very end. Buccaneers’ cornerback, Jamel Dean, was the Ravens’ main problem; only allowing one catch for three yards along with three tackles and a forced incompletion. However, this wasn’t enough to stop Lamar Jackson and the Ravens’ offense. Jackson was slow at first, but soon picked up speed and finished 27-38 for 238 passing yards in addition to having 43 rushing yards for nine carries.
The Atlanta Falcons took on the Carolina Panthers for a close win. Despite being sacked twice, Falcons Quarterback, Marcus Mariota was able to go 20-28 for 253 yards. Offensive linemen, Kaleb McGary and Chris Lindstrom, were of big help to this Falcons offense and are likely to be one of the highest graded linemen. Panthers cornerback, CJ Henderson was the best defensive player of the game with an interception. However, the Panthers defense fell short and cost them a loss.
The Dallas Cowboys traveled to Chicago this weekend, as they seek victory without Ezekiel Elliot. Despite Elliot’s absence, Pollard, Cowboys running back averaged 6.3 yards per carry; ranking first among running backs with at least 50 carries. Bears QB, Justin Fields was able to make a few connections to the end zone, but just not enough to keep up with the Cowboys.
The Miami Dolphins were away on Sunday against the Detroit Lions. Dolphins QB, Tua Tagovailoa recently came back from a scary head injury. Despite the hurdle, the game against the Lions may have been his best game yet; finishing 29-36 for 382 passing yards. Lions’ rookie, Kerby Joseph had a stunning performance; allowing only one catch for seven yards in the whole game. The Dolphins took over after the second half and won 31-27.
The Arizona Cardinals traveled to Minnesota looking to defeat the Vikings. Vikings Za’Darius Smith was the spotlight on defense; bringing down Kyler Murray, Cardinals QB, not once but twice. Despite the Cardinals loss, DeAndre Hopkins showed out with 12-13 catches for 159 yards and an amazing one-handed touchdown. The Vikings took the win, which puts them in the lead for their conference.
If there was one game not worth watching, it was the New Orlean Saints hosting the Las Vegas Raiders. Alvin Kamara was the shining star with one rushing and two receiving touchdowns, totaling 158 yards for the Saints offense. The Raiders offensive line struggled, but soon came around and held up reasonably in their pass protection. However, this wasn’t enough to score at all; the Saints won 24-0.
The New York Jets hosted the New England Patriots this Sunday in a close match. Rhamondre Stevenson, Patriots running back, served as half of the offense with 23 touches and 143 yards. (The Patriots had 288 total yards) Along with that, he also had 16 carries for 81 rushing yards. Despite throwing three interceptions, Jets QB Zach Wilson went 20-41 for 355 yards. However, these yards weren’t enough to catch up to the Patriots offense.
The Philadelphia Eagles look to sustain their undefeated season against the Pittsburgh Steelers. A.J Brown dogged out with six catches for 156 yards; consisting of three touchdowns. The Eagles made a good trade, because without A.J Brown, half of their offense is gone. Steelers QB, Kenny Pickett went 25-38 for 191 yards total, making his average yards per pass lower than most. The Steelers pass protection failed miserably and ultimately led them to their loss this Sunday.
Another neck and neck game was the Washington Commanders against the Indianapolis Colts. This game was Terry McLauren’s big day, who caught seven of his eight targets for 113 yards; three of those catches going for 15 yards or more. Colts rookie receiver Alec Pierce led the team with 65 receiving yards; averaging 21.7 yards per reception. Despite the Colts’ loss, their weak offensive line was going in the right direction in this game; hopefully setting them up for a better game next week.
The Los Angeles Rams hosted the San Francisco 49ers with a new addition to the team. Former Carolina Panther, Christian McCaffrey was traded to the 49ers and immediately put on the starting line-up. As usual, he showed up and got away with a triple crown; a passing, receiving and rushing touchdown in one game. Rams’ cornerback Jalen Ramsey was the star of the defense though. He forced two incompletions, only allowed two passes and forced a fumble to go along with a run stop. However, his contribution wasn’t enough to stop the 49ers.
Geno Smith and the Seahawks took on Daneil Jones and the Giants this weekend. Seahawks safety Ryan Neal had a big defensive game with two defensive stops, three tackles and another one being for a loss. The Giants offense wasn’t anything out of the ordinary, with Daniel Jones throwing 17-31 for only 176 yards total. With Ryan Neal leading the defense, the Giants had no wiggle room to make this a close game.
Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers faced Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills in Buffalo. The Packers have been on the struggle bus so far this season and are looking for a way out. There was a lot of tension in this game; Packers Jaire Alexander heard some of it but was able to show his talk on the field. He didn’t allow a single catch during his coverage, forced three incompletions and had an interception. Despite his amazing defense, the Packers could not stop Allen and his run game. Allen was 6-12 for 166 yards, with two touchdowns; each being made under immense pressure. The Bills caught the early lead and swept the Packers in a week 8 win.
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