Week 9 of the NFL season brought forth a lot of intrigue and excitement.
We saw a winless team pick up their first win, an undefeated team getting their first loss, and the San Francisco 49ers continue their reign of dominance over the NFC.
With that in mind, here are the 10 takeaways for NFL Week 9.
1. Fitzmagic rides again.
Veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick led the Miami Dolphins to their first win of the season, besting his former home in the New York Jets, in an upset I predicted. With a win on Sunday, Miami has officially relinquished the No. 1 overall pick to the only winless team remaining: The Cincinnati Bengals.
2. Three Allens are just as good as one.
With Joe Flacco getting placed on injured reserve, the Broncos toss Brandon Allen out there. Allen was drafted in the sixth round of the 2016 NFL Draft, and the Broncos are his third team in three seasons. However, the Arkansas product got the win in his first career game, while the other two Allens starting at quarterback (Josh and Kyle) also found themselves victorious.
3. The 2015 Heisman class was stacked with NFL talent.
Derrick Henry won the award, but it’s fun to think back to a class that featured NFL studs such as Christian McCaffrey, Deshaun Watson, Dalvin Cook, Ezekiel Elliot, Baker Mayfield, and Leonard Fournette.
Pair of RBs pic.twitter.com/DNZseGoIRR
— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) November 3, 2019
4. No Mahomes? No problem.
The Chiefs, led by veteran backup Matt Moore, were able to knock off the red-hot Vikings, snapping a three-game Arrowhead losing streak. The Vikings got three touchdowns from Kirk Cousins, but it was all for not as Harrison Butker nailed a 44-yard field goal to win the game 26-23.
5. Ol’ Reliable is becoming Ol’ Liable
Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri continues to struggle with kicking field goals this season. While they all might not be his fault, the misses are really starting to stockpile for the ageless wonder –– especially on Sunday, where he missed a go-ahead field goal with just over one minute to play against the Steelers.
Adam Vinatieri para el gane…¡LO FALLÓ! los @steelers se llevan una victoria muy buena en casa #NFLMX #INDvsPIT #HereWeGo pic.twitter.com/EsMz01aqlN
— NFL México (@nflmx) November 3, 2019
6. Maybe it was the O.C. in O.C.
The Los Angeles Chargers relieved Ken Whisenhunt of his duties as the team’s offensive coordinator, and the team responded by thumping the 7-1 Green Bay Packers 26-11. Philip Rivers, who looked to have drastically regressed, threw for 294 yards. On top of that, Melvin Gordon looked like his old self, netting 109 yards from scrimmage en route to a two-touchdown performance. The defense held Aaron Rodgers to just 161 yards and the stout run-game of the Packers to just 45 yards.
got the dub 🔥 pic.twitter.com/4UWxKYkO2B
— Los Angeles Chargers (@chargers) November 4, 2019
7. These boys have some wheels.
Chiefs running back Damien Williams broke off a 91-yard touchdown run against the Vikings. During the run, teammate wide receiver Tyreek Hill (seen at least five yards behind Williams) ends up catching up to Williams on his way to the end zone. Hill’s top speed was over 22 miles-per-hour.
91 yards to the CRIB 💨 pic.twitter.com/737Ut0U03E
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) November 3, 2019
8. Most underrated to most valuable?
Russell Wilson threw for 378 yards and five touchdowns in Seattle’s 34-28 overtime win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, bailing out Jason Myers, who missed two field goals and a PAT in the ballgame.
9. And then there was one.
With the New England Patriots falling victim to a 37-20 humbling against the Ravens, the San Francisco 49ers stand alone as the NFL’s lone undefeated team.
10. Black cats are bad luck after all.
The Giants led the Cowboys 9-3 when a black cat entered the field on Monday Night Football. After that, the Cowboys outscored New York 34-9 (21-3 in the fourth quarter) the rest of the way, en route to Dallas’ sixth win of the season.
https://twitter.com/Giants/status/1191540116461903874?s=19
