Nov 01,2024
Michael McQuaid of Pro Football Ireland looks at some of the key storylines ahead of the ninth week of the 2024 NFL season, which gets underway tonight (1.15am Irish time) with the visit of the Houston Texans to the New York Jets.
Must-win for Cincinnati
Through eight weeks, the Cincinnati Bengals are 3-5 and expectations are slipping. Last week, the Eagles defeated the Bengals by 20 points.
This week, Cincinnati quarterback Joe Burrow knows that while it's the halfway point of the regular season, the time to perform is now.
"This is a must-win game", he said. "We're 3-5. You go to 3-6, you basically have to win out."
Every game is now a cup final for Burrow and his men. On Sunday, they welcome the Raiders to Paycor Stadium.
The Raiders have six losses in eight games. They are in the bottom half of the league in defensive stats and are ranked 26th out of 32 teams on third down conversions, with a 29% success rate.
It has been a difficult start to the season and they now enter a game in Ohio where the pressure will be notched up a gear. For the first time in years, AFC West rivals Denver Broncos have started hot - and the cracks in Las Vegas are showing.
For the Bengals, points need to be scored. They are struggling on the run game, resulting in the worst rushing offense in the NFL the last 4 weeks, averaging -0.36 EPA [Expected Points Added] per rush. In their first four home games this season, they have been outscored 132-98 - along with giving up an average of 33 points and 390 yards of offence at home.
Something needs to change for the Bengals - and fast.
Cowboys slipping
If the Bengals are in a bad spot, let's add the Dallas Cowboys to the mix. 'America’s team' sits 3-4 through eight weeks (they had a bye week two weeks ago).
When the team brought back bell cow running back Ezekiel Elliott in the off-season, eyebrows were raised. Tony Pollard was gone - and frankly, the running game has just not started this season. The Cowboys are last in the league in rushing yards per game.
Last season, Pollard had 1,005 rushing yards in the regular season. This year has seen a sharp downturn, with Rico Dowdle managing 246 yards and Elliott mustering 149 through seven games.
Something has to give on the offence. The Cowboys have a poor third down conversion rate of only 36 out of 90 attempts, an average of 40%. Last Sunday night in Santa Clara, they struggled against the San Francisco 49ers - a team decimated with injuries - and the offence just looked stale.
More importantly, Dak Prescott (the NFL’s highest paid player) is struggling. While the supporting class is not giving him much to work with, elements of the quarterback's decision-making and play have stood out in recent games, especially against the Niners last week.
The Cowboys travel to Georgia to take on a Falcons team who will want to push to 6-3 with Kirk Cousins under center. If the Bengals game is a must-win, so is this for the Cowboys.
All aboard the Bo Nix train
It’s been a struggle for the Denver Broncos since Peyton Manning retired after winning Super Bowl 50. A carousel of players have attempted to become their on-field leader in the past ten or so years - and have failed.
Enter Bo Nix. The former Oregon product has impressed thus far in his first season in Colorado, especially in Week 8 against the Carolina Panthers when he had 284 yards for three touchdowns. Yes, the Panthers are not a good football team, but in a league where there is a focus and a pressure on young players, Nix is improving each week. His movement, jumping and coordination is on a different level when you compare him with other young quarterbacks in the league.
It’s early - really early - but Denver could have themselves a QB for the long haul.
That being said, a game in Baltimore on Sunday is no joke. Lamar Jackson and company struggled last weekend in Cleveland and the Ravens will want to put their mistakes right this week.
We know how good Baltimore's offence is. They are a team not only in win-now mode, but an outfit that expects to be challenging for the Lombardi Trophy in the later weeks of January. This week, they traded for Panthers WR Diontae Johnson.
They already have guys like Mark Andrews, Derrick Henry, Lamar Jackson, Zay Flowers and Isaiah Likely. This offence is going to get better and better each week.
This game could be a cracker on Sunday.
Flacco time in Indy
The Colts sit 4-4 after eight weeks of the NFL season and in a week where the biggest story in the city was meant to be Taylor Swift selling out their stadium over multiple nights, the team has made a huge call; Joe Flacco is the starting quarterback for the team moving forward, with Anthony Richardson moving to the bench.
Last weekend, Richardson spoke about his tiredness in what was a surprising moment. The second-year QB took himself out of the game against the Texans close to the goal line and was extremely honest when asked why in the press conference afterwards.
"Tired, ain’t gonna lie," he said. "That was a lot of running right there that I did, and I didn’t think I was gonna be able to go that next play."
As you can imagine, this has brought about a considerable debate in the media, with former Colts punter Pat McAfee leading the discussion.
"I had never seen an NFL QB tap out while still being healthy until watching Anthony Richardson", McAfee said.
"You’re a professional athlete, you’re 22 years old. This is the middle of the season!"
Flacco (39) will take the reins as the team heads to Minneapolis for a primetime Sunday Night matchup against the Vikings. The former Super Bowl-winning quarterback (and St Patrick's Athletic investor) takes over the mantle with a team that is arguably not too far away from challenging at the top of the AFC.
An NFC North showdown
What a game it could be as the Detroit Lions visit the Green Bay Packers. Currently, the Lions are top of the NFC North with a 6-1 record through eight weeks.
In his previous five games, Lions QB Jared Goff has had the highest completion percentage and pass rating in the history of the league. The Lions look deadly on both sides of the ball and if they can continue to keep up this momentum heading into November and December, they will remain the standout team not only in the NFC, but the NFL itself.
The Packers are waiting to hear about the availability of Jordan Love, who did not practice on Wednesday with a groin injury.
"I think it’s realistic", Love said when asked about playing at Lambeau Field on Sunday.
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