The unpredictable NFL never ceases to amaze.
Anything can happen on any given Sunday.
Here are some of the top stories from a wild week of action.
SAINTS’ PRAYERS ANSWERED
After an awful 0-2 start, New Orleans has become unbeatable. The Saints notched their eighth win in a row with a thrilling 34-31 comeback victory in overtime against Washington. New Orleans trailed 31-16 with under three minutes to go, but they pulled off the improbable comeback. Redskins’ quarterback Kirk Cousins once again failed to deliver in the clutch, which raises the likelihood he’ll be moving on in free agency. Conversely, wily veteran Drew Brees showed why he’s a sure-fire Hall of Famer. Brees will be 39 in January, so he’ll be looking to savor this playoff run, as this may be the last hurrah.
GIANTS “WIN”
The foundering Giants did the unthinkable on Sunday: they won. The Giants gained their second win of the season with a 12-9 overtime victory over the Chiefs, but lost critical ground in the sweepstakes for the top pick in the NFL draft. New York will surely be looking for a franchise quarterback to replace long-in-the-tooth Eli Manning, a shell of his former shelf. Cleveland is currently in the driver’s seat for the top pick at 0-10, so the Giants can’t afford more wins, especially if Sam Darnold doesn’t enter the draft; Cleveland needs a quarterback, and Josh Rosen will almost surely go first. Meanwhile, the Kansas City Chiefs have quarterback concerns on their own. Perennially mediocre Alex Smith has come back down to Earth after a hot start to the season. Some even went as far as to say that Smith deserved MVP consideration, but Kansas City has now lost four of their last five games after opening the season 5-0.
BILLS FOLD
In one of the most regrettable coaching decisions in recent memory, Buffalo head coach Sean McDermott chose to bench starting quarterback Tyrod Taylor in favor of rookie Nathan Peterman. The move didn’t sit well with veteran players, and after Sunday’s game, the move didn’t sit well with anyone. Peterman threw five interceptions in the first half en route to an embarrassing 54-24 loss to the Chargers. The defeat was Buffalo’s third in a row and second consecutive blowout; last week New Orleans beat them 47-10. Rookie head coach McDermott is in a difficult spot. Taylor hadn’t been great, but he wasn’t historically bad like Peterman. If McDermott isn’t careful, he could lose the locker room in year one.
PATRIOTS REVOLT
After a rocky start to the season, the defending-champion Patriots are currently riding a six-game win streak. The latest victory came over the Raiders in Oakland, but most impressively, New England held Oakland’s potent offense to only one touchdown in a 33-8 drubbing. Earlier in the season, the Patriots’ defense was getting shredded, but during their win streak, they’ve held all opponents to 17 points or fewer. The AFC is wide open and a resurgent New England has as good a chance as anyone to conquer the conference.
EAGLES SKY HIGH
Philadelphia all but locked up the NFC East with a 37-9 beatdown of the Cowboys on the road. At 9-1, the Eagles have opened up a commanding four-game lead in the division with only six games to play. Barring an improbable collapse by Philadelphia, the Cowboys will not repeat as division champions, meaning this will be the 13th year in a row the NFC East has not had a back-to-back champion. But the Eagles, powered by second-year MVP candidate Carson Wentz, have loftier goals. Philadelphia currently has the best record in football, and they have to be looked at as a serious threat to go all the way.
He tossed a pair of TDs and led the @Eagles to their 8th-straight win.@cj_wentz' #PHIvsDAL highlights! #SNF pic.twitter.com/QpMgHPCuWX
— NFL (@NFL) November 20, 2017