NFL Takeaways: Week 9
By Tucker Harlin
The NFL didn’t provide many surprises in Week 9. Outside of a win for the Panthers that fired the coach on the other sideline, it was a quiet week in terms of movement across divisions.
These are my three biggest takeaways from Week 9.
THE AFC SOUTH MIGHT BE TERRIBLE
We know both the Titans and Jaguars aren’t competing for a playoff berth this season, but the Colts and Texans are beginning to exhibit some red flags.
The Colts pivoted away from their 2023 first round quarterback because of his inconsistency for a veteran backup in his late 30s. Joe Flacco looked like his best football was years behind him in the 21-13 loss to the Vikings on Sunday night.
I may be overreacted to the Texans, but the loss of Stefon Diggs has taken a lot of steam away from that offense. Nico Collins is on track to return soon, so the hope is for the offense to pick up through the air.
But as of right now, the AFC South is one of two divisions in the AFC that features a runaway favorite without any shot at a wild card appearance from the other three teams.
THE BEARS HAVE AT LEAST ANOTHER YEAR BEFORE THEY’RE PLAYOFF WORTHY
Chicago was a cool story about three weeks ago.
The Bears had a rookie quarterback surrounded by proven free agent skill players with one of the better defenses in the league, sitting at 4-2 overall.
But looking back, you realize three of the Bears’ wins are against the struggling Titans, Jaguars, and Panthers while the other was over a Rams team without all its weapons.
The Hail Mary in FedEx Field may have sucked all the momentum out of the Bears organization in 2024. They just lost by 20 to an up and down Cardinals team and have yet to play a game in the gauntlet of the NFC North.
All that’s left to do is speculate whether or not Matt Eberflus makes it through Black Monday,
THE COWBOYS MISSED THEIR SUPER BOWL WINDOW
The Dallas Cowboys are the NFL version of the Nebraska Cornhuskers: amazing in the 1990s but at best above average today.
Jerry Jones is doing the same thing he did with Tony Romo and Jason Garrett a few years ago with Mike McCarthy and Dak Prescott right now. He’s holding on to what he’s got despite the fact neither are allowing the franchise to move forward.
The next big win McCarthy and Prescott earn in the divisional round together will be their first.
Right now, both Prescott and CeeDee Lamb are injured, and the Cowboys did nothing at the trade deadline other than acquire Jonathan Mingo at receiver.
The Cowboys have yet to face either of the playoff contenders in the NFC East, a troublesome thought as the season progresses.
