After a week in which only one game was competitive, almost all of them were tight early on Sunday in Week 9.
The only blowout wins belonged to the 49ers and Steelers, who beat the Giants and Colts, respectively. The latter is notable, with Indianapolis losing only its second game due to six turnovers, including two fumbles and a trio of interceptions from Daniel Jones.
Elsewhere, the Chargers escaped against the Titans, winning 27–20 while everyone in the NFC North took their games down to the wire. In the AFC, the Texans and Broncos battled in a low-scoring affair ultimately won by Denver to improve its playoff odds.
There are three games in the late window. The Bills host the Chiefs in the premier game, with Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes squaring off at Highmark Stadium. The other contests feature Tyler Shough making his first start for the Saints against the Rams at SoFi Stadium.
But we start with the Patriots and their second-year quarterback, who is increasingly coming of age by the week.
Good: Drake Maye continues to make his MVP case
The common restraint around the Drake Maye optimism is that he’s only in his second year. Yet history says Maye might be right on time if he’s going to be an elite quarterback.
In 1984, Dan Marino burst onto the scene in his second year, winning MVP honors with 5,084 passing yards and 48 touchdowns, both league records at the time. In 2018, Patrick Mahomes went for 5,097 yards and 50 touchdowns, leading the Chiefs to the AFC title game.
While Maye might not be Marino or Mahomes, who’s to put such a limit on him? Through eight games, the 2024 first-round pick has thrown for 2,285 yards with 17 touchdowns against four interceptions. He’s also been playing lights out, amassing 10 touchdowns and two picks in New England’s prior four games, all victories.
The Patriots are 7–2 after handling the Falcons, 24–23, giving New England another week in first place of the AFC East. The Patriots have benefitted from a soft schedule, with wins over the Falcons, Panthers, Saints, Browns, Titans, Dolphins and Bills (a combined 18–32 record). Still, Maye’s status as a legitimate MVP candidate shouldn’t be minimized.
Bad: The Packers against poor opponents
One week, the Packers look like the best team in football. The following week, they looked capable of losing to anybody.
On Sunday, Green Bay went the latter route against the Panthers, who won 16–13 despite Bryce Young throwing for 102 yards and an interception on 20 attempts. The Packers primarily lost because of two turnovers and seven penalties, allowing Carolina to hang around while Rico Dowdle rushed for 130 yards and two touchdowns.
For the Packers, the losses to inferior opponents (Browns, Panthers) speak to a talented team that is not yet ready to be an elite contender. Green Bay has looked dominant at times against the Lions, Commanders and Steelers, all playoff teams from a year ago. It has also lost to Cleveland and Carolina, teams with flawed rosters and underwhelming quarterbacks, while settling for a tie against the Cowboys.
At 5-2-1, the Packers remain atop the NFC North and have a chance at the NFC’s top seed. They’re right where they need to be. The problem is consistency, something which has plagued the Packers in recent seasons. Last year, Green Bay was nearly perfect outside the NFC North, losing only to the Eagles in Week 1. But it was 1–5 in the North, turning the Packers into a seventh seed for the second consecutive campaign.
Green Bay has stars all over the roster including Jordan Love, Micah Parsons, Josh Jacobs, Rashan Gary and others. But until the Packers show up every week, it won’t matter.
Ugly: Joe Alt’s ankle injury could spell disaster for Los Angeles
The Chargers survived giving up two non-offensive touchdowns against the Titans in a 27–20 win, but that game could still create a long-term mess.
In the second quarter, Pro Bowl left tackle Joe Alt got rolled up on in the pocket and was carted off with an ankle injury. While the severity is unknown and might remain so until further testing is complete, a season-ending injury would be devastating to a Chargers team already without tackle Rashawn Slater, who sustained a torn patellar tendon during training camp.
Even with Alt, it’s been a struggle for Los Angeles up front. Going into Week 9, the Chargers had been allowing sacks on 7.1% of dropbacks, ranking 21st. They also have lived on being blitzed, with Justin Herbert posting an EPA of +19.3 on such downs, but only a +5.3 EPA on non-blitzed pass attempts. Without Alt and Slater, defenses won’t need to bring more than a four-man rush to create pressure most weeks.
On Sunday, Herbert was sacked six times and hit 11 times against a Titans team that was without its best defender in Jeffery Simmons.
Looking ahead, the Chargers face the Steelers, Jaguars, Raiders, Eagles and Chiefs. Four of those five opponents have designs on the playoffs, while the three AFC games (Pittsburgh, Jacksonville and Kansas City) could wind up with significant tiebreakers as a result.
Good: The AFC North race is starting to heat up
After some injuries and mediocre football over the first eight weeks, the AFC North might create some fun after all.
On Thursday night, Lamar Jackson made his return after missing three games with a hamstring injury and looked like a two-time MVP, throwing four touchdowns in a 28–6 rout of the host Dolphins. On Sunday, the Steelers throttled the previously one-loss Colts, winning 27–20 on the strength of six takeaways, including three interceptions of Daniel Jones.
While the Bengals and Browns are Ohio afterthoughts, Pittsburgh and Baltimore should give everyone a show over the next two months. The Steelers have a two-game lead in the division, and their schedule is daunting with the Lions, Bills, Chargers and Bears remaining, while Baltimore still has dates with the Jets, Browns and Bengals twice.
However, everything comes down to the head-to-head contests between the two teams. The first comes in Week 14 in Baltimore before the rematch in Week 18 at Acrisure Stadium.
The other question is whether two teams from the North can crack the AFC playoff picture. Given the conference’s relative weakness, the Steelers and Ravens both may make it, likely replacing one of the three AFC teams currently in the top seven seeds.
Bad: Brian Daboll can’t survive this again in New York
Before the game against the 49ers, a plane flew around MetLife Stadium with a banner behind it, imploring owner John Mara to clean house.
After the game, that plane’s message only rings truer. The Giants lost to the 49ers, 34–24, dropping their record to 2–7 as New York prepares for the Bears, Packers, Lions and Patriots over the next month before a far-too-late Week 14 bye.
Some of this isn’t on Daboll. Superstar second-year receiver Malik Nabers tore his ACL in Week 4 against the Chargers. Last weekend, rookie running back Cam Skattebo dislocated his ankle, putting him out for the season. The Giants are also breaking in a first-year quarterback, Jaxson Dart, who has shown promise with 10 touchdown passes and 251 rushing yards.
Still, Daboll is in his fourth year. In his first season, the Giants made the playoffs and won a wild-card game while Daboll won Coach of the Year. Since then, Daboll is 11-32-1. Bringing him back would only signal more of the same for fans who are starved for success.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as The Good, Bad and Ugly in Week 9: Drake Maye Is Building an MVP Résumé.