D4 EZ M2 THE WASHINGTON POST.TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5 , 2019
professional football
26th-ranked run defense in the
NFL, according to Pro Football
Focus. The Chargers had rushed
for fewer than 40 yards in four
consecutive games. And then Los
Angeles rushed for 159 yards on
38 carries, led by Melvin Gordon’s
80 yards and two touchdowns on
20 carries. The Packers remained
in first place at 7-2 because every
NFC North team lost Sunday, but
the rest of the league now knows
with certainty that they can be
run on.
Green Bay’s porous rush
defense will receive another
stress test next week, when the
Packers host Christian
McCaffrey’s Carolina Panthers.
It’s getting uglier for the
Browns — and not just on their
feet. As CBS sideline reporter Jay
Feely reported at halftime, the
NFL told wide receivers Odell
Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry to
change their cleats at halftime if
they wanted to play the second
half. Landry had started
Cleveland’s 24-19 loss to the
Denver Broncos with a gold pair
of shoes, and Beckham sported a
white pair with a sad clown
motif.
Beckham caught five passes
for 87 yards, and he also drew a
key pass interference call on
cornerback Chris Harris on the
Browns’ last touchdown drive.
But he has been a nonfactor in a
malfunctioning Browns offense.
His only touchdown all season
came in Week 2. In the past six
games, Beckham has averaged
4.3 catches for 57.2 yards. Over
that span, Beckham has caught
only 56.5 percent of the passes he
has been targeted on.
Beckham’s acquisition fueled
Super Bowl hype for the Browns,
who have sunk to 2-6. His lack of
production is one of many factors
that have placed first-year coach
Freddie Kitchens in the fire. Like
Gase, Kitchens could be in
jeopardy for a one-and-done
tenure.
[email protected]have taken some explaining in
England.
Sunday was regrettable for the
Colts. They lost quarterback
Jacoby Brissett to a knee injury
after lineman Quenton Nelson
landed on him. They still played
well enough behind backup
Brian Hoyer to be in position to
win. But Adam Vinatieri hooked
a potential game-winning, 43-
yard field goal into another
dimension. It was such a bad
miss that, on top of Vinatieri’s
early-season struggles, it made
you wonder whether it marked
the end of his Hall of Fame career.
The Steelers aren’t dead.
Anybody still think the
Pittsburgh Steelers made a
mistake by trading a first-round
draft pick for defensive back
Minkah Fitzpatrick? Even with
Ben Roethlisberger shelved for
the season, Pittsburgh is primed
to make a run to the playoffs in
the lousy AFC — and Fitzpatrick
is a major reason. On Sunday, he
picked off Hoyer near the goal
line and returned it 96 yards for a
game-turning touchdown. If
anyone other than Hill has run
faster on an NFL field this
season, we haven’t seen him.
The Steelers own Fitzpatrick’s
contractual rights for another
two seasons at salary cap hits of
$1.9 million and $2.7 million,
plus a fifth-year option. They
acquired a foundational piece at
a premium position who makes
their roster building easier in the
short term. And the draft pick it
cost them will not be high. The
Steelers are 4-4, and they still
play the Browns twice, the
Bengals, the Jets and the
Cardinals. The jury is already in
— getting Fitzpatrick was a steal.
The Packers have a weakness.
Nothing went well Sunday for
Green Bay, which snapped a
string of impressive
performances with a 26-11 loss at
the Chargers. But one phase
stood out most for the Packers.
They entered Sunday with theroad to make the Super Bowl.
Whether they get a first-round
bye matters less than Mahomes’s
full health.(^) The Patriots will have a rough
road back to the Super Bowl.
The Patriots’ 37-20 loss in
Baltimore on Sunday night
should not be considered
alarming. They’re 8-1, and any
reasonable analysis would
suggest they’re the best team in
the AFC. Whenever possible, bet
on Bill Belichick.
That said, if the Patriots reach
a third consecutive Super Bowl,
they will have earned it. The AFC
is by far the weaker conference,
but this year it could present a
gantlet at the top. Depending on
how seeding breaks down, the
Patriots may have to beat Patrick
Mahomes and Lamar Jackson in
consecutive weeks. Those are the
two most uncommonly talented
quarterbacks in the NFL, and
they play for coaches who have
developed systems perfectly
tailored to their skills. The
Patriots would be favored to beat
them both, but pulling off two
wins would still be a feat.
The Texans took control in
the AFC South. One week after
every AFC South team won and
muddled the divisional outlook,
the Houston Texans asserted
themselves by trouncing the
Jacksonville Jaguars in London
and watching the Indianapolis
Colts and Tennessee Titans lose
back in the States.
The Colts are still undefeated
in the division and have beaten
the Texans, which is significant
for tiebreaker purposes. But the
Texans still get to play
Indianapolis at home (in
Week 12), and they have the best
player in the division — and one
of the best in the NFL — in
Deshaun Watson. He thrived
even after taking a cleat to the
face last week. Watson credited
his ability to play through the
injury to eating Popeyes spicy
chicken sandwiches, which must
rematch. Some terrible, terrible
football awaits.
The Chiefs need to take it easy
with Patrick Mahomes. Keeping
Mahomes healthy for the long
term should be Kansas City’s
priority, and the Chiefs are
fortunate their circumstances
ensure it will not cost them
anything in the near term. Their
26-23 victory over the Minnesota
Vikings behind backup Matt
Moore and Harrison Butker’s
44-yard, walk-off field goal
reinforced the team’s ability to
rest Mahomes without sacrificing
competitive considerations.
Mahomes dislocated his right
kneecap Oct. 17 but avoided
serious ligament or nerve
damage. If the Chiefs pushed,
Mahomes probably could return
next week — he has participated
in practice the past two weeks.
The Chiefs should be extra
cautious and hold him out next
week at Tennessee, in part
because they can afford to.
The Chiefs (6-3) hold a two-
game lead in the AFC West,
where they are the only team
above .500. With or without
Mahomes, they’re going to win
the division. In two starts, Moore
has completed 69 percent of his
passes for 542 yards and three
touchdowns without an
interception. Andy Reid is a
brilliant offensive coach who can
coax victories out of a solid
backup such as Moore through
scheme — and dynamic wide
receiver Tyreek Hill — even
against a quality opponent such
as Minnesota. To beat the New
England Patriots or win the
Super Bowl, the Chiefs need
Mahomes.
It would be nice if the Chiefs
could keep pace with New
England and earn a seed that
would place their potential
playoff showdown in Arrowhead
Stadium. But that ship sailed
when Kansas City lost its third
game. The Chiefs are going to
have to beat the Patriots on the
The chill in the air
and changing
leaves provide the
sure signal of
what phase the
NFL season has
entered. Every team has played at
least half its schedule, and the
Super Bowl is closer than the Hall
of Fame Game. It’s past the time
when contenders have separated
from also-rans, but at this point
both halves of the league are
positioning themselves and
confronting how good — or how
awful — they are.
By now, expectations can both
be fulfilled and upended. Russell
Wilson remains an MVP favorite,
as his five touchdowns —
including the game-winner to a
backup tight end in overtime —
attested in the Seattle Seahawks’
victory over the Tampa Bay
Buccaneers and irrepressible
wide receiver Mike Evans. The
Green Bay Packers looked like an
NFC favorite a week ago, only to
stumble in telling fashion at the
Los Angeles Chargers. And
eulogies are being prepared for
preseason darlings Chicago and
Cleveland.
It’s getting cold, and the stakes
are getting higher. Here is what
to know from Week 9:
The race to the bottom is as
competitive as ever. The
Washington Redskins haven’t
scored a touchdown in three
weeks and the winless Cincinnati
Bengals just benched their
longtime quarterback, but the
New York Jets exited Week 9 as
the NFL’s most hapless team. The
Jets lost going away at Miami, a
previously winless outfit openly
tanking for the first pick in the
draft, and they trailed all game.
The Jets traded one of their
best defensive players, tackle
Leonard Williams, and this week
found themselves embroiled in a
war of hurt feelings with safety
Jamal Adams, probably their best
player, over rumors they had
taken trade offers for him.
Quarterback Sam Darnold has
regressed in his second season
under alleged offensive guru
Adam Gase, who is now in
possible one-and-done territory
despite a reportedly close
relationship with new general
manager Joe Douglas, who has an
even bigger cleanup project on
his hands than he could have
envisioned when he left the
Philadelphia Eagles.
“You can’t be embarrassed by
this [expletive],” Gase said
afterward. You sure about that?
Brian Flores earned the first
win of his coaching career, and
given the talent on Miami’s
roster, he earned the bath of
orange Gatorade his players gave
him. It would be interesting to
know how Dolphins
management felt about the
victory. Amazingly, the Dolphins
might not hold one of the draft’s
first two picks — likely to be
quarterbacks Tua Tagovailoa and
Justin Herbert — depending on
how strength of schedule shakes
out.
There’s a long way to go for
those top two picks. Avert your
eyes, Tua and Justin. Following
its bye, Washington will play the
Jets in Week 11. The Jets will also
play the Bengals and see the
Dolphins in New York for a
In a clearly stratified league, the race to the bottom is getting fierce
On the
NFL
ADAM
KILGORE
LYNNE SLADKY/ASSOCIATED PRESS
Adam Gase’s first year as coach of the New York Jets hit a nadir Sunday as his team fell to the previously winless Dolphins to drop to 1-7.
much will depend on how this
season ends. If the Browns have
something worth salvaging, they
will play better in the second half.
The opponents are weaker. The
opportunity to start building
something is there. But they have
to forget the expectations and
find their pride.
In terms of coaching, the first
half of the season has made one
thing clear: Freddie Kitchens isn’t
the answer. He is overwhelmed.
He is trying to do a job that he
can’t do. There is no identity in
Cleveland, no accountability, no
leader for all those big
personalities to respect. That’s all
on Kitchens. The Browns need a
veteran coach, not a novice. In
general, I despise the idea of a
one-and-done coach in a
profession burdened by too much
unnecessary turnover. But
Kitchens shouldn’t have gotten
the job in the first place.
It’s unfortunate for long-
suffering Browns fans that hope
has dissolved so quickly. It’s so
cruel. They have known bad
teams. They have known
humiliation. But shameful? These
Browns are flirting with that level
of disgrace. They have a half
season to make it better or worse.
Cover your eyes.
[email protected]
For more by Jerry Brewer, visit
washingtonpost.com/brewer.
Safety Jermaine Whitehead made
several significant mistakes
Sunday, and then he took on his
social media critics after the
game, writing profane tweets and
inviting Twitter users to fight him
at the Browns’ practice facility.
His account was quickly
suspended, and the team cut him
Monday.
Some may want to consider
this fiasco to be more losing for
the same old Browns, but you
should resist the urge. This isn’t
standard Cleveland
disappointment. This is
something entirely new for the
Browns: unprecedented hype;
legitimate reason to believe the
team would be solid, at least;
utter failure with all eyes on
them. It’s deflating. In some ways,
it should feel worse than the
Browns’ worst seasons. This was
supposed to be the beginning of
something beautiful and
sustainable, and right now it’s
hard to know where Cleveland is
headed long term.
There is still a chance that all
could work out in the end. In
terms of personnel, Cleveland
shouldn’t panic and hold a fire
sale after this season. It still has
some top-end pieces necessary for
success. But John Dorsey, the
Browns’ general manager, will
need to supplement that talent
with the right veteran depth and
improve the team’s character. So
use of all the talent around him. A
weak offensive line is an issue.
The second-year pro could also be
simply the victim of inexperience.
In time, he should be fine, but
clearly Mayfield wasn’t ready for
increased expectations. He blew
up at a reporter last week and cut
short an interview. He always
straddles the line between
confidence and cockiness, and
when he is playing well, he is a
compelling character. When he is
struggling, he seems foolishly
brash.
But for all the attention on the
marquee players, it was a role
player who had the worst day.
Beckham has had moments of
frustration, and on Sunday, CBS
sideline reporter Jay Feely relayed
during the broadcast that
Beckham shuffled to the sideline
declaring, “I can’t get the ball to
save my life.” When asked about it
afterward, Beckham said he
couldn’t recall making the remark
and brushed off the incident as
the media craving controversy.
Well, at least Mayfield gave his
team a chance to win Sunday. He
threw for 273 yards and no
interceptions. It was progress
considering the gun-slinging
quarterback already has thrown
12 picks. Still, he is not making
The hard part of their schedule is
over, but the undisciplined play
and lack of leadership remain.
Sunday served as a sobering
indicator that Cleveland, amid a
four-game losing streak, is more
likely to implode than recover.
After the game, the
embarrassment continued. Much
of the conversation centered on
the NFL policing the cleats worn
by Beckham and fellow wideout
Jarvis Landry. The league told
them at halftime to change their
shoes or sit for the rest of the
game because they weren’t
complying with the rules. It was a
silly misunderstanding, and it
was inconsequential to the team’s
performance. But it also
represented how annoying this
season has been in Cleveland.
Beckham, the superstar traded
to Cleveland in March, has made
more headlines for his uniform
choices than his play. It began
with him wearing a $190,000
watch during games. The visor in
his helmet was also an issue. Then
he was fined $14,000 in October
for wearing pants that didn’t
cover his knees. On the field, he
has been good, not great. He is on
pace for 78 receptions and 1,150
yards. It’s quality production but
on the low end of his capabilities.
And he has just one touchdown.
Mayfield hasn’t been all that
efficient throwing the ball to
Beckham or any other receiver.
The Cleveland
Browns are a
spectacular
disaster. This is
the only way you
could label them
“spectacular,” of
course. A trendy
preseason Super
Bowl pick, they are 2-6 halfway
through a season that should just
end now.
It won’t just end, however.
That’s because the Browns, with
their star-studded but incomplete
roster, are the NFL’s most
relevant loser. There is no fading
into the background for them, not
with Baker Mayfield at
quarterback, Odell Beckham Jr. at
wide receiver and a host of
characters underperforming all
over the field. If all had come
together properly — not to
mention quickly — the Browns
could have been something to
behold. Now, as is the nature of
squandered hype, they are
destined to be something to
belittle.
They make it too easy with
their immaturity and proclivity
for controversy. On Sunday, the
Browns began what was
supposed to be the soft portion of
their schedule by losing to the
awful Denver Broncos, 24-19.
They aren’t reliable enough from
week to week to expect them to
string together several victories.
Being bad is nothing new for the Browns, but the hype makes this a special case
Jerry
Brewer
JACK DEMPSEY/ASSOCIATED PRESS
Despite a decent outing Sunday, quarterback Baker Mayfield has
failed to drive what many expected to be a high-powered offense.
BY TOM CANAVAN
east rutherford, n.j. — Dak
Prescott shook off an interception
on his first pass of the game and
threw three touchdown passes,
leading the Dallas Cowboys to a
37-18 victory over the New York
Giants in a Monday night game
briefly delayed by an elusive black
cat.
Prescott hit Blake Jarwin for a
much-needed 42-yard touchdown
late in the second quarter. He add-
ed a 15-yarder to Michael Gallup
and a 45-yarder to Amari Cooper
in the fourth as Dallas (5-3) beat
New York (2-7) for the sixth
straight time.
Brett Maher kicked three field
goals, including a 52-yarder in the
waning seconds of the first half
that gave Dallas the lead for good
after falling behind 12-3 in the
second quarter. Jourdan Lewis
scored on a 63-yard fumble return
in the final seconds.
The win gave the Cowboys, who
were coming off a bye, a half-game
lead over Philadelphia in the NFC
East and improved their record in
the division to 4-0, including a win
over the Eagles.
Ezekiel Elliott ran for 139 yards
for Dallas, which outscored the
Giants 34-9 after the cat appeared
late in the second quarter, forcing
referee Clay Martin to delay the
game for a couple of minutes until
the feline was herded up a stadium
tunnel.
Daniel Jones threw a one-yard
touchdown pass to Cody Latimer
for fading New York. Aldrick Ro-
sas hit four field goals, but he also
missed an extra-point attempt
that was important in sending
New York to its fifth straight loss.
Rosas’s 25-yarder gave the
Giants a 12-3 lead with 2:50 left,
but the Cowboys scored 10 points
in the final 52 seconds of the half to
take a 13-12 lead.
Jarwin, who has scored five of
his six career touchdowns against
the Giants, rambled most of the
42 yards on the score to get Dallas
within 12-10 with 52 seconds left in
the half.
Xavier Woods intercepted a
third-down pass by Jones on the
ensuing series and returned it to
the New York 38, setting up
Maher’s go-ahead field goal.
The teams exchanged field
goals in the third quarter, with a
Jones fumble forced by Woods set-
ting up Dallas. Rosas answered for
New York.
The chippy fourth quarter be-
longed to Dallas and Prescott, who
finished 22 for 35 for 257 yards. He
has thrown 12 touchdown passes
against New York in the past four
games.
Jones finished 26 for 41 for 210
yards, with most coming on a
65-yard play to Saquon Barkley,
his longest reception.
— Associated Press
Prescott,
Dallas rally
after feline
visits field
COWBOYS 37,
GIANTS 18