4C z TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2019 z USA TODAY SPORTS
- Why are we kicking off this week’s
list with the Bengals? Because obvious-
ly they enjoyed a huge win Sunday ...
even though they were on their bye ...
and remain 0-8. But Miami’s first vic-
tory means Cincinnati now “controls”
its fate as it pertains to picking atop the
2020 draft. Could be an abbreviated au-
dition for rookie QB Ryan Finley in place
of Andy Dalton for the terrible tigers,
who might soon have eyes for Tua Tago-
vailoa, Joe Burrow or Justin Herbert.
2.There’s a reason the phrase is “Any
Given Sunday,” not “Any Given Satur-
day.” In a vacuum, not stunning that ei-
ther the Dolphins got their first win or
the Patriots lost for the first time this
season. But for both teams to break
those respective seals simultaneously?
You really never know in the NFL.
3.New England arrived in Baltimore
surrendering 7.6 points per game. But
after getting smoked for 37 by the Rav-
ens, the Patriots’ scoring average bal-
looned to 10.9 after they surrendered as
many offensive TDs in one night as they
had in their first eight games combined.
Only takes one bad night to knock a unit
from consideration as historically elite.
4.Nice week for the Redskins, who
were basically accused of medical mal-
practice by their best player (Trent Wil-
liams), watched Washington’s baseball
team win the World Series – further
casting a harsh spotlight on the inepti-
tude of the football team in the nation’s
capital – then saw yet again how ill
equipped rookie QB Dwayne Check-
down Haskins is to compete on an NFL
field as the team dropped to 1-8 after los-
ing at Buffalo.
5.But it was a worse week for the
Jets, whose best player (Jamal Adams)
was infuriated upon learning the team
discussed trading him – and, apparent-
ly, everyone else on the roster not
named Sam Darnold – but should have
been even more upset that Gang Green
proceeded to get embarrassed by the
previously winless (and rarely compet-
itive) Dolphins. - And how about this – both the Jets
and Dolphins recorded a safety. Been a
quarter century since both teams got
one in the same game. Woohoo.
7.All 11 home teams won Sunday. (I’m
not counting the Jags’ “home” loss in
London.) It flew in the face of a season-
long trend as home teams are now68-
65-1.
8.Christian McCaffrey meter: After a
166-yard, three-TD day, the Panthers’
star is on track for 2,488 yards from
scrimmage ... putting him 22 yards off
the pace to break Chris Johnson’s sin-
gle-season record.
9.Three quarterbacks bearing the Al-
len surname (Denver’s Brandon, Buffa-
lo’s Josh and Carolina’s Kyle ... all unre-
lated) started Sunday. Each managed to
wrench a victory.- Don’t look now, but the Steelers
are 4-2 since QB Ben Roethlisberger
went down and sit just one game out-
side the AFC playoff field.
11.Pittsburgh fill-in Jaylen Samuels
caught 13 passes Sunday, most by a
Steelers running back in the Super Bowl
era.
12.Every Colts contest this season
has been decided by seven or fewer
points, their average margin in all
games just 4.4 points.
13.If you thought what appeared to
be a relenting schedule was going to sal-
vage the Browns’ season ... welp. Cleve-
land is 2-6. It was 2-5-1 after eight
games last year.
14.Nice choice by the league making
Vikings-Chiefs its #NFL100 game of the
week. Kansas City K Harrison Butker’s
44-yard game-winning field goal at the
gun of a 26-23 victory likely rendered it
the bona fide game of the week, too ... at
least east of Seattle. And props to Chiefs
backup QB Matt Moore, who notched
the victory in his second start of the sea-
son and salvaging a likely split in the ab-
sence of reigning MVP Patrick Ma-
homes (kneecap) – whom K.C. didn’t
rule out until Sunday morning.
15.In a battle of punting royalty, Kan-
sas City’s Dustin Colquitt outkicked his
younger brother Britton by 6 yards per
boot and successfully put down the hold
on Butker’s coup de grâce.
16.Speaking of uniforms, who the
heck thought it was a good idea to allow
Cleveland to wear its all-brown outfits
on the road when the Broncos were
wearing their customary orange in Den-
ver? I know it’s just a few days post-Hal-
loween, but ... puke.
17.Bless the Brits, who continuously
turn out in droves for often subpar NFL
football in London. The Jaguars were
blown out 26-3 and are now 3-4 after
appearing at Wembley Stadium for the
seventh consecutive season, a streak
that will continue in 2020.
18.The Jags are still stuck on one
rushing TD this season, worst in the
league.
19.Jaguars rookie QB Gardner Min-
shew has done a great job filling in for
Nick Foles (clavicle), but should Jack-
sonville go back to the Super Bowl LII
MVP on the other side of its upcoming
bye? Minshew turned the ball over four
times Sunday in his worst performance
of 2019, almost surely opening the door
more than a crack.- Yes, Houston had more take-
aways (4) than points allowed (3) in its
first game this season without injured
star DE JJ Watt.
21.Texans QB Deshaun Watson now
has a 104.3 career passer rating and will
overtake Aaron Rodgers (103.3) as the
NFL’s all-time leader once he’s played
enough games ... assuming Watson can
maintain this pace, of course.
22.This season’s lineup of games in
London is now complete. The Packers
are the only team to never appear in an
NFL International Series game.
23.On Sunday, the Raiders played
their first game in Oakland since Sept. 15
(they were the “home” team in London
on Oct. 6). Per NFL RedZone’s Scott
Hanson, 10 members of the Raiders’
fast-evolving roster were making their
debuts at Oakland-Alameda County
Coliseum. Nice that they could be victo-
rious reveals in a hard-fought win
against Detroit.- Oakland RB Josh Jacobs has
rushed for 740 yards this season, break-
ing Hall of Famer Marcus Allen’s single-
season record for a Raiders rookie.
25.Let’s break down the 1976 Bowl
between the Buccaneers and Seahawks,
who entered the NFL together as expan-
sion franchises 43 years ago. After Sun-
day’s win, Seattle now leads the all-time
series 9-5 ... has gone to the Super Bowl
three times to Tampa Bay’s once (both
teams own one Lombardi Trophy) ...
and has 351 wins all time, far better than
the Bucs’ 262. - Though their defense and special
teams (especially scattershot K Jason
Myers) were again less than impressive,
the Seahawks’ victory provided another
forum to fuel QB Russell Wilson’s accel-
erating MVP push. A 378-yard, five-TD
effort with a game-winning throw in OT
never hurts the cause. - The Bears were lucky to make the
Jordan Howard Bowl competitive but
ultimately lost their fourth in a row –
thanks largely to a first-half offensive
“performance” that included six punts
and 9 totalyards.
28.San Francisco’s offense will grind
you down, the Niners running at least 31
times in every game this season and
now averaging a league-high 38 a week.
29.But let’s give the “Air Raid” Cardi-
nals, who have generally been a tough
out since the calendar hit October, cred-
it for giving San Francisco a battle – and
with Arizona’s top two running backs
injured. - Apparently the Titans should
have waited at least a week to bring
K Ryan Succop off injured reserve. He
missed all three of his field goal at-
tempts Sunday in his 2019 debut. Prede-
cessor Cody Parkey, always an adven-
ture in his own right, made all three of
his FG tries for Tennessee, though was
5-for-6 on PATs. - New Chargers offensive coordina-
tor Shane Steichen clearly got the memo
to run the ball more, and the Bolts re-
sponded with 159 yards on the ground
after failing to crack 40 in the final four
games under Steichen’s predecessor,
Ken Whisenhunt.
32.Dearest mother – My choice to re-
turn to the farm was one I’d basked in
joyously for months with nary a regret ...
until Sunday’s news that Major Brissett
was injured in battle, while Master Ser-
geant Vinatieri’s marksmanship has
proven increasingly untrue. Captain
Hoyer has never been appointed to a
major command, but I must believe he
can lead the men in a tight spot ...
though his sidearm is historically prone
to friendly fire. Oh, bitter anguish. I will
doubtless fret deep into this chilling
eve, my innermost thoughts surely al-
lowing no respite. – Andrew
NFL WEEK 9 32 THINGS WE LEARNED
Bengals ‘win’ during Sunday bye
Quarterback Derek Carr celebrates after the victory Sunday against the Lions,
the Raiders’ first Oakland home game since Sept. 15.KYLE TERADA/USA TODAY SPORTSNate Davis
USA TODAY
The Jets and Browns each experi-
enced another miserable Monday after
continuing to trend in the wrong direc-
tion on Sunday.
The Browns’ losing streak is four
games after a 24-19 loss to the Broncos.
Meanwhile, the Jets reached a new low
as they fell to the previously winless
Dolphins, who looked like a prime can-
didate for a 0-16 season.
As the losses and embarrassments
mount, the Jets’ Adam Gase and
Browns’ Freddie Kitchens could be drift-
ing dangerously close to one-and-done
territory in their coaching jobs.
Let’s be clear about one thing: Win-
ning in the NFL is hard. Very few coach-
es come in and direct dramatic turn-
arounds in one season. But it’s how
Gase’s and Kitchens’ squads have lost
that makes the coaches’ first seasons at
their respective helms most troubling
while casting doubts on their futures.
Gase was supposed to be the quarter-
back whisperer New York needed for
Sam Darnold, the No. 3 overall pick in
- The Jets spent big in free agency to
fortify the roster around their young
gunslinger. But Darnold has regressed
for a 1-7 team, prized running back
Le’Veon Bell is a non-factor and Sun-
day’s 26-18 defeat just might rank
among the five worst moments in fran-
chise history.
Meanwhile, Kitchens inherited a
team brimming with potential after a fi-
rework-packed seven-game audition as
interim offensive coordinator last year
earned him the head coaching job. After
making another series of aggressive off-
season moves, Browns’ brass charged
Kitchens with further developing sec-
ond-year quarterback Baker Mayfield
while directing Cleveland to its first
playoff appearance in 17 years. But
Kitchens’ squad also has under-
achieved, as Mayfield has failed to build
on a promising rookie campaign and Pro
Bowl wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr.
has just one touchdown catch.
Both coaches built their reputation
on the offensive side of the ball, but
Cleveland’s attack ranks 19th in the
league in total yards (346 per game) and
25th in points scored (19 per game)
while the Jets rank last in yards (223.
per game) and 31st in points (12 per
game).
With each calamity-filled loss, Kitch-
ens and Gase look more befuddled and
more ill-suited for their jobs.
Both hires represented big gambles
for their respective franchise.
In Kitchens, the Browns tabbed a
man who had half a season of experi-
ence as a play caller and zero head
coaching experience at any level. But
players liked Kitchens and found him
relatable, a quality the team also appre-
ciated. Browns’ officials also valued the
creativity he displayed upon assuming
the reins of the offense. The biggest
question about Kitchens centered on his
ability to juggle head coaching duties
while also directing the offense. So far,he has yet to prove himself capable.
Given the struggles of the offensive
line and the regression of Mayfield, it’s
hard not to wonder if Kitchens erred in
not retaining offensive line coach Bob
Wylie and quarterbacks coach Ken
Zampese, whose experience could have
served him well.
While the Browns hired Kitchens
based on potential, it’s hard to say what
part of Gase’s resume made him attrac-
tive to the Jets.
During Gase’s stint as the Broncos’
offensive coordinator from 2013 to 2014,
some within the league regarded him as
a bright offensive mind. However, the
praise he received never added up;
quarterback Peyton Manning was the
primary engine behind Denver’s prolific
attack.
And as offensive coordinator in Chi-
cago in 2015, Gase oversaw a unit that
put up subpar numbers. His units with
the Dolphins fared even worse, never
ranking among the top half of the league
in points or yards. Gase lasted only
three years as head coach of the Dol-
phins after producing just one winning
season.
Now, the same struggles have
plagued him with the Jets. For his head
coaching career, Gase hasn’t just lost –
he has lost badly. His 33 losses (includ-
ing one in the playoffs) have come by an
average of 16.3 points, with 25 of them
being decided by double digits.
Gase told reporters Sunday that, “it’s
the NFL. You can’t be embarrassed by
(expletive).”
The product he has put forth, howev-
er, has indeed reached shameful pro-
portions.
Both Kitchens and Gase badly need aturnaround in the second half of the
season, possibly to save their jobs. Giv-
en the precious cargo that is their young
quarterbacks, neither the Browns nor
the Jets have time to waste.
The Jets could have pause to fire Gase
since they’re still paying Todd Bowles
and would prefer not to pay three head
coaches. General manager Joe Douglas
is also a good friend of the coach. How-
ever, if losses like Sunday continue to
mount, Jets’ brass might not be able to
justify continued loyalty.
Meanwhile, Browns general manager
John Dorsey also must decide whether
patience is the best course of action or
yet another mistake by the Lake.One and done? 2 coaches could be in danger
Mike Jones
Columnist
USA TODAYHead coach Adam Gase is 1-7 with the
Jets after losing Sunday to the Dol-
phins, for whom he was 23-25 in three
years. BRAD PENNER/USA TODAY SPORTSUPON FURTHER REVIEW