2020 NFL: Week 9

Revenge is sweet!

Aaron Rodgers got pantsed on national television both times he faced the 49ers last season. It’s not that the Packers got beat, they got taken apart from the opening kick. Kyle Shanahan’s offense scored at will and the San Francisco defense suffocated Green Bay.

That must have made Thursday night’s game so joyous. This time, it was the Packers taking the fight to the 49ers. Rodgers floated 4 beautiful touchdown passes, including one to the self-proclaimed best receiver in the game Davante Adams and a pair to Marquez Valdes-Scantling.

(You can discuss this on the BSL Board here.)

What a win, right? No, not exactly.

There’s no way you can call the team that wore the San Francisco uniforms the 49ers. Here’s an interesting stat: Not a single player from the 49ers team that beat the Packers in last season’s NFC championship game played on Thursday night. Their roster is full of people on injured reserve and the COVID-19 list.

Plus, their starting quarterback wasn’t the man who helped lead them to the Super Bowl. No, Jimmy Garropolo was sidelined with an injury, and Nick Mullens got the start in his place.

So, the Packers won a game. But there was no sense of retribution in it at all.

NFL’S TOP 10

1. Chiefs — Yes, the Steelers have a better record. But I see no reason to move Kansas City off their perch at the top. I would still pick them to win against any team in the NFL.

2. Steelers — They proved me right by beating the Ravens, but the game was more about Lamar Jackson falling apart than Ben Roethlisberger leading the team to victory. But a win is a win and their defense really stepped up. They are now firmly in control of the AFC North.

3. Buccaneers — That’s the NFL for you. Just when I thought Tampa Bay would be an unstoppable juggernaut, they needed to rally to beat the Giants. But they have three winnable games coming up before they face the Chiefs in a potential Super Bowl preview.

4. Seahawks — Defense, shmefense. This team has the ability to outscore anyone and will probably need to do so if they have any hope at a championship. Russell Wilson, you’re a beast. Hope you can keep it up.

5. Ravens — Remember, their two losses are to the teams with the best records in the league in the Chiefs and Steelers. That’s concerning because they will need to go through both to reach the Super Bowl, but their problems are fixable.

6. Titans — I wouldn’t blame anyone for dropping Tennessee lower. It’s one thing to lose, it’s another to be made to look silly by the Bengals, of all teams. And yet, I still have confidence that this team will pull out of its mini-funk.

7. Packers — Sure, I made fun of their Thursday night win, but let’s not get crazy. They are still a solid squad and as long as they can play from ahead, they will have a lot of success. If they fall behind, things get ugly fast.

8. Bills — Something has happened to this team in the past few weeks. Their blazing start to the season has kind of fizzled a bit, but they’re still 6-2 and control their own destiny in the AFC East. Who would have thought that sentence would be written?

9. Saints — They still have a solid record, but my feeling is the hammer is going to drop on New Orleans this week against Tampa Bay. Drew Brees just doesn’t look like the Drew Brees of old and now he’s dealing with an injury. Hopefully he can come out of this game in one piece.

10. Cardinals — I’ve said it before: I’m all in on Kyler Murray. He’s my guy. This team has the potential to make the postseason and have a winnable game at home against the Dolphins this week as they come off their bye.

WHAT’S THE CHATTER?

COVID fright: Players and coaches are falling ill all over the league. A total of 15 teams are currently dealing with coronavirus issues. I shudder to think what’s going to happen when the weather truly worsens across the nation. The league seems to have contingency plans in place. That’s good, because it looks like they may need to use them.

Silver and Smacked: The NFL came down hard on the Raiders, fining them $500,000 and stripping them of a sixth-round draft pick for violating the league’s COVID-19 protocols. The league is trying to make an example of the Raiders and team owner Mark Davis has responded by calling the penalties “draconian.” it warms the heart. He really takes after his father.

Here we go: Antonio Brown is going to suit up for the Buccaneers on Sunday. I’m not saying something awful is going to happen, but nobody should be surprised if something does. Is that unfair to say? No, his past actions makes it very fair to wonder if he will melt down in some way. Sorry, it’s up to him to prove us wrong. And for the record, it would be great if he does.

Let’s hope this is real: Christian McCaffrey is finally expected to make his return to the Panthers lineup on Sunday. Yes, we’ve heard this before. So fantasy players can be forgiven for not getting excited yet.

Dancin’ Drew: Drew Locke did a little dance during the Broncos’ unexpected win over the Chargers last week. And of course, grumpy media members (looking at you, Colin Cowherd) had a problem with it. Just stop. Let the man dance. Football is supposed to be fun. I enjoy seeing players having a good time and enjoying their success.

APPOINTMENT VIEWING FOR WEEK 9

Seahawks at Bills: Big game for both teams. The Seahawks are doing the “travel east for a 1 p.m. game” this week. Let’s see if they have the juice to survive this matchup.

Bears at Titans: If the Titans lose this game, then I will probably jump off their bandwagon.

Ravens at Colts: Another tough matchup for Lamar Jackson after he turned the ball over a bunch of times last week. Hopefully his confidence hasn’t been shaken.

Dolphins at Cardinals: The Tua doubters are out in force this week, but I’m not pushing the panic button yet. However, this will be a tough matchup for him out in the desert.

Saints at Buccaneers: An NFC South classic. Grab your popcorn.