Eric Williams
NFL reporter
Great gamers make nice performs in nice video games. And in Week 9, the league’s greatest gamers stepped as much as lead their groups to key victories that propelled them to the postseason.
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow confirmed off his signature playmaking capacity, ending with 251 yards and 5 touchdowns in a blowout win over the Las Vegas Raiders. The win helped the Bengals enhance to 4–5 and only a half-game out of the ultimate playoff spot within the AFC.
(FIND OUT MORE: 2024 NFL Playoffs Image: Falcons, Chargers See Fortunes Rise; The packers retreat)
Lions quarterback Jared Goff continued his historic run, finishing 81.8 p.c of his passes for 145 yards and a landing in Detroit’s spectacular win over the Green Bay Packers in wet circumstances at Lambeau Field.
The ultra-efficient Goff now has an 82.8 completion proportion over a six-week stretch, eclipsing Peyton Manning for the very best stretch in league historical past. Goff scored extra touchdowns (28) than incompletions (24) throughout his spectacular streak. His execution put Detroit in first place within the NFC with a 7-1 document.
And down within the desert, operating again James Conner helped lead the Arizona Cardinals to a victory over the Chicago Bears and first place within the NFC West. Conner completed with 107 speeding yards in a 29–9 win over the Bears.
Let’s take a better have a look at who’s scorching and who’s not on this week’s NFL Heat Index.
WHO IS HOT
Amun-Ra St. BrownWR, Lions
Brown let his jersey do the speaking earlier than the sport as he stepped off the bus and into Lambeau Field.
“Green Bay sucks.”
If you put on one thing like this in enemy territory, you higher again it up. Brown did, ending with seven receptions for 56 yards and a landing in his staff’s massive win over the Packers. In the method, Brown tied a franchise document shared by Herman Moore and Leon Hart along with his sixth consecutive sport with a receiving landing.
Brown additionally continued a powerful streak of 30 consecutive targets from Goff courting again to Week 3. His efficiency on Sunday earned him recognition as Tom Brady’s LFG Player of the Game.
Tom Brady’s LFG Player of the Game: Lions WR Amon-Ra St. Brown | Week 9 DIGITAL EXCLUSIVE
Saquon BarkleyRB, Eagles
In his first season with the Eagles, Barkley has taken on the function of driving Philadelphia’s offense and is a favourite for Offensive Player of the Year. In a win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, Barkley completed with 199 scrimmage yards and two scores.
He additionally executed one of the crucial astonishing operating strikes in NFL historical past, leaping backwards over Jacksonville defensive cornerback Jarrian Jones after spinning to elude linebacker Devin Lloyd.
“It was the very best play I ever noticed,” Eagles coach Nick Sirianni mentioned.
We agree.
Bryce YoungQB Panthers
It’s not concerning the numbers Young produces, it is concerning the vibes. Benched because of poor efficiency earlier this 12 months, final 12 months’s No. 1 total decide helped Carolina lastly get again into the win column with a win over the New Orleans Saints.
Young snapped a private six-game shedding streak, the longest amongst any quarterback. He completed 16 of 26 for 171 yards, with one landing and one interception. But extra importantly, Young helped the Panthers snap a five-game shedding streak.
Tyler BassoOkay, Invoices
Buffalo’s kicker hit a career-best 61-yard discipline aim within the last seconds for his staff’s seventh win of the season. Bass made up for a missed additional level and discipline aim try earlier within the sport with the game-winning kick.
In final 12 months’s postseason, Bass missed a 44-yard discipline aim that may have tied the Chiefs, and he struggled from that distance this 12 months, lacking 4 of seven kicks from 40 to 49 yards.
So, the 61-yarder was a confidence builder for Bass.
Mike GesickiTHE Bengal
The Cincinnati pass-catching tight finish completed with 5 receptions for 100 yards and two touchdowns in his staff’s blowout win over the Raiders.
Gesicki turned the primary Cincinnati tight finish with 100 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns in a sport since Tyler Eifert achieved that feat in 2015, additionally towards the Raiders. The scores offered one other alternative for followers to see Gesicki’s landing dance as he tried to carry out his model of the “griddy.”
WHO IS COLD
Mike McCarthy, HC, Cowboys
With Dallas shedding three straight video games and two video games underneath .500 for the primary time since 2020, it appears time to throw grime on the Cowboys (3-5) and their postseason hopes. McCarthy was unable to maintain Dallas away from a season that appeared destined to crumble ever since proprietor Jerry Jones mentioned the group was “all-in” in chasing a Super Bowl.
Adding damage to insult, franchise quarterback Dak Prescott needed to depart Sunday’s sport because of a hamstring pressure. He was changed by Cooper Rush.
Dallas hopes to get Micah Parsons and cornerback Daron Bland again from damage in Week 11 towards Philadelphia. It’s truthful to wonder if even the return of these front-line gamers may change the staff’s prospects at this level within the season.
CJ StroudQB, Texans
Last 12 months’s Offensive Rookie of the Year title did not go over effectively. Over the final three video games, Stroud has accomplished simply 52.3 p.c of his passes for 562 yards and one landing for a passer score of 76.0.
Houston has misplaced two of its final three video games, averaging simply 19 factors per sport in that span. Stroud has needed to take care of accidents alongside the offensive line and at receiver. However, as top-of-the-line sign callers within the sport, he has to determine the best way to increase the offense when he isn’t at full power.
Shane Steichen, head coach, Colts
Steichen moved from developmental QB Anthony Richardson to 39-year-old backup Joe Flacco, however the outcomes have been no higher on Sunday. Flacco threw for 179 yards and failed to guide the Colts to an offensive landing as they misplaced to the Minnesota Vikings on the street.
At 4-5, the Colts are simply two video games out of first place within the AFC South behind the 6-3 Texans. But if Flacco does not do higher, it may be greatest to play Richardson and proceed his improvement for subsequent season.
Geno SmithQB, Seahawks
Smith made some stunning throws down the stretch, engineering a landing drive that pushed his staff into additional time towards the Rams. However, Smith additionally completed with three head-scratching interceptions and two fumbled snaps in regulation that led to Seattle’s fourth loss in 5 video games.
Bills and sloppy play are why the Seahawks have fallen to the underside of the NFC West underneath first-year coach Mike Macdonald. Turning issues round begins with higher execution from Smith.
Eric D. Williams has reported on the NFL for greater than a decade, protecting the Los Angeles Rams for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Chargers for ESPN e Seattle Seahawks for the Tacoma News Tribune. Follow him on Twitter at @eric_d_williams.
(Want nice tales delivered proper to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, comply with leagues, groups and gamers to obtain a personalised e-newsletter day by day.)
Get extra from the National Football League Follow your favorites to get data on video games, information and extra
