2021 NFL Week 9 Recap

Bears 27
Steelers 29

I don’t know which is more impressive: Pittsburgh’s 20-game win streak at home on Monday Night Football or Mike Tomlin reaching 150 career wins to pass Bill Cowher for second on the Steelers’ all-time coaching wins list — and doing so in eight fewer games than Cowher coached. All the more reason anyone who thought Tomlin would take a college job is a full blown idiot; this man deserves to be in the Hall of Fame yesterday.

Titans 28
Rams 16

The Titans certainly remembered 1999 because this final game of the NFL-record five Super Bowl rematches on Sunday didn’t need a Mike Jones tackle at the goal line — this was a straight up domination in which Tennessee’s defense announced loud and clear it just might be championship-worthy after all.

And I gotta ask, Los Angeles — is the ghost of George Allen running the Rams? This 2000s Dan Snyder-esque disregard for draft picks and obsession with acquiring big-name veterans only ends in disappointment.

Cardinals 31
49ers 17

No Kyler Murray, no DeAndre Hopkins, no problem. The unlikely duo of Colt McCoy and James Conner made it look easy against a Niners defense that would be the league’s most disappointing unit were it not for Washington’s stunning no-show.

Packers 7
Chiefs 13

Kansas City finally gets its first win against a winning team (and 500th in franchise history) and it still comes with an asterisk considering Aaron Rodgers was sidelined by his own arrogance and Green Bay’s special teams all but handed the game to the Chiefs. Even still, a defense that holds Patrick Mahomes to 13 points at Arrowhead Stadium should be enough to win — so this glimpse into life with Jordan Love as the starting QB should prompt the Packers to eat a KC barbecue-sized plate of crow and fix things with Rodgers.

Chargers 27
Eagles 24

Man, it’s gotta really sting for Washington fans, while the 2-6 Burgundy and Gold are on bye, to watch Dustin Hopkins make a game-winning field goal and Colt McCoy ball out — and each player walk off the field victorious in his respective games.

Vikings 31
Ravens 34 (OT)

Lamar Jackson had yet another “double triple,” notched his 12th career 100-yard rushing game to break Mike Vick’s record among QBs and became the first QB to have multiple games with three passing touchdowns and over 100 rushing yards. Oh, did I mention this is Baltimore’s third double-digit comeback victory? Jackson IS the Ravens offense so just go ahead and give this man his Offensive Player of the Year and matching MVP, already.

Broncos 30
Cowboys 16

This is why the NFL is the ultimate reality TV show.

A week after the QB that looks like Mitchell Pritchett from Modern Family led Dallas to an impressive road win, the Cowboys got Dak back in time to notch the second-worst completion percentage of his career and become the first double-digit favorite in 20 years to trail by 30 points — and the last time was pretty memorable. How ’bout them Cowboys?! HAHAHAHA

Browns 41
Bengals 16

Cleveland said all the right things about Odell Beckham Jr. throughout the week but actions speak louder than words. The Browns’ historic hat trick helps prove they may be less talented without OBJ, but they definitely play better when he’s not on the field. This divorce was necessary.

Raiders 16
Giants 23

Let’s just call this game reinforcement of the Dave Preston Corollary. I don’t know what Las Vegas did to keep getting scheduled for East Coast 1 o’clock kickoffs (they had back-to-back such games late last season and would have lost them both if Gregg Williams hadn’t committed coaching malfeasance) but these games are the bane of the Raiders’ existence — and caps a miserable week for an overwhelmingly troubled organization.

Patriots 24
Panthers 6

Stephon Gilmore got his but the most Patriots thing ever is New England being the only team out of the league-record five Super Bowl rematches on Sunday to win both the previous Super Bowl meeting and the Sunday matchup — and doing so amid controversy.

Bills 6
Jaguars 9

Josh Allen. Meet Josh Allen.

As pleasant as the talk of their first meeting was during the week, the violent collisions on the field were certainly not what anyone expected. In a week of big upsets, this was the biggest — of the day, of the season and one of the most stunning results in generations.

Falcons 27
Saints 25

Props to Cordarrelle Patterson, one of the most underrated and multifaceted talents in the NFL. Given the heartfelt way he broke down his remarkable versatility, this is one of the easiest guys in the league to root for.

Texans 9
Dolphins 17

Miami had more turnovers (five) than scoring drives (three). The Dolphins did a masterful job of delicately balancing getting a much-needed win and proving to Houston how much they need that Deshaun Watson trade to happen in the offseason.

Jets 30
Colts 45

Carson Wentz rebounded from the most boneheaded play of 2021 to have a lights out game in prime-time. Don’t look now, but Indy is inching closer to .500 and still a factor in the race for the AFC South.