Backup quarterbacks dominated and Tom Brady blew it, and more of the best and worst from Week 8
Advertisement
Tyler Lauletta
Nov 2, 2021, 00:30 IST
Tom Brady.
AP Photo/Butch Dill
Week 8 of the NFL season was a wild one.
Backup quarterbacks like Mike White and Trevor Siemien led their teams to unlikely victories.
Advertisement
Week 8 of the NFL season was a wild one.
Backup quarterbacks reigned supreme, while Tom Brady lost his team a chance to win the game. Up was down. Left was right. Cats and dogs were getting along. The Jets won.
Take a look below at the biggest stories from a fantastic week of football.
WINNER: Backup quarterbacks
The New York Jets took down the Cincinnati Bengals in the most shocking result of the NFL week. Backup quarterback Mike White had a monster day, throwing for 405 yards, three touchdowns, and two picks that weren't entirely his fault.
After weeks of Zach Wilson attempting to perform miracles and fit deep passes into small windows that resulted in killer turnovers, White took what the Bengals defense gave him and marched the Jets offense up and down the field against Cincinnati.
White's day alone would have been the story of the NFL weekend, but he was far from the only backup quarterback to help his team shine.
Saints third-stringer Trevor Siemian stepped up in a huge spot for his team after Jameis Winston went down with an early injury. With Taysom Hill already sidelined with a concussion, quarterback duties fell to Siemian, and he answered the call.
While his numbers weren't as impressive as White's - 159 passing yards, one touchdown - his result was just as shocking, leading New Orleans to an upset win over Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Any time you beat Brady with your third-string quarterback, it's a good day.
Joining White and Siemian in backup bliss was Geno Smith in Seattle and Cooper Rush of the Cowboys, both of whom led their teams to victory. Carolina Panthers backup P.J. Walker also entered the game for Sam Darnold after he went down with a concussion in the fourth quarter and held on for the W.
Five backup quarterbacks, five wins, four of them almost entirely orchestrated by the backups themselves.
Advertisement
Every player on the roster matters, and on Sunday, these backups proved it.
LOSER: Tom Brady
The GOAT was just a goat in New Orleans.
Brady is about the last quarterback in the league you expect to see throw a bad interception, but this weekend he was not his usual self.
Down two points with 90 seconds left in the game, Brady got the ball back, needing only a field goal to win. The stage was set for a classic Brady comeback.
Brady and the Buccaneers will be fine, but it sure was weird to watch them give this one away.
WINNER: Los Angeles Rams
After three quarters, the Rams were up 38-0 on the Houston Texans, sitting on a lead so comfortable that they were able to pull some of their starters as if they were Alabama hosting Tennessee in Tuscaloosa.
With the NFL schedule as grueling as it is, extra rest is a gift whenever it can be taken.
In the fourth quarter, the Texans scored 22 unanswered points thanks to some soft defense and a recovered onside kick. Final score: Rams 38, Texans 22, Rams bettors heartbroken.
Advertisement
LOSER: Carson Wentz
The Carson Wentz experience was in full effect this week. With the game tied and the Colts pinned against their own goal line, Wentz threw yet another comically ill-advised interception.
It's not just numbers, though. Kupp has some of the surest hands in the league and is always there to pick up whatever yards the Rams need on a crucial play.
While the present is pretty dark for the Bears, the future is starting to look brighter.
LOSER: Throwing the ball away on fourth down
Teams are going for it on fourth down more than ever this year, and that is great. What is not great is when a quarterback throws the ball away on a play that will turn the ball over to the opposition if failed.
Advertisement
Throwing a pick on fourth down isn't the worst thing in the world. If there was ever a time to attempt to fit a stupidly tight window, it is on fourth down.
Trailing the Eagles 24-0 in the third quarter, Jared Goff gave up.
NewsletterSIMPLY PUT - where we join the dots to inform and inspire you. Sign up for a weekly brief collating many news items into one untangled thought delivered straight to your mailbox.