Cat Scratch Reader
A whole lot happened in a full slate of games in Week 8.
For some reason, Week 8 featured no teams on bye, no teams playing overseas, and only one Monday Night Football game. I don’t know why the NFL randomly decided to throw that full Sunday slate in Week 8, but it made for a jam packed day of football with lots of goings ons. Let’s dive in.
To be clear, the Saints started this freefall while Derek Carr was still healthy, but they’ve only spiraled further with their backup quarterbacks. Spencer Rattler started on Sunday but was benched midway through the third quarter after manufacturing just one field goal drive in nine possessions. That was also the only drive that lasted longer than five plays. Jake Haener only mustered one field goal drive of us own as the Saints suffered another blowout loss.
The Bus lost both Mike Evans and Chris Godwin late in their loss to the Ravens. They felt their absence on Sunday against the Falcons. Baker Mayfield still threw for 330 yards, but about half of his targets went to backs and tight ends. It seems like they’re going to be dinking and dunking at least until Mike Evans gets back.
Surely everyone has seen the highlight by now, but there’s something truly special about the Bears’ incompetence that allowed it to happen. First, with about six seconds left, the Bears dropped eight players essentially out of frame and gave the Commanders a free 12 yards to set up the last heave. Bears cornerback Tyrique Stevenson was jawing with the crowd while the Hail Mary play was starting. He desperately tried to get involved late, and it was his hand that tipped the ball back into the waiting arms of Commanders wide receiver Noah Brown.
James Winston stepped in for the beleaguered and now injured Watson and did something the latter had never done in Browns jersey—throw for 300 yards. In fact, it was the fifth time in the last six games that Watson didn’t start that the Browns went over 300 yards passing. Watson hadn’t gone over 200 since his last start of 2023.
Winston’s big day catapulted a 1-6 Browns team to a win over the Ravens, who had looked like a juggernaut in recent weeks. It’s remarkable what a change at quarterback can do for a team.
The Jets were supposed to be a contender after going all in to acquire Aaron Rodgers and do whatever they could to keep him happy. They’ve done that, but they keep losing games. In...
