Sunday takeaways: Week 9

By: Josh Frey-Sam

This was the one the Buffalo Bills needed.

You hate to say a game meant more to one team than the other, but that’s exactly how I felt before, during and after the Bills’ tight 28-21 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs in Orchard Park on Sunday.

It’s no secret that the Chiefs have been the Bills’ kryptonite in recent years. Who knows what Josh Allen’s legacy would be right now if Patrick Mahomes didn’t exist?

But that’s exactly what made this one so important to the home team. The Bills’ best chance to beat Mahomes, Andy Reid and the bullies from Arrowhead in the playoffs is to make them come through Orchard Park.

The Bills hadn’t played to their standard in six weeks leading into this one, but they sure got up for it, and now they are back in the driver’s seat for the No. 1 seed in the AFC — even though the Patriots and Colts currently have a better record.

I have a futures bet for the Bills to win the AFC this year, and a big reason for that is I believe they are primed to hold the top seed in the conference.

It’s been a favourable schedule, and though the second half stiffens a tad, it remains favourable compared to many other playoff hopefuls. But this was always going to be the big one on their calendar, and they came through with a sensational effort.

I have some other takeaways from Sunday:

Atlanta 23, New England 24

Drake London is such a beast. He ate against a stingy secondary. More importantly, the Falcons remain good, but not good enough.

Los Angeles Chargers 27. Tennessee 20

The Chargers escaped this one, but the story is Joe Alt suffering another ankle injury. This is a completely different offence without Alt, and if he has to miss significant time, I’m worried about the Chargers going forward.

Chicago 47, Cincinnati 42

I don’t even feel bad for the Bengals. They made their bed for a second year in a row, and once again, they are lying in it. This defence is putrid. Here’s a stat: the Bengals have scored 113 points in the last three games and are 1-2 with a -4 point differential.

Indianapolis 20, Pittsburgh 27

The Colts turned the ball over six times and lost by seven points. This team is good, but couldn’t get out of its own way on Sunday. The Steelers might make the playoffs, they might not. All I know is they are not playing a sustainable brand of football.

San Francisco 34, New York Giants 24

One: Jaxson Dart is so damn legit. Two: The Giants need to draft a WR with a high pick next year. Three: Kyle Shanahan is my Coach of the Year right now.

Denver 18, Houston 15

A lot of people are going to have a pessimistic view on the Broncos and say they can’t keep getting away with these fourth-quarter miracles. I’m choosing to look at this team the other way. They just went on the road against one of the league’s toughest defences, posted 11 points in the fourth quarter and gutted out a come-from-behind victory. This team has proven its grit this year, and will be battle-tested come playoffs.

Minnesota 27, Detroit 24

JJ McCarthy played better than his stat line shows. I thought this was his best game as a pro. I really think the Vikings find a way into the playoffs.

Carolina 16, Green Bay 13

The Packers didn’t punt in this game, but only had 13 points to show in the end. What has been a juggernaut unit at times this season is now at a critical juncture: injuries are piling up on offence, and Matt LaFleur must find a way to get his unit to be more ball-control oriented, despite being down six of their top weapons. I would go so far as to say the Packers have a bit of an identity issue right now.

Jacksonville 30, Las Vegas 29

I wonder if Brock Bowers is important to the Raiders. Amazing how much better Bowers — and the entire offence — look when he has two legs to work with. What was even better to watch was the ripple effect on the other top fantasy options: Geno Smith and Ashton Jeanty both came back to life.

New Orleans 10, Los Angeles 34

For the second week in a row, Tyler Shough didn’t blow me away, but I also didn’t think he looked all that bad. There’s something there, for sure. I’m not sure yet if it’s enough to carve out a sustained career as a starter, but it feels like enough to be in the league for a while.

Seattle 38, Washington 14

It’s just been a bad year for Jayden Daniels and the Commanders. That looked like a dislocated elbow for Daniels — who know how long he’s out. Also, this Seattle team is really, really good, and they haven’t even been at full strength on defence yet this year.

Thanks for reading and, as always, have a great day.

Josh