Week in Review: Pressure's on...
There are several teams that need a win in the worst way today.
The NFL season is a marathon. The scriptwriters jam as many divisional games as they can into December for a reason.
But you can’t lollygag for too long.
This is a huge week for several teams who’ve had rough luck the first month of the season — like those New York Giants. They’re basically two dropped passes from being 3-1. Instead? Brian Daboll’s crew is 1-3 and heading to the edge of the earth (Seattle) without its best offensive player (Malik Nabers). Sometimes, teams have to figure out a way to win a game they have no business winning. That’s the Giants today.
The Green Bay Packers can’t lose too much ground in the NFC North. They also travel west. Matthew Stafford’s never an easy out, and the Packers are without the suspended Romeo Doubs, a player we got to know last January.
I’ll be tracking all of the action inside the Gameday Chat. Be sure to join us right here an hour before kickoff. Will email a link as well.
Miss any stories or pods from the week at Go Long? Catch up below.
Is it time to believe in Kirk Cousins? Thursday night sure was fun.
Kirkmania and the Atlanta Falcons
Lesions from the most surreal Super Bowl defeat of this generation were undoubtedly still fresh, still stinging… even if they weren’t fully visible at the time. This was May 2017. A short three months after Matt Ryan and the Atlanta Falcons became known for two numbers: “28” and “3.” Seated inside an office at the team’s Flowery Bran…
Our new podcast — “How the NFL Works” — continues with a darker look at the sport. Ryan Leaf tried to take his own life. He spent 19 months behind bars. His addiction to painkillers sent him to a scary rock bottom. Leaf knows he’s not alone. He has become a go-to resource for retirees around the country.
How the NFL Works, S1 E2: Life After Football with Ryan Leaf
The underbelly of this league is often gruesome.
Prefer a Q&A? Here’s the written transcript of my chat with the former No. 2 overall pick. He doesn’t hold back.
Q&A: Ryan Leaf is the 'lighthouse' for NFL retirees
A raw conversation with a man who's lived the dark side of the game.
Where does the NFC North stand one month into the season? The Vikings clobbered Green Bay at Lambeau Field to take command. The Detroit Lions won a thriller over Seattle. And as Bob McGinn notes, do not count out the Bears quite yet.
Ty & Bob Pod: How the Minnesota Vikings slugged the Packers at Lambeau Field
Is there a new King of the North?
Everything that could go wrong for the back-to-back champs has gone wrong. But they’re 4-0. Patrick Mahomes remains the ultimate equalizer… even when he’s tearing his WR1’s ACL.
Patrick Mahomes and the NFL World Order
The burst of frustration had a cinematic quality to it. With two hands, Justin Herbert winds up and smashes his helmet with authority against a steel bench on the Los Angeles Chargers sideline. His hair’s flowing. His temper’s fuming. It’s as pissed as we’ve seen the talented quarterback through his five-year career.
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