$.01--Last season the Bills and Chiefs treated us to one of the most exciting games of the Super Bowl era. The AFC postseason game saw multiple lead changes in the fourth quarter, with Patrick Mahomes leading the Chiefs to a seemingly impossible last-second comeback after Josh Allen and the Bills had seized the lead with under 20 seconds to play.

Sunday’s rematch promised a similar thriller, and it darn near delivered. It was certainly an engaging contest between what seems like the AFC’s top two teams by a wide margin. This time around, Allen and the Bills triumphed when their defense made the big play it could not summon last winter in the Chiefs' unbelievable comeback win. In a game where the focus was on the prolific offenses and MVP candidates at quarterback, it was Von Miller who forced the biggest play of the game.

Buffalo signed Miller to do exactly what he did on Sunday. Miller pressured Mahomes into a bad throw in crunch time, a pass picked off by Bills CB Taron Johnson. The Bills rewrote the game script thanks to adding a future Hall of Famer to the defensive equation. Not even Mahomes could overcome the reinvigorated defense. It sure was fun to watch him try.

The Buffalo defense probably deserves more credit than it will ever get, a common phenomenon with dynamic QBs and prolific offenses. Think the 2001 Rams or the Brady Buccaneers. When Jordan Poyer charters a car to drive him to Kansas City so he can play because he’s not medically cleared to fly, that tells you about the heart of the Buffalo defense. Miller has more than enough gas in his tank to help charter the Bills flight deep into the AFC playoffs. Here’s hoping fans get treated to a rubber match in January.

$.02--Daniel Snyder comes across as a petulant douchebag. You probably knew that about the Washington Commanders owner already, but a fantastic exposé from ESPN provided a more vivid picture of the vapid spoiled brat who happens to be one of the most powerful sports owners in the world.

The central premise of the ESPN piece was asking the question, “How is Daniel Snyder still allowed to own a team?” It’s a great question; Snyder has operated his Commanders with an arrogant repugnance that repels anyone with a conscience. He’s lorded over an abusive workplace environment for everyone from VPs to cafeteria workers. He’s pimped out cheerleaders, illegally recording--and then distributing--unauthorized topless videos of his female employees. That goes beyond the typical spoiled brat behavior that Snyder often has in common with some of his fellow NFL owners.

The ESPN piece summed up that Snyder still owns the team because he believes he has leverage over enough other owners, and commissioner Roger Goodell, to keep himself safe. Or at least they think Snyder does. He certainly believes in his detente subterfuge and, unlike unsavory NBA owners Donald Sterling or Robert Sarver, Snyder is smart enough not to make calling his bluff a worthwhile endeavor for his fellow owners.

Snyder’s position of power is a reminder of why most Americans are generally quite circumspect about billionaires who can own pro sports teams in their leisure time. These people are not like us. Lifestyles of the rich and powerful are often cold, ruthless and completely egocentric. Without any firsthand experience being either rich or powerful, I can only go off the behavior I’ve seen from NFL owners. And what studying Jim Irsay, Jimmy Haslam and McNair families of the world have shown: they’ll do anything to stay rich and powerful, even if it means making compromises that seem otherwise bewilderingly stupid. That’s Daniel Synder’s ongoing ticket to keep riding in ownership circles. 

$.03--The Carolina Panthers fired Matt Rhule last Monday, ending the latest experiment of the hot college head coaching name fizzling in the NFL, as nearly all of them have over the last 20 or so years. Don’t cry for Rhule, who will be paid over $40M to not coach a Panthers team that kept getting worse under his watch.

The job of immediately cleaning up the projectile vomit falls upon Steve Wilks, the former one-and-done Cardinals head coach. Wilks didn’t get off to a great start in his interim duties. Carolina lost 24-10 to the Rams while trotting out diminutive but swift backup QB P.J. Walker, then replacing an injured Walker with extraordinarily unathletic but giant QB Jacob Eason. Wilks is going to need more disinfectant and towels to clean up the mess than that.

He might need a palate of bleach for the offense if/when the Panthers trade away Christian McCaffrey. It’s a hot rumor right now and the only real fire-sale move that makes any sense at all for Carolina, unless you consider the addition-by-subtraction that would come from dealing away enigmatic WR Robbie Anderson.

Wilks dismissed Anderson from the sidelines during the game for reasons that Anderson was unable to communicate after the game. About the only positives for the Panthers were McCaffrey (158 of Carolina’s 203 total yards on offense) and a pick-six off Matthew Stafford by Donte Jackson. L.A. was better at everything and this was not one of the Rams’ best efforts either.

Back to the potential fire sale. I don’t see it. The Panthers have to try and lure a quality coach, and the best way to do that is by not having a dilapidated roster. Carolina has some impressive young defensive talent in Derrick Barnes, Brian Burns, Jaycee Horn and Jeremy Chinn to build around. The offensive tackles could be set too with 2022 first-rounder Ikem Ekwonu and (mostly) capable vet Taylor Moton. Get the QB right and this Panthers team could pound into a quick turnaround, but that doesn’t happen by selling off good young players.

$.04--Survivor fantasy pools are a great side game for fans. For the uninitiated, it's a simple concept: you pick one team each week to win straight up. If they win, you advance to the next week. The catch is you can only use a team once in the season.

If you are somehow still alive, congratulations. You're doing better than just about everyone else, including me. Like many others, my survivor pick was voted off the island in Week 6 when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers got blasted by the lowly Pittsburgh Steelers. A late 2-pt. conversion attempt from Tom Brady fell incomplete, preserving the 20-18 upset win for the home Steelers.

Even worse, at least to my psyche, is that the Steelers did it with Mitch Trubisky playing in relief of rookie QB Kenny Pickett, who left with a concussion. Trubisky was solid and the heretofore anemic Pittsburgh offense found some iron against a very good Tampa Bay defense. That was the most unexpected outcome of the weekend for me, and there were a few of those in Week 6.

About the only solace I take is that in my ESPN Fantasy Survivor pool, there are exactly five people of more than 25K still alive through Sunday. Cincinnati winning in New Orleans apparently tripped up quite a few survivors too.

$.05--We’re at the point of the season where the trade deadline talks start creeping in. Those bleed into talk about current available free agents who can help push teams over the top. And on the latter topic, the unanimously incorrect answer is always Odell Beckham Jr.

Beckham is on the tip of everyone’s tongue. Name recognition apparently means more than being available to play, or maintaining the ability to stay on the field, or meeting expectations in between the nearly annual serious injury that befalls OBJ.

Let’s take a little deeper look at Beckham. He tore his ACL in the Super Bowl, which was played on February 13th and did not have surgery until midweek after that. He’s effectively just seven months removed from the surgery to repair his torn left ACL. The most successful surgeries typically require at least nine months to fully recover.

But wait, there’s more! This isn’t Beckham’s first rodeo with his left knee. He tore the same ACL in October 2020. That’s right; Beckham has torn the same ACL twice since prime pumpkin spice season two years ago. He rushed the rehab last time, returning to the field earlier than expected--and we saw how that ended. But Beckham’s injury issues extend far above his knees. Here’s a look at his NFL injury history:

Feb 2022--torn left ACL

Oct 2021--sprained shoulder

Oct 2020--torn left ACL
Jan 2020--sports hernia surgery

Nov 2018--missed 4 games with a quad bruise

Oct 2017--broken left ankle, missed final 11 games

Aug 2017--left ankle sprain, missed the preseason and one regular season game

2016--did not practice after Week 4 with a hip strain and thumb injury

So for all those maladies, Beckham must be insanely productive to be so buzzworthy as a potential messiah for a WR-needy team, right? Right?!

Welp.

Since the start of the 2019 season when he was dealt from New York to the Cleveland Browns, Beckham averages four receptions per game, netting an average of 54 yards per game. His catch rate matches the yards per game: 54 percent. He scored 12 TDs in that time to go with 10 dropped passes. Any Browns fan can tell you two of those drops directly led to Cleveland losses, too.

All of that brouhaha for an oft-injured, attention-needy wideout who barely catches half the passes thrown his way and averages 4 catches for 54 yards. That’s production in the Josh Reynolds/Anthony Miller range with a lot more drama. Know what you’re asking for when you demand your GM to sign OBJ.

$.06--In the last two weeks I’ve had the pleasure to watch Patriots rookie QB Bailey Zappe in his first career starts. Zappe took over for the injured Mac Jones in games against the Detroit Lions and Cleveland Browns.

I cover the Lions and Browns with USA TODAY’s Wire network, so I had a somewhat unique perspective of viewing Zappe thru the prism of Patriots opponents I understand very well. Zappe has done a very nice job in exploiting two eminently vulnerable, poorly-coached defenses. But he’s shown skills that indicate he can keep that ball rolling forward.

Zappe was a coolly efficient 24-for-34 in Cleveland, throwing for 309 yards and two TDs against a Browns defense that appears to have never practiced together before. A week earlier, Zappe completed 17-of-21 for 188 yards versus a Lions team playing its third-string safety at outside CB for half the game. His one INT against the Lions was a perfectly thrown pass that Nelson Agholor effectively handed off to the Detroit defense.

The Patriots seem to have a nice feel for what Zappe is as a quarterback. He’s pinpoint accurate, quick to find the best option and plucky in the pocket for being shorter (he’s 6-1) and less athletic than ideal. Zappe was wildly prolific at Houston Baptist and then Western Kentucky in a fairly simplistic spread system. He’s already showing he can transcend that scheme. On Sunday, Zappe made a couple of passes that showed arm strength and confidence in making a tight-window throw.

It’s too early to anoint Zappe, a fourth-round pick, as being ready to supplant Jones once the second-year starter returns to health. But he’s making it an interesting decision for Bill Belichick, especially given Jones’ carelessness with the ball (6 turnovers in under 3 games). At the very least, New England smartly added a capable, dirt-cheap young backup with the upside to start down the line, be it with the Patriots or in a trade with another team once the verdict is in on Jones.

$.07--Green Bay held the visiting New York Jets to three first downs in the first half. Jets QB Zach Wilson threw for just 110 yards on 18 attempts in the game and New York was penalized seven times for 79 yards, almost double what was assessed against the Packers.

New York won, 27-10.

The Jets dominated both lines of scrimmage and made enough big plays to bury Aaron Rodgers and the Packers. New York returned a blocked punt for a TD and scored on a nifty jet sweep by WR Braxton Berrios. The Jets defensive front mauled Green Bay's offensive line, especially on the interior. Green Bay missed a field goal, lost a fumble and failed on fourth down three times. The Packers receiving corps was effectively useless once Randall Cobb left with an ankle injury.

This is New York Jets football under Robert Saleh, and it’s working. The coach’s young talent is shining on defense, where they’re capable of winning individually but thrive even more as a cohesive unit. When Wilson avoids mistakes on offense and the run game clicks the way it did for rookie Breece Hall in Green Bay, it’s easy to see why the upstart Jets are 4-2.

It’s just as easy to see why the Packers are disappointing at 3-3. Rodgers has little chemistry with his newly formed receiving corps and little trust in the banged-up line in front of him. Their offense is predictable, though still dangerous. The biggest takeaway on the Packers to this point is that their margin for error has significantly decreased from past seasons. I’m not sure how they improve that in the short term, either.

A portion of this cent previously appeared at Lions Wire

$.08--NFL quickies

--Cooper Rush crashed back to earth in Philadelphia with the Eagles 26-17 win over the Cowboys. The concept of regression to the mean bit Rush, who had been effective but also extraordinarily lucky in terms of getting away with turnover-worthy plays. The Eagles picked off Rush three times. Dak Prescott returns for Dallas in Week 7.

--The Ravens are 3-3 after losing to the Giants. Baltimore has had a 10-point lead in all six of their games but has only won half. That’s harder to do than you might think, particularly with the best kicker in NFL history, Justin Tucker, on the team.

--On the controversial tripping call that wasn’t made in the Bills/Chiefs game, my perspective:

It's a very difficult call to make if you're focused on the ball and/or the QB's head, and referee Brad Allen clearly was by following the league’s own emphasis in protecting QBs. Nobody else is in position to see it; the umpire is looking through the block in the back (legal in that situation) and hold (he missed that). You're not normally looking below the waist in situations like that. Not excusing the miss whatsoever, just explaining why it happened.

--The only good thing that came from the Chicago/Washington game on Thursday night was the Bears uniforms. The orange helmets were far better than the players wearing them.

$.09--College/Draft quickies

--The TCU Horned Frogs continue to claw out unblemished success. TCU was down 24-7 to Oklahoma State but rallied behind its defense and crafty Max Duggan at QB to win the Big 12 battle of unbeatens. The Frogs are wildly entertaining under new coach Sonny Dykes, who has installed the high-speed passing attack that Duggan has taken to quite nicely. When their defense is healthy, TCU can hang with anyone.

--The hyped game between Big 10 unbeatens in Ann Arbor fizzled. Michigan annihilated Penn State in all phases of the game. I don’t want to take away from the Wolverines and how effective their rushing attack was, but to me, this outcome was more about exposing Penn State’s rather obvious deficiencies. Having said that, there aren’t many teams equipped to stop Michigan when Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards are running like that. Georgia and maybe Clemson, that’s the list. And no, I didn’t forget about Ohio State…

--A couple hours to the northwest of Michigan’s triumph, the biggest game in D-II went down between Ferris State and Grand Valley State. No. 1 vs. No. 2 in the Anchor Bone, the annual rivalry matchup of two alpha athletic programs situated about an hour away from each other on opposite sides of Grand Rapids. GVSU surged to a comeback 22-21 win after trailing 21-10. Both teams have future NFL players (plural) on their rosters. D-II is a very big deal in these parts, something I’ve learned to embrace.

--About 90 minutes to the south of Big Rapids, my Ohio Bobcats ruined Western Michigan’s homecoming. Five interceptions in six second-half WMU drives by the Bobcats defense pushed Ohio to a winning record at 4-3.

--Going another hour south, Notre Dame came up short at home against the worst Stanford team in decades. The Cardinal captured its first win over an FBS program in over a year in a game where the limited talent on both teams played like overwound yo-yos.

$.10--I spent much of Saturday watching college football, which for me is an actual working environment. Other than rooting for my Ohio Bobcats, I don’t really have any prevailing interests in who wins or loses games. I’m there to watch prospective NFL players, furiously jotting observations on a notepad chock full of scouting shorthand.

I’m a neutral, largely bias-agnostic person by nature and nurture (thanks mom & dad!) and I take my work seriously. So when a game moves my meter emotionally to take a rooting interest, it’s unusual. But I couldn’t help myself while watching the Alabama/Tennessee game.

It sprung up from my inner cockles without warning. As the very entertaining and evenly-matched game progressed, I found myself wanting, no--needing Tennessee to win.

I’m not an Alabama hater. While I personally dislike Nick Saban dating back to his days at Toledo when he unapologetically dicked over a friend of mine, I don’t actively root against him. I think he’s the best college football coach of all time and it’s enjoyable to watch him push the buttons of both his own players and the opposing coaches. Nobody does it better and I have a deep appreciation for that.

Yet as I’m watching the game go back and forth, I couldn’t help but wish for the Crimson Tide to fail. It wasn’t even so much rooting for the Volunteers but against Alabama. The subconscious championing of the downtrodden underdog overtook me like Linsanity. There are NFL draft prospects on Bama that I like very much, but they were suddenly, surprisingly the enemy. Despite no attachment to Tennessee whatsoever, I was ready to rush the field and help throw the goalposts into the river with the gleeful student body.

There’s probably a scientific, psychological explanation for all that. All I know is that it was a very weird feeling to let go a little like that, a spontaneously unexpected reaction. Here’s hoping it comes again sometime…