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The Lions' seventh straight victory was unlike any they've had in some time, with Jared Goff succumbing to early pressure en route to a five-INT performance in Houston. But if Detroit has shown us anything over the past two years or so, it's that this team will figure out a path to victory more often than not, even if it's not the one the Lions came into a game embracing. I thought Dan Campbell said it best, as he often does: "When it's not your day and you can still win? " The Lions' defense got the comeback started in the second half with two key turnovers and really was the reason they even had a chance to win, with Jake Bates' two monster kicks adding the fairytale sparkle to the story and bringing the game full circle.

I don't want to get ahead of myself, but I think Detroit might lose both coordinators next offseason to head-coaching jobs. OC Ben Johnson and DC Aaron Glenn each deserve a shot at the big chair. But first, there's a Super Bowl to go try to win. Victories such as Sunday night's show the Lions are eminently capable.

It wasn't quite the escape artistry the Lions displayed Sunday night in Houston, but the Chiefs won a game in which the defense forced no turnovers, the run game stalled hard and the red-zone execution was lacking. Leo Chenal's blocked field goal was the latest clutch play in Chiefs lore, with Kansas City pulling yet another rabbit out of another hat. K.C. is 9-0, with eight comeback victories and seven one-score wins. This shouldn't really be possible, but we throw out the rulebook with this team, this quarterback and this coaching staff. That said, it should be concerning that the Chiefs' defense has allowed an opposing quarterback to march on a late, productive drive against them two games in a row at Arrowhead Stadium. That unit also hasn't turned the ball over the past two games, and the Chiefs now actually have a minus-4 turnover differential and the league's ninth-best point differential (plus-58). They could stand to reverse those trends in this coming Sunday's big showdown at Buffalo.

Buffalo put Indianapolis away with its final TD march, eating up nearly seven minutes of the fourth quarter, but it was a brow-wiping game, thanks to some run-defense issues and offensive inconsistencies. The Bills took control early with 10 points off two Colts turnovers, but allowed Indy to take back the lead with three straight scoring drives. Of course, Buffalo squeezed in two more scores in the final two-plus minutes of the first half and controlled the game from that point, but not without a few scares. On the surface, Josh Allen's 0-TD, 2-INT performance looked ugly, but he had some MVP moments in this one, such as his 13-yard TD run or a brilliant 44-yard pass to Mack Hollins on third-and-10. Without Keon Coleman or Amari Cooper, the Bills still averaged a healthy 7.2 yards per pass. But they'll need a much cleaner performance overall in this Sunday's massive game, with Buffalo hosting Kansas City.

This much we know: Lamar Jackson is somehow playing better than he did during his 2023 MVP season. The defense, however, is nowhere close to the stellar unit Baltimore fielded a year ago. Last Thursday's shootout thriller required a defensive stop on the two-point play, but before that, the Ravens' D did everything it could to keep the Bengals in the game. In fact, both of Baltimore's units struggled early; when was the last time you heard the Ravens' offense being booed at home? But Jackson plugged in, and everyone else followed. Ultimately, it was the perfect display of the Ravens at their most dangerous. But the defense gave just as much counterargument for Baltimore as a superpower, with the Raiders and Browns losses ever toiling in the back of my mind. Last season, before losing to the Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game, the Ravens felt like a team that could afford a tough day at the office on either side of the ball and still win. This season, the margin feels much smaller, even with the Jackson factor.

Philadelphia-Dallas began ugly, but the Eagles eventually emerged with a laugher on the road, able to rest some starters late. Even in a down year for the Cowboys, the Eagles certainly enjoy beating their NFC East rivals, especially considering they hadn't won in Dallas since 2017. These soaring Eagles have now secured five straight wins since their Week 5 bye, outgaining their opponent by more than 100 yards in each game. They’ve also scored 20-plus points throughout the win streak and allowed more than 17 only once. By virtue of Washington's home loss, the Eagles now have moved up to first place in the NFC East and into the NFC’s No. 2 playoff slot. Given how last year unfolded, when Philly went from a 10-1 start to losing a road wild-card game, it's a bit foolish to look too far ahead, especially with more tough remaining opponents than easy ones. But for those who care to look beyond the records, this team feels a whole lot more steady and secure than its 2023 version. 

Kevin O'Connell gave Sam Darnold a postgame vote of confidence, both to the media and in the locker room victory speech. KOC called it a game he'll remember for a long time for the struggle; not too many teams turn it over three times, fail to score a touchdown and win on the road. Sunday was the first of three straight road games for Minnesota, and almost all of the Vikings' remaining opponents are still in contention. This week's foes, the Titans, are only nominally in contention, but they have caused some issues for opposing quarterbacks this season. Minnesota could be in a vastly different situation if J.J. McCarthy hadn't been injured in August, but that's neither here nor there now. The Vikings know they have to throw their full weight behind Darnold if they're going to shake this post-bye malaise. He's really their best shot, warts and all, but it's nice to know the defense can still bail out the offense.

Somehow, the Steelers gained 97 first-half yards, gave it up on downs at their own 16-yard line, coughed the ball up on the Washington 1-yard line and still won. They were shaky throughout, suffering some crushing defensive penalties and allowing long TD drives immediately before and after halftime. And Alex Highsmith, Najee Harris and Donte Jackson all suffered injuries. But Mike Tomlin is a future Hall of Fame coach because he prepares for his teams to thrive in these types of tense, wild games. It didn’t work out in the loss to the Cowboys back in early October, but more often than not, the Steelers have taken care of business in money situations, even showing Sunday they could do so when they move up a weight class, on the road against a quality Commanders team. Finishing the game off with to draw Washington offsides was the perfect ending to this wacky test. The stage is now set for a beauty Sunday in Pittsburgh against the Ravens, with AFC North supremacy on the line. 

³§³Ü²Ô»å²¹²â’s heartbreaking loss can be blamed on a host of other reasons -- but it was not the finest game of Jayden Daniels’ young career. He completed 50 percent of his passes, averaged fewer than 6 yards per attempt and couldn’t find much room to scramble as a runner, which has been a growing trend in recent weeks. The Steelers played a lot of man defense against Daniels, and it effectively slowed him down. Still, the Commanders led by 10 in the second half; they just couldn't put the game away. The defense had its share of big moments but also allowed a touchdown drive every quarter and committed a at game’s end. The Commanders surely could have used newly acquired CB Marshon Lattimore, but his hamstring injury kept him out. Benjamin St-Juste, Mike Sainristil and Noah Igbinoghene had their hands full against the Steelers when Washington’s pass rush didn’t get home. 

The Packers will emerge from the bye week recharged health-wise, and the picture looks pretty good overall. The NFC North remains as tough a division as there is, but the Bears fading back and the Vikings showing vulnerability helps improve Green Bay's outlook overall. The most interesting development recently was the trade of Preston Smith (who had a sack in Pittsburgh's win over Washington on Sunday), especially considering the Packers are in contention and have some pass-rush concerns. It's smart to get ahead of some of these looming cap decisions, but will it hurt the Pack's defensive depth and ability to hunt quarterbacks? There are other issues, such as Green Bay's penalties, occasional problems stopping the run and Jordan Love's interceptions, but this has looked like a playoff team most of the season. Let's see if those worries persist down the stretch.

When it comes to wins, the Chargers have a type. They've scored between 22 and 27 points in each of their six victories, allowing 17 or fewer in all of them. The Titans scored late to hit 17, but the Chargers really choked them out in the second half with two long, draining touchdown drives and two quality stops on defense. The Bolts' formula isn't tricky, but it is effective. Defensively, Jesse Minter remains a prodigy, coordinating a smothering effort with two rookies starting at corner. The Chargers had seven sacks, and that was with Khalil Mack and Joey Bosa playing limited roles. Justin Herbert overcame what looked like a strip sack run back for a score before . He played another composed game and was creative as a scrambler. The return of Gus Edwards also gave this offense a boost. Efficient ball all around, once again. It's arguable the Chargers haven't beaten a great team yet, but they have to be a pain to face off against.

Midway through the second quarter, with the Cardinals leading 14-6, the Jets’ Quincy Williams absolutely blasted Kyler Murray for a sack. Murray’s helmet landed about 10 yards away from his body, and he had to be helped back onto his feet. What happened next convinced me that we underrate Murray’s toughness significantly. He got up, smiled and promptly dialed up two absolute dimes to Trey McBride and Marvin Harrison Jr. to finish off the promising drive and deliver a dagger to the Jets. He might lack the gaudy passing numbers of the Joe Burrows and Lamar Jacksons of the world, but I think we need to start including Murray in the MVP discussion a bit more. He finished ³§³Ü²Ô»å²¹²â’s beatdown with 266 yards and a TD on 22-of-24 passing, along with two TDs rushing. His candidacy will clearly get a boost if the Cardinals make the playoffs for just the second time in nine seasons, but I think he deserves to be right in the mix now.

Just a gutting loss for a Houston team that had played with fire a little too often this season. The Texans were able to beat the Colts, Bears, Jaguars and Bills with late execution, but on Sunday night, they were punished for not putting away the Lions when they had the chance. Since the 41-21 win over New England, Houston has dropped three of four games and has struggled mightily to score after halftime. Detroit blanked Houston in the final 30 minutes, leading to the franchise's biggest blown lead in more than a decade, per NFL Research. Two turnovers, four punts and a missed field-goal try in your last seven drives is not the formula for taking down a true Super Bowl contender, but these second-half blues are becoming the norm in Houston. The Jets outscored the Texans 21-6 after halftime; against Green Bay, it was a 10-3 second-half deficit. The Texans have one of the easier remaining schedules by opponents' win percentage, but still must play the Chiefs and Ravens. That's two big tests left for Houston to prove it can be a 60-minute team and hang with the big boys.

There was a lot of postgame hand-wringing about how ³§³Ü²Ô»å²¹²â’s win over the Buccaneers played out, especially coming off a bye, suggesting the 49ers lack the same killer edge they had last season. They settled for six field-goal attempts and only made three of them. That plus a muffed punt left a lot to be desired. Despite outgaining the Bucs by nearly a 2:1 ratio, the Niners needed maligned kicker Jake Moody to make his final attempt for the in Tampa. Relying on a kicker to make six kicks was one thing in Week 1, but trying to go back to that well, on the road, in Week 10? Not ideal -- especially considering Moody had missed more than a month with an ankle injury. Christian McCaffrey’s return to the field was steadier. He totaled 107 yards on 19 touches, including a 30-yard catch on a brilliant play from Brock Purdy. As long as the big dogs keep producing, the 49ers are in the race, but they still need some general maintenance. 

Unlike the 49ers’ Jake Moody, the Falcons’ Younghoe Koo would have no clutch redemption kick at game’s end. Koo was 1-for-4 on field-goal tries Sunday and is now up to a career-high seven missed FG attempts this season. His first try missed wide left, and his final attempt hit the right upright; Koo also had one blocked. It was just that kind of day, as the Falcons couldn’t fully take advantage of a beat-up Saints team that appeared to be playing with more energy under interim coach Darren Rizzi. Conversely, the Falcons sleepwalked through long stretches of the loss, outside of some good showings from their skill-position stars. Atlanta’s defense also couldn’t stop the Saints’ passing game, in spite of New Orleans missing its top two receivers. The Falcons have beaten the Eagles and swept the Bucs but have looked far more vulnerable of late.

The blocked field-goal try at the end of regulation was the difference between victory and defeat, but the Broncos had their chances to pull off the road shocker at Kansas City much earlier in the game. Not scoring before halftime, when they had a chance, ended up being big, as Denver came up short on all four second-half possessions. Allowing the Chiefs to convert on two third-and-13 plays in the second half -- with Kansas City gaining 35 and 31 yards on those snaps -- also stung hard. The Broncos brought heavy pressure on both plays and should have sacked Patrick Mahomes on the first one. Denver sacked Mahomes four times but probably needed one or two more to finish off the upset. Bo Nix made some big throws and avoided turnovers in this one, but the rookie quarterback needed to deal with pressure a little better on a few snaps. The Broncos remain a tough but flawed team for now.

Since the Buccaneers took a 10-0 lead against the Ravens back in Week 7, they’ve fallen hard, tallying four straight losses to contending teams, with three of them coming at home. Making it tougher to swallow is that the Bucs had their chances to win all four. ³§³Ü²Ô»å²¹²â’s wild loss was especially maddening, considering how many chances the 49ers gave the Bucs to win it. Baker Mayfield made some heroic plays, but Tampa Bay still came up just a little short again. With this team at 4-6, things look a bit dire on the surface, especially with WR Chris Godwin out of the year and Mike Evans not a guarantee to be ready after the Week 11 bye. LT Tristan Wirfs and CB Zyon McCollum also were hurt Sunday. But Evans is expected back at some point, and the Bucs' upcoming schedule is quite favorable, with the remaining opponents’ winning percentage sitting at .328. Don’t punt on them just yet.

The Seahawks slipped into last place in the NFC West ahead of their Week 10 bye, and their playoff hopes are remote at best -- this is not the way they imagined things unfolding after a 3-0 start. There are no truly bankable wins left on the schedule, and five of Seattle's final eight games are on the road. The offense hasn't been great, but it has shown it can carry this team for short spurts at least, especially if the 'Hawks can find some better internal OL options. Jaxon Smith-Njigba has been more involved. When he's , DK Metcalf can still produce. There is some hope for success on that side of the ball. Defensively, however, head coach Mike Macdonald has some work to do. Some of the pieces are in place, but the pass rush and coverage have not consistently performed at high enough levels, and I expect those to be continued areas of focus once we reach the offseason. 

Thursday's crushing loss -- in which a 14-point lead evaporated, along with a chance for the Bengals to reach .500 -- left a mark that likely is still smarting. It makes the sledding awfully tough and the odds long; they likely need a win at the Chargers this Sunday night to feel at all good about their playoff chances. Joe Burrow is having a phenomenal season, even with Tee Higgins missing five games so far, but this team insists on being its own worst enemy at times. Chase Brown's fumble woke up a lifeless M&T Bank Stadium and opened the door for the Ravens to come back. Cam Taylor-Britt missed a tackle on Tylan Wallace's 84-yard TD, then failed to haul in what would have been a critical interception of Lamar Jackson when the Bengals badly needed a stop late. Every loss has included at least two or three of these kinds of back-breaking moments.

Caleb Williams and the Bears' offensive approach have just not meshed that well so far, leading to the not-so-surprising firing of coordinator Shane Waldron on Tuesday. Passing game coordinator Thomas Brown is taking over OC duties. The post-bye regression on offense has been ghastly and almost unwatchable at times. On the personnel side, Williams and his pass protection each must share blame for the sacks -- 18 over the past three games. The blocking hasn't been good, and the O-line has been gutted by injury, but Williams is also holding onto the ball way too long, even on plays when he's not sacked. According to Next Gen Stats, on pass attempts with a time to throw of less than 2.5 seconds, Williams was a respectable 10-of-12 passing for 74 yards against the Patriots. On passes of 2.5 seconds or longer to throw, Williams was 6-of-18 for 46 yards. All five of Williams' INTs this season have been on throws that were released beyond 2.5 seconds. Sunday's loss felt deflating for the fanbase, and it damaged Chicago's fleeting playoff hopes. Up next: A gauntlet of NFC North foes, with the 49ers mixed in. It's a heck of a time to be breaking in a new offensive play-caller.

The offense went through long spells of ineffectiveness Monday night, but the Dolphins held the Rams to five field goals, keeping them out of the end zone in a 23-15 road win. The defense did its best work early, forcing two turnovers and stifling Los Angeles’ passing game, before having to hang on late. The return of Zach Sieler seemed to lift the unit, and Chop Robinson gave them some quality snaps. And even with a few lulls, the Dolphins hit just enough big plays to keep the Rams at arm’s distance. Miami still needs to get Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle the ball more than nine times combined, and can we get my man Malik Washington some more touches, please? With two winnable contests upcoming, the Dolphins aren’t dead yet. They probably need to win all the toss-up games and two out of three against the Packers, Texans and 49ers. Likely? No. Doable? Maybe.

This was a tough one to lose at home, putting the Rams back below .500 after they’d crawled back to even with three straight wins coming in. They were miserable on third downs against the Dolphins, going 3-for-12 (and converting one of their first 10) with three sacks and an interception. Down 20-9 in the fourth, Matthew Stafford appeared to miss an open Kyren Williams on third-and-goal, prompting Sean McVay to kick a field goal. After Miami kicked its own field goal, going back up two scores, McVay felt he had to kick again -- L.A.'s fifth field goal of the night -- and try an onside kick. The strategy failed, but the Rams made their bed early by falling behind 10-0 and turning the ball over twice. In the second half, they didn’t stop the Dolphins from scoring once. All the momentum of the past few games has been stunted.

Even with a fair number of winnable games remaining for the Colts, it's hard to know how the stretch run will play out for them. They are 4-6 and on the brink of letting another season slip away without a playoff appearance. Shane Steichen said he made Joe Flacco the starting QB because it gave Indy the best chance to win, but this team is now 1-3 under the veteran, with that single victory being a narrowly decided one over the Titans. Anthony Richardson's play before being replaced by Flacco was concerning, but the Colts might need to do something to light a fire under their offense -- could that include going back to Richardson? Flacco threw three interceptions and lost a fumble, staking Buffalo a two-score lead. Yes, the Colts fought back, but they can't afford to play that fast and loose against quality opponents. Jonathan Taylor's resurgence has been impressive, but he had only four touches in the final 20 minutes of the game. Why?

My kids randomly shout "Rizz!" and "Rizzler!" all around the house (who knows?), so they seemed pretty fired up when I told them about interim head coach's Darren Rizzi's big victory over the Falcons on Sunday. Saints fans also had something to cheer about for the first time since Week 2, as the team showed far more energy than it had at any point during the seven-game skid. That was a pretty big factor -- along with Marquez Valdes-Scantling turning into Joe Horn for a half. MVS caught three passes for 109 yards and two TDs before halftime, helping the Saints get out to a 17-7 lead; he had only 97 receiving yards in his previous 14 games, dating back to last season. The defense hung tough. Alvin Kamara and Kevin Austin Jr. also chipped in with big plays. And Atlanta helped by missing two field-goal tries and having another blocked. Even with the Browns up next, no one is talking playoffs in New Orleans, but at least they're not talking about breaking a losing streak anymore.

One day, someone will write the book on how the Cowboys went from winning 16 straight home games to losing five straight at AT&T Stadium -- and trailing by 20 or more points in each defeat. It might not be a record, but it sure feels like one. Granted, we all kind of knew what was coming, with a rising Eagles team meeting a down-and-out Cowboys club without its quarterback, Dak Prescott -- now for the rest of the season, per Jerry Jones. The roof has metaphorically caved in over the past month, with four straight losses, and Dallas has a Monday night meeting with the Texans and a road trip to face the Commanders on deck. That losing streak could certainly continue. Micah Parsons returned to the lineup and had two drive-stopping sacks in the second quarter, but the Eagles' offense eventually got cooking, CeeDee Lamb dropped a would-be TD because and Dallas turned the ball over five times, so it was all for naught.

A dramatic win over the Texans on Halloween night might have staved off the expiration of the Jets’ playoff dreams, but ³§³Ü²Ô»å²¹²â’s trouncing at Arizona clearly put them back on the chopping block. At 3-7, with six losses in seven games, this team would need a miracle to reach the postseason, given that just two of 127 teams with the same record qualified for the playoffs since 1990. Along the way, the Jets have fired coaches, swung big trades and even changed play-callers, but there have been no signs of a pathway to sustained success. Aaron Rodgers has struggled. Breece Hall and Garrett Wilson have been kept in relative check. Davante Adams hasn’t been a savior. And the defense, my goodness -- wasn’t this supposed to be the team’s bedrock? On Sunday, it allowed five straight scoring drives (four of them TD drives of 70-plus yards) before forcing a single punt. The Jets are cooked, I’m afraid.

When GM Andrew Berry did his annual bye-week fireside chat with the media last Wednesday, he faced some heat about the future of the team -- and especially that of QB Deshaun Watson. But most of Berry's answers were opaque, summed up when he responded to a question about whether the roster needs a teardown by saying, "That's probably a better postseason discussion." So the Browns will have to labor through the remainder of the season -- with five of the last eight games on the road -- with no publicly expressed vision of what exactly is at stake down the stretch. Berry and head coach Kevin Stefanski both signed extensions in early June. Watson's situation is impossible to forecast, and there's no clear developmental QB on the roster currently. Even after trading away veterans on both sides of the ball, there are only so many young players who can make statements with their play and build toward 2025. We're nearing a fascinating but potentially frightening offseason in Cleveland.

Sunday's win over the Bears was a good one for Drake Maye and the Patriots' coaching staff. Maye started shakily, throwing a bad interception, but he steadied himself and appeared to be the most poised rookie quarterback on the field in Chicago. New England was hardly prolific offensively, but the attack was efficient enough; the Pats put together five scoring drives and suffered through very few negative plays, staying ahead of the chains as well as can be. Maye's final two drives of the first half were very encouraging. Defensively, New England exploited the Bears' weaknesses, taking away their run game and then sending the dogs at Caleb Williams, racking up nine sacks and allowing three points. Outside of a few long returns by the Bears, the Patriots' special teams did their job, too, completing the three-phase win. Pats fans seemed high on Maye but lukewarm on Jerod Mayo prior to Sunday, so perhaps this will earn each figure some love.

Bryce Young deserves some praise for leading two straight victories, even if he wasn't special while beating the Giants on Sunday in Germany. There were some strong throws and not many regrettable ones. Dave Canales seems to still be slow-playing it with Young, his starting plans immediately after games. But the trade deadline came and went without any real Young buzz; between that and his steadier recent play, it seems there might be a realistic path for Young to regain the QB1 job for good in Carolina. Recently extended running back Chuba Hubbard has given the Panthers a power source offensively, and some of the young pass catchers are starting to carve out roles. The much-maligned defense had one of its better performances of the season, even if it came against the offensively challenged Giants. 

The Giants have lost five straight and limp into their Week 11 bye at 2-8, having reached that record for the third time since 2019. In both 2020 and 2021, they were 3-7 in their first 10 games. They've been down before, but this year's Giants are 0-5 at home and lost Sunday's Germany game to the Panthers, one of the few teams that until recently was below New York in the NFC standings. No longer. Big Blue and Carolina both entered Week 10 at 2-7; now the former sits firmly at No. 16 in the conference's playoff pecking order and faces some major questions, chiefly regarding the status of QB Daniel Jones. The biggest shame from the overtime tragedy was that Tyrone Tracy Jr.'s strong outing was marred by his OT fumble. He's been one of the few good things going for the Giants lately.

Returning from a shoulder injury that cost him three weeks, Will Levis started Sunday's game against the Chargers in a nice little rhythm, and the run game seemed to be finding its groove, too. But the Titans broke down twice in the red zone: The first time, they missed a field-goal try in the second quarter; the second, they settled for a field goal in the third quarter when a TD would have given them a one-point lead. Then, when the defense couldn't hold in the second half, a close game slipped away. We've seen this pattern multiple times from Tennessee this season. All three units shared some blame in the breakdown. Levis had some moments, but the sacks just kept piling up. Rookie left tackle JC Latham was credited by Next Gen Stats with allowing two. The Titans tried rotating Leroy Watson and John Ojukwu at right tackle, and that experiment failed; Watson was flagged three times and allowed three pressures, per NGS, while Ojukwu allowed four pressures and two sacks. There are always glimmers of hope with this team, but they're often blacked out by reality.

Weeks after dealing Davante Adams to the Jets, the Raiders stood pat at the trade deadline, refraining from parting with any more assets. They offset that quiet with a headline-grabbing move, firing offensive coordinator Luke Getsy going into their Week 10 bye. Changes have to come on that side of the ball, even if the team is just covering the mess with window dressing until the offseason. The promotion of Scott Turner -- who led top-12 rushing offenses in two of his three seasons as OC in Washington -- in Getsy's place could indicate Las Vegas wants to get back to more of a power run game, which would be a better fit for Zamir White. The quarterback situation is not pretty, but the only sensible move, from a long-term perspective, is to see what Aidan O'Connell can do once he's healthy. He's the only homegrown QB talent on the roster, and the Raiders figure to be in need of a new one next offseason until proven otherwise. After that, they should be trying to get the ball to Brock Bowers and Tre Tucker as much as possible, while spending the remainder of their energies identifying the offensive linemen who fit the puzzle going forward.

It was a tall order, asking Mac Jones to step in for Trevor Lawrence against the Vikings and try to add life to the offense on Sunday. That said, the Jaguars had their chances. Jones completed a pretty throw to Gabe Davis to set up the game's only TD on Mac's sneak. Otherwise, he wasn't great -- and everything fell apart in the final seven minutes, as Jones lost a fumble and threw two interceptions. Amazingly, Jacksonville still had a shot to win after every single turnover. The defense snagged more interceptions (three) than it had coming into the game (two). That was encouraging. How the coaches failed to get their best offensive playmaker, Brian Thomas Jr., involved in the game plan sooner is beyond me. Thomas' first target came at the end of the third quarter, and his only two touches -- catches for 2 and 10 yards -- didn't come until the final four-plus minutes. With three straight losses and the Lions up next, times are tough.