The NFL Roundup 2017: Week 9 - What We Learned

Written by John Edward Betancourt

(Julio Cortez/Associated Press)

​Another week of football, another week filled to the brim with stunning moments. Some teams basked in the wonder of glory, while others were left wondering where their season has gone and some teams, well, the frustration of things not going their way, boiled over into sheer anger on the field. Regardless of how your team did, you and your friends were no doubt talking about the incredible stories that came about from this wonderful slate of games. So, without further ado, let’s discuss it all a little bit more as we break down what we learned from Week 9 in the NFL.
 
Where do the Houston Texans go from here?
It really is amazing how one player can make a difference on a team and for proof, look no further than the Houston Texans who became an inspired squad once Deshaun Watson took over for Tom Savage at quarterback. His dynamic skill set kept the Texans alive in every single game and now that he’s out for the season, it’s clear the inspiration is gone from this team now. They looked downright awful on offense on Sunday and well…where the Texans go from here is difficult to say the least. There’s only seven weeks left in the season, Tom Savage is not the answer at QB and really, if Houston wants to finish strong, they need someone special under center, and with discussions apparently occurring behind the scenes to sign Colin Kaepernick, I hope the Texans follow through with it to show their fans and the football world that they are indeed committed to winning.
 
The Denver Broncos are a Mile High Disaster.
Von Miller said in his press conference on Sunday that the Broncos ‘are not a good football team right now’ and it’s about damn time someone in the organization spoke the truth. They’re simply awful and at this point, some serious changes need to happen when it comes to how the coaches handle their business on game day. While Brock Osweiler was able to finally get Denver into the end zone late in the game on Sunday, predictable and bad play calling, along with some stupid penalties, stymied the O and the Eagles figured out the Denver defense to a tee. So, it’s not only time for the players to dig deep and focus on their fundamentals, but the coaches need to adjust their game plans and actually cater to the team’s talents over scheme. This is especially important on offense, since Mike McCoy was brought here to mold an offense scheme around his players and if he refuses to do that, expect the Broncos to part ways with him at the end of the season…or sooner.
 
The Atlanta Falcons are in a free fall right now.
Yes, I fully understand the fact that the Falcons are the defending NFC Champions. But seeing as to how they are 4-4 and have dropped three of their last four in rough fashion, it’s obvious now that Atlanta needs to do a little soul searching. They’re having trouble finishing plays on offense, the run defense is as weak as can be and at this point, it feels more like their issues are more psychological than anything else since we’ve seen them play at a high level before. That means once again, the coaches are the key here, they’ve got to refocus this group of men and get their season back on track and if Dan Quinn and his staff can’t reach their players and remind them of how good they really are, this ugly free fall that they are currently in will continue.
 
The Rams once again reminded us how great they are this season.
In many ways, it feels as though the Rams are an afterthought this season. Yes, they’re playing well, and yes, they’re winning but let’s be honest. People really aren’t talking about them a heck of a whole lot right now and that simply needs to change, because they really are a damn good football team. Not only have they delivered some big time wins this year. They’re competitive on offense and defense week in and week out and ironically enough, they also dropped a fifty burger on their opponent this week, so really let’s give them the respect that they deserve because we’re going to be hearing a lot more about this team as time goes on.
 
The Redskins still have a little bit of fight left in them.
Normally when football fans see a team just a smidge under .500, we tend to write them off and understandably so. That’s a mark that denotes a losing season, so why take that team seriously, and often times we are correct in that thinking. But sometimes, a team in that position finds a way to surprise us all, like the Washington Redskins did this Sunday. Because they were 3-4 heading into that game, and it truly seemed like the red-hot Seahawks had the win in hand and then…the Redskins surprised us all with a beautiful game winning drive and stout defense when the team needed the D to stand tall and it just goes to remind all of us to expect the unexpected on Sundays, especially when a team truly wants to win.  

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