NFL Week Five: Giants take NFC East lead, Bears stun Chiefs

Every Monday morning, Section 215’s Akiem Bailum gives an in-depth and unfiltered look at all of the latest sports news in The Monday Morning Realist. You can follow Akiem on Twitter @AkiemBailum.

Too much to Bear

Oct 11, 2015; Kansas City, MO, USA; Chicago Bears running back Matt Forte (22) catches a pass for the winning touchdown as Kansas City Chiefs free safety Husain Abdullah (39) defends during the second half at Arrowhead Stadium. The Bears won 18-17. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Through five weeks of this year’s NFL season, there are plenty of candidates for MVP as well as best team in the league so far. Among them are the Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, New England Patriots, Cincinnati Bengals and Green Bay Packers.

But, through those same weeks, the team that wears red and gold for Kansas City has to be at the top of the list for biggest disappointment this season.

The Chiefs’ lone victory came in Week One against the Texans by a final score of 27-20. They then had to turn around the following week and face the Denver Broncos at Arrowhead Stadium.
That game in KC was so anticipated it somewhat felt like a playoff game even though it was only in Week 2.

Kansas City had a 24-17 lead with under a minute to play in the fourth quarter of a nationally televised game on NFL Network against Peyton Manning’s Broncos. That is a pretty good way to make a statement early in the season that your team is for real and is not intimidated just because you share the same division with Manning and Philip Rivers in San Diego.

Instead, the Chiefs absolutely collapsed when they needed to be their best that game. The Manning touchdown followed by the Jamaal Charles fumble which led to a Broncos recovery then a TD going the other way produced a 31-24 score.

Some Chiefs fans even believed that loss was worse than blowing a 38-10 lead on the road against Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis Colts a couple of playoffs ago.

Since then, the Chiefs have dropped games to the Packers and Bengals—two undefeated teams.

The Chicago Bears are not exactly an undefeated team—and are still going through a phase with its quarterback (Jay Cutler) that has Bears fans wondering if Cutler is really just another Rex Grossman.

The loser of Chiefs-Bears at Soldier Field would drop to 1-4, virtually ending a team’s season while the winner would improve to 2-3.

For much of that game, it looked as if that team would be Kansas City. Color me dumb, but when four of your first six possessions result in punts, that is what you call a tough day at the office on offense.

The only other two—a Robbie Gould field goal and a fumble recovered by the Chiefs for a touchdown.

Chicago was down 17-3 at the half. As a football city, the Windy City is already funny enough. One week, they want to rename the Magnificent Mile after Cutler, the next they’re ready to send him onto I-94 and out of the City of Broad Shoulders.

One thing that wasn’t funny was what Kansas City’s Jamaal Charles suffered midway through the third quarter when he badly injured his knee on a non-contact play. After what happened to Georgia’s Nick Chubb on Saturday, this has not been the best week for high profile knees.

Something clearly happened to the Chiefs after that injury because all of their ensuing possessions ended in punts or in a missed Cairo Santos field goal attempt.

The last two possessions for the Bears was a case of “Good” Jay Cutler appearing as he found Marquess Wilson and Matt Forte for touchdown passes. The Chiefs collapsed late in a game again.

Even worse for Kansas City is the preliminary prognosis for Charles. There is much concern it may be a torn ACL in his right knee—four years after coming off an ACL tear in his left knee.

The Green Bay Packers have arguably already won the NFC North (more on them later) so Chicago’s best shot at playoffs as we get closer to the dawn of the season will come via the Wild Card.

But, between a 1-4 start, a potentially season-ending injury to the Chiefs’ best option on offense, and renewed questions about Alex Smith as a quarterback (and Andy Reid as a coach) looks like the Chiefs’ season has practically come to an end.

Those were Cutler’s only two touchdowns along with him throwing for 252 yards and 26/45. Forte carried the ball 18 times for 71 yards. Wilson: six receptions for 85 yards.

Oh the irony that both of Kansas City’s biggest losses this year came against teams that wear midnight blue and orange…

Smith went 16/30 for 181 yards, and one TD. Charles, prior to his injury had 58 yards on 12 carries while Jeremy Maclin caught the ball eight times for 85 yards.

This Realist would not even favor the Chiefs to beat Minnesota next week at TCF Bank Stadium. Chicago can be favored to beat the Lions next week at Ford Field.

Final score: Bears 18, Chiefs 17

Bungles to Bengals

Oct 11, 2015; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Bengals tight end Tyler Kroft (81) celebrates with teammates and kicker Mike Nugent (2) in overtime at Paul Brown Stadium. Cincinnati defeated Seattle 27-24. Mandatory Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports

Speaking of the Lions…

This section of the Week 5 Realist isn’t directly relating to the Lions, but Detroit, one can say actually had TWO teams to cheer for in Week 5—their own Lions and the Bengals.

On Monday Night Football, the Seahawks—no strangers to primetime controversies, became embroiled in another one.

Calvin Johnson was essentially an eyelash shy of putting the Lions ahead of the Seahawks with under a minute to play in the game, Megatron fumbled the football in the endzone. It was promptly batted out of the endzone by another Seattle player.

According to the rules, that should have been illegal and Detroit should have had the ball inside the five yard line with a clear shot to win the game. Instead, it was ruled a touchback and the Seahawks ran out the clock to win the game.

Seattle upped its record to 2-2, but don’t think there were not some Lions fans this week that were watching the Seahawks/Bengals matchup in Cincinnati thinking that some sort of weird New Orleans-like voodoo happens to Seattle.

Green Bay Packers fans can definitely relate? Remember the Fail Mary? That was essentially the play that in 2012 (also on Monday Night Football) basically led to the return of the league’s real referees as the NFL was using replacement refs thanks to their spat with those real refs.

What happened last Monday wasn’t as controversial as that, but it did potentially give a boost to the Seahawks season—a season that up to this point was relatively average up to this point.

Meanwhile, they were facing a Cincinnati team that (if I remember correctly and I do half of the time) was undefeated coming into Week 5. Andy Dalton and his team was 4-0 with a shot to go 5-0 by beating the two-time defending NFC Champions.

Except that 4-0 team was looking like the Bengals team that Cincinnati fans (and head coach Marvin Lewis) had become all too used to seeing in January—the Bungles.

Cincinnati was down 24-7 against a defense that had already picked off Dalton once and had scored one of its touchdowns off a fumble recovery.

Two Andy Dalton touchdowns along with a Mike Nugent field goal later—it was 24-24. Russell Wilson and the Seattle Seahawks offense (that seemingly still hasn’t realized the team was giftwrapped Jimmy Graham from New Orleans for a reason) had stalled.

In the span of time in between the Seahawks leading by 17 and the game being tied, Seattle’s offense punted the football on four consecutive occasions. Two of which resulted in three and outs and the other two where the chains were moved only once.

That very same foot of Nugent that drilled the Bengals to a tie with Seattle won the game after his kicked was deflected off the left upright.

To steal baseball verbage, that kicked took a “very Cincinnati bounce” through both uprights sending Cincinnati from 4-1 to 5-0.

As mentioned all over the media, blogosphere, and among pigskin pundits, most other teams that would start their seasons 5-0 (or 4-0) would be considered “for real” and perennial Super Bowl contenders. Look at the Patriots, Falcons, Packers, and even the Broncos who are 5-0 on the backs of a dominating defense—not necessarily Peyton Manning.

But it never given to the Bengals because we are used to how the team almost always gets declawed in the playoffs. Look—5-0 is 5-0 and if they are able to maintain this for 11 more games, Cincinnati will not only make the playoffs they can clinch a bye week and host a home playoff game.

As for the Seattle Seahawks—this is a team that peaked in the second half last year and came within in dumb throw last year of winning consecutive Super Bowls. But something has to be said about how its defensive “Legion of Boom” has its boom lowered on it by teams with the offensive firepower Cincinnati possesses.

At least Detroit fans still salty about last week can take solace in this gak-job in Southeast Ohio.

Oh, and don’t look now…but the Arizona Cardinals once again look like contenders in the NFC West.

Dalton showed up when he needed to as he was 30/44 with 331 yards, two touchdowns, and once picked. Giovani Bernard—15 carries for 80 yards while both of Dalton’s passing TDs connected to Tyler Eifert who also caught eight passes for 90 yards.

Russell Wilson completed 15 of 23 passes for 213 yards, one touchdown, and once intercepted. Who needs a Marshawn Lynch when you have a Thomas Rawls who only rushed for 169 yards on 23 carries with one touchdown? Three of those Wilson passes combined for 70 yards to Doug Baldwin.

If one wants to talk about a potential game of the week for next week, it’s when the Seahawks return to CenturyLink field to face the undefeated Carolina Panthers. The Bengals will likely be favored to keep its winning ways going when they head to upstate New York where the Buffalo Bills await.

Final Score: Bengals 27, Seahawks 24

I’m only Human

Oct 11, 2015; Green Bay, WI, USA; Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) scrambles with the football during the third quarter against the St. Louis Rams at Lambeau Field. Green Bay won 24-10. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Is it just me—or have I done a little bit more talking about the Packers so far than usual?

The Jordy Nelson-less Green Bay Packers who last time I checked still are not the Aaron Rodgers-less Green Bay Packers. Nine times out of 10 when #12 is under center for the green and gold, good things happen if you’re a Cheesehead.

And that is usually due to the play of #12. Rodgers is like Brady, Manning, and other great quarterbacks where the rest of the offense automatically improves because he is that good. He’s won a Super Bowl for a reason.

As mentioned earlier, the Packers are one of those teams where (similar to the Colts) have won divisions because of where their division has been in relation to them, but are significantly at the top of the food chain in the NFL regardless of where their division is.

Since it was also at Lambeau Field—much has also been made about something else Rodgers has managed to do for a while—not throw passes to the other team. It feels like forever Realists, (or at least since 2012) since Rodgers completed a pass in Wisconsin to someone not wearing green and gold.

At least any storylines for now involving the Packers are all on the field—as opposed to the St. Louis Rams who seemingly are more of a story for the idea of them getting a new stadium either in the Los Angeles area or on the Mississippi River waterfront in downtown St. Louis.

With 4:13 minutes left in the first quarter in under clear skies at Lambeau Field—it finally happened. Rodgers completed a pass that ended up in the hands of an opposing defender. James Laurinaitis was the one who came up with the first pick at Lambeau of Rodgers since 2012.

In baseball circa 2003, Laurinaitis would be cited as an answer for an “Aflac Trivia Question.”

Thankfully for Green Bay, where the Rams managed to come up with one turnover, they responded by causing a pair of miscues for St. Louis. One of which was an interception of Nick Foles and the other was an interception of Foles by Quinten Rollins for 45 yards for a touchdown that became a 14-0 Packers advantage.

That shrunk and shrunk and shrunk as things did not go smoothly for Green Bay and St. Louis began to trim the Packer lead with a Tavon Austin TD pass from Foles along with a Greg Zuerlein field goal. 14-10.

And as of late—a certain former Georgia runningback (Todd Gurley) has been proving exactly why he was drafted where he was drafted. Gurley was the defacto quarterback of the offense as he didn’t have any touchdowns but did carry the football 30 times for 159 yards.

Compare and contrast that with Foles who only completed just over 30 percent of his passes (11/30) and 141 yards for one touchdown and four interceptions. That’s right. Gurley had more yards on the ground than Foles had through the air.

Not exactly the same Foles we saw through much of his tenure in Philadelphia, eh Eagles fans?

Seventy-three of those yards were courtesy of Stedman Bailey who caught three passes.

Later, Rodgers did connect with James Jones for a 65 yard touchdown pass, making it a 17-10 game.

Someone prior to the opening kickoff needed to ask Gurley if it was possible he could kick field goals for the Rams as well (or at least hold the ball for Zuerlein). The Rams attempted three more field goals—none of them went through the uprights.

Realists, this is only an educated guess, but I won’t expect Jeff Fisher and the Rams to try out Josh Scobee (recently released from the Steelers for costing them a Thursday Night game against Baltimore at Heinz Field).

Green Bay also picked off Foles on two more occasions. Rollins with two, Micah Hyde with one, and Ha-Ha Clinton Dix with one.

It became 24-10 via a Crosby field goal. One Packers interception later, this one was as good as done.

It wasn’t the best of games for Rodgers but Green Bay did manage to get the win. Rodgers was rather hard on himself in his postgame press conference, mentioning how much he turned the ball over (twice along with two touchdowns, 19/30 and 241 yards plus 39 yards on the ground). James Jones caught two passes for 77 yards (one of which was the touchdown).

Some will see this as a cause of concern for the Packers. It will be if they do not realize teams will be peering and peering and peering over this Rams/Packers game tape to gameplan defensively in the future against Rodgers.

Except Rodgers and head coach Mike McCarthy are very smart men, so this Realist imagines they will realize just that.

The Packers next week at home will also play another team engulfed in LA rumors—the San Diego Chargers. No football next week for the Rams—bye week.

Final Score: Packers 24 Rams 10

Metroplex is Metro-vexed

Oct 11, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman (11) catches a touchdown pass against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Erich Schlegel-USA TODAY Sports

Again—another example of how scheduling can go horribly wrong.

When this New England Patriots/Dallas Cowboys game was scheduled for CBS as its primary late afternoon game, CBS executives probably were not expecting they would have to hype up a matchup between Tom Brady and…Brandon Weeden.

But, such is life nowadays in North Texas nowadays.

Throughout the Brady-Belichick era in New England, the Pats have made a science out of making NFL opponents look like college teams. They did it on many occasions during the 2007-08 season where they came within one Eli Manning-to-Plaxico Burress touchdown connection of completing an undefeated season.

One also had to expect that it would be the same case against Dallas—a team that in the past two weeks prior to Week 5 had lost in surprising fashion at home to the Atlanta Falcons and on the road at the New Orleans Saints.

The Cowboys had a 14-0 lead on the Falcons before Atlanta scored 39 of the game’s final 54 points en route to a win. Last week against the Saints, it at first looked as if Weeden was going to lead his team to a late victory against New Orleans in what would have sent the Saints to 0-4 in a game which was (oh, by the way) on national TV on NBC.

That was before Drew Brees happened. That was before C.J. Spiller happened. And the Cowboys before they knew it realized that its chickens had indeed come home to roost after the injuries to Tony Romo and Dez Bryant.

As for the Patriots, they are once again looking like the Super Bowl contenders they have been for nearly every year during the Brady-Belichick era. Tom Brady may be in his late 30s but the way he continues to throw the football hints he could probably play for another five or ten years at this rate.

The crazy thing about this game is despite how much of a mismatch it appeared to be with a Cowboys team without two of its most reliable offensive players, it was close in the beginning with Stephen Gostkowski of the Patriots and Dan Bailey of the Cowboys trading a field goal apiece. 3-3.

Every single Cowboys possession afterwards for the rest of the half would result in a punt—all of whom being three and outs.

New England also punted three more times, but also managed to sprinkle in a Brady touchdown run plus another Gostkowski field goal for good measure making it a 13-3 game prior to the half.

Out of the half, the Patriots were backed 10 yards after a penalty against Julian Edelman for offensive holding. The next play was for 33 yards from Brady to Rob Gronkowski. Three first downs, 57 yards, and about four minutes later, that lead became 20-3 as Brady’s first touchdown pass of the game found Dion Lewis. That completed a nine-play 80 yard drive lasting over five minutes.

The Cowboys would answer with only three points off a Bailey field goal after a 15-play, 75 yard drive that saw Dallas pick up six first downs. Those would be the final points the Cowboys would score this game as New England answered with a 59 yarder from Brady to Edelman. That made it 27-6.

The next drive saw Dallas’ Weeden throw the football to Jason Witten (who rarely if ever fumbles) drop the football on 2nd and 16 from inside the Cowboys’ 35. The miscue allowed for New England to recover the football (Jonathan Freeny) but not before the Patriots turned the ball over themselves on downs setting Dallas up with the football. After two first down gains (one of which came on 4th and 6 when Weeden got eight, Weeden was looking for Vince Mayle. He instead found Logan Ryan of New England at the Patriots’ 22 when he returned the football 25 yards.

After a 20+ yard LeGarrette Blount run, the drive for New England stalled thanks to penalties. The lead was still big and the game was in its late stages so a 34 yard field goal from Gostkowski would only help, not hurt New England as it became 30-6.

The longest play of the final drive for the Cowboys was a 21 yard Weeden pass to Cole Beasley on 1st and 10 at the Dallas 46 setting up 1st and 10 in the Patriots’ territory. All of this was garbage time though despite gaining six first downs and setting up first and goal at the Pats’ six yard line.

The drive stalled. Cowboys would advance not a yard further. New England wins 30-6.

Brady was 20/27 for 255 yards and 2 TDs. Blount got 74 yards on 13 carries. Edelman’s TD added to his 4 catch, 120 yard outing.

Weeden—26/39, 188 yards and one pick. Joseph Randle—15 carries for 60 yards. Darren McFadden caught nine passes for 62 yards.

Such is life for the Patriots seemingly every day of the week. Such is reality for the Cowboys with no Romo and no Dez.

It won’t be such next week with the Cowboys on a bye. It may be so for New England as they continue their road trip. Next stop—Indianapolis.

10, 13, and 84 “86” the 49ers

Oct 11, 2015; East Rutherford, NJ, USA;

New York Giants tight end Larry Donnell (84) catches the game winning touchdown in front of San Francisco 49ers inside linebacker NaVorro Bowman (53) during the fourth quarter at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports

Oct 11, 2015; East Rutherford, NJ, USA;

Realists, I think this may be the first time this season so far I have written anything about the San Francisco 49ers and Colin Kapernick.

Why? Because the San Francisco 49ers and Colin Kaepernick so far have looked like complete shells of themselves under their new head coach.

I remember fondly over the past three years it felt like I was writing something this season about Kaepernick almost every other Realist. Whether it was passes he was throwing to Vernon Davis for touchdowns or him running for over a hundred yards for touchdowns, it just appeared that I would never stop writing about Kaepernick.

Now, it seems he has received more attention for the fact he’s dating a radio personality than his football play.

Perhaps Kaep was nothing more than a product of Jim Harbaugh’s system. Perhaps it was the recent tumultuous beyond tumultuous offseason the Niners just had recently. But whatever it was, San Francisco is not exactly recreating the glory days of 2013 and 2014 when they were challenging the Seattle Seahawks for the top spot in the NFC West and competing for Super Bowl championships.

But as the 49ers appear to be lost in a haze of Bay Area fog, Hudson’s waters as of late have been more tranquil for the New York Giants. After losing their first two games in less-than-stellar fashion, the Giants have won their last two and appear to be hitting their stride early this season.

What also has to be even more pleasing to the Giants now is the status overall of the NFC East. Even as heated as its rivalries are, the East as a division overall is ice cold. Washington doesn’t know what to do with RGIII, Dallas is without two of its best players, and Philadelphia has not performed up to expectations and has to dodge questions nearly every single day about if Chip Kelly still wants to be an NFL coach.

In short, unless something changes between now and the time Romo and Bryant return for the ‘Boys, the NFC East is practically being giftwrapped in a big blue and white box near where they will eventually be placing NYC’s Christmas tree in Rockefeller Center.

It was 13-3 prior to a Phil Dawson field goal making it 13-6 at the half. That became 13-3 when Kaepernick found Anquan Boldin for three yards early in the third quarter.

One thing is for sure—that the offenses certainly came to play for this game especially late in it. Combined, five of the last six drives ended up in either touchdowns or field goals. First it was when Odell Beckham, Jr. caught a TD pass from Eli Manning (41/54, 441 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT) for 17 yards, then Garrett Celek caught a five yard pass from Kaepernick (23/35, 262 yards, 2 TDs).
After a Josh Brown field goal, Carlos Hyde who replaced Frank Gore at runningback after Gore left for Indy, ran for 2 yards into the end zone for a 27-23 lead.

Except there was still plenty of time on the clock and for all of the stuff Manning has had to endure over the years from the New York media, he has made a career off delivering late. Also, Manning had to engineer a game-winning drive without Beckham who was questionable with an injury.

He did come back in the game, but the game-winning pass was to Larry Donnell in the back of the end zone who barely managed to keep both hands on the ball.
30-27. Giants win. 3-2 New York, 1-4 San Francisco.

At least for one week, KNBR won’t be inundated with callers demanding Jim Tomsulo bench Kaepernick for Blaine Gabbert. 1-4 is not exactly a worthy prize though, especially in last place behind Arizona, St. Louis, and Seattle when only a few years ago you were competing for a Super Bowl.

But it is at least a step forward from the way Kaepernick had been performing as of late. But as is so often said in the NFL—there is no such thing as a moral victory.

As for the Giants—once again how this can be anything but a confidence booster is beyond me. After 3 straight wins, and the mess that is the rest of the NFC right now early on the beasts of the NFC East reside in the Tri State/Gotham metro area.

Will the Eagles have something to say about that? We’ll see next week when they play New York on Monday Night. As for the 49ers—they go back to Santa Clara against another 1-4 team (out of the AFC)—the Baltimore Ravens.

Other Games

Oct 11, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; General view of the pink ribbon NFL gold shield logo to honor breast cancer awareness month before the game between the Denver Broncos against the Oakland Raiders at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Indianapolis Colts defeat Houston Texans 27-20

Atlanta Falcons defeat Washington Redskins 25-19 (OT)

Cleveland Browns defeat Baltimore Ravens 33-30

Philadelphia Eagles defeat New Orleans Saints 39-17

Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeat Jacksonville Jaguars 38-31

Buffalo Bills defeat Tennessee Titans 14-13

Arizona Cardinals defeat Detroit Lions 42-17

Denver Broncos defeat Oakland Raiders 16-10

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