With Week 8 falling on Hallowe’en it made sense to go over the tricks and treats share by the league this week, as the league moves towards the halfway mark of the season. In this report, we go through each game and identify the treats for fans and tricks played by teams:
Packers 24, Cardinals 21
Treat: The Green Bay Packers were thin at receiver as Davante Adams and Allen Lazard were forced to miss this game after testing positive for COVID-19. As a result, the Packers played playoff football in October, relying on a solid run game and a tenacious defense which kept Kyler Murray guessing all game to pull out the victory over the previously unbeaten Cardinals.
Trick: On the last play of the game, the Cardinals had a second-and-goal play from the Packers 5 yard line with 15 seconds left and no timeouts. WR AJ Green appeared to run his route with the thought that he was a decoy and didn’t look towards the QB. When Kyler Murray took the snap, he immediately threw a throw towards the back shoulder of Green, though since Green was not ready/paying attention, he did not see the throw come in. Unfortunately for the Cardinals, Packers CB Rasul Douglas did see the play unfold and grabbed the throw for the game ending interception.
Titans 34, Colts 31 (OT)
Treat: Not a treat for Colts fans, but this Carson Wentz play could go down as one of the most ill-advised (or dumbest if you prefer) plays ever seen. Bear in mind, this happened with less than 2 minutes remaining in a tie game. Happy Hallowe’en Titans! The Colts did take the next possession down for a tying score to force OT, where Wentz once again gifted the Titans with an interception to help seal the victory for the Titans. Wentz has played really well after a shaky start, but is prone to inexplicable gaffes, and this one more or less sealed the AFC South title to the Titans (who are now three games ahead of the Colts and swept their closest division rivals with this win). This is good news for the Titans because:
Trick: Derrick Henry suffered a potentially season-ending foot injury on what looked like an innocuous play early in the game. Henry finished the game, though he is scheduled to undergo surgery on his foot today (Tuesday) and is expected to miss 8-10 weeks, effectively ending his regular season. In response to this, the Titans have signed future Hall of Fame RB Adrian Peterson to help alleviate the impact.
Jets 34, Bengals 31
Treat: In his first NFL start, Jets QB Mike White tore up the Bengals defense, going 37-for-45, 405 yards, 3 TDs, and 2 INTs. White is the second QB to ever throw for more than 400 yards (Cam Newton also pulled off the feat in 2011), and the first Jet to throw for that many yards in any game since Vinny Testaverde threw for 488 yards in a game in December 2000.
Trick: On a 3rd-and-11, Bengals CB Mike Hilton was called for a controversial helmet-to-helmet hit that turned a fourth down deep in Jets territory into a first down and effectively ended the game. The Hilton appeared to be aiming to strike the torso area of Jets RB Ty Johnson but as Johnson braced for impact, he lowered his head into the path of Hilton and their helmets collided, resulting in the penalty call.
Bills 26, Dolphins 11
Treat: In a tough defensive battle, Cole Beasley’s output stood out. The Bills slot receiver had the best game of the day with 10 catches for 110 yards as the Dolphins’ game plan was put together to restrict the deep passes the Bills offense has come to rely heavily upon.
Trick: Fans of offense were surely disappointed, as most of this game was a defensive battle between two teams that were expected to field strong defenses at the start of the season. The now 5-2 Bills have lived up to the billing, as they have the best defense in the league after eight weeks, but the Dolphins have been the league’s worst defense up to (and including) week 8. The Dolphins were able to confuse and hold off the Bills – the game was tied at 3 until 3:49 left in the third quarter – until the Bills were able to break the game open with two scores, one late in the third and one early in the fourth, to put the game away.
Panthers 19, Falcons 13
Treat: There wasn’t much in the way of treats in this game, unless you are a fan of field goals – the two teams combined for six of them, with Panthers K Zane Gonzalez connecting on all four of his attempts. Edmonton’s Chuba Hubbard was the most productive player on offense, with 82 yards on 24 carries and a TD.
Trick: Pretty much everything else. The Falcons managed just 212 yards of total offense in this game. Panthers QB Sam Darnold suffered what is believed to be a concussion in a play in which he was tackled and his helmet, not strapped in appropriately, started to come off as his head was driven into the ground.
Steelers 15, Browns 10
Treat: A true AFC North battle, this game was a hard-nosed defensive battle, with Steelers pass rusher TJ Watt standing out, sacking Baker Mayfield 1.5 times, hitting the Browns QB three times, recovering a fumble, and six tackles, including a key stop of Nick Chubb on a fourth-and-one at the start of the second quarter.
Trick: Steelers K Chris Boswell went down with an injury late in the second quarter, as the Steelers faked a field goal deep inside Browns territory. On the play, Boswell was drilled by DT Jordan Elliott as he released a pass through the end zone. After that play, the Steelers did not attempt a field goal and went for two points after their two second half touchdowns.
Niners 33, Bears 22
Treat: The turning point of this game occurred when the Niners were down 16-9 and facing a third-and-19 deep in their own territory halfway through the third quarter. On this play, the Niners ran a bubble screen from Garoppolo to WR Deebo Samuel just behind the line of scrimmage. Samuel caught the ball and weaved through the Bears defense, running 83 yards before finally being forced out of bounds at the Bears 1 yard line. The Niners eventually scored the touchdown to bring the game within one point, and then blew the game open in the fourth quarter, scoring 18 points in the final frame to pull out the victory at Soldier Field. This win was significant for the Niners, who are now 3-4 and a half game out of the final wild card spot.
Trick: The Bears defense had a rough day at the office, allowing 467 yards to a Niners offense that is missing key components, such as TE George Kittle, and allowed 137 yards to RB Elijah Mitchell. Compounding this was that the Bears seemed to finally get on track offensively, especially running the football, as Justin Fields and Khalil Herbert combined to run for 175 yards. The Bears are in trouble, now losers of three in a row and down to 3-5 on the season. The playoffs are not yet out of the question, but a turnaround is needed.
Eagles 44, Lions 6
Treat: Despite being without RB Miles Sanders, the Eagles ran for 236 yards on this game, with Jalen Hurts, Boston Scott, and Jordan Howard all ran for over 50 yards against the Lions defense. The Eagles, now 3-2 on the road, are now on the periphery of the wild card race, though they do have significant issues to solve (such as the passing game) if they are to be true playoff contenders.
Trick: In the Hallowe’en spirit, the Lions apparently decided to dress a local high school team in team uniforms and had them play against an Eagles team that aspires to be average. The Lions were torn apart on defense in the run game and managed only 228 yards total offense. At 0-8 in what was already a lost season, the Lions have appeared to hit rock bottom. A loss like this tends to lead to uncomfortable questions, such as who on this team is worthy to stay past this season? Did the Lions make a mistake hiring Dan Campbell to be their head coach? When will Lions fans decide enough is enough and turn to other sports, like hockey or basketball – *looks at Pistons*… oh, maybe not.
Rams 38, Texans 22
Treat: This was a comprehensive win for the Rams, who got contributions from everyone: Matthew Stafford (305 yards, 3 TDs), Cooper Kupp (7 catches, 115 yards, 1 TD), Van Jefferson (3 catches, 88 yards), Darrell Henderson (90 yards rushing, 2 total TDs), Leonard Floyd had two sacks and Aaron Donald had 1.5 of his own. The team started subbing out their starters at the end of the third, and the Rams improved to 7-1 on the season.
Trick: Heading into this game, oddsmakers placed the Rams as 16.5 point favourites. After three quarters, the Rams were up 38-0 and Rams bettors looked to be ready to cash their tickets and head to the blackjack tables. Not so fast, my friends! The Texans rallied to score 22 points against the Rams backups in the fourth quarter to pull off a backdoor cover and send the bettors reeling into their $1.99 buffet plates.
Saints 36, Buccaneers 27
Treat: Tom Brady was handing out treats to the Saints defense, with a lost fumble and two picks, including this awful interception pass to Saints corner PJ Williams, which was taken back for a touchdown with under two minutes left in the fourth quarter to seal the win for the Saints. The win for the Saints puts them at 5-2 and within striking distance of the 6-2 Bucs for the AFC South division. The matchup in Tampa in Week 15 may be for the division crown, though other events may impact the Saints’ ability to contend.
Trick: Saints QB Jameis Winston suffered a torn ACL during a rough tackle by Bucs LB Devin White. Winston is expected to miss the rest of the season with the injury. The question in New Orleans: who will replace him? The Saints presently get to choose between utility player Taysom Hill or the QB that backed up Winston in this game, Trevor Siemian. Hill can play under centre, though was uninspiring in four starts last season when Drew Brees was injured and was not able to win the job of Winston this season, while Siemian has starting experience with the Broncos, amassing a 13-11 record, though should not be considered a long-term prospect for the job.
Patriots 27, Chargers 24
Treat: The Patriots played perhaps their best game of the season in this upset win over the Chargers in LA. With a house packed full of mostly Patriots fans, the defense sacked Justin Herbert three times, while former Chargers safety Adrian Phillips picked off the second year QB twice, including the pick-six of Herbert to give the Patriots a lead they would not relinquish. The Patriots are now 4-4, their defense is strong, and rookie QB Mac Jones is developing into a decent game-manager. In contrast with the NFC, the AFC playoff race is still wide open with 11 teams at .500 or better, but the Pats are in the mix once again.
Trick: Despite claims otherwise, the Chargers were confused by the looks offered by the Patriots in this matchup. The Patriots had played very little Cover 2 before this week, but used that defense to prevent deep passes by the Chargers and disguise their intentions in the pass rushing game. The trickery forced Justin Herbert into making bad decisions, such as the aforementioned pick-six by Phillips.
Seahawks 31, Jaguars 7
Treat: The Jaguars finally broke up the shutout with 1:49 left in the game on a Jamal Agnew touchdown reception. In the ensuing onside kickoff attempt, the Seahawks Travis Homer grabbed the kick and took it back 44 yards to put the game further on ice.
Trick: In the first quarter, Jaguars RB James Robinson went down with a bruised heel and did not return. The team struggled (again) all game and only put up the late consolation score with the game already in hand for the Seahawks. The Jaguars, now 1-6, have been a dumpster fire for most of the season and are staring an early draft pick in the eyes once again. As with Detroit, questions continue to abound about whether Urban Meyer was the right choice to take over the Jaguars, especially as he *mumbles into shirt* says he is not interested in the vacant USC head coaching job.
Broncos 17, Football Team 10
Treat: Broncos safety Justin Simmons had a big game, picking off Taylor Heinicke twice, including an interception at the goal line as Washington was driving for a game-tying score in the final minute the fourth quarter.
Trick: The Washington and Denver offensive lines had trouble containing the respective pass rushes all game, as the two teams combined for nine sacks of Heinicke and Teddy Bridgewater. Malik Reed had an especially good day, with 2 sacks and a forced fumble.
Cowboys 20, Vikings 16
Treat: It seemed at first to be a trick – Dak Prescott was being held out of this Sunday night showdown with the Vikings with a sore calf, replaced by first time starter Cooper Rush. With visions of 2020 backup QBs in their heads, Cowboys fans were expecting the worst – a throwaway game by the Cowboys in primetime. However, this trick turned into a treat, as Rush had a big game against the Vikings, going 24-for-40 for 325 yards, and 2 TDs, 1 INT, 1 fumble. He also orchestrated a touchdown drive in the final two minutes to give the Cowboys their sixth win in a row, and a 3.5 game lead in the NFC East.
Trick: Another poor performance by Kirk Cousins, who went 24-for-35 for 184 yards and 1 TD. WR Justin Jefferson went down with a suspected knee injury early in the game, which appeared to impact him, as he came away with zero catches, though the Cowboys defense, specifically Trevon Diggs also contributed to the shutout for the second year receiver. With respect to Cousins, this was another example of the limits of Kirk Cousins, a decent QB but one with a very well-defined ceiling. Cousins is now 2-8 in his career against the Dallas Cowboys and the Vikings now sit at 3-4, which is about right at expectation for a team that is OK but not very good.
Chiefs 20, Giants 17
Treat: Chiefs RB Derrick Gore was elevated from the practice squad this past week and added some energy to the offense, rushing for 48 yards and a TD in his first sustained action. Interestingly, he was in for 16 snaps and touched the ball 11 times, which could be something to watch for in future weeks (also for fantasy owners, be wary of the touch rate as this is unlikely to be sustainable).
Trick: This was a Chiefs victory that did not feel much like a victory over what should’ve been an overmatched Giants team that was missing four skill position players, including RB Saquon Barkley. Sure they are 4-4, seemingly like every other team in the AFC, but the offense is still struggling. Patrick Mahomes threw his league-leading 10th interception in the first quarter and was fortunately to get another potential pick called back as the Giants were offside on that play. The offense does not look as menacing as in past years as teams have done better at disguising defenses and using coverages better suited to defend deep passes, such as Cover 2 and 3 looks and put more pressure on the Chiefs QB than in previous years. Certainly the fear factor of Kansas City isn’t as prevalent as it was in the past three seasons.
APY FOOTBALL POOL RECAP
In the pool this week, the biggest treats were handed out to Gary, who scored a league-high 14 points this week, giving him 104 total points and landing him back into a tie for fifth place in the standings. Gary finished two points clear of the next best competitor and more than five points over the average of 8.6 points in Week 8.
With an 11 point week, Will has regained his lead at the top of the pool, with 109 points, one point ahead of Jerome, and two points ahead of Sam. Paul is in fourth with 105 points, while Gary, Neil, and Donna P are in a tie for fifth at 104.
| Name | Total |
| Will | 109 |
| Jerome | 108 |
| Sam | 107 |
| Paul | 105 |
| Gary | 104 |
| Neil | 104 |
| Donna P | 104 |
| Justin | 103 |
| Jason G | 103 |
| Alessandro | 103 |
| Joe L | 103 |
| Salvo | 102 |
| Molly | 102 |
| Darryl | 100 |
| CSA Red Bulls | 99 |
| Lourdes | 99 |
| Baldip | 97 |
| Marcus | 97 |
| Denzil | 97 |
| Adam | 97 |
| Courtney | 96 |
| Joe S | 96 |
| Farhan | 96 |
| Team Bracken | 96 |
| Quinn | 95 |
| Terry | 95 |
| Tom | 95 |
| Marcel & Aiden | 94 |
| Ronda | 94 |
| Keville | 94 |
| Jason R | 93 |
| David | 93 |
| Steve | 93 |
| Jason H | 93 |
| Jay P | 92 |
| Des | 91 |
| Matt | 90 |
| Nigel | 88 |
| Predictor | 87 |
| Darren | 87 |
| Donna K | 84 |
| Mark | 78 |
| Dwayne | 61 |
| Ruby | 19 |
| Average | 95.907 |
