When the Green Bay Packers reeled off three straight wins early in the 2022 season to improve to 3-1, it seemed as though rumours of their demise had been greatly exaggerated.
Well, it turns out they were merely delayed, as since then the Pack have lost five straight to fall to 3-6 and the brink of playoff oblivion.
Their latest loss was the most humiliating of all, a 15-9 stinker against the overmatched Lions in Detroit. To add to Green Bay’s misery they came out of the game with several key injuries they simply could not afford. Now they host a buoyant Dallas team coming off a bye - welp.
The Week 9 drama did not just come in Detroit either, we also had the Super Bowl favourite Buffalo Bills dropping an upset L to the Jets in New York, and Patrick Mahomes throwing 68 (SIXTY-EIGHT) passes in an overtime win over Tennessee.
Our Midweek Update is designed to help you when you make your NFL picks this week, and here are some of the key lines coming out of Week 9 and heading into Week 10.
NFL Injury Report
Pro football is a brutal game, played by powerful athletes at devastating speed. No wonder then that injuries play a massive part in determining which teams come out on top each February.
Here are some of the major injuries to hit the headlines in Week 9:
Josh Allen (QB, Buffalo Bills): Allen lost his position as MVP favourite after that loss to the Jets, but he also came out of the game with an injury worry. Allen is being evaluated for a right elbow problem, specifically to the ulnar collateral ligament and related nerves. He suffered the injury on a strip sack late in Sunday’s game and his status as of now is uncertain for the big showdown vs 7-1 Minnesota on Sunday.
Sheldon Rankins (DT, New York Jets): The Jets defense has been terrific and a major reason for the team’s excellent and surprise 6-3 start. Losing Rankins now for 4-6 weeks with a dislocated elbow then is a bitter blow for Gang Green.
Rashan Gary (OLB, Green Bay Packers): Time now for a short break while the Packers take over this section entirely following that very costly loss in Detroit. First up is Gary, who had been on the fringes of the Defensive Player of the Year conversation after a strong start to 2022. Not any more after he tore his ACL vs the Lions and is done for the year.
Romeo Doubs (WR, Green Bay Packers): This is not saying much but fourth-round rookie Doubs has probably been Green Bay’s most reliable receiver so far in 2022. In that context his loss during the defeat by the Lions was absolutely disastrous for a wafer-thin group. Doubs left Motown on crutches and wearing a walking boot after suffering a high-ankle sprain. He is likely out for 4-6 weeks, dealing another devastating blow to the reeling Packers. The only bright spot was the news that fellow rookie WR Christian Watson DID NOT suffer a concussion in the loss.
Eric Stokes (CB, Green Bay Packers): There is “a high level of concern” within the Packers organisation about the knee and ankle injuries Stokes suffered in Detroit. HC Matt LaFleur says the CB is still being evaluated, but he refused to rule out the injuries being season-ending.
Aaron Jones (RB, Green Bay Packers): Okay, slightly better news at last for Green Bay - the ankle injury which caused Jones to leave Sunday’s loss is not serious and he should be able to suit up vs Dallas on Sunday. He left the stadium wearing a walking boot but the injury is believed to be a low-ankle sprain, something he should be able to play through.
Greg Rousseau (DE, Buffalo Bills): Rousseau came out of the loss to Jets with a high-ankle sprain and he is now listed as ‘week to week’ as the Bills prepare for that big matchup with the Vikings. It’s an injury which will almost certainly hamper the pass rusher for a while, even if it does not keep him off the field.
Dax Hill (CB, Cincinnati Bengals): Lucky for the Bengals they are now on a bye as they evaluate the shoulder injury suffered by first-round pick Hill in Sunday’s rout of the Carolina Panthers. Cincy cannot afford further injuries to a banged-up secondary which has already lost top corner Chidobe Awuzie for the season.
Budda Baker (S, Arizona Cardinals): Bad news for the Cards on the back of that disappointing 31-21 home loss to the Seattle Seahawks. Baker has a high-ankle sprain and is likely to miss at least 2-3 weeks. Not great for HC Kliff Kingsbury, who inches ever closer to the hot seat with his team now floundering at 3-6 in the basement of the NFC West.
Will Hernandez (OG, Arizona Cardinals): Another blow for the struggling Cardinals with Hernandez set to miss at least this Sunday’s game against the Rams after suffering a pectoral injury in the loss to Seattle.
Matt Hennessy (OL, Atlanta Falcons): A bad weekend for the Falcons on the O-line. On Saturday they placed LG Elijah Wilkinson on IR with a knee injury. On Sunday his replacement Hennessy suffered a knee injury in the loss to the Chargers and he is also now headed to IR. Bad news for a team which has built its offensive strategy around an innovative rushing attack.
Lloyd Cushenberry (C, Denver Broncos): The Broncos didn’t even play Sunday, but they still are still heading into Week 10 with a new injury loss. Cushenberry was placed on IR over the weekend due to the groin injury he suffered during the recent win over the Jacksonville Jaguars in London.
Austin Johnson (DT, Los Angeles Chargers): The Chargers were already struggling to stop the run, and that job just got harder with Johnson the latest starter to be lost for the season. He sustained an MCL sprain and fracture to his left knee during the win in Atlanta.
Cam Dantzler (CB, Minnesota Vikings): This could not have come at a worse time for the high-flying Vikings. Dantzler suffered an ankle injury during the win in Washington and is now “a long shot” to face the high-powered Bills on Sunday.
Kenny Golladay (WR, New York Giants): News now of a player about to come back from injury, and one the Giants hope, at last, will be significant. Big Blue have got next to nothing out of Golladay since he signed a $72million contract to join them in 2021. He has just 2 catches for 22 yards so far in 2022 and has not suited up since October 2. He should return vs Houston Sunday and things surely have to change, right?
T.J. Watt (OLB, Pittsburgh Steleers): Another big name apparently about to return is reigning Defensive Player of the Year T.J. Watt. Out since Week 1 with a pectoral injury, he could suit up vs New Orleans in Week 10. Not a moment too soon for the 2-6 Steelers.
NFL Odds: Stock Rising
Week 9 delivered more fantastic performances which had a significant impact on the betting lines. Here are some of the displays which really jumped out:
Joe Mixon (RB, Cincinnati Bengals): At last, the Bengals found a running game to take some of the load off Joe Burrow. With Ja’Marr Chase still out, and the memory of that horrible Monday Night Football loss to Cleveland fresh in the memory, Mixon went off vs Carolina. He rushed for 153 yards and 4 TDs on 22 carries, and caught 4 passes for 58 yards and a fifth score. This was the first time Mixon showed real juice in 2022 and if it’s not a flash in the pan, could be significant for the Bengals’ post-season ambitions.
Josh Palmer (WR, Los Angeles Chargers): Palmer’s stock has risen literally by a process of elimination. He was about the last man standing in the Chargers WR room heading into the Week 9 trip to Atlanta with Keenan Allen and Mike Williams both out. Palmer stepped up as expected, catching 8 Justin Herbert passes for 106 yards in a 20-17 win. He is likely to be very busy again in San Francisco this Sunday.
Garrett Wilson (WR, New York Jets): The sensationally talented rookie is at last starting to establish a rapport with namesake and starting QB Zach. After a barren couple of weeks Garrett is right back to showing that elite ability to separate from defenders. He has 207 receiving yards in his last two games, including 8 catches for 92 yards in the upset win over Buffalo.
Patrick Mahomes (QB, Kansas City Chiefs): Okay, it’s difficult for Mahomes’ stock to get much higher, but he replaced Josh Allen as MVP favourite after another terrific performance in the 20-17 overtime win over the Tennessee Titans on Sunday Night Football. He completed 43 of 68 passes for 446 yards and a score, and also ran for the TD which allowed the Chiefs to tie the game and take it into overtime. Brilliance allied to great patience on a night where he was almost always under pressure and had no running game to rely on.
Cade Otton (TE, Tampa Bay Buccaneers): The Bucs really missing the retired Rob Gronkowski has been a constant NFL topic during the 2022 season. With Cameron Brate also sidelined by injury, somebody needed to step up and help Tom Brady breathe life into a struggling Tampa offense. Enter Otton, who caught 5 balls for 68 yards in the win over Rams, including that last-gasp game-winning TD pass from Brady.
NFL Playoff Scenarios: Who makes the post-season?
It’s never too early to start talking about playoff scenarios, so here we are. If the post-season began today, these teams would be playing on:
AFC
- Buffalo Bills 6-2
- Kansas City Chiefs 6-2
- Baltimore Ravens 6-3
- Tennessee Titans 5-3
- New York Jets 6-3
- Miami Dolphins 6-3
- Los Angeles Chargers 5-3
NFC
- Philadelphia Eagles 8-0
- Minnesota Vikings 7-1
- Seattle Seahawks 6-3
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers 4-5
- Dallas Cowboys 6-2
- New York Giants 6-2
- San Francisco 49ers 4-4
NFL Game of the Week: Dallas Cowboys @ Green Bay Packers
- Time: 21:25 GMT, Sunday
One of the NFL’s most historic rivalries resumes in the iconic setting of Lambeau Field on Sunday, and it is also surely last chance saloon for Aaron Rodgers and the Pack in 2022.
While the Ice Bowl and ‘Dez caught it’ were moments with championship ramifications, this meeting between two storied franchises now features two rosters headed in very different directions.
Dallas has won 6 of 7 behind a terrific defense and a powerful running game while Green Bay is now on a five-game losing streak after that embarrassing setback in Detroit last Sunday.
Aaron Rodgers threw three interceptions in a game for the first time since 2017 as the Packers completely melted down in Motown, and they came out of the loss with several players injured (see above).
The Cowboys are trading early as a 5-point underdog on the road in Lambeau - unthinkable in recent years. It’s even crazier to think that might still be great value.
Whatever happens, it’s still a must-see matchup, with Rodgers trying to outsmart the marauding Micah Parsons just one of the fascinating subplots. Get the popcorn ready.
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