Rob Gronkowski, TE, Patriots
Gronkowski was the subject of a lot of interest coming into this contest after Jaguars cornerback Jalen Ramsey openly criticized him and essentially called him overrated. Gronk said he was going to let his play do the talking, but it didn’t say much on this day. He was targeted only four times and caught two of them for 15 yards, making no real impact as Jacksonville walked out clear winners. Ramsey wasn’t doing a lot of shadowing of him, but it didn’t matter. He was kept very much in check.
Oakland’s fourth quarter play
We can reasonably conclude through two weeks that the Raiders have a fourth quarter problem. They’ve been outscored 23-0 in the final period combined in those games. The Denver Broncos had looked very bad through three quarters and trailed Oakland 19-10, but came back with 10 unanswered to win 20-19. Denver needed just two fourth quarter drives to turn the deficit around, one a 67-yard touchdown drive and another 62-yard possession that ended in a field goal. By contrast, the Raiders had 48 yards, and they opted against kicking a field goal from the Denver 33 on 4th and 1. Jon Gruden needs to sort this out quickly, because now that it’s happened twice, it’s a real problem.
Roughing the passer — again
Green Bay Packer fans will definitely tell you that they were robbed of a victory on Sunday. They had picked off Kirk Cousins and could have simply run out the clock on a 29-21 win if not for this penalty on Clay Matthews. Matthews was understandably fuming after the game, and while the Packers didn’t lose the game, they did end up in a tie that they would not have if not for the flag. If nothing else, the call impacted a game that would have otherwise ended with a Green Bay win. The call ensures we’ll be talking about the rule — even if the new one didn’t apply here — for at least part of the week.
Demaryius Thomas, WR, Broncos
Thomas could have been a much bigger goat then he turned out to be. He was not effective Sunday, catching five passes for just 18 yards. He also had two drops, one of which came in the final minute and would have put the Broncos in field goal range. The fact that they got there on the next play only slightly softened the blow. Thomas doesn’t seem to have much of a rapport with Case Keenum right now, even though he was targeted 11 times on Sunday, and his performance is worrisome.
Ian Thomas, TE, Panthers
Thomas was looking at a larger role this week with Greg Olsen out, but he didn’t inspire much confidence. He was only targeted three times and caught two of them, but the one he failed to catch will stand out. Thomas dropped a perfect Cam Newton pass that would have been a touchdown had he just hung on to the football. Carolina did go down and score on the drive, but it was a big moment for Thomas, who could have made a statement with Olsen out for a while. He didn’t do so. The only good news for him was fellow tight end Chris Manhertz wasn’t a factor either.
New York Giants’ offense
The New York Giants beefed up their offensive line and drafted Saquon Barkley this offseason, yet they still are struggling to score points. A season after finishing 31st in the league in points scored, the Giants opened up the 2018 season with just 28 points scored in two games. Eli Manning completed a high percentage of his passes, but only one went for more than 18 yards. The running game didn’t get anything going. Manning was sacked six times. For the second season in a row, he has not looked very good.
Deshaun Watson, QB, Texans
Watson’s stat line is fine. He threw a bad interception, but had two touchdowns, and he eclipsed the 300-yard marker through the air. There is no excusing how badly he botched the final play of the day, though. With 16 seconds left and the ball at his own 48, Watson spent the entire time running around behind the line of scrimmage, finding nothing, continuing to run, draining the clock, crossing the line of scrimmage, and then ultimately throwing over the middle of the field. Time ran out, and Watson’s situational awareness was rightly savaged by many. He must be better than that.
Josh Gordon, WR, Browns
Gordon did not play this week. He will not play for the Browns again. The circumstances of it seem to be somewhat foggy, but there was a hamstring injury and concerns over a possible relapse, which are completely unconfirmed. Regardless, the Browns are worried, and it seems unlikely that an organization that has so obsessively given him chance after chance would cool on him just because of an injury. Hopefully Gordon has his life in order. Maybe he’ll land somewhere else. There remains reason for concern.
