Ben Roethlisberger, QB, Steelers
The Cleveland Browns are definitely better now than they were last season, and the weather in Cleveland wasn’t ideal on Sunday. Neither quite explains Roethlisberger’s turnover-prone performance. Though he threw for 335 yards, Roethlisberger threw three first-half interceptions and fumbled at a pivotal moment in overtime that ultimately should have led to a game-winning field goal for the Browns. In the end, that field goal was blocked, so Pittsburgh escaped with a tie, but if Roethlisberger had been sharper, the Steelers would have likely won in regulation rather easily.
Alfred Morris, RB, 49ers
Morris committed a game-changing turnaround in San Francisco’s 24-16 loss to Minnesota on Sunday. His role elevated due to Jerick McKinnon’s season-ending injury, Morris simply didn’t respond, picking up only 38 yards on 12 carries. His real error, though, came when he fumbled at the goal line late in the second quarter. Instead of a game-tying touchdown, the Vikings got the ball and ended up winning by eight points. It may have been a very different game had Morris been able to convert in that spot.
The new roughing the passer rule
Many expected it to be an issue, and it certainly was one. While the NFL’s desire to protect its quarterbacks is understandable, some of the penalties that were assessed on Sunday were clean hits that looked, at best, difficult for defenders to avoid making. Any defender who puts an improper amount of weight into a hit on the quarterback will apparently be punished. That’s going to lead to a whole lot of controversy this season.
Facing the New England Patriots is never an ideal reintroduction to NFL action, and Watson just wasn’t good in this game. He threw for just 176 yards, one touchdown, and one interception, and the New England pass rush sacked him three times and caused problems all afternoon. In fact, his very first play from scrimmage was a lost fumble. He will likely be fine going forward, but this was not a memorable day for him in any sense.
Chicago Bears’ 4th quarter defense
In the first half of their game against the Green Bay Packers, the Chicago Bears looked incredible on defense. Khalil Mack played like a Hall of Famer, racking up a strip-sack and pick-six. Even rookie Roquan Smith got a sack. But the defense that shutout the Packers in the first half disappeared in the second half. The Bears allowed three touchdowns in the fourth quarter and blew a 17-point lead. They have plenty of talent on that side of the ball, they just need to keep it going for all 60 minutes.
Jack Doyle, TE, Colts
Doyle was Indianapolis’ leading receiver in terms of yards on Sunday, but he also cost them a shot at winning the game. The 28-year-old tight end caught a pass around the Cincinnati 15-yard line in the final minute, but he was stripped of the football. The Bengals picked it up and ran 83 yards for a touchdown to seal the game. Had Doyle held onto the ball, the Colts would have been in the red zone with around 20 seconds to go and a very good shot at winning the game.
The weather
Rain and wind caused issues over much of the east Sunday — you can make a case that it had at least something to do with some of the horrible kicking that took place in Cleveland. Nobody felt it more than the Tennessee Titans and Miami Dolphins, who were subjected to two separate lightning delays that tallied over three hours combined. These factors made it the longest game in terms of length since the AFL-NFL merger.
