The 2020 National Football League regular season is now past its halfway point. Nothing has been normal this year, but the sensation that football season is flying by remains. Once again, the good teams in the league continue to pull away from the rest. Some organizations have their eyes already set on 2021. Rookie quarterbacks and replay reviews left their mark on Week 9, playing factors in many of the week’s slate of matchups.
Nothing is going right for the New York Jets. Still without a win, they allowed a 10-point lead to slip away in the fourth quarter against the New England Patriots on Monday Night Football.
Falling to 0-9 with the 30-27 loss, New York may soon be fighting to earn a single win in 2020.
Still, ageless wonder and running back Frank Gore continued to be the Jets’ workhorse, once again leading the Jets in rushing with 46 yards on 12 carries. He also caught two passes for 13 yards. Wide receiver Braxton Berrios also caught a 13-yard pass and returned four kickoffs for 88 total yards.
The Hurricane running back show continued for the Seattle Seahawks at Buffalo. Even in a 44-34 loss, DeeJay Dallas got seven carries for 31 yards and a touchdown, while Travis Homer had 16 yards on six attempts. Homer also had 64 receiving yards on three catches while Dallas had two receptions for eight yards. Tight end Greg Olsen also had two catches for 13 yards.
An apparent touchdown to win the game on the final play was taken off the board by replay for the Los Angeles Chargers in a 31-26 home loss to the Raiders. But former Canes and safety Rayshawn Jenkins made a team-high six total tackles, and linebacker Denzel Perryman added three more. Kicker Michael Badgley was 2-3 on field goal attempts, including a long of 45-yards, and was 2-2 on extra points.
It wasn’t an offensive kind of a day for the Chicago Bears at the Tennessee Titans in a 24-17 loss. That side of the ball never got in rhythm, but tight end Jimmy Graham was productive, catching six balls for 55 yards and a touchdown. Punter Pat O’Donnell was busy, punting six times for 298 yards, pinning the Titans offense inside their own 20-yard line twice.
Running back Duke Johnson had 41 yards on 16 carries for the Houston Texans, including a touchdown late in the first half in a 27-25 win against Jacksonville.
Ravens defensive end Calais Campbell had a solo tackle at Indianapolis before being carted off in the first half for a calf injury. The pass rusher is expected to return this season, as Baltimore went on to win 24-10. On the other side of the field, fellow defensive end Al-Quadin Muhammad had four solo tackles for the Colts, including two tackles for loss and a sack.
Jonathan Garvin had a single tackle for the Green Bay Packers in a 34-17 win at the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday Night Football. Denver Broncos linebacker Anthony Chickillo matched Garvin’s total in a 34-27 loss at Atlanta, while also adding a half tackle for loss. And Panthers cornerback Corn Elder logged three tackles in a 33-31 loss at the Chiefs.