Overreactions after a football game are natural. Why did this team win or lose and can it continue that momentum (or end it)? Will a decision by a player end up sending his team into a downward spiral or spark it to new heights?
What about the coaches? Is it necessary to fire a coach in the midst of a bad season or be patient? Same with a quarterback who is trying to retain his starting job week to week? That’s the beauty of the NFL, the instant reaction to a result, then having time to think about said reaction.
Overreactions are a hot topic in the NFL these days, but can we will them into existence? Perhaps, based on the results of the upcoming slate and how we predict that game this week is going to go.
These overreaction predictions are a result of what we think will happen this week, rather than the actual result.
Dillon Gabriel is earning his second start as quarterback of the Browns, a week after he played well in his first career start. Gabriel went 19 of 33 for 190 yards with two touchdowns for the Browns (94.3 rating) in a loss to the Vikings, a good defense that can test any young quarterback.
Cleveland plays Pittsburgh this week on the road. Even though the Steelers defense isn’t as strong as the Vikings, the first sign of trouble for Gabriel could signal the outside noise for Sanders — especially since Joe Flacco was traded to the Bengals and Sanders was promoted to QB2.
There will be some clamors for Sanders all year, and it may start on Sunday.
Chiefs will miss the playoffs
Monday’s loss to the Jaguars put the Chiefs at 2-3 for the season, a rare hole for Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes at this time of the year. The path doesn’t get any easier for the Chiefs, who face the Lions on “Sunday Night Football.” If the Chiefs lose at home, they’ll fall to 2-4 on the season, which could put them in a hole in the AFC West race with the Chargers facing the Dolphins and the Broncos facing the Jets.
Sunday isn’t a must win for the Chiefs, but it’s close to being one.
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The stage appears set for Prescott to have another massive game on Sunday, as he faces a Panthers defense that’s 22nd in yards per play (5.6) and 13th in passer rating allowed (89.7). Take away the rare shutout of the Falcons and the Panthers are 25th in passer rating allowed (106.7) and opponents completion rate (70%).
Prescott could have a huge game against a pass defense where the overall statistics are deceiving. A win would put the Cowboys at 3-2-1 through six weeks, and the bandwagon will start rolling how Dallas will make the playoffs — along with Prescott being an MVP favorite.
Winner of 49ers-Buccaneers will be a top two seed in NFC
The 49ers and Buccaneers are in the best matchup of the week, as both teams sport 4-1 records — and have gotten there in very different ways. This is the third straight big game for Tampa Bay, which lost to Philadelphia at home and defeated Seattle on the road.
A win for the Buccaneers would be massive, but the gauntlet doesn’t get any easier with the Lions next week and the Bills and Rams in November. The schedule gets much easier for Tampa Bay after that.
The 49ers have a very favorable schedule after the Buccaneers, as six of their next seven opponents are .500 or worse before their bye week. The 49ers could actually have 10 wins by the bye week, and set themselves up for a run at home-field advantage in the NFC.
The only question remains. Will Brock Purdy be back?
Daniels returned for the Commanders last week and played very well in a win over the Chargers, a game which the Commanders were down 10-0 and scored 27 unanswered points to finish the game. The game was buried in the regional window, but Daniels was 15 of 26 for 231 yards and a touchdown (100.0 rating) in his first game back from injury.
Daniels is healthy now and the Commanders have an opportunity to showcase how significantly better they are with him at quarterback. A win over the Bears on “Monday Night Football” would put the Commanders at 4-2 and in the hunt for the NFC East — and much more in the conference.
The Commanders have a brutal stretch of games coming up, but the game changes with Daniels at quarterback. The hype train will be rolling if they win on Monday — and the following week against the Cowboys.