Today was a rough day for a lot of teams around the NFL. Still, one game is never the end of the world, unless of course we’re talking about the Super Bowl. Even with some tough results, there was still a lot for losing teams to take away from Sunday’s games.
Dallas Cowboys 30, Detroit Lions 31
The Cowboys gave away a late-game lead, losing to the Lions by a single point after the Lions drove 80 yards in about one minute with no times out left. Ouch, there’s few ways to lose that are tougher to swallow.
Still, the Cowboys can sleep a little bit easier knowing they’re still in control of the NFC West. At just 4-4, it’s a wide open division, but the Cowboys have at least proven their ability to stay competitive week in and week out, something the Eagles, Giants and Redskins can’t exactly say.
San Francisco 49ers 42, Jacksonville Jaguars 10
Every time we begin to wonder if the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a worse team than the Jaguars, Jacksonville finds a way to shut down such nonsense talk. There’s no doubt the Jaguars are the worst team in the league, and that lack of competence was on full display Sunday.
The good news, at least for the Jaguars, is the number one pick in the draft seems secure, at least for now. The Jaguars don’t score points and allow others to score more than any other team in the league. At this point, the only way the Jaguars win is by dumb luck. Teddy Bridgewater, here they come!
Pittsburgh Steelers 18, Oakland Raiders 21
With the loss, the Steelers drop to just 2-5, and any hopes of getting into the playoffs, though still bleak, are not quite eliminated. Needless to say, the Steelers will still need a huge push in the second half of the season to give themselves a chance to sneak into the postseason.
The good news, if there is any, is the Steelers are back to playing competitive football. Although their inconsistent ways reared up early against the Raiders, the Steelers were able to fight back to make it a close game. Pittsburgh won’t be taking any moral victories away from Sunday’s loss, but at least they’re playing well enough to win games now, which is something that couldn’t be said of them earlier this year.
