The Barbershop: NFL Week 9

Written by Isaac Barber. Media by Joe Hubbs.

Week 9 NFL Winners and Losers

Losers

Jacksonville Jaguars

Every week the Jaguars seem to get worse and worse as a team. I would assume that at this point in anyone’s life it is very difficult to be a Jags fan. They are probably (now) the worst team in the NFL, and the best player on their team, Justin Blackmon, cannot seem to stay out of trouble. Blackmon is a great player; however his off-field issues are putting salt in the Jags 0-8 wound.

Steelers’ Defense

I just want to apologize to everyone for my mistaken moment of hope in the last blog. I took the two wins the Steelers put together as hope for a playoff push.  My fan hood got in the way of me making rational assumptions. The Steelers lack of wins is credited in large part to their defense being very below average. Over the last two games this defense has given up over 75 points and well over 800 yards. At this point in the season, this defense is not playing for a playoff spot, but job security.

Seattle’s Offensive Line

The Seattle Seahawks are the real deal. They have one of , if not the best defense in the league, a stud field general in Russell Wilson, a serviceable receiving core, and one of the best running backs this league has seen over the last 5 years. With all of that being said, the Achilles heel of this team has to be that offensive line. Russell Wilson has made a name for himself for maintaining the ability to throw on the move, due in large part to the lack of protection he receives from the big boys up front. This may not be a huge concern now; however, it could play a major factor once playoff time rolls around.

Chargers

With the surprising amount of Californians on this campus I feel it noteworthy to mention the Chargers. If they could have beaten the Redskins this past weekend they may have made the winners, but they did not. Sorry…  This past weekend they fell to 4-4, and in the final half of their season they only play two teams that are below .500. Among those teams are the Raiders who already defeated the Chargers, and they must line up against the Broncos and Chiefs twice, as well as the tough Bengals. With such a tough second half, it is going to be a tough push for the playoffs for the Chargers.

Winners

Rob Gronkowski.

Despite a series of injuries and surgeries, the Gronk is back folks. This past weekend against the Steelers, Gronk caught nine passes for over 140 yards and a touchdown. The return of Gronk should make Brady haters jeer as Pats fans cheer. Brady now has his favorite target to throw to, and his return automatically boosts that offense times ten.

Dallas Cowboys

Very seldom will I ever give the Dallas Cowboys credit for anything they do, so let’s make this quick. Despite Dez Bryant’s sideline antics last week, I am willing to forgive him seeing that he has been a saint for my fantasy team over the past few years. Also despite Cowboys fans constant ridicule, Tony Romo is statistically one of the best quarterbacks in this league. Where they lack as a team is there defense, and now they get DeMarcus Ware, one of the baddest pass-rushers, back just in time for the second half of the season.

Nick Foles

He threw seven touchdowns Sunday. He has yet to be named the starter since Michael Vick went down, which raises many questions. However he is putting himself into a position that is going to make Chip Kelly look a little bit deeper at keeping him the starter.

Andy Reid

After a long stint in Philly, Andy left the Eagles and became the head coach of the Chiefs. He is now coaching the team with the best record in the NFL. The offense is efficient and the defense is good… really good. And in light of No Shave November, he probably has the best Mustache out of any head coach in the NFL.