Sunday’s matchup between the 49ers and Bengals best signified how the NFL season is a marathon and not a sprint.
The 49ers sprinted to a 5–0 start, while the Bengals only had one victory in their first four games. But in Week 8, the Bengals handed the 49ers their third consecutive loss and now appear to be Super Bowl contenders again.
With its third straight victory, Cincinnati certainly qualify for the winners section of this week’s column. And it would be a good guess to say the 49ers are in the losers category after another subpar performance from Brock Purdy and the San Francisco defense.
And yes, I’m mad at myself for using the cliche of “it’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon.” But it’s true, similar to when people say real football doesn’t start until Thanksgiving. We’re not quite there, but we’ve arrived at Halloween, and we’ve learned plenty about the true winners and losers in the NFL, especially in Week 8.
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Winners
Bengals
I spent the past two weeks calling the Bengals Super Bowl contenders, but I have to admit I felt a little silly saying that while the Bengals sat in last place in the competitive AFC North during their bye week.
Technically, the Bengals (4–3) remain in last place in the division, but I got the reassurance I needed after they beat the 49ers 31–17 on the road. It also made me feel a lot better about my Super Bowl pick before the season. (I predicted the Bengals would beat the 49ers in Las Vegas).
But I’m not here to brag about my Super Bowl pick. I wrote this team off, like many others did, when Cincinnati dropped to 1–3 with a hobbled Joe Burrow. I’m sure the Cincinnati bandwagon is at capacity again after Burrow picked apart the 49ers’ defense—he started the game with 19 consecutive completions. Most importantly, Burrow’s calf appeared to be at full strength. He evaded pressure from Nick Bosa & Co. a handful of times.
The Bengals technically remain in the bottom of the AFC North standings because of tiebreakers with the Steelers and Browns, but it wouldn’t be a surprise if they catch the first-place Ravens (6–2) in the coming weeks.
Titans
It was a pretty cool moment to see Will Levis embrace his family after his sensational debut during the Titans’ win against the Falcons.
Six months ago, nearly every team in the league passed on Levis during the first round of the 2023 draft. A disappointed Levis and his family were shown on TV several times on opening night of the draft. But Levis landed in an ideal situation when the Titans selected him in the second round (33rd overall).
Levis’s strong arm was on display during his four-touchdown performance against the Falcons. With Derrick Henry in the backfield, Levis was able to utilize the Tennessee’s play-action to his advantage, and did the same with DeAndre Hopkins’s sizeable catch radius. Levis threw three touchdown passes to Hopkins, who had yet to score this season and had his first three-TD game since 2017.
But this is not to discredit Levis’s terrific performance. He did his part by displaying accuracy and poise under center. The Titans (3–4) need to make him the full-time starter over Ryan Tannehill, who’s dealing with an ankle injury.
Seahawks
The Seahawks (5–2) moved into first place in the NFC West after they defeated the Browns, and improved their defense the following day with a notable trade.
Seattle is all in this season after the team acquired defensive lineman Leonard Williams. The Seahawks paid a hefty price by sending the Giants a 2024 second-round pick, but they could mitigate that loss by obtaining a compensatory pick if he leaves during the offseason, and they now have the defense to keep pace with the 49ers in the division—and the Eagles, Cowboys and Lions when the postseason arrives.
Geno Smith continued his struggles by throwing two interceptions against the Browns, but he’s gotten rookie wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba more involved the past few weeks (Smith-Njigba recorded three catches for 36 yards and one touchdowns against Cleveland). That will pay off down the road.
Jaguars
Note to self: It’s time to stop doubting the Jaguars (6–2).
Jacksonville is surging with a five-game winning streak, despite me thinking they're due for a letdown game. I chose against them the past two weeks.
After logging many miles the past month, the Jaguars now get to rest for a bye week before a Nov. 12 showdown with the 49ers, who limped into their bye week with a three-game losing streak.
To summarize Jaguars’ perfect October, they defeated the Falcons and Bills in London, crushed the Colts at home and followed with back-to-back road wins in New Orleans and Pittsburgh. Jacksonville is a legit contender in the AFC.
Saints
The Saints finally broke out of their offensive funk during a 38–27 victory in Indianapolis.
After falling behind by double digits, the Saints leaned on Alvin Kamara, Taysom Hill, Michael Thomas and Rashid Shaheed to outscore the Colts in a shootout not many saw coming. Derek Carr had his best performance as a Saints, completing 19-of-27 passes for 310 yards (11.5 yards per attempt), two touchdowns and no interceptions. As a team, New Orleans racked up a season-high 511 yards.
The Saints (4–4) are tied with the Falcons for first in the subpar NFC South. Now they need consistency on the offensive side—and get Chris Olave more involved—for them to create separation in the division.
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Losers
Vikings
The Vikings took a devastating blow after it was confirmed that Kirk Cousins will miss the rest of the season with the torn Achilles he sustained in the win against the Packers.
The Vikings dug themselves out of their 0–3 start by winning four of their past five games to remain in the playoff picture. But now the team might decide to pull the plug on the season without Cousins under center. There aren’t many quality quarterbacks available, and only a few hours remain before Tuesday’s trade deadline.
Rookie Jaren Hall could surprise as Minnesota’s starting quarterback (if the Vikings don’t sign or trade for another QB), but he might not have much help if Minnesota ships off a few quality players before the deadline to prioritize the 2024 draft. As for Cousins, he now heads into an offseason filled with plenty of uncertainty as a pending free agent. He’s going to need a team to take a chance on him after the significant injury in his 12th NFL season.
49ers
Purdy’s struggles have gotten the bulk of the spotlight for the 49ers’ surprising three-game losing streak. But the bigger problem might be how poorly the 49ers’ defense has been the past two weeks against Cousins and Burrow.
Purdy didn’t need to be perfect with a stout defense. But lately he’s been needed to score more without Deebo Samuel and Trent Williams in the lineup. The 49ers don’t care about Purdy’s status for quarterback rankings because they need the second-year quarterback to just be good enough to finally get this star-studded roster over the Super Bowl hump. If Purdy can protect the football, the 49ers should be fine and can overcome a few missed throws per game—if the defense improves after the bye week.
The Jets are a perfect example of getting by with a stellar defense and a quarterback who’s protecting the football. I think we can all agree Purdy is a better quarterback option than Zach Wilson. The sky is not falling for the 49ers, but there are a few concerns.
Rams
Sticking with the NFC West, the Rams have real problems offensively.
The Rams were supposed to improve with Cooper Kupp in the lineup, but they have taken a few steps back since he returned from his hamstring injury four games ago. The Rams (3–5) were embarrassed by the Cowboys, 43–20. Los Angeles also struggled to score the prior week in the loss against the Steelers.
Obviously, Kupp isn’t to blame. Matthew Stafford hasn’t been right since injuring his hip against the Colts in Week 4, and he has returned to locking in one player—some weeks it’s Kupp and others it’s rookie wideout Puka Nacua. The offensive line has dealt with injuries and has struggled to protect Stafford in the past month.
To make matters worse, Stafford is now dealing with a thumb injury on his throwing hand, which might keep him off the field for the foreseeable future. The Rams are fading fast after a strong first month to the season.
Steelers
Speaking of teams with bad offenses: the Steelers had another clunky performance in the 20–10 loss against the Jaguars.
Kenny Pickett again struggled, and is now dealing with a ribs injury, which might keep him out of the lineup for Thursday night’s game against the Titans. Pittsburgh could be forced to turn to Mitchell Trubisky, who’s known for being inconsistent since entering the league as the No. 2 pick for the Bears in 2017.
It wouldn’t surprise me if the Steelers (4–3) find a way into the postseason, but they won’t be a threat with how poorly Pickett has played this season. He has plenty to prove, and his job will be a lot harder with injured ribs.
Colts
The Colts (3–5) have desperately missed Anthony Richardson during their three-game losing streak.
Gardner Minshew is probably the best backup quarterback in the league, but there are reasons why he’s not a full-time starting quarterback. Minshew tends to have many highs and lows on the field. Also, he’s not a big threat as a runner.
Indianapolis would have given so many opposing defenses matchup nightmares with the athletic Richardson at quarterback and Jonathan Taylor and Zack Moss in the backfield. Richardson, this year’s No. 4 pick, was ruled out for the rest of the season after opting for surgery on his shoulder.
Also, the Colts’ defense has given up 37 points or more in every game the past three weeks vs. the Saints, Browns and Jaguars. That unit was instrumental in the Colts’ surprising start to the season.
