Ranking the best NFL Games & Upsets - after the first 2 weeks of the 2021 season.

After the first 2 games of the 2021 NFL season, there has been some nail biting drama filled finishes & unexpected upsets.


Week 1 best games

#1 Ravens at Raiders (Raiders win a wild bizarre OT game in Las Vegas 33-27)

#2 Browns at Chiefs (Chiefs come back from a 22-10 deficit late in the second half to shock the Browns 33-29)

#3 Vikings at Bengals (Bengals pull one out of the hat late in OT to stun the Vikings 27-24)

#4 Brady leads the Bucs to a game winning field goal in the Thursday night opener (ruining the Cowboys upset bid 31-29)


Week 1 Unexpected shockers

#1 Cardinals crush the Titans in (Tennessee 38-13)

#2 Saints pound the Packers (38-3)

#3 Steelers upset the Bills in (Buffalo 23-16)


Week 2 best games

#1 Ravens win a thriller in Baltimore vs the Chiefs (36-35)

#2 Cardinals hold off the Vikings (34-33 after the Vikings kicker missed a chip shot game winning field goal)

#3 Washington squeaks out a crazy victory (vs the Giants 30-29)

#4 Rams fend off the pesky Colts (at Indianapolis 27-24)

Week 2 Unexpected shockers

#1 Titans travel to Seattle (to upset the Seahawks 33-30)

#2 Cowboys stun the Chargers (in Los Angeles 20-17)

#3 Raiders rattle the Steelers (in Pittsburgh 26-17)


Week 3 is upon us and there will likely be some more wild upsets and last minute dramatic victories.


NFL 2021

The trip would make Shatner the oldest person to ever be launched into space

[www.foxbusiness.com]

according to reports

William Shatner will fly aboard Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin for a 15-minute space flight next month. He would become the oldest person to go into space.

[abcnews.go.com]

dont have time to copy and paste everything so here's the link

Sony Michel prepared if called upon for expanded role​

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – As the Rams determine whether starting running back Darrell Henderson Jr. (ribs) will be available for Sunday's game against the Buccaneers, fellow running back Sony Michel is staying ready – no matter what the scope of his role ends up being.

"I gotta be prepared, whether I start or not," Michel said after Thursday's practice. "If I'm not prepared, it's not going to be good. So my only focus right now is being prepared, being in the playbook, trying to get some extra studying in, trying to go over certain looks that maybe the guys that were here in camp got that I didn't. So my job is to try to learn as fast as I can in a short amount of time. And if my number's called on Sunday, I've got to be ready to go."

After seeing only three snaps against the Bears in Week 1, Michel saw his most meaningful action to date in Week 2 with 10 carries for 46 yards and 16 snaps total.

All of those rushing attempts came in the fourth quarter after Henderson exited the game with the aforementioned rib injury. To be exact, seven of them game on the drive after Henderson's injury and accounted for seven of the 12 plays that set up what would end up being the game-winning, 38-yard field goal by Rams kicker Matt Gay.

"It's always great to get out there and help a team win a football game, try to be another piece to the puzzle," Michel said. "But it also builds confidence – it builds confidence in oneself, it builds confidence in your teammates. You want your teammates to trust you, you want your teammates to want to be out there with you. I think that's the most important part."

This week, Michel will be preparing for a Buccaneers defense that returns every starter from last year's Super Bowl team, one that also finished the 2020 regular season No. 1 in the NFL in run defense.

"I'm sure everybody knows, they have a physical front seven, they have guys that can cover well, and they're very physical," Michel said. "In order to run the football, you've got to be physical against it, and that's what we're going to try to do."

Michel will play, according to Rams head coach Sean McVay, though they're still evaluating what the scope of his involvement looks like.

"Not sure yet (if Michel will start)," McVay said. "We're seeing what Darrell's status will be, but you can expect to see Sony. Whether he's taking the first snap or however many snaps he plays, is still to be determined."

Asked if he likes knowing in advance that he will be starting, Michel indicated it didn't have an impact on his approach.

"Throughout my career, I've always prepared like a starter," Michel said. "These past two games, I prepared as if I was going to be the starter. Because things happen in the game where I might get thrown in. The term starter, it's so broad because you can start the game, but if you get thrown in the third play of the game and you got the rest of the game, if you're not prepared, it doesn't mean anything."

Opening kick first two games has been terrible. Both times containment was not set same side both kicks.

#37 first game I don’t see that number listed with a quick look.

#36 second game, JR Reed.

Someone else said it, kick it out of the end zone.

…this is the week it should manifest.

Team is 2-0, playing defending champs, televised over most of the country, unlikely to have a large contingent of traveling opposing fans at the stadium…

Let’s see a SoCal 12th man effect this week!

This has some very enjoyable content. Poor Kyle got his panties all in a wad. He's such a little bitch.

For your Friday reading pleasure...

This division…

The Titans might be able to start printing playoff tickets.

I do expect Indy to bounce back somewhat, but Carson Wentz looks like fools gold… so, will they…really?

Not sure I expected Trevor Lawrence to come out on fire, but I sort of thought maybe the Jags would be at least “better”. That whole thing down there with the Jags, Urban Meyer, seems weird.

Texans aren‘t bad. But, they’re not good either. Not sure I see them getting better as the season goes.

What’s your thoughts on the AFC South? It’s certainly not the NFCW.

As LA Rams fans, we look back at last years loss to the Jets as a low point in the season. Yet, it led to one of trhe most enjoyable shows by Rich Eisen that I saw during the football season. Rich was taking glory with every Jets loss because it meant one more loss towards the #1 spot in the Last NFL Draft and Trevor Lawrence. The Rams did the unthinkable by losing to the Jets and thereby losing the spot by the Jets to the JAX Jaguars with whom they were tied for the worst team in the NFL. Rich's rant and examination of Jets futility is his therapy. I so loved it, because his exasperation made me laugh at myself when we went 2-14 and how I thought at the time.....Watch this and smile, and add your own that you loved.

Login to view embedded media View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gPjZf6c7SU

Some thoughts and personal insights leading up to the Rams NFL week 3 heavyweight matchup vs the Bucs on Sunday.

Like every new season in the first 2 or 3 games, there are NFL players that don't look as good as we projected them to be and other players that show flashes of being better than the year before.

Every new season, players ascend, look more of the same or take a step back from their production from the previous season.

It's only been 2 games but fans pick up on trends and quickly get concerned.


A small step back early in the 2021 season ?

Darious Williams = Wearing his new jersey #11 in a contract year, he doesn't look as sharp, fast or aggressive as he was in 2020.

Jordan Fuller = He wears the green dot now, but he's done nothing special and it appears he's gotten off to a slow start in 2021.

Terrell Burgess = Still working his way back from last seasons injury, it seems like he's a few more weeks away from hitting his stride.


A step up from 2020 ?

Sebastian Joseph-Day = He's playing well and looks to be improved from his 2020 performance.

Troy Reader = Has the look of an ascending player.

Justin Hollins = Picked up where he left off last season and has shown signs of taking another step.

David Long = Even thought it's early in the season, nobody has been missing the loss of Troy Hill.

Greg Gaines = So far so good after 2 games.


Flashes of taking the next step ?

Brian Allen = (didn't play last season) but so far he's been proving the Rams right by not giving up on him.

Van Jefferson = He splashed in week 1 and he will be under the microscope the next few games.

Rob Havenstein = Perennial Right Tackle is off to a great start in 2021.

Robert Rochell = Has the early votes for Rams rookie of the year.

I'm sure I left other solid candidates off of this list.




Still very early in the season but...

I'm thinking about finally buying a new TV. What is the absolute best 4K TV available right now - 60-65" range.

I've had Dobermans for over 25 years and seen them get up to some hysterical things.

Sadly, Ive missed capturing most of it as I usually have my phone in my pocket and never used to take a camera prior to smartphones.

Until yesterday.

I have no clue why I decided to try out slo-mo for the first time ever, but I'm glad I did.

Darci is our youngest and as clumsy as fuck. I've seen her fall over and bounce back up again more times than the other 5 we have had combined.

But this was special, even for her.

Login to view embedded media View: https://www.tiktok.com/@timbrownson/video/7011105272076799237?lang=en&is_copy_url=0&is_from_webapp=v1&sender_device=pc&sender_web_id=6991024067382920710

The Rams' rushing stats thus far don't look very strong (87 yards/game, 3.4 yards per attempt), but I've noticed an interesting exception: 4th Quarter rushing success.

In "pure" running plays (handoffs to running backs) here are the Rams 4th Quarter numbers:

Week 1: 11 carries, 62 yards
Week 2: 10 carries, 44 yards

If this proves to be an ongoing trend, its a good one. The ability to use the running game as a "closer" in the fourth quarter can be very valuable. Top opposing QBs can't beat you with heroics if they can't get on the field.

Hopefully, this will continue.

Thursday Night Football: Carolina Panthers vs. Houston Texans​

The Carolina Panthers (2-0) look to stay undefeated when they travel to the Lone Star State to take on the Houston Texans (1-1) for "Thursday Night Football" to kick off Week 3 of the NFL season.

The Panthers, fresh off a 26-7 pounding of the Saints, are one of the NFL's early surprises. Sam Darnold is as poised as ever under center, and Carolina's defense is wreaking havoc on opposing offenses thus far. Matt Rhule certainly has the Panthers trending in the right direction in his second season as head coach.

It's only Week 2 and Texans fans could use a hug. Sure, some of the franchise's faults are of their own doing, but the injury to quarterback Tyrod Taylor certainly isn't. Last week, Houston was hanging with the Browns step-for-step before Taylor missed the second half with a hamstring injury as Cleveland was able to pull away and get a 31-21 win. Now the quarterbacking duties shift to rookie Davis Mills on a short week against a tough Carolina defense.

Thursday Night Football: Carolina (2-0) at Houston (1-1)

Kickoff: Thursday, Sept. 23, at 7:30 p.m. ET
TV: NFL Network
Spread: Panthers -7.5

Three Things to Watch

1. Panthers' top-ranked D

A season ago, the Carolina defense was about as middle of the road as you could get in the NFL. They were 15th in points allowed, 18th in yards surrendered, 19th in yards per play, and 23rd in sacks. So far this season, coordinator Phil Snow has flipped the script, and now the Panthers' defense is a force, allowing only 21 total points in their first two games.

Last week, the Carolina defense was flat-out dominant against the Saints. They held Jameis Winston and the Saints' offense to just 128 yards, the lowest mark of the Asshole Face era in New Orleans, and allowed only six first downs. After five Week 1 touchdown passes, Winston threw for only 111 yards with two interceptions while Alvin Kamara only rushed for five yards on eight carries.

The Panthers' defensive makeover starts with their ability to pressure the quarterback. So far this season, Carolina leads the league with 10 total sacks after getting to Winston four times and pressuring him on 64 percent of his dropbacks. And it's been a total group effort, as six players have recorded at least one sack, led by outside pass rusher Haason Reddick (3 sacks) and defensive end Brian Burns (2). What's more impressive is that Carolina's defenders are able to get into the backfield without constantly bringing pressure, blitzing on only 16 percent of snaps, 13th most in the league.

Look for Snow to dial up more blitzes against the Mills, who will be making first career NFL start on Thursday night.

2. Good luck, Mr. Mills

Tyrod Taylor can't catch a break. He was playing so well against Cleveland last week, single-handedly keeping his team in the game in the first half. He connected on 10 of his 11 passes for 125 yards and had both a touchdown pass and run. But it was the latter score that ended up costing him, as he pulled his hamstring on the 15-yard touchdown scamper. The injury, although mild, will keep him out of the lineup on Thursday night.

Enter Mills, the Texans' third-round pick in this year's draft from Stanford. Mills is the third rookie quarterback to replace an injured Taylor since 2018, the other two being Baker Mayfield and Justin Herbert. While Mills isn't widely considered to be the heir apparent in Houston, the Texans are now his team until Taylor can return.

Houston has made it clear that Deshaun Watson will remain inactive until his status is further clarified. He is the subject of 22 active lawsuits containing allegations of sexual assault and inappropriate behavior, and he remains under investigation by the league. He is not banned from taking part in team activities and still wants to be traded due to his unhappiness with the direction of the franchise. Should Mills get hurt on Thursday night, Jeff Driskel will likely get the call. He is currently on the Texans' practice squad but is expected to be elevated to the active roster to take Taylor's spot.

Following Taylor's injury last week, Mills entered the game and not surprisingly experienced some growing pains in his first NFL snaps. He completed only eight of 18 passes for 102 yards, with a touchdown and an interception on the second throw of his career. Looking over the limited NFL Next Gen stats of Mills' outing from Sunday, I found that 22 percent of his throws were considered aggressive, but none of those attempts were classified as "bad throws" by Pro-Football-Reference.com. It's an interesting statistical conundrum considering that his eight completions only went for an average of 5.7 yards. Basically, the kid is checking down a lot, which is to be expected and, quite frankly, probably the right thing to do.

I'd assume head coach David Culley is going to simplify the offense as best as he can for Mills on Thursday night. Look for most passes to be within the five-to-seven-yard range — lots of routes out of the backfield from running backs Mark Ingram II, Phillip Lindsay, and David Johnson, and also a lot of underneath routes to Brandin Cooks.

3. Stay steady, Sam

The first two weeks of the Darnold era in Carolina are the steadiest we've ever seen of the young quarterback. Maybe it's the calming effect and guidance of Rhule and offensive coordinator Joe Brady that has helped Darnold. Perhaps it's having the versatile Christian McCaffrey, who looked like his old self last week after an injury-plagued 2020, in the backfield. Having a great defense certainly helps. So does having a competent offensive line. Maybe it's just not playing for the Jets.

Whatever it is, Darnold is playing better than he ever has before and clearly with more confidence. His current completion rate (68 percent) is almost 10 points higher than that of his entire Jets tenure (59.8), and his passer rating sits at an impressive 100.8, 22.2 points higher than his three-year average with New York. Last week, he went 26-for-38 for 305 yards and two touchdowns against the Saints. His one interception on an ill-advised shovel pass wasn't great, but it ultimately didn't matter.

Darnold has gotten plenty of support, including from an offensive line that has helped keep him clean in the pocket. So far, he's only been pressured on 18 percent of his throws, as opposed to an absurd 27 percent last season. Darnold has also cut his bad throws in half, from 18 percent in 2020 to just nine percent through two games. Some of that has to do with McCaffrey being such a reliable target out of the backfield and in the slot, tying for the team lead with 14 receptions. But if you're Darnold, does it really matter? As long as the offensive line can keep him upright, we might actually see what he's capable of, and that just might be a pretty good NFL quarterback.

Final Analysis

Rhule has the Panthers rolling right now, especially on defense. Simply put, there is no reason why they should slow down against a rookie quarterback making his first start on a short week. The hits keep coming for the Texans as the Panthers should roll to a 3-0 start.

Prediction: Panthers 27, Texans 14

So, let's play a game!

You and your family just won a week's vacation anywhere in the world. Where do you go and what is on the agenda?

For me....kids are staying home. I dont wanna be slowed down to their bullshit lol.

I'm bringing my wife and we are going to Egypt.

I've been obsessed with Egyptian history. I watch all kinds of documentaries on the ancients. I remember being a small kid in school up until middle school, we had this man who would come to our school every year and give amazing slide shows about his trips. He went to Egypt one year and I fell in love.

I would HAVE to see the pyramids. I would of course want to see the sphinx. I wouldn't just wanna see the tourist shit, I wanna see some active dig sites.

Second place....Salem Mass. The history....enough said.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/mo...smanship-going-viral/ar-AAOIhlO?ocid=msedgntp

by Tzvi Machlin.

Basically, one of the players was cramping up and in pain, and a player on the opposing team helped stretch him out before the medical staff from either team came out. Very cool.

Just some Stats to give you an idea what the Bucs have been doing last couple of games.
Their Pass defense appears to have been weak so far, while the run D has been very good .

Bucs haven't done much running the ball so far. Which I feel may change against Rams.
our sack #'s have not been outstanding, but our pressure has been consistent and Brady is a statute.
So the Bucs are probably have play a lot of Quick pas game and try to establish the run before they
risk some slower developing plays



Brady has 86 pass att.'s in 2 games (30 more than Stafford.) 65% comp percentage 330.5 yds per game with 7.6 avg yds per pass.
9 TD passes 3int's

Bucs have 0 rushing TD's
No back on Buc's has eclipsed 100 yds for the season (2 games)
Fournette is the leading rusher with 84yds this season. 4.2yds per carry.

Bucs defense has allowed 7 40+ passing plays in two games
Bucs are allowing 27pts per game.
Bucs have 2 best rushing yds allowed. 57.5 yds per game
Bucs ranked 30th in passing yards allowed. 342 yds per game.
Bucs have created 2 sacks this season and 5 TFL's

congrats to @VegasRam for winning last weeks contest coming within 1 point of actual
final score. There were others that were 1 point off but Vegas was the first to post. It pays to get in early !!


On to this weeks contest. The Super Bowl Champs come to town to take on the Rams at SoFi stadium, both teams sitting at 2-0. Which team comes out on top?

Per the Tampa Bay Times, Brown was placed on the reserve/Covid list today and will need two negative tests 24 hrs prior to game time in order to be eligible to play. They don't sound encouraged about him making that.

Look for Scottie Miller and maybe Howard/Brate to see some uptick in targets.

Yeah, I know....like that is news to any of you.

I just read an article on the hype for this Sunday's game against the Bucs. These analysts just don't make any sense anymore. Why even write about a game you know nothing about and just add filler to? It's like reading a Politicians work.

Analyst: "If the moon is out the night before and Mike Evan has eggs for breakfast with Jalen Ramsey having toast, using stats from a game 5 years ago against another team its clear Evans has an advantage and the Bucs will score 400 FGs against a superior Rams laundry service team".

I watched "Inside the NFL" last night and Simms says, "The Rams just have too many stars......not enough depth".....then says, "I like the 49ers because of that starting D-line".......followed later by someone else saying, "Kansas City is just too good because they have so many stars".

I know journalism died decades ago, but why even bother with analysis in the NFL? They should just have "Hype-men" like in "A Knight's Tale".

It isn't even about it being the Rams. I listen to them do the same thing to other teams. Getting tired of watching the brainwashing garbage!

... are you tired of the traditional Christmas & Halloween decorations ?

How about this ...

Last year the Rams had 2 pass plays over 40 yds all season, this year they have 3 in 2 games, but none of them from the guy who we brought in to do that very thing. Hell, Jackson only has a handful of snaps, let alone targets.
McVay says he has to do a better job, flow of the game, blah blah blah. Jackson was brought here to take the top off, and he’s been here all offseason. So you’re telling me that there’s no plan in place to get him into the offense, that the offensive mastermind hadn’t figured out his role before now?
Or maybe he’s just saving him. I would imagine Kupp’s days of roaming around secondaries unimpeded are about over, there should be multiple guys with eyes on #10. A perfect time to give them something else to worry about. This is a big stretch coming up with Tampa, Arizona and the Hags, maybe McVay is keeping Jackson for a surprise.

Fangio’s scheme has been McVay’s kryptonite for a while now. Belichek used some of the concepts in the SB to throttle the Rams. Staley had the #1 defense in football last year, so what’s going on ? Last year the Rams had zero backs rush for a hundred yards, this year 2 in 2 games. Last year Staley had the #1 defense in his first year with no off season, imagine what he can do with Bosa and Derwin James. The Cowboys rushed for 200 yds and had 450 yds of offense. Should the rams and chargers be getting nervous about their defenses?

Wonderful woman and wife of Tommy for 70 years passed away at 91. Rest in peace m'Lady.