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Aaron Rodgers already copped a loss before the trade deadline, with the Green Bay Packers failing to land a reliable wide receiver for the veteran quarterback.
Now Rodgers has taken another hit, losing wideout Romeo Doubs to injury as the Packers slumped to a fifth-straight loss, this time 15-9 to the Detroit Lions.
The Lions entered Monday’s game with the worst defence in the league, conceding an average of 32 points per game, seemingly putting Rodgers and Green Bay in a good bounce back spot.
Instead, Rodgers connected with Allen Lazard for the Packers’ only touchdown of the day.
Rodgers finished the game completing 23 of 43 passes for 288 yards while also throwing a career-high three interceptions.
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Even if the Packers decided to go to the run game, they were not finding anything on the ground either, with Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon combining for just 59 yards.
In a further blow, Jones looked to have picked up an ankle injury in the defeat, although he jogged off towards the sideline in a positive sign.
Rodgers has been careful not to sound the panic alarm too much but as the losses pile up, it may be time to seriously ask where this Packers team is headed.
At the moment, Green Bay’s saving grace is the fact it is in a relatively weak NFC North where Chicago is its biggest competition for second spot behind leaders Minnesota.
The Bears though are fast-improving as quarterback Justin Fields grows more confident and they already scored a win over the Packers at the deadline by landing wide receiver Chase Claypool.
MIXON EXPLODES WITH FIVE-TOUCHDOWN SHOWING
Joe Mixon entered Monday’s game as one of the most inefficient running backs in the NFL, struggling to get going behind an overhauled but still ineffective Cincinnati offensive line.
So, logically Mixon exploded for a career-high five touchdowns in a big 42-21 Bengals win over the Carolina Panthers.
The Panthers had looked much-improved in recent weeks with P.J. Walker under centre but he had a horror half on Monday as Carolina fell to a 35-0 deficit.
Walker completed just three of 10 passes for nine yards and two interceptions, with the Panthers outgained 268 yards to 19 in just the one half.
The 35-point buffer was the largest for a first half in franchise history, surpassing a 32-point deficit to the Saints back in 2019.
Walker was eventually benched, with Baker Mayfield called in for his first piece of action since a Week 5 defeat to the 49ers.
Mayfield made an immediate impact, completing four of six passes for 34 yards on his opening drive and finishing it off with a touchdown pass to Tommy Tremble.
Obviously the game was lost at that point, with the Bengals finishing dominant winners but after impressing for multiple weeks it looks like Walker’s run in Carolina may be over.
As for Mayfield, it is another shot at redemption for the first pick from the 2018 draft.
FIELDS PUTS ON HISTORIC SHOW IN THRILLING LOSS
Speaking of the Bears, Fields put on a show in a thrilling 35-32 loss against the Miami Dolphins.
Already a noted runner of the ball, Fields already had 147 yards on 11 carries by the fourth quarter, including a stunning 61-yard touchdown run, finishing the game with 178 yards.
But he also showed off his much-improved passing game, completing 17 of 28 passes for 123 yards and three touchdowns.
With it Fields became the first player in NFL history to put up three passing touchdowns and 150 rushing yards in one game.
The Dolphins opened the game with the first touchdown of the day, with Raheem Mostert rushing into the end zone to give Miami a 7-3 lead after an early Cairo Santos field goal.
It was back-and-forth from that point, with Fields starting to take over as he found Cole Kmet with an 18-yard pass before Tyreek Hill answered back with a score for Miami.
Miami’s defence then stood up to block a Chicago kick as Andrew Van Ginkel retrieved the ball and ran away to score.
Darnell Mooney, one of the biggest beneficiaries of Fields’ improvement as a passer, then scored to reduce Miami’s lead to 21-17 at halftime.
The two sides continued to trade touchdowns, with Tua Tagovailoa connecting with Jaylen Waddle before Fields did his thing on the ground, rushing for that 61-yard score.
Jeff Wilson Jr. then scored in his first game as a Dolphin after being traded before the deadline, giving the Dolphins a 35-25 advantage.
The Bears of old may have crumbled under the pressure but instead Fields only continued to impress, finding Kmet again for the tight end’s second touchdown of the game.
It set up a thrilling finish, with Chicago then trailing 35-32 heading into the final 11 minutes of the game.
The Dolphins ended up taking the win and while Fields stole the show, Tagovailoa was also impressive for Miami, completing 21 of 30 passes for 302 yards and three touchdowns.
YOUNG COLTS QB SACKED NINE TIMES IN NIGHTMARE
The Indianapolis Colts looked towards the future late last month when they announced second-year quarterback Sam Ehlinger would be taking over Matt Ryan under centre.
It did not pay off immediately, with the Colts going down in their first game with Ehlinger slinging the ball but the young quarterback was embracing the challenge.
Things were only set to get even harder this week though, with Bill Belichick’s New England Patriots on the slate but once again, Ehlinger was looking forward to the test.
“There’s nobody that’s done it better and they always present a challenge defensively,” Ehlinger said.
Unfortunately for Ehlinger, the Patriots’ defence was at their ruthless best as they sacked the 24-year-old nine times in a commanding 26-3 win.
Indianapolis’ offensive line once again struggled, with the offence as a whole suffering as a result.
The Colts went 0-14 on third downs and finished with just 121 net yards of offence.
Even the return of star running back Jonathan Taylor, who has been hobbled by a recurring ankle injury, may not be enough to save the Colts even with second spot in the AFC South wide-open.
As for the Patriots, this was a crucial win in a highly-competitive AFC East, even if the offence still very much remains a work in progress.
Quarterback Mac Jones was solid without having to do a whole lot, completing 20 of 30 passes for 148 yards and throwing one touchdown in the win.
Rhamondre Stevenson, meanwhile, led the way on the ground with Damien Harris (illness) sidelined as he ran for 60 yards to go with one receiving touchdown.
OTHER RESULTS
Minnesota Vikings 20 defeat Washington Commanders 17
Buffalo Bills 17 defeated by New York Jets 20
Las Vegas Raiders 20 defeated by Jacksonville Jaguars 27
Los Angeles Chargers 20 defeat Atlanta Falcons 17
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