You may have heard the name Vontaze Burfict before. The Raiders and former Bengals linebacker has had a history of penalties and suspensions, and that trend has reached a controversial peak. After a ridiculous cheap shot helmet to helmet hit on Colts tight end Jack Doyle, Burfict was ejected from the game. However, the NFL saw fit to suspend Burfict from the NFL for the rest of the season, making it the first time a player has been suspended for an entire season in NFL history. There have been voices on both sides about the suspension, but personally, I agree with the decision because Burfict is a repeat offender. These dangerous hits have the potential to be harmful to both the victims and to Burfict himself, leading me to believe that harsher sentences are needed to ensure that the message actually gets across this time.

Seahawks 30, Rams 29

What a game on a Thursday matchup between two great teams in the Seahawks and the Rams. Russell Wilson looked particularly sharp, throwing for 268 yards and four touchdowns en route to a huge win. Chris Carson added 118 yards on the ground, and an impressive late interception by Tedric Thompson helped seal a Seahawks win that came down to a missed 44-yard field goal by the Rams. The Seahawks play the Browns next week and hope to continue to look strong. The Rams have suffered back to back losses but should not lose hope. They have looked a lot better on offense recently but play the 49ers next week, who have been looking better than anyone expected thus far.

Bills 14, Titans 7

Well. That was unfortunate. After a strong performance against the Falcons last week, my Titans lost a defensive battle to the Bills, who have looked impressive en route to a 4-1 record. The Titans have been inconsistent thus far, but I don’t think this is a loss to be concerned about, as the Bills clearly have one of the best defenses in the game, and the Titans defense held the Bills offense to 14 points. The Titans have a chance to rebound next week against the struggling Broncos while the Bills are likely to continue to roll against the winless Dolphins.

Raiders 24, Bears 21

In an impressive upset win, the Oakland Raiders knocked off the Chicago Bears in a tight game in London. For the Bears, Chase Daniel looked reasonable standing in for Mitch Trubisky, throwing for 231 yards and two scores, but also throwing two interceptions. The Raiders controlled the first half, leading 17-0, but the Bears rallied and took the lead in the third quarter, scoring 21. Then, Josh Jacobs scored with 1:57 to go to give the Raiders a statement win over one of the best teams in the NFL. What was most impressive for me was the performance by rookie running back Josh Jacobs against the Bears’ scary defensive front. The Bears had been among the league’s best in run defense thus far, but Jacobs ran all over them for 126 yards and two touchdowns. The Raiders can head into their bye week feeling great after a key win.

Saints 31, Buccaneers 24

After leading the Saints to two wins as more of a game-manager, Teddy Bridgewater finally had the breakout performance the Saints knew he was capable of. Bridgewater threw for 314 yards and four touchdowns en route to a third win for the Saints without Drew Brees. Michael Thomas was the primary target for Bridgewater, hauling in 11 passes for 182 and two scores. The Saints have an interesting matchup against Gardner Minshew and the Jacksonville Jaguars in a game that could go either way. The Buccaneers looked good and almost pulled out a win. Jameis Winston has looked like he belongs in a starting job, and has appeared much improved since last season. Chris Godwin continues to shine for the Bucs offense with another impressive game (seven receptions, 125 yards, two touchdowns). Next, the Bucs have a rematch with the Carolina Panthers, whom they beat 20-14 in week two.

Panthers 34, Jaguars 27

The Christian McCaffrey train was at full steam against the Jaguars. The superstar running back had three total touchdowns and over 200 yards from scrimmage to help the Panthers to narrowly escape impressive rookie Garner Minshew and the Jaguars. The Panthers hope to top the Buccaneers next week, which has been the only team to contain McCaffrey thus far in the season. The Jaguars play the Saints in a game that will place two backup quarterbacks going head to head. 

Texans 53, Falcons 32

What happened this game still eludes me. Deshaun Watson and the Texans offense looked like they were back in college against the Falcons defense, who had no answers for the Texans’ balanced offense. Watson threw for 426 yards and five touchdowns in the blowout win, and Carlos Hyde tacked on 60 yards and a score on the ground. The Texans will certainly need a repeat offensive performance against the Kansas City Chiefs in what will likely be a shootout. Meanwhile, the lackluster Falcons have a chance to win against the equally lackluster Cardinals next week.

Colts 19, Chiefs 13

When the Colts came into Arrowhead Stadium for the first time since leaving with an 18 point defeat in last year’s playoffs, no one would have expected them to walk in without Andrew Luck and win. However, that is exactly what happened as the Colts defense had a great performance to hold the Chiefs to one touchdown and stun the home crowd. Patrick Mahomes was magical, throwing for 321 yards and an impossible touchdown on a busted play, but the Colts were able to hold on to a lead due to a 132-yard performance from Marlon Mack behind the Colts’ monstrous offensive line. Anthony Castonzo and Quenton Nelson repeatedly opened up gaping holes for Mack to scamper through for large gains. The Colts head into their bye feeling proud that they accomplished what they had failed to do before. The Chiefs look to get back on track against the Texans next week.

49ers 31, Browns 3

I don’t know what changed from last season, but the 49ers are looking pretty good after stomping Cleveland by 28. San Fran got hot early, with Matt Breida running for an 83-yard touchdown on the first 49ers play from scrimmage. Jimmy Garoppolo looked sharp enough to get the job done, throwing for 181 yards and two scores. The 49ers are still undefeated heading into next week’s matchup against the 3-2 Rams. Meanwhile, the Browns have taken their second blowout loss of the season, and looked bad in a spectacular fashion. Baker Mayfield did not look good at all, as he only completed eight passes for 100 yards and two interceptions. Mayfield had a passer rating of 13 in the game. If a quarterback spiked the ball every play of the game, they would have a rating of 39, to put that in perspective. Anyways, the Browns have another uphill battle to fight next week against the 4-1 Seahawks.