5 notable plays from Week 8: Lamar Jackson’s shocking injury and Jim Harbaugh’s passivity

Jackson was waived shortly after and will be placed on injured reserve. Backup Tyler Huntley was also knocked out of the game later, replaced by undrafted rookie Joe Fagnano in his NFL debut. The Ravens held on until the third quarter, but the Bills won 36-10.

Fagnano was thrown into a tough situation, throwing a pick and losing a fumble. The Ravens’ season is now very much in question, despite a 4-4 record.

There was no mystery in this room. No questioning strategy. It’s just terrible luck that Jackson is back for the first time in almost a month. His stay lasted exactly one room.

Advertisement

2. The Bucs win by starting… without completing a pass

Let’s call the Buccaneers’ third down on their first possession of the second half their most important play, just for laughs. For what? Because it was the Bucs’ last forward pass tent the whole game.

The Bucs then led 9-0. Baker Mayfield’s third pass during the deluge that hit Tampa on Sunday fell incomplete. The Bucs would run 28 more plays from that point. None of them would receive a pass.

It was the first time since 1974 that an NFL team completed no passes and won a game. The Bucs actually finished with negative passing yards thanks to a 2-yard sack on Mayfield.

Mayfield finished the game 0-of-3 passing in rainy conditions. He also had three fumbles, but recovered them all.

Advertisement

He still had a better game than Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr., who attempted 24 passes, completed eight for his team and four for the Bucs. Penix’s four INTs were a career high and were as many as he had thrown in his previous 14 games combined.

The Bucs seemed to understand the wet conditions better than the Falcons. After Mayfield’s final throw, they ran the ball 28 times in a row – and 56 times total for 324 rushing yards. Credit offensive coordinator Zac Robinson for understanding what it would take to win on Sunday.

3. Minshew magic leads to stunning comeback in Dallas

The Cardinals overcame a 14-point deficit and survived a failed extra-point attempt late in regulation to upset the Cowboys in overtime.

Advertisement

After Jacoby Brissett was benched, the Cardinals turned to wizard Gardner Minshew. The wizard delivered on his promise – and two key plays late in the match helped achieve this miraculous comeback.

The Cowboys took a 30-24 lead with just over a minute to play, and the Cardinals were looking at a third-and-5 play from the Dallas 40-yard line with 27 seconds left. That’s when Minshew hit Michael Wilson for a 27-yard pass to the 13-yard line.

The Cardinals were out of a timeout and had to do so with 11 seconds left. Minshew returned to Wilson for the TD strike – and what appeared be the winner of the game on a superb catch.

Tyler Allgeier, Wilson and Minshew completed this final drive. It wasn’t their fault that kicker Chad Ryland missed the extra point, sending the game into overtime.

Advertisement

In overtime, it was more about Allgeier and Wilson, although Wilson reportedly suffered two broken ribs, which could have happened on the tying TD.

Ryland made amends with the basket in overtime to win it. But they wouldn’t have won without the clutch and two great catches from Wilson.

4. Shippers’ passive approach hurt them from the start

The Rams and Chargers started slowly offensively in Sunday’s game, but the Chargers initially gained some offensive inertia. The problem is that they have slowed down.

The Chargers ended up making three field goals. Those kicks came four-and-2, fourth-and-3 and fourth-and-3. Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh was happy enough to take a 9-3 lead and not attempt any of those first downs, even though all three came from the Rams’ 28-yard line or closer to the end zone.

Advertisement

You could say the fourth-and-2 situation was the key play because it foreshadowed the level of aggression the winless Chargers would play with: incredibly low.

If Harbaugh wasn’t going to go for it on that one, from the Rams’ 16-yard line, he was apparently never going to do it from the 28- or 23-yard line. The funny irony was that all three third downs preceding field goals were handoffs, which often indicates an offensive coordinator is ready to go for it on fourth down. No!

The biggest misstep came just before halftime. The Chargers were facing a fourth-and-3 after Omarion Hampton was stuffed for no gain on third down. They let the clock run out until the two-minute timeout, got the offense back on the field and tried to make the Rams jump. Nobody was buying it. The Rams knew how conservative they were and the plot was easily foiled.

Advertisement

The Rams took the ball down the field in the final 90 seconds of the half, scored the touchdown and never looked back.

5. Another missed field goal hurts the Chiefs

Up by three points in the fourth quarter in Denver, facing a fourth-and-8 in Broncos territory, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid did on Sunday what he has always done with a narrow lead in similar situations: He called on his kicker.

However, Reid’s trust in Harrison Butker backfired. Butker missed a 54-yard field goal try with 2:36 left and the Chiefs led, 24-21. It was Butker’s sixth missed attempt of the season. Given that the Chiefs signed Justin Tucker to their practice squad last week, it’s fair to wonder if Butker’s failure was the last of his Chiefs career.