Sports

Week 9 Wrap: Titans elevate to top of AFC without Derrick ‘King’ Henry

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The time period “lure sport” is taking up a brand new that means this NFL season.

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Individuals are getting ambushed considering a group can’t win simply because it’s and not using a star participant.

Minus two or three of their greatest – effectively, neglect it.

The best instance in Week 9 was on show in Santa Clara, Calif., the place the San Francisco 49ers have been at house attempting to construct some momentum off a victory in Chicago seven days earlier.

They have been going through the Arizona Cardinals, who had their undefeated string snapped in Week 8 by the Inexperienced Bay Packers.

The Playing cards have been a tough guess – they have been both going to be affected by a winning-streak hangover, or they have been going to bounce again robust.

In the event that they’re the true Tremendous Bowl contender they need us to imagine, it could be the latter.

Then got here a curveball.

Nursing their respective accidents, Kyle Murray (ankle) and DeAndre Hopkins (hamstring) had not practiced all week, however have been nonetheless anticipated by most everyone to swimsuit up.

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A shadow of a doubt was solid Sunday morning, when each have been nonetheless listed as game-time choices.

Once they have been in the end designated inactive, the betting line naturally swung.

With out Murray and Hopkins – among the finest quarterback/receiver combos within the league – the visiting Playing cards went from being a one-point favorite to a 5 1/2 level underdog.

At that, you continue to needed to just like the determined Niners.

You needed to really feel much more snug along with your wager when Chase Edmonds, Arizona’s No. 1 working again, left the sport early within the first quarter with an ankle damage that they’re saying could lead on him to quick time period IR.

If all this describes you, it means you fell for the lure. Don’t really feel dangerous. You’re not alone.

Who would have anticipated the severely shorthanded Cardinals to pound the Niners 31-17 behind the throwing arm of profession backup Colt McCoy (22-of-26 for 249 yards and a landing, with no picks) and former Steelers working again James Conner, who did his greatest Christian McCaffrey impersonation with 21 carries for 96 yards and two touchdowns, together with 5 catches for 77 yards and one other main?

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One thing related occurred Sunday night time.

Minus high MVP candidate Derrick Henry, the Titans have been in Los Angeles to tackle the highly effective Rams, who have been 7-1 after successful 4 in a row.

Sean McVay’s group already had all of it earlier than receiving a lift with the acquisition of star Von Miller, regardless that the veteran linebacker will wait every week earlier than making his Los Angeles debut.

Not solely have been the Titans with out Henry, who’s turning into one of the dominant working backs of all-time, however they have been additionally lacking left sort out Taylor Lewan.

As such, they have been 7 1/2 level underdogs.

After all, Tennessee not solely gained however did so convincingly in a 28-16 last that really flattered the Rams.

It wasn’t about quarterback Ryan Tannehill, who was not nice however OK in finishing 19-of-27 for 143 yards, a landing and an interception.

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It wasn’t about his greatest receiver, both.

A.J. Brown performed by means of an damage, and as anticipated he was kind of shut down by Jalen Ramsey, catching 5 of 11 targets for 43 yards.

And it wasn’t about Henry’s substitute, or replacements.

The Titans high rusher was D’Onta Foreman, who had 29 yard on 5 carries.

Probably the most utilized was Adrian Peterson, the 36-year-old former 2,000-yard rusher who was signed earlier within the week.

Peterson had 10 carries for 21 yards, however supplied the icing on the cake with the 119th landing of his illustrious profession – three minutes from the top of the sport – to make the rating 28-9.

“Clearly, to lose Derrick is extraordinarily onerous,” Tannehill stated in a TV interview afterwards, “however to have a man like AP who is available in and runs the ball extraordinarily onerous, and fills that void for us, it’s large.”

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The star of the sport was the Titans defence, which earlier than Sunday ranked twenty second general and twenty fourth towards the move.

It held the vaunted Rams aerial assault to 294 yards, which can look like loads however on this night time wasn’t.

The one Los Angeles landing got here on a Sony Michel three yard toss with 24 seconds left.

Cooper Kupp was held to underneath 100 yards receiving for simply the fourth time this season. Matthew Stafford accomplished 31-of-48 passes in between being sacked 5 occasions for 41 yards in losses and getting picked off twice, back-to-back within the first half.

One was returned by DB Kevin Byard for a 24-yard landing.

The opposite led to one-yard TD plunge by Tannehill.

“I principally noticed them 14 factors,” stated Stafford. “Can’t do this within the NFL.”

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Know what else you possibly can’t do within the NFL?

You possibly can’t take wins and losses with no consideration. Not even when a group is all of the sudden lacking it’s greatest gamers.

You additionally should acknowledge the Tennessee Titans, the one group of their convention with seven wins, as the most effective group within the AFC proper now.

And bear in mind, if Henry does return within the 6-8 week window that was initially estimated, he’ll be again in time for the playoffs.

How do you assume Nashville would react to its group being within the Tremendous Bowl?

We apologize, however this video has didn’t load.

BET ON IT: In case you missed it, all the Fox NFL Sunday group – Corridor of Famers Terry Bradshaw, Jimmy Johnson, Michael Strahan and Howie Lengthy – ripped into Aaron Rodgers for his public stance on the COVID-19 vaccine.  “You lied to everybody,” Bradshaw stated to a TV viewers which will or might not have included his goal. “I perceive ‘immunized’. What you have been doing was taking stuff that might hold you from getting COVID-19 and you bought COVID-19.” Rodgers has admitted he by no means acquired the vaccine, and his the reason why. “We’re a divided nation politically, and we’re a divided nation on the COVID-19, whether or not or to not take the vaccine,” stated Bradshaw. “And sadly, we’ve bought gamers that just about assume solely about themselves. And I’m extraordinarily upset within the actions of Aaron Rodgers.” To not pile on, however is it completely unrealistic to assume that Rodgers was not upset to see Jordan Love lead the Packers to only one rating in a 13-7 loss to the Chiefs? That it stopped Inexperienced Bay’s NFL-best successful streak at seven video games is additional proof of how priceless Rodgers is – and makes him extra interesting to groups in want when he whines his approach out of Wisconsin this low season … There are 13 left in a Survivor Pool I used to be (sure, was) in that had 28 of us nonetheless kicking earlier than Sunday. Eleven went down with Dallas, two with Buffalo. Two others will get the boot if Pittsburgh loses to Chicago … Listed below are the early Week 10 traces from sportsbettingdime.com, together with my knee-jerk response in brackets:

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Ravens -7 at Dolphins (Baltimore covers).

Jags +10 at Colts (Two in a row for Jax? Nah).

Browns +2 1/2 at Patriots (Guess towards Belichick? Nah)

Falcons +9 1/2 at Cowboys (Belief Dallas once more? It’s too quickly)

Payments +13 1/2 at Jets (Gang Inexperienced defence is horrible).

Saints +2 1/2 at Titans (Doubt Tennessee? Not now)

Bucs -8 1/2 at WFT (Simple win for Brady Bunch).

Lions +8 1/2 at Steelers (After the final time we noticed Detroit, I’d take Pittsburgh if it was 18 1/2)

Vikings +2 1/2 at Chargers (Like the house group)

Panthers (no line) at Cardinals (Pending Murray’s standing)

Seahawks (no line) at Packers (Pending Rodgers standing)

Eagles +1 1/2 at Broncos (Vic Fangio’s ‘D’ seemed good once more Massive D).

Chiefs -2 1/2 at Raiders (Like Okay.C. with first place presumably on the road).

Rams -4 1/2 at Niners (L.A. by loads).

dbrennan@postmedia.com

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