NFL Week 9 Recap: We Need to Talk About Aaron

So let's talk about it. Right here. Right now. I am a diehard Green Bay Packers fan. I am a diehard Aaron Rodgers fan. I love what he does on the field, as well as off it. However, we have to bring up one thing he did off the field that has all of society in an uproar. Days before a "Clash of the Titans" against the Kansas City Chiefs, the news broke: Aaron Rodgers tested positive for COVID-19. The news was followed by the added revelation that he'd be out for the game, which shocked this fan. I was thinking that Rodgers could return following two negative tests because he was vaccinated.

Yeah...about that.

So it turns out Rodgers was never vaccinated. We all thought he was back in August, but in that presser, Rodgers said that he was "immunized." Not the same as actual vaccination. Immediately, it was deemed that Rodgers lied, but he actually didn't, though he didn't really tell the whole truth, either. He later went on Pat McAfee's show and explained that he was allergic to a chemical in the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, and he considered Johnson and Johnson, but it was pulled. If he had said that and left it there, I'd have been fine with it. But Rodgers decided to keep talking, and ended up putting both feet in his mouth. I was not happy with a lot of the things he said, but I was still left with the impression that Rodgers had actually no side in this. I don't consider him anti-vaxx. I don't consider him pro-vaxx. I think he's in the middle. With that said, I'm just waiting for Rodgers to return to play, that's all.

Meanwhile, this was Jordan Love's chance to start in the NFL for the first time. Love was drafted by the Packers in the first round of the 2020 Draft, a pick that was controversial due to Rodgers not knowing about it. That was the big question among football fans, especially Packers fans. How would Jordan Love do? Love needed a little help getting his groove, but he did get it. I thought he did well under the circumstances, and he did throw his first TD pass--tossing it to Allen Lazard late in the fourth quarter. The Chiefs ended up winning 13-7, but this is not a win they can build on. It was ugly from both sides, sloppiness from both teams resulted in that score. Even with Love, that game was winnable for the Packers, but special teams miscues ended up being costly.

The undisputed upset of the season goes to the Jacksonville Jaguars, who actually defeated the Buffalo Bills by a score of 9-6. I still can't believe this. The Jacksonville Jaguars, the champions of last season's Tank Bowl, the team that is an absolute mess in every way shape and form, actually defeated a team that is a heavy favorite in the American Football Conference. We also had a Gemini Man-esque moment with Josh Allen sacking Josh Allen, the NFL equivalent of Will Smith striking out Will Smith. This was a very crazy game, another ugly one, and it went Jacksonville's way for their second win of the season. The Bills picked a bad time to have an embarrassing outing, because in Charlotte, the New England Patriots won 24-6 over the Carolina Panthers, meaning that there is only a half game separating those two teams in the AFC East, and there's a half season left--with the second half including TWO meetings betwen the Pats and Bills.

Though I did call the Jaguars a mess, and they are one, at least they're a comedic one. There is absolutely nothing funny about the Las Vegas Raiders this season. This team is pathetic. A pathetic team full of horrible people. First it was Jon Gruden. Then it was Henry Ruggs III going 156 miles per hour while intoxicated, and causing an accident that killed a young woman and her dog, while badly injuring his girlfriend/passenger. The latest shame to hit this team? Damon Arnette. A video of himself holding an assault rifle and making death threats was on social media just one day prior to the game. Naturally, he was cut. This team is hideous. I was so happy when the Giants beat them. The score was 23-16, the Giants' second win in three games.

The week began with the Indianapolis Colts blasting the New York Jets, 45-30, and elsewhere, we saw the Dallas Cowboys lose big at home to the Denver Broncos, 30-16. It was the Broncos' first game since they traded their Super Bowl MVP, Von Miller, to the Los Angeles Rams. The Atlanta Falcons defeated the New Orleans Saints, 27-25, with a last second FG from Younghoe Koo, which came after the Falcons blew a double-digit win. However, the fact that they won in spite of that could be a sign that things are getting better in Atlanta sports, with the game coming five days after the Braves won the World Series. Another game winning FG occurred in Baltimore, as Justin Tucker's chip shot gave the Ravens a 34-31 win over the Minnesota Vikings in overtime.

The bizarre Week 9 featured the Tennessee Titans blasting the Los Angeles Rams inside SoFi Stadium, in the Titans' first game since losing their star running back, Derrick Henry, for the rest of the season. It was not a good game for Matthew Stafford, who threw for 294 yards and a score, but tossed two interceptions, one of them for a TD. The Cleveland Browns blasted the Cincinnati Bengals after cutting ties with Odell Beckham, Jr., the Arizona Cardinals managed to dominate the San Francisco 49ers without Kyler Murray and DeAndre Hopkins, the Chargers eked out a last second win, and in a battle between teams whose only win came on opening week, the Miami Dolphins emerged victorious over the Houston Texans.

What was supposed to be a laugher for the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday Night Football ended up being closer than expected. The Steelers dominated in the first half against the Chicago Bears, and continued to do so in the third quarter, but things started to fall off for Pittsburgh. The Bears found their way back in the fourth, even taking the lead late, but Chris Boswell gave Pittsburgh the lead back with over thirty seconds left. The Bears' final drive led to a 65-yard FG attempt from Cairo Santos, but it fell just short--hitting the crossbar. My goodness. The Steelers won, 29-27; they are 5-3, yet all of their wins are ugly. Nevertheless, wins are wins, and they are in second place in the AFC North, a game behind the Ravens.

The 2021 NFL season is half over; nine weeks down, nine to go. The back nine will be very interesting indeed, and Week 10 will start with the Miami Dolphins hosting the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday Night Football. The Sunday Night Football showcase will be an AFC West clash between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Las Vegas Raiders, and it's an NFC West clash on Monday Night Football, as the San Francisco 49ers will host the Los Angeles Rams.

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