As we got the ball rolling with the best matchup of the past weekend, Sunday Night Football turned into a Mississippi State reunion. Seattle left tackle Charles Cross and Kansas City defensive tackle Chris Jones lined up on opposite sides of a 20-3 Seahawks win that handed the Chiefs their first loss of the season.
Charles Cross wins the night, then pays for it
Seattle’s line kept Sam Darnold clean all night, as Kansas City did not record a sack, and the Seahawks ran for 153 yards while holding the ball for nearly 36 minutes. Cross was a big part of that until he left in the fourth quarter with an ankle injury later reported as a high ankle sprain that could keep him out for some time.
Veteran Josh Jones took over at left tackle. Cross has started all 69 NFL games he has played since Seattle selected him in the first round of the 2022 draft, making the injury particularly significant. Honestly speaking, losing the anchor of a line that just shut down the Chiefs’ pass rush is a tough way to celebrate a statement win.
On the other side, Jones and the Chiefs fell to 5-1. A Kansas City front that usually lives in the backfield never got home, which made for a rare quiet night for the former Bulldog.
Woody Marks carries the load in Houston
Houston running back Woody Marks touched the ball 20 times against the Giants, running 19 times for 66 yards and catching a 15-yard pass. Houston still lost 27-21 in overtime, and the Texans remain winless at home heading into their bye week.
Be that as it may, 20 touches tells you how much the Texans trust the former Bulldog right now, even on a day when the big runs never came.
Martin Emerson Jr. comes back to Earth in Paris
One week after New Orleans cornerback Martin Emerson Jr. was named NFC Defensive Player of the Week for his two-interception game against the Giants, Emerson and the Saints dropped a 16-10 decision to Pittsburgh at Stade de France. The Steelers won it on the ground, and New Orleans fell to 2-5, a frustrating follow-up to his award-winning week.
Montez Sweat is back in the picture
Chicago defensive end Montez Sweat finished serving his two-game suspension, so the Bears beat New England 30-24 Thursday night without him. Chicago has since reinstated the defensive end, and a 5-2 Bears team gets a proven pass rusher back for the second half of the season.
Jeffery Simmons keeps producing in another close loss
Tennessee defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons recorded four tackles, a pass defensed and two quarterback pressures in a 27-24 loss to Cleveland, and he extended his streak to six straight games with a tackle for loss or a pass defensed, per the Titans. The Browns won on a 32-yard field goal on the final play, dropping Tennessee to 1-6.
Likewise, Simmons sounded like a player tired of close calls during his post game conference.
“We could have taken the life out of that team in the first half,” Simmons said. “We didn’t do enough, especially when it really mattered.”
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