I don't think too many players are performing better than Matthew Stafford of the Los Angeles Rams right now.
In fact, I would argue that as we move into the second half of the season, he is the frontrunner for the NFL Most Valuable Player prize, and I also believe he has the Los Angeles Rams in a position to make a Super Bowl run.
Stafford was outstanding in the 42-26 win over the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday. Looking in total command, he threw four touchdown passes and no interceptions. That's the third game in a row he's thrown at least four touchdowns and no picks.
Over the course of those three games, all emphatic wins, Stafford has thrown 13 touchdown passes and no interceptions. But this is a complete team. They rushed for 126 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. Four different players caught Stafford's touchdown passes, and it's a team that can rise up on defense as we know. They ranked third in the NFL in sacks coming into Week 10.
Tying everything together is the fact that they're well coached by a title winner in Sean McVay. This season is wide open, but the Rams definitely have the look of a true Super Bowl contender.
Who's Hot…
Jonathan Taylor… The league's leading running back was sensational in the Indianapolis Colts' overtime win against the Atlanta Falcons in Berlin, rushing for 244 yards and three scores. He struck from 83 yards out late in the fourth quarter and delivered the hammer blow with the eight-yard touchdown run in overtime. When the Colts needed him the most, Taylor answered the bell and that's what great players do. He certainly has the look of a great player this season. He is incredible and he is leading a Colts team that is one of the more surprising outfits of this season, but no more - we are taking them for real and Taylor is the driving force leading the NFL with 17 touchdowns.
Detroit's rushing attack… Dan Campbell took over the play-calling duties for Detroit in their 44-22 win over the Commanders in Washington. And it was about making a statement. The Lions regained their identity and said: "We are going to run the football." Campbell called 33 running plays for 226 yards and two touchdowns. In games where Detroit have been successful this year, they've been strong on the ground. In games they've lost, the running game has disappeared. Campbell sent a message to his own team and to the rest of the NFL on Sunday.
The Seattle Seahawks… The Seahawks won for the fourth week in a row and stake to claim as the best team in football improving to 7-2 with a 44-22 thrashing of the Arizona Cardinals. The Seahawks appear to be the complete package. They can throw the ball as evidenced by Jaxson Smith-Njigba's 43-yard touchdown catch to open the scoring. They ran the ball for 198 yards and two touchdowns and they sacked Jacoby Brissett five times with DeMarcus Lawrence scoring twice on fumble returns. The Seahawks and Rams play each other in week 11. That is not only to see who is top dog in the NFC West, the winner can be looked at as the league's elite squad.
Who's Not…
The Buffalo Bills… How can the Buffalo Bills go from beating the Kansas City Chiefs and playing really well on defense in Week 9 to losing 30-13 to the Miami Dolphins on Sunday? Buffalo were sloppy and turned the ball over three times. Those things can be cleaned up and likely won't happen often with Josh Allen at the helm. More worryingly, the Bills allowed the lowly and out-of-contention Dolphins to rush for 197 yards and two touchdowns. This is a game that was hard to make sense of and Buffalo are now two back from the Patriots in the AFC East and have lost to their division rivals.
The Pittsburgh Steelers… Sunday's 25-10 defeat against the Los Angeles Chargers means the Pittsburgh Steelers have dropped three of their last four games after opening the year 4-1. And now things have tightened up in the AFC North because Baltimore have won three successive games. Pittsburgh are 5-4, Baltimore are 4-5, and they still have to play each other twice before the end of the regular season. Aaron Rodgers was so good in the early weeks of the season, but he was not on Sunday. By his own admission, he let the team down and didn't play very well, throwing for just 161 yards. This is a tough test now for the Steelers to see if they can bounce back and get their season back on track.
The Fast Five…
- New England delivered a statement win in Tampa on Sunday, emerging 28-23 victors over the Buccaneers. Drake Maye was very good once again, throwing for 270 yards and two touchdowns, but he didn't have to do it alone. Treyveon Henderson scored from 55 and 69 yards out as the Patriots took control of the AFC East.
- The stench of Sunday's loss in Houston is going to be hard for the Jacksonville Jaguars to wash off. They led 29-10 with just over 12 minutes remaining but the Texans scored four touchdowns between then and the end of the game for a stunning 36-29 win. Liam Coen is going to have his work cut out when it comes to lifting his men for Week 11.
- The Chicago Bears were also come-from-behind winners on Sunday, overcoming a 17-7 deficit to record a 24-20 win over the New York Giants. Caleb Williams led the late charge with some athletic play from the quarterback position. The Bears not perfect but you don't need to be in order to be a contender in today's NFL. They have now won four of their last five.
- The Minnesota Vikings are one of the more disappointing teams of this 2025 season, dropping to 4-5 with Sunday's home loss against Baltimore. I think JJ McCarthy, who threw two interceptions on Sunday, is going to need time and he had some nice moments outside of those mistakes. But I keep coming back to the fact this team let Sam Darnold out of the building.
- The serious rebuild will begin for the New York Jets across the 2026 and 2027 seasons, but they will fight hard for Aaron Glenn in the meantime. New York were 27-20 winners against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, notching rare back-to-back wins. It may not mean much in 2025, but it could be another foundational piece upon which Glenn can build in the future.
Fact of the Week
Jonathan Taylor put forth an historic showing in Berlin as he amassed a career-high 286 scrimmage yards against Atlanta. That was the most by any player in Colts history, breaking a record set by Marshall Faulk in 1998. Taylor also overtook another legendary Colts running back as he took his career total to 66 rushing touchdowns, surpassing Hall of Famer Edgerrin James (64).
Final Thought…
Time and again we are reminded of the value of coaching across the NFL. Look at what Dan Campbell has done in recent years to transform the Detroit Lions. And the jobs currently being done by Sean McVay in LA and Shane Steichen in Indianapolis. Players win games with outstanding displays, but coaching matters. And while Drake Maye is shaping up nicely in terms of being an upper-echelon NFL quarterback, the arrival of Mike Vrabel has been a huge reason for the turnaround in New England. This is a proven commodity who has won Coach of the Year honours in the past. Vrabel can get tough with his players when necessary but he can also put an arm around them and be their friend. He has the balance just right, he has complete tactical command of any situation and he has the Patriots firmly back in the Super Bowl conversation. They never really went away for very long, did they?
