In what turned out to be a thrilling NFL Week 9, many players stood out, solidifying their place among the best in the league. Importantly, Brock Bowers, Sam Darnold and Josh Allen all had their moments to shine – all three of them reaching important milestones. Their contributions propelled their teams to key wins. In the process, they shattered plenty of records of their own and cemented their legacy as one of the best teams in league history.
The Raiders’ star rookie tight end Brock Bowers had a game for the ages in his last contest against their closest divisional rivals. Through air and ground, he recorded an equally eye-popping 12 receptions for 127 yards and three touchdowns. This performance solidified him and made the first ever tight end for the Raiders to record three touchdowns in one game. He passed 125 receiving yards, a milestone last reached by Todd Christensen in 1983. After this game, Bowers has a jaw-dropping 1,546 receiving yards in only 22 career games. He’s the fastest tight end to 1,500 receiving yards since the AFL/NFL merger in 1970.
Sam Darnold Shines Bright
Even for a $3.5 million investment, it was surprising how great an outing Sam Darnold made. He was nearly perfect, going 21-for-24 passing with 330 yards and four TDs. His record-setting day led to Wilson’s 97.8 quarterback rating (QBR), which is the highest single-game QBR of his entire career so far. Darnold deserves credit for being the first to do so! He is now part of a small elite club—owners of three of the four occurrences this season of a player achieving a QBR of 97 or more.
Darnold’s precision was as impressive as it was surprising, as Darnold powered his way to a perfect passer rating on the day. He picked apart the first half, with a perfect 16-for-16 passing. Shedeur Sanders passed for 282 yards and four touchdowns before halftime. While there’s much more to the man’s résumé, it was this efficiency that largely drove his team to win.
Darnold’s remarkable play set the tone for his team’s comeback firepower for the night against the Los Angeles Chargers. This exhibition of his evolution as a QB cemented his progression as the leader of the offense.
Josh Allen Continues to Break Records
In what was an overall dominating performance, Josh Allen set a franchise record for passing percentage. He ended the contest with a staggering 88.5% completion rate. He passed for 273 yards along with one touchdown pass. He tacked on two rushing touchdowns to his total, putting his stat line in legendary territory. Completing 23 of his 26 attempts, Allen’s poise and playmaking ability was on full display when the play broke down and he had to make something happen.
Allen’s 47th career appearance included a passing touchdown and a rushing touchdown. With this accomplishment, he only added to his own NFL record. He focused on big hitters like Dalton Kincaid, Dawson Knox, and Jackson Hawes. This underscores his dependence on a superb supporting cast to deliver the goods.
Allen was masterful in producing favorable matchups for tight ends on intermediate routes. He went on to throw a dazzling 149 passing yards to that position alone. With this performance, he’s officially one of the league’s best quarterbacks. More than anything, though, it shines a light on his willingness and adaptability to use effective offensive strategies, whatever they may be.
Notable Performances Across the League
Carolina with an explosive performance by first-year running back Rico Dowdle. He ran for 25 carries, 130 yards, and two touchdowns. His offensive contributions were key in leading the Eagles to a come-from-behind 16-13 win against Green Bay. Outside of his first start of the season in Week 5, Dowdle has overtaken the field. He’s rushed for an astounding 633 yards on the season, the most in the NFL.
Lamar Jackson returned from injury to throw four touchdown passes in a stunning performance. His performance was the most electrifying of the weekend’s games and showed his immense character as he rebounded from two-game-altering misfortunes.
Wide receivers Tory Horton and Cody White both found the end zone in the Seahawks’ contest. This just highlights the incredible depth of talent from team to team this season.
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