Since we’re halfway through this year’s regular season, you would expect that there aren’t many things left to learn about NFL teams. Well, Week 8 of the 2018 NFL Season showed us just the opposite.

For example, Houston Texans, who were 0-3 to start the season, are now on a five- games winning streak and look like they could secure a playoff spot in a really tough division. It’s the same with the Seattle Seahawks, who flipped the switch after a rough start and are now playing some of the best football in the league.

Let’s check out what else Week 8 of 2018 NFL Season has shown us.

FitzMagic is Back

Tampa Bay Buccaneers remain to be indecisive about who should be their starting quarterback, but that isn’t a bad thing for casual NFL fans. Bucs inserted Ryan Fitzpatrick in the second half of the game against Cincinnati Bengals, and he almost led them to an epic comeback win. He will be their starter this Sunday as well, so get ready for FitzMagic.

New Orleans Saints is the Best Team in NFL

“But what about the LA Rams?” – most of you will ask. Well, to be honest, although Rams are 8-0 they didn’t look like the best team in NFL for some time now. Their last few games came down to the wire, and they dodged a bullet against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday thanks to Ty Montgomery’s unfortunate fumble.

New Orleans Saints, on the other hand, are not only getting wins but are also destroying their opponents. And those were not wins against weak teams like San Francisco 49ers, Denver Broncos or Arizona Cardinals, which Rams pulled off. Saints have taken down Atlanta Falcons, Baltimore Ravens, and Minnesota Vikings, and did all of that away from home. So, yes. Saints are the best team in NFL at the moment.

Cleveland Browns are a Mess

Ok, it wasn’t something we didn’t know before, but Cleveland Browns are in such a mess that it should be repeated on a daily basis. While the start of the season looked good for the Browns, everything went downhill for them in the past couple of weeks which eventually got head coach Hue Jackson and offensive coordinator Todd Haley to clash. Browns responded by firing them both, and now it looks like this will be another painful season for Cleveland fans.

Adrian Peterson Still Has “Juice” Left in Him

Before the season started, most people thought that Adrian Peterson’s career is pretty much done at this point, given the fact that there were not many running backs who managed to be efficient at the age of 33. NFL teams shied away from giving him a contract in 2018, and Peterson only managed to land a job after Washington Redskins lost two of their running backs to injuries. Fast forward to Week 8 of 2018 NFL Season and Peterson managed to rush for 149 yards and a touchdown against NY Giants. He now has 587 rushing yards and four touchdowns this year, proving his doubters that he still has some “juice” left in him to compete on the highest level.

The post Four Biggest Takeaways from Week 8 of 2018 NFL Season appeared first on SportzBonanza.

It didn’t last long, but it sure was fun.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers announced that Jameis Winston is taking over as the team’s starting quarterback after the Week 5 bye which means that Ryan Fitzpatrick is back to being a backup. FitzMagic is officially gone.

Considered a journeyman and capable NFL backup, Ryan Fitzpatrick received a surprising chance to be a starter for Buccaneers when the Jameis Winston was handed a three-game suspension at the beginning of 2018 NFL season. Bucs were hoping that Fitzpatrick will at least make them stay competitive in games Winston is absent, but the 35-year-old did much more.

When Fitzpatrick passed for 417 yards and four touchdowns in Week 1 win against New Orleans Saints, it was a welcoming surprise, but many people thought it was an aberration. Then he added 402 yards and four touchdowns in Week 3 win against reigning Super Bowl champions Philadelphia Eagles, while almost orchestrating a comeback against Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 3 when he threw for 411 yards and three touchdowns. This tremendous stretch even got its own nickname; FitzMagic.

It was hard not to get caught up in the FitzMagic. It was a perfect underdog story about an aging veteran quarterback who comes to a team in the time of need and starts playing beyond everyone’s wildest expectations.

We didn’t care that analysts warned us that Ryan Fitzpatrick couldn’t keep such high playing level. And we didn’t care that he was known for occasional flashes of brilliance followed by long stretches of terrible playmaking. Like when he followed 5-2 start with Buffalo Bills in 2011 with a 1-8 finish. We hoped it would be different this time. That it will last longer. It wasn’t. It didn’t.

After captivating the attention of NFL fans all around the world for three weeks, FitzMagic suddenly ran out in the first half of Week 4 game against the Chicago Bears.

In that game, Fitzpatrick couldn’t find the inspiration as he did in previous three games. He completed just nine out of 18 passes for 126 yards, throwing one interception and couldn’t reach the end zone in two-quarters of play. Bucs were losing 3-38, and coach Dirk Koetter responded by benching Fitzpatrick and starting Jameis Winston in the second half.

You could even argue that Ryan Fitzpatrick set standards for himself in the first three games that were too high and that is what eventually got him to the bench. Bucs awful first half shouldn’t even be attributed to Fitzpatrick alone since the entire team was playing terribly.

But, on the other hand, there is a feeling that Koetter couldn’t wait to insert Winston back into the starting lineup. Winston is the future of the franchise and as such can’t be relegated to the bench in favor of a veteran that has a proven record of failures.

Maybe this first half against Bears was an aberration, and Fitzpatrick would wow us in the second half, and FitzMagic would go on in Week 5. Guess we’ll never know.

The post Saying Goodbye to FitzMagic appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers are one of the biggest surprises in 2018 NFL season so far, having managed two convincing wins against tough opponents. One of the key reasons for this success is the team’s quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, who is currently playing the best football of his career. To make things even more interesting, Fitzpatrick initially supposed to be a backup and got the starting gig when Bucs’ starting QB Jameis Winston received a three-game suspension.

Once Winston becomes eligible to play in Week 4, Buccaneers will have to make a difficult decision when it comes to their starting quarterback, but it seems like Ryan Fitzpatrick will retain the job as long as he plays well. The 35-year-old even has his teammates publicly stating that they want him to remain a starter. The latest one to do so was wide receiver DeSean Jackson, who is trying to convince his team to let Fitzpatrick continue his hot streak.

“He’s been playing on fire right now,” – said Jackson during his appearance on NFL Network on Monday. “With the way the team is rallying behind him and just playing lights-out football, you have to kind of honor it. You know what I’m saying? You can’t take the hot man out. You got the hot fire right now. It’s like ‘NBA Jam.’ We used to play ‘NBA Jam’ — whoever’s got that hot fire shot, you got to keep shooting, man.“

And it has been one hot streak indeed. In the first two games of the season, Ryan Fitzpatrick’s 151.5 passer rating and 819 passing yards are the highest in NFL when compared to other quarterbacks. He also completed 78 percent of his passes and passed for eight touchdowns while rushing for one.

“He’s putting on a show,” – Jackson added. “It’s not my decision, but I’m sure Dirk and [offensive coordinator Todd] Monken and the guys that make those calls, they’ll make sure they stay on fire until that fire is out.”

Ryan Fitzpatrick will get a chance to keep up with the good games and secure the starting spot against Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday.

The post Buccaneers WR DeSean Jackson Wants the Team to Keep QB Ryan Fitzpatrick as a Starter appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Since we’re halfway through this year’s regular season, you would expect that there aren’t many things left to learn about NFL teams. Well, Week 8 of the 2018 NFL Season showed us just the opposite.

For example, Houston Texans, who were 0-3 to start the season, are now on a five- games winning streak and look like they could secure a playoff spot in a really tough division. It’s the same with the Seattle Seahawks, who flipped the switch after a rough start and are now playing some of the best football in the league.

Let’s check out what else Week 8 of 2018 NFL Season has shown us.

FitzMagic is Back

Tampa Bay Buccaneers remain to be indecisive about who should be their starting quarterback, but that isn’t a bad thing for casual NFL fans. Bucs inserted Ryan Fitzpatrick in the second half of the game against Cincinnati Bengals, and he almost led them to an epic comeback win. He will be their starter this Sunday as well, so get ready for FitzMagic.

New Orleans Saints is the Best Team in NFL

“But what about the LA Rams?” – most of you will ask. Well, to be honest, although Rams are 8-0 they didn’t look like the best team in NFL for some time now. Their last few games came down to the wire, and they dodged a bullet against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday thanks to Ty Montgomery’s unfortunate fumble.

New Orleans Saints, on the other hand, are not only getting wins but are also destroying their opponents. And those were not wins against weak teams like San Francisco 49ers, Denver Broncos or Arizona Cardinals, which Rams pulled off. Saints have taken down Atlanta Falcons, Baltimore Ravens, and Minnesota Vikings, and did all of that away from home. So, yes. Saints are the best team in NFL at the moment.

Cleveland Browns are a Mess

Ok, it wasn’t something we didn’t know before, but Cleveland Browns are in such a mess that it should be repeated on a daily basis. While the start of the season looked good for the Browns, everything went downhill for them in the past couple of weeks which eventually got head coach Hue Jackson and offensive coordinator Todd Haley to clash. Browns responded by firing them both, and now it looks like this will be another painful season for Cleveland fans.

Adrian Peterson Still Has “Juice” Left in Him

Before the season started, most people thought that Adrian Peterson’s career is pretty much done at this point, given the fact that there were not many running backs who managed to be efficient at the age of 33. NFL teams shied away from giving him a contract in 2018, and Peterson only managed to land a job after Washington Redskins lost two of their running backs to injuries. Fast forward to Week 8 of 2018 NFL Season and Peterson managed to rush for 149 yards and a touchdown against NY Giants. He now has 587 rushing yards and four touchdowns this year, proving his doubters that he still has some “juice” left in him to compete on the highest level.

The post Four Biggest Takeaways from Week 8 of 2018 NFL Season appeared first on SportzBonanza.

It didn’t last long, but it sure was fun.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers announced that Jameis Winston is taking over as the team’s starting quarterback after the Week 5 bye which means that Ryan Fitzpatrick is back to being a backup. FitzMagic is officially gone.

Considered a journeyman and capable NFL backup, Ryan Fitzpatrick received a surprising chance to be a starter for Buccaneers when the Jameis Winston was handed a three-game suspension at the beginning of 2018 NFL season. Bucs were hoping that Fitzpatrick will at least make them stay competitive in games Winston is absent, but the 35-year-old did much more.

When Fitzpatrick passed for 417 yards and four touchdowns in Week 1 win against New Orleans Saints, it was a welcoming surprise, but many people thought it was an aberration. Then he added 402 yards and four touchdowns in Week 3 win against reigning Super Bowl champions Philadelphia Eagles, while almost orchestrating a comeback against Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 3 when he threw for 411 yards and three touchdowns. This tremendous stretch even got its own nickname; FitzMagic.

It was hard not to get caught up in the FitzMagic. It was a perfect underdog story about an aging veteran quarterback who comes to a team in the time of need and starts playing beyond everyone’s wildest expectations.

We didn’t care that analysts warned us that Ryan Fitzpatrick couldn’t keep such high playing level. And we didn’t care that he was known for occasional flashes of brilliance followed by long stretches of terrible playmaking. Like when he followed 5-2 start with Buffalo Bills in 2011 with a 1-8 finish. We hoped it would be different this time. That it will last longer. It wasn’t. It didn’t.

After captivating the attention of NFL fans all around the world for three weeks, FitzMagic suddenly ran out in the first half of Week 4 game against the Chicago Bears.

In that game, Fitzpatrick couldn’t find the inspiration as he did in previous three games. He completed just nine out of 18 passes for 126 yards, throwing one interception and couldn’t reach the end zone in two-quarters of play. Bucs were losing 3-38, and coach Dirk Koetter responded by benching Fitzpatrick and starting Jameis Winston in the second half.

You could even argue that Ryan Fitzpatrick set standards for himself in the first three games that were too high and that is what eventually got him to the bench. Bucs awful first half shouldn’t even be attributed to Fitzpatrick alone since the entire team was playing terribly.

But, on the other hand, there is a feeling that Koetter couldn’t wait to insert Winston back into the starting lineup. Winston is the future of the franchise and as such can’t be relegated to the bench in favor of a veteran that has a proven record of failures.

Maybe this first half against Bears was an aberration, and Fitzpatrick would wow us in the second half, and FitzMagic would go on in Week 5. Guess we’ll never know.

The post Saying Goodbye to FitzMagic appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers are one of the biggest surprises in 2018 NFL season so far, having managed two convincing wins against tough opponents. One of the key reasons for this success is the team’s quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, who is currently playing the best football of his career. To make things even more interesting, Fitzpatrick initially supposed to be a backup and got the starting gig when Bucs’ starting QB Jameis Winston received a three-game suspension.

Once Winston becomes eligible to play in Week 4, Buccaneers will have to make a difficult decision when it comes to their starting quarterback, but it seems like Ryan Fitzpatrick will retain the job as long as he plays well. The 35-year-old even has his teammates publicly stating that they want him to remain a starter. The latest one to do so was wide receiver DeSean Jackson, who is trying to convince his team to let Fitzpatrick continue his hot streak.

“He’s been playing on fire right now,” – said Jackson during his appearance on NFL Network on Monday. “With the way the team is rallying behind him and just playing lights-out football, you have to kind of honor it. You know what I’m saying? You can’t take the hot man out. You got the hot fire right now. It’s like ‘NBA Jam.’ We used to play ‘NBA Jam’ — whoever’s got that hot fire shot, you got to keep shooting, man.“

And it has been one hot streak indeed. In the first two games of the season, Ryan Fitzpatrick’s 151.5 passer rating and 819 passing yards are the highest in NFL when compared to other quarterbacks. He also completed 78 percent of his passes and passed for eight touchdowns while rushing for one.

“He’s putting on a show,” – Jackson added. “It’s not my decision, but I’m sure Dirk and [offensive coordinator Todd] Monken and the guys that make those calls, they’ll make sure they stay on fire until that fire is out.”

Ryan Fitzpatrick will get a chance to keep up with the good games and secure the starting spot against Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday.

The post Buccaneers WR DeSean Jackson Wants the Team to Keep QB Ryan Fitzpatrick as a Starter appeared first on SportzBonanza.