Who needs to bounce back in NFL Week Nine?

Week 9 has arrived and there is plenty to choose from when it comes to bounce back candidates. So without any delay, let’s get  into it.

1 – Jordan Love

Love started off the season very positively, but as each game has passed, it’s gotten tougher and tougher for him. The offense in Green Bay is at a loss and they aren’t producing nearly enough points to even have a chance of winning games.

The GM didn’t mince his words this week when mentioning how important the remaining games are for Love and for his future as the Packers QB1. He faces the Rams this week who are gettable and he really could do with putting in a clean and confident performance. He has a young offense around him but now he is going to have to start elevating his teammates to new heights, otherwise things could get interesting, quite quickly.

2 – Indianapolis Colts

The Colts have been a good story so far this season. They have outplayed their expectations and they seem to be in with a chance in every single game. Each week they put up points that are good enough to win games, but lately they just seem to come up one play short.

They match up with the Panthers this week and they can once again put up points. I would love to see the defense put on a show and make sure that this game is won by the time they enter the 4th quarter. The only thing that is guaranteed is that it will be a great game to watch – any time the Colts play you know you’re in for a good one!

3 – Patrick Mahomes and The Kansas Chiefs

The winning run against Denver came to a grinding halt as the Broncos shut down the Chiefs. It’s not often that this Mahomes led offense doesn’t score a touchdown, but that was partly down to them not playing like themselves and also because the Broncos defense won their individual battles and stopped the Chiefs from getting any momentum.

The issue is now, that the Chiefs play the Dolphins in Germany and the Dolphins will be looking to make a statement win against a team with a winning record. So the Chiefs have their work cut out to not lose back to back games. They never brought another WR in before the trade deadline and although they have good weapons, they don’t have that one to go along with Kelce as the go-to guys.

This will be a question for them all season long and they could do with one of their WR’s having themselves a day in Frankfurt. It’s a tough bounce back for them, but it can be done.

4 – Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Bucs started the season out in great fashion and looked to be a real surprise package under new QB Baker Mayfield.

The past few games have been a tough one to swallow for them as they have been their own worst enemy in many ways. From turnovers, poor red zone production, dropped passes, costly penalties and next to no run game. The positive for me is the fact that many of the points they need to improve on are points they are in control of, so they just need to get back to basics.

Play clean football and make sure they are putting points up, they have a solid defense and they need to stop making those guys work harder and harder. Mayfield has an injury he looks set to play through and with his tenacious approach I wouldn’t be surprised to see them bounce back to life very soon. There was a buzz around White being a really good RB this season and now is the time for him to start showcasing why there was a buzz around him.

5 – The New York Jets and Giants

I have to go with both New York franchises as their game on Sunday was one of the poorer games you’re likely to ever see in the NFL. The Jets miraculously came out on top thanks to a Zach Wilson lead 24 second comeback. Now as good as that was, both of these teams need to have a good look at themselves after their performances.

The Jets aren’t playing an attractive brand of football, but they are winning and they have a loaded defense who come to play each week. We just need the offense to start clicking and we have seen some glimpses of it but it’s nowhere near consistent enough. The Giants came into the season almost under the radar, but on the back of a really promising campaign last season. That is all out the window now with how bad they have been.

They have two wins to their name but they have been a really tough watch. They face a rejuvenated Raiders after they made some major changes this week and my concern for the Giants will be if they are ready for a new look Raiders side. I have more confidence in the Jets to beat the Chargers, than I do for the Giants taking down the Raiders, but only time will tell.

There we have it, week 9 of the bounce back is complete. Now we can sit back, relax and get prepared for the games. The further we go into the season, the more each game means and it’s make or break time for some teams starting now.