Source: Eakin Howard / Getty
Sorry for the delay in this week’s Sunday Scaries. I’ve been a bit busy with stuff around the house and needed a day. I’m sure you’ve been pacing around waiting for it to drop, maybe even yelled at the spouse and kids due to not having it in your life but now here it is! So say you’re sorry and buckle up as I give a look around Sunday’s action in Week 9!
Bad Scary: Did The Panthers Draft The Wrong QB?
The Carolina Panthers traded premium assets and draft capital to move up to No. 1 in the NFL Draft for the right to select Bryce Young. It was a ballsy and highly praised move at the time with a new owner in Dave Tepper and a new head coach in Frank Reich. Fast forward to Week 9 and….yikes. Young was a complete disaster against the Colts as he threw three interceptions, was sacked four times and averaged a paltry 4.4 yards per completion. It wasn’t an anomaly either. Young has been pretty bad all season. He’s got eight touchdowns to seven interceptions, only 1,375 yards, sacked 26 times and has looked relatively lost in most games. It’s the first year in a complete overhaul in Carolina but it’s been really ugly. Young’s deficiencies have only been elevated thanks in a large part to the guy who we’re going to talk about next…
Good Scary: C.J. Stroud Looks Like The Best QB of the 2023 Draft
As bad as Bryce Young has looked, Texans rookie QB C.J. Stroud has been that sensational. Stroud set a rookie record in Sunday’s win against the Buccaneers with 470 yards passing. He added five touchdowns and has an eye-popping 14 touchdowns to 1 interception on the season with over 2,200 yards passing. Stroud has elevated everyone on the Texans around him. Noah Brown, Dalton Schultz, Tank Dell, Nico Collins have all been keys in the Texans’ offensive resurgence, something no one expected at the start of the season. The Texans are 4-4 and while the playoffs don’t seem likely, never rule anything out in the AFC South.
Bad Scary: The Giants Toilet Bowl of a Season Continues
As if it wasn’t painful enough subjecting yourself to New York Giants football in 2023, it only got worse with Daniel Jones going out for the season with a torn ACL. Now, the team will have to limp through an already awful season without the QB they overpaid for after one so-so season. Saquon Barkley probably can’t wait to get the hell out of there and there are so many holes on this team that it’s a multi-season job just to get competitive again. Darren Waller probably wishes he was back in Las Vegas, trading one s— show for another one, sure, but one that isn’t a complete embarassment.
Good Scary: Josh Dobbs, International Man of Football
Josh Dobbs was holding down the fort in Arizona as the Cardinals waited for Kyler Murray to return from injury. He played surprisingly well. So well that the Cardinals spun him off to the Vikings at the trade deadline with his value at an all-time high and Minnesota losing Kirk Cousins to a torn ACL. Dobbs hopped on a flight, landed in Minnesota and was under center for the Vikings on Sunday. That alone would have been impressive enough. But Dobbs not only started but played pretty well with his new team, leading them to a surprising 31-28 win over the Falcons. Dobbs threw a pair of touchdowns, ran for another one and led the game in rushing with 66 yards. It had to give Vikings fans and the team at least some hope that he can keep the rig on the road and that the season isn’t completely over. It should help him even more if Justin Jefferson gets back on the field in the near future.
