My favorite players the week were…

Offense

Jared Goff Lions quarterback

Goff completed 18 of 25 passes for 315 yards & 3 touchdowns as the Lions destroyed the Cowboys.  Goff is making roughly $40 million dollars less than Dak Prescott this year!

Joe Mixon Texans running back

Mixon made his return after missing the last 3 games with an ankle injury.  It seemed that the Texans didn’t want to overwork him, but he made the most of his opportunities.  He ran 13 times for 102 yards including a 59 yard run that was the longest of his career.  He scored a touchdown on the ground. He added 2 catches for 30 yards & another touchdown.  He probably still isn’t 100%, but he looked great.

Sean Tucker Buccaneers running back

Tucker did even better with limited opportunities. He picked up 136 yards & a touchdown on only 14 carries.  Like Mixon, he also scored on a reception (36 yards).  He had 3 catches for 56 yards.  In total, he accounted for 192 total yards on 17 touches meaning that he averaged over 11 yards every time he touched the ball!

Jordan Love Packers quarterback

Love completed 22 of 32 passes for 258 yards and four touchdowns.  He did throw an interception, but the receiver slipped on the play.

Derrick Henry Ravens running back

Henry ran for 132 yards on 24 carries with 2 touchdowns. According to the NFL, Henry is the 2^nd player in history to rush for more than 600 yards and eight touchdowns in his first 6 games with a new team.  Eric Dickerson did in in 1983 in his first season with the Rams. Henry’s 2-year $16 million dollar contract looks like a good deal for the Ravens. 

Defense

T.J. Watt Steelers linebacker

Two weeks in a row for Watt.  Watt had 2 forced fumbles & two tackles for loss against the Raiders.  His first on Dylan Laube on his first, & so far only, professional carry helped set up a Steelers score before halftime.  His second on Ameer Abdullah ended a drive by the Raiders at the Pittsburgh 1 yard line.

Will Anderson Jr. Texans defensive end

Admittedly, the Patriots offensive line is terrible.  That said, Anderson’s day was still impressive.  Any time you can get three sacks & three pressures against a professional team, it’s impressive.  He also deflected a pass that was intercepted.  There’s still time for things to change, but it sure looks like the Texans won the NFL draft in 2023 selecting CJ Stroud at #2 & Anderson at #3.  They appear to have gotten 2 foundational players.

Cooper Dejean Eagles cornerback

This was the first start for the rookie & he more than looked like he belonged.  He was credited with ½ a sack, another quarterback hit, & 2 pressures to go with 6 tackles.  More importantly, he only allowed 14 yards in receptions against him.  That’s a great way to start a career.

Calen Bullock Texans safety

This was the rookie’s 2^nd start.  Bullock has a fumble recovery & an interception on a ball that Drake Maye sailed over his receiver.  Bullock returned the interception 28 yards.  He also had 2 solo tackles & a pass defended.

Special teams

Rigoberto Sanchez

Sanchez punted 5 times.  3 landed inside the 20 with 2 inside the 10.  He averaged 54.2 yards per punt with a net of 48.4.  That’s a real field position changer on every punt.

My favorite wine of the week is…

Kopke 30 Year Old Tawny Port

Made with a blend of Douro varietals $140 20% ABV

Kopke is the oldest Port wine house, established in 1638.  They helped define the classic Port flavors & styles.  Tawny Ports are allowed to age for extended periods in oak & the wine loses some volume through evaporation.  This also tends to concentrate the flavor.  For those not as familiar with Port production it is worth noting that the age designation isn’t exact.  The wine is a blend of vintages, although the average is roughly 30 years.  The only Ports that are vintage will state the vintage date on the label. 

The wine is so pale that you might mistake it for a white wine made with skin contact.  There is just a hint of red that tells you it was made from red grapes.

This is an excellent example of aged Tawny Port.  30-year-old Tawny Port is less common than 20 or 40, but this shows that there is a real place for it.  It shows complex flavors with subtle nutty notes, sweet caramel notes, dried apricots, vanilla, a hint of leather, & a slightly oxidized note with integrated tannins.  It is well balanced with enough acidity to balance the sweetness. It has a long sweet nutty finish.

While this wine will not improve with age, it should hold almost indefinitely due to the high sugar & ABV.