Our NFL Week 10 Thoughts, Reactions and Recap

15 Nov, 2022

Our NFL Week 10 Thoughts, Reactions and Recap

Minnesota Hands Buffalo an OT Loss

This is now 2 losses in a row for the vaunted Buffalo Bills. Josh Allen finally looks human, throwing 4 red zone interceptions in these last 2 games. Minnesota tried their hardest to give this game to Buffalo. After going up by 3 with 42 seconds left, they went to full prevent defense and let Allen drive down the field with ease. In the end, it was Allen’s bad decision making that killed the Bills’ chances at a heroic comeback. If you’re a Vikings fan, you have to feel good about where your team is now. If Minnesota can beat Dallas next week, it would further cement their spot as a top two team in the NFC. 

Miami Obliterated Cleveland

The Dolphins stayed hot with Tua at quarterback, beating the Browns 39-17. Tua had a completion percentage of 78.1 with 285 yards and 3 touchdowns. Miami’s running game actually showed up as well. Jeff Wilson registered 119 yards on just 17 carries. I still don’t know what to make of this Dolphins team. Usually, offenses that rely on a lot of speed combined with a below average defense don’t fare very well once it starts to getting colder. However, when Tua has been on the field this season they have been unstoppable. It will be interesting to see if their run game can remain a bigger part of their offense like it was today. They might struggle down the stretch if Tua is forced to be the entire offense. 

Rodgers Stole a Win from McCarthy

When the Cowboys went up 28-14 with 2:45 left in the 3rd quarter I thought this game was over. The Packers had done their best to just be tied at halftime, but Dallas’ offense really took off once they came back out of the locker room. That wasn’t the case though as Green Bay came back to win 31-28 in OT. Besides a few great Aaron Rodgers throws, what helped Green Bay win this game? Their ability to run the ball. I said this a few weeks ago, but maybe running all over another team had to happen again before LaFleur realized Jones and Dillon are their best offensive players. The offense has to flow through them. When it does, they win. When Rodgers is forced to pass more than he wants, the offense collapses. It will be interesting to see what LaFleur does next week against a Tennessee defense that excels at stopping the run. 

Detroit Sneaks Past Chicago

Despite Justin Fields’ best efforts, Chicago couldn’t get a win against Detroit. The Lions went against their season trend and finally had a good second half. This game was a snooze fest until Fields threw a pick 6. There were 20 points scored in the first 37 minutes, but 34 scored in the next 16 minutes. Fields had another insane rushing day, this time racking up 147 yards and 2 touchdowns on the ground. He still has some maturing to do though as his decision making can be a little questionable at times. His play this season has shown he has what it takes to win in this league if he can just sand down those rough edges. 

Jeff Saturday Starts His NFL Coaching Career 1-0

Saturday made that look easy on Sunday. He’s going to have high school coaches all over the nation thinking “Why not me?” as they throw their resume into the pot of more prestigious positions. The Colts finally ended the Ehlinger experience and let Matt Ryan back under center. It was a good win for the Colts who are struggling to stay above water recently. The takeaway from this game has to be the Raiders downfall. There were plenty of “talking heads” having the Raiders as a dark horse Super Bowl team. I thought they would have a great season, they would just be hidden by the other great teams in the AFC. Turns out this is actually one of the worst teams in the AFC. Their offense is broken and their defense is bad. McDaniels should be on the hot seat if he’s not already. There is no reason a team with Davante Adams, Josh Jacobs and Derek Carr should put up a combined 20 points against the Saints and Colts.

Pittsburgh Embarrassed New Orleans and Tennessee Beat Denver

These were the two worst games of the day so I am combining them to save us all time. Denver failing to score more than 10 points off a bye against a defense that was on the field for 100 snaps and 5 quarters the prior week tells you everything you need to know about their season. What were some of those throws by Russell Wilson? Every week it’s looking more and more like the aliens from Space Jam stole his powers and gave them to Geno Smith. 

Pittsburgh really benefited from having T.J. Watt back, but their offense will still struggle to put up points. With 8 games left and a 3-6 record, they would have to go 6-2 to keep Mike Tomlin’s streak of .500 or better seasons alive. It’s a tall ask, but crazier things have happened in the NFL.

Other Notes:

  • Kansas City wins with ease against Jacksonville. Jacksonville stole the first possession with a successful onside kick and recovered a fumble by Kansas City inside their own 20 but were still down 7-0 before the first quarter ended. 
  • Washington took down undefeated Philadelphia on Monday night. It was a great win for Washington, but I don’t see it as that big of a deal for the Eagles. They were bound to lose at some point. They’re still a top 3 team with a strong hold on the NFC playoff bye.
  • In the “Battle of the Backups”, Colt McCoy took home the victory. The Rams season might be over if Cooper Kupp misses any amount of time. The season from hell continues for the defending Super Bowl champions. They’re 3-6 with no refuge in sight. 
  • Tampa Bay beat Seattle in Germany and the fans loved it. I never thought I would see a stadium full of Germans singing every word to ‘Take My Home, Country Roads’ by John Denver. I wonder if they could pick out West Virginia on a map. Either way, it was a cool sight to see and a sign the NFL is continuing to grow. 
  • The Giants handled the Texans. Daniel Jones had a 157.1 QBR and Saquon Barkley carried the ball 35 times for 152 yards. The Giants continue to win games but haven’t faced a difficult team that was at full strength. Their game on Thanksgiving against Dallas will be a measuring stick for how good they actually are. 

Gambling Recap

We absolutely stink. 0-5 this week. However, they say it’s just as hard to go 0-5 as it is 5-0 so maybe we’re on to something. Dallas’ absolute meltdown in the 4th quarter and the snail race in Chicago turning into a firework show in that 4th quarter hurt us. Geno’s turnover on Tampa Bay’s 9-yard line didn’t help anything either. Nothing bounced our way. The great thing about gambling is there is always next week. “We’re onto Cincinnati”.