Week 10 of the NFL was a great one. There were a LOT of upsets, many good games, and the lack of 6 teams was not felt at all. Today, we will be recapping it all for you, and going over the good, bad, and ugly parts of the week.
The Good
The Tennessee Titans
In one of the biggest upsets of the week, the Tennessee Titans defeated the Kansas City Chiefs, spoiling Patrick Mahomes' return after dislocating his kneecap two and a half weeks ago. Despite Kansas City's high flying offense, which was even more powerful with Mahomes, the Titans kept up very well. They scored once on defense on a Damien Williams fumble, and down the stretch, Ryan Tannehill looked like a quality starter. The Chiefs will have to address the kicking issues that they have, as that is the reason they lost the game. First, they botched the snap on a field goal to extend their lead to eight with under two minutes left, and then had another potential game-tying field goal blocked. This win was huge for the Titans, as they are now still in the middle of the pack for a playoff spot. It is a crushing loss for the Chiefs, who fell to 6-4, only a half game ahead of the Raiders for their own division lead.
Lamar Jackson
Yes, the Ravens were in the same spot last week. Yes, that section was also lauding Jackson, but he cannot simply be ignored. Jackson absolutely lit the Bengals on fire on Sunday, throwing for 223 yards, three touchdowns, and adding 65 yards and a score on the ground en route to a 49-13 rout over the Bengals. Jackson played his way back into the running for MVP, and might even be the favorite now. The Ravens look very scary, and there is not a single team in the league that can stop the unpredictable, RPO-Heavy Ravens offense that has a different person running with the football almost every single play. I shall just leave this gif for you to rewatch as many times as you wish.
Monday Night Football
For the first time in a while, we were treated to an excellent game on Monday Night Football, featuring the Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers. Both teams appeared evenly matched, and, separated by just two games in their division, had huge playoff ramifications. Russell Wilson and company went blow for blow with the vaunted 49ers defense every possession, and the game was a tense exciting one. The 49ers jumped out to a lead first, but were answered every time by Seattle. It was a very sloppy game, and both teams gave away the ball numerous times in crucial situations. Seattle won as time expired in overtime in what might go down as the game of the year to date.
The Bad
The Dolphins Tank and the Indianapolis Colts
It is clear that the Miami Dolphins are, unlike other "tanking teams", a capable football team(Looking at you, Cincy). After their close 16-12 win over the Colts, it is evident that they are trying to win sometimes. Now, on a win streak more than that of the New England Patriots and San Francisco 49ers(two 8-1 teams), it speaks more about the Colts than the Dolphins. Indianapolis, while playing Brian Hoyer at quarterback, is certainly much, much, much, MUCH more talented than the Dolphins, who are quite literally trying to lose. The offense looked sluggish on Sunday, and the defense wasn't much better. In a very competitive division, the Colts have to turn things around fast for a playoff berth, and are already out of the picture right now.
The Rams Offense
Coming off an NFC Champion season headed by a top 3 offense in the league, the Los Angeles Rams were expected to pick up where they left off this year, and make another run at the Super Bowl. Instead, they are sitting at 5-4, good for third place in their division. While Todd Gurley and Brandin Cooks have been held up by injuries all season, the Rams are supposed to have the best offensive mastermind in the league in Sean McVay. He should be able to defeat a Steelers team that is playing a backup quarterback and does not have James Conner, arguably the best player on the team. The Rams displayed their ineptitude to the world, and are now a long shot to make the playoffs in the stacked NFC.
The Ugly
The Saints' Disappearing Act
The New Orleans Saints where considered to be one of the top five teams in the league, and some might even put them at #1. Theoretically, such a good team should be able to handle the 1-7 disappointments that they are playing, especially at home in a domed stadium. Apparently, this is false, as New Orleans got completely destroyed against the Falcons in a 26-9 stomping. The issues were really on offense. Superstar running back Alvin Kamara only was given four(!) carries all day, and was a non-factor in the run game. While Michael Thomas had his usual dominant performance(13 catches for 152 yards), his efforts were not worth much, as the Saints stalled before hitting the end zone seemingly every drive. While this bad week is likely just that, the Saints must ensure something like this never happens again, as they must win all the easier games in their schedule to remain in contention for a first round bye in the NFC.
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