The NFL Sunday Review: Week 10

Another wild week in the NFL is almost complete. Yesterday was a Sunday with a number of upsets, including a win for a man who had never coached a down of football at a level above High School football, and an in-division matchup with two backup QBs starting. The NFL never ceases to amaze, entertain, and confuse. We start in Buffalo…

Bills & Vikings OT Chaos

ESPN

I’m gonna leave my personal opinions on this game, and its outcome, until the end here, and start by just saying WOW… What a game. I don’t think the Vikings’ comeback is quite at the level of the Dolphins’ reversal at Baltimore in Week 2, but it could definitely be argued this was a top 3 game of the season so far. There’s honestly too much to cover every twist and turn in this game but I’ll try and hit the major points.

The Buffalo Bills suffered their 2nd loss in a row, falling at home to the upstart Minnesota Vikings, in a very strange game. Pre-game, all the talk had been about whether Josh Allen would be healthy enough to play QB, and yet early on the face of the franchise looked just fine, finding Stefon Diggs with regularity. Devin Singletary scored twice and Gabe Davis added another TD, so the Bills found themselves ahead by 14 at the half. That lead extended to 17, before Dalvin Cook’s 81yd scamper gave the Vikings life, and boy did they seize the initiative.

Justin Jefferson was the undisputed star of the show, including the absolute circus catch he made on a 4th down to extend the game late in the 4th. It looked for all the world like Cousins had thrown an(other) interception, but JJ wrestled the ball away from the CB with just one hand. Genuinely incredible. The game went to Overtime (we’ll get to how…) which was tense, with the Vikings taking the Field Goal and hoping they could hang on. Josh Allen had the Bills moving, but Patrick Peterson came up with the game-winning INT, as Allen tried to squeeze a ball into a tight window one too many times. The Vikings exploded with jubilant celebrations, as they should. They’re now right on the heels of the Eagles atop the NFC, hoping for a chance to avenge their loss earlier this year in the playoffs.

Now… where do I start on the circumstances of this win and what it means? The Minnesota Vikings, led by Kirk Cousins, are 8-1. They are – in my humble opinion – extremely fraudulent. I cannot believe how many bounces went the Vikings’ way on Sunday. Kirk Cousins had actually lost this game for the Vikings, when he failed to get into the endzone on 4th and Goal with about 45 seconds to play in the 4th. The fact that the Bills somehow fumbled the game-icing play, resulting in Eric Kendricks’ 0yd fumble recovery touchdown was an absolute travesty. Allen didn’t have his best game, and certainly made uncharacteristic mistakes when the chips were really down.

This loss was bad for the Bills, who now sit 3rd in the AFC East… can they recover? Of course. They still have the Jets and Dolphins to play again, so jumping back atop the division is within their control, but this loss will haunt the Bills. They were clearly the superior team on paper, and for most of the game itself too. The worry I have is that with everything falling their way on a consistent basis… despite their obvious flaws and limitations… The Vikings are starting to feel like a team of destiny. I hate it. It’s undeserved. I hope the Cowboys can start to put things right next week by beating Minnesota.

Packers Steal One and Break Dallas Hearts

A thriller in cold-weather in Lambeau, as Aaron Rodgers, Aaron Jones & Christian Watson showed that MAYBE, just maybe, there might still be some life in this season for the Packers. Entering this week, the Dallas Cowboys were 195-0 all-time when entering the 4th quarter with a 14+ point lead. They led by 14 entering the 4th on Sunday, and lost to a Mason Crosby Field Goal in overtime; History made. Rodgers still doesn’t look like himself, and clearly tensions are running high in TitleTown – as exhibited by Rodgers screaming at HC Matt LaFleur late in the 4th, but they always say “winning solves everything,” right?

Well… maybe not everything, but it certainly helps a Green Bay team devoid of much hope and momentum start to build something. Was it clean? No. Was it a dominant performance? No. Did they win? Yup, and that’s what matters to a team 3 games below .500, and riding a 5 game losing streak. Thankfully for the Packers, Aaron Jones’ injury last weekend was minimal and he looked like himself, slicing and dicing and getting into the endzone in the 1st half.

But, the story of the game for the Pack was the emergence of Christian Watson. How different things could have been had Watson caught his 1st NFL target, a deep shot early on in the Week 1 defeat to the Vikings. Watson had an egregious drop on that ball, and I’m not saying the Packers would have won that game, or even had a different string of results recently had that pass been caught, but we might have seen more trust of Watson from Rodgers a little earlier on, as opposed to waiting until Week 10 to pepper him on important downs, when really he had very little choice but to turn to Watson. Thankfully for Green Bay, Watson showed the skill that made him a highly-touted 2nd Round pick in this year’s Draft, with four catches for 107 yards and 3TDs. Green Bay have a quick turnaround to get ready for Mike Vrabel and Derrick Henry on Thursday night, as the Titans come to town. Rodgers needs to string wins together to drag this team back into Playoff contention.

For Mike McCarthy, his return to Lambeau was ultimately fruitless, as the Cowboys were unable to move the ball in OT, and the Packers made them pay. CeeDee Lamb was the star for them, with 11 catches, for 150yds and 2TDs. The 88 in Dallas is in great hands for the future. Without Ezekiel Elliott, Tony Pollard took centre stage again and went over 20 carries for the first time in his career, and had over 100yds and a TD. Pollard still feels like a big play waiting to happen, and you wonder if Zeke really will be held onto beyond the end of this season. However, question marks will remain around Dak – who was subpar – and the aforementioned McCarthy, whose play-calling and time management sometimes leave something to be desired. I still feel strongly that Dallas will be a NFC Wildcard team, but losses like this make the aim of chasing down Philly atop the division a lot harder. They aim to get back on track in a big game against the Vikings next week.

Niners Rally to Sneak Past Injury-Riddled Chargers

Associated Press

Justin Herbert is trying. He really is. The Los Angeles Chargers are suffering perhaps the worst case of the injury bug I’ve ever seen, down to WRs 4, 5, & 6, down to ONLY 3 DLinemen by the end of this game, and with Gerald Everett exiting meaning they were using TEs 2 & 3 also. It’s crazy. That said, they just didn’t have quite enough to overcome a resurgent 49ers team, who were aided by some questionable officiating late on, including a non-called Touchback which made Justin Herbert’s attempts to win the game even more difficult.

This game honestly could, and probably should, have been over in the first half, as everything was clicking for the Chargers. Herbert found DeAndre Carter for a big TD, and had them down at the 1 again, before a phantom false start led to a FG, which was the achilles heel of the Chargers all night. Too many kicks from Cameron Dicker, and not enough TDs. Herbert is clearly missing the duo of Keenan Allen and Mike Williams, without whom lesser teams (and lesser QBs) would not still be above .500, heading into a huge AFC West matchup against Kansas City next week. If the Chiefs win that, the Chargers can kiss goodbye to dreams of winning the division, but they still look set to be right in the scrap for a wildcard spot. That said, they need to get (and stay) healthy, fast.

For San Fran, for once Jimmy G didn’t throw the back-breaking INT in primetime. Elijah Mitchell’s return was huge, as he and Christian McCaffrey split the load and both found lanes on the ground. It really was the 49ers run game in the 2nd half that won them this one, and credit to Kyle Shanahan for sticking with it, after next to no success early on. The injuries and fatigue plagued the Chargers, and allowed the Niners to roll late on.

Garoppolo is now 10-2 in starts where he throws 0TD passes, which – for me – continues to show he’s been fortunate to be surrounded by superior talent, and a great OLine during his Bay Area tenure. I can’t trust him at the helm for San Fran, and wonder if they will be able to fend off the challenge of the Cardinals next week, as both teams seek to chase down the Seahawks atop the NFC West. CMC, Kittle, & Deebo is one hell of a playmaking core, but until Jimmy G doesn’t cost them the game when it matters most, I’m still steering well clear of the Niners long term. I’m very excited for the Dolphins-Niners game in 3 weeks.

Thursday Night Throwback:

The Carolina Panthers got back to winning ways on Thursday night, with an in-division victory over the strange entity that is the 2022 Atlanta Falcons. As with most of the TNF games that Al Michaels & Kirk Herbstreit have had the misfortune to commentate on this season, this was bad football to watch for 90% of the evening. 

The biggest winner of the Christian McCaffrey trade so far? Perhaps D’Onta Foreman, who has grabbed his opportunity to be the main guy with both hands and vaulted himself into the “Fantasy Darling” category, with a number of 100+yd rushing performances. The Falcons should not have won as many games as they have with this roster, and yet seem like the most likely team to challenge Tom Brady’s Buccaneers for the division crown, even if just by default due to the Panthers being… the Panthers, and the Saints being bafflingly inconsistent. It’s hard to take the NFC South seriously at the best of times, and the number of missed extra points in this one only added to that. Carolina ran out 25-15 winners in a game that will not live long in the memory of anybody involved. 

Quick Hits

  • We started Sunday with the first NFL game ever held in Germany! Tom Brady and the Buccaneers scratched and clawed their way back to .500 with a scrappy win over the gallant Seattle Seahawks. The Munich crowd was electric, and was treated to a pretty decent game, with Chris Godwin probably giving the best performance of the day. The crowd shots of everyone singing Country Roads? Wonderful. Do more international games. Take this sport everywhere.
  • Remember all that outrage about Jeff Saturday being the new head coach of the Indianapolis Colts this week? Ha. A great win for the Colts over the hapless Raiders. Jonathan Taylor, it’s great to re-meet you! Matt Ryan, it was good to see you play like yourself too! The Colts will have to hope for another big performance against the Eagles next weekend. 
  • I’m not sure Josh McDaniels will be the Head Coach in Las Vegas much longer. Derek Carr’s emotions at the press conference were – genuinely – wonderful to see, with his openness, vulnerability and honesty all refreshing. That said, it won’t be enough to save McDaniels, you have to think…
  • Have the Kansas City Chiefs mugged off the whole league by acquiring Kadarius Toney on the cheap? Some are asking. Trevor Lawrence attempted to bring the Jags back from a 20pt deficit at Arrowhead, but the mountain was too big to climb. The Chiefs are the clear and obvious #1 seed in the AFC right now.
  • The number 2 seed in the AFC? Of course… it’s your Miami Dolphins! With the Bills’ loss, Miami vaulted themselves up the standings with a very impressive performance against the Cleveland Browns. Tua Tagovailoa was simply superb, exiting Hard Rock Stadium to chants of “M-V-P,” as the Fins’ offense continued to dominate opposing defenses. The 3 Tua-less losses now feel like an afterthought, and the man who was written off under Brian Flores is now the league leader in QBR under maverick head coach Mike McDaniel. The Dolphins face the Texans after their Bye, with a real chance to be 8-3 after 11 games. before consecutive road games against the 49ers, Chargers & Bills will dictate exactly where the Dolphins enter the playoffs. 
  • Saquon Barkley is fully back to looking like a star, and is a huge part of how and why the New York Giants have 7 wins this season. Good for Brian Daboll. The Texans? Fully focussed on the #1 overall pick (and they need it)!
  • Yeah, Justin Fields IS a talent… but that wasn’t enough against the Detroit Lions! Dan Campbell goes back-to-back against Division rivals, with a gusty 31-30 comeback win. Cole Kmet is threatening to evolve into a serious receiving threat for Fields, which is good as he doesn’t have any right now, but Amon-Ra St. Brown is already fully evolved and shredding defenses for Detroit. Imagine when they add Jameson Williams into the mix! Electric times ahead for Detroit.
  • The Steelers won a game! Najee Harris looked good! Huuuuuh!? The Saints are such a weird team. I still don’t understand how or why Andy Dalton is starting ahead of both Taysom Hill & Jameis Winston. Happy for Pittsburgh, as I’d love to see Mike Tomlin somehow find a way to rescue this season and maintain his “no losing season record,” no matter how unlikely that looks right now. 
  • The Titans won a game in which Derrick Henry was largely ineffective on the ground?! What’s going on here… Oh, yeah, they were playing the Broncos. Makes a bit of sense now. Henry’s most telling contribution was the backwards toss to Ryan Tannehill to set up the Flea Flicker TD to Nick Westbrook-Ikhine. What a play that was; let’s have a rule where every team has to run 2 or more flea flickers per game, that would be great. Also, the Titans are 6-3 heading to Lambeau to play the Packers, despite Ryan Tannehill missing two games. Mike Vrabel is such a good coach.

MNF Prediction: (Season Record: 7-4)

The undefeated Philadelphia Eagles face the Washington Commanders, though who knows how long they’ll be called that if Jeff Bezos does buy the team from D*n Snyd*r. I still think the “Washington Primes” will make a great piece of free advertising for Amazon…

Anyway, this one is short and sweet because I don’t see any way Washington can live with Philly. Jalen Hurts is threatening to win the MVP, and probably will do if the Eagles go undefeated. AJ Brown (largely), Dallas Goedert (often), and Devonta Smith (occasionally) are torturing defenses through the air, and Miles Sanders appears to have been reborn as the lead back, with the Eagles offense looking somewhat unstoppable through 8 games so far. They’ll get to 9-0 on Monday night, as Taylor Heinicke, Terry McLaurin, and Antonio Gibson simply don’t have enough firepower, or defensive support, to slow the Eagles down.

Eagles to win.

Week 11 Preview

Twitter (@jwyattsports)

Next week, we start with a tasty Thursday night matchup, as the Green Bay Packers look to continue their revival against the Tennessee Titans, which on paper looks like the best TNF game we’ve had since Chiefs-Chargers in Week 2. Then, on Sunday… well, honestly, it’s not the most interesting early slate, with Eagles-Colts, Rams-Saints or Bills-Browns probably the pick of the games. The late window, however, gives us Cowboys @ Vikings which should be good.

Sunday Night has the pick of the day, with the Chargers again in Prime Time, this time hosting Mahomes and the Chiefs at SoFi. Then, on Monday, it’s a massive NFC West matchup as America’s sweethearts, the Hard Knocks Heroes, the Arizona Cardinals “host” the San Francisco 49ers, in Mexico City. If the Cardinals win, they’re right back in the NFC PlayOff Hunt. Huge game. As always, thanks for taking the time to read this article. I’m @CallumJDSquires on Twitter & Instagram. Come say hey. Hope you all have a great week. Cheers.

Callum Squires

NFL/CFB ANALYST

CALLUM IS FROM LONDON, BUT PLAYED COLLEGE SOCCER AT TRINITY UNIVERSITY IN SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS. CALLUM IS A LONG-SUFFERING DOLPHINS FAN WHO BELIEVES THE TUA HYPE. NOW BACK STATESIDE, HIT HIM UP ON TWITTER @CALLUMJDSQUIRES!

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