A wild finish in the desert, a much closer matchup than expected in the cheese-head state, and a collapsed lung in the Bayou highlight a list of bizarre football over the weekend. Trying to make sense of it all – here are the top Week 10 divisional takeaways:
AFC East: Who Wants It Most?
Not so fast, Buffalo.
With three wins in a row, including consecutive wins against the divisional foe New England Patriots and the (at the time) NFC West-leading Seattle Seahawks, the Bills looked primed to take control of the AFC East with a win Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals.
Oh, how quickly things turn.
Despite the heroics of Josh Allen throwing what appeared to be the game-winning touchdown to Stefon Diggs with just 34 seconds remaining, the Cardinals got the ball back and managed to get into position for a final throw to the end zone.
The rest is Arizona Cardinals’ history.
Kyler Murray eluded pressure and threw a dart into a triple covered DeAndre Hopkins in the end-zone, who somehow came down with the ball and the game-winning touchdown. The devastating loss for the Bills won’t be helped by extra time to sulk during the team’s Week 11 bye. Nor the win by the Miami Dolphins, who now sit even with the Bills in the loss column. To make matters worse, following the Patriots’ victory over the Ravens, there’s a real chance the Bills come out of their bye tied with the Dolphins and only two games up on New England with a matchup remaining against each team.
Im sorry, Bills fans – the AFC East is wide-open.
AFC North: Pittsburgh Widens the Gap
The streak continues.
Following a 36-10 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, the Steelers now sit at 9-0. It’s the best start in franchise history. The Week 10 win against a two-win Bengals squad was no surprise. Instead, the unexpected news for the division race came Sunday night in Foxboro when the Patriots upset the Ravens in a monsoon. This puts Baltimore a full three games behind Pittsburgh, tied with the Cleveland Browns at 6-3.
Pittsburgh’s strength of schedule thus far should be considered when we evaluate their status as legitimate contenders in the AFC. But for the purposes of the AFC North, they control their own destiny. With games remaining against the Ravens and Browns, the Steelers would need to lose both those matchups, plus an additional game, for anyone else in the division to have a fighting chance.
I’m not quite a Pittsburgh believer, but barring any major injuries this division should easily be locked up.
AFC South: Time to Panic in Nashville?
What is going on in Tennessee?
After starting the season 5-0, the Titans have now lost 3 of their last 4 games, including a 34-17 thumping at the hands of the Indianapolis Colts on Thursday night. The Colts, for their part, played good defense. And Phillip Rivers avoided the kinds of Phillip Rivers mistakes we’ve come to know and love. But the real story was how anemic the Tennessee offense was. Despite Derrick Henry rushing for over 100 yards, Ryan Tannehill completed just 15 of 27 passes for a mere 147 yards; his lowest yardage total of the season.
The Colts and Titans face off again in Week 12 in a game that will have major implications for the division. Tennessee will first have to face what will be a very hungry Baltimore football team in Week 11. We’ll learn a lot about both teams over the next few weeks but if I’m a fan of the Tennessee Titans, I’m certainly not feeling confident this week.
AFC West: The Raiders Look Like a Playoff Team
It appears the rough start to the Jon Gruden era has ended.
Following the Las Vegas Raiders 37-12 victory over the Denver Broncos on Sunday, the team now holds a 6-3 record and sits squarely in the playoff picture. The numbers have been good and Derek Carr has played efficiently, but it’s how they play that has impressed me the most.
Their resume this season has been impressive, including a statement win in Week 5 against the Kansas City Chiefs. They haven’t lost any head scratchers to bad teams. Most importantly, they win the games they’re supposed to win like their Sunday matchup with the Broncos. Their defense leaves a lot to be desired. But, as was the case in their Week 9 nail-biter against the Chargers, they find ways to win.
A big part of the playoff scenario will depend on whether the league expands the number of playoff teams from the already increased 14 team field to 16 in the event of any Covid-19 related cancellations. In either case, the Raiders are well positioned. At 6-3, they currently sit 5th in the AFC. Looking ahead in their schedule, only 3 of their 7 remaining opponents have records above .500.
The math is in their favor but perhaps most important is how they perform on the eye test. The Raiders look like a playoff team.
NFC East: From Bad to Worse
Mercifully, the Dallas Cowboys had a bye this week.
That’s about the most positive I can get about the NFC East. In a week where the now 3-7 New York Giants defeated the Philadelphia Eagles, who currently sit at 3-5-1 atop the division. Maybe you’re tempted to praise Daniel Jones for a largely mistake-free game. But I’d caution you to temper that inclination and instead focus on something closer to the realm of reality.
The saddest part is that the Washington Football Team was actually poised to deliver the first and likely only good moment for the division all season. In his first start in nearly two seasons following a life threatening injury, Alex Smith led his team down the field against the Detroit Lions to set up a game-tying field goal. With 16 seconds remaining in the game, Dustin Hopkins knocked it in and we were going to overtime.
Except we weren’t.
A few plays and a Chase Young roughing the passer call later, the Lions got into position for a 59-yard Matt Prater field goal attempt as time expired. The kick was good, and Alex Smith sat on the sideline, stunned. No one else was.
That this division will be represented in the playoffs is an indictment on both the game of football and the rule of law.
NFC North: More Questions Than Answers in Green Bay
Who are the Green Bay Packers?
They’re 7-2, first in their division, coming off back-to-back wins, and I still have no idea who they are. With a home game against a 1-win Jacksonville team, Green Bay squeezed out a 24-20 victory. They didn’t put it away until the Jake Lutton led Jaguars failed on a 4th down at midfield with 1:10 left in the 4th quarter.
It wasn’t just this week. In Week 3 they beat a very good New Orleans Saints team on the road. Coming off a bye, they were embarrassed at home by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a 38-13 Week 6 loss. They beat the Vikings in Week 1. They lost to the Vikings in Week 8. Having ups and downs is par for the course in the NFL. Perhaps early season injuries to offensive weapons like Davante Adams and Aaron Jones have prevented the Packers from getting into a rhythm.
I don’t know who the Green Bay Packers are this season, and by the looks of it they’re still trying to figure it out too. They have a nice cushion in the division and a relatively soft schedule going forward, but they need to find an identity.
NFC South: Implications of the Drew Brees Injury
The New Orleans Saints walked away victorious on Sunday following their 27-13 win over the San Fransisco 49ers, but it may have come at the cost of their franchise quarterback.
According to ESPN’s Ed Werder, evaluations on Saint’s quarterback Drew Brees “revealed that he has multiple rib fractures on both sides of his chest and a collapsed lung on the right side.” His return timetable is uncertain and if the Saints continue with the approach taken after Brees’ exit Sunday, we should expect to see Jameis Winston operate as the starting quarterback, with Taysom Hill serving as a change of pace option.
With just one of their remaining seven opponents owning a winning record, they’re well-positioned. Their only divisional competition is Tampa Bay, and in the event of a tie, New Orleans won both matchups against them and owns the tiebreaker. Winston has proven an ability to win NFL games, and the depth of the Saints on both sides of the football provides them a cushion. It’s not time to panic in New Orleans, but their room for error throughout the rest of the season is now razor thin.
NFC West: We Are Not Worthy
Lost in the divisional intrigue of mobile quarterbacks and cyborg wide receivers has been a very good Rams football team. Jared Goff isn’t Kyler Murray or Russell Wilson, and he doesn’t need to be. The Rams have been efficient in the run-game despite Todd Gurley playing in Atlanta. Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp are suited perfectly for Sean McVay’s offensive system. All the offense has to do is limit mistakes so that Aaron Donald and their defense can control the game. The Rams are tied with Seattle an Ariziona at 6-3. And coming off an impressive 23-16 win over the Seahawks, the Rams should feel great about their season thus far.
So should the Arizona Cardinals.
What else can you say but wow. Down 23-9 with under 6 minutes left in the 3rd quarter, the Cardinals rattled off 23 points. They capped off the game with the already infamous game-winning touchdown connection from Murray to Hopkins. It was a great game and an incredible ending. And it helped Arizona tie their division rivals at 6-3 going into the back half of the season.
It’s anyone’s division, so buckle up. If the final seven weeks are anything like this one, we’re in for a good time.
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