Week 10 of the NFL season continued a trend that has swept across the league for some teams, while others broke through the curse and returned to their winning selves. The scales of the AFC and NFC change dramatically every week, and this one was no different. The race for the #1 seed in both conferences will now be a nail biting sight to see every week.
Baltimore Ravens (6-3) @ Miami Dolphins (3-7) (TNF)
Final: Dolphins-22 Ravens-10
Player of the Game: Miami Dolphins Defense
If the trend of shocking upsets from last week carries over to this week of the NFL season, then it starts with the first game of Week 10. The Miami Dolphins defended their home turf on Thursday Night, shutting down a dynamic Ravens offense that was picking up steam over the past few weeks. Xavien Howard, the usual interception machine, switched it up this week with a scoop and score fumble which resulted in a touchdown. Albert Wilson had the dagger play on a pass from Tua Tagovailoa that would seal the deal for Miami. And obviously, I can’t forget to mention Robert Hunt’s admirable attempt to score a TD, which can be seen here. The Miami Dolphins will look to carry their momentum into next week when they travel to New Jersey to take on the Jets.
The Baltimore Ravens were just the most recent top team to face an upset, a trend that has plagued so many across the league this year. Lamar Jackson struggled to find any consistent momentum against a Dolphins defense that was stingy the entire night. Rashod Bateman continues to find his place in the Baltimore offense, living up to his first round selection. The Baltimore Ravens will look to bounce back next week when they travel to Soldier Field to take on the Chicago Bears.
Game Highlights (All footage courtesy of the NFL): Ravens vs. Dolphins Week 10 Highlights | NFL 2021
New Orleans Saints (5-4) @ Tennessee Titans (8-2)
Final: Titans-23 Saints-21
Player of the Game: Jeffery Simmons (Honorable Mention: Marcus Johnson)
The Tennessee Titans continued to stack wins on Sunday afternoon, even without their workhorse RB Derrick Henry. The Titans defense, led by Kevin Byard and Jeffery Simmons. Simmons tallied 2 sacks on the day and the Titans offense was led by WR Marcus Johnson, who pulled in 100 yards. The Titans, who remain as the #1 seed in the AFC will look to maintain that position when they host the Houston Texans.
The New Orleans Saints have now suffered back to back losses, which has derailed their momentum just a bit. Trevor Siemian continues to impress, despite the position he was put in. Without their offensive lead Alvin Kamara, the Saints were unable to put up enough points to pull away from the Titans. The Saints had a comeback stirring, but were stopped on a last minute 2-point conversion attempt. The Saints will look to return to the win column next week when they travel to Philadelphia to take on the Eagles.
Game Highlights: Saints vs. Titans Week 10 Highlights | NFL 2021
Buffalo Bills (6-3) @ New York Jets (2-7)
Final: Bills-45 Jets-17
Player of the Game: Stefon Diggs (Honorable Mention: Buffalo Bills Defense)
The Buffalo Bills finally returned to being the team that everyone expects them to be, on Sunday. Josh Allen and Stefon Diggs had their best game of the year as a QB-WR duo, Diggs hauling in 162 yards and 1 TD on 8 receptions. Allen had himself a nice game as well, even with the Bills establishing the run game throughout. The Buffalo defense forced 5 turnovers on Jets QB Mike White, with every member of the Bills starting secondary forcing a turnover of some sort. The Buffalo Bills will look to maintain their contender status when they host the Indianapolis Colts next week.
The era of Mike White possibly ended on Sunday afternoon at Metlife Stadium. The Cinderella story QB had a rough performance, throwing 4 INT and 0 TD. WR Corey Davis tallied 93 yards on 5 receptions, and RB Michael Carter had 82 total yards and 1 TD. The Jets will hope to return to the win column next week when they host the Miami Dolphins.
Game Highlights: Bills vs. Jets Week 10 Highlights | NFL 2021
Detroit Lions (0-8-1) @ Pittsburgh Steelers (5-3-1)
Final: Lions-16 Steelers-16
Player(s) of the Game: D’Andre Swift/Najee Harris
Personally, I hate ties in the NFL. They serve no purpose and the rule can easily be changed to where a clear winner is decided. Regardless, this bout between the Lions and Steelers was the first draw of the 2021-2022 NFL season. The RB’s were the workhorses for both teams this game, with Lions RB D’Andre Swift totaling 135 yards and Steelers RB Najee Harris totaling 133 yards. With Big Ben out with Covid, Mason Rudolph assumed the role of QB1 for the Steelers and had a lackluster performance, along with Lions QB Jared Goff. Both the Lions and the Steelers will look to notch a win next week when the Lions travel to Cleveland to play the Browns and the Steelers will travel to Los Angeles to take on the Chargers on Sunday Night Football.
Game Highlights: Lions vs. Steelers Week 10 Highlights | NFL 2021
Jacksonville Jaguars (2-7) @ Indianapolis Colts (5-5)
Final: Colts-23 Jaguars-17
Player of the Game: Jonathan Taylor
The Indianapolis Colts have just found a way to win games over the past few weeks, due in large part to RB Jonathan Taylor. The Wisconsin alumnus has emerged as a top back in the league, and has had consistency week in and week out. Taylor totaled 126 yards and 1 TD, and had some more offensive help with WR Michael Pittman Jr. grabbing 71 yards on 5 receptions. Despite the final score, the Colts struggled in the second half, and almost let the Jaguars come back and win the game. The Indianapolis Colts will look to get another win next week when they travel to Orchard Park next week to take on the Bills.
The Jacksonville Jaguars have come back down to Earth after their shocking win against the Buffalo Bills last week. With a banged up James Robinson, it was hard for the Jaguars to generate a stable sense of offense in the first half of the game. They made a run late in the bout, but didn’t do enough to seal the deal. The Jaguars will continue their rebuilding season next week when they host the San Francisco 49ers.
Game Highlights: Jaguars vs. Colts Week 10 Highlights | NFL 2021
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-3) @ Washington Football Team (3-6)
Final: WFT-29 Buccaneers-19
Player of the Game: Washington Defense (Honorable Mention: Antonio Gibson)
Add the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to the list of top teams to face an upset this year, a trend that I mentioned earlier. Tom Brady struggled from the start, throwing 2 INT in the first quarter, intercepted by William Jackson III and Bobby McCain, respectively. Antonio Gibson tallied 2 TD on the day while QB Taylor Heinicke threw for 256 yards and 1 TD. The Washington Football Team will look to get another win next week when they travel to Carolina to take on the Panthers.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have hit a midseason slump in the past few weeks, where they have now lost two straight games. As mentioned earlier, Brady threw 2 picks early, putting the Bucs in a spot where the entire game was an uphill climb, which they ultimately never got to the top of. Mike Evans and Cameron Brate both hauled in a TD for the Bucs. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will look to return to the win column when they host the New York Giants on Monday Night Football.
Game Highlights: Buccaneers vs. Washington Football Team Week 10 Highlights | NFL 2021
Cleveland Browns (5-5) @ New England Patriots (6-4)
Final: Patriots-45 Browns-7
Player of the Game: Rhamondre Stevenson (Honorable Mention: Mac Jones)
The New England Patriots put out a statement game on Sunday that proved why the Patriots are a team that everyone across the league should take notice of. Mac Jones threw for 3 TD while Rhamondre Stevenson rushed for 100 yards and 2 TD on 20 carries. This game would make it seem that the evil Empire of the NFL has returned. As Kyle Brandt stated, the Empire was beaten by a farm boy, and they were in the NFL too in Bills QB Josh Allen. If the Bills are to maintain their hold on the #1 spot in the AFC East, Josh Allen and his squad will have to channel their Return Of The Jedi and defeat the Empire once again down the road. The New England Patriots will look to get another win when they travel to Atlanta to take on the Falcons on Thursday Night Football.
The Cleveland Browns have seemed to enter a state of limbo where they just can’t seem to stay above .500. With both Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt out for injury, RB D’Ernest Johnson assumed the role of RB1 and had a nice game all things considered. Baker Mayfield left the game with an injury, leaving Case Keenum with the reins of the offense, but neither QB was able to generate much offense at all, only scoring 7 points. The Cleveland Browns will look to grab a win next week when they host the winless Detroit Lions.
Game Highlights: Browns vs. Patriots Week 10 Highlights | NFL 2021
Atlanta Falcons (4-5) @ Dallas Cowboys (7-2)
Final: Cowboys-43 Falcons-3
Player of the Game: CeeDee Lamb (Honorable Mention: Cowboys Defense)
The Dallas Cowboys seemed to have taken their frustrations about last week’s loss all out on the Atlanta Falcons. The Cowboys were firing on all cylinders on both sides of the ball. CeeDee Lamb and Ezekiel Elliot each tallied 2 TD in their respective positions. The Dallas defense totaled 3 INT on both Matt Ryan and Josh Rosen as well. The Dallas Cowboys will look to add another win to their record when they travel to Arrowhead next week to take on the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Atlanta Falcons will surely have a bad taste in their mouths after Sunday’s game. They generated barely any offense and were toasted on the defensive side of the ball. Cordarrelle Patterson left the game with injury, so that will be a situation to monitor moving forward. The Falcons will look to regain momentum for their season next week when they host the New England Patriots on Thursday Night Football.
Game Highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Z3eI13IN1U
Carolina Panthers (5-5) @ Arizona Cardinals (8-2)
Final: Panthers-34 Cardinals-10
Player of the Game: Cam Newton
If I would have told someone a few months ago that Cam Newton would be scoring touchdowns for the Carolina Panthers this season, they would have called me crazy. But that is exactly what happened on Sunday. Newton started his homecoming game with 2 quick TD. Despite playing only a few snaps, Newton made a great impact, along with star RB Christian McCaffrey. Newton is being prepped to start next week when the Carolina Panthers host the Washington Football Team.
Without Kyler Murray and DeAndre Hopkins for yet another week, the Arizona Cardinals were not as fortunate as last week this go around. Colt McCoy struggled against the Carolina defense, but James Conner added another TD run to his league-leading total. The Arizona Cardinals will look to get back on track next week when they travel to Seattle to take on their division rival Seahawks.
Game Highlights: Panthers vs. Cardinals Week 10 Highlights | NFL 2021
Minnesota Vikings (4-5) @ Los Angeles Chargers (5-4)
Final: Vikings-27 Chargers-20
Player of the Game: Justin Jefferson (Honorable Mention: Dalvin Cook)
After a series of disappointing losses, the Minnesota Vikings managed to pull off an impressive win against the Los Angeles Chargers. Justin Jefferson and Dalvin Cook led the way for the Vikings offense, as they usually do. Jefferson hauled in 143 yards on 9 receptions and Cook produced 118 total yards and 1 TD. The VIkings will look to carry the momentum from this win into next week when they host the Green Bay Packers.
After their hot start to the season, the Los Angeles Chargers have fizzled out quickly. Justin Herbert has now looked inconsistent for the recent weeks of the season, despite playing with a good offense around him. Keenan Allen and Austin Ekeler had good games for the Chargers despite the loss. The Los Angeles Chargers will look to bounce back next week when they host the Pittsburgh Steelers for Sunday Night Football.
Game Highlights: Vikings vs. Chargers Week 10 Highlights | NFL 2021
Seattle Seahawks (3-6) @ Green Bay Packers (8-2)
Final: Packers-17 Seahawks-0
Player of the Game: AJ Dillon
The Green Bay Packers can pat themselves on the back for being the first ever team to shut out Russell Wilson in his NFL career. A Green Bay defense consisting of free agent gem De”Vondre Campbell, emerging star Rashan Gary, and veterans like Adrian Amos, Preston Smith, and Rasul Douglas got the job done for Green Bay’s defense. AJ Dillon assumed the role of lead back once Aaron Jones went down with an injury, and he did not disappoint, totaling 128 yards and 2 TD. The Green Bay Packers will look to grab another win when they travel to Minnesota to play the Vikings next week.
The Seattle Seahawks will be facing an uphill battle for the remainder of the season if they want to contend for a playoff spot in the NFC. Russell Wilson struggled in his first game back from injury, along with Tyler Lockett, and an emotional D.K. Metcalf. The Seahawks will look to notch a win next week when they host the Arizona Cardinals.
Game Highlights: Seahawks vs. Packers Week 10 Highlights | NFL 2021
Philadelphia Eagles (4-6) @ Denver Broncos (5-5)
Final: Eagles-30 Broncos-13
Player of the Game: DeVonta Smith
The Philadelphia Eagles picked up an impressive win against the Denver Broncos on Sunday. The Broncos, who recently blew out the Dallas Cowboys last week. The Eagles were led by former Heisman DeVonta Smith’s 2 TD catches, which was the shifting scale that tipped the pendulum in the Eagles favor. The Philadelphia Eagles will hope to get another win next week when they host the New Orleans Saints.
The Denver Broncos put out a disappointing performance against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday. Melvin Gordon was the only player to score a TD for the Broncos, with Teddy Bridgewater and the rest of the offense flopping. The Broncos defense was poor as well, the only bright spot being an interception from Justin Simmons. The Denver Broncos will look to come back strong after their BYE next week.
Game Highlights: Eagles vs. Broncos Week 10 Highlights | NFL 2021
Kansas City Chiefs (6-4) @ Las Vegas Raiders (5-4) (SNF)
Final: Chiefs-41 Raiders-14
Player of the Game: Patrick Mahomes II
After many weeks of pedestrian play, Patrick Mahomes and his offense returned to what everyone knew that they could be. Mahomes threw for 400 yards and 5 TD. Tyreek Hill led the way for the WR corps and Darrel Williams was an all around threat as well. The Chiefs defense shut down the normally high octane Vegas offense and limited them to only 14 points. The Kansas City Chiefs will look to add another win next week when they host the Dallas Cowboys.
The Las Vegas Raiders’ momentum has temporarily been halted. After starting the season 5-2, the Raiders have now lost 2 straight games in which they could’ve won to take advantage of the open #1 spot in the AFC West. The Raiders were simply outgunned by the high powered arsenal of Kansas City, and there was no catching up. The Raiders will look to find another win when they host the Cincinnati Bengals next week in a matchup of AFC playoff hopefuls.
Game Highlights: Chiefs vs. Raiders Week 10 Highlights | NFL 2021
Los Angeles Rams (7-3) @ San Francisco 49ers (4-5) (MNF)
Final: 49ers-31 Rams-10
Player of the Game: Deebo Samuel
The San Francisco 49ers managed to pull off a much needed win against a division rival in front of their home crowd on Monday Night Football. The 49ers offense was led by WR Deebo Samuel and RB Elijah Mitchell, Samuel totaling 133 yards and 2 TD, and Mitchell totaling 91 yards on 27 carries. The 49ers will hope to carry the momentum from this win into next week, when they travel to Jacksonville to take on the Jaguars.
The L.A. Rams failed to meet everyone’s expectations with their loss on Sunday night. With the recently acquired stars Von Miller and Odell Beckham Jr., many were expecting the Rams to come out and dominate their division rival, but they did not. While it is only one game, this showing was a prime example that going “all in” or “building a superteam” rarely ever works in football. The Rams who have now lost two in a row, are still a top team in the NFC, and will look to find a win after their BYE, next week.
Game Highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XS7gAIAJZV0