Russell Wilson was ejected for the first time ever in his career. Tom Brady was outplayed by Taylor Heinicke. Cam Newton had more touchdowns than Aaron Rodgers.
Another Sunday was full of surprises and unpredictability.
Four teams with losing records won the week for the second consecutive week over clubs that were in first or tied for first. On Thursday night, Miami defeated Baltimore. Tampa was defeated by Washington. Carolina defeated Arizona. The Chargers were defeated by Minnesota.
The surprise came even from the Detroit Lions, who avoided a loss for their first time.
Wilson’s remarkable recovery from a severe injury to his finger was only enough to throw two picks in the endzone in Seattle’s 17-1 defeat to Rodgers, Green Bay Packers. Wilson didn’t mince words, but he was tired from missing three games.
Wilson stated, “This could have represented a huge, important step for us here to win on the road.” It didn’t work out that way because of my mishaps. I look forward watching the tape to see where I can improve, and where we can go better.
The Seahawks (3-6) are reeling, but have the chance to grab the third wild card spot if they can make a run.
Rodgers was also not sharp after his COVID-19 return. Rodgers didn’t practice during the week, and he only joined the Packers on Saturday. The NFL’s reigning MVP managed to win the offensive battle and lead Green Bay (8-2) towards victory.
The Packers moved up to the top of the NFC. They lost to Brady and the Buccaneers last year in conference title. Green Bay is getting snowed in and no one wants to play at Lambeau Field on January 1.
The Buccaneers (3-1) made it even harder for themselves to repeat the feat with a shocking 29-19 defeat to Washington (3-3). Brady was able to throw two interceptions on his first six passes, and the team made too many costly errors.
The most concerning concern is Tampa’s vaunted defensive that hasn’t looked like the team that beat Patrick Mahomes, the Chiefs, and the Super Bowl. Heinicke couldn’t be stopped after giving up 29 points against Trevor Siemian, Jameis Winston and the Saints just before the team’s bye.
Brady’s magic will not be able to overcome a defense this weak.
Bruce Arians, Buccaneers coach, stated that “we’re not showing-up on Sundays.”
The most unlikely scenario of Week 10 was Newton’s return to Superman status three days after his Carolina return and three months after his last NFL game.
Newton, the ex-face of the Panthers, was signed by the team on Thursday. He was backed by backup P.J. Walker threw a TD and ran for a score during Carolina’s 34-10 win over Arizona.
Newton’s return makes Panthers (5-5) exciting, and they are right in the mix to make the playoffs. They currently hold the seventh spot.
The Cardinals (8-2) have fallen out of the NFC’s top spot. They lost to Green Bay last month. Kyler Murray will be needed to keep the Rams (7-2 in the West) at bay.
On Sunday, there were signs of normalcy and consistency.
The Tennessee Titans (8-2), remained hot, beating New Orleans to win their sixth consecutive victory.
Kansas City (6-4), is now in first place in AFC West. Thanks to Mahomes’ 406 yards and five touchdowns, the 41-14 win at Las Vegas saw Mahomes return to Kansas City.
After a 9-6 loss against the Jaguars, the Buffalo Bills (6-3), got back on track with an 45-17 win.
The Dallas Cowboys (7-2), defeated Atlanta 43-3. This was a rebound from a loss to Denver.
The Lions (0-8-1), remained winless. In overtime, Ryan Santoso missed a 48 yard field goal by Detroit against the Steelers. It was a 16-16 tie.
Still, the Lions have a chance of finishing the season with zero victories. This would be a surprising development in an NFL season that has been one of most difficult to predict in recent years.
