NFL: Five Week 10 Thoughts

Another one in the books! We're now officially more than half way through the NFL season, it always goes by so fast. That means also that you're reading your tenth edition of an uninformed fan telling you 5 things he thought about the week in football that just took place. This edition will be no different from the others, great football and I think some things about it: 

The Lions Win No Matter What

I said last week that every time I look at the box score from a Lions game it makes absolutely no sense. This one was no different. Lions QB Jared Goff threw a total of 5 interceptions in this game, usually that means death to your hopes of winning the football game, but not if you're the 2024 Lions. After getting down 23-7, the Lions scored 19 unanswered points to come back and win the game on a field goal. Goff is the first QB to win a game while throwing 5 interceptions since Matt Ryan did it in 2012. As much as I want to give the Lions credit for their grit and determination, I need to put this one squarely on the Houston Texans. Coming into the year I called the Texans the biggest threat to the Chiefs. I actually picked them to make the Superbowl. So far this year they have done nothing but go on fraud alert. I'll concede that a lot of their weapons are injured right now, but to be gifted 5 takeaways and still be outgained in the game is not what a contender looks like. CJ Stroud has been an average QB this season and was again on Sunday night  throwing 2 picks himself and being completely unable to get the offense going in the second half. A missed FG by the Texans with around 2 minutes left all but sealed their fate as the Lions got the ball in good field position and capitalized with the game winning FG. 

The Lions are looking more and more like true contenders. They can win pretty with Goff throwing 0 incompletions and the defense locking in. They can win ugly with Goff throwing 5 interceptions and having to come back from a big hole. I know I spent a lot of this segment burying my hopes and dreams of a Texans Superbowl, but the Lions deserve some praise too. This is the type of game contenders pull out, I think we're witnessing something special in Detroit. 

Aggressive Coaching is Stupid

A lot of talk after that Ravens Bengals thriller on Thursday night about the penalties. In a back and fourth game, the Bengals got the ball last down 28-35 with their QB Joe Burrow playing out of his mind as usual this season. The Bengals scored a touchdown with 38 seconds left on the clock, a dream scenario, but they decided to go for 2 to gamble for the win rather than kick the extra point and go to overtime. The Bengals fail the conversion and all the chatter was on the missed facemask and holding calls that could've been made against the defense on the play. I do agree that there probably was a missed call there, but I am more focused on the decision making process for why they would even attempt to go for 2 there. Yes the Bengals lost one in OT to the Ravens already this year, but with their offense playing amazing, you would think they'd want to give them a chance to seal it in the extra time. I feel like a crazy old man every time I talk about this stuff, but what ever happened to just taking the points? Probably some selection bias in here but I feel like more often than not the aggressive play call blows up in a team's face. Anyway, Ravens Bengals games are like the exact opposite of Ravens Steelers games lately, all gas no brakes. I always come away with mixed feelings, I would have loved to see the Ravens lose that one but it is fun to laugh at the Bengals for blowing their aggressive play call. Really though I am just mad they didn't go to OT to wear the Ravens out a bit more before the Steelers play them on Sunday next week. 

Lol Giants

I've said before in a Steelers reaction article that the Giants are just not a serious football team. They prove it again by losing to the Panthers in overtime in Munich. First of all, damn NFL you're really giving the good people of Munich Giants vs Panthers to enjoy? I would think that would scare away European fans of the sport for good. Jokes aside, the Giants practically handed this one to the Panthers. Daniel Jones had 2 great drives that got them into the redzone, both ended in interceptions. They were however playing the Bryce Young led Panthers so the game never got out of reach, entering the 4th quarter down 10 the Giants scored a quick TD to bring it within 3 and then perfectly executed a drive down the stretch to get a game tying FG with the clock expiring. The Giants then even won the coin toss in OT, generally a great boost to your chances of winning the game. On the first play of OT, Giants RB Tyrone Tracy Jr fumbles setting up an easy game winning FG for the Panthers. That's that, the Panthers didn't even play well, I'm not sure they're capable of doing so, but the Giants just simply find a way to lose no matter what. Early on everyone piled on Carolina dubbing them the worst team in football this year, I think that title belongs to the New York Giants and at this point I don't even think it's close. If you need a pick in your survivor pool next week, pick whoever the Giants play.

Are the Jets an Even Bigger Joke?

Speaking of terrible football teams from New York, the Jets never fail to fit that description and this season is no different. With a full year of Aaron Rodgers I heard lots of chatter early on that the Jets would have a competent offense, when that didn't happen right away Rodgers demanded some help and they got him Devante Adams, oh boy. Early on the Jets offense was actually moving the football, 3 of their first 4 drives got near the redzone but they came away with field goals in the first two while the Cardinals were scoring touchdowns on theirs. The Jets had a chance to score again before the half and Rodgers hit an open Devante Adams in the end zone but the pass was dropped by Adams. On 4th down the Cardinals got a strip sack to end the Jets scoring hopes that drive as well. After the Cards scored another TD and kicked another FG it looked like the Jets just completely rolled over. Sitting at 3-7 on the year, the Jets are now toast and only 1 game better than the Giants who I just called the worst team in football. Fun stat for Steelers fans, former Jet and now Steeler Mike Williams ended up with more receiving yards and TDs on the day than Devante Adams. Do I care that it was just 1 reception for Williams? No I do not, laugh at the Jets with me!

Too Early Look at the Standings

Half way through the season it looks like there's going to be some intense divisional races down the stretch! The Steelers lead the AFC North but haven't played a single game in the division yet and they have Baltimore breathing down their necks just a half game back. The Chiefs keep on winning in the least convincing ways possible but seem to have a hold on the AFC West with a game in hand already on the 6-3 Chargers. The Texans absolutely should have ran away with the AFC South already but after a bad loss this week they are letting the Colts hang around in what always ends up being a huge AFC South mid-off. The Bills are the only ones in the AFC to be running away with the division sitting at 8-2 with the second place Dolphins getting up to 3-6 after the win. 

In the NFC there's nothing short of a dog fight in each division. The Eagles and Commanders each have 7 wins and will battle it out with still 2 games to play against each other in the NFC East. The 49ers got superstar RB Christian McCaffrey back and he looked good getting into the flow of things. They will need him down the stretch as they now sit in second place to the surging Cardinals, who also have a game in hand against the 9ers. The NFC South is looking like its AFC counterpart, a mid-off. After the Buccaneers looked really good to start the year, injuries have hit them hard and they now sit at 4-6 looking up at the 6-4 Falcons, who also lost this week. Finally the NFC North will be the best divisional battle in a long time with the 6-3 Packers sitting in 3rd place to the 7-2 Vikings and 8-1 Lions. Crazy how the Lions got amazing just in time for the rest of the division to also be great. Every week matters a ton in football with only 17 games a season, but we're getting into the final stretch of games and this is where the pressure really ramps up. I am hyped to follow the divisional battles down the stretch, hopefully my Steelers pull theirs off. 

And that's that! Happy week 10 everyone, I can't believe I've done 10 weeks of these, I thought I'd quit or slow down by now but I am having a lot of fun. If anyone is reading this all the way to the end, thank you for the support! This is just a fun passion project for me but more and more I'm wanting them to be seen so thank you for coming along for the ride. Anyway, go Raptors tonight against the Bucks. In season tournament game, lets get a W and hang a banner in an otherwise down season!