Week 10 Thoughts & Observations

[Tom Kessenich]

Here are some random thoughts and observations about Week 10 as I wonder if why NFL officiating has gotten so much worse this season.

We’re more than two months into the 2021 campaign and we’re starting to get some clarity even though there’s still plenty of football left. In the NFC, the Packers are the team to beat right now and surprisingly it’s not because of Aaron Rodgers and their offense but rather their surprising defense.

I didn’t have high hopes for that unit, especially after losing its two best players (Jaire Alexander and Za’Darius Smith) to injury. But they’ve been playing lights out and shutting down some of the game’s premier QBs, including Kyler Murray, Patrick Mahomes and now Russ Wilson on Sunday. Credit to defensive coordinator Joe Barry for scheming the hell out of that unit and turning it into one of the league’s best.

Despite the great play of the defense, however, there are two concerns. First, Aaron Jones suffered a knee injury on Sunday against Seattle. It doesn’t appear serious and hopefully he can return after the team’s Week 13 bye. The good news there is Green Bay has a stellar backup in A.J. Dillon but losing Jones means they lose the dynamic 1-2 punch Jones and Dillon provided in the backfield so that is a concern.

The more pressing issue is kicker Mason Crosby continues to misfire and that is a serious problem. He missed another field goal on Sunday and at some point, the Packers are going to play a game where a FG will mean the difference between winning and going home for the season. Crosby needs to figure out his issues and soon.

I honestly have no idea what happened to the Ravens last Thursday night but everyone who has Lamar Jackson just consider yourself damn lucky. For three quarters you were looking at beginning Week 10 with a massive problem. Instead, Lamar put up major garbage time points and bailed you out.

Ain’t this game fun?

Dear Baltimore: More Rashod Bateman in the first three quarters and less Sam Watkins please? Thank you.

Like the Dolphins, I’m not the biggest Tua Tagovaiola fan in the world, but why in the hell didn’t he start that game? I mean c’mon.

So, I think we can all agree the Cowboys were a little embarrassed by their Week 9 performance.

Oh, and teams with MASSIVE leads in the third quarter, it’s OK to pull your star players rather than allow them to get hurt unnecessarily. Speaking on behalf for everyone with CeeDee Lamb shares.

I know the Saints have offensive issues and playing without Al Kamara didn’t help, but their defense just HAS to be better. There’s too much talent on that side of the ball to get pushed around by a team with one … make that … ONE … above average offensive weapon like the Titans had on Sunday.

And yes, they got royally screwed by an absolute joke of a roughing the passer call deep in their own territory that wiped out an interception and completely changed the course of the game but they still have to be better. This is a team as its currently constructed that must be led by its talent-laden defense and this is two weeks in a row where the defense has failed in winnable games to deliver.

D’Onta Foreman is the Titans’ best running back. It’ll be interesting to see how long it takes for Mike Vrabel to figure it out.

Carson Wentz absolutely soiled the bed and himself in an A+ matchup vs. Jacksonville on Sunday and the Colts had to scratch and claw their way to a victory over the Jags. For now, let’s just chalk it up to the old “On any given Sunday” deal. But it’s something to watch for Indianapolis as it tries to fight its way to the playoffs.

Mac Jones didn’t put up gaudy numbers vs. the Browns on Sunday. All he did was make every throw necessary and drive a stake through Cleveland’s hearts. In other words, he played like a damn good QB. Kid’s got a bright future.

All Hunter Henry does is score touchdowns.

Then he scores twice on Sunday against the Browns just to show you he can.

How come that guy didn’t have a stronger free agent market? And don’t give me he’s always hurt hoo ha. He’s an absolute stud.

D’Ernest Johnson is a third-string RB. Seriously, how crazy is that?

The Browns have three No. 1 RBs but they don’t have a single No. 1 WR. That’s a problem. Sorry Jarvis, you ain’t a 1. You’re more like a 3 on a really good team. OK a 2 opposite someone like Davante.

So, I guess the Bills righted the ship, huh?

LOL at Matt Breida getting all of Zack Moss’ work. The Bills felt so sorry for Moss they gave him a gift TD near the end of the game.

This is my way of saying we can stop starting Moss now. That ride’s over.

OK whose fault was it that we all had to watch the Steelers-Lions game? I’m gonna count to 5 and I want the person responsible to step forward. I’m not gonna punish you. I just want you to accept responsibility for it like an adult, so it never happens again, OK?

All right …

1

2

3

4

5

OK …

STEVE. I KNEW IT.

It’s always you Steve.

Dammit.

Knock it off. Never pull that crap again. Nobody deserves to go through that again. It’s a miracle we all survived it.

STOP SMIRKING.

I don’t wanna ever have to do this again. Now go back to your room and think about what you’ve done.

The Buccaneers are another top NFC team with some serious problems. Primarily on defense. Coming out of the bye and getting whipped at Washington was an ugly look. Tom Brady looked old, the offense looked like it slept through the bye and the Bucs’ pass defense continues to be a major issue. Taylor Heinicke did pretty much everything he wanted against them, and Antonio Gibson ran hard and looked really good for the first time in several weeks.

The season is far from over but if Tampa Bay doesn’t solve its pass defense issues it’s going to have a real difficult time making it back to the Super Bowl, much less repeating as champs.

Christian McCaffrey 23 touches, 161 total yards. Yeah, it was fun watching Cam Newton scream “I’M BACK” at the Panthers fans after he scored a touchdown on his first touch, but fantasy owners are definitely digging seeing a healthy CMC look like a healthy CMC again.

But yeah, Cam looking like Cam in Carolina blue is pretty cool too. I’m definitely in for the revival tour.

The Cardinals are another top NFC team in turmoil right now, but their issues are very easy to solve. They just need to get Kyler Murray and DeAndre Hopkins healthy.

It’s easy to say the Chargers’ defense only has Derwin James and Joey Bosa and nothing else but watching them I think that literally might be the case. Good Lord that’s a bad defense.

A couple weeks ago, there were some rumblings the Eagles should bench Jalen Hurts and start Gardner Minshew. First off, I can’t figure out why people haven’t figured that Minshew isn’t anything more than a below-average backup. The fascination with that guy continues to baffle me.

But it’s even more baffling to me why anyone would think the Eagles should bench Hurts. Has he been inconsistent this season? Definitely. But this is his first full year as a starter. He’s obviously going to be inconsistent, and everyone should understand that. So, you accept that and deal with it and build that into your expectations for him as the season goes on. You give him a full season as a starter and then at season’s end you look at his body of work and decide if he’s your guy or if you need to bring him competition in 2022.

That’s what a good team does. It’s very simple and easy.

On Sunday in Denver, Hurts showed why the talk of benching him was so ignorant. He had quite possibly his best game as a pro. He torched a solid defense on the road, making several brilliant throws in leading the Eagles to the win. His numbers should’ve been even better, but Quez Watkins dropped an absolutely perfect TD bomb right in his hands just before halftime.

That was the second straight game where Hurts showed some real impressive passing game prowess. There’s progress here people and that’s exactly what you want to see with a young QB.

Meanwhile, Hurts’ counterpart Teddy Bridgewater humiliated himself in such a way that should result in him never being allowed back on the field again this season for the Broncos. Darius Slay was returning a fumble for the Eagles and Bridgewater had a clear attempt to make a tackle and keep his team in the game. Instead, he made an obvious business decision to back away and allow Slay to scamper untouched for a defensive touchdown that wrapped up the win for Philadelphia.

You can make an argument that Bridgewater didn’t want to get injured I suppose but he’s a football player and the game’s outcome was still in question at that time. When Bridgewater elected to give Slay a touchdown, he handed the Eagles a win. If that’s his decision, there is no way he should be allowed to be the Denver quarterback this season.

I like Teddy Bridgewater. His comeback has been a helluva story. But this isn’t difficult. If a player on any team chooses defeat for his team, he shouldn’t be allowed to start for his team any longer. Your move, Vic Fangio.

The Broncos lost.

The Chargers lost.

The Raiders had a statement game on Sunday night at home vs. the Chiefs with the opportunity to take control of the AFC West. The result? Patrick Mahomes looked like Patrick Mahomes again, throwing for 406 yards and 5 TDs and the Raiders looked like the Raiders again.

I think the AFC West might be back normal.

And finally, we all told you not to start Matt Ryan, J.D. McKissick, Kenyan Drake, AJ Brown, DK Metcalf, Mike Gesicki and TJ Hockenson this week. What the hell is wrong with you people? Those guys obviously suck. Why didn’t you start Trevor Siemian, Matt Brieda, Kendrick Bourne, Bryan Edwards and Tyler Conklin?

This game is so easy. Why do you people insist on making it so hard?