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NFL Week 10 Recap: Win, Lose, or Draw

Nothing is settled after 70 minutes in Pittsburgh, and Cam Newton makes his return to the Carolina Panthers

By Clyde E. DawkinsPublished 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago 6 min read
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Week 10, as well as the 2nd half of the NFL season, started with the Baltimore Ravens losing badly to the lowly Miami Dolphins, meaning that the Pittsburgh Steelers had a golden opportunity to move into a tie for first place in the AFC North. They were at home against the winless Detroit Lions, who hadn't won a game since December 6, 2020, but on Saturday, the news broke: Ben Roethlisberger testing positive for COVID. Even so, with Mason Rudolph starting for the Steelers, it still seemed like they would beat the Lions.

Then the game started.

What followed was a cacophony of sloppiness, chaos, and flat out messiness from both teams. Regarding the Steelers, it was another case of them playing down to their competition, as they found themselves actually trailing the Lions in the fourth quarter. Chris Boswell's FG tied it up at 16 with over ten minutes left, but that remaining time went without any points. The game went to overtime, yet the sloppiness continued. Pittsburgh's fumble during the period resulted in the Lions having a chance to actually win the game, but the kick was just...awful. Steelers had another chance, the clock was winding down, and with 15 seconds left, Rudolph's pass to Pat Freiermuth connected...and then he fumbled it. The Lions recovered with eight seconds left, and after a drastic attempt failed with no defensive penalties, it was sealed. Final score: Detroit Lions 16, Pittsburgh Steelers 16.

So for the first time this season, the Lions have a win percentage, but it's a tie. I'm a fan of ties; they're rare and they mess up the standings a bit. This tie, however, was easily preventable for either of the teams involved. So the Lions end their 12-game losing streak in the most Lions way possible, though it's now a 13-game winless streak. As for the Steelers, this is embarrassing for them. They cannot keep operating like this if they want to keep pace with the Ravens.

Four simple words: Welcome back, Cam Newton! This year's preseason saw Newton cut from the New England Patriots, and the season progressed with Newton still not having a team. Many thought he would be with the Washington Football Team, who a) needed a QB, and b) had Newton's former coach, Ron Rivera, at the helm. Finally, one team came calling, a team he knows all too well: the Carolina Panthers. Yes, you read that right, Cam Newton is back with the Panthers--he even said it himself after he ran it in for the first score of the game. I've watched that highlight a lot; it was such a happy moment for Newton, as he was not only back in the league, but he was back with the team he led to Super Bowl 50. With Newton leading the way, the Panthers eased they way to a 34-10 victory over the Arizona Cardinals, who have now lost two of three since starting 7-0.

So the drama was officially over, and Aaron Rodgers cleared protocols and returned to the field this past Sunday. The Green Bay Packers hosted the Seattle Seahawks in a game that saw both teams' respective star QBs return to play, as Russell Wilson started for the first time since suffering his finger injury against the Rams. What we saw was a weird and ugly game that featured some messiness on offense, and a 3-0 score hold up all the way to the fourth quarter. The touchdowns finally came for the Packers in the fourth quarter, both via the run and both from AJ Dillon. Despite the ugliness of the game, Rodgers nearly throw for 300 yards, as the Packers won, 17-0, over the Seahawks.

Yes, you read that right. This was a shutout. Russell Wilson started 151 games for the Seahawks, and Game 151 was the first time that the team was blanked. I have to point out something. The game was on CBS, and I couldn't help but notice Tony Romo state, on more than one occasion, that Wilson was rusty. I honestly didn't like that statement, because that suggests that the offensive woes were Wilson's fault. If the Seahawks only scored 3 or 7 points, maybe. This team was blanked. It takes a team effort to be inept on offense like that. Wilson threw two picks in the end zone, but that tripled his INT total this year (he only had one all year). The running game was nonexistent, and Tyler Lockett & DK Metcalf weren't even in the equation. They didn't even have a field goal attempt; it was that bad.

 Are the Kansas City Chiefs back? It seems that way after their big blowout win over the division rival Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday Night Football. The Chiefs won, 41-14, bringing them to over .500 for the first time all season (can't believe I'm making that statement). In addition, thanks to the Los Angeles Chargers and the Denver Broncos' losses, the Chiefs are in first place in the AFC West. However, it's a very tight AFC West--only one game separates the entire division. The remaining eight weeks should be very interesting in that division.

Have you ever seen Linus Van Pelt without his blue blanket? The poor kid is a mess. Multiply that by 1000, and you have Tom Brady without Rob Gronkowski and Antonio Brown. Many would say that it's hard for a QB to win without his best targets. The people saying that haven't watched Aaron Rodgers, and definitely didn't watch the Packers/Cardinals game this season. This was the second straight game that Brown and Gronkowski were out, and it led to defeat for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. This time, it was a 10-point loss to the Washington Football Team in a rematch of last year's NFC Wild Card Playoff. As a result of Tampa Bay's loss, as well as the New Orleans Saints' loss to the Tennessee Titans, the NFC South is much closer. Even the Atlanta Falcons, who were blasted, 43-3, by the Dallas Cowboys, have an outside shot.

The big news from the NFL entering Week 10 was the Los Angeles Rams acquiring Odell Beckham Jr. from the Cleveland Browns. It was a case of the rich getting richer for the Rams, as this acquisition comes after receiving Von Miller in a trade with the Denver Broncos. OBJ's debut came on Monday Night Football against the San Francisco 49ers, but that game saw the Rams at their worst. Matthew Stafford threw a Pick Six for the second straight game, and Deebo Samuel was too much for the Rams, with a rushing TD and a receiving TD, as well as 133 all-purpose yards. As for OBJ? Two receptions, 18 yards. Not exactly an improvement from his Cleveland days. The Niners took this game by a score of 31-10, handing the Rams their second straight loss. As for the Browns, they were blasted by the New England Patriots, who are continuing to keep pace with the Buffalo Bills in the AFC East. The Bills rebounded from their shocking loss to the Jaguars with a blowout win over the New York Jets.

Week 11 kicks off with the Atlanta Falcons hosting the New England Patriots on Thursday Night Football; this will be the Falcons' first home game since the Atlanta Braves won the World Series, so expect to see the Braves celebrate their championship prior to kickoff. Sunday Night Football will feature the Pittsburgh Steelers looking to rebound from their tie with the Lions, as they will head to SoCal to face the Los Angeles Chargers. On Monday Night Football, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will look to avoid a third straight loss, as they will host the New York Giants. This will be the last week of football prior to Thanksgiving.

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About the Creator

Clyde E. Dawkins

I am an avid fan of sports and wrestling, and I've been a fan of female villains since the age of eight. Also into film and TV, especially Simpsons and Family Guy.

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