NFL Week 10 put a focus on teams that are on their way to the playoffs. By doing so, Week 10 also focused on teams, like the Dallas Cowboys, that should struggle to make it to the playoffs. No 2 games were as enlightening as the Dallas Cowboys at Atlanta Falcons and the New Orleans Saints at Buffalo Bills.
Check out a recap of those 2 games along with recaps of all the NFL action in Week 10!
2017 NFL Week 10 Recap
Seattle Seahawks -5.5 at Arizona Cardinals +5.5
Seattle played well below its defensive capabilities when it allowed a Carson Palmer-less Arizona Cardinals’ team to score 16 points against it. The Cards rushed for 34 yards from 24 carries. That’s the good news for Seattle’s D. The bad news is that Seattle’s defensive line and secondary allowed Arizona QB Drew Stanton to throw for 273 yards and a TD.
But, that’s not the worst news. The worst news for the Seahawks’ D is that cornerback Richard Sherman is out for the season after busting an Achilles. That’s just bad. For Arizona, Stanton played well enough for the Cardinals to consider ditching Carson Palmer.
Result: Seahawks 22, Cardinals 16
Pittsburgh Steelers -10 at Indianapolis Colts +10
I had a feeling that Pittsburgh might have trouble versus the Indianapolis Colts in Week 10. Pittsburgh’s offense hasn’t been the same this season as it has been in season’s past. The Steelers are relying way too much on QB Ben Roethlisberger. His skills have clearly diminished. RB Le’Veon Bell doesn’t have the same burst as he had a couple of seasons ago, either.
Ben only threw for 236 yards and 2 TDs. He also threw a pick. He completed 19 of 31. Bell rushed for 80 yards from 26 carries. Because the Steelers battled the Colts, they won the football game. But, it wasn’t easy.
Result: Steelers 20, Colts 17
Minnesota Vikings -1.5 at Washington Redskins +1.5
This was one of the easier picks of NFL Week 10. Washington just doesn’t have that one thing that puts them on the same level as the Minnesota Vikings. Washington’s defense broke down, again, while the offense didn’t do enough, again, for the team that plays in D.C. to get the victory.
Most look at Minnesota and wonder how they’re winning with Case Keenum at quarterback. Minnesota’s winning because even though Keenum makes mistakes, he threw 2 picks versus Washington, he’s also been great. Keenum tossed 4 TDs versus Washington’s defense. That led to the big win.
Result: Vikings 38, Redskins 30
Cleveland Browns +9.5 at Detroit Lions -9.5
The score was 24 to 24 after the third quarter. What happened? Cleveland imploded. Much of Cleveland’s implosion had to do with stud defender Jamie Collins Sr. busting his knee. Collins is on I-R. A healthy Collins might have helped the Browns from allowing Detroit QB Matthew Stafford to lead the Lions to a couple of TDs in the fourth quarter.
Cleveland is still searching for that elusive first win of the season. Detroit remains within shouting distance of the Minnesota Vikings for the lead in the NFC North Division. The Lions’ defense does just enough, every week it feels like, to keep Detroit in games.
Result: Lions 38, Browns 24
New York Jets -3 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers +3
The Jets entered Tampa Bay and lied down like a shot dog. That’s how bad it was. Facing the 30th ranked pass defense in the NFL, all Jets’ QB Josh McCown could do was make mistake after mistake. Tampa Bay played better than the Jets in this awful game.
TB didn’t play great. They played better.
Result: Buccaneers 15, Jets 10
Green Bay Packers +5 at Chicago Bears -5
The Chicago Bears were supposed to finally beat the rival Green Bay Packers. Things set up perfectly for the Bears to pull off the upset. That didn’t happen. Instead, Green Bay proved that even with a back-up QB, they own the Bears.
Brett Hundley completed 18 of 25 passes for 212 yards. He threw a TD. He also rushed for 16 yards on 2 carries. The Packers lost the top 2 running backs on their depth chart, Ty Montgomery and Aaron Jones. They managed to beat the Bears with Jamaal Williams as their workhorse back. Williams was terrific when rushing for 67 yards from 20 carries. That’s only a 3.4 per carry average. What he did is force the Bears to pay attention to the rushing attack. That allowed Hundley to find open receivers.
For the Bears, QB Mitch Trubisky wasn’t bad at all. Trubisky threw for 297 yards and a TD. He looked the best he’s looked this season. Chicago wanted to win. However, since Trubisky showed marked improvement, I think the Bears got some positive things out of the loss.
Result: Packers 23, Bears 16
L.A. Chargers +4 at Jacksonville Jaguars -4
The Jacksonville Jaguars didn’t beat the L.A. Chargers in NFL Week 10. The L.A. Chargers lost to the Jacksonville Jaguars in NFL Week 10.
With a 3-point lead under 2 minutes, the Chargers managed to buffoon their way into a 17 to 20 overtime loss. Oh, yeah. The Bolts also intercepted Jags’ QB Blake Bortles twice inside of 2 minutes. How, you might ask, did the Bolts lose on Sunday? I’ll allow the San-Diego Tribune to get the glory on that one.
Result: Jags 20, Chargers 17
New Orleans Saints -2.5 at Buffalo Bills +2.5
New Orleans entered Buffalo as only a -2.5 favorite. Many NFL handicappers had the Saints losing straight up to Buffalo. After all, the Bills had a suddenly burgeoning offense that had scored over 30 points in 2 straight games. The Bills also had the type of defense that could shut down New Orleans’ rushing attack.
That’s not what happened at all. The Saints rushed for a crazy 298 yards from 48 carries. A team that used to only rely on QB Drew Brees dominated Buffalo by 37 points without Brees throwing for 200 yards.
Not only that, but New Orleans’ defense, without starting safety Kenny Vaccaro, held the Bills to 69 rushing yards and 129 passing yards. New Orleans is looking like the best team in the NFL.
Result: Saints 47, Bills 10
Cincinnati Bengals +5.5 at Tennessee Titans -5.5
The Titans have secured a 6 and 3 record via the slimmest of margins. Tennessee is 6 and 3 straight up. They’re only 3-5-1 against the spread. What that tells me is that the Titans aren’t close to challenging the Kansas City Chiefs or the New England Patriots in the AFC.
It’s tough to write anything positive about the Cincinnati Bengals. The offensive line couldn’t do enough to spring RB Joe Mixon for a long rush. The Bengals aren’t trying too hard anymore. That’s what I witnessed.
Result: Titans 24, Bengals 20
Houston Texans +11.5 at L.A. Rams -11.5
You’d expect the Houston Texans to rush the ball at least 30 times versus the L.A. Rams in Week 10. The Texans did rush the football 25 times. But, they had to throw it because by the end of the third quarter the score was Rams 30, Texans 7. LAR scored 21 points in the third quarter.
The Rams are a legit football team. QB Jared Goff threw for 355 yards and 3 TDs. The Rams’ D picked off Houston QB Tom Savage 2 times. It was a classic blowout win.
Result: Rams 33, Texans 7
New York Giants +1.5 at San Francisco 49’ers -1.5
The line on Giants versus 49’ers switched from 49’ers -1.5 to 49’ers +3 right before kick-off. That’s a huge swing. Swings like that only happen if professional bettors are involved. Yeah. Those pro bettors took it in the shorts after the Niners dominated the worst team in the NFL, the New York Giants.
I’m a big believer in effort. Even though you’re not a good football team, you should still try. The Browns try. They’re just not good. San Francisco tried harder than the Giants in Week 10. They beat them rather easily.
The Giants haven’t tried to win a game since lucking into a victory over the Denver Broncos on Oct. 15.
Result: 49’ers 31, Giants 21
Dallas Cowboys +3 at Atlanta Falcons -3
Sometimes, a team relies so heavily on a single player that they end up losing the game because that player is out. Atlanta RB Devonta Freeman left in the first quarter of this game due to a concussion. Cowboys LB Sean Lee left early in the game due to a hamstring problem.
Dallas’ defense isn’t the same without Lee. Once Lee left the game, Falcons’ RB Tevin Coleman turned into Superman. Coleman rushed for 83 yards and a TD. He led an Atlanta rushing brigade that ran for 132 yards from 34 carries. There’s nobody on Dallas’ defense that can replace Sean Lee.
Result: Falcons 27, Cowboys 7
New England Patriots -7.5 at Denver Broncos +7.5
We know the Broncos’ offense isn’t very good. But, what’s up with the defense? Sure, New England’s got one of the best offenses in the NFL. I don’t understand how the Broncos’ D could allow the Patriots to rush for 99 yards, and allow Tom Brady to throw 3 TDs. Brady also threw for 297 yards.
What is that? Close to 400 yards of total offense? If Denver’s defense doesn’t turn it around, that’s a much bigger issue than the Broncos looking for a quarterback.
Result: Patriots 41, Broncos 16
Miami Dolphins +9 at Carolina Panthers -9
Miami had no answer for the Carolina Panthers’ rushing attack. In classic Carolina fashion, the Panthers racked up 294 rushing yards with only 1 player, Jonathan Stewart, rushing for over 100 yards. Stewart rushed for 110. QB Cam Newton rushed for 95. Cameron Artis-Payne rushed for 68. Christian McCaffrey rushed for 23.
The Dolphins also allowed Cam to throw for 254 yards and 4 TDs. Carolina looked great while the Fins stunk it up.
Result: Panthers 45, Dolphins 21