If you’re a fan of crazy finishes then Week 10 was for you.
The Baltimore Ravens contrived to lose to Jacksonville despite the clock going dead on the Jaguars, while Detroit did its level best to choke away a rare win over the Green Bay Packers.
The New England Patriots played another thriller against the New York Giants, who were a last-second 54-yard Stephen Gostkowski field goal away from ending the Pats’ second run at perfection, and the Arizona Cardinals held off a furious second-half charge from the Seahawks to win in Seattle.
So, after all that, what are the big questions that need answering?
1. Is it finally over for Peyton Manning?
If it isn’t then it’s getting mighty close.
Denver’s home game against the Chiefs began with an air of expectation as Manning began the day just three yards behind Brett Favre’s career passing mark.
By the time he broke the record, the 39-year-old future Hall of Famer had already thrown the first of his four interceptions and the Chiefs had jumped out to a 7-0 lead.
Things got so bad that Manning was yanked from the game for back-up Brock Osweiler with the Broncos down 22-0 and having completed just five of 20 passes for 35 yards and a career low passer rating of 0.0.
Peyton Manning completed passes thrown beyond the line of scrimmage yesterday:
To DEN players: 3
To KC players: 4 pic.twitter.com/XvpI1wAqUP— PFF (@PFF) November 16, 2015
For Manning this was a new low in his worst year since his was a rookie, with a sparking performance in a Week 8 win over the Packers the only bright point thus far.
The news that he has been playing hurt will only add to the idea that Father Time has caught up with the five-time NFL MVP.
Denver's Peyton Manning has torn plantar fascia in right foot, league sources tell ESPN. Manning was battling plantar fasciitis; worsened.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 16, 2015
Perhaps Manning can fight through the pain, or sit down a few weeks and return to better form when his health improves – the loss to the Chiefs has done little to dim the 7-2 Broncos’ play-off prospects as they maintained a three-game lead in the AFC West and still have one of the league’s top defences – but yesterday was just another sign that the remainder of Manning’s career will see him simply raging against the dying of the light.
Oh, and yes, the Manning memes have been strong.
https://twitter.com/ByTimGraham/status/666039289583697921
2. Is Arizona the best team in the NFC?
The Cardinals went up to Seattle and dominated the conference champs for the first half, going into the break 22-7 to the good before the Seahawks defence finally got to quarterback Carson Palmer, forcing two sack-fumbles and gave the hosts a 29-25 lead.
But with the famous 12th Man at CenturyLink Field in full voice, Palmer led an 83-yard touchdown drive to reclaim the lead, before Andre Ellington’s tiptoeing run down the sideline made the game safe and elicited this phenomenal celebration from back-up QB Drew Stanton.
https://twitter.com/TheCauldron/status/666123509253455872
Possible footage of Drew Stanton at his previous job: pic.twitter.com/MyUpGZeBYp
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) November 16, 2015
For the last few years the NFC West title has gone through Seattle, but this win sees the passing of the torch, at least for this season, to the 7-3 Cardinals, who now hold a three-game lead over the 4-5 Seahawks and the St Louis Rams.
Carson Palmer: 13-2 as starting QB since start of 2014
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) November 16, 2015
The 9-0 Panthers will obviously dispute the title of NFC’s best, having also won in Seattle this season, but with a healthy Carson Palmer penning just as convincing a resumé for league MVP (non-Tom Brady division), and a defence that obliterated a shoddy Seattle offensive line, the sky is the limit in the desert.
3. Is it time to get really worried in Green Bay?
Last week, we asked if the Packers should be looking over their shoulders at the Vikings following two straight defeats, but at least those were against the then unbeaten Broncos and Panthers.
Those losses might be excused, but yesterday’s 18-16 home defeat by the now two-win Detroit Lions was a different story, with the tone of Packers twitterers taking a noticeable shift towards real concern.
Go ahead and boo, Lambeau. This team deserves it.
— Aaron Nagler (@AaronNagler) November 15, 2015
It was another first half of microscopic offensive production from star quarterback Aaron Rodgers, and the lack of experienced receivers finally seems to be catching up with the injury-hit Packers.
Once again they found some rhythm when they needed to play catch-up, and almost pulled the game out of the fire against a Lions team clearly unsettled by their failure to win at Lambeau field since 1991.
Minnesota’s impressive victory over Oakland relegates the 6-3 Pack to the wild card spot, and their two-game lead in that race will start to look very slim indeed if Rodgers and head coach Mike McCarthy can’t kick-start the offence in the coming weeks.
Nice win @Lions. pic.twitter.com/iXeTHllN2U
— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) November 15, 2015
4. Who is the best running back in the NFL?
With Pittburgh’s LeVeon Bell on the treatment table, this is a straight fight between Minnesota’s Adrian Peterson and Todd Gurley of the Rams.
The rookie has been stealing the headlines for his succession of stunning performances en route to 709 rushing yards in his first seven games as a pro.
The Chicago Bears did the best job of bottling Gurley up, restricting him to 45 yards on the ground as they beat the Rams 37-13 win to keep their faint play-off hopes alive, but the youngster still managed to find his way on to the highlight reels.
It took less than a minute before Todd Gurley started full-blown hurdling people.
Oh dear. #CHIvsSTL https://t.co/MiGuUu9LhG— NFL (@NFL) November 15, 2015
But with Gurley struggling overall, it was an opportune week for the reigning king to reassert his place, as Peterson broke out with a 203-yard day, including this 80-yard TD.
https://twitter.com/BeforeFamePics/status/666043627920035841/video/1
With the sixth 200+ yard rushing game of his career, Adrian Peterson tied OJ Simpson for the most in NFL history.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 16, 2015
You come at the king…
5. Can Washington really win the NFC East?
Well, yeah.
The resurgent team from the capital put a thorough 47-14 beatdown on the New Orleans Saints then brought about the long-overdue firing of Saints defensive co-ordinator Rob Ryan, whose attempt at a rearguard made Washington passer Kirk Cousins (324 yards, 4 TDs) look like a Pro Bowler.
Meanwhile, the Giants blew their chance at knocking off the Patriots when safety Landon Collins dropped an easy interception that would have iced the game, and the Dallas Cowboys once again couldn’t get out of their own way, as a defensive holding penalty reversed a fumble by Tampa Bay quarterback Jameis Winston and allowed him to score the game-winning touchdown.
Philadelphia had the most painful defeat of all against the Miami Dolphins, who did their best to assist the Eagles by producing the worst kick-off return of all-time.
The Eagles turned that into two points via a safety as they built a 16-3 lead, but the loss of starting quarterback Sam Bradford to injury saw things begin to unravel.
The Dolphins fought back and took the lead with the most bizarre touchdown of the year, as Ryan Tannehill’s pass hopped off a lineman’s helmet and fell into the grateful arms of Jarvis Landry.
**CRAZY TD**
Tannehill's pass hits Barwin's helmet, flies a million feet in air & Jarvis Landry catches it for a TD https://t.co/khumDdbCmB
— NFL (@NFL) November 15, 2015
All that is to say, yes, Washington could very easily win the NFC Least.
Monday Night Football: Houston Texans (3-5) @ Cincinnati Bengals (8-0)
The Bengals host the Texans bidding to keep pace with fellow undefeateds New England and Carolina. Andy Dalton is in the midst of the best season of his career, thanks in part to the emergence of Tyler Eifert as the best tight end in the NFL not named Rob Gronkowski.
The Texans are, remarkably, still in contention in the AFC South after beating Tennessee last week, but have struggled to put up points against decent opposition and are unlikely to have much success against a Cincy outfit coming off 11 days rest.
And finally…
Is Big Ben a machine?
It takes a lot for Roethlisberger to miss a game, but after he suffered a sprained foot last week nobody expected hime to be available for Pittsburgh’s AFC North clash with Cleveland.
He was made active in the event back-up Landry Jones was hurt, and naturally, Jones limped off in the first quarter, leaving the remarkable Roethlisberger, who is built like a fridge freezer and as difficult to topple, to enter the game in relief.
And you sure wouldn’t know he was hobbled, as he picked the Browns apart en route to a record-setting day.
Ben Roethlisberger: 379 yards passing, NFL record for QB who came off the bench (previous: Wade Wilson, 374- 1990 MIN)
via @EliasSports
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) November 16, 2015
Life is better when Pittsburgh’s No.7 is on the field, mainly because it allows receiver Antonio Brown flourish and do fun things like this…
https://twitter.com/jjbirden/status/666006802379751426/video/1
Week 10 results:
Buffalo 22-17 NY Jets
Pittsburgh 30-9 Cleveland
Tampa Bay 10-6 Dallas
Carolina 27-10 Tennessee
Minnesota 30-14 Oakland
New England 27-26 NY Giants
Chicago 37-13 St Louis
Detroit 18-16 Green Bay
Washington 47-14 New Orleans
Miami 20-19 Philadelphia
Jacksonville 22-20 Baltimore
Kansas City 29-13 Denver
Arizona 39-32 Seattle
