NFL Week 10 Takeaways

1. The Seahawks need Earl Thomas. Seattle’s menacing safety has missed the past two games with a nagging hamstring injury. The Legion of Boom has been able to survive Thomas’ injury up to this point, but now with Richard Sherman tearing his Achilles against the Cardinals on Thursday night, Seattle desperately needs Thomas back in the fold. If the All-Pro safety misses an extended period of time, the Seahawks might find themselves on the outside looking in come the postseason.

2. The Browns clock management to end the first half in Detroit was abominable. With just fifteen seconds on the clock and no timeouts remaining, Cleveland had the ball on Detroit’s two yard-line. Instead of trying to run a conventional goal-to-go play, the Browns chose to run a quarterback sneak. Not only were they stonewalled by the Lion’s defensive line, but they were unable to get back to the line in time to spike the ball and salvage a field goal. If this was any team other than the Browns I would be shocked, but because it’s Cleveland I have come to expect such blatant mismanagement.

3. The Saints are contenders in the NFC. I never thought I would be saying this after New Orleans started 0-2, but since then they have ripped off seven wins in a row including a colossal victory Sunday afternoon in Buffalo as they abused the Bills, 47-10. This is the best running attack that Drew Brees has ever had at his disposal as both Mark Ingram and Alvin Kamara are running rampant on opposing defenses. Perhaps even more remarkable for Sean Payton’s squad has been the play of the defense, led by rookie cornerback Marcus Lattimore.

4. The NFL needs to change this rule: If an offensive player fumbles while reaching for the goal line and the football goes out of bounds in the end zone that it results in a touchback for the opposing team. It happened twice on Sunday; once to the Bears and another time to the Titans. This rule makes zero sense for two reasons. One, why should one’s own end zone benefit the defense? And secondly, why should offensive players be penalized for trying their hardest to score? This rule makes little sense to me and should be examined this offseason.

5. If Brett Hundley can continue to play like did on Sunday the Packers will make the playoffs. I know that is a bold statement considering that Aaron Rodgers is on the shelf, but Hundley was superb in dissecting a very capable Bears defense. At 5-4, Green Bay is right in the mix of things in the NFC. Who knows when Rodgers returns, if he does at all, but if Hundley can play as he did on Sunday afternoon I really believe the Packers have the talent to make the postseason.

6. Just because Teddy Bridgewater is healthy, I do not think the Vikings should play him just yet. Case Keenum has been slinging it as of late. On Sunday against a viable Redskins team, the long-time backup threw for over 300 yards and four touchdowns. More importantly the Vikings find themselves at 7-2 and atop the NFC North. Why fix what isn’t broke?

7. The Jaguars defense is playing at a level that few defenses have ever reached. When they need a turnover, they force one. On Sunday, down three points with just under two minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, the Jags forced a fumble to set-up a game-tying field goal. Then, in overtime A.J. Bouye intercepted Phillip Rivers to position Josh Lambo for a game-winning field goal. At 6-3 the Jaguars are tied with the Titans for the AFC South lead. If not for the play of their defense, Jacksonville would be in the running for the worst team in football.

8. Adrian Clayborn is an absolute animal. The Falcons defensive end registered six sacks in Atlanta’s thrashing of the Cowboys. In a game that the Falcons needed to remain relevant in the NFC playoff picture, Clayborn delivered in a big way.

9. The 49ers now own the tiebreaker over the Giants which could loom large when the draft rolls around. All signs point towards the Browns finishing with the league’s worst record, but the second worst record, and in turn the second overall pick, was for the taking. With the daunting slate ahead for the Giants in conjunction with the myriad on injuries they’ve suffered, I do not foresee New York winning any more games this season. That wouldn’t be the worst thing for a team that needs to rebuild. The second overall pick could be used to draft their quarterback of the future; perhaps Sam Darnold or Josh Rosen.

10. Never doubt a team with Tom Brady and Bill Belichick. After a rocky 2-2 start, I was skeptical of New England. Their offense was strikingly inconsistent and their defense was permeable. That is no longer the case. In their last five games, Bill Belichick’s defense has not surrendered more than 17 points and Tom Brady has the offensive unit firing on all cylinders. The Patriots have been in the NFL’s foreground since the turn of the century and I do not see that changing anytime soon.