NFL Week 10 Disappointments

With some of the NFL’s best having the week off, this weekend’s slate of games served as an opportunity for others to grab the bull by the horns and impress fans. Certain players and teams stepped up in a big way, while others weren’t quite up to the task. We’ll take a look at the folks that flopped in Week 10.

After another lackluster performance for Mac Jones, New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick must have been tempted to leave him in Germany. The starting quarterback was benched on the final drive after throwing an inexcusable pick with a chance to take the lead. It wouldn’t be surprising for the Patriots to turn to Bailey Zappe when they return from their bye week.

The Ravens had the Cleveland Browns exactly where they wanted them on Sunday. They took a two touchdown lead, which is usually safe considering Baltimore’s excellent ground attack. However, they were unable to salt away the victory, and the division rival Browns clawed their way back to a victory on a last second field goal.

The Jaguars were winners of five straight heading into Week 10, and their matchup against the San Francisco 49ers was going to be a solid litmus test for them. They failed the exam in every possible way, as Jacksonville could get absolutely nothing going in any phase of the game. This defeat will lead many to wonder whether they are as formidable as they seemed during the last month.

The New Orleans Saints lost starting quarterback Derek Carr to a shoulder injury, and turned to Jameis Winston in relief. The hope for Saints fans had to be that Winston would aggressively push the ball down the field without risking turnovers. As it turned out, his tendencies in previous years were ever-present on Sunday, for better and for worse.

The Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers played a back and forth affair that was decided in the final seconds. Packers quarterback Jordan Love threw a game-ending interception that Damontae Kazee was heading out of bounds with to end things. Green Bay offensive lineman Zach Tom shoved Kazee while he was already past the white line, nearly inciting a huge brawl.

It’s understood that the Giants are playing with a less-than-full deck these days, but it’s disappointing that head coach Brian Daboll hasn’t figured out a way to make his offense semi-functional. He was the toast of the town a year ago, but appears to have no answers during a season that has slipped away.

Many thought Week 10’s Monday Night Football matchup would be a cakewalk for the Bills, but they fell to the Denver Broncos in stunning fashion. The Broncos had one of the worst defenses in the NFL this season, but Josh Allen and the Bills offense could not exploit that weakness. The Bills now find themselves at an unexpected 5-5 with another home date against the New York Jets on Sunday.

While his support of his quarterback is commendable, the positive comments that Jets coach Robert Saleh makes each week about Zach Wilson are getting harder to fathom. After New York’s Week 10 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders(another game in which they didn’t score an offensive touchdown), Saleh said that Wilson is actually playing pretty well. Alrighty then.