32 things we learned in NFL Week 10: Who will challenge for NFC throne?

Posted by Admin November 11, 2024 NFL

The 32 things we learned from Week 10 of the 2024 NFL season:

1. Despite remaining the league’s lone undefeated outfit, the reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs’ average margin of victory this season is just 6.4 points.

2. After surviving the Denver Broncos at Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday afternoon by blocking a game-winning field-goal attempt on the final play to preserve a 16-14 victory, K.C. improved to 9-0 for the third time in franchise history. Only two of the Chiefs’ wins are by more than seven points. Per OptaSTATS, the Chiefs are the first team in NFL history to win nine consecutive games (including playoffs) in which they trailed after halftime.

3. But whether or not Kansas City can go an unprecedented 17-0 in the regular season – or even an unprecedented 20-0 with the first-ever Super Bowl threepeat – is probably a premature question, even if they are currently on cruise control to the AFC’s No. 1 playoff seed.

4. The more intriguing query might be asking who’s the biggest threat to the Detroit Lions, who scratched out a 26-23 win Sunday night in Houston, in the NFC.

5. Could it be the Philadelphia Eagles? Their five-game winning streak is currently eclipsed only by the heaters the Chiefs and Lions are on. Sunday, Philly moved back atop the NFC East after dismantling the Dak-less Dallas Cowboys 34-6. The Eagles are starting to resemble the team that nearly took out the Chiefs in Super Bowl 57 and less like the one that imploded down the stretch in 2023. Thursday night, Philadelphia hosts …

6. … the Washington Commanders, who are only a half-game back in the division after Sunday’s 28-27 setback to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Though Washington has a rookie behind center, Jayden Daniels is already one of the league’s most dynamic players. And he should get reinforcements – RB Brian Robinson Jr., K Austin Seibert and recently acquired CB Marshon Lattimore – back into the lineup very soon.

7. Could it be the NFC West-leading Arizona Cardinals, who have won four in a row after embarrassing the New York Jets 31-6 on Sunday? The Cards have a multi-faceted offense but, perhaps more importantly, the defense has finally begun to round into shape. And second-year HC Jonathan Gannon imbues a philosophical attitude similar to Detroit’s Dan Campbell.

8. The San Francisco 49ers, you say? Since the start of the 2019 season, they’ve only missed the NFC title game once. They’re also a club known for playing better in the second half of the season under coach Kyle Shanahan. That should be much easier in 2024 now that All-Pro RB Christian McCaffrey is back.

9. And let’s not ignore the Lions’ backyard, which includes the Green Bay Packers. The Pack finished very fast last season and are certainly set up to do so again – assuming QB Jordan Love gets reasonably healthy and into the kind of torrid second-half groove he enjoyed in 2023, one that carried the then-inexperienced team to the divisional round.

10. The number of games – i.e., all of them – Ravens RB Derrick Henry has scored a TD this season. He’s only the fifth player in the Super Bowl era (since 1966) to start a season with a touchdown streak this long.

11. MVP front-runner Lamar Jackson’s league-leading passer rating now stands at 123.2. (Remember when there was debate ahead of the 2018 draft about whether he should be a receiver?) Aaron Rodgers holds the single season record of 122.5, set 13 years ago when Rodgers won the first of his four league MVP awards.

12. But despite the consistent heroics of Jackson, Henry and Baltimore’s rocket-fueled offense, the Ravens don’t shave the Cincinnati Bengals 35-34 on Thursday night without a key forced fumble from their problematic defense. CB Marlon Humphrey’s punchout triggered a second-half comeback that went down to the wire – and, per NFL Media, also made him the only player since 2020 with both double-digit interceptions and fumbles forced.

13. Welcome back to McCaffrey. In his 2024 regular-season debut after recovering from Achilles issues, CMC, the 2023 Offensive Player of the Year, finished with 107 yards on 19 touches in a 23-20 victory over the Buccaneers in Tampa.

14. After a 23-yard catch in Sunday’s loss, Commanders rookie WR Luke McCaffrey, Christian’s youngest brother, has 134 total yards in 10 games this season.

15. And welcome (all the way) back to Niners rookie WR Ricky Pearsall Jr. Shot on the streets of San Francisco just two months ago – first responders quickly ensured his life wasn’t in jeopardy even if his first NFL season seemed so – the 2024 first-rounder scored his first professional TD on Sunday courtesy of a 46-yard connection with QB Brock Purdy.

16. The Steelers didn’t take long to reap the rewards of their trade deadline moves. WR Mike Williams’ first (and currently only) catch with Pittsburgh was a game-winning 32-yard TD reception at Washington. Newly acquired OLB Preston Smith also collected his first sack in the black and gold, dropping the elusive Daniels.

17. Number of consecutive completions Cards QB Kyler Murray had at one point Sunday against the Jets’ once-formidable defense, establishing a new record for a franchise in its 105th season.

18. Just when the NFC South seems to be coming into focus, it regresses to its traditional .500 mean. The Atlanta Falcons and Tampa Bay both lost Sunday, while the (apparently) lowly Carolina Panthers and New Orleans Saints both prevailed to improve to 3-7, the Saints ending a seven-game skid.

19. Congratulations to Saints interim coach Darren Rizzi winning his first game Sunday after replacing fired Dennis Allen. Maybe Rizzi should be on the Jets’ short list next time they need a sideline temp, especially after his, uh, unforgettable postgame news conference.

20. RB Alvin Kamara overtook former backfield mate Mark Ingram as New Orleans’ all-time leading rusher. One of the best dual-threat backs in league history, Kamara’s 55-yard day on the ground puts him at 6,544 career rushing yards.

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21. Falcons K Younghoe Koo missed a career-worst three field goals in Atlanta’s 20-17 loss.

22. Niners K Jake Moody missed a career-worst three fields in San Francisco’s three-point win.

22a. However Moody did hit the game-winning 44-yarder at the gun … but not before a sideline dustup with teammate Deebo Samuel. Maybe Drake London should have gone after Koo.

23. If you like sloppy quarterback play, the Lions-Texans game was for you. Detroit’s Jared Goff and Houston’s C.J. Stroud combined for seven interceptions – five by Goff, who hadn’t served up one in his previous five games, a stretch that had been among the most efficient in league annals.

24. If you like sloppy quarterback play, the Bills-Colts game was for you. Buffalo’s Josh Allen and Indianapolis’ Joe Flacco combined for six turnovers – four by Flacco (3 INTs, fumble). Would love to know what benched Indy QB Anthony Richardson is thinking after that.

25. If you like sloppy quarterback play, the Vikings-Jaguars game was for you. Minnesota’s Sam Darnold and Jacksonville’s Mac Jones combined for six turnovers – three apiece.

25a. But at least Jones blessedly enabled a tribute to retired Australian break dancer Raygun by Vikes S Camryn Bynum.

26. The Chicago Bears have lost three straight since their bye week and are in danger of breaking rookie QB Caleb Williams. The No. 1 pick of the 2024 draft only passed for 120 yards in an ugly 19-3 loss to the New England Patriots and was also sacked nine times.

26a. The Bears’ 142 total yards were their fewest in more than three years but the second time they’ve been held to fewer than 150 this season. The smoke around HC Matt Eberflus and OC Shane Waldron will likely continue to billow.

27. New York Giants QB Daniel Jones hadn’t committed multiple turnovers since Week 2 … until he served up two INTs Sunday in Munich. Still, that’s nine giveaways in 10 games this season, which hardly bolsters Jones’ case to stick around in 2025 and beyond.

28. But it was rookie RB Tyrone Tracy’s first career fumble – in overtime – that really did in Big Blue, which fell 20-17 to the Panthers in the league’s final International Series installment of the season. The Giants’ five-game losing streak is currently the league’s longest.

29. Shoutout to Panthers LB Josey Jewell, who had six tackles, two pass breakups, an INT and recovered Tracy’s pivotal fumble in OT as Carolina won in back-to-back weeks for the first time in three years.

30. However the highlight of the game might have been referee Shawn Hochuli digging into his famous father’s bag and delivering a false start penalty in German.

31. Uniform note of the week: Always cool when the Cowboys add the red stripe to the centerline of their helmets when the NFL is doing its November “Salute to Service” campaign around Veterans Day.

31a. Second uniform note of the week: They make me think of the 1985 Tom Cruise movie “Legend” – (look it up). I’m speaking of the Texans’ devilishly striking, candy-painted red helmets of course, which made their first on-field appearance Sunday night.

31b. Third uniform note of the week: The Ravens’ unveiled their “Purple Rising” helmets in Thursday’s victory, the first time they’d been crowned in anything other than black headgear. As far as beak-on views of birds go, much better than the Seattle Seahawks’ attempt years ago.

31c. Third uniform note of the week: The Jaguars debuted their “shell” white helmet Sunday. Kinda meh? Might have looked better with teal jerseys or monochrome white, but those unfortunately aren’t options due to the league’s uniform uniformity rules.

32. Last, but certainly not least, a tip of the cap to the great fans of Germany, who continue their avid, decades-long support of American football – and with a great twist, Sunday’s fußball-esque “tifo” a spectacular one.

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Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Nate Davis on X, formerly Twitter, @ByNateDavis.