It’s hard to believe the 2018 NFL regular season is already past the midway point. The season has had more than its share of highs (like the Cleveland Browns upsetting the Atlanta Falcons) and lows (like the Cincinnati Bengals getting throttled by the New Orleans Saints), and Week 10 was no exception.
Here is a look at some of the best and worst of Veteran’s Day weekend in the NFL:
Highs
3. NFL honors veterans
As a veteran, it’s been challenging to both watch and cover a sport that has struggled to deal with the “take a knee” protests. However, give credit where credit is due. The NFL did an outstanding job honoring veterans and veteran causes during Week 10. Besides all of the honors taking place on the field, the NFL donated $25 for every tweet with the #SaluteToService hashtag to its veteran partners. At last update by the NFL on Sunday night, the effort had raised over $5.3 million for veterans.
Until recently, the NFL has always been viewed as favorable to veterans, including its response to the first Gulf War and September 11th. Actions like this remind me of why I love this game and why it means so much to me personally.
2. Cleveland Browns dominate Atlanta Falcons
The 12-point margin of the Cleveland Browns’ 28-16 win over the Atlanta Falcons doesn’t show how dominant this victory really was. Cleveland controlled this game for much of the day and forced the Falcons into survival mode just minutes into the third quarter. The difference: the Browns’ more competent offense. Cleveland piled up 427 total yards, including 211 rushing yards on 29 carries.
Quarterback Baker Mayfield completed 17 of 20 passes for 216 yards and three touchdowns. Fellow rookie running back Nick Chubb carried 20 times for 176 yards, including a Browns’ record-setting 92-yard touchdown run. Combined with the rest of the Browns’ offense, the team showed that it’s capable of much more than what we’ve seen all season. The Browns’ young core has a great future if the front office can get the right coaching staff in place.
1. Tennessee shows its mettle
Raise your hand if you expected the Tennessee Titans to not only beat the defending AFC Champion New England Patriots, but also crush them by more than three touchdowns. The Patriots seemingly fixed their early season issues and appeared ready to make another run at home-field advantage entering this game. Now they sit two games back in the standings with Kansas City, Pittsburgh, Houston and the Los Angeles Chargers heating up. The Titans didn’t just beat the Patriots; they exposed them.
Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota completed 16 of 24 passes for 228 yards and two touchdowns. Running backs Derrick Henry and Dion Lewis combined for 115 rushing yards and two scores in the 34-10 victory. However, it was the Titans' defense that stole the show. The unit held the Patriots to 3 of 15 on third downs and 284 total yards. Against the rush, Tennessee gave up only 2.1 yards per carry. If Tennessee can become more consistent, the Titans could be in the race for the AFC South all the way to the end.
Lows
3. Cincinnati Bengals give up 51 at home
The New Orleans Saints might just be the best team in the league. They’ve shown that over and over again. However, no one expected the Saints to put up 51 points on the Cincinnati Bengals' defense at Paul Brown Stadium. Cincinnati’s performance was so poor that the team fired defensive coordinator Teryl Austin after the game. Head coach Marvin Lewis will take over those duties for the Bengals’ next game.
Unbelievably, the Bengals (5-4) are still in the race for the AFC North title and a playoff spot. However, given the up and down play of the team this season and throughout Lewis’s tenure, it’s fair to wonder what the Bengals are really capable of.
2. Tampa Bay rolls up 500 yards for three points
Most of the stats don’t support a 16-3 Tampa Bay Buccaneers‘ loss to the Washington Redskins. Tampa Bay compiled 501 total yards in defeat, which is baffling enough. It’s even more baffling that the Buccaneers threw for 398 yards and 9.3 yards per pass. They punted only once and went 6 of 10 on third downs. In the end, there was one statistic that made the difference. The Buccaneers committed four turnovers, often in critical situations, that ended any hope the Buccaneers had of winning.
Tampa Bay features far too much talent on its roster for the Buccaneers to struggle like this. Expect major changes within the franchise this offseason.
1. Defending Super Bowl Champs in trouble
Don’t look now, but the Philadelphia Eagles’ 27-20 home loss to the Dallas Cowboys puts them in third place in the NFC East with seven games to go. There is still time for the Eagles to recover in a rather weak division, but there are several warning signs that the team is in for a rough go.
The biggest tell-tale sign of trouble is the Philadelphia running game. A year ago, the Eagles featured three starting caliber running backs. Now the only available holdover is Corey Clement. The Eagles currently rank 22nd in the NFL with 102.7 rushing yards a game. On Sunday, Philadelphia recorded only 71 yards on the ground. There are other warning signs as well. The Eagles’ chances of making a return run to the Super Bowl are on shaky ground.
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