The NFL Roundup 2022: Week 10 Recap

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Well, another week of football in the books and it turns out that Week 10 in the NFL, was a doozy. Because once more, we saw parity come into play, courtesy of teams that defied the odds and wowed everyone with a big win. Plus, we saw weaknesses exposed for some and saw revenge games sputter for those wanting to prove others wrong, and well… all of that made for a great weekend of football. One that we are ready to reflect upon, so without further ado, let’s recap Week 10 and all the wonder it sent our way.
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The Philadelphia Eagles are now 8-1.
One particular lesson about the game we’ve talked about often in this column, is that you can never take your opponent for granted. For when you do, bad things happen, and games are lost, and surprises and shockwaves are sent through a clubhouse. But we keep talking about it… because teams still do it and that includes the once undefeated Philadelphia Eagles. For they really thought they had the game against the Commanders in the bag and walked onto that field with all kinds of swagger. But they didn’t account for how hungry Washington was and for their arrogance, their perfect season has come to an end and hopefully… they finally learn this lesson and get back on track, so their wonderful season can continue along.
 
The Buffalo Bills defense is not as good as advertised.
It wasn’t that long ago that it really seemed as though the Bills had the best D in the league. For they made mincemeat out of quarterbacks and stopped drives in their tracks. But ten weeks in, and teams are figuring out that the team plays a lot of soft coverage and that their corners struggle in certain situations, and that the pass rush can be avoided and neutralized and now… it is costing them games. Because they let thirty-three points through and helped the game move to overtime. Granted, Josh Allen sealed the loss with that errant throw. But had the D done its job, it wouldn’t have come down to overtime and they wouldn’t be suddenly losing games by twenty or more points. So, here’s to hoping the D gets their mess together, or it is going to be another long year in Orchard Park.
 
Mike McCarthy let his old team get the better of him.
Make no mistake about it, revenge games and games where someone significant faces their former team are tough games. The kind that while often touted as being epic by the league, end in heartbreaking fashion more often than not. After all, Peyton Manning lost in his return to Indy, Russell Wilson lost in his return to Seattle and Mike McCarthy also caught an L in his return to Green Bay. Because it’s just damn hard to face that old squad, thanks to the emotions it brings up, and McCarthy is no exception to this rule. Because despite keeping it close, his old team, the one he went to a Super Bowl, got the better of him when the time came and well… that loss serves as a fine reminder, that you can never go home again and when you have to in the NFL, expect it to be one ugly affair.
 
The Seattle Seahawks might be a second-tier team after all.
For some time now we have all been in awe of what Seattle has accomplished with a journeyman quarterback at the helm in Geno Smith. Because they’ve made some big plays and enjoyed some big wins… but once again, teams are starting to figure out tendencies and weaknesses and exploit them and that’s exactly what Tampa Bay did to them in Germany. For they figured out how to disrupt and confuse Geno Smith and how to wear that defense down and well, that means the ‘Hawks might not be who we thought they were, and it will be interesting to see if and how they rebound from this ugly and embarrassing loss.
 
Once again… the Raiders need to fire Josh McDaniels.
Yes. I understand he’s safe per reports today. Yes, Rome wasn’t built in a day, and so on. But the fact of the matter is, Josh McDaniels is NOT a good football coach, and he needs to be dismissed, period. Why might you ask? Oh, I don’t know… maybe because… HE LOST TO FREAKIN’ HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL COACH! I mean come on, while Jeff Saturday’s big win is a feel-good story, he had no prior NFL coaching experience, and he outcoached a guy that has been touted as an offensive mastermind. That’s beyond embarrassing and that’s beyond troubling, and Mark Davis is making the wrong call in keeping him. Because with McDaniels, it just gets worse from here and it is not right to put the loyal fans of this storied franchise through that kind of torture. So, please, Mark. Wake up and smell the coffee and toss this guy out.

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