Tua Tagovailoa went 15 of 25 for 169 yards and two touchdowns in the Miami Dolphins' win over the Los Angeles Chargers, while DeAndre Hopkins made seven catches for 127 yards and a Hail Mary touchdown in the Arizona Cardinals' victory against the Buffalo Bills.
Monday 16 November 2020 12:51, UK
Tua Tagovailoa moved to 3-0 as Miami Dolphins starter, Daniel Jones got his first win against a non-Washington team since his debut, Kyler Murray connected with DeAndre Hopkins on a stunning Hail Mary and the Seattle Seahawks' defensive woes continued; here's a look at what we learned in Week 10.
Of course, we simply have to start with that stunning finish in Arizona.
There is nothing quite like a Hail Mary touchdown, let alone a game-winner with two seconds left. Even then, there was something extra special about Kyler Murray's to DeAndre Hopkins - the way Murray avoided pressure, broke a tackle, the way he then threw back across his body when rolling out left, the arm strength, and then, of course, Hopkins' catch.
Talk about clutch. The strength too. In triple coverage (though Buffalo surely should have had more defenders manning the endzone), Hopkins went up highest and then clung on for dear life, muscling out the other defenders as he came down with the football to clinch a quite incredible victory. David Currie
Up Next - Bills BYE WEEK, Cardinals @ Seahawks (Friday, 1.20am)
Where to start? The trajectory of this Seahawks team is worrying, and yet again on Sunday we learned that Russell Wilson will need to be near-flawless for this side to challenge in the playoffs.
Seattle are missing Chris Carson in the backfield, injuries on the offensive line are exposing Wilson to a familiar world of hurt (six sacks, 12 QB hits) and there is little reason to trust this defense getting off the field. You only have to attack somebody not named Bobby Wagner or Jamal Adams in order to have a chance of putting up points on this unit.
Wilson stepping up and out of the pocket before gifting Darious Williams an interception was perhaps a concerning sign of perhaps him forcing things amid a turbulent period. Cameron Hogwood
Up Next - Seahawks v Cardinals (Friday, 1.20am), Rams @ Buccaneers (Tuesday, 1.15am)
An opportunity missed for Washington, who looked well set to haul themselves into the race for the NFC East title, but Matt Prater's 59-yard field goal clinched a much-needed first home win of the season.
Prater's kick was good but it wasn't even the longest of the week after Jason Myers landed from 61 on a stellar weekend for the league's kickers, but Matt Stafford's ability to move the Lions within range so quickly is worth highlighting, again!
The last word goes to Alex Smith, the quarterback who was fighting for his life after a serious leg injury almost two years ago. Just playing is something of a miracle but that he threw for 390 yards and completed 38 of his 55 passes in helping Washington fight back from 24-3 down in the third quarter deserves special praise. Paul Prenderville
Up Next - Washington v Bengals (Sunday, 6pm), Lions @ Panthers (Sunday, 6pm)
What is that saying? Something along the lines of 'don't write off the Patriots?'
Don't get it twisted, New England, at 4-5, still have a lot of work to do even after this win - their second-straight for the first time this season - but they are certainly not giving up this division to the upstarts of Buffalo and Miami just yet!
Cam Newton threw his first touchdown pass since Week Three. He missed the Week Four defeat to Kansas City after getting Covid and did not look himself in New England's next couple of outings, but there are promising signs that he and the Patriots are just starting to click on offense.
As for the Lamar Jackson and the Ravens. It was by no means an ugly loss, especially given the desperate conditions in which the game was played - torrential rain and heavy wind - but this defeat does nothing to help the narrative that they can't win the big games David Currie
Up Next - Ravens v Titans (Sunday, 6pm), Patriots @ Texans (Sunday, 6pm)
The Miami Dolphins are making a serious run for the playoffs with their fifth straight win. Tua Tagovailoa continues to impress since taking over from Ryan Fitzpatrick following the Miami bye week as he threw for two more touchdowns in his 3-0 start to life in the NFL.
Miami's defense has proven to be the cornerstone of the team this season and Sunday was no different. They managed to restrict rookie quarterback Justin Herbert, punctuated by a pick by Xavien Howard - his fifth of the season.
The Dolphins special teams kickstarted the game early on, as linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel blocked a punt that was recovered on the one-yard line. Salvon Ahmed capitalised with an easy touchdown run and the Dolphins never looked back. Sonny Cohen
Up Next - Chargers v Jets (Sunday, 9.05pm), Dolphins @ Broncos (Sunday, 9.05pm)
Another frustrating loss for San Francisco, whose hopes of repeating their run to the Super Bowl from last year are fading faster with every passing week and passing defeat - that's three on the trot now for the 49ers (4-6).
They started this one well, racing out to a 10-0 lead in the first quarter, whole the defense kept up their end of the bargain - limiting the Saints to just 17 points through the first three quarters, keeping them in the contest - but the offense and special teams badly let the team down
The 49ers muffed two punt returns to gift New Orleans brilliant field position, while QB Nick Mullens was also picked off twice.
Speaking of quarterbacks, concerning for the Saints is the fact that a banged-up Drew Brees didn't return for the second half - one to monitor. In his absence, Jameis Winston came in and didn't let anybody down, completing 6 of 10 for 63 yards. David Currie
Up Next - 49ers BYE WEEK, Saints v Falcons (Sunday, 6pm)
Around the NFL's Dan Hanzus last week described the NFC East as an 'all-time dumpster fire' and that may be so but someone has to emerge triumphant from the division, so why not the Giants?
While the Eagles have a loaded, if injured, roster they are falling well below the sum of their parts and have just three wins for the season - a record that's placed questions marks over quarterback Carson Wentz.
The Giants joined them on three wins and are now just a half game behind Philadelphia and in stark contrast look much more that the sum of their parts. It suggests a first-year coach in Joe Judge getting things right and a team playing for him. In this season, in this NFC East that might be enough to get them top spot and an unlikely play-off spot. Paul Prenderville
Up Next - Eagles @ Browns (Sunday, 6pm), Giants BYE WEEK
Third down is becoming a hindrance for this young and exciting Panthers defense, which was blown away in the end by an angry Bucs team. Phil Snow's unit entered the game worst on third down in the league before allowing the Bucs to convert 10 of 16 opportunities on third down. The Bucs put up points at the end of a drive in which they had converted on third down every time.
There was also a reminder to Bruce Arians and Byron Leftwich to persist with the run game as Ronald Jones went off for a career-best 192 yards, including a franchise-long 98-yard touchdown burst. The Bucs seemed to abandon things on the ground pretty early on in last week's defeat to the Saints, instead looking to use Jones and Leonard Fournette in screen plays. The Bucs have the catalogue of weapons that mean they shouldn't have to use either prominently in the passing game. Cameron Hogwood
Up Next - Buccaneers v Rams (Tuesday, 1.15am), Panthers v Lions (Sunday, 6pm)
The Steelers moved to 9-0 for the first time in franchise history as they dominated the Bengals. Despite not being around the training facility for the most recent week due to COVID-19 restrictions, Ben Roethlisberger showed no rust at all.
If anything the veteran quarterback looked all the better for the week of rest. He threw for a season-high 333 yards and four touchdowns. Big Ben shared the love among all of his receiving options on Sunday, all three of JuJu Smith Schuster, Diontae Johnson and Chase Claypool catching a touchdown pass.
It really was business as usual for Roethlisberger as he secured his 24th victory against the Bengals, who he has beaten more times than any other team he has faced in his 16-year career. Sonny Cohen
Up Next - Bengals @ Washington (Sunday, 6pm), Steelers @ Jaguars (Sunday, 6pm)
It was a difficult day for the Green Bay Packers in a potential trap game. Their defensive frailties were once again exploited by James Robinson. The undrafted free agent may not have scored a touchdown, but he did pick up 100 yards on 23 carries. The Packers run defense continues to be gashed and if they have designs on winning the Super Bowl then they will need to address their ability to defend the run inside.
In poor weather conditions, Aaron Rodgers' connection with Marquez Valdes-Scantling was a shining light. The two hooked up on four passes for 149 yards and a touchdown. It has been a committee of players serving as the number two option in Green Bay, but it was a breakout day for Valdes-Scantling. He could have just cemented himself as Davante Adams' running mate. Sonny Cohen
Up Next - Jaguars v Steelers (Sunday, 6pm), Packers @ Colts (Sunday, 9.25pm)
Before Sunday, Cleveland's season had followed a very readable path. Score more than 30 and they win, score less than 10 and they lose. It all added up to a 5-3 record in an AFC North that is proving to be quite the battle.
On Sunday, in windy conditions, they managed 10 points and a pair of running backs in the returning Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt both rushing for more than 100 yards. It was the perfect recipe for victory and their fewest points in a winning game since 2012 (per NFL research).
Houston's season already looks like a write-off. Head coach rumours and front office reshuffles mean it looks like being a messy season and offseason, without much draft capital to boot. For Cleveland, having found a new way to win this season, they'll now go in search of back-to-back wins for the first time since Week Five. Paul Prenderville
Up Next - Texans v Patriots (Sunday, 6pm), Browns v Eagles (Sunday, 6pm)
Drew Lock might be playing for his job. The Broncos quarterback's teething problems were evident once more as he finished just 23 of 47 for 257 yards, one touchdown and four interceptions in a bruising defeat to the Raiders. Inconsistencies were again weaved between moments of promise, Lock struggling to sustain drives, missing open receivers and throwing awkwardly off his back foot when the pressure came - which was more often than not. You can partly blame a rather mediocre offensive line, but Lock must has to shoulder some of what's going on.
We also learned that a change of scenery can do one a world of good. Devontae Booker rushed for 81 yards and two touchdowns on the night - more than he had in his entire 2019 season with the Broncos, whose own failure to establish a ground game is meanwhile a familiar concern this season. Cameron Hogwood
Up Next - Broncos v Dolphins (Sunday, 9.05pm), Raiders v Chiefs (Monday, 1.20am)
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