NFL record, last minute drama
Lions devour LA in wild spectacle with 79 points
By David Needy
November 13, 2023, 7:08 a.m
Week 10 comes with an NFL record and an offensive spectacle, plus there are several dramas. Right in the middle of the shootout between the Lions and the Chargers: the German St. Brown. Dallas overwhelms New York, super rookie Stroud does it again.
St. Brown excels at offensive spectacles
With two wins in a row, Khalil Mack and the Los Angeles Chargers defense had regained their confidence. That’s what people thought. But their opponent in Week 10, the Detroit Lions, was a lot too big. Jared Goff and the Lions (7-2) have the second-most productive offense in the league and delivered an offensive spectacle with Justin Herbert and the Californians. Right in the middle of the 41:38 triumph: German Lions receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown.
The 24-year-old impressed at home (grew up mostly in Los Angeles and went to university there) with eight of nine caught balls, 156 yards and a touchdown – and caught at least 100 yards for the fourth game in a row. On the other hand, Keenan Allen caught an outstanding 175 yards and two touchdowns.
It went back and forth between the excellent offenses of quarterbacks Goff (333 yards, two touchdowns) and Herbert (323 yards and even four touchdowns). Defense was largely dispensed with. Again and again, the Chargers in particular played the fourth attempt successfully, but in the end the Lions also did so in a decisive way: The play led to the decisive field goal in the last second. The Lions are proving more and more impressively that they belong to the NFL elite and are a team that can be seriously reckoned with in the playoffs. Thanks also to St. Brown.
CJ Stroud with the next decisive drive
Rookie CJ Stroud does it again: For the second week in a row, the Houston Texans quarterback launched a last-minute, game-winning drive down the field. In total, the 22-year-old threw for 356 yards and outshone his counterpart Joe Burrow (347 yards but two interceptions in the fourth quarter) in the narrow 30:27 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals.
With the score at 27:27 and 1:33 remaining in the game, Stroud, the second overall pick in the spring draft, led the Texans 55 yards on six plays, allowing a 38-yard field goal by Matt Ammendola as time expired had expired. Burrow had at least brought his Bengals back from a 7:20 deficit in the third quarter and kept them within striking distance until the end. But then the next great moment came for the super rookie, whose Texans (only three wins in total last season) are now 5:4, just like Cincinnati.
Lamb with NFL record in Dallas win
The Dallas Cowboys swept the completely hopeless Giants 49:17 for the second time this season and celebrated their twelfth home win in a row. Wide receiver Ceedee Lamb (151 yards) became the first professional ever to record at least ten catches and at least 150 receiving yards in three consecutive games in the NFL. His 617 receiving yards since Week 6 are the most in Cowboys history in a four-game span. Quarterback Dak Prescott (404 yards and four touchdowns) also set a passing record for Dallas: He became the first Cowboys player to score more than 300 passing yards and three touchdowns in three straight games.
Cardinals celebrate quarterback after torn ACL
The Arizona Cardinals are one of the worst teams in the NFL – but now quarterback Kyler Murray (selected first in the 2019 draft) returned from a torn cruciate ligament and not only caused a sensation, but also their second win of the season. The playmaker threw for 249 yards and ran for a touchdown and the Arizona Cardinals ended a six-game losing streak with a 25-23 win against the Atlanta Falcons. Although Matt Prater clinched the game in the final second with a 23-yard field goal, it was Murray who reminded everyone what he was still capable of.
Seahawks struggle against Commanders
There was also late drama in the Seahawks’ 29:26 win over the Commanders. After Washington had equalized with seconds left, Seattle managed to get within field goal range again. With three seconds on the clock, kicker Jason Myers converted from 43 yards. Overall, quarterback Geno Smith excelled with 369 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. After the heavy blow at the Ravens, the Seahawks were able to recover and still have a good chance of making the playoffs after their fourth home win in a row.
Steelers celebrate running backs and defense
After the 23:19 win over the Green Bay Packers, the Pittsburgh Steelers had their running backs to thank above all: Jaylen Warren and Najee Harris accounted for 183 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Quarterback Kenny Pickett only added 126 yards and no touchdowns, but in the end his team was once again able to rely on excellent defense to hold on for the win. Patrick Peterson blocked an extra point and deflected a throw so that it led to an interception instead of a touchdown with a good three minutes left. The Steelers (6-3) won their ninth straight game decided by eight or fewer points.
Buccaneers end bankruptcy streak thanks to Brady’s successor
Baker Mayfield signed a one-year contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the 2023 season to succeed Tom Brady, who ended his career. That has worked to a limited extent so far, but at least the number 1 pick from 2018 threw for 278 yards and two touchdowns against the Titans and helped his team end their four-game losing streak (the longest decline since 2019) with a 20-6 win over Tennessee ). With four wins and five defeats, the Buccaneers are only in third place in the NFC South, but the leader from New Orleans only has one more win to their name with a balanced record.
Vikings win fifth game in a row
A few weeks ago, the Vikings still looked like an amateur team when they were 1-4: Now the team from Minnesota defeated the New Orleans Saints 27:19 and won the fifth game in a row. Even a quarterback change didn’t change that. Joshua Dobbs, who took over last week after playmaker Jaren Hall was injured, kept Minnesota’s injury-plagued offense (superstar wide receiver Justin Jefferson sat out for the fifth straight game with Achilles tendon problems) on track in his first game as a starter. He threw for 268 yards and two touchdowns and the Vikings managed to preserve a 24-point halftime lead over time. The Saints quarterback Derek Carr had to leave the field in the third quarter with a concussion and a shoulder injury.