Tag: NFL Week 10

3 biggest winners and losers of Thursday Night Football: Woeful Bears help 2024 draft pick

The Bears’ TNF win officially opens the door to drafting a new QB.

No one expected a show of fireworks between the Chicago Bears and Carolina Panthers on Thursday night. In fact, we knew this was a patently garbage game on paper and would probably not morph into an instant classic.

In a 16-13 win for Chicago, the Bears and Panthers predictably delivered boredom amid an unrepentant snoozefest. As someone who literally (and regrettably) watched all 60 minutes, I’m not sure I remember more than a handful of select plays. And even then, this game is already fading from my memory because I’m probably trying to repress its ugliness.

But it wasn’t all bad! Chicago’s victory carries some serious ramifications for the organization’s future. Meanwhile, Bryce Young’s failure to outduel a former Division II quarterback doesn’t spell out good things for his future.

Let’s dive into the winners and losers from TNF in Chicago.

Bears coach Matt Eberflus likely hyped up a boring Tush Push play with awkward halftime interview

Matt Eberflus was so excited to unveil a 1-yard rush.

In terms of putting feet in one’s mouth, Matt Eberflus has had a banner season for the last-place Chicago Bears. Earlier this year, the coach fielded nearly 20 consecutive questions about Chase Claypool. Then, with Justin Fields’ health weirdly in question but also not in question (?), Eberflus delivered us some incredible word salad about the quarterback’s status.

As the Bears took on the Carolina Panthers in a Thursday night snoozer (hey, Jason Kelce!), Eberflus changed things up. He said the Bears have something “up our sleeves” in a halftime interview. With the giddiest smile on his face, one could only imagine what Eberflus was referring to.

The imagination runs wild!

Unless we’re missing something, it was probably referring to a (checks notes) one-yard “Tush Push” with starting tight end Cole Kmet as the ball carrier. (Note: the Bears went three-and-out on the possession just before.)

Boring, but it would be unsurprising, coming from Eberflus:

Uh, if this was indeed his intent, what did Eberflus think this play would be? Even on a successful conversion, I’m not sure a short-yardage conversion really warranted mention to the national audience at home. It’s not exciting, but Eberflus highlighting a minute detail like that would be par for the course based on his job coaching the woeful Bears.

D.J. Moore reunited with former Panthers teammate Brian Burns by literally jumping into his arms

D.J. Moore REALLY missed Brian Burns.

Aside from a random Jason Kelce appearance and some odd 2024 draft implications, there wasn’t much for your average football fan to enjoy during the Chicago Bears’ Thursday night matchup with the Carolina Panthers.

But that same sentiment didn’t apply to two crucial figures for both teams: Bears star receiver D.J. Moore and Panthers franchise pass-rusher Brian Burns. Once teammates in Carolina, Moore was traded to Chicago last spring as part of the deal that helped the Panthers land Bryce Young with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.

And when Moore finally saw Burns again on the sideline before the game in Chicago, he couldn’t help but explode with joy at seeing his friend again:

Awww. That’s just the best. Even in different cities on different teams, it’s apparent that Moore and Burns remain close friends. Shoot, I’d probably hug my pal the same if I hadn’t seen him in a while, too. Who wouldn’t?

Al Michaels seemed overjoyed that Jason Kelce’s TNF appearance temporarily saved him from Bears-Panthers

Al Michaels owes Jason Kelce a fruit basket for helping him ignore TNF.

We knew the Chicago Bears’ matchup with the Carolina Panthers on Thursday Night Football would be an atrocious rock fight. Even with some weird draft incentives for the Bears, no rational football-loving mind saw this game on paper and thought it was a burgeoning classic.

Apparently, the folks who work and produce TNF thought the same thing! So they prepared accordingly. Instead of keeping full attention on a game featuring Tyson Bagent and Bryce Young — a disappointing No. 1 overall pick — the broadcast brought in Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce into the booth.

Why, you might ask?

Well, for no discernible reason other than that Kelce is a magnetic personality, and this was one of the obvious worst TNF games on paper all year. No one, not even the announcers, really wanted to watch this matchup closely. The gambit with Kelce — easily more interesting by himself than two of the NFL’s worst teams on the field — clearly worked with an overjoyed Al Michaels. Any criticism of the announcer lacking enthusiasm seemingly faded the moment he got to talk to Kelce:

Who could possibly blame Michaels for perking up once Kelce sat next to him? He seems like such a fun guy with a lot of energy. Now imagine talking to Kelce instead of devoting your energy to a horrid football game. It’d be a no-brainer every time.

Texans score A-minus grade in CBS Sports’ mid-season evaluation

The Houston Texans picked up an A-minus grade in the midseason evaluation of 2023 from CBS Sports.

Week 10 is a comfortable enough time to know just what a football team presents. Enough time for units to form cohesion has passed and enough injuries have hit to allow rosters to truly set.

According to Jeff Kerr from CBS Sports, the Houston Texans have turned in an A-minus in the outlet’s recent grading of all 32 teams.

Mired in a long rebuild, this was supposed to be the transition year upward with a rookie quarterback in C.J. Stroud and first-year head coach DeMeco Ryans.

Stroud is arguably a top-10 quarterback in the league already and has the Texans offense as a top-10 unit. He’s thrown just one interception while being responsible for the Texans winning games. Ryans has the defense on the upswing, too, even with rookie Will Anderson not making an immediate impact in the pass rush.

While Anderson may not have enough sacks with just 2.0 to show through eight games, the No. 3 overall pick is making his presence felt with nine quarterback hits, ranking third-most on the team. The beneficiary of Anderson’s presence is fourth-year defensive end Jonathan Greenard, who leads Houston with 6.0 sacks, primarily due to the attention Anderson commands.

Where Stroud is helping the Texans most is with his ball security. To date, the No. 2 overall pick leads the NFL with fewest interceptions — one — among quarterbacks who have started since Week 1. Nevertheless prolific games such as Stroud’s 470-yard, five-touchdown outing in Week 9 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers reinforce that the Texans chose wisely when evaluation the quarterback class.

Houston gets back in action Sunday at 12:00 p.m. Central Time at Paycor Stadium against the Cincinnati Bengals for Week 10.

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Texans vs. Bengals Thursday injury report: CB Derek Stingley full participation

The Houston Texans released their second injury report for Week 10, and CB Derek Stingley is making progress.

The Houston Texans released their second injury report for Week 10 as they prepare to face the Cincinnati Bengals Sunday at 12:00 p.m. Central Time at Paycor Stadium.

The Texans had 23 players listed on their injury report.

FB Andrew Beck (ankle/elbow/shoulder), K Ka’imi Fairbairn (quad), LB Jake Hansen (hamstring/hand), TE Brevin Jordan (foot), CB Steven Nelson (back/neck), and RB Dameon Pierce (ankle) were all listed as non-participants. To’oTo’o (concussion) and WR Nico Collins (calf) were limited yesterday, yet added as non-participants on Thursday.

DE Jonathan Greenard (shoulder), LB Henry, DE Myjai Sanders (knee), and  (hamstring) were listed as limited.

DE Will Anderson (knee) and LB Blake Cashman (knee), LT Laremy Tunsil (knee), and WR Robert Woods (foot) were upgraded from non-participants to limited.

OT Charlie Heck (back), LB Christian Harris (hand), G-T Josh Jones (hand), WR John Metchie (ribs), and DT Sheldon Rankins (knee) were listed as full participants. Joining them were CB Derek Stingley, OT George Fant (knee), G-T Tytus Howard (knee), who were listed as limited on Wednesday.

For more information on the Bengals’ injury report, check out the Bengals Wire.

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Vikings players outnumber Saints on Week 10 injury report update

Minnesota Vikings players outnumber New Orleans Saints players two-to-one on Thursday’s updated Week 10 injury report:

Whew. The Minnesota Vikings listed 11 players on their updated injury report ahead of Week 10’s game with the New Orleans Saints — who say just five of their own are actively receiving treatment for injuries. The Vikings players managing injuries outnumber the Saints two-to-one.

And it’s not like the Saints are missing some heavy hitters. Rookie running back Kendre Miller (ankle) and defensive end Isaiah Foskey (quadricep) were their only two non-participants on Thursday, and neither of them have played 100 or more snaps on offense and defense this season.

This is the healthiest the Saints have been at midseason in recent memory. If they can’t take care of business in Minnesota, they won’t be able to point to injuries as an excuse. Check the Thursday injury report for yourself:

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Patriots Week 10 injury report: Three players ruled out for Sunday’s game

The Patriots ruled three players out for Sunday’s game against the Colts.

New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones won’t be sleeping any easier with offensive tackle Trent Brown officially out for a second consecutive week.

The Patriots ruled three players out on Friday, ahead of Sunday’s road trip to Germany for their Week 10 clash with the Indianapolis Colts.

Brown missed Wednesday’s practice for personal reasons, but he has also been dealing with an ankle injury that forced him to miss last week’s game against the Washington Commanders. His absence along the offensive front leaves a big void in the blindside protection for Jones.

Cornerback J.C. Jackson has also officially been ruled out for the game. Jackson was benched as a starter against the Commanders and reportedly sent home this week for performance issues and missing curfew. Along with Brown and Jackson, wide receiver DeVante Parker (concussion) has been ruled out as well.

Here’s the full injury report for the Patriots and Colts on Thursday:

New England Patriots

Player Injury Wednesday Thursday Friday Game Status
OT Trent Brown Not injury-related (personal)/Ankle DNP LP OUT
CB J.C.Jackson Not injury-related DNP DNP OUT
DL Christian Barmore Knee LP LP
LB Ja’Whaun Bentley Hamstring LP LP
CB Myles Bryant Chest LP LP
WR Demario Douglas Ankle LP LP
CB Jonathan Jones Knee LP LP
OL Vederian Lowe Ankle LP LP
WR DeVante Parker Concussion LP LP OUT
DL Deatrich Wise Shoulder LP LP

DNP: Did not practice; LP: Limited participation ; FP: Full participation

Indianapolis Colts

Player Injury Wednesday Thursday Friday Game Status
CB JuJu Brents Quadricep DNP DNP
WR Josh Downs Knee DNP DNP
LB Zaire Franklin Knee DNP LP
TE Drew Ogletree Foot DNP DNP
CB Tony Brown Concussion LP FP
T Braden Smith Hip/Wrist FP FP
WR Alec Pierce Ankle LP

DNP: Did not practice; LP: Limited participation ; FP: Full participation

The Patriots will be looking to get back on track after dropping back-to-back losses to the Commanders and Miami Dolphins. It’ll be a tough road ahead with a roster that has been ravaged with injuries.

Others will have to step up in a big way to give the Patriots a fighting chance against a Colts team that should be favored entering this matchup.

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Lions Week 10 injury update: 2 reserves held out but every starter practiced in full

Lions Week 10 injury update: 2 reserves held out but every starter practiced in full on Thursday ahead of the trip to Los Angeles

The penultimate practice injury report for Week 10 was a relatively clean one for the Detroit Lions. Every starter participated in full for the second practice in a row.

Unlike Wednesday’s report, which was a guesstimate on the players’ day off, Thursday’s injury report came directly after practice. Two players did miss the Thursday practice after being limited in the prior one. Defensive lineman Levi Onwuzurike was held out with a hip injury, while offensive guard Halapoulivaati Vaitai sat with a back issue.

Two other players were limited, and both were due to rib injuries: reserve offensive lineman Dan Skipper and freshly acquired wideout Donovan Peoples-Jones. Still, none of the players who were limited or out came from the starting lineup.

Frank Ragnow, David Montgomery and Jonah Jackson were al full participants and will play Sunday against the Chargers, barring any late-week setbacks.

Lions red zone defense faces a big challenge against the Chargers

The Detroit Lions red zone defense faces a big challenge against the Chargers, who are elite at scoring TDs inside the 20

When the Detroit Lions get back on the field on Sunday in SoFi Stadium, they’re going to need to shake off any bye-week rust quickly. The Los Angeles Chargers are a dangerous team, perhaps more than their 4-4 record would indicate.

One area where the Chargers thrive is in the red zone. Quarterback Justin Herbert is one of the elite performers inside the opposing 20. With big targets like WR Keenan Allen and TEs Gerald Everett and Donald Parham, Herbert has excellent short-area and jump-ball weapons. The quarterback has three rushing TDs on his own, plus versatile Austin Ekeler as an option. He avoids mistakes very well, too.

The Chargers convert red zone possessions into touchdowns at a nice rate of 69 percent, the second-best in the league. By way of comparison, the Lions rank 24th at a tick over 48 percent.

Detroit’s red zone defense has struggled all season. They rank 26th in the league, allowing touchdowns on over 65 percent of opposing incursions into the red zone. Getting a red zone takeaway won’t be easy, either; the Chargers have the NFL’s best turnover ratio and their six giveaways are the second-lowest figure through Week 9.