NFL · 1 year ago

Week 10: Which Players, Coaches, and Teams Are Declining?

Ben DiGiacomo

Host · Writer

Those Who Got Up at 9:30 AM
Is it a stretch to say that the game between the New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts was the worst game of the season? I can’t believe I set an alarm for 9:30 to watch that match. To make matters worse, we were sweating a Michael Pittman Jr. anytime TD and the Colts opted to not challenge a Pittman touchdown that the officiating crew ruled short. Mac Jones looked dreadful, Gardner Minshew didn’t look much better, and both teams gave the people of Germany a horrible product after they got the epic Chiefs-Dolphins game last week. Not to get ahead of myself, but as the pitiful New York Giants face the Patriots in Week 12, we may be writing about another ugly 10-6 final two Mondays from now.
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars were rolling, winning five consecutive games heading into Sunday until the San Francisco 49ers came into town and absolutely flattened them. There is no shame in losing to a talented and motivated 49ers team, but the Jags wasted a golden opportunity to prove that they were for real and one of the AFC’s top contenders. Plus, there is no excuse to lose like that in the NFL. With four of their next five games against teams with winning records, there is no game to waste in the tightly contested AFC playoff field.
Atlanta Falcons
No one really talks about the Atlanta Falcons since they are in the NFC South, but they are in a free fall right now. After starting the season impressively, winning their first two games, they’ve lost six of their last eight and capped it off with an ugly loss to the previously one-win Arizona Cardinals. For a team with as much offensive talent as they have, including Bijan Robinson, Drake London, and Kyle Pitts, watching the Falcons gets more painful by the week. Arthur Smith is officially on the hot seat and the team likely will be hunting for a franchise quarterback this offseason, but it’s probably going to get a lot worse before it gets any better in Atlanta.
AFC Wild Card Teams Who Lost
The AFC playoff picture is as close as it can get. Eleven teams are at least .500, two others, the New York Jets and Los Angeles Chargers, are expected to make the playoffs, and no division besides the AFC West is a sure thing. Every game is essentially a must-win for AFC teams, so for the Cincinnati Bengals, Jets, and Chargers, their losses came at a cost.
Will Levis
Will Levis only started in his third NFL game on Sunday, but he looked absolutely horrible. After impressing in the first two weeks, Levis laid a dud against a Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense that just gave up 470 yards and five touchdowns to CJ Stroud a week ago. Tennessee isn’t going anywhere this season with their 3-6 record, but for Levis, losses like this make the Tennessee brass think twice about anointing him the franchise quarterback. Their expected high draft position will put them in a great spot to land a top quarterback of their choosing this spring.
Those Who Got Up at 9:30 AM
Is it a stretch to say that the game between the New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts was the worst game of the season? I can’t believe I set an alarm for 9:30 to watch that match. To make matters worse, we were sweating a Michael Pittman Jr. anytime TD and the Colts opted to not challenge a Pittman touchdown that the officiating crew ruled short. Mac Jones looked dreadful, Gardner Minshew didn’t look much better, and both teams gave the people of Germany a horrible product after they got the epic Chiefs-Dolphins game last week. Not to get ahead of myself, but as the pitiful New York Giants face the Patriots in Week 12, we may be writing about another ugly 10-6 final two Mondays from now.
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars were rolling, winning five consecutive games heading into Sunday until the San Francisco 49ers came into town and absolutely flattened them. There is no shame in losing to a talented and motivated 49ers team, but the Jags wasted a golden opportunity to prove that they were for real and one of the AFC’s top contenders. Plus, there is no excuse to lose like that in the NFL. With four of their next five games against teams with winning records, there is no game to waste in the tightly contested AFC playoff field.