Week 10 of the NFL season was one full of drama, talking points and some big solo performances.
Sunday’s slate of games began in Germany with the Carolina Panthers beating the New York Giants in overtime, while there was also late drama as the Kansas City Chiefs remained undefeated and the Dallas Cowboys suffered a heavy defeat at home.
Here are the main storylines from Sunday’s action.
QB plays like ‘best player on planet’ in historic game
The Arizona Cardinals had a successful afternoon and that largely came thanks to the historic performance of their quarterback, Kyler Murray.
Murray, whose play has embodied the Cardinals’ up-and-down start to the 2024 season, was extremely accurate and dynamic with his legs as Arizona comfortably beat the New York Jets 31-6 at home.
It marked the team’s fourth straight victory to remain top of the NFC West division, but perhaps more impressive was Murray’s overall display.
He completed 22 out of 24 of his passing attempts, throwing for one touchdown and running for two more scores. The 27-year-old ended the game completing 17 consecutive passes, breaking the Cardinals’ record of 16 straight completions set by Carson Palmer over two games in 2017.
Murray also became the first player in NFL history to complete 85% of his passes with 250 passing yards and two rushing touchdowns.
He convincingly outplayed four-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers on the opposing sideline, and Arizona head coach Jonathan Gannon was quick to praise his quarterback after the victory.
“I think the quarterback was the best player on the planet today,” Gannon said. “And so, kudos to him.”
It looked like it might have been a very different afternoon for Murray when he was sacked heavily by an unblocked blitzer midway through the game, causing his helmet to fly loose. However, Murray popped right back up and was even seen sharing a joke with his opponents shortly afterwards.
“I told you this is the best I felt,” Murray told reporters afterwards. “Obviously, the game being taken away from you and being in a system like this, the attention to detail, I say it all the time with (offensive coordinator) Drew (Petzing), the way he communicates it, there’s no gray area.
“We’re on the same page and Year 2 being in the system, I just feel good. The game slowed down. Obviously, it’s my sixth year in the league, so I just continue try to take it one day at a time and continue to play well.”
Murray was helped by a defense which has been shining in recent weeks. They allowed just two field goals against the Jets, meaning they have allowed fewer than 10 points for the second consecutive game and have not allowed a touchdown in three games at State Farm Stadium.
To put that into perspective, the Cardinals had allowed double-digit points in 52 straight games before Week 9, while the last time the team had not allowed a home touchdown for three straight games came in 1926.
All-in-all, it totaled an overwhelmingly positive afternoon for the Cardinals as they continued their excellent recent form.
On the other hand, Rodgers called the 25-point defeat “just disappointing” as the Jets slipped to 3-7 and their playoff aspirations look increasingly slim.
Deebo Samuel pushes teammate as tempers flare
Although the San Francisco 49ers claimed a last-second victory on Sunday, it appears all is not well within the team.
Sunday’s 23-20 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers should have been cause for celebration, with Jake Moody kicking a game-winning field goal as time expired, Christian McCaffrey playing for the first time this season, and rookie receiver Ricky Pearsall scoring his first NFL touchdown two months after being shot in the chest.
However, the game will be remembered for an incident between the team’s star receiver Deebo Samuel, their long snapper Taybor Pepper, and Moody, who missed three field goal attempts at Raymond James Stadium.
And it was after Moody had missed his third attempt near the end of the fourth quarter with the 49ers leading by three that Samuel appeared to exchange heated words with Pepper and Moody.
Samuel was seen grabbing Pepper near the throat and pushing him away, in doing so hitting Moody in the helmet. As Samuel and Pepper walked back to their places on the sideline, the two continued to argue with one another.
Afterwards, Samuel explained that he was just “frustrated” in the moment and got “out of character a little bit.”
“I wasn’t saying anything crazy to him,” he told reporters. “I was kinda frustrated at the time, but he went out there and won the game for us. He wasn’t bothered by it, so we move past it.”
He also added that Moody “had a little dog in him” for going back out there and hitting the game winner.
For his part, Moody played down the incident.
“It’s an emotional game, and stuff like that happens all the time,” the second-year kicker said. “You just move past it and we won, so that’s all that matters.
“There doesn’t need to be (an apology). … I do (need) to make those kicks at the end of the day, that’s all I’m focused on. I’m not worried about anything like that.”
Pepper echoed Moody’s sentiment while also praising the mental fortitude of the 24-year-old to bounce back from three missed field goals.
“He was telling him to lock in, and we know what our job is,” Pepper said. “We got us. It’s hard being a specialist, sometimes it’s feast or famine. As a young developing specialist like Jake is … I don’t know how much better it gets than missing three straight and having to step up and hitting an almost 50-yard game-winner. I’m super proud of Jake.”
49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said he would address the situation on the flight back to California.
“I don’t think the pressure of people getting shoved with a helmet on or something is much of it,” Shanahan said. “You’re only as good as your last kick, you’re only as good as your last throw, you’re only as good as your last game.
“It was great practice for (Moody) to put himself in a situation like that and to come through. I think that does add confidence to guys so they’ve been there before. But I’m proud of how he made that at the end.”
The win was a momentous one for San Francisco, which moves to about .500 for the first time since Week 1.
Saints end seven-game losing streak after firing head coach
It’s been a tumultuous season for the New Orleans Saints through 10 weeks. And after firing their head coach Dennis Allen last week following a seven-game losing run, they are finally back in the winning column.
The Saints beat NFC South division rival Atlanta Falcons 20-17 in their first game under interim head coach Darren Rizzi at the Superdome on Sunday.
They began quickly, scoring 17 points before halftime including two touchdown passes from quarterback Derek Carr to wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling, who only signed for the team a few weeks ago.
And although the offense faltered in the second half, they benefited from an off-day from Falcons kicker Younghoe Koo, who missed three field goals, while New Orleans’ defense stepped up when it really mattered with the game on the line.
A fourth quarter interception of Atlanta quarterback Kirk Cousins by Tyrann Mathieu halted a drive with just 1:59 remaining before turning the Falcons over on downs as time expired.
“What an unbelievable week,” Rizzi said postgame. “As I just said to the players, this doesn’t happen – today doesn’t happen – without a complete buy-in from the building. You guys have all reported about all the changes and that’s all well and good, but the buy-in, the execution and the preparation – I just told those guys, nothing substitutes good preparation, and we had such a good practice week.”
It wasn’t a perfect day for Rizzi, who couldn’t join in with the celebrations at the end of the game after a hit from Saints defensive tackle Payton Turner meant his left arm went “completely numb.”
He also talked about how his day as the Saints’ interim head coach began in not ideal fashion.
“I get down to the Superdome. I go in the head coach’s locker room, which I’ve never used before,” he said. “So here I am, early in the morning, I go to the bathroom. This is how my day started. I clogged the toilet. I’m like: ‘This is gonna be a crappy day’ – pun intended.”
On the other hand, it was a disappointing result for the Falcons, who fall to 6-4 despite remaining top of the NFC South division with a two-game margin after the Buccaneers’ defeat to the 49ers.
Full Week 10 Sunday scores
Away vs. home (winners in bold)
New York Giants (2-8) 17-20 OT Carolina Panthers (3-7)
New England Patriots (3-7) 19-3 Chicago Bears (4-5)
Buffalo Bills (8-2) 30-20 Indianapolis Colts (4-6)
Minnesota Vikings (7-2) 12-7 Jacksonville Jaguars (2-8)
Denver Broncos (5-5) 14-16 Kansas City Chiefs (9-0)
Atlanta Falcons (6-4) 17-20 New Orleans Saints (3-7)
San Francisco 49ers (5-4) 23-20 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-6)
Pittsburgh Steelers (7-2) 28-27 Washington Commanders (7-3)
Tennessee Titans (2-7) 17-27 Los Angeles Chargers (6-3)
New York Jets (3-7) 6-31 Arizona Cardinals (6-4)
Philadelphia Eagles (7-2) 34-6 Dallas Cowboys (3-6)
Detroit Lions (8-1) 26-23 Houston Texans (6-4)
