Gone. ?? pic.twitter.com/VFaqziulh6
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) November 9, 2018
Points have not exactly been at a premium this NFL season. Teams are averaging 24.1 points and 361.7 yards per game – both would be all-time single-season records. We got an example of the offensive explosion in Week 10.
The Pittsburgh Steelers hosted the Carolina Panthers on #ThursdayNightBeatdowns, and it went very well for the black and yellow team. Pittsburgh Q Ben Roethlisberger had a perfect passer rating, throwing for more TDs (5) than incompletions (3). This was the best game of Roethlisberger’s career, as he attempted his most passes (25) out of his four perfect passer rating games. Roethlisberger found five different receivers for TDs, and none of them included RB James Conner, who ran for one. The last time the Panthers played this poorly on national television was when head coach Ron Rivera benched QB Cam Newton for the first series because he wasn’t wearing a tie.
We coming ?????? #GoSaints pic.twitter.com/02tkVkTFbt
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) November 11, 2018
Elsewhere in interconference play! The Saints traveled to Cincinnati. Now, the Saints offense had not shown the same elite firepower outdoors as they did indoors this season. Enter the Bengals, who have been giving away 500-yard games as if you get an extra draft pick out of it. The Saints paid homage to fallen WR Dez Bryant (Achilles) and put up 51 points and 509 yards. The last time a road team put up 50 points and 500 yards outdoors was when the Patriots went to Buffalo in 2012 and dropped 45 second-half points on the Bills.
Teams of the Week:
BUF, PIT, TEN, KC
WAS, CHI, NO, LA
Winning units:
PIT pass offense (WR Antonio Brown)
CHI pass offense (WR Allen Robinson II)
NO pass offense (RB Mark Ingram)
CLE run offense (RB Nick Chubb)
IND offensive line (QB Andrew Luck)
KC pass offense (WR Tyreek Hill)
BUF pass offense (WR Zay Jones)
WAS pass rush (OLB Preston Smith)
TEN run offense (RB Derrick Henry)
GB run offense (RB Aaron Jones)
LAC pass defense (FS Derwin James)
LA pass offense (TE Tyler Higbee)
DAL offensive line (QB Dak Prescott)
NYG offensive line (QB Eli Manning)
Looking ahead to Week 11
Open Dates – Buffalo, Cleveland, Miami, New England, N.Y. Jets, San Francisco
The entire AFC East is off! That’s great for New England, seeing as how they’re the only team in the division with a healthy starting QB and a winning record. The Dolphins are a bad 5-5, relying on the incompetence of other teams to break even. The Jets are back to having their fans curse them out. The Bills cut QB Nathan Peterman, who was exceptional at winning games for the other team. Cleveland and San Francisco are also off. The Browns are already looking for a head coach, while the 49ers are stuck with their power structure until they get through a couple of seasons with healthy offensive players intact.
Packers at Seattle: Packers RB Aaron Jones is leading the NFL with 6.8 yards per rush this season, and the Seahawks are allowing 5.0 yards per rush. The home team has won the last seven matchups; Green Bay QB Aaron Rodgers won his first start in Seattle in 2008 against Mike Holmgren’s last team, and that was the last road win for either team in this series.
Texans at Washington: Houston is coming off of a bye, while Washington managed to become the first team in NFL history to allow more than 500 yards but 3 points or fewer in the same game. Both offensive lines are in shambles, so first team to score is probably winning this game.
Eagles at New Orleans: Hope you all enjoyed the Eagles winning the Super Bowl. I certainly did! It’s about to be over now, though. The Eagles don’t have a single healthy RB with more run TDs than fumbles, turning them back into the one-dimensional pumpkin that they were in 2016. The Saints are going to do mean things to the defending champs, including showing them what it’s like to actually support a quarterback with a ground game.
Vikings at Chicago: The Vikings have 5.5 wins, the Bears have 6. The thought of Minnesota having to go on the road and block Chicago’s front seven terrifies me. The Vikings can give Chicago many of the same problems, but I do feel like venue matters in this one.
Chiefs at Los Angeles Rams: Unfortunately, this game will not be played in Mexico City or Saint Louis. It’s also the Marcus Peters Revenge Game! I have zero faith in Kansas City’s ability to contain RB Todd Gurley, and I fully expect this deservedly hyped matchup to disappoint.