There are the teams you’re born rooting for, for better or worse, and then there are the bandwagon clubs – the franchises and star players that pique your interest, draw you in and drop you off. Each week of the 2022 campaign, we’re recapping some of the most encouraging and discouraging developments from around the NFL and deciding whose bandwagon to hop on or off – even if only for a week.
Week 10 has come and gone and the Philadelphia Eagles are no longer alone atop the standings. With playoff races heating up, here’s whose bandwagons we’re joining or leaving this week…
Hop on: The real-deal Vikings... right?
The story going into Sunday's showdown between the 7-1 Vikings and 6-2 Bills was that we'd finally see Minnesota put to the test against a worthy opponent. The story after Sunday's wild, chaotic, entertaining, back-and-forth affair that needed extra time to settle the score?
Call off the doubters, because they passed... right?
Though it had its perfect moments – Justin Jefferson's incredible one-handed grab on fourth and 18 with less than two minutes to go, for example – this Vikings performance was far from flawless. A messy red zone series, complete with a failed QB sneak from Kirk Cousins, put Minnesota's wild comeback in doubt (as in, they had about a one per cent win probably) but a fumbled snap in the end zone by Josh Allen one play later revived them with a defensive score to suddenly give them the lead.
As they have made a habit of doing this season, the Vikings made things interesting. And ultimately, their defence stepped up at the end of the game with a clutch play – this time, a game-sealing interception in overtime.
Gone is the Vikings' "light" first-half schedule. Up next, Minnesota faces another tough test in the Cowboys. And after that? We see if they can get a W under the bright lights of prime time – they host New England on Thanksgiving night. (ES)
Hopping off: Josh Allen in overtime
Bills quarterback Josh Allen managed to play through his elbow injury, but he fell to 0-4 in overtime in his career after that dramatic loss to the Vikings. Two of his OT losses have come in the playoffs – one in 2019 and last year’s divisional round classic against the Chiefs. Sunday’s game ended when Allen threw his second end zone interception of the day to Patrick Peterson. (MJ)
Hopping on: Kansas City’s offence featuring their new toy
Kadarius Toney suited up for his second game with the Chiefs since being acquired from the Giants and was more involved in the Kansas City offence during this past Sunday’s 27-17 win over the Jaguars - and it should serve as a warning to the rest of the AFC.
Patrick Mahomes had a casual 331 yards and four touchdowns and spread the ball around nicely. Toney, the 20th-overall selection from the 2021 NFL Draft, caught four of his five targets for 57 yards and a touchdown and showed serious flash and upside while adding 33 additional yards on two rushing attempts. He had exactly one more touchdown on Sunday than he did during his entire career with the Giants. (MJ)
Hop off: Hoping for an undefeated season
Long live the '72 Dolphins. The league's lone team to complete a perfect season celebrated its 50th anniversary this year, and Washington's win over the previously-undefeated Eagles Monday night guaranteed their record will live to see another season unmatched.
Too many mistakes from Philly, an elite run attack from Washington, some very questionable officiating at times, and the powerful right leg of one Joseph D. Slye were the main drivers of this 32-21 victory.
And honestly? Good riddance! The pressure of an undefeated season has got to feel heavy down the stretch, and while it's an extremely impressive accomplishment it's obviously not the end goal. Better now than in January. The Eagles bandwagon rides on. (ES)
Hop on: Football in Germany!
It's possible this interview between Sara Walsh and game-winner Tom Brady was excellent and filled with insight, but perhaps we'll never know – because the real star of this matchup between the Buccaneers and Seahawks was the crowd at Allianz Arena, home of FC Bayern Munich and the first-ever regular-season NFL game in Germany.
Fans in attendance – all 69,811 of them – cheered and sang their way through the matchup, and that didn't stop just because the game did. The atmosphere, by all accounts of those who were there to take it in, was incredible, marking a huge success for the league.
During his post-game press conference (in a quieter setting, no doubt), Brady gave a more audible review of his experience – a 21-16 Tampa Bay victory, but a much bigger win for the future of football in Germany.
"That was one of the great football experiences I've ever had," Brady told reporters. "It says a lot for 23 years in the league and for a regular-season game. I think the fan turnout was incredible. It felt, like, very electric from the time we took the field. The end of the game, with them singing 'Sweet Caroline' and 'Country Roads,' that was pretty epic. So I think everyone who's a part of that experience got to have something pretty amazing, (a) memory for the rest of their life. So thank you for hosting us, we appreciate it. Thank you." (ES)
Hopping off: Miami punting
If you are in a punter-only fantasy football league you (a) have too much time on your hands and (b) you would be wise to drop Dolphins punter Thomas Morstead. With Miami’s offence clicking, to say the least, the team has only punted the ball twice in the past three games. (MJ)
Hopping on: Packers finally finding a top target
Could Christian Watson’s breakout game be the catalyst to help the Packers go on a run and get back in the playoff race? The second-round pick from 2022 had only 88 receiving yards on 10 receptions in the six games he appeared in prior to Week 10. Watson broke out in Sunday’s win over the Cowboys with 107 yards on four catches, all but one of which ended with him in the end zone. (MJ)
Hop off: A Raiders second-half redemption story
Two weeks ago, former Colts fan-favourite and longtime centre Jeff Saturday was employed by ESPN, sharing his takes on NFL teams – including, of course, the underperforming Raiders.
On Sunday, Saturday found himself in an entirely different situation – on Indianapolis' sideline taking on the Raiders as the Colts' new interim head coach – and his Raiders take was still as accurate as ever.
We'll need to see a lot more from Saturday and the second-half Colts to determine whether this unconventional situation – one that, rightly, has garnered a lot of reaction when it comes to the NFL's well-documented lack of diversity at the coaching and management level.
But as for the Raiders, we've seen enough. (ES)
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