NFL – 2016 WEEK 10 – STATS THAT STICK OUT
Ben Roethlisberger, QB (Steelers)
DAL 35 at PIT 30
Big Ben was Week 10’s passing leader as he connected on 37 of 46 attempts for 408 yards and 3 TDs, 0 Interceptions. Unfortunately, his stellar performance wasn’t enough to help the Steelers win over the surging Cowboys who took their 8th straight. After the game, Roethlisberger voiced his frustration about the loss and Pittsburgh’s below average 4-5 season so far: “We are undisciplined and not accountable… That’s why (the Cowboys) are one of the best in the business and we’re not right now.” The good news for the streaky Steelers is their schedule down the stretch gets easier. Next in line is the Browns, then Colts, Giants, Bills, Bengals, Ravens and then the Browns again.
DeMarco Murray, RB (Titans)
GB 25 at TEN 47
The former Cowboy led Week 10 in rushing with 17 attempts, 123 yards, 1 TD and an average of 7.2 yards per carry. His efforts helped Tennessee to lead the league this past week with 107 rushing yards before contact and over the course of the season, the team has rushed for 120 yards or more in 8 of its 10 games. With 930 total yards, Murray is now only 2nd in the league behind spectacular rookie Ezekiel Elliott (1005 yards). There is optimism about this Titans team going forward, as they sit 5-5 and 2nd in the AFC South behind Houston (6-3). Up next are the Colts who the Titans haven’t won against in Indianapolis since 2007. But, with a win, the Titans will have its best record in Week 11 since 2011.
Stefon Diggs, WR (Vikings)
MIN 20 at WASH 26
Despite Minnesota’s mid-season freefall (they’ve lost 4 straight), Diggs is a constant bright spot. In Week 10, he had 13 catches for 164 yards and 12.6 yards per catch. It was his second straight game with 13 receptions and second game this season with at least 164 yards, which sets the record for the first NFL player ever to have 13 catches or more in consecutive games. Diggs’ numbers will likely go down next week as the Cardinals and the 2nd best pass defense comes to town. Arizona’s plan to stop Diggs per Head Coach Bruce Arians is to: “put Patrick Peterson on him and hope that works.” Peterson is considered to be one of the best cornerbacks in the league. He made the Pro Bowl in each of his first five seasons, and three times has been All-Pro. As QB Sam Bradford said, “it’s going to be a great matchup. It’s going to be fun to watch.”
Kam Chancellor, S (Seahawks)
SEA 31 at NE 24
The Seahawks went across the country on Sunday night and took down arguably the best team in the NFL in Week 10. While it was a close game, Chancellor may have been the difference to put Seattle over the top. He had 8 tackles, 1 forced fumble and helped to limit Patriots TE Rob Gronkowski to 3 catches. Head Coach Pete Carroll praised the 28-year-old Chancellor for his “aggressive” style of play, his “hard hitting” and his “experience”. It was enough for the NFL to recognize his efforts and garner him with the NFC Defensive Player of the Week award. Even more notable is that Chancellor had not played since Oct 2 due to a groin injury. But, perhaps the time off helped him to be more “fresh”. If he remains healthy the rest of the season, Seattle will be the most dangerous team in the NFC.
Eric Berry, S (Chiefs)
KC 20 at CAR 17
Another safety in the opposite conference was praised by the NFL in Week 10. That was Eric Berry, the 27-year-old former Tennessee ALL-SEC pick named AFC Defensive Player of the Week. He had 9 tackles (7 solo), 2 passes defended, 1 tackle for a loss and 1 interception returned for a TD to help the Chiefs win over the Panthers in Carolina. His pick-six changed the momentum of the game towards the Chiefs who had been down by 17 points but came back to win on the road. Some experts already envision Berry in the HOF someday and many teammates praise him as a leader in the clubhouse. Indeed, his battle with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in Nov/Dec 2014 and subsequent recovery and return to the field in July 2015 has been awe-inspiring. He spoke to high schoolers in KC this week and told them: “Make the most of every opportunity”.
Jay Cutler, QB (Bears)
CHI 10 at TB 36
Cutler was ranked 1st by PFF in their Worst Players from Week 10 action list and I tend to agree. He was embarrassingly bad on Sunday completing only 53.3% of his passes and in a “clean pocket”, this number went down further. He threw 2 Interceptions, fumbled the ball 2 times, only completed 16 of 30 passes and his QBR was… 4.0. Ouch. Word is from Bleacher Report that the locker room has given up on Cutler, but those accounts have not been confirmed. Still, when he played one of the worst games in his 11-year career and rumors swirl that teammates don’t have his back, it’s not hard to understand the frustration. The question is, will Cutler return to this Bears team next year? Maybe they haven’t given up on him because he does have talent & potential, but perhaps a change of pace would be good for Cutler. As for the Bears, they don’t have anyone else to turn to at the moment. But, in the off-season, there may be someone of say, Tony Romo’s quality on the market??
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