2017 Week 10 Game Balls

What an odd week of football that Week 10 was. There was a lot of moving parts, a ton of close finishes at the end of the 1 o’clock games, just a perfect day if you had the redzone channel. In a very 2017ish way, the playoff teams seemed to raise just in time to get a win.

In all the craziness, the ineptitude, and sadness that Week 10 brought NFL fans, something still remains. Tom Brady is still the greatest quarterback, Bill Belichick will continue to be the coach to outcoach a team, and the Patriots will continue to find new ways to win. Everything makes sense as far as football in New England, the Evil Empire still reigns over the National Football League.

With the Thursday Night Game (which seems like a month ago with all the stuff that has happened in the world) the campaign for ending Thursday Night Football excluding Thanksgiving stirred up again. With the Richard Sherman season ending injury the serious talk of what to do about all of these injuries is brought back up. Is this the football that I’ll be watching in five years? A bunch of “replacement players” while the stars sit in street clothes not collecting a game check. If there is anyone in the football world that knows how to stop all these injuries (whether no-contact or not) please speak up because the rest of football has no idea at this point.

Getting into the Thursday game ball, this one was a no doubter. My pick for the game ball recipient goes to Seattle Seahawks Quarterback Russell Wilson. Wilson showed again why he is one of the best QB’s in the in the NFL going 22/32 for 238 yards and two touchdowns. Not only did Wilson lead the Seahawks to a win but had one of the most ridiculous plays I’ve ever seen. Rolling around doing about 17 circles, somehow creates space, and throws a jump ball to Doug Baldwin. A nice candidate for play of the year and just the cherry on top on top of a good game.

Moving to Sunday, where the Saints completely ran (literally) the Bills off the field, Josh Lambo BARELY kicked a revenge kick against his former team the Chargers, or Case Keenum proving that he is one of the best backups in the league. All would go for not because my Sunday game ball is going to Atlanta Falcons Defensive End Adrian Clayborn who just destroyed Chazz Green and Byron Bell on Sunday. Clayborn registered six sacks against Green and Bell helping Matt Ryan and the Falcons clinch a victory against America’s Team. Now some of this is just coaching malpractice by Jason Garrett for not chipping Clayborn, or sending an extra tight end, or sliding the protection toward Clayborn to help out Chazz Green. A single player almost never gets more than three sacks in game and Clayborn got six sacks. How did this happen?

Getting to last night’s game, which I watched very little of with Lebron James and the Cavs in New York facing off against Porzingis, because that was a playoff game if you could ever have one in November. The Knicks and Cavs might be a rivalry for the season with all the things that happened last night in the garden (which would be INCREDIBLE). This game just had stink lines all over it because the Miami Dolphins played three consecutive Prime-Time games, plus they were going on the road for second time in three weeks.

But, the game ball has to go to one of my favorite players, Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton. Newton showed his MVP form again as he threw for 254 yards on 21/35 passing, four touchdowns, while adding 95 yards on the ground. Cam Newton just dominated this game and like Wilson on Thursday—showed why he is considered to be one of the best quarterbacks in the league.


Going into a week where the Jets are on a bye, all I ask is that football is just fun and makes sense. The Steelers shouldn’t barely beat the Colts, the Jags shouldn’t pull a victory out of the hands of defeat, and can Kirk Cousins please find a good NFL team! Oh, and we get an old-fashioned Cowboys-Eagles game. I’m all in because I don’t have to worry if the Jets are going to tank or try to win the Super Bowl (thank god).     

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