Analysis

11/27/22

4 min read

Week 12 First-and-10: What You Missed Over a Wild Weekend of Football

first and 10 graphic

Ten wonderful, weird and wacky items from a wild weekend of football:

1st Down

Thanksgiving Memories

Food, family and a game of catch with Stefon Diggs. This young Bills fan was lifted out of the crowd, caught a sweet post route, and threw a dime back to Diggs before Buffalo took on Detroit Thursday.

2nd Down

Mascot Brawl

The happy feelings of Thanksgiving were quickly forgotten in Arizona as Wilbur the Wildcat and Sparky the Sun Devil fought for dominance. Who threw hands first is yet to be known, but from the footage provided, Sparky appears to land the most meaningful strikes. However, Wilbur got the last laugh as the Arizona Wildcats beat the Arizona State Sun Devils 38-35.

3rd Down

Confusion in Clemson

A play that reflects how the season has gone for the Clemson Tigers is one you have to see to believe. Spencer Rattler and the Gamecocks strike again, taking down eighth-ranked Clemson 31-30. This is South Carolina's second straight win against a top-10 opponent.

4th Down

Mike White Mania

Zach Wilson was benched this week after an abysmal performance against the Patriots and the loss of locker room respect that followed. Mike White stepped up and delivered a world-class stat line; completing 22 of 28 passes for 315 yards and three scores. The Jets defeated the Bears 31-10. White's passer rating was near-perfect at 149.3, and he averaged 11.3 yards per throw. The effect of the quarterback change wasn't just seen in the stats but was also reflected in the Jets players' mood and energy. White was greeted in his postgame interview by several teammates, an act that you would have to assume would not have been reciprocated for Zach Wilson.

 

5th Down

Down Bad Bayou

As bad as the Texas A&M Aggies' season has been this year, they did teach us one thing: Never count them out. LSU's College Football Playoff hopes were alive and well until they made the trip to Kyle Field. Texas A&M beat the brakes off of LSU on Saturday, 38-23. The disappointing night for Tiger fans can be summed up in one video:

6th Down

Jaxson's Speedo of Success

The Jaguars' mascot, Jaxson, has gone full Florida man. He shed his usual trunks and jersey to don an American Flag speedo for their game against the Ravens. We might see Jaxson wear the speedo more often because his efforts resulted in a victory, beating the Ravens 28-27.

7th Down

$245 Million of Frustration

The nightmare continues for Bronco fans as they see Russell Wilson, who should've been their savior, lose yet another winnable game. Carolina, a terrible team in its own right, beat Denver comfortably on Sunday 23-10. Resentment for Wilson's performance boiled over during today's game, with defensive lineman Mike Purcell yelling choice words in Wilson's face. Broncos Country is not riding with Wilson.

8th Down

The Good Luck Skunk

If a skunk infiltrates a stadium normally the protocol would be for fans to clear away from the area until the problem was resolved. But not in Cleveland, fans instead gathered around to take photos and videos. Maybe the Browns found their good luck charm as they’re now 1-0 when this skunk is in the stadium.

9th Down

Hopkins is Not Human

In one of the most dramatic four-yard catches ever, DeAndre Hopkins shows us why his hands are still top five in the league.

10th Down

Merry Christmas from the Eagles' Lineman

Philadelphia linemen Jason Kelce, Jordan Mailata and Lane Johnson are releasing a Christmas album. Mark your calendars, because "A Philly Special Christmas" will be available to all on Dec. 23. Proceeds from the album will benefit Philadelphia's Children's Crisis Treatment Center to help fund a toy drive fulfilling a holiday wish list of children who experienced trauma in their young lives. The album will be found at https://phillyspecialchristmas.com/.




RELATED