NFL Analysis

11/13/22

5 min read

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

By The 33rd Team

first and 10 graphic

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

First Down

From Injury to the End Zone

For most of you who tuned into Ohio State's game against Indiana, you probably switched the channel. The Buckeyes cruised to a 56-14 victory, the 28th straight against the Hoosiers. Through all the star players, scoring, and great catches, the story of the day featured the relatively unknown name of Kamryn Babb. Babb was the highest-rated wide receiver in Ohio State's 2018 recruiting class but has battled nonstop injuries. He suffered four torn ACLs over the course of his football career, which limited him to just over 30 snaps of action with no catches. But his resilience and dedication to the program didn't go unnoticed, as he was voted captain twice. Now a fifth-year Senior, he was finally cleared to play Saturday against Indiana. Late in the fourth quarter, he entered the game and caught the final touchdown pass of the afternoon. It was Babb's first career catch and first career touchdown. Football is awesome.

Second Down

Pick Six Party

Two defensive touchdowns in 16 seconds. On the first and second plays of the game, Pittsburgh picked off Virginia's Brennan Armstrong and took it to the house. Insane.

Third Down

An Answered Prayer

There was chaos in Division III football as Mount Union clinched a playoff spot by improbably beating Baldwin Wallace. In the game's closing seconds, Mount Union's quarterback Braxton Plunk threw up a hail mary from the 48-yard line. The football came down about ten yards short of the goal line, bounced off of a defender's helmet and into the hands of Wayne Ruby Jr. for the game-winning touchdown.

Fourth Down

Punters are People Too

Lincoln Riley, known for recruiting and signing star-studded talent to his rosters at Oklahoma, has been doing more of the same at USC. This year, Riley's offense has averaged 41 points and almost 500 yards per game, exploding to a 9-1 overall record. Even beyond quarterback (Caleb Williams) and wide receiver  (Jordan Addison), Riley's superior roster management shines. In the Trojans' monster 55-17 win against Colorado, a point after attempt yielded a platform for Will Rose to show off his athletic prowess. The punter and field goal holder completed this sweet backflip to celebrate the fake field goal and successful two-point conversion.

Fifth Down

The Song Heard Round the World

The NFL made its first trip to Germany on Sunday, with the Buccaneers taking on the Seahawks in Munich. Tom Brady quoted this game as "One of the great football experiences I've ever had." With the 21-16 victory, Brady became the first quarterback to win in three different countries. The German fans certainly were electric, and just like us back here in the states, they love John Denver.

Sixth Down

Madness in Buffalo

Game of the year and catch of the year nominees both coming out of a wild one in upstate New York. The Vikings and Bills went back-and-forth all day, showing both teams are genuine Superbowl contenders. A late fourth-quarter fumble recovered by the Vikings in the end zone sent the game into overtime. The Vikings eventually bested the Bills 33-30 and improved to 8-1 on the season. Justin Jefferson came up huge for the Vikings, collecting 10 receptions for 193 yards and a score, including this ridiculous one-handed grab in the fourth quarter.

Seventh Down

Table of Steel

Before the game, a brave Minnesotan attempted to steal Bills' Mafia valor. Crushing two beers and leaping from what looks to be 10 feet proved to be a poor decision. This Vikings fan bounced off the table like a basketball, leaving it essentially unscathed. Luckily, this poor display of athleticism wasn't reflected in Minnesota's on-field performance. Let's leave the table smashing to Buffalo.

Eighth Down

Miami is Back

The last time Miami started a season 7-3 was in 2001. From then until now, Miami has gone through 24 starting quarterbacks, eight head coaches and seven stadium name changes. According to NFL Research, The Dolphins did not punt the ball once in their 39-17 win over the Browns on Sunday. This marks the first game Miami had 30+ points and zero punts since Week 15, 1988, in a 38-31 win against none other than the Browns. It's a good year to be a Dolphin.

Ninth Down

Dolphins Tailgate Wedding

Burgers, beers, cornhole and a wedding? The tailgate scene before Miami's game on Sunday turned romantic, with a happy couple tying the knot right before kickoff.

Tenth Down

Saturday on a Sunday

Doubters be warned, Jeff Saturday's team was ready to compete. The Colts surprised the Raiders, beating them 25-20. If he wasn't already, Josh McDaniels is on the hot seat with Las Vegas losing their 7th game of the season. Pulling from his experience as an offensive lineman, Saturday had his team pounding the rock. In his first game back from injury, Jonathan Taylor carried a heavy load, rushing for 147 yards and a touchdown. The vibes are at an all-time high in Indy.

 

Tags: Buffalo Bills, Indianapolis Colts, Jonathan Taylor See More

The 33rd Team

The 33rd Team is a Football Think Tank created by Mike Tannenbaum and Joe Banner.

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