Milwaukee Journal Sentinel - Packer Plus
32 things we learned from Week 10 of the season
Coolest story of Sunday? How about QB Cam Newton’s return to action with the Carolina Panthers, for whom he played his first nine seasons – including an MVP campaign in 2015. (Boomer Esiason had been the only player to win league MVP honors with a team, the Cincinnati Bengals in his case, leave and rejoin that club later in his career.) But Newton was re-signed last week and made a near-instant impact, running and throwing for a touchdown on his first two touches to kick off his second stint with the team. Newton, who didn’t start and played sparingly, finished with 14 yards rushing and 8 passing as Carolina demolished the undermanned Arizona Cardinals, who entered the weekend with the NFL’s best record at 8-1, 34-10. Depending how quickly Newton can internalize offensive coordinator Joe Brady’s playbook, the Panthers have a very legitimate shot to make the playoffs, especially with the next four weeks serving up Washington, Miami, a bye week and Atlanta.
And, FWIW, Carolina (5-5) ended Sunday in possession of the NFC’s third wild-card spot and is only a half-game behind the New Orleans Saints for sixth place in the conference ... though the Panthers are only a half-game in front of the Atlanta Falcons and Minnesota Vikings.
Coldest story of Sunday? Green Bay Packers QB Aaron Rodgers (COVID-19) and Seattle Seahawks QB Russell Wilson (broken finger) both returned to action ... and collectively looked pretty rusty in a snoozer of a game, the Pack dealing another blow to Seattle’s season with a 17-0 victory. Neither quarterback threw a TD pass, but they combined for three interceptions.
At least it snowed at Lambeau
Field.
It was the first time the Seahawks suffered a shutout with Wilson under center in his 166 career starts. Dating to 2009, the home team has won the last 10 games of this series, the Pack going 6-4 overall.
Most importantly, Green Bay (8-2)
reclaimed the top spot in the NFC standings thanks to Arizona’s setback.
Been a lot of nicknames thrown around for New York Jets backup QB Mike White – “White Mike,” “Jersey Mike,” “White Lightning” and “Magic Mike” among them. Let’s add “Off White” following his four-INT performance in a 45-17 loss to the Buffalo Bills. Expect Jets rookie Zach Wilson back under center very soon.
Despite losing RB Derrick Henry, the Tennessee Titans (8-2) have a league-best six-game winning streak and a 1½-game lead over the Bills and Baltimore Ravens for the AFC’s No. 1 playoff seed.
Who had RB D’Onta Foreman outtouching all Titans players Sunday with 13? And how about the size on this guy (6-1, 236), who’s just a few pancakes shy of Henry (6-3, 247).
The Saints have lost both their games without QB Jameis Winston, though TE Adam Trautman’s false start when they were going for game-tying two-point play in Nashville with 76 seconds remaining sure didn’t help Sunday.
The New England Patriots have won four in a row – only the Titans are hotter – have worked their way up to sixth place in the AFC and are just a halfgame behind Buffalo in the AFC East.
The 2021 Patriots really are starting to resemble the 2001 Patriots, a team devoid of stars and expectations and led by an inexperienced quarterback – Tom Brady in that case – but one that quietly played solidly in all phases of the game before shocking the world by winning Super Bowl 36. Mac Jones and Co. certainly aren’t a front-runner to win Super Bowl 56 – though no one is – but don’t count out this team or its rookie, who
threw for three TDs in an NFL game for the first time in Sunday’s 45-7 rout of the Cleveland Browns.
Jones is the first New England rookie to post a trio of TD passes since ... Drew Bledsoe in 1993. (Remember, Brady was a second-year player when he rose to prominence in 2001.)
Pats WR Jakobi Meyers finally found the end zone for the first time in his three-year career on his 135th reception. His 134 score-less catches were the most ever to start a career.
It didn’t take long for the Los Angeles Rams’ signing of WR Odell Beckham Jr. to shift from luxury to serendipity after incumbent No. 2 WR Robert Woods tore his ACL in practice Friday. OBJ made his debut for LA on Monday night against the San Francisco 49ers and