If I could use one word to describe all of the action this week it would simply be ‘Wowsers’. I mean this week was full of drama, close games and an onside kick that Calvin ‘Megatron’ Johnson would definitely like to forget.
With that said I think it is only right to start this week with the NFC North clash between the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions. On paper this game should have been a total blow-out by Green Bay especially when you think of the two teams records and recent history but that is the great thing about divisional games, you just never know what is going happen. In the words of a legend close to the website 'Expect the Unexpected'.
The first half was pretty forgettable to be honest but the second half started with a bang as Ameer Abdullah returned the second half kickoff 104 yards for Detroit but sadly he got tackled just shy of the end zone. Three plays later Matthew Stafford completed a touchdown pass to Brandon Pettigrew to put the Lions up 9 – 3. Matt Prater then stepped up to kick the extra point but he sent it sailing wide of the posts.
Detroit kept playing hard and were rewarded with a field goal before Aaron Rodgers led Green Bay on a scoring drive to make it 12 - 10 in the fourth quarter. Into the closing stages now and you can see how the game played out by watching the highlights below:
You may have noticed this year that I have talked about the Denver Broncos alot this year and mostly for the right reasons as they went 8 - 0 thanks to a great defence but there has been one thing holding the Broncos back this year and it pains me to say, it’s Peyton Manning. Although this week Manning did break the record for most passing yards by any NFL quarterback he also threw four interceptions against the Chiefs this week before being benched. I may be being a little hard on Manning because let’s face it when you have a quarterback of his calibre the last thing you do is try to change the way he plays the game like Gary Kubiak's offense seems to be trying to do!
Moving swiftly on from that now onto something that just never ceases to amaze me and that is the catches that wide receivers and defenders alike are making these days. I mean seriously the catches are just getting ridiculously good to a point of obscene although not as obscene as Antonio Brown's touchdown celebration. Check out both Brown’s celebration and the top five catches from this week below:
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Another one of the games this week that had that wow factor was the Jacksonville Jaguars against the Baltimore Ravens in Baltimore. This game just ebbed and flowed beautifully back and forth with both teams scoring touchdowns and getting takeaways but like the Lions game it came down to the fourth quarter and a very dramatic end. The Ravens managed to get that go ahead touchdown with over seven minutes to go in the game giving the Jaguars plenty of time to score or so you would have thought. A couple of exchanged punts later and we get to the real drama with just over a minute left in the game the Jaguars got the ball back and had one last chance to make ground for that winning field goal. See all of the drama unfold by watching the highlights below:
To finish off this week we come onto the Sunday evening game between the New York Giants and New England Patriots at the Metlife stadium in New Jersey. This game was always going to be a great contest because over these last seven years the Giants are probably the only team that have had the Patriots number so to speak. Add to that you also had to of the best players at their position on show in Rob Gronkowski (Tight End) and Odell Beckham Jr (Wide Receiver).
Rob Gronkowski has taken the tight end position to just a whole new level in that not only is he a threat in the redzone because of his size but he has the speed to break long plays on you as well. On that note I would feel rude if I didn't mention Antonio Gates and Tony Gonzales who really started off this new breed of tight end but Gronkowski has just elevated it to another level.
Since being drafted with the 42nd overall pick back in 2010 Gronkowski has amassed 357 receptions for 5185 yards and 62 touchdowns. It may not seem a lot but when you factor in how much time he has missed through injury it is quite outstanding.
Odell Beckham Jr came into the league with a bang last year after missing the first four games of the season due to a hamstring injury he went on to record 91 receptions for 1305 yards and 12 touchdowns. Oh yeah and he also had a certain catch last year against the Dallas Cowboys which is still possibly the best catch I have ever seen.
So when you add those two players into the mix with the recent history between the two teams you end up with a game like this:
Well that wraps it up from me for another week but be sure to check out our podcast ‘Spitball’ which will be available later in the week for a further round-up of the week ten action. Until next time football fans stay safe, take care and 'Thanks for Stopping By'.