NFL Winners and Losers, Week 10: Dolphins, Raiders surging at right time
NFL Week 10 Loser: Baltimore Ravens
A Sunday Night Football matchup with the New England Patriots seemingly offered Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens a get-right game. The offense stumbled a bit through the first half of the season but the defense had them sitting at 6-2 and still in prime position for a late-season push.
Instead, the Ravens raised more questions than were there before. Jackson had a fine passing performance but the Baltimore offense still stagnated quite often. More troubling was the fact that Cam Newton and the Pats had one of their best offensive showings in recent memory, running the ball all over the Ravens in the 23-17 win.
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Rainy and windy weather may have had something to do with Baltimore’s struggles but you have to win no matter the hand you’re dealt in this league. Now sitting at 6-3, the Ravens are now in a spot where they have to fight for a playoff spot after earning the AFC’s No. 1 seed last year.
NFL Week 10 Winner: Miami Dolphins
Brian Flores might already have NFL Coach of the Year locked up after Week 10. Most people assumed that the Miami Dolphins were happy after a 3-3 start with Ryan Fitzpatrick as the starter, which made the decision to name rookie Tua Tagovailoa the starter a bit perplexing.
With a 29-21 win over the Chargers on Sunday, though, Tagovailoa is now 3-0 as the starter and the Dolphins are another team that would be in the playoffs if the season ended today. Tua has yet to fully take off but he’s seemingly getting better with each week. More importantly, though, the team around him is gelling beautifully.
The Dolphins defense has emerged as a legitimate weapon that makes plays and creates turnovers while players like Salvon Ahmed are stepping up when called upon for the offense. If you’re doubting Miami right now, you’re clearly not paying attention to a young team that’s simply ahead of schedule in the rebuild. They’re ready to play with anyone right now.