After a crushing 34-3 loss last week against the San Francisco 49ers, Trevor Lawrence and the Jacksonville Jaguars found their strength against the Tennessee Titans. Lawrence threw for four touchdowns, including two rushing touchdowns, in a one-sided 34-14 victory. This is a contrast from the 10th week for Lawrence, who was shut out in the touchdown column in addition to being the victim of two thefts. The Jaguars followed the Cobra Kai philosophy to the letter, which is to strike first, strike hard and be merciless. Doug Pederson’s squad set the tone in the third minute of play with one of the two touchdowns through the air from Calvin Ridley. Jacksonville scored 27 unanswered points before allowing the first of two touchdowns to the Titans. Ridley rushed for 103 yards on 7 catches.
Like the Jaguars, the Miami Dolphins bounced back after a defeat. Mike McDaniels’ men beat the Las Vegas Raiders 20-13 thanks to a notable performance from Tyreek Hill. Notable because the receiver injured his hand in the second quarter and had to leave briefly before returning to finish the job. The former Kansas City Chiefs was targeted 11 times by Tua Tagovailoa and he caught 10 balls for 146 yards and a major. It’s some relief for Dolphins fans, who also saw De’Von Achane leave the game following an injury. The ball carrier, however, did not return. He injured the same knee that had kept him out of the game the previous four games. McDaniels, however, clarified after the match that his withdrawal was more of a preventative measure and that his player would suffer from a sprain.
The Dallas Cowboys, “America’s Team”, recorded their fourth victory in their last five meetings, this time against the Carolina Panthers by a score of 34-10. Cornerback DaRon Bland tied an NFL record by scoring an interception return touchdown for the fourth time in the same season. Linebacker Micah Parsons gave young Panthers quarterback Bryce Young headaches; he spoiled himself with 2.5 sacks and 6 tackles, including 2 which caused turnovers. On the offensive side, Dak Prescott finished the game with two touchdowns. He has 13 in three games and has at least one paid pass in 9 of his last 10 outings. The Panthers can console themselves, timidly, for having limited CeeDee Lamb to 38 yards passing. Which slows the receiver’s streak of games over 100 yards through the air to four. But the latter still scored a touchdown and fully enjoyed the victory of the Cowboys (7-3) after 11 weeks.
The last time the Detroit Lions were 8-2 after 10 games was in 1962. Since then, many events have shaped the identity of human civilization. Then, 61 years later, a new edition of the Lions, led by Dan Campbell, repeated the feat, in front of their fans, with a 31-26 victory against the Chicago Bears. Despite three interceptions, including one in each of his first two possessions, Jared Goff orchestrated a comeback with less than five minutes in the fourth quarter. The Lions overcame a 12-point deficit with a paying pass from Goff to Jameson Williams and a rushing touchdown from David Montgomery two minutes later. Adrian Hutchinson scored a safety touchdown late in the game, eliminating any chance for Chicago to at least tie the game on a field goal. After years of misery, Lions fans can finally live with hope by seeing their team position itself among the best in the NFL.