NFL Week 10 Winners and Losers: Lions Find Formula for Success, Falcons Waste Another Winnable Game

Detroit and San Francisco unlocked two of the NFL’s best rushing attacks Sunday, while Atlanta lost its third consecutive contest in Arizona.

The Eagles’ lead atop the NFC standings got smaller during their bye week, with the 49ers, Lions, Cowboys and Seahawks all recording wins in Week 10.

But the 49ers and Lions had the more impressive victories because of what they accomplished with their rushing attacks.

No one in the NFC South appears to be a threat for the Eagles once the postseason arrives. The Saints, Falcons and Panthers all lost in Week 10. The Buccaneers snapped a four-game losing streak in the win against the Titans, and are only a half game behind the Saints (5–5) for first in the NFC South.

Here are our winners and losers from this past week.

Winners

Lions

Many questioned the Lions’ offseason decision to ditch the running back tandem of D’Andre Swift and Jamaal Williams, which had plenty of success in 2022.

Turns out, the Lions were right to make upgrades at the position because they now might have the best tandem in the league. That may sound like hyperbole, but that’s how productive David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs were in Sunday’s 41–38 win against the Chargers. The Lions’ vision of pairing a chain-mover (Montgomery) with an explosive playmaker (Gibbs) was on full display in L.A., as the duo racked up 193 rushing yards.

Behind Montgomery and Gibbs, the Lions rank fourth in the NFL with 139 rushing yards per game :: Ashley Landis/AP

Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson might have also found the right formula for how to use the two running backs during games. Gibbs got the bulk of the carries early in the game, scoring two touchdowns in the first half. Montgomery did his part with a 75-yard rushing touchdown in the second quarter. In an ideal world for the Lions, Gibbs, the 2023 first-round pick, can help build leads with his speed and versatility out of the backfield, while Montgomery can be the closer who kills clock and moves chains down the stretch.

The Lions (7–2) do have issues on the defensive side, which could hurt in the postseason. But they might contend for the No. 1 seed in the NFC with upcoming games against the Bears (twice), Packers, Saints and Broncos. They do, however, close out the regular season with two games against the Vikings and one road game in Dallas.

49ers

The 49ers returned to their dominant form by delivering a complete performance in the 34–3 dismantling of the Jaguars to snap a three-game losing streak.

San Francisco (6–3) got its ground game and pass rush on track, two areas that have struggled in the past month. It wasn’t all Brock Purdy’s fault during the losing skid, but he did have a bounce-back performance, throwing three touchdowns against Jacksonville. Purdy makes a few mistakes in most games—he threw a risky pass to Brandon Aiyuk in the back of the end zone with multiple defenders nearby, though Aiyuk came down with it for a touchdown. But those mistakes tend to be forgotten when the 49ers are efficient on the ground and when Deebo Samuel and Trent Williams are on the field, as they were Sunday when both returned from injury.

The 49ers recorded 144 rushing yards in Jacksonville, their most in a game since Week 5 against the Cowboys. On the defensive side, Chase Young’s arrival made an immediate impact, as the defense recorded five sacks vs. the Jaguars. San Francisco had five sacks combined in its three consecutive losses coming into Sunday.

If the 49ers continue to play this well on both sides, they might be headed for a highly anticipated postseason rematch with the Eagles.

Texans

C.J. Stroud was once again terrific in the victory against the Bengals, and he certainly deserves MVP consideration. But I want to use this space to highlight the rookie signal-caller’s playmakers during Houston’s two-game winning streak.

Wide receiver Noah Brown has made the most of opportunities with injuries to Robert Woods and Nico Collins in recent weeks. He recorded 172 receiving yards against Cincinnati, and was Stroud’s go-to target in the fourth quarter. Brown also contributed 153 receiving yards and a touchdown in the win vs. the Buccaneers. He might have found a home in Houston after showing occasional flashes with the Cowboys the past few seasons.

Rookie wide receiver Tank Dell and veteran tight end Dalton Schultz have also stepped up and were instrumental in helping Stroud gain a rhythm early in the season. The Texans (5–4) even got their ground game going against the Bengals, as Devin Singletary recorded 150 yards on 30 carries in what was easily his best game of the year.

Cardinals

Kyler Murray had an impressive season debut during the Cardinals’ 25–23 win against the Falcons. Arizona also got a spark from the return of running back James Conner, who rushed for 73 yards.

Murray made plays with his arm and legs in his first game since tearing his ACL 11 months ago. If Murray is able to build off that and end the season on a strong note, perhaps that’s enough for the Cardinals (2–8) to pass on drafting a quarterback in 2024.

Murray possibly playing with Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. and offensive coordinator Drew Petzing sounds enticing. But if the Cardinals win more games, they might not be able to draft Harrison. 

Browns

The Browns (6–3) finally received a promising performance from quarterback Deshaun Watson, who signed a five-year, fully guaranteed $230 million contract last year.

Watson produced a comeback win against the Ravens, but he sustained an ankle injury that might prevent him from playing vs. the Steelers this week. If Watson is sidelined, the Browns have shown they can win games with backup PJ Walker.

Cleveland is going to be in most games this season due to its ground game, which continues to be just fine without Nick Chubb, and stellar defense. Jerome Ford had 17 carries for 107 yards against Baltimore.

Losers

Jaguars

Funny how one bad game can make people question whether a franchise quarterback is worth his draft status.

Yes, Trevor Lawrence had his worst game of the season in the embarrassing loss against the 49ers. It’s fair to criticize Lawrence for the poor play and the three turnovers in Week 10, but it’s a reach to say he hasn’t delivered as the 2021 No. 1 pick.

Lawrence has just nine touchdown passes with six interceptions through nine games and ranks 15th in the league with a 56.1 QBR, but the Jaguars are in position to win their second straight division title :: Bob Self/USA TODAY Network

Lawrence helped the Jaguars (6–3) win five consecutive games and has them in first place in the AFC South. Let’s not forget how he guided Jacksonville to the divisional round of the postseason in his second season with a 27-point comeback over the Chargers.

Lawrence had plenty of hype at Clemson, and that might be why many expect more from him. He can quiet the critics by defeating the Titans, Texans and Bengals for a new winning streak—the latter two against Stroud and Joe Burrow. A three-game winning streak against those teams could end the narrative of the Jaguars being pretenders.

Falcons

The Falcons (4–6) limped into their bye week with three consecutive losses against the Titans, Vikings and Cardinals.

To summarize, Atlanta fell to Will Levis for his first career start, Joshua Dobbs in his Vikings debut five days after joining the team, and Murray in his season debut after tearing his ACL 11 months ago. Not a good look for a Falcons defense that had a promising start to the season.

But the bigger problem is at quarterback. Coach Arthur Smith will need to decide after the bye week on who to stick with between Desmond Ridder and Taylor Heinicke, who sustained a hamstring injury against the Vikings. Those aren’t ideal options for the most important position on the roster.

Patriots

Patriots owner Robert Kraft might have considered apologizing to everyone who attended the dreadful game between the Patriots and Colts in Germany.

Kraft might have also thought of firing one of the greatest coaches in NFL history before boarding the jet back to New England. The Patriots again benched Mac Jones, as the offense failed to find the end zone before falling to the Colts, 10–6.

It’s been a nightmare season for the Patriots (2–8), but Kraft’s decision on Bill Belichick probably won’t come until later in the season. Belichick deserves a proper send-off if Kraft does decide to part ways with the coach who delivered six Super Bowls to the Patriots.

But the Patriots still have seven games left, and it’s tough seeing Belichick tank for a team that might no longer want him. As for Jones, his time as the Patriots’ starting quarterback could already be over. Belichick declined to name a starter between Jones and Bailey Zappe on Monday morning before the team began the bye week.

Titans

Will Levis’s third career start was nowhere near as impressive as his first two games.

Levis and the Titans (3–6) were held to six points and 209 total yards in the ugly loss against the Buccaneers. Somehow those weren’t season lows for Tennessee because it was held to three points and 94 total yards in a Week 3 loss to the Browns.

Highs and lows are expected from a rookie second-round quarterback, but it was surprising to see running back Derrick Henry average only 2.2 yards per carry. The Titans recorded only 42 rushing yards.

Saints

Wide receiver Michael Thomas injured his knee in the 27–19 loss vs. the Vikings, two days after being arrested on misdemeanor charges of simple battery and criminal mischief.

If that wasn’t bad enough, quarterback Derek Carr (shoulder/concussion protocol) and cornerback Marshon Lattimore (ankle) also exited early with injuries against the Vikings. Saints coach Dennis Allen said Thomas and Lattimore are dealing with “fairly significant” injuries.

Allen sounded more optimistic about Carr, who could be cleared once the team returns from the bye week. Allen will likely use the week off to assess what’s gone wrong with his defense in recent weeks, especially after Joshua Dobbs and the Vikings scored on five of their first six drives Sunday.