NFL Week 10 storylines: Lions roar on road, C.J. Stroud might have entered the MVP chat

The decisive play in the Lions’ wild, shootout win over the Chargers — a 41-38 nonstop thrill trip — used to be a great microcosm of this Detroit staff. After choosing up 8 yards on 3rd down, Dan Campbell’s workforce stared down a fourth-and-2 in a tie sport simply within Riley Patterson’s box target vary. There would have been a option to make, however there used to be by no means any attention to kick. 

Campbell unflinchingly left his offense on the box, Jared Goff hit Sam LaPorta with a dart for six yards that picked up a primary down, moved the Lions right into a a lot more manageable box target vary and — most significantly — additionally allowed them to bleed the remainder of the time final off the clock earlier than kicking a walk-off box target. 

Jim Nantz and Tony Romo famous the similarity to Bill Belichick’s fourth-and-2 in opposition to Peyton Manning and the Colts greater than a decade in the past and the way Belichick’s good judgment concerned being not able to decelerate the Indy offense and in need of to be in regulate of the sport clock. 

There used to be indisputably a way of that for Campbell and Detroit, with Justin Herbert and the Bolts operating some more or less changed hurry-up taste offense that gave the Lions protection suits all afternoon. The big-play back-and-forth combat between Goff and Herbert should not let us know a ton about the high quality of those two defenses consistent with se; it used to be simply an unbelievable efficiency from two high-end quarterbacks. 

Campbell certainly believes in his protection, however he has unquestioned religion in Goff and that offense and has made it abundantly transparent he plans to be competitive in the means he coaches. He has lived as much as his phrase on that one and it used to be very true on Sunday in Los Angeles, with Campbell going for it a whopping FIVE TIMES on fourth down. 

Brandon Staley did not again clear of aggression both — the Chargers went for it thrice. The two groups mixed to transform seven (!) of the ones 8 fourth-down makes an attempt. The simplest fourth down they did not get used to be the Lions going on fourth-and-goal at the 1-yard line, a no brainer spot to head and a beautiful nice force effort by way of the Bolts. 

This used to be the Chargers’ one hundredth one-score sport in the ultimate 10 years, as famous by way of Nantz on CBS. I’m now not positive what their checklist is in the ones, however I’d bet a wholesome quantity it is lovely unpleasant. The loss — every other one at house in entrance of heaps of visiting fanatics — drops them to 4-5 and places them in a precarious place in terms of the postseason. 

Detroit is in a polar reverse state of affairs, transferring to 7-2 and creating a declare to be a valid Super Bowl contender. I were given numerous pushback after I penciled them for a go back and forth to Las Vegas all over our midseason reboot of our selections as a result of the concept of the Lions successful a championship is, smartly, lovely loopy. 

But in the event you put Detroit in a distinct uniform I don’t believe other people would recoil at the perception. Goff’s been to a Super Bowl earlier than and has a valid pedigree. The protection has performed extraordinarily smartly in spots, specifically in opposition to the run. The move catchers are flying underneath the radar. 

And Campbell is the form of chief who will get the maximum out of his gamers. He’s modified the id of this staff and molded it in his symbol.The Lions treated this model in their rebuild in an excessively affected person and centered way and it is paid dividends with a breakout season in 2023. There’s a ways nonetheless to head however the whole thing we have now noticed from this staff, coupled with the skinny, top-heavy nature of the NFC, must completely make you imagine the Lions can also be the newest longtime loser to climb the mountaintop. 

Hand him the {hardware}

The 2023 Offensive Rookie of the Year race seems to be find it irresistible might be over earlier than it in reality were given going. And perhaps we should not simply be handing C.J. Stroud that award … as a result of he might be worthy of the MVP dialog simply 9 video games into his NFL occupation.

Houston’s rookie signal-caller one way or the other controlled to height ultimate week’s record-breaking efficiency on Sunday, when he went on the highway and beat the Bengals instantly up, as a landing underdog, in a antagonistic setting, in opposition to a surging Joe Burrow and a high-flying Bengals offense. 

Even without a Tee Higgins, the Bengals had been cooking with gasoline, piling up 27 issues with lengthy photographs to Ja’Marr Chase and Burrow peppering Tyler Boyd with objectives. The Texans were given down a landing early however Stroud by no means let his staff get out of the sport. It would have been lovely simple to take action given how explosive Cincy can also be, however Stroud, as soon as once more, maintained his composure and persisted to ship the soccer to a tender, unheralded team of receivers who he is been elevating up week after week.

The loss to the Panthers feels find it irresistible came about a decade in the past on a distinct planet. Since then, Stroud’s transform a -1000 favourite to win OROY and has slipped into the MVP dialogue at 40-1. Stroud, Devin Singletary and Noah Brown all exploded in opposition to the Bengals, as the Texans become the first staff to have a 350-yard passer, a 150-yard rusher and a 150-yard receiver in the similar sport since the Colts in 1998 when Peyton Manning, Marshall Faulk and Torrance Small did it.

Stroud, who completed with 356 yards, become simply the 2d rookie quarterback ever (Cam Newton used to be the different in 2011) to throw for 350 yards in back-to-back begins. 

A rookie quarterback *most likely* is not going to win the award. We may see him hit a rookie wall or the Texans merely now not win sufficient video games to permit him to make a transfer that prime up the board. 

But the Texans aren’t some frisky, feel-good tale. They’re a legitimate playoff contender. Drafting Stroud is the greatest explanation why.