-
NFL Nation, ESPN
Week 10 of the NFL season kicked off Thursday with the Baltimore Ravens defeating the Cincinnati Bengals 35-34. Then in Munich, Germany, the Carolina Panthers prevailed over the New York Giants 20-17 for an early start to Sunday football.
Our NFL Nation reporters reacted to all the action, answering lingering questions coming out of each game and detailing everything else you need to know for every team. Let’s get to it.
Panthers
Is quarterback Bryce Young finally proving worthy of the top pick in 2023? Hold on. He’s beaten only the beleaguered Saints and Giants in consecutive weeks. He didn’t light it up Sunday (15-of-25 for 126 yards), but he showed enough promise and poise. Coach Dave Canales didn’t name a starter to face the Chiefs after the bye but said, “Certainly Bryce made a great statement for himself today.” Young has shown glimpses to suggest he still can be a franchise quarterback, which is why Carolina didn’t entertain trade offers despite calls before the deadline.
Eye-popping stat: Three days after getting a four-year, $33 million extension, running back Chuba Hubbard had a career-high 103 rushing yards after first contact on his way to a career-high 153 yards and a touchdown. It validated the toughness he’s shown to warrant the new deal.
Most surprising performance: The defense. It had its first shutout of any half since Week 15 of 2023. It had its first interception since Week 4. Then another. It finally created pressure with OLB D.J. Wonnum debuting. And it got an overtime fumble recovery to set up the win. The run defense was suspect, but the rest outweighed that. — David Newton
Next game: vs. Chiefs (Nov. 24, 1 p.m. ET)
Giants
What kind of changes will the Giants make during the bye week? Something has to happen. They are 2-8 for the second straight season with five straight losses. A change at quarterback is the obvious choice, especially after coach Brian Daboll benched Daniel Jones four weeks ago. Jones has an injury guarantee in his contract that must be a factor down the stretch and he’s not playing well. He missed a wide-open Malik Nabers on the opening drive and threw two costly interceptions deep in Carolina territory in the contest. It seems to be over after six years as the starter.
Describe the game in two words: Utter disaster. It’s the same phrase used after a Week 1 loss to the Vikings, but it’s still applicable. More so now. The Giants were shut out in the first half by the league’s 32nd-ranked defense while many fans were eating their breakfast. They also couldn’t stop the run … again. One of the league’s worst run defenses allowed Chuba Hubbard to compile 153 yards on the ground. Bad.
Eye-popping stat: Three 10-plus-yard runs for Tyrone Tracy Jr. This is the fourth time in six starts that the rookie running back had at least three runs of 10 or more yards. He has added an explosiveness in the run game to the Giants offense starting ahead of Devin Singletary. Tracy finished with 103 yards rushing on 18 carries, but his final one resulted in the fumble that cost the Giants the game. For the most part, he’s still been a rare bright spot this season. — Jordan Raanan
Next game: vs. Buccaneers (Nov. 24, 1 p.m. ET)
Ravens
Is Lamar Jackson playing his best football ever? Absolutely, and it’s proved by stats and the way he’s playing. In his past two games, Jackson has produced a perfect 158.3 passer rating in a win over the Broncos and a perfect passer rating in the fourth quarter of a comeback win over the Bengals. He is showing more poise in the passing game, throwing 24 touchdowns and two interceptions. A two-time NFL MVP, Jackson is on pace to pass for a career-best 4,500 yards and rush for 900 yards.
Eye-popping stat: Wide receiver Tylan Wallace picked an opportune time to record his first career touchdown catch. With Baltimore down 21-14 in the fourth quarter, he took a short out pass from Jackson and turned it into an 84-yard touchdown. He gained 78 yards after catch over expected, which is the second-most YACOE on a reception since 2018, according to NFL Next Gen Stats.
Biggest hole in the game plan: Failing to defend Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase. With Tee Higgins inactive, the Ravens knew Joe Burrow would be targeting Chase even more and still couldn’t slow him down. Chase scored on touchdown catches of 67 and 70 yards. For the season, Baltimore has now given up a league-high 28 completions of 25 or more yards, which explains why the Ravens have the 32nd-ranked pass defense. — Jamison Hensley
Next game: at Chargers (Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET)
Bengals
What does this loss mean for the Bengals? It would have been great for the Bengals’ playoff chances to win this game on the road. However, Cincinnati was a big underdog entering Thursday night. And the way the rest of the schedule shapes up, the contests against the Chargers and the two matchups against the Pittsburgh Steelers were always going to be critical to their playoff chances, no matter what happened Thursday. Still, this will be a tough loss to stomach after the Bengals blew a 14-point lead.
Describe the game in two words: Crushing collapse. The Bengals were in control and led by 14 points halfway through the third quarter but made enough mistakes that allowed the Ravens to roar back for a season sweep of Cincinnati.
Biggest hole in the game plan: Doing the little things right. A third-quarter fumble by Chase Brown and missed tackles that led to a long touchdown by Tylan Wallace were crucial. A missed interception by Cam Taylor-Britt and a crucial missed fourth down by Joe Burrow were among many mistakes. — Ben Baby
Next game: at Steelers (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)