NFL Week 10 Takeaways: Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow Put on a Show in TNF Thriller

NFL Week 10 Takeaways: Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow Put on a Show in TNF Thriller0 of 3

Ja’Marr ChasePatrick Smith/Getty Images

It’s Week 10 of the 2024 NFL season, which means the second half of the regular season is underway.

That means different things for different teams. For teams such as the Detroit Lions who are rolling, it’s (hopefully) business as usual. For potential contenders on the fringes, the pressure has ratcheted it up. There’s little margin for error.

The week kicked off with a game featuring teams in both categories, with the 6-3 Baltimore Ravens playing host to the 4-5 Cincinnati Bengals.

It was a game the Bengals desperately needed to win, but a wild affair ended with Ja’Marr Chase posting all the receiving yards ever—and Cincinnati losing anyway.

The weekend features no shortage of intriguing matchups. There’s a game in Munich between two tomato cans that could set back relations with Germany 20 years. The Pittsburgh Steelers travel to Washington in a surprising battle of two-loss teams.

Sunday night, those surging Lions head to Houston to play the AFC South-leading Texans. And in the week’s final game, the Miami Dolphins and Los Angeles Rams will try to keep their shaky postseason aspirations alive.

Week 10’s action will have a big-time impact on playoff races across the league. And just as they do every week, Bleacher Report NFL analysts Gary Davenport, Kristopher Knox, Maurice Moton and Brent Sobleski are here to break it all down, with the biggest takeaway from each contest.

Ravens Offense is a Buzzsaw, but the Defense is a Mess1 of 3

Marlon HumphreyKevin Sabitus/Getty Images

The Bengals and Ravens played an overtime thriller just a few weeks back. And while Baltimore emerged victorious, veteran cornerback Marlon Humphrey told reporters ahead of Thursday’s rematch that he’s well aware how badly the defense struggled in that game.

“We felt like we should have lost,” he said. “We won the game, but we did not play well, especially the secondary alone. Like I said, there were a lot of contested catches, but we allowed big plays—too many big plays—so we’re hoping to try to limit the passing attack and get going.”

Once again in Week 10, the Ravens squeaked by the Bengals—this time in Baltimore. Once again, quarterback Lamar Jackson, running back Derrick Henry and the Ravens offense dissected the Bengals defense with ease.

And once again, the Ravens almost lost—because the defense was awful against the pass.

This is not a new problem for the Ravens. Entering Week 10, they had the NFL’s best run defense and the league’s worst pass defense.

The 280 yards and change Baltimore allowed through the air entering Week 10 is going up. Joe Burrow ravaged the Ravens Thursday night to the tune of 428 yards and four scores. Ja’Marr Chase caught three of those scores, topping 250 receiving yards.

Mind you, the Bengals didn’t have Tee Higgins for this game. They knew Burrow would lean on Chase—and there was absolutely nothing the Ravens could do about it.

It’s not like the team is unaware of this deficiency. The Ravens traded for veteran cornerback Tre’Davious White at the deadline, but he wasn’t even playing in Los Angeles—he’s no solution.

Jackson may well be the NFL’s MVP (again). Henry could be the first running back to gain 2,000 rushing yards in a season twice. But this Ravens team isn’t playing in New Orleans in February.

Not with a non-existent secondary.

Zac Taylor Will Get the Blame, but Defense Costs Bengals in Week 102 of 3

Joe Burrow and Zac TaylorPatrick Smith/Getty Images

After the Bengals waxed the Las Vegas Raiders last week, Joe Burrow was rather morose in the post-game presser, telling reporters the win really didn’t mean anything:

“Just how this season has gone, knowing what’s ahead of us, knowing what we’re going to have to do to get back into this, one win isn’t going to make or break our season. I’m going to keep striving for perfection every day, every game. Until that happens, what’s there to be happy about?”

As it turns out, his attitude was foretelling.

The fifth-year quarterback certainly can’t be blamed for Thursday’s devastating loss in Baltimore. Burrow threw for a whopping 428 yards and four scores. Wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase went ballistic, catching 11 passes for 264 yards and three touchdowns.

NFL @NFLAll 11 catches from @Real10jayy__’s 264-yard, 3 TD night 😳#CINvsBAL @Bengals pic.twitter.com/PHX9SZxFwc

Those are actual numbers—but they weren’t enough.

It will be head coach Zac Taylor who bears the brunt for the loss. And to be fair, there are valid reasons to criticize a couple of his decisions. He eschewed two long field goals for fourth-down attempts that both failed, including a relatively modest 51-yarder.

Those are questionable calls. Going for two and the win at the end of the game wasn’t.

The 389 yards of offense the Ravens amassed Thursday isn’t a ridiculous number. But it could have been much higher. Baltimore spent much of the game marching up and down the field at will on Cincy’s 25th-ranked scoring defense. The Bengals got no pressure on Lamar Jackson, and he carved them up as a result.

Taylor went for two because he had no reason to believe the Bengals could get a stop in overtime.

And unless that defense magically improves, Burrow and the Bengals won’t have to worry about two losses to the Ravens by a combined four points that have erased any chance of winning the division.

Because they won’t be in the playoffs at all.

Week 10 Schedule3 of 3

Jared GoffCooper Neill/Getty Images

Here’s a look at the rest of the Week 10 slate.

Sunday, November 10

New York Giants vs. Carolina Panthers (Munich): 9:30 a.m.New England Patriots at Chicago Bears: 1 p.m.Buffalo Bills at Indianapolis Colts: 1 p.m.Minnesota Vikings at Jacksonville Jaguars: 1 p.m.Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs: 1 p.m.Atlanta Falcons at New Orleans Saints: 1 p.m.San Francisco 49ers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 1 p.m.Pittsburgh Steelers at Washington Commanders: 1 p.m.Tennessee Titans at Los Angeles Chargers: 4:05 p.m.New York Jets at Arizona Cardinals: 4:25 p.m.Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys: 4:25 p.m.Detroit Lions at Houston Texans: 8:20 p.m.Monday, November 11

Miami Dolphins at Los Angeles Rams: 8:15 p.m.