NFL Week 10 overreactions and reality checks: Colts’ Jonathan Taylor runaway MVP

NFL 2025’s second regular season half has officially begun. Now that we are in November, it is time for teams to either sink or float. We started to notice a separation among some areas of the league in Week 10. Baltimore Ravens, who have now won three straight games, including the last one against the Vikings, continue to push themselves into the playoff discussion in Minnesota. New England has extended its lead over the AFC East with not only a road win against Tampa Bay but also with Buffalo’s shocking loss to the Dolphins. Miami’s win was not the only shock of the week. The Saints also defeated the Panthers. We’ll determine which of the overreactions to Week 10 were just that, and which ones are legitimate.

NFL Week 10 Winners and Losers: Mike Vrabel’s Patriots are rolling; Panthers and Vikings sink once again

Cody Benjamin

Overreaction or Reality: OverreactionJonathan Taylor has been sensational since 2025. Even otherworldly. He has just scored 244 yard and three touchdowns against the Falcons, including the game-winner overtime. These 244 yards were the most a player had rushed in a season. This is his fourth three-rushing touchdown game this year (tied with the second most in NFL’s history). His 15 rushing scores in his first 10 games is the most since LaDainian Thomason did it in 2006. He went on to be named MVP. We said it: insane. 

But let’s stay focused on the present. Taylor faces a huge uphill battle if he wants to change the NFL MVP award. Even if the score is close, it will be decided by the quarterback.  Overreaction, or reality? RealitySpeaking of MVP races and quarterbacks, Matthew Stafford is the clear favorite after Week 10. The Rams quarterback has been nothing but prolific. Stafford completed 24 of 36 passes in the 49ers’ 42-26 defeat. This included four touchdowns and zero interceptions. Stafford became the first NFL quarterback to achieve this feat after throwing at least four touchdowns in three consecutive games. Stafford has a current streak of 22 touchdowns passed without an interception. This is the second longest streak in NFL history. He only looks up to Tom Brady, who won MVP in 2010 for 26 straight touchdowns. Buffalo’s Super Bowl Window has ClosedOverreaction or Reality: OverreactionMaybe Week 10’s most shocking result was the Buffalo Bills losing 30-13 to the Miami Dolphins. The Patriots’ win over the Buccaneers Sunday furthered their lead in AFC East. Buffalo now trails New England in the win column by two games for first place in their division and is losing the head-tohead tiebreaker. Buffalo’s shocking result raises questions beyond where it currently stands in the standings. It also makes you wonder if this team missed their window to win a championship. It would be a stretch to say that. Buffalo does have some weaknesses, including at the wide receiver position, but with Josh Allen behind center, they still have a chance to win a championship, even through a wild card entry. 

Jaxson Dart needs to change his play style Overreaction or reality: RealityIf you watch Jaxson Dart this season, it’s both entertaining and frightening whenever he tucks it and runs. First-round rookie Jaxson Dart can be dazzling with his legs. He rushed for two touchdowns and 66 yards on Sunday. But he takes too many hits and was forced to leave the game again after suffering from a concussion. Russell Wilson took over at the center of the field, but New York was unable to hold a double digit fourth-quarter advantage against the Bears. This is a lesson that the young quarterback should take to heart. He is a very intriguing prospect because of his dual-threat abilities, but he has to choose better his positions to make sure he’s available to his team. Tyler Shough is franchise QB  for SaintsOverreaction or reality: OverreactionNew Orleans notched its second win of the season on Sunday and the first under rookie quarterback Tyler Shough, logging a 17-7 victory over Carolina. Shough completed 19 out of 27 passes in the win, for 282 yard and two touchdowns. The Saints may be hesitant to select a quarterback prospect in the first round of the NFL Draft 2026, but are these numbers enough for them to turn down the opportunity? It’s not time yet. We can have a conversation if Shough continues to put on these performances. New Orleans will continue to search for the QB1 in the future until then. Brian Daboll will be the next coach fired Overreaction or reality: RealityEntering Sunday, you may have had Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel atop the bingo card of the next NFL coach to be fired. He’ll be able to coach for another week after the win over Buffalo. Brian Daboll’s fate may be different. After the New York Giants’ Week 10 loss to Chicago Bears, the New York Giants’ coach found himself in a hot seat. The Giants blew another fourth-quarter advantage. Not only did they lose back-to-back matches when they were leading by at least 10 in the fourth, but this is the first time the Giants are 0-4 away from home in games where the team was leading by at least ten points. It’s not a good recipe for success, whether Jaxson dart is injured or otherwise. 

San Francisco has left the playoff conversationOverreaction or reality: OverreactionThe Niners were blown out by the Rams at home, and are now behind both L.A. and Seattle in the division race, along with falling to the No. The 8th seed in the conference. San Francisco still has a chance to make the playoffs, despite the grim picture. It’s mostly due to their cupcake schedule in the next month, which should see them favored for most, if they don’t all of their matches. Next week, the 49ers will visit the Cardinals. In Week 12, they’ll host the Carolina Panthers. And in Week 13, the Browns will be in Cleveland to face the Browns. They host the Tennessee Titans following the bye. This is a pocket in which a four-game streak could be very possible. That would put San Francisco 10-4 going into the final 3 weeks. Baltimore has entered the playoff conversationOverreaction or reality: RealitySuddenly, the Baltimore Ravens have won three games in a row and sit just a game under .500 exiting Week 10. The Ravens are 4-5 and only one game behind the Steelers, who won the AFC North on Sunday after the Chargers beat Pittsburgh. Jacksonville is only one game behind them for the last wild-card position. Looking ahead, the Ravens face the Browns in Cleveland before back-to-back home games against the New York Jets and Cincinnati Bengals. The Ravens should be considered favorites in each of these games. And, if they do well, they could end up with a 7-5 team riding a six game winning streak, as they prepare to take on the Steelers, for the first-time this season, in Week 14. The Ravens, as surprising as it might have sounded to hear them drop from 1-5 to 7-5 this season, are now firmly in the conversation for the playoffs. Steelers are at risk of completely missing the playoffsOverreaction, or reality? RealityFurther emphasising that point above is Pittsburgh’s 5-4 record and their newfound struggle to hold on to first in the AFC North. Mike Tomlin’s team is at risk of missing the playoffs altogether. While the Ravens’ narrow lead in the division may be the main focus, the real danger is that they miss the playoffs. They have a record worse than the Chargers (7-3), and the Bills (6-3). Pittsburgh is already out of the tiebreaker for Los Angeles, and will face Buffalo in Week 13 Kansas also has a bye week. City Chiefs, a team that is currently outside the picture of the playoffs but will most likely join the fray in the final stretch. K.C. The Steelers could be the team to leave, especially if Baltimore jumps ahead of them in their division.

2025-11-10 04:36:09