NFL: Week 10 knee-jerk reactions
November, 13, 2012
11/13/12
1:30
PM ET
By ESPN.com staff | ESPN.com
You’ve heard the chatter by the sports pundits and on the talk shows. Heck, you may have even heard it here. So are the knee-jerk reactions about your team based in reality? Our NFL bloggers weigh in.
Also, Prim Siripipat and Eric Allen talk about how excited 49ers fans should be about Colin Kaepernick. Watch the video here.
Also, Prim Siripipat and Eric Allen talk about how excited 49ers fans should be about Colin Kaepernick. Watch the video here.
NFC Knee-jerk Reactions | AFC Knee-jerk Reactions
WEEK 10
| Team | Knee-jerk reaction | Reality or not? |
|---|---|---|
| NFC EAST by Dan Graziano | ||
 | We're still in this thing! The Giants are coming back to the pack as usual, Tony Romo's stopped throwing interceptions and the schedule is in our favor. We can win the division! | Can? Sure. Will? Eh. Sunday's victory over the Eagles certainly wasn't flawless, and the Cowboys remain a team capable of losing games they should win. Don't assume they take advantage of that soft schedule. |
 | What in the world is going on here? Eli Manning can't complete a pass, the defense can't cover anyone, the run game has disappeared ... is this the same team that went into San Francisco and won? | The Giants look like a tired bunch and probably need the bye week to regroup. They're healthier than they were when they hit their four-game losing streak this time last year and should be able to recover. |
 | It's all over. Let's play Nick Foles at quarterback the rest of the season and at least see what we've got for next year. We know Michael Vick's not the answer. | Vick's concussion may make this a moot point, and Foles looks likely to start at least next week's game. But until the Eagles are eliminated, a healthy Vick still gives them the best chance to win games. |
 | Mike Shanahan has seven games to show something, or Dan Snyder needs to make a change at the end of this year. I'm sick of the same 5-11 garbage year after year. | Snyder has done as promised and stayed in the background since hiring Shanahan. And there's no way he's firing Robert Griffin III's coach after Griffin's rookie season. Shanahan is safe for 2013. |
| NFC WEST by Mike Sando | ||
 | Great, the Cardinals' next opponent, Atlanta, is going to be steamed after losing in New Orleans. Looks like the Falcons found their homecoming opponent. This one could get ugly in a hurry. | Yeah, it's looking grim, no doubt. Sure, the Rams proved against the 49ers that the unexpected can happen. Of course, the last time the Cardinals went to Atlanta, in 2010, they lost by 34 points. |
 | Colin Kaepernick didn't get the win Sunday, but he rallied the 49ers with scrambles and downfield throws Alex Smith simply wouldn't make. Quarterback controversy, here we come! | Kaepernick will start against Chicago only if Smith's concussion prevents a quick return. Niners fans hoping Kaepernick gets the call should be careful what they wish for. The Bears' defense can make any QB look bad. |
 | The Seattle defense is back! What a dominant performance against Mark Sanchez and the Jets! Elite! Elite! Elite! | Wait, you mean the Seahawks were better against Sanchez than they were against Adrian Peterson, Frank Gore and Matthew Stafford? Who changed more, the Seahawks or their opponents? |
 | The Rams could be the best team in this division. They've gone 2-0-1 against Seattle, Arizona and San Francisco. With the Jets and Cardinals up next, Jeff Fisher will have this team back to .500 and on its way. | Problem is, the Rams follow those two games with one against the 49ers. They then play three of their final four on the road, including the last two on opposite coasts against ascending teams (Tampa Bay, Seattle). |
| NFC NORTH by Kevin Seifert | ||
 | The Bears can't win if Jay Cutler isn't their starting quarterback. | Going back to Week 7 of last season, the Bears are 12-1 in the games Cutler has started and finished. They are 1-6 in the games he has missed or left early. Jason Campbell was signed to be a credible backup, but the Bears might be a different team without Cutler. |
 | The Lions will get themselves straightened out with three consecutive home games. | Those games will come against the 6-3 Green Bay Packers, the 8-1 Houston Texans and the 6-3 Indianapolis Colts. The Lions probably need to win all three to get back in playoff contention. That would appear to be a tough task. |
 | The Packers had a bye week to shorten their long injury list. | Nevertheless, in the past week they have bid farewell to first-round draft pick Nick Perry (wrist) and right tackle Bryan Bulaga (hip). Linebacker Clay Matthews, receiver Greg Jennings and cornerback Charles Woodson might not be ready to return Sunday against the Lions. |
 | Adrian Peterson is the NFL's Comeback Player of the Week. | With 1,128 yards -- the most in his career after 10 games -- how about Peterson for MVP? He doesn't play quarterback, but his production so soon after major knee surgery is incredible. His production against consistent eight- and nine-man fronts is almost unbelievable. |
| NFC SOUTH by Pat Yaskinskas | ||
 | The Falcons lost for the first time and had all sorts of issues exposed. Will it all just crumble from here? | Relax, at least for now. This still is one of the most talented teams in the NFL. If the Falcons use the loss to the Saints as a wake-up call and fix some problems, they can be a Super Bowl contender. |
 | The firing of special teams coordinator Brian Murphy is going to solve the problems the Panthers have had everywhere? | Murphy is just a scapegoat. The Panthers have issues everywhere. Murphy's just getting a little more time to look for a new job because it appears all of Carolina's coaches will be in the unemployment line after the season. |
 | After winning four of their past five, the Saints are back in contention for a playoff berth. | The Saints suddenly have gotten hot, and that makes them scary for any opponent. But the 0-4 start put the Saints in a hole they might not be able to get out of. The defense has been better recently, but it still is not good. |
 | At 5-4, the Buccaneers are very much in the playoff race. | Tampa Bay is definitely in the hunt for the playoffs. The Bucs have played very well in their past five games and should only continue to improve. |
ABOUT THIS BLOG
Mike Sando
Sando joined ESPN.com in 2007 after nine seasons covering the Seattle Seahawks for the Tacoma (Wash.) News Tribune. He lives in the Seattle-Tacoma area with his wife and two sons.
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