NFC South: Week 10 Recap
Booed by fans to begin the game, Mark Ingram ran all over the Cowboys.
Blowout wins, upset victories, record-breaking, and even a win for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Week 10 in the NFC South had a little of everything, which made for some enjoyable viewing across the weekend.
BettingSports.com takes a look back at the action beginning with an unexpectedly lopsided score in the Big Easy.
Dallas Cowboys 17, New Orleans Saints 49
Brees and the Saints recorded a record 40 first downs.
With two of the NFL’s top four scoring teams taking to the field at the Superdome, few expected this to be a low-scoring affair. What nobody expected was that it would turn into a 32-point blowout.
After a cagey opening 25 minutes saw the New Orleans Saints take a 14-10 lead, Drew Brees and Co. put the pedal to the metal forcing an already injury-riddled Dallas Cowboys defense to limp back and forth unable to stop their opponents. Two touchdowns in a 92 second span before halftime put the Saints well and truly in the driving seat, before a 21-7 advantage in the second half made this one of the most surprising final scores of the season.
Drew Brees completed 34 of 41 passes for 392 yards and four touchdowns as the Saints earned a record-setting 40 first downs in the game. Mark Ingram had 145 rushing yards and a touchdown to go alongside 87 yards and a score from Pierre Thomas as the Saints’ running game – which recorded an average of 6.4 yards per carry for 242 yards total – made a rare appearance.
The Cowboys simply didn’t have the defensive power to stop the Saints. Linebackers Sean Lee and Justin Durant were both lost to injury while DeMarcus Ware was noticeably out of sorts thanks to an ongoing quadriceps issue. Offensively, Tony Romo couldn’t get into a rhythm with his receivers, while the Saints defensive held Dez Bryant in check. Chalk that one up to defensive coordinator Rob Ryan who truly got the better of his former team.
Vegas Impact: New Orleans (6-3-0 ATS) covered the spread for the second time in three weeks while the Dallas Cowboys (7-3-0 ATS) – the NFC’s best team against the spread – failed to cover for a second straight week. The Saints saw the total go over for the fourth straight game.
Up Next: New Orleans (7-2, 5-0 home) stay in the Big Easy to host the San Francisco 49ers (6-3, 3-1 road) on Sunday (4:25 p.m. ET). The Niners have won two straight against the Saints, including a playoff win in January 2012. Prior to that, the Saints had won six straight and nine of 11.
Opening Odds – Favorite: New Orleans Spread: 2.5 Over/Under: 47.5 (matchup)
Carolina Panthers 10, San Francisco 49ers 9
The Panthers held off Frank Gore and the 49ers.
The Saints’ win cemented the team’s position at the top of the NFC South but Sean Payton and Co. would do well to be looking over their shoulder at the Carolina Panthers.
The Panthers headed west this week to face the San Francisco 49ers at Candlestick Park. Despite four wins on the bounce and five in six games, the Panthers were very much an unproven commodity as they took to the field. After the game, more than a few people will be looking at them as legitimate contenders.
The Niners jumped out to a 9-0 lead midway through the second quarter thanks to three field goals from Phil Dawson. The fact that the defending NFC champions were restricted to field goals said a lot about Carolina’s suffocating defense, which allowed the Niners to complete just two third downs (from 13) on the day.
The Panthers got back into the game on a 27-yard scoring run from DeAngelo Williams just before halftime. Williams only carried the ball eight times on the day, but recorded a 5.8 yard average.
The second half saw Carolina’s defense get the better of the Niners. San Francisco was forced to punt four times in the half and lost one fumble. After Graham Gano hit a 53-yard field goal to give the Panthers the lead with 10 minutes left, the defense held out, with the game ending on an intercepted Colin Kaepernick pass. Kaepernick was limited to 91 yards on 11 of 22 passing while Frank Gore’s 86 yards rushing weren’t enough to get by the Panthers’ stingy defense.
Vegas Impact: Carolina (6-3-0 ATS) covered the spread for the fifth straight game and sixth time in seven games, a trend that matches its straight up record. San Francisco (6-3-0 ATS) failed to cover for the first time in six games. Like the Panthers, the Niners’ ATS record matches their straight up record. The Panthers saw the total go under for the second straight game.
Up Next: Carolina (6-3, 3-1 home) will make its first Monday Night Football appearance since 2008 in Week 11, with the New England Patriots (7-2, 2-2 road) visiting Bank of America Stadium. Since the Patriots beat the Panthers in Super Bowl XXXVIII, the two teams have split a pair of games, with each winning on their home field.
Opening Odds – Favorite: Carolina Spread: 1.5 Over/Under: 50 (matchup)
Seattle Seahawks 33, Atlanta Falcons 10
Matt Ryan and the Falcons were on the losing end once more.
The Atlanta Falcons’ disappointing season continued Sunday as the Seattle Seahawks came to town and soundly defeated the defending NFC South champions in a rematch of last year’s playoff game.
The Falcons played a fairly clean game, only turning the ball over once and committing just one penalty. Matt Ryan was a respectable 23 of 36 passing but the 172 yards and solitary touchdown he compiled was not nearly enough to worry the NFC-leading Seahawks.
Seattle built a 23-3 halftime lead thanks to 13 points scored in the final 5:33 of the second quarter and then outscored the Falcons 10-7 in the second half to emerge with a 33-10 victory. Russell Wilson completed 19 of 26 passes for 287 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Marshawn Lynch added 145 yards and a score on the ground as the Falcons failed to peg the Seahawks back.
Steven Jackson had just 11 yards on nine carries for Atlanta, while the returning Roddy White had just one catch for 20 yards. The Seahawks outrushed the Falcons to the tune of 211-64 yards, notching 11 more minutes of possession in the process.
Vegas Impact: Atlanta (2-7-0 ATS) failed to cover the spread for the third straight game and sixth time in seven games. Seattle (6-4-0 ATS) meanwhile covered for just the second time in six games. For the third straight week, the Falcons saw the total go under.
Up Next: Atlanta (2-7, 0-4 road) will travel to Tampa Bay (1-8, 1-4 home) next Sunday looking for a repeat of Week 7’s victory over the Buccaneers. The Falcons have been successful in three of their last four trips to Raymond James Stadium.
Opening Odds – Favorite: Atlanta Spread: 1 Over/Under: 43.5 (matchup)
Miami Dolphins 19, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 22
Mike Glennon helped the Bucs to a first win.
About 32 hours after the Jacksonville Jaguars picked up a first win of the season, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers shrugged off their own winless record with a 22-19 win over the Miami Dolphins Monday night.
The Buccaneers jumped out to a 15-0 lead midway through the second quarter but were pegged back by a 19-0 Miami run that handed the Dolphins a four-point lead heading into the fourth quarter. The Buccaneers followed up with an 80-yard drive that was capped by Bobby Rainey’s 1-yard scoring run.
From there, the Buccaneers defense did just enough to fend off the Dolphins, sacking Miami quarterback Ryan Tannehill twice on a pivotal drive with three minutes left before Darrelle Revis intercepted the second-year QB to effectively end the game and give the Bucs a first win of the year.
Tampa Bay ran for 140 yards while holding the Dolphins to a franchise-low two yards on the ground. Mike Glennon put in a manageable performance, completing 11 of 21 passes for 139 yards and a touchdown. He also threw an interception.
Vegas Impact: Tampa Bay (3-6-0 ATS) has now covered the spread in two straight games, while Miami (4-5-0 ATS) has failed to cover in five of the last six. The total went over for the fifth straight game involving the Buccaneers.
Up Next: Tampa Bay (1-8, 1-4 home) will look to make it two in a row next Sunday when the Atlanta Falcons (2-7, 0-4 road) come to town. The Falcons are winless on the road this season, a trend the Bucs will hope continues.
Opening Odds – Favorite: Atlanta Spread: 1 Over/Under: 43.5 (matchup)
For a full list of Week 11 NFL odds, click here.
For a full list of NFL Futures, click here.
For NFL team prop bets, click here.
For NFL player prop bets, click here.
