Week Ten of the 100th season is officially in the books. It brought an MVP/highlight-reel performance from Lamar Jackson, another loss to clown the Dallas Cowboys about, the 49ers’ first loss, and a win by the then 1-7 Dolphins, Jets, and Falcons. It’s safe to say that this week was filled with some unexpected performances. Nevertheless, I return with the Week Ten edition of my NFL stock market. Whose stock rose from last week, and whose performance dropped-off?
Stock Up: Lamar Jackson vs. Bengals
88.2 completion percentage, 223 passing yards, 3 passing touchdowns, a 158.3 passer rating, 7 carries, 65 rushing yards, and 1 rushing touchdown.
I once thought that Lamar Jackson would just be a knockoff version of Michael Vick. Now, Lamar Jackson is just a star version of himself. The human highlight reel did it again with a game that included a swift spin move en route to a rushing touchdown. Jackson has been playing out of his mind lately. He has the Ravens in prime position to possibly clinch home-field advantage for at least one game in the postseason. Has he officially entered your MVP conversation? He’s not quite there for me because of a player who’ll be discussed later on. Yet, it was another fantastic game by Jackson whose mentality and play will carry the Ravens far.
Stock Down: Jared Goff vs. Steelers
53.7 completion percentage, 243 passing yards, 2 interceptions, and a 51.2 passer rating.
I’m not hearing as much hype surrounding the Rams this season as I did the last. That’s largely because they’re just not as explosive. That offense was as innovative and fun to watch as they came. But, this season, the Rams have taken a massive step back from the team they used to be. Jared Goff had himself an awful game against a team that the Rams should’ve hung 25+ points against. You can argue that Goff should’ve been on the stock down more this season, and that’s understandable. After leading the Rams to a 13-3 record last season, he’s started this season off 5-4. Goff isn’t playing his best football, and you can attribute that to the way his supporting cast has been playing. More to come later on another Rams’ star.
Stock Up: Russell Wilson vs. 49ers
70.6 completion percentage, 232 passing yards, 1 passing touchdown, 1 interception, 86.9 passer rating, 6 carries, and 53 rushing yards.
Russell Wilson is about to run away with the MVP. At least, that is the case for now. I’ve said that it should be Christian McCaffrey, but here, Wilson is having a significant impact as to why the Seahawks are NFC Contenders. Despite any missed field goals or constant mistakes, there’s no such thing as a bad win. A win is a win, and when you win, you were the better team. Wilson led the Seahawks to a strong overtime win over the then 8-0 49ers. Did I mention that he gave San Francisco their first loss, oh, and he did it on the road? Wilson has been that great. And, if we’re looking at Wilson’s career, he moves to 6-0 against teams that are at least eight games over .500. 10 weeks into the season, Wilson is indeed the league’s best player. We may have the Lamar Jackson’s and Christian McCaffrey’s of the world, but none of them hold a flame to what Wilson has done this season.
Stock Down: Todd Gurley vs. Steelers
12 carries, 73 rushing yards
From one Rams star in Jared Goff to another in Todd Gurley. I believe that Gurley is injured. There’s no way that he’s regressed this fast in terms of production. Gurley is dealing with something that he just doesn’t want to have leak to the public. If he’s not injured, he’s going to have to fix whatever is stopping him from being the MVP-caliber back he’s been in years past. He’s received a stock down from me in the past, and he does now for the same reasons. Something is up with Todd Gurley, and because of it, the Rams’ offense just isn’t the same.
Stock Up: Patrick Mahomes vs. Titans
72.0 completion percentage, 446 passing yards, 3 passing touchdowns, and a 119.3 passer rating.
Patrick Mahomes returned from injury and put the AFC on notice. If there’s any player that can make up for the terrible defense that Kansas City has, it’s Patrick Mahomes. With Tyreek Hill healthy and Mahomes back in his full groove, there’s certainly a chance that the Chiefs find themselves back in position to win home-field advantage. Yes, the Chiefs took a harsh loss to the Titans. However, Mahomes did his part.
If the Chiefs can make the slightest of adjustments on the other side of the ball, Mahomes will handle the rest. Kansas City faces a tough schedule that includes the Raiders, Patriots, and Bears that can cause some trouble. But, Mahomes is back and so is Tyreek Hill as his game-breaking receiver. Stock up for Mahomes for leading a blazing Chiefs’ offense. Stock down for that defense, though.
@yawbonsusports – Instagram
@yawbonsusports – Twitter