The entire NFL season has been littered with strange parity with some unexpected team skids and some teams buzzing. A few unlikely heroes caught my attention during NFL Week 10. Check them out below!
Unlikely Heroes of NFL Week 10
Josh Dobbs
In a year full of injuries to franchise stars, Josh Dobbs has already been crowned a savior. No Cousins? No problem. So far anyway. After the Minnesota Quarterback tore his Achilles in Week 8, there was a somber tone throughout Vikes nation. Â
Though there were some larger splash trades (Montez Sweat, Chase Young, Kevin Byard, Leonard Williams to name a few), the most underrated trade to go down may end up being Joshua Dobbs, acquired from Arizona in exchange for a 2024 6th-rounder.
Dobbs jumped in and led the team to two straight wins…looking efficient while doing so. For a player who had to be directed to the home locker room before Week 10’s matchup against New Orleans, he sure appeared to know his way around the football field. The 28-year-old has been nicknamed Passtronaut and is catching the attention of the entire league (the NFL changed their cover photo to Dobbs!). The Vikings have a big test against the streaking Broncos on Sunday Night Football.
Aidan O’Connell
Turmoil is one word to describe the last few seasons of life in Las Vegas. Vast legal issues, two coaches out within three years, and shipping off your long-time QB (Derek Carr) to pick up Jimmy G are just scratching the surface. Something had to give this season when franchise stars like Davante Adams and Josh Jacobs were publicly lashing out in displeasure.
In enters Aidan O’Connell. The 25-year-old former Boilermaker is slowly turning up the heat. On paper, he doesn’t appear to be doing a whole hell of a lot, but make no mistake: he’s got the trust of his teammates. Most specifically, veteran WR Davante Adams spoke his praise for O’Connell after taking down a second New York (er, New Jersey) team in two weeks.
O’Connell is managing games and running an efficient enough offense with the guidance of Interim Head Coach Antonio Pierce and the support of his Raider teammates. Las Vegas travels to Miami next to face a high-powered offense.
Kyler Murray
Kyler Murray has taken us on quite a rollercoaster ride over the years and it looks like we are creeping up the hill after an impressive return in Week 10. Murray hasn’t played football in nearly a calendar year after an ACL tear in December 2022.
He showed that his mobility still exists and, more importantly, was serviceable enough through the air. Going 19-32 for 249 yards, Murray did throw an interception, but he also ran one in. Most importantly, he found a way to contribute to a much-needed Arizona win. Murray and the Cards will have their hands full when they face the red-hot Texans led by Rookie CJ Stroud.
Russell Wilson
We’ve been waiting for Russ to cook for years now and we are finally seeing some boiling water. After an abysmal 2022 season during what some dubbed ‘The Nathaniel Hackett Experiment,’ are we seeing the former Seahawk inch closer to his old self? On the season, he is averaging a 104 passer rating. Let’s not ignore the fact that he knocked off both the Chiefs and Bills back-to-back with ratings of 119.3 and 117.4, respectively.
It appears that Coach Payton and the Broncos QB are finding rhythm on offense. Not only is he playing efficient ball, but he is protecting the football: Wilson only has 4 picks on the season (zero since October 12) and has thrown for 18 touchdowns. I don’t think many expected the Week 11 SNF matchup of Vikings vs. Broncos to be a showdown, but here we are. Two hot quarterbacks, Dobbs and Wilson, will battle to keep their win streaks alive.
Who do you predict stepping up in Week 11? Same names? A new, emerging hero? Let us know @DraftCountdown!