NFL Overreactions/Underreactions: Week 10

In the NFL this past week, we witnessed multiple exciting games and player performances, including some surprise wins and equally surprising losses.

Here are some recent storylines that have popped up and how some of our members feel about them.

Overreaction: The Tampa Bay Buccaneers season is over

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been struggling with four losses in the last four weeks due to losing both of their top wide receivers in Chris Godwin and Mike Evans in the same game.

These four-straight losses have brought Tampa Bay to a record of 4-6 heading into their bye week.

With two of their losses being to the Atlanta Falcons, their chances of a tiebreaker in the NFC South are non-existent.

Baker Mayfield even in defeat has shown that even without his best receivers that he is able to keep this team in a position where they can win games.

There is a light at the end of the tunnel for Tampa Bay. The weight of their schedule has been lifted off their shoulders heading into the tail end of the regular season.

Facing teams that have struggled offensively such as the New York Giants, the Carolina Panthers and the Las Vegas Raiders gives the Buccaneers an opportunity to make a late-season resurgence.

Evans is planning to make his eventual return, hoping he will be able to perform after the bye week which gives Mayfield another target to throw towards down the field.

It will be a tight race for the Buccaneers, but there is still a chance that either they could win their division or fight for a spot in the Wildcard. - Hudson Hvizdak

Underreaction: The Jets are dead in the water.

As it stands, the Jets are 3-7 and tied for last in the AFC East. Realistically, they are out of divisional contention and would need to get insanely hot to catch anyone in the Wild Card standings.

Coming off a despicable blowout loss to the Cardinals, the writing is on the wall: the Jets need to start looking toward next season.

They still possess a first-round pick in 2025, and every pick besides their seventh-rounder. To be able to truly contend in the future, they’ll need to have the best possible picks, with guys like Shedeur Sanders and Mason Graham available to them early in the first round.

As it stands, they’d have the ninth pick.

This is a team with studs such as Aaron Rodgers, Breece Hall, Davante Adams, Garret Wilson and Allen Lazard on their offense, which still ranks 26th in the NFL in yards per game at 298.5.

Their run game has been especially poor, as they’re third-worst in the league in yards per game on the ground.

The team made a point to bolster their offense over the last couple of offseasons, banking on their strong defense to be their calling card. Even that unit has played well below their standards, with their run defense being 25th in the NFL.

Making the playoffs, at this point, would be a miracle. The best route for the Jets is to focus on 2025 after yet another lost season. -Dominick Pizzelanti

Overreaction: The sophomore slump has hit CJ Stroud.

As underwhelming as Stroud and the Texans offense have been over the past few weeks, many things haven’t gone their way.

He’s still putting up good enough numbers. 12 passing touchdowns and six interceptions on a similar completion percentage to his great rookie year.

Yes, fans expected a giant leap from him in his sophomore season, but every quarterback needs a good supporting cast to succeed.

Whether it’s injuries that have derailed chemistry or the offensive line regressing in front of Stroud, this season it seems as though everything has been lacking within the Texans' offense.

I think Nico Collins’ hamstring injury is an injury that was overlooked on how much of an impact it would make for this offense. Not to mention Stefon Diggs tearing his ACL two weeks after Collins went down.

Collins is their deep threat. He opens up the field, takes all the attention, and makes Stroud’s life easier. When he returns, this offense should become a lot more effective.

Wide receiver Tank Dell is a great complementary option when Collins is lined up at WR1, but he isn’t a number one option who can fill Collins’ role in their offense.

The Texans face the Cowboys next week, and Collins is on his way back from his five-week injury absence, which should fare well for Stroud and the Texans offense.

I expect a bounce-back in the second half of the season for Stroud and the Texans.

Underreaction: Tua Tagovailoa is over-hated

After winning a national championship at Alabama, and being drafted fifth overall, expectations for Tua Tagovailoa were through the roof. While he hasn’t been the superstar quarterback many hoped for, Tagovailoa has been a lot better than people give him credit for.

One of the biggest issues with Tagovailoa has nothing to do with his play on the field. The injuries and concussions have piled up for the Dolphins quarterback to this point, causing many to think he should consider early retirement.

However, when he’s healthy, he is realistically the only chance the Dolphins have of being competitive. The Dolphins most recently took down the red-hot Los Angeles Rams on the road to keep their playoff hopes alive.

After losing his first two starts back in one-possession games, this was Tagovailoa’s first victory in his return from concussion this season. In this game, the Dolphins were significantly better than in weeks past.

In the games he missed this year, the Dolphins went 1-3, scoring fifteen points just once. Miami has scored over 20 in all three games Tagovailoa has started since his return.

Many fans like to joke that Tagovailoa is only successful because of the weapons around him. While the Dolphins are rich with talent at their skill positions, players like Tyreek Hill, De’Von Achane, and Jaylen Waddle need Tagovailoa just as much as he needs them.

Those three players, who are regarded as some of the best in the league at their positions, were practically non-existent in Tagovailoa’s absence. Achane was held to under 100 total scrimmage yards in the four games Tagovailoa missed, two of which were under 30 yards.

Tyreek Hill had a total of 14 catches in those four games and did not score. Waddle had just 13 catches in those games and like Hill, did not score. The point is clear, the Dolphins offense no matter how talented, will not muster anything without Tagovailoa.

While many will joke about the interceptions he throws, and how he’s not as good as many thought he’d become, the truth is, the Miami Dolphins need him.

Hudson Hvizdak is a first-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email hph5358@psu.edu.

Owen Daszko is a first-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email opd5073@psu.edu.

Dominick Pizzelanti is a second-year dual majoring in broadcast journalism and Spanish. To contact him, email dqp5565@psu.edu.

Alex Harkins is a second-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email arh6278@psu.edu.