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10 biggest surprises of 2022 NFL regular

  • After a long NFL season, it is always interesting to look back on the outcomes that no one saw coming and the 2022-23 season did not disappoint. Here are 10 results that make no sense in hindsight, listed in chronological order:Dallas trotted out as the starting quarterback to replace an injured in Week 2. Behind a strong rushing attack and wide receiver , the Cowboys jumped out to a 17-3 first half lead. was tormented the first half as took up residence in Cincinnati's backfield. The Bengals clawed back to tie the game before a 50-yard field goal secured the first of four consecutive victories in games started by Rush. If any of Cincinnati's three field goal drives to start the game had been converted into a touchdown, the outcome could have been different.Hindsight requires a bit of perspective. At this stage of the season, most were expecting to eventually knock off the rust with his new team. The Colts marched downfield on the first po se sion and scored the game's first touchdown. Kansas City responded and actually held a lead for most of the game. It was a series of unlikely events that would Ben Smith Jersey turn this game upside down for the Chiefs. On a 3rd-and-11 to begin the fourth quarter, found wide receiver beyond the sticks for what would have been a first down, but it was dropped. Kansas City set up for a field goal on fourth down, but faked it and were stopped short. A mi sed 34-yard field goal attempt from proved to be the difference as Indianapolis tight end hauled in his second touchdown of the game with 24 seconds remaining.It's safe to say the Indianapolis franchise has changed a lot since this result. San Francisco was its own worst enemy in this contest as unforced errors were costly. had a fumbled snap under center and later threw an interception to off his back foot into triple coverage. The quarterback Matt Duchene Jersey also ran out of the back of the end zone, resulting in a safety. Some vintage plays were on display as he was able to make big ones.Atlanta jumped out to a 14-0 lead over San Francisco on after a fumble by Jr. was returned for a touchdown -- though it actually looked like his knee was down. Early in the second half, Garoppolo targeted wide receiver III with nothing but green gra s in front of him. The pa s was dropped and it remained a one-score game. The Falcons tacked on another touchdown late as completed his first 13 pa s attempts in a conservative attack, as the 49ers entered the game with a laundry list of injuries.Chicago won two of its first three games and some were starting to question whether or not they had underestimated first-year head coach Matt Eberflus' squad. The matchup with New England is the last that the Bears would win this season. The Patriots did not register a first down until late in the first quarter when Chicago was already ahead 10-0. Rookie quarterback was responsible for three turnovers. Chicago rushed for 243 yards on 45 carries; New England had no answer for the ground attack. The Bears actually fumbled five times but lost none of them, a sign luck was on their side.On Halloween night, arrived at the stadium dre sed as Vecna from the Andreas Martinsen Jersey Netflix series 'Stranger Things.' He and the Browns pa s rush proceeded to haunt Joe Burrow all night to the tune of five sacks.The score was more surprising than the actual outcome. Coming into the game, Cleveland had won the last four against its division rival. Both teams struggled to score early but the Browns double-dipped on the final po se sion of the first half and the first po se sion of the second half to build an 18-point lead. Cincinnati was able to move the ball but the Browns defense would come up with a big defensive play, like an interception or a strip sack, to stop it short of the goal line. Each of Burrow's touchdown pa ses occurred in the fourth quarter when the game was already in hand. Meanwhile, was leaping defenders and running 20 mph around the corner to produce big gains. The Jets were feisty this season, particularly on defense, but when you hear that a team led by defeated a team led by , that is considered surprising. Buffalo started on a high note with Allen finding for a big gain up the boundary. But Allen Teemu Selanne Jersey followed that up with one of the worst interceptions one will see this season. The Bills held a 14-3 lead more than halfway through the second quarter. It was an odd scene all around as a camera malfunction delayed the game.A pa s intended for popped up into the air and miraculously the Jets were able to retain po se sion. Unforced errors were the i sue all afternoon as Allen threw a second uncharacteristically bad interception to and Buffalo sent a kickoff out of bounds in the fourth quarter.On the surface, few would have been surprised that Dallas knocked off Minnesota despite the Vikings carrying an 8-1 record into this contest. The margin of victory is what caught attention. The Vikings have been criticized for having a 13-4 record AND a -3 point differential on the year. When there is a lopsided affair, like the one at U.S. Bank Stadium in November, that is going to skew the numbers unfavorably. Minnesota had a chance to get momentum on their side early in the second quarter when had Dak Prescott dead to rights in the shadow of their own goal line, but Prescott slipped free and actually gained yards on the play. Dallas had a fumble on the same drive but recovered and eventually kicked a field goal. Running back delivered a few big plays and the defense sacked seven times as their lead continued to snowball. The Cowboys had 151 rushing yards and 115 of those came after initial contact.These two teams were relatively even matched in terms of record but Detroit unleashed an offensive onslaught. They scored on each of their seven full po se sions en route to delivering Jacksonville its 20th consecutive NFC lo s. The Jaguars would eventually find themselves in the postseason while Detroit fell shy. was sensational during the second half of the season, potentially achieving enough to earn the starting job long-term.Los Angeles had an Mikko Rantanen Jersey unexpected offensive outburst on Christmas Day led by quarterback , who had just four incompletions all game, and running back , who produced the Rams' first 100 rushing yard game of the season. Akers would actually do it three consecutive games to end the season. Sean McVay's team averaged 280.5 offensive yards per game this season, which is the worst in the league. They were averaging 16.4 points per game prior to Week 16 but scored on each of their eight full offensive po se sions.Linebacker intercepted and sacked his former teammate of 10 years, Ru sell Wilson.
      March 13, 2023 6:52 PM PDT
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