NFL Week 10: The Ultimate Guide to Sunday's Action

"Any given Sunday" might need to get rebranded.

After a Week 9 filled with amazing matchups, Week 10 doesn't deliver quite the same buzz. Last week, it was nearly impossible to pick a "game of the week," because as great as the idea of Peyton Manning and Tom Brady facing off was, there were a number of other absolutely awesome games on the slate. 

It was a football junky's paradise. 

Week 10 is almost like the harsh sunlight of the head-throbbing morning after.

Yet, as we know in the NFL, magic can happen in even the strangest of places. Sunday features four divisional games—something the league is saving mostly for the last couple of weeks in the season. It also features a couple of teams looking to re-energize their season coming off bye weeks. Some of those teams (along with a few others) are starting to get into desperation mode for their season's prospects, so drama can unfold quickly. 

That's the magic of the NFL—even on a bad day...even on its worst day, it still has potential for greatness.

To get you ready for every bit of this NFL Sunday, Bleacher Report has asked me to break down everything you might possibly need to know. Settle in, because we've got some work to do. 

Biggest Questions

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49ers QB Colin Kaepernick

Can Colin Kaepernick Rise Above the Noise?

Kaepernick isn't the problem with the 49ers, but he also hasn't been the solution. In New Orleans, Kaepernick is going to meet a crowd just as hostile as he's used to facing up in Seattle and a team that (like the Niners) needs to claw for every bit of respectability it can get at the moment. 

It's not do or die for the 49ers, yet, but Kaepernick needs to play better for them to win football games, and New Orleans is going to make that as difficult as possible for him. 

Will Ben Roethlisberger's Streak Continue Against the Hapless Jets Secondary?

Roethlisberger's two-game six-touchdown streak screams greatness to some (and I don't disagree), but it also screams "regression to the mean." He's got to fall down to Earth at some point. That's not a diss...that's reality.

However, the most interesting part about the streak is that he's got the New York Jets and Tennessee Titans coming up. Maybe Big Ben's streak ends this weekend, but we could still be talking about the best four-game streak ever by the time he's on bye. 

Can the Chiefs and Bills Score Any Points Against One Another?

Is there any matchup that dares you to bet the under quite like the Kansas City Chiefs and the Buffalo Bills? Both offenses are efficient (at best) and fail to really scare anyone by threatening to put up big points. Both are at their best when matriculating down the field with the run game and short passes. Both defenses are not only intimidating, but effective.

I'm not saying it's going to be 3-0 or 10-7, but it might not be far off.  

Will the Lions Offense Explode with Megatron Back in the Lineup? 

The Lions defense has been shouldering the load while wide receiver Calvin Johnson has been recuperating. Quarterback Matthew Stafford has built a rapport with Golden Tate, but it's just not the same.

Against Miami (not an easy defense to gain one's footing against), Megatron and a few more offensive pieces should be back in the lineup, including tight ends Joseph Fauria and Brandon Pettigrew and running back Reggie Bush.

The pressure has to be on to start scoring some real points. 

Odds and Ends

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Bears WR Brandon Marshall

• To find out which games are available in your area, check out these NFL coverage maps, via 506 Sports.
• Who's calling your game of choice Sunday? Here are announcer pairings for CBS and Fox, via B-FLO 360.
• Football Zebras provides a look at which referees are working each game so you can tailor your insults accordingly.
• Can't make it to a TV? SiriusXM covers every single game. Here's the lineup.
• If you don't have satellite radio, check to see if Westwood One has a game playing in your area.
• Even if you can watch your favorite team, make sure you have the Bleacher Report Team Stream app for the latest in news, fantasy football updates and highlights.

Important Stats and Trends to Know

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Jets head coach Rex Ryan

Steelers Have Been Good Against Jets but Not Always Explosive

The Steelers have beaten the Jets each of the last three times they faced them and even covered the spread each time. Yet, between the Dick LeBeau-led Steelers defense and the Rex Ryan-led Jets defense, the games have not been high-scoring affairs.

The teams have gone under the Vegas line 11 out of the 14 times, according to Oddsshark. This is a different kind of Steelers offense, so it'll be interesting if (and by how much) they buck that trend. 

Dolphins Set Up for Possible Success Against Lions 

The Lions have been up, down and really, really down over the past...well, forever. Yet, one thing has remained consistent: The Dolphins have the Lions' number. The last six times these teams have faced off, Miami has won five of them. 

Charles Woodson a Bright Spot for the Oakland Raiders This Season

When a team is as bad as the Raiders, it's important to look for silver linings (or, silver and black as the case may be). Just about no one thought Woodson really had anything left when he headed to Oakland in 2013, but he has been an absolute stud for the Raiders defense this season—especially since former head coach Dennis Allen was ousted.

According to Pro Football Focus (paid link), Woodson has only been thrown at 15 times this season and almost has as many pass deflections and interceptions (four and two to equal six) as he does catches allowed, eight. 

Brees Can Go Deep, He Just Has to Trust His Offense

For weeks, I've been harping on the need for the New Orleans Saints and quarterback Drew Brees to work the intermediate and deep passing game a little bit more than they have. Thanks to Pro Football Focus' signature stats (paid link), we can quantify my ramblings. 

Brees has only attempted 30 passes of 20 yards or more this season—the lowest in the league along with the Oakland Raiders' Derek Carr and Chicago Bears' Jay Cutler. As a percentage of total throws, he's the lowest by far. Yet, his accuracy for those passes is a league-best 56.7 percent. 

For more stats and trends, check out Nick Kostos' Ultimate Bettor's Guide. 

Game of the Day: 'Sunday Night Football'

Charles Rex Arbogast/Associated Press

Packers QB Aaron Rodgers and Bears QB Jay Cutler

Who: Chicago Bears at Green Bay Packers

When: 8:30 p.m. ET

Where: Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin

• Bears preview from Featured Columnist Bear Heiser
• Packers preview from Featured Columnist Justis Mosqueda

On paper, this maybe isn't the best game of the week. I can admit that, and as I said in the intro slide, this isn't the best week for high-powered matchups. All that said, this is the league's oldest and most storied rivalry, and it's in prime time. 

As good as the Packers have looked in recent weeks and as bad as the Bears have performed, all of a sudden, all bets are off. NFL.com's Gil Brandt has seen it all in the NFL, and he had this to say about the greatest rivalry in the league:

"

At the end of the day, the rivalry that has held up the best is Bears-Packers, stretching all the way back to its beginning in 1921. There was even a time when the two teams played each other not just twice but three times per season. Through 189 contests (including two playoff matchups), the scoring differential is a razor-thin 60 points, in favor of the Bears—that averages out to about a third of a point per game.

When I think of the greatness of this rivalry, I think of the trains that used to run between Green Bay and Chicago, ferrying supporters of the visiting team to each game—and it was always a party going back, whether the fans on board were celebrating a win or a loss. This is the No. 1 rivalry today and of all time.

"

This year, the matchup features a Bears team trying desperately to stay afloat in what has been a tumultuous start to the season against a Packers club in much better shape. Guys playing better than Aaron Rodgers can be counted on one hand, which is roughly all it would take to find the those playing worse than Jay Cutler. 

In a rivalry like this, though, all that can change at the drop of a hat. 

Rest of the Slate (Fox)

Bob Leverone/Associated Press

Saints QB Drew Brees

Dallas Cowboys at Jacksonville Jaguars, in London (1 p.m. ET) 

The Jaguars may be an NFL also-ran, but they are not a team to take lightly. Frankly, at this point, the Cowboys shouldn't be taking anyone lightly and need to assert their dominance across the pond to make sure any teams left on their schedule stateside know they're coming. 

San Francisco 49ers at New Orleans Saints (1 p.m. ET) 

The Saints are near-impossible to beat at home, so they're favorites here. Still, both of these teams have underachieved this season, so the 49ers have to hope the Saints revert back to their old ways from earlier in the year and Kaepernick finds some room to work both with his arm and his legs. 

Atlanta Falcons at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1 p.m. ET) 

Two of the worst teams in the league (right now) will fight for legitimate jockeying position in the division, because the whole lot has been bad this year. If the Falcons can't stop defensive tackle Gerald McCoy and Co., it could get ugly for quarterback Matt Ryan, but the Buccaneers are awfully used to ugly going the other way for them. 

St. Louis Rams at Arizona Cardinals (4:25 p.m. ET) 

The Rams offense is going to have a tough time moving the ball against a Cardinals defense that is not only stout against the run but started stunting against the pass as well thanks to quarterback Brandon Weeden and the Dallas Cowboys. The Rams play divisional opponents tight, but if this one gets ugly, don't say I didn't warn you. 

New York Giants at Seattle Seahawks (4:25 p.m. ET) 

The Giants look like one of the least mentally tough teams I've watched in the few years I've been covering the league as a whole. Now, they go to Seattle to face a Seahawks team that is looking for something to prove. On paper, the Giants have a chance. In that environment? Not so much. 

Rest of the Slate (CBS)

Gene Puskar/Associated Press

Steelers WR Antonio Brown

Kansas City Chiefs at Buffalo Bills  (1 p.m. ET) 

The Bills offensive line was a bit of a mirage in the preseason and early weeks of the regular season, because it has not performed up to the hype. Because of that, it's easy to see why quarterback Kyle Orton has done well with quick passing, but it's also worthwhile to wonder if linebackers like Justin Houston are licking their chops at this matchup. 

Miami Dolphins at Detroit Lions (1 p.m. ET) 

This game will rise and fall with the quarterback play. Dolphins signal-caller Ryan Tannehill has been playing out of his mind as of late, but the Lions defense is enough to stymie that. Lions QB Matthew Stafford has been finding ways to win (after spending the rest of the game doing everything to lose), but he'll get a full complement of weapons back. 

It sounds trite to say "the team with the best quarterback will win." Because, duh. Still, this is an incredibly tough matchup for both squads, and they'll need their passers to be at their best. Any mistakes could mean the difference. 

Tennessee Titans at Baltimore Ravens  (1 p.m. ET) 

This smells like what I call a "false-revenge game," where a team gets embarrassed by one opponent and then, as a show of phony bravado, takes it out on a lesser club. Make no mistake about it: The Ravens can beat the tar out of Tennessee (and they likely will), but they need to figure out how to take down better competition before anyone should take them seriously. 

Pittsburgh Steelers at New York Jets  (1 p.m. ET) 

The Jets' running game could have a big part in this one if the team commits to it. The Steelers have been gashed by lesser ground games this season, and center Nick Mangold has still been playing at a very high level. The one (and I mean one) way the Jets beat the Steelers is by controlling the clock and chewing up yardage on the ground. More on that in the next slide...

Denver Broncos at Oakland Raiders  (4:25 p.m. ET) 

I'd like to say the Raiders have a chance at home, but unless they get a whole lot of bounces to go their way, that just doesn't seem possible. Coming off a loss to New England, the Broncos will simply use Oakland as a tune-up for the rest of their season. 

Key Matchups

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Lions DT Ndamukong Suh

Ndamukong Suh (DT Lions) vs. Mike Pouncey (OG Dolphins)

Pouncey hasn't played quite up to snuff this season, but the Dolphins need him to be functioning at a very high level against Suh. The Lions defender has the ability to eat up a game plan even when he's not stuffing a box score. If Pouncey can't stop Suh, the rest of the Lions defense will feast. 

Jaguars Defensive Line vs. DeMarco Murray (RB Cowboys)

The strength of the Jaguars is in their defensive line—even more specifically, the interior of the defensive line. Murray had a rough day against the Cardinals last week, and while the Jaguars aren't at the Cardinals' level on defense, the lanes might not be there for Murray as much as he'd like. 

Bears Wide Receivers vs. Packers Cornerbacks

OK, I know...I know...this matchup isn't exactly shocking anyone. But, it's hard to be specific when Bears wide receivers Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery, and a bevy of Packers cornerbacks (Sam Shields chief among them) are going to be all over the field all night long. 

We can talk about quarterback Jay Cutler all we want (we have, and we will), but if Marshall can't get open against Shields, and Jeffery doesn't just eat up Tramon Williams like he should, it's going to be a long night of watching Cutler pick himself up off the grass. 

Mike Vick (QB Jets) vs. Lawrence Timmons (LB Steelers)

I promised more on this, and I deliver!

While the Jets might like to keep things on the interior where the Steelers are susceptible against the run and center Nick Mangold can do what he does best, they'll likely need a chunk of running yardage from the quarterback position as well. This means Lawrence Timmons—the Steelers' best chase linebacker—needs to make sure Vick only gets a couple of yards (and not a couple dozen) at a clip. 

For an X's and O's look at even more matchups, take a seat in Matt Bowen's Film Study. 

Notable Injuries

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Saints RB Mark Ingram

Saints Running Back Mark Ingram—Questionable, Shoulder

Ingram has been playing like a man possessed, but it's at the point where he's the last man standing. Brees can beat the 49ers (especially at home) without a lot of help, but Ingram getting going on the ground sure would make things a lot easier. 

Seahawks Wide Receiver Doug Baldwin—Questionable, Groin

The Giants defense is a M*A*S*H unit, but it's not as if the Seahawks have a whole host of playmakers to take advantage of it. They need Baldwin (healthy) to put up points. If not, they'll need their defense to pitch darn near a shutout. 

Bears Cornerback Kyle Fuller—Probable, Hip

We talked the other side of this matchup on the previous slide, but when the Packers have the ball, they simply have too many quality wide receivers for the Bears to cover. Fuller needs to play or they don't stand a chance of covering any of them. 

Cowboys Quarterback Tony Romo—Probable, Back

This has got to be a medical decision, and no, Jerry Jones, you're not a doctor. 

Other Notable Injuries:

• Andre Ellington (RB Cardinals)—Probable, Foot
• Sammy Watkins (WR Bills)—Questionable, Groin
• Charles Clay (TE Dolphins)—Probable, Knee
• Percy Harvin (WR Jets)—Probable, Heel
• Patrick Willis (LB 49ers)—Questionable, Toe

For more injuries and how they might affect your fantasy team, check out Eric Mack's Ultimate Fantasy Guide. 

Bleacher Report Expert Projections

Stephen Brashear/Associated Press

Seahawks QB Russell Wilson

Bleacher Report's Week 9 Awards

Week 10 Expert Consensus Picks

NFL Predictions Week 10: Expert Consensus Projections 

Chris Simms and Cris Collinsworth's Top Wide Receiver Tandems

Simms and Jonathan Vilma's Top Matchup Nightmares

To follow how the B/R writers stack up against writers from across the web, check out Pickwatch.com.

Michael Schottey is an NFL National Lead Writer for Bleacher Report and an award-winning member of the Pro Football Writers of America. Find more of his stuff on his archive page and follow him on Twitter.