NFL Week 10: First Look At Predictions for Every Game
Week 10 is just around the corner, and it will kick off with a huge Thursday night game between the Atlanta Falcons and the Baltimore Ravens.
We're quickly getting to the most crucial part of the 2010 season, when we separate the legitimate playoff contenders from the pretenders and posers.
There are a boatload of teams log-jammed between that 4-4 and 6-2 mark that have important matchups in Week 9.
Though four teams--the Packers, Saints, Raiders and Chargers--will be watching from home this weekend, this is a make or break weekend for 28 other NFL squads.
So which teams will be one step closer to their goal of making the playoffs after this week's slate of games?
Well, let's break down all 14 games, including thoughts on why both teams can win the game and who will actually get the victory.
Baltimore Ravens at Atlanta Falcons
1 of 14
What's At Stake: The Falcons and the Ravens are at the top of their respective conferences following big victories in Week 9, but both teams need a win here to stay on pace with the other teams in their divisions.
Baltimore is sure to be duking it out with Pittsburgh all season in the AFC North while Atlanta has Tampa Bay and New Orleans to deal with in the NFC South.
Why Baltimore Will Win: Baltimore's offensive is loaded with weapons like Ray Rice and Anquan Boldin, but it's that old school Ravens defense that has stepped up.
Ray Lewis' bunch is ranked ninth in total yards passing allowed and sixth in points allowed, which will make it difficult for the Falcons to get into the end zone.
Why Atlanta Will Win: The Falcons have great balance on offense with Matt Ryan throwing to Roddy White and Michael Turner lining up in the backfield to alleviate pressure.
Atlanta's offense has averaged 24.5 points per game, which helps make up for a defense that struggles against the pass.
Prediction: Ravens 27, Falcons 24. This one could go either way, but I see Joe Flacco pulling out a win at the wire.
Detroit Lions at Buffalo Bills
2 of 14
What's At Stake: The Detroit Lions may figuratively be eliminated from playoff contention, but they've played well enough at times to seem like a legitimate threat in the NFC North. This is one of those games that gives them a chance to prove they can win consistently.
For the Buffalo Bills, their season is done. It's about nothing more than pride at this point.
Why Detroit Will Win: Matthew Stafford's status is uncertain, but the Lions have proved they can put up points no matter who's behind center.
And there's no reason to think that the Bills will have any shot to stop Calvin Johnson from going off this week.
Why Buffalo Will Win: Buffalo may be winless but, unlike the Dallas Cowboys, at least the Bills have a team full of players who try. They've been competitive each game week in and week out, and they have the advantage of playing at home against Detroit.
Prediction: Bills 30, Lions 23. Yep, I'm going with the Bills pulling the upset and getting their first win of the season thanks to a good performance by Ryan Fitzpatrick.
Cincinnati Bengals at Indianapolis Colts
3 of 14
What's At Stake: The Cincinnati Bengals aren't winning the AFC North at this point. They're just too far behind and the Steelers and Ravens are just too good.
But the Indianapolis Colts have a lot on the line, needing to keep pace with the Tennessee Titans and stay ahead of the Jacksonville Jaguars and Houston Texans in the division.
Why Cincinnati Will Win: Well, the Bengals may have just two wins and five consecutive losses, but they lost those five games by 27 points total.
They're always in the game, and they've got Terrell Owens playing like its 2002.
Why Indianapolis Will Win: It's the Colts, and they have a certain guy named Peyton Manning lining up behind center. Manning will keep Indianapolis in just about every game, and they have the added advantage of playing at home in Lucas Oil Stadium.
Prediction: Colts 31, Bengals 20. Indianapolis isn't losing two in a row when they can't afford another loss.
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New York Jets at Cleveland Browns
4 of 14
What's At Stake: For the New York Jets, it's Super Bowl or bust. That team absolutely cannot afford to lose games like this, if for no other reason then to avoid the media backlash that comes along with it.
As for the Cleveland Browns, they continue to shock the world, but I still think they're doing nothing more than playing spoiler the rest of the way.
Why New York Will Win: The Jets have all kinds of talent on the defensive side of the ball that should limit what Detroit's offense can do.
And as we saw with New York earlier in the season, the Jets have the potential to explode with a big game on offense, whether it's from LaDainian Tomlinson rushing or Mark Sanchez and the passing game.
Why Cleveland Will Win: Peyton Hillis is a man-child. Seriously, I can't explain how much I love watching Hillis make that Brady Quinn trade look worse for Denver every week.
And there's the added fact that Cleveland has beaten the Saints and the Patriots by a combined 34 points this season. That's impressive.
Prediction: Jets 24, Browns 16. I'm not seeing a third monster upset from the Browns just yet, but I do think this game will be close from start to finish.
Minnesota Vikings at Chicago Bears
5 of 14
What's At Stake: Both the Minnesota Vikings and the Chicago Bears are trailing the Green Bay Packers in the NFC North, so this game is obviously huge for both teams.
Every game here on out for the Vikings is a must win.
Why Minnesota Will Win: Have you watched Adrian Peterson play lately? Even when he gets limited touches, he looks like a freight train running through opposing defenses.
I know that Brett Favre went off against Arizona this week, but it'll be Peterson that leads this team to victory.
Why Chicago Will Win: The Vikings obviously can run the ball well, but the Bears stop the run better than almost anyone in the league.
They rank third in rushing yards allowed and have the potential to stifle Peterson all game, which could bode well for Chicago's chances.
Prediction: Vikings 27, Bears 16. There's too much on the line for Favre not to come through in this game, so he'll play well enough to get a solid victory for Minnesota.
Houston Texans at Jacksonville Jaguars
6 of 14
What's At Stake: These two teams play in one of the most competitive divisions in football, the AFC South, and every game is incredibly crucial at this point in the season.
I think these are the two weakest teams in the division, so they have to win because they can't afford to drop another game behind Tennessee and Indianapolis.
Why Houston Will Win: Jacksonville's defense is far from great, and Houston is absolutely loaded with weapons on offense like Arian Foster and Andre Johnson.
I don't see the Jaguars having any real shot at containing both of those guys.
Why Jacksonville Will Win: David Garrard went off two weeks. I know, I know, it came against a terrible Dallas Cowboys team.
But it wouldn't be a big shock to see the Jaguars' offense throw the ball all over the place on Houston's horrific secondary.
Prediction: Texans 34, Jaguars 21. Houston's offense is just too good, and Jacksonville's defense ranks 30th in points allowed.
Tennessee Titans at Miami Dolphins
7 of 14
What's At Stake: Tennessee's been a mixed bag so far this year, so this is a good chance to prove they can be a consistent winner and stay on par with Indianapolis in the division.
As for Miami, I don't see them overtaking the Jets or Patriots in the AFC East, but at 4-4 there's always that possibility.
Why Tennessee Will Win: Randy Moss will be in uniform for the Titans for the first time. Moss, Chris Johnson and Vince Young provide a heck of a trio on offense.
And the Titans already have the league's No. 1 scoring offense, which is certainly scary if you're Miami.
Why Miami Will Win: The Dolphins have a pretty solid defense that has the potential to stifle any opponent on any given day.
And even though Miami has struggled on offense quite a bit, the team does have some very good weapons like Brandon Marshall with the potential for a breakout game.
Prediction: Titans 28, Miami 17. Channing Crowder is probably still rambling on and on right now, so I think the Dolphins are too distracted to get the win at home when they've struggled in Miami all season.
Carolina Panthers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
8 of 14
What's At Stake: For Carolina, there's not much on the line other than John Fox's job security--which might not matter anymore--and playing for respect.
As for Tampa Bay, they've got New Orleans and Atlanta breathing down their necks so they have to win against the lowly Panthers.
Why Carolina Will Win: Carolina's got some injuries at the running back position, but the Buccaneers give up an average of 147 yards on the ground, so it might not matter who's lining up in the backfield.
Why Tampa Bay Will Win: Well, aside from the fact that they're simply the better team, I really like the development of Josh Freeman this season.
He and wide receiver Mike Williams are quickly forming a potent duo that could be around in Tampa Bay for years to come.
Prediction: Bucs 24, Panthers 10. The Panthers will start either Jimmy Clausen or Tony Pike, both rookies, at quarterback. I just don't see that offense doing much of anything.
Kansas City Chiefs at Denver Broncos
9 of 14
What's At Stake: It looks like the Kansas City Chiefs could be in an AFC West dogfight with the Oakland Raiders and San Diego Chargers the rest of the way, so this is obviously an important game.
As for Denver, I've lost all faith in them being relevant since their last two games, both of which were pathetic showings on offense and defense
Why Kansas City Will Win: Matt Cassel may not rack up a ton of yards, but he's played surprisingly well this season.
And he's got a great set of running backs in Thomas Jones and Jamaal Charles that can control the clock and keep Kyle Orton and company on the sidelines.
Why Denver Will Win: Kansas City's defense gives up a lot of yards through the air--231 per game in fact--and we all know that the Broncos have lived and died by the pass in 2010.
Prediction: Chiefs 31, Broncos 21. The Chiefs should rebound from the loss to Oakland with a solid victory on the road against a struggling Denver squad.
St. Louis Rams at San Francisco 49ers
10 of 14
What's At Stake: The St. Louis Rams have surprised everyone so far this season and are looking to stay atop the NFC West against the San Francisco 49ers, who have won two of three games after an 0-5 start and are hoping to turn their season around.
Why St. Louis Will Win: Rams rookie quarterback Sam Bradford looks well on his way to super-stardom in the NFL, and the team's defense has been surprisingly good all season.
St. Louis only gives up 17.6 points per game and ranks eighth in rushing yards allowed.
Why San Francisco Will Win: The bottom line is that San Francisco has to win this game to stay alive in the playoff hunt, and Troy Smith might be the guy that can rejuvenate the team and lead them to a couple of wins in the second half.
I'm not sure the team has the leadership--from the coaches or on the field--to win right now, but there's a slim chance Smith could be that guy.
Prediction: Rams 27, 49ers 14. There's just something about Mike Singletary's squads that make me nervous, and I like what I'm seeing from the Rams.
Seattle Seahawks at Arizona Cardinals
11 of 14
What's At Stake: I don't think these teams would have a shot at the playoffs in any other division, but it's the NFC West so they're still alive.
And for Seattle, they absolutely have to show up after two straight terrible performances.
Why Seattle Will Win: Have you seen the Cardinals play at all this season? They're just not very good in any facet of the game and they lack any type of consistency at the quarterback position.
Why Arizona Will Win: They've hung tough the past two weeks against superior competition, losing both games by a combined six points.
They'll hang tough against a team like Seattle that also struggles on both sides of the ball.
Prediction: Cardinals 28, Seahawks 17. Seattle has gotten dismantled the past two weeks, and I think Arizona will avenge the loss against Seattle from a few weeks ago.
Dallas Cowboys at New York Giants
12 of 14
What's At Stake: Dallas is done. The Cowboys are playing only so that they don't finish with the league's worst record.
But the New York Giants look like the best team in the NFC, and they're looking to keep the train rolling.
Why Dallas Will Win: Wade Phillips is gone and Jason Garrett is in. Maybe Garrett can motivate his team to play spoiler against a division rival.
Why New York Will Win: The Giants have the league's No. 1 total defense and No. 4 total offense.
They're not going to play down to the level of a Cowboys team that showed no heart this past Sunday.
Prediction: Giants 38, Cowboys 13. The Cowboys are a mess, and the Giants are coming off a huge win that should give them a lot of momentum moving forward.
New England Patriots at Pittsburgh Steelers
13 of 14
What's At Stake: This is the game of the week right here. It features two of the best teams in football--let's forget about New England's showing last week--in a battle to determine who's at the top of the AFC.
Why New England Will Win: Nothing about the New England Patriots really jumps out at you, but they continue to win football games.
They've got Tom Brady behind center, the league's No. 2 scoring offense and they're playing against a Pittsburgh Steelers team that gives up 240 yards per game through the air.
Why Pittsburgh Will Win: You all know how the Steelers have won football games this year. That Pittsburgh defense leads the league in scoring and rushing yards allowed.
Prediction: Steelers 23, Patriots 17. This one could come down to one play falling a certain way, but I like the Steelers because the game is at Heinz Field.
Philadelphia Eagles at Washington Redskins
14 of 14
What's At Stake: This is obviously a huge NFC East showdown, but the Philadelphia Eagles are looking to make a bigger mark and cement their status as one of the best teams in the NFC.
As for the Redskins, this is an opportunity to move on from the Rex Grossman-Mike Shanahan-Donovan McNabb debacle.
Why Eagles Will Win: Michael Vick has made Eagles fans forget about McNabb's departure.
He's finally looking to be a pass-first quarterback, but he still has that running ability that makes opposing defenses have to gameplan for him. And he's going against a very, very bad Redskins secondary that cannot stop the pass.
Why Redskins Will Win: I honestly don't see much of anything that I like about the Redskins.
But I do look for a fired-up McNabb to come out clicking on all cylinders and play a good game after being pulled in favor of Grossman a couple of weeks ago.
Prediction: Eagles 34, Redskins 23. Too much Vick, too much offense for Philadelphia. The Eagles roll.
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