NFL Week 10 Picks: New England Patriots and More Teams in Must-Win Situations

As the 2011-2012 NFL season is now heading into the second and final stretch, schedules intensify as teams will have important games to win come November and December.

Tom Brady and the New England Patriots are one of those teams, as the AFC East now features three teams at 5-3. The Buffalo Bills and New York Jets are hanging right there with the Pats, making the games going forward all must-wins.

With the plethora of division matchups this week and some teams with seasons on the line, this week may arguably the most exciting of any this season. These are the three teams that must-win Sunday to keep their playoff hopes alive.

Philadelphia Eagles

Michael Vick and the Eagles are currently on the outside looking in, as they are three games back of the New York Giants at just 3-5 on the season.

The Eagles go up against the Arizona Cardinals in what is the team's third consecutive game at home. Against a team that is 0-4 on the road while giving up 31 more points than points scored in the four losses, the Eagles should have no problem getting the victory.

With the Giants potentially losing this weak to the San Francisco 49ers, a win could potentially have the Eagles just two games back with seven games to go.

New England Patriots

The Patriots enter Week 10 in a three-way tie with the Buffalo Bills and New York Jets at 5-3.

With the Patriots losers of two straight games that have come down to the wire, the team is need of a win in order to take the division lead and mentally establish themselves as the best team in the division.

The Jets are a team that has won three consecutive games and is looking for a fourth-straight win, as stopping the momentum of the Jets will be crucial to the Patriots chances at winning the division.

Pittsburgh Steelers

There is no question that, of any team in the league, it is the Pittsburgh Steelers that have the biggest week ahead of them.

Going up against the Cincinnati Bengals (6-2), the Steelers have one more loss and are in need of a win over their division rivals. As far as standings go, the team needs the win in order to compete with the Ravens and Bengals.

Yet mentally, it is also just as crucial the team gets the win mentally, as it will be important as anything to not allow this Bengals team to think they are just as good as the Steelers are. Although it's not an argument defended by numbers, the gold and black have consistently dominated the Bengals over the years.