NFL Picks Week 10: Which Teams Will Eke out Close Ones?

The NFL season is over the halfway point and into full bloom with a picture of who's going to be going deep and who will be sitting on their couch. Although, the NFL is a competitive league where every team has a chance to win every week.

Week 10 is no different, and there will be quite a few upsets this week as well as awesome games. There are some great matchups this week, and this slideshow will tell you who is going to eke out that close win. 

1. New York Giants vs. San Francisco

The Giants are going to miss Ahmad Bradshaw in the backfield and will have to rely on Eli Manning to make all the big plays on the field, but Manning has played like the elite quarterback he has called himself. 

After calling himself an elite quarterback, according to an ESPN analyst, he is in the running for MVP but still heavily behind Aaron Rodgers, but that means he is playing on a very high level and has the ability to dethrone the 49ers. They have the toughest next two weeks of any team and will need to win at least one of them; winning two will prove they are an elite team. 

Look for them to eke this one out on a late touchdown or by their defense holding a lead they gained early and stomping out the comeback drive.

Prediction: New York 24, San Francisco 21

2. San Francisco 49ers vs. New York Giants

The game could equally be as close of a win for the 49ers who have rallied behind Frank Gore on the offensive side of the ball and the defense as a whole. Ever since their comeback against the Eagles, the 49ers have been playing like men on a mission and have played largely mistake-free.

Jim Harbaugh has taken this team to the highest level of achievement we've seen from the Niners since the golden years. Alex Smith is looking like the draft pick he was supposed to be and has the ability to lead his team to victory. 

The keys for the 49ers to eke out this close one is give Smith time. In years prior we've seen what can happen to them when teams can bring pressure to the 49ers offensive line. So they'll have have to keep the Giants front four in check and create a pocket. 

If they keep the passing game rolling, the running game won't matter and the 49ers will eke this one out.

Projection: San Francisco 24, New York Giants 21

3. Indianapolis Colts vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

The Colts are currently 0-9 and have a few chances left to get their first win, this is one of them. Jacksonville comes in with a rookie quarterback and a defense that has been shaky this year. 

The defense has lost confidence in itself but can find it here. Pat Angerer leads the league in tackles and needs to have above normal production for the Colts to stand a chance. 

Joseph Addai will potentially be back on the field and give the Colts another edge. 

The final thing is, though, Curtis Painter is tired of losing. Wouldn't you be tired of having everyone say you're the worst team in the NFL? Painter is a decent quarterback who makes some bad mistakes during games at times where he needed to play it safe and not throw the interception. 

Painter will need three TD passes and no INT for them to beat the Jags, and the defense needs to hold the Jags below the 150 rushing yards per game they allow. Maurice Jones-Drew needs to not score for the Colts to win.

4. New England Patriots vs. New York Jets

Tom Brady will be Tom Brady and pick up the win after losing to the Giants last week and throwing two interceptions. Something that rarely happens. 

Brady is still one of the best quarterbacks in the game and will have to be careful against a rival and a good defense in the New York Jets. 

The key to the game is that the Patriots defense must capitalize on Mark Sanchez' errors. He makes quite a few of them during games, and one or two interceptions could mean the difference between a victory and another loss. 

The coaching battle is what this could come down to also, and the Patriots Bill Belichick have that won over Rex Ryan and the Jets.

It will come down to a late field goal and will be a higher scoring affair. 

5. Denver Broncos vs. Kansas City Chiefs

Tim Tebow won in convincing fashion with great stats last week and silenced some of the doubters. He must silence more of them this week against a Kansas City team that gave up 31 points to the Dolphins, and he'll be playing with a little motivation after getting embarrassed last week.

Tebow must throw for 200 and run for 75 with a pair of TDs either way for them to keep up with the production of the Chiefs. 

The defense needs to hold Matt Cassel accountable and keep him making mistakes like the offense did all game against the Dolphins last week. 

The keys for Denver are really how well Tebow plays. If he plays like last week, the Broncos win. If he plays like his first start, Denver loses. It will be a close one though, and I think Denver will eke out a victory by a late touchdown run by Tebow. 

6. Seattle Seahawks vs. Baltimore Ravens

From playoffs to sucking for Andrew Luck, the Seahawks have been on quite a roller coaster the past two years. Tarvaris Jackson hasn't performed like the Seahawks thought he would, and the defense has been pretty bad. 

A win is something they need for Pete Carroll to retain his job for next year and for Seattle fans to at least be happy with the team.

Baltimore is coming off a very physical game against the Steelers and will potentially play at a lower level than they did last week coming off that victory. Joe Flacco played well last game, but he will go back to being the average quarterback that he is. Expecting him to throw one to two INTs; losing a fumble isn't out of the question and will likely happen. 

These turnovers will allow Seattle to gain points off turnovers. This lead will be too big for the Ravens to gain back at the end of the game, and the Seahawks will win by a touchdown, shocking the Ravens a week after a great victory over the Steelers.