Quick Picks; Week Ten
Every week throughout the season, we make our Quick Picks (in bold) on the upcoming slate of games, focusing on the key points for each match-up. The playoff picture is still murky as we pass the halfway point of the season, with several .500 teams still in play. Here are Week Ten’s picks.
Seattle Seahawks @ Arizona Cardinals (TNF)
Arizona’s defense could be peaking at the right time after Seattle lost a defensive tug-of-war against Washington. But the Redskins had just 51 rushing yards, which means Adrian Peterson could struggle against the Seahawks, allowing the Legion of Boom to expose Drew Stanton.
New Orleans Saints @ Buffalo Bills
The Saints have won six straight games and look like a complete team, keyed by the dynamic running duo of Mark Ingram and rookie Alvin Kamara. The Bills are undefeated at home and have been a relatively consistent team under Sean McDermott. But they gave up 195 rushing yard to the Jets after Marcell Dareus was traded, so their run defense may not be the same.
Green Bay Packers @ Chicago Bears
Coming off a bye, the Bears now face a Packers team coming off a third straight loss and a short week. Brett Hundley now faces another stout defense after taking three sacks against Detroit. With right tackle Bryan Bulaga done for the year, expect Green Bay’s struggles to continue.
Cleveland Browns @ Detroit Lions
What else can be said about the Browns? They continue to mismanage their quarterback situation after a failed trade for A.J. McCarron and now face a feisty Lions defense in Detroit. Cleveland is nothing more than a team that fringe playoff contenders like the Lions can use to pad their records.
Pittsburgh Steelers @ Indianapolis Colts
The Colts have been competitive at home and Mike Tomlin is 3–4 against sub .500 teams when coming off a bye. Despite an emerging young defense making the Steelers look like a Super Bowl contender, Pittsburgh has to prove its legitimacy by steam-rolling what could be a hard-fighting Indianapolis squad.
Los Angeles Chargers @ Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville’s defense looks like the class of the league, and with Leonard Fournette returning, this could be a blood bath. Gus Bradley must shut down his former team’s bruising running game if the Chargers want to win.
New York Jets @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers
With Jameis Winston injured, this will be a surprise revenge game for Ryan Fitzpatrick. But Raymond James Stadium has not been a safe haven this season, with the Bucs 2–2 at home. With Mike Evans suspended, Doug Martin could have a breakout game against a banged up Jets front.
Cincinnati Bengals @ Tennessee Titans
Both Cincinnati and Tennessee have been inconsistent at best this season. The Bengals could provide a ripe opportunity for the Titans to kick-start their running game. However, Cincinnati could steal one on the road with their offense likely to rediscover their rhythm against a thin Tennessee defense.
Minnesota Vikings @ Washington Redskins
With Minnesota’s defense looking like the NFC’s best and Washington’s coming off a surprise throttling of Seattle, this could be a defensive slugfest. The Redskins have the best quarterback, but Minnesota has the edge as a whole on both sides of the ball, with all their playmakers looking in sync atop the NFC North.
Houston Texans @ Los Angeles Rams
Deshaun Watson’s ACL injury deprived us of a great match-up between two emerging young quarterbacks. Instead, we’ll have to settle for watching an over-matched Tom Savage attempt to keep pace with Jared Goff and LA’s dynamic loaded offense.
Dallas Cowboys @ Atlanta Falcons
Even if Ezekiel Elliott finally begins his suspension, the Cowboys should have enough to handle the lacklustre Falcons. Atlanta seems to lack the identity or resolve to finish games. With Dak Prescott and their defense playing well, Dallas should take care of business.
New York Giants @ San Francisco 49ers
2018’s first overall pick could be at stake in San Francisco. But while the 49ers have hope thanks to the acquisition of Jimmy Garoppolo, the Giants face a grim future. But with Jimmy G unlikely to play alongside a barren roster, New York could win their second game and bask in some short-term positivity.
New England Patriots @ Denver Broncos (SNF)
Denver’s vaunted defense had 51 points dropped on them by a Philadelphia team running a Patriots-esque offense. The offense could not muster any drives and forced an exhausted Broncos defense onto the field for far too long. With Tom Brady and New England’s fast-twitch offense coming to town, expect more fatigue for Denver.
Miami Dolphins @ Carolina Panthers (MNF)
After both teams traded away two of their best offensive players, Miami and Carolina somehow looked better last week. But that was a mirage, and an ugly game that will be dominated by Carolina’s defense will just about tilt their way.
