Starting Thursday night in Cincinnati, there are a ton of games on this week’s NFL schedule that could potentially have some wide-ranging playoff ramifications moving forward.
Surprising playoff contenders will square off in Detroit, where the Lions will host a really good Miami Dolphins team. Are Ryan Tannehill and the Dolphins prepared to make a major statement against a first-place Lions team?
Meanwhile, the red-hot Kansas City Chiefs will take on an equally impressive Buffalo Bills team in Western New York. Who will move to 6-3 and squarely into the playoff conversation?
As we have done every week this season, here is a look at the top storyline for each Week 10 NFL game.
Cleveland Browns at Cincinnati Bengals: Battle of Ohio Takes on More Significance
Courtesy of Zimbio: Who will win this big matchup between two Ohio teams?
The last time these two teams played a game this late in the season with playoff implications, the video game craze surrounded Mario Brothers, Zelda and Duck Hunt. The year was 1986 and Ronald Reagan was eating his jelly beans in the Oval Office. Yes, that’s how long it’s been since both Cincinnati and Cleveland were viable playoff contenders.
Fast forward nearly 30 years and these two teams will meet in an important AFC North matchup on Thursday Night Football. Cincinnati comes into this game in first place with a 5-2-1 record, but has won just two of its last five games. Wins against Baltimore and Jacksonville has quieted critics recently, which could also indicate the Bengals are in the beginning stages of a lengthy run.
For the Browns, it’s all about actually going up against a good team and playing up to their level. Cleveland’s last three opponents have a combined 2-23 record. With wins against the likes of the New Orleans Saints and Pittsburgh Steelers this season, Mike Pettine’s squad has proven it can do battle with the best the league has to offer. It will likely be up to Brian Hoyer (three touchdowns and three interceptions last three games) to do it through the air. Cincinnati boasts the third-worst rush defense in the NFL, so it will likely force Hoyer to beat its defense over the top. That’s going to be key here.
Kansas City Chiefs at Buffalo Bills: Battle for Wild Card Contention
Courtesy of USA Today: Since switching from Manuel to Orton, the Bills have been rolling.
Buffalo has a real opportunity to make a statement here at home against a Chiefs team that has won five of its last six after a slow start to the season. This opportunity comes in the form of showing the New England Patriots that they are not going to run away with the AFC East. Since Kyle Orton took over for EJ Manuel as the team’s starting quarterback, Buffalo has gone 3-1. A win here, and the Bills will show that they belong in the playoff conversation heading into the stretch run.
On the other hand, Kansas City is currently only one game behind Denver in the ultra-competitive AFC West. It is playing really good all-around football right now, especially on the defensive side of the ball. That unit ranks fifth in the NFL in total yards allowed and second in points allowed. It all starts with Justin Houston, who leads the league with 12 sacks, and the Chiefs front seven. Outside of the fact that both squads come in at 5-3, this really is a statement game for both.
Tennessee Titans at Baltimore Ravens: Home Team Looks to Break Losing Streak
At 5-4, Baltimore is in last place in the AFC North. That just goes to show us how difficult this division is going to be moving forward. It also signifies that recent losses against Cincinnati and Pittsburgh aren’t as bad as they look. However, Joe Flacco and Co. simply need to get back on track against a bad Titans team at home. They can’t afford to lose against bad teams with games still remaining against New Orleans, San Diego and Miami following the team’s Week 11 bye.
Dallas Cowboys at Jacksonville Jaguars: Tony Romo’s Health
Romo will likely be a game-time decision in London after missing last week’s loss to the Arizona Cardinals. The Cowboys desperately need to get him back in the mix after losing two consecutive games and falling to second place in the NFC East. The issue here is that Dallas is going up against a one-win team and has a Week 11 bye. Can it afford to throw Brandon Weeden out there with the expectation that the Jaguars will remain the Jaguars? If so, what would happen if Jacksonville pulled off the upset win with Romo sidelined? That’s why Jason Garrett (and Jerry Jones) get paid the big bucks and I am sitting here typing this at home.
Miami Dolphins at Detroit Lions: Statement Game for Ryan Tannehill and Co.
Courtesy of SB Nation: The Lions top-ranked defense looks to fend off Ryan Tannehill and Co.
Much like the Bills, some skeptics have concluded that Miami is a weak 5-3 football team. With impressive wins against the New England Patriots and San Diego Chargers already on their resume, I am hesitant to conclude that the Dolphins aren’t for real. With that said, a win here against a first-place Lions team on the road would be huge for Miami.
Detroit ranks first in the NFL in scoring defense and yards allowed. This means it’s going to be a rather big test for Tannehill, who is playing the best football of his young career. He’s going to have to take the top off the Lions defense, which could open it up for a running game that ranks fourth in the NFL. That will help dictate the outcome of this matchup.
San Francisco 49ers at New Orleans Saints: Free-Falling 49ers in Must-Win Situation
Jim Harbaugh’s squad will likely have to win at least six of its final eight games in order to earn a playoff spot. That stretch of second-half games begins on the road against a Saints team that’s been nearly unbeatable at the Superdome…a house a horrors for the 49ers squad dating back to Super Bowl XLVII.
The major issue with San Francisco right now is a lack of identity on the offensive side of the ball. It needs to come to the conclusion that the offense is going to run through Frank Gore, Carlos Hyde and the ground game. Greg Roman’s unit also must get much better in the red zone, something that’s been a major issue for the offense since he took over as the team’s coordinator back in 2011. More than that, the 49ers need to get back in the win column after two consecutive losses. If not, they will fall to 4-5 on the season and likely completely out of the NFC West race.
Pittsburgh Steelers at New York Jets: Ben Roethlisberger’s Epic Recent Performances
Big Ben has thrown 12 touchdowns in the last two games and is going up against a Jets defense that has allowed 24 touchdowns and has picked off just one pass through eight games. Is there any way Rex Ryan’s defense finds a way to stop one of the most dynamic overall offenses in the NFL? If not, is it possible that Roethlisberger can put up six-plus touchdowns for the third consecutive outing? That’s pretty much the only storyline in one of the biggest mismatches of the week.
Atlanta Falcons at Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Mike Smith’s Job Security
You have likely read the reports. Falcons owner Arthur Blank may very well be looking to replace Smith with a big-name head coach following what has been a disastrous season for the franchise. Any real hope of Smith keeping his job will depend on what the Falcons do in their next couple games. Unfortunately for the veteran head coach, Atlanta’s schedule following this game is absolutely ridiculous.
Courtesy of ESPN.com
Despite losing 14 of their last 18 games, the Falcons are just two games behind New Orleans in the NFC South. But they really need to get it going in order to stand a chance of playing any important games heading into the final seven weeks of the season. A loss here against Tampa Bay on the road will seal Atlanta’s fait for the season and likely end Smith’s tenure with the team.
Denver Broncos at Oakland Raiders: Really?
Courtesy of CBS Sports: Is it possible that Denver could fall to a winless Raiders team?
In the second of two consecutive games against teams who met in the Super Bowl this past February, the Raiders are 12.5-point underdogs. Unfortunately for the home team, it would be lucky to keep the game this close. After all, Peyton Manning has thrown seven touchdowns and just eight incompletions in his last two games against Oakland. Just think about that for a second before looking to pick an upset here.
At 0-8 on the season and with an incredibly difficult remaining schedule, it’s hard to point a single game that the Raiders stand a real chance of winning. And to be honest, there is no real reason to envision Oakland snapping what is now a 14-game losing streak.
New York Giants at Seattle Seahawks: Pete Carroll and Co. Look to Put Together a Complete Game
Seattle may be 5-3 on the season with an inside track at a playoff spot, but it has not played Seahawk football through the first eight games. In fact, Seattle’s last two games (both wins) simply haven’t been too impressive. The defending champs defeated the Carolina Panthers and aforementioned Raiders by a total of 10 points. These games came on the heels of consecutive losses to the Dallas Cowboys and St. Louis Rams.
Now going up against a Giants team that has not been competitive over the past three games, the Seahawks need to put together a full game. Outside of getting the win, that’s going to be something to look at here, especially with a difficult schedule following Sunday’s game.
St. Louis Rams at Arizona Cardinals: NFL’s Best Set for a Let Down?
Fresh off solid wins against the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys, Bruce Arians squad could very well be ripe for the picking here. They are going up against a last-place Rams team that has defeated both Seattle and San Francisco within the last month. And despite some pretty bad quarterback play, St. Louis remains competitive due to some really good play on the defensive side of the ball. Simply put, the Cardinals cannot afford to look past a team that’s technically in last place.
Chicago Bears at Green Bay Packers: Must Win for the Bears Coming off a Bye
Courtesy of SB Nation: Cutler needs to perform better if the Bears are going to rebound.
A loss against their division rivals coming out of a bye would probably sink the Bears season. Now three games behind the Detroit Lions in the NFC North, Jay Cutler and Co. can’t afford to fall any further back.
One of many problems here is that Jay Cutler has been a downright disaster against the Packers, winning just one of 10 games and throwing 13 touchdowns compared to 19 interceptions. This is magnified by the fact that Cutler has turned the ball over 12 times in eight games this year.
Carolina Panthers at Philadelphia Eagles: Mark Sanchez Time
Sanchez looked darn good in his Eagles debut last week, the first game he has played since the 2012 season. Some people seem to forget that this embattled quarterback had very little to work with as a member of the Jets. With an elite supporting cast in Philadelphia, Sanchez doesn’t have any excuses here. He needs to continue performing at a high level for the first-place Eagles, especially with Nick Foles sidelined for the next six-to-eight weeks. If that doesn’t happen, the Eagles lead in the NFC East could very well be short lived.
Photo: USA Today