Top NFL Week 10 Storylines: Russell Wilson vs. Commanders, Broncos-Chiefs, Can Lions Stay Hot?
Believe it or not, Week 10 of the NFL regular season is already upon us and a sense of urgency has developed across the league with just nine weeks to go before the playoffs.
The second head coach of the season received his walking papers last week. The Saints fired Dennis Allen on Monday and replaced him with interim Darren Rizzi as they look for solutions to end their worst seven-game losing streak in the league. The trade deadline followed suit on Tuesday, ending with 25 teams making 18 trades in hopes of strengthening their rosters for the homestretch.
Divisional races are starting to take shape or tighten up. A pivotal AFC North showdown took place Thursday night, as Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens defeated Joe Burrow’s Bengals 35-34, despite a historic night from Cincinnati wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase.
The action continues Sunday morning when the New York Giants and Carolina Panthers face off in Munich, Germany. It continues with seven games at 1:00 PM ET, three more at 4:00 PM ET and a Sunday night matchup between the Detroit Lions and Houston Texans. Week 10 concludes Monday evening with the Miami Dolphins visiting the Los Angeles Rams.
Here’s a look at five compelling storylines surrounding the NFL this week. (The full schedule can be found here.)
1. Familiar faces in new places after the trade deadline
Eight players changed addresses on Tuesday, the last day on which teams could trade. That brought the total number of player moves this season to 19. In recent weeks we’ve seen Davante Adams, Amari Cooper and DeAndre Hopkins debut with their new teams. Now we’re about to see a new group of players try to boost their new teams’ chances of competing for division titles, playoff berths and Super Bowl runs.
In-season trades rarely dramatically change team fortunes, but there are some exceptions. Hopkins looks like a difference-maker in Kansas City, where he recorded two touchdown catches last Monday to help his new team rise above Tampa Bay. Who will make an instant impact this week? Cornerback Marshon Lattimore (hamstring) is out for the Washington Commanders and Lions pass rusher Za’Darius Smith may not play Sunday, but keep an eye on two new Steelers signings, edge rusher Preston Smith and wide receiver Mike Williams.
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2. Steelers-Commanders: meeting of unlikely division leaders
The Steelers and Commanders have both reset at quarterback this season. The Steelers acquired veteran Russell Wilson in hopes the nine-time Pro Bowl selection could help them win their first playoff game since the 2016 season. The Commanders, meanwhile, drafted Jayden Daniels second overall, hoping he could save them from years of dysfunction and ineptitude.
Wilson’s Steelers tenure got off to a slow start thanks to a calf injury that sidelined him for five weeks, while Justin Fields helped Pittsburgh to a 3-2 start. But now that he’s the starter, Wilson is looking like the difference-maker Mike Tomlin envisioned this offseason, going 2-0 on offense in two of the best games of the year.
Daniels, meanwhile, shines as a passer and rusher for one of the league’s most productive offenses, making him the favorite to win Rookie of the Year honors. At the midway point of the season, these teams are not only winning largely due to the sparks provided by their new quarterbacks, but they are both leading their respective divisions. Pittsburgh (6-2) is first in the AFC North and Washington (7-2) leads the NFC East.
Both teams enter Sunday’s game in Landover, Maryland, where they have three wins but need wins to keep division foes at bay (Baltimore for Pittsburgh, Philadelphia for Washington). The game is a reunion for Steelers coach Mike Tomlin and Dan Quinn of the Commanders. In 1994, Tomlin played defensive end for William & Mary, while Quinn served as the Tribe’s defensive line coach. The following season, they both got jobs on the coaching staff at the Virginia Military Institute. Now they will look to lead their teams to victory and maintain the momentum built during the first half of the season. (Steelers at Commanders, 1 p.m. ET Sunday.)
3. The Broncos’ next tough test: a visit to the Chiefs
Sean Payton’s Broncos are off to a surprising 5-3 start to the season despite playing a rookie quarterback and experiencing growing pains in other areas. However, last week they ran into a buzzsaw in Baltimore and suffered a 41-10 blowout. They are in a tight race with the Chargers (5-3) for second place in the AFC West and remain hopeful they can end an eight-year playoff drought.
Their next task won’t be easy: On Sunday, Denver travels to Kansas City to take on the 8-0 Chiefs, the NFL’s only undefeated team. Patrick Mahomes has a 12-1 record against the Broncos. His only loss to them came in Week 8 last season, when he threw two interceptions and no touchdowns and also lost a fumble in a 24-9 loss at Denver.
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Can the Broncos make it two in a row? Cornerback Pat Surtain II said this week, “It’s a good opportunity for us to show what we’ve got,” and if anyone is up for the challenge of stopping Mahomes, it’s Surtain, who is considered the best cornerback in the NFL.
Denver’s biggest concern, however, might be its own offense against Kansas City’s defense. Rookie quarterback Bo Nix has provided bright spots this season, but this week he will have to compete against the unit led by mastermind Steve Spagnuolo. Spags makes life difficult for most quarterbacks, but his defense is primarily aimed at rookie quarterbacks. Since 2019, Spagnuolo has an 11-1 record against rookie quarterbacks, and his Chiefs are 5-0 at home against Denver during the same span. Spagnuolo will apply all kinds of pressure, obscure reporting and sow doubt in Nix’s mind. How will Payton equip his rookie to take on the challenge? (Broncos at Chiefs, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET.)
Rookie Marvin Harrison Jr. helped turn the tide for the Cardinals. (Matt Kartozian/Imagn Images)
4. The rise of the Arizona Cardinals
Is it time to look at the Cardinals in a different light? The Cardinals are considered non-factors in the NFC West after a 1-3 start to the season and have since won four of their last five, including three in a row, to improve to 5-4. Arizona now sits atop the standings as it hosts the New York Jets on Sunday.
An authoritative 41-10 win over the Rams in Week 2 was the lone early-season highlight for Arizona. But after a 42-14 loss to the Commanders, Jonathan Gannon’s team rebounded with a 24-23 win at San Francisco in Week 5. They lost to the Packers in Week 6, but had consecutive comeback wins over the Chargers and Dolphins preceded a convincing win over the Bears last week, and now the Cardinals are the only NFC West team with a winning record.
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There’s a lot to like about this team. Quarterback Kyler Murray does a good job taking care of the football and distributing it to a diverse cast of weapons, including tight end Trey McBride and wide receivers Marvin Harrison Jr. and Michael Wilson. Harrison, a rookie, has shown flashes of dominance (his six-catch, 111-yard performance in Week 8 lifted Arizona to victory over Miami). Running back James Conner ranks sixth in the NFL in rushing. Defensively, the Cardinals have shown improvement and hope to get a boost with their trade for Baron Browning.
While Arizona appears to be heading in the right direction, the Jets have had a challenging season, losing five straight before last week’s win over Houston. Aaron Rodgers, Garrett Wilson and Adams lead the Jets offensively, but the unit has yet to live up to expectations. New York’s defense has surrendered more than 330 yards in three of the last four games under interim head coach/defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich, who replaced the fired Robert Saleh. The Jets’ biggest weakness is stopping the run, so a good dose of Conner and fellow backs Trey Benson and Emari Demercado with Murray sprinkled in could help pave the way to success for the Cardinals. (Jets at Cardinals, 4:25 p.m. ET Sunday.)
5. Detroit Lions: Ready for an upset?
On the one hand, the Lions – with a 7-1 record and a six-game win streak – are one of the hottest teams in the league. Often times they look like the best team in the entire NFL. But could Dan Campbell’s impressive group pull off an upset on Sunday night in Houston?
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Jared Goff leads the NFL with a 74.9 completion percentage and has completed 100, 72, 88, 80 and 81.8 percent of his throws for 11 touchdowns and no interceptions in recent weeks. The Lions can win pretty well. They can win ugly. Detroit’s defense is among the best in the red zone, allowing touchdowns just 43.48 percent of the time (fourth best) and just 37.5 percent in the last three games combined.
However, the Texans are coming off a bye, and even though Las Vegas has them as 3 1/2-point home underdogs, the DeMeco Ryans boys are 3-0 if they can boast a halftime advantage after a bye or mini-bye . Offensive production has dropped recently for the Lions (225 yards against Tennessee in Week 8 and 261 against Green Bay in Week 9). Meanwhile, Detroit’s defense has allowed at least 130 rushing yards in four of the last five games. Texans quarterback CJ Stroud will draw a lot of attention, and the absence of his top two receivers will hamper his efforts. However, running back Joe Mixon has five 100-yard rushes in six appearances this season and could exploit Detroit’s weakness in this area and position his team for a strong showing. (Lions at Texans, 8:20 p.m. ET Sunday.)
(Top photo: Joe Sargent/Getty Images)
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