Week 10 of the NFL season kicked off with the Pittsburgh Steelers surprisingly blowing out the Carolina Panthers, but that’s only the prelude to what should be a quality week of action. Division rivalries will ramp up, and a few teams are coming up on the reality that their playoff hopes are hanging in the balance already.
Here are 15 key questions about this week’s action, ranging from players returning from injury to big divisional games and everything in-between.
1. Can Leonard Fournette’s return spur the Jaguars?
The Jaguars built their offense largely around Leonard Fournette’s exploits, but thanks to nagging hamstring injuries, have barely had him all season. That should change Sunday at Indianapolis, as long as he doesn’t suffer any setbacks before or during the game. How much will it help? It remains to be seen, as the Jaguars’ problems run deep at 3-5, and they haven’t been convincing defensively either. They’re not dead yet, though, especially if Fournette has a big day.
2. Will offensive line injuries prove Washington’s undoing?
One of the NFL’s biggest surprise teams is facing real problems thanks to a series of injuries. Washington will be down at least three starters on the offensive line this weekend, a huge blow to the run-heavy offense that Adrian Peterson has led. Will the team adapt their gameplan? That remains to be seen, but it’s a bad sign that Peterson had one of his worst weeks of the season in Week 9. They might have to get creative to keep their good run going.
3. Can a rivalry game propel Dallas or Philadelphia forward?
This has not been the season that either of these teams wanted. Philadelphia seems to be on a slightly better trajectory, as the Cowboys’ home dominance was pierced last Monday with a surprising loss to the Tennessee Titans. They’ve been bad on the road all season, so the Eagles will probably be smelling blood. A Philadelphia win would put them right in the playoff race, while defeat may prove too much to overcome.
4. How real is Atlanta’s resurgence?
The Falcons have won three in a row, and they get another rather forgiving opponent this week as they travel to face the Cleveland Browns. That should be a recipe for their impressive offense to put up some points while their beleaguered defense is tasked with handling a lesser opponent. Despite being 4-4, they’re second in the NFL with over 300 passing yards per game, and that trend should continue against Cleveland. If they move to 5-4, they’re right back in the playoff picture.
5. What can the tough, but somewhat inexperienced Seattle defense do with the Rams?
Despite injuries and departures from the team, the Seahawks have only allowed 156 points this season, a tally that comes out to fewer than 20 points per game. That mark will be tested when Seattle comes up against the Los Angeles Rams this weekend. The Rams put 33 points up on Seattle earlier this season, the only team to crack the 30-point mark against the Seattle defense this season. That said, Seattle came within two points of winning that game, and they won’t be an easy foe this week.
6. Can the Saints avoid something of a trap game against Cincinnati?
On paper, Sunday’s road game looks like a pretty forgiving one for the New Orleans Saints. The Bengals’ defense has been very vulnerable, and that’s a bad matchup with the New Orleans offense coming to town. That said, it’s a game that comes after a big win over the Rams and ahead of another very big game against the Eagles. The Saints can’t get caught napping, because the Bengals are 5-3 and capable of surprising them if they’re not careful.
7. Will the Raiders actually show some fight this week?
Nobody’s really expecting Oakland to beat the Los Angeles Chargers at home. The visitors are simply a better team and will be heavily favored. Amid reports that the Raiders are questioning their coach, however, any bit of fight would be welcome. They were thoroughly embarrassed a week ago by the San Francisco 49ers, who entered that game with just one win. The Chargers are way tougher. At some point, professional pride and the extra days of preparation have to kick in.
8. Can the Titans take advantage of New England’s occasional road problems?
The Titans seem to have a knack for pulling off surprising victories over seemingly superior foes, with last week’s win over the Dallas Cowboys on the road proving that. The good news is they’re at home this week, but they’re facing the New England Patriots. The Pats have had their share of road issues this year, but they’ve won two in a row away from home and six straight overall. In other words, the Titans are going to have to be really sharp, but they’ve surprised before.
9. Is Green Bay still a serious threat in the NFC North?
The Dolphins are very much struggling, and that, combined with a trip to Green Bay in November, suggests that the Packers should be favored in this one. They’ve been kind of a forgotten team, sitting surprisingly below .500 this late in the season. Luckily, Lambeau Field has been kind to them this season. The Dolphins, with Brock Osweiler at quarterback, are an opponent there for the taking. Nobody has run away with the NFC North, and that’s keeping the Packers in it.
10. Was the Nick Mullens show for real?
It’s hard to know what to make of Nick Mullens. He threw for 262 yards and three touchdowns in his first career start, but it came against the Oakland Raiders on a short week. Of course, it’s hard to tell how much we’ll learn this week as he faces the similarly hapless New York Giants, giving him a real chance to move to 2-0 as a starter. Mullens looked more than capable last week, though the Giants should prove slightly tougher, even as bad as they are. The Niners will be looking for him to show them something.
11. Is this the Lions’ last chance at relevance this season?
If the Lions lose to the Chicago Bears on the road this week, they will be 3-6 and 1-4 on the road. That should kill their playoff hopes, especially with the rest of the NFC North moving away from them. While their playoff bid has to be considered a longshot, it would still be alive at 4-5, especially if it comes in a huge win over the Bears. The Lions looked awful a week ago, particularly on offense, and they have to hope they’ll have found some sort of answer to that in the last week.
12. Will Josh McCown manage to stabilize the Jets’ offense?
Josh McCown is not the future of the New York Jets, and he’s only the present because Sam Darnold has fallen injured. However, given how much Darnold has struggled over the past several weeks, McCown may make them more competitive right now. Playing the Buffalo Bills, who are going nowhere fast, should also help. McCown is 39 and coming toward the end of his NFL career, but it’s never too late to prove you’ve still got it. That’s what he’ll be looking to do.
13. How many points will the Chiefs score?
The Chiefs host the Arizona Cardinals in what may be, at least on paper, the week’s most lopsided game. Arizona isn’t a good team, while the Chiefs have the leading offense in the NFL. That looks likely to make this game a blowout in Kansas City’s direction, and they may put up a lot of points. The Cardinals are actually a middle-of-the-road defensive team, with most of their issues coming offensively, so it may not be a total and complete embarrassment. An extra week of preparation could also help Arizona in this one.
14. Will Eli Manning show any signs of life?
Manning has an opportunity to at least do something this week against a weak team like San Francisco, though a lot of people are skeptical that he’ll be able to pull it off. Speculation continues to grow about his job, though it’s safe for now. That may be because they just don’t have other options. If Manning struggles against a San Francisco team that has two wins, the Giants may have a real tough decision to face going forward.
15. Will Dallas’ road offense look any more competent with Amari Cooper in it?
Cooper got eight targets in his Dallas debut and caught five of them, so it’s pretty clear that they’re going to treat him as the No. 1 receiver they acquired him to be. That’s all well and good, but Dallas has been awful on the road, especially offensively, all season long. Can Cooper make any difference there? That remains to be seen, but a trip to Philadelphia will be a major test for both the receiver and the offense as a whole.
