Bry’s Week-by-Week NFL Preview: Week Ten

After an incredibly interesting, exciting, and formative Week Nine, Week Ten gives us 15 games and, at the end of the week, everyone will have played nine games.  No byes are left.  At the end of this post, we will start our “if-the-season-ended-now” playoff picture, complete with tiebreakers and everything.  After a whole host of intra-division battles last week, this week only gives us one important game between division rivals, but there are some really good games across-divisions.  We also have our first Thursday night game since Week One.

On Bye:
Houston (5-4)
New York Giants (6-3)

Thursday, November 12:
8:20 – Chicago (5-3) at SAN FRANCISCO (4-4)
A short week of preparation usually gives a slight advantage to the more experienced coaching staff, but in this case, though I do favor Smith and his staff preparation-wise, I think this advantage is nullified by the advantage I give to Singletary in his ability to fire up his team on short rest and just go out there and battle, despite coming off a brutally physical game with Tennessee.  I also think that short weeks increase homefield advantages.  The Bears have won five in a row, but I think it stops here on this Thursday night.

Sunday, November 15:
1:00 – Detroit (1-7) at MINNESOTA (5-3)
Vikings, at home, coming off of a bye.  Easy win over Detroit.

1:00 – Denver (3-5) at WASHINGTON (6-2)
The Redskins are 7-2 and everyone is excited.  Denver has to come east and play an early game, coming off a Monday night war with Pittsburgh.  Everything points to another Redskins win, aided by the schedule-makers.  This loss really hurts Denver’s playoff hopes.

1:00 – Tampa Bay (2-6) at MIAMI (3-5)
Tampa Bay, who stunned the Packers last week, may have a letdown in Miami this week.  The Dolphins are just the better team, playing at home, and, therefore, should pull out a pretty easy victory, keeping their slim playoff hopes alive.  This loss probably sticks a fork in TB.

1:00 – Buffalo (5-3) at TENNESSEE (4-4) *
Wow, this one was really, really hard for me as well.  I kind of like the Bills, especially coming off of a bye.  But, the Titans, coming off a loss in San Fran and sitting at 4-4, will probably show up ready to play.  However this game goes down, it is going to have serious playoff implications in the AFC because both of these teams are in the mix.  And, just barely, do I give the win to Tennessee.

1:00 – New Orleans (5-3) at ST. LOUIS (1-7)
The Rams are coming off of a bye.  The Saints are coming off of an emotional win at home against Carolina.  The Rams are much better at home than away.  The Saints are also much better at home than away.  And, this is just the type of game where the Saints defense lets them down.  I like the Rams to take this one and put the Saints back into the much of the NFC Wild Card race.

1:00 – Jacksonville (4-4) at NEW YORK JETS (1-7)
Another 1-7 team, coming off a bye, playing at home against a team that just seems to lose games they shouldn’t lose.  So, I am also going with the J-E-T-S, Jets, Jets, Jets to pull off an upset this week.  The Jags, after a win over KC, may have appeared to have righted the ship, but this game in New York could really set them back.

1:00 – Atlanta (2-6) at CAROLINA (5-3)
The Panthers are a better team; they are at home; and, they are coming off a loss to the division rival Saints.  There is no question that I believe the Falcons to be a better team than 2-7, but their schedule is just working against them, seemingly, at every turn.  I’m going with the Panthers here, and I feel pretty confident about it.  The Falcons may be done.

1:00 – Cincinnati (2-6) at PITTSBURGH (8-0)
The undefeated talk may begin now.  The Steelers have been given a lot of help by the schedule-makers.  They have a 6-day week, after a Monday night game in Denver, so they are vulnerable this week, but the schedule-makers give them the Bungles in Pittsburgh.  The Steelers wouldn’t lose at home to Cincy if they played a game the day before.

4:05 – Kansas City (3-5) at OAKLAND (3-5)
Despite the AFC West being wide open, this is probably an elimination game for these two teams.  It is hard to recover from 3-6.  The Raiders should win this game, given the fact that they are pretty good at home and are coming off of a bye.  The Chiefs had a tough physical game with Jax a week ago.  Plus the fact that I think the Raiders are simply more talented than the Chiefs.  Give this one to the Black & Silver.

4:15 – Dallas (6-2) at GREEN BAY (5-3)
It is not December yet, but two straight losses for the Cowboys will have the media talking again.  The Packers are coming off a stunning loss to the Bucs last week, so they will not take this one lightly.  Plus, there is a good chance of pretty cold weather in Green Bay in mid-November, which should help the team more accustomed to the cold and the team with the more poised quarterback–which I think is Rodgers.  It is not yet time to worry in Dallas, but the thoughts are there.

4:15 – Philadelphia (5-3) at SAN DIEGO (4-4)
Maybe it is time to worry in Philadelphia, though, as the Birds drop another their third in four weeks out in San Diego.  The Chargers, who got beat in the Meadowlands by the Giants last week, are not going to lose two in a row and should take care of the Eagles, who remain in last place in the NFC East (which, by the way, is completely opposite of what you might expect:  (1) Redskins 7-2, (2) Cowboys 6-3, (3) Giants 6-3, (4) Eagles 5-4).  I would have picked it the exact opposite.  But, there is still a lot of football to be played.

4:15 – Seattle (5-3) at ARIZONA (2-6)
Is there a pulse in the desert?  This week will tell us, as the West-leading Seahawks come to town.  I think the Cardinals have been hurt by the schedule so far and, if they can keep their heads about and realize that they are not out of this, they should be able to pull off this MUST victory at home.

8:20 – NEW ENGLAND (7-1) at Indianapolis (5-3) *
In the probably Sunday night game, common foes go at it, in Indy.  Though the Colts are better at home than in Foxborough, the Patriots still usually do a great job in checking the Indy offense and winning these games.  It could go either way, especially since the Colts were stunned last week by Houston at home, but I am sticking with the Belichick gameplan over the Manning brilliance.

Monday, November 16:
8:30 – BALTIMORE (5-3) at Cleveland (2-6) *
This is the type of game that normally would give the Ravens trouble.  But, I don’t think that they will lose in back-to-back weeks to the Bengals and Browns.  Plus, the Monday night stage really seems to bring the showmen out of Lewis and Reed, so the Browns might not cross midfield.  I think I probably give the Browns a better chance than most would, but I still see the Ravens pulling out a big win in the end.  The Browns, falling to 2-7, are just about dead.

To go to Week Eleven, click here

STANDINGS AFTER WEEK 10:
NFC EAST:
7-2   Washington (1)
6-3   Dallas (6)
6-3   New York Giants
5-4   Philadelphia

NFC NORTH:
6-3   Green Bay (5)
6-3   Minnesota (2)
5-4   Chicago
1-8   Detroit

NFC SOUTH:
6-3   Carolina (3)
5-4   New Orleans
2-7   Atlanta
2-7   Tampa Bay

NFC WEST:
5-4   San Francisco (4)
5-4   Seattle
3-6   Arizona
2-7   St. Louis

AFC EAST:
8-1   New England (2)
5-4   Buffalo (6)
4-5   Miami
2-7   N.Y. Jets

AFC NORTH:
9-0   Pittsburgh (1)
6-3   Baltimore (5)
2-7   Cincinnati
2-7   Cleveland

AFC SOUTH:
5-4   Houston
5-4   Indianapolis
5-4   Tennessee (3)
4-5   Jacksonville

AFC WEST:
5-4   San Diego (4)
4-5   Oakland
3-6   Denver
3-6   Kansas City

PLAYOFF PICTURE AFTER WEEK 10:
*-I am going to pick winners (why not?) up until the championship games.  You can draw your own conclusions from there.  And, since the playoffs can be a bit of a crapshoot, the picks for the playoffs will just based on how I’m feeling that day.

NFC:
Just out: New York Giants (6-3), Chicago (5-4), New Orleans (5-4), Philadelphia (5-4), Seattle (5-4)

Wild Card Round
#6 Dallas (6-3) at #3 CAROLINA (6-3)
#5 GREEN BAY (6-3) at #4 San Francisco (5-4)

Divisional Round
GREEN BAY at #1 Washington (7-2)
Carolina at #2 MINNESOTA (6-3)

NFC Championship
Green Bay at Minnesota (wow!)

AFC:
Just out:  Houston (5-4), Indianapolis (5-4), Jacksonville (4-5), Miami (4-5), Oakland (4-5)

Wild Card Round
#6 Buffalo (5-4) at #3 TENNESSEE (5-4)
#5 Baltimore (6-3) at #4 SAN DIEGO (5-4)

Divisional Round
SAN DIEGO at #1 Pittsburgh (9-0)
Tennessee at #2 NEW ENGLAND (8-1)

AFC Championship
San Diego at New England