Week 10 NFL Capsules
New York Giants (2-7) vs. Carolina Panthers (2-7) at Munich, Germany, 9:30 a.m. ET, NFL Network
A change of scenery awaits two teams tied for the NFL’s worst record as embattled quarterbacks Bryce Young of the Panthers and Daniel Jones of the Giants meet in Munich. New York has lost four in a row but both of its wins were in road settings at Cleveland and Seattle. Carolina is coming off its first victory since September, just the third in 20 career starts for former No. 1 overall draft pick Young. Young’s best weapon this week could be running back Chuba Hubbard, who signed a $33 million extension Wednesday and faces a Giants’ run defense that ranks 28th in the league. Hubbard has rushed for at least 50 yards in eight straight games. Jones completed a season-high 76.9 percent of his passes last week with two touchdowns, not enough as Washington completed its season sweep of New York. Giants pass-rusher Dexter Lawrence had a sack against Green Bay in 2022 in his only previous international appearance in London. Lawrence ranks second in the NFL with a career-high nine sacks.
Buffalo Bills (7-2) at Indianapolis Colts (4-5), 1 p.m. ET, CBS
Buffalo may be closing in on an AFC East title before Thanksgiving, but it has concerns to address in the meantime, namely on defense. Last week the Dolphins carved up the Bills for 26 first downs and 373 total yards, allowing Tua Tagovailoa to complete 25 of 28 passes in his second game back from a concussion. One concerning note might be that Miami rushed for 149 yards, considering Indianapolis is a run-first offense with Jonathan Taylor at running back. The Bills are also down two defensive linemen, leading them to sign tackles Jordan Phillips and Quinton Jefferson this week. The Colts trail Houston by two games in the AFC South and already have lost that season series, making every win matter more down the stretch. They are sticking with Joe Flacco at starting QB after benching Anthony Richardson for Flacco before last week’s 21-13 loss to Minnesota. Indianapolis has a big shortcoming on the offensive line as Pro Bowl center Ryan Kelly (knee) was placed on injured reserve Wednesday. These teams haven’t met since 2021, when the Colts scored a 41-15 road rout behind Taylor’s 185 yards and four touchdowns.
Minnesota Vikings (6-2) at Jacksonville Jaguars (2-7), 1 p.m. ET, FOX
Sam Darnold has one statistic on his mind ahead of the Vikings’ trip to Florida: turnovers, and how to limit them. The quarterback had three touchdowns but mixed in two interceptions and a lost fumble in Minnesota’s 21-13 win over the Colts last Sunday night. “At the end of the day, I need to make smarter decisions,” Darnold said. Despite Darnold’s giveaways, the Vikings ended a two-game losing streak and remained in the thick of the NFC playoff race; they have outscored opponents by 59 points this year. By comparison, Jacksonville owns a minus-57 point differential and is looking to rebound from back-to-back losses to Green Bay and Philadelphia. Trevor Lawrence hurt his non-throwing shoulder and was limited in practice Wednesday and Thursday, adding a wrinkle of uncertainty. Jacksonville signed veteran C.J. Beathard as insurance for Lawrence, but Mac Jones likely would make his first start in a Jaguars uniform if Lawrence can’t play. It doesn’t help matters that the Vikings own the second-best rushing defense in the league (81.9 yards per game) and the Jaguars gained just 60 on the ground in the loss to the Eagles.
San Francisco 49ers (4-4) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-5), 1 p.m. ET, FOX
Christian McCaffrey appears primed for his first game since the Super Bowl, returning from calf and Achilles issues that kept him out of practice since August. The 49ers’ running game did just fine without him, but Jordan Mason — fourth in the NFL in rushing this season — lacks McCaffrey’s every-down dynamism in the open field. McCaffrey began practicing on Monday. It’s unclear how much of the game plan would include the 2023 NFL Offensive Player of the Year on Sunday, but head coach Kyle Shanahan said McCaffrey is ready to go against the Bucs. Tampa Bay is completing a brutal back-to-back on a short week. The Buccaneers fell to 4-5 after a 30-24 overtime loss at Kansas City on Monday. Another defeat could drop the Bucs further behind the Falcons (6-3) in the NFC South. Tampa Bay has lost three in a row and is off next week. Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield is third in the NFL with 23 passing touchdowns and is fourth in passing yards with 2,389 despite numerous injuries to his wide receivers. Mike Evans (hamstring) has missed the past two games and Chris Godwin is on injured reserve with a season-ending ankle dislocation. Mayfield said the key on Sunday will be working around a 49ers pass defense led by edge rusher Nick Bosa.
New England Patriots (2-7) at Chicago Bears (4-4), 1 p.m. ET, FOX
Sacked nine times with zero touchdown passes during a two-game losing streak since the bye week, Bears QB Caleb Williams rolls out the red carpet for the Patriots in a matchup with No. 3 pick Drake Maye. Maye has pumped new life into the Patriots’ offense with six TD passes and four interceptions in four games since being named New England’s starter. Maye owns a 1-3 record as a starter while Williams is 4-4. The Bears risk falling out of the NFC North race led by the Lions (7-1) with a third consecutive loss. Chicago was blown out 29-9 by the Cardinals last Sunday after falling 18-15 to the Commanders on Oct. 27. New England nearly pulled off a miracle last Sunday, forcing overtime against the Titans when Maye escaped multiple defenders to lob a game-tying 5-yard touchdown pass to Rhamondre Stevenson on the final play of regulation. But in OT, Maye was intercepted to end the game following a Tennessee field goal.
Denver Broncos (5-4) at Kansas City Chiefs (8-0), 1 p.m. ET, CBS
Patrick Mahomes tweaked his ankle in Kansas City’s overtime win Monday night and insists he’s good enough to take on the Broncos on Sunday. The Chiefs showed signs of renewed life in the passing game to take down the Buccaneers. WR DeAndre Hopkins had eight receptions for 86 yards and two touchdowns in his second game since being acquired from the Titans; TE Travis Kelce enjoyed his biggest game of the season, catching 14 passes for 100 yards. Kansas City carries a 14-game winning streak into Week 10 and has only one loss to the Broncos since 2015 with a record of 16-1 in that span. The loss came last October at Denver. The Broncos will be led by a different cast in the first of two meetings with the Chiefs this season. Rookie QB Bo Nix will try his hand at solving Steve Spagnuolo’s defense. Since 2019, Kansas City is 11-1 versus first-year starters, losing only to the Chargers’ Justin Herbert during that run. Denver has three wins on the road — at Tampa Bay, New Orleans and the Jets — but didn’t fare well in a 41-10 loss at Baltimore last week. A common opponent with the Chiefs, the Ravens, lost to Kansas City 27-20 in Week 1. That is one of the Chiefs’ six victories by a one-score margin in 2024.
Atlanta Falcons (6-3) at New Orleans Saints (2-7), 1 p.m. ET, FOX
The Saints are desperate for a reset after losing seven straight games following a surprise 2-0 start to the season. They fired coach Dennis Allen on Monday and traded former All-Pro cornerback Marshon Lattimore to the Commanders for draft picks at the deadline. “I don’t think anybody has lost hope,” interim coach Darren Rizzi said, “but right now the product is unacceptable. We have to improve in a lot of areas.” Derek Carr will remain New Orleans’ quarterback, however, for this divisional game against an Atlanta team trying to run away with its first NFC South title since 2016. Atlanta is 5-1 in its past six outings, and a Falcons win Sunday would make them 5-0 against division opponents; they already defeated the Saints 26-24 in September on a last-second 58-yard field goal by Younghoe Koo following a pass interference penalty on Saints cornerback Paulson Adebo. Kirk Cousins didn’t throw a touchdown pass in that meeting, but he is tied for fourth in the NFL with 17 TDs entering the weekend.
Pittsburgh Steelers (6-2) at Washington Commanders (7-2), 1 p.m. ET, CBS
Rookie of the Year favorite and MVP contender Jayden Daniels and the Commanders are 4-0 at Northwest Field and looking to hang on to first place in the NFC East. With a win, Daniels would become the fourth rookie QB since 1950 to win his first five home starts and Washington would be 8-2 for the first time since 1986. He faces a typically stingy Steelers defense that is allowing just 14.9 points per game, second-fewest in the NFL (Chargers, 12.6). Russell Wilson has energized the Pittsburgh offense, throwing for 542 yards and three touchdowns without an interception in two wins since replacing Justin Fields. Both teams fortified their rosters at Tuesday’s trade deadline, with Pittsburgh adding wide receiver Mike Williams from the Jets and edge rusher Preston Smith from the Packers, and Washington acquiring former All-Pro cornerback Marshon Lattimore from the Saints. Both teams enter with three-game winning streaks. Washington snapped a six-game losing streak in the series with a 23-17 win in the most recent meeting in 2020 in Pittsburgh.
Tennessee Titans (2-6) at Los Angeles Chargers (5-3), 4:05 p.m. ET, FOX
Defense is carrying the conservative Chargers. Los Angeles leads the NFL in scoring defense (12.6 points per game) and the Titans lost their past two road games by an average of 31 points. Tennessee shares the NFL’s worst record with multiple teams but could get a boost from the anticipated return of QB Will Levis. Levis led Tennessee to its only road win of the season at Miami on Sept. 30 but spent the past month recovering from a shoulder injury. He rejoins a huddle that subtracted WR DeAndre Hopkins at the trade deadline. RB Tony Pollard had 154 yards from scrimmage last week and has been the main consistent threat on offense. Chargers QB Justin Herbert has become more comfortable behind a polished offensive line and a growing rapport with rookie WR Ladd McConkey (four-plus catches in six consecutive games) and second-year WR Quenton Johnston. Johnston had 118 yards last week in his first career 100-yard game. Herbert could feast on the Titans’ secondary as Tennessee shuttles in new faces to help survive a rash of injuries.
Philadelphia Eagles (6-2) at Dallas Cowboys (3-5), 4:25 p.m. ET, CBS
Saquon Barkley went viral with a backwards hurdle over a Jacksonville defender last weekend as Philadelphia won its fourth straight game. The NFL’s second-leading rusher (925 yards) is hoping for forward progress this weekend against a bitter NFC East rival after going 0-10 against the Cowboys during his career with the Giants. Eagles QB Jalen Hurts has split his six regular-season starts against Dallas but arrives in Arlington on a heater, accumulating 14 touchdowns (eight rushing, six passing) and zero turnovers during the current win streak. The Eagles, under former Cowboys offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, rank sixth in the NFL in total offense (377.1) and face a Dallas D that has struggled without All-Pro Micah Parsons, ranked 30th against the run (147.8) and 31st in scoring defense (28.1 points per game). Parsons is expected to return from an ankle sprain but QB Dak Prescott is out with a hamstring injury and backup Cooper Rush is in. Rush can lean on CeeDee Lamb, who has 32 catches for 450 yards and three TDs in his last four games against Philadelphia.
New York Jets (3-6) at Arizona Cardinals (5-4), 4:25 p.m. ET, CBS
The Cardinals are in position to win four consecutive games for the first time since starting the 2021 season 7-0, then losing to the Aaron Rodgers-led Packers. Rodgers comes to Glendale on Sunday afternoon with the Jets driving for a dramatic revival. A five-game losing streak ended last week when Rodgers turned in a vintage effort against the Texans, connecting with Garrett Wilson and Davante Adams on TDs and letting the Jets get to work attacking the opposing quarterback. That plotline could be significant again Sunday. The Jets have 31 sacks, the team’s most through nine regular-season game since the NY Sack Exchange single-season record (66) more than 40 years ago. Arizona went three consecutive games without allowing Kyler Murray to be sacked, but the Bears got to him three times last week. That’s when the Cardinals shifted into a run-focused attack with James Conner — he had his fourth 100-yard game of the season last week — and Murray (averaging 8.1 yards per carry) are capable of moving the chains with their feet. Wilson and another former Ohio State wide receiver, No. 4 pick Marvin Harrison Jr., meet in the NFL for the first time.
Detroit Lions (7-1) at Houston Texans (6-3), 8:20 p.m. ET, NBC
Houston comes off a clunker last Thursday at the Jets, who sacked C.J. Stroud eight times and checked the Texans like few have since DeMeco Ryans arrived at the start of the 2023 season. The Lions own the best record in the NFC and stand second overall in the NFL behind only the unbeaten Kansas City Chiefs. Houston shared the fourth-best mark in the AFC with the Ravens before Baltimore’s Thursday night comeback to beat the Cincinnati Bengals. While Ryans would debate whether this is a “big game,” Detroit has ripped off six straight victories and views the Sunday primetime contest as a significant midseason test in the spotlight. “This is one we’re looking forward to,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said. Only the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 2 have figured out how to slay the Lions. Since then, QB Jared Goff has been nearly flawless in setting a record for accuracy during a just-completed five-game stretch. Houston opened the season with five wins in six games but has slumped by losing two of its past three games. Stroud was sacked a season-high eight times and completed a campaign-worst 36.7 percent of his throws (11 of 30). Detroit acquired pass rusher Za’Darius Smith at the Tuesday deadline and he’ll be part of the defensive line rotation chasing Stroud on Sunday night.
Monday’s game:
Miami Dolphins (2-6) at Los Angeles Rams (4-4), Monday 8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN
The Rams are on a three-game winning streak and have both Puka Nacua (knee) and Cooper Kupp (ankle) back in the fold at receiver. Los Angeles quarterback Matthew Stafford entered the week 10th in the NFL with 246.1 yards passing per game. Running back Kyren Williams has 602 yards on the ground with eight TDs, though he just saw his 10-game regular-season touchdown streak (dating back to last season) end in last week’s 26-20 overtime win against the Seattle Seahawks. Edge rushers Byron Young (four sacks) and rookie Jared Verse (3 1/2 sacks) have opposing quarterbacks under relentless pressure. They’ll be chasing Tua Tagovailoa, who has played two games since returning from his most recent concussion and was an impressive 25-of-28 passing for 231 yards and two touchdowns in last week’s 30-27 loss at Buffalo. His presence has allowed the running game to improve with De’Von Achane delivering 160 yards on the ground and a TD over the past two games. Tyreek Hill has 10 receptions for 152 yards over the past two games after he had 11 catches for 100 yards in three games with Tyler Huntley at QB.
