WEEK 10 MATCHUPS
NEW ORLEANS (6-2) AT BUFFALO (5-3)
NFC South leaders vs. AFC East chasers, volume one. The Saints are one of the league’s main surprises. We all expect Drew Brees to load up on passing yards and touchdowns, but New Orleans’ ground game has been formidable with Mark Ingram and rookie Alvin Kamara, a former Tennessee Volunteer. As for the defense, it’s been just as responsible for a six-game winning streak. The Bills are 4-0 at home this season; league-leading Philadelphia is the only other team that’s spotless in its own stadium this season.
PITTSBURGH (6-2) AT INDIANAPOLIS (3-6) Pittsburgh’s defense hasn’t allowed a TD on an opening possession in 25 games, the longest active streak in the NFL. Expecting the Colts’ defense to handle Steelers RB Le’Veon Bell and WR Antonio Brown — on the opening possession or otherwise — might be far too much.
MINNESOTA (6-2) AT WASHINGTON (4-4) Minnesota is comfy atop the NFC North with a two-game lead and showing lots of balance on offense and defense during a string of four wins. Washington enters off a comeback victory at Seattle made more impressive by the wave of injuries it has fought through. Its defense, led by LBs Zack Brown and Ryan Kerrigan, has looked formidable.
NEW ENGLAND (6-2) AT DENVER (3-5) With the Patriots on a four-game winning streak and the Broncos in a four-game slide, this might look like a mismatch. Beware of that: While New England is seeking a 12th consecutive regular-season road win, which would tie its own AFC record, coach Bill Belichick is 8-10 and QB Tom Brady 3-7 against the Broncos. Denver, minus-12 in turnovers this season, must protect the ball better.
L.A. CHARGERS (3-5) AT JACKSONVILLE (5-3) Jaguars rookie RB Leonard Fournette, already a big part of the AFC South co-leaders, can become the first player in NFL history to score a TD in the first seven games of a career. Former Jags head coach and current Chargers defensive coordinator Gus Bradley returns to Jacksonville 11 months after getting fired to end one of the worst coaching tenures (14-48) in NFL history.
HOUSTON (3-5) AT L.A. RAMS (6-2) Houston was inept on offense for most of last week’s loss to Indianapolis. It had to revamp much of its playbook to suit the more stationary, less imaginative game of QB Tom Savage with Deshaun Watson gone for the season because of a knee injury. Rams QB Jared Goff is coming off career highs in passing yards (311) and TDs (four) in a rout of the Giants.
N.Y. JETS (4-5) AT TAMPA BAY (2-6) Journeyman QB Ryan Fitzpatrick had one very good season and one horrendous year with the Jets. With Buccaneers starter Jameis Winston out for the first time after 40 games as a pro, Fitzpatrick will start against his former team — he also has played for the Rams, Bengals, Bills, Titans and Texans — and face New York’s current journeyman QB. Josh McCown is having a strong season as the entrenched starter, though, and leads the AFC in completion rate at 70.4 percent.
GREEN BAY (4-4) AT CHICAGO (3-5)
While Minnesota appears ready to march off with the NFC North, these also-rans continue the NFL’s longest rivalry. The Packers have won seven in a row at Soldier Field. Give Chicago credit for playing hard as the roster is rebuilt.
CLEVELAND (0-8) AT DETROIT (4-4)
Only four franchises have never made a Super Bowl, and these are two of them; the others are Jacksonville and Houston. The Lions looked solid last week against undermanned Green Bay.
N.Y. GIANTS (1-7) AT SAN FRANCISCO (0-8) This is the first time since 1984 these teams have played this late in the season with only one combined win. Enough said.
MIAMI (4-4) AT CAROLINA (6-3)
NFC South leaders vs. AFC East chasers, volume two (Monday night edition). Inconsistent Carolina comes off a key division victory against Atlanta and now faces Miami’s abysmal offense — the Dolphins have averaged a league-worst 14.5 points per game this year. The Panthers, who have the NFL’s top-rated defense, seem to be getting first-round pick RB Christian McCaffrey more involved in the offense.