Week 10 in the NFL started off with the Pittsburgh Steelers dominating the Carolina Panthers on Thursday Night Football. That was one of only two games this week in which both teams enter the matchup with winning records. The other comes this afternoon when the Cincinnati Bengals play host to the New Orleans Saints.
The 6 NFL games with the most on the line in Week 10
Division standings, the playoff picture, and pride are on the line in Week 10 of the NFL season.
Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
The Steelers made the Panthers look silly and we wouldn’t be all that surprised to see the Saints do the same to the Bengals. With that said, this is an important game for Cincinnati as they need to play catch up with the Steelers in the AFC North. Here are six games in Week 10 that could have the biggest impact on the remainder of the 2018 season.
1. New Orleans Saints at Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals come into this game with a 5-3 record and need to get every win possible to keep up with the 6-2-1 Steelers who have won five straight games. Despite having just one loss, the Saints only have a slim hold of first place in the NFC South at 7-1. That’s because prior to getting throttled by the Steelers, the Panthers had been on a roll and are 6-3 and in second place in the division.
In addition to needing all the wins they can get, the Bengals defense is in jeopardy of becoming the first-ever NFL defense to allow three straight 500-yard games. The Bengals allowed 576 yards against the Buccaneers in Week 8 and 551 yards against the Chiefs the week prior. Cincinnati had a bye week to rest up and prepare for New Orleans but Drew Brees and Co. are averaging 402 yards per game and it’s entirely possible (if not likely) that the Saints force the Bengals into making NFL history in embarrassing fashion.
The AFC South is looking like the Texans’ to lose as they lead the division with a 6-3 record. That’s two games better than the 4-4 Titans and three games ahead of both the Colts and Jaguars who have 3-5 records. But if these two teams want to make up ground, it starts in a division game this week with running back Leonard Fournette returning to action for Jacksonville.
The Colts started the year 1-5 but have won their last two games and are trying to defy history by making the playoffs after rough start. The loser of this game won’t officially be out of the playoff race, but it will be a bad sign for their postseason hopes.
3. Washington at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Washington leads the NFC East with a 5-3 record but the team just placed three starters on injured reserve and have the Eagles are knocking on their door (more on that in a minute). Washington’s lead in the division could quickly disappear if they don’t beat the weaker teams on their schedule, like the Buccaneers who have only three wins this season.
After Tampa Bay, Washington has games against the Texans and then three straight division games against the Cowboys, Eagles, and Giants. This is nearly a must-win game for Jay Gruden’s squad.
4. Dallas Cowboys at Philadelphia Eagles
The Cowboys don’t seem destined to be a playoff team, but crazier things have happened than a 3-5 Dallas team finding a way to make it into the playoffs. That’s especially true considering Washington’s health situation and the Eagles’ up-and-down play this year.
With that said, Philly had a great bye week as they watched both Washington and Dallas lose in Week 9. Of course an NFC East brawl is a primetime game and this Sunday Night Football matchup could go a long way toward determining the winner of the division.
The Dolphins started the season hot, but the Patriots are cruising toward winning the AFC East for the 10th straight year. Miami is likely going to need to secure a wild card seed to get into the playoffs. They’re currently behind the Bengals and Chargers (who have what should be an easy matchup with the Raiders this week) in the standings.
The Packers have had an unexpected first half of the season as they’re in third place in the NFC North behind the Bears and Vikings. Complicating matters further is their tie with Minnesota from earlier this year. The Packers have the 11th-ranked offense, which is pretty shocking considering Aaron Rodgers is their quarterback and all. He has the sixth-most passing yards in the league, but the 13th-highest passer rating, and only six starting quarterbacks have a worse completion percentage (four of whom are rookies). Aaron Rodgers just hasn’t really seemed like Aaron Rodgers in 2018.
6. Detroit Lions at Chicago Bears
The third division matchup on this list features the NFC North’s fourth-place Lions who are traveling to take on the first-place Bears. Chicago’s offense has been scoring at the sixth-highest rate in the league while the Lions rank 20th in that regard. When it comes to defense, the Bears are a top five unit while the Lions are right around the league average.
On paper, you’d expect the Bears to win this game, but in a divisional matchup anything is possible. If the Lions want to keep their playoff hopes alive, they must win this game. The NFC North is still anyone’s to win, but the Bears have the edge heading into this afternoon’s slate of games.
Sunday’s Week 10 NFL schedule
Detroit Lions at Chicago Bears, 1 p.m. (FOX)
New Orleans Saints at Cincinnati Bengals, 1 p.m. (FOX)
Atlanta Falcons at Cleveland Browns, 1 p.m. (FOX)
Jacksonville Jaguars at Indianapolis Colts, 1 p.m. (CBS)
Arizona Cardinals at Kansas City Chiefs, 1 p.m. (CBS)
Buffalo Bills at New York Jets, 1 p.m. (CBS)
Washington at Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 1 p.m. (FOX)
New England Patriots at Tennessee Titans, 1 p.m. (CBS)
Los Angeles Chargers at Oakland Raiders, 4:05 p.m. (FOX)
Seattle Seahawks at Los Angeles Rams, 4:25 p.m. (CBS)
Miami Dolphins at Green Bay Packers, 4:25 p.m. (CBS)
Dallas Cowboys at Philadelphia Eagles, 8:20 p.m. (NBC)
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