Believe it or not, we're already in Week 10 of the NFL regular season, and with just nine weeks until the playoffs, there's a sense of urgency across the league.
The second head coach of the season received his walking papers last week. The Saints fired Dennis Allen on Monday and hired Darren Rizzi on an interim basis as they look for a way to end a league-worst seven-game losing streak. The trade deadline continued Tuesday and ended with 25 teams participating in 18 trades in hopes of strengthening their rosters for the homestretch.
The divisional race is starting to take shape, or get tense. The key AFC North showdown took place Thursday night, with Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens defeating Joe Burrow's Bengals 35-34 despite a historic night from Cincinnati wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase. Ta.
The battle continues on Sunday morning, when the New York Giants and Carolina Panthers face off in Munich, Germany. This will be followed by seven games starting at 1:00 PM ET, three more starting at 4:00 PM ET, and a Sunday night matchup between the Detroit Lions and Houston Texans. Week 10 concludes Monday night with the Miami Dolphins visiting the Los Angeles Rams.
Here are five fascinating stories from this week's NFL. (See the complete schedule here.)
1. Familiar faces in new location after trade deadline
Eight players changed their addresses on Tuesday, the last day of trade for each team. This brings the total number of player transfers this season to 19. In recent weeks, we've seen Davante Adams, Amari Cooper, and DeAndre Hopkins make their debuts with their new teams. Now, we're about to see a new group of players look to strengthen the team's chances of competing for a district title, a playoff berth, and a Super Bowl berth.
Mid-season trades rarely dramatically change a team's fortunes, but there are some exceptions. Hopkins looked like a difference-maker in Kansas City, recording two touchdown catches to help his new team make the jump last Monday in Tampa Bay. Who will make an immediate impact this week? Cornerback Marshon Lattimore (hamstring) is out with the Washington Commanders, and Lions pass rusher Za'Darius Smith may not play Sunday, but Keep an eye on the Steelers' two new additions: edge rusher Preston Smith and wide receiver Mike Williams.
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2. Steelers vs. Commanders: An unlikely meeting of department leaders
The Steelers and Commanders both reset at quarterback this offseason. The Steelers acquired veteran Russell Wilson in hopes that the nine-time Pro Bowl selection can help them win their first playoff game since the 2016 season. Meanwhile, managers drafted Jaden Daniels second overall, hoping he could save the team from years of dysfunction and incompetence.
Wilson's tenure with the Steelers got off to a slow start as Justin Fields was sidelined for five weeks with a calf strain while helping lead Pittsburgh to a 3-2 start. But in a starting role, Wilson became the difference-maker Mike Tomlin envisioned this offseason, leading the offense to its best two games of the year with a 2-0 record.
Meanwhile, Daniels has shined as a passer and rusher in one of the league's most prolific offenses, and as a result is considered a favorite to win Rookie of the Year. Midway through the season, these teams are not only winning thanks in large part to their new quarterbacks, but both teams are leading their respective divisions. Pittsburgh (6-2) leads the AFC North, and Washington (7-2) leads the NFC East.
Both teams enter Sunday's contest in Landover, Maryland, on three-game winning streaks, but need a win to stop their divisional foes (Pittsburgh in Baltimore, Washington in Philadelphia). This game will be a reunion for Steelers coach Mike Tomlin and Commanders' Dan Quinn. In 1994, Tomlin played defensive back for William & Mary and Quinn served as the Tribe's defensive line coach. The following season, the two accepted positions on the coaching staff at Virginia Military Academy. He will now aim to lead his team to victory and maintain the momentum built in the first half of the season. (Steelers vs. Commanders, Sunday 1:00 p.m. ET)
3. Next tough test for the Broncos: Visit to the Chiefs.
Led by Sean Payton, the Broncos are off to a surprising 5-3 start to the season despite playing with a rookie quarterback and experiencing growing pains in other areas. But last week, they ran into a buzzsaw in Baltimore, losing 41-10. They are in a tight battle for second place in the AFC West with the Chargers (5-3) and remain hopeful of ending their eight-year playoff drought.
Their next mission will not be easy. On Sunday, Denver heads to Kansas City to take on the 8-0 Chiefs, the NFL's only undefeated team. Patrick Mahomes has a 12-1 record against the Broncos. His only loss came in Week 8 last season, when he threw two interceptions and no touchdowns, but also lost a fumble in a 24-9 loss to Denver.
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Can the Broncos win their second straight title? “It's a good opportunity for us to show off what we have,” cornerback Pat Surtain II said this week. If there's anyone who will challenge Mahomes to stop it, it's Surtain, who is considered one of the NFL's top cornerbacks.
But Denver's biggest concern may be Denver's own offense versus Kansas City's defense. Rookie quarterback Bo Nix has been brilliant this season, but he will have to face mastermind Steve Spagnuolo's unit this week. Spaggs makes life difficult for most quarterbacks, but his defenses especially tend to coddle rookie quarterbacks. Since 2019, Spagnuolo has an 11-1 record against rookie QBs, and the Chiefs are 5-0 at home against Denver over the same span. Spagnuolo will send all kinds of pressure, disguise coverage, and plant seeds of doubt in the Knicks' minds. How will Payton equip the rookie to meet this challenge? (Broncos vs. Chiefs, Sunday 1:00 p.m. ET)
Rookie Marvin Harrison Jr. helped turn the tide for the Cardinals. (Matt Kartsian/Imagine Images)
4. Rise of the Arizona Cardinals
Is it time to start looking at the Cardinals from a different perspective? After starting the season 1-3, the Cardinals were thought to be out of contention in the NFC West, but since then, the Cardinals have lost their last five games. They won 4 games (including 3 consecutive wins) and moved up to 5 wins and 4 losses. Arizona hosts the New York Jets on Sunday and currently sits atop the division standings.
A 41-10 blowout win over the Rams in Week 2 was Arizona's only highlight of the early season. But after a 42-14 loss to the Commanders, coach Jonathan Gannon's team bounced back with a 24-23 victory over San Francisco in Week 5. They lost to the Packers in Week 6, but went on to win back-to-back games against the Chargers and Dolphins. After a comfortable win over the Bears last week, the Cardinals are currently the only team in the NFC West with a winning record.
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There's a lot to like about this team. Quarterback Kyler Murray manages the football well, distributing it to a variety of weapons, including tight end Trey McBride and wide receivers Marvin Harrison Jr. and Michael Wilson. As a rookie, Harrison showed signs of dominance (his six-catch, 111-yard performance in Week 8 helped lead Arizona to a win over Miami). Running back James Conner ranks sixth in the NFL in rushing. The Cardinals have shown improvement defensively and are hoping for further development with the trade for Baron Browning.
While Arizona appears to be heading in the right direction, the Jets have endured a tough season, losing five in a row before last week's win over Houston. Aaron Rodgers, Garrett Wilson and Adams lead the Jets' offense, but the team has yet to live up to expectations. New York's defense has given up more than 330 yards in three of the past four games under interim head coach and defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich, who replaced the fired Robert Saleh. The Jets' biggest weakness is stopping runs, so shipping Conner, fellow Bucs Trey Benson and Emari Demercado, and adding Murray could help pave the Cardinals' path to success. do not have. (Jets vs. Cardinals, Sunday 4:25 p.m. ET)
5. Detroit Lions: Ripe for an upset?
Meanwhile, the Lions, who are 7-1 and on a six-game winning streak, are one of the hottest teams in the league. They often look like the best team in the entire NFL. But could Dan Campbell's imposing group pull off an upset Sunday night in Houston?
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Jared Goff leads the NFL with a 74.9 completion percentage and has thrown 100, 72, 88, 80 and 81.8 percent in recent weeks with 11 touchdowns and zero interceptions. The Lions can win quite a bit. They can win ugly. Detroit's defense is one of the best in the red zone, allowing touchdowns just 43.48 percent of the time (fourth best) and just 37.5 percent in the past three games combined.
However, the Texans are coming off a bye, and while Las Vegas trails the Texans by 3.5 points at home, DeMeco Ryan's team is 3-0 with a rest advantage due to a bye or mini-bye. The Lions' offensive output has declined recently (225 yards against Tennessee in Week 8, 261 yards against Green Bay in Week 9). Meanwhile, Detroit's defense has allowed at least 130 rushing yards in four of the past five games. Texans quarterback CJ Stroud will get a lot of attention, but without his top two receivers his efforts will be hampered. But running back Joe Mixon, who has reached 100 yards five times in six games this season, could exploit Detroit's weaknesses in that department and position the team for a strong game. (Lions vs. Texans, Sunday 8:20 p.m. ET)
(Top photo: Joe Sargent/Getty Images)
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