A wild NFL season continues as we enter Week 10 of the 2024 campaign. We kicked things off with a banger on Thursday Night Football, with the Bengals vs. Ravens providing fans with yet another instant classic.
Baltimore and Cincinnati aren't the only divisional rivals battling this week, as Kansas City vs. Denver, Atlanta vs. New Orleans, and Philadelphia vs. Dallas are just a few of the games on the slate that "mean a little more."
Good, bad, and ugly...we'll go through every Week 10 game in this article, offering picks, predictions, and analysis on each and every one. Thanks for joining us here at RotoBaller; let's dive into the slate!
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Baltimore Ravens 31, Cincinnati Bengals 28
We kick off Week 10 with what might be the best matchup of the week. These divisional rivals delivered a classic when they met in Week 5, with the Ravens coming away with a 41-38 victory over the Bengals in overtime.
We can expect more fireworks here, as both of these offenses are humming. Baltimore scored 40 or more points in three of their last five games, while Cincinnati came off a 41-point outburst against the Raiders last week.
Ravens are debuting their “Purple Rising” alternate helmets for tonight’s game vs. the Bengals: pic.twitter.com/pPGvBOD9eX
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 7, 2024
The Ravens are fielding a surprisingly bad secondary in 2024 and currently rank dead last in the NFL in passing yards allowed per game. Expect a trending Joe Burrow to take full advantage.
Unfortunately for the Bengals, their defense stands little chance of slowing down a Baltimore offense that's averaging just over 31 points per game with MVP candidate Lamar Jackson at the helm. Look for another close one with plenty of points and for the Ravens to successfully defend their home field.
New York Giants 21, Carolina Panthers 14 (International Series - Germany)
The Panthers picked up their second win of the season against the sliding Saints last week. As a reward, they must travel to Munich, Germany, for an International Series game against the New York Giants. Subjecting German fans to this matchup might be America's most hostile action towards the country since World War 2.
While these squads boast matching 2-7 records, it feels as though the G-Men aren't quite in the same category as the perpetually bad Panthers. New York at least fields some legitimate offensive weapons in Malik Nabers and Tyrone Tracy Jr., as well as a defense that leads the NFL with 35 sacks this season.
Chicago Bears 20, New England Patriots 13
Though it's still early, it feels as though both Chicago and New England made good picks in the 2024 NFL Draft. While neither Caleb Williams nor Drake Maye's rookie stats will blow you away at this point, there have been some encouraging signs from each of them.
Unfortunately, both Williams and Maye are stuck with franchises that possess serious issues. Bears head coach Matt Eberflus - and offensive coordinator Shane Waldron - could well be on the way out of the Windy City, while New England is surrounding Maye with what might legitimately be the worst offensive supporting cast in the league at the moment.
Rather than a shootout between two rookie QBs, we should probably expect more of a barroom brawl with Williams and Chicago's superior defense coming out on top.
Buffalo Bills 28, Indianapolis Colts 20
Indy's decision to turn to veteran Joe Flacco didn't pan out in Week 9, as the Colts managed just 227 yards of total offense in a Sunday night loss to Minnesota. Meanwhile, the 7-2 Bills won their fourth straight by escaping against divisional rival Miami.
The Colts sport a 3-1 record at home this season, but it's tough to envision even the friendly confines of Lucas Oil Stadium being enough to overcome Josh Allen and a Buffalo squad that's playing at a high level right now. The Colts are allowing a whopping 400.3 total yards per game to opponents this season. Allen and a trending Bills backfield are good enough to take advantage.
Minnesota Vikings 27, Jacksonville Jaguars 20
After dropping two straight, Minnesota returned to the win column against the Colts in Week 9. The Vikings also welcomed back tight end T.J. Hockenson, a player who will pay dividends for this offense as the season progresses.
While Minnesota QB Sam Darnold has cooled a bit since his red-hot start to the year, he was able to level up three turnovers with three second-half TD passes in last week's win. Darnold's not perfect, but he'll be able to take advantage of a Jaguars defense that's been shredded for 8.3 yards per attempt by opposing quarterbacks this season.
Kansas City Chiefs 24, Denver Broncos 17
Despite still not playing their best football, the Chiefs moved to 8-0 with an overtime win over the Bucs on Monday night. Trade acquisition DeAndre Hopkins broke out for two TDs and appeared to be a strong addition to an injury-plagued KC offense.
2 yard TD Kareem Hunt----game winning call by @mitchholthus
Chiefs go to 8-0 (14th straight win)
Next game: Broncos
KC: 30
TB: 24🎙️ @mitchholthus @dahughesguy83 @ChiefsRadioNet
LISTEN LIVE:https://t.co/gZNyUvCGS4 pic.twitter.com/Cf8L4viPnw
— 96.5 The Fan (@TheFan965) November 5, 2024
The unsung hero for Andy Reid's squad continues to be a stout defense that's allowing the league's second-fewest total yards per game.
Denver had won five of six before running into a Baltimore buzzsaw in Week 9. The Broncos suffered a 41-10 beatdown from the Ravens. I expect the Chiefs to exploit some of the same Denver flaws that were exposed last week, namely containing rookie Broncos quarterback Bo Nix in the pocket and forcing him to make downfield throws.
Atlanta Falcons 31, New Orleans Saints 21
After losing their seventh straight game to the lowly Panthers, New Orleans fired head coach Dennis Allen earlier this week. Special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi was named interim head coach.
It might not matter who is manning the sidelines for the Saints, as they remained one of the NFL's most injury-riddled teams. Even though quarterback Derek Carr is back in the lineup, this offense will likely be without star receiver Chris Olave, who suffered a scary concussion last week.
On paper, this should be an easy win for a Falcons team that easily handled the Cowboys in Week 9 to move to 6-3. However, this divisional rivalry is never that simple, as the squads have a history of wild and close games. The Saints will undoubtedly come out fired up for their interim coach in front of a home crowd at the Superdome, but look for Atlanta to outlast an early barrage and pull away late.
San Francisco 49ers 35, Tampa Bay Bucs 27
The poor Bucs just can't get a break. Down both Chris Godwin and Mike Evans, Tampa Bay fought valiantly against the Chiefs on Monday night before suffering an overtime loss. The schedule makers have done the Bucs no favors, as they now face the San Francisco 49ers on a short week.
Kyle Shanahan's group has also been forced to deal with more than their fair share of injuries this season. However, there's a chance that all-world running back Christian McCaffrey will make his first appearance of 2024 in this one.
No matter CMC's availability, look for San Fran to come in well-rested off their bye and rack up points against a Tampa Bay defense that's dead last in the NFL in total yards allowed per game.
Pittsburgh Steelers 21, Washington Commanders 20
Mike Tomlin's decision to insert Russell Wilson into the Pittsburgh starting lineup wasn't without controversy, but it's unquestionably worked so far. The Steelers are 2-0 with Wilson under center and have amassed over 400 yards of offense in each of his starts.
Steelers vs Commanders Preview
- Pittsburgh is a very good team and should not be underestimated
- Kingsbury's offense with a bounce back week moving them up in most categories
- Let's see how much the defensive statistics change over the next few weeks with Marshon Lattimore in… pic.twitter.com/vhi1xgx94h— Mason Kinnahan (@Mason_Kinnahan) November 7, 2024
This experienced Steelers group will face the upstart Commanders and rookie QB Jayden Daniels in Week 10. Daniels has looked like a superstar en route to leading Washington to their best start since 1996.
While the Commanders' offense has been a well-oiled machine with Kliff Kingsbury calling the shots, Pittsburgh's defense will throw everything but the kitchen sink at the rookie here and slow him down just enough to steal a tight one on the road.
Arizona Cardinals 24, New York Jets 23
Certainly one of the trickier matchups on the board, I'll personally be staying away from this one. The only predictable thing about both the Cardinals and Jets this season is that they've been unpredictable.
Gang Green showed what they are capable of in the second half of a Thursday night victory over Houston, while Arizona has quietly won three in a row. I don't trust either side here, but I will slightly lean to the Cardinals at home.
Los Angeles Chargers 24, Tennessee Titans 13
Jim Harbaugh's squad has now won three of four after an impressive 27-10 over the Browns in Cleveland last week. L.A.'s defense is allowing the fewest points per game in the NFL, while Justin Herbert has continued to be uber-efficient when given opportunities to throw the ball.
The Titans scraped out an ugly overtime win over the Pats in Week 9...just their second of the season. In Harbaugh's Chargers, they'll face a team that plays a similar style at a much higher level.
Philadelphia Eagles 28, Dallas Cowboys 14
Two NFC East rivals who are headed in opposite directions, Philadelphia has surged to four straight wins, while Dallas has dropped three in a row. As if a 3-5 record wasn't bad enough, the Cowboys sent quarterback Dak Prescott to IR this week and will turn things over to Cooper Rush against the Eagles.
#Cowboys QB Dak Prescott’s initial diagnosis is a partial avulsion of his hamstring tendon which is partially torn off the bone. This kind of typically takes more than a 4 week recovery. In some cases, they let it scar over, repair and then strengthen. Per Jane Slater. The… pic.twitter.com/zzinULxWrK
— The Cowboys Network (@TheCowboysNet) November 6, 2024
Philly's recent streak has been spurred by an offense that's finally starting to click. The Eagles have scored 28 or more points in each of their last three games behind strong performances from Jalen Hurts and Saquan Barkley.
Dallas has been shredded on the ground this season and ranks 30th in the league in rushing yards allowed per game. The Eagles rushing attack will grind down the undermanned 'Boys this week.
Detroit Lions 31, Houston Texans 27
Dan Campbell's bunch left Week 9 with both a 7-1 record and a huge divisional road win over the Packers. The winners of six straight, Detroit has arguably been the NFL's best team to this point. That said, another tough road challenge awaits against Houston on Sunday Night Football.
Some of the Texans' flaws were certainly exposed in a Thursday loss to the Jets, including their spotty protection of C.J. Stroud. Houston is expecting star pass-catcher Nico Collins back against Detroit, and he'll be a huge addition to their injury-ravaged receiving corps. While the Texans organization is undoubtedly headed in the right direction, they aren't on par with the red-hot Lions just yet.
Los Angeles Rams 24, Miami Dolphins 23
The resurgent Los Angeles Rams host the Miami Dolphins on Monday night to close out Week 10. Sean McVay and company have weathered a rash of injuries this season and evened their record up at 4-4 with a walk-off overtime win over Seattle last week.
Matthew Stafford TO Demarcus Robinson ONE-HANDED TD TO WIN THE GAME FOR THE @RAMSNFL! pic.twitter.com/xqFG6xQ4eS
— NFL (@NFL) November 4, 2024
Though Tua Tagovailoa returned to the lineup two weeks ago, Miami still hasn't recorded a win since Week 5. The Dolphins are unquestionably a different team with Tua under center, though, at 2-6, they are fighting to salvage their season at this point.
Traveling to L.A. after losing a heartbreaker at Buffalo is a tough ask, especially against a Rams team that finally appears to be getting healthy, with Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua both expected to suit up.
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