Looking at the matchups for Week 10, my initial thought was that it would be Blowout City.
It's never that simple. Or, rarely so. There would be a surprise result that I hadn't picked and for whatever reason (read: bias) wouldn't be able to foresee. Really, there were only two of those, and I bumbled into a third by forgetting the first rule of the 2010's NFL: Andy Dalton can't win in the regular season when the game is played in prime-time. I ignored that, and of course the Browns curb-stomped Cincy.
Boy, do I dislike Cincinnati.
I picked New Orleans to win straight up and that was looking good until the refs called offensive pass interference on Saints TE (not WR, TIGHT END) Jimmy Graham. The call was bogus because one of the DB's in the area, Perrish Cox, flopped like an NBA or European football player. So a sure-fire Saints win was turned into an OT game. Predictably, Drew Brees continued his year of "this guy is an elite QB? you must be joking" by fumbling the ball, thus giving the game to the 49ers.
The other goof was picking Pittsburgh to beat the Jets. No matter that the Steelers had won three in a row and Roethlisberger had thrown 12 TD's in the previous two games...the Steelers were bound and determined to not only look stupid, but to hand the Jets a win they didn't deserve. I should have known better, but somehow didn't.
And with that, here are the Rankings for Week 10:
1.) Arizona (8-1) [no change]
Palmer's injury may have an impact. What kind of impact, I'm not entirely sure. He's a good QB in Arians' system...but by no means was he playing at a level equal to Brady, Peyton, Rodgers, or Roethlisberger (before 11/9, at least). In other words, despite the extension he just received, he's actually replaceable, and while Stanton probably isn't that guy long-term (meaning, past this season), he'll likely be good enough to get the Cardinals into the playoffs. Of course, there's a huge difference between getting to the playoffs and being successful in the playoffs. And that is where Arians will be tested the most.
Next opponent: vs. Detroit (11/16)
2.) New England (7-2) [no change]
Nice to be #2 and on a bye, right? Especially when the two teams closest to you lose and the other team that won is so far behind that it doesn't matter.
Next opponent: at Indianapolis (11/16)
3.) Philadelphia (7-2) [no change]
I figured they would win against Carolina, but I wasn't sure it'd be quite as bloody as it turned out to be. I guess Darren Sproles still has something left in the tank after all. That, and Mark Sanchez, with the appropriate amount of weapons at his disposal, can be at least league-average at his position. Is he better than Foles? I can't say that I care either way, because Foles is out and I'm sure that once he's healthy the job will be his again. And I very much doubt that Sanchez will be starting for the Eagles in 2015 unless Foles is injured again.
Next opponent: at Green Bay (11/16)
4.) Detroit (7-2) [no change]
Free fall may not be coming for this team, although we'll certainly know more after next week. This week, they had a bit of trouble putting away a not-really-good Miami team and had to resort to the game-winning drive at the end. The good news is that Stafford ain't bad at those drives. No bad news yet.
Next opponent: at Arizona (11/16)
5.) Denver (7-2) [no change]
Two INT's in the first couple of drives wasn't a good look for Peyton and the Broncos. Then the TD's started piling up and the game (eventually) turned into a laugh. I can't say I was too worried. Nah, I was pissed that it wasn't a rout from the word go. And deep down I may have been concerned that Denver would play against Oakland the way San Diego did a few weeks ago. Thankfully, that did not come to pass and Denver is still looking like the best team in the AFC this side of the Mississippi.
Next opponent: at St. Louis (11/16)
6.) Dallas (7-3) [+3]
I'm not sure why they played Romo in London. But they did and the Cowboys won handily. So all's well that ends well, I suppose. They get a bye and hopefully some guys can get healed up (as much as you can in a week) before getting down to the meat of their schedule with division opponents coming up.
Next opponent: at NY Giants (11/23)
7.) Indianapolis (6-3) [no change]
I just hope they spent their bye in a more productive fashion than some other teams. But when you have to prepare for New England and their unique TE-based (read: Gronk) offense, there are two things to consider: more time is good; it may not matter in the end.
Next opponent: vs. New England (11/16)
8.) Green Bay (6-3) [+2]
Fresh off demolishing a division rival, what will the Packers have left when they take on the Eagles? I'm guessing 3-5 TD's by Rodgers thrown to various targets, but it's hard to say for sure. The Eagles defense is by no means elite. At the same time, you would have to figure that Rodgers will eventually slow down and stop chucking bombs with such success. Either that or he'll make the last game look like a tea party by comparison. Anything is possible, which makes the league so frustrating to predict.
Next opponent: vs. Philadelphia (11/16)
9.) Cleveland (6-3) [-]
Are the Browns suddenly "for real"? Probably not. But they are leading the AFC North, which is something worth celebrating. Not only are they looking good after nine games, but so is the rest of the division. That's not something that any other division can really claim. Even without their center, the Browns find ways to get things done and their defense has picked up over the last few weeks.
Next opponent: vs. Houston (11/16)
10.) Kansas City (6-3) [-]
I have no idea if Kansas City is actually "good" or deserving of a place here. So their spot at 10th is really provisional until I see what happens in Week 11. There was another 6-3 team that didn't make the cut this week and it just so happens that KC is hosting them next week. Which team? The Seattle Seahawks, of course. How perfect is that? Well, it's the kind of serendipity you don't usually see. I'm grateful for it, if nothing else.
Next opponent: vs. Seattle (11/16)
That's all for this week. See you next week.
