Week 10 of this NFL season was punctuated by stunning upsets of teams that previously looked pretty damn good. What's particularly galling is that the teams who won were hardly what we might call "high-caliber". Green Bay and Cincinnati in particular dropped the ball in hilarious fashion and survival pools suffered as a result.
My picks for the week, as could be expected, were a disaster. 6-8 total, with galling losses all over. I'm not adept at calling the upset, apparently, because other than getting Chicago and Washington right, I floundered.
Also, thanks to Cincinnati's loss there are only two undefeated teams left.
Here are the Rankings for Week 10:
1.) New England (9-0) [no change]
Is it any surprise, really? I guess it is, in a way, but there should be no doubt that the Giants are not the same team that went 5-1 against the Pats under Coughlin. It's possible that troubling times are ahead without Edelman and Dion Lewis, but since it's the Pats I pretty much expect them to transcend and overcome. Not only that, but I expect them to make a game effort at going undefeated in spite of the losses, because they still have Brady and Gronk and Belichick continues to be a mastermind. Will it be harder without Edelman and Lewis? Most definitely. But it's not impossible and I won't count out the Pats at any juncture.
Next opponent: vs. Buffalo (11/23)
2.) Carolina (9-0) [no change]
The Panthers shut out the Titans in the 2nd half on their way to a 27-10 victory. Yeah, that's more like it. Cam Newton continues to be excellent in that not quite MVP but still a possible Super Bowl winner way of his, and this time the defense played the whole game instead of falling off a cliff in the 4th quarter.
Next opponent: vs. Washington (11/22)
3.) Cincinnati (8-1) [no change]
Dude, I called it. Too bad I can't drop them to the bottom...alas, they're still a top-three team despite that stink bomb on national television.
Next opponent: at Arizona (11/22)
4.) Minnesota (7-2) [+1]
After a disastrous Week 1 road game, I essentially wrote off Minnesota as a contender. After a second road game on the West Coast, they're looking quite a bit better. I'm still hedging because Bridgewater's play has been uninspiring and generally not very good. But Peterson remains a beast and it's entirely possible that Minnesota can win the division thanks to the Packers' ongoing swoon.
Next opponent: vs. Green Bay (11/22)
5.) Arizona (7-2) [+1]
I may have my doubts about how far the Cardinals can go in the playoffs, but the NFC West looks like it's been sewn up. No other team in the division even qualifies as "good", they are all some variation of dreadful. Carson Palmer was going bombs away as much as the O-line would let him and was rewarded late as he and the receivers eviscerated Seattle's heavily overrated defense. Palmer was also better than Russell Wilson by several miles. Since I'm no Seattle fan, I found that part of the win particularly enjoyable.
Next opponent: vs. Cincinnati (11/22)
6.) Denver (7-2) [-2]
I had no idea Peyton was injured. Still, that doesn't explain his dreadful 0.0 QB rating and four absolutely awful interceptions. He was then benched for Brock Osweiler, a guy who's done next to nothing and has been less than convincing in the few snaps he's gotten. Word has already come down that Osweiler will be starting next week, and if there's any team primed for a swoon, it's Denver. When the Cowboys lost Romo, I thought they might be able to win a game here or there; seven weeks (and seven losses) later, that thought looks pretty stupid. Peyton probably won't be out as long as Romo, but this is still a bad situation for Denver at a time when they're going to face some stiff competition.
Next opponent: at Chicago (11/22)
7.) Pittsburgh (6-4) [+3]
Ben Roethlisberger is tougher than all of us put together, apparently. He came off the bench and torched Cleveland's defense en route to a blowout win. Big surprise? Well, maybe the surprise is exacerbated by the fact that they were one of the few good teams to pick up a win in Week 10. Who knows. Either way, Roethlisberger probably would have benefited from more time to get healthy, but his performance seems to indicate that he can work through the pain. Admirable, for sure. And now they have the bye, so I'm guessing all will be well in short order.
Next opponent: at Seattle (11/29)
8.) Green Bay (6-3) [-1]
I get that Rodgers is missing Jordy Nelson (who he hardly seemed to throw to, but whatever), but the offense looks worse than putrid and they just lost to the freakin' Lions. It's rapidly becoming closer to midnight in Green Bay and all recent indications are pointing to pumpkin time. Hell, they've already lost the division lead that looked like a lock.
Next opponent: at Minnesota (11/22)
9.) Atlanta (6-3) [no change]
The best thing that could have happened to Atlanta was hitting the bye. Although Carolina is still undefeated, the other NFC teams that look like contenders will be hard-pressed to catch up to Atlanta if the Falcons keep winning. Then again, the Falcons were in a bit of a tailspin and are coming off the loss to Blaine Gabbert and San Francisco. So...not the most positive times, but there are winnable games out there, without a doubt.
Next opponent: vs. Indianapolis (11/22)
10.) Buffalo (5-4) [-]
It might be hard to recall exactly, but the Bills played on Thursday in Week 10. Their next game is on Monday in Week 11, a nice tidy break for a team that had plenty of injury concerns. Unfortunately (for them), they get the Pats. Ouch.
Next opponent: at New England (11/23)
That's all for this week. See you next week.
