Week 10 NFL Preview

The four games of the week lived up to most of the hype going into each. The winners came out as big winners while the losers left their respective game as big losers. In a crucial AFC South showdown, the Colts again proved that they are the dominant team in the AFC South and the Texans have improved, but still have a bit to go to knock off the Colts. The game was close and for that the Texans offense gets a lot of credit for keeping up with QB Peyton Manning. However, they were mismatched in coverage against TE Dallas Clark as he moved the ball through their defense. It did take a missed field goal as time expired for the Colts to escape. The rematch will certainly be another good one. Two very good offenses! The Giants' slide continued as they failed to hold off the Chargers late fourth quarter comeback. They now enter their bye week at 5-4 after starting 5-0. Not the way the team that won a Super Bowl two years ago expected themselves to be. The Chargers, on the other hand, are starting to surge and might give the Broncos a tough run for the AFC West title and it could end up like last year. Both teams could be serious contenders if they get their problems fixed. The Giants need a bye to seriously regroup.

The Eagles and Cowboys both entered the game playing fairly hot and coming off nice wins, however the Eagles couldn't get the big plays to develop and QB Tony Romo only needed one big play to emerging WR Austin Miles to get the big score and win the game. The NFC East lead was on the line and the Cowboys played more like a complete team and got the win. They put enough pressure on the offense and got enough plays off on offense. The Eagles are starting to struggle to stay consistent on offense again. They will certainly meet again and the division title will probably be on the line. The Steelers again showed why they are the defending champions as they did enough in the first half and slowly put away the Broncos in the second half. The once dominant Broncos' defense is leaking fast and giving up 30 points a game and not even averaging 10. The Steelers have crept back into the big picture and now have a major divisional game against the Bengals this week to show how good they are.

The main action during the Redskins-Falcons game came on the sideline as the Redskins' struggles continued. The Bengals made another huge statement as they were able to run for over 100 yards for the second time against the Ravens and have swept them. The Buccaneers were finally able to get a win and every team has now won. With the win, they gave the Packers a bad loss. And the Saints struggled a bit early again, but were able to come back and win big to stay unbeaten.

All and all, I went 9-4 last week and brings my total to 97-32 after nine weeks.

Now for Week 10:

Games of the Week:
Bengals at Steelers: They battled to the end last time they met. Both are sitting at 6-2 and the division will most likely go to the winner. The Steelers were not closing games out last time they met, but now they are lethal in the fourth quarter. The offense of the Bengals is back to where they were a few years ago and are very potent when on. This one will certainly come down to the wire again. The end will be different. Pick: Steelers

Eagles at Chargers: Both of these teams are under performing and could use this win big time. They are both in second place in their respective divisions and both have the players capable to compete for a Super Bowl. The early goings of the game will dictate the last half of the fourth quarter. It should be a close game throughout and the Chargers might be in a similar situation as this past week against the Giants. Pick: Chargers

Sunday Night: Patriots at Colts: The main event of Week 10! Brady v Manning. Patriots v Colts. These teams have waged war multiple times this decade. For much of the decade, the Patriots dominated the series, but in recent years the Colts have the Patriots' number. The Colts are 8-0 and have a 17 game regular season win streak. The only two longer streaks are owned by these Patriots twice this decade. The AFC championship very well could go through the winner of this game and their city. The Patriots are always prepared for the biggest games and they will have some advantages will a weaken Colts' secondary. This one should be good. The fourth quarter will decide the winner. Pick: Colts

Monday Night: Ravens at Browns: This one is on the Games of the Week purely because its a Monday Night game. The Browns are 1-7 and are horrid on offense. The Ravens have struggled lately, but will look to dominate the Browns in primetime. This one probably won't be close, but Monday Night creates drama many times so who knows. Pick: Ravens

Rest of the pack:
Thursday Night: Bears at 49ers: The first of the usual Thursday night NFL Network games on the schedules. It is a game between two very average teams and the loser will certainly how a long shot of making the postseason. Mike Singletary hosts his former team for the first time and should give for media comments. The Bears are surprisingly weak on defense and don't have the same feel of past years. The 49ers know they need a win to right their ship after a strong start. Pick: 49ers

Saints at Rams: The Rams finally won and got a bye. The Saints have not started strong the last couple weeks yet were able to win. Look for the Rams to struggle again despite HB Steven Jackson's effort and for the Saints to play well from start to finish. QB Drew Brees might have one of his better games of the year. Pick: Saints

Buccaneers at Dolphins: The Dolphins have had a tough schedule, but get the Bucs this week. The Bucs looked better last week as they finally won, but can they keep that up this week. The Wildcat will keep the Bucs' defense running around. Look for QB Josh Freeman to continue to develop as he learns that the NFL is tough week to week. Pick: Dolphins

Lions at Vikings: The Vikings get a chance to show how good they are when they host a beat up, bad team in the Lions. This one will probably not be too close. Pick: Vikings

Jaguars at Jets: The Jets used to look very good overall, especially on defense, but have tapered off in recent weeks. The Jags seem to show up one week and take the next week off. This will be a good test for the Jets as they look to stay alive in the AFC East now that the Patriots are back on top. HB Maurice Jones-Drew will keep the Jaguars in this one until the end, but will he be enough? Pick: Jets

Bills at Titans: The Bills might get QB Trent Edwards back this week to maybe help their offense. The Titans are suddenly surging and have won two straight. HB Chris Johnson is still running strong and QB Vince Young has done enough to put points on the board and not make mistakes. The Bills' are still struggling and give the Titans a great opportunity to win again. Pick: Titans

Broncos at Redskins: The Broncos have struggled in the last two weeks, but they get the Redskins and should be able to right their mistakes. They should be able to reclaim their defensive strength as the Redskins are losing players and patience. Pick: Broncos

Falcons at Panthers: The Falcons have been struggling a bit of late while the Panthers are starting to show signs of improvement. The Panthers are holding onto the ball and gave the Saints a battle for at least a half last week. HB Michael Turner looks to have a running groove going while HB DeAngelo Williams is doing very well himself. The one who has a better game will certainly give his team an edge. Pick: Falcons

Chiefs at Raiders: This matchup the first time wasn't very good and the rematch won't be much better. It will be low scoring and about five turnovers between the two of them. This one could be sloppy. Pick: Chiefs

Seahawks at Cardinals: The Cardinals' offense looks to be very dangerous again and have destroyed a few teams this year. They are playing well again and could put the division almost out of reach this week (at least for the Seahawks). The Seahawks are playing similar to last year when they had a bad season and its mostly due to some injuries. This one could become a blowout, but the Seahawks will fight hard. Pick: Cardinals

Cowboys at Packers: The Cowboys are going up while the Packers are going down. The Cowboys have hit their stride and QB Tony Romo to WR Miles Austin has become a weekly occurrence. The Packers have not been able to protect QB Aaron Rodgers multiple times and he is making slight mistakes that are costing the team despite his other good stats. The Packers' defense will have to play big this week to win. I expect it to be a close one decided by less than a touchdown. Pick: Cowboys

Can the Colts and Saints stay unbeaten? Who will prevail out of yearly Brady/Manning rivalry duel? There are some more key matches this week highlighted by Colts-Patriots and Steelers-Bengals. Both have huge playoff implications.