Biggest Takeaway: Least to Beast in the East

How about the NFC East this year? This was supposed to be the worst division in football when the season started in 2016. Well this statement couldn’t be more wrong. The only division in the NFL after week 10 where every team is above .500 is the NFC East.

Dallas is 8-1 led by two rookies and currently has the best record in the NFL. The Giants are a very quiet 6-3 currently dancing on a 4 game win streak. The current defending division champion Redskins are 5-3-1. After a rocky road to begin the season, Kirk has the boys playing sound football into November – ooooooowwweeeee! The offseason drama 5-4 Eagles have exceeded expectations with rookie QB Carson Wentz. They are undefeated at home and the four games they lost were by one score with the ball late. Dallas, New York, Washington, and Philadelphia are back and rising. Some big market teams look poised to be strong for many years to come.

Best Week 10 Win: Seahawks and Broncos

Two great games with two borderline calls that could’ve gone either way. First, the Broncos beat the Saints in the Superdome to keep up with the powerhouse that is the AFC West. The ending was what was incredible. After Cooks scored the game tying TD, the Saints were lined up to kick the game winning extra point. But the Denver D/Special Teams doesn’t go down that easily. They blocked the kick and took the return all the way back for two points and the win. Did the returner step out? Maybe, but it was close. Overall great win for the Broncos.

A small redemptive win for the Seahawks last Sunday Night. It was a regular season game and no Super Bowl, but I’m sure beating the Pats in New England felt so good. Another great game to watch in week 10. These teams almost switched places at the end of the game from the 2014 Super Bowl. This time New England had the ball on the goal line as the game began to wind down. Blount was stuffed, the almost unstoppable Brady sneak was shut down, and finally Cam Chancellor shut down Gronk on 4th and goal to win the game. Was there pass interference or holding? Maybe. But I like the no call and nice win for the Seahawks to remain atop of the NFC West.

Worst Week 10 Loss: Green Bay Packers

There were a lot of tough losses for teams this past week. Definitely a good pool to choose from but the Packers again fall into this category. I didn’t watch much of this game, but each update was shocking. It seemed unrealistic that the Titans were just running the score up against the Packers. You’d expect it to be the other way around. This is the Packers 3rd straight loss and the first time the Pack are below .500 since 2008. Luckily, the rest of the NFC North, except the Lions on a bye, lost. But the Packers aren’t a contender this year like some predicted. No run game, no defense, no help for Rogers. Unless there’s an impressive turnaround, I can’t see this Packers team sniffing the postseason. Road games against Washington and Philly, followed by home games against Houston and Seattle will keep this team below .500 for the next month.

Week 11 Predictions:

Can’t Miss Win: Patriots over 49ers

This one’s pretty obvious. Even potentially without Gronk, the Patriots will blow out the 49ers. Tom Brady and Bill Belichick don’t lose back to back games often. And they are playing the second worst team in the NFL. The 49ers have lost 8 straight after winning their week one matchup. They’ve played better as of late but this won’t be close. San Fran fans should be more concerned about the Browns, 0-10, since these are the two teams competing for the first pick in the upcoming draft.

Brady, Edelman, Blount, and Bennett. If you have any of these four on your fantasy team, start them. The Patriots will be playing in warm California and Brady will have a field day through the air. Kaepernick does pose an interesting matchup for the New England defense, but they simply can’t keep up with the Patriots offense. Pats by 17.

Intriguing Matchup: Tennessee at Indianapolis

I never thought I’d ever be interested in a Titans/Colts game. But this is an intriguing matchup. Tennessee is coming off a shellacking of Green Bay. Indy beat the Packers the week before and are coming of their bye week. Look, the AFC South is up for grabs. I expect Houston to lose in Mexico City against Oakland on Monday. That means if Tennessee wins they have as many wins as Houston. If Indy wins, they will be one game behind the Texans. Going into the latter half of the season, this is a massive game for both of these teams if they wish to contend for the AFC South title.

Mariota has been up and down this year. You have to be impressed by the 47 points this team posted against the Packers last week. They looked sharp from every offensive position. The Colts have been able to string together a few wins. They still have trouble keeping Luck upright, but have gotten better. It’s safe to say both of these defenses are pretty poor. This will come down to the offenses. Luck, Gore, and Hilton vs. Mariota, Murray, and Walker. Indianapolis won the first meeting in Tennessee 34-26. I honestly think this game is a coin toss. But I’m not fully sold on the Titans just yet. A good game but home field is the difference. Colts by 3.

Biggest Upset: Ravens over Cowboys

I’m hesitant with this pick since the Cowboys are America’s hottest team, but they have to lose eventually right? The Ravens offense and Dallas defense are ok at best. I’m going to be watching the other match-up in this one. Can the Ravens slow down the rookie duo of Elliot and Prescott? This is a matchup of first place teams even though everyone seems to think the Cowboys will easily win. Baltimore is winning their division because of their defense. They have one of the best front sevens in the league and that title will be put to the test this Sunday. The league’s leading rusher and top offensive line will be ready to challenge this Baltimore front seven. This is where the game will be won. The Ravens will slow down the Cowboys offense just enough for their offense to score just enough to squeak out a win. Dallas is grounded in Jerry’s World in a one possession game. I like Tucker to hit a game winner.

Now, let’s enjoy looking forward, and hope we were right when we take a look back. Enjoy week 11 everyone.

Adam