Week 10 of the NFL regular season didn’t feature the type of must-watch television that the league had provided over the previous couple of weeks, but the late dramatics between the Saints and 49ers rewarded anybody that stayed tuned in while the Bills and Dolphins came out on the short end of a couple of key matchups with playoff implications.
Here are four things we learned from week 10 of the NFL season.
Chiefs Are Poised For Playoff Return
After a successful season last year, the Chiefs seemed bound to suffer a letdown. All we heard about was their young offensive line, how they took advantage of an easy schedule last season, and how they were supposed to take a step back. All of that appeared to be true following an 0-2 start, which included a deflating 26-10 home loss to the Tennessee Titans back in Week 1.
However, Kansas City has rallied to win four straight and six of its last seven including close victories over the San Diego Chargers and Buffalo Bills. That stretch has them in position to challenge for a playoff spot again.
Very quietly, the Chiefs have fielded one of the best defenses in the NFL. They’re the only team in the league that has yet to allow a rushing touchdown while their pass defense is tops in the NFL. On offense, they aren’t lighting the world on fire but they’ve been efficient. They’re a team that doesn’t beat themselves. Their eight giveaways are tied for the third-fewest this season.
The Chiefs face a tough test with the defending Super Bowl champion Seahawks in town this week but they still have two games against the Oakland Raiders before finishing the year at Pittsburgh and then at home against San Diego.
The AFC North Is A Game Of Musical Chairs
When the Cleveland Browns knocked off the Cincinnati Bengals to take over top spot in the AFC North on Thursday, it seemed like only a matter of time before the Pittsburgh Steelers would beat the New York Jets and move back into first place. However, that didn’t happen as the Steelers lost to New York and fell to a tie with the Ravens for third in the division at 6-4.
Just think of the sequence we’ve seen over the last couple of weeks in the division:
- The Steelers roll the Houston Texans and Baltimore Ravens, then flop against the Jets
- The Bengals won two straight versus Baltimore and Jacksonville, and then laid an egg against the Browns
- The Browns became the only team to lose to Jacksonville this season, then nearly lost to Oakland and Tampa Bay, yet beat Cincinnati and now sit in first place
The Browns will have a tough road the rest of the way after playing the league’s easiest schedule over the first half while the Bengals will play five of their final seven games away from home. With so many divisional games still to play all that we know after week 10 is that the AFC North is an absolute mess with all four teams still in contention for a division title.
.500 Could Be Enough To Win NFC South
When the Falcons knocked off Tampa Bay to improve to 3-6 on Sunday, it might not have seemed like a big deal. But with New Orleans losing to San Francisco, Atlanta is now one game back of the Saints for top spot in the NFC South. The Falcons still play two more games against Carolina as well as one more against New Orleans, and they are still very much in contention for a division title in the NFC South where a .500 record could be enough to come out on top. All four teams division members are below that mark after Week 10.
Major Change Is Needed In Chicago
There weren’t many people that thought the Bears would roll in to Lambeau Field and beat the Packers, but Sunday night’s blowout loss was the latest reminder that major change is needed in Chicago. Rumors of fighting in the locker room have circulated while it looks like Jay Cutler has almost completely checked out for the season.
The Bears have now lost five of six by an average of 22 points per game while allowing their last two opponents to top the 50-point mark. The Bears are in big trouble and it wouldn’t be a surprise if major changes started coming down soon.
