Top NFL Week 10 Storylines: Russell Wilson vs. Commanders, Broncos-Chiefs, Can Lions Stay Hot? Trendy Blogger

Believe it or not, Week 10 of the NFL regular season is already upon us, and a sense of urgency has set in across the league with just nine weeks until the playoffs.

The second head coach of the season received his walking papers last week. The Saints fired Dennis Allen on Monday and replaced him with Darren Rizzi on an interim basis as they searched for solutions to end their league-worst seven-game losing streak. The trade deadline followed Tuesday, concluding with 25 teams engaged in 18 trades in hopes of bolstering their rosters for the home stretch.

The divisional races are starting to take shape or tighten up. A crucial AFC North showdown took place Thursday night, when Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens beat Joe Burrow’s Bengals 35-34 despite a historic night from Cincinnati wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase.

The action continues Sunday morning, when the New York Giants and Carolina Panthers face off in Munich, Germany. It continues with seven games at 1 p.m. ET, three more in the 4 p.m. ET window and a Sunday night matchup between the Detroit Lions and Houston Texans. Week 10 ends Monday night with the Miami Dolphins visiting the Los Angeles Rams.

Here’s a look at five exciting storylines surrounding the NFL this week. (Find the full program here.)

1. Familiar faces in new places after the trade deadline

Eight players changed addresses Tuesday, the last day for teams to make trades. This brings the total number of player moves this season to 19. In recent weeks, we’ve seen Davante Adams, Amari Cooper and DeAndre Hopkins debut with their new teams. Now we’re about to see another group of players attempt to increase their new teams’ chances of contending for division titles, playoff spots and Super Bowl runs.

In-season trades rarely dramatically change the fortunes of teams, with a few exceptions. Hopkins appears to be the difference in Kansas City, where he recorded two touchdowns to help his new team defeat Tampa Bay last Monday. Who will make an instant impact this week? Cornerback Marshon Lattimore (hamstring) is out for the Washington Commanders and Lions passer Za’Darius Smith may not play Sunday, but keep an eye on two new Steelers acquisitions, edge rusher Preston Smith and wide receiver Mike Williams.

2. Steelers-Commanders: Meeting of unlikely division leaders

The Steelers and Commanders both reset at quarterback this offseason. The Steelers acquired veteran Russell Wilson in hopes the nine-time Pro Bowl selection could help them win their first playoff game since the 2016 season. The Commanders, meanwhile, drafted Jayden Daniels second overall. overall standings, praying that he can save them from years of dysfunction and ineptitude.

Wilson’s tenure with the Steelers got off to a slow start thanks to a calf strain that kept him sidelined for five weeks while Justin Fields helped Pittsburgh to a 3-2 start. But now in the starting role, Wilson looks like the difference maker Mike Tomlin envisioned this offseason, going 2-0 and leading the offense to two of its best outings of the year.

Daniels, meanwhile, has shined as a passer and runner for one of the league’s most prolific offenses and is therefore the favorite to win Rookie of the Year honors. Midway through the season, not only are these teams winning thanks in large part to the sparks provided by their new quarterbacks, but they are both leading their respective divisions. Pittsburgh (6-2) is first in the AFC North and Washington (7-2) leads the NFC East.

Both teams will enter Sunday’s contest in Landover, Md., with three straight wins but needing victories to fend off their division foes (Baltimore for Pittsburgh, Philadelphia for Washington). The game is a reunion of Steelers coach Mike Tomlin and Commanders’ Dan Quinn. In 1994, Tomlin played defensive back for William & Mary while Quinn was the Tribe’s defensive line coach. The following season, they both landed positions on the coaching staff at Virginia Military Institute. They will now try to lead their teams to victory and maintain the momentum built during the first half of the season. (Steelers at Commanders, 1 p.m. ET Sunday.)

3. The Broncos’ next tough test: visiting the Chiefs

Sean Payton’s Broncos are off to a surprising 5-3 start to the season despite playing a rookie quarterback and going through growing pains in other areas. Last week, however, they ran into a buzzsaw in Baltimore and were defeated 41-10. They are in a tight race with the Chargers (5-3) for second place in the AFC West and hope they can end an eight-year playoff drought.

Their next task won’t be easy: On Sunday, Denver travels to Kansas City to face the 8-0 Chiefs, who are the only undefeated team in the NFL. Patrick Mahomes is 12-1 against the Broncos. His only loss against them came in Week 8 last season, when he threw two interceptions and no touchdowns and also lost a fumble in a 24-9 loss at Denver.

Can the Broncos make it two in a row? Cornerback Pat Surtain II said this week, “It’s a good opportunity for us to show what we’ve got,” and if anyone is up for the challenge of stopping Mahomes, it’s Surtain, who is considered the best cornerback in the NFL.

Denver’s biggest concern, however, might be its own offense against Kansas City’s defense. Rookie quarterback Bo Nix has delivered some positives this season, but this week he must face the unit led by mastermind Steve Spagnuolo. Spags makes life difficult for most quarterbacks, but his defenses tend to feast on rookie quarterbacks in particular. Since 2019, Spagnuolo is 11-1 against rookie quarterbacks, and his Chiefs have gone 5-0 at home against Denver over the same span. Spagnuolo will send all kinds of pressures, disguise coverages and sow doubt in Nix’s mind. How will Payton equip his rookie for the challenge? (Broncos at Chiefs, 1 p.m. ET Sunday.)

4. The rise of the Arizona Cardinals

Is it time to start seeing the Cardinals in a different light? Considered a non-factor in the NFC West after a 1-3 start to the season, the Cardinals have since won four of their last five, including three in a row, to improve to 5-4. Arizona now leads the division standings as it hosts the New York Jets on Sunday.

A commanding 41-10 win over the Rams in Week 2 was the lone early-season highlight for Arizona. But after a 42-14 loss to the Commanders, Jonathan Gannon’s team bounced back with a 24-23 win at San Francisco in Week 5. They lost to the Packers in Week 6, but back-to-back wins against the Chargers and Dolphins preceded a convincing victory against the Bears last week, and now the Cardinals find themselves as the only NFC West team with a winning record.

There’s a lot to like about this team. Quarterback Kyler Murray does a good job taking care of the football while distributing it to a diverse group of weapons, including tight end Trey McBride and wide receivers Marvin Harrison Jr. and Michael Wilson. Harrison, a rookie, showed flashes of dominance (his six-catch, 111-yard performance in Week 8 lifted Arizona to a victory over Miami). Running back James Conner ranks sixth in the NFL in rushing. Defensively, the Cardinals have shown improvement and hope to receive a boost from their trade for Baron Browning.

Although Arizona appears to be heading in the right direction, the Jets have had a rough season and lost five straight games before last week’s win over Houston. Aaron Rodgers, Garrett Wilson and Adams lead the Jets offense, but the unit has yet to live up to expectations. New York’s defense has given up more than 330 yards in three of its last four games under interim head coach/defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich, who replaced the fired Robert Saleh. The Jets’ biggest weakness is stopping the run, so a heavy dose of Conner and fellow backs Trey Benson and Emari Demercado with Murray sprinkled in could help the Cardinals pave a path to success. (Jets at Cardinals, 4:25 p.m. ET Sunday.)

5. Detroit Lions: Ready for a surprise?

On the one hand, the Lions – with a 7-1 record and a six-game winning streak – are one of the hottest teams in the league. Most of the time, they look like the best team in the entire NFL. But could Dan Campbell’s imposing group be upset Sunday night in Houston?

Jared Goff leads the NFL with a 74.9 completion percentage and in recent weeks has completed 100, 72, 88, 80 and 81.8 percent of his throws for 11 touchdowns and no interceptions. The Lions can win big. They can win lousy. Detroit’s defense is among the best in the red zone, allowing touchdowns just 43.48 percent of the time (fourth best) and just 37.5 percent in the last three games combined.

The Texans are coming off a bye, however, and although Las Vegas counts them as 3 1/2-point home underdogs, DeMeco Ryans’ boys are 3-0 when enjoying a home advantage. rest thanks to a bye or a mini-bye. Offensive production has dropped off recently for the Lions (225 yards vs. Tennessee in Week 8 and 261 vs. Green Bay in Week 9). Meanwhile, Detroit’s defense has allowed at least 130 rushing yards in four of its last five games. Texans quarterback CJ Stroud will attract a lot of attention, and not having his two best receivers will hamper his efforts. However, running back Joe Mixon has five 100-yard performances in six outings this season and could exploit Detroit’s weakness in that department and position his team for a strong outing. (Lions at Texans, 8:20 p.m. ET Sunday.)

(Top photo: Joe Sargent/Getty Images)