NFL Week 10

Ten (Not So) Quick Hits:

1/ The Bills finally have a non-circular number in their loss column. And they didn't do it the easy way either, needing to stop a Detroit two-point conversion with 14 seconds on the clock and then to recover the ensuing onside kick to seal it. They deserve it though, one of these close games had to swing their way eventually.

2/ Can't say enough good things about the Bears defense after watching them do work against Minnesota. They were one blown coverage away from holding Brett Favre and co. without an offensive touchdown all game. Having middle linebacker Brian Urlacher back this year has been huge for them.

3/ Cowboys: 33 – Giants: 20. The kind of result that has NFL prognosticators up and down the country tearing their hair out.

4/ That was a huge three-and-out the Jets defense forced with under two minutes left in overtime after Sanchez had thrown a pick. Barring a big turnover, that was the only way they were going win in OT for the second time in as many weeks.

5/ Tom Brady has found a new red zone target, and his name is Rob Gronkowski. The rookie caught three touchdowns against Pittsburgh, taking his season total to six (that's third amongst tight ends in the whole league, behind only San Diego's Antonio Gates and Jacksonville's Marcedes Lewis). Along with the excellent receiving tight end Aaron Hernandez, and the excellent blocking tight end Alge Crumpler, the Patriots have completely rebuilt themselves this season at that position.

6/ A quarterback with the last name Smith might still lead San Francisco to the NFC West title. Don't laugh, folks, they're only two games back.

7/ Who knows what to expect out of these Denver Broncos? One week they'll lose 59-14 to the 2-4 Raiders. Another week, they'll win 49-29 against the 5-3 Chiefs. He may have been aided by some injuries in the Chiefs secondary, but Kyle Orton was still on fire Sunday. And I thought their defense couldn't stop the run...

8/ Five different quarterbacks threw passes in the Miami-Tennessee game Sunday (additionally, even Brandon Marshall had an attempted pass), and none of them did it particularly well. The best of the bunch, you ask? Probably Tyler Thigpen (remember him?) who went 4 of 6 passing and threw a game-sealing touchdown to Anthony Fasano.

9/ In case you didn't know it yet, Randy Moss, like a Thanksgiving turkey, is done. In his second over-hyped debut in as many months, Moss caught just one ball for 26 yards. I think I agree with all the NFL teams that didn't bite on him after the Vikings cut him Nov. 1. His skills just aren't worth the trouble he inevitably will cause in a team's chemistry anymore.

10/ Marshawn, my man, what is that on your face?

-Here's some of the studs of the week:

a. Seahawks wide receiver Mike Williams: Tore up the Cardinals secondary, caused cornerback Greg Toler's benching at halftime because Toler couldn't cover him, and finished with 11 catches for 145. He single-handedly makes Seattle's offense much more potent, and he should get some serious consideration for the Comeback Player of the Year award.

b. Bills running back Fred Jackson: The CFL and NFL Europe veteran produced one of his better days in the NFL providing 133 yards of rushing and 37 yards of receiving on a ugly day (weather-wise) where offensive yards were at a premium. Scored both of Buffalo's touchdowns too.

c. Cowboys quarterback John Kitna: Wasn't statistically the best quarterback in Week 10 but, after getting roundly criticized by sportswriters (myself included) the last few weeks, he deserves some credit for producing a good, 327-yard passing game capped off by a couple touchdowns.

-Here's some of the goats of the week:

a. Titans quarterbacks Kerry Collins and Vince Young: Both struggled with their accuracy: Collins completed 9 of 20 passes and was benched; Young came in and completed 9 of 18 passes. Neither topped a hundred passing yards and both their passer ratings hovered around 60.

b. Vikings receiving corps: Percy Harvin aside, Minnesota's pass catchers didn't give Favre much help Sunday. They kept losing their footing on Chicago's grass and dropped a lot of passes. It showed once Harvin went off too, as the Vikings really struggled to move the ball through the air afterward.

c. Jets kicker Nick Folk: Lost his job in Dallas because he missed a couple big kicks, and he could well be on his way out of New York now after an awful day in Cleveland. Missed three of five kicks – from 48, 24, and 47 yards – against the Browns which allowed them to hang around in normal and overtime.

-Rookie of Week: Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant: Only caught three passes on Sunday, but made each one of them count. The first went for 45 yards, the second was a touchdown grab and the third went for 46 more yards. No doubt about it, he has the tools to dominate in this league.

-Play of the Week: As an Oregon fan, part of me can't believe I'm doing this, but it's going to LeGarette Blount again, for going airborne once more.

-Ridiculous Play of the Week: Do you really need to ask?? HAIL MARY!

Picking NFL Week 10

How I did last week: 10-3

It's nice to finally feel like I actually know something.

Record on the Season: 75-55

Fingers crossed, this is where I start my Oakland Raiders-like roll.

Bengals at Colts: Carson, your time is almost up. Colts.

Jets at Browns: Could the Browns really upset the Saints, the Patriots and the Jets in three straight games? Well, with the Jets recent offensive's struggles, it could happen. But I say New York's top five run-defense will load the box to focus on shutting Peyton Hillis down and dare Colt McCoy to beat Darrelle Revis, Antonio Cromartie in one-on-one matchups on the outside. And that will be too tall an order for the rookie QB. Jets.

Vikings at Bears: Respective records say the Bears should win this comfortably. But after Minnesota's pass rush (and especially Jared Allen) finally got going last week – they picked up 6 sacks against Arizona and Allen got 2.5 of those – I see them having a very good day against Chicago offensive line. Vikings.

Titans at Dolphins: Kerry Collins vs. Chad Pennington...What is this, preseason ball? Titans.

Texans at Jaguars: Two of the NFL's worst five defenses should yield plenty of yards for running backs Arian Foster and Maurice Jones-Drew, but Jacksonville's will come up with just a couple more stops. Jaguars.

Lions at Bills: Call me crazy but, with Matthew Stafford out and the Bills tip-toeing closer to a victory every week, I think this is the week Buffalo wins its first 2010 game. Bills.

Panthers at Buccaneers: If the Bucs have done one thing well this season, it's beat bad teams. They're 4-0 against teams with losing records (and 0-3 against winning teams) and I see no reason for that trend to turn around against Carolina. Bucs.

Chiefs at Broncos: Todd Haley has got to be in the running for coach of the year. He's already won more games (5) than he did all year last season (4). So often talk of rebuilding a franchise rings hollow (just ask Buffalo fans) but for Kansas City, Haley is really doing it. That being said, the Chiefs can't afford to lose this important divisional game and allow the streaking Chargers or Raiders to get any closer in the AFC West. Chiefs.

Rams at 49ers: Troy Smith produced some magic in London two weeks ago to lead a 49ers comeback against Denver, but whether he can repeat the trick remains to be seen. The Rams actually feature a top ten defense, in terms of yards allowed, this season. They'll give Smith some trouble. Rams.

Cowboys at Giants: I think the Cowboys will play noticeably better this week for Jason Garrett, now that Wade Philips is gone. But the Giants are on a tear right now, they're playing at home and John Kitna isn't scaring anybody. Giants.

Seahawks at Cardinals: It feels like these two just played each other. Actually they did, only three weeks ago. The Seahawks won on that occasion – 22-10 in Seattle – but neither team has won a game since. The NFC West is so bad I almost feel like the Cardinals will win just to keep the division picture murky. But speaking of murky, how about that Arizona quarterback situation? (Can't say I didn't call it) Seahawks.

Patriots at Steelers: I'm predicting a big bounce-back week for the Patriots in this one. The Steelers didn't impress in their two prime time appearances in Weeks 8 and 9, with a 1-1 record which could have easily been an 0-2 record but for Cincinnati's dreadful start last Monday. Their offense will struggle to score as many points as New England's. Patriots.

Eagles at Redskins: Things were a lot more fun in Washington for Donovan McNabb last time he played against his old team. After his controversial benching in the final two minutes of the Redskins last game against Detroit and the slightly ridiculous media response, his relationship with coach Mike Shanahan will be under constant scrutiny in coming weeks. Eagles.

Can't Miss Clip of NFL Week 10

On this play, Vikings running back Adrian Peterson shows both his greatest strengths -his moves, ability to break tackles, and accleration- and his greatest weakness - fumbling the football.

You have to give props to Lions cornerback Philip Buchanon though who not only stayed with the play but executed the perfect punchout to save a touchdown and give Detroit the ball back

NFL Week 10 Rankings

The Fab Five

1. Colts (9-0): Yes, they did benefit from Bill Belichick's strange coaching decision, and yes, their leader and best player Peyton Manning did throw two bad interceptions against New England on Sunday, but you can't ignore the fact that the Colts have come through two tough games against the Texans and the Patriots with victories.

The Pats couldn't stop or even slow Manning in the fourth quarter and Reggie Wayne, who they'd tried to take out of the equation all day, ended up with 126 receiving yards and the winning TD. Meanwhile the Colts injury-ravaged D came up with some big stops in the second half.

The best football teams make the fourth quarter theirs, and that's why the Colts take over at the top of the pile this week.

2. Saints (9-0): People were shocked to see the Rams give the Saints such a close game on Sunday, but don't be surprised if it keeps happening in the coming weeks. The undefeated Saints have a huge target on their backs, meaning that the teams they face will continue to give them their best shot week after week. There will be no easy games here on out for New Orleans.

3. Vikings (8-1): Well Brett Favre's arm looked in good shape against Detroit, didn't it? He threw deep ball after deep ball to his new favorite target Sidney Rice, completing a pass of 56, and two of 43 yards. These days, Favre seems to live to continue to prove his detractors wrong.

4. Bengals (8-2): Signing free agent "bad boy" running back Larry Johnson as an insurance policy for Cedric Benson was an interesting move by the Bengals this week. You have to wonder whether it was wise to take any chances with disrupting their new found winning chemistry. However in reality, LJ fits in perfectly with the Bengals newly-forged identity as a team of talented but troubled players who have something to prove: Benson, Roy Williams, Tank Johnson, Chris Henry, and rookies Rey Maualuga and Michael Johnson.

5. Chargers (6-3): Four weeks ago, the Chargers were 2-3 having just been outclassed in a Monday Nighter by the Broncos. Two confidence boosting wins against the Raiders and Chiefs have led to two big wins against NFC East powerhouse teams, the Giants and Eagles. Philip Rivers is performing the best out of the young generation of quarterbacks in the league, and LT has a new reason to run hard.

The Fat Five

32. Browns (1-8): With the eyes of all of America on them on Monday night, the Browns had a great opportunity to show any sign of life and give their fans some hope. They didn't. Sure he was facing a good defense, but I think there are a number of college quarterbacks who would have done better job than Brady Quinn did against the Ravens. By the second half, there was such a look of pain on coach Eric Mangini's face. He knows after this Browns job goes away, it will be a while until another NFL team hands him the reins.

31. Lions (1-8): Unlike the Browns, there were some positives for the Lions to take from their loss to the Vikings. They now need to turn those positives into wins though, starting this week, with a simply must-win game against Cleveland.

30. Oakland (2-7): The Raiders have been flirting with a spot in the bottom five all year, and thanks to another inept performance against the Chiefs, they have finally arrived. Quarterback JaMarcus Russell said he was surprised and disappointed to have been pulled in the third quarter by coach Tom Cable after completing 8 of 23 passes for 64 yards. That very statement tells you all you need to know about the former number 1 overall pick, who doesn't seem to hold himself to a high standard and lacks competitiveness. Add that to the major disappointment the Raiders last two first round picks, Darren McFadden and Darrius Heyward-Bey, have been and you begin to understand the plight Oakland find themselves in.

29. Buccaneers (1-8): Although both the next two teams, the Bucs and Rams, lost this weekend, neither team looked that bad. Though they lost the game in the end, Josh Freeman led another fourth quarter comeback, and looks the part of an NFL starter so far. Contrast his post-game quote, "I feel pretty miserable right now because of the loss. You hate to lose. That's the only thing on my mind,'' with that of Russell's and it tells you a lot about both players.

28.Rams (1-8): Small mention here for a running back in a column dominated by quarterbacks: almost unnoticed, Stephen Jackson is having a Pro Bowl season on a disappointing team. He had 131 rushing yards against the Saints, is averaging over a hundred yards a game, and his yards-per-carry average, 4.8, is the highest it's been since he burst on the scene as a rookie in 2o04. The man is still only 26, and he represents a great foundation the Rams can build upon.

NFL Week 10

- Colts triumphs in the latest installment of “Rivalry of the Decade.” It seemed all over as Tom Brady hit Randy Moss for a touchdown to put the Patriots 31-14 up with the second play of the fourth quarter. Maybe New England's D thought so too, because they went AWOL on two Colts possessions, allowing them to first march 79 yards on 5 plays in 2 minutes, then 48 yards on a 6 plays, plus a 30 yard pass interference penalty, in 1:49.

His defense's implosion was so evident to Pats coach Bill Belichick that he decided ride Tom Brady and go for it on 4^th and 2 with just over 2 minutes to go, from his own 29! I'm certainly not a fan of conservative play-calling at the end of games, but I tend to come down the side of NBC's analysts who universally trashed Belichick's decision as one of the worst of his career.

When Kevin Faulk came up short on the play, Peyton Manning and the Colts only had to go 30 yards for the win, and left the Patriots with no time.

That eventful fourth quarter may have huge on impact on both franchises' seasons. Indeed for much of the game, the Colts looked second-best to the Patriots. Uncharacteristically Manning threw a couple of really bad picks, while the Colts D got gashed on a number of big plays by Randy Moss. But they came through the game still undefeated and will get a big mental boost from their comeback.

For the Patriots, the faces of Belichick and Brady at the end of the game told the whole story: it was a soul crushing loss. Not only that, but you have to wonder about the possible repercussions of the lack of confidence shown by Belichick showed in his young defense at the end of the game.

- Bengals come out on top of the Steelers in defensive battle. Pittsburgh's D has been one of the most dominant in the NFL for a while, but Cincinnati matched it stop for stop on Sunday. The Bengals front seven harried Ben Roethlisberger all day, sacking him four times and forcing him into a number of inaccurate throws, while the secondary produced the stiffling coverage that has been its trademark all year.

Neither team gave up an offensive touchdown in what turned into the battle of the kickers and special teams at Heinz Field. In the end, Bernard Scott 96-yard kickoff return and kicker Shayne Graham's four field goals were enough for the Bengals.

Anyone who's been watching the NFL this season has known for a while that this Bengals team was different from previous years, but coming to Pittsburgh and beating the defending Superbowl champs for the second time this year should prove to everyone just how good this team is.

-Matthew Stafford has a good day. The number one pick of last year's draft has had his performances criticized here and everywhere else this season, but even though he didn't get the win on Sunday, the Georgia product flashed his potential against the Vikings.

After he threw five interceptions against the Seahawks last week, Detroit fans must have been fearing the worst (oh wait, that already happened last season) as he faced off with the Vikings tremendous pass rush.

I'm sure Jim Schwartz took his quarterback aside after the Seattle game and told him that his main focus this week was to cut out the mistakes from his game. Stafford responded. He managed the game well, consistently moved around in the pocket to get away from pressure, and most importantly had only his second NFL start without throwing an interception.

Lesson learned for Stafford: without any crucial mistakes, his Lions stayed in the game against a far more talented Vikings team until the fourth quarter.

Stafford's rookie learning curve was always going to be steep on a sub-par team, as his performances this year have shown, but the kid clearly has the potential to be a very good starting quarterback in this league.

-Vince Young and Chris Johnson might be the hottest combo in the NFL right. Those two have pretty much single-handedly dragged the Titans out of the mire of their 0-6 start. Young completed 17 of 25 passes for 210 yards and a touchdown, while Johnson rushed for 132 yards and caught 9 balls, more than the rest of the Titans combined, for another 100.

The Titans have won three in a row, but we'll get a better sense of whether their comeback is for real in the next few weeks, as they take on the Texans, the Colts and the Cardinals.

-It just hit Josh McDaniels that being a head coach in the NFL isn't as easy as it seemed three weeks ago. When this happens to you, you know your team is in a slump.

-The Cardinals offense is just as explosive as it was last year. Perhaps even more so with the addition of rookie running back Chris Wells. “Beanie” rushed for 85 yards and 2 touchdowns and played confidently, even drawing a penalty flag for pushing a defender after some jawing back and forth. They may be frustratingly inconsistent this season, but the Cards are a bucket of fun to watch.

Picking NFL Week 10

Falcons at Panthers: Upset of the Week: The Panthers winning this game wouldn't be a total shocker, but the Falcons are putting another steady playoff campaign together. Atlanta beat Carolina by 8 when they played earlier this year, but I just have a feeling that Jake Delhomme is settling down and the Panthers are heating up. Panthers.

Lions at Vikings: The Vikings just have far too much talent to lose to the Lions. Adrian Peterson will break a couple big runs and Matthew Stafford will struggle against Minnesota's pass rush. Vikings.

Buccaneers at Dolphins: Aside from their two shootout wins against the Jets, the Dolphins have only beaten the hapless Bills this year. Look for that to change Sunday, as Josh Freeman struggles in his second NFL start. Dolphins.

Bills at Titans: The offensive duo of Chris Johnson, perhaps the best running back in the league, and the revitalized Vince Young has looked awfully good the last two weeks. The Titans weakness is on the defensive side of the ball, something the Bills, whether or not Terrell Owens suits up to play, don't have the weapons to exploit. Titans.

Broncos at Redskins: Josh McDaniels will be glad the Redskins showed up on the Broncos schedule after two tough losses against the Ravens and Steelers. Against those two elite defenses, Kyle Orton displayed some of his limitations as a quarterback Denver fans were worried about when he stepped in for Jay Cutler. Although the Redskins D is pretty good, they won't put up enough points to beat the Broncos in this one. Broncos.

Jaguars at Jets: The Jets are coming off a bye and really need to get their season back on track at the Meadowlands. The Jags have been so-so and haven't beaten anyone good yet. Jets.

Bengals at Steelers: The first marquee match up of the weekend. I'm loathed to pick against the Bengals after they proved me wrong by beating the Ravens last week, but against the Broncos on Monday night, the Steelers looked to be nearing their Superbowl winning form of last winter. Moreover the Bengals are going to have to lose a divisional game at some point, aren't they? Steelers.

Saints at Rams: Best team in football against one of the worst the NFL has to offer. Four words: Drew Brees all day. Saints.

Chiefs at Raiders: Well, the Raiders beat the Chiefs earlier this year with JaMarcus Russell completing only 7 of 24 passes, and the running game gaining only 67 rushing yards. Yet the Chiefs were the better team on the day but committed a bucket load mistakes. I know who won't be winning on Sunday? The viewer. I'll go for the Chiefs getting some revenge in Oakland. Chiefs.

Eagles at Chargers: I won't over think this one. Eagles beat the Giants by 23 two weeks ago, Chargers beat the Giants by 1 last week. Eagles.

Seahawks at Cardinals: The Cardinals are so hot and cold, hot being when they travel, cold when they play at home. But Seattle really labored to get back into that game with Detroit, while Arizona was dicing the Bears in Chicago. The Cards have to start winning at home at some point, right? Cardinals.

Cowboys at Packers: The pressure the Cowboys got on Donovan McNabb last week was impressive, and the Packers offensive line has struggled to protect Aaron Rodgers all year. So while I'm tempted to pick Green Bay, despite Dallas' hot streak, simply because the NFL is so unpredictable sometimes, I can't quite overlook this blatant mismatch. Cowboys.

Patriots at Colts: Marquee match up number 2. When these two teams play each, it is probably still the most anticipated date on the NFL calendar, especially with Tom Brady back. Some of the games the Colts and Patriots have served up in the last few years have been simply been riveting. Expect Sunday to be no different. Manning and Brady will both be on their games, but I think Indiannapolis' injuries on D will finally catch up with them. Patriots.

Ravens at Browns: With the state the Browns are in right now both on and off the field, apart from diehard fans, does anyone really watch them play? And yet here they are on Monday Night Football for what may well be their last appearance for while. ESPN must be licking their chops at the prospect. Ravens.