We are about to begin the 10th week of the 2020 NFL Season and there is much to talk about. These are the fine points of week 10.
10. Another closed game?
Thursday’s game is an excellent AFC South matchup between the two divisional championship teams, the Titans and the Colts. And it looks like we can expect an even match, as Tennessee is an expert at that. The Titans have won five of their six games by one possession, which is the most this season.
If they want to win this week, it will be key that they can put pressure on veteran Philip Rivers, something that doesn’t happen very often. In fact, Rivers only has seven sacks against, which is the fewest this season. It will be helpful to the Titans if Jadeveon Clowney be back after missing last week’s game.
9. Duel for the top of the East
If one is guided by the marks of the rivals in this game, the Eagles (3-4-1) against Giants (2-7) is a minor game, but in NFC East this duel is for the leadership of the division . And recent history is on the side of Philadelphia, which has won the last eight games against its hated rival.
As if that were not enough, the Giants are 14-43 since 2017, which is the worst record in the NFL in this span. And one of the points that must improve is the offensive production, since they only generate 18.7 points per game in the season, the second lowest figure this year (only the Jets have a worse average).
8. Rivalry or parenthood?
Broncos and Raiders have been lifelong rivals, but recent history indicates that we have a paternity case from Denver. Turns out the Broncos have won 12 of the last 17 games they’ve played against the Raiders, so recent history is on their side.
Among the things that the Raiders could improve to be more efficient is the work of the defense, since they are not very good at putting pressure on the rival QB or forcing exchanges of the ball. In fact, this team is on track to be the first in the Super Bowl era to average less than 0.7 steals and 1.2 sacks per game. So at least it seems that Drew Lock will have time in this duel.
7. Duel of streaks
Justin Herbert and Tua Tagovailoa will meet for the first time as professionals when the Chargers and Dolphins play this week, and it will be a very interesting game because it is one of those games where there are a lot of streaks, and coincidentally they all go against the Chargers.
First of all, QBs on California teams are 1-13-1 playing on the East Coast, and the only time there was a win was in 1986, when the Rams won with QB Jim Everett. Then there is the issue of the Dolphins’ victories, which are now four in a row, something that has not happened since 2016. And there is also the case of the Chargers, who have a 3-15 record in games that are decided by 8 points or less from last season.
6. Imminent return
Tom Brady had a terrible performance against the Saints last Sunday, but the good news is that this legendary QB has a very positive history after bad games. Turns out, Brady has thrown three or more interceptions nine times in his career, and he’s 6-2 so far in games that come after one of those games. So the Panthers have to be very careful.
Something that could help them is their offensive diversity. This year, the Panthers are the only team in the NFL to have three receivers with more than 30 touches and more than 400 yards on the season (DJ Moore, Robby Anderson and Curtis Samuel). Containing all three of them will be an interesting challenge for the Buccaneers defense.
The 10 Fine Points from Week 10 – 2020 NFL Season continued on the next page.
