NFL Game Picks: Week 10

Audio/Story posted November 12, 2020 in CommRadio, Sports by Austin Groft

Host Sam Kirk and analysts Dugan Lloyd, Eric Fenstermaker and Logan Bourandas discuss the Week 10 matchups of the 2020 NFL season.

Game postponements, several positive COVID-19 cases and multiple injuries—this season has not been like a typical NFL season. Nonetheless, the NFL has continued to feature some wild, entertaining games. Week 10 could see more of the same with some big-time divisional games and upset possibilities.

 

Indianapolis Colts (5-3) vs. Tennessee Titans (6-2)

This is a great primetime game to start the week. The Titans were able to win easily against the Chicago Bears last week, which was much needed after losing two straight to the Steelers and Bengals.

The Colts have arguably one of the top defenses in the league, as they allow only 83.6 rushing yards per game. Will this be enough to stop Derrick Henry?

The Colts offense will have to keep up with the Titans in order to win this one. Expect a low-scoring game.

Prediction: Titans 20, Colts 17

 

Houston Texans (2-6) vs. Cleveland Browns (5-3)

The Texans were able to get their second win of the season last week over the Jaguars. The other win the Texans had this season was against which team? Yep, the one-win Jaguars, back in Week 5.

The Browns offense has been inconsistent this season, scoring single digits in three games and above 30 points in three others. But the Browns will likely have Nick Chubb back this week. With him, the Cleveland offense will improve and will be ready to rumble coming off the bye.

Prediction: Browns 30, Texans 23

 

Washington (2-6) vs. Detroit Lions (3-5)

Home-field advantage has not been important this season since most stadiums are allowing little or no fans. The Lions are the home team, but they haven’t won a game at home this season. Washington, on the contrary, hasn’t won a game on the road yet.

Washington will be without quarterback Kyle Allen due to an ankle injury. This will leave Alex Smith to start. The Lions will focus their defense on the run game, forcing Smith to make plays downfield that aren’t there. When it’s all said and done, Detroit takes its first home win of the season.

Prediction: Lions 24, Washington 17

 

Jacksonville Jaguars (1-7) vs. Green Bay Packers (6-2)

The Packers are coming off an impressive win over the 49ers. The Jaguars, meanwhile, are one of the worst teams in the league, possessing just one win.

Aaron Rodgers is going to have a field day against this Jaguars defense. This game shouldn’t be competitive, and expect big numbers coming from Rodgers and his star offensive threats Davante Adams and Aaron Jones.

Prediction: Packers 42, Jaguars 24

 

Philadelphia Eagles (3-4-1) vs. New York Giants (2-7)

The Eagles and Giants will meet for the second time this season. Philadelphia defeated New York at home just three weeks ago by only one point.

The Eagles had a bye week last week, and some of their injured players have had time to recover. Miles Sanders is expected to play, while other big names such as Lane Johnson and Alshon Jeffery are still questionable.

The Eagles have a tough schedule coming up and need this win to expand their division lead.

Prediction Eagles 30, Giants 20

 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-3) vs. Carolina Panthers (3-6)

Tom Brady played by far his worst game of the season last week. The Buccaneers have now lost twice to the Saints this season. There is not a chance Tom Brady plays like that again this week.

The Panthers lost in a close battle with the Chiefs, which are arguably the best team in the league right now. Christian McCaffrey played last week too, but he is doubtful to play against Tampa Bay. His likely absence makes this game a win for the Bucs.

Prediction: Buccaneers 28, Panthers 20

 

Denver Broncos (3-5) vs. Las Vegas Raiders (5-3)

The Raiders have been one of the biggest surprises this season. Their run game in combination with Derek Carr’s passing has been extremely effective.

On the flip side, Drew Lock, who has just as many touchdowns as interceptions, was able to bring the Broncos back into their game last week against the Falcons, falling a couple scores short.

Despite this, the Raiders defense has been exceptional the past three games, allowing just 17.3 points per game. They’ll contain Lock and the Broncos and earn another win for Sin City.

Prediction: Raiders 27, Broncos 20

 

Los Angeles Chargers (2-6) vs. Miami Dolphins (5-3)

The Miami Dolphins are now on a four-game winning streak after beating three teams from the NFC West. They’re playing with a lot of passion and might be one of the best-coached teams in the league right now.

Justin Herbert has been producing offensively for the Chargers, averaging more than 300 yards per game over the past three games, but the Bolts still lack defensively, and they just can’t seem to shake those weekly heartbreaking losses.

This will be a great showdown between two talented rookie quarterbacks. Herbert may out-perform Tua Tagovailoa in this matchup, but the Dolphins have a better overall roster.

Prediction: Dolphins 24, Chargers 21

 

Buffalo Bills (7-2) vs. Arizona Cardinals (5-3)

The Bills are legit. They have only two losses this season, both coming to AFC contenders in the Chiefs and Titans. Buffalo also had a big win last week against the Seattle Seahawks, as quarterback Josh Allen continues to put up monster numbers.

The Cardinals are going to be hungry for a win after a loss last week against the Dolphins, meaning this should be a close game with a lot of offense.

Even though the Bills dropped 44 points on Seattle, they should be concerned after only rushing for a total of 34 yards. They’ll have to get Devin Singletary and Zack Moss going in order to win this game against the Cardinals.

The Bills have a slightly better defense, which is why they will take this game.

Prediction Bills 33, Cardinals 30

 

Seattle Seahawks (6-2) vs. Los Angeles Rams (5-3)

This is yet again another big divisional game. If the Rams win, they could possibly take the lead in the NFC West. They were on bye last week and have had plenty of time to rest and scout the Seahawks.

Russell Wilson couldn’t use his magic against the Bills to counteract a terrible defensive performance, giving the Seahawks their first double-digit loss since December 2019. Wilson threw two picks and two touchdowns in the game.

The Rams will be prepared in this essential divisional game and will not allow a Russell Wilson fourth-quarter comeback.

Prediction Rams 38, Seahawks 35

 

San Francisco 49ers (4-5) vs. New Orleans Saints (6-2)

After a slow 1-2 start to the season, the Saints are now on a five-game winning streak. Drew Brees finally has Michael Thomas back, and the Saints defense seems to be clicking as well. Holding Tom Brady and company to only three points is not an easy accomplishment.

The 49ers have now lost two straight games. They might be the most inconsistent team in the league with impressive wins and horrific losses. The 49ers offense will not be able to match the firepower of the Saints, and they’ll drop their third in a row.

Prediction: Saints 30, 49ers 21

 

Cincinnati Bengals (2-5-1) vs. Pittsburgh Steelers (8-0)

In terms of team performances, the Pittsburgh Steelers have been the biggest story this season. They are now 8-0, which is the best start in franchise history.

They almost lost that undefeated record last week to the Dallas Cowboys, as Garrett Gilbert made his first NFL career start for Dallas and nearly led a spectacular upset bid. But the Steelers got the job done in the end.

The Bengals, meanwhile, are coming off a win against the Tennessee Titans. The Steelers barely won against the Titans three weeks ago.

Pittsburgh is known for having close games against the league’s worst teams. Don’t be surprised if the Steelers lose this one, especially with Ben Roethlisberger being placed on the COVID-19 reserve list.

Prediction: Bengals 24, Steelers 21

 

 

Baltimore Ravens (6-2) vs. New England Patriots (3-5)

The Patriots are having by far one of their worst seasons in a long time. They almost lost to the now 0-9 Jets last week. They were saved by a game-winning field goal from Nick Folk.

The Ravens are undefeated on the road this year and have dominated basically every game they have been in. If the Jets were able to put up 27 points against New England’s defense, the Ravens should have no trouble doing the same.

Lamar Jackson will continue to prove his critics wrong. He completed 10 of 10 passes in the second half against the Colts. He’ll have similar numbers against an inferior New England defense.

Prediction: Ravens 30, Patriots 17

 

Minnesota Vikings (3-5) vs. Chicago Bears (5-4)

The Vikings have now won two straight divisional games. Things are finally starting to click on both sides of the ball for Minnesota.

Dalvin Cook is coming off a monster game in which he rushed for 206 yards and two touchdowns. The key for Chicago will be stopping the Vikings run defense. If the Bears want to win this game, they’ll have to force Kirk Cousins to make big plays down the field.

Nick Foles is now 2-4 as a starter for the Chicago Bears. The Bears have been trying to get Foles going in the past couple of games, but it does not seem to be working.

This is a big divisional game for both teams. The Vikings have the momentum and will win this pivotal matchup.

Prediction: Vikings 28, Bears 24

 

Austin Groft is a sophomore majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email atg5271@psu.edu.

About the Contributors

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Logan Bourandas

Third-Year / Broadcast Journalism

Logan Bourandas is a third-year broadcast journalism major from Long Island, NY. He is a the news director for CommRadio and the host of Ducks on the Pond, which is an all-baseball talk show on CommRadio. He is also a sports writer, broadcaster and podcaster for CommRadio. He got his start as the station manager for his high school radio station WPOB in his hometown of Plainview, NY, where he hosted numerous radio shows and was involved in sports broadcasts. You can contact him at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

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Dugan Lloyd

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Eric Fenstermaker

Senior / Broadcast Journalist

Eric Fenstermaker is a senior from Northampton, Pennsylvania, majoring in broadcast journalism. He is also minoring in business and sports studies and pursuing a certificate in sports journalism.

Eric is involved in After the Whistle and Penn State Sports Night (PSSN). For COMM Radio, Eric contributes to a variety of different podcasts and co-hosts the Hail Mary radio show, which is dedicated to analyzing NFL games.

Eric loves conversation and interaction with sports fans, and he looks to help generate meaningful dialogues in the sports world. Eric aims to create content that is accurate, timely and impactful. To contact Eric, email him at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

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Austin Groft

Senior / Broadcast Journalism

Austin Groft is a senior student from Lancaster, Pennsylvania majoring in broadcast journalism at Penn State. He is a play-by-play announcer for CommRadio and Big Ten Plus. Austin also is a reporter for the Centre County Report and After the Whistle. To contact Austin, email him at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

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Sam Kirk

Junior / Broadcast Journalism

Sam Kirk is a junior majoring in broadcast journalism at Penn State. He is a writer and podcaster for the CommRadio sports department. He is also featured weekly in the CommRadio news department on Thursday newcasts. Sam has written articles all across the board that deal with baseball, football and basketball. He is also working for a football media company called Inside the Hashes, writing articles, interviewing players and contributing to their YouTube channel.