NFL 2023 Week 10 Picks

Hello readers! Another week of exciting National Football League action is coming up on us yet again. The NFL season has reached the double digits and that means it is time to look ahead to playoff football with the playoff picture. For this post, I'll do a playoff picture, a Week 10 Preview and Picks and the Early and Late Game TV broadcast pairings. Let's get to work!

Playoff Picture: Week 10

With the season hitting double digit for week's, it is time to take a look at the playoff picture. It is way too early to predict who is going to play on in January but it is nice to look how teams stand. Let's take a look at the NFC.

Seeding

1st seed: Philadelphia Eagles (8-1)

2nd seed: Detroit Lions (6-2)
3rd seed: San Francisco 49ers (5-3)

4th seed: New Orleans Saints (5-4)
5th seed: Seattle Seahawks (5-3)
6th seed: Dallas Cowboys (5-3)

7th seed: Minnesota Vikings (5-4)

Wild Card Weekend Matchups

Minnesota @ Detroit

Dallas @ San Francisco

Seattle @ New Orleans

In the Hunt

Washington (4-5), Atlanta (4-5), Tampa Bay (3-5), Green Bay (3-5), LA Rams (3-6), NY Giants (2-7), Chicago (2-7), Carolina (1-7), Arizona (1-8)

Should be noted that the Seahawks are ahead of the Cowboys because of better conference record (Dallas is 2-3 in NFC while Seattle is 4-1). Seattle is behind the 49ers because of division record. Let's look at the AFC. Note: only the 1st seed gets the Wild Card bye, 2nd through 7th seeds get to play that weekend. 

Seeding

1st seed: Kansas City Chiefs (7-2)
2nd seed: Baltimore Ravens (7-2)

3rd seed: Jacksonville Jaguars (6-2)

4th seed: Miami Dolphins (6-3)

5th seed: Pittsburgh Steelers (5-3)

6th seed: Cleveland Browns (5-3)

7th seed: Cincinnati Bengals (5-3)

Wild Card Weekend Matchups

Cincinnati @ Baltimore

Cleveland @ Jacksonville

Pittsburgh @ Miami

In the Hunt

NY Jets (4-3), Buffalo (5-4), Houston (4-4), Indianapolis (4-5), Las Vegas (4-5), LA Chargers (3-4), Tennessee (3-5), Denver (3-5), New England (2-7)

Kansas City is ahead of Baltimore because of conference record. Pittsburgh is ahead of Cleveland because of head to head. Pittsburgh is ahead of Cincinnati because of division record. If the playoffs started today, all four of the AFC North's teams would be playing in January football. 

Week 10 Preview

The Tenth week of the National Football League's regular season will start in Chicago, Illinois and wrap up in Orchard Park, New York. There will be a 14-game slate of games where 28 teams will play. Teams on a bye are the Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Rams, Miami Dolphins and Philadelphia Eagles. Week 10 will feature a Thursday night game, a Sunday morning game, six early games, four late games, a Sunday night game and a Monday night game. FOX will carry the doubleheader while CBS will have a single, regional game this week. Let's get to the picks!

Week 10 Picks

Note: All game times are in US Eastern. TW is me and CV is Cardinal Viking, my former roommate.

Carolina (1-7) @ Chicago (2-7) (Amazon; 8:15 pm): TW: Bears; CV: Panthers

The Panthers lost to the Colts and the Bears lost to the Saints last week. The Panthers had a rough game against the Colts as rookie quarterback tossed three interceptions, two of them for pick-sixes. Obviously, the ball protection needs to get better. I think the Panthers issues is that the young quarterback is trying too hard. Trying too hard requires their running game has to pick up the slack. It could be worthwhile to look into. Chicago isn't that great of a team but Tyson Bagent is somewhat of a capable quarterback that can put forth some effort. Their offense can put up some points but they also have some ball protection issues of their own. Both teams are just trying to get through the season but I'll take the Bears at home. 

Indianapolis (4-5) @ New England (2-7) (NFL Network; 9:30 am): TW: Colts; CV: Colts

The Colts beat the Panthers and the Patriots lost to the Commanders last week. The 2nd of two games that will play out in Frankfurt, Germany. The game will be an interesting one. Indy has been either really solid on offense or really bad. The Colts have a decent running game with a tandem of Zack Moss and Jonathan Taylor. They have a defense that could cause havoc to the Patriots offense. New England's offense has been the bane of Patriots fan's hopes and dreams. They have been improving but it is a question whether if they can fire off points like a pinball. Mac Jones might have to fire off the deep ball but he isn't quite the arm that makes most OC's yearn. If they can keep the Colts defense on the field and not turn the ball over, the Pats have a decent shot to win. I'll take the safe bet. 

Cleveland (5-3) @ Baltimore (7-2) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Ravens; CV: Ravens

The Browns beat the Cardinals and the Ravens beat the Seahawks last week. The AFC North has been quietly becoming one of the best and toughest divisions in the NFL. Cleveland is in the thick of being 5-3 with Pittsburgh and Cincinnati. DeShaun Watson made it back to the field last week and provided the Browns some much needed help on offense. They'll need to play stellar football as they go up against the Ravens. Baltimore has been ravaging opponents in its wake. Pillaging towns, salting the fields, taking the women and children and destroying NFC teams. Okay so most of that was exaggerated. Cleveland lost to Baltimore in the prior matchup and I haven't seen anything that would really change that fact. I'll take the Ravens. 

Green Bay (3-5) @ Pittsburgh (5-3) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Steelers; CV: Steelers

The Packers beat the Rams and the Steelers beat the Titans last week. Interesting thing to note is that this will be the first time that the Packers will play the Steelers without Aaron Rodgers or Brett Favre since 1986 (a 27-3 Steelers win in case you want to know). Green Bay had been in a lengthy losing streak and got a big win against a banged up Rams team. A win is a win for them. Their offense has been somewhat of a letdown and will need to play good against one of the better pass rushing units in the NFL. Pittsburgh as slowly looked better on offense. It seems that they have been utilizing their running game a bit more than the past. I am game for it as Kenny Pickett needs the help that he can get. Despite the slow starts that the Steelers have I'll still take them as the better offense than the Packers.  

Houston (4-4) @ Cincinnati (5-3) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Bengals; CV: Texans

Both teams got wins last week as the Texans beat the Buccaneers and the Bengals beat the Bills. The Texans got a huge boost to their confidence by beating the Buccaneers on a game-winning drive with under a minute left. CJ Stroud threw for five touchdowns in that game. We'll see how good the Texans can be by facing off one of the best defenses in the league. Cincinnati's one of the hottest teams in the league after going 1-3 to start the season. They have done it with a resurgence of their offense as well as their defense clamping it down. I think it could be a close game but I'll take the Bengals. 

New Orleans (5-4) @ Minnesota (5-4) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Saints; CV: Vikings

The Saints beat the Bears and the Vikings beat the Falcons last week. New Orleans have been a high and low kind of team. They can look really good on offense which they should be better at or they can be absolutely rudderless. Their defense can put the hurt on people. Minnesota is also one of the hottest teams in the league after a very slow start. The Vikes had been doing it with their offense and the defense picking up the slack. Their quest for the playoffs took a swerve as Kirk Cousins went out with an Achilles tear that will put him out for the rest of the season. In relief Joshua Dobbs provided much offense with limited knowledge of the offense. The Vikings could pull off a win but with a challenge in the Saints coming to town I'll actually go with the road team.

San Francisco (5-3) @ Jacksonville (6-2) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Jaguars, CV: 49ers

The 49ers were on a bye and the Jaguars were on a bye last week. San Francisco had been one of the better teams in the league with a 5-0 record. Since they lost to Cleveland they look like a ship without a rudder or wind in its sails. They have let ball control not be a factor in games. If they can just not turn it over when it matters most. They have a good shot to win games. Jacksonville has been one of the impressive teams in the league. Both teams have great offenses with some good weapons. Will the rudderless 49ers find their way to get back to the winning column or possibly the Jaguars continue their epic start. I'll take the home team. 

Tennessee (3-5) @ Tampa Bay (3-5) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Buccaneers; CV: Titans

The Titans lost to the Steelers and the Buccaneers lost to the Texans last week. Tennessee had a good thing going with Will Levis and then they ran into the Steelers. With any luck the rookie quarterback will have some better luck in beating the Buccaneers who gave up 39 points to another rookie quarterback. Tampa had been one of the intriguing teams in the league until they ran into the Lions. Since then the pirate ship has just been going down and down. Their defense really needs to play better to give their offense a chance to win and to maintain a lead. With any luck they can slow down Derrick Henry. It seems like a bit of a bet but I'll take the Bucs. 

Atlanta (4-5) @ Arizona (1-8) (CBS; 4:05 pm): TW: Falcons; CV: Falcons

The Falcons lost to the Vikings while the Cardinals lost to the Browns last week. Atlanta might be down but not out yet at this point of the season. They still have the capabilities to make a run but they have to win this game. Their running game is their bread and butter so they should try to run the ball more. Arizona just can't seem to get anything right in this season. Their only win was a shocker against Dallas and after that it hasn't been any much fun being a Cardinals fan. Their offense was really awful against the Browns and pretty much proves that they need either Joshua Dobbs or Kyler Murray in order to be successful. Safe bet to choose the Falcons. 

Detroit (6-2) @ LA Chargers (4-4) (CBS; 4:05 pm): TW: Chargers; CV: Lions

The Lions had a bye and the Chargers beat the Jets last week. Detroit has had one of the best seasons in recent memory. Their offense has done quite a bit of things in balancing their offense. They have one of the best rushing attacks in the league. The Chargers have similar offense that has similar numbers but the results have been different in record. At some point the Lions will lose a game so I could see them losing this game. Los Angeles handled the Jets fine last week but they will need to have one of the better offensive showings this week against the cream of the crop. I'll take the Chargers.  

NY Giants (2-7) @ Dallas (5-3) (FOX; 4:25 pm): TW: Cowboys; CV: Cowboys

The Giants lost to the Raiders and the Cowboys lost to the Eagles last week. The Giants have had a rough go of it in 2023 compared to 2022 when they made the playoffs and won a game in the playoffs. The last time these two teams played it was a 40+ point drubbing by Dallas. Should I expect anything better from the G-Men? I shouldn't. If Dallas doesn't win this, they should hang up the towel for 2023. Their offense should be able to handle them. 

Washington (4-5) @ Seattle (5-3) (FOX; 4:25 pm): TW: Seahawks; CV: Commanders

The Commanders beat the Patriots and the Seahawks lost to the Ravens last week. Washington finally got off the losing streak last week. Their offense has been producing some solid numbers. Sam Howell has been the juggernaut that Washington wanted. He can put up quite the passing yards. The turnovers for Washington have been a concern while their defense has also been another. The trades to Montez Sweat and Chase Young spell a certain doom to their defense. Seattle had been one of the intriguing teams of the last two seasons. Geno Smith this season has been dealing with some ball control issues as he has seven interceptions. Their offense also needs to get back into gear as they haven't scored more than 24 points since beating the Panthers at home in Week 3. I'll take the Seahawks. 

NY Jets (4-4) @ Las Vegas (4-5) (NBC; 8:20 pm): TW: Raiders; CV: Jets

The Jets lost to the Chargers and the Raiders beat the Giants last week. With Aaron Rodgers out of commission for the moment, the Jets have somehow pulled off to put up four wins. The offense at times can put together drives but otherwise it seems like a jet plane with no engine. They'll need to figure it out as their opponent has a new identity. Las Vegas exorcised some bad apples by getting rid of Josh McDaniels and putting Antonio Pierce at the helm of the raiding party. They seemed to play with a lot of vigor after beating the Giants 30-6 last week. Maxx Crosby has been playing out of his mind lately and quite frankly I'll take the highly confident Raiders in this game. 

Denver (3-5) @ Buffalo (5-4) (ABC/ESPN; 8:15 pm): TW: Bills; CV: Bills

The Broncos had a bye and the Bills lost to the Bengals last week. Week 10 wraps up with a fairly intriguing matchup in the AFC. The Broncos last played a game against the defending champions and beat them soundly. It is probably the best win in the Sean Payton era in Denver. They have a shot to win against the Bills but they need to keep the ball in their hands and drive the ball down the field. Denver's running game really needs to pick it up in scoring touchdowns as they only have one rushing touchdown. Buffalo has been slipping non-stop and felt off a bit since they went to London against the Jaguars. Their offense has gotten off to slow starts, slow starts usually mean that they have to play from behind in most games. Teams have been able to really force Josh Allen to beat them which doesn't bode well. They need James Cook to get going. It feels like a pattern but I'll take the home team as I don't trust the Broncos. 

Early & Late Game TV Broadcast Pairings

Note: Games in bold are being shown in my area, check local listings

CBS Single

Green Bay @ Pittsburgh
Ian Eagle, Charles Davis

Houston @ Cincinnati
Kevin Harlan, Trent Green

Tennessee @ Tampa Bay
Andrew Catalon, Tiki Barber, Matt Ryan

Detroit @ LA Chargers (Late)
Jim Nantz, Tony Romo

Atlanta @ Arizona (Late)

Spero Dedes, Adam Archuleta

FOX Early

San Francisco @ Jacksonville

Joe Davis, Daryl Johnston

New Orleans @ Minnesota

Adam Amin, Mark Schlereth

Cleveland @ Baltimore

Kenny Albert, Jonathan Vilma

FOX Late

NY Giants @ Dallas

Kevin Burkhardt, Greg Olson

Washington @ Seattle

Kevin Kugler, Mark Sanchez

For more information on which game is being shown in your area check out: NFL 2023: Week 10 Maps

Records

Cardinal Viking:

2023: 
Week 1: 10-6

Week 2: 10-6

Week 3: 8-8

Week 4: 13-3
Week 5: 6-8

Week 6: 9-6

Week 7: 4-9

Week 8: 10-6

Week 9: 8-6

Total: 78-58

2017: 167-89
2018: 156-98-2
2019: 151-104-1
2020: 163-92-1
2021: 167-104-1
2022: 157-112-2

My record: 

2023:
Week 1: 9-7

Week 2: 11-5
Week 3: 11-5

Week 4: 14-2

Week 5: 7-7

Week 6: 8-7

Week 7: 5-8

Week 8: 10-6

Week 9: 9-5

Total: 84-52

2012: 164-90-2

2013: 162-92-1

2014: 172-83-1

2017: 164-92

2018: 156-98-2
2019: 161-94-1

2020: 167-88-1 

2021: 173-98-1
2022: 166-103-2

See you all after the Monday night game for the Week 10 Recap! Enjoy the games!

-Tom