Week 10’s prime-time slate brings three games with very different vibes, but the same basic question in each one: which team can lean on the right quarterback-running back combo when the lights come on?
Thursday night in New York, the Giants get Washington after a 19-11 Week 9 win over the Philadelphia Eagles, and they may have J.J. McCarthy back under center despite the hip injury he suffered in that game. Head coach John Harbaugh said McCarthy should be ready to face the Commanders, and running back Cam Skattebo is also expected to play after dealing with a hamstring issue.
Skattebo’s role is worth watching closely. He has topped 100 rushing yards only once in seven games, but the Giants appear ready to keep him as RB1 after the trade deadline passed without a move for Indianapolis Colts back Jonathan Taylor.
New York reportedly put a second- and fifth-round pick on the table for Taylor before talks shut down, then reportedly checked in with the Atlanta Falcons about Bijan Robinson before that pursuit went nowhere. Against a Washington defense that has slipped since defensive tackle Daron Payne was ruled out for the season with a foot injury, Skattebo has a chance to make the Giants feel good about standing pat.
The Commanders have allowed 107.5 rushing yards per game over their last two contests, up from 100.5 in their first six with Payne.
The pick: Giants, 27-20.
Sunday night shifts to a much bigger offensive spotlight in Pittsburgh at Cincinnati, where Joe Burrow keeps stacking numbers that are hard to ignore. He enters Week 10 leading the NFL with 26 touchdowns, including 23 passing and three rushing, and he has thrown at least four touchdowns in each of his last four games.
That stretch has pushed Burrow into the center of the midseason MVP conversation, and he’s even getting public support from the reigning league MVP. Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford said on this week’s “Let’s Go!”
podcast that he would hand Burrow the award at the halfway point. Steelers linebacker Patrick Queen said Tuesday that Pittsburgh plans to use more disguised coverages to throw Burrow off, but that’s a tall order against the quarterback he called “the best in the league.”
The pick: Bengals, 30-27.
Monday night closes with a matchup that looks a lot rougher on paper than on the schedule graphic: the Chargers at the Ravens. Los Angeles has been a mess, and Justin Herbert’s first season working with new offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel has gone badly. Through eight starts, Herbert is sitting at career lows in completion percentage at 61.3 percent, passing yards per game at 198.9 and passer rating at 70.4, while also tying for the league lead with 11 interceptions.
Baltimore’s quarterback situation is just as messy. Lamar Jackson and Tyler Huntley are both on injured reserve, with Huntley expected to miss the rest of the season.
Undrafted rookie Joe Fagnano filled in during a 33-10 Week 9 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, but he is not expected to start after the Ravens traded for Jacoby Brissett before the deadline. Brissett posted a 79.7 passer rating in eight games with Arizona.
If Baltimore is going to survive this one, it may have to do it on the ground. Derrick Henry gives the Ravens a real escape hatch with 689 rushing yards, seventh in the NFL. The Chargers don’t have that kind of answer; Omarion Hampton leads the team with 369 rushing yards, tied for No. 25 in the league.
The pick: Ravens, 19-16.
In Other News...
Ravens Made A Late O-Line Move That Feels Bigger Than It Should
Baltimore kept tinkering with its offensive line well past the point when most teams are done shopping, making another move during the 2026 season to add depth and flexibility up front. The latest addition came in a deal with Atlanta, with the Ravens sending guard Andrew Vorhees and a future sixth-round pick to the Falcons in exchange for center Ryan Neuzil, according to Fox Sports' Jordan Schultz.
The timing alone makes it notable, since this came shortly after the trade deadline had passed, and it adds to a run of line changes that has defined Baltimore's approach this year. For a team that has spent the season trying to stabilize the interior of the line, the move suggests the Ravens were still looking for a cleaner fit in the middle, even if the full impact of the trade will take a little longer to sort out. [Read more 🡒]
Lamar Jackson And The Ravens May Be Headed For A Brutal Choice
Lamar Jacksons contract situation has been one of the Ravens defining storylines for a while now, and the latest round of negotiations only reinforces how complicated this has become. General manager Eric DeCosta and cap chief Nick Matteo have been working through the details on Baltimores side, while Jacksons camp has had outside guidance from Mark Levin, a former NFLPA salary cap expert who has been closely involved in the process.
Levins read on the situation has been blunt enough to keep the pressure on the Ravens as they try to find a path forward. He has made clear that this is not the kind of negotiation likely to resolve cleanly unless Baltimore is willing to meet Jackson at the very top of the quarterback market, and his skepticism leaves the organization facing a difficult decision if the talks continue to stall. [Read more 🡒]
Ravens Still Face One Huge Lamar Jackson Question
Lamar Jacksons thumb injury has already put the Ravens in a difficult spot, with the quarterback expected to miss six to 10 weeks after getting hurt in Week 8. Baltimore now has to move forward with Jacoby Brissett as the starter, while the bigger picture around Jackson remains cloudy as the team navigates the stretch run without its franchise quarterback.
Jesse Minter has kept the details close to the vest, declining to say much about Jacksons injury or where things stand with any procedure, citing privacy in the teams communication. For now, the only real timeline comes from the recovery window, and the next layer of uncertainty is whether Jackson would even consider a return unless his health is fully in order and the Ravens are still in the postseason mix. [Read more 🡒]