The NFC South is back where it always seems to end up: a mess with first place up for grabs and nobody exactly looking like a heavyweight. The Saints and Panthers both sit at 3-5, and Sunday’s meeting in New Orleans will hand one of them sole possession of the division lead for the moment. The winner still has Tampa Bay and Atlanta hanging around, but for one week, at least, somebody gets to sit on top of the smallest mountain in the NFL.
That game is the headliner, but Week 10 is packed with division races, bounce-back spots, and a few matchups that feel a lot cleaner on paper than they do in reality. Last week’s picks went 14-1, which is the kind of run that usually invites a humbling. Still, here goes.
The week starts with Washington visiting the Giants, and New York should handle business after the teams’ last meeting ended in a tie. The prediction here is a 27-21 Giants win, which would leave them in a strong spot in the NFC (L)East.
In Munich, the Patriots and Lions meet in the very early window on Sunday, November 15th. Detroit is looking for a fifth straight win and should get it against a New England team still feeling the effects of last week’s beating against the Packers. The call is Lions 20, Patriots 14.
The early slate also brings Kansas City to Atlanta, where the Chiefs are expected to keep rolling after snapping out of their two-game skid with a dominant performance last week. The Falcons are in rough shape, and the pick is Chiefs 21, Falcons 13.
Houston heads to Cleveland next, and the Texans are projected to keep things moving after their road win last week. The Browns are called overrated here, and the result is a 35-24 Texans victory.
The Game of the Week lands in Green Bay, where Minnesota and the Packers meet with first place in the NFC North on the line. After Monday night’s offensive slog, Minnesota opened the emergency glass and brought Kirk Cousins back to the Twin Cities. This one is expected to be a slugfest, but the Vikings are picked to edge it 20-16.
Indianapolis gets a chance to stop a five-game losing streak with Miami coming to town, and that’s exactly the kind of matchup the Colts need right now. The Dolphins are 1-7, and the prediction is a 24-9 Indianapolis win.
Buffalo’s strong season is expected to keep humming along against the Jets. The Bills are picked to win comfortably, 33-9.
Jacksonville also gets a favorable draw in Tennessee. The re-tooled Jaguars should dominate the Titans, with a 33-6 final in the forecast.
Then comes the Saints-Panthers game, the one with first place in the NFC South on the line. New Orleans has been undefeated against Bryce Young’s Panthers under Kellen Moore and Tyler Shough, and that trend is expected to hold. This one is forecast to come down to the final play, just like every Saints win you’ve watched all season, with Charlie Smyth drilling a game-winning field goal as New Orleans takes it 23-20.
Out west, the Rams are picked to make it four straight by beating the Cardinals, the same team that handed them their last loss. The score prediction is Rams 33, Cardinals 19.
Seattle’s trip to Las Vegas brings the Fernando Mendoza era for the Raiders, but the reigning Super Bowl champions are expected to spoil it. The Seahawks are projected to win 30-21.
Dallas gets San Francisco in a matchup that has lost some of its old shine, but the 49ers are still expected to control it. That would make it five straight over the Cowboys, with San Francisco winning 29-16.
Sunday night features a big AFC North showdown between the Steelers and Bengals, both riding four-game winning streaks. Pittsburgh won the first meeting, but Cincinnati is picked to take the rematch at home and move into first place, 32-24.
The nightcap is a far less glamorous primetime spot than it looked in the offseason: the Chargers at the Ravens. Baltimore is on a four-game skid, but this is the kind of matchup that can get a struggling team back on track. The Ravens are picked to beat the NFL’s worst team, 28-13.
In Other News...
Saints Rookie Christen Miller Faces Another Brutal Setback
Christen Millers rookie season has been defined by stop-and-start frustration, and Thursday brought another hit to his momentum. The Saints defensive lineman did not practice after hurting his knee in Wednesdays session, adding another injury note to a year in which he has already been limited by multiple setbacks since being drafted.
The timing is especially tough for a player who has managed only four games this season and has seen his snaps kept to a minimum when he has been available. New Orleans also had running back C.J. Donaldson and center Erik McCoy sidelined from practice because of injuries, while Alvin Kamara returned after a planned day off, leaving the Saints with a few more health questions to monitor as the week moves on. [Read more 🡒]
Saints May Be Getting A Crucial Boost At The Perfect Time
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Etienne last played in Week 3 of the 2026 season, and his absence has left the Saints waiting for a spark in the run game. He has yet to score a touchdown this year, but his return to the field at least opens the door to a possible comeback against the Panthers, giving New Orleans a timely boost if he is cleared to suit up. [Read more 🡒]
Saints Bought Kellen Moore Time But The Pressure Is Still There
The Saints finally found enough late offense to steady things against the Browns, and it came at a time when the margin for error around Kellen Moore had started to shrink. For most of the game, the attack was uneven and hard to trust, but the final two drives looked more like the version New Orleans has been trying to build, with a stronger rushing effort and a few timely big plays helping turn a tense afternoon into a win.
For Moore, the result matters almost as much as the way it unfolded. A cleaner finish can buy a coach some breathing room, especially when the conversation around his job security had started to get louder, but one good closing stretch does not erase the larger concerns. The Saints still need more consistent production from an offense that spent too much of the day searching for answers before finally finding them when it mattered most. [Read more 🡒]