Detroit Lions (6-2) at Los Angeles Chargers (4-4) 4:05p (ET)
The Detroit Lions head to Los Angeles, California, for a marquee matchup at SoFi Stadium against the Chargers. The Lions are coming off a bye week, while their opponents have one less day to prepare after appearing on Monday Night Football on the road against the New York Jets.
The Lions are playing good football right now and they are winning games in a lot of different ways. They have a top-10 offense, and defensively are getting off the field on third down. Detroit is the 3rd-best 3rd-down defensive unit in the league so far this season. The Chargers’ offense didn’t do very well against the Jets defense on Monday night with just 191 total yards (107 passing) and 14 first downs. Their defense was almost more effective offensively than the offense itself, with three takeaways and eight sacks.
The Chargers are far from being the better team here, even playing at home, and it doesn’t feel like they have what it takes to beat a rested Lions squad.
Final Score: Lions – 26, Chargers – 24
Washington Commanders (4-5) at Seattle Seahawks (5-3) 4:25p (ET)
The Washington Commanders were sellers at the NFL trade deadline, but came out against the New England Patriots on the road and gutted out a tough 20-17 victory. The Seahawks, on the other hand, made a big move trading for Pro Bowl DL Leonard Williams, but were outworked and crushed for a 37-3 loss against the Ravens.
Seattle gladly returns home this week to square off against the Commanders, in what should be a fascinating game that could turn into the shootout of Week 10. These two teams are loaded with weapons at the WR position, but are we going to get the best version of either quarterback? Both Sam Howell and Geno Smith have shown they have a propensity to put the ball in harm’s way, with Smith being particularly lost on Sunday in Baltimore.
The Seattle Seahawks are always going to be a tough opponent, especially at Lumen Field where the 12th man really comes into play, and it just doesn’t seem like the Commanders have what it takes to come out on top here.
Final Score: Commanders – 26, Seahawks – 30
New York Jets (4-4) at Las Vegas Raiders (4-5) 8:20p (ET)
The New York Jets travel to Las Vegas for a matchup against the reenergized and rejuvenated Raiders for Sunday Night Football. In Antonio Pierce’s first game as head coach, the Raiders looked like a complete different team in a blowout of the New York Giants. The Jets are fresh off a Monday night matchup against the LA Chargers where they posted a blowout loss to drop back to .500 on the season.
The Jets offense is still struggling, averaging just 18.0 points per game with 10 total TDs in their first seven outings. Defensively, the Jets have held strong in that period however, giving up just 18.4 points per game and 11 total TDs. But in their matchup against the Chargers, the Jets allowed 14 points in the first quarter alone in an embarrassing 27-6 loss.
Robert Saleh’s defense has been able to pull this team out of a few holes this season, but with a stumbling and fumbling offense it’s impossible to win games on a consistent basis. This matchup will ultimately come down to which team can run the ball better and make fewer mistakes. I’m picking the Raiders to do just that and move to 5-5.
Final Score: Jets – 15, Raiders – 18
Denver Broncos (3-5) at Buffalo Bills (5-4) (Mon) 8:15p (ET)
The Denver Broncos went into their bye week with their heads held high after knocking off the Kansas City Chiefs in shockingly fashion by a score of 24-9 at Mile High Stadium. It was the biggest win of Russell Wilson’s two-year stint in Denver and gave the Broncos some hope for a wildcard spot in the AFC. As for the Buffalo Bills, they have been underachievers up to this point, and we’ve just seen them lose yet another game this season, a tough loss on the road to the Cincinnati Bengals.
When it looked like the Broncos were left for dead, they put together wins over the Packers and Chiefs, and their defense played great in those wins. The Bills have lost 3 of their last 5 games. Buffalo’s running game is hit or miss and the defense hasn’t been as solid as expected.
The Bills have won each of their last 11 games at home against teams with a losing record. Expect them to come out on top here, but the Broncos will keep it close.
Final Score: Broncos – 23, Bills – 27
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