NFL Round Table Week 10
Week 10 of the NFL season is here! We have a great slate of games and a ton of teams on Bye week. As the NFL season continues to kick things into overdrive we are here to provide you insights into the league from some of our favorite brands and analysts. Joining our staff today is special guest:
Will Yordy from Game On!
We have daily live chats, recommended picks in all sports, fantasy football suggestions, and access to all my content and betting advice. Best of all it’s free to join so come check me out on my Locals page gameon.locals.com
sportsillustrated.com
With Justin Fields' breakout over the past 4 weeks culminating in his QB1 finish last week, where do you think he finishes the season ranked?
Colt Martin - Truth Serum Football
I think he finishes somewhere in the lower QB1 range 10-12. The rushing upside is nice, but we have to see more in the passing game in my opinion.
Joey Fickle - Truth Serum Football
Fields is the QB2 since week 5. Over the past 3 weeks he has 37 rushing attempts for 320 yards. That’s an unsustainable pace of 209 carries in a season. Luke Getsy is also scheming plays for easy completions. From weeks 5-8, his completion percentage has jumped over 13% and his passer rating has increased by 38.9. Like I said on last week’s Start or Sit live he is a top 5 option for the rest of the season. The breakout is here, and it’s real.
Will Yordy - Game On!
Look back 3 weeks ago when Chicago played New England. Their offensive game plan changed and caught Belichick off guard. Ever since then they have been putting up points and it has been led by Fields. At the trade deadline, Chicago was sellers on defense and buyers on offense, indicating that they have faith in their young QB.
Fields last 3 games through the air:
- 123 yards, 3 TDs
- 151 yards, 2 TDs
- 179 yards, 1 TD
Fields last 3 games on the ground:
- 15 carries, 178 yards, 1 TD
- 8 carries, 60 yards, 1 TD
- 14 carries, 82 yards, 1 TD
What Fields has done rushing is very impressive. But is it sustainable? What is Chicago playing for? I would assume management knows what they are getting from him with his legs and want to see what he can do with his arm.
Depending on how your fantasy league scores points, Fields is ranked somewhere around 10th. Going forwards I believe we see Fields come down to earth a bit and he finishes the season between 12 and 15, or an average QB. Teams aren’t going to let him continue to put up these rush yards on them, nor does Chicago want Fields rushing the ball this much in a year they don’t have a chance to win anything. Chicago also has the Jets, Packers, Eagles, Bills, and Vikings left on their schedule which all have solid defenses.
Overall, it’s impressive what Fields has done the last few weeks but it’s not sustainable. If Fields wants to end the season as a top-10 QB he’s going to have to do more through the air to go along with what he’s doing on the ground.
walkersportsmarketing.com
The Eagles struggled to put away the Texans, the Bills lost to the Jets, and a rookie QB pushed the Chiefs to overtime in week 9. Who are your top 3 contenders for the rest of the season and why?
Colt Martin - Truth Serum Football
Kansas City to me is the clear number one. KC still has all the firepower, and the D is very underrated. I think the Titans D is underrated and their presence was the reason they were able to stay in the game against KC.
The Eagles are second for me. I understand they’re undefeated, and most would put them at number 1. The Eagles are great all around, but they haven’t faced many great teams. Their best complete game was against the Vikings. I think they drop at least 3 or 4 games the rest of the way.
The third team is the toughest for me. I want to say Buffalo, but the Allen injury is worrisome, and the Defense has been vulnerable at times. I’m probably in the minority, but I’m going 49ers. The 49ers defense is elite. The offense has so many weapons with CMC, Deebo, AIyuk, and Kittle; and they’re about to get Elijah Mitchell back. Jimmy G is the weak link, but Shanahan will continue to cover his flaws.
Joey Fickle - Truth Serum Football
- Philadelphia Eagles 8-0
The only unbeaten team remaining in the NFL. Jalen Hurts is the real deal. For a team that has struggled with injuries in recent years, they are staying healthy so far halfway through this brutal season. There are no glaring weaknesses on this squad as I see them as the most complete team. Not a hard choice to top the power rankings.
- Kansas City Chiefs 6-2
It’s Patrick Mahomes. He now has two separate five-game winning streaks in which the Chiefs trailed at halftime in every game. Only Peyton Manning shares that accomplishment with him. He also became the first player in the Super Bowl era to pass for 400 yards and rush for 60 in the same game. In a QB-driven league, the Chiefs land at number 2.
- Buffalo Bills 6-2
I’m not ready to drop the Bills below 3. They lost a tough divisional matchup against a tough Jets team. It happens (0-2 divisional record). The biggest concern is that Josh Allen injured his elbow late in the game. This is the same elbow that sidelined him for 4 weeks during his rookie season. At this time, we don’t know the extent of the injury, but Allen claims it to be a pain tolerance issue that he can play through. The Bills are the only other team without any weaknesses and would be atop this list if there were no concerns about Allen’s elbow.
Shout out to the Vikings, Cowboys, Dolphins, Ravens, Bengals, and 49ers. All of these teams could make a Super Bowl push.
Will Yordy - Game On!
I’m going to leave the Bills out of this list because of the unknown with Josh Allen. If he ends up needing surgery and is out the rest of the season the Bills’ season is over. If he doesn’t it’ll depend on how quickly he can get his arm strength back to normal and what position the Bills are in after his absence. Therefore I will sideline the Bills at the moment.
Baltimore Ravens.
This team is a couple of blown 4th quarter leads away from being 9-0 or 8-1. All while losing player after player after player to injuries. As long as Lamar Jackson stays healthy Baltimore’s offense will be hard to stop. Defensively it looks like their trade for Roquan Smith was worth every penny as he made a huge impact in his first game as a Raven. And it’s not just him making plays, it’s his ability to free up others on that defense to make plays as well.
Baltimore should be favored in every remaining game this season. They are currently -400 favorites to win their division. They still have a shot at finishing as the 1 seed and getting the first-round bye. So at worst we know Baltimore will be hosting a playoff game in the Wild Card round and most likely be favored. From there it’ll depend on who they get matched up with, but if the Ravens get healthier by the time playoffs come around I don’t see anyone they can’t beat in the AFC.
Kansas City Chiefs.
How can you ever count Mahomes and Reid out? Their division was expected to be one of the toughest in the league this year but instead, it looks like Denver, Vegas, and the Chargers all have major flaws. The Chiefs should win their division and have a chance at the 1 seed. Would you bet against the Chiefs if the road to the Super Bowl went through Kansas City? I sure wouldn’t.
San Francisco 49ers.
Name a team with more upside potential than the 49ers. There are none. If they can stay healthy, and yes that’s a big if, they have all the tools and weapons to beat anyone in the NFC. They can run the ball and control the clock while having a stout defense that gives any offense trouble. They currently have the tie-breaker with Seattle and I think they end up winning their division and making some noise in the playoffs.
syracuse.com
Speaking of the Bills, how concerned are you for the Bills chances to take the next step this season with Josh Allen’s potential elbow issues?
Colt Martin - Truth Serum Football
I am very concerned about Allen’s injury. I think the Bills can still squeeze into the playoffs without Allen, but they aren't the top 3 teams they once were in my opinion.
Joey Fickle - Truth Serum Football
I already addressed this in the last question, but as long as it remains a pain tolerance issue, I’m not super concerned.
Will Yordy - Game On!
I think this could be very bad for Allen. If he ends up needing surgery it’s going to be Tommy John’s and not only will Allen miss the rest of this season, but he will be out next season as well. The Bill’s window to win may be shut.
thephinsider.com
Each team in the AFC East currently has a winning record. If the season ended today all but the Patriots would squeeze into the playoffs. Which of those 4 teams is least likely to make a playoff push and why?
Colt Martin - Truth Serum Football
I think the Patriots are the least likely. I just don’t think that team has enough to squeeze into the playoffs like the other 3 teams in the East. The offense still hasn’t found that second gear outside of Stevenson the teams lacking offensive power.
Joey Fickle - Truth Serum Football
Unfortunately, this won’t be the New York Jets year. Zach Wilson makes the widest range of mistakes. From fumbles, interceptions, and holding the ball entirely too long, all the way to thrusting his jet into the pelvis of his friend’s mothers.
Will Yordy - Game On!
Has to be the Jets. They need at least 10 wins to make the playoffs and I don’t see 4 wins remaining on their schedule. On top of that, I don’t think Wilson can win them games. They rely on their run game and defense. Teams will start stacking the box and forcing Wilson to beat them through the air and I’m not a believer he can.
wikipedia.com
In the NFC only 5 teams currently have winning records. Which of the teams currently below .500 has the best chance to make a run in the second half of the season?
Colt Martin - Truth Serum Football -
The Bucs are probably a cop-out given they have an easy division they could win so I will go elsewhere. The Rams probably have the best chance of turning things around and making a playoff push. The offense is sputtering, but they have all the firepower to compete week in and week out. I have full confidence in McVay to turn this squad around.
Joey Fickle - Truth Serum Football
The San Francisco 49ers are the unfair advantage to this question. But when there’s an advantage, I take it. The 9ers allow only 86.6 rushing yards a game, tops in the league; they’re 8th in yards allowed, and 6th in points allowed. As good as these numbers seem, they are even better if you take out the game against the Cheifs where they allowed 44 points on 535 yards and 6 TDs! They have also made a significant trade by acquiring Christian McCaffrey to solidify all three downs at RB to further compliment the other explosive pieces of this offense.
Will Yordy - Game On!
Tampa Bay. They’re going to win their division and host a playoff game. I don’t ever want to count Brady out, especially in the playoffs. This team has the defense to make a run. Their biggest problem is the run game. If they can get their offensive line in sync and figure out how to run the ball, Tampa Bay will make a run at the title. Plus, I can see the memes now of Brady losing his family but holding a Lombardi trophy.