3 NFL Games to Watch - Week 10

Garda gives you three non-Packers games to watch which Green Bay fans should still be following.

The Week 10 game between the Green Bay Packers and the Detroit Lions should be over quickly—although given the last two weeks with the Packers, anything is possible. Assuming it goes to ‘plan’ though, you might have some free time to tune into a few other games as well.

But what to watch? As always, I have the answers.

Minnesota Vikings at Oakland Raiders

I thought the Vikings and Raiders were both dark horse Wild Card teams, so it’s gratifying (and allows me to feel a bit smug) to see them both doing well. Nobody expected the Vikings to be tied with the Packers for first in the NFC North and nobody outside of Minneapolis expects it to hold. This game itself might actually be where they trip up.

I’m a big Teddy Bridgewater guy but I have to point out that Derek Carr is playing better than any other young quarterback from the last two or three years. Add in Amari Cooper and a very effective Michael Crabtree and you have a team that is really dangerous. Khalil Mack is also someone to watch.

This is a proving ground for both teams and aside from your interest as a Packers-NFC North fan, it should interest you to see how both young teams look as we head towards the latter half of the season.

I suspect the Raiders come out on top, but both teams are a lot better than most gave them credit for and will be teams to watch the rest of the way.

New England Patriots at New York Giants

My co-host on the Garda & Griffin NFL Podcast wasn’t all that fascinated by this game but I find the fact that the Giants keep having the Patriots’ number in big games interesting. Of course, this might be different as the best pass-rusher the G-Men have is a clubbed Jason Pierre-Paul, there is no run game and the offense is weirdly disconnected.

Still, the Patriots are slapping an offensive line together with hope and good intentions, lost Dion Lewis (a bigger loss than people outside of New England realize) and have some issues on defense.

The thing is though, the Giants offense should be something you guys recognize from Green Bay and it all too often isn’t. Well, it isn’t, though you might recognize it from the last two weeks because the Packers haven’t looked themselves on offense either.

If the Giants go with the short slants and outs, the quick passes to help overcome the lack of offensive line talent and run game, they can beat the Patriots. The question is, will they do that?

I feel like the Patriots season has become fait accompli and we’re all just assuming they will dominate the whole season. That may not be the case and I am curious how a team which has had their number for some time might do against them this week.

Arizona Cardinals at Seattle Seahawks

Are the Seattle Seahawks dead? Put aside your general dislike of them for all sorts of legitimate reasons for disliking the Seahawks and you have to admit the last two weeks they have started to look closer to normal.

IS that enough—looking ‘closer’ to normal? Probably not, when your offensive line is a dumpster fire, your quarterback is streaky and your big offseason acquisition isn’t a fit for what you want him to do. But hey, keep shoving square peg Jimmy Graham into the round hole Pete Carroll—it’s bound to work out at SOME point, right?

We’re about to see if the Seahawks can finally get their act together and while they are at home, the Carolina Panthers showed that this isn’t a huge deal if you have talent.

It’s clear the Cardinals have talent though, with Carson Palmer healthy, Larry Fitzgerald playing like he’s 22 again, John Brown and Michael Floyd very effective and Chris Johnson leading a solid backfield. Oh and the defense is pretty damned strong as well (No. 3 in DVOA per Football Outsiders).

This game could be a lot like the one Seattle dropped to Carolina—a game where the two teams battle hard that ends up close, but with the Seahawks just coming up short against a talented team.

For Packers fans, you need to watch this because I think your path could very well go through Arizona.

 

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Comments (2)

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Rustyweezee's picture

November 15, 2015 at 09:51 am

I'm not sure that the Giants-Pats game will be very interesting in the end. But given the Packers offensive funk of late, it could be interesting to watch the Giants' offense, or better, how teams defend their offense. Outside analysts have said Green Bay depends on too many iso routes that take too long to develop. Denver & Carolina used tight coverage at the LOS with an aggressive pass rush that contains as much as it pressures Rodgers. Will defending the Giants look the same, perhaps outside of containing the Manning? Of course, there are probably enough differences in personnel so it isn't an exact comparison, but maybe enough to even interest Corey Griffin?

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Ibleedgreenmore's picture

November 15, 2015 at 10:46 am

Lacy is inactive today, well we will see what we see. He needs the rest either heal or do whatever needs to be done. I saw a game last year where Lacy had over 143 yards and to think whats going on this year its sure not the same.

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