Kyler Murray squarely in MVP race, and what else we’re learning in Week 10

FOX Sports’ NFL experts provide the biggest takeaways from every Sunday game in Week 10 and what they mean for each team going forward.

Giants: There’s really no excuse anymore for the Giants to stick with Daniel Jones once they come off of their bye week. On Sunday, he threw for 71 yards in the first three quarters against the NFL’s worst defense. He was picked off in the red zone twice, including one on an inexcusable third-down throw with the Giants in range for a game-tying field goal late in the fourth quarter. His timing is off, he cannot connect with his receivers on downfield throws, and he’s holding the ball too long in the pocket. No, his backup, Drew Lock, isn’t the answer. But it’s crystal clear Jones will not be the Giants’ quarterback next season. He has thrown two touchdown passes and five interceptions in the past five games — all losses. What’s the point of letting this continue?

Panthers: Chuba Hubbard might be the most underrated player in the NFL, though the Panthers clearly value him. Just three days after signing a four-year, $33 million deal (with just $12 million guaranteed), he ran for 153 yards against the Giants. Granted, the Giants’ run defense is awful — they’re giving up an average of 193.3 rushing yards over their past four games — but this was Hubbard’s fifth game of the season with 90 or more yards. The former fourth-round pick is the full package of power, speed and shifty moves. He’s also exactly what young QB Bryce Young needs — a weapon to take some of the pressure off him as he grows into the job. That’s why the Panthers signed Hubbard, even after using a second-round pick on injured RB Jonathon Brooks in April. Hubbard isn’t a luxury. He’s the guy who can give Young the room he needs to become the quarterback Carolina hopes he can still be. — Ralph Vacchiano

49ers: This still isn’t the 49ers team that we’ve come to know from years past — not even with Christian McCaffrey back in the lineup. The defense definitely stepped up against Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. But the offense? Not so much. Brock Purdy’s stat line doesn’t show it, but he labored to generate points for the offense. McCaffrey didn’t totally look like himself on the ground (13 carries, 39 yards) but he provided a spark in the passing game: six catches, 68 yards. The silver lining is that San Francisco eked out a win and is finally over .500 for the first time this season. But the 49ers are still struggling to do what they generally do best: run the football. Until that comes together, I’m not sure the 49ers are contenders.

Buccaneers: Tampa’s fatal flaw this year is its defense. We can see that clearly at this point. Because even if the defense played well for 59 minutes, it gave up three crucial points in that final minute, which tipped the game in the 49ers’ favor. It’s too bad, too, because the Bucs put together one of their best games of the season. In the final two minutes of the game, Baker Mayfield delivered a truly magical drive, with an insane fourth-down conversion and a few theatrical throws. Mayfield’s only mistake was leaving time on the clock. Because the defense couldn’t hold the scoreline. The Bucs are trending the wrong way in the playoff picture, with a 32% chance of a postseason berth. — Henry McKenna

Tom Brady breaks down 49ers’ impressive win over Buccaneers

Broncos: Their last-second loss on a blocked field goal attempt will go down as a bad break for the Broncos, but to see this defense and rookie Bo Nix come together the way they have, Denver is a team still very much in the wild-card hunt at 5-5. It’s rare to find a rookie who can avoid mistakes to keep his team in a game, but Nix, who had two touchdowns and no interceptions, has figured that out. The Broncos will get another shot at the Chiefs in Week 18, likely with more on the line for Denver in the rematch. The idea that a close loss to the Chiefs could be seen as a missed opportunity speaks to how much Denver has exceeded expectations after a slow start this season.

Chiefs: It’s never dominant, but the Chiefs found a way to win again, this time on a blocked field goal as time expired to hold on for a 16-14 win over Denver. This is a Kansas City team that has leaned on its defense, never more so than on Sunday. The team’s 16 points scored is the fewest in a Patrick Mahomes-led victory in more than three years, since a 13-7 win over the Packers in 2021. The Chiefs went 1-for-4 in the red zone and averaged just 4.6 yards per play — that’s 101st out of 108 games since Mahomes took over as the starter in 2018. And they still won. It’s hard to imagine the Chiefs pulling this off for another eight games, but their ability to close out tight games is something that will help them in the postseason. They didn’t get much from Mahomes or their run game on Sunday, but their defense and special teams had just enough to pull off a win by the slimmest of margins. — Greg Auman

Bills: The interceptions are back for Josh Allen. After going seven games without throwing a pick to start the season, Allen has thrown one in each of the past three games. Buffalo has overcome Allen’s miscues to earn victories in all three games, but his turnovers could come back to haunt Buffalo if he continues on this path. One way for Allen to avoid throwing interceptions at critical moments when he’s under pressure is to pull the ball down and use his legs. Allen had 50 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown against Indianapolis. Perhaps the Bills will use Allen more as a runner during the second half of the season to curb his turnover-worthy plays.

Colts: It’s time for head coach Shane Steichen to end the failed experiment of Joe Flacco starting at quarterback. The 39-year-old had another rough day, throwing three interceptions against the Bills, including one returned 23 yards for a score by Taron Johnson on the opening drive of the game. Flacco has four interceptions over his past two starts and the offense has managed just two touchdowns in those two games. With the Colts 4-6 on the year, Steichen should return second-year QB Anthony Richardson to the starting lineup to continue his development, along with leaning more on running back Jonathan Taylor to help carry the offense. — Eric D. Williams

Patriots: Week after week of being other teams’ “get-right” game, the Patriots get one of their own. There has been a concerted effort to make sure rookie quarterback Drake Maye is protected, and New England has consistently added extra men to the protection scheme to make up for the lack of talent among its front five. Maye was sacked just once by Chicago’s defense on Sunday. He has had multiple 200-plus-yard games and looks as if he’s developing slowly but surely. That’s all you really needed out of this year if you’re the Patriots. Wins are a bonus, and it wasn’t pretty, but they got one in Chicago, snapping the Bears’ home win streak this season and spoiling their return after 35 days. Jerod Mayo’s defense also nearly doubled its season sack total by taking down Caleb Williams nine times. It’s still going to be an uphill battle the rest of the season for the Patriots, but you’re starting to see the vision in New England.

Bears: My goodness things are ugly in Chicago. Yes, the Bears are just one game below .500. Yes, they’re dealing with a host of offensive line injuries, but there has been no adjustment in the past couple weeks to account for that. Inexplicably, they aren’t bringing in extra linemen or consistently utilizing heavier personnel to bring in tight ends or running backs into the protection scheme. What’s more, those players aren’t getting targeted, either: Running backs and tight ends had just four total targets on Sunday.

The Bears are seemingly back to square one after making significant progress before their bye week. They look worse every week. What’s even worse than that, players and leaders in the locker room are openly questioning coaching decisions. The body language and energy, especially offensively, is lackluster to put it lightly. Williams has taken 18 sacks in the past three games. He took nine against the Patriots, who had just eight sacks in their previous six games. Chicago has the longest-active streak of drives without a touchdown. Williams went into the bye week just two touchdowns off the Bears’ rookie record. He is currently no closer. Chicago has never relieved a coach of his duties midseason in their century-plus history, but with the chatter getting louder both inside and outside of the locker room, it’s hard to think Matt Eberflus will redeem himself after this midseason collapse. — Carmen Vitali

Vikings: Sam Darnold has been rejuvenated with the Vikings this season, but he’s also the reason why no one should be surprised if Minnesota lays an egg come playoff time. He threw a lot of dangerous passes Sunday. He threw three interceptions deep in Jaguars’ territory, including two in the red zone. Can’t forget he had a near pick late in the second quarter, or another interception that was negated by a Jacksonville penalty in the third quarter, too. The former No. 3 overall pick is up to six giveaways in the past two games. It’s good enough to beat the Colts and Jaguars in back-to-back weeks, but it won’t be down the stretch in a competitive NFC North or the postseason. Offensively, the Vikings must start leaning more on Aaron Jones and the run game to avoid a first-round playoff exit. They might already be destined for one.

Jaguars: How different would this Jaguars season look if their defense played like it did on Sunday? Jacksonville, which entered the week with one of the league’s worst defenses, held high-powered Minnesota to 12 points. It forced Darnold into three interceptions. It held all-world receiver Justin Jefferson under 50 yards. This all came despite Jacksonville’s defense being on the field for the vast majority of the game. With Trevor Lawrence, who missed his first game of the season with a shoulder injury, and better execution and playcalling (star rookie Brian Thomas Jr. had just three targets), we’re probably talking about the Jags being a playoff hopeful at the very least. Instead, it’s all about draft positioning at this point. The loss helps in that regard. — Ben Arthur

Falcons: The NFC South is very much the Falcons’ to lose, but they gave one away Sunday. Kirk Cousins went without a touchdown and had a costly interception in the closing minutes, unable to beat a New Orleans team that had lost seven in a row. Younghoe Koo has been a problem this season after such a consistent career – special teams misses are enough to override a solid 116 yards and two touchdowns for Bijan Robinson. The Bucs’ late loss to the 49ers keeps the Falcons essentially three games up for the division lead, but this was a chance to almost put things away and lock up a home playoff game. That will have to wait for now.

Saints: Give interim coach Darren Rizzi credit for a first-game spark, finding life in a Saints team that had dropped seven straight. Saints-Falcons is a rivalry game, so in a season when you don’t win much, getting one of these goes a long way. Derek Carr played a sharp game without his top receivers, still throwing for two touchdowns without an interception. This has been a long year already for New Orleans, but this is the kind of win that gives the Saints a chance to bounce back and make something of the final two months, even if the playoffs are out of reach. — Greg Auman

Steelers: Maybe Mike Tomlin needs his get-back coach to tell him when not to make aggressive calls during the game. The Pittsburgh head coach’s curious gamble to go for a fake punt on fourth-and-15 from his own 16-yard-line early in the game nearly backfired when a wide-open James Pierre dropped the pass from upback Miles Killebrew. Three plays later, Austin Ekeler scored from a yard out to tie the game and give Washington some momentum. Had the Steelers lost, Tomlin would have had himself to blame. Instead, receiver Mike Williams, acquired at the deadline, was responsible for the winning score on a 32-yard reception from Russell Wilson. Pittsburgh may not be so fortunate next time. For a team with a thin margin of error that leans on a stingy defense and the running game, the Steelers aren’t built to recover from that type of aggressive decision-making by Tomlin.

Commanders: Though they lost their first game at home this season, rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels & Co. went toe to toe with one of the top teams in the AFC. Daniels finished with more than 200 passing yards and, more importantly, no turnovers. While the Commanders sit in a good spot to make the postseason, they still have beaten just one team with a winning record this year — the Arizona Cardinals in Week 4. At some point, Daniels and the Commanders must show they can compete — and beat — the best teams in the league. They get another opportunity on the road next week against their NFC East rivals, the Philadelphia Eagles. — Eric D. Williams

Titans: Right tackle should be the Titans’ top priority in the 2025 draft and/or free agency. Quarterback could take the top slot, but until Will Levis completely plays himself out of Tennessee’s long-term plans (the franchise is expected to give him the full season), the offensive tackle spot should take precedence. While Tennessee has its left tackle of the future in J.C. Latham, the RT spot has been a revolving door all year. Leroy Watson IV, who got the start Sunday, had three penalties in the first quarter and a half alone. John Ojukwu, who rotated in, allowed a sack. Those issues — execution and allowing pressures — have persisted at the position, frustrating coach Brian Callahan. Until that gets fixed, it will be hard to get a concise evaluation of Levis — or his successor.

Chargers: Under Jim Harbaugh, the Chargers are a team that no one should want to face in the AFC playoffs. Defensively, their pass-rush depth stands out. Racking up seven sacks against the Titans isn’t particularly impressive — Tennessee has had pass protection issues for years — but those seven sacks came from five different players. And for all that’s been made about the Chargers having a run-first offense this season, they’re very balanced talent-wise on that side of the ball. Los Angeles had five different pass catchers with at least a 14-yard gain Sunday. Three players had at least seven carries (including quarterback Justin Herbert), too. Los Angeles can beat you in so many different ways, and production is so spread out that it could be difficult to scheme against. Those are difficult teams to play in January. — Ben Arthur

Eagles: Philly is rolling again now with five straight wins and looking unstoppable on offense because Nick Sirianni has remembered that the Eagles are at their best when they run. They may not have as strong an offensive line as they used to, but the 1-2 ground punch of Saquon Barkley and Jalen Hurts (who combined for 122 rushing yards before they were pulled early in the fourth quarter) is as good as any in the league. Their misdirection, option plays keep defenses off balance and their talent makes them so hard to tackle. The Eagles can be really good through the air, too, but their road to the Super Bowl — if they can get that far — is going to be on the ground.

Cowboys: Trey Lance briefly took over for Cooper Rush with about 2:56 left in the third quarter and then took over for him for good in the fourth quarter. The results weren’t great. He completed 4 of 6 passes for just 21 yards and an interception, and he ran three times for 17 yards. But at this point, who cares about the results? The Cowboys should just start him the rest of the season. Lance is a former third overall pick (2021) and the Cowboys traded a fourth-round pick to get him. They should see If he’s any good. Dak Prescott is likely lost for the season. At 3-6 they have to know their season is over. Rush is a fine backup, but Lance is an unknown. He’s also unsigned for 2025 too, so this gives the Cowboys a chance to see what they’ve got and whether he should be brought back next year. — Ralph Vacchiano

Jets: “Disaster for the Jets,” said Spero Dedes, CBS play-by-play broadcaster. Now, let’s play a terrible game. Tell me when he said it. You can’t, of course, because the season has been one disaster after another. Dedes made that call after Aaron Rodgers fumbled on the 3-yard line on fourth down in the second half. The play hadn’t gone to plan. The game hadn’t gone to plan. The season hasn’t gone to plan. And it feels like, no matter what the Jets do, they can’t win. They’ve spent money. They’ve fired their coach. They’ve made trades. I haven’t agreed with all those decisions, but to the Jets’ credit, they are trying to change. And still, this looks like a team that has made zero progress from their Week 1 loss to the 49ers. I know pity isn’t what Jets fans want, but that’s what I’ve got for you. Because, man, where does N.Y. go from here?

Cardinals: Let’s put a bookmark in Kyler Murray for MVP. I predicted last week that the emergence of the Arizona ground game would make life easier for Murray — and that his second half of the season could be huge. Right now, Murray has a lot of ground to make up with Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen doing truly amazing things over in the AFC. But Murray has been remarkable in his own right. And this game was yet another example of that. He finished 22 of 24 with 266 yards and a passing touchdown. He added three carries with 21 yards and two touchdowns. He also set the franchise record with 17 consecutive completions. I think he can finish in the top three in MVP voting. Heck, it’s a long season. Maybe he wins it. — Henry McKenna

The following writers contributed to this story: Ben Arthur (@benyarthur); Greg Auman (@gregauman); Henry McKenna (@McKennAnalysis); Eric D. Williams (@eric_d_williams); Ralph Vacchiano (@RalphVacchiano); Carmen Vitali (@CarmieV).