WHAT TO LOOK FOR – WEEK 10
REMEMBER THESE TITANS: The TENNESSEE TITANS (7-2) enter Week 10 with the best record in the AFC and the longest active win streak in the league (five games). Each of their past four wins have come against 2020 playoff teams, with victories over the Buffalo Bills (Week 6), Kansas City Chiefs (Week 7), Indianapolis Colts (Week 8) and Los Angeles Rams (Week 9).
Each of the previous three teams to win four consecutive games with each win coming against a team that made the postseason the year before all made it to the Super Bowl that season: NEW ENGLAND in 2011, GREEN BAY in 2010 and NEW ORLEANS in 2009.
In Week 10, the Titans host the New Orleans Saints, who won the NFC South last season. With a win on Sunday (1:00 PM ET, CBS), Tennessee can become the second team ever to win five consecutive games with each win coming against a team that made the playoffs the previous season, joining PHILADELPHIA (Weeks 7-11) in 2003.
RUSS RETURNS FOR 150: Seattle quarterback RUSSELL WILSON is expected to make his 150th career start on Sunday. He enters the game with 277 touchdown passes in his career and has won 100 of his 149 starts. Entering this season, Wilson has the most wins (98) and the second-most touchdown passes (267) by a quarterback through his first nine seasons in NFL history.
With at least three touchdown passes at Green Bay on Sunday (4:25 PM ET, FOX), Wilson would surpass TOM BRADY (279 touchdown passes) for the fourth-most touchdown passes by a player in his first 150 starts. With a win, he would surpass BEN ROETHLISBERGER (100 wins) for the fourth-most wins by quarterback in his first 150 starts.
With four touchdown passes on Sunday Wilson, can tie Pro Football Hall of Famers DAN MARINO (17 games) and PEYTON MANNING (17) for the most games with at least four touchdown passes in a player’s first 10 seasons in NFL history.
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HOME ON THE ROAD: In four road games this season, Minnesota quarterback KIRK COUSINS has totaled 11 touchdowns (10 passing, one rushing) with no interceptions and a 111.3 rating. Dating back to Week 16 of the 2020 season, Cousins has passed for at least two touchdowns with a rating of 100-or-higher in each of his past six road starts.
With two touchdown passes and a rating of 100-or-higher at SoFi Stadium against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday (4:05 PM ET, FOX), Cousins will become the sixth player ever to accomplish the feat in seven consecutive road games.
STREAKING BACKS: Indianapolis running back JONATHAN TAYLOR enters Week 10 leading the league with 1,114 scrimmage yards (821 rushing, 293 receiving) and ranks third with eight rushing touchdowns. The second-year back has rushed for a touchdown and eclipsed 100 scrimmage yards in each of his past six games, including two rushing touchdowns with a season-high 200 scrimmage yards in Week 9.
With at least 100 scrimmage yards and a rushing touchdown against Jacksonville on Sunday (1:00 PM, ET), Taylor will become the fourth player ever to do so in seven consecutive games, joining Pro Football Hall of Famer LADAINIAN TOMLINSON (eight consecutive games in 2006), LYDELL MITCHELL (eight in 1975-76) and LARRY JOHNSON (seven in 2005).
Pittsburgh’s NAJEE HARRIS leads all rookie running backs with 830 scrimmage yards (541 rushing, 289 receiving) and six touchdowns (four rushing, two receiving) this season. He enters Week 10 having scored a touchdown and eclipsed at least 75 scrimmage yards in each of his past five games.
With at least 75 scrimmage yards and a touchdown against Detroit on Sunday (1:00 PM ET, FOX), Harris will become the sixth rookie to accomplish the feat in six consecutive games since 1950.
BEST RECEIVERS OUT WEST: Entering Week 10, Los Angeles Rams wide receiver COOPER KUPP leads the league with 1,019 receiving yards and 10 touchdown receptions and is the fifth player ever with at least 1,000 receiving yards and 10 touchdown receptions in his team’s first nine games of a season.
San Francisco wide receiver DEEBO SAMUEL ranks second in the league with 882 receiving yards and has eclipsed 150 receiving yards in three games this season, the most in the NFL.
When the 49ers host the Rams on Monday Night Football (8:15 PM ET, ESPN) it will mark the fourth game since 2012 featuring the league’s top-two leaders in receiving yards entering Week 10 or later.
WATT A START: Last week, Pittsburgh linebacker T.J. WATT recorded a season-high three sacks, his 14th career game (fourth this season) with at least two sacks, the most in the NFL since he entered the league in 2017. In 69 career games, he has a total of 61 sacks, the second-most in the NFL since 2017.
With a sack against Detroit on Sunday (1:00 PM ET, FOX), Watt will surpass Pro Football Hall of Famer DERRICK THOMAS (61 sacks) and his brother, J.J. WATT (61), for the second-most by a player in his first 70 career games since 1982, when the individual sack became an official statistic.
Watt enters Week 10 ranking second in the league with 11.5 sacks this season. With at least 1.5 sacks on Sunday, he will become the second player since 1982 to record at least 13 sacks in four consecutive seasons, joining Pro Football Hall of Famer REGGIE WHITE (1985-88; 1990-93).
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SACK ATTACK: Cleveland defensive end MYLES GARRETT enters Week 10 leading the league with 12 sacks. Pittsburgh linebacker T.J. WATT ranks second with 11.5, while Arizona linebacker MARKUS GOLDEN, New England linebacker MATT JUDON and Tennessee linebacker HAROLD LANDRY are tied for third with nine sacks each.
The 2021 season has a chance to become the fourth season since 1990 and first since 2000 with five players each having at least 10 sacks through Week 10.
COURTESY NFLmedia.com
