Nissan Stadium will be a focal point for NFL fans this week, but not because of the Titans. Rather, the focus will be on the Kansas City Chiefs and the likely return of Patrick Mahomes.
Chiefs 31, Titans 21: The Titans have not scored more than 23 points in any game this season, and now one of the league’s best offenses with maybe the guy who is the next face of the NFL – Mahomes – coming to town. It’s must win for the Titans, if they want to have any hope of the postseason. But it won’t be easy.
Chargers 27, Raiders 24: The Chargers seem to have gotten their act together since their debacle against the Titans. The Raiders are improving with the winner of this game squarely in the AFC wild-card picture.
Giants 24, Jets 16: The Battle of New York hasn’t seemed this insignificant in a long time. Two bad teams going nowhere and in need of being rebuilt. At least Daniel Jones has shown signs of life since taking over for the G-men. The Jets appear to have run out of fuel after a loss to the lowly Dolphins.
Saints 33, Falcons 24: The Saints have Drew Brees back and appear to be a bona fide contender. The Falcons have fallen off the cliff, and Coach Dan Quinn may pay the price sooner rather than later.
Ravens 28, Bengals 10: Cincinnati begins the Ryan Finley era this week after benching Andy Dalton. Sooner or later, they may be beginning the Tua Tagovailloa or Joe Burrow or Justin Herbert era in Cincy, depending on draft position. The Ravens, meanwhile, look like the class of the AFC North after ending New England’s unbeaten run Sunday night.
Bills 20, Browns 19: The wheels continue to come off for the Browns, whose coach, Freddie Kitchens, seems likely to lose his job. Buffalo keeps plugging along and is among the teams that could be in the playoff race all season.
Lions 31, Bears 24: The Lions have been one of the hard-luck teams in the league this season, playing better than their mediocre 3-4-1 mark would suggest. The Bears are struggling, and time is running out on Mitch Trubisky to prove he can be the guy.
Cardinals 27, Bucs 26: Last year’s first overall pick, quarterback Kyler Murray, keeps improving, while Jameis Winston, the top overall pick from five years ago, continues to be up and down. The Bucs can be explosive, but also often kill themselves with turnovers.
Colts 20, Dolphins 12: The Dolphins won’t go winless for the season, having beaten the Jets last week. Indy might be without Jacoby Brissett for a few games after he suffered a knee injury versus Pittsburgh. The Colts should be able to get by this week without him.
Rams 26, Steelers 20: The Rams have to come east to go to Pittsburgh, where the Steelers have won three straight despite all the injuries. Los Angeles has the firepower to take care of things on the road, but the Steeler defense is getting better.
Packers 29, Panthers 20: Kyle Allen bounced back last week, but the Panthers’ offense goes through Christian McCaffrey. The Pack will be smarting from an embarrassing loss to the Chargers and might take it out on Carolina.
Vikings 27, Cowboys 23: The Vikings, despite a road loss in Kansas City, have been playing solid football over the past six weeks. Dallas has been inconsistent but does have the added advantage of being at home. It should be a good game, but it makes one long for the days of Fran Tarkenton, Alan Page, Roger Staubach and Too Tall Jones.
Seahawks 26, 49ers 21: This is the week that the 49ers drop from the ranks of the unbeaten. Russell Wilson and the Seahawks have a knack for coming up big in big games, and they need this one if they have hopes of wresting the NFC West away from San Francisco.
— Terry McCormick