Seven Game-Changing Factors To Watch For During Week 10 Of The NFL Season

With the passing of Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline, the chips are all down and the die have been cast when it comes to roster construction across the league.

Teams that are going for it – like the Kansas City Chiefs, Minnesota Vikings, and Jacksonville Jaguars – all made big acquisitions. Meanwhile, the Indianapolis Colts, Philadelphia Eagles, and others have resigned themselves to a lost year.

We now look forward to Week 10 of the 2026 NFL season, which kicks off Thursday night with the NFC East-leading New York Giants hosting division rival Washington.

While that matchup may not sound like the most enticing on its surface, the week certainly doesn’t lack for big games, like New England and Detroit squaring off in Munich, the red-hot Green Bay Packers hosting the new-look Vikings, and the Steelers heading to Cincinnati with the AFC North lead on the line.

In this piece, we’re taking a look at the top at the biggest factors that could change how Week 10 of the plays out.

Tracking The Trade Acquisitions

Kirk Cousins kids’ on going back to Minnesota: “Let’s go!”

Whole family excited to be back with the Vikings 🥹💜 https://t.co/G9muvLa1po

— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) November 11, 2026

Through the first nine weeks of the 2026 season, the Minnesota Vikings’ defense has been nothing short of dominant. Unfortunately for Vikings fans, the offense has been anemic, due almost entirely to poor quarterback play, first from Kyler Murray and then from Carson Wentz.

On Tuesday, Minnesota made a statement of intent, bringing back Kirk Cousins in exchange for a third-round pick. Cousins made three Pro Bowl appearances in his previous stint with the Vikings, and while he may not be that level of quarterback anymore, he should still prove to be a welcome upgrade for head coach Kevin O’Connell.

Meanwhile, the Kansas City Chiefs added a badly needed weapon at wide receiver in the form of Josh Downs from the Indianapolis Colts, and the Jacksonville Jaguars spent big on defensive tackle Jordan Davis from the Philadelphia Eagles.

Those players, and every other deadline acquisition, will be under the microscope this weekend.

Untimely Travel Plans

The New England Patriots suddenly find themselves three games behind the Buffalo Bills in the loss column for the lead in the AFC East. Meanwhile, the Detroit Lions are fighting for every spot they can get in an absolutely loaded NFC North.

In the meantime, the two teams will square off with one another on the other side of the planet in Week 10 when they travel to Munich.

Not only do both represent a difficult matchup for one another at a time when wins are desperately needed, but the added travel makes life even harder for each.

Showdown For The Lead In The NFC South

While the NFC North looks like one of the best division races of all time, with all four teams currently sitting at 6-3 or better, the NFC South is at the opposite end of the spectrum.

The division has been one of the worst in football for a number of years now, with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers being the lone bright spot at times.

But this season, things are next-level bad. The Carolina Panthers and New Orleans square off with one another this week, and the winner will take the NFC South lead.

The only problem with that? Both teams enter the game at just 3-5, which means that the division leader is going to be, at best, 4-5 after this week. It’s anyone’s division to win, for the worst possible reasons.

Can The 49ers Continue To Run Away And Hide In The NFC West?

Heard you wanted more SBG TV 👀 https://t.co/MycIpcBMaN

— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) November 12, 2026

At 7-1, life is pretty good these days for the San Francisco 49ers, who have a surprising three-game lead in the loss column over both the Los Angeles Rams and the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks in the NFC West.

The battle for the NFC West was supposed to be one of the best in the entire NFL. But through nine weeks, it looks as if the Niners may well run away and hide.

That could continue in Week 10, as the 49ers travel to the Dallas Cowboys, looking to move to 8-1 on the season following their bye week.

Meanwhile, the 5-4 Seahawks are without starting quarterback Sam Darnold yet again as they take on the Las Vegas Raiders in what will be Fernando Mendoza’s first-career start, and the Rams will square off with the lowly Arizona Cardinals looking to get things headed back in the right direction.

Mendoza Time!

After a surprising 3-0 start to the season, the Las Vegas Raiders came crashing back to earth, losing five of their last six games.

While the Raiders’ offense wasn’t the primary source of concern over that stretch, the organization decided it was time to make a change, shipping Cousins back to Minnesota at the deadline and paving the way for 2026 No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza to make his first-career start.

Mendoza faces a tall task in the form of a loaded Seahawks defense, but head coach and former Seattle offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak is confident in his rookie.

“We’re going to go do what the whole team does best, all 11, and then he does his part distributing the football,” Kubiak said, adding that he’s very comfortable with Mendoza running the full playbook.

Browns Bounce Back

Two weeks ago, the Cleveland Browns were sitting at 5-2 with a shocking lead in the AFC North. Fast forward a couple of weeks and Cleveland is coming off of a blowout loss at the hands of the Steelers and a 23-22 overtime loss to a lowly New Orleans Saints.

That second loss, however, came with Shedeur Sanders starting in place of Deshaun Watson at quarterback. Watson, perhaps the most controversial figure in the entire league, has been surprisingly strong this season, completing 65.5 percent of his passes for 1,806 yards, seven touchdowns, and just three interceptions across eight games for first-year head coach Todd Monken.

He’s set to return this week against the Houston Texans after clearing concussion protocol, and if the Browns want to seriously contend for a playoff spot, Watson will need to lead his team to victory.

Can The Chargers Finally Get Off The Schneid?

The #Ravens vs. #Chargers game on Monday Night Football in Week 10, which is currently poised to feature a third-string QB for Baltimore and a winless Los Angeles team, cannot be flexed according to NFL rules, as MNF flexing is only allowed for games starting in Week 12. https://t.co/1Fsd2qKIFx

— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) November 3, 2026

There is one singular winless team remaining through nine weeks of the NFL season. And if you gave fans 10 guesses prior to the season as to who that team is, they’d certainly never come up with the Los Angeles Chargers as an answer.

But here we are.

The Chargers entered the season with hopes of competing for the AFC West championship with the Chiefs and Broncos, and perhaps even more. Instead, they’re in the basement of the league, and star quarterback Justin Herbert suddenly looks like one of the worst quarterbacks in the league.

Unfortunately for neutrals, Los Angeles will feature on “Monday Night Football” this week against the similarly struggling Baltimore Ravens, who are starting recently acquired Jacoby Brissett at quarterback after injuries to Lamar Jackson and Tyler Huntley.

Is this the week the Chargers finally get in the win column? If not, you have to wonder when, and if, it’s going to happen this season.