NFL Week 10 roundtable: Cowboys’ downfall, Christian McCaffrey’s return, Lions-Texans

Moves have been made, players swapped and teams remade with the NFL trade deadline passing Tuesday.

Now, the unofficial back half of the season begins with Week 10. We’ll see another matchup of rookie quarterbacks, the Dallas Cowboys pivoting to Cooper Rush (and Jonathan Mingo?) against a hot Philadelphia Eagles team, Christian McCaffrey’s return to the San Francisco 49ers, a pair of Super Bowl hopefuls in the Houston Texans and Detroit Lions taking over Sunday night, and more.

Our NFL writers Mike Sando, Jeff Howe and Zak Keefer check in once again, this time to preview Week 10’s storylines.

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New England Patriots–Chicago Bears gives us another matchup between two top rookie QBs: Drake Maye and Caleb Williams. Which franchise do you have more confidence in to properly build around its young QB?

Sando: I lean toward Chicago simply because the Bears have already tried to put some pieces around their young quarterback, albeit with mixed results. New England hasn’t made a full effort yet. The Patriots have a newer group of team builders without much of a track record, and their organizational restructuring could still settle out over the next few years. It’s still an interesting question. How great should we feel about the situation in Chicago? I’m not overly optimistic, but I do think Williams can handle more over the long term.

Howe: Maye is playing better than Williams, so Jerod Mayo and company deserve credit for the plan they have executed. However, the Patriots’ new regime remains raw and unproven, and the Bears have improved quicker than expected over the past 18 months. Even though Matt Eberflus might be on the hot seat, you can’t argue with the talent the front office has put around Williams. Ryan Poles’ most pressing offseason need will be restocking the offensive line to help Williams get more comfortable in the pocket. The Patriots, on the other hand, still have a massive rebuild to undertake.

Keefer: About 30 years of history tells me to resist leaning with the Bears here, but Poles has done an admirable job of setting up Williams for success. My biggest hesitation remains with offensive coordinator Shane Waldron, and perhaps with Williams’ inconsistent play style. Is he getting better? For a few weeks I thought he was, but that was mostly against bottom-tier teams. We’ll get a better sense of where Williams is at, and whether the Bears are doing this the right way, by the end of the season. The Patriots, on the other hand, are far from being consistently competitive.

Jerry Jones might believe the Cowboys still have much to play for, but with Dak Prescott’s hamstring injury, things seem bleak in Dallas as a hot Eagles team comes to town. What are your thoughts on how the rest of Dallas’ season will unfold?

Sando: Jones will continue to maximize the spotlight and profits, his top priorities. The team will miss the playoffs, and there will be much speculation about a potential coaching change, which will keep the team in the news. If this sounds a little cynical, it is. I’ve gotten to a point where analyzing this franchise can seem repetitive and futile. What is Jones striving for here?

Howe: Since we can rule out the playoffs for the Cowboys, I’d like to see Trey Lance get an extended look sooner rather than later. Rush is a good backup who knows the offense and has proved his ability to keep the Cowboys afloat when the roster is at its best, but that hasn’t been the case this season. If the Cowboys don’t improve their standing in the next couple of weeks without Prescott, give Lance a showcase opportunity.

Keefer: As far as I’m concerned, it’s fait accompli in Dallas this season. Prescott’s injury will only expedite the result that was already coming. Even if he were healthy, this team doesn’t have the firepower to go on a late-season run. The offense is too one-dimensional and the defense far too inconsistent to hang with the better teams in the NFC: the Lions, Minnesota Vikings, Washington Commanders, Eagles, 49ers and Atlanta Falcons. The disappointments of this year — and the playoff losses of the past several years — are damning indictments on Jones’ stubborn approach. This organization needs a new voice at the top. And it’s not getting one anytime soon.

.@DMRussini and @ChaseDaniel don’t understand the Jonathan Mingo trade.

And neither do NFL personnel.

Listen: pic.twitter.com/mprxi7JCcX

— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) November 8, 2024

The Lions are already playing like the best team in the league. How much does the Za’Darius Smith trade change things for Detroit? The Texans are 6-3 but look far from the contender many thought they would be. Is it time to start worrying about Houston if it loses this game?

Sando: I’m worried about Houston already based on what we’ve seen in recent weeks. That seems strange to say about a team with a 6-3 overall record and a 5-1 record in the conference. Maybe I’m reading too much into the optics of that Thursday night performance against the New York Jets, when the offensive line was not competitive and C.J. Stroud seemed almost defeated. A victory over the Lions would improve my outlook on Houston much more than a defeat to Detroit would change how I’m already feeling about the Texans.

Howe: Stroud’s performance has tapered off because of the injuries around him, so I’d expect him to turn it around upon Nico Collins’ return. Even if the Texans lose Sunday, they should win their next three to head into the bye at no worse than 9-4 with a couple of measuring-stick contests down the stretch against the Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens. The Texans are in a new spot as a team that’s expected to win while its opponents show up each week with its undivided attention. That’s a challenge for any young team that’s looking to make the leap from a division champ to a legitimate playoff threat.

Keefer: The Lions were never going to be able to replace Aiden Hutchinson, but Smith is a worthy addition and should add some pass-rush punch down the stretch. Detroit has separated itself quite a bit from the rest of the NFC, and that will be a tough place to play come January. As for the Texans, if any of the other three teams in the AFC South — the Indianapolis Colts, Tennessee Titans and Jacksonville Jaguars — were any good, I’d say the Texans should be worried. But all three are struggling. This is Houston’s division, and with Collins on his way back soon, the Texans will right the ship enough at some point to win another AFC South title.

The Jets (at Arizona Cardinals) and New Orleans Saints (vs. Falcons) have fired their head coaches and have interim replacements in Jeff Ulbrich and Darren Rizzi. Who would you target for both jobs in 2025?

Sando: Mike Vrabel comes to mind as an interesting second-chance candidate and someone with the personality to give a team an identity. The Jets could use someone who has done the job before. It’s an overwhelming job in that market and with that ownership. I’m less sure about the personality fit for Vrabel in that market. He might be better somewhere like New Orleans or, say, Jacksonville, whenever that job opens. The Saints should continue to pivot away from the Sean Payton tree as they establish a new identity, which they need. They should rethink their leadership structure, which could affect the type of coach they seek.

Howe: The Jets should sell out for Ben Johnson, but he’s been highly selective. I also wonder how he’d handle the New York spotlight. Short of Johnson, I could see Zac Robinson making sense. This next idea might go over like a fart in a spacesuit in New York, but Mike McCarthy would make sense to further the all-in approach with Aaron Rodgers. McCarthy won’t have a problem with the New York media, either. Vrabel would make sense for the Saints, but I wonder if they’ll want to go the offensive route with someone like Frank Smith or Bobby Slowik.

Keefer: Mike and Jeff stole my picks. The Jets need someone like Vrabel, who won’t kowtow to the quarterback’s demands — that is, if Rodgers returns in 2025. I could also see Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken as a worthy candidate. He’s been stellar since arriving in Baltimore last season. I wonder what the Saints’ coaching candidate pool looks like. Johnson will be first on just about everyone’s list, but with the Cowboys’ job likely opening as well, that could be a factor. Or will New Orleans pull the ultimate surprise and chase Bill Belichick?

Christian McCaffrey is back (Sunday vs. the Tampa Bay Buccaneers). The 49ers added a defensive lineman, Khalil Davis, at the deadline. They are fresh off a bye. Time to believe the 49ers can start to put it all together?

Sando: The 49ers lack the depth of their best teams, and I think that will show up in the end. They’ll likely finish in the 9-8 range and have a shot at advancing in the playoffs, but I don’t see them getting back to the Super Bowl.

Howe: The personnel will improve as long as they curb the injury bug, although recent history suggests that’s a dicey proposition. The Niners need to stop giving away games. If they stop beating themselves and continue to get their stars back on the field, they’ll be OK, even if they’re not on the Lions’ level.

Keefer: This team will look different from the minute McCaffrey’s back out there, especially in the red zone, where he’s among the most dangerous weapons in the league. But this isn’t the NFC West the 49ers are used to. The Cardinals have quietly improved, the Los Angeles Rams have won three in a row and fixed their defense, and the Seattle Seahawks remain very much in it. I bet the division title will come down to San Francisco and Los Angeles.

(Top photo: Darren Yamashita / Imagn Images)