It feels like at least once a season the NFL throws a week out there that makes you stop and wonder what exactly you spent seven hours watching on Sunday. Week 10 certainly fits the bill this year, as a lot of assumptions about what we thought we knew entering the weekend were thrown out the window thanks to a slew of chaotic upsets and crazy finishes in the early window.
It certainly feels like a fitting follow up to a wild trade deadline in what could be the most chaotic season in years. Let's attempt to sort through the madness and figure out who were the big winners and losers from Week 10's Sunday slate.
NFL Week 10 winners And losers
Winner: Jonathan Taylor's MVP Candidacy
In a week where there were big questions about the Colts' viability as AFC contenders, Jonathan Taylor offered a firm reminder of what Indianapolis can be if they can execute their game plan. A very fun International Series game in Germany served as a showcase for Taylor, who ripped off 244 yards rushing and three touchdowns as the Colts won an overtime thriller 31-25 over the Falcons.
After watching Daniel Jones attempt a ton of passes last week, the Colts were able to establish the run and let Taylor put on a show, highlighted by an 83-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter to give Indianapolis a 22-17 lead. In a year where there doesn't seem to be a runaway quarterback to claim MVP honors, Taylor is presenting a strong case if the Colts can win double-digit games and grab the AFC South crown along with it.
Loser: Buffalo Bills
There was certainly trap potential for the Bills after an emotional performance to beat Kansas City in Week 9, but no one expected Buffalo to lay an egg in a 30-13 loss to a Miami team that has essentially waved the white flag on its season. The offensive line was a huge letdown for Buffalo, failing to open enough running lanes for James Cook and letting Josh Allen take a beating against a Dolphins pass rush sans the recently traded Jaelan Phillips.
Allen was also uncharacteristically sloppy with the football, throwing an interception and losing a fumble as part of Buffalo's three turnovers on the day. The Bills run defense was gashed by De'Von Achane as they picked up a second division loss, making their chances of defending the AFC East crown much harder as New England improved to 8-2 with a win in Tampa Bay.
Winner: New head coaches
Apart from Liam Coen (whom we'll get to in a minute), coaches in their first year with their new teams went undefeated on Sunday. While Mike Vrabel continued to bolster his case for Coach of the Year with the Patriots off to an 8-2 start, three true rookie head coaches earned victories as well: Chicago's Ben Johnson, New York's Aaron Glenn and New Orleans' Kellen Moore.
The most impressive performance in that group came from Johnson's Bears, who overcame a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit after the Giants lost Jaxson Dart to a concussion. Chicago is now 6-3 on the season and very much alive for a playoff berth in a highly competitive NFC.
Loser: Jacksonville Jaguars
When the Houston Texans declared C.J. Stroud out with a concussion, it looked like a clear path opened for Jacksonville to score a big division win to keep pace with the Colts in the AFC South. The Jaguars did their job for three quarters, building a 29-10 lead that looked insurmountable, but everything came undone as Houston rallied for an improbable 36-29 victory.
While the defense came unglued in the fourth quarter, the offense didn't help matters by going three and out on back-to-back possessions, gaining a total of two yards while burning only three minutes and 31 seconds of game time. That formula makes comebacks possible, and the Jaguars are going to regret this one if they end up missing the postseason.
Winner: The Titans' draft position
On a day when the Jets and Saints earned their second win of the season, the big winners were the Tennessee Titans, who sat on the sidelines on their bye week. While Tennessee isn't going to make the playoffs, those two results put them in control of the top pick in the 2026 draft with eight weeks to go, which could be a very advantageous position for a franchise in need of assets.
With a young quarterback already on board in Cam Ward, the Titans would be able to shop the top pick to quarterback-needy teams who would want to jump ahead of New York, New Orleans and Cleveland to land their franchise signal caller. There are still a lot of twists and turns left in the race for the first pick, but the Titans are in prime position to bolster their future as a result of Week 10's action.
Loser: New York Giants
The seat is only getting hotter for Brian Daboll, whose reckless play calls for Jaxson Dart led the rookie quarterback into the blue tent with a concussion. The offense came unglued when forced to turn back to Russell Wilson as New York collapsed en route to a 24-20 loss, a result that makes it a matter of when (not if) John Mara decides to fire his head coach.
The team the Giants have is not very good, but Daboll has not helped his case by encouraging Dart to embrace contact as a runner and exposing him to plenty of unnecessary hits that can get him hurt. While time will tell if Dart can clear the concussion protocol in time to play against Green Bay next week, it does no one any good for Dart to miss valuable development time because he's injured.
Winner: Seattle Seahawks
The NFL's quietest surge has come from Seattle, which earned its fourth consecutive victory to improve to 7-2 and maintain a tie with the Los Angeles Rams atop the NFC West. This game against Arizona was essentially over in the second quarter, when Seattle built a 35-0 lead, thanks to a tenacious defense that sacked Jacoby Brissett five times and forced two fumbles that went back for touchdowns.
In a loaded Week 11 slate, one of the highlights is FOX's single-header 4:05 game featuring Seattle and Los Angeles jousting for first place in the division at SoFi Stadium next Sunday. With Sam Darnold displaying peak form and the running game finally getting on track for 198 yards against Arizona, the Seahawks are a sneaky Super Bowl contender.
Loser: The late window
While the early window was absolutely bananas in terms of action, the late window was anything but. All three games contested after 4 p.m. ET (Rams-49ers, Cardinals-Seahawks, and Lions-Commanders) were blowouts that saw the winning team post over 40 points in victory.
There were teases of competitiveness in the Rams-49ers contest, but even so it felt like Los Angeles was just toying with a very banged up San Francisco side for most of the afternoon. The good news is that Week 11 has a huge slate of good games on tap, including two monsters in the late afternoon via the aforementioned Seahawks-Rams matchup as well as the Chiefs trying to keep their AFC West hopes alive against the Broncos.