Week 10 at a Glance

Atlanta Falcons (6-2) at New England Patriots (5-3), 10 a.m.

The Falcons have won 12 of the last 14 games that Chris Chandler has started and finished, but they really haven’t beaten many good teams. This is an opportunity for the Falcons to dispel the notion that all they are is a team that beats up on the downtrodden. The Falcons would love to win this game and go into next week’s game against the 49ers tied for first place in the NFC West. The Patriots also need to win to keep pace in the AFC East. Watch for Drew Bledsoe to try to shred the Falcons’ secondary.

Edge: Patriots.

Buffalo Bills (5-3) at New York Jets (5-3), 10 a.m.

The Bills are one of the hottest teams in the NFL, having won five in a row. But the Jets also are on a streak of three consecutive impressive wins. The quarterbacks behind the winning streaks are a pair of afterthoughts--Doug Flutie, who practically had to beg his way into the league, and Vinny Testaverde, who was cut by the Baltimore Ravens and started the year as Glenn Foley’s backup. The Jets have lost six straight to the Bills, but they are undefeated in the AFC East this year.

Edge: Jets.

Cincinnati Bengals (2-6) at Jacksonville Jaguars (6-2), 10 a.m.

Upon finally returning home after four three straight on the road, the Jaguars could unload on the Bengals, who bring a 1-3 road record into this game. The Jaguars’ passing offense won’t be the same if injured receiver Keenan McCardell can’t play, so more of the burden could fall to running back Fred Taylor. He shouldn’t mind, considering the Bengals rank 30th in the league in run defense.

Edge: Jaguars.

Detroit Lions (2-6) at Philadelphia Eagles (1-7), 10 a.m.

We know the Eagles are bad, but the Lions are baffling. Just when we think they might sneak back into playoff contention, they lose a winnable game against the Arizona Cardinals at home. And now they take to the road, where they have yet to win. Is Charlie Batch’s confidence shot after throwing three interceptions in the first half against the Cardinals? The Eagles also have their problems at quarterback, where ineffective Bobby Hoying must play with Rodney Peete sidelined.

Edge: Lions.

Indianapolis Colts (1-7) at Miami Dolphins (5-3), 10 a.m.

After tough games against the Patriots and Bills, the Dolphins could use a breather. The Dolphins have been an excellent home team, as their sterling defense has been its best in South Florida. Look for John Avery to have his coming out party against the Colts’ defense. The Colts offense has improved since the Dolphins last saw the Colts on opening day, but not enough to make a difference in this one.

Edge: Dolphins.

New Orleans Saints (4-4) at Minnesota Vikings (7-1), 10 a.m.

Both of these teams are dealing with quarterback controversies. The Vikings have to decide if they should stick with red-hot Randall Cunningham or go back to Brad Johnson. And the Saints have to figure out if Kerry Collins deserves a chance at the expense of Billy Joe Tolliver. Perhaps this game will help clear things up. If the Saints couldn’t beat the Panthers, arguably the worst team in the NFC, how can they beat the Vikings, arguably the best team in the NFC?

Edge: Vikings.

New York Giants (3-5) at Dallas Cowboys (5-3), 10 a.m.

Once upon a time, this looked like it would be a good game. No longer. The Giants already lost big to the Cowboys earlier this season, and that game was at Giants Stadium. The Cowboys clearly are the class of the NFC East, especially now with Troy Aikman and Leon Lett healthy and effective. The Giants can take solace in one fact: It isn’t a Monday night game, so Deion Sanders might not be wearing his Superman outfit.

Edge: Cowboys.

Oakland Raiders (6-2) at Baltimore Ravens (2-6), 10 a.m.

If the Ravens don’t do better than they did in last week’s 45-19 loss to Jacksonville, this could be Ted Marchibroda’s final curtain. But what happened in the loss to the Jaguars was mostly the result of some fluky turnovers. That shouldn’t happen again. The Ravens are a desperate (read: dangerous) team. If Jeff George is able to return, it will have an impact. What kind of impact, we’re not sure.

Edge: Ravens.

St. Louis Rams (2-6) at Chicago Bears (3-5), 10 a.m.

The Rams are reeling from three consecutive losses and too many injuries to mention. Unfortunately for the Rams, Tony Banks is not among the injured. This game would look a lot more like a lock for the Bears if Erik Kramer were healthy. Turnovers will play a big part in this one, as the Bears have more giveaways than any team in the league and the Rams the third most.

Edge: Bears.

Carolina Panthers (1-7) at San Francisco 49ers (6-2), 1 p.m.

There could be some points scored in this one because the Panthers can pass the ball and the 49ers can’t defend the pass very well. The 49ers hope Kirk Scrafford can improve the pass blocking by moving into the starting lineup at right tackle. But what the 49ers gain in Scrafford, they may lose at center, as Chris Dalman is expected to miss the game. Last week proved the Panthers are capable of winning and the 49ers are capable of losing. Except not against each other.

Edge: 49ers.

Washington Redskins (1-7) at Arizona Cardinals (4-4) 1 p.m.

Perhaps the key for the Redskins was to play without Dana Stubblefield and Michael Westbrook. It worked for a victory last week. This week, Stubblefield still is out and Westbrook is expected to be held out of the starting lineup again. The Redskins need all the help offensively they can get against an opportunistic Cardinals defense. Look for the Cards to try to run, run, run on the Skins.

Edge: Cardinals.

San Diego Chargers (3-5) at Denver Broncos (8-0), 1:15 p.m.

Now we’ll see what the Chargers’ No. 1 ranked defense is made of. The guess here is, the Chargers won’t be ranked No. 1 on Monday. The only way to beat the Broncos is to prevent them from getting an early lead, and then pounding the ball on them. The Chargers at least have the capability to do that. The only problem is the Chargers likely will self-destruct with turnovers and the game will unravel on them.

Edge: Broncos.

Kansas City Chiefs (4-4) at Seattle Seahawks (4-4), 1:15 p.m.

So much for this being a showdown for AFC West supremacy. Both teams started out pretty well, but between them, the Chiefs and Seahawks have lost seven of their last eight (the Chiefs have lost their last three, the Seahawks have lost four of five). Both teams are struggling to get their offenses right. Much more was expected of quarterbacks Elvis Grbac and Warren Moon. And both teams have had trouble running the ball. The Chiefs should break out of their funk one of these weeks. Not this week, though.

Edge: Seahawks.

Tennessee Oilers (4-4) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-4), 5:15 p.m.

These are two teams that have the ability to finish strong. The Buccaneers and Oilers each have won three of four after slow starts, both are coming off their biggest victories of the year, and both are starting to click offensively. With Eddie George, Mike Alstott and Warrick Dunn running well, we might not see a pass until the fourth quarter. The Oilers have won three of four on the road, but the Buccaneers are undefeated at home. One of those trends has to continue.

Edge: Buccaneers.

Green Bay Packers (6-2) at Pittsburgh Steelers (5-3), Monday 5:15 p.m.

Welcome to the Interception Bowl. Between them, Brett Favre and Kordell Stewart have thrown 25 interceptions. Favre has thrown five more than Stewart, but it is Stewart who is on the hot seat after his ineffectiveness contributed to a 41-31 loss to the Oilers last Sunday. The Packers have an edge in the passing game, but the Steelers could have a big edge in the running game.

Edge: Steelers.