Kyler Murray squarely in MVP race, and what else we’re learning in Week 10

Panthers: Chuba Hubbard might be the most underrated player in the NFL, though the Panthers clearly value him. Just three days after signing a four-year, $33 million deal (with just $12 million guaranteed), he ran for 153 yards against the Giants. Granted, the Giants’ run defense is awful — they’re giving up an average of 193.3 rushing yards over their past four games — but this was Hubbard’s fifth game of the season with 90 or more yards. The former fourth-round pick is the full package of power, speed and shifty moves. He’s also exactly what young QB Bryce Young needs — a weapon to take some of the pressure off him as he grows into the job. That’s why the Panthers signed Hubbard, even after using a second-round pick on injured RB Jonathon Brooks in April. Hubbard isn’t a luxury. He’s the guy who can give Young the room he needs to become the quarterback Carolina hopes he can still be. — Ralph Vacchiano

Buccaneers: Tampa’s fatal flaw this year is its defense. We can see that clearly at this point. Because even if the defense played well for 59 minutes, it gave up three crucial points in that final minute, which tipped the game in the 49ers’ favor. It’s too bad, too, because the Bucs put together one of their best games of the season. In the final two minutes of the game, Baker Mayfield delivered a truly magical drive, with an insane fourth-down conversion and a few theatrical throws. Mayfield’s only mistake was leaving time on the clock. Because the defense couldn’t hold the scoreline. The Bucs are trending the wrong way in the playoff picture, with a 32% chance of a postseason berth. — Henry McKenna

Tom Brady breaks down 49ers’ impressive win over Buccaneers

Chiefs: It’s never dominant, but the Chiefs found a way to win again, this time on a blocked field goal as time expired to hold on for a 16-14 win over Denver. This is a Kansas City team that has leaned on its defense, never more so than on Sunday. The team’s 16 points scored is the fewest in a Patrick Mahomes-led victory in more than three years, since a 13-7 win over the Packers in 2021. The Chiefs went 1-for-4 in the red zone and averaged just 4.6 yards per play — that’s 101st out of 108 games since Mahomes took over as the starter in 2018. And they still won. It’s hard to imagine the Chiefs pulling this off for another eight games, but their ability to close out tight games is something that will help them in the postseason. They didn’t get much from Mahomes or their run game on Sunday, but their defense and special teams had just enough to pull off a win by the slimmest of margins. — Greg Auman

Colts: It’s time for head coach Shane Steichen to end the failed experiment of Joe Flacco starting at quarterback. The 39-year-old had another rough day, throwing three interceptions against the Bills, including one returned 23 yards for a score by Taron Johnson on the opening drive of the game. Flacco has four interceptions over his past two starts and the offense has managed just two touchdowns in those two games. With the Colts 4-6 on the year, Steichen should return second-year QB Anthony Richardson to the starting lineup to continue his development, along with leaning more on running back Jonathan Taylor to help carry the offense. — Eric D. Williams 

Bears: My goodness things are ugly in Chicago. Yes, the Bears are just one game below .500. Yes, they’re dealing with a host of offensive line injuries, but there has been no adjustment in the past couple weeks to account for that. Inexplicably, they aren’t bringing in extra linemen or consistently utilizing heavier personnel to bring in tight ends or running backs into the protection scheme. What’s more, those players aren’t getting targeted, either: Running backs and tight ends had just four total targets on Sunday. 

The Bears are seemingly back to square one after making significant progress before their bye week. They look worse every week. What’s even worse than that, players and leaders in the locker room are openly questioning coaching decisions. The body language and energy, especially offensively, is lackluster to put it lightly. Williams has taken 18 sacks in the past three games. He took nine against the Patriots, who had just eight sacks in their previous six games. Chicago has the longest-active streak of drives without a touchdown. Williams went into the bye week just two touchdowns off the Bears’ rookie record. He is currently no closer. Chicago has never relieved a coach of his duties midseason in their century-plus history, but with the chatter getting louder both inside and outside of the locker room, it’s hard to think Matt Eberflus will redeem himself after this midseason collapse. — Carmen Vitali

Jaguars: How different would this Jaguars season look if their defense played like it did on Sunday? Jacksonville, which entered the week with one of the league’s worst defenses, held high-powered Minnesota to 12 points. It forced Darnold into three interceptions. It held all-world receiver Justin Jefferson under 50 yards. This all came despite Jacksonville’s defense being on the field for the vast majority of the game. With Trevor Lawrence, who missed his first game of the season with a shoulder injury, and better execution and playcalling (star rookie Brian Thomas Jr. had just three targets), we’re probably talking about the Jags being a playoff hopeful at the very least. Instead, it’s all about draft positioning at this point. The loss helps in that regard. — Ben Arthur

Saints: Give interim coach Darren Rizzi credit for a first-game spark, finding life in a Saints team that had dropped seven straight. Saints-Falcons is a rivalry game, so in a season when you don’t win much, getting one of these goes a long way. Derek Carr played a sharp game without his top receivers, still throwing for two touchdowns without an interception. This has been a long year already for New Orleans, but this is the kind of win that gives the Saints a chance to bounce back and make something of the final two months, even if the playoffs are out of reach. — Greg Auman

Commanders: Though they lost their first game at home this season, rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels & Co. went toe to toe with one of the top teams in the AFC. Daniels finished with more than 200 passing yards and, more importantly, no turnovers. While the Commanders sit in a good spot to make the postseason, they still have beaten just one team with a winning record this year — the Arizona Cardinals in Week 4. At some point, Daniels and the Commanders must show they can compete — and beat — the best teams in the league. They get another opportunity on the road next week against their NFC East rivals, the Philadelphia Eagles. — Eric D. Williams 

Chargers: Under Jim Harbaugh, the Chargers are a team that no one should want to face in the AFC playoffs. Defensively, their pass-rush depth stands out. Racking up seven sacks against the Titans isn’t particularly impressive — Tennessee has had pass protection issues for years — but those seven sacks came from five different players. And for all that’s been made about the Chargers having a run-first offense this season, they’re very balanced talent-wise on that side of the ball. Los Angeles had five different pass catchers with at least a 14-yard gain Sunday. Three players had at least seven carries (including quarterback Justin Herbert), too. Los Angeles can beat you in so many different ways, and production is so spread out that it could be difficult to scheme against. Those are difficult teams to play in January. — Ben Arthur

Cowboys: Trey Lance briefly took over for Cooper Rush with about 2:56 left in the third quarter and then took over for him for good in the fourth quarter. The results weren’t great. He completed 4 of 6 passes for just 21 yards and an interception, and he ran three times for 17 yards. But at this point, who cares about the results? The Cowboys should just start him the rest of the season. Lance is a former third overall pick (2021) and the Cowboys traded a fourth-round pick to get him. They should see If he’s any good. Dak Prescott is likely lost for the season. At 3-6 they have to know their season is over. Rush is a fine backup, but Lance is an unknown. He’s also unsigned for 2025 too, so this gives the Cowboys a chance to see what they’ve got and whether he should be brought back next year. — Ralph Vacchiano

Cardinals: Let’s put a bookmark in Kyler Murray for MVP. I predicted last week that the emergence of the Arizona ground game would make life easier for Murray — and that his second half of the season could be huge. Right now, Murray has a lot of ground to make up with Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen doing truly amazing things over in the AFC. But Murray has been remarkable in his own right. And this game was yet another example of that. He finished 22 of 24 with 266 yards and a passing touchdown. He added three carries with 21 yards and two touchdowns. He also set the franchise record with 17 consecutive completions. I think he can finish in the top three in MVP voting. Heck, it’s a long season. Maybe he wins it. — Henry McKenna