Over the course of the Week 9 slate, favorites went 14-1 straight-up, with the lone upset coming from the Packers as they took down the Patriots in Foxborough. Naturally, with favorites dominating the day, it wasn't a banner showing from us in last week's column. That said, we did correctly pinpoint New England as a prime upset candidate to Green Bay, so we'll take the win when we can get it.
With favorites finding so much success last week, however, it should heighten their concern heading into Week 10, as the pendulum could swing in the other direction to even things up. And there are several games to choose from this weekend for potential upsets, including a "Sunday Night Football" showdown between two AFC North rivals. So, let's get right to it and identify five favorites who are on upset alert.
The last time these two NFC East rivals faced one another, it was a calamity that resulted in a 27-27 tie. That said, I do think Washington is catching New York at the right time in this Thursday night matchup to begin Week 10. McCarthy was in and out of the lineup last week after suffering a hip pointer injury against the Eagles, but is expected to play in this game.
Before going down, McCarthy seemed more like his Minnesota self than the quarterback who completed 20-of-28 in a win over the Texans before their bye. McCarthy threw for 127 yards on 12-of-19 passing in the win over Philly, with his yards per attempt (6.7) taking a noticeable dip from his first two appearances. If that continues on Thursday against a Commanders defense that is allowing just 15.0 points per game over the past two games, Washington's offense may not have to do too much heavy lifting.
Meanwhile, Jayden Daniels has largely had success against New York, coming into this game with a 3-0-1 record against his division foe. He's also totaled five touchdowns and zero turnovers in those games. Daniels has largely protected the ball this season as well and has yet to throw an interception.
So, the recipe for Washington here is for Daniels to keep a clean sheet in the turnover margin, and for McCarthy to come back down to earth. Maybe a trip across the Atlantic snaps the Patriots back into form after an abysmal loss to the Packers at home in Week 9. One of the biggest issues for New England's offense this season has been turnovers, committing one on 19.4% of drives.
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