13 Games Fill ESPN's Week 10 NFL Preview, Including Cousins' Return

ESPN's Week 10 NFL preview guide covers 13 games, the network's writers said in the roundup, promising "picks, predictions and more for all of them," with one of the marquee storylines centered on Kirk Cousins' return to Minnesota and another sending the Patriots and Lions to Germany.

The guide, published under the headline "Our guide to every NFL Week 10 game: Matchup previews, predictions, picks and nuggets," pulls together reporting from ESPN's NFL Nation team, betting analyst Pamela Maldonado, fantasy writer Eric Karabell and draft analysts Jordan Reid and Mel Kiper Jr., among others.

What Does Kirk Cousins' Return to Minnesota Mean for Week 10?

ESPN's NFC North coverage frames Cousins' trip back to the Vikings' building as one of the week's central questions, alongside a companion piece asking whether "Cousins puts Vikings in command" of the division. A separate Minnesota-focused story, written by Kevin Seifert, asks directly: "Are Vikings back to square one at QB?" The two headlines sit side by side in ESPN's coverage, reflecting unresolved uncertainty inside the organization about its quarterback situation entering the game.

Bill Barnwell's trade-deadline analysis, published four days before the Week 10 slate, also touches on Minnesota, asking whether the Cousins move "fix[es] the Vikings' offense" and whether the Rams should have added players of their own before the deadline.

Why Are the Patriots and Lions Playing Overseas This Week?

ESPN's preview flags the Patriots-Lions matchup in Germany as one of the week's two headline games, paired directly with the Cousins storyline in the network's own framing of the slate: "Kirk Cousins' return to Minnesota? Patriots vs. Lions in Germany? There are 13 more games in Week 10." The guide does not break out additional scheduling detail for the international game beyond that framing, but it places the matchup among the week's most-watched storylines.

"Kirk Cousins' return to Minnesota? Patriots vs. Lions in Germany? There are 13 more games in Week 10, and we have picks, predictions and more for all of them."

Which Rookie Quarterback Is ESPN Watching Closely?

Las Vegas Raiders coverage in the guide centers on rookie Fernando Mendoza, the team's No. 1 pick, under the headline "'He's got a lot of talent': Why do Raiders believe No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza is ready to be a starting QB?" Reporter Ryan McFadden's piece examines the organization's rationale for turning to Mendoza now rather than later in the season, a question ESPN treats as one of the week's defining storylines alongside Carolina's Chuba Hubbard, described in a separate piece by Mike Kaye as a potential "biggest X factor for the Panthers."

Who Tops ESPN's Early MVP and Award Predictions?

ESPN's awards coverage lists Cincinnati's Joe Burrow as the current NFL MVP favorite, with writer Doug Greenberg reporting that Burrow has "move[d] past Josh Allen as MVP favorite" while Green Bay's Jordan Love "joins race." A companion betting column by Pamela Maldonado asks whether Burrow, while the favorite, represents "the best bet" for the award. The guide also includes Bill Barnwell's midseason awards column identifying "the top candidates to win MVP, Rookie of the Year, more."

On the fantasy side, ESPN's guide raises the question of whether Green Bay's Christian Watson and Matthew Golden could combine for 3,000 receiving yards this season, one of several specific statistical benchmarks the network's writers pose heading into the second half of the schedule.

What Other Storylines Does ESPN's Guide Cover?

Beyond the marquee matchups, the Week 10 package folds in a 15-item predictions roundup covering players including Hubbard, Aaron Rodgers and George Kittle; an AFC North primer on Steelers-Bengals from Ben Baby and Brooke Pryor; and Seattle coverage noting that quarterback Sam Darnold remains out while two other Seahawks have returned, per Brady Henderson. ESPN's inactives-watch feature, updated by Matt Bowen and colleagues, tracks which players are in and out across the league as kickoffs approach.

The guide also links out to longer-range content, including Jordan Reid's ranking of the top 50 prospects in the 2027 NFL draft class and Mel Kiper Jr.'s updated board of the top 25 prospects, both published in the days surrounding the Week 10 coverage.