Patriots @ Bears (-3)

The Bears have been notably aggressive in their defense here. It seems like Chicago has built their game plan around harassing Drake Maye constantly with the blitz. Linebackers have constantly been attacking the line of scrimmage alongside defensive linemen. New England smartly adjusted in the second half by keeping extra men in for protection as well as throwing the ball more over the middle.

The Patriots have been blitzing Caleb Williams pretty relentlessly. And it has paid off on a number of occasions.

49ers @ Falcons

Atlanta is leaving yards on the table as a result of some of these bad Penix passes. The man has confidence issues, especially when the hits begin to add up.

The 49ers defense clearly plays a physical brand of football that prides aggression and speed, as evident by the way the secondary rushes downfield, the defensive tackles always launching themselves at the center even on spikes, and the (borderline illegal) play by the defensive backs against their assignments. Raheem Morris has left his imprint on this defense.

San Francisco runs a defense that tends to put extra box players along the line of scrimmage. Normally, this would compromise the flat area, but with Fred Warner playing at an all-world level, any concern there is safely minimized.

Jordan Watkins is a name worth watching for these 49ers. He has been playing well today in Mike Evans absence.

Giants @ Texans (-9.5)

Skatteboo is just such a delight to watch with the aggressive way he runs. Singletary has impressed too on some of his runs.

The Giants have patented their own version of the quarterback push with Jameis Winston.

The run blocking has stepped up considerably. I need to track snap count along the offensive line to see if the Giants changed some of the personnel there to help them run the ball more.

Colts @ Vikings (-6.5)

I need to watch the tape to see why Kyler Murray was so disappointing today. It does seem like the pass rush pressure got to him. Indianapolis was able to get to him in the backfield on multiple occasions.

Packers @ Lions (-3)

Despite Brian Branch's return, the defense still seems to be suffering from communication issues.

Aidan Hutchinson and Alim McNeill remind me yet again that they're both dominant pass rushers. If this Detroit team can tighten things in the secondary, it could be potentially elite just from talent alone.

Cisse has been stepping up in his coverage duties for the Packers defense.

Broncos @ Cardinals (+4.5)

Bo Nix is still trash. That is all that needs to be said.

Jacoby Brissett makes good decisions, but lacks power in his throws. His deep passing is questionable.

Denver's secondary remains a liability so long as Patrick Surtain and Talanoa Hufanga cannot play at full health. Riley Moss has been a sustained point of weakness.

The interior pass rush for Denver has been dominating up front against the interior of the Cardinal offensive line. Zach Allen, Malcolm Roach, and D.J. Jones have been flashing on tape.

Chiefs @ Seahawks (-2.5)

Nick Emmanwori is rounding back into elite form.

Seattle is playing like the hungrier dog in this contest. Seeing Darnold out there scrambling on long third downs, Holani evading tackles, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba catching bombs, I think the Hawks came into this game with a renewed sense of purpose. Is it possible they legitimately saw themselves as an underdog in this contest despite the oddsmakers favoring them? Most analysts saw the Chiefs as among the best teams in the league. The Seahawks were up there in the power rankings as well, but a notch below the Chiefs. On average, Kansas ranked second in the power rankings whereas Seattle ranked sixth.

Kelce has not been a factor in this game going into the middle of the third quarter. Seattle's defense has been making a concerted effort to bracket him in coverage. Without Kelce, the Chiefs have no passing game.

Seattle's defense has been fantastic keeping Kenneth Murray from running through the C-gaps. Unable to attack the edges outside the tackles, Murray has been effectively contained.

I think Seattle's defense has returned to its legendary form from last year.

In the first half, the Chiefs opted to cover Smith-Njigba with just their top corner in Mansoor Delane. The problem with that approach is that you're tasking a rookie to shut down the single best receiver in football today. It was a foolish approach, and one that I can only surmise was a decision made because the Cheifs simply took the Seahawks a little too lightly after watching their ugly outing against Denver.

Buccaneers @ Panthers (-3)

This Carolina defense cannot defend well against edge runs. Bucky Irving and Kenneth Gainwell has been gashing them all day by running outside the tackles. Carolina's defensive backs seem unable or unwilling to defend the C-gaps.

Baker Mayfield has done nothing significant in his glorious return back to action. It's been Tampa's ground game that's generated most of their offensive production, at least in the first half.

I suspect Todd Bowles knows way too much about Dave Canales and his pass protection concept. Bryce Young has been getting harassed and sacked by defensive linemen who have been otherwise unremarkable for the season. Yaya Diaby, Calijah Kancey, and Al-Quadin Muhammad have all been feasting today.

Robert Hunt and Rasheed Walker are points of weakness on this Carolina offensive line. Hunt can be moved once you gain leverage against his right shoulder. Walker can be straight-up bull-rushed.