Week 10 of the 2025 NFL season kicked off Thursday with the Denver Broncos narrowly beating the Las Vegas Raiders despite two interceptions by quarterback Bo Nix.
Sunday’s action began in Berlin, where Indianapolis Colts star Jonathan Taylor had the best performance by a linebacker all season in a win over the Atlanta Falcons.
Our NFL Nation reporters reacted to all the action, answering lingering questions coming out of each game and breaking down everything else you need to know for each team. Let’s get to it.
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ATL-IND | LV-den
Catch up on the event: Square points | a summary
Colts
Can the Colts clean things up on offense? Production has not been an issue for the Colts in the past two games. They had over 800 receiving yards in games against the Steelers and Falcons. The problem is a lack of consistency in detail with what has been the No. 1 offense in the NFL for most of this season. The penalties, the failed pick-and-rolls, the breakdowns in protection — it was all uncharacteristic. This happened for two weeks in a row. This week, the Colts overcame it with a thrilling performance from Jonathan Taylor with 244 yards and three touchdowns, the best single rushing game in the NFL this season. But the Colts will want to turn things around with a road game against the Kansas City Chiefs after their bye next week.
Most surprising performance: It was clear Gardner would play an important role after Tuesday’s blockbuster trade. But Indianapolis wasted no time in getting him deep. He played the entire game and was mostly in coverage against future Atlanta star Drake London. Gardner also had a close interception, jumping on a drive on third down to force a punt. Gardner finished with a team-high 31 coverage snaps. — Stephen Holder
Next match: at Chiefs (Nov. 23, 1 p.m. ET)
Falcons
How much does this loss hamper the Falcons’ playoff hopes? The Falcons have lost four in a row and their goal of reaching the playoffs for the first time since 2017 is fading. Interest rates stood at 4% at the final bell for Sunday’s loss. While Atlanta has played closely in back-to-back weeks with the AFC’s elite teams (a 24-23 loss to the Patriots in Week 9), that’s no consolation. Atlanta’s defense totaled 519 yards on Sunday. The Falcons’ offense has faltered much of the season, including 3-for-29 on third down over the past three games, and the defense buckled under pressure late from Berlin. The schedule has gotten easier for Atlanta, but nothing has been easy for this team.
Key statistics to know: The Falcons have 13 sacks over the past two weeks and six or more sacks in consecutive games for only the second time in franchise history. It’s the first time the Falcons’ defense has had six or more sacks in consecutive games since 2002. — Mark Raimondi
Next game: vs. Panthers (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
Catch up on the event: Square points | a summary
Bronco
Can the Broncos continue to rely so heavily on their defense? Well, defensemen say yes. “Whatever we have to do, we do,” Linebacker Alex Singleton said after Thursday’s win. But history will say the Broncos can’t continue to force the defense to defend a short field. Denver punted seven times Thursday, had four possessions that went for negative yardage and quarterback Bo Nix threw two interceptions. Including Thursday night, the Broncos have now won five times when they’ve lost a turnover battle. They have trailed in all but one game this season (a Week 5 win at Philadelphia). The Broncos still sit atop the AFC West, but running back JK Dobbins said it’s “eventually going to bite us in the ass.”
Direction to watch: The Broncos are looking to reclaim a record that has stood since 1984, just two years after the sack became an official statistic. With six more sacks Thursday, the Broncos have 46 after 10 games. The single-season record, set by the Chicago Bears in 1984, is 72. Denver’s 46 sacks after 10 games are the most since New Orleans had 44 sacks after 10 games in 2000. –Jeff Legwold
Next match: vs. Chiefs (Nov. 16, 4:25 p.m. ET)
Raiders
Are the Raiders headed for a big change this offseason? That shouldn’t be out of the question. Under Pete Carroll, the Raiders took a huge step back, especially on offense. They have held fewer than 10 points four times this season and fewer than 30 points in 29 straight games. This latest stat is the longest active streak in the NFL and the second-longest in franchise history. Chip Kelly’s offense has clearly been ineffective, and quarterback Geno Smith has regressed since reaching two Pro Bowls with the Seahawks. Patience is a virtue, and Las Vegas is going to need a lot of it.
Statistics to know: Smith’s 12 interceptions are the most by a Raiders quarterback in the first nine games of a season since Kerry Collins had 12 through nine games in 2004, according to ESPN research. –Ryan McFadden
Next game: vs. Cowboys (Nov. 17, 8:20 p.m. ET)
