What we learned in NFL Week 10: Despite wins, can the Colts and Broncos find more consistency?
Week 10 of the 2025 NFL season kicked off Thursday with the Broncos narrowly beating the Raiders despite two interceptions by quarterback Bo Nix.
Sunday’s action started in Berlin, where Colts star Jonathan Taylor turned in the best performance by a back all season in a win over the Falcons. Back in the United States, Saints rookie quarterback Tyler Shough won his first NFL game against the Panthers.
Our NFL Nation reporters reacted to all the action, answering lingering questions coming out of each game and detailing everything else you need to know for every team. Let’s get to it.
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NO-CAR | ATL-IND | LV-DEN
Catch up on the action: Box score | Recap
Saints
What do the Saints have in Tyler Shough? The rookie quarterback took a big step forward in his second start. He finished 19-of-27 for 282 yards and two touchdowns. Shough was working with three backup offensive linemen and without speedy wide receiver Rashid Shaheed, who was traded to the Seahawks, but he still gave the offense life with big touchdown throws to Juwan Johnson and Chris Olave. Johnson had a career-best day of 92 receiving yards while Olave had a career-long 62-yard touchdown. If Shough can continue to trend upward, it’ll give the Saints hope for an offense that has struggled for much of the season.
Turning point: The second-quarter touchdown to Olave was big for several reasons. It happened on the field that he was carted off of following a concussion last November. It was also his first 100-yard game since Week 8 of 2024 and gave the offense a boost, showing that Shough is capable of igniting the downfield passing game. While the Saints still made some head-scratching decisions, Olave’s touchdown gave them a lead they would not relinquish. — Katherine Terrell
Next game: vs. Falcons (Nov. 23, 4:25 p.m. ET)
Panthers
Did this loss pump the brakes on Carolina’s playoff hopes? Absolutely. Losing to the now-2-8 Saints was devastating. Everything was set up for the Panthers to go to 6-4 before facing the Falcons, who Carolina has already defeated 30-0. Now, the Panthers are 5-5 and must win in Atlanta before facing a brutal final stretch that includes serious playoff contenders such as the 49ers, Rams, Seahawks and Buccaneers twice. New Orleans also provided those opponents a blueprint on how to stop running back Rico Dowdle.
What to make of the QB performance: Bryce Young was off from the start. A roughing-the-passer penalty wiped out an early interception. He was fortunate not to get picked on two early tipped passes at the line, too. He finally threw an interception with about 12 minutes left on a pass that wasn’t close, which led to the Saints’ insurance TD. In all, Young went 17-of-25 for 124 yards and an interception. — David Newton
Next game: at Falcons (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
Catch up on the action: Box score | Recap
Colts
Can the Colts clean things up on offense? Production has not been a problem for the Colts in their past two games. They’ve had over 800 combined yards in games against the Steelers and Falcons. The issue is inconsistency on the details with what has been the No. 1 offense in the NFL most of this season. The penalties, missed blitz pickups, protection breakdowns — all of it was uncharacteristic. And it has happened two weeks in a row. This week, the Colts overcame it with a sensational performance from Jonathan Taylor with 244 yards and three touchdowns, the top individual rushing game in the NFL this season. But the Colts will want to clean things up with a road game against the Kansas City Chiefs coming up after next week’s bye.
Most surprising performance: It was clear cornerback Sauce Gardner was going to play an important role after Tuesday’s blockbuster trade. But Indianapolis wasted no time getting him deeply involved. He played the entire game and was often in coverage against Atlanta star receiver Drake London. Gardner also had a near interception, jumping a route on a third down to force a punt. Gardner finished with a team-high 31 coverage snaps. — Stephen Holder
Next game: at Chiefs (Nov. 23, 1 p.m. ET)
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Jonathan Taylor’s 83-yard TD breaks Colts’ rushing TD record
Jonathan Taylor explodes for an 83-yard touchdown to become the Colts’ all-time leader in rushing touchdowns.
Falcons
How far does this loss set back the Falcons’ playoff hopes? The Falcons have lost four straight and the goal of making the playoffs for the first time since 2017 is slipping away. It stood at 4% at the final buzzer of Sunday’s loss. While Atlanta has played close in consecutive weeks with elite AFC teams (24-23 loss to Patriots in Week 9), that’s hardly a consolation. Atlanta’s defense yielded 519 total yards Sunday. The Falcons’ offense has sputtered for most of the season, including 3-for-29 on third downs over the past three games, and the defense broke under the pressure late in Berlin. The schedule gets easier for Atlanta, but nothing has come easy for this team.
Key stat 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 six or more sacks in back-to-back games since 2002. — Marc Raimondi
Next game: vs. Panthers (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
Catch up on the action: Box score | Recap
Broncos
Can the Broncos continue to lean this hard on their defense? Well, the guys on defense say yes. Linebacker Alex Singleton said “whatever we need to do, we do” after Thursday’s win. But history would say the Broncos can’t keep forcing 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 have lost the turnover battle. They have trailed in all but one game this season (Week 5 win in Philadelphia). The Broncos still sit atop the AFC West, but running back J.K. Dobbins put it best that “eventually it’s going to bite us in the butt.”
Trend to watch: The Broncos are in the hunt for 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 1984 Chicago Bears, is 72. Denver’s 46 sacks after 10 games are the most since New Orleans had 44 after 10 games in 2000. — Jeff Legwold
Next game: vs. Chiefs (Nov. 16, 4:25 p.m. ET)
Raiders
Are the Raiders headed toward significant changes in the offseason? It shouldn’t be out of the question. Under Pete Carroll, the Raiders have taken a major step back, especially on offense. They’ve been held to under 10 points four times this season and fewer than 30 points in 29 consecutive games. That latter stat is the longest active streak in the NFL and 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 will need a ton of it.
Stat to know: Smith’s 12 interceptions are the most by a Raiders quarterback in their first nine games of a season since Kerry Collins had 12 through nine games in 2004, per ESPN Research. — Ryan McFadden
Next game: vs. Cowboys (Nov. 17, 8:20 p.m. ET)
