Taking a spin around the NFL to get you ready for Week 11:
The big questions
How will Jared Goff look in his first NFL start?
Los Angeles Rams coach Jeff Fisher finally has decided to give the No. 1 overall draft pick a shot, saying it was "a gut feel" that led him to the quarterback switch.
The gut feel might have been related to the fact that the Rams have averaged a league-worst 9.67 points in their past three games.
On the season, the Rams rank 30th in offensive efficiency -- 28th in passing and 28th in running. Normally in this situation, the plan would be to lean on the ground game and make life easier on the inexperienced quarterback. But Todd Gurley is averaging just 3.08 yards per carry, which ranks 40th out of 42 qualifying players.
The numbers indicate strongly that the Rams' offensive line hasn't given Gurley much of a shot. He's averaging 1.52 yards before contact, which ranks 42nd.
The Miami Dolphins, meanwhile, have worked themselves up to the No. 7 defense in the NFL -- fourth against the pass and 13th against the run.
Rams fans have to hope that Goff at least shows flashes of looking the part, even if struggles in his debut are to be expected.
The Dolphins have won four in a row and are 2-point favorites on the road.
Can Tennessee Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota stay hot against Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis Colts?
Since Week 5, Mariota has completed 68 percent of his passes (fifth in the league), averaged 8.60 yards per attempt (fourth) and thrown 17 touchdowns against three interceptions. He has a passer rating of 119.0 (second) during that span and a total QBR of 82.9 (second).
Here's how Mariota and Luck stack up through their first 22 starts:
The AFC South remains up for grabs. The Houston Texans lead the division at 6-3, followed by the 5-5 Titans and the 4-5 Colts.
Indianapolis is a 3-point favorite at home.
Can the Baltimore Ravens slow down the Dallas Cowboys?
After their dramatic win against the Pittsburgh Steelers last weekend, the Cowboys go into Sunday on an eight-game winning streak and the best point differential (plus-88) in the NFL.
It will be strength versus strength, with the NFL's leading rusher in Ezekiel Elliott (1,005 yards, 5.08 YPC) going up against the league's best run defense. The Ravens are limiting opponents to 3.31 YPC (first) and an average of 1.18 yards after contact (first).
Only 12.4 percent of runs against the Ravens have netted a first down this year. That's the top mark in the league. No other defense has been better than 17.7 percent.
The Ravens are dealing with injuries on defense, however, and are 7-point underdogs on the road.
Numbers that matter
4: The number of Day 1 or Day 2 draft picks the Philadelphia Eagles spent on pass-catchers from 2013 to 2015 under former coach Chip Kelly. That should have set them up nicely with weapons for Carson Wentz this year, but instead, the group has disappointed. Wide receiver Nelson Agholor has struggled, and Josh Huff is no longer on the team. Tight end Zach Ertz (hamstring) and wide receiver Jordan Matthews (back) are dealing with injuries and listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Seattle Seahawks. The Eagles will have to lean on their run game, and Wentz could have a tough time in obvious passing situations against Richard Sherman & Co.
27: Where the New England Patriots' defense ranks against the pass, according to Football Outsiders. They've produced sacks on only 4.2 of their opponents' dropbacks, which ranks 29th. Tom Brady and the offense will be able to outscore a lot of teams. But looking big picture at the Patriots as Super Bowl favorites, they've got issues to work out defensively.
16: The number of instances this year in which a quarterback (minimum: 15 attempts) has completed less than 60 percent of his passes and averaged fewer than 5.0 yards per attempt. Four of those performances belong to Texans quarterback Brock Osweiler. The only other quarterback who has more than one is Tyrod Taylor of the Buffalo Bills. The Texans continue to have the worst passing offense in the NFL. Houston is a 5.5-point underdog Monday night against the Oakland Raiders.
What we'll be talking about after Week 11
Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers: One way or another, they'll be in the leaguewide headlines Monday morning. The Packers have lost three in a row and are 3-point underdogs on the road at Washington. The Packers' defense is giving up a league-worst 37.0 points per game since Week 8. Green Bay is hoping to get Clay Matthews back, but Rodgers & Co. might have to win a shootout to avoid falling to 4-6.
The surging Kansas City Chiefs: Since Week 7 of last season, the Chiefs (17-2) have more wins than any team in football. Their plus-187 scoring margin during that span also ranks first, as does their plus-30 turnover margin (no other team is better than plus-14). The Chiefs have won five in a row and are tied for first place in the AFC West. Andy Reid is all but guaranteed to finish at .500 or better for the 15th time in his 18-year coaching career. Kansas City is a 7.5-point favorite at home against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Another loss for the Minnesota Vikings: They've dropped four in a row, and during that streak, the offense has averaged 14.0 points per game (30th). The good news for the Vikings? Their remaining strength of schedule ranks 25th, according to Football Outsiders. And the Vikings still are tied for first place in the NFC North at 5-4. Mike Zimmer has built a mentally tough, competitive team. But the Vikings don't look like a group capable of stringing together wins down the stretch. They are 2-point favorites at home against the Arizona Cardinals.