It is the tenth week of the National Football League season, and two teams are playing in the seventh of the nine International Games this morning when the Atlanta Falcons and New England Patriots tangle in Madrid, Spain. The game is scheduled to kickoff at 6:30 a.m. Pacific Time.
Five teams playing stateside are starting their quarterback for the first time. Kirk Cousins, who was acquired by the Minnesota Vikings from the Las Vegas Raiders, makes his first start of the season in a Minnesota uniform. The team he left will start their top draft pick, rookie Fernando Mendoza. The overall first pick in the 2026 draft will start when the Raiders meet the defending Super Bowl Champion Seattle Seahawks.
Two other teams will see rookies make their first ever start when Kyle McCord moves in behind center for the Miami Dolphins who meet the Colts in Indianapolis today, and Carson Beck makes his first career start with the Arizona Cardinals who host the Los Angeles Rams.
In Baltimore, who lost both their first and second-string QBs, tomorrow night the Ravens will start the man they picked up in a trade with the Arizona Cardinals, Jacoby Brissett.
That is a lot of moving parts for a number of teams that would benefit by the midway point of a campaign with a stable starting lineup.
A couple outdoor locations have weather conditions that could affect play on the field. In Buffalo, where the Bills host the New York Jets, wind gusts are forecasted up to 23 mph, and in Cleveland, where the Browns host the Houston Texans, rain and wind are expected.