The final game of Week 10 is tonight as the Denver Broncos travel to battle the Buffalo Bills. I’m excited to see this one take place and I’m interested to see if the Broncos can begin a big second half surge or if the Bills will get back on track. I’ll have a full preview below, but first I’m continuing my mid-season look at the league. Today, I’ll have my mid-season playoff picks and my pick for Coach of the Year at the mid-point.

NFC Playoff Picks

It’s been an interesting first half, but I still like a lot of the teams I did pre-season. I see the Philadelphia Eagles, San Francisco 49ers, Detroit Lions, New Orleans Saints, Dallas Cowboys, Minnesota Vikings and Atlanta Falcons making the playoffs. The Saints have been better than I expected, while the Giants have collapsed. I don’t think Seattle holds on after a fast start, and I think Atlanta edges out the Seahawks and Buccaneers.

AFC Playoff Picks

The AFC is the more loaded conference and I think it’s going to be a brutal race for the final playoff spot. After 10 weeks, here’s where I’m leaning. I think the Kansas City Chiefs, Cincinnati Bengals, Jacksonville Jaguars, Miami Dolphins, Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills and Houston Texans will be in the playoffs. The Texans are a surprise and pure magic. I think they’ll make it. I also think the Bengals will do enough to come back in the AFC North. It will be a brutal stretch run with the Colts, Jets, Chargers, Broncos, Steelers and Browns all vying for a spot and just missing out.

Mid-Season Coach of the Year

You saw me pick the Texans to make the playoffs. That’s a big swing and a big turnaround. And its thanks in large part to C.J. Stroud, who seems a near lock for Rookie of the Year. But it’s also a tribute to DeMeco Ryans, who has this team playing hard. He’s my pick for Coach of the Year at this point and I expect his hard work to continue.

And now, on to Monday Night Football.

Denver Broncos (3-5) at Buffalo Bills (5-4)

The Broncos stumbled out of the gate, dropping to 1-5 after six weeks. Then the team won two straight heading into the bye week, including a home win over the Kansas City Chiefs. The Bills, meanwhile, came into the season with Super Bowl aspirations but the team has struggled. Injuries and inefficiency have the Bills on the brink of slipping from the post-season race. Can they get back on track Monday night?

For the Broncos, I have Russell Wilson as a high-end QB2. He’s been solid all season and I think that continues here. Javonte Williams started coming on before the bye and I like him as a high-end RB2 as well. In the passing game, Courtland Sutton and Jerry Jeudy need to show out for the Broncos. I like Sutton the best, having him as a high-end WR3. Jeudy is more of a WR4 with upside.

For the Bills, Josh Allen is great. He’s a QB1 even in a tough matchup. The backfield is more of a mess and a mystery, but I have James Cook as a low-end RB2. He’s still the best option, for now. For the passing game, Stefon Diggs is a WR1, and Dalton Kincaid is a borderline TE1. That’s the end of the list of players I trust. I just don’t believe in Gabe Davis at this point. He’s a boom-or-bust WR5, and I might prefer Khalil Shakir in deep leagues.

I’m picking the Broncos!

Matthew Fox is a graduate of the Radio, Television and Film program at Biola University, and a giant nerd. He spends his free time watching movies, TV, and obsessing about football. He is a member of the FSWA. You can find him @knighthawk7734 on Twitter and as co-host of the Fantasy Football Roundtable Podcast.