:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/43758868/20140809_jla_aw3_170.jpg.0.jpg)
Ten former Wisconsin Badgers have their respective NFL teams tied for or in first place heading into Week 10. Two of them -- Joe Thomas and Jim Leonhard -- play for the surprising 6-3 Cleveland Browns, who dominated Kevin Zeitler's Cincinnati Bengals 24-3 on Thursday night. For a franchise so downtrodden in recent memory, it's nice to see the organization is performing well -- especially with two former Wisconsin fan-favorites in Leonhard and Thomas on the roster.
Here's the rest of Week 10 NFL schedule, from a Badgers-centric point of view:
| Former UW Badgers | NFL Team | Week 10 Opponent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jim Leonhard | Cleveland Browns | Cincinnati Bengals | W 24-3 (THURS) |
| Joe Thomas | Cleveland Browns | Cincinnati Bengals | W 24-3 (THURS) |
| Kevin Zeitler | Cincinnati Bengals | Cleveland Browns | L 24-3 (THURS) |
| Beau Allen | Philadelphia Eagles | Carolina Panthers | 8:30 PM ET (MON) |
| Chris Maragos | Philadelphia Eagles | Carolina Panthers | 8:30 PM ET (MON) |
| Brad Nortman | Carolina Panthers | Philadelphia Eagles | 8:30 PM ET (MON) |
| Chris Borland | San Francisco 49ers | New Orleans Saints | 1 PM ET |
| Nick Toon | New Orleans Saints | San Francisco 49ers | 1 PM ET |
| Travis Frederick | Dallas Cowboys | Jacksonville Jaguars | 1 PM ET |
| Nick Hayden | Dallas Cowboys | Jacksonville Jaguars | 1 PM ET |
| Lance Kendricks | St. Louis Rams | Arizona Cardinals | 4:25 PM ET |
| Matt Shaughnessy | Arizona Cardinals | St. Louis Rams -- IR-R | 4:25 PM ET |
| Owen Daniels | Baltimore Ravens | Tennessee Titans | 1 PM ET |
| Rick Wagner | Baltimore Ravens | Tennessee Titans | 1 PM ET |
| O'Brien Schofield | Seattle Seahawks | N.Y. Giants | 4:25 PM ET |
| Russell Wilson | Seattle Seahawks | N.Y. Giants | 4:25 PM ET |
| Montee Ball | Denver Broncos | Oakland Raiders (QUESTIONABLE - GROIN) | 4:05 PM ET |
| Gabe Carimi | Atlanta Falcons | Tampa Bay Buccanneers | 1 PM ET |
| Dezmen Southward | Atlanta Falcons | Tampa Bay Buccanneers | 1 PM ET |
| Kraig Urbik | Buffalo Bills | Kansas City Chiefs | 1 PM ET |
| DeAndre Levy | Detroit Lions | Miami Dolphins | 1 PM ET |
| Scott Tolzien | Green Bay Packers | Chicago Bears | 8:30 PM ET (SUN) |
| J.J. Watt | Houston Texans | BYE | N/A |
| Garrett Graham | Houston Texans | BYE | N/A |
| Jonathan Casillas | New England Patriots | BYE | N/A |
| James White | New England Patriots | BYE | N/A |
Key matchups to watch
Chris Maragos' and Beau Allen's Philadelphia Eagles lead the NFC East with a 6-2 record. They host Brad Nortman's Carolina Panthers on Monday Night Football. Can they hold off Travis Frederick's Dallas Cowboys, who sit just a half-game behind the Eagles at 6-3?
Patrick Willis is listed as questionable for the game, so will Chris Borland get the start at linebacker again for the San Francisco 49ers? He only had 18 tackles last week against the St. Louis Rams, that's all. The Niners look to right the ship against a very hot New Orleans Saints squad -- who at 4-4 actually lead the NFC South.
DeAndre Levy's Detroit Lions sit atop the NFC North with a 6-2 record. They host the 5-3 Miami Dolphins Sunday afternoon in what should be one of Sunday's better match-ups.
Also of note, it appears running back Montee Ball is getting closer to returning to the Denver Broncos after a groin injury. He also dropped some weight during his time healing from injury.
Make sure to vote for Maragos, Thomas and Levy -- along with all your favorite Wisconsin Badgers -- for the NFL Pro Bowl here.