Things are sort of getting back to normal in the NFL. Divisions and playoff berths are being clinched, while other teams are starting to look towards the draft (or, in the case of the NFC East, both). But there's also still plenty up for grabs, and somebody has to "win" the NFC East.
So before the calendar flips to January, we've still got some pretty significant December action to worry about.
Thursday Night: Arizona (Win)
Redskins (5-7) at Bears (5-7): Chicago-Am I the only one having trouble with the fact that Washington is currently a division "leader?" Seriously! The Redskins aren't good! They haven't even won a road game all season. I don't think that changes against a Bears team that will actually have a better record than Washington at day's end, yet has no shot at making the playoffs.
Steelers (7-5) at Bengals (10-2): Cincinnati-For me, this was the toughest game of the entire week to pick. Cincinnati clinches the division with a win, while Pittsburgh needs it to maintain its place in the wild card race. This is the type of game that Cincinnati typically struggles with, and we've gotten so used to seeing the Steelers rise to the occasion time and again. But this Bengals team is different. Sure, they still haven't won that marquee prime time game, but they still own the No. 1 seed in the AFC. That Monday night game in Denver will be the big one, but the Bengals will go into that one with the AFC North already locked up.
49ers (4-8) at Browns (2-10): San Francisco-Are there any two more dysfunctional teams in football than the Browns and 49ers? Cleveland coach Mike Pettine begins his final month at the helm of the Browns stuck with Johnny Immature as his quarterback (which is clearly an ownership decision), while San Francisco has been a mess the entire season. The Browns move closer to giving new GM Kevin Costner and new coach Denis Leary that No. 1 pick.
Chargers (3-9) at Chiefs (7-5): Kansas City-After running that gauntlet to start the season, Kansas City is suddenly one of the hottest teams in football. The Chiefs have won six straight and play three of their last four (all of which are winnable) at home. Throw in next week's trip to Baltimore, and Andy Reid's team could bring a 10-game winning streak into the playoffs. I feel bad for Philip Rivers with what's happening in San Diego this season. To make matters worse, three of the Chargers' last four games are all three of their division road games.
Lions (4-8) at Rams (4-8): Detroit-Have the Lions had enough time to recover from the Miracle in Motown? They really should be on a four-game winning streak right now. The Rams, meanwhile, are in free fall. A popular spoiler pick at the start of the season, they started that way. But their season fell apart with that overtime loss in Minnesota (when they were still in position for a wild card). Detroit's the team that's been trending upwards, so I'm going with the Lions.
Titans (3-9) at Jets (7-5): Jets-The Tennessee Titans finally won a home game! It was against Jacksonville, but it still counts. Now Mariota and Co. head to the Meadowlands for a matchup with a Jets team that's rightfully thinking playoffs. If there was any doubt that the Jets are likely playoff-bound, that was settled last week when Tom Coughlin basically handed them the game. Keep in mind, they haven't left home in three weeks. And that will get them from 5-5 to 8-5.
Bills (6-6) at Eagles (5-7): Philadelphia-Talk about saving your season, Philadelphia beats New England and is suddenly the favorite in the NFC East. I'm one of those people that thinks the Eagles will win the division. I don't think they'll win out, but a 3-1 finish and 8-8 record will be enough in what used to be one of the best divisions in football. A Buffalo win here wouldn't be a complete surprise, but I'm going with the Eagles.
Saints (4-8) at Buccaneers (6-6): Tampa Bay-If we had the 18-game season Mr. Brilliant Commissioner wants, there would be a very realistic chance Tampa Bay could end up in the playoffs. As it is, the Bucs still have a shot, and they're looking to get above .500 this late in the season for the first time since God knows when. Changes are in store for New Orleans after the season. The Saints have already lost to the Bucs once this season, and they'll do it again this week.
Falcons (6-6) at Panthers (12-0): Carolina-Remember back when Atlanta was still good early in the season and everyone was looking forward to this one as a potentially pivotal game in the NFC South? Well, things are certainly different now that Panthers-Falcons is finally here. Carolina has already locked up the division and will clinch a bye with a win. Oh, and there's that whole undefeated thing, too. After this week, it's at Giants, Falcons again, Tampa Bay. Can they run their regular season winning streak to 20 and complete the NFL's second 16-0 season? It definitely looks possible, although I'm sure they'll rest starters once home field is clinched.
Colts (6-6) at Jaguars (4-8): Indianapolis-Jacksonville is favored in this game for some reason. I'm not exactly sure why. Because Indianapolis has dominated its division opponents over the last two seasons. The Colts are 3-0 against the AFC South and 3-6 against the rest of the NFL in 2015. It's a good thing for them, then, that three of their last four games are in the division.
Seahawks (7-5) at Ravens (4-8): Seattle-Being flexed out of Sunday night means the Seahawks now have to fly cross country and play a 1:00 game. Of course, if Baltimore was better, that would be more of a problem for the Seahawks. As it is, the early start time really shouldn't matter. Seattle played one last week and crushed Minnesota. Now the Seahawks can jump the Vikings into the 5-seed and visit to the NFC East winner with a victory. Otherwise, Arizona clinches the division.
Raiders (5-7) at Broncos (10-2): Denver-Peyton's out of the boot and throwing, but Brock Osweiler is still the Man in Denver for the time being. There are a lot of clinching scenarios for the Broncos this week, all of which involve a win and someone else losing. With big games against Pittsburgh and Cincinnati coming up in the next two weeks and the No. 1 seed still in play, they can't afford a home loss to the Raiders in Jack Del Rio's return.
Cowboys (4-8) at Packers (8-4): Green Bay-I'm still trying to figure out how that wasn't a catch by Dez Bryant the last time the Cowboys played in Lambeau. (As are most people.) Now they return for what's going to be the warmest December home game in Packers history. Despite having the worst record in the NFC, Dallas, incredibly, is still in the playoff hunt thanks to that win in Washington on Monday night. The Packers have lost two straight at home and really need to right the ship if they want to play there again in January. The Miracle In Motown could easily have been the turning point of the season, though.
Patriots (10-2) at Texans (6-6): New England-Everybody take cover! New England has lost back-to-back games! The world must be coming to an end! Armageddon is the only possible explanation for the Patriots doing what every other team in the league (except for the Panthers, obviously, and Arizona) has done this season. Three in a row is just unfathomable. Never mind the fact that the Texans beat Cincinnati just a couple weeks ago and had won three out of four before last week's loss in Buffalo. This isn't a pushover for the Patriots by any stretch of the imagination. Especially with the Texans-Colts matchup that will likely determine the AFC South on the horizon next week.
Giants (5-7) at Dolphins (5-7): Giants-No matter how many times they try to piss away their own chances, the rest of the NFC East refuses to let the Giants out of it. They've got a very difficult slate to finish out, which makes a win here imperative. Especially since they'll know exactly where they stand in the division going into Monday night. Believe it or not, this will be the Giants' first trip to Miami in nearly 20 years. The Dolphins' last "home" game against them was the first-ever London game in 2007 and they had to wait this long for the interconference schedule to cycle back around.
This Week: 1-0
Last Week: 8-8
Season: 120-73
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