Joe Buck is everywhere! So much for him not doing football during the baseball playoffs. It was quite a surprise to hear him on Thursday night on his World Series off day. Yet, while everyone else was flying cross country, he made a stop midway through and did the Thursday night football game,as the Texans continue to be white hot. I wouldn't be shocked to see him try to do the Rams/Dodgers doubleheader on Sunday, either (although, I think the distance between the LA Coliseum and Dodger Stadium makes that practically impossible).
Thursday Night: Houston (Win)
Eagles (3-4) vs. Jaguars (3-4): Jacksonville-London came thisclose to getting a Super Bowl rematch, which I'm sure is something the NFL never saw coming when they decided the Eagles would be Jacksonville's London opponent. As it is, neither one has been playing up to their 2017 form of late. The Eagles take one step forward, two steps back, while the Jaguars aren't sneaking up on anybody anymore and have lost three straight as a result. They really do treat London like their second home, though (hence their annual home game at Wembley), and they play extremely well Across the Pond. That should continue.
Jets (3-4) at Bears (3-3): Chicago-Chicago has been one of the most surprising contenders in the league this season. They hung in there with New England last week and even had a chance to win it. I have a feeling it's gonna be like that most of the season. And the NFC North's gonna be a dogfight as a result. The Jets, meanwhile, got a reality check from the Vikings last week. Now they go on the road for the first time in a month. And they haven't won on the road since the opener.
Buccaneers (3-3) at Bengals (4-3): Cincinnati-Both the Bucs and Bengals are right up there with the Bears on that surprise contender list. Sure, Cincinnati got smacked last week, but that's because they played in primetime and for some reason they just can't get over that hump when playing in front of a national audience. I don't know why, but that seems to be a mental hurdle the Bengals simply can't overcome for whatever reason. The good news is they're back playing one of the 1:00 regional games this week.
Seahawks (3-3) at Lions (3-3): Detroit-Lions vs. AFC East: 2-1. Lions vs. NFC: 1-2. Although, that win was over the Packers, so I don't know how good a gauge that actually is. I do know this, though. The Seahawks team that beat the Raiders in London looked like the Seahawks of old. We'll see if they were able to carry it over from their bye week. We'll also see if Detroit is able to beat a team that isn't in Matt Patricia's old division.
Broncos (3-4) at Chiefs (6-1): Kansas City-Kansas City's not playing on Sunday night?! What's going on?! Chiefs-Broncos I was a Monday nighter in Week 4, and that's the game where Patrick Mahomes first showed us that he's really something special. That comeback. Against the Broncos' defense. In Denver. It was quite impressive. What can he do against them when they come visit his place?
Redskins (4-2) at Giants (1-6): Washington-Well, it sure looks like the Giants are cashing in their chips and trying to get Saquon a shiny new quarterback to play with in the 2019 Draft. Why else would they be trading every defensive playmaker they have? So it looks like there are a bunch more losses in store for a 1-6 team that's actually not as bad as its record (at least wasn't as bad as its record). I still have no idea whether or not the Redskins are actually good. But they're 4-2, and it's about to become 5-2.
Browns (2-4-1) at Steelers (3-2-1): Pittsburgh-When they met in Week 1 and had that ridiculous tie, the Browns really should've won. And it was our first indication that Cleveland is actually going to be competitive this season. Which they were until that clunker against the Chargers. They made up for it last week, though, with their weekly overtime. Browns, again, games are 60 minutes long, not 70! Pittsburgh, meanwhile, is doing its usual midseason turnaround after a slow start.
Ravens (4-3) at Panthers (4-2): Carolina-The Panthers are really good at playing to the level of their competition. Which means they play a lot of close games. They end up winning them most of the time, though, which is why they're 4-2. Meanwhile, you've got a Ravens teams at a crossroads. How long can they play both Joe Flacco and Lamar Jackson? I think they want Jackson to be the new Cam Newton. But he'll watch the original version get the better of them.
Colts (2-5) at Raiders (1-5): Indianapolis-How do you win a game 37-5? Yes, I know, a field goal and a safety. But it's just such an odd score to see at the end of a game! This is the easy part of the Colts' schedule. Bills last week, Raiders this week. It still doesn't mean Indy is any good. But that 3-5 record is sure gonna look better than Oakland's 1-6. The Raiders will be battling the Giants and Cardinals for the No. 1 pick all season. Jon Gruden has lost the team.
Packers (3-2-1) at Rams (7-0): Rams-It's been quite a sports weekend in LA, and it'll be capped by Sunday's doubleheader of the best NFL game this week followed by Kershaw vs. Sale in the potential World Series clincher. The Rams have a few tough ones coming up, starting with their matchup against Green Bay. I'm expecting this one to be a shootout. Except the Packers still haven't proven they can win on the road. The Rams won't go undefeated. But they will get to 8-0.
49ers (1-6) at Cardinals (1-6): Arizona-Another season series that'll be done by the end of October. If not for the 49ers, Arizona would still be winless. And, since the wins will be few and far between for these two, this'll be both of their best last chance for a while. (Although the 49ers have the Raiders and Giants next, so they could actually be on a three-game winning streak if they get this one.) Since it wasn't too long ago that the Cardinals won the first time these two played, why wouldn't I expect them to do it again?
Saints (5-1) at Vikings (4-2-1): New Orleans-We all remember what happened the last time these two met. The Saints sure do. And New Orleans is a better team this season. In fact, I think the Saints may be the third-best in the NFL behind the Rams and Chiefs. I've got a feeling that even with that Kershaw-Sale matchup, this Sunday night game will draw a bigger audience than Dodgers-Red Sox. It's a good matchup. And it's one that I think New Orleans will win.
Patriots (5-2) at Bills (2-5): New England-For some reason, the NFL decided it would be a good idea to show one of the Patriots' annual annihilations the Bills on a Monday night. Although, it is the first Monday night game in Buffalo in quite a while, and Bills fans are some of the best in the NFL, so they deserve it. And who knows? Maybe they'll surprise us. After all, the Patriots have already lost road games to both the Jaguars and Lions this year.
This Week: 1-0
Last Week: 9-5
Overall: 64-42-2
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