Good news Dolphins fans: your team won't lose this week! This is probably the only time this season you can say that with confidence! With October comes byes (although there were two extremely early byes last week), and the Lions will be joining Miami on the sidelines. The Lions, who beat the Chargers and Eagles, then put a scare into Kansas City. I know it's early, but Detroit might just be for real.
Thursday Night: Rams (Loss)
Cardinals (0-3-1) at Bengals (0-4): Cincinnati-One of these teams will finally get a win! (Although, I guess theoretically they could tie.) Anyway, Cincinnati did nothing to inspire confidence on Monday night. But, outside of that game-tying drive in the opener, Arizona hasn't really done much to inspire any confidence either. This is your classic No. 5 regional game that's only seen by fans in the two cities. Since the game is in Cincinnati, I'll go with the Bengals.
Bills (3-1) at Titans (2-2): Buffalo-I finally figured out that those classic games NFL Network is showing on Saturday nights aren't random. It's a classic matchup between teams that are meeting that week. Yesterday, it was the "Music City Miracle"...because the Bills are visiting the Titans this week. So, now that I know that, that's a fun little thing to look forward to. As for the game, Tennessee got a big win last week in Atlanta and is now 2-2 with seemingly everybody else in the AFC. Except the Bills. They're 3-1 and actually played the Patriots tough last week. I think that carries over and Buffalo moves to 4-1.
Bears (3-1) vs Raiders (2-2): Chicago-This was a very odd selection for the Raiders' designated London home game. Really, it was more a wasted opportunity. The Raiders only host the Bears every eight years. Which means (assuming he stays in Chicago) this is the only time Khalil Mack will face them as a visiting player. And, with them moving to Las Vegas next year, it was really his only chance to return to Oakland as a visitor. Instead, the game is in London. At least the British fans will be treated to a good one. The Bears showed last week that they're fine without Mitchell Trubisky and I expect that will continue to be the case against a Raiders team they're better than.
Buccaneers (2-2) at Saints (3-1): New Orleans-The Bucs lose at home to the Giants, then go cross country and drop 55 to upset the Rams? I don't get it! But, then again, they did score 48 and beat the Saints in the season opener last year. Speaking of the Saints, it must feel like they're finally catching a bit of a break after a brutal September (Houston, at Rams, at Seattle, Dallas). They obviously can't sleep on Tampa Bay though, especially since they only have a one-game lead in the division. It wouldn't hurt their offense to have a good game, either, after somehow managing a win without a touchdown last week.
Vikings (2-2) at Giants (2-2): Giants-As they pointed out during the Yankees-Twins game last night, this is a fun little weekend for Minnesota fans. Take a trip to New York, see the Twins twice, finish it off by seeing the Vikings play the Giants, then swing by Newark Airport and be home by Sunday night. Of course, the baseball games didn't go very well for them, and I'm not sure the football game will go much better. Because the Giants are a different team with Daniel Jones at quarterback. They're better. Sure, they've beaten Tampa Bay and Washington, but they have confidence right now. We'll see how they perform against a legitimately good opponent as they get ready for New England on a short week.
Jets (0-3) at Eagles (2-2): Philadelphia-Ah yes! The simultaneous Jets and Giants games! Don't you love it when the NFL does that!? Anyway, the Jets make the short trip down I-95 still without Sam Darnold. They hoped the bye week would give him a chance to recover without missing another game, but that turned out not to be the case. Even with Darnold, it would've been tough against an Eagles team that's somewhat frustrating to say the least. Back-to-back losses to Atlanta and Detroit, then they go into Lambeau on a short week and beat the Packers? Which Eagles team will show up?
Ravens (2-2) at Steelers (1-3): Pittsburgh-That sound you heard was Steelers fans letting out a huge sigh of relief. They dominated the Bengals to finally get into the win column, and with how crazy the division has been, they're still very much in the AFC North race. A victory over the rival Ravens will further help their cause. I think some of that early enthusiasm for Baltimore has definitely waned after back-to-back losses. Make it three straight. I've got a feeling Pittsburgh picks up its second division win in as many weeks.
Patriots (4-0) at Redskins (0-4): New England-New England is a good football team. Washington is not. We saw what can happen when the Patriots play an XFL opponent three weeks ago when they went to Miami. It wasn't pretty. While the Redskins are slightly better than the Dolphins, this one won't be much prettier. The real showdown will be next week, when the Redskins go to Miami. They should flex that one to Sunday night!
Jaguars (2-2) at Panthers (2-2): Carolina-Gardner Minshew Mania has officially taken over Jacksonville, as he's led the Jaguars to consecutive wins that have evened their record at 2-2. Their 1995 expansion brethren have also won two straight after starting 0-2 to get right back into their division race. So something's gotta give in Charlotte. With Panthers playing at home, I'll give them the slight edge. They head across the pond for their London tilt with Tampa Bay at 3-2.
Falcons (1-3) at Texans (2-2): Houston-Has there been any team in the league that's underachieved more than Atlanta? The Falcons only have one win and weren't competitive in two of the three losses. I don't quite understand it. Because they should be better than this. They're also 0-2 against the AFC South, and face a third straight AFC South opponent this week in the Texans. Houston has been a bit of a mystery, too, but I'll take 2-2 and in a four-way tie for first place. I would like to see their offense show up at some point, though.
Broncos (0-4) at Chargers (2-2): Chargers-There's 0-4, and then there's Denver. Yes, on paper, the Broncos have the same record as the Dolphins and are one of six winless teams. But two of those losses came on last-second field goals that turned a one-point victory into a two-point defeat. Both of those games were at home, though. On the road, they haven't been as strong. Which is why 0-5 seems to be on the horizon for Vic Fangio's crew.
Packers (3-1) at Cowboys (3-1): Dallas-A matchup so good they didn't even bother scheduling another late game on FOX! The only game going opposite these two NFC powerhouses is Broncos-Chargers, so it truly is America's Game of the Week. And it could be an important one because of how it might impact the playoff standings. Yes, I'm getting a little ahead of myself. But that does stress how these heavyweight games really matter regardless of when in the season they occur. Green Bay has had a long week to think about that loss to the Eagles, while Dallas is on a semi-short week after that Sunday night loss in New Orleans. I think they simply forgot to bring their offensive players to the Big Easy. Back in Jerry's World, it'll be a different story. The Cowboys get the win and clinch the tiebreaker.
Colts (2-2) at Chiefs (4-0): Kansas City-When the schedule came out in April, they probably looked at this one, saw the Luck vs. Mahomes QB matchup and considered it a no-brainer for Sunday night. Well, even though Andrew Luck ruined that narrative, it's still a fun rematch of last year's playoff game (as well as that crazy 45-44 playoff game they played a few years ago). Kansas City plays four of its next five at home, so this is a chance for the Chiefs to really start creating some separation in the AFC West. The Colts will play them tough, but Kansas City stays undefeated.
Browns (2-2) at 49ers (3-0): San Francisco-In the NFL's 100th season, the two teams that started in the AAFC duke it out in San Francisco. The 49ers had an especially enjoyable bye week. When they last played on Sept. 22, they were one of five unbeaten teams in the NFC. Now they're the only one, and the Rams have lost twice since then. So, this is a huge chance for San Francisco. It's also a huge chance for America's darlings, the Browns, who are in the prime time spotlight for the third time already this season. The trip to the West Coast might be a little too much, though. It'll be a close one, but the 49ers will take it and move to 4-0 heading into their showdown with the Rams at the Coliseum next week.
This Week: 0-1
Last Week: 7-8
Overall: 37-26-1
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