Can someone explain to me why Cincinnati's uniforms were all white instead of all black (or all orange for that matter) on Thursday night? Or why the Dolphins wore all creamsicle orange instead of all aqua? Not that it matters, seeing as the "color rush" is extremely stupid and an obvious ploy to sell more jerseys. It's just something I noticed.
Likewise, why are there only two teams that have byes this week? There are 32 teams divided into eight divisions of four. So how come they just don't have four teams with a bye for eight weeks? Maybe that just makes too much sense. This is the NFL we're talking about. On that same note, why isn't the Colts' bye next week? Since when do the teams returning from London have to play again the following week? That's a bad precedent to set.
Colts (1-2) vs. Jaguars (0-3): Indianapolis-In the first of three London games this year, we subject the good people of England to the Jaguars once again. Although, Jacksonville's annual visits across the pond have apparently done nothing to turn the British fans away, since this game is once again a sellout. That same article said that the coach of the losing team in the Week 4 London game has been fired during the bye week in each of the last two seasons. So, does that mean this is Gus Bradley's last game with the Jaguars?
Panthers (1-2) at Falcons (2-1): Atlanta-Last season, the Panthers went 15-1, with their lone regular season loss coming in Week 16 in Atlanta. This season has gone somewhat differently for Carolina. After that Super Bowl rematch they should've won, they dismantled the 49ers before taking another step back last week against Minnesota. The Falcons, meanwhile, are in sole possession of first place after their impressive Monday night win in New Orleans. Don't be surprised if they beat the Panthers at home again.
Lions (1-2) at Bears (0-3): Chicago-Are Jim Caldwell and John Fox coaching for their jobs? Neither Detroit nor Chicago can be happy about the way their season has started. Especially the Bears. They've been on national TV in each of the last two weeks and got romped each time. Now they at least move back to Sunday afternoon. We'll see how they do without Jay Cutler, but I think they get it done at home.
Bills (1-2) at Patriots (3-0): New England-We don't know who's playing quarterback for New England. We've also established that it doesn't matter. I could play quarterback for the Patriots and it wouldn't make a difference. This is their last game before they get Tom Brady back. Most people thought they'd be lucky to be 2-2 after Week 4. Well, they're most likely going to be 4-0 after taking care of Rex and Rob.
Seahawks (2-1) at Jets (1-2): Seattle-The last time the Seahawks set foot in Met Life Stadium, they were busy dismantling Denver in the Super Bowl. They also had a 23-0 victory over the Giants earlier in the 2013 season, meaning their last two games at Met Life Stadium they've won by a combined score of 66-8. Yes, that was three years ago. But you think they don't remember it? Seattle's the third playoff team the Jets have played in their first four games. They lost the previous two. Will they make it 3-for-3?
Browns (0-3) at Redskins (1-2): Washington-Robert Griffin III's return to the nation's capital will have to wait. That would've been THE story heading into this game, especially if both teams were 0-3. But last week against the Giants the Redskins got into the win column. That should calm their fans down for a little while. Especially since a home game against the Browns should even their record at the quarter pole.
Raiders (2-1) at Ravens (3-0): Baltimore-Is there a more surprising 3-0 team than Baltimore? (OK, maybe Minnesota.) Everything has gone the Ravens' way thus far, but this week they face a tough test from the Raiders. Interestingly, this is Oakland's third 1:00 game of the season. They won the first two, but lost their only home game, which was the only game that didn't take place at 10 a.m. Pacific. A strange little tidbit that I'm sure will even out as the season progresses. It'll probably end this week in fact.
Titans (1-2) at Texans (2-1): Houston-For the Texans, life without J.J. Watt begins at home against the Titans. I'm curious to see how much of an impact the best defensive player in football's absence will have as the season progresses. It's probably a good thing that their first game without him is a division matchup. They should have enough left in the tank to get by the Titans, then will have another week to figure things out on defense.
Broncos (3-0) at Buccaneers (1-2): Denver-Denver has found its quarterback. Trevor Siemian is the real deal. Yes, the Broncos played their first two games at home. But last week, in their first road contest, they went into Cincinnati and had a strong performance against the Bengals. And remember, Siemian only has to be good enough with that Von Miller-led defense. Against Tampa Bay, expect that defense to keep doing its thing and the Broncos to improve to 4-0.
Rams (2-1) at Cardinals (1-2): Arizona-Arizona is a hard team to figure out. The Cardinals crushed Tampa Bay, then hit the road for the first time and got blown out in Buffalo. LA, meanwhile, has moved into first place after losing their opener in San Francisco. They've already beaten Seattle, so a Rams win would put them in great position in the division after just four weeks. If the real Carson Palmer shows up, I like Arizona. If not, the Rams look good in this one.
Saints (0-3) at Chargers (1-2): San Diego-Of the four winless teams, none has had worse luck than New Orleans. Those two losses by a combined four points before that Monday night home loss to the Falcons last week. Now they have to fly cross country on a short week to take on an equally desperate San Diego team. The Chargers have their stadium vote coming up, but they can't think about that right now. They have to worry about making sure they take care of business against a down Saints team.
Cowboys (2-1) at 49ers (1-2): Dallas-What's Dallas going to do when Tony Romo comes back? Who ever thought we'd be asking that question without it meaning they need him to return in order to save their season? Dak Prescott is playing so well that Romo might not even have a job to come back to. Dallas could, and some might even say should, be 3-0 right now. They play the 49ers this week, so another win seems likely.
Chiefs (2-1) at Steelers (2-1): Kansas City-I think the Chiefs just intercepted Ryan Fitzpatrick again. That was seriously ridiculous last week. So was the Pittsburgh game. I thought Steelers-Eagles would be a good game. Instead it was a Philly blowout. Based on those two performances, I'm taking the Chiefs on the road in a great Sunday night matchup that could have major playoff implications.
Giants (2-1) at Vikings (3-0): Minnesota-Something tells me that the Giants are going to regret blowing that game against the Redskins last week. This is the first of back-to-back primetime road games against the two NFC North heavyweights, then they play Baltimore before heading to London to take on the Rams. Not an easy stretch. And they'll likely have to win at least two of them to be in wild card contention (yes, sometimes you have to think about it this early). Minnesota, meanwhile, has showed us that they're able to win without Adrian Peterson. Maybe all Sam Bradford needed was a chance to show what he can do. Their first home game was a Sunday night win over the Packers. Their second is a Monday nighter against the Giants. Did they file a formal request with the NFL that all of their home games are at night?
This Week: 1-0
Last Week: 9-7
Season: 31-18
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