It's Week 10. Which means we're on the back end of the NFL schedule. And games are going to start to take on extra importance as playoff contenders meet or those on the outside looking in try to make their push. Then there are games like Giants-49ers. But, the bad teams all have to play somebody, too, so it might as well be each other. But even that one has some appeal for the Mike Mayocks and Mel Kiper, Jr.'s of the world. They're playing for the better draft pick! Woo hoo!
Packers (4-4) at Bears (3-5): Chicago-We've had a couple glances at the Brett Hundley-led Packers. And those glances haven't been impressive. I think this will end up being a lost season in Green Bay. I'm not even sure they can beat the Bears in their current state. Especially since Chicago notched a pair of impressive wins over Baltimore and Carolina to their bye.
Browns (0-8) at Lions (4-4): Detroit-Detroit's in a tenuous position. The Lions probably aren't going to make the playoffs. But they're going to hang around until the very end. And they're going to be a team no one wants to play down the stretch. Cleveland, meanwhile, is still trying to figure out when and where that first win will come. Don't forget whose record their challenging. Question: when the Browns finally do win, will the 2008 Lions celebrate the same way the '72 Dolphins do every year?
Bengals (3-5) at Titans (5-3): Tennessee-Either Tennessee or Jacksonville is going to win the AFC South (they play each other in Week 17, so watch that be the Sunday night game). The Titans have been on the verge for the past couple years, and this might be their opportunity to shine. Before their bye, they won back-to-back games against not good teams in very different ways. They won a shootout against Indy, then needed overtime in a 12-9 barn burner in Cleveland. Good teams find different ways to win. Even if they don't have a good day against a bad team. And that's exactly what the Titans have done this season.
Steelers (6-2) at Colts (3-6): Pittsburgh-Andrew Luck's season is over, and he's headed to Europe to get a second opinion about his shoulder. Although, just as I was moving the Colts into Browns-49ers territory, they went and got a road win in Houston last week, so maybe they aren't complete pushovers after all. Which means the Steelers better be careful. Pittsburgh's coming off its bye, though. Which means a rested Steelers offense ready to put up some points.
Jets (4-5) at Buccaneers (2-6): Jets-Remember that bold prediction I made at the beginning of the season that Tampa Bay would be a playoff team? Yeah, I was wrong. They haven't won since Week 4, when they needed a last-second field goal against New York's other "football" team. Do I think this one is winnable for the Bucs? Yes. Do I think they will win? No.
Vikings (6-2) at Redskins (4-4): Minnesota-Interesting move by the Vikings to activate Teddy Bridgewater. It made sense to put Bradford on IR, but I didn't think they would activate Bridgwater if they didn't intend for him to play, and making a quarterback change right now would be plain stupid. The Vikings have a two-game lead in their division and can realistically think about a first-round bye. They shouldn't mess with what's been working. Especially against a Washington team that has all kinds of confidence after winning in Seattle last week.
Chargers (3-5) at Jaguars (5-3): Jacksonville-Jacksonville is in the very unfamiliar position of actually having meaningful games to play in November and December. And the Jaguars have a chance to beef up their record over the next two weeks, as they take on the Chargers and Browns. The Chargers are actually a lot better than their record indicates. But I think they'll probably end up in the same situation as usual. Competitive game, comes down to the last few minutes, the other team finds a way to beat them.
Texans (3-5) at Rams (6-2): Rams-Seattle was still considered the favorites in the NFC West until everything that happened on Thursday night. As it is, the first-place Rams have a chance to maintain that division lead in a matchup that would've been much cooler if it took place on the Sunday of the World Series. But we'll just have to settle for getting it now. Which is fine. Because we'll still get a chance to watch Jared Goff and that Rams offense have all sorts of fun, just like they did last week at the Meadowlands. (Finally what we're talking about with this team is the product on the field instead of all the people not in the stands to witness it.)
Cowboys (5-3) at Falcons (4-4): Dallas-After weeks of will he or won't he, it looks like we finally have a resolution on the Ezekiel Elliott suspension. Sure, the timing of it is bad, especially since the Cowboys are on a roll, but it's better to have it happen now than run into the playoffs. Which are a real possibility for Dallas again. The Cowboys have won three straight and are right back in the thick of things. The Falcons, meanwhile, look to have that Super Bowl hangover we all predicted.
Giants (1-7) at 49ers (0-9): Giants-When was the last time a Giants-49ers game meant absolutely nothing? In the 80s and 90s, this once-marquee matchup was always reserved for Monday night. Now it's the No. 5 regional game on FOX that no one will actually be able to watch (except us lucky ones in New York!) because it's on the same network as the national game at the same time. This might be San Francisco's best chance to actually get a win. If they do, Eli Manning deserves to get benched.
Patriots (6-2) at Broncos (3-5): New England-For all their success in the Bradicheck Era, Sports Authority Field has been a house of horrors for the Patriots. The Broncos simply seem to have their number, especially in Denver. We all remember that Sunday night game two years ago when Brock Osweiler beat them in the snow. The Patriots remember it, too. And we all know what happens when New England is out to prove something.
Dolphins (4-4) at Panthers (6-3): Carolina-Apparently the NFL thinks America really wants to watch the Dolphins. Miami gets to play in prime time for the third straight week, this time with a Monday night trip to Charlotte. The first two didn't go that well. Although, they were at least competitive against the Raiders, so I'll give them that. Can they make it 0-for-3 against the Panthers? Probably. Carolina's been playing some good football and should go into its bye at 7-3. They'll also know whether or not the Saints lost. And if first place is on the line, you know they'll really come to play. Either way, it's bad news for the Dolphins.
Thursday Night: Seattle (Win)
This Week: 1-0
Last Week: 7-6
Season: 80-53
No comments:
Post a Comment