Thanksgiving is the traditional point where we start to see the playoff standings graphic at the end of the game every time a team in the hunt is playing. We're also usually done with byes by this point, which makes figuring out the playoff standings a lot less complicated. I can't even remember the last time a team had a bye this late (it was probably when there were 31 teams in the league and there had to be a bye every week). But the Rams and Chiefs sure need it after that sensational Monday night game.
What's ironic about Kansas City and the Rams being the two teams with the Thanksgiving bye is that they're both the No. 1 seed in their respective conferences right now. The loss really has very little impact on the Chiefs. It doesn't affect their tiebreakers at all, and Pittsburgh's tie means they can't be tied with the Steelers to begin with. For the Rams, though, things are interesting. They're No. 1 right now, but if the Saints win on Thanksgiving night, they drop to No. 2 behind New Orleans.
We've actually got three of the other six first-place teams playing on Thanksgiving, one in each game. And the middle game is a battle for first place in the NFC East. So, yeah, we've got a good Thanksgiving slate this year (even if the AFC is shut out of the holiday again for no good reason).
Bears (7-3) at Lions (4-6): Chicago-Alright, I'll admit it. The Bears are for real. And now they'll have a chance to make it five in a row by beating the Lions for the second time in 11 days. (Talk about quirky scheduling!) Detroit played New England at home this year, which made the Patriots seem like a natural choice for the Lions' Thanksgiving opponent. They end up going against a first-place team anyway.
Redskins (6-4) at Cowboys (5-5): Dallas-Alex Smith's injury couldn't have happened at a worse time for the Redskins. He's a big reason why Washington's in first place. Now they have to try and stay there without him. And they have a short week to get ready for a surging Dallas team that seemed out of it just two weeks ago. But a win, which would be their third straight, incredibly would move the Cowboys into first place.
Falcons (4-6) at Saints (9-1): New Orleans-The NFL sure nailed it with this year's Thanksgiving night game, too. It's a rivalry game, but it also features the team many consider to be the best in the league (I know the Saints beat them, but I still think the Rams are better). What really bothers me about the Saints is how people are going out of their way to say anybody BUT Drew Brees is the MVP. Sorry, it's Brees. And the Saints will breeze to their 10th straight win, as Atlanta's dwindling playoff hopes take another hit.
Jaguars (3-7) at Bills (3-7): Buffalo-Just 10 months ago, this was a playoff game (and that game set the NFL back about 30 years). Which seems hard to believe considering the current state of both teams. One of the most amazing stats to come out of the Monday night game was that the Chiefs and Rams combined for one fewer touchdown in that shootout than the Bills have scored all season in 10 games. I can't really say much about Jacksonville's offense, either. This game will be as awful as the one in January. Except the result will be different.
Browns (3-6-1) at Bengals (5-5): Cleveland-Things haven't been going well for the Bengals over the past month or so. They started 4-1. Now they're 5-5. Yet they were somehow clinging to a playoff spot until their loss in Baltimore last week. Things haven't exactly been great for the Browns, either. Cleveland had a great September (by their standards) before stumbling through a few bad efforts in a row. I think they got it back in their last game against Atlanta, though. Either way, one of them's gotta win.
Patriots (7-3) at Jets (3-7): New England-Oh my God! The Patriots are only in third place in the AFC! The sky must be falling! Once again the overreacting to a New England loss has been excessive. They still have a two-game division lead after that incredibly weird entire-AFC East bye week. And the Jets are the perfect post-bye opponent. You know they'll be ready. And it probably won't be pretty.
Giants (3-7) at Eagles (4-6): Philadelphia-Believe it or not, the defending champs are still in the hunt in the NFC East. This despite having a 4-6 record and being the victims of an absolute beat down in New Orleans. The Giants, meanwhile, are on...wait for it...a winning streak! Alas, the Giants' opponents were the 49ers and the Bucs, and they barely beat both of them. Beating Philadelphia is a much different proposition. As evidence by their Thursday night game at the Meadowlands earlier this season.
49ers (2-8) at Buccaneers (3-7): San Francisco-Remember when Tampa Bay was basically scoring at will early in the season? That's sure changed, huh? Well, let me rephrase. The Bucs can still score. But they have real issues preventing points. San Francisco, meanwhile, can do either. They can lose a shootout or they can lose 14-10. Either way, one of the Giants' last two victims has to win this game. Not that it matters much in the long run.
Seahawks (5-5) at Panthers (6-4): Carolina-With this week's three best NFC games all on Thanksgiving, this one ends up being FOX's marquee game on Sunday. It's an important one for wild card positioning, though. Carolina currently holds the top wild card spot, but a loss here drops them behind Seattle and gives the Seahawks the tiebreaker. We've all been working under the assumption that the NFC South is getting two playoff teams. But that's not necessarily the case if the Panthers lose this one. And they'll already know the Saints' result, too. So if New Orleans wins, they can kiss the division goodbye with a loss (even though they still haven't played the Saints yet).
Raiders (2-8) at Ravens (5-5): Baltimore-There's a five-way tie for the one available wild card spot in the AFC (the loser of the AFC West is getting in). And it's the Ravens currently holding that spot by virtue of their five conference wins. So, yeah, beating the Bengals (giving them the division tiebreaker over Cincinnati) was big. Now they have a chance to make it two in a row against a Raiders team that actually won last week.
Cardinals (2-8) at Chargers (7-3): Chargers-Losing to the Broncos last week ended up having minimal impact on the Chargers since the Chiefs also lost. And they've got a two-game lead on that five-way tie for the other wild card, so their playoff spot still looks pretty secure, even with a tough stretch coming up (Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Kansas City, Seattle). That makes beating a woeful Cardinals team even more important, though. Can't slip up when you know for a fact Kansas City can't win this week. Especially when you're playing a team like Arizona.
Steelers (7-2-1) at Broncos (4-6): Pittsburgh-I'm not sure which was more impressive. The Steelers' systematic destruction of Carolina in Week 10 or last week, when they won a game they had no business winning against a Jaguars team that's been a thorn in their sides? Either way, for all this talk about Saints, Chiefs and Rams, we may need to include Pittsburgh in that discussion. Especially now that the Le'Veon Bell distraction is gone. Look out for the Steelers down the stretch!
Dolphins (5-5) at Colts (5-5): Miami-Two of the five 5-5 AFC teams square off in Indianapolis. And the Colts are one of the hottest teams in the league, too, which is what's gotten them into this discussion. They've won four straight since a loss to the Jets dropped them to 1-5. The Dolphins have been kinda going the other way--just 2-5 since a 3-0 start. All signs point to a Colts win. But, for some reason, I'm taking Miami.
Packers (4-5-1) at Vikings (5-4-1): Green Bay-If they weren't already in crisis mode, the Packers definitely should be after their Thursday night loss in Seattle last week (while I was miserable and stranded during a snowstorm!). And if not for a late rally in their first meeting with Minnesota, they'd be 4-6 instead of 4-5-1. As it turns out, that tie is what has Minnesota in the playoffs right now (they have a half-game lead on Dallas and Seattle). The Vikings go to New England next week, so they can't really afford a loss. But for the Packers, it's an absolute must-win. And we all know how Aaron Rodgers performs in must-win games.
Titans (5-5) at Texans (7-3): Houston-Once upon a time, the Houston Texans were 0-3 and had just lost to the Giants. Since then, they've rattled off seven straight and taken a two-game lead in the AFC South. The Titans, meanwhile, are confusing. They have that great comeback against Dallas and beat New England, then get their butts kicked in Indianapolis. They're still in the wild card hunt, though. And we've seen how they play on Monday nights. Problem is, there's no stopping this Texans train right now. Make it eight straight as they start their three-game homestand with a win.
BONUS PICK -- Grey Cup -- Stampeders vs. RedBlacks: Calgary-And, finally, as per tradition, making a special bonus pick for the Grey Cup. Will the third time be the charm for Calgary, which has lost the Grey Cup in each of the last two years? I'm saying yes. This year's game is in Edmonton, so they'll have the crowd support. And they're the best team in the league. They win their first Grey Cup since 2014.
Last Week: 6-7
Overall: 101-58-2
No comments:
Post a Comment