We've made it halfway! Somehow, by the end of this week, the NFL will have managed to play more than half of its 256 scheduled regular-season games during this pandemic-affected season. Not that it's been easy! But the fact that the league is still on-schedule despite all the challenges they've had to overcome this season truly is remarkable.
Although, this is the first time since Week 3 that there haven't been any games postponed or rescheduled because of COVID. (And we won't have another one until Week 12.) There was some concern about Packers-49ers on Thursday night, but they were able to play as scheduled. While it's not good that those players tested positive, that's a far better situation than what happened with the Titans and Patriots earlier this year (which is what threw the schedule out of whack to begin with). Hopefully if there are any more cases this season, it'll be a similar situation and games can still go on.
Speaking of the games going on, we're in the middle of a great stretch right now. There have been a bunch of statement games with good teams playing each other in recent weeks, and that's the case again. We've got a battle for first in the NFC South, two first-place squads squaring off in Buffalo, surprise contenders meeting in Arizona, and an AFC matchup between current playoff teams that could have a huge bearing on the wild card standings.
Thursday Night: Green Bay (Win)
Broncos (3-4) at Falcons (2-6): Denver-Denver's comeback last week against the Chargers was impressive to say the least. And Atlanta has actually played much better since the coaching change, winning two of three, with the only loss coming by one point. So it's possible that this game might actually be watchable. Even more incredibly, the Broncos can get to .500 with a win.
Seahawks (6-1) at Bills (6-2): Buffalo-The Patriots have been a thorn in the Bills' side for more than a decade, and it looked like they'd do it to them again last week. But Buffalo got the big defensive stop at the end and held on for the 24-21 win that reaffirmed their spot as the AFC East's new top dogs. (BTW, I find it very cruel to all my Bills-fan friends that they might finally get a home playoff again this season...only to have fans not allowed to attend!) This week they get another test against a Seahawks team that is one of the best in the NFL. After finally getting that New England-sized monkey off their backs, the Bills will either play great this week or have a huge letdown like they did against the Titans. I predict the former.
Bears (5-3) at Titans (5-2): Tennessee-After that 5-0 start, it's been back-to-back losses for the Titans, who were (surprisingly) badly outplayed last week in Cincinnati. They try to right the ship against the Bears, who have also dropped two in a row. I must say, though, Chicago was actually competitive last week against New Orleans after they were anything but against the Rams. This week, they might prove if they actually are a contender, or if they're the pretender so many people think they are.
Ravens (5-2) at Colts (5-2): Baltimore-Last week's loss put the Ravens two games behind the first-place Steelers, so they can't really afford anymore. Especially when a loss to Indy would also give the Colts the tiebreaker for any wild card situation. Which means this one is more important for Baltimore than it is for Indianapolis. Even though the Colts are tied for first, a loss doesn't really hurt them too much. They'll still have a pretty clear playoff path in a weak division. The Ravens are also a better team, so there's that, too.
Panthers (3-5) at Chiefs (7-1): Kansas City-That loss to the Raiders really may come back to bite Kansas City. The Chiefs are still doing their thing and they're still one of the two or three best teams in football, but will they end up losing out on the only AFC bye? Fortunately, their run of home games against bad teams continues. They'll go to 8-1, then have a chance to avenge their loss to Las Vegas after the bye.
Lions (3-4) at Vikings (2-5): Detroit-Minnesota beating the Packers at Lambeau? Where did that come from?! Meanwhile, I thought the Lions had a chance of knocking off Indianapolis, and they get blown out! So which version of these two teams will show up this week? Will it be the Vikings who went into Green Bay and won or the Vikings who played the other six games? I have the same questions about the Lions, except with them I'm expecting the team that won in Arizona to show up.
Giants (1-7) at Washington (2-5): Giants-Something's gotta give in this one. The Giants' only win this season came against the Football Team Formerly Known as the Redskins, while Washington's only wins have been in home division games. Although, I must say, Washington's win over Dallas wasn't all that impressive when you consider what a mess the Cowboys have become. The Giants, meanwhile, have actually played some pretty good football over the past month. They just don't have the results to show for it. They get the result this time and finish off the season sweep of their division rival.
Texans (1-6) at Jaguars (1-6): Houston-Jacksonville being 1-6 isn't that big of a surprise. The fact that the Texans also are certainly is though. I could argue that it's been bad luck or playing a very tough early-season schedule or a combination of the two, but the bottom line is the Texans have been a disappointment. Even still, they should be able to beat the Jaguars. Right?
Raiders (4-3) at Chargers (2-5): Chargers-There are eight 1:00 games and this is the only 4:05 kickoff, so this is technically when the second half of the NFL season starts. And, for some reason, a Raiders-Chargers game is on FOX (they've been doing it for like five years and I still don't completely understand cross-flexing and why they pick certain games). Not that it makes much of a difference since it's a regional game that will only be available in Southern California and Nevada. But I digress. The Raiders got a big win last week to improve their playoff standing, but I'm expecting a big game from Justin Herbert. I just have a feeling the Chargers, after losing so many close games, finally win one.
Steelers (7-0) at Cowboys (2-6): Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh is the only remaining unbeaten team in the NFL. Dallas is a mess. The Cowboys move on to quarterback No. 4 after scoring just 22 points combined in their last three losses, including two humbling division defeats. Don't expect things to change much, though. Not against a Steelers team that's firing on all cylinders as it begins a soft portion of the schedule (Dallas, Cincinnati, Jacksonville next three weeks).
Dolphins (4-3) at Cardinals (5-2): Arizona-Who would've figured that a Miami-Arizona game would be relevant in Week 9? Yet here we are. They actually both sit in second place, and the Cardinals are just a game behind Seattle. And the they trail are also playing each other this week, so one of them will get a chance to pull closer (or, in Arizona's case, even). So, yeah, it's not just relevant, it's important! Since the Cardinals are the home team, I'll give them the nod.
Saints (5-2) at Buccaneers (6-2): New Orleans-When they met in the season opener, Troy Aikman proclaimed that he could see them meeting again in the NFC Championship Game. Nothing that has happened in the eight weeks since has done anything to make you question that prediction. The Bucs have the half-game lead, and they frankly need to win this game more than the Saints do since a New Orleans victory would give them the season sweep and clinch the tiebreaker. I have no idea how this game will go, but I do expect it to be entertaining. Whoever has the ball last probably wins, as Brady and Brees will trade passing records back-and-forth during the game.
Patriots (2-5) at Jets (0-8): New England-If there was ever a team that needed to play the Jets, this year's Patriots are it. Year 1 post-Brady is not going well. New England is a shell of what it once was (not that too many people are complaining). I'm not sure what's more shocking, either. The 2-5 record or the four-game losing streak. But, like I said, sometimes you just need to play the Jets. It won't make them forget about their very real problems, but it will at least get the Patriots somewhat back on track.
This Week: 1-0
Last Week: 8-6
Overall: 79-40-1
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