Okay, so I did not get to finish the movie review on time, and so I will do a brief - very brief, I'm afraid - preview of the week to come in the NFL.
Right now, there are two undefeated teams remaining: the Los Angeles Rams and the Kansas City Chiefs, both of whom are 4-0. There is also only one winless team remaining in the league, the 0-4 Arizona Cardinals, who happen to be in the same NFC West division as the Rams.
There are some teams that have had surprising results thus far. Two teams, the Browns and the Steelers, are in the same division. They have identical records of 1-2-1, and in fact, the results in terms of wins and losses thus far have been identical, with both teams tying their first game, losing their second, winning the third, and then losing the fourth. But for Cleveland, this has been a sign of promise and hope for the future, while for Pittsburgh, this start has been horrific, and derailed hopes for a strong start to a season that had many fans thinking this could be a Super Bowl team. It still could be, but the miserable start thus far - just one win as we enter the first weekend of October - has not been a help to them.
New England seems to be back on track, having looked quite dominant in their last two games. Having won on Thursday, then can sit back and relax and watch other teams battling it out for this weekend.
It is the opposite for Minnesota, Atlanta, and San Francisco, three teams that seemed to have serious chances of making noise and reaching the playoffs, but are in danger of seeing their seasons spiral out of control of things continue to go as they have been going. Each of those teams could put themselves in serious trouble with a loss this weekend.
And who could have foreseen Miami and Cincy at 3-1? Those two teams will meet, with both teams putting first place within their division potentially on the line.
Let's take a closer look at the upcming games for week 5:
Let's take a closer look at the upcming games for week 5:
N.Y. Giants at Carolina - I would love to believe that the G-Men will be up for this test. Indeed, they did look impressive in their win against Houston. But the Panthers are tougher than that, and are coming off a bye, so they should be relatively healthy and well-rested. Not liking the Giants chances in this one. My prediction: Carolina
Denver at N.Y. Jets - This is an interesting game. If it was in Denver, it would be easier to predict the team that likely should win. But since Gang Green has home field advantage, it feels like a toss-up. Still, the Broncos are coming off two disappointing losses in a row, including their near miss last week against the Chiefs. Meanwhile, the Jets have gone nowhere since that head turner in Detroit to open the season. More struggles for the Jets seem most likely in this one, but it should be close. My prediction: Denver
Green Bay at Detroit - It might seem like this one would be an obvious game, with Green Bay favored. However, the Lions are playing better lately, while the Packers are struggling, at least offensively. Plus, this game is in Detroit, and the Lions seem to be gaining confidence and playing better after that opening night disaster against the Jets. They played the 49ers and the Cowboys tough, and surprised the Patriots. So, I do not believe that they should be overlooked and, moreover, my suspicion is that they pull off an upset here in this one. My pick: Detroit
Atlanta at Pittsburgh - Both of these teams desperately need this win. Neither team figured to be in last place by this point, or to have won merely one game. Both of these teams figured to be better - and likely believe that they are better - than their records indicate. Yet, whoever loses this game is in serious jeopardy of falling into irrelevance, or hovering dangerously close. I can personally remember only three teams recovering from 1-4 starts and qualifying for the playoffs - the 1992 San Diego Chargers, the 1993 Houston Oilers, and the 2015 Kansas City Chiefs. I know, I know, only Atlanta could fall to 1-4, because the Steelers tied that one game, and this would only be their third loss. But with both the Bengals and the Ravens getting off to great starts, and the Steelers struggling, another home loss at this point might prove deadly to their playoff chances. Both teams need this, but only one can win. This should be interesting: My pick: Pittsburgh
Miami at Cincinnati - Both teams come in at 3-1, and both teams clearly want to win this one. For the Dolphins, they need to stay ahead of the Patriots, who just handed them their first loss in a blowout win up at New England. And the Bengals need to stay on pace with the Ravens, who are also 3-1. The Bengals have been very impressive, though, and I believe that they have played the tougher teams thus far. That, and home field advantage, should be enough to push them through in this one. My pick: Cincinnati
Tennessee at Buffalo - The Titans lost their first game, and have not lost since. The Bills have lost all but that one shocker that they pulled off in Minnesota. But they followed that up with a shutout loss to the Packers last week, and still are one of the weakest teams in the league. Home field advantage most likely will not help them enough, as the Titans should be able to pull off a fourth straight win to stay ahead in the AFC South. My pick: Tennessee
Baltimore at Cleveland - The Browns are significantly tougher this season than they have been in a long while. But they keep just barely failing to win tough games. Baltimore, meanwhile, is a team with significant experience, and they are desperately trying to keep up with the red hot Cincinnati Bengals, who already beat them in the first meeting. My suspicion is that the Ravens do just enough to pull off the victory. My prediction: Baltimore
Jacksonville at Kansas City - This could be a potential playoff preview, perhaps even an AFC Championship Game preview, if the Patriots fail to make it. The Jaguars started off 2-0, ad had everybody noticing when they knocked off the Pats. But they lost that one game to the Titans at home, and would now need to win to keep pace with Tennessee, who will likely win up at Buffalo. But beating the Chiefs is a tall order this season, and that is especially tough to do up at Arrowhead. After all, the Chiefs are undefeated for a reason. With KC still looking damn explosive, I suspect that this will be a little too tall of an order for the Jaguars, who will likely fall to second in their division. My pick: Kansas City
L.A. Rams at Seattle - The second unbeaten team to put their perfect record on the line this weekend. The Rams have been incredible thus far, and look like the second coming of the "Greatest Show on Turf." But the Seahawks have slowly risen back into relevance in the NFC West, although a Rams win here, in this road game, might prove to be the death knell for all the rest of the division if things keep going the way that they are going. And you know what? I suspect that Los Angeles does indeed win this one on the road against a severely diminished Seahawks team. My pick: L.A. Rams
Arizona at San Francisco - The 'Niners are really struggling, having lost their starting quarterback, and fallen to 1-3. They went from seemingly being on course towards a playoff season, to the possibility of being down and likely out with a loss this week, and would be tied with the Cardinals for last place in the division. But, the Cardinals clearly have problems of their own, as the sole team remaining without a win on the year. Still, Arizona is playing better these past few weeks, and they are bound to win at some point, right? With the 49ers showing vulnerabilities, and the Cardinals looking like they have a little more life to them of late, I suspect that Arizona pulls off the upset. My pick" Arizona
Minnesota at Philadelphia - A rematch of last season's NFC Championship Game. The Eagles are coming off a loss last week at Tennessee, and are hungry to get back to their normally winning ways. Meanwhile, the Vikings are also struggling big time, and a loss here might launch them into crisis mode. This Minnesota squad was picked by some to reach the Super Bowl, but there is a very real chance of them dropping their third straight game this weekend. That silly loss to Buffalo is looking like it might cost them dearly, as it seemed to knock them off the perch of the elite teams. A loss here at Philly might start to make them resemble one of the worst teams in the conference, and would likely place them in last place in the NFC North. Frankly, I see Minnesota losing again. No miracles are likely here. My pick: Philadelphia
Oakland at L.A. Chargers - These two teams are both a little difficult to figure. The Raiders played the Rams tough, only to lose control of the game in the end. They have lost three of their four games, but have barely lost each game, and probably should have won at Denver. The Chargers are also very tough team to understand. They beat the Bills and 49ers, but lost to the only two undefeated teams in the league. So, it is difficult to determine how good either team really is, although this game should provide a better gauge. In the end, I believe that the Chargers are better, and should be able to win this contest. My pick: L.A. Chargers
Sunday Night Football
Dallas at Houston - The Cowboys just eked out a win last weekend against Detroit. But despite staying in Texas, they are on the road. Yes, they travel to Houston to take on the Texans, who have to feel good about earning their first win last weekend. But the Texans beat the Colts, who are not exactly an elite team this season. And the Cowboys, despite some struggles, still have hopes of being a serious contender, and have a chance to grab a share of the lead, and perhaps even to take sole possession of first place in the NFC East, should Washington and Philadelphia both lose. I figure that the 'Boys will win this one. My pick: Dallas
Monday Night Football
Washington at New Orleans - The Saints struggled a bit earlier in the season, but they are starting to look pretty damn impressive once again. Washington is also tough, and they should be well-rested following a bye last week. But beating the Saints in New Orleans might be a very tall order, and might prove to be a task that Washington is not quite up to. The only loss the Saints suffered was that surprise against Tamp in the first week. They are on a roll, and should be able to take this game, too, to stay atop the NFC South. My pick: New Orleans
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