We are approaching the midway point of the season, and some trends are definitely evidence to this point. The Rams are undefeated, and red hot, looking clearly like many people's favorites to go far once the playoffs roll around. Ditto with the Chiefs. New England is starting to look more like how they usually are.
On the flip side, you have some teams that, while not officially eliminated yet, are all but out of the playoff picture before even Halloween. The Cardinals would definitely be in that category, as would the Bills, the Giants, the 49ers, and to a lesser extent, the Colts. I hold off a bit with Indy, because as poor as their record looks right now, they are actually not that far down in the standings for a weak looking AFC South, and could conceivably come back with a few straight wins, like the Houston Texans managed to do.
So, the stakes are growing more serious now, and there are some intriguing match-ups coming up this weekend. Let's take a closer look:
Tennessee at L.A. Chargers - The Chargers are looking like one of the hottest teams in the league, while the Titans have slowed down dramatically following a hot start. Tennessee suddenly cannot seem to score any points, and the Chargers, meanwhile, are finding their rhythm on both offense and defense. This game is at London's Wembley Stadium, so obviously, both teams are traveling quite some distance to get here. But I like the Chargers, as they seem the obvious choice to go with for this particular contest. My pick: L.A. Chargers
Minnesota at N.Y. Jets - I would love to honestly be able to pick the Jets to win in this one. However, Gang Green has not shown the kind of consistency needed to beat some of the better teams in the league. And while the Vikings themselves have been a bit inconsistent themselves, there is little doubt that Minnesota has the better football team right now, and they are playing well. It is not completely out of the question that the Jets could pull off a Sunday, because anything can happen on any given Sunday, as well all know. However, knowing what we know about these two teams, my pick would have to be for the Vikings to take this one. My pick: Minnesota
New England at Chicago - What a game this one should be! Fresh off three straight wins at home, the Patriots try and win their first road game of the year. And while the Bears have not been too great in recent years, they sure look a whole lot better this season. So, it is a good, solid contest, where either team could conceivably win. That said, the Bears loss to Miami last week sure must have been demoralizing. So, that could either inspire them to a brilliant game this weekend, or have an adverse impact that proves costly. With the Pats in town and looking tight once again, my guess is that New England does just enough to win in a tight contest here, possibly with a few surprises added to the mix. My pick: New England
Detroit at Miami - Most people might think that this is a foregone conclusion, but I think that Detroit has a real chance here. They are better than most people think, although a road game at Miami is admittedly not the easiest way to come off a bye. The Lions started off truly miserably, with that humiliating blowout loss at home to the Jets before a nationally televised audience. They have also lost a couple of heartbreakers, but have been playing much better since. Detroit should be well rested, although they are playing a Miami team that just pulled off a timely upset at home against the Bears, so they are pumped. It could go either way, but my pick is with the home team. My pick: Miami
Buffalo at Indianapolis - Two bad teams do battle this week. The Bills already have surprised people with how well they have played thus far, earning two surprise wins. But the Colts are better than their 1-5 record indicates, and they absolutely need to win this one. Buffalo does not have a very good offense, and although their defense is decent, they will have their hands full against Luck and the Indy offense. Whether or not the wins reflect their offensive potency or not, this is a dangerous Colts team, especially at home. And Indy really should have more than enough offense to get past the Bills on this day. My pick: Indianapolis
Carolina at Philadelphia - Carolina started the season off right, and looked like serious contenders to take the division. But I really did not like that loss at Washington last week, in a game that the Panthers surely could have, and probably should have, won. That made the team look a bit suspect to me, and it sure will not get any easier going on the road to visit the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles. The weather should not be a factor, but Philly's defense will surely be. The Eagles have not been very consistent yet this season, either. But they have been in every game, and they should be able to notch a win in this one. My pick: Philadelphia
Cleveland at Tampa Bay - Neither of these teams has looked great, but there is an energy with the Browns that seems to make them look forward to every game with fresh enthusiasm and confidence. The Buccaneers, meanwhile, looked incredible to start the season, appearing like they had an offensive juggernaut on their hands. But they have slowed down dramatically since, and their offense no longer seems unstoppable. This will probably be a close game, but in the end, I think the team that has improved by leaps and bounds thus far this season will find a way to prevail, albeit barely. My pick: Cleveland
Houston at Jacksonville - Just a few weeks ago, it was Jax that looked like the hot team in this division. Houston, meanwhile, looked like they were sinking to yet another highly forgettable season. Now, the script has been switched. The Jaguars have looked surprisingly inept and lifeless in their last couple of games, while the Texans have come storming back, rebounding from a bad 0-3 start to win three in a row and get right back into the division race. They are not blowing people away, nor are they scoring a lot of points. But they are doing what matters the most in this league: winning. And despite being on the road, I suspect that they are hot enough to hold back the Jaguars, who have managed to score only 30 points total in three of their last four combined games, and who were on the receiving end of two straight blowout losses, first in Kansas City, and then in Dallas. In a game where momentum means a lot, the Texan's momentum should carry them through. My pick: Houston
Dallas at Washington - Remember when this was one of the most heated division rivalries in the NFL? Back in the 1980's and into the early 1990's (as well as the 1970's, which is a time period I was not around for), these two teams kept clashing in big games, with huge, and sometimes surprising, results. Washington beat Dallas in the NFC Championship Game following the 1982 season. A Washington team of mostly scabs stunned the Cowboys in Dallas after most of the Cowboys had crossed the picket line in the final week of scab games in 1987 - a sure sign that a long decline for Big D was at hand. The Cowboys earned their one and only win at Washington in 1989. They also handed Washington their only really meaningful loss in an otherwise historically dominant 1991 season, although the 'Boys. Dallas was humbled by Washington in a 1992 meeting, as well as in the season opener in 1993, when the 'Boys were the defending champions and the team that everyone was looking at to dominate the decade. Yes, those were some really big clashes, although the rivalry kind of went away as Dallas pulled away in the NFC East, and Washington seriously declined. That win against Dallas to open the 1993 season was one of the very few wins that Washington would get that season, and they have never been all that good since. However, they are in first place, while the 'Boys are right behind them, tied with the Eagles for second, and only half a game behind Washington. That makes this meeting a pretty big one, and it is actually rather tough to make a pick here. Both teams have looked good at times, and not so good at others. But home field advantage might just be the deciding factor, and while the 'Boys look good in Dallas, they often have not looked to good outside of Big D. So, my pick is with the home team. My pick: Washington
New Orleans at Baltimore - The well-rested Saints visit Baltimore, to take on the Ravens, who are coming off a huge, convincing shutout win at Tennessee. But the Ravens still need to win every game, having to contend against both the Steelers and the Bengals within their own division. This is a very intriguing match-up, featuring two division leaders. The Saints have one of the most explosive offenses in the league, featuring one of the best quarterbacks in league history, who just set a record for most yards passed for in his last game. But they will be playing the best defense in the league, a team that has allowed easily the fewest points of any team in the league. New Orleans has won four in a row, but the Ravens played so well last week under pressure, and they also have home field advantage. Just a tough, tough game to make a prediction on. But if I have to go with one team, I will predict that the Saints get through this one - just barely. My prediction: New Orleans
L.A. Rams at San Francisco - The undefeated Rams visit the Bay Area to go up against their division rivals, the 49ers. San Fran might not be as bad as their 1-5 record suggests, even with all of the obvious injury issues that they have been facing thus far this season. But still, going up against arguably the hottest team in the league, the only team yet to have suffered a defeat, is a really tall order. The Rams just look hot, with an explosive offense, and a defense that seems at times to be good, and at others seems to be a liability. The 'Niners actually looked good at Green Bay last week, but this should be a tougher challenge. One that, I suspect, the 49ers are not quite ready for. My pick: L.A. Rams
Sunday Night Football
Cincinnati at Kansas City - The Chiefs had a real chance to beat the Patriots up in New England, and remain undefeated. They have another nationally televised game this weekend, as they host the Bengals. First of all, the Chiefs looked impressive against the Pats, despite the loss. And KC is especially tough at home in Arrowhead Stadium. Their offense is still firing on all cylinders, while the Bengals confidence has to have been shaken up at least a little bit by that highly predictable defeat to their division rivals, the Pittsburgh Steelers. Upsets can happen, sure. But logic would dictate that the Chiefs win, and probably soundly, in this one. My pick: Kansas City
Monday Night Football
N.Y. Giants at Atlanta - Well, like with the Jets, I would love to honestly be able to say that I expect that the Giants could win this one. But the Falcons are desperate, and have a better chance - a much better chance, admittedly - than the G-Men do of recovering from a truly awful start to the season. Atlanta's offense has not looked off the charts good like they have at times in recent seasons, but they are still explosive, and that is not good news for a Giants defense that has looked sloppy and weak at times. Plus, the Giants have their own issues on offense. That is not a good combination, and so that is why my gut tells me that the home team is going to win, possibly in quite a big way. Hope I'm wrong, but just being realistic. My pick: Atlanta
No comments:
Post a Comment