We are already in November, the midway point of the season. Thanksgiving is right around the corner. And we entered this first weekend with one undefeated team left, and one winless team remaining, as well. In terms of continuity, that one undefeated team is still unbeaten, while the winless team fell once again.
But we had some big games, with possible playoff implications this weekend, as well. The 5-2 Bears hosted the 4-2 Saints, and Chicago actually entered that game in first place in the NFC North following Green Bay's surprising home loss to the Vikings. The Cowboys went up to Philadelphia to play the Eagles in a showdown for first place in the NFC East. The Steelers took their unbeaten record on the road to face the Ravens. The Browns hosted the Raiders. Seattle hosted San Fran. So yes, some big games with possible playoff ramifications, to be sure.
Let's take a look at the week that was:
Kansas City 35, NY Jets 9 - You know it is not a good thing when you enter a game with historic levels odds against you. KC was favored by 21 points to open the week up, and it only went down slightly after that. And the scary thing is that they covered, and easily, at that. Yes, the Chiefs jumped all over Gang Green early and often, and just overpowered the Jets. The Chiefs offense was solid, and their defense was on point. Then again, it seems like Gang Green's offense makes all other defensive units look dominant, but this really was a mismatch, with the Chiefs rolling early, and never looking back. KC improves to 7-1 on the season, staying hot, and they will next host the Panthers. Meanwhile, the Jets match their franchise worst start to a season at 0-8. They started off that way in 1996 as well, before winning the following week. Their next game is against their division rivals, the New England Patriots, who are also suffering through a dismal season, to date. My pick: Accurate
Buffalo 24, New England 21 - Usually, when a 5-2 division leading team hosts the third place team at 2-4, it is not necessarily considered a big showdown, or a test for the first place team. But the New England Patriots are not your ordinary, run of the mill 2-4 team. They have enjoyed a very long run of success, having won "Team of the Decade" honors for two consecutive decades, the first time an NFL team has done that. And much of their success came at the expense of the other teams in their division, and none of that was symbolized as much as by the Buffalo Bills, the one team that the Patriots really seemed to own during the past two decades or so. That mean that the Bills, who are trying to finally shed their skin of underachievers, really needed to play big and find a way to win today against the Patriots. And they did it. Yes, it was a right game. But ultimately, a loss would have seriously set them back and cast doubt on their strong start, whereas a win solidifies their frontrunner status in the division. A huge win for the Bills to improve to 6-2, and another disappointing loss for the Patriots, who sink to 2-5 with their fourth consecutive loss. My pick: Accurate
Indianapolis 41, Detroit 21 - Well, home field advantage did not help the Lions anywhere near as much as I had expected it to. The Colts were just plain and simply the better team, by far. They were not dissuaded because they fell behind early, and once they got going, the Lions looked listless, like a heavyweight fighter powerless against a much better, faster, and more intelligent opponent. The Lions had been improving for a while, but this was a bad loss that sets them back, sinking them to 3-4 on the year. Meanwhile, the Colts improve to 5-2, having quietly worked their way to an almost elite status at the midseason approach, tying the formerly red hot Tennessee Titans for first place now. What a win for Indy! My pick: Inaccurate
Cincinnati 31, Tennessee 20 - Just a little more than a week ago, the Titans were undefeated, and fighting to stay that way against the AFC's only other undefeated team, the Steelers. Now, the Titans have lost two in a row, and this time, they lost to a lowly team. Yes, the Bengals are definitely improving, and Joe Burough looks excellent, like he was a great pick up for this franchise. But if the Titans are going to be an elite team this season, these are the kinds of games that they need to win. So this was a huge disappointment for them, but an exciting win that will surely make Cincinnati feel good. My pick: Inaccurate
Minnesota 28, Green Bay 22 - Not the result I was expecting. But the Vikings defense played tough, and kept the explosive Packers offense in check. They also saw big production from running back Dalvin Cook, who picked up 163 yards and four touchdowns against Green Bay. For perhaps the first time this season, Minnesota looked like the playoff caliber team that many expected them to be, and which they were last season, when they made it all the way to the divisional round of the NFC playoffs. They improve to 2-5 on the season, but still have a long way to go to dig themselves out of the hole that they are still in. As for the Packers, the loss drops them to 5-2 on the season. My pick: Inaccurate
Miami 28, LA Rams 17 - Wow! The Dolphins are suddenly looking like a scary team right now. Yes, they pulled off their third straight win by beating the Rams. Miami absolutely exploded in the first half, jumping out to a 28-7 lead, and then hung on for the win the rest of the way. The Rams offense still looks erratic, and you never know which Rams team you are going to get from week to week. But what a huge win for the Fins, as they improve to 4-3, a winning record and second place in the AFC East. Meanwhile, the Rams fall to 5-3 with another disappointing and costly loss, as they fall behind the Cardinals now and move into third in the NFC West. My pick: Inaccurate
Las Vegas 16, Cleveland 6 - Up until this point, the Browns had looked good, like they were fulfilling expectations for a promising season. But on an incredibly ugly day weatherwise in Cleveland, the Browns just played uninspired football. The Raiders did not produce too much offense, but their defense was able to ground the Browns and held up what the Vegas offense managed to produce, for a convincing road win far from home for the Raiders, improving their record to 4-3 on the season. The Browns, meanwhile, sin to 5-3 on the season, and suffer their first home loss of the season to boot. My pick: Inaccurate
Seattle 37, San Francisco 27 - This was a tough game, between two serious playoff contenders. The Seahawks entered with an impressive 5-1 record, yet they needed to win this one to stay ahead in the very tough NFC West. Meanwhile, the defending NFC champs San Francisco had pulled off an impressive comeback, and improved to 4-3 on the season, but we hoping to win to get back into the NFC West race, and keep the Seahawks within their sites. But Seattle's offense, led by veteran quarterback Russell Wilson, was solid, They just kept scoring when they needed it the most, even against an elite 49ers defense, as they outlasted San Fran in this one to earn a solid 37-27 win to improve to 6-1, and dropping the 49ers to 4-4 on the year. My pick: Accurate
New Orleans 26, Chicago 23 - This was a hard fought game between two teams that figure to be in the playoff race for the second half of the season, at the very least. The Saints still do not quite look or feel like the dominant team that many people (myself included) expected them to be. Yet, they overcame a tough challenge from the Bears in the frigid Windy City, coming back to just edge Da Bears out and earn their fourth consecutive win to improve to 5-2 on the season. As for the Bears, they actually, technically entered this game in first place in the division due to the Packers loss earlier in the day. But they gave that away in losing this particular game, and now drop to 5-3, once again second place in the NFC North. They played fairly well through most of the game, but just could not seal the deal when it counted the most. My pick: Accurate
Denver 31, LA Chargers 30 - In a game between two teams tied for last place in the AFC West, both teams played well, and it turned into an exciting game. Both sides showed some heart and highlight reels, although ultimately, the Broncos pulled off the tight win by a single point to hold off the Chargers, as they improve to 3-4 on the season. The Chargers, meanwhile, drop to 2-5, and all alone in last place now in the division. My pick: Accurate
Sunday Night Football: Philadelphia 23, Dallas 9 - For a little while, it looked like the Cowboys might actually pull off a small stunner. Yes, towards the end of the second quarter, and then for a decent amount of time in the third, the Cowboys looked sharper, capitalizing off Eagles turnovers and mistakes, and seeming to own the momentum. They were clinging to a narrow 9-7 lead, although it felt like they possessed all of the momentum. Then one great drive culminating in an Eagles touchdown, and the game reversed itself completely, and Philly just never looked back. Already alone in first place in the NFC East, the Eagles expanded their lead with the win,improving to 3-4-1 on the year. As for the 'Boys, this was yet another loss in a season that is quickly spiraling out of control. They were once the easy favorites for many to emerge not only as NFC East champions, but some people thought that they could and should come out as the NFC representatives in the Super Bowl. But some early losses, followed by their being hit hard with injuries, has turned this season into a complete disaster. This loss dropped them to 2-6 on the season, as the distance between them and the first place Eagles, as well as second place Washington, now continues to grow. Another bad loss in a once promising season that feels increasingly like a lost season for the Cowboys. My pick: Accurate
Monday Night Football: Tampa Bay at NY Giants - The Buccaneers entered this game with a ton of momentum, and some even had them as one of the elite teams in the league! Meanwhile, the Giants came in with a 1-6 mark, one of the worst in the league, and the worst record in the NFC presently, with wins by both the Falcons and the Vikings effectively setting the Giants up as alone at the bottom of the entire NFC standings. Another tight, narrow loss for the G-Men in a season seemingly filled with such losses. They played well, but still fell short in the end. Too many costly mistakes, particularly by quarterback Daniel Jones. Another solid win for the Buccaneers, who are looking more like a legitimate contender with each passing week. My pick: Accurate
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