🏈🏈🏈🏈
Some big games and surprising results this weekend! Every game involving an NFC East team has potentially very important ramifications for the division race. There was a big showdown between the two top teams in the AFC South. And plenty of other teams played in big games that either kept them hot, or not.
So, let’s take a look.
Buffalo 27, LA Chargers 17 – The Bills stayed hot by winning this game that they were supposed to win, and needed to win, really. Yes, the Chargers are not exactly a great team, but that is why a game like this was so important. With this victory, Buffalo improves to 8-3 on the year and stays ahead in the AFC East race, leading the Dolphins (who also won) by the margin of a single game. They did not have an explosion of points, or a disastrous showing either on offense or defense. Rather, this was exactly the way that most would have figured this game would go. My pick: Accurate
New England 20, Arizona 17 – Both teams played fairly well, and it felt like it was anybody’s game even very late. It was a back and forth kind of a game, with the Cardinals racing off to a decent lead early on, then the Pats coming back with 17 unanswered points to take the lead in the third quarter, only to see the Cards tie it in the fourth. But a late field goal secured the win for New England, and they cling to flickering playoff hopes with their 5-6 mark. Arizona, meanwhile, falls to 6-5, having dropped three of their last four games now. My pick: Accurate
NY Giants 19, Cincinnati 17 – A very close game, although some of those calls against the Giants towards the end of the game – calls that really helped the Bengals stay in this game and even give them a chance to win – were weak calls. But the G-Men survived, which feels good as a fan. After all, the Giants have a history of having a difficult time against the Bengals, from a 35-30 loss in 1985 when the Giants enjoyed a great offensive game, to a shocking loss that effectively ended their playoff hopes following a Super Bowl championship season in 1991 when the Bengals entered the game with a 1-11 record, to another loss in Cincy back in 2012, when again, the Giants were the defending Super Bowl champions. So, this was going to be a tricky game, and indeed, Cincy had some chances. But Big Blue hangs on to earn their third straight win and a share in the NFC East lead for now, depending on what happens in the Eagles game tonight. This was the first time since the 2016 season that the Giants actually managed to win three straight games, which was the longest active streak in the league before their win here today. My pick: Accurate
Miami 20, NY Jets 3 – Another ugly loss for Gang Green. They had their chances, but obviously, produced miserable results. The Dolphins are a better team, to be sure. But right now, you can probably say that about every team in the league. Fact of the matter is that the Jets have to play a lot better than this if they hope to actually win a game this season, because an 0-16 season, while not guaranteed, is looking more and more like a distinct possibility. They are averaging less than 14 points per game. This was the sixth time this season that they were held to 10 points or less, and no one will win many games like that. In the case of Gang Green, which has one of the worst and leakiest defenses in the league, it is a recipe for the disastrous season that they are now going through. My pick: Accurate
Cleveland 27, Jacksonville 25 – The Browns did not exactly obliterate one of the weakest teams in the league in this one. Yet, they managed to win their third straight game, and improve to an impressive mark of 8-3 on the year. They have not been blowing many teams out so far this season, yet given their normally disappointing results in a typical year, I suspect that Cleveland fans will gladly take it. The Browns will have a tough game next weekend at Tennessee, but they then play the Ravens, visit both the Giants and Jets at MetLife Stadium in consecutive weeks, before closing their season out at home against the Pittsburgh Steelers. This team could and should get at least a 10-6 mark on the season, and hopefully, the playoffs will be in their future. As for Jax, this was their 10th straight loss, the second longest active losing streak in the league, after the winless Jets with their 11 straight losses. My pick: Accurate
Minnesota 28, Carolina 27 – This was an entertaining game, even though I only saw the very end of this game. The Vikings were flirting with a disastrous home loss that very likely would have ended what mostly slim playoff hopes they still had. But they got it going when they absolutely had to late in the game, puling off an impressive come from behind win, their fourth win in the last five games. With this win, coupled with the Bears loss at Lambeau Field, the Vikings are now tied with Chicago for second place in the division. A solid win. As for the Panthers, this was a demoralizing loss, but honestly, that does not feel like anything new. My pick: Accurate
Tennessee 45, Indianapolis 26 – Well, I got this one wrong. The Titans were very impressive on the road, dominating the Colts in a game that was not even as close as the score would suggest, even if it suggests a convincing Titans win. The Colts rallied late, but the Titans had such a big lead, that there was little chance of the Colts actually pulling this one off. A rather stunning result that elevates the Titans once again to the ranks of the elites in the AFC. Right now, they would be the third seed at 8-3, with the tie-breaker over the Bills, who they crushed earlier this season. As for the Colts, this was a sobering loss, but they are still very much in the playoff picture, and could still even win the division, even if they no longer fully control their own destiny heading into the final five games. My pick: Inaccurate
Atlanta 43, Las Vegas 6 – Speaking of games that I got wrong…Whoa! Man, I did not see this one coming. Sure, the Raiders losing was a distinct possibility. After all, the Falcons have been playing much better in recent weeks. But damn! This was a devastating loss for the Raiders, the kind of loss that could really shake their confidence the rest of the way. They sure did not resemble a playoff caliber team. Did they overlook the Falcons? Are the Falcons that much sharper and better? It almost makes you wonder how lucky the Raiders have gotten in their wins this season, since they have looked quite shaky in some of those losses. But none of them had them looking as pathetic as this one, which has to be one of the worst losses in franchise history. The offense did not show up, and apparently, neither did the defense. Atlanta did everything right, to their credit, and they continue to show improvements, even if the playoffs seem too far removed to be a real possibility. As for the Raiders, you have to wonder how good they are after getting their butts kicked in such an embarrassing manner. My pick: Inaccurate
New Orleans 31, Denver 3 – The obvious story here was the absence of any Broncos quarterbacks available for this game. Yes, literally all four QB’s on the Broncos roster were unavailable, which obviously made things extremely difficult for them. Kendall Hinton made his NFL debut, and not surprisingly, had a rough day, completing one pass in nine attempts, for just 13 yards and two interceptions. The Saints stay hot with a convincing, blowout win, their eight straight win, and they stay atop the NFC playoff picture. Right now, they would be the top seed. As for Denver, this loss just inches them closer to being officially eliminated from the playoff race in the AFC. My pick: Accurate
San Francisco 23, LA Rams 20 – The Rams simply cannot beat the 49ers. Not sure what it is, or why they cannot seem to beat them. But yeah, San Fran clearly seems to have LA’s number. They swept the Rams last year, and with this win, they manage to do it again. The 49ers still find themselves one game behind the Cardinals and two behind the Rams, and it remains to be seen whether the first-place Seahawks win or lose. So, San Francisco still has their work cut out for them, to be sure. Still, this was an impressive win, one that has to feel satisfying in what has been a disappointing and frustrating season. As for the Rams, they just appear to be too inconsistent, and hard to figure out at this point. My pick: Inaccurate
Kansas City 27, Tampa Bay 24 – This game was the highlight of Tyreek Kill’s career. He had 13 receptions for a whopping 269 yards and three touchdowns, and just looked unstoppable. Mahomes passed for an impressive 462 yards, and those three touchdowns to Hill, while the Chiefs once again defeat Tom Brady, who was a thorn on their side in the playoffs two years ago when he was still with New England. The Chiefs keep flying high with their sixth win, and improve to 10-1 on the season, the second best record in the league. As for the Buccaneers, a season that appeared very promising a few weeks ago, when they were 6-2, now looks a lot more shaky, as they fall to 7-5, suffering their third loss in a span of four games. My pick: Accurate
Green Bay 41, Chicago 25 – As I mentioned in the preview, the Packers just always seem to have Chicago’s number dating back to Brett Favre, and now, Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers was on fire last night, especially in the first half, as the Bears fell behind farther and father, until they found themselves down 41-10 at one point in the second half. They managed to score a couple of touchdowns to make the results look a bit more respectable, but they were never seriously in this one. At one point this season, Chicago was 5-1, and looked like a force to be reckoned with in the NFC. Right now, though, this was their fifth straight loss, and some people hardly even consider them a serious playoff contender anymore. They have to do something, and quickly, to stop the bleeding, because this is getting out of hand. Despite the late, largely garbage time touchdowns in this one, their offense has looked like a liability in recent weeks. And in this game, their normally tough defense hardly looked much better. A disastrous result for Chicago, and a solid win for Green Bay, who have the NFC North unofficially locked up, and have a relatively easy schedule the rest of the way. My pick: Accurate
Seattle 23, Philadelphia 17 – The Seahawks stayed hot and managed to earn a very important, even crucial, road victory on the East Coast to pull ahead of the Rams in the NFC West. They did it against the struggling Eagles, who had held onto first place in the NFC East until this weekend. But they have now lost three games in a row, and appear to be sinking at precisely the moment when the other teams in their division are starting to be, if ever so slightly, on the rise. Washington won, and the Giants won, and now, with the Eagles losing, they find themselves half a game behind those two teams in second place in the division, and half a game up on the last place Cowboys. That’s bad, but Philly’s fortunes have not been improving. To be sure, the Eagles kept it close for most of the game. And even when the Seahawks seemed to have locked the game up and put it out of reach, to their credit, the Eagles did fight back, making a game of it. Still, at the end of the day, it was another loss, dropping them to 3-7-1. The Seahawks, meanwhile, improve to 8-3 on the season, tied with the Packers for the second best record in the NFC, while they both trail the Saints in the race for home field advantage. My pick: Accurate
No comments:
Post a Comment