🏈🏈🏈🏈
Here is a surprisingly big game, despite the seemingly modest overall record of one of the teams involved.
After all, this s no ordinary team. It is the New England Patriots, the team that, up until around a year ago, were the seemingly forever dynasty of the 21st century in the NFL.
They have had an unusually difficult season, yet they just enjoyed their biggest, most impressive win last weekend. It was a 45-0 thrashing of the Chargers in Los Angeles, the kind of result that we kind of came to expect from New England during the salad days, when quarterback Tom Brady was still at the helm.
Well, Brady is now in Tampa, and he has his hands full there, to say he least. And the Patriots, while often struggling this season, look more impressive than they have pretty much all season, recovering from a 2-5 start to the season by winning four of their past five games to even their overall record at 6-6. And while that may not be as impressive of their recent records (the Patriots reached a record of 11-5 or better for an NFL record 10 straight seasons, and they have also enjoyed a record of 10-6 or better for an NFL record 17 straight seasons), it still gives them a chance of qualifying for the playoffs, especially since there is that extra seventh playoff spot this season.
But they have to stay in Los Angeles, and play the better of the two teams in the city. Ys, the Rams will host the Pats, in a rematch of the Super Bowl from two seasons ago. And we remember, of course, that the Patriots defeated the Rams in that one, 13-3. It was the lowest scoring Super Bowl ever, and the Patriots managed to relegate the explosive Rams offense to a mere field goal total.
That was an embarrassment, and many people criticized the Rams following that loss.
Now, the Rams have an opportunity at what would be at least a small measure of revenge. They get the Pats at home, and New England is seriously diminished from the team that beat these Rams two years ago in the big game.
So, what will happen in this one?
Well, the Rams are not as good as they were back then, either. That said, they seem to rely more on their defense these days than on their offense. The offense can be explosive, but the defense seems suddenly to be one of the best units in the league now. And that could present some problems for the Pats.
Also, the offense still has plenty of firepower, although the Patriot defense is, in fact, also one of the better units in the league. Remember, the Patriots had the league’s top-rated defense last year, and they still rank in the top quarter of teams in terms of overall defensive ratings. Expect the Rams offense to struggle a bit.
Yet in the end, I think home field advantage very well may help lift the Rams to a much needed win. Neither team can really afford to lose this one. The Rams are in the middle of a neck and neck race with the Seahawks, and are entering the home stretch. And the Patriots have very little margin for error in the AFC, where at least eight teams have winning records, which means that right now, they are ahead of the Pats. But somebody will lose this game, and my suspicion is that the Rams find their way to a win in this particular game.
My pick: Los Angeles Rams
No comments:
Post a Comment