🏈🏈🏈🏈
Some very interesting games this weekend!
There are some huge showdowns, like the Bills-Ravens, or the Bucs-Chiefs, or the Rams-49ers. Those are possibly previews of meetings for the postseason (yes, I know that the Bucs and Chiefs are in different conferences, but they did meet in the Super Bowl two years ago). Hell, even the Jaguars at the Eagles looks interesting.
This weekend should help to shape the rest of the regular season, with some clear cut favorites emerging as leaders in divisions. Some elites will strengthen the case for why they are so highly regarded, while others will face more questions.
So let's take a look at each game for this Sunday:
London Game - Minnesota versus New Orleans - By virtue of this being played in an earlier time zone, this is far and away the earliest game being played today. Technically, the Saints are the home team, I believe. That said, not sure how much of a home field advantage they will actually have for this one. Still, this should be a good one. But my pick is with the team that I suspect is the better overall one for this particular game, although it should be entertaining and likely close. My pick: Minnesota
Chicago at NY Giants - A classic rivalry between two of the oldest franchises in the league. Both of these two teams are trying to prove that their 2-1 record is for a reason, and that they are legitimate contenders. This game should go some distance towards proving it for at least one of these teams. It should be close, and I see the Bears edging the G-Men here for this one. My pick: Chicago
NY Jets at Pittsburgh - The Steelers are not the team that they have been in recent seasons. They have experienced a drop, and perhaps a serious one. That said, even if that is true, they are playing the lowly Jets, who often make everyone else look good. My pick: Pittsburgh
Washington at Dallas - A classic rivalry between two tough, defensive NFC East teams. But the 'Boys are better at the moment, and are playing quite well in recent weeks. Plus, they have home field advantage. So they should be able to take this one and remain hot, nipping on the heels of the division leading Eagles. My pick: Dallas
Buffalo at Baltimore - What a game! This could be a playoff preview, perhaps even an AFC Championship Game preview. These figure to be two of the top contenders in the AFC, and the only loss that either team suffered was to the same team: the Dolphins. That should change after this one, barring an unlikely tie. But I suspect that the Bills will bounce back and squeak a narrow win past the Ravens here. My pick: Buffalo
Jacksonville at Philadelphia - The NFL's sole remaining unbeaten team takes on a much improved Jaguars squad. That makes it a bit interesting. However, the Eagles look and feel far and away like the more complete of the two teams. Look for them to score another win to remain unbeaten. My pick: Philadelphia
Cleveland at Atlanta - Interesting match-up here. The Falcons won against New Orleans last weekend on the road. However, the Browns are decent this year, and in a tough division, they cannot afford to drop winnable games like this. So they should be able to take this one. My pick: Cleveland
Seattle at Detroit - The Lions have looked quite decent so far this season, while the Seahawks have looked like the struggling team thus far. That is a bit of a role reversal for these two teams, and it should carry over again, with the Lions scoring a fairly decisive win here. My pick: Detroit
Tennessee at Indianapolis - Interesting AFC South showdown between two teams that have not gotten off to the kinds of starts that either wanted or expected. But this game can go some distance towards shaping the course of the division race for the rest of the season. Whoever wins not only has a chance of passing the other, but of at least taking a share of the lead in the AFC South. So this is pretty huge for both teams. The Titans have won the past three games in this rivalry, and feel like the better team overall. However, this is a road game for them, which makes this more of a challenge. This one is a tough call, and could go either way. Have to go with my gut for this one. My pick: Indianapolis
LA Chargers at Houston - Neither team is where they want to be at this point in the season. But the Chargers are the far better, more complete team. And they should be able to prove it, scoring a fairly decisive road win here against the lowly Texans. My pick: LA Chargers
Arizona at Carolina - Yet again, two teams who are not where they wanted to be at this point in the season. Carolina at least did finally notch a win last week, though, and that counts for something. But the Cards are better, and should be able to prove it, too. My pick: Arizona
New England at Green Bay - A few seasons ago, these two teams were perennial Super Bowl contenders. Now, the Pats have fallen some distance from that level, while the Packers likely feel their window of opportunity closing. Still, the Packers are solid, and they should be especially tough at home, like always. My pick: Green Bay
Denver at Las Vegas - This is actually a big test for both teams. The Broncos are not bad at 2-1, yet they have not played the kind of football that inspires tremendous confidence, struggling more than they should. Yet the Raiders are the only team to have lost every single game that they have played, so they are desperate for a win. This should be a close one, possibly a back and forth game that goes right to the end. Mistakes could prove very costly for either team, especially late in the game. Right now, the Broncos feel like the better team, so that is the direction I am going with for this one. My pick: Denver
Sunday Night Football: Kansas City at Tampa Bay - Wow! Another huge game, even a showdown. This is a rematch from the Super Bowl a couple of years back. Those commercials featuring Neil Young's "Old Man" have been billing this one, which may be good and bad. It is a beautiful song, and it feels wasted as promotion for a silly, likely overhyped game like this. Yet, maybe it will introduce new audiences to Young's music, or at least that song in particular. As for the game itself, it feels like Brady usually beats Mahomes and the Chiefs. And with home field advantage here, they should be able to take this one, as well. My pick: Tampa Bay
Monday Night Football: LA Rams at San Francisco - Until the defending Super Bowl champion Rams finally beat the 49ers in the NFC title game last January, San Fran seemed to completely own the Rams, having won six straight before that one. This is a tough game. The Niners are not where they want to be so far this season, but the Rams also are struggling, and hardly looking like a dominant team. Both have more vulnerabilities, in other words, and that makes this a tough pick. But with home field advantage and the revenge factor on their side, I have to think the 49ers have a better than average chance of winning this one. My pick: San Francisco
No comments:
Post a Comment