Sports

[gardenman]

We start out this week with Covid-19 claiming our Thursday night game! Curse you Covid! Oh well, I'm sure the networks (Fox, NFL Network, and Amazon Prime) can figure out something else to show there. On to the Sunday games!

Denver goes to New England. New England, being New England isn't saying what Cam Newton's status is for this week. I'm going to assume he's still alive however and I'll take New England in this one.

Houston goes to Tennessee. Houston won a game after kicking out their old head coach. The Titans will be playing on a short week after having to constantly reschedule their schedule due to Covid. The Titans just beat the Bills, literally hours ago as I'm writing this Wednesday morning. I'm taking the Texans in the upset here. The Titans will think they can just cruise to victory and playing Tuesday night and Sunday at one PM doesn't give them a lot of time to rest and recover. Texans for the upset win.

Cleveland goes to Pittsburgh in what should be a pretty good game. The Eagles stayed very competitive with the Steelers last week which is either a good sign for the Eagles or a bad sign for the Steelers. The final score was a bit more lop-sided than the game as Eagles defensive coordinator had his defense playing to stop a first down instead of a touchdown late in the game and given a touchdown opportunity, Ben Roethlisberger took the touchdown. The Browns are playing decent football. I'll take the Steelers, but an upset wouldn't shock me.

And speaking of the Eagles, the Ravens come to Philly. In what can best be described as a miracle, Mayor Nannypants, er, Kenney, has now allowed fans (7,500 but it's better than none) into the stadium for Sunday's game restoring some measure of a home field advantage. Mayor Nannypants had been ordering all of the streets blocked around the stadium and threatened to arrest anyone who tried to get near it on game days. The fans should help motivate the Eagles. I'm cautiously optimistic about this game. We only lost a couple of players to injury last week which was an improvement and the subs have been playing well. Travis Fulgham is showing what happens when you give Carson Wentz a real live NFL caliber wide receiver instead of nobody's off the street. Zach Ertz has been getting ripped rather badly for his recent play and may decide to show up for this game. I'm taking the Eagles in the upset. 

In one of the most anticipated games of the year, some football team from Washington takes on the Giants at Tear Up Your Knee field in New Jersey. That first overall pick in the NFL draft could rest on the outcome of this game. The team formerly known as the Redskins will be throwing recently concussed Kyle Allen onto the field as their starting QB with the one-legged wonder Alex Smith in reserve as they polish up the For Sale sign on last year's first round pick Dwayne Haskins. Who will win this game? Anyone who doesn't have to watch it. The Giants may have some momentum after nearly beating the Cowboys last week. I guess I'll take the Giants. At least they have a name for their team.

The Falcons who recently managed to get their head coach fired will be offering suggestions to the Vikings players who seem to be doing the same for their head coach. I'll give the edge to the Falcons who have already achieved their goal while the Vikings need to lose a few more games to get their head coach fired. The Falcons for the win.

Detroit goes to Jacksonville in yet another epic battle of two teams desperately trying to get their head coaches fired. (There seems to be a theme developing here.) Who will win? Uh, I don't know. I guess I'll take Jacksonville. 

The Bengals go to Indy in an odd game where neither head coach seems to be in jeopardy. The Bengals are riding the coattails of Joe Burrow as he learns how to be an NFL QB while the Colts are desperately hoping Philip Rivers' arm doesn't completely fall off. The Colts are the better team, but Joe Burrow is the better QB right now. I'm taking the Bengals here. They've been pretty competitive in every game and the kid's good. Rivers is more than a bit past his prime.

Chicago goes to Carolina. I'm loving what Matt Rhule has done in Carolina. They've become a very competitive team in a very short period of time. The Bears are a tricky team to pick as they ride the arm of Nick Foles who can be very hot or very, very cold and you never know which it will be. I'm going with the Panthers in the upset here.

The Jets take on the Dolphins. I'm typically a bit nervous picking Miami games as Ryan Fitzpatrick can be great or horrible and you never know which he'll be. The good news is even the horrible Fitzpatrick is better than the Jets. I'll take the Dolphins in this one.

Green Bay goes to Tampa in a showdown between two of the best QBs in the league. Tampa has the better weapons around Brady, but Rodgers somehow manages to find a way to win with whatever they put around him. (As long as Mike McCarthy isn't coaching him.) I'll take the Packers in this one.

The Rams take on the Niners. Desperation is starting to sink in for the Niners. They're in last place, three games behind the Seahawks. They're beat up and capable of losing to anyone. I've got to take the Rams in this one. That Super Bowl hangover is real.

The Chiefs take on the Bills. Both teams are surprisingly coming off a loss. I'm not sure KC ever truly loses a game though, they just run out of time to make a comeback more often than not. I'll take the Chiefs to rebound here.

Arizona goes to Dallas. Kliff Kingsbury is just drooling at the prospect of his offense facing this Cowboy defense. A read and react defense going against a high speed, well-oiled offense is a disaster in the making for the defense. By the time the Dallas defense reads and reacts the Cardinal receivers will be in the endzone. WIth or without Dak this game would be a handful for the Cowboys. Expect the Cowboys to dust off Ezekiel Elliott and run him into the ground in this game, but it won't be enough. The cards could put up 50 points against this defense. I'm taking the Cardinals in a romp. This one could get ugly.

[Mz iMac]

Regarding the Eagles game......

Philadelphia on Tuesday said it will loosen its coronavirus restrictions to allow crowds of up to 7,500 people at the city’s largest outdoor venues, a step that will put thousands of Eagles fans back in the stands at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday, even as the region sees the daily average of new cases tick higher.

The Eagles immediately announced ticket sales for Sunday’s game against the Baltimore Ravens but said tailgating would be prohibited.

The city’s decision was based on evidence that the virus does not spread as easily outside as it does indoors, Mayor Jim Kenney said.

[emmygrace]

---

@gardenman wrote:

We start out this week with Covid-19 claiming our Thursday night game! Curse you Covid! Oh well, I'm sure the networks (Fox, NFL Network, and Amazon Prime) can figure out something else to show there. On to the Sunday games!

Denver goes to New England. New England, being New England isn't saying what Cam Newton's status is for this week. I'm going to assume he's still alive however and I'll take New England in this one.

Houston goes to Tennessee. Houston won a game after kicking out their old head coach. The Titans will be playing on a short week after having to constantly reschedule their schedule due to Covid. The Titans just beat the Bills, literally hours ago as I'm writing this Wednesday morning. I'm taking the Texans in the upset here. The Titans will think they can just cruise to victory and playing Tuesday night and Sunday at one PM doesn't give them a lot of time to rest and recover. Texans for the upset win.

Cleveland goes to Pittsburgh in what should be a pretty good game. The Eagles stayed very competitive with the Steelers last week which is either a good sign for the Eagles or a bad sign for the Steelers. The final score was a bit more lop-sided than the game as Eagles defensive coordinator had his defense playing to stop a first down instead of a touchdown late in the game and given a touchdown opportunity, Ben Roethlisberger took the touchdown. The Browns are playing decent football. I'll take the Steelers, but an upset wouldn't shock me.

And speaking of the Eagles, the Ravens come to Philly. In what can best be described as a miracle, Mayor Nannypants, er, Kenney, has now allowed fans (7,500 but it's better than none) into the stadium for Sunday's game restoring some measure of a home field advantage. Mayor Nannypants had been ordering all of the streets blocked around the stadium and threatened to arrest anyone who tried to get near it on game days. The fans should help motivate the Eagles. I'm cautiously optimistic about this game. We only lost a couple of players to injury last week which was an improvement and the subs have been playing well. Travis Fulgham is showing what happens when you give Carson Wentz a real live NFL caliber wide receiver instead of nobody's off the street. Zach Ertz has been getting ripped rather badly for his recent play and may decide to show up for this game. I'm taking the Eagles in the upset. 

In one of the most anticipated games of the year, some football team from Washington takes on the Giants at Tear Up Your Knee field in New Jersey. That first overall pick in the NFL draft could rest on the outcome of this game. The team formerly known as the Redskins will be throwing recently concussed Kyle Allen onto the field as their starting QB with the one-legged wonder Alex Smith in reserve as they polish up the For Sale sign on last year's first round pick Dwayne Haskins. Who will win this game? Anyone who doesn't have to watch it. The Giants may have some momentum after nearly beating the Cowboys last week. I guess I'll take the Giants. At least they have a name for their team.

The Falcons who recently managed to get their head coach fired will be offering suggestions to the Vikings players who seem to be doing the same for their head coach. I'll give the edge to the Falcons who have already achieved their goal while the Vikings need to lose a few more games to get their head coach fired. The Falcons for the win.

Detroit goes to Jacksonville in yet another epic battle of two teams desperately trying to get their head coaches fired. (There seems to be a theme developing here.) Who will win? Uh, I don't know. I guess I'll take Jacksonville. 

The Bengals go to Indy in an odd game where neither head coach seems to be in jeopardy. The Bengals are riding the coattails of Joe Burrow as he learns how to be an NFL QB while the Colts are desperately hoping Philip Rivers' arm doesn't completely fall off. The Colts are the better team, but Joe Burrow is the better QB right now. I'm taking the Bengals here. They've been pretty competitive in every game and the kid's good. Rivers is more than a bit past his prime.

Chicago goes to Carolina. I'm loving what Matt Rhule has done in Carolina. They've become a very competitive team in a very short period of time. The Bears are a tricky team to pick as they ride the arm of Nick Foles who can be very hot or very, very cold and you never know which it will be. I'm going with the Panthers in the upset here.

The Jets take on the Dolphins. I'm typically a bit nervous picking Miami games as Ryan Fitzpatrick can be great or horrible and you never know which he'll be. The good news is even the horrible Fitzpatrick is better than the Jets. I'll take the Dolphins in this one.

Green Bay goes to Tampa in a showdown between two of the best QBs in the league. Tampa has the better weapons around Brady, but Rodgers somehow manages to find a way to win with whatever they put around him. (As long as Mike McCarthy isn't coaching him.) I'll take the Packers in this one.

The Rams take on the Niners. Desperation is starting to sink in for the Niners. They're in last place, three games behind the Seahawks. They're beat up and capable of losing to anyone. I've got to take the Rams in this one. That Super Bowl hangover is real.

The Chiefs take on the Bills. Both teams are surprisingly coming off a loss. I'm not sure KC ever truly loses a game though, they just run out of time to make a comeback more often than not. I'll take the Chiefs to rebound here.

Arizona goes to Dallas. Kliff Kingsbury is just drooling at the prospect of his offense facing this Cowboy defense. A read and react defense going against a high speed, well-oiled offense is a disaster in the making for the defense. By the time the Dallas defense reads and reacts the Cardinal receivers will be in the endzone. WIth or without Dak this game would be a handful for the Cowboys. Expect the Cowboys to dust off Ezekiel Elliott and run him into the ground in this game, but it won't be enough. The cards could put up 50 points against this defense. I'm taking the Cardinals in a romp. This one could get ugly.

---

I really like the Titans...thought it was a great game yesterday...! 

[teganslaw]

@gardenman , so you're picking the Giants over Washington because they have a name? That has to be one of most unusual reasons for a win that I've seen. J/K, someone has to win. 

The Colts are suppose to have one of the best defenses in the NFL, but they couldn't stop Mayfield. Leonard and Costanzo were out, which could have been a factor, but the playcalling wasn't the best in that game, either. I don't like to think Rivers is past his prime, maybe I'm in denial in that sense. I need to see a few more games before making that kind of call. 

[Spurt]

@gardenman @teganslaw @emmygrace  @redwingsgal @sunshine45  @Mz iMac  and all NFL fans....

Despite all the things that have descended on this NFL season I am really enjoying the competition on the field. (except for a certain team that will remain and IS nameless)...But there have been so many entertaining and nail biting games......

Okay time to make some picks! 

Broncos vs Patriots----Oh Beli is being cagey about his QB, but in order to have a chance at winning it has to be Cam, UNLESS he's succombed to the virus... Let's see---Cam vs Brett Rypien....I'll take CAM and the PATRIOTS for the win!

Texans vs Titans--- With their new interim coach the Texans FINALLY win!!!  The Titans looked good last night....Even though its a short week for them, the Titans just have the better overall roster and the Texans will surely REMEMBER THE TITANS AND THEIR WIN!?

Browns vs Steelers--- Many people criticized the Browns selection of head coach, but he seems to have the Browns playing well....even OBJ....a feat in itself!!!  The Steelers struggled a bit with a beat up Eagles squad...Hopefully Mayfield didnt suffer a hand injury while waiting for someone to unlock the stadium gate and help him with the grocery bags....and let's hope the distraction from that honeymoon chapter from the book club selection has worn off.....? Hoping Cleveland rocks---I'm going with the BROWNS!!!  

Ravens vs Eagles---  Unless Wentz has a perfect performance those 7500 Eagle fans will make his life miserable...maybe it wasnt a good idea afterall Philly to have some fans in the stands....with that Eagles crowd ya never know which team they will BOO!!! Since their wake up call with the Chiefs the Ravens are back on track, and that means back on track with another WIN!---RAVENS

WFT vs Giants--- This is a much anticipated game to see which team fights for LAST PLACE in the NFC Least!!!  No marquee QBS here...a concussed WFT QB goes against a hapless QB Daniel Jones who turned a possible victory from a rival Cowboy team into DEFEAT---not a good sign....and who should've scored on that PATHETIC Cowboy defense...?.  The WFT went up against a superior opponent, but the WASHINGTON offense couldnt get anything going, some blamed the rain, but it rains on both sides of the field and didnt seem to bother the Rams any...and then there's the WFT defense which was downright INEPT!!! -the exceptions were Montez Sweat, Chase Young, Jonathon Allen and Kendall Fuller....The bright spot for this game is that the Giants aren't the contending Rams......I'm taking my WFT for the win---come on guys get a "W" for me PLEASE, ya gotta beat my sister's team!!! PRETTY PLEASE!!! ? 

Falcons vs Vikings--- Well a change in the coaching staff didnt help the Falcons, the Vikings did fight hard and almost beat MVP candidate Russell Wilson and the Seahawks....VIKINGS with the victory and Capt Kirk will definitely "like that"............ 

Lions vs Jaguars---  Well the Jaguars seem to be back in the tanking for Trevor sweepstakes.....And the Lions just confirm that hiring an ex-NE Patriot Assistant Coach doesn't seem to translate into wins......Being familiar with Jay Gruden's offense, I'm going with opponent's offense and going with Stafford and THE LIONS!!!! 

Bengals vs Colts--- Young Burrows is the real deal, but the Bengals need help at other positions before this team can start winning ..... The Colts suffered a disappointing loss to the Browns....Maybe they should start Brissett as QB....but in any event Im confident that the COLTS will be back on the winning track! 

DaBears vs Panthers--- Well Nick Foles is now the Bears QB and ya never know with Nick....The Panthers may be rebuilding but are still fighting and playing well...(pay attention WFT).....especially their QB, Bridgewater! .....Im going with the PANTHERS and a more stable QB! 

Jets vs Dolphins---Come on Fitzmagic dont fail me now you are going up against the worst team in the NFL! DOLPHINS!!!  Will Gase survive the outcome???

Packers vs Bucs----Brady vs Rodgers!!!!  Brady hasn't been playing his best and "growling" against his teammates mistakes isn't going to win them over, or even result in a win!....Meanwhile, forget about Fitzmagic, Aaron is the REAL magician in the NFL, doing so much more with such minimal talent on offense!!! (maybe the Packers needs to sign the dog in the State Farm commercial) Going with Aaron and the PACKERS for the WIN!

Rams vs 49ers---Battle of rivals in the NFC West!!!  Sean McVay made some changes and has the team playing well even with Goff at QB....the 49ers are in state of flux with so many injuries, and Jimmy G's return didnt help either with 2 interceptions and Bethard replaced him.....Stick a fork in em the 49ers are DONE!..Going with the better team, the RAMS! 

Chiefs vs Bills--- After a great start the Bills looked like a team that didnt get to prepare for the game due to Covid rather than the Titans in last night's game.  So now they get a short week going up against the Chiefs.  And lets be honest the Chiefs haven't looked like their Super Bowl selves either.....But going with the Super Bowl champs in this one....CHIEFS for the WIN!

Cardinals vs Cowboys--- Well the red-head from Texas takes over at QB for the Boyz....and more likely OC Moore will take RB Zeke out of moth balls and rely more on their running game....Now the Cowboys are dealing with a less mobile QB and oh that BAD Cowboy defense, the Cardinals defintely have the offensive advantage with Murray, Hopkins, and Fitzgerald ......  CARDINALS ALL THE WAY! 

GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!

[Spurt]

This wont change things much but Adam Gase has benched Sam Darnold and is starting Joe Flacco for the Jets......They also released RB Levon Bell who supposedly didnt get along with Gase....

[gardenman]

---

@Spurt wrote:

This wont change things much but Adam Gase has benched Sam Darnold and is starting Joe Flacco for the Jets......They also released RB Levon Bell who supposedly didnt get along with Gase....

---

If you've got a team that needs a QB in the next year or two, you could do worse than trying to resurrect Haskins or Darnold. Both guys have talent and could be available for a reasonable price. Both have shown flashes of good play. Getting them now gives a good coaching staff a chance to spoonfeed them a new offense over the rest of the season and then give them a full offseason to adjust. They're both physically good QBs who just need to get their heads right. Now, that can be the hardest thing to fix, but you've got time to work on them now. 

Teams I could see making a play for them would be the Colts, Steelers, Saints, and Seahawks. I'd recommend having a QB guru on the staff who's dedicated to the kid. Glue those two together and have Haskins/Darnold living and breathing the offense. I'd deactivate the kid each game and park him and the QB guru in the near empty stands behind the offense and have the kid read the defense each play. The QB guru can then show him what to look for in real time. That instant feedback could help develop the kid.

I wouldn't plan on starting the kid next year, but aim to have him start the next year. Give him time for the system to become natural. Both guys are talented and could be good to great QBs, they've just been mishandled so far. Invest some time and money in either kid and you could hit the jackpot.

[Spurt]

Here's some interesting info from our local guy, Don Harris

 - If anyone ever offers you $140 million. Take it; don't blink.

There is a harsh reality to the Dak Prescott injury, as good a guy as he is. And as much as he deserves a payday. The reality is this, he bet on himself and that bet just came up snake eyes.

Yes, the Cowboys will say all the right things now, like he'll be better than ever but Dak will never be quite the same. Yes, he will play again, he may be good again and yes the Cowboys may even be loyal and reward him with a big contract. But the devil will be in the details.

.When the Cowboys signed Gerald McCoy to a big off-season deal, he got millions in guaranteed money. Until he popped his quad tendon during a practice in training camp.The Cowboys cut him the next day. As for that guaranteed money? Well, deep in the contract in the fine print where the attorneys account. For everything, were the words: 'In the event.' "In the event of deterioration or injury to a pre-existing right quad tendon." Well, this guarantee is null and void. So much for guarantees.So if Dak does get his deal.. There will be the words in the event he can escape pass rushers again, but he'll never escape those three words. "In the event" will be there forever along with the plates and screws. Moral to the story? If someone ever offers you $140 million. Take it. Don't bet on yourself. As Kenny Rogers said about The Gambler. Sometimes you've got to know when to walk away, and know when to run.

[gardenman]

The problem for the Cowboys with Dak is they can't dictate the terms of the contract. Dak will have his agent in there swinging away and Dak has time on his side. When the Cowboys tag him again they'll owe him $37+ million next year. If they don't work out a deal with him the price tag jumps to $50+ million in 2022. Dak still has the leverage. Gerald McCoy was a downward trending older player at a lower-priced position where there are lots of alternatives. He had very little leverage in the contract negotiations. Dak has a huge lever in that $50+ million guaranteed in 2022. The Cowboys need to either get a long term deal done or move on. If they move on, good luck finding another Dak. He was rewriting the record books this year. Dak will get his money. The only question is does he get it from the Cowboys or someone else?

In some ways, the injury can help his contract bid. Andy Dalton is a decent backup, but he's not Dak. Dak got injured at his peak this season. He was bound to slump later on. That Cowboy defense is such a mess also that it's not hard to see the Cowboys just winning five or maybe six games. The Cowboys were in the playoff hunt when Dak went down. They probably won't be there for long. Dak was on a pace to rewrite the QB record books. Andy Dalton won't be on that same pace. (Given the state of the Cowboys o-line, Andy Dalton may be knocked out fairly soon.) 

Dak will do fine. Either he'll get his money from the Cowboys or someone else. If JJ tries to put in language Dak's agent doesn't approve of, Dak just won't sign. With that $50+ million tag looming in 2022 the Cowboys need to get this thing settled or move on. If they move on, they'll look like the world's biggest dummies.

[teganslaw]

There will be no Pro Bowl next year. Fans can still vote, so the best/favorite players will get recognized, but they won't take the field. I don't know what the plans are for players who are voted in; the NFL hasn't released information on that yet. 

Phillip Rivers has a no trade clause in his contract, so if the Colts take on another QB, it probably won't affect him. They would trade one of their backups, but I don't see it happening anytime soon. Reich is committed to Rivers and hasn't changed his position.