The NFL Network has claimed for itself another scintillating affair this Thursday Night as the woeful Browns head to Pittsburgh for a public beating. Should be great TV for all Steeler fans.
And the NFC North race won’t get any clearer, for the Ravens -- who are tied atop the division with Pittsburgh at 9-3 (though Baltimore holds the tie-breaker) -- get to host the winless Colts. Indy’s only hope here is the occasion inconsistency that marked the Ravens earlier in the season. Frankly, though, I expect both Baltimore and Pittsburgh to go into Week 15 knotted up at 10-3.
Meanwhile, at the other end of the weekend, ESPN doesn’t have anything much better than the NFL Network again. Monday night Football this week pits the 2-10 Rams against the 5-7 Seahawks. Not sure how to make that one interesting.
And so, once again this week, it is NBC and the Sunday Night Football crew who get the good contest. The 6-6 Giants are spiraling downward with four consecutive losses. On the other hand, they looked awfully good against Green Bay, and so they head into Sunday Night with reason to feel good about themselves. Their opponents -- and chief competition in the NFC East, the Dallas Cowboys -- do not have reason to feel good about themselves, however. They mangled the end of last week’s disastrous loss to the Cardinals, and I have to think that there are some lingering issues there. Does the coach trust his quarterback? And, after last Sunday, will the team trust their coach? A few years back (before he actually became a head coach, that is), Jason Garrett was the golden child. Right now, he’s the kid in the corner with the dunce cap on.
The Giants and Cowboys play each other twice in these final five weeks, and so each team has its fate very much in its own hands.
Meanwhile, those same Cardinals who upset the Cowboys get to futz with the NFC playoff picture again this weekend when they host the 49ers. San Francisco has locked up the NFC West, but their playoff seeding is still very much in question. Can they catch up with the Packers from two games behind? Probably not. But the Saints, who are only one game behind the 49ers, can certainly catch San Francisco for that coveted #2 seed. So both teams have to keep their pedal to the metal -- and no one has been doing that better lately than the Saints.
New Orleans heads to Tennessee this week to play a team that has really begun to pull itself together in recent weeks. I wouldn’t give the Titans a chance if the game were being played in New Orleans. And I don’t even give them much of a chance playing at home. Still, the truth is that the Saints should face a somewhat tougher test this week than the 49ers.
Elsewhere, the Falcons have put themselves in an interesting position. As we mentioned earlier, all the mid-level teams in the NFC lost last week, and several of the third-tier teams won, giving the latter an extra glimmer of hope. So it is that the 4-8 Panthers actually have something besides pride to play for when they host the stumbling Falcons. This could be an interesting battle: perhaps a contest between the past and the future of the NFC South.
Meanwhile, was it Bill Parcells who always said that you are what your record is? I think that analysis requires more nuance, for one of this Sunday’s match-ups features the 4-8 Dolphins playing the 4-8 Eagles. They have the same records, but they are not at all the same teams. Miami has played hard and been competitive every week, including a significant upset or two. The Eagles, on the other hand, have been the poster child for an underperforming and troubled unit. I suspect Philly has more talent, but I expect Miami to win the game.
The Lions and Bears both lost last week, and so they remain tied at 7-5. The wild card race is a pretty crowded field. The Bears have been ruined by injuries to major players, while the Lions are practically in a free-fall. Someone has to turn it around, and I’m guessing that (for one week, at least) it will be Detroit. The Vikings come to town this Sunday, and I just don’t think they have enough going for them this season to get the job done. The Bears, on the other hand, have to take what’s left of their team to Denver to face Tebow-mania. I’m still not sure how good the Broncos are. They were sure awful in Lambeau a number of weeks ago! But they’re hot now, they’re tied for first in their division, and they’re hosting a team that managed only 3 points against the Chiefs last week.
Finally, we come to the game of greatest significance to us -- the Oakland Raiders’ visit to Lambeau Field. Green Bay allows 4 fewer points per game and scores 12 more points per game. The Packers just won in New York while the Raiders just lost in Miami. Green Bay has won 5 more games this season than Oakland, and they’re playing at home, while the Raiders are on-the-road for the second week in a road. In short, all arrows point toward a Packer win.
I have no doubt that if both teams played their best game, Green Bay would win. And I think we’ve demonstrated that even when we do not play our best game, we still win. And so, while I can’t predict whether we’ll play up to our potential this Sunday, I do fully expect us to win. Lucky 13, baby!
| TEAM | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | % |
| GB 12-0 | OAK 7-5 | KC 5-7 | CHI 7-5 | DET 7-5 | .542 |
| SF 10-2 | ARI 5-7 | PIT 9-3 | SEA 5-7 | STL 2-10 | .437 |
| DET 7-5 | MIN 2-10 | OAK 7-5 | SD 5-7 | GB 12-0 | .542 |
| CHI 7-5 | DEN 7-5 | SEA 5-7 | GB 12-0 | MIN 2-10 | .542 |
| NO 9-3 | TEN 7-5 | MIN 2-10 | ATL 7-5 | CAR 4-8 | .417 |
| ATL 7-5 | CAR 4-8 | JAX 3-9 | NO 9-3 | TB 4-8 | .417 |
| DAL 7-5 | NYG 6-6 | TB 4-8 | PHI 4-8 | NYG 6-6 | .417 |
| NYG 6-6 | DAL 7-5 | WASH 4-8 | NYJ 7-5 | DAL 7-5 | .521 |
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