IN
AN ATTEMPT TO KEEP THINGS FAIR HERE I WILL BE SPEAKING ON THREE TEAMS IN BOTH
THE AFC AS WELL AS THE NFC FOR THE TEAMS THAT I BELIEVE STILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL
OF MAKING A PLAYOFF PUSH BY THE SEASON’S END.
FIRST, I WILL LIST FOUR TEAMS THAT WILL NOT BE MENTIONED IN THIS
PARTICULAR ARTICLE, HOWEVER, COULD ALSO TURN THINGS AROUND TO GET INTO A FUTURE
ON THE BUBBLE ARTICLE IN THE NEXT HANDFUL OF WEEKS AHEAD.
CHICAGO
BEARS
MIAMI DOLPHINS
SEATTLE
SEAHAWKS
DALLAS
COWBOYS
6)
NEW YORK JETS-
THE NEW YORK JETS ARE MY NUMBER 6 TEAM
OF A GROUP OF TEAMS THAT I BELIEVE ARE ON THE BUBBLE OF A POTENTIAL PLAYOFF PUSH. AS WE ARE APPROACHING WEEK 10 OF THE NFL
SEASON, I DO BELIEVE THAT THIS TEAM IS THE LEAST LIKLEY OF MY 6 PICKS. FOR ONE, THE JETS ALREADY HAVE 6 LOSSES ON
THE SEASON, THEY DID JUST BEAT THE HOUSTON TEXANS, AFC SOUTH CURRENT LEADERS. THE THING IS, THE JETS ALREADY LOST TO BOTH
THE DENVER BRONCOS IN HEARTBREAKING FASHION BACK IN WEEK 4. IN THIS GAME RODGERS AND HIS OFFENSIVE WERE
NOT ABLE TO DO ANYTHING AND WERE ESSENTIALLY STALEMATED. I WILL GIVE THEM THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT,
SEEING AS TO HOW THEY DID NOT YET TRADE FOR RECEIVER DAVANTE ADAMS. THE FACT THAT THEY DID LOSE THIS GAME STILL
HURTS THEM IN THE RANKINGS, ESPECIALLY IF THEY WIND UP TIED WITH DENVER AFTER
WEEK 18 ENDS WITH THE TIE BREAKER GOING TO DENVER BRONCOS.
ANOTHER MARK THAT COULD ALSO WIND UP
HURTING THEM IS THE LOSS TO THE PITTSBURGH STEELERS IN WEEK 7. AT THE MOMENT THE STEELERS ARE 6-2 AND IN
FIRST IN THE AFC NORTH. IT IS ASSUMED
THAT THIS MAY NOT BE SUSTAINABLE AND THAT THEY WILL EVENTUALLY SLIDE DOWN TO
THE SECOND PLACE TEAM IN THAT DIDVISION.
IN ANY MATTER THEY DO CURRENTLY HAVE 3 MORE WINS ALONG WITH 4 LESS
LOSSES THAN NEW YORK. IF SOMEWAY SOMEHOW
THIS JETS TEAM PULLS A RABBIT OUT OF THEIR HATS AND RUNS THE TABLE IN THE
SECOND HALF OF THE YEAR THIS LOSS COULD STILL BE PERTINENT TO WHETHER OR NOT
THEY MAKE IT TO THE POSTSEASON.
LASTLY, I WILL LEAVE YOU WITH THESE
THOUGHTS THAT ARE PRETTY IMPORTANT TO THE JETS SUCCESS GOING FORWARD. UP NEXT FOR THE JETS IS THE ARIZONA
CARDINALS. RODGERS PROBABALY IS LOOKING
PAST THIS KYLER MURRAY LED TEAM, BUT THIS WILD CARD TYPE TEAM COULD POTENTIALLY
BE THE DOWNFALL OF THE JETS SEASON.
ARIZONA HAS BEEN ONE OF THE HOTTEST TEAMS IN THE PAST SEVERAL WEEKS NOW,
WINNING THEIR LAST FOUR OUT OF FIVE GAMES, WHILE PLAYING BETTER DEFENSE AND
HOLDING TWO OF THEIR LAST THREE OPPONENTS TO 15 OR LESS POINTS (CHARGERS &
BEARS). FURTHERMORE, THEY STILL HAVE
MATCHUPS WITH THE COLTS ON SUNDAY NIGHT IN WEEK 11, THE SEEMINGLY SPIRALLING
SEAHAWKS, DIVISIONAL RIVAL DOLPHINS TWICE, THE ASCENDING RAMS, PLUS THE BUFFALO
BILLS ONCE AGAIN. THEY ARE NOT HANGING
IT UP YET, BUT ONE THING IS FOR SURE, THEY HAVE THE TOUGHEST CHALLENGE TO MAKE
IT BACK ONTO THE PLAYOFF PYRAMID THIS SEASON.
5)
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS-
TO BE CLEAR, MUCH LIKE THE NEW YORK JETS
POSSIBLE CHANCES OF MAKING A PLAYOFF RUN, I ALSO AM NOT TOO KEEN ON THE COLTS
ABILITIES TO BECOME A PLAYOFF TEAM THIS SEASON.
I RANKED THEM AS THE NUMBER 5 TEAM ON MY LIST FOR THE REASON THAT THEY
ARE CURRENTLY A 4-5 TEAM THAT IS SITTING IN 8TH PLACE IN THE
AMERICAN FOOTBALL CONFERENCE WITH ONLY THE DENVER BRONCOS IN THEIR WAY TOWARDS
A POTENTIAL PATH TO POST SEASON PLAY. UPON
WRITING THIS DETAILED LIST OF TEAMS THAT ARE ON THE BUBBLE, THE FOOTBALL GODS
STRUCK LIGHTENING LAST NIGHT SEVERAL TIMES ON THE COLTS OFFENSE, PARALYZING JOE
FLACCO AND COMPANY, CAUSING THEM TO LOOK QUITE INEPT. IN A GAME THAT CAME A WEEK AFTER THE COLTS
FORMER FIRST ROUND PICK FROM THE 2023 NFL DRAFT (QB ANTHONY RICHARDSON) WAS
BENCHED FOR THE REST OF THE SEASON IN FAVOR OF, STILL TALENTED, VETERAN
QUARTERBACK JOE FLACCO. LAST NIGHT THE COLT’S
OFFENSE WAS BASICALLY DORMANT. INDY
POSSESSED THE BALL FOR OVER 23 MINUTES, WERE PENALIZED 7 TIMES FOR 50 YARDS AND
ACCUMULATED A TOTAL OF 227 YARDS ON OFFENSE WHILE SCORING JUST 13 POINTS.
THE COLTS ARE 3-3 ON THE SEASON IN THE
AFC, NOT GREAT. THEY HOLD A RECORD OF
1-3 IN THEIR OWN DIVISION, ALSO NOT GREAT, CERTAINLY WHEN TWO OF THE WORST TEAMS
LEAGUEWIDE ARE IN THE SAME DIVISION AS YOU IN THE JAGUARS AND THE TITANS. OF THEIR FOUR WINS TO DATE, THE ONLY TWO THAT
ARE SLIGHTLY IMPRESSIVE COME AGAINST THE STEELERS IN A CLOSE THREE POINT
VICTORY AS WELL AS A FIVE POINT WIN OVER A VERY GOOD DEFFENSIVE CHICAGO BEARS
TEAM. THE GOOD NEWS IS I COULD SEE A WAY
THAT THEY POSSIBLY WRAP THE SEASON UP WITH VICTORIES IN 5 WINNABLE MATCHUPS
DOWN THE STRETCH. THEY WILL MORE THAN
LIKLEY LOSE TO THE BILLS, LIONS, AND QUITE POSSIBLY THE DENVER BRONCOS WITH THE
WAY THEIR DEFENSE PLAYS BALL. THE
WINNABLE GAMES AHEAD COULD BE WHEN THEY PLAY BOTH THE JAGS AND TITANS AGAIN,
THE GIANTS, THE PATRIOTS, MAYBE EVEN A WIN AT NEW YORK IN WEEK 11 WHEN THE PLAY
THE JETS ON SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL.
WHO KNOWS HOW THINGS WILL UNRAVEL OVER
THE SECOND HALF OF THE SEASON AND WHO KNOWS IF FLACCO COMPLETELY TURNS THE
FORTUNES OF THESE INDIANAPOLIS COLTS AROUND.
EVEN THOUGH THE TEAM HAS DECIDED TO MOVE FORWARD WITH JOE FLACCO AND
BENCH THE YOUNG, TALENTED ANTHONY RICHARDSON, I DON’T THINK THAT IT IS 100% OUT
OF THE QUESTION TO MAYBE REVISIT THAT MOVE AT SOME POINT LATER THIS
SEASON. FOR NOW, I HAVE THE COLTS HERE
IN KIND OF THE GRAY AREA OF A POTENTIAL PLAYOFF TEAM, BUT BOY IS THE ROAD AHEAD
A BUMPY ONE FOR COLTS AND HEAD COACH SHANE STEICHEN. I WISH THE HORSESHOE A WHOLE LOT OF LUCK, BECAUSE
WITHOUT ANDREW LUCK IT HASN’T BEEN PRETTY FOR INDY, LEAVING MANY FANS HOPE THAT
THEY CAN GARNER SOME TO GET BACK TO MID JANUARY GAMEPLAY.
4)
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS-
TAMPA BAY STARTED THE 2024 SEASON ON
FIRE. LET ME REMIND YOU THAT THEY NOT ONLY BEAT THE WASHINGTON COMMMANDERS,
THOUGH IT DIDN’T SEEM LIKE A BIG WIN AT THE TIME, I MEAN IT WAS WASHINGTON. HERE’S THE THING, SINCE WEEK ONE’S LOSS TO
TAMPA, THE COMMANDERS HAVE BEEN ONE OF THE BEST TEAMS IN THE LEAGUE AND ARE NOW
7-2, SITTING IN SECOND PLACE IN THE NFC WITH ONLY THE LIONS ABOVE THEM IN THE
RANKINGS. WHICH BRINGS ME TO MY NEXT
POINT. THE BUCCANEERS ALSO BEAT THE
DETROIT LIONS IN WEEK TWO AND IT IS STILL THE ONLY BLEMISH ON THE LIONS RECORD
TO DATE. THEY DID HOWEVER FALL VICTIM TO
THE DENVER BRONCOS DEFENSE AND LOST TO ATLANTA TWICE. IN BETWEEN THOSE LOSSES TO ATLANTA, THEY ALSO
BEAT TO THE PHILADELPHIA EAGLES.
TAMPA IS MY NUMBER 4 TEAM ON THIS LIST SIMPLY
BECAUSE THEY ARE CURRENTLY 4-4 (PRIOR TO MONDAY NIGHTS MATCHUP WITH KC) AND
RIGHT NOW SIT IN 8TH PLACE IN THE NFC, AHEAD OF THE LOS ANGELES
RAMS, CHICAGO BEARS, AND SAN FRAN 49ERS.
THEY ONLY HAVE ONE MORE LOSS THAN THE GREEN BAY PACKERS AND ARE ONLY TWO
LOSSES BEHIND THE EAGLES. THIS BODES WELL
FOR THE BUCCS IF IT WERE TO COME DOWN TO A SCENARIO IN WEEK 18 WHERE THEY END
UP BEING TIED WITH PHILADELPHIA. IN WHICH
CASE THEY WOULD PROCEED INTO THE PLAYOFF PICTURE, OF COURSE OWNING A TIE
BREAKER OVER THE EAGLES. AT THE SAME
TIME IF THEY WERE TO LOSE TO KC TONIGHT IT WILL DROP THEM DOWN TO 11TH
PLACE IN THE CONFERENCE AND THEY WILL HAVE A LOT OF CATCHING UP TO DO TO GET
BACK INTO THE THICK OF THINGS.
HERE’S THE BIGGEST REASON WHY THE FANS
OF TAMPA SHOULDN’T JUST THROW AWAY THEIR BUCCANEERS GEAR AND CALL IT QUITS JUST
YET. THEY DO HAVE TO PLAY THE CHIEFS
TONIGHT AS WELL AS HOST THE 49ERS NEXT WEEK, (RUNNING BACK CHRISTIAN MCCAFFREY
EXPECTED TO BE BACK) AFTER THAT IT COULD POSSIBLY BE SMOOTH SAILING FROM THAT
POINT ON. THE REST OF TAMPA’S SCHEDULE SEEMS
LIKE ONE OF THE EASIEST IN THE ENTIRE LEAGUE, HAVING TO PLAY THEIR DIVISION RIVAL
PANTHERS TWICE, NEW YORK GIANTS, THE ROUGH RAIDERS, NEW ORLEANS, THE CHARGERS,
AND THE INCOMPETENT COWBOYS. NOW DON’T
GET ME WRONG THE COWBOYS AND THE CHARGERS COULD BOTH WIND UP BEING TOUGHER
ADVERSARIES THAN I ACCREDIT THEM TO BE; I JUST THINK THAT TAMPA (EVEN WITHOUT
THEIR TOP TWO WEAPONS) SHOULD BE ABLE TO BEAT BOTH OF THOSE TEAMS. DALLAS HAS LOOKED WORSE AND WORSE EACH AND
EVERY WEEK STILL HAVING A BUNCH OF PLAYERS HURT ON THEIR DEFENSE ALONG WITH AN
O-LINE THAT HAS JUST NOT BEEN GOOD. ON
THE OTHER HAND, THE CHARGERS ONLY HAVE THREE LOSSES NOW BUT ARE REALLY JUST
BEATING THE TEAMS THAT YOU’D EXPECT THEM TO BEAT AND HAVE’NT REALLY SHOWN THAT
THEY’D BE ABLE TO HANDLE ANY OF THE TOP TEAMS AS OF YET.
3)
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS-
SAN FRAN MAY HAVE A PROBLEM, A BIG
PROBLEM. THE KNOWN ABOUT THEM IS THAT
THEY HAVE BEEN PLAGUED WITH INJURIES ALL YEAR LONG ON BOTH SIDES OF THE
BALL. APPARENTLY, THEY WILL BE GETTING
SUPERSTAR RUNNING BACK CHRISTIAN MCCAFFREY BACK FOR NEXT WEEKS GAME AGAINST THE
BUCCANEERS. I GUESS THAT IS THE GOOD
NEWS FOR THIS TEAM, HOWEVER WILL THAT REALLY CHANGE THEIR DESTINIES FOR THE
REST OF THIS SEASON? TO BE
DETERMINED. ONE THING IS FOR SURE, THIS
IS GOING TO BE ONE HECK OF AN UPHILL BATTLE FOR THE NINERS. SAN FRAN HAS ALREADY LOST 2 DIVISION GAMES AT
THE HANDS OF BOTH THE RAMS AND CARDINALS.
BOTH OF THESE TEAMS HAVE LOOKED BETTER THAN THE NINERS SO FAR THIS
SEASON AND SAN FRAN IS CURRENTLY THIRD IN THE NFC WEST.
THE NINERS HAVE ALSO LOST 3 GAMES IN THE
CONFERENCE ALONG WITH GOING 1-2 IN THEIR DIVISION. IT COULD BE GETTING WORSE AS THEY FACE SOME
TOUGH SLEDDING AHEAD. THEY HAVE THREE
DIVISIONAL GAMES REMANING, ONE WITH EACH OF THEIR RIVALS IN THE NFC WEST. WHILE ALL THREE OF THOSE GAMES WILL PROVIDE
TOUGH CHALLENGES FOR THIS KYLE SHANAHAN COACHED TEAM, THEY ALSO HAVE DIFFICULT
TOP TIER OPPONENTS IN BOTH CONFERENCES LEFT TO PLAY. I ALREADY ALLUDED TO THE FACT THAT THEY WILL
PLAY TAMPA BAY NEXT WEEK WHEN THEY GET BACK FROM THEIR BYE WEEK. OTHER TOUGH MATCHUPS WILL COME WHEN THEY PLAY
THE PACKERS, BUFFALO, CHICAGO, DETROIT, AND THE RAMS. THEY WILL ALSO BE HEADING TO MIAMI IN WEEK 16,
THOUGH I DON’T BELIEVE THIS TO BE THEIR TOUGHEST CONTEST, BUT IN THE NFL IT’S A
WEEK-BY-WEEK LEAGUE AND ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN ANY GIVEN SUNDAY.
SOMETHING THAT SHOULD ALSO BE SAID IS
THE FACT THAT THIS 49ERS TEAM HAS HAD A LOT OF SUCCESS AS OF THE LAST SEVERAL
SEASONS NOW. I’M POINTING THAT OUT FOR
THE FACT THAT IT IS VERY UNUSAL TO HAVE A TEAM MAKE IT TO THE SUPERBOWL OR
CHAMPIONSHIP GAME, GOING UNSCAVED FOR SO MANY YEARS. EVENTUALLY THE WEAR AND TEAR WILL INEVITABLY
CATCH UP TO YOU NO MATTER WHO YOU ARE OR HOW GOOD YOU MAY BE. THIS HAS ALREADY STARTED TO TAKE A TOLL FOR
THE NINERS THROUGHOUT THIS SEASON, AS THEY HAVE HAD A PLETHORTA OF INJURIES. IT IS NOT OVER UNTIL IT IS OVER BUT KEEPING THAT
IN MIND, THIS TEAM HAS NOW MADE IT TO AT LEAST THE NFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME FOUR
TIMES WITHIN THE PAST FIVE SEASONS, INCLUDING THE LAST THREE CONSECUTIVELY. WHEN YOU PLAY 21-22 WEEKS OF FOOTBALL THAT
MANY TIMES IN THAT SHORT TIMESPAN, AS I SAID ABOVE IT WILL UNDOUBTEDLY CATCH UP
WITH YOU SOON ENOUGH. THIS IS DEFINITELY
A RELENTLESS TEAM AND I SEE NO QUIT IN THEM, THOUGH I THINK THAT THESE NINERS
WILL RUN OUT OF STEAM WITH THIS GRUELING SLATE OF GAMES THAT THEY STILL HAVE
REMANING FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR.
2)
CINCINNATI BENGALS-
WHO DEY GONNA BEAT THEM BENGALS, WHO DEY? THUS FAR CINCINNATI HAS BEEN THE ANSWER TO
THEIR OWN BIGGEST QUESTION. SURE, WHEN
YOU DISECT THEIR SCHEDULE YOU SEE THEY LOST TO KANSAS CITY, I MEAN IT IS THE
CHIEFS. THIS GAME ALSO HAD A CONTROVERSIAL
CALL THAT PRETTY MUCH SOWED UP THE WIN FOR KC.
THAT BEING SAID, THE BENGALS SHOULD’VE WON THIS MATCHUP, IT WAS A ONE-POINT
LOSS AND THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR IT. EVEN
WORSE WAS THEIR OPENING GAME WHEN THEY LOST TO THE NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS AT
HOME. REALLY? UGHH, IT HAPPENED SO LET’S
JUST MOVE ON, HOWEVER IT COULD END UP KEEPING THEM OUT OF THE POSTSEASON. THAT MATCHUP IS SUPPOSED TO BE AN EASY WIN TO
START THE SEASON OFF AND A TALLY IN THE WIN COLOUMN IN AFC CONFERENCE PLAY.
CINCINNATI HAS STARTED THE SEASON 2-3 IN
AFC CONFERENCE GAMES AND STILL HAVE SEVEN MORE REMAINING. THEY STILL HAVE ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO BEAT
THE RAVENS IN PRIMETIME THIS UPCOMING THURSDAY NIGHT. I CAN’T EXPRESS ENOUGH HOW CRUCIAL THIS GAME IS
FOR THE BENGALS. THIS COULD WIND UP BEING
THE GAME THAT POSSIBLY CHANGES THEIR SEASON WHETHER FOR GOOD OR BAD, WE WILL
SEE IN JUST A FEW DAYS. AS OF NOW THEY
ARE 1-1 IN THE AFC NORTH DIVISION GAMES, BEATING THE BROWNS WHILE JUST BARELY LOSING
THEIR FIRST GAME WITH THE RAVENS. AFTER
THEY PLAY THURSDAY NIGHTS AFC NORTH BATTLE THE BENGALS STILL HAVE THREE MORE
DIVISION GAMES, TWO WITH THE STEELERS AND ONE MORE AGAINST CLEVELAND. THEY ALSO HAVE TWO OPPONENTS TO FACE FROM THE
AFC WEST. THE CURRENT 6 & 7 SEEDED
TEAMS IN THE PLAYOFF PICTURE, THE LOS ANGELES CHARGERS ON THE ROAD. PLUS, A HOME GAME THAT COULD ALSO BE A
POTENTIAL PATH OR ROADBLOCK TO A PLAYOFF BERTH AGAINST THE DENVER BRONCOS. S0 IN MY PERSONAL OPINION THEY HAVE 5 TOUGHER
GAMES REMAINING WHILE THREE OTHERS IN THE COWBOYS, TITANS, AND BROWNS SHOULD
PROVE TO BE EASIER ONES.
THEIR DESTINY FOR THIS SEASON WILL BE
WHAT THEY MAKE OF IT. THEY HAVE TO GET
BETTER ON BOTH SIDES OF THE BALL, ESPECIALLY DEFENSIVELY. THE DEFENSE HAS HURT THEM NUMEROUS TIMES THIS
YEAR AND HAVE BEEN THE NUMBER ONE REASON FOR THREE OUT OF THEIR FIVE LOSSES. THE OFFENSE HAS CERTAINLY PLAYED BETTER THAN
THE DEFENSE, THOUGH IT DID COST THEM ON OPENING WEEKEND, ONLY SCORING 10 POINTS
TO A PRETTY BAD NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS TEAM.
I AM ALSO SURPRISED THAT THE BENGALS AND BURROW WERE SOMEHOW HELD TO JUST
17 POINTS IN EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY IN A MONDAY NIGHT MATCHUP WITH THE NEW
YORK GIANTS. NONETHELESS, I HAVE THEM RANKED
NUMBER 2 ON MY LIST BECAUSE THEY ARE ONLY TWO SPOTS BACK FROM THE SEVEN SEED
AND HAVE ONLY ONE MORE LOSS, PLACING THEM IN DECENT POSITION OF POSSIBLY SQUEAKING
INTO THE POSTSEASON.
1) 1) LOS ANGELES RAMS-
AS YOU CAN SEE MY NUMBER ONE RANKED TEAM
IS THE LOS ANGELES RAMS. COMING INTO
THIS SEASON I HONESTLY THOUGHT THAT WE COULD POSSIBLY SEE THE RAMS BEING A
PLAYOFF TEAM. THEY STILL HAVE ONE OF THE
SMARTEST OFFENSIVE MINDED COACHES IN HEAD COACH SEAN MCVAY, THEY STILL HAVE ONE
OF THE BEST QUARTERBACKS IN ALL OF FOOTBALL IN MATTHEW STAFFORD, PLUS THEIR
SKILLED POSITIONS CONSIST OF SOME OF THE BEST PLAYERS IN THE ENTIRE NFL. THE PLAYMAKERS ON THIS OFFENSE ARE TRULY
INCREDIBLE. FROM SUPERSTAR WIDEOUT
COOPER KUPP, TO SECOND YEAR RECEIVER PUKA NACUA, THEY COULD QUITE POSSIBLY POSSESS
THE BEST WIDE RECEIVER TANDEM LEAGUEWIDE.
I CAN’T FORGET TO MENTION THE VERSATILE RUNNING BACK, KYREN
WILLIAMS. IT IS NO STRETCH OF THE
IMAGINATION TO CALL HIM A TOP TEN, MAYBE EVEN TOP FIVE RUNNER IN THE LEAGUE
THIS YEAR. HE CAN PRODUCE AT A HIGH
LEVEL AS BOTH A RUSHER AND PASS CATCHER AND RUNS THROUGH DEFENDERS.
THE REASON WHY THEY ARE CURRENTLY ON THE
OUTSIDE LOOKING IN IS, FOR ONE, MUCH LIKE THE 49ERS, THEY HAVE ALSO DEALT WITH
A TON OF INJURIES. IN WEEK ONE THEY LOST
ONE WIDEOUT, PUKA NUCUA TO A KNEE INJURY.
HE WAS OUT FOR SEVERAL WEEK ON THEIR INJURED RESERVE LIST. WEEK TWO THEY ENDED UP LOSING THEIR OTHER TOP
OPTION IN COOPER KUPP WHO ALSO LANDED ON THE IR LIST. PLUS, AS IF THAT WASN’T ENOUGH, THEY ALSO HAD
THREE OF THEIR OFFENSIVE LINEMEN THAT WENT DOWN DUE TO INJURIES. WEEK ONE, UPON THEM LOSING NACUA, THEY LOST A
VERY CLOSE GAME TO THE DETROIT LIONS IN OVERTIME. THAT IS HUGE, IT TOOK FIVE QUARTERS FOR THE
NFC’S CURRENT NUMBER ONE TEAM TO TAKE DOWN THE RAMS.
THEIR SECOND GAME WENT COMPLETLEY
DIFFERENT, GETTING BLOWNOUT TO THE ARIZONA CARDINALS 41-10. THE RAMS ARE 3-4 IN THE NFC SO FAR BUT THE
GOOD NEWS IS THAT THEY ARE 2-1 IN THE NFC WEST.
THE GAMES THAT THEY LOST ARE COMPLETLEY UNDERSTANDABLE. THEY’VE LOST TO THEIR RIVAL CARDINALS, A TEAM
THAT IS FIRST IN THEIR DIVISON, THE CHICAGO BEARS WHO POSSESS A VERY STOUT
DEFENSE, AND AN EXTREMELY GOOD GREEN BAY PACKERS TEAM, PLUS AS I FOREMENTIONED,
THE DETROIT LIONS. THE LIONS, IN MY
BELIEF ARE THE BEST TEAM IN THE NFL SO FAR THIS SEASON. NOTHING AGAINST THE CHIEFS, BUT THEY HAVE ONLY
PLAYED ONE ELITE TEAM THIS SEASON.
HERE'S THE FUN PART WHERE I RUNDOWN THE
REST OF THEIR SCHEDULE AND POINT OUT THAT THE RAMS HAVE ONE OF THE MOST
FAVORABLE SCHEDULES GOING FORWARD. OK,
SO THE RAMS PLAY THE WHOLE AFC EAST, WHERE I BELIEVE, THEY MAY ONLY LOSE TO ONE
OF THOSE TEAMS (BUFFALO). THEY ALSO HAVE
TO PLAY THREE MORE DIVISIONAL GAMES, ONE AGAINST ALL THREE OF THEIR
COMPETITORS. AT MOST, I THINK THEY COULD
POTENTIALLY DROP ONE OR TWO GAMES THERE.
OTHER THAN THAT, THEY ONLY HAVE TWO OTHER GAMES WITH THE NEW ORLEANS
SAINTS (EASY WIN) AND THE OTHER COULD GIVE THEM A CHALLENGE, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE
THE NFC NORTH SEEMS LIKE THEY COULD PRODUCE THREE PLAYOFF TEAMS THIS
SEASON. THE GAME THAT COULD WIND UP
BEING THEIR MOST MEANINGFUL MATCHUP (OUTSIDE OF THEIR DIVISION GAMES) IS WHEN
THEY HOST THE PHILADELPHIA EAGLES ON SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL IN WEEK 12. YES, THEY WILL STILL HAVE THEIR THREE NFC
WEST RIVALARY GAMES AFTER THAT, BUT THEY CANNOT OVERLOOK WHAT A WIN OR LOSS IN
THAT GAME COULD MEAN TO THEIR POSTSEASON HOPES COME SEASONS END. I HONESTLY LIKE THE RAMS ODDS OF RUNNING THE
TABLE AND MAKING A VERY STRONG PUSH FOR THE 7TH SEED. WHETHER THAT MEANS THEY WIND UP PUSHING THE
VIKINGS, PACKERS, OR EAGLES, OUT OF THE PLAYOFF PICTURE, REMAINS TO BE SEEN BUT
I LIKE THEIR CHANCES.
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