Games of the Week

 


Week 14 of the NFL Season is the final week for byes, seeing six teams off this week. That leaves a smaller Sunday schedule but it still has some exceptional and important matchups. Below are my picks for the week.

Sunday Early Games:
New York Jets (7-5) at Buffalo Bills (9-3)
About: Things broke right for the Bills in Week 13. They finally won a game in the AFC East, while the Dolphins and Chiefs lost. That puts the Bills back in front in the AFC. But to stay there, they need to keep winning inside a loaded division. When the Bills first met the Jets this season in New York, it was the Jets that got the win. Now, the Bills have a chance to even things up with a win at home. The Jets, meanwhile, moved to Mike White two weeks ago. While the team is just 1-1 since the move, the pass offense has gotten a big lift. If the young Jets want to make the playoffs, they need to keep winning. This one has a lot of big stakes in the AFC playoff picture.

Sunday Late Games:
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-6) at San Francisco 49ers (8-4)
About: This one has massive implications in the NFC. This is a battle of two division leaders who are jockeying for position, and even trying to secure the division. Both have dealt with major injuries that have hurt the team. The Buccaneers’ offensive line woes have led to a difficult season spent hovering below and around .500. The 49ers, meanwhile, went all in to make a Super Bowl run. Now, both Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo have been lost for the season. That means Seventh Round pick Brock Purdy or journeyman Josh Johnson will have to carry the load at quarterback. This should be a fascinating battle in San Francisco.

Sunday Night Game:
Miami Dolphins (8-4) at Los Angeles Chargers (6-6)
About: The NFL flexed this game into Prime Time to spare America another go around with the woeful Denver Broncos. This one is a better game, featuring two AFC teams that are on the hunt for a playoff berth. Both are coming off difficult and disappointing losses in Week 13. The Chargers slipped to 6-6 after a division loss to the Raiders. The Dolphins, meanwhile, saw a win streak snapped in San Francisco. Both are chasing teams in their division and need wins to stay in the playoff picture. That puts plenty of pressure on both teams as we get to Sunday night’s battle.

Upset of the Week:
Detroit Lions (5-7) OVER Minnesota Vikings (10-2)
About: Believe it or not, but the 5-7 Lions aren’t yet out of the playoff race. The Lions’ offense seems to be kicking into gear at the right time, with Jamaal Williams running hard, Amon-Ra St. Brown doing his thing and Jameson Williams now active. The Vikings, meanwhile, lead the NFC North and are in a race for the NFC’s top seed. At 10-2, a win Sunday would lock up the division. There are plenty of high stakes when these two division rivals meet Sunday in Detroit. Expect some fun fireworks.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Now Playing

Image
  It was an interesting week for new releases in theaters. Below is my take on the two big theatrical films from the weekend. You can keep up with everything I’m watching by following me on Letterboxd @knighthawk7734. Boy Kills World (Theaters) Starring : Bill Skarsgard, Jessica Rothe, Famke Janssen, Brett Gellman, and Michelle Dockery Synopsis : We have seen a lot of action films this year. Many have featured violent sequences, but some have been more artful than others. The new film, Boy Kills World, provides plenty of violence. It’s right there in the title. But where it falls short is in building something compelling beyond the killing spree. We’re introduced to a Boy (Skarsgard) early in the film. He tells us that his world is ruled by the Van Der Koy family, whose head, Hilda (Janssen) keeps the people in line through an annual Culling, where she kills “enemies.” Our protagonist’s mother and sister were among her victims. The Boy barely survived; saved by the Shaman (Yayan Ru...
Read more

Now Playing

Image
  It was a solid week for new releases, including my favorite animated film of the year. You can keep up with everything I’m watching by following me on Letterboxd @knighthawk7734.  Brats (Hulu) Synopsis : From Andrew McCarthy, this new documentary takes a look at the infamous Brat Pack. The film features interviews with the members as they look back at the title that branded them and helped define some of their career. As a member of the group, McCarthy brings a unique perspective. Often the interviews, with actors such as Emilio Estevez, Rob Lowe, Timothy Hutton, and Demi Moore, among others, feels more like old friends catching up. There’s a sweetness and a lightness to the documentary that is incredibly appealing. The film does a good job of capturing the highs and lows, and helping these actors and actresses give an account of what the pressure of that time—and these high-profile films—meant in their lives and their careers. As a child of the 1980s, I was fascinating by t...
Read more

Fall TV Roundup, Week 16

Image
  It’s Christmas week, and you might find yourself looking for some distractions in the form of new shows to check out. But which are worth checking out? Let this weekly post be your guide as I review the pilot and second episode of new shows this Fall. Don’t see a new show listed below? Check previous weeks. Tuesdays: American Auto, Tuesdays at 8 p.m. on NBC (Premiered December 13) About: A lot was made of the fact NBC, former home of Must-See TV, launched a schedule this Fall with no sitcoms. NBC isn’t planning to do the same in the winter, and they got a jump start to close the year, offering two-episode previews of a pair of new sitcoms that will begin their normal runs in January. The first, American Auto , comes from Superstore creator Justin Spitzer and centers on a new CEO (Ana Gasteyer) at a car company. She doesn’t come from the world of cars but is trying to effect positive changes. I thought the first two episodes were funny and definitely filled the Superstore vib...
Read more