JO_75
Hall of Famer
Saturday Games
Chiefs @ Raiders: Someone should tell the Raiders that the slogan in Las Vegas is, The House Always Wins. Since moving to Las Vegas in 2020, the Raiders find themselves with a 11-13 home record since relocating to Sin City. It seems as if they are moving on from Derek Carr in the offseason and how the Raiders plan to address the QB situation after Carr will be pivotal for the long term success of new General Manager Dave Ziegler and Head Coach Josh McDaniels. With the new scenarios for the neutral site AFC Championship Game, KC has all the incentive to play their starters here.
Titans @ Jaguars: Someone has to win this division and the winner of this game takes home the AFC South Title. Tennessee mostly rested their starters last week against Dallas in order to be fully healthy for the deciding game in the Division against Jacksonville. They are still starting Josh Dobbs but will get King Henry and several starters back for tomorrow. As for Jacksonville, this team has shown what it can be under good coaching from Doug Pederson as Trevor Lawrence is starting to remember who he was, and the team has responded well to Pederson this season. Winner gets AFC South bragging rights and a chance to prove they won't be an easy game for whoever claims the fifth seed.
Sunday 1PM Games:
Bucs @ Falcons: Tom Brady's final hurrah in Tampa sees the Buccaneers winning the NFC South in back to back years for the first time in Franchise history. While the focus is on the now and the playoffs next week, one does wonder if they too will be taking the necessary steps to rebuild once Brady retires, leaves, or whatever he decides to do. Atlanta was rebuilding this season after trading away Matt Ryan, starting Marcus Mariota and moving on to Desmond Riddler toward the tail end of the season. Atlanta has a lot of work to do if they want to recapture their winning days under Arthur Smith but ending the season with a win and sending Brady into the postseason with a loss would be.... poetic.
Bills @ Patriots: All eyes will be on this game as everyone looks to see how Buffalo responds following what happened to Damar Hamlin this past Monday, and eyes will be watching this game in Pittsburgh, Miami and Jacksonville as well. A Patriots loss opens the door for Pittsburgh, Miami and Jacksonville if they don't win the division. It's been a rocky two years in New England for Bill Belichick post Brady but hey he finds himself right in the playoff hunt, and whether they can get an offense going that can keep up with Josh Allen and company will be the question. Obviously two offensive coordinators didn't quite work out for Belichick post Josh McDaniels, finding the right coordinator will be crucial for Mac Jones' further development heading into 2023.
Vikings @ Bears: With the Bears sitting Justin Fields out for this game, the tank bowl is on as the race for the number one pick in the 2023 NFL Draft is down to two teams. A Texans win over the Colts and a Bears loss will secure Chicago the first overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, only the third time in Franchise history would the Bears be picking from the first overall pick. Minnesota is also playing for the two seed as a win and 49ers loss to the Cardinals will secure them the two seed and a either a game against the Lions or Packers, or Seahawks. It took a bit for the Bears, but they finally figured out how to use Justin Fields after watching our game film on how we use Lamar Jackson. Da Bears now need to focus on protecting Justin Fields in 2023 who was sacked 55 times this season, and some good receivers would be nice too. The Vikings finally unleashed their offensive potential with new Head Coach Kevin O'Connell and look a lot like the NFC version of the 2021 Bengals, who made the Super Bowl. Is Minnesota ready to take that next step in the playoffs and be a true Super Bowl contender?
Texans @ Colts: If you want the definition of a tank bowl, this is the game that defines it. The Texans can secure the number one pick with a loss to Jeff Saturday and the Colts. Houston will indeed be taking a quarterback first overall as Davis Mills is not the answer at quarterback for the Texans. Be it whether they go the route of Bryce Young or CJ Stroud will unfold over time but for now, do they win or play for the tank? As for their AFC South counterpart, a rough season that seemed promising with the arrival of Matt Ryan, saw Indianapolis take a step back, Head Coach Frank Reich fired and replaced by former Colts player Jeff Saturday. Colts once again tried a veteran quarterback and failed to produce a playoff season, it was Carson Wentz last year and this year it was Matt Ryan. Will Indianapolis once again look toward a veteran quarterback in 2023 or will they look to the Draft and land their next franchise QB?
Jets @ Dolphins: The Jets season started with Joe Flacco as the starting quarterback, and their season will end with Joe Flacco as their starting quarterback. They may be out of the playoff race, but they look to play spoiler to the Miami Dolphins' playoff hopes on Sunday. With Zach Wilson's future in New York in doubt, the injury to Mike White, the Jets find themselves looking for answers at the quarterback position in 2023. Speaking of quarterbacks, with Tua and Teddy Bridgewater injured the Dolphins are turning to rookie Skyler Thompson to get them into the playoffs. A Dolphins win and Patriots loss would clinch the 7th seed for Miami and a trip to the postseason in Mike McDaniels first season as Head Coach.
