NFL 2020: Week 9

The Game Room
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After a tepid trade deadline (although the Titans renting Kevin King from the Chargers for a 6th round pick may prove to be excellent for both teams) the big news in the NFL is back to Covid. Despite some earlier positive tests (putting the Packers down to their 4th string RB and the Niners losing 3 WR’s including “my guy” Brandon Aiyuk), the Packers and Niners game will be played tonight. The Texans and Colts both had positive tests amongst their players or coaches and will be closely monitored. I remain a bit surprised that the NFL has been able to handle the pandemic this well for this long. It’s not going to get easier, though.

Here’s your games for the week:

Thursday, November 5th, 2020, 7:20 pm

Green Bay Packers at San Francisco 49ers (+7.5, 48.5)

Sunday, November 8th, 2020

Early

Seattle Seahawks at Buffalo Bills (+3, 55)

Denver Broncos at Atlanta Falcons (-4, 50)

Chicago Bears at Tennessee Titans (-6, 46.5)

Detroit Lions at Minnesota Vikings (-4, 52.5)

Baltimore Ravens at Indianapolis Colts (+2.5, 47)

Carolina Panthers at Kansas City Chiefs (-10.5 52.5)

Houston Texans at Jacksonville Jaguars (+6.5, 50.5)

New York Giants at Washington Football Team (-2.5, 42)

Late

Las Vegas Raiders at Los Angeles Chargers (PK, 52)

Pittsburgh Steelers at Dallas Cowboys (+14, 48)

Miami Dolphins at Arizona Cardinals (-4.5, 48)

Night

New Orleans Saints at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-4.5, 51.5)

Monday, November 9th, 2020

New England Patriots at New York Jets (+7, 42.5)

I will, of course, be all in on the Thursday night game as my Packers face off against the injury-devastated 49ers. After another depressing ass kicking last week (although NFC rival games are always tough), the Packers need to rebound, but I’m not sure the Niners, who dominated the Pack in the playoffs last year, are going to be the team to do it against. I’m a bit surprised at the line (+7.5 for the Niners). Losing Kittle is a huge blow, but, given their recent history, losing Garoppolo to Mullens isn’t a huge step down. I expect a much closer game than the line indicates.

On Sunday, there are three really good games I’d love to watch. The Seahawks/Bills, Ravens/Colts and Titans/Bears games have the makings to be three tense, hard fought, and interesting games to watch. Unfortunately, I’m, once again, stuck with the Chiefs in a likely easy win against the Panthers**. I fully expect the Seahawks to beat the Bills handily, thanks, in part, to Josh Allen reverting to the QB he seems to me to truly be. But it should be a good game, depending on the weather. The Ravens and Colts are two very good teams in contention for the Super Bowl, and they both play defense well. Should be fascinating. And I’m wondering just how much more the Bears defense can tolerate from the pedestrian offense. I expect the Titans to continue the Bears slide to mediocrity. And fans of really bad football can watch the Giants and Washington flail helplessly at each other for 60 minutes, if you’re into that kind of thing. Or maybe head to a Pop Warner game instead. At least you’ll be outside for that.

Sunday afternoon I’m stuck with the Steelers/Dallas game. Once a must-watch matchup, this year it devolved into “do I really want to see the Cowboys get smushed again? If they promised me 30 camera cuts of Jerry Jones in the owner’s box having a fit is about the only way I’d be in on that game”. I’d much rather the Raiders/Chargers, which are two teams that can’t seem to figure out if they’re good or not. Justin Herbert has been a revelation and I’d love to see him play myself. And are the Raiders going to be the team that beat the Chiefs or the team that got trounced by the Bucs. Should be a fascinating game.

Checking out national game availability ton television, I’m wondering why the Miami/Arizona game has a quirky little bit of SW Washington/NE Oregon/N Idaho that gets to watch them instead of the Steelers/Dallas game. Weird, right?

Sunday night’s game should be fascinating too, as Brady v. Brees gets so overhyped I want to vomit. I’ll try to keep my nausea contained, because it could be a very good game. I’m actually a bit surprised the Bucs are 4.5 favorite, I’d expect a bit lower. Should be interesting. Monday night is a dumpster fire. No thanks.

Anyone else anxious for a little football to distract from the election? I certainly am. So share your thoughts about this week’s games, the overall landscape of the NFL, or you favorite queso recipe. Whatever floats your boat, my friends.

** I originally typed that as the Panters, and then spent 15 minutes chuckling to myself about an NFL team being called the Panters. Their logo would be a guy behind another guy, pulling down his pants. Although that would technically be the De-Panters, I’d let that slide. The Panters would very quickly be my new second favorite team).

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I would have thought the Panters logo would have been a guy bent over trying to catch his breath, but that’s just me.

Seahawks/Bills is definitely an interesting one. We already have a good handle on how good Seattle is, but it’s still hard to gauge exactly where Buffalo is at. They escaped last week thanks to Cam Newton, but who knows what’ll happen against a truly stout team.

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Jesse Davis, starting OL for the Dolphins, grew up in a small town on the WA/ID border and played college ball at Idaho. Maybe he still has a following. In regular Oregon (not the weird eastern half), we default to games with Mariota and now Herbert because of the following they gained from playing at U of O.

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I would be absolutely shocked for the Packers to lose this game. Their defense isn’t great but right now neither is San Francisco’s. SF doesn’t have Dalvin Cook to run all over the place, they barely have any running backs left at this point. And you have a 2nd string QB throwing to receivers 4th string and worse, and no Kittle to make him look good. (I could probably look good throwing to Kittle, he’s a Madden cheat code come to life.) Also, they’re playing on a short week after a previous game where they were badly beaten both physically and emotionally, and won’t have much chance to recover.

I see that game as Aaron Rodgers being ticked off and looking to take it out on someone versus a 49ers team almost on the verge of giving up.

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Saints at the Bucs is a huge game. 5-2 vs 6-2 for the division lead, plus Brees vs Brady. And it’s on Sunday night. Saints finally get Michael Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders back, so they’re back to almost fully healthy. New Orleans is 5-2 but they really don’t feel like a 5-2 team. We shall see.

GEAUX SAINTS!!!

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Yeah I’m rooting for the Saints also. :+1:

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From your lips to Lombardi’s ears.

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This TNF game is going about the way I expected.

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Great win by the Pack. I thought the Niners would run the ball more, but with the early deficit, they had to throw more, and Nick Mullins wasn’t up to it. Of course when you’re down your 3 top WR, your stud TE, and your 2 top RBs, offensive firepower will be lacking. I feel bad for the Niners.

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In other news, the NFL has punished the LV Raiders for repeated violations of their Covid protocols. The team will forfeit a sixth round pick, and individual members, including Darren Waller and Derek Carr, have been fined. And, of course, Jon Gruden gets walloped with a $150000 fine for a second offense of ridiculously unsuccessful mask wearing.

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The best part of last night’s game was the “Mid Season Support Group for Teams That Have Lost Playoff Hopes.” Video.

Titans: “Maybe I don’t belong here.”

Moderator: “Oh no, anyone who loses to the Bengals should certainly be here.”
…
Patriots: “Don’t worry, I’m just here temporarily.”

Giants: “That’s what I said 3 years ago.”

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Given the 7 team postseason, this year’s support group should theoretically fill up slower than other years.

Also, I assume it is only for teams who had hopes to begin with. Teams that aren’t the Jets for example.

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I feel bad, but I got a nice chuckle from watching Phillip Rivers fall over himself and flail around while trying to stop a fumble return. Amusing.

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The Ravens offensive line offends this fan.

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Bills, finally dominating the AFC East like they deserve.

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Kyle Allen out with a very nasty looking ankle injury which means Alex Smith is back in for Washington.

Guess Haskins is back in the mix next week.

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And Alex Smith will be the starter for Washington next week, Haskins #2.

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The Bears lose to the Titans, 24-17. It sounds closer than it was, because the Bears scored all of their points in the final 8 minutes of the game.

Chicago’s running game is terrible (though it doesn’t help that they were playing from behind the entire game). Their longest run of the game was 11 yards, by Barkevious Mingo, who (a) is a linebacker, and (b) did that on a fake punt.

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I’m here again with my weekly Chargers post. Today they lost when their TD on the last play of the game was (correctly) overturned.

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Doesn’t the ref in the TB-NO game look like Steve Carell?