First time since week one that all four teams play, and in different games. All it means is more writing, but it is the last time the Dolphins won, maybe just maybe………………….
Dolphins @ Titans
The Dolphins have had quite a start to this campaign. Suh has not produced, Wake seems to be lost in space, Tannehill is becoming an INT machine, Offense can’t score, HC sucked, DC sucked, OC sucked, and on and on….But, there is a new head man now. Dan Campbell (no relation to he Soup company owners) has taken over with new energy and desire to win.
The Titans started the year with a bang, but have regressed to where a team with an inexperienced QB is expected to be. Their defense is not exactly hearth shattering either. The Titans can run the football, and they do so with three different RBs.
The Dolphins have to go back to basics and simplify their game plan. Tannehill may know it well, but Jennings, Parker, Stills, Cameron, are all learning on the fly. Somehow they have to establish Miller and run the football. Defensively, a new attitude is needed, and each and every major player needs to dig deep and ask: am I going to enjoy the season, or am I simply going to collect my checks and go through the motions?
Containing Mariota within the pocket is a total must, the kid will kill the Fins if they allow him to get to the edge. The Dolphins cannot stop the run, and a coaching change will not fix that. If I was betting money, I would pick the Titans, but something tells me the Fins play their butts off. Dolphins win a close one 17-14
Bengals @ Bills
This is a crucial game for this Bills team. Coming to town? The Red Rocket led Bengals, with their high octane offense. Bills have been riding the roller coaster all year, does it continue, or can they break the trend?
The Bengals have scored and done so routinely. It has been a total shock that the much maligned Dalton has played as well as he has. Dalton was not even on most FF rosters going into week 3, because nobody trusted him, he has delivered, and delivered big.
Eifert is having a career year, AJ Green is still among the top 4-5 WRs in the NFL, and the duo of Bernard and Hill are running very well as a dual attack.
Defensively, the Bengals have held their own, and this defense is still very good. In years past we always discussed how the defense was always bailing out the Rocket, not any more.
The Bills may not have weapons, McCoy being the biggest. He has contributed little to this point, and even if he can go, he will not be 100%. Doesn’t appear that Sammy Watkins will play, and he would be banged up if he did. Add the uncertainty surrounding Tyrod, and the Bills have a lot of work to do to keep up with this Bengals team.
Defensively the Bills are still among the best, but have not really played to the levels of last year, they will need to in this game. Rex must get to Dalton and force him into mistakes, if they do consistently the Bills win. This game will be low scoring and very close, Dalton will not light up this defense, but he will do just enough to win against a very uninspired offense, Bengals 20-17 and if the Bills won 20-17, it really wouldn’t surprise me
Redskins @ Jets
Coming off the bye week, the Jets host a Redskins team that has no RG3 turmoil following them.
The Redskins are a better team than most of us have given them credit to be. This team defensively maybe as good as there is; this defense doesn’t give up a lot of points, and it keeps the offense within striking distance. Offensively they still don’t have the “Legend Living in his Own Mind” big mouth DeSean Jackson. Cousins is what we have seen from him before, while filling in for the Great RGMe, good, bad, good, bad, And the bad delivered a pick 6 in OT, in a game last week, the Redskins had won. The shock for me is that their running game has been crappy at best,
The Jets under Rex were a pathetic 1-5 coming off the bye week, hopefully that has changed. Offensively they have been a lot more adequate than a year ago, and rightly so, Fitzpatrick is receiving all the credit, however…An improved OL, a healthy Ivory and Brandon Marshall are the real reasons why. The OL has given up 2 sacks all year, and it certainly isn’t because Ryan has a Brady like release, or Wilson like feet. Brandon’s presence has given Decker freedom, and he has caught wobbly passes that no WR would have caught a year ago.
In this game the Jets have to keep the Redskins from establishing a running game and force Cousins to become pass happy. The return of Sheldon Richardson will be huge, as all 4 DL will rotate and remain fresh. Offensively they will struggle a little, this is by far the best defense they will have faced yet. Fitz must be very careful to not give the ball up, and Ivory has to become the same workhorse that destroyed the Dolphins.
The Jets have given up 6 TDs all year, and I do not see the Redskins scoring a lot. Jets will score enough in a run oriented game, Jets win 23-10
Patriots @ Colts
When the schedules were released, this was a “must” see game, the AFCCG rematch.
The Colts are a total mess, with 3 wins, but 2 defeats to AFCE teams. Luck may or may not play, but will it really matter? Old men at QB and WR were the only life shown offensively in Houston, it will not help this week.
Patriots are clicking all over the field, and Tom looks like he’s 25 again. I do not to love their WRs overall, but hard to not appreciate Edelmann (the new Welker). RBs coming out of the backfield a la LeVeon Bell has become what TEs used to be like for this team. Defensively they basically play “hold on to the lead” every game.
The Patriots, BB and Brady may say this is just another game, but is it? I bet they circled this date on their calendars, and now that the Colts are bleeding, they will stab and stab, until the wounds are wide open. They will apply band-aids that say: “screw you Irsay”! Patriots win 45-27
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