After three quarters of a boring contest, we finally got some action late in Thursday's Miami v. Carolina game. To anyone who had Ricky Williams on their fantasy team, good job. Now, we look to the weekend in the week 11 edition of the Oepning Drive!
(1-8) Cleveland Browns at (1-8) Detroit Lions
This is the 2009 Suck Bowl Rebuilding Bowl. AKA the only game where the Lions should be healthy favorites all season. Say what you want about Detroit, they can put up some points with Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson. I'm not sure Cleveland is even aware that scoring six points at once is possible. The best part about the game is that one of these teams will reach two victories. (Though how classic and awesome would a tie be?
(5-4) Atlanta Falcons at (5-4) New York Giants
After solid starts to their seasons, both of these squads are heading in the wrong direction and are in serious danger of missing the playoffs altogether. Tom Coughlin's Giants have lost four straight while the Falcons have dropped three of their last four. Big Blue's vaunted defense has failed in recent weeks, but the offense is the real culprit. They've strayed from the running game and Eli Manning has turned the ball over with regularity. Atlanta's Matt Ryan is in a similar boat, with more interceptions through nine games this season that he had all of his rookie year. Whoever loses will almost certainly miss the postseason.
(9-0) Indianapolis Colts at (5-4) Baltimore Ravens
After what we saw last Sunday night, do you think the Ravens offense could match output with Peyton Manning and a team of high-schoolers? Manning was shut down for three quarters before exploding in the fourth frame. The Ravens can't afford to forget about Ray Rice and the running game, or they'll simply have no chance. Keeping Manning on the sideline is the only way to win.
(4-5) New York Jets at (6-3) New England Patriots
Speaking of last Sunday night, how incredibly furious are the Patriots going to be? As if they needed any extra excuse to pound on a division rival that beat them earlier in the year and then yapped about it to anyone that would listen. Since that win the Jets have gone completely south and are just trying to get keep pace with the 5-5 Dolphins. New England still holds the reins on the division and have a great shot at 11 or 12 wins. Look out New York. I'm just warning ya.
(6-3) San Diego Chargers at (6-3) Denver Broncos
As much as it can this early in the season, this match-up may very well decide the AFC West. The Chargers have rebounded from their annual slow start to the meet up at 6-3 with a now struggling Broncos. If San Diego can get another big game from LaDainian Tomlinson like last week, Denver's defense won't be able to hang strong in the second half. For Josh McDaniels, he'll have to get everything and more out of probable starter Chris Simms. It doesn't look good for the Broncos this week.
Have fun watching the games everyone, be sure to keep up with all of my various writing at my Twitter page! (http://twitter.com/joeanello)
