THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL

8:20 PM Minnesota Vikings (3-2-1) at Los Angeles Rams (5-1)

Vikes Set Sail for NFC North Crown. Rams Climbing Towards NFC West Summit

  The Minnesota Vikings took care of business last week hunting down the Detroit Lions, 27-17, and remained just a half-game behind the Green Bay Packers in the NFC North Division. The Rams nipped the Vegas Raiders, 25-20, to stay a half-game ahead of the suddenly slumping San Francisco 49ers and the surging Seattle Seahawks.

   The Vikings have won two in a row after their loss to the Packers a few weeks back. They have done so behind rookie QB JJ McCarthy, RB Aaron Jones, WR Justin Jefferson, and a solid pass rush from their defense. McCarthy has completed 73% of his pass attempts (35-48) with 5 touchdowns and just 1 pick in his two starts! Jones has rushed 44 times for 194 yards (97 YPG), while Jefferson has snared 14 balls for 217 yards (108.5 YPG). The defense has chipped in by allowing just 17 points in both victories with 20 sacks!

  LA has been one of the better teams in the NFC all season long. However, they have lived dangerously with four of their six games being decided by 5 or less points. QB Matt Stafford has played well recording a 121.9 QBR. He has tossed 14 TD passes with just 3 interceptions and has not thrown a single pick in any of his past four outings! HB Kyren Williams is coming off his second 100+ yard game in his last three starts, but still only has 2 rushing scores as the Rams have had some problems running the ball in. 

   Final Analysis: Both teams playing good ball, overall, of late. One has to figure Stafford will commit a turnover sooner or later and this could be that game. Both teams are pretty good passing the ball, but both have not been overly consistent running the ball, although the upticks with Minny's Jones and LA's Williams are encouraging. Should be a good one, but feel Stafford has the edge over the rook McCarthy. Los Angeles 24-20.

GAME OF THE WEEK

1:00 PM Baltimore Ravens (6-1) at Cleveland Browns (4-3)

Ravens Looking Like SB Contenders. Browns Trying to Bounce Back

   The talent-laden Ravens have looked every bit their part thus far this season. They are coming off a hard-fought, 24-15, win over the, then, 5-1 Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Baltimore D shut down the Bucs' offense for 224 total yards and was able to get to QB Baker Mayfield for 6 sacks on the day. Cleveland, on the other hand, suffered a significant loss to the Cincinnati Bengals despite an encouraging game out of QB DeShaun Watson. Watson threw for a season high 299 yards and 2 touchdowns, but HB Nick Chubb would only garner 51 yards on 17 carries (3 YPC).

   The Ravens are serious title contenders and should remain so. QB Lamar Jackson's 118.9 QBR ranks third among all full-time signal callers and his 324.1 YPG number is second only to Patrick Mahomes in the AFC. The defense has racked up 53 sacks on the season, which is #2 in football trailing only the Jacksonville Jaguars' league leading 67. 

   Cleveland comes in averaging 16.4 PPG and that has held the team back a bit. They rank 13th in scoring in the AFC. The defense is allowing just 19.7 PPG leading to one close game after another. However, they are 0-3 versus teams with an above .500 record while getting outscored 92-25 in those contests!

   Final Analysis: Baltimore is too strong and talented. Cleveland has not shown the ability to hang with top tier teams and will need to be extremely balanced in this one to have a shot. Baltimore 30-17.

 1:00 PM Tennessee Titans (3-3) at Detroit Lions (1-5)

Titans Try to Get Their Head Above Water. Can Depressed Lions Learn to Roar Again?

   The Tennessee Titans continue to hang around in the AFC, but are entering this matchup on a 2 game losing skid. The Lions were handled by the Minnesota Vikings, 27-17, as QB Jared Goff slogged his way to a dismal 13-31-152 stat line that included 10 sacks and an interception. HB Jahmyr Gibbs did gallop for 162 yards on 28 carries, but it simply was not enough. At 1-5, their playoff hopes have been greatly diminished unless they can start to string together a series of W's.

   Detroit is 30th in total offense (245.7 YPG) and is averaging around 15 PPG. The lack of offensive output has doomed the club. The defense has played OK, but their 24 sacks rank 29th in the PFL while the offensive line has allowed their quarterback to be bludgeoned some 52 times which is the second most in all of football. The D has been a bit porous versus the run and is one of just 4 teams in the league (Dallas, Minnesota, and the LA Chargers are the other three) to cede 100+ yards per game on the ground.

   Final Analysis: Titans are kinda rudderless. QB Will Levis has played pretty well, but they need much better production out of tailback Tony Pollard (75-278-3.7 YPC). Detroit's Goff has not played anywhere near his abilities and comes in completing just 53% of his passes with 8 TDs and 5 picks! This looks like a toss-up type affair.  EVEN MONEY

1:00 PM Arizona Cardinals (3-4) at Miami Dolphins (3-3)

Cardiac Cards Seek Third Straight. Dolphins Fish for Consistency

    When every single one of your games is a one-score event, ya learn to embrace the pressure. Such is the case for these Cardinals who have now played all seven of their games under such conditions. A win here in Florida, though, would jettison them right into the middle of the NFC playoff hunt. Miami, and new HC Mike Kleinknecht, were rudely welcomed back into the PFL by an Indianapolis Colts' unit that blasted them, 30-10. Despite the loss, however, Miami is just a half-game behind the AFC East leading Jets and could seize control of the division with a few wins.

   The Cardinals really do not look like a roster that anyone should truly fear. But the team has had a few big time unpredictable plays go their way and the defense has played fairly well the past two weeks. HB James Connor has been a consistent performer, but has lacked any break away speed. His longest run over the team's past six games has been just 14 yards. The lack of a true outside threat or game breaking speed at tailback has put added pressure on QB Kyler Murray as well as the defense. Murray has thrown for 180 or less yards in three of his last four games.

   Miami was ripped by the Colts last week and that did not sit well in Florida. QB Tua Tagovailoa threw for only 131 yards marking the fourth time already this season where he has not thrown for over 200 yards. HB De'Von Achane was inserted into the starting role and responded with a 15 carry 145 yards rushing gem that featured an electrifying 70 yard blazing sprint to the endzone. 

   Final Analysis: Miami should be better in week two under Kleinknecht, but solving the Tagovailoa puzzle will be the key. One can expect a better defensive effort as well. Arizona is not flashy nor very explosive. Even though they do not seem much of a running threat, they still come in ranked 3rd in the PFL averaging 107.6 YPG on the ground and Miami enters the contest ranked 28th against the run allowing 97.7 YPG. Just feel the Fish will swim a bit better this week. Miami 26-18.

1:00 PM New York Jets (4-3) at New England Patriots (3-4)

Tipping Point Game in AFC East?

    The Jets have won three of their last four, but dropped the first meeting between these two clubs, 25-17. New York could not get their offense going in that matchup, especially the running game, with HB Breece Hall rushing for just 45 yards on 12 carries...

   New York upended the Pittsburgh Steelers last week, 17-15, as MLB CJ Mosley forced a QB Russell Wilson fumble and fellow LB Justin Houston would scoop the ball up and rumble 29 yards to paydirt. QB Aaron Rodgers had his highest rated game of the season (104.5) even though he would be sacked 8 times and not throw a TD pass in the game! Breece Hall was, again, ineffective rushing 21 times for a mere 52 yards (2.5 YPC) and he will need to chip in a bit more if the Jets are to walk away from this one with a W.

   New England has lost three of their last four including a, 34-13, whipping by the red hot Jacksonville Jaguars. The defense has surrendered 124 points over its prior four games (31 PPG) and QB Drake Maye was blasted to the turf an amazing 19 times in last week's contest! The rookie signal caller's 7 picks is tied for the 2nd most in football and his 44 sacks is good for the fifth most in the league.

   Final Analysis: Both teams have had offensive issues plague them. However, the Jets seem to be trending better on defense than the Pats currently are. Close game likely. New York 18-16?

1:00 PM Atlanta Falcons (2-5) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-2)

Falcons to Debut Newly Acquired Malik Willis in Return to College Styled O? Bucs Licking Wounds After Ravens Pillaged Their Ship

   The Atlanta Falcons enjoyed limited success in its past employing a collegiate styled option offense. They traded for QB Malik Willis from the Green Bay Packers in exchange for rookie QB Michael Penix and a 4th rounder this past week. Willis' presence could represent a return to the option offensive schemes that took the PFL by storm for a few weeks when first introduced. Tampa Bay was stymied by an outstanding Baltimore Ravens' defense last week as they dropped a, 24-15, decision. The running game disappeared and QB Baker Mayfield could not find enough success to rescue the squad.

   Atlanta has really struggled on offense much of this season. The offense ranks 27th in scoring averaging 16.3 PPG and 27th in third down conversion rate (32%). They have also attempted the third most 4th down tries (11) but have succeeded just 27% of the time. In addition, the Falcons sit 28th in red zone efficiency and are tied for third in the PFL in total penalties with 29!

   Tampa Bay comes in averaging an NFC best 27.9 PPG. However, they have gone 0-2 versus teams wtih an above. 500 record (Philadelphia and Baltimore) while averaging just 18 PPG. They are 5-0 versus all other clubs and have averaged 35.5 PPG in their 5 wins.

   Final Analysis: The Bucs are a solid team with enough talent to win, but they need to prove they can beat good teams. They may have to contend with a Falcon offense this week that could be unpredictable and lack a steady coaching staff.  Atlanta 27-20.

1:00 PM Chicago Bears (2-4) at Washington Commanders (0-7)

Rook QBs Meet in DC as Commanders Seek 1st Win

   USC and LSU never met during the regular season last year. However, The Trojans' Caleb Williams and the Tigers' Jayden Daniels dueled all season long for Heisman honors. Now the two will meet in FedEx Field for the first of what many hope is a long series of meaningful games in the future. Today, though, this one seems more destined for the fact the two met than the game having true importance. The two teams have a combined 2-11 record and Washington has yet to get a number under the win column other than a 0.

   Final Analysis: Washington has played a bit better than their record suggests. Daniels has, in fact, played very well coming in with a sparkling 111.4 QBR, 11 TD passes, and just 3 picks. His 46 sacks is a concern, but some of that has to be attributed to the team trailing alot. Williams has suffered through typical rookie mistakes. His 88.7 QBR is low and he has just 7 touchdown throws on the season. While it may seem the Bears should win this game, the Commanders might have the better QB-at least for the moment. Washington 21-17.

1:00 PM Green Bay Packers (4-3) at Jacksonville Jaguars (5-1)

Pack to Panhandle to Face Sizzling Jags

   The Green Bay Packers have not yet found their rhythm and they may have to find it awfully quick if they hope to have any chance at all against a Jaguars' squad that has many seeing them as a title contender. The Pack survived a wild one versus the Houston Texans last week as a critical holding call on Texan RT Riley Reiff pushed them back to the 11 as time was winding down and the team could not punch in the game tying score as a result. Jacksonville, conversely, had no trouble at all sweeping away the New England Patriots, 34-13, as top QB Trevor Lawrence continued his fantastic start to his season. 

   Lawrence leads the PFL with an unreal 138.7 QBR throwing for 2042 yards with an amazing 16 touchdowns and only 1 interception! He has had three games with 3 touchdowns and another three outings wih 2 TD passes while throwing for over 300 yards three times. But the Jags are far from being one-dimensional as HB Travis Etienne has bulled his way for 716 yards and 6 scores. Those numbers are #2 in the league trailing only Houston's Joe Mixon! The net result is the Jags averaging a league high 29.6 PPG. The defense has been top notch as well and come in as the league's #1 pass defense and #4 scoring defense with a blistering league best 67 sacks!!!

   Green Bay has not been able to get its offense going and has suffered as a result. While they do come in averaging 24.7 PPG (Tied for 6th) on offense and are 3rd in scoring defense (15.29 PPG) the team just has not gelled.

   Final Analysis: Hard to envision a Green Bay upset here. The Jags seem in sync and are playing terrific ball, while the Packers have barely hung in at around .500 ball and lack any consistency. Jacksonville 30-16.   

1:00 PM Indianapolis Colts (2-5) at Houston Texans (3-3-1)

Can Improving Ponies "Buck" Texans?

    After laying an egg in their first five games, the Colts have now pasted together a modest two-game winning run. QB Anthony Richardson has now thrown for less than 200 yards in five games this season, but he has also not had an interception over his last four outings while compiling a 110+ QBR in all four of those games! At the same time, HB Jonathan Taylor seems to be finding his groove. The top tier back has rushed for 90 or more yards in each of his prior three games and is coming off a 3 touchdown performance in his team's. 30-10, romp over the Miami Dolphins. Houston lost a tension-filled heartbreaker to the Green Bay Packers when RT Riley Reiff was called for a critical holding penalty that negated what would have been a game tying touchdown. Instead, the team was pushed back outside the 10 yard line and then could not convert leading to a tough, 24-17, defeat. They do lead the PFL in rushing averaging 126.4 YPG led by league leading rusher Joe Mixon (788 yards). As good as Mixon has been, though, QB CJ Stroud has continued to struggle. The second year signal caller has had four games where he has completed 52.9% or less of his throws and his current 88.4 QBR is simply not good enough to consistently win games,

   The two teams met back in week 1 with Houston easing past Indy, 24-9. Mixon ran for 125 yards while Taylor would be checked for a season low 12 carries and just 50 yards. How well each team runs the ball should determine the winner. If Stroud plays to his potential, the edge would tip towards the Texans, but he has not shown up yet. The improved Colts will at least make this one closer than the earlier encounter and could win depending upon Taylor's output. Tight game here. Houston 23-22???

4:05 PM New Orleans Saints (4-3) at Los Angeles Chargers (0-6)

Can Halos Repeat Run to Another Title? Bolts lacking Juice

   Will the real Saints team please step forward! New Orleans has been up and down much of the year and need to find their mojo if they wish to take another crack at a PFL crown. The formula for success has not been altered: Running game with Alvin Kamara, judicious passing from QB Derek Carr, and a solid defense. They have gone 3-0 in games in which Kamara has rushed for 91 or more yards and chalked up a 1-3 slate otherwise. The Chargers, of course, are mired in football hell with a talented QB in Justin Herbert who, for one reason or another, has not lived up to his billing. Herbert has been, to say the least, horrific. He has 5 touchdown passes and a shocking 12 interceptions giving him a 60.9 QBR! Obviously, his play has been the single biggest reason for the demise the Chargers now find themselves in. Not all can be blamed on Herbert, however, as the Chargers currently own the worst run D in the PFL allowing 119.3 YPG.

   Final Analysis: The Saints could find themselves atop the NFC South should Atlanta knock off the Buccaneers and should be highly motivated. The run D of the Chargers and the running of the Saints with Kamara is a formula for disaster...Kamara runs wild and the Saints march on. New Orleans 30-15.   

4:05 PM Buffalo Bills (3-4) at Seattle Seahawks (5-2)

Bills Head to Great Northwest to Take on Soaring Seahawks

        Buffalo ended a 4 game losing streak with a solid, 37-21, win over the Tennessee Titans last week. The same MO for winning and losing was present again as QB Josh Allen was sacked a reasonable 5 times while the Bills' defense was busy demolishing Titan QB Wil Levis to the tune of 15 traps! Allen would throw for 271 yards and 3 touchdowns and RB James Cook would tally season highs is rushing attempts (34) and yards (158) in the victory. Seattle is one of the league's hot teams and are on the rise. After starting their season at 1-2, Seattle has reeled off 4 consecutive W's behind a stingy defense that has allowed just 14 PPG during the streak. While the Seahawks like to power run the football, they showed they are capable of passing it as well as QB Geno Smith would throw for 364 yards and 4 touchdowns in leading his squad to a resounding, 36-14, rout of the Atlanta Falcons last week. 

   Perhaps the biggest factor in this game is going to be the Seattle pass rush against the Buffalo Oline. The Seahawks are second in the NFC with 44 sacks and the Bills have had a history of letting Allen get blasted. However, to date, Buffalo has done a much better job at keeping Allen upright (35 sacks) with a number that has the team sitting 20th in the league in that category.

   Final Analysis: Seattle is running high these days and should be able to move the ball on the Bills. Buffalo's defense ranks 30th (333.7 YPG) and that could force the Bills to try to keep up by passing the ball too much. Seattle 27-18.

4:25 PM Philadelphia Eagles (5-1) at Cincinnati Bengals (4-3)

Hi-Flying Eagles in Ohio to Confront See-Saw Bengals

   The Eagles are one of several teams in the NFC looking more and more like a true contender. The offense is ranked 9th (309.7 YPG) while the defense is positioned 4th (252 YPG). They are particularly rugged versus the run ranking 3rd (58.2 YPG) in that category. They have won 5 in row following a season opening, 26-10, loss to the Green Bay Packers. Cincinnati has a well documented history of starting slow and finishing strong. Their 4-3 start is actually better than they normally are at this stage of the game and that could be good news going forward. A win here would still leave them trailing the Ravens, but would put them firmly into the middle of the playoff mix. 

   Bengal QB Joe Burrow could be better. But he has thrown for 225 or more yards in every game this season and that includes an incredible 5 touchdown game against Washington in which he threw for 496 yards! Zach Moss, Chase Brown, and Dalvin Cook have combined for 579 yards rushing and 5 touchdowns as the trio tries to replace the departed Joe Mixon. Mixon has moved on to the Houston Texans and currently leads the PFL in rushing yardage! The offense ranks 5th in the league putting up 349.1 YPG, but the defense is 29th in the PFL giving up 325.1 YPG. In otherwords, a typical Bengals' game is going to feature a lit up scoreboard and filled up  stat sheets for both clubs.

   Final Analysis: While the Bengals might be able to hang in here, it seems likely that the Philly defense will be the difference maker. Both teams have good attacks, but the Eagles roll out an elite defense as well. Philadelphia 29-20.

4:25 PM Carolina Panthers (3-4) at Denver Broncos (2-5)

Are Panthers for Real? .500 Within Reach With W Against Denver

   The Carolina Panthers have been known to waver on their confidence in second year QB Bryce Young. Following a dreadful performance against the Chicago Bears in week 5, Young was benched. He did not play in the team's, 13-7, stinker versus the Atlanta Falcons, but would be re-inserted back into the starting role last week where he responded with a 15-22-232 game line as the Panthers won, 27-12, over Washington. Carolina has decided to go all in on the running game with rookie tailback Jonathon Brooks. The 6'0" 216 Lbs ex-Texas Longhorn has been fed the rock n stunning 75 times over the last two games! He has run for 279 yards (3.72 YPC) and crossed the goal-line 3 times. The Broncos remain without a steady coaching staff and are paying dearly for that status.

   Final Analysis: The Panthers are, at best, tepid with Bryce Young and he could easily find his way to the bench again. The commitment to the running game may keep games close, but it has not been overly productive. Denver is unsteady and unpredictable. Likely a close game for a myriad of reasons, NO LINE 

4:25 PM Kansas City Chiefs (3-3) at Las Vegas Raiders (3-4)

KC Looking Like Old Self. Classic Rivalry in Vegas

   Years ago this was one of football's top rivalries. The decline of the Silver and Black, though, has doused the hatred flames quite a bit, but the game still remains one filled with two teams who intensely dislike one another. The Chiefs had Coach Hogan back last week and the offense looked every bit as good as advertised. Their 44 points scored (In a 44-31 win over San Francisco) marked the second time in the last three games where they eclipsed the 40 point threshold with the sandwich game yielding a healthy 31 points. They are now second in the league averaging 369.7 YPG. The Raiders played a spirited game against the Rams last week, but still came up short, 25-20. QB Gardner Minshew continues to play surprisingly well and the tandem of Kareem Hunt and Dylan Laube are still chugging along. But the club is 29th in offense and 22nd on defense. Speaking of defense, or lack of it, the Chiefs come in dead last in the league relinquishing a startling 371 YPG!

   Final Analysis: As always, if Hogan is patrolling the sidleines, KC is going to roll up offensive numbers. As porous as the D appears to have been, the unit is 7th in sacks with 42 and tied for second with 7 interceptions on the season. While this is a long running rivalry, it is hard to see how the Raiders can score enough to keep this one close. Kansas City 32-16.

SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL

8:20 PM Dallas Cowboys (3-3) at San Francisco 49ers (5-2)

Pokes Coming Off Bye Get Suddenly Slumping Niners in Rivalry Hookup

    Perhaps not the annual divisional rivalry the Chiefs and Raiders has become, the Cowboys and 49ers have a storied playoff history that has both sides' blood boiling whenever the two franchises collide. The Niners own three PFL titles, while the Pokes have claimed two, but the Dallas success has come recently while San Fran has not won a crown in 27 seasons! The Cowboys are coming off their bye week and have put togther back-to-back wins over the Pittsburgh Steelers and Detroit Lions. The Niners began their campaign going 5-0 before getting smacked with a flurry of sacks and saddled with two straight losses. The sack dilemma is a major concern as QB Brock Purdy has endured 32 sacks in the two losses and has been dropped a league most 59 times on the season! A major stat has to be the fact the Cowboys' QB Dak Prescott has been sacked just 18 times all year (#2 in the league) compared to the aforementioned league most 59 for San Fran.

   Final Analysis: Obviously, San Fran cannot allow Purdy to get trampled again this week. They did score on the Chiefs last week despite the absurd sack total as Purdy threw a season best 4 touchdowns. Still, the sacks will add up. Dallas gets rid of the ball quickly with a short passing game scheme. HB Rico Dowdle is averaging 5.5 YPG, but he has not toted the ball more than 14 times in any game this year and has not rushed for more than 54 yards in his last three starts. Interesting game for sure with lots of intrigue. Feel SF will cut down the traps and move the ball a bit in what could become a higher scoring game than some may think. San Francisco 31-25.

 MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL 

    The Giants let a golden opportunity get away from them last week as they lost to Philadelphia, 27-15. QB Drew Lock started over Daniel Jones for the second straight time and could not double up on the great performance he had the week before against the Cincinnati Bengals. Lock would get sacked 8 times, throw one pick, and finish with an ugly 57 QBR after completing just 52.5% of his throws. Now it remains to be seen who takes the reins in this big game. The Steelers continue to play in tight games. They lost a meaningful game with the Jets last week, 17-15, as the defense played well enough to win again, but the offense could not get it in the endzone enough with QB Russell Wilson taking on 9 sacks and HB Najee Harris unable to cross the goal line for the third time in his last four games.

   New York is 27th in passing averaging 182.3 YPG and have a huge challenge facing a Steelers' defense that is 2nd in football allowing a meager 238.1 YPG. Pittsburgh is 3rd against the pass (177 YPG) and 5th versus the run (61.1 YPG) and their rugged D can be a real problem for any team. 

   Final Analysis: New York has porblems moving the ball and get a tough customer in the Steelers. While Pittsbugh has not been an offensive juggernaut by any means, they should be able to score just enough to eke out a much needed win. Pittsburgh 20-17.