NFL - Week Eleven Preview

The NFL season is in Week Eleven and tonight's game between the Arizona Cardinals and Seattle Seahawks should be an exciting one. The Cardinals (6-3) are coming off that epic finish last weekend when they defeated the Buffalo Bills, 32-30 as quarterback Kyler Murray connected with wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins for the game winning touchdown pass with two seconds remaining in the game.

The win for Arizona, coupled with Seattle (6-3) losing to the Los Angeles Rams (6-3) created a three-way tie for first place in the NFC West division. No doubt the Cardinals have been flying high so far this year and after a 5-0 start, the Seahawks have lost three of their last four games with QB Russell Wilson committing many turnovers, especially with interceptions thrown. Wilson needs to stay in control of things against Arizona in this one if the Seahawks want to win. Look for another shootout that will most likely come down to the final possession. 

Four other games taking place this week with important meaning include the "prime time" games on Sunday night between the Kansas City Chiefs (8-1) and Las Vegas Raiders and the Monday night game featuring the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-3) hosting the Los Angeles Rams. Meanwhile, the Tennessee Titans travel to face the Baltimore Ravens with both teams having identical 6-3 records, while the Indianapolis Colts (6-3) will host the Green Bay Packers, who are 7-2 this season.

The Raiders (6-3) have no less than ten (or eleven) players on the COVID-19/IR list but they could be eligible to play if they test negative prior to game time in accordance with league protocol. Kansas City lost at home to the Raiders last month for their only blemish and would love to get some payback in this game. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes has been his usual brilliant self in the first nine games, throwing for 25 touchdowns with only one interception. The Raiders blew out the Denver Broncos last week, 37-12 and their defense forced five turnovers in the process.

The Colts are coming off a huge road win at Tennessee last week and lead the AFC South division to this point and face a Packers team that barely escaped with a 24-20 home win against lowly Jacksonville last weekend. The Colts have the best defense in the NFL and Green Bay has been among the league leaders in scoring through their first nine games, so something has to give. 

In the game between the Ravens and Titans, both teams are coming off disappointing losses and need a win to get back on track, especially Baltimore, which is three full games behind the Pittsburgh Steelers (9-0) in the AFC North division race. In fact, Cleveland (another 6-3 team) is tied for second place in that race with the Ravens. Baltimore QB Lamar Jackson hasn't been nearly as dominant in the 2020 season as he was last year when he ran away with the NFL MVP award. 

The Titans have struggled as well after a 5-0 start and in losing three of their last four games, one came against the Cincinnati Bengals. If they can control the football with their running game like they did in last year's playoff victory against the Ravens, they should have success this week. If not, then look for the Ravens to attempt to do the same and win a grind it out type of game. 

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been erratic this season, losing to the Chicago Bears in "prime time" last month and getting blown out at home by New Orleans two weeks ago. They also clobbered the Green Bay Packers and last week put up 46 points in crushing the Carolina Panthers in a road win. So which team will show up against the Rams and their stellar defense on Monday night in Florida? 

Four teams have the bye this weekend, including Chicago, Buffalo, San Francisco and the New York Giants. Therefore, the remaining nine games are featured in the capsule style format with the Heftyinfo picks for Week Eleven following up. 

 

Detroit (4-5) at Carolina (3-6) - Lions won a thriller last week after squandering a 21-point lead and Carolina is banged up and coming off a blowout loss. Toss up. 

Philadelphia (3-5-1) at Cleveland (6-3) - This game could go either way. 

New England (4-5) at Houston (2-7) - See above comment. 

Pittsburgh (9-0) at Jacksonville (1-8) - This one seems like a laugher, right? Jags almost stunned the Packers last week, so watch out. 

Cincinnati (2-6-1) at Washington (2-7) - The Washington football team should win this one, but the Bengals will battle them to the end. 

Atlanta (3-6) at New Orleans (7-2) - Saints should win this one, but will be without QB Drew Brees due to injured ribs. The Falcons have been improving each week. 

Miami (6-3) at Denver (3-6) - Broncos have been inconsistent this season, but coach Vic Fangio knows how to rattle young quarterbacks, so the Dolphins better be ready in what should be a low scoring game.  

N.Y. Jets (0-9) at L.A. Chargers (2-7) - Will this be the one win the Jets get this season? Not likely. 

Dallas (2-7) at Minnesota (4-5) - Vikings have won three consecutive games and the Cowboys are a mess. 

 

The Heftyinfo predictions for Week Eleven  . . . . . . . .   (Home teams are listed in bold; Lock of the Week is listed in BOLD CAPS)

Seattle over Arizona 

Carolina over Detroit 

Cleveland over Philadelphia 

Houston over New England 

Pittsburgh over Jacksonville 

Washington over Cincinnati 

Baltimore over Tennessee

New Orleans over Atlanta 

Denver over Miami 

L.A. Chargers over N.Y. Jets 

Indianapolis over Green Bay 

Minnesota over Dallas 

KANSAS CITY over Las Vegas 

Tampa Bay over L.A. Rams  

Last Week's Record -  12-2

SEASON RECORD -  102-44-1

Lock of the Week Record -  8-2

 

 

 

 

 

 

NFL - Week Ten Review

Arizona WR DeAndre Hopkins made the game winning TD catch.

Wow! 

What a finish in the desert as the Arizona Cardinals (6-3) won the shootout, 32-30 against the Buffalo Bills (7-3) when quarterback Kyler Murray connected with wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins on a 43-yard touchdown pass with two seconds remaining in the game. That came after the Bills had gone ahead 30-26 when QB Josh Allen hit WR Stefon Diggs on a 21-yard scoring strike with just 34 seconds left in the final quarter. Murray also had two scoring runs for the Cardinals while Allen threw for two touchdowns and also caught a scoring pass from WR Isaiah McKenzie in the wild game.

The Los Angeles Rams (6-3) beat the visiting Seattle Seahawks, 23-16 as their defense intercepted two passes and held Seattle QB Russell Wilson without a touchdown pass. Rams running back Malcolm Brown scored two rushing touchdowns in the win for the Rams, which created a three-way tie for first place in the NFC West division between the Rams, Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals (all 6-3) to this point in the season.

The Miami Dolphins (6-3) won their fifth straight game, defeating the Los Angeles Chargers, 29-21 behind two TD passes from rookie QB Tua Tagovailoa and a solid defensive effort that limited the NFL's second best offense to just 273 total yards. Chargers rookie QB Justin Herbert had a pair of TD passes and also threw an interception in the loss, which dropped the Bolts to 2-7 this season.

The New England Patriots (4-5) surprised the visiting Baltimore Ravens, 23-17 on Sunday Night Football as their defense limited the Ravens (6-3) to 115 yards rushing while QB Cam Newton had a TD pass and a rushing score to help make the difference. The Patriots also used a little trickery as wide receiver Jakobi Meyers threw a 24-yard TD pass to running back Rex Burkhead, who caught both Patriots scoring passes in the win. Ravens QB Lamar Jackson had two TD passes to WR Willie Snead along with one interception in the loss.

The Pittsburgh Steelers improved to 9-0 this season with a 36-10 drubbing of the visiting Cincinnati Bengals (2-6-1) with their defense dominating with four quarterback sacks and two fumble recoveries. Meanwhile, Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger had four touchdown passes along with 333 passing yards in the rout. 

The New Orleans Saints (7-2) rolled past the visiting San Francisco 49ers, 27-13 while losing starting QB Drew Brees to a rib injury in the second half. Reserve QB Jameis Winston filled in and running back Alvin Kamara did the rest by scoring three touchdowns (two rushing, one receiving) to pace the offense. The 49ers fell to 4-6 this season as reserve QB Nick Mullens was intercepted twice and the 'Niners committed four turnovers in defeat.

                                                             Elsewhere Around the NFL  . . . . . . . .    

The Detroit Lions won at home, 30-27 against the Washington Football Team (2-7) as kicker Matt Prater made a 59-yard field goal as time expired to rescue the Lions (4-5), who had blown a 21-point second half lead . . .  The Green Bay Packers (7-2) struggled at home, but came away with a 24-20 victory against the Jacksonville Jaguars (1-8), who lost their eighth consecutive game. Packers QB Aaron Rodgers had two TD passes and ran for another touchdown to offset a big game from Jags' WR Keelan Cole, who scored twice with a 12-yard TD reception and a 91-yard punt return . . .  The Cleveland Browns fought off the visiting Houston Texans, 10-7 to go to 6-3 this season. Browns running backs Nick Chubb (126 yards and one rushing TD) and Kareem Hunt (104) each went for over 100 yards rushing to lead the offense. The Texans fell to 2-7 this season . . .  The New York Giants (3-7) won their second straight game by beating the visiting Philadelphia Eagles, 27-17 with QB Daniel Jones scoring a rushing TD and RB Wayne Gallman scoring two rushing touchdowns to lead the way in a game which had no touchdown passes. Despite the loss, the Eagles lead the NFC East division with a 3-5-1 record . . .  In Las Vegas, the Raiders (6-3) blasted the Denver Broncos, 37-12 as their defense had five takeaways in the win as Broncos QB Drew Lock was picked off four times and also lost a fumble. Raiders running backs Josh Jacobs (112 yards rushing) and Devontae Booker each scored twice on the ground as the team rushed for 203 yards in the win . . .  The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-3) bounced back from a blowout loss last week with a 46-23 road win against the Carolina Panthers (3-7), which lost their fifth consecutive game. Bucs QB Tom  Brady had three TD strikes in the win and running back Ronald Jones, who rushed for 192 yards on 23 carries, scored on a 98-yard run to lead the way. Panthers QB Teddy Bridgewater threw a pair of TD passes and also had a rushing score before he left the game with a knee injury . . .  In the Thursday night game, the Indianapolis Colts (6-3) got a huge 34-17 road victory against the Tennessee Titans (6-3) by outscoring them 21-0 in the second half with solid defense and efficient play from QB Philip Rivers, who passed for 308 yards and one touchdown in the win. Colts RB Nyheim Hines had a pair of touchdowns (one rushing, one receiving) and defensive back T.J. Carrie scored on a six-yard blocked punt return as well. The Colts D held the Titans to 294 yards in total offense, including just 137 passing yards . . .  The Minnesota Vikings (4-5) defeated the host Chicago Bears, 19-13 in the Monday night game as QB Kirk Cousins hooked up twice with WR Adam Thielen for touchdowns to help make the difference. The Bears managed just 32 yards in total offense in the second half and lost QB Nick Foles late in the game to injury as they lost their fourth straight game to drop to 5-5 this season. Cordarrelle Patterson scored the only TD for the Bears on a 104-yard kickoff return.

 

Week Ten Results 

Indianapolis 34, Tennessee 17 

Detroit 30, Washington 27 

Tampa Bay 46, Carolina 23

Cleveland 10, Houston 7 

Green Bay 24, Jacksonville 20 

N.Y. Giants 27, Philadelphia 17 

Miami 29, L.A. Chargers 21

L.A. Rams 23, Seattle 16 

New Orleans 27, San Francisco 13

Arizona 32, Buffalo 30 

Pittsburgh 36, Cincinnati 10 

Las Vegas 37, Denver 12 

New England 23, Baltimore 17  

Minnesota 19, Chicago 13

 

 

NFL - Week Ten Preview

Will they play or won't they? 

That seems to be the prevailing question around the NFL lately as (sigh) COVID-19 continues to dominate across the United States of America. This week, the Pittsburgh Steelers are waiting to see if their star quarterback Ben Roethlisberger will be able to play after being placed on the COVID-19/IR list along with three other teammates. 

 

 

There is also a possibility of the league expanding the playoffs yet again if the full schedule of games cannot be reached by Week Seventeen. The NFL approved plans to go from 12 to 14 teams for the post-season this year and that might go up even higher (to 16 teams) due to circumstances beyond their control. 

As for the action in Week Ten, the premier games look to be the Seattle Seahawks (6-2) facing the Los Angeles Rams (5-3) and the Arizona Cardinals (5-3) playing host to the surging Buffalo Bills. The Rams, like the Cardinals, are just one game behind the first-place Seahawks in the NFC West division. So that is a huge matchup for sure. The Bills (7-2) lead the AFC East by one game in the loss column over the Miami Dolphins and will be in for a shootout with Big Red in the desert. 

The "prime time" games on Sunday and Monday night will have the Baltimore Ravens at the New England Patriots (on Sunday) and the Minnesota Vikings, who have been heating up thanks in large part to running back Dalvin Cook, taking on the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field in Chicago in the Monday Night Football game. 

Here is a look at all the games this weekend with the capsule style previews and then the predictions for each game. 

Tampa Bay (6-3) at Carolina (3-6) - The Buccaneers got crushed at home last week and will be looking to get back on track against a Panthers team that continues to play hard each week. This game should be a close one. 

Houston (2-6) at Cleveland (5-3) - The Browns need a win to stay close in the AFC playoff chase. 

Washington (2-6) at Detroit (3-5) - Lions should win this game, but then again neither of these teams has been inspiring this season. 

Jacksonville (1-7) at Green Bay (6-2) - Packers roll !

Philadelphia (3-4-1) at N.Y. Giants (2-7) - Look for a close one here, but the Eagles should pull it out. 

L.A. Chargers (2-6) at Miami (5-3) - How will the Chargers lose this week?  

Buffalo (7-2) at Arizona (5-3) - This game should be a shootout with two young, exciting quarterbacks lead the offenses. 

Denver (3-5) at Las Vegas (5-3) - This game could be tighter than most might think. Raiders have the better offense and that should be the difference. 

Seattle (6-2) at L.A. Rams (5-3) - Seahawks defense is terrible, but will the Rams score enough points to win this game? 

San Francisco (4-5) at New Orleans (6-2) - Saints have been on a roll with five straight wins, but the 49ers won't just roll over in this one. 

Cincinnati (2-5-1) at Pittsburgh (8-0) - Steelers might not have starting quarterback Ben Roethlisberger in this game (COVID-19/IR list), but it might not matter because their defense is one of the best in the NFL. 

Baltimore (6-2) at New England (3-5) - Ravens looking to get the "magic" back into their offense this season. Patriots looking to get back-to-back wins for first time this season. Take the Ravens. 

Minnesota (3-5) at Chicago (5-4) - Bears looking to end three-game skid. Vikings are heating up after a 1-5 start. 

 

The Heftyinfo predictions for Week Ten  . . . . . . .     (Home teams are listed in bold; Lock of the Week is listed in BOLD CAPS)

Indianapolis over Tennessee

Tampa Bay over Carolina 

Cleveland over Houston 

Detroit over Washington 

GREEN BAY over Jacksonville 

Philadelphia over N.Y. Giants 

Miami over L.A. Chargers 

Arizona over Buffalo 

Las Vegas over Denver 

L.A. Rams over Seattle 

New Orleans over San Francisco 

Pittsburgh over Cincinnati 

Baltimore over New England 

Minnesota over Chicago 

 

Last Week's Record -  10-4

SEASON RECORD -  90-42-1

Lock of the Week Record -  7-2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Nation Of Imbeciles

 

Welcome to the United States of America in 2020 - we have become a nation of imbeciles. 

Several months ago when this coronavirus pandemic first hit the United States of America, it was obvious things were not going to be normal anytime soon. But as the days and weeks went by, people started to grow restless of staying indoors and having to wear protective masks out in public, etc.  We all know the story so there is no sense in recounting it all. 

A big part of the reason this country is being ravaged again by the COVID-19 virus is because Trump and his clown show hijacked the coronavirus task force last spring and he turned it all into a freak show. Again, there's no need to recount everything in detail. We all know Trump is a complete idiot and he is currently giving us more reasons to believe it. 

The guy lost an election and continues to live in looney land by claiming he didn't lose. Trump obviously doesn't know his math too well. But again, no need to go into details regarding this imbecile because in roughly 70 days he will be gone from the White House.

The unfortunate part is so much damage has been done by this boob and his incompetence it will take quite some time to repair it. I don't envy Joe Biden and Kamala Harris as they take over the Executive Branch in January. Very happy they won the election, but they have a mountain of work ahead of them. 

They will be dealing with a traitorous party we call the Republican party. These people from the GOP  are already doing what they can to gum up the works in the transition period and the chief culprit is current U.S. Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) who will do all he can to ensure our country stays stuck right where it is. 

Along with Trump, Mitch McConnell is the asshole of the decade for sure. 

Now let's get to the media and their role in all of this. Having studied in journalism nearly 40 years ago, it is appalling to see the amount of blatant false reporting and the "kids glove" treatment Trump has received these past four or five years. Most of that is the fault of FOX (so called) News. They finally FINALLY called out Trump in the past week and questioned his motives with his frivolous lawsuits to stop election results where he lost. Other networks have finally started to cut away from the press conferences he holds in recent days as well. Should have been doing that since 2015 gang.

When it comes to sports in this country, we have also gone off the deep end. We are in the middle (STILL) of a fucking pandemic that is raging once again and has killed nearly a quarter of a million Americans and the body count continues to move upward. But to hear reporters and announcers on the sports networks (ESPN, CBS, NBC, ABC, FOX, etc.) tell it, everything is just fine and sports can continue on. 

Good luck with that one.

The NFL and college football are being body slammed in recent weeks with the COVID-19 forcing postponements of games and rescheduling of the games as well. This year's sports have been a joke. And I'm also including the NHL and NBA and their bubble approaches. Sure, they did go through their playoffs and crown a champion as did Major League Baseball with a 60-game season, but let's be real, all that was about was money and lost revenue with major networks and advertising. There is the talk of college hoops starting in a week or two and the NBA by Christmas for the 2020-21 seasons . . . again, good luck with that one because there won't be any bubbles for protection this time around.

Having posted about that subject a couple of months back as well, I can only say I am not budging on my views about it. I'm still as big a sports fan as anyone, but these people in charge have to face reality and just bag it for this year and come back next year when this vaccine for COVID-19, which we are now hearing from Pfizer (not idiot Trump) could be ready soon. 

It's being reported that could happen in just a couple of months from now. So fingers crossed on that.

The fact is we have to deal with this virus pandemic in real world terms, not looney land terms. Trump and his madness wants to continue with the "herd immunity" strategy and that is nothing but insanity. It's the main reason his ass was voted out by nearly 76 million people and counting. The people of the USA are ready to move onward and upward with or without Trump and his followers. Enough said.

Let's keep it real folks and get back to sanity and the real world once Joe Biden and Kamala Harris can set forward a real agenda for our country. 

Let's Go!  

 

 

NFL - Week Nine Review

Drew Brees and the Saints crushed Tampa Bay on Sunday night.

There were a lot of fantastic finishes around the NFL this weekend and when the games were completed, the Pittsburgh Steelers stayed unbeaten and the Kansas City Chiefs just continue to win. And regarding the big showdown on Sunday night, the Saints went marching in and blasted the host Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 38-3 to take over first place in the NFC South division.

 

The Steelers (8-0) did indeed stay unbeaten with a 24-19 road victory against the Dallas Cowboys (2-7) with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger leading the way with three touchdown passes along with 306 passing yards. The Cowboys had a chance to get the win, but the Steelers defense held up in the closing seconds to stop their effort. 

The Kansas City Chiefs (8-1) stormed back from an 11-point deficit to beat the visiting Carolina Panthers, 33-31 as QB Patrick Mahomes threw four TD passes along with 372 passing yards to get it done. Carolina (3-6) lost their fourth straight game even though QB Teddy Bridgewater had 310 passing yards and two scoring passes along with a touchdown run. Panthers All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey returned from injury and had a rushing touchdown along with 151 combined yards in the loss. 

The Sunday night game was a one-sided blowout win for the New Orleans Saints (6-2) as they won, 38-3 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-3) and took over first place in the NFC South division. The Saints swept the two games with Tampa Bay as QB Drew Brees had four touchdown passes and the

Saints defense limited the Bucs to just 194 total yards in offense, including EIGHT yards rushing on only five rushing attempts, which was the lowest ever for a team in one game in NFL history. New Orleans also intercepted Bucs QB Tom Brady (pictured right) three times and had three sacks. 

 

 

The Buffalo Bills (7-2) blasted the visiting Seattle Seahawks, 44-34 as QB Josh Allen had 415 yards passing with three TD passes and a rushing score to pace the offense. The Bills defense had two interceptions and two fumble recoveries while also sacking Seattle QB Russell Wilson five times. Seattle dropped to 6-2 with the loss. 

In the Thursday night game, the Green Bay Packers (6-2) got a big road win, 34-17 over the San Francisco 49ers (4-5) with QB Aaron Rodgers throwing four touchdown passes while completing 25-of-31 passes for 305 yards. The Green Bay defense limited the injury ravaged 49ers to 55 rushing yards and forced two turnovers. 

The Baltimore Ravens improved to 6-2 with a 24-10 win at Indianapolis behind a stellar defense that forced two turnovers and made key stops while defensive back Chuck Clark took a fumble back 65 yards for a score to lead the way. The Colts (5-3) held a 10-7 halftime lead, but were shut out in the second half even though they out gained the Ravens in total yardage. 

The Miami Dolphins (5-3) held on for a 34-31 shootout win on the road against the Arizona Cardinals (5-3) as their defense scored a touchdown for the second straight game while QB Tua Tagovailoa threw for two scores and kicker Jason Sanders made two field goals from beyond 50 yards. The Cardinals had a chance to tie the game in the final minute, but kicker Zane Gonzalez came up short on a 49-yard field goal attempt. Arizona QB Kyler Murray had three scoring passes and a touchdown run in defeat. 

                                                              Elsewhere Around the NFL  . . . . . . .    

The Tennessee Titans (6-2) battered the visiting Chicago Bears (5-4) in a 24-17 home win to move into first place all alone in the AFC South division. The Titans defense recovered two fumbles, including a scoop-and-score of 63 yards by Desmond King to help build a 17-0 lead. Bears QB Nick Foles passed for 335 yards and two scores in the loss, which was the Bears' third in a row . . .  The Las Vegas Raiders (5-3) dodged a bullet in Los Angeles as they won, 31-26 over the Chargers (2-6) when an apparent game-winning TD pass from Chargers QB Justin Herbert (326 passing yards with two TD) to tight end Donald Parham on the final play of the game was overturned on a replay review. Raiders QB Derek Carr had two touchdown passes in the win . . .  The Atlanta Falcons (3-6) beat the visiting Denver Broncos, 34-27 behind three TD passes from QB Matt Ryan while the Broncos (3-5) QB Drew Lock had two TD passes and a scoring run in defeat . . .  Minnesota (3-6) beat the visiting Detroit Lions, 34-20 with running back Dalvin Cook rushing for 206 yards and scoring twice, including a game sealing 70-yard TD romp. Vikings QB Kirk Cousins had three TD passes in the win while the Lions (3-5) had three turnovers (on interceptions) in the loss . . .  The New York Giants improved to 2-7 as they toppled the Washington football team (2-6) for the second time this season, winning 23-20 on the road behind a defense that forced five turnovers (three interceptions and two fumbles) while controlling the clock with nearly 37 minutes of ball possession. Washington QB Kyle Allen left the game with an ankle injury and will be out for the rest of the season . . .  The Houston Texans (2-6) sent the Jacksonville Jaguars (1-7) to their seventh straight defeat with a 27-25 road win as QB Deshaun Watson had a pair of TD passes. Jags QB Jake Luton filled in for injured starter Gardner Minshew (thumb) and passed for 304 yards with a touchdown pass and also had a 13-yard scoring run in defeat . . .  Nick Folk made a 51-yard field goal as time ran out to help the New England Patriots (3-5) snap a four-game losing streak with a 30-27 road victory against the New York Jets, who dropped to 0-9 this season. Pats QB Cam Newton had two scoring runs in the win to offset three touchdown passes by Jets QB Joe Flacco.

Week Nine Results 

Green Bay 34, San Francisco 17

Tennessee 24, Chicago 17

Buffalo 44, Seattle 34

N.Y. Giants 23, Washington 20 

Houston 27, Jacksonville 25

Minnesota 34, Detroit 20

Atlanta 34, Denver 27 

Kansas City 33, Carolina 31

Baltimore 24, Indianapolis 10  

Las Vegas 31, L.A. Chargers 26

Miami 34, Arizona 31

Pittsburgh 24, Dallas 19

New Orleans 38, Tampa Bay 3

New England 30, N.Y. Jets 27

 

 

 

 

 

It's Over - Joe Biden Is Declared The Winner For President of the United States

 

NFL - Week Nine Preview

As the NFL season goes into Week Nine, the COVID-19 virus is starting to wreak havoc around the league and that was evident in the Thursday night game where the San Francisco 49ers had numerous players out of action due to either testing positive for the virus or because they had contact with persons who tested positive. The Green Bay Packers also have had many issues with the virus as well as the state of Wisconsin is one of the hottest spots in the country for new cases.

The Packers destroyed the depleted 49ers, 34-17 with quarterback Aaron Rodgers throwing four touchdown passes. The 'Niners were without starting QB Jimmy Garoppolo and tight end George Kittle (both injured) as well as other starters who are out with the virus or having to go on COVID-19/IR list. Hopefully, other teams won't suffer similar fates as quite a few teams have seen cases rising on their rosters. 

As for the action this weekend, the Baltimore Ravens travel to face the Indianapolis Colts (both teams are 5-2) in what should be a physical contest with both teams having strong defenses. Baltimore QB Lamar Jackson has struggled in recent games and turned the football over four times in last week's loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Colts QB Philip Rivers started out the season as a turnover machine, but has improved in the last three games, throwing no interceptions while tossing for five scores. 

The Seattle Seahawks (6-1) will play at the Buffalo Bills (6-2) who are coming off a close win against New England last Sunday. The Seahawks bounced back from their only defeat two weeks ago with a 37-27 win over the San Francisco 49ers and quarterback Russell Wilson has thrown 26 touchdown passes so far this season. 

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-2) host the New Orleans Saints (5-2) in a huge game in the NFC South division on Sunday night. Bucs QB Tom Brady has 18 TD passes with four interceptions and will now have much maligned wide receiver Antonio Brown in the mix as he has completed his eight-game suspension. Tampa Bay is averaging just under 31 points per game while the Saints, led by QB Drew Brees, have averaged 28 points per game. 

The Chicago Bears (5-3) will be in Tennessee facing the Titans (5-2) as each team has lost their last two games. The Bears offense has been struggling to put points on the board and QB Nick Foles hasn't been real effective since taking over for Mitch Trubisky as the starter. The Titans defense has been getting ravaged, allowing 31 points per game in the last three since their blowout victory over Buffalo. This game could come down to the final possession. 

One other game that looks to be real interesting is the Miami Dolphins (4-3) at the Arizona Cardinals (5-2) on Sunday afternoon. Both teams have won three consecutive games and the Dolphins have been destroying opponents in that time frame, outscoring the opposition by a 98-40 count. Meanwhile, the Cardinals are coming off a bye and knocked off the Seattle Seahawks, 37-34 in overtime two weeks ago. The Cards have averaged 29 points per game this season while the Dolphins defense has been real stingy in recent games, so something has to give. 

The rest of the games for Week Nine are featured in the capsule style previews and are followed up by the Heftyinfo predictions. 

 

Denver (3-4) at Atlanta (2-6) - Two teams that need to keep winning games battle it out. This could go either way. 

Houston (1-6) at Jacksonville (1-6) - Round Two in the battle for possibly the top pick in the next NFL Draft. 

N.Y. Giants (1-7) at Washington (2-5) - See above comments.

Carolina (3-5) at Kansas City (7-1) - The Chiefs should win big, but the Panthers have been in every game they play so far this season. 

Detroit (3-4) at Minnesota (2-5) - Will Lions QB Matthew Stafford (COVID-19/IR list) be able to play in this game? 

Las Vegas (4-3) at L.A. Chargers (2-5) - The Chargers cannot possibly blow a big lead in a fifth straight game, can they? 

Pittsburgh (7-0) at Dallas (2-6) - This should be a complete blowout for the Steelers. 

New England (2-5) at N.Y. Jets (0-8) - The stinker game of the week on Monday Night Football?  Sure looks like it. 

 

The Heftyinfo picks for Week Nine   .  .  .  .  .  .  .    (Home teams are listed in bold; Lock of the Week is listed in BOLD CAPS) 

Green Bay over San Francisco 

Atlanta over Denver 

Seattle over Buffalo 

Indianapolis over Baltimore 

Houston over Jacksonville 

Kansas City over Carolina 

Minnesota over Detroit 

Tennessee over Chicago 

N.Y. Giants over Washington 

Las Vegas over L.A. Chargers 

Arizona over Miami 

PITTSBURGH over Dallas 

Tampa Bay over New Orleans 

New England over N.Y. Jets 

 

Last Week's Record -  9-5 

SEASON RECORD -  80-38-1 

Lock of the Week Record -  6-2