Welcome to my 5th post in my series Super Bowl LIII Preview articles. Now that I’ve looked back at previous stat nuggets that could be significant to the game and established the keys to victory for each team, it’s time to unveil my official Super Bowl LIII prediction. Who will win Super Bowl LIII? Will it be a nail-biter? A blowout? Something in between? What players will have the biggest impact on the game? Keep reading to find out what I think. You can also check out my entire Super Bowl LIII preview schedule below. I will be posting preview articles throughout the week as festivities in Atlanta take place.
Super Bowl LIII: Official Boston Sports Mania Preview Schedule
February 3: The Final Countdown: Final Injury Report, Outlook Before the Game (Including iMovie Trailer)
February 3: Enjoy the game and stay tuned for my recap after the game!
The Final Pick
Typically, I just predict the score. But it’s the Super Bowl, so I went a little deeper. I simulated the entire game based on my basic score prediction. Below are the final score, scoring summary and stat predictions I came up with.
Though I don’t see QB Tom Brady matching his Super Bowl LII stats, he will outplay QB Jared Goff, tossing 2 TD and no interceptions while Goff throws more picks than TDs. But it’s not the stats that matter for the Pats – it’s winning the game. Expect a close, back and forth match-up, as RB Todd Gurley and C.J. Anderson dominate against a weak Pats run defense. But QB Tom Brady will find open men and put up a quality victory in his 9th (yes, that’s a record) Super Bowl.
Projected Stats and Scoring/Turnover Summary
Note: I showed a projected scoring summary for the purpose of highlighting who makes an impact, not to predict the order of events in the game.
Team 1 2 3 4 TOTAL
NE 3 10 10 3 26 LAR 3 7 7 7 24
1st Quarter
Greg Zuerlein 52-yard FG made (3-0 LAR)
Stephen Gostkowski 28-yard FG made (3-3 TIE)
2nd Quarter
Todd Gurley for 2-yard rush TD. Greg Zuerlein PAT made (10-3 LAR)
Tom Brady to Cordarrelle Patterson for 9 yard TD. Stephen Gostkowski PAT made (10-10 TIE)
Stephen Gostkowski 37-yard FG made (13-10 NE)
Jared Goff intercepted by Devin McCourty (13-10 NE)
3rd Quarter
Stephen Gostkowski 51-yard FG made (16-10 NE)
Jared Goff to Robert Woods for 9 yard TD. Greg Zuerlein PAT made (17-16 LAR)
Tom Brady to Julian Edelman for 8 yard TD. Stephen Gostkowski PAT made (23-17 NE)
Jared Goff intercepted by Patrick Chung (23-17 NE)
Stephen Gostkowski 54-yard FG missed (23-17 NE)
4th Quarter
Greg Zuerlein 54-yard FG blocked by Albert McClellan (23-17 NE)
C.J. Anderson for 4-yard rush TD. Greg Zuerlein PAT made (24-23 LAR)
Stephen Gostkowski 36-yard FG made (26-24 NE)
Stat Projections
NE
Passing
Tom Brady: 33/49, 284 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT, 1 sack (My projected Super Bowl MVP)
It was 31-31 in overtime. After winning the toss, the New England Patriots had the ball on 3rd down at the Kansas City 30 yard line. QB Tom Brady had made two straight third down conversions going to WR Julian Edelman, but this time, he looked in the direction of TE Rob Gronkowski. Gronk had not been himself for most of the season. But after stating that he would ‘seriously consider’ retirement with the conclusion of the season, he had stepped it up so far in this game, with 5 receptions for 64 yards. He was tightly covered by S Eric Berry, but it didn’t matter. He reached up and caught it, keeping the Patriots’ drive alive with a clean set of downs. After that, Brady handed it off to RB Rex Burkhead three times, and he finished the job. Touchdown. 37-31, Patriots win!
The Patriots are now headed to their 4th Super Bowl in 5 years, as Brady looks to ‘Blitz for Six’ and Gronk looks to potentially end his career with a bang. The best part is, as intriguing as a Brady vs. Drew Brees match-up would be, they’re playing the Los Angeles Rams, taking the Brady-Belichick dynasty back to their roots. Back in 2001, Brady led the Patriots to their first Super Bowl victory over the QB Kurt Warner-led St. Louis (now Los Angeles) Rams. You could also compare that victory to tonight’s when Brady and co. took down QB Patrick Mahomes II and an explosive Chiefs offense after coming in as 3 point underdogs.
The Pats set themselves up for success with a strong start to the game where they showcased complimentary football. The Pats were in no rush in the 1st quarter, so they took their time, running the ball and eating clock on their first scoring drive of the game. It was important to get into a rhythm early on to keep up with the Kansas City, but keeping the ball for 80% of the first quarter works. Their opening drive was the longest playoff opening drive in the history of the Brady-Belichick Patriots. The Pats held Kansas City to under 3 minutes of 1st quarter possession time by sacking Mahomes and shutting down the Chiefs offense quickly. Preventing the Chiefs from developing a rhythm of their own also works. In fact, while the Pats had 100+ total yards after one quarter, the Chiefs had negative yardage.
New England had another drive going that continued into the 2nd quarter, but things went south when Brady threw an end zone pick to LB Reggie Ragland. The Chiefs had just successfully pressured TB12 and taken control of the turnover battle in one measly play. Many people say this was a blatant mistake by Brady, but I saw it as a job well done by an underrated, young Chiefs D. Though the Pats had lost their rhythm after marching down the field, they did shut down the Chiefs easily after the interception, forcing 3 and out. With just about 7 minutes left in the 1st half, the Pats had 155 total yards, and the Chiefs still had just -2.
It took a bit for the Pats to get back into the swing of things after the pick, but on a deep throw to WR Phillip Dorsett, they scored again two drives later. Utilized as a receiver, White led them through majority of the drive, but it was the deep throw to Dorsett that scored the TD for New England. After their defense’s big showing in the first half, the Pats held a 14-0 lead at halftime. The defense had held the Chiefs to just 32 total yards in the half, and this was the first time the Chiefs had been shutout in the first half at home in 51 games
However, the Chiefs figured out New England’s formula in their first drive after halftime, marching down the field in 4 plays for a TD thanks to a huge catch by WR Sammy Watkins and a quality TD by TE Travis Kelce in tight coverage. Preventing big plays is a definitive weakness of the Pats D. The Patriots needed to extend their lead so they didn’t have to press the panic button when Mahomes and co. started dominating. They failed to score another TD in the 3rd quarter, but they did add a field goal to their lead, making it 17-7 Pats. However, Mahomes and RB Damien Williams led the Chiefs on a huge drive to end the 3rd quarter. This one did end in a touchdown, narrowing New England’s lead to just 3 points after a somewhat questionable pass interference call. It had been 14-0 at half, but the Chiefs offense had just taken control of the game, outscoring New England 14-3 in the 3rd quarter.
The Pats tried again to score a TD at the beginning of the 4th quarter, but they couldn’t convert on 4th down. They forced the Chiefs to punt on the next drive, but initially, the refs called the punt muffed by Edelman when the Chiefs picked up the ball. However, the call was overturned after instant replay showed that Edelman never touched it. Edelman ended up costing the Pats the following drive though, as he bobbled a pass, allowing the Chiefs to intercept it and go on to take the lead with a TD the following drive.
The 4th quarter was a back and forth battle with several lead changes. The Pats and Chiefs each scored a touchdown on their next drives, making it 28-24 Chiefs. With two minutes to go, the Pats had the ball in what was still a one possession game. The Pats marched down the field and Burkhead scored the TD, but they scored a little too fast. They left enough time for the Chiefs to add a field goal to tie it up and force overtime. It was 31-31.
After that the Pats won the toss, and though it was a nail biter with many close calls and 3rd downs, the Pats made their way down the field for the TD, winning the game! This was Brady’s third OT victory in a postseason game, making him the first player to do so. This was also the first time two playoff games had gone into overtime in one day.
Despite 2 interceptions, Brady finished 30/46 with 348 passing yards and a TD. Sony Michel rushed for 113 yards and scored two TDs, and Burkhead had two rush TDs of his own. Edelman and Gronk each had 75+ receiving yards, and James White nearly had 50.
Mahomes threw 3 TDs and 0 interceptions as the Chiefs won the turnover battle despite losing, but Mahomes only threw for 295 yards, partly because the Pats had the ball for much longer. Though Watkins had 114 receiving yards, Damien Williams caught 2 TDs as well as rushing in one.
It’s hard to name one MVP for the Pats in this game, because everyone did their job. The important thing is, the Pats will travel to Atlanta to take on QB Jared Goff, RB Todd Gurley, and the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LIII. In Belichick terms, ‘We’re on to the Super Bowl’. The Red Sox beat the LA Dodgers in the World Series just three months ago. Can Boston teams not only win two championships in a year, but also beat the city of LA twice?
Today, I had the opportunity to spend a day at Patriots training camp as a member of the press, shadowing Patriots radio play-by-play announcer and Patriots.com Beat Reporter Bob Socci. I first met Bob at the NFL Kickoff event with the Patriots broadcast team, held at Mr. Sid last year. (Note: I will be going back to a similar event on September 6th).
Bob learned about the work I had done as a sports blogger and offered to help me by inviting me to Patriots training Camp with him.
Before Practice Began: “Pre-Game” Videos and Fan Experience
I arrived a little bit early so I could do a live stand-up in front of Gillette Stadium and also conduct some interviews with fans.
First, I interviewed a long-time Pats fan named Jan. She meets a friend at Gillette every year who gives her the insight on the players at Patriots training camp.
After that, I interviewed Arjun, a 6th grader from Philadelphia who likes the Patriots so much that his parents decided to make the trip north this year. He was very excited to see the team live for the first time.
Many young fans like Arjun also had the opportunity to take advantage of Fan Experience activities held around the practice fields. My Dad further explored some of the activities while I was with Bob and the rest of the media.
They had football activities where they tracked your performance and created a Player Profile. Jimmy from the Patriots staff was really nice and created my card with Pat Patriot’s stats.
There were also a number of booths with give-aways for participating in small games like mini-golf skee ball and photo opportunities like the one with my dad.
Becoming Official Pats Media Member for the Day
Bob Socci met me soon after my interviews in front of the stadium. I said goodbye to my dad and Bob took me to go get my press pass.
We walked to the other side of the stadium and went through media security there. After I gave them my name and affiliation, they handed me my press pass.
My press pass from training camp
All media members received a detailed Patriots preseason roster and media guidelines from the media security table to help us learn about who we were covering and what coverage was permitted and when.
On my way to the media tent, Bob explained a few things to me about the training camp roster:
Since there are many players on the roster and the roster is not finalized, there may be pairs of players who share a number
Rookies wear numbers based on when they were drafted during training camp and their camp numbers do not usually correspond with their position. The team’s first draft pick, T Isaiah Wynn wears #50, their second pick, RB Sony Michel wears #51, their third pick, CB Duke Dawson wears #52, and so on. For the regular season they receive new numbers.
During training camp, quarterbacks wear red while the rest of the offense wears white and the defense wears blue. On the roster, offensive players who share a number with defensive players (and vice versa) have (o) for offense or (d) for defense next to their name.
Bob also mentioned that during camp, there would only be a 10-20 minute session for media to take photos and videos, and that no tweeting was allowed during camp for media members. We were allowed to take notes during the no photo/video portions of practice.
Bob told me that after practice the media guidelines would be more flexible. The only major rules were to stay within certain interviewing boundaries and not take any photos or video of players with their families without permission.
Before practice began, Bob introduced me to the vice president of media relations at training camp, Stacey James, as well as fellow media member Jim McBride. I also had time to catch up with ESPN Patriots beat reporter Mike Reiss, who I had met earlier in the week at Sports Broadcasting Camp. I also met a friend of Bob’s, Steve Yood, along with his sons Alex and Josh.
Watching Practice from the Media Tent
Practice started about 5 minutes after we arrived at the media tent. During practice, I also met Marc Cappello of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Josh Brogadir of WCVB, and Steve Atkinson of Boston Sports Extra. They were surprised to see someone my age in the media tent. Some of them told me what they did at my age and how they wished they had started earlier.
The Patriots practice began with some warm-ups. The team stretched, jogged a little bit, and threw the ball around. Afterwards they began a walk-through of some plays they would use later in 11 on 11 drills.
Positional drills began after the walk-through portion practice. This was the portion of practice when the media photo and video session took place. Offensive lineman competed 1 on 1 against defensive lineman, wide receivers caught balls from a receiving coach, and quarterbacks stayed together as well to take practice throws. During this time, PK Stephen Gostkowski practiced field goals. Here is some of my video coverage.
After the photo and video session ended, positional drills continued. The QBs began throwing to the receivers directly. Soon after that, they had the Pats secondary go 1 on 1 against receivers catching passes from QBs Tom Brady, Brian Hoyer, and Danny Etling. The Pats ran a few more offense vs. defense practice plays before starting the 11 on 11 drills.
The Patriots alternated personnel during the 11 on 11 drills with quarterbacks Brady and Hoyer getting most of the reps at QB . Before practice ended, the Pats held a few more running drills on the hills around the field. Then, for most of the team, practice ended. A few guys, including Danny Etling, put in a little extra work after the full team practice.
Some of my Observations from Day 4 of Patriots Training Camp
Keep an eye out for Phillip Dorsett and Jacob Hollister
WR Phillip Dorsett (#13) after catching a ball from the coach during positional drills
I kept a tally of Brady’s ball distribution during a couple of his drills, and his most frequent target during those drills was Dorsett. Dorsett had an especially strong catch on a deep pass from Brady during the offensive walk-through. Hollister had a nice jumping catch in the end zone that Brian Hoyer threw to him during 11 on 11 drills.
Patriots RBs could be a big part of the offense again this season
Brady wasn’t just throwing to receivers and tight ends today. Brady, Hoyer, and Etling all participated in a drill where they threw short passes to RBs including James White and Pats 2018 2nd draft pick from the first round, Sony Michel. Michel caught a short pass at the 30 yard line and took it to the house during 11 on 11 drills.
After practice, I was happy to see Meredith Gorman who I worked with last summer at the Boston Herald. Meredith, now with Patriots.com, conducted a 1 on 1 interview with Michel.
Meredith Gorman, who now works for patriots.com, interviewing rookie RB Sony Michel after practice
Great to see Julian Edelman back on the field
I enjoyed seeing Tom Brady connecting with WR Julian Edelman for the first time since Super Bowl LI. Even though he is suspended for the first four games, Edelman missed the entire season last year and now he is back and seems ready to play and make more amazing catches like the one that most remember as “the catch” from the Pats 5th Super Bowl win. Edelman looked like his old self out there making some good plays along with Pats newcomer WR Jordan Matthews. Other pass catchers I liked seeing were TE Rob Gronkowski and WR Chris Hogan. Gronk had a catch deep up the seam even though he was tightly covered, which is one reason Pats fans love watching him.
Super Bowl LI “the catch” by Edelman
Brian Hoyer had some good end zone connections
I watched all 3 of the Pats quarterbacks perform today but the QB I was most impressed with was Brian Hoyer. Hoyer made successful end zone connections on his first two passes, including a great throw to Jacob Hollister in the corner of the end zone.
QBs Hoyer (2) and Etling (58) during practiceBrian Hoyer after practice
Don’t Discount New England secondary
Stephon Gilmore being interviewed after practice
Even though one of last year’s starting CB and Super Bowl XLIX hero Malcolm Butler signed with the Titans in the offseason, I still believe that Pats will have a good secondary. For example, today I saw CB Stephon Gilmore break up several pass plays in 1 on 1 coverage against Julian Edelman, nearly intercepting one pass thrown by Tom Brady. Rookie and Pats 2018 #3 draft pick CB Duke Dawson also came close to picking off Brady while covering Phillip Dorsett.
Trey Flowers was back at practice with bandage on forehead
Flowers returned to practice after leaving yesterday with an ice pack on his head. In other injury news, Jordan Matthews left today’s practice with an unknown injury, and CB Keion Crossen (back) and RB Mike Gillislee (unknown) did not practice. Bob Socci told me that WR Kenny Britt, CB Cyrus Jones, CB Jonathan Jones, and WR Matthew Slater were on the PUP list. However, I did notice Britt participating in warm-ups. According to the official training camp roster, WRs Darren Andrews and Cody Hollister are on the Reserve/NFI list.
After Practice: Media Session and Tour
After practice ended, Bob and I headed to the designated player interview zone. I watched some of the interviews. Bob Socci conducted a stand-up recap with Megan O’Brien as they discussed their own observations from the day. Some of the topics he mentioned in the interview were things we talked about in the media tent together during the practice:
James White, Sony Michel, RB Rex Burkhead, T Trent Brown, DE Derek Rivers, and QB Brian Hoyer were among those interviewed. Although he didn’t stop for interviews, I did see Gronk walk by, as well as a few other players like Phillip Dorsett and Dont’a Hightower. I also saw the McCourty twins with all their family on the field. I think it is really cool that after many years on different teams they will now play on the same team and they seem to be enjoying camp together.
Nobody was interviewed at the podium today like Tom Brady was yesterday. This area is primarily used for interviews with star players like Brady and Rob Gronkowski.
The empty podium at practice today
In between and after the media interviews, I met some media members including Levan Reid of WBZ, Joe Gallant of WNRI (a radio station in Providence), and Megan O’Brien of Patriots.com. I also said hello to patriots.com’s Meredith Gorman and the Boston Herald’s Meghan Ottolini.
After the post practice interviews were over, Bob took me inside Gillette Stadium so I could see the media area. He showed me the TV studio where Patriots All Access is aired. The studio was filled with football helmets on the shelves and Patriots logos all around. Bob mentioned he hosts a show with Scott Zolak in the studio next door. We also walked by the game day media workroom, the writing rooms for various newspapers and blogs, and the weekday press conference room which was the biggest room of them all.
In total, I spent about 4 hours with Bob today and feel like I learned so much about covering the Patriots. In addition, I saw so much from the media’s point of view. It was truly incredible and surreal at times.
I’d like to thank Bob Socci and Stacey James for making this experience possible for me. I’d also like to thank all the media members who spent the time to talk to me and give me tips on sports reporting.
The match-up is set. The Patriots and Eagles will face off in Super Bowl LII. Today I will address how they got there, and give you your first look at the match-up.
But first here is the official schedule for my Super Bowl LII Preview. This will be part of each Preview article and will include links to the articles that are finished.
Super Bowl LII – Patriots vs. Eagles: Boston Sports Mania Preview
Monday, Jan. 29: Championship Weekend Recap and Super Bowl LII First Look
Tuesday, Jan. 30: The Case for the Patriots: How They Can Win, Keys to the Game
Wednesday, Jan. 31: The Case for the Eagles: How They Can Win, Keys to the Game
Thursday, Feb. 1: Super Bowl Fast Facts and Their Significance
Friday, Feb. 2: Super Bowl LII: The Final Pick and Projected Stats
Saturday, Feb. 3: Super Bowl LII Video Preview and iMovie Trailer
Sunday, Feb. 4: Watch the big game and stay tuned for my Recap!
How They Got There
Patriots
The Pats won in comeback fashion again, this time against the Jacksonville Jaguars, 24-20. Early on, Blake Bortles, Leonard Fournette, Corey Grant, and the rest of the Jaguars offense dominated, taking a 14-3 lead and challenging the Pats for their chance at making it to their 10th Super Bowl, and their 8th with Tom Brady. The Pats were unable to stop this powerful Jags offense for most of the 1st half, although they did narrow Jacksonville’s lead with a TD before the half, making it 14-10. The Jaguars’ powerful pass rush also got on Tom Brady’s nerves in this half.
By halftime, Pats fans were getting worried, and some (but not me) gave up hope. But the 2nd half brought a turn-around for the Patriots. In the 3rd quarter, we began to see a better defensive performance by New England, as they held Jacksonville to just a measly 3 points in that quarter. Lawrence Guy was able to sack Bortles as he led the Pats defense to begin to get pressure on him. The Jags scored another field goal to begin the 4th and led 20-10.
But better defense set the Pats offense up to come back in the 4th quarter. Despite TE Rob Gronkowski being ruled out with a concussion, the Pats came back, led by Brady, Danny Amendola (who scored both 4th quarter TDs) and Brandin Cooks. The Pats came out of nowhere after being down by 10, scoring 14 unanswered points to win the game and advance to the Super Bowl. But how will they fare against the Eagles, who obliterated the Vikings?
Eagles
The Vikings got off to a fast start as Case Keenum connected with TE Kyle Rudolph for a touchdown. But after that, Nick Foles broke out, leading the Eagles offense to blow away an otherwise unstoppable Vikings defense. He somehow tossed 3 TDs and 352 yards against the typically dominant Vikings D. I also don’t know how this defense gave up 38 points.
Not only did Foles do well, but his top four receivers (Zach Ertz, Alshon Jeffery, Torrey Smith, Nelson Agholor) all had over 50 yards receiving, combining for 306 of Philly’s receiving yards and all 3 receiving TDs. The combination of end zone back LeGarrette Blount and lead running back Jay Ajayi also had a big game compared to recent performances.
After that win, the Eagles truly do deserve to fight for that Lombardi Trophy in Minneapolis, although it would have been cool to see Minnesota win it at home, or be stopped by the Patriots dynasty. But will the Eagles put up the same numbers against New England, who has far more experience in the Super Bowl? Many of New England’s players don’t even know what it is like not making the AFC Championship game.
A First Look at the Big Game
With TE Rob Gronkowski on the practice field as of Saturday the 27th, it’s a good sign that Gronk will be able to clear the concussion protocol and play by Sunday’s big game. Gronk’s status will help determine New England’s offensive schemes against an Eagles defense that can be tricky at times.
Either way, especially with T Marcus Cannon injured, DT Fletcher Cox and the Eagles’ defensive line could pressure QB Tom Brady and hit him a few times. But I do think Brady should be able to find his receivers against the younger, but still powerful Eagles secondary. With or without him, Gronk will have to get past Eagles safety Malcolm Jenkins among others as they will likely keep the star tight end double covered.
Brady will have to mix it up a little, not only passing to Gronk, and dependable passing backs James White and Rex Burkhead, but also to his wide receivers who helped him win with Gronk and Burkhead out late into last week’s game. Brandin Cooks, Danny Amendola, and/or Chris Hogan could have a big game here. But will we see the Eagles look like their inconsistent selves again, or will we see QB Nick Foles and the Eagles offense pick up where they left off?
If they can, they will significantly challenge the Patriots, whose pass rush has struggled to pressure the QB at times this season. However, it has gotten better since LB James Harrison joined the Patriots. Not only has he himself made an impact, but he’s also made an impact on other players’ performances, serving as a veteran influence. The Pats sacked Jags QB Blake Bortles twice last week. One was by Harrison, and the other by DT Lawrence Guy. However, the Eagles give Foles better protection than Bortles gets with their strong offensive line.
This also helps running backs, who the Pats have struggled even more against. In their Week 7 win against Atlanta, their big flaw was giving up big plays to Devonta Freeman. It cost them in Week 1 against Kareem Hunt. Can RB Jay Ajayi be next? Will end zone threat Blount Force Trauma get revenge on his former team? Or will it be younger RBs like Corey Clement and Wendell Smallwood who thrive?
The good news is, despite their front seven woes, they have maintained a strong secondary all season long, and don’t be surprised if they annoy Foles’ receivers and pick Foles off a couple times. I do think Foles will continue to thrive though, finding his receivers for most of the game, but making brutal mistakes against this strong secondary that cause the Eagles offense to trail a little behind the “Brady Bunch.”
Who will win Super Bowl LII? What is the game plan for each team? What Super Bowl and season-long stats will burden, encourage and/or influence each team? Find out this week as I release more articles each day.
Yay! Another great week last week. I went 12-2, and now am 61-32, ahead of Pete Prisco. If you count my Thursday Night pick, it’s 62-32. So, let’s keep this up. Is the NFL turning out the way I expected, after a cuckoo week 1-3, or am I just getting smarter and keeping up with experts opinions better?
Lock Of The Week
Chargers, 28, Raiders, 26
The Chargers will blowout the Raiders again.
These Raiders definitely are getting better, and are no longer the worst NFL team, (that’s a 4-way tie for Titans, Bucs, Redskins and 49ers). Derek Carr is becoming a much better quarterback, and his weaponry improved when they added Amari Cooper, Michael Crabtree and Clive Walford. But one thing for sure, remember how I said Latavius Murray would suck? He sorta has the past couple weeks. That should give backup Roy Helu a chance to finally break out against an empty Chargers rush defense. Taiwan Jones or Marcel Reece could even contribute. And, the passing game can work around Brandon Flowers and Eric Weddle. Flowers will surely have Cooper covered, but Michael Crabtree will really have his chance to shine, along with tight ends Clive Walford and Mychal Rivera. One will have a weak linebacker guarding them, and that one will score. The other one won’t because they’ll have Eric Weddle.
But the Chargers are in a better position, if they can remain healthy. The rush could be in trouble, but the passing game can save the Chargers’ butts. Passing back Danny Woodhead could even see a big game, let alone Keenan Allen and Antonio Gates. And even if Allen, Gates and Stevie Johnson are all out, they still have guard-less Malcom Floyd and Jacoby Jones, and no matter what Ladarius Green is primed for a breakout as Gates could be limited even if he plays. Charles Woodson may be an annoyance to Keenan Allen or Antonio Gates, but the rest of the receiving game should be fine, and still be at full speed, giving San Diego the edge. Besides, although Oakland may score some reception touchdowns where unguarded, but the running game doesn’t have enough to take advantage of the weak rush D.
Notable Locks: Rams over Browns, Seahawks over 49ers
Upset Of The Week
Jaguars, 7, Bills, 6
The Jaguars will run away with the win and turn around the Bills.
Look, the Bills are DONE until they can maintain health. They’re missing QB Tyrod Taylor, RB Karlos Williams and healing RB LeSean McCoy and WRs Percy Harvin, (non injury related) Sammy Watkins, Marquise Goodwin and Marcus Easley. That leaves the starting six (excluding lineman) looking like this:
QB E.J. Manuel
RB Daniel Herron
RB Anthony Dixon
WR Robert Woods
WR Chris Hogan
TE Charles Clay
CHRIS HOGAN???? WHO’S THAT? It has gotten that bad. At least (knock on wood), Charles Clay can play, and hopefully Harvin and McCoy can suck it up. Then it would be Manuel, McCoy, Herron, Harvin, Woods, Clay. Not bad. But no offense means no scoring, and no scoring means this game will be a bore-a-thon. At least Dan Carpenter can knock in a couple field goals to keep the audience awake.
But everyone will wake up in the fourth quarter, when the Jaguars take charge and the Bills defense finally wears off. They have plenty of improving weapons. No T.J. Yeldon, but Denard Robinson, Allen Robinson, Julius Thomas (if active) and Marcedes Lewis should be enough the get the game winning touchdown. Even without Thomas the snoozy, banged up Bills offense will fall to an improving Jaguars team that is destined to get more than four wins for the first time in ages. They already have won, and have another easy one this week, so 2 down, 3 to go. That just means winning one of every three from Week 8 on. Is it possible? Keep an eye on these Jaguars and they might surprise you big time.
Notable Upsets: Titans over Falcons, Lions over Vikings
Boston Sports Mania 