Whoever was in charge of scheduling for the NFL season dropped the ball for week eight. The Washington Redskins versus the Minnesota Vikings start the week off on Thursday Night. What a stinker. The Dolphins and Ben Roethlisberger-less Steelers play on Monday in primetime. Call the police cause NFL fans are being robbed of great games to watch on a mundane weekday night.
There are only four games that feature teams over .500, and one of those games is a matchup between first and last place teams. With a weak slate of games ahead, only one player could save us from this disaster, and that's Chiefs' quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
Mahomes suffered a dislocated knee cap that was reportedly going to cost him three to five weeks of the season. Fast forward a few days later, and head coach Andy Reid will not rule him out this week against the Packers. For the sake of football fans, a Mahomes vs. Rodgers shootout would be an all-time great, but electing to risk further injury to Mahomes' knee may not be the best option.
Without a healthy Mahomes, that only leaves two options for the game of the week. The Patriots vs. Browns or Eagles vs. Bills are our unfortunate choices. If last week's Monday Night Football game was any indication of how the Patriots treat second-year quarterbacks, that leaves just two lucky teams afforded the opportunity to be dissected and ridiculed in just a five-minute read.
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (3-4) VS. BUFFALO BILLS (5-1)
The fact that the Eagles and Bills have only played each other 13 times since 1973 hopefully gives me more leniency in the realm of outdated pictures. Despite the older photos and non-existent history to build up the matchup between the two teams, Sunday's weather forecast should be enough to excite any football fan.
According to the WeatherNetwork.com, Buffalo is predicted to experience not only a heavy downpour rain but also 16-degree weather, possibly giving the NFL its first snow game of the season.
With a winter wonderland on its way to Buffalo, the Bills should be comfortable in their home atmosphere in front of the Bills Mafia. Just like last week's 49ers/Redskins game, expect a slow-paced ground attack to take the forefront.
If so, the Bills have the edge. Future Hall of Famer Frank Gore carries the ball better than anyone nowadays and is experience in tough weather like the storm headed for Buffalo. At the ripe age of 36, Gore is 17th in the NFL in yards (388) in just 86 attempts and is on his way toward his tenth career 1,000-yard season.
The only downside to Gore playing in the expected conditions on Sunday is his fumble history. Gore fumbles every 84 carries, meaning he's due to for one this season and possibly this Sunday.
Buffalo has a multitude of factors working in their favor, but none more prevalent them the league's number three ranked rushing defense. Allowing just 4.7 yards per attempt, the Bills defense can eliminate the already non-existent Eagles' rushing attack with ease.
Simply put, Sunday's game between the Bills and Eagles will be a matchup of who can chew the most clock, make the timely throw and execute best on the ground. Unfortunately for the Eagles, that's how every game is supposed to be played, and they aren't any good at it.
Prior to the season, experts heaped praise for Carson Wentz. Even ESPN's Louis Riddick picked Wentz to be the MVP. Yikes.
While Wentz hasn't had a terrible season, he hasn't been consistent enough to warrant any praise. Good news for the Eagles, if not for a dropped pass against the Falcons, Philadelphia would be tied with the Cowboys atop the NFC East. Sadly, they sit below .500 and in second place in their division.
Head coach Doug Pederson boldly announced the team was going down to Dallas and leaving with a win. They lost 37-10 and were down 21-0 in the first quarter. The humiliation piled on after the loss, an anonymous source criticized Wentz and the offense.
Interestingly enough, the finger was pointed at receiver Alshon Jeffery, who is having a similar year to last season-his worst statistical season since his rookie year. To make matters worse, Jeffery has only been targeted 40 times this season, which ranks 52nd behind Preston Williams (Dolphins) and Auden Tate (Bengals), members of the 31st and 27th ranked offenses in the NFL.
The Eagles are, for whatever reason, dysfunctional. Since their Super Bowl win two years ago, Philadelphia has totaled a 12-11 record and an 8-10 record with Wentz under center.
The offense currently ranks 23rd (20th in passing, 14th in rushing) in the NFL and defense a mediocre 15th. Instead of breaking down the Eagles defense by sections, how bout just the secondary. Philadelphia's secondary allows 270.6 yards per game (6th), 7.9 per pass (9th), 14 touchdowns (6th), and has given up the second-most 40+ yard plays with eight.
Verdict:
The Eagles are a bad team that has beaten bad teams. Their opponent's record sits at 8-12, with the only notable win being against the Packers during Thursday Night Football. Since the win against the Packers, where Philadelphia totaled a season-high 34 points, the Eagles are averaging 20 points with a record of 1-2.
While Buffalo's offense is equally undynamic, ranking 17th in the league, it's their third-ranked defense that leads the way. In the tundra of Buffalo, Josh Allen's cannon of an arm can survive the frigid air, but his legs can do wonders that Wentz' cannot. In his second season, Allen has raised his completion percentage six points and already matched his win total from last season.
Sunday is Buffalo's game to lose. At home with Allen having a career year, a Hall of Fame running back carrying the ball, and the league's third-best defense, Bills Mafia will run wild.
Final Score: Bills 20, Eagles 16
Week 8 Predictions:
Redskins (1-6) vs. Vikings (5-2) - Vikings, 31, Redskins 13
Seahawks (5-2) vs. Falcons (1-6) - Seahawks 30, Falcons 24
Chargers (2-5) vs. Bears (3-3) - Bears 24, Chargers 23
Giants (2-5) vs. Lions (2-3-1) - Lions 33, Giants 20
Jets (1-5) vs. Jaguars (3-4) - Jets 24, Jags 20
Bengals (0-7) vs. Rams (4-3) - Rams 36, Bengals 17
Buccaneers (2-4) vs. Titans (3-4) - Titans 26, Bucs 23
Broncos (2-5) vs. Colts (4-2) - Colts 30, Broncos 16
Cardinals (3-3-1) vs. Saints (6-1) - Saints 30, Cardinals 26
Panthers (4-2) vs. 49ers (6-0) - 49ers 27, Panthers 20
Raiders (3-3) vs. Texans (4-3) - Texans 31, Raiders 24
Browns (2-4) vs. Patriots (7-0) - Patriots 31, Browns 17
Packers (6-1) vs. Chiefs (5-2) - Packers 36, Chiefs 13 (without Mahomes, w/Mahomes 27)
Dolphins (0-6) vs. Steelers (2-4) - Steelers 23, Dolphins 16
Bye Week: Baltimore Ravens, Dallas Cowboys
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