Around the AFC
Snap decision: The Shedeur Sanders Era is ready for lift-off in Cleveland. Thrown into the deep end vs. Baltimore last Sunday, the CU Buffs legend flailed and flopped to the tune of 47 yards on 4-of-16 passing in relief of concussed rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel. That came after Sanders received zero (!) practice snaps with the Browns’ starting offensive line over the first 11 weeks of the season, according to head coach Kevin Stefanski. Now, with a week of reps under his belt, Coach Prime’s son is set to make his first NFL start at the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday. We eagerly await the measured, thoughtful discourse that will follow in its wake.
Backup duty: It would’ve been hard to envision three weeks ago when the Broncos had Davis Mills running for his life inside NRG Stadium, but Houston’s backup QB has revived a once-lost season for the Texans. Starting in place of C.J. Stroud the last three games, Mills has thrown for 719 yards and five touchdowns in leading Houston to three straight wins, including a surprise takedown of Buffalo on Thursday night. Of course, it also helps to have a defensive front — led by Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter — that can terrorize opposing quarterbacks for four quarters. With trips to Indianapolis and Kansas City on the docket the next two weeks, more of the latter will be needed.
First-round fodder: Your AFC division leaders entering Week 12? Denver, New England, Indianapolis and Pittsburgh. Talk about a changing of the guard. Baltimore, Kansas City and Buffalo all have work to do just to make the Wild Card round in early January. And if they do? Well, let’s just say things could get awfully, um, wild during the first weekend of the NFL Playoffs. After the Chiefs’ reign of terror over the last seven years, the AFC has rarely felt more wide open.
Around the NFC
Casino Cowboys: Speculation swirled after receivers George Pickens and CeeDee Lamb were held out of the Cowboys’ opening drive at the Las Vegas Raiders this past Monday night, with one particularly salacious rumor floating around that Lamb was seen throwing up outside a casino the night before. Lamb later confirmed that he and Pickens missed curfew while having dinner and drinks at Red Rock Casino on Sunday night, but denied the upchuck allegations. Far be it from us to cast judgment upon someone losing track of time in a Sin City casino. But before a Monday Night Football game with your team’s season on the line? Tsk, tsk.
What Brown can do for coup: Whoever came up with the phrase “winning cures everything” never met A.J. Brown. The Eagles’ veteran wide receiver is less than a year removed from getting fitted for a Super Bowl ring, and his team is currently No. 1 in the NFC, but you wouldn’t know it if you stood next to his stall in the Eagles locker room or scrolled through his social media accounts after the latest Philly win. Things got so bad last week, Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie felt compelled to meet with Brown for a 10-minute heart-to-heart on the practice field. Let’s hope it produces the desired results for Brown: More targets, more TDs, and maybe even an Eagles win. (In that order, of course.)
Rodgers in Chicago: If there are football gods, Aaron Rodgers will be healthy enough to play when Pittsburgh takes on the NFC North-leading Chicago Bears on Sunday. The former Green Bay QB famously declared “I still own you” at the Soldier Field crowd after one of his many touchdowns against the Bears back in 2021. While Rodgers might only be a glimmer of the quarterback who once went 25-5 against the Monsters of the Midway in green and gold, we welcome any opportunity to turn back the clock.
Game of the Week
Tampa Bay at L.A. Rams
Either something is wrong with Tampa Bay quarterback Baker Mayfield, or his fourth-quarter magic has simply run dry. The Buccaneers have lost three of their last four games and could desperately use a win with the Carolina Panthers lurking a half-game back in the NFC South. There’s just one problem: Rams QB Matthew Stafford has been shooting laser beams out of his eyes for the better part of seven weeks. The Rams are laying seven points to the visiting Bucs — which feels like a few too many.
Rams 31, Buccaneers 27
Lock of the Week
Seattle at Tennessee
There are two things the Seahawks do better than just about anyone else in the NFL right now: 1) Win on the road, and 2) Obliterate bad teams. They’ll get an opportunity to do both on Sunday when they visit Nashville. The Titans are getting 13.5 points, and that’s still not enough for a team that is one Arizona Cardinals fourth-quarter implosion away from being 0-10 on the season. Could Tennessee really get the No. 1 overall pick two years in a row? Our Magic 8 Ball says “Signs point to yes.”
Seahawks 34, Titans 17
Upset of the Week
New England at Cincinnati
Cincinnati quarterback Joe Burrow practiced all week and is trending toward returning to the field when the Bengals host Drake Maye and the Patriots on Sunday afternoon at Paycor Stadium. Somehow, the Bengals were still 6.5-point home underdogs as late as Friday morning against the AFC East leaders. The Pats have won eight straight since getting off to a 1-2 start to the season (Sound familiar?). A healthy and rested Joe Cool is ready to burst their bubble.
Bengals 27, Patriots 24
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