NFL Divisional Finals Preview and Predictions: By Kyle Balfour

NFL Week 10 Preview:
By Stuart Tomlin

Shall we bounce right into a Week 10 Preview?

Why the hell not, ay?

Also I’ve not forgotten about the Twickenham article, I’ll try and finish it tomorrow if I can. Just haven’t had time with Uni work, travelling, and indeed, these reviews and previews.

Anyway, last week was sensational. I saw AJ Styles win the WWE Championship. I saw an incredible match between the Shield and the Bar. I saw Triple H wrestle. I saw Everton come back from 2 goals down to win 3-2. And I actually saw a Colts victory. I think that was the most shocking thing of all.

Back to reality, back to Uni, and back to the Preview. I’m writing this in the library as the laptop is still on the Injured Reserve. I’m probably getting it back tomorrow, so I can finish this review – if I’m not finishing Sonic Forces and the adventures of Original the Character.

It’s a fun game, despite the mixed reviews.

…Wow, I’ve spent very little time talking about the NFL in this intro. Let’s begin, shall we?

Arizona Cardinals v. Seattle Seahawks
University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona

The Cardinals and the Seahawks meet in the opening game of the weekend on Thursday Night Football, and while the Seahawks struggled against the Washingtons last week, the Cardinals beat the Niners in a slow game. Both teams could really use a win that could turn the tide of the NFC West outside of the Rams. The Seahawks need a win to stay within the Rams. The Cardinals need one to stay within the Seahawks. This could be a very interesting game for both teams and a loss could massively hurt both teams’ chances of going into January. Particularly the Cards, as you feel the Seahawks could survive a loss, although it wouldn’t help them, whereas the Cards could have their chances of January ended here. And that’s kinda what I expect. If the Seahawks can limit Adrian Peterson, they can win this game, and they have the sort of defence that can do exactly that. They just need Russell Wilson to be less terrible than last week. And Blair Walsh to actually make field goals. Miracles can happen, right? Regardless, I fancy Seattle here. One final note: the Seahawks are wearing their boss colour rush jerseys tonight, so they should probably win by default. Seahawks.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers v. New York Jets
Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida

Coming into this game, I actually have the Jets as the favourites and if you had said that at the start of the season, I’d have laughed at you. I’d have quoted your tweet with “LOL @ you”. But here we are, and that is exactly the case. The Buccaneers have been a disaster this season and are currently picking top five. Mike Evans is suspended for this game – cheers, fantasy hopes – and Jameis Winston has been throwing interceptions like they’re going out of fashion. The Jets meanwhile have been more surprising than the fact John Lewis haven’t released their Christmas advert yet, and were good value for their win over the Bills on last week’s Thursday Night Football. With extra time to rest up, I expect them to continue their surprising season so far with a win here. Jets.

Buffalo Bills v. New Orleans Saints
Ralph Wilson Stadium, Buffalo, New York

Nope, I’m not calling it the New Era Field, I refuse to. Naming rights be damned, it’ll always be the Ralph Wilson Stadium to me.

Anyway, the Bills try to recover from last week’s disappointing game against the Jets as they meet the Saints who are on a bit of a winning streak right now, crushing the Bucs last weekend. Both of these teams have been very surprisingly good this year and this should be a really fun matchup. The Bills’ offence has been pretty dynamic this year with Tyrod Taylor being fantastic, while the Saints’ defence has been a real surprise of this season. That should make for a good matchup on one side of the ball, while on the other side, Drew Brees takes on a decent Bills defence. I’m expecting a close game which really could go either way. Again, I’m gonna go with the hot hand, which will probably come back to bite me like it did last time, and take the team on the winning streak. Saints.

Detroit Lions v. Cleveland Browns
Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan

First of all a shout out to my pal Daniel for pointing out I was a little unfair to the Lions in their majestic conquering of the Packers at Lambeau last weekend. It was a good sign of how far the Lions have come. The Lions have been pretty decent again this year and look like a team who could make a bit of noise in January, and finally get that playoff win they’ve been wanting for so many years. First Lambeau, then the world. Meanwhile, the Browns spent their bye week celebrating a trade that they forgot to send the paperwork in, if you believe the reports. Oh Cleveland. Never change. Or if you do, just draft a Quarterback, for fuck’s sake. An actually good Quarterback. Stop passing on Wentz, or Watson, or anyone good who’s available. Just pull the trigger on a good Quarterback, and you won’t have to add more names to that damn jersey. Or be 0-8 at this point in the season. Or 0-9 after this week. You might just emulate the team you’re playing this week. What a time. Lions.

Tennessee Titans v. Cincinnati Bengals
LP Field, Nashville, Tennessee

I’ll take “Least Inspring Game of the Week” for £200, please.

*watch it be a high scoring thriller now*

The Titans welcome the Bengals to LP Field in a battle of two teams really needing a bit of an identity this season. The Bengals’ season is probably over and they’re looking towards the Draft, or it definitely is if they lose this week. The Titans meanwhile are looking to deny the Jaguars their first AFC South title. The Titans and the Jaguars competing for the AFC South title. As a Colts fan, that’s depressing. However, the Titans haven’t really got going this year, and while they’re still in contention, they really need a performance to kickstart their season. Mariota needs a game and a half. This could be just the opportunity against a struggling Bengals side. Titans.

Chicago Bears v. Green Bay Packers
Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois

I know the Packers don’t have Aaron Rodgers right now, but imagine the absolute scenes if the Bears beat the Packers. I mean, it was a big deal for the Lions to win at Lambeau, but DA BEARS beating the Packers would be something else. Mitch Trubisky has made the Bears competitive in most weeks this season, something Mike “$15 million a season” Glennon did not do and would not have done at any point for the rest of the season, so the Bears have already improved this year. The Packers meanwhile are looking towards the Draft – I mean, you could have signed Kaepernick, lads – and while so are the Bears more than likely, the Bears might actually beat the Packers and that would have been unthinkable at the start of the season. You know what, I’m taking that on the predictions this week. It won’t be on my betslip though this weekend. I’m not confident in it. Bears.

Jacksonville Jaguars v. Los Angeles Chargers
Everbank Field, Jacksonville, Florida

What a game this could be, and I would not have banked on that at the start of the season. Not a pun due to the Jaguars’ stadium name…moving on, quickly, to this game. The Jaguars have been sensational this season, built on a defence they’ve been slowly, very slowly…so, so slowly…putting together for the last bazillion years that’s finally starting to benefit them. As well as that, they have a running game effective enough that they managed to suspend Leonard Fournette last week and still win without him last week. What the hell is this season? The Chargers meanwhile have bounced back from a 0-4 start to be more respectable this season, and while they probably won’t make the postseason, they’re good enough to make games uncomfortable for teams going forward this season. This will probably come down to the final play of the game, which will probably end in a Phillip Rivers crushing interception to allow the Jaguars to get yet another victory. Because Chargers. Jaguars.

Washington Redskins v. Minnesota Vikings

FedExField, Landover, Maryland

Washington face the Vikes in a game that could actually see the return of Teddy Bridgewater to the NFL field in what would be a bit of a miracle recovery. Unsure if he would ever play again, he has returned to the active roster 441 days after his last appearance in the 2016 preseason. Welcome back, Teddy. Take notes, Andrew Luck. Honestly, I hope Bridgewater plays, plays amazingly and wins the game for the Vikings. It’d be a fairytale return. However, it may be tough against a Washington team that doesn’t know what the hell it wants to be this season. One week, they’re falling to bits, the next, they’re beating the Seahawks. They are the epitome of an 8-8 team this year. The Vikings need a win to continue their attempts to win the NFC North and launch a playoff bid to be the first team to ever play the Super Bowl in their own stadium. What a story that would be for Bridgewater. But they need to win games like this to get anywhere near that, and I think they will. Vikings.

Indianapolis Colts v. Pittsburgh Steelers
Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana

Speaking of Andrew Luck and the Colts, it’s the Colts without Andrew Luck again, as we welcome the Steelers to the Luke. Oh boy…this isn’t good.

Vontae Davis went on season ending Injured Reserve and was subsequently released, in a confusing and annoying story for a team that really did not need any more confusing and annoying stories. Then in addition to this, Henry Anderson also went on IR, thankfully he was not released. And then rumours of a rift between Jim Irsay and Andrew Luck, based off a two month old quote taken out of context.

For fuck’s sake.

The Steelers meanwhile are our bogey team, just off the bye, and playing full strength with Juju Schuster-Smith being everyone’s new favourite wideout, and Le’veon Bell having himself one hell of a season.

This is gonna be a tough watch. Steelers.

Los Angeles Rams v. Houston Texans
LA Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, California

Speaking of tough watches, here’s the Texans without their franchise Quarterback Deshaun Watson, or their defensive cornerstone JJ Watt, going into a game against the highest scoring offence in the league. Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. This one could get ugly in a hurry. The Rams have been on fire recently and are scoring all of the points behind a dynamic Sean McVay lead team, with the offence being led by a fantastic and rapidly improved Jared Goff, Todd Gurley having an MVP-esque season and Sammy Watkins being very good having come from the Bills to the Rams early in the season.

The Texans are starting Tom Savage.

Welp. Rams.

San Francisco 49ers v. New York Giants
Levis Stadium, Santa Clara, California

The 49ers don’t have a win this season yet.

*HAHA TIME FOR GIANTS*

This is exactly the sort of game the Niners need right now, as the Giants have been an absolute disaster-zone this year without Odell Beckham Jr. Ben McAdoo has completely lost the team and they look set for a bit of a rebuild. Eli Manning might be coming towards the end of his career and the Giants need to start looking for his replacement, and now. The top five of the Draft might be a good place to start. Meanwhile for the Niners, they have a future QB in Jimmy Garappolo, but whether he knows the playbook enough to start this week is up for debate. That might not be in their hands if CJ Beathard is not fit enough to start this week, but it’s looking likely that Beathard plays. I’m genuinely torn on who to pick this week, as it’s two struggling teams that badly need some kind of victory in terrible years for both franchises. I picked the Niners for their first win last week, and they let me down. I’m giving them one last chance. Sorry Kyle. On the plus side, if you do lose, you go above them in the Draft order. So, I guess that’s…something? 49ers.

Atlanta Falcons v. Dallas Cowboys
Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia

So, Ezekiel Elliott is suspended again coming into this week. It’ll probably be overturned and he’ll be allowed to play again this week. Rinse, rather, wash, repeat. What a time. Seriously, NFL, can we actually just bin this whole idea of a suspension? It’s getting beyond a joke now, lads. Meanwhile, the Cowboys, with or without Elliott, need to keep pace on the on-bye Eagles in the NFC East, while the Falcons need to stop choking away games if they’re actually going to make the postseason and the chance to atone for that 28-3 chokejob. There’s an irony in that. Right now I don’t have any faith in the Falcons not to do that, and the Cowboys are competent enough to capitalise on the Falcons’ failings, so I’ll take them, with or without Zeke. It’ll probably be with Zeke though. They’ll probably get it overturned. Yet a-fucking-gain. Cowboys.

Denver Broncos v. New England Patriots
Sports Authority Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado

Brock Osweiler starting against the Patriots at Mile High.

Remember when he ended their streak and we got all the Brock Lesnar memes?

With no streak in sight this time, the Patriots, the Undertaker at WrestleMania after Brock Lesnar beat him, come into this game off their bye and having reclaimed Martellus Bennett off waivers after he was released by the Packers. This was supposed to be Bennett’s last season but it’s hard to tell if he will change his mind and play for longer after coming back to New England. We’ll see. In the meantime, I don’t see any repeat of the Brock breaks the Streak game this time round. The Pats, while not as formidable as the last few years, still have enough about them to win games and Brady is still doing bits at 40. He’ll pick them up, carry them on his back to another victory. Once again. The more things change. Patriots.

Carolina Panthers v. Miami Dolphins
Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina

The final game of the week sees the Panthers welcome the Dolphins to Bank of America Stadium. And after last week, where I picked against the Panthers again, and they proved me wrong again, in last week’s review I promised I’d pick the Panthers to win this week, no matter who they were playing. Imagine my relief when I saw they were playing the Dolphins. The Dolphins, with Jay Cutler at Quarterback, with Jay Ajayi away to Philadelphia and no running game in sight. The Panthers are pushing towards the playoffs, while the Dolphins might just sneak in the back door. But they need a win here to boost their chances of it. They might get it, and their chances improve due to the fact I’m actually picking Carolina to win this week. But, the Panthers will probably come through with the win. Panthers.

Goodbye to you
Goodbye to everything that I knew
You were the one I loved
The one thing that I tried to hold onto

Week 10 Byes: Baltimore Ravens, Kansas City Chiefs, Oakland Raiders, Philadelphia Eagles.

That’ll do it for this week. Good luck to your teams and fantasy teams, unless you’re playing mine, then I hope your defence gives up fifty points.

As always, no matter what, Go Colts!