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- Bill@ Jets- Who doesn’t love a divisional round game? The Jets have been touted as one of the best teams in the league, poised for a playoff push but the Bills have been hot on their tail. Both teams are playing second fiddle in the division to that team from Boston and both teams would really like to step out of the shadow to get there. Ryan Fitzpatrick seems to have finally found a team that wants him around while Tyrod Taylor tries to keep his head above water in his first season of relevancy. This is one of those games that looked like a joke when the schedule was released. Who really wanted to watch these two teams play? Well so far both teams have plenty to play for which only adds to the intensity of this Thursday night game. With the Steelers hurting and the Raiders still fielding a young team, a win for the Jets will go a long way in separating themselves from the pack.
- Browns@ Steelers- Much like Blain Gabbert getting an easy start against the Falcons last week, this is a good game for Landry Jones to try and find his footing again. Given he has not had much time off the field, he will still need all the experience he can get before he goes up against the Seahawks. This will be a real test for how the Steelers can band together after the leaders go down.
- Vikings@ Raiders- The Raiders are on the rise with the most explosive players in the league. The Vikings have a top three defense. This should be a great match that will have the Vikings trying to live up to the adage that defenses win championships. Adrian Peterson was able to run all over the Rams last week so expect much of the same of that. You also have to expect the Vikings to have a lot more motivation now that they share a record with the Packers. The Raiders are playing with just as much motivation after falling to the Steelers. If the Raiders can steal a win here, they may be able to coast into the playoffs.
- Patriots@ Giants- The Giants have somehow been able to play the Patriots tough in their last three meetings, dating back to Super Bowl 42. I don’t need to give too much history of how the Giants have fared in their last two Super Bowl appearances. The Patriots are on another historic run but past history tells me the Giants are very good at shutting down the powerhouse Tom Brady/Bill Belicheck combination. This should be different. The Giants have been alternating between wins and losses all season. This should be an easy game to predict but as long as a Manning is involved, nothing should be taken for granted.
- Arizona Cardinals@ Seattle Seahawks-After the Seahawks fell to 2-4 to start the season, they have won two straight to remind people this is still the two time defending conference champions. A win against the Cardinals thrust them back into contention for the division title leaping over a struggling Rams team. The Cardinals have had a couple questionable loses themselves and are looking to prove they can hang with the top dogs. The Seahawks at home aren’t an unbeatable force anymore so there is still a clear chance the Cardinals can cement themselves in the top of the division with a win in Seattle. Those looking to stop the parity of the NFL are clearly rooting for the Cardinals, but the Seahawks have never cared about what you think.
Photo-Brett Carlsen/Getty Images North America
