NFL Week 9 – The Jack Campbell Cup

 

 

Greetings Tipsters

 

We’re halfway thru the season, every team has played 8 or 9 of 17 matches, it’s time to take a look and see how they’re going.

 

Raiders sacked the OC and two other O coaches, Saints sacked the HC. Dennis Allan went 18-25, got the job after Sean Payton left cos he was a good DC. His previous stint as HC of the Raiders had an 8-28 result. Some people just aren’t meant to be head coaches – if only his name was Peter Principle.

 

Across the league, nine teams of thirty-two have two wins from eight or nine. Only Miami is a bit of a surprise, Tua got knocked out again, but they did nothing without him and not much since he returned, raising the question of whether Mike McDaniel should hve also being named Peter. He won’t get fired, not this year.

 

Of the rest – Giants (Dan Jones threw 4/6 for 0 yards and 1 Tuddy in the first half), Pats, Saints, Raiders, Jags, Panthers, Browns, Titans – all have issues that have burrowed deep into the organisation. Only Pats and Jags have quarterbacks that might turn out good. Drake Maye is looking okay in his rookie season, Trevor Lawrence had, um, half a good season so far. He never lost a game in High School and College, but then got drafted by the Jags and started his first season with Urban Meyer as coach. Fair chance that he’ll have a third HC next season. Yeah, that’s the way to develop a generational quarterback.

 

Excuse me, I’m off to watch Bucs at Chiefs.

 

Now, up at the pointy end of the standings. AFC, and the Bills are 7-2, as expected cos they have Josh Allen. He’s one of those crazy “I can do anything” types, he passes, he runs, he hurdles tacklers. He makes wild mistakes but you gotta go nuts in the best way if you’re gonna screw up like that.

 

Bills lost four straight Superbowls, 1990 to 1993 , have lost playoffs to Chiefs last few years, last second heartbreakers. They’ve a weight of history that seems too heavy for them.

 

Chiefs be Eight – Zip, cos they have Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes. Today’s match went to OT and KC won the toss, of course Pat marched his team down the field for a touchdown. KC have the advantage NE had for years, being the only good team in a weak division. Whether KC is the best team in the playoffs is an altogether ‘nother question.

 

NFC, Detroit Lions 7-1, Washington Commanders 7-2?! No-one expected Washington to be up there but they got the rookie QB of the year in Jayden Daniels. He’s got poise! And an arm, legs, smarts, what they call “the intanglibles.” And Kliff ‘Peter’ Kingsbury, who was a terrible pro HC but looks like a really good OC.

 

Lions nailed Packers at Lambeau. Never looked like losing. The O is humming like a Temptations song, the harmonies mesh beautifully. The D – well, I’m hanging on the internet to see if we get a pass rusher. It’s good but we need someone to fill the gap left by Hutch.

 

Going by Division, forget about the NFC South. Falcons have a break on the rest but Kirk Cousins is never gonna be a Conference Champion. NFC West, Cardinals leading for now but the Rams will take it, 49ers are due a collapse. NFC East, Commies looking good but Philly will overtake them before collapsing in the playoffs. NFC North, Lions of course but Packers and Vikings could take a wildcard spot.

 

AFC East, Buffalo have seven wins and the next best, NYJ, have three. AFC North, what the hell, Pittsburgh and Baltimore each have six wins? Geez, the Steelers will always look good for a while but the O will collapse around playoff time, Ravens will also look good until Lamar gets injured late season and can’t run. He can still pass, the man has one hell of an arm, but him being immobile wrecks the O plan.

 

AFC South, aha-ha-ha and ho-de-ho-de ho! Houston is near guaranteed to win it, CJ’s sophomore year aint going quite as planned but, by crikey, even I could coach the Texans to a divisional championship this year. As for the AFC West, that’s KC’s playtoy.

 

My blurry crystal ball, I dropped it in the shed and, by the gods, the mess it picked up! Which has adhered, something to do with the nature of the crystal, anyway, as far as I can tell it’ll be Bills v Chiefs for the AFC and Lions v Eagles for the NFC. The Superbowl will be played at ‘Caesar’s Superdome’ in Las Vegas on the second Sunday of February and Jared Goff will win MVP whilst Honolulu Blue and Silver confetti carpets the field.

 

Cheers Tipsters

 

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More from Earl O’Neill can be read Here.

 

 

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