Penny Continues To Dominate, As NFL Week Eight Arrives
Cassie Stumbled, Bob Fell, And Penny Increased An Imposing Lead. The Trio Continues Their Battle Against Each Other, And The Point Spread.
The NFL Season Arrives At The Edge Of Its Midpoint. There Are Teams So Bad That No Research Is Needed. Injuries For Several Clubs Are Taking A Toll.
In 2016, New England started the season with Tom Brady suspended for the first four games. Jimmy Garoppolo and Jacoby Brissett each started his place. The Patriots won three of the four games, ultimately finishing 14-2 and winning the Super Bowl.
Losing players isn’t a scenario any team wants to face. The New England coaching staff and roster focused on what they could control and the realities of the situation. Many teams this season are revealing the character of the organization. In several cases, the results aren’t pretty.
When a team performs at a certain level, whether good or bad, believe them. It can be easy to look for excuses. The Miami Dolphins have been awful in 2024. It would be simple to look at Tua Tagovailoa’s injury and assign all the issues and losses to his absence. That also wouldn’t be accurate or fair. Miami has played horrendously each week. They have not proven in any way capable of overcoming adversity. We need to believe what they’ve shown us.
Penny is beginning to separate herself at the top of our standings with another strong week. Cassie struggled a bit, and I struggled worse than her.
Week Seven:
Bob: 5-10
Penny: 10-5
Cassie: 7-8
The Year To Date:
Bob: 58-44-5 (56.5%)
Penny: 65-37-5 (63.1%)
Cassie 53-49-5 (51.8%)
Minnesota Vikings (-3) At Los Angeles Rams
This will be a fascinating test for Minnesota. After losing for the first time, they face a short-week contest with travel to play Los Angeles. We should learn from the result that playing the Lions last week was a tough divisional contest. The Vikings are a solid team, and the Rams aren’t on the same level.
Bob: Minnesota
Penny: Los Angeles
Cassie: Los Angeles
Baltimore Ravens (-9) At Cleveland Browns
There’s nothing here to examine or consider.
Bob: Baltimore
Penny: Cleveland
Cassie: Baltimore
Tennessee Titans At Detroit Lions (-11)
Last week, Detroit went on the road and won a tough divisional contest against Minnesota. Good teams win the games they are supposed to win against vastly inferior teams. This is a game the Lions are supposed to win. Beware the potential of a hangover trap against the Titans, but don’t bet on it.
Bob: Detroit
Penny: Detroit
Cassie: Tennessee
Indianapolis Colts At Houston Texans (-5.5)
Indianapolis has been consistent and competitive every game this season. The Colts are hardly dominating in any area of play. They enter this week with a winning record and a chance to take the lead in the division with a win.
Houston has looked good overall and almost pulled off a road victory over Green Bay. Now, they must take care of business in an AFC South matchup.
The Colts lost at home to the Texans to open the season.
Bob: Houston
Penny: Indianapolis
Cassie: Indianapolis
Green Bay Packers (-4.5) At Jacksonville Jaguars
There are a few games this week with nothing to research. This is the second, with a playoff contender facing a team that has packed the tents for the year.
Bob: Green Bay
Penny: Jacksonville
Cassie: Jacksonville
Arizona Cardinals At Miami Dolphins (-3)
This article began by considering how coaching can seem brilliant or inept at addressing challenges. One team that doesn’t seem prepared to handle adversity is Miami.
Bob: Arizona
Penny: Arizona
Cassie: Arizona
New York Jets (-7) At New England Patriots
This is an interesting matchup for all the wrong reasons. The Jets are watching their season fall apart with poor performance in every category, from players to coaching, combined with what appears to be the dysfunction of ownership. The Patriots are transitioning to the future with Drake Maye on the field, and the defense has misplaced the energetic play of the early season.
This rematch will look similar to their first meeting. Aaron Rodgers will put up strong numbers, and the waters around New York will slightly calm before the season finally submerges in a few weeks.
Bob: New York
Penny: New York
Cassie: New England
Atlanta Falcons (-2.5) At Tampa Bay Buccaneers
There is no way to consider Tampa in this game. Mike Evans is, at best, playing injured. Evans is more likely to miss the game entirely. Chris Godwin is out for the season. Those are two of the most reliable players in the league, and the Buccaneers enter this game with no time to adjust to these losses.
Bob: Atlanta
Penny: Tampa Bay
Cassie: Atlanta
Chicago Bears (-1.5) At Washington Commanders
This matchup could decide votes for Rookie of the Year awards. Unfortunately, Jayden Daniels is dealing with an injury described as week-to-week by head coach Dan Quinn. The Bears arrive from their bye week with an offense that has steadily improved.
Bob: Chicago
Penny: Washington
Cassie: Chicago
New Orleans Saints At Los Angeles Chargers (-7.5)
How Los Angeles is 3-3 with the inconstant and sloppy play the team has delivered is a mystery. That the Chargers are favored by more than a touchdown when they haven’t scored more than 15 points in three games is a world-class mystery.
New Orleans has been awful in all areas since their two-game outburst starting the year. They could win this game to end a five-loss run. The Saints are more likely to be competitive and lose to a late field goal.
Bob: New Orleans
Penny: New Orleans
Cassie: New Orleans
Buffalo Bills (-3) At Seattle Seahawks
Buffalo has been consistent throughout the 2024 campaign. Seattle has been streaky and unreliable. I see this match as an otherwise unpredicted blowout, with the Bills victorious.
Bob: Buffalo
Penny: Seattle
Cassie: Seattle
Philadelphia Eagles At Cincinnati Bengals (-2.5)
The Bengals opened the season with a memorable loss to the Patriots. They have gone 3-1 in the past four games, losing to the Ravens and moving to 3-4 on the year. The Eagles are 4-2, with losses to Atlanta and Tampa Bay.
This game will depend on how Saquon Barkley plays. The Eagles will win if he performs as he did last week and to open the season. If he looks like the running back that played the Browns, with 47 yards on 18 carries, the Bengals will pull away.
Bob: Philadelphia
Penny: Cincinnati
Cassie: Philadelphia
Carolina Panthers At Denver Broncos (-9)
The average score of a Denver game this year has the Broncos winning 21-15. It seems that hitting a nine-point spread will be difficult. The Panthers have lost over the past four weeks while surrendering 34, 36, 38, and 40. It won’t be that difficult.
Bob: Denver
Penny: Carolina
Cassie: Denver
Kansas City Chiefs (-10) At Las Vegas Raiders
It would be easy to say that Kansas City has not delivered the offense that has dominated the league in recent years with Patrick Mahomes. It would also be true to say that.
Stick with the facts. The Chiefs are 7-0 this year, won their past two games by ten or more, and will not lose to the Raiders.
Bob: Kansas City
Penny: Las Vegas
Cassie: Las Vegas
Dallas Cowboys At San Francisco 49ers (-4.5)
San Francisco is 3-4 on the year. The losses include Minnesota and Kansas City, and divisional opponents Los Angeles and Arizona. Considering their injuries, the record isn’t that bad.
Dallas has looked awful and arrives at this contest following a 47-9 pounding from Detroit. Despite the poor play, the Cowboys are 3-3 on the year.
Occasionally, the initial reads are the best. The 49ers have continued to score points all season, while the Cowboys have given up points all season.
Bob: San Francisco
Penny: San Francisco
Cassie: San Francisco
New York Giants At Pittsburgh Steelers (-6.5)
This game is a case study for simplicity. New York is a bad team that has a combined 10 points in its past two games. Pittsburgh is a good team that has cruised in the past two weeks.
Bob: Pittsburgh
Penny: Pittsburgh
Cassie: New York
Odds sourced from USA Today
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