First, the good news. There is still plenty of football left in the season and, with the NBA season beginning on December 22, sports fans are going to have a lot of action coming up. The bad news, though, is that we’re already more than halfway through the 2020 NFL season, which means the countdown to the end is running. Teams are running out of time if they plan on making an appearance in the playoffs, and yesterday’s slate of games may have given a preview of what to expect.
The Tennessee Titans were forced to take a loss yesterday after they couldn’t get anywhere against the Indianapolis Colts. The two teams swapped places on top of the AFC South as a result of the 34-17 game after Colts quarterback Philip Rivers threw for 308 yards and a touchdown, while the Titans were falling apart. Both teams are now 6-3 after the Titans logged their third loss in four games. Neither team has it easy in Week 11, as the Colts are set to play the Green Bay Packers and the Titans take on the Baltimore Ravens.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers made up for their embarrassing loss to the New Orleans Saints when they made easy work of the Carolina Panthers. Quarterback Tom Brady and the rest of the Bucs squad got off to a slow start and Carolina made sure it took advantage of every opportunity. However, things flipped in the second half, with Brady ending the day with 341 yards and three touchdowns to secure a 46-23 win. The Panthers defense was dominated completely during the last two quarters, with the Bucs able to record a total of 544 offensive yards in the game, including a 322-35 differential in the second half. With that, the Bucs gave themselves a boost to threaten the NFC South leaderboard, which currently has the Saints just slightly ahead of them.
The Saints aren’t too considered, at least not yet. They faced a beat-up San Francisco 49ers team yesterday, easily taking the win with a score of 27-13. It was a costly victory, however, as quarterback Drew Brees was taken out by a shot to the ribs in the second quarter. He almost immediately headed out for an MRI, allowing backup QB Jameis Winston a chance to come in and show his stuff. That wasn’t the last of the injuries for the Saints, however, as wide receiver Tre’Quan Smith and tight end Josh Hill suffered concussions, and three other players were forced to leave the game.
Big Ben Roethlisberger had fun with this Pittsburgh Steelers teammates in yesterday’s windy game against the Cincinnati Bengals. His 333 aerial yards and four touchdowns helped the Steelers remain the only undefeated NFL team this year and in a very strong position to potentially sweep the AFC – Pittsburgh already has a firm grip on the AFC North. The Steelers take on the Jacksonville Jaguars next week, so there’s little doubt they’ll stay where they are.
The Jags almost got lucky yesterday, but they couldn’t put it home. The Packers were able to walk away with a 24-20 victory after they just barely kept the Jaguars from pushing down the field to the end zone with a minute to go in the game. Green Bay’s defense put up two impressive back-to-back sacks to keep the Jags pinned at around the 50-yard hash, and then an incomplete pass by Jags rookie Jake Luton sealed the deal. The Packers are on top of the NFC North, but the Jags have now fallen to last in the AFC South with a record of 1-8.
Things are heating up in the NFC East, as the Philadelphia Eagles and the New York Giants are now fighting for first place in the division, the only still to see all four of its teams with losing records. The Giants bested the Eagles yesterday, 27-17, giving them a shot at dethroning their division rivals if they can continue to produce wins.
It was East versus West yesterday as the AFC East-leading Buffalo Bills took on the NFC West-leading Arizona Cardinals. There was no way to call the game until the very end, when the Cardinals put up a Hail Mary from about 50 for a game-winning touchdown as time expired, and the Cardinals pulled off a 32-30 upset over the favorited Bills.
Cam Newton and the New England Patriots bounced back from a barely-won game against the worst team in the NFL this season, the New York Jets, to take out their frustrations on the Baltimore Ravens. Quarterback Cam Newton decided to finally find his zone as he pushed the Pats to a 23-17 win, and New England’s defense did a great job keeping the league’s leading rushing team from getting anywhere for most of the game.
This was a Sunday for Under bettors, as seven games failed to reach their marks and only six hit the Over. The biggest surprise was the +19.5 the Bucs picked up against the Panthers, while the game between the LA Rams and the Seattle Seahawks, which found the Rams pulling off a 23-16 upset win, fell short by 16 points.
