***SWAMPY SUNDAY - MUCK 5 - WEEK 10***
***KANSAS CITY CHIEFS @ CAROLINA PANTHERS***
After a shocking 1-5 start for a Carolina Panthers team that was 15-1 and in the Super Bowl last year, the Cats aren't dead just yet. Since their bye week, they have won back to back games and have a chance to possibly turn the corner here for the better with a big over a strong Kansas City Chiefs team at home today. If they play their cards right, they could be back to .500 in no time with another quick win later in the week when hosting the Saints on Thursday Night Football in a revenge spot. That being said, I got to believe Head Coach Ron Rivera has his team realizing the giant opportunity his team has to get back in the playoff hunt after such an abysmal start to the season. It is crazy to think they can still get right back in the thick of things with back to back wins here putting together 4 straight to be 5-5, and I think they will. Losing their Pro Bowl CB Josh Norman this offseason has proven to be a HUGE factor so far for the Panthers. Their losses can be mostly attributed to the poor secondary play by their young CBs trying to fill the void of Norman's absence and failing miserably. However, now with plenty of game experience after being thrown into the fire this year, they are starting to gel and get better. Up against a Chiefs team who isn't exactly known for throwing the ball, I like the Panthers chances to defend their home field today and get a big feel good win. The Chiefs will be returning their QB Alex Smith after he sat out last week with a concussion and he will also be without his top WR target in Jeremy Maclin today as well which doesn't help their chances. KC was fortunate enough to hold onto a lead against a young Jaguars team last week but I believe their luck has run out. As good as the Chiefs look on paper with a 6-2 record, I am not a believer in this team especially when away from home. I expect the Chiefs to start regressing a bit as the home stretch nears and the Panthers to do the opposite and come alive to make a playoff push. PANTHERS-3
***MINNESOTA VIKINGS @ WASHINGTON REDSKINS***
The Purple People Eaters have now dropped 3 straight games after starting the season undefeated with a 5-0 record behind their ferocious defense. The three losses came after their bye week which has seemed to of disrupted their mojo. They have really been out of sync and struggled to get their groove back. QB Sam Bradford has been under duress behind a wounded offensive line that has been unable to get it together and leaving Sammy Sleeves out to dry. With injuries to their RB core, the run game has also been nonexistent which doesn't help Bradford's chances when dropping back to pass. Offensive Coordinator Norv Turner unexplainably resigned from his position two weeks ago which was the chaotic cherry on top for this organization. Pat Shurmur has now taken over the play calling which has its perks with Bradford's familiarity with him having worked together in the past. However the changes were so sudden before last week's game against Detroit that it is no surprise they blew the game in the final moments. The inefficiency of the offense has had a domino effect and caused the defense to regress with too much being put on their shoulders, asking them to remain on the field for most of the game. Today on the road in Washington, up against a mistake and turnover prone QB in Kirk Cousins, I believe could be just what the doctor ordered for this defense to spark some life back into this Vikings team. That being said, the Redskins will be without WR DeSean Jackson and is also having some trouble at RB themselves basically holding in-game auditions for the starting job. I think the Vikings defense gets after Cousins early and often here and that the Vikings with another week now with their new OC will be more crisp offensively and put up some points today to get a big road win. VIKINGS+2.5
***HOUSTON TEXANS @ JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS***
A nice little AFC South matchup could make for one of the better games under the radar today as the Houston Texans head into Jacksonville to take on their lowly division rival the Jaguars. The Jags have yet to win a home game this season and oddly enough, the Texans are yet to win a road game, something's gotta give. I am going to go with the more unlikely of the two and go ahead and say that the Jags will get their first home win today against a divisional opponent with playoff hopes. As bad and brutal as the Jags have been this year at times, they showed me last week in KC that despite how it looked the week prior on Prime Time against Tennessee, they haven't given up just yet. QB Blake Bortles was actually able to construct a comeback on the road in the tough KC environment, and if not for a goal line fumble by RB Chris Ivory, they just might've pulled it off. Up against a Texans team who could be a little cold coming off their bye week, I like their chances here. Texans QB Brock Osweiler has been night and day when it comes to home and road games and I think up against a highly motivated Jags defense that is very young and talented, he could be in for a bad game here. Mind you the Texans have a big game on deck on Prime Time football against a hot Oakland Raiders team that will take place in New Mexico, which could make today's game as a possible lookahead spot for the Texans. The Texans are also not fully healthy on offense and could again be without Rookie stud WR Will Fuller which could limit their production as well. Lastly, I think the Jags FINALLY click on offense today in both the running and passing game as we all expected them to do this year. This team had tons of promise coming into this season and for some reason, the offense has just been nonexistent. Today is the perfect spot to get it going, I mean if not today then when? JAGUARS-2.5
***ATLANTA FALCONS @ PHILADELPHIA EAGLES***
Bird game! Bird game! Woo baby! This one should be a high flying affair when the Atlanta Falcons take their high octane offense into Philadelphia to challenge a tough-minded Eagles team. Philly is struggling at the moment with their Rookie QB Carson Wentz starting to get his first feel for the meat of the playoff grind after starting the season so well. It is clear that now with more game film available, opposing teams are starting to make things difficult for Wentz and he has got to adjust. After a tough road trip in which the Eagles dropped back to back division games in Dallas and at NYG, a game back at home today could do them some good, especially if they could upset a top NFC team in the Falcons. Atlanta is currently 6-3 and coming off of back to back wins with today's game serving as their last one before their bye week. The Falcon offense up against a stout Eagles defense led by Defensive Coordinator Jim Schwartz will surely make for some interesting football. The Eagles defense plays especially well at home and I like them to continue to do so today. I think Schwartz will have an effective scheme put together to slow Atlanta down and make QB Matt Ryan uncomfortable with various blitz packages. On the other side of the gridiron I think the Rookie QB Wentz will rise to the occasion and have himself a game vs. this Falcons defense. Wentz showed me some resilience last week against the Giants when he couldn't of started the game any worse throwing two back to back costly interceptions to start the game. He was able to apply the short memory and battle back against a very good Giants defense to nearly come back and win the game with just falling short on a chance to do so in the redzone during the final seconds. The Eagles WRs really have to step up as they have not been helping their young QB by dropping big passes that are on target and making plays when they should. I feel like they will bounce back today and take advantage of an average secondary. RB Darren Sproles will once again be the X-Factor in both the backfield and returning punts and I like him to spark this offense with his quickness in the open field. The Eagles feed off the home crowd once again to get the job done at home with a big win. EAGLES PK
***DALLAS COWBOYS @ PITTSBURGH STEELERS***
The late afternoon slate of game features a gem when the surging Dallas Cowboys go into Pittsburgh to take on a struggling Steelers team in need of a big win such as this one. The Cowboys have been nothing short of stellar this season and haven't lost since a close game week 1 against the Giants. They are currently sitting with a 7-1 record and arguably are the best team in the NFL besides the mighty New England Patriots. The Rookie combination of QB Dak Prescott and RB Ezekial Elliot behind the best offensive line in the game have proven to be a force to be reckoned with. The Cowboys looked especially sharp after a blowout win on the road in Cleveland last week against the league's worst team in the Browns. That being said, I take this win with a grain of salt considering it was indeed against the worst team in the NFL and in Pittsburgh today, they will be facing a pissed off and dangerous Steelers team, desperate for a W to stay in the playoff hunt. Pitt QB Big Ben Rothlisberger rushed back from knee surgery last week in Baltimore against their rival the Ravens, and it was clear that he was limited. The solid Ravens defense was able to utilize their bye week to prep and get up for defending their home field against the Steelers and stifled the Pittsburgh offense. However, Big Ben looked to have shaken the rust off in the fourth quarter when he nearly orchestrated a comeback but fell just short of doing so. Now back at home, I like this offense to click and get back to doing what they do best against a Dallas secondary that is much weaker than that of Baltimore. I fully expect WR Antonio Brown to get it going and exploit the Cowboys deep with RB LeVeon Bell having himself a game between the trenches as well. With the Veteran QB Tony Romo breathing down the Rookie's neck and the pressure to keep performing at such a high level inevitably grows, I think Dak and this Cowboy's offense is due to have an off game and today on the road in a tough Pittsburgh environment could be when it takes place. In my mind, there is no way the Romo talks go away and they will only get stronger as the difficulty in their extremely tough decision between their loyalty to their veteran QB and the hot Rookie grows. Dallas has a a tough two game task with the AFC North in PItt and Baltimore back to back and I can see these games serving as the deciding factor in the young QB's fate for this season, just a hunch. That all being said, the Steelers will show up in a big way at home today and the terrible towels will be waving in Pitt. STEELERS-3
