SWAMPY SUNDAY - MUCK 5 - WEEK 11

***TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS @ KANSAS CITY CHIEFS***

Alright my friends, pressed for time today so I will keep these blurbs short and sweet. Weird cross-conference matchup here as the NFC Bucs travel to a hostile environment in Kansas City to take on a hot Chiefs team. KC is stringing together wins like they did last year as the season gears up for the final stretch. After a 17 point 4th quarter comeback in Carolina last week, (thanks to Cam Newton), the Chiefs have now rattled off 5 wins in a row since their bye week. However, the SwampMan is thinking they are due to regress, and may have been a week too early. Last week I was on Carolina and it seemed like the right pick until the 4th quarter as I mentioned above. With their QB Alex Smith returning from a concussion, their offense was unable to do anything all game until Cam served them the ball with field position on a silver platter. This Bucs team could be starting to put it all together and are some how still very much alive in their division and the playoff race overall. If we know one thing, it is that their young QB Jameis Winston will have his team well aware and motivated to try and seize the opportunity at hand. After their drubbing of the Bears last weekend which in my opinion is a solid defense on the rise, the Bucs may have just enough confidence to go into KC and pull the upset. Their defense is a type that can succeed against this Alex Smith-short pass game type of offense. They have the LBs to try and limit KC's run game and their secondary should be able to hang without having to worry much about a dominant WR and the ball going deep over their heads. KC is banged up in the secondary and will be without their best CB Marcus Peters today. That being said I think Jameis is starting to find his groove and will have himself a day through the air. Now with their RB Doug Martin back, it should help open up the passing game as well and WR Mike Evans is establishing himself as a true force in the NFL. I have always said I am not too big on this Chiefs team and feel like they aren't as strong as their record states, a bit of a fraud if you will. They haven't lost at home yet, and I just got a feeling that this is a sleeper spot for them to drop one as the young Bucs start to build some momentum and make a push. BUCS+7

***ARIZONA CARDINALS @ MINNESOTA VIKINGS***

The Vikings have now dropped 5 straight games since their bye week in which they went into as the only undefeated team left in the NFL with a 5-0 record. I feel as though today's home game against the Cardinals is a 'now or never' type of spot for them and their season is pretty much on the line. The offense has been the achilles heel and has now had a domino effect on the defense. What was once the best looking defense in the league, has now been knocked down a couple notches during this string of losses and I believe it is because of how inefficient the offense is. The constant 3 & outs, leaving the defense out to dry for long periods of time back to back with short rest in between is a recipe for disaster. Especially when your offense looks as awful as they do and the confidence in them slips, I think that effects the defenses energy and level of play. Today at home, back in front of their fans and up against an immobile and old/slow QB in Carson Palmer is just the medicine they need to get back on track. I like the Purple People Eaters to make an appearance again today and look more like the team we saw to begin this season. I think their LBs focus on stuffing RB David Johnson and the run and force Carson Palmer to pass against them where I feel like he will get sacked early and often. Palmer's favorite weapon at WR Larry Fitzgerald is not 100% but will give it a go. Against this ball hawking secondary the duo has a tough task ahead and I believe they will fall short. Arizona Safety Tyrann Mathieu will be out with an injury as well and this is a huge blow to the Cardinal's secondary. QB Sam Bradford has all the weapons at his disposal and as long as he can get some time in the pocket he will be able to throw against these guys. Getting time in the pocket is much easier said than done since the Vikings offensive line has been abysmal during this losing streak. The Cardinals pass rush isn't anything overwhelming however, and I think they will be able to fend them off today. VIKINGS-2

***JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS @ DETROIT LIONS***

The Detroit Lions are surprisingly at the head of the Black & Blue Division, AKA the NFC North. Some how, some way this team has found themselves leading the way. The Packers and Vikings are in the midst of pure chaos and losing games left and right, and the Bears were too injured to even have a fair chance to start the season and the hole is too big to climb out for them of at this point. Basically, the Division is there for the taking for the Lions! They have been the cardiac kids this season, with QB Matt Stafford pulling rabbits out of a hat and winning games in the final moments. It has been awesome to watch and more kudos to them. They now have DE Ezekial Ansah back to help sure up their defense which has been their weak point since the offense behind new OC Jim Bob Cooter has been clicking nicely. Aaaaaaaand all these things positive and yet I believe this is when they will start to screw it up as they are so prone to doing. The Lions historically play to the level of their competition. They shouldn't be favored by a near touchdown against anybody, even the lowly Jaguars. The Jags have been a true disappointment this season. With so much young talent and so much hype coming into this season they have really crapped the bed and it is a bit baffling to be honest. They have shown us in previous seasons that they can be explosive and win games, and yet they haven't shown us that team once this year. Up against a average Lions secondary today when nobody expects it, and in a dome, maybe this is when QB Blake Bortles and his WRs get it together? It is very possible with a lookahead spot for Detroit when they host the Vikings who they know will be seeking revenge on Thanksgiving in the early game. I am willing to go ahead and back the fact that the Jags will keep this close, if not upset outright. The Lions blow nobody out, it is never an easy win with them. JAGUARS+6

***BUFFALO BILLS @ CINCINNATI BENGALS***

In my opinion, it was an all out balls to the wall effort play for the Bills two weeks ago on MNF in Seattle when they got screwed by the refs and ended up losing a heartbreaker. Now they have had a bye week to dwell on it, and have to get up for a road game in Cincinnati against a Bengals team who couldn't be hungrier for a win. The Bengals haven't tasted the sweet flavor of victory since week 7 against the league worst Cleveland Browns. Since then they have had a tie in London against the Redskins, a bye week, and a 1 point loss on the road against the Giants on MNF. In fact, when looking at all the losses this team has, they have been up against playoff caliber teams. Now they are finally back home in the jungle, where they haven't been since that last win in week 7, and I like them to out-effort the Bills here and get the job done. I just feel as though the Bengals will have much more energy and motivation for this game and will be able to move the ball against the Bills defense. The Giants and Redskin defenses are for real, so one shouldn't look at that as a comparison level with this Bills defense. Buffalo is solid defensively but they can be exploited through the air and I think QB Andy Dalton will be able to do so with his favorite target WR AJ Green and now the returning young TE Tyler Eifert AKA Baby Gronk, who has looked great since coming back from an injury. The Bills are also limited on offense with weapons at WR, and I believe the Bengals will match up well with them and frustrate QB Tyrod Taylor. The Bills will try and ride RB Shady McCoy but once they fall behind on the scoreboard they will have to pass to keep up and I think that is where the Bengals stick a fork in 'em. BENGALS-2.5

***MIAMI DOLPHINS @ LOS ANGELES RAMS***

L.A. Head Coach Jeff Fisher is finally making the long awaited switch to number 1 draft pick overall, QB Jared Goff. With the Rams not wanting to start their prized #1 pick over a backup caliber QB in Case Keenum all year due to him "not being ready," and with the help of HBO's Hardknocks painting him as a dummy, the perception of this youngster is not a good one. That negative and curious perception has been growing all season, especially with the fact that Rookie QBs around the league who were all selected after Goff and in some cases way after, are all having immediate success for the most part. Well, today and for the rest of this season we will find out and see what the Rams were so afraid of. Unfortunately for LA, I feel like that negative stigma surrounding the young man is most likely an accurate one. However the SwampMan feels as if today will be a positive experience for Rams fans breaking in their new toy, if only for today! Up against a red hot Dolphins team, the Rams are starting Goff in this spot for a reason, and it is because they know they have to and think they can win here. After analyzing it, I agree with them. The Rams defense is the heart and soul of their team and the reason for an success thus far. I think they dominate Miami QB Ryan Tannehill today and completely shutdown the explosive Dolphin run game that they have been riding now these past few weeks. If that happens, Goff will just have to the minimal, and it is about time that RB Todd Gurley had himself a game isn't it?! What better day than today to break out and help out his new fearless leader. I say that sarcastically because I believe Goff will be shaking in his jockstrap looking across the line and seeing guys like Suh and Wake snarling and wanting to rip his head off. After some early jitters, I think he does just enough and that Gurey and the FG game will do the trick, and maybe Goff even tosses a TD in the redzone but let's not push it. This is more of a fade on Miami on the road up against another awesome defense and coming off 4 straight wins which besides last week's were unimpressive. I will be fading Goff immediately after today to be clear, I just like them to come to play and get this organization a solid win at home in his first game. RAMS PK