***SWAMPY SUNDAY - MUCK 5 - WEEK 7***
***JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS @ INDIANAPOLIS COLTS***
An important matchup in the AFC South takes place when the 3-3 Jaguars head into Indy to take on the 2-4 Colts. The young and extremely talented Jaguar defense has been nothing short of stellar thus far this season. The D has played a major part in the games that they have won and coupled with the running game led by Rookie RB Leonard Fournette, it has proven it can be a winning combination. The QB play of Blake Bortles has been what has held this team back even though at times he has stepped up and done enough to survive the chopping block another week, he isn't going to be taking this team any where. However when the guy is bad, he is horrendous. Today in Indy they will be without Fournette, and although backup RB Chris Ivory is fully capable, he does not pose the same threat as Lenny boy. Thus Bortles will have to be asked to do more this afternoon up against an Indy defense that is sneaky solid in my opinion. I love the addition of Safety Malik Hooker and the ball hawking presence he has brought to this secondary. On the other side of the ball backup QB Jacoby Brissett has been impressive in relief of Andrew Luck. He has a major competitive drive that one can see by observing him on the sidelines. It appears to me that he cares a ton and is giving everything he has in every start. He is very vocal on the sideline and not letting this team hit the snooze button while their prized starting QB is on the sideline nursing an injury. He has these guys playing extremely hard every game which has led to them having some success so far this season. The final score from MNF on the road in Tennessee is a bit misleading as that game was much closer than it looks. Titans RB Derrick Henry ripped off a huge meaningless stat padding touchdown run in the final seconds to go up another TD. The Colts had chances to pull a win out there and I like them to continue to carry that nature at least another week when hosting another rival at home today. The Jags have gotten a lot of hype for being the team on the rise that they are, and I like Brissett to do enough with his legs to keep drives alive, and I expect Rookie RB Marlon Mack to have a breakout game as well here to be the difference. The Jags have literally alternated wins and losses every week, and using that pattern this week would be a "win week" but I like that cycle to finally snap with back to back losses before their bye week, maybe forcing them to do something at the QB position during the time off. This is another AFC division that will get very interesting should the Ponies pull off the upset at home today, I like it. COLTS+3
***ARIZONA CARDINALS vs. LOS ANGELES RAMS***
Ah yes, get your tea and crumpets out as we have another London game although instead of being a earlier start at Wimbley Stadium, this one will be in the slate with the first wave of games and played at Twickenham Stadium. It will feature an NFC West Divisional matchup between the 3-3 Arizona Cardinals and 4-2 Los Angeles Rams. The Rams have been a nice surprise so far this season as Sophomore QB Jared Goff has looked much more comfortable and playing very well. HIs success has refreshed Rams RB Todd Gurley and the running game which has proven to be a deadly combination with the usually stout Rams defensive unit. Today they host what looks to be a rejuvenated Cardinals team after acquiring veteran RB Adrian Peterson last week who out of nowhere looked like his old self ripping huge gains for TDs in a win over the Tampa Bay Bucs. Peterson looks to have given the shot in the arm the Cards needed since losing starting RB David Johnson to a season long injury and behind fellow veterans and old guys QB Carson Palmer and WR Larry Fitzgerald, it seems like these guys are not ready to hang the cleats up in another lost season just yet. I like the Cards to feed off the energy that Peterson has brought to the team with his success last week and for this also always dangerous defense to follow suit with the ball hawking secondary led by Mathieu and Peterson. Gimme the Cards in an upset overseas to shake up another division and get back in the mix in what has been an up and down, wild and crazy year so far across the board! CARDINALS+3
***TENNESSEE TITANS @ CLEVELAND BROWNS***
I know I know, the 0-6 Browns are awful! I also know and understand how many of you who lost trying to back this stinky team at all since they last covered in week 1 are probably too disgusted to ever try doing so again. Today however I feel poses a strong spot to do so and the SwampMan is going to give it a go as I believe they may even be able to get their first win here. One would think they got to get a win sometime this season am I right? Maybe not, but last season we played this same game all year and it wasn't until the end when they were able to finally do so at home against the Chargers when it didn't mean anything for either team. I personally thought having improved some over this past offseason with some added pieces and under Head Coach Hue Jackson for another year under his belt, that they would get their first W much earlier this year, hence me backing them at home against the Jets to no avail. The Titans are a team I have been unimpressed with to say the least. QB Marcus Mariota is hobbled and nursing a bad hamstring. He came back on MNF after sitting a week out and clearly was immobile. He was still able to have success throwing from the pocket against the Colts but a big part of his game is missing if he is unable to run. That is pretty much what the Titans offense is all about, the run game. Behind a thunder and thunder combination at RB in the large DeMarco Murray and Derrick Henry, Mariota provides an option threat and Tennessee relies on a heavy ground and pound gameplan. Weird, because one of the only strengths that Cleveland has this year where they have not been completely terrible is their run defense. Defensive Coordinator and ex Bounty Hunter Gregg Williams has vowed to turn the Rookie phenom DE Miles Garrett loose this week. So far after limited snaps in two games the beast has 3 sacks already, good lord! I have a feeling he will be a problem for Tennessee today and that the Browns defense will keep points limited for the Titans, keeping this game close. On the other side of things as usual, the Browns QB situation is an ugly one. Having gone with Rookie QB Deshone Kizer to start this season, Hue Jackson benched the youngster for poor performance in games 1-5. Last week he handed the keys to young backup QB Kevin Hogan, who is more heart than he is talent. Needless to say things went just as bad as Hogan threw a handful of interceptions. So back to Kizer we go, and I believe after the benching that he will play much better up against a defense that isn't so dominant; especially in the secondary. I also like how fellow Rookie TE David Njoku has come along and I think he will find himself paydirt in this one. Look for the Browns to be this weekend's surprise catching the Titans off of MNF, a team who they play pretty tough historically might I add, losing last season's matchup 28-26. BROWNS+6
***DENVER BRONCOS @ LOS ANGELES CHARGERS***
Here we go again baby! The Chargers get a second shot at the division rival Denver Broncos when they ride into LA for the second go round of the season. Week 1 featured a thrilling battle on MNF in Denver between these two that resulted in a 3 point Broncos win. The loss started the Chargers out on the wrong foot which they then continued for the next few weeks going 0-4 before breaking through with a win on the road against the fellow winless Giants in week 5. The Bolts then rode that momentum into the Black Hole in Oakland where they were able to squeak out another close win against a struggling Raiders team. Nearly every game for the Chargers this season has come down to the wire. That being said, it seems as though LAC has reversed their misfortune recently of not being able to win close games with back to back wins. Now they're back at home where they are yet to pull off a win after dropping three straight earlier this season. I know they haven't had much of a homefield presence while trying to get acclimated to their new location, but you better believe they would like nothing more than to help win their fans over with a big home win over a rival to help officially get back in the mix of things. Now with KC losing to Oakland on Thursday night, if the Chargers were to beat the Broncos today the AFC West Division would suddenly become very interesting. The Broncos just fell victim to the upset of the week on SNF last week when the extremely wounded Giants limped into Denver on Prime Time and stole their first win of the season from the Broncos. It was an embarrassing game all around for Denver featuring poor QB play from the young Trevor Siemian. That kind of loss can have a negative lingering effect and I think it will carry over for the Broncos one more week here. After today, Denver may be looking to make a switch at QB after the Chargers pass rush doesn't make things any easier for Siemian. I think the deadly combination of DEs Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram will feast on the young QB as the Broncos wonder what the hell happening to their season with another tough divisional game on deck against KC. CHARGERS+1.5
***SEATTLE SEAHAWKS @ NEW YORK GIANTS***
The Giants finally got off the schneid as they were able to pull off the upset of all upsets in true Giants fashion. As we spoke about in the writeup last weekend when picking Big Blue, just when you count this team out is when they seem to rise up from the dead and shock the hell out of you. I think it goes deeper than that this time around though. I think it is a very similar situation to the time QB Eli Manning lost his diva of a target in TE Jeremy Shockey due to an injury and then went ahead and won a Super Bowl without him years ago. RB Tiki Barber also had just retired at the time and suddenly, Eli was able to distribute the ball wherever he saw fit. No more worrying about getting any drama queens their touches, the defense now dictates where the rock goes. Rookie TE Evan Engram is proving to be a hell of a target as well and looks to be Eli's new favorite toy in the passing game. The Giants also shuffled around their offensive line last week in Denver and it held up pretty well. It was a true test too, on the road and up against premier pass rushers like DE Von Miller. I think they'll go ahead and stay with that formula against another stout defense in Seattle today. I really think they can and will get an upset win again here today, back at home and feeling confident. Head Coach Ben McAdoo gave up the offensive playcalling and it seemed to have done wonders. The run game got going behind RB Orleans Darkwa and have a much more balanced attack overall. The defense most importantly was back to form and looking like the unit we got to know last season. I like these guys to get in Seattle QB Russel WIlson's face today and keep them off the scoreboard. Look for the Giants to start stringing along some wins here and make a run at a Wildcard the second half of the season, I think they are capable. GIANTS+3.5
