***SWAMPY SUNDAY - MUCK 5 - WEEK 15***
***BALTIMORE RAVENS @ CLEVELAND BROWNS***
Not a lot of time to do the write-ups today and a ton to get to as I feel today is the SwampMan's kind of card so I will be extremely brief with these plays. Let's go! To no surprise, the Browns are once again remain winless late in the season. However it is not for a lack of trying. These guys do put forth a strong effort every week and seem to get closer and closer to getting that first W, but find ways to blow it and even manage to screw their believers with somehow not covering as well in the final minutes of play. If you backed the Browns at all this season, you know what I'm talking about. Last week, lots of people had them picked to beat the Packers at home against backup QB Brett Hundley for their first win. For almost the entire game they looked to be correct, until the Browns managed to blow the lead and send the game to OT, where they eventually let the Pack score a walk-off TD for the win and cover. Today they host their division rival the Baltimore Ravens and I won't go into detail here to talk about the history between these two franchises but let's just say that the Browns once again should not have any problem getting back on the saddle and giving a maximum effort in this one. The Ravens on the other hand are still very much in the playoff hunt. Last week on Sunday Night Football they managed to comeback from being down early on the road against another rival in the AFC North first place Pittsburgh Steelers. Despite a valiant effort, they fell just short and lost the game 39-38, heartbreaking really. Needless to say, the Ravens are in a weird spot here where while they need to win out, it may be hard not to have a bit of a letdown here against the lowly Browns, coming off a grueling matchup in Pittsburgh. The X factor here is clearly the return of Browns WR Josh Gordon. After significant time off due to off the field issues, he has been lights out in his first two games back and a true difference maker and security blanket for the mistake-prone Rookie QB Kizer. Ravens CB Jimmy Smith is out and I like Gordon to matchup with the Rookie Marlon Humphrey who has been proving he can play in this league and is an up and coming player, but I believe he will be tested big time today against an athletic freak of nature with size like Gordon has. On the other side of things, the Ravens offense has been playing much better, but still doesn't scare anybody in my opinion. They have found a nice running game behind the young RB Alex Collins but if there is one thing that Cleveland's defense does fairly well, it's defending against the run. Baltimore won the first matchup between the too (obviously) back in week 2 by a final score of 24-10. Today I think the Browns pose a potential sleeper upset threat, as most wouldn't expect it here, but they do matchup fairly well with their rival and how sweet it would be to get that first W at home against them and severely diminish their playoff chances. I like it to be close and within the number at the least. BROWNS+7
***PHILADELPHIA EAGLES @ NEW YORK GIANTS***
Another ugly pick here, but I do love the spot for Big Blue here. Last week, it was an emotional return to MetLife Stadium for the Giants as they organization decided to let go of Head Coach Ben McAdoo and GM Jerry Reese. The cherry on top was QB Eli Manning getting his starting job back after McAdoo decided it was necessary to bench him in a lost season to get a look at the younger backup QBs, which ended Eli's iron man streak at 210 started games. The Giant fans came to Eli's defense in a flurry once benched and common sense says that this was the tipping point that cost McAdoo and Reese their jobs and forced the hand of the organization to wipe the slate clean. That being said, many were backing the Giants and Eli while hosting their bitter rival the Dallas Cowboys, a team that was also on the downswing and really missing their starting RB Ezekiel Elliot due to suspension. Like the Browns game, I chose to stay far away from this one last week and observe and sure enough, the Cowboys were able to get that road win they so desperately needed and despite a close game for most of it, Dallas pulled away late via a few broken plays that went their way by QB Dak Prescott threw the air. Now a week later, they host another rival in the first place and playoff bound Philadelphia Eagles. However, the Eagles just lost their starting QB and leader Carson Wentz in a hard fought battle last week in LA against the Rams. Wentz tore his ACL late in the game, and veteran backup Nick Foles stepped in and was able to hold things together enough to still get the win for the Birds. This situation is extremely interesting because once upon a time Nick Foles was in this very spot, coming in for an injured Michael Vick and playing well enough to become the Eagles starting QB and eventually following the money to St. Louis where things didn't work out and we pretty much didn't hear from him again. After bouncing around the league, he now finds himself back in Philly, and once again being handed the keys to a playoff team late in the season. A nice story really as long as it turns out well for Foles and the Birds, and who knows- it might, since the Eagles are a very solid team in all phases of the game. As for today, in his first start however, I think the Giants find a way to make things difficult for Philly. At home, with the season over for some time now, nobody would really blame the Giants for packing it in and looking ahead to the offseason, hell we have already seen them do so at times earlier this year. Today is different however, they are home and hosting their first place rival, and that being said, who doesn't want one more thrill if it just so happens to arise for you before the season ends when there's nothing else to play for? I believe the Giants will very much be up for this game, and with Foles at the helm, I think they may smell blood here a bit. The Eagles and their fans can talk all they want that Wentz isn't their whole team and that they will be just fine moving forward but I disagree. Wentz was simply unreal this season. In my opinion he is the next best thing at QB and will do great things in the near future for this team. It really is unfortunate that he got hurt and that this season will now take a different turn for them, and I feel that deep down they know this and are fighting off those thoughts and feelings to the best of their ability. It doesn't change the fact that it is still there, and I feel that should the Giants come motivated and jump on them early, those thoughts and feelings will take over and panic will ensue. I could even see Big Blue getting the upset here for the fans to hang their hat on something positive before seasons end. I like Eli to have himself a game today and the Giant defensive front to force Foles into some mistakes as he tries to shake the rust off for a full game. I think this game will be more of a trial and error with their new QB type game for the Eagles who while they would love the win as it would clinch a bye week for the postseason, a loss here isn't life and death. On the contrary, the Giants are playing loose with nothing to lose and I got to believe will pull out all the stops to get the upset here. Philly at 11-2 and the Giants at 2-11, who would've thunk it?! The matchup the first time around was decided by a 61 yard FG for Philly, not that it matters much because that was a much different Giant's team at that point in week 3, but like the Browns game above, I like it to be a tight one at the least. GIANTS+7.5
***MIAMI DOLPHINS @ BUFFALO BILLS***
The Dolphins managed to do the unthinkable last Monday night just as we thought they would! Whether the Pats truly mailed this one in with the big showdown with Pittsburgh on deck or not, Miami sure looked great while doing it. They were rolling on all cylinders both defensively and offensively. Long story short here and going off of what I explained in my MNF writeup, I truly think the Dolphins could make a run here to end the season and steal a Wild Card spot. They have road games against Buffalo and KC, and then finish Buffalo again at home. That win over the Super Bowl Champs and their Divisional big brother I believe did wonders for their confidence and will provide as the spark here moving forward. They have tons of talent on both sides of the ball and are for the most part healthy. The Bills on the other hand are banged up but in the same spot as the Fish sitting on the Wild Card bubble with a chance to sneak in by winning out. They face Miami twice, and have a road game in New England in between. That being said their road is a bit tougher and I don't think they have enough talent to get it done. QB Tyrod Taylor will be back today after being out with a concussion and has been nursing a leg injury for weeks now. After an uplifting overtime win against the Colts in a blizzard at home last weekend, sprits are high but I believe that will be the last time Buffalo fans are happy this year as I will be backing the Dolphins in this one today. Miami RB Kenyan Drake has taken full advantage of his opportunity to fill in the starting role after the team traded away Jay Ajayi and QB Jay Cutler looks to finally have some sort of chemistry established with his plethora of weapons in the passing game. I think if they are on, which I believe they will be after the dosage of confidence they got on Monday, that they will be too much firepower for the Bills to handle and match. That being said I like Suh and Co. to get after Taylor and flush him out of the pocket and run which I think he won't be himself and hampered in doing. DOLPHINS+3.5
***LOS ANGELES RAMS @ SEATTLE SEAHAWKS***
HUGE game here in the NFC West as the Rams head into dreaded Seattle in a face-off that will pretty much determine the winner of that division since the Hawks were able to steal a win in LA back in week 5 where they won a close game 16-10. I believe that the Rams have gotten much better since then and after coming off a hard fought loss to Philly last week, will coming at the Hawks full throttle today will bad intentions of payback. Despite their woes over the past few seasons, the Rams have always seemed to give Seattle fits during their reign among the top teams in the NFC and I believe that the time has come for a changing of the guard in this division. The Rams have so much firepower on offense and the Seahawks at this point are missing way too much in their defensive unit. LB Bobby Wagner apparently will try to give it a go today but even if he does I don't believe they will have enough to slow down RB Todd Gurley and this Rams offense. Head Coach Sean McVay has proven he is the real deal in his first year as HC and has done wonders for Sophomore QB Jared Goff. This team is a force to be reckoned with and their defense has been lights out at times behind Coordinator Wade Phillips who is one of the best there is in my opinion. I believe they will be locked in today to slow down Seattle's only hope in QB and MVP candidate Russell Wilson. DT Aaron Donald and Co. will get after Wilson all game and in a nutshell I believe the Rams stop him and get the job done here. RAMS+1
***TENNESSEE TITANS @ SAN FRANCISCO 49ers***
It seems as though the 49ers have found their QB of the future by acquiring Jimmy Garoppolo from the Patriots late this year. Jimmy G has started the last two road games for the Niners and after a 1-10 season, SF won back to back games. Now they return home in what will be his first start in SF for the 49ers fans and besides a small glimpse where Garoppolo came in to relieve the injured CJ Beathard against Seattle for a drive, where he threw a garbage time TD, it will be their first chance to watch their new guy. They are hosting the Titans, a team that is currently sitting pretty for a potential Wild Card spot but I don't believe they belong there and nor will they stay there. The Titans are probably the biggest fraud amongst all the potential playoff teams in my opinion. This team has had arguably the easiest schedule this season and I am just not a believer in their young QB Marcus Mariota. Whether he is hurt or not, he is just unimpressive in my opinion and never a threat to make the big play. You know, the ones that win games. Despite their running game, this team doesn't pose much a threat offensively and their defense is average at best. Long story short here I like the Niners to get up for this one at home with a new found confidence sparked by their new leader and exploit the Titans for what they really are by defeating them which I then believe will be the beginning of the end for Tennessee this year as I can definitely see them losing out, and missing the playoffs all together. 49ers-2.5
