If you have made is this far in your knockout pool, you had to be praying for Miami to upend Pittsburgh Monday night. The 14-0 lead for the Dolphins had to have people dreaming of others who were going to be finished. It was not to be as the Steelers rallied. The tension builds as the NFL and these tantalizing pools head to the second half of the season.
Don’t think about it
The Texans have lost J.J. Watt. They head to London to face the Jacksonville Jaguars. It’s way too much of a tossup. The Sacksonville defense could prove troublesome for Deshaun Watson. And no telling how the Texans will react to the loss of their great defensive lineman. The Bears and Eagles get together. Last time they met was the double-doink finish. You could be finished if you stake your season on either team in this game of inconsistency. Minnesota rolls into KC, where the Chiefs have lost three straight at home. The last time KC lost four in a row at home was 2012. Don’t think about gambling on whether it will happen again here. The Jets visit the Dolphins. A special day for Adam Gase, who can see franchises he has worked for in shambles. Your season will be in shambles if you choose either team in the knockout pool. The Patriots remain undefeated heading into Baltimore to face Lamar Jackson and the Ravens. Enjoy watching this.
Let the bettor beware
The Ryan Tannehill Express surges into Carolina, where Kyle Allen has to shake the ghosts of Nick Bosa and the Niners. The Titans have won two in a row, but they would be a risky pick. And are you going to seriously advance to Week 9 and pick the Panthers, who remain without Cam Newton and have a QB who was just shook, rattled and rolled in his first NFL loss? Green Bay takes its 7-1 mark to Los Angeles for another road/home game as the Chargers’ fans tend to be in the minority. Expect a different offense from the Bolts with Ken Whisenhunt sacked. This is a game that could salvage a sorry season for Anthony Lynn. Not worth chancing anything. No Joe Flacco and a rookie seemingly making his first start for Denver against Cleveland. This is a strong magnet to draw you into the Browns. However, look at what they have done to date and the controversy stirring around the offense could be enough to be an undoing against the Broncos’ solid defense. Be careful … extremely careful.
Tempting fate
The Colts are 5-2 and head into Pittsburgh, where Mason Rudolph and the Steelers were fortunate to be playing the Dolphins Monday. Pittsburgh dug out of a 14-0 hole and won by double digits. James Conner is dinged and everything points toward an Indy triumph. Don’t be so sure. Indy has lost to the Raiders and Chargers, both sub-.500 teams. And none of its games have had a bigger than seven-point differential at the finish. Too much stress. The Niners storm into Arizona. The game is on Halloween and who knows what strange things can happen in the desert. Yes, the Raiders are home. The Lions are inconsistent at best. There is no way to confidently choose either of these foes in what could be a high-scoring game.
Go for it
Seattle is 6-2 and both losses have come at home. Those defeats were against division leaders, the Saints and Ravens. The Buccaneers are 2-2 on the road and have a victory over the Rams in LA. Let’s consider that one of the flukes of the NFL season. The Seahawks know they don’t want to fall any further behind the Niners, who will have played Thursday. This sets up nicely for a Seahawks victory. If you aren’t sold on Seattle, give a long look to Dallas against the Giants. Yes, it is a road game, but Daniel Jones is good for a fumble or two every week and Big Blue can’t afford any mistakes against the Cowboys. The odds are unlikely Jones and the Giants can play a perfect game. Another game to watch is Washington-Buffalo, especially if Dwayne Haskins gets the starting nod for the road team. He has shown nothing to make anyone believe he can win an NFL game anywhere, let alone on the road.
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