Vikings hold off the Redskins; what to look for on Sunday
What a good Thursday night game and what a good night for sports in general. The Redskins were in Minnesota to take on the Vikings but it wasn’t supposed to be a good game. The Vikings only had one win to date and questions loomed around the Redskins and RG3 about their consistency from game to game. By looking at the box score, you would think the Redskins came out on top. Washington had more possession, more yards both rushing and passing, didn’t have a turnover and so forth. Not the case as the Vikings not only rallied from behind but were actually able to hold on to their lead for the remainder of the game. It’s something that has been a problem for Minnesota all season but behind Peterson’s running (75 yds, 2 TDs) and their defense, they were able to do finish strong last night. Washington had a chance to send the game into overtime late in the 4th quarter but were unable to convert on three straight attempts from the 4 yard line. The only downside from last night’s game for Minnesota is that QB Christian Ponder had to leave the game late in the 3rd quarter due to a separated shoulder. I haven’t seen a credible report as to the extent of the his injury so i’m assuming he’s still getting test done by team doctors. It feels like that loss might have been one that Washington can’t recover from but since they’re in the NFC East, they still have some life this season.
Lots and lots of early games this Sunday. There are 8 total and since my Cowboys are playing at night, it’s definitely going to be a red zone channel afternoon for myself. But if I were to pick one game from the early slate to watch, it would definitely have to be Lions-Bears. Jay Cutler is back for the Bears and the division lead is on the line when they square off in Chicago on Sunday afternoon. The Eagles in Green Bay could get interesting but without Rodgers, it just doesn’t have the same potential. It’ll be interesting to see how Nick Foles does after last week’s performance. I also like Bengals at Ravens because for whatever reason the AFC North’s division game always provide some drama, especially in Baltimore. Game to avoid? I don’t know of a non-fantasy football reason for a neutral fan to watch the Jaguars in Tennessee. While there are only three games in the later slate, two of them are great and one has the potential to be great. The Broncos in San Diego always provides great entertainment while the Texans in Arizona should also be good. Case Keenum seems to have that football gene in his game that make any of his games interesting. Both solid games but i’m most interested in Panthers at 49ers. Both have teams have been red hot for the past few weeks, beating up on some bad teams in an impressive fashion. There’s also the “dual threat” capabilities for both QBs. Should be a great game and a solid test for both teams.
No mention of the Cowboys-Saints game? Well, I saved it for last because it’s my upset pick of the week. Call me a homer but I really think the Cowboys are going to win Sunday night. The Saints are dealing with just the right amount injuries that the Cowboys can take advantage of it. Cowboys over the Saints 31-28.