NFL Week 15 thread -- Starry nights at Lambeau

We can hope, at least, with the Packers playing in the Saturday night game this week.

THURSDAY
L.A. Chargers at Las Vegas (-3.5)

SATURDAY MATINEE
Buffalo (-6.5) at Denver

SATURDAY NIGHT
Carolina at Green Bay (-8.5)

SUNDAY EARLY
Seattle (-6) at Washington
Tampa Bay (-6) at Atlanta
San Francisco (-2.5) at Dallas
Detroit at Tennessee (NL)
Houston at Indianapolis (-7)
New England at Miami (-2.5)
Chicago at Minnesota (-3)
Jacksonville at Baltimore (-13.5)

SUNDAY LATE
N.Y. Jets at L.A. Rams (-17)
Philadelphia at Arizona (-6.5)
Kansas City (-3.5) at New Orleans

SUNDAY NIGHT
Cleveland (-4) at N.Y. Giants

MONDAY NIGHT
Pittsburgh (-11.5) at Cincinnati

THOUGHTS: Washington very much can beat Seattle, though the chances go way down if either/both Alex Smith or Antonio Gibson is out. Other interesting early window game is basically an elimination game between the Bears and Vikings. ... Doubt we see Brees on Sunday, which takes a lot of luster off the KC-NO matchup. ... If Washington loses, all of a sudden Philly-Arizona becomes interesting in terms of the NFC East race, because the Eagles at least looked competent with Hurts under center. ... Monday night is just ugly. Will find college hoops or something to watch.

 

I thought Brees was getting close to returning. With only one bye, the top seed has real value. I'm not sure the Saints will give that up if they can avoid it.

The Eagles have some good pieces. Injuries and big mistakes by Wentz have been killing them all season. That was a hell of a first start for Hurts against a very good defense.

Monday night will be ugly. The Bengals are a mess without Burrow. The Steelers are nowhere near the level they showed when they crushed the Bengals a month ago. The game might actually be close, but it won't be pretty. If the Steelers lose that one, there is a very real chance they won't win another game this season.

 

Chris Spielman leaving the Fox booth to become president and CEO of the Lions, which may or may not be related to the fact that his crew was apparently scheduled to do the Rams-Jets game this week.

 

If the Steelers lose to Cinci, they should forget the rest of their schedule and go all out to get a spot in the Weedeater Bowl.

 

When was the last time the Dolphins were favored over the Patriots?

 

Dec. 15, 2013. Also favored in that season’s first meeting. Before that: 2003.

 

Not that it matters in this instance, but haven't the Patriots rather reliably played poorly at Joe Robbie, even when the talent disparity between the clubs was rather sizable?

 

Not always, but often enough to make it a thing. Although last season, the Pats murdered Miami down there and then lost to the Dolphins at Gillette in the last regular season game.

 

They have. Patriots are 9-10 at Miami since 2001, and have lost five of the last seven. Still, the talent disparity between the two has been so great for most of the last 20 years that it's always surprising to see.
Also worth noting that when the Patriots have won in Miami, they've won big. Six of those nine wins were by at least two touchdowns.

 

You are probably right, but Pittsburgh's offense is a shitshow right now. That could keep the score closer than it should be. Getting a little bit more of a rest between games might help. Getting Joe Haden back on defense should help, too. They clearly had no answer for Diggs without him.