NFL 2023

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   Okay we have got over Thanksgiving week and are hitting the home stretch for the regular season so lets see where we sit.
1. Who still has hope and who is looking at next years journey? In the AFC we have eliminated 4 teams from play off contention in Chargers, Titans, Jets and New England. For me while they can still mathematically make it you can add Bengals, raiders and Bills. All three of those teams are too inconsistent and the Bills have a horror schedule after their week 13 bye. In the NFC we can eliminate the Giants, Commanders, Cardinals, Packers, Bears and Panthers. Once again it looks like the NFC South division winner will make it through with a losing season. 

2. Is there a clear Superbowl favorite? While the Eagles have the record, a few of their wins have been less than convincing, but they do deserve the current status as favorites. Behind them all other teams have shown they have vulnerabilities which a good head coach could exploit. The Chiefs are a one man band at the moment with Mahomes being pivotal in their run. If the Chiefs receivers could actually catch the ball it would be nice. The 49ers need all their talent on the field to be a major contender. Dallas, Miami and Baltimore have games where they look superbowl winners but then they will put in an effort which makes you think they are not good enough. A few teams like Seattle, Detroit and Buffalo started the season well but have really hit the wall in the last month. And on the other hand some teams really were asleep in the first six weeks but have hit their straps in the last month such as Denver, Pittsburgh, Minnesota (despite the Bears game which was one of the worst I have ever seen). 

3. Several teams are done and dusted due to injuries. Ohio must have some kind of jinx surrounding it at the moment with the Browns missing both Chubb and Watson for the season. And old Bengals fans are looking at a Back To the Future season as Burrow missing means either no more wins or one at most. 

4. Who will be next to fall? We have seen the Raiders get rid of Josh McDaniels, and just this week Carolina have moved Frank Reich on after only 11 games which makes him the first head coach to be sacked by two teams in consecutive seasons (he was let go by the Colts last season). So who is next? Brandon Staley at the Chargers is not only in hot water but he is in it up to his neck, if they miss the play offs he is gone. It seems that the new owners in Washington have given Ron Riviera the news he is being moved on at the end of the season. If he did not have Aaron Rodgers up his sleeve for next season the Saleh in New York would be right up against it, and the word is he could still find himself on the unemployment line at the end of the season. 

5. Who is the team that could make a run late in the season? This is a very painful answer to this question for me but I think Pittsburgh can do some damage after getting rid of Matt Canada as their offensive co-ordinator. While I think Baltimore will win the division, the Steelers are in a sweet position as we enter the last five weeks. They sit at 7-4. Thier offense was more productive yardage wise on the weekend and if their secondary targets can take advantage of more options with better passing plays they can make the three point improvement on their current 15 point average a game. The other thing they have going for them is the schedule. They play Arizona, New England, Indianapolis, Cincinatti, Seattle and Baltimore. They should be realistically looking at four more wins and the Seattle match is a push while the final weeks game could see Baltimore rest players if they have locked in the division flag. The Steelers also have a good pedigree in the play offs and with momentum and attitude they can win at least two play off games. I have not given up on Houston either. They did lose a game which I think was one of the best of the season on the weekend but at 6-5 they have a six games which I think they should win. They play the Titans twice, and the Broncos, Jets, Browns and Colts. Maybe the Broncos are a struggle but they can win the other five games which would get them to 11 wins.              
6. Who is the MVP frontrunner? This is a tough question. Obviously Jalen Hurts is the major contender but he has had great assistance from his receivers, and o-line, that have afforded him the opportunity to do his thing. I think if the Texans get to the playoffs that means that CJ Stroud has had a good last six games and I know it is unlikely and has very rarely happened but he could be in with a shot. Tyreek Hill started the season in HOF form and if he can lead the Dolphins on a points gathering last six weeks he can put himself back in the picture. 

7. Rookie? Well no risk here shut down the betting CJ Stroud has this one done and dusted. Bijan Robinson has shown he will be a huge part of the Falcons next few seasons while Puka Nacua has been a great target for the Chargers QB's in the secondary and he looks like he can develop into a 1000yard at least receiver each season. 

8. Is Tom Brady correct when he says there is a lot of mediocre football being played this season? This has been a big question being debated in the media and for my two cents worth, yes he is correct. While we had two of the best matches of the season this weekend with Bills and Eagles, and Texans and Jaguars, there were three games which were horrific. Giants won a snoozefest to end all snoozefests when they edged past New England, we had the Titans and Panthers putting together a lacklustre piece of entertainment and then Monday Night Football saw the worst game of the trio with the Bears defeating the Vikings without scoring a touchdown. The overseas matches this season were horrendous (the best thing about all of them was the crowd singing) and in the early part of the season there were some truly horrendous matches either low scoring or blowouts. And every team even the Eagles has looked bad at some stage of the season. 