The 6-2 Buffalo Bills face the struggling 1-6 Jacksonville Jaguars today in sunny Florida. The Bills are 14-point favorites. Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence–Number One in the 2021 NFL Draft–finds himself surrounded by mediocrity and ineptness. Lawrence’s coach, Urban Meyer, has been embroiled in a lap-dancing incident. While Meyer was a very successful College coach, like many College coaches before him, he’s finding the NFL a completely different game. My guess is Urban Meyer will be looking for a new job at the end of the season. How will your favorite NFL team perform today?
The Giants have been underachievers most of the season, losing games they should – or at least could – win. Then every once in a while they play way better than expected against a good team (the Saints) and win. So, no way of knowing but I figure you have the odds on your side picking them to lose. They face the Raiders this afternoon at 1, before their anticipated bye week. They could win, but will they? Probably not.
Jeff, the Giants have sustained some key injuries that are holding them back. I suspect they’ll be a much better team next year.
Now they are talking about bringing Odell Beckham back.
Jeff, the Cleveland Browns signed OBJ to a lucrative contract. But Odell never delivered the performance everyone expected. Plus, Odell and Baker Mayfield did not get along. The Browns are getting rid of the often injured, underperforming wide receiver. Sure, some NFL team will pick him up, but I’m hoping the Giants don’t make that mistake again.
Go Bills! After the lap-dance fiasco, I figured Jaguars management would have already told Urban Meyer to take a hike. Perhaps they figure that since it appears the team’s season is already shot, they won’t bother going through the business of hiring a new coach until the off-season (when, possibly, Mike Tomlin will be available). Anyway, Meyer may be a great college football coach, but he stood by and did nothing when one of his assistant coaches regular got drunk and beat his wife so badly she had to be hospitalized more than once, which makes him a sh*t human being in my book. /Dismounting soapbox now.
As for the Boys in Black-and-Gold, after a surprise win against the Bucs last week, the 5-2 Saints take on the 3-4 Falcons in the Super Dome (excuse me, the Caesars Sports Book Super Dome—which makes steam come out of my ears every time I hear it). After a horse-collar tackle in last week’s game, inconsistent QB Jamies Winston is out for the season. Third-string QB Trevor Siemian has been named starting QB for this game, leaving the versatile Taysum Hill available for receiver duties. Coach Sean Payton has shown in the past that he can get victories with a backup QB, but that was with Teddy Bridgewater. We’ll see whether lightening strikes twice with Siemian.
Deb, I thought Sean Payton might make a move for a QB at the Trade Deadline. But, he’s standing pat with Siemian and Taysum Hill.
The Buffalo Bills stadium is now called Highmark Stadium after the corporation who bought Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Western New York. Under Highmark, the medical coverage by BC/BS has been cut, many of our friends who had BC/BS medical insurance for decades are now changing to Univera or CIGNA because many doctors here will not accept patients with BC/BS coverage. What a mess! Yet, Highmark has the money to buy a name on a NFL stadium instead of spending that money on their medical insurance customers!
As the late, great Molly Ivans once said, “You can’t make a person’s health a for-profit venture because the profit will always outstrip the healthcare.”
Deb, I totally agree with Molly Ivans. With Highmark and other for-profit medical insurance companies, it’s all about the money.
That’s Big Med for you. It’s all about profit and greed, to hell with treating the ill and elder. The stadium-naming deal gets written off as advertising.
Seahawks, sitting at the bottom of the NC west, have a bye. That’s good, I can watch the wind blow the last of the leaves from the trees, and maybe read. Re Meyer, dancing with a laptop doesn’t sound bad, though I do keep mine plugged in, on the desk.
Rick, that lap dance seems to have energized the Jacksonville Jaguars and Urban Meyer. They beat the hapless Bills 9-6 in a dismal game.
Wow! That’s a huge upset!
Rick, NBC claims the biggest upset today was the Broncos defeating the Cowboys, 30-16. But the Bills played horribly today and lost a game they should have won.
And…once again it’s proved that if on the west coast the easterners have moved on before a comment can be noticed…
Rick, Diane and I were at Shea’s Performing Arts Center enjoying a musical. We’re back now.
So the Giants won after all, the Saints had an improbable comeback before blowing it to Atlanta at home, and the Bills somehow lost to the lowly Jaguars while scoring a grand total of two field goals?
Jeff, today’s nightmare game for the Bills in Jacksonville was one of the poorest performances I’ve see Josh Allen deliver: two interceptions, one fumble, and plenty of errant throws. That’s the difference in the game.
The only game om when I tuned in was Broncos-Cowboys, neither of which I like even a little!
Bob, there were plenty of upsets in today’s NFL schedule!