Eagles Host Steelers Amidst Hurts/Brown Drama
The Philadelphia Eagles have been on a tear, winning nine straight. Despite the team’s
shaky performance in their home win against the Panthers, the team seemed to have
set themselves up for another Super Bowl run. That was until star receiver AJ Brown
expressed his displeasure with the team’s passing game after the team’s win against
Carolina and Brandon Graham, the team’s longest-tenured player publicly admitted that
the relationship between Brown and quarterback Jalen Hurts is not as strong as it once
was. For longtime Eagles fans, the potential friction between Hurts and Brown provides
a flashback to the tumultuous relationship between their former quarterback and wide
receiver Donovan McNabb and Terrell Owens and could derail a promising season. This
week, the Eagles host the 10-3 Pittsburgh Steelers led by a revamped Russell
Wilson-led offense and Defensive Player of the Year front-runner TJ Watt. The possible
friction between the franchise quarterback and star receiver has yet to hinder the team’s
performance and it must remain that way if the Eagles look to prevent yet another
late-season collapse.
Falcons Set to Matchup Against a Familiar Face With Everything On the Line
Over a month ago, the Atlanta Falcons sat at 6-3 and were on track to coast to their first
NFC South Division title in eight years. However, the team’s four-game losing streak
and Kirk Cousins’ poor play have shifted conversations from playoff seeding to when
Michael Penix Jr. will get to start and the job security of head coach Raheem Morris and
general manager Terry Fontenot. This week, Atlanta travels to Las Vegas to take on the
Raiders. With starting quarterback Aiden O’Connell’s ankle injury, Atlanta will likely face
former starting quarterback Desmond Ridder with their season virtually on the line.
Longtime owner Arthur Blank is considered one of the league’s more patient owners, as
he has never fired a head coach after one year. However, a loss to this Raiders team
should deservedly get everyone in the building fired. Not only should Morris go one and
done in his second head coaching stint, but Fontenot should follow him on his way out.
If the Chargers beat the Buccaneers this week and the Falcons snap their losing streak
against the Raiders, they will reclaim first place in the NFC South with a home matchup
against the Giants, another two-win team, awaiting them. The season is not over yet for
the now 6-7 Falcons, but there is virtually no room for error these next two weeks, and it
starts with a Monday Night win in Las Vegas.
Can the Bills bounce back in Detroit?
Josh Allen passed for 342 yards, rushed for 82 yards, and scored six total touchdowns.
His heroic efforts came up short, as the Bills had a punt blocked and returned for a
touchdown and Puca Nacua caught 12 passes for 162 yards and a touchdown, as the
Rams defeated the Bills 44-42. Despite handing the Chiefs their only loss of the season,
the loss put Buffalo two games behind Kansas City for the AFC’s number one seed and
in a tie with Pittsburgh for the second seed. Buffalo’s defense having a game like the
one that had in Los Angeles this late in the season is concerning. Buffalo’s inability to
make timely stops in the postseason has been a large part of why the team has lost in
the Divisional Round for three straight seasons. They will need a better showing from
their defense so as not to waste another strong year by Allen and make a deep run in
the playoffs. The task does not get any easier for the Bills, as they travel to Detroit to
face the Lions, winners of 11 straight. If Buffalo wishes to pull off a big win on the road,
they will need a better defensive showing against an offense featuring tons of Pro Bowl
talent, an excellent play caller, and a quarterback, who like Allen, is playing at a high
level.
Marshon Lattimore Returns to New Orleans
After seven and a half seasons, the then 2-7 New Orleans Saints dealt all-pro
cornerback Marshon Lattimore to the upstart Washington Commanders. However,
Lattimore has yet to appear in any games for Washington, as he nursed a hamstring
injury suffered while still with the Saints. Commanders’ head coach Dan Quinn
expressed optimism about Lattimore’s status and the possibility that he would make his
first appearance as a member of the team at Caesar’s Superdome in New Orleans.
Quinn explained that the defensive back is “Hitting all the markers as we’re moving
along.” Lattimore being active would provide a boost to a Commanders’ defense that is
already ranked fifth against the pass.