[ad_1]
A fascinating match highlights Week 11, but there are a lot of scenarios to sort out – including first place in a totally winning division.
Here are the key questions for week 11.
1. Who will win the mid-season Super Bowl?
The Rams and Chiefs, two of the best teams and the most powerful offenses, will face Monday night in what could very well be a taste of the Super Bowl LIII in February. Both teams have a score of 9 to 1, the fifth time since the merger in 1970 that teams with one or fewer defeats also meet late in the season. The Chiefs are second in the NFL for goals scored (35.3 points per game); the rams arrive in third position (33.5). Patrick Mahomes, who ranks first in the distance rankings (3,150), and Jared Goff, who is in second place (3,134), will face for the first time in their career. Level players like Todd Gurley, Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce think they are big. But this game could come from the defense that limits games more explosive than others. This edge could go to L.A., who has been better and is ninth in the league with 26 sacks.
2. Will moving Monday's game to Los Angeles affect one or the other team?
The other scenario of this match was the decision of the NFL on Tuesday to transfer Estadio Azteca to Mexico City due to poor conditions in the field. As this is a home game for the Rams, he is transferred to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. The Rams had arrived Monday in Colorado Springs to train at the altitude they expected in Mexico City. The team will stay and train throughout the week. Even if they play at home Monday night, it could give them a feeling of playing outside. For the Chiefs, there are not many changes other than their final destination – although it is more than likely that the crowd of the Colosseum favors the Rams. Unless leaders who plan to travel to Mexico City can change their travel plans, expect a lot of blue and gold.
3. Will Andrew Luck be fired?
He has a monster, a return campaign and a lot of credit must go to the offensive line of the Colts. The group ranks second in the NFL with only 10 bags allowed, one behind the Saints. This is an incredible change for a team whose course of action is a perennial issue and one of the main reasons that Luck is constantly dealing with various injuries – none more serious than a case of right shoulder. Indy was ranked last (56) in 2017 and 28 (44) in 2016. This is the main reason why Luck and the Colts have won three straight. In fact, the O line did not give up its place in four and a half games, covering 57 possessions and 187 losses. And against a dominant Titan defensive team (16.8 points per game) could slow down Luck's production, he could stay in this match too, as Tennessee is tied for 18th in the league with 23 forced bags . year.
4. Who will be the driver's seat in the north of the NFC?
Due to all the hype on the Chiefs-Rams battle, the Vikings (5-3-1) match against the Bears (6-3) on Sunday night goes almost unnoticed. The winner will occupy the headquarters of the division and, for the moment, will occupy the pilot's seat. Certainly, there will still be a lot of season and these two teams will still face in the finals of the regular season in Minneapolis. A defeat for one or other of the teams will not be devastating. The Packers (4-4-1) are also at hand. At this point in the season, it is imperative that tight divisional teams begin to pile up victories, especially against their opponents. If only one team may need more, it may be the young Bears who have so many unknown players for the playoffs. They have already won three in a row and a win Sunday will give even more dynamism to their arrival in the home stretch.
5. What impact will the Bengals' training changes have?
The Cincinnati defense was bad. Historically bad. It ranks last in several key statistics. In their last three games, the Bengals have allowed 500 yards or more each. In fact, they averaged 545.3 over this period. On Monday morning, the team fired defense coordinator Teryl Austin and his coach Marvin Lewis said he would assume the duties of player. Lewis and the Bengals also announced that the Browns coach sacked, Hue Jackson, who was the team's offensive coordinator from 2014 to 2015, would join the team as a special assistant. Although Jackson is an offensive specialist, Lewis said in a press release that he was signing that he would engage in "day-to-day defense responsibilities, including analyzing our opponents and by helping match days with defensive players and coaches. " The Bengals will have their first chance to show their moves were smart Sunday against a team rival Ravens, who has lost four of his last five games.
6. If rookie quarterback Lamar Jackson behaves, how is he going to behave? If Joe Flacco is healthy, will he keep his job?
Speaking of the Ravens, Flacco had a hip injury and was forced to stop training on Wednesday. Coach John Harbaugh said that Flacco would be able to play without training. His status for Sunday could go up to the hours before the match. Baltimore took Jackson with the last pick in the first round of the project and inserted it into games in special packages. He completed seven of 12 shots for 87 yards and one touchdown. But it's Jackson's legs that could be a problem for Cincinnati if he's forced to start. He ran the ball 28 times for 139 yards and a score. The Ravens obviously thought that Jackson could become the possible quarterback of the franchise, but if the team continues to lose, it could opt for a possible reconstruction sooner than expected. But if Flacco is healthy enough to play, he will not be able to afford slippage.
***
Follow Lorenzo Reyes on Twitter @ LorenzoGReyes.
If you like talking football, we have the perfect place for you. Join our new Facebook group, The Ruling Off the Field, to engage in friendly discussion and conversation with other football fans and our NFL insiders.
[ad_2]
Source link