Week 6 has come and gone and I am a lot more excited for football than I was last week. Plus basketball is back. Yay!
The best 0-6 team ever?
Not the kind of milestone the 49ers wanted to have at this point, but it is worth wondering whether it is so. The 49ers are -33 this season, and have lost their last 5 games by a combined 13 points (NFL record, thanks FJY). 49ers’ fans hearts have broken about 17,000 times this year with every 3 and out, last second score and questionable PI call that have hurt the 49ers in close games this year. Luck has to swing back in their favor at some point.
Beathard gave the 49ers’ anemic offense life
Inconsistent would be the best way to describe CJ Beathard’s first crack at playing quarterback in the NFL, but it was more than enough to get the lethargic 49ers offense going. They were down 17-0 when Hoyer was pulled and ended up losing 26-24. Beathard will start for the rest of the season, so get your popcorn ready. It will be exciting to see the kid play.
Where did that come from?
The Cardinals looked limp and lifeless through most of their first five games, but that wasn’t the case Sunday. Adrian Peterson gave a badly depleted run game new life while Palmer and Fitzgerald looked like younger versions of themselves in their 38-33 win over Tampa. The Cardinals jumped out to a 31-0 lead on the Bucs, and managed to fight off a big comeback to hold on for their third win. They better hope that they can keep this keep this up as they have a big matchup in London against the Rams this week.
The Rams haven’t been this good since….
The Rams improved to 4-2 in their 27-17 win over the Jags, marking the first time since 2004 they have started a season 4-2. Not so shockingly, that was also the last time the Rams made the playoffs. They shook off a disappointing loss to the Seahawks well and now lead the division by a half game.
NFC West showdown across the pond.
The Cardinals and Rams both have something to prove against each other. It seems like the teams are heading in opposite directions as the Rams are off to their best start in 12 year, while the Cardinals have limped through six games, fortunate to be at .500. The Cardinals could make a statement, showing they can still make a run for the division, while the Rams can improve to 5-2 and give themselves a two game lead over the Cardinals. Should be fun, even if it’s those snobby Brits that get to enjoy it.
The NFC North is wide open now
The Packers losing Aaron Rodgers to an injury in addition to Bridgewater possibly coming back and the Bears earning an impressive road win has the NFC North looking aa wide open as it has in a long time. If I had a gun to my head, I would say Minnesota wins the division, but the Lions aren’t far behind.
Weird stats to know
- The Cowboys have visited the 49ers 3 times since 2005. The 49ers led each game by double digits, but lost all three. The Cowboys have been ahead in the 4th quarter in all but one of their games this year, yet sit miserably at 2-3. Something has to give here.
- The Seahawks and Giants have played 6 times since 2006. The Seahawks are 4-2 in these games, but the Giant have outscored them by 5 points. Each game has been decided by 11 points or more. Blowout party!
- The Cardinals have won 10 of their last 12 road games against the Rams, dating back to 2005. While this is technically a road game for both teams, it will be interesting to see if the new and improved Rams can snap out of their embarrassing streak against the Cardinals.
Fantasy Enemy #1
Munkey. He doesn’t pay attention anyways, so this should be an easy win.
KO Pool Pick
The Saints. We’ve seen what the Packers are capable of without Rodgers. It isn’t pretty.
Basketball is back!
Sadly, the Warriors dropped a heartbreaker at home to the Rockets though. With how bad the 49ers and Giants are, hopefully the Warriors can shake this off and give me something to smile about.
Game of Thrones theory of the week
A popular one going around is that Jaime will kill Cersei. I do not believe this theory because I think Tyrion will end up doing it, but it should be fun to see regardless. Cersei needs to get a knife to the heart at some point.
TV show you should watch
Riverdale. My wife actually forced me to watch this show one night and I ended up liking it more than she did. It’s based on the comic series Archie from the 80’s. If you like hot girls, crazy plot twists and all cool murder-mystery type stuff, you’ll love this show. It’s my new favorite show on Netflix.
Picks
Raiders over Chiefs 23-17
Bills over Buccaneers 23-20
Panthers over Bears 18-17
Titans over Browns 31-17
Saints over Packers 38-17
Jaguars over Colts 20-13
Rams over Cardinals 31-23
Dolphins over Jets 16-13
Vikings over Ravens 20-3
Cowboys over 49ers 30-28
Seahawks over Giants 17-16
Steelers over Bengals 28-20
Broncos over Chargers 20-16
Patriots over Falcons 34-31
Eagles over Redskins 28-13
Enjoy the ride my friends.
