Hot Take #1
Bills Never Look Back
On Sunday, the Buffalo Bills grasped victory from the jaws of defeat after scoring 21 unanswered points against Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals. While Burrow seems to have transformed the Bengals offense, he ran out of luck and threw 2 interceptions late and giving Josh Allen the possessions that he needed to get the Bills a 39-28 victory.Â
I thought that the Bills would have grabbed the division in week one and never looked back, but they are seemingly a team where we can’t get the vibe of their success. I believe that after that win and the positive momentum that it brought to the ball club, it could get them over the hump that they have been looking to get over all season.
In the past, the Bills have been semi-in style tested and cruised to their ultimate defeat against the Kansas City Chiefs in the playoffs, but this year could be different. The New England Patriots won’t relinquish their division lead, but a win for the Bills over the Patriots this week could give them that battle test that they need and the moral victory to give them enough momentum.Â
The Chiefs do not look to be a real player in the AFC Playoff picture; they may not even make it, which gives the Bills, at an untested top of the AFC, their first real clear path to the Super Bowl. The Bills win 24-14 this weekend and start their trek to San Francisco.
Hot Take #2
Eagles Fall to 8-6
It is well documented that Jalen Hurts and the Eagles‘ offense have been anemic. Nothing showcases that more than their overtime loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on Monday Night. Jalen Hurts had five total turnovers: one fumble and four interceptions. It is getting worse each week. The involvement of A.J. Brown in the offense was supposed to be a good thing, and ultimately, it looked good, but now it feels forced rather than a success that they had hoped for. The Eagles’ best bet at this point is Saquon Barkley. Whenever Barkley was featured in the offense earlier in the year, it seemed like the tread on the tires was worn too thin, but he was the only reason they were in the game on Monday Night. Whatever he was doing was working, and Eagles fans hope they can take that with them moving forward.
Now the Eagles play the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday, and this matchup should be a get-right game for them, but I have no faith in the Eagles’ offense at this point. The three-and-outs they have been getting have been ridiculous, and if Jalen Hurts turns the ball over more like he did Monday, this may get ugly. Now, I am a Jalen Hurts believer, and I believe that the turnovers were a one-off, but the offense and play calling as a whole are horrendous if they face any pressure from Maxx Crosby; this could get bad. The Raiders have also turned to Kenny Pickett over the injured Geno Smith. Smith had a resurgence of his career in Seattle, but the turn to Pickett arguably should have been done weeks ago because Smith seems to have aged out of the NFL this season fast. I say this tongue-in-cheek, but could this be a Kenny Pickett revenge game? I wouldn’t bank on it, but the line for this game being -11.5 in favor of the Eagles seems a bit ridiculous, and I would take the Points and potentially a money line ticket for the Raiders against the anemic Eagles offense.
Hot Take #3
Omarion Hampton… League Winner
If you took Omarion Hampton this year in your fantasy draft, you were largely disappointed because of the long-term injury that he showcased for your team. You also had to take him early, which hamstrung your squad for all of that time, but if you held on to him and you made the fantasy playoffs, well, you should be very excited. Hampton only played 31% of the snaps on Sunday Night, which is not a number to be pumped about, but he had a high usage rate on these snaps. Also, usage to be limited in the first game back after a long IR stint is nothing new, especially against a physical Eagles Defense. Hampton had 13 rushes for over 50 yards and also had two receptions and a touchdown through the air. All in all, it was a very productive debut back from the IR, which I would be excited about. Kimani Vidal moves back as a premium handcuff as he also split the carries with Hmapton at 13 as well. Get excited because it is finally Omarion Hampton Season.
