NFL Preview with @Girvana
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Philadelphia Eagles v Cincinnati Bengals – Live Friday ESPN 2.30pm
The Eagles notched up their first win in eight last week against Tampa Bay at least playing with some pride after a disastrous season. The Bengals lost to a last second field goal to the Dallas Cowboys which slightly dented their playoff hopes. They still have a good chance of getting there however the last three games are crucial. The Bengals have a solid defence and have a weapon at wide receiver in AJ Green. Green has scored touchdowns in 11 consecutive games this season however has gone for none in his last three games. Philadelphia have turned to backup quarterback Nick Foles in Michael Vicks absence as a trail to see if he in the one to go forward with in the future. He got his first win last week and will be hoping that momentum can carry through here.
Dallas Cowboys v Pittsburgh Steelers.
The NFL suffered another emotional weekend last week with death in a car accident of Dallas Cowboy linebacker Jerry Brown with the driver being his team mate Josh Brent. The Cowboys beat the Bengals in an emotional win giving them a mathematical chance of still making the playoffs. The pressure is on as failure for them this season could mean a major reorganisation and rebuild next season. The Steelers had a shock loss to the Chargers last week – even with the return of star Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. Losing at home is rare for the Steelers and this is another team who are only on the cusp of the playoffs rather then their tradition of being a playoff mainstay. The stakes are high here for both teams here at the home of the Cowboys.
Baltimore Ravens v Denver Broncos
The Baltimore Ravens also suffered a loss last week that was not expected, when they went down in overtime to the Washington Redskins. The next day they fired their offensive coordinator as that part of their game has not been firing. Although big in defence you need to score the points as well. Broncos Quarterback Peyton Manning must be the comeback player of the year. After having a season off through injury he has adapted well to the Denver environment and led them to 10 wins and the AFC West title. The Broncos are one of the form teams in the NFL. They will be looking to carry that on in Baltimore. This could be a great match up.
Houston Texans v Indianapolis Colts
The Texans were humiliated on Monday Night Football by the New England Patriots. Going in with only one loss to their name the Patriots offensively destroyed them in an easy 42-14 win. They will no doubt want a turnaround here however it will not be easy. Division rival, the Indianapolis Colts, have won 9 games so far this season which is remarkable considering they have a rookie quarterback, a rebuilt team and new coaching staff. They have a habit of winning late with big plays from standout rookie Andrew Luck. The AFC South division is still up for grabs remarkably so this could be a winner takes all here.
New England Patriots v San Francisco 49ers – Live Monday ESPN 2.30pm
The Patriots have a tag as favourite for the Superbowl already after their recent performances. They seem to be getting better by the week after an indifferent start. Who can remember that they lost at home to the Arizona Cardinals? The way they dismantled the Texans made the public really see that they may be the real deal this season. The 49ers have struggled in recent weeks after deciding that their beginning of season backup Quarterback, Colin Kaperneak, is now their starter. That decision is seen as being perhaps a slight distraction and their form has waned a bit. They will need to be at their very best defensively to get anything out of his match up though.
Tennessee Titans v New York Jets – Live ESPN Tuesday 2.30pm
The Titans last match against the Indianapolis Colts saw them leading easily until the last quarter where they were undone by two late field goals. Their season has been a struggle however they are up against another struggling team here. The Jets have been described as a circus by their local media with Quarterback controversies and some big losses. They are now going back to basics with a running game based around hand offs and little throwing by Mark Sanchez in the driver’s seat. Surprisingly the Jets still have a mathematical chance of the playoffs so will have to win this one to still be in the hunt. This could be a low scoring affair with both teams not taking any risks on big plays.