NFL, New York Jets, Washington Redskins, New York Giants, Houston Texans , New England Patriots , Baltimore Ravens
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Will the Giants actually show up for their divisional game against the Washington Redskins on Sunday?
Will the Giants actually show up for their divisional game against the Washington Redskins on Sunday?
Washington (3-3) at NY Giants (4-2):
A big divisional game pits the Redskins (3-3) against the Giants (4-2). Washington beat New York twice last year and just seemed to have their number. In the past, a home game against a “lesser” team was a recipe for disaster in New York. The Giants have been known to take games off from time to time, but it would be a fatal error to take Washington and RGIII lightly.
This match-up is the perfect opportunity for the Giants to separate themselves from the rest of the division, and prove they are focused and ready to defend their Super Bowl title.
Baltimore (5-1) at Houston (5-1):
After Ray Lewis and Lardaruis Webb were injured for the year last week against the Cowboys, the Ravens have been considered a dead team walking. A win against the Texans would earn a lot of respect for Joe Flacco and the offense. The Ravens have slowly gotten better on the other side of the ball as Flacco has matured in a solid QB-- but is he ready to lead his team deep into the playoffs without a defensive cushion?
Houston on the other hand is coming off an embarrassing blow out to Greenbay and while a loss to the high octane Packers offense is nothing to be ashamed of, the Texans didn’t even bother to show up. Houston is a legitimate Super Bowl contender and a loss to the banged up Ravens would be a really set back.
NY Jets (3-3) at New England (3-3):
As messy and dysfunctional as the New York Jets have been this season they are still in the AFC East divisional hunt. The Patriots are a 10.5 point favorite heading into Sunday’s game at Foxborough, but these divisional rivalry games are usually closer than what most people expect. This game is a chance for the Jets to possible turn their season around and get a full game lead on the Pats.
New England on the other hand is facing a bleak situation. If they lose to the Jets this will be the second time this season that they fall below .500, after going nine years without doing so. A Pats loss would not be horrific, but it would continue to set off red flags about this Patriots team.
Detroit (2-3) at Chicago (4-1):
This is another game with huge divisional ramifications. The Bears sit alone atop the NFC North but need to a victory over the inconsistent and underachieving Lions if they want to fend off the rest of the surging division. Chicago’s season has felt like a rollercoaster of highs and lows, but they still sit with a 4-1 record.
For Detroit this game is a chance to get to .500 and reassert themselves as players in the NFC North. This is a division that can be won with a 10-6 record, so Detroit is still in the thick of things and a victory of the Bears would go along way.
