Gooooood morning/afternoon USA! Welcome to Football America, Week 9 style. Seth Walder here, back in action. Don't worry, our friends Sean Brennan and Justin Tasch will be here along the way. If this is your first time here, glad to have you. We'll take you through all of the 1 p.m. games and 4 p.m. games throughout the day, providing you with tweets, pictures, analysis and more.
Most interesting early game this week is probably the epic showdown of young, running quarterbacks: Cam Newton vs. RGIII. Two teams that aren't particularly good but are still fun to watch. I'd give a slight edge to Washington but don't have a strong feeling either way on this one.
We sure could use a little diversion from "Sandy" especially here in New York, New Jersey and the east coast. How about we take a little game-by-game jaunt arond the league?
RT @everKlear1911: S/O to my boy Barry Cofield Redskins #96 for the tickets in a suite. RGIII vs Cam Newton instagr.am
by Solo2Nupe via twitter 11/4/2012 5:05:43 PM
Glad to see you're alright Sean. Who do you like in the RGIII/Cam Newton showdown?
First up, Broncos-Bengals: Bad news for the Bengals here as Peyton manning has never lost to America's Team in seven career contests. He has toosed 17 touchdowns with just three INTs in those games...
Oh really, Sean, you wanted to start with the Bengals?
I kind of leaning toward Cam and the Panthers here...which should all but make the Skins a lock..
BRONCOS at BENGALS
1 p.m., Broncos by 3 ½, 47 ½
BRENNAN'S BUZZ: Speaking of Mannings, Cincy will be facing the 'other' one and that's usually not a recipe for success for the Bengals, or as they are more widely known - America's Team. Peyton Manning comes into the game with a career 5-0 record vs. Cincy as it prepares for back-to-back Manning weekends with the Giants next on the Bengals docket. "We're really going to find out what this team is made of," Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton said. What they have not been made of lately are wins. The Bengals have dropped three straight while Dalton, with 10 interceptions on the season, has seen three of them returned for touchdowns. Bright note? The Broncos are just 1-10 in their last 11 trips to the Eastern Time Zone since the 2009 season and with the clocks set to "fall back" Saturday night, Cincy fans are pinning their hopes on Peyton's internal clock being all screwed up. So they have that going for them. Unfortunately, the Manning Curse looks to continue this week as Denver begins to run away and hide in the weak AFC West.
IF I WERE A BETTING MAN: Broncos and the under
Here's a little reason for optimism Bengals fans: Cincy is tied for third in defense in the NFL and is first in the AFC with 23 sacks...
Broncos>Bengals instagr.am
by Cody Skaggs via twitter 11/4/2012 5:08:09 PM
Paul Browns Stadium...The Lambeau Field of Ohio....
To be fair...I was in Cincy for a game this preseason. Solid stadium, I'd say. Liked Cincinnati too -- my first time there.
Sean couldn't wait to talk about the big game for his Bengals today. A loss drops them to 3-5 and on the outside looking in, in respect to the playoffs.
This is the first of two straight weeks the Bengals have to deal with the Mannings...They have the Giants up next week.
It's do-or-die for the Bengals here. If they go to 3-5 that might just be too big a hole to dig out of...and Bengals fans are left counting the days to Reds pitchers and catchers...
Switching over to the game in Indianapolis. Get this, the Dolphins, yes the Dolphins, are 2-pt favorites on the road today. Apparently, everyone has lost the faith in the Colts. Ryan Tannehill is active and will start for the Fins.
When Dolphins traded Vontae Davis to Indy, they inquired about getting T.Y. Hilton, too.Obviously didn't get him. Interested to see him.
— Armando Salguero (@ArmandoSalguero) November 4, 2012
DOLPHINS at COLTS
1 p.m., Dolphins by 2 ½, 43 ½
BRENNAN'S BUZZ: Fresh off their Sunday spanking of the punch-less Jets, the Dolphins look to make it two straight on the road. And this seems to be the part of Miami's schedule that could lead to them heading into December with a solid hold on a postseason spot. Yes, the Colts have been one of the nicer surprises with their 4-3 start after their first road win last week in Tennessee, but Miami's run defense has kept it in virtually every game and with two OT losses, the Dolphins could have been this close to being 6-1.With an AFC-best three-game win streak, and upcoming games vs. Tennessee, Buffalo and Seattle, here is where Miami begins to make its move.
IF I WERE A BETTING MAN: Dolphins and the under
Miami is on its first three-game winning streak since Weeks 9-11 of last season...
I like Indianapolis today against the spread. They're worse than the Dolphins...but not five points worse (they would be -3 if evenly rated teams...but they're +2 today).
Packers look out of sorts. Donald Driver just dropped a pass, and then Rodgers had to call a timeout afterwards because they couldn't get the next play off.
TOUCHDOWN: Packers 14, Cardinals 7 — Aaron Rodgers hits Randall Cobb for a 21-yard TD. (7:44, 2nd Qtr.)
Whoopsies. Shows what I know. Aaron Rodgers got mad at me, apparently, because he just threw a 21-yard vertical pass to Randall Cobb. Really great pass.
FIELD GOAL: Ravens 14, Browns 6 — Phil Dawson kicks a 29-yard FG. (1:47, 2nd Qtr.)
Know this about #Bears D: They're not about to let up. These guys are hungry for picks, sacks and scores. Rod & Lovie have 'em programmed
Bears with 31 points early in second quarter...their all-time record, which also happens to be an NFL record, for most points in a game - 73 - when the Bears posted a 73-0 whuppin' on the Redskins in the 1940 NFL championship game...
Chicago Bears running back Matt Forte (22) is stopped by Tennessee Titans defenders Jordan Babineaux (26) and Colin McCarthy (52) in the first quarter of an NFL football game on Sunday, Nov. 4, 2012, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Joe Howell)
FIELD GOAL: Texans 7, Bills 3 — Rian Lindell kicks a 22-yard FG. (1:42, 2nd Qtr.)
TOUCHDOWN: Lions 21, Jaguars 0 — Mikel Leshoure rushes for an 8-yard TD. (0:29, 2nd Qtr.)
Cam Newton had looked off target, but on 3rd and long, Newton fires into the end zone and finds Steve Smith who leaps over a defender and grabs the ball. Great catch by Smith.
TOUCHDOWN: Panthers 14, Redskins 3 — Cam Newton hits Steve Smith for a 19-yard TD. (0:57, 2nd Qtr.)
And Chris Johnson fumbles. The world would have been just too wild if he had been good this many weeks in a row. Back to normalcy.
TOUCHDOWN: Broncos 17, Bengals 3 — Trindon Holliday returns a kickoff 105 yards for a TD. (14:49, 3rd Qtr.)
FIELD GOAL: Bears 31, Titans 5 — Rob Bironas kicks a 39-yard FG. (0:00, 2nd Qtr.)
And the beat goes on for the Bengals...105-yard kickoff return by Denver's Trindon Holliday? And BengalsNation thought they only had Peyton Manning to worry about.
Stories we're following so far:
1. Possible upset in Houston, as the Texans lead the Bills by just 1.
2. Bears defense going wild. They've scored multiple TDs in the current rout of the Titans.
3. Mikel Leshoure 3 TDs for Lions and Calvin Johnson over 100 yards receiving.
And to think...I liked Cincy today. Never mentioned it before but my 5 picks of the week against the spread were Cincy, Indy, Arizona, Minnesota and Philadelphia.
Trindon Holliday's 105-yard KO return for TD was longest in #Broncos history, since 2 100-yarders in 1966 (Nemiah Wilson, Goldie Sellers)
— Denver Post Broncos (@PostBroncos) November 4, 2012
TOUCHDOWN: Broncos 17, Bengals 10 — Andy Dalton connects with A.J. Green for a 10-yard TD. (11:33, 3rd Qtr.)
Clutch drive by Dalton and the Bengals. They needed to answer Holliday's KO return immediately if they hope to stick around here.
Houston Texans quarterback Matt Schaub (8) takes the snap during the first quarter of an NFL football game against the Buffalo Bills Sunday, Nov. 4, 2012, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Just wondering what's taking the Texans so long to start putting the Bills away...???