Under The Radar Games: Week 6
It’s Friday, Friday, getting down on Friday… Okay, I’ll stop there.
The sixth Sunday of the NFL season is just two days away, and boy, what a slate of games there are for football junkies, like myself. There’s the New York Football Giants taking on San Francisco in a rematch of last year’s NFC Championship game; Detroit takes on Philadelphia with both teams trying to avoid back-to-back losses; Green Bay travels to Houston in an effort to give the Texans their first loss of season. It truly is shaping up to be on great day of football, however, what about the middle of the pack teams or the games that no one seems to care about?
Well, that’s where I come in as I bring you this week’s Under The Radar games.
Oct 7, 2012; Columbus, OH, USA; Miami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill (17) throws a pass in the fourth quarter against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-US PRESSWIRE
St. Louis Rams vs. Miami Dolphins:
Why Watch: Both team’s are coming off big wins in week five. The Rams handled the previously unbeaten Arizona Cardinals in primetime last week, and have already surpassed last year’s win total of two. Jeff Fisher has his team playing some good football, and the defensive line combination of Chris Long and Robert Quinn is proving to be one of the most dominating tandems in the NFL today. On the Miami side, they boast the league’s top rushing defense with a fearsome front seven that includes Paul Soliai, Karlos Dansby, and Cameron Wake. There defense caused massive issues for Andy Dalton, A.J. Green, and the Cincinnati offense last week in their 17-13 win over the Bengals. If you’re a fan of very good defenses, then this is the game for you. Even the quarterback battle between Sam Bradford and Ryan Tannehill should be incentive enough to watch. And just think, the Rams could double their 2011 win total by week 6 if they win in Miami on Sunday.
Indianapolis Colts vs New York Jets:
Why Watch: The Colts are coming off a giant upset of the Packers that saw them come back from an 18-point deficit to win by three. Andrew Luck has thrown for 300+ yards in back to back games, and if he does it again on Sunday, he’ll become the first rookie quarterback to throw for that many yards in three consecutive games. Indianapolis is playing with a heavy heart and with pride for their coach Chuck Pagano, who was diagnosed with leukemia last week. The Colts can surpass their 2011 win total with a win Sunday, and should give the Jets a big run for their money. However, the Jets are playing good football on defense. They managed to keep the Texans out of the endzone, for the most part, last week, and gave their offense ample opportunity to get the win. However, Mark Sanchez is still Mark Sanchez.
Minnesota Vikings vs Washington Redskins:
Why Watch: This game isn’t totally under the radar, but there are enough high-quality matchups on Sunday that give it that “middle of the pack game” feel. The Vikings are one of, if not, the biggest surprises in all of football. Their defense has been absolutely stellar, and Christian Ponder is turning into the quarterback that the team hoped when they took him 7th overall in 2011. Going up against a concussed, I don’t care what you say, a week is not enough time to get over a concussion, Robert Griffin III, the Vikings should have easy pickings at the number two overall pick in this past April’s draft. The big question is, how many sacks will Jared Allen have on Sunday?