Many trade rumors were thrown around in the days leading up to this week, as the trade deadline was Tuesday, but in the end only one trade was made. Now that is out of the way, we can get back to the on-field product.
Green Bay vs Carolina
One week removed from playing an undefeated Denver team, the previously undefeated Packers play another undefeated squad in Carolina. A rough portion of the schedule for sure, but Green Bay is one of the top teams in the NFL. The Broncos’ defense was able to shut down the high-powered Packers’ offense and Carolina owns a very good defense as well, so it will be interesting to see how they are able to bounce back. For Carolina, they will continue to need strong play from quarterback Cam Newton, who has continued his development very nicely this year.
Player to Watch: CB Josh Norman, Panthers
One of the breakout players of the 2015 season is Norman, who has established himself as a top-tier cornerback. Carolina is going to need another great game from him to slow down Aaron Rodgers and the Packers’ passing attack.
Tennessee vs New Orleans
The second domino in the 2016 head coaching carrousel fell this week when the Titans fired Ken Whisenhunt just 23 games into his tenure. Mike Mularkey was promoted in his place. Mularkey has prior head coaching experience having, unsuccessfully, owned the job in Buffalo and Jacksonville. How will the Titans team respond to their head coach being gone and can Mularkey get the team back on track for the rest of the season? Up first for Tennessee is a Saints team that dropped 52 points on the Giants last week.
The Return of Mariota
For the past two weeks, first-round pick Marcus Mariota has been on the bench with a sprained MCL, causing Zach Mettenberger to start. Mariota has already been announced as the starter for this week. The question is how much will the knee injury affect him?
St. Louis vs Minnesota
If the playoffs were to start right now, Minnesota would be the six seed in the NFC and the Rams would be the first team out of the picture. Yes, the playoffs won’t start for many weeks, but the standings should tell you everything you need to know about the importance of this game. Both of these teams have gone through a rebuilding period and their time is now. The constructions of the teams are similar, led by dominant defenses and a strong run game with a star running back (Adrian Peterson, Vikings, and Todd Gurley, Rams). If you want to see a physical football game, this is the game for you.
Important Injuries: LBs Anthony Barr and Eric Kendricks, Vikings
Two important pieces of the Vikings’ defense have missed practice time this week with different ailments. Barr and Kendricks, a second-year player and rookie respectively, have helped lead the defensive resurgence under Mike Zimmer and will be very important in containing Gurley.
Denver vs Indianapolis
Is this Peyton Manning’s last game in Indianapolis? There is a good chance. The 39-year old is potentially in his final NFL season and, based on these two team’s records, if they meet in the playoffs it will be in Denver. Regression has been all the rage when discussing Manning this year, but we all need to take a step back and realize what he has done in his career and how important he has been to the NFL. Indianapolis is the place where is all started, so you know Manning is going to be at his best.
Peyton Manning, Record Breaker
Adding to the potential value of this game for Manning is the fact he has a chance to break two NFL records this week. With a victory, he will pass Brett Favre for the most regular season wins in history and with 284 passing yards, he will pass Favre for the most career passing yards. It truly could be a historic night in Indianapolis.
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