NFL Week 11 Kickoff

by JASmius



This is what, before the season started, nobody was interested in seeing, nor would ever have imagined would be a playoff-relevant AFC East intra-divisional matchup.  Of course, the reason why it shouldn't be an intra-divisional matchup is because in the NFL, clout counts for more than the ability to read a map.  The Dolphins should be in the AFC South, not the East; but the Robbie dynasty has clout.  It's the same reason why the Baltimore Ravens should be in the AFC East, not the North, the Indianapolis Colts should be in the AFC North, not the South, and the Dallas Cowboys should switch divisions with the Carolina Panthers in the NFC.  Clout, clout, clout, aaaaaaand clout.  I don't care if, back in 1960, the Cowboys were stuck in the Eastern Conference because the league had nowhere else to put them, their presence in the NFC East is retarded and should not be allowed, clout or no clout, Jerry Jones billions or no Jerry Jones billions (pardon the redundancy).

Sorry, I've got a ton of these geeky pet peeves, and now that I'm fifty and officially a curmudgeon, I'm feeling liberated to vent about them.  Good thing I'm a blogger and you're all my audience, huh?

Leaving aside the geographical inanities, this is a matchup of two 5-4 teams that have the look and feel of possible up-and-comers that are unlikely to make the grade this year, but could in the near future.  Statistically, Miami is currently #4 in my power rankings (annihilating the Chargers 37-0 recently didn't hurt them), while Buffalo is #16.  Offensively, Miami is #14, Buffalo #23; defensively, Miami is #4, Buffalo #6.  So you can see from primarily where both teams' success has come.  Neither has a scintillating passing attack (Buffalo #18, Miami #20), but the Dolphins' superior running game (#7 to the Bills' #20), and the fact that they'll be in the friendly (?) confines of the Orange Bowl Joe Robbie Stadium Pro Player Park Sun Life Stadium should be enough to give Coach Joe Philbin (sounds like one of Jim Kirk's made-up card games), quarterback Ryan Tannehill, and the homestanding aquatic mammals who no longer have to look like Flipper wearing that silly-ass helmet the win, and set them up for the down-stretch collapse that we all know is coming.

Buffalo
Miami* (-5.5)

Don't get me started about having watched O.J. Simpson go over 2,000 yards in a single season live twenty-one years before the white bronco chase.  Also, don't ask me why he would have been chasing Peyton Manning eighteen years before he ever signed with Denver.  Seriously, I don't have anything made up for that one.