Indianapolis (1-1) at Philadelphia (1-1)
There have been some classic games between the Oakland Raiders and Miami Dolphins. While Sunday’s meeting doesn’t carry the weight of a playoff contest between two powers, it certainly brings plenty of intrigue.
Such as: Are the Dolphins (2- 0) really good, and are the Raiders (0-2) pretty bad?
The answers will come over the next few weeks, but this could be a strong indicator of where each team is headed in 2018.
Miami has been winning the field position battle, is tied for the NFL lead with five interceptions — the Dolphins had nine all last year — and has allowed only seven points in four red-zone possessions by opponents. Healthy QB Ryan Tannehill is 9-1 in his past 10 starts; he missed the 2017 season with a knee injury.
Meanwhile, the Raiders are allowing 5.7 yards per rush, worst in the league. They are tied for last with only one takeaway and have all of two sacks. Did someone say they miss Khalil Mack?
Yet the key could be when Oakland has the ball and whether it can generate anything against a defense that plays most everybody who suits up.
“The addition of ( DE Robert) Quinn is huge,” says Raiders coach Jon Gruden, whose return to the sideline had Raiders fans all giddy before the Mack trade and the two defeats.
“He has given them supreme effort opposite Cameron Wake. And they have a very good unit inside that can generate pressure as well. It’s a combination of new players, new energy and the scheme. It’s fun to watch them.”
Maybe not for Derek Carr, the quarterback who has to face them.
The weekend began Thursday night with Cleveland’s first win in 635 days, a 21-17 home victory over the New York Jets.
The No. 1 overall pick Baker Mayfield replaced injured starter Tyrod Taylor and sparked the Browns (1-1-1) , who got two 1-yard touchdown runs from Carlos Hyde in their first win since Dec. 24, 2016. And so ends Cleveland’s 19- game winless streak, the NFL’s second- longest since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger. The Jets are 1-2.
One of several games with tasty matchups.
The Super Bowl champions get back Carson Wentz,
In perhaps the toughest division, both of these 2017 playoff teams have been way too inconsistent so far.
The Saints opened with two home games, losing to Tampa Bay and getting lucky to beat Cleveland. The defense was awful in the opener, the offense struggled last week.
Still, they have Drew