Revenge a dish best served with 3-TD blowout
FIVE BIG QUESTIONS
1. How will Sam Bradford do in
Philly? Minnesota’s QB was slated to start for the Eagles until the shocking trade at the end of training camp. You know he wants to win this one — badly. 2. Can Landry Jones ably fill in for Big Ben again? He’d better if the host Steelers hope to stay in it for long against Tom Brady and the Patriots. If Jones has to pass more than 25 times, bad news. 3. How will Geno Smith fare in his first start since 2014? With Ryan Fitzpatrick benched, the 2013 second-round draft pick has perhaps his best last chance to start as a pro. 4. Can the Cardinals get their act together against a good team? Huge game for Arizona. Beating Tampa Bay, San Fran and the Jets did nothing for team confidence. Knocking off Seattle would. 5. Can the Giants focus amid all the distractions? The Josh Brown scandal and fiasco. The trip across the Atlantic. Late-week promotional obligations. And, oh yeah, a tough Rams team.
THE BIG NUMBER
46
Number of consecutive games in which Atlanta QB Matt Ryan will have passed for at least 200 yards, if he can do it Sunday against visiting San Diego. That’d break the NFL record of Dan Fouts, a former Charger.
THE FUNKIEST FACTOID
Seattle’s CenturyLink Field is generally regarded as the loudest stadium in the NFL for visiting teams. But the Arizona Cardinals claim their University of Phoenix Stadium, since it opened in 2006, has the highest total of opponent false-start penalties (140) in the league. Seattle and Minnesota are tied for second with 126.
QUOTES OF THE WEEK
“It’s family television at its best.”
— Clyde Christensen, Dolphins offensive co-ordinator, on the fact that tape of last week’s defeat of Pittsburgh shows a couple of Steelers linebackers puking on the field.
“It’s not the first time going back to places where I’ve been. So yeah, I think I’ll be OK.”
— Jack Del Rio, Raiders head coach, on returning to Jacksonville, where he was fired in 2011.
“They beat the s--t out of us.”
— Bruce Arians, Cardinals head coach, on the common thread in Seattle’s three-game win streak at Arizona.