Here's a look at the top storylines and big matchups from around the nation as we near kickoff on another Sunday of NFL football.
Here's a look at the top storylines and big matchups from around the nation as we near kickoff on another Sunday of NFL football:
The Big Buzz: A distraction from the devastation
The Giants will host the Steelers in storm-battered New Jersey as scheduled on Sunday, despite lingering widespread power outages, transportation issues and gas shortages in the wake of Hurricane Sandy.
With most area hotels either still without electricity or packed with residents displaced by Sandy, the Steelers will be forced to fly to New York on Sunday morning -- just hours before their game against the Giants.
New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning recorded a public service announcement for the American Red Cross this week to help raise funds for the Hurricane Sandy relief effort. (AP Photo/Sharon Ellman)Despite the difficulties, Giants quarterback Eli Manning hopes that the game will provide a distraction for New York and New Jersey residents suffering in the aftermath of the storm: (via NJ.com)
“We’re in a situation where we’ve got to do our jobs and play a good game on Sunday. That might be a time when people can take a break from cleaning up their house, whether they can come to the game or find a TV, and for a few hours they can have a little break.
“Hopefully, we can give them a little joy, and then after the game, they can go back to building their lives back.”
Giants linebacker Mathias Kiwanuka echoed those sentiments: (via NJ.com)
“We can give them a couple of hours where, if they can get to a TV, they can get back a part of their life that is a little more familiar,” Kiwanuka said. “What they really need is food and water, but what we can offer on Sunday is a smile, is a reason to cheer, is a reason to be excited and celebrate, and that I also think is important.”
Much of lower Manhattan remained dark on Thursday. Power outages still plague much of the New York area. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)The New York Marathon, which was also scheduled to take place on Sunday, has been canceled amid public outcry that it would divert valuable city resources from the recovery efforts in New York City. The Giants game, however, received the green light from New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, who insisted that the game would not detract from the state's recovery efforts in any way.
Mike Freeman of CBSSports.com disagrees with that decision, blasting Christie and the NFL for what he calls a "huge mistake":
Imagine a stadium lit up with electricity just a few miles from millions of people still huddling in the dark. Isn't that just as arrogant as the marathon organizers? Tens of thousands using gas that remains a precious resource?
Chris Christie, the heroic governor of New Jersey, reassured NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell that no resources would be used for the game that would be used for ordinary citizens. That's just nonsense. That's impossible.
But Peter Schrager of Fox Sports, who is a New York-area resident like Freeman, says that the Giants-Steelers showdown will provide a much-needed lift to a populace reeling from yet another tragic event:
When that ball is kicked off Sunday at 4:25, it’ll be something else for all of us to think about. Even if it's just for a few fleeting moments, it'll be a welcome distraction.
For three hours, it’ll be OK to take our minds off the electricity, the traffic, the subways and the dozens of still-unanswered questions.
Headlines
• Saints running back Darren Sproles will miss Monday night's game against the Eagles and be sidelined indefinitely after having surgery to repair a broken hand. (via NOLA.com)
• The Patriots acquired troubled cornerback Aqib Talib from the Buccaneers in a trade deadline deal on Thursday. (via MassLive.com)
• Browns receiver Mohamed Massaquoi is set to return to the lineup Sunday against the Ravens after missing five games with a pulled hamstring. (via Cleveland.com)
• The Detroit Lions picked up wide receiver Mike Thomas in a trade with the Jacksonville Jaguars. (via MLive.com)
• Cowboys running back DeMarco Murray will miss a third consecutive game this Sunday, sitting out the Cowboys' contest against the Falcons as he continues to recover from a sprained foot. (via Yahoo! Sports)
• Falcons tight end Tony Gonzalez say that he's 95 percent sure he'll retire after this season. (via AJC.com)
• The Lions officially announced that running back Jahvid Best will remain on the PUP list and will not play this season. (via MLive.com)
Who they're picking
• ProFootballTalk's Mike Florio and Michael David Smith agree on all of this week's games except for the Monday night matchup, with Florio predicting a 27-24 Saints victory and Smith calling for a 31-21 win by the Eagles.
• SI.com senior writer Peter King picks the Giants to boost spirits in the New York area with a victory over the Steelers on Sunday. He also likes the Falcons to fend off the Cowboys and the Eagles to scratch out a win over the Saints on Monday night.
• The NFL.com panel of pundits endorses the Redskins over the Panthers, the Texans over the Bills, the Ravens over the Browns, and the Eagles over the Saints.
• Upset picks over at ESPN.com include Adam Schefter backing the Bengals over the Broncos, Tom Jackson taking the Titans over the Bears, Mike Ditka going with the Vikings over the Seahawks, and Ditka and Chris Mortensen predicting a Browns win over the Ravens.
• The majority of panelists at CBSSports.com expect the Buccaneers to get the better of the Raiders, the Ravens to top the Browns and the Dolphins to beat the Colts. Pete Prisco takes a chance on the Bengals to upset the Broncos, and Will Brinson rolls the dice on the Jaguars to beat the Lions.
What they're saying
• ESPN.com's Adam Schefter writes that the prospect of a Manning vs. Manning Super Bowl showdown between Peyton's Broncos and Eli's Giants - played in the brothers' home town of New Orleans, no less - is looking more and more likely:
The Broncos and Giants are set up to win their divisions, play at least one home playoff game and be that close to making a Manning Super Bowl happen. New Orleans, punished by the NFL in the offseason, could get its grand consolation prize in the postseason. This could be the most high-profile meeting of brothers in sports history.
Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh during the fourth quarter of an NFL football game against the Houston Texans on Sunday, Oct. 21, 2012, in Houston. (AP Photo/Patric Schneider)• Baltimore head coach John Harbaugh took aim at the NFL's injury report rules this week, particularly the emphasis on reporting injuries to "key players," after the Ravens were fined $20,000 for not listing safety Ed Reed on their injury report: (via NFL.com)
"If that's how they want to word it, I'm not going to go with the league saying that one player is more significant than another player," Harbaugh said. "That's absurd to me. They can get mad at me if they want for saying that, but they need to write that a little more clearly. We'll just put every guy on there that has a hangnail and go from there."
• Eagles defensive end Jason Babin defended a series of tweets he posted Tuesday in which he questioned the loyalty of the team's fans, telling reporters he was responding to "vile" chants he heard coming from the stands after last week's loss to the Falcons: (via Philly.com)
“Some of the most vile things I’ve ever heard,” Babin called the chants. “Talking about people’s wives and kids and chanting them. I just thought there’s no place for that in the NFL.”
• Packers tight end Jermichael Finley, who has struggled to connect with quarterback Aaron Rodgers this season, is trying to rediscover the form that made him one of the game's elite tight ends in seasons past: (via USAToday.com)
"It's like, 'What happened? Where did it go?'" Finley said. "I'm the same person. I just don't know where it went man."
Defensive coordinator Rob Ryan and the Cowboys expect to deal Atlanta its first loss of the season on Sunday. (AP Photo/Brandon Wade)• The Falcons may be undefeated, but that didn't deter Dallas defensive coordinator Rob Ryan from guaranteeing a Cowboys victory in Atlanta this Sunday: (via ESPN.com)
"We got to win this week," Ryan said after Friday's practice at Valley Ranch. "We know it and we're going to."
• It seems like every week this season, the Giants have been involved in a war of words with their opponent. This week, Giants defensive lineman Justin Tuck accused the Steelers' offensive line of not playing by the rules: (via NJ.com)
“I hope we get some holding calls, because they have gotten away with murder,” Tuck told ESPN.com on Thursday. “They’ve done a very good job protecting Ben (Roethlisberger) — they don’t hold on every play. But we’ve seen a whole lot of it.”
• SI.com's Don Banks writes that Eagles head coach Andy Reid has finally worn out his welcome after 14 seasons in Philadelphia:
Eventually, every coach this side of Vince Lombardi and Bill Walsh seems to wear out his welcome, grow stale in the job, or realize his message no longer resonates with the people he's paid to motivate. Stay long enough and some of the magic inevitably disappears.