| | | | Friday, November 6, 2020 | | Well, if you stated Aaron Rodgers, Davante Adams or Richie James on Thursday night, your Week 9 got off to a pretty excellent start. So, congratulations to everyone who started Rodgers and Adams! | | With coronavirus cases rising around the NFL and a bunch of key injuries, let's hope that otherwise pretty forgettable game wasn't a preview of things to come for the rest of Week 9, because it wasn't a pretty sight for Fantasy players. Thankfully, I think that matchup between the Packers and 49ers will end up being the outlier for this week — except for all of the injuries and coronavirus situations. | | Get ready for Week 9 with my preview for each game, focusing on the toughest lineup decisions, biggest storylines to watch, the latest injuries and some Vegas odds implications from Dave Richard. And, as always, if you want to send in a question — about your lineup, about trade offers, about life — hit me up at Chris.Towers@CBSInteractive.com with the subject line "#AskFFT" and you may find an answer in Sunday morning's newsletter. | | Make sure you leave no stone unturned in your quest to set the perfect lineup with all of our Week 9 help: Start 'Em & Sit 'Em: All Positions | Starts & Sits, Sleepers & Busts | Start 'Em & Sit 'Em: QB | Start 'Em & Sit 'Em: RB | Start 'Em & Sit 'Em: WR | Biggest Questions | Waiver Wire | RB Preview | WR Preview | QB Preview | TE Preview | Trade Values | Cut List | Winners and Losers | Believe It or Not | | | | TNF Recap: Packers 34, 49ers 17 | | | | How uninteresting can a game be when two receivers had over 150 yards? The Packers and 49ers tested the limits of the possible Thursday, thanks in large part to the absence (among others) of George Kittle, Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk and Jamaal Williams. But there were certainly things to talk about even as the Packers rolled the Niners easily. | Injuries: Nothing major to report, thankfully, though it's worth noting that Jordan Reed played just 13 snaps and earned two targets in his return from IR. Hopefully he can do more in Week 10 now that he has his feet under him. Aaron Jones, on the other hand, played a pretty significant role in his return, logging 20 touches.
The big takeaway: We can't trust the 49ers running backs right now. When Jeff Wilson went down in Week 7, it was JaMycal Hasty who took over to run the clock out. Hasty then led the team in carries with 12 in Week 8, while Jerick McKinnon had just three despite leading the team in snaps. It seemed pretty clear how this was going to work: Hasty would be the lead rusher while McKinnon would get the passing situations and a handful of carries at most. Instead, McKInnon ran the ball 12 times for 52 yards, modest totals that nonetheless led the team; Hasty had just four for 3. McKinnon had just 13 carries in the previous four games combined despite playing 82 snaps, so this was certainly unexpected. But you surely can't be confident he'll get the same usage next week, right?
Richie rich: Talk about making the most of your opportunity. Richie James racked up 184 yards on 13 targets and nine catches, with a touchdown to boot in this one. To say this came out of nowhere for the 240th pick in the 2018 draft would be an understatement; his previous career high in receiving yards came in Week 9 of his rookie season, when he caught two passes for 60 yards. This was probably just a product of circumstance, and Aiyuk and Kendrick Bourne will be back next week, potentially with Samuel along side them, but James at least made you sit up and take notice. Simply the best: Davante Adams is the best wide receiver in Fantasy. Heck, he might just be the best player in Fantasy right now. After his 12-10-173-1 line Thursday, he's now up to 675 yards on 53 catches with a league-high eight touchdowns in just six games. In his last 16 games including the playoffs, he has 128 catches, 1,592 yards and 15 touchdowns. I know you don't need me telling you Adams is great, but the extent of his greatness is still worth marveling at. He leads all non-QB in Fantasy points per game, and only six quarterbacks are ahead of him in six-point-per-pass-TD scoring.
Start your studs? Aaron Jones put that theory to the test, with inconclusive results. Jones was a game-time decision but ended up playing, and playing a lot more than most expected. Jones was reportedly going to be used in a limited role after missing two games with a calf injury, but he ended up with 20 touches despite sitting much of the fourth quarter. That certainly validated the, "I can't sit Aaron Jones if he's active," worldview, but it's not like he was great; 58 rush yards on 15 attempts, 21 yards on five catches, no touchdowns. Jones did enough that you won't regret starting him, but you didn't get much reward for your risk.
Possible waiver adds: Richie James (0%) — It's probably just a one-week flash in the pan, though with how many injuries the 49ers have had, maybe they give him more of a chance after seeing how good he was Thursday. That's about it from this one.
| | | | Week 9 Game Previews | | | | All lines from William Hill Sportsbook. For more game-by-game Fantasy advice, check out Dave Richard's Week 9 preview. "The line wants us to believe" analysis from Dave. | | On bye: Bengals, Browns, Rams, Eagles | | Giants at Washington, 1:00 p.m., Sunday | | Line: WAS -2.5; o/u 42.0 Implied totals: NYG 19.75, WAS 22.25 The line wants us to believe: The Giants' close game against the Bucs on Monday means nothing. For weeks, the Giants have been spread-covering darlings. Not this time -- they're not getting enough points. Washington played New York close in Week 6 and blew out the Cowboys the very next week. I suspect they'll be ready to rock coming off a bye while the Giants are on the road after playing on Monday. It's the exact same formula that did in the Rams last week. Toughest lineup decision: Wayne Gallman — Start if Devonta Freeman is out. I'm not saying he's a must-start player, of course. But after watching him get 28 touches over the last two games, I would start him over other desperation options like Jordan Howard, Jordan Wilkins or Le'Veon Bell. What we're watching for: Coming off the bye, I'd love to see Antonio Gibson start to take a firmer grasp on this job. He had his best game of the season as a runner before the bye, and he's been better than expected in that facet of the game overall. It's time for Washington to make him more of a focal point and maybe make those Christian McCaffrey comps a little more believable. Injuries: Devonta Freeman (ankle) — Upgraded to limited practice Thursday for the first time since his injury, so there's a chance he returns this week, but he still has work to do … Logan Thomas (ankle) — Upgraded to full practice Thursday, so he'll be out there. Thomas is one of my favorite streaming tight ends with the potential to emerge as a must-start guy down the stretch. | | Bears at Titans, 1:00 p.m., Sunday | | Line: TEN -6; o/u 46.5 Implied totals: CHI 20.25, TEN 26.25 The line wants us to believe: The Bears can keep it kind of close. The only time the Titans blew anybody out this year was in their COVID-postponed home game against the Bills. They're not built to run up the score on anyone, much less a resilient team like the Bears. The matchup isn't that bad for the Bears -- I suspect Chicago will keep it close with a little more success than normal for David Montgomery. Toughest lineup decision: Corey Davis — Start. There's a lot of skepticism about Davis' pretty impressive start to the season, and admittedly, I share it. But he's clearly benefiting from the defensive attention A.J. Brown is drawing, not to mention playing with an incredibly efficient quarterback. As a No. 3 WR, you can certainly do worse than Davis at this point. What we're watching for: There isn't much to sort out on either of these two rosters, but I'd like to see Darnell Mooney continue to be a focal point — he has 13 targets the last two weeks. The Bears love the fifth-round rookie, and he's garnering massive air yard shares, with an average depth of target of 15.7 yards down the field on 43 targets — including 6.2 per game over the past five. Injuries: Anthony Miller (toe) — Got in a limited practice Thursday after sitting out Wednesday, so there seems to be a pretty good chance of him playing. If not, Darnell Mooney would become a very interesting sleeper for the week … A.J. Brown (knee) — Did not practice Thursday, but that's been pretty standard of late and it hasn't kept him off the field yet. Assume the same for Brown, who is a high-end No. 2 WR with huge upside every week, even against tough matchups. | | Lions at Vikings, 1:00 p.m., Sunday | Line: MIN -4; o/u N/A Implied totals: N/A The line *wanted* us to believe: The Vikings are as good as they played in Week 8. Between Dalvin Cook zig-zagging through the Packers defense and mistakes by Green Bay's offense, the Vikings were gifted a win last week. Can they ride the momentum against a depleted Lions squad missing Matthew Stafford, Kenny Golladay and Jarrad Davis? Probably.
Toughest lineup decision: Marvin Jones — Sit. Obviously, the math changes a bit if Matthew Stafford is cleared to play following a close contact with a positive COVID-19 test, but even with Stafford active and Kenny Golladay out, I wouldn't feel great trusting Jones, who hasn't exactly seen a ton of targets when Golladay has missed so far. In three games, he has yet to top 55 yards or four catches, with his two touchdowns in Week 8 salvaging a three-catch, 39-yard performance. The Lions conservative game plan isn't conducive to big production from a downfield receiver like Jones.
What we're watching for: D'Andre Swift played 62% of the snaps in Week 8 because the Lions were trailing for much of the game, but he had just nine touches. That is, frankly, inexcusable. At what point do they just trust him to carry the offense? Let's hope Golladay's absence pushes them that way.
Injuries: Kenny Golladay (hip) — Has not practiced this week and isn't expected to play in Week 9; Week 10 is also very much in doubt. | | Panthers at Chiefs, 1:00 p.m., Sunday | | Line: KC -10.5; o/u 52.5 Implied totals: CAR 21.0, KC 31.5 The line wants us to believe: The Panthers are another cake walk for the Chiefs. I would expect the Panthers' zone defense to push Andy Reid to call more run plays. That eats clock and, theoretically, gives the Panthers a chance to stay competitive in the fourth quarter. It could mean Clyde Edwards-Helaire finally gets a chance to land more than 10 touches. It could also mean the Panthers lose by 7 or 8. Toughest lineup decision: Clyde Edwards-Helaire/Le'Veon Bell — Start. You're not terribly thrilled about starting either, but I still think there's enough room in this offense for both to be solid Fantasy options. Bell played just 33% and 26% of the snaps over the last two weeks, but it's worth putting both numbers into context: The Chiefs won both games by 25-plus and Bell has yet to play a fourth quarter snap as a result. In the first three quarters, he's at a 42% snap share, with Edwards-Helaire at 53%; other backs have combined for 53% of the snaps in the fourth quarters. In less lopsided efforts, expect more like a 60-40 split, and that should be enough to make both solid starters. What we're watching for: First off, we want to see how Christian McCaffrey is used in his first game back. My expectation is it's all systems go after they opted to hold him out an extra week. Maybe it's not 90% of the snaps, but it should be enough for him to be one of the best backs in Fantasy immediately. Hopefully you survived his absence well enough. And, of course, I want to see what the Chiefs backfield split looks like in what will hopefully be a more competitive game. Injuries: Sammy Watkins (hamstring) — Limited both Wednesday and Thursday. If you asked me to predict it, I'd say it's more likely Watkins rests another week. | | Texans at Jaguars, 1:00 p.m., Sunday | | Line: HOU -6.5; o/u 50.5 Implied totals: JAC 22, HOU 28.5 The line wants us to believe: Jacksonville finally won't get blown out. I think the oddsmakers are begging us to take Houston. The Jaguars have lost by eight or more in five straight, including at Houston in Week 5. Now they're changing quarterbacks. Why wouldn't they be bigger underdogs? One possible answer: Because the Texans' defense is just as bad as their own. The drop-off from Gardner Minshew to Jake Luton isn't dramatic. The better side to be on is Jacksonville's. Toughest lineup decision: Anyone on the Jaguars — Start James Robinson and that's it. Could Jake Luton step onto an NFL field for the first time and produce? It's possible, sure, but you should bet against the sixth-rounder being an upgrade on Gardner MInshew, and it's not like anyone but Robinson has demanded a spot in your starting lineup otherwise. If Luton can get D.J. Chark or Laviska Shenault going, great; I'll wait until I see it first. What we're watching for: There's a rookie making his NFL debut, so that's the primary focus. Luton doesn't share Minshew's proclivity (or ability) to scramble, but he's got a bigger arm, and the Jaguars are reportedly looking to take more shots down the field than they have with Minshew. Like I said, I'll wait to see whether he can at least be competent before trusting anyone, and this is his first chance to show something. Injuries: Gardner Minshew (thumb) — Out at least one week, possibly more … Jordan Akins (ankle/concussion) — Practicing in full, expected to make his first appearance since Week 4. Akins was playing a much bigger role than Darren Fells before the injury, and the duo has combined for five touchdowns in seven games. | | Ravens at Colts, 1:00 p.m., Sunday | | Line: BAL -2.5; o/u 47 Implied totals: IND 22.25, BAL 24.75 The line wants us to believe: Even at 5-2, the Colts aren't in the Ravens' class. Make no mistake, this will be the absolute toughest challenge for the Colts' vaunted run defense so far this season. I'm thinking the Ravens will have success with the ground game. But if the four Ravens starting defenders aren't cleared from COVID-19 protocols in time for the game, the Colts will have a shot to win. They're already helped by cornerback Marlon Humphrey not making the game. Toughest lineup decision: Jonathan Taylor — Sit. Taylor isn't a must-sit, and it's entirely possible we look at Week 8 as just a bump in the road on his path to stardom. But it's a pretty serious red flag for a player who just hasn't been as impressive as expected. I expect him to still be the lead back here, but that may not mean much against this defense, especially if Wilkins is set to play a larger role. What we're watching for: How the Ravens split work between J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards will once again be interesting, though I'm comfortable starting either as long as Mark Ingram is out, so I want to see Lamar Jackson and Marquise Brown start to get on the same page. Brown complained about his usage in a since-deleted tweet after last week's game, and I'd like to see the Ravens try to get him going with some easier targets and guaranteed touches. Still take the big shots, because that's where Brown's upside is highest, but varying his usage can only help. Injuries: Mark Ingram (ankle) — It's more of a high-ankle sprain, so this week seems like a long shot and next week is no guarantee either … T.Y. Hilton (groin) — Hilton hasn't ruled himself out, but with two missed practices to start the week, it seems pretty likely … Jonathan Taylor (ankle)/Jordan Wilkins (groin) — Both practiced in full Thursday and should be fully healthy, so now it's a question of how they split work. | | Seahawks at Bills, 1:00 p.m., Sunday | | Line: SEA -3.0; o/u 55.0 Implied totals: BUF 26.0, SEA 29.0 The line wants us to believe: Josh Allen will keep his team in it. I've been saying it for over a month: The Bills don't get respect from the oddsmakers. Except they're starting to earn that lack of respect -- they were, theoretically, a Cam Newton fumble away from their third loss in four weeks. Over the past four games Allen's completion rate has dropped 8.2% and his yards per attempt has dropped 2.4 yards. Everyone knows how explosive the Seahawks offense is, but Jamal Adams' return to the secondary is a big deal. Maybe this isn't such an easy matchup for the Bills offense ... but it will be a nightmare for the Bills defense. Toughest lineup decision: DeeJay Dallas — Start. Obviously, this will depend on Chris Carson's availability, but there are also some concerns about whether Travis Homer will cut into Dallas' work after he played just seven snaps in Week 8. One thing to note about Homer is, while he has occasionally played a healthy number of snaps (43% in Week 5, at least 20% three other times), he has just four targets and 19 carries in seven games. Dallas got Carson's role last week, and while I wouldn't expect another 79% snap share, 15-20 touches seems reasonable. What we're watching for: The Bills backfield split started to tilt toward Zack Moss in Week 8, and he's pretty clearly more trusted than Devin Singletary close to the end zone. Will that remain the case moving forward? The thing that's tough about this situation is I'm not sure either has a ton of upside as long as the split is relatively even, given that Josh Allen is the Bills real goal-line back. Injuries: John Brown (knee) — There was a bit of concern after Brown sat out Wednesday's practice, but he was a full participant Thursday, so it seems that was just a maintenance day. This is a great matchup for the Bills passing game, so it'd be nice to see Brown more involved than he was in Week 8 (two targets) … Chris Carson (foot) — Carson is going to test out his foot for the first time at practice Friday, but I'd anticipate he will still be a game-time decision. If he does play, start him … Carlos Hyde (hamstring) — Pete Carroll told reporters earlier in the week it doesn't look like Hyde will play, and he's missed two days of work so far, so that sounds right. | | Broncos at Falcons, 1:00 p.m., Sunday | | Line: ATL -3.5; o/u 50.0 Implied totals: DEN 23.25, ATL 26.75 The line wants us to believe: The Falcons are good enough to be favored by more than a field goal. Denver's won three of its past four, only losing to the Chiefs. The Broncos are good. And while the Falcons run defense has improved dramatically since Dan Quinn's firing, their pass defense hasn't. Not having Calvin Ridley is a big deal for the Atlanta offense. Expect a close game ... or maybe a game where the Falcons are up big and then blow it late. Toughest lineup decision: Melvin Gordon/Phillip Lindsay — Start and sit. Lindsay returned to a limited practice Thursday with his foot injury, and while I expect him to play, I would expect Gordon will still be the lead back. Especially against one of the worst defenses in the league. The Falcons have actually been OK against the run, but they still allow the fifth-most receptions to running backs, and that's Gordon's role in this offense. What we're watching for: Drew Lock hasn't been great this season, but I'll give him this: He's fearless. He's bumped his average intended air yards up from 6.8 yards per attempt as a rookie to 9.5 so far this season, and that's raised the ceiling of this entire passing game. Against the Falcons, that could prove especially fruitful, and I'm looking to start Gordon, Jerry Jeudy, Tim Patrick (if he plays), and Noah Fant in this one. Of course, if he struggles against this matchup, it'll be hard to trust this passing game again. Injuries: Calvin Ridley (foot) — Ridley has yet to practice this week, and seems like a long shot to play, however a return to work Friday would leave the door open … Phillip Lindsay (foot) — Limited Thursday, expected to play … Tim Patrick (hamstring) — The injury kept Patrick out last week, but he's been able to practice on a limited basis. He's the Broncos likely No. 1 receiver if healthy, but Friday should be key. | | Raiders at Chargers, 4:05 p.m., Sunday | | Line: PICK; o/u 52.0 Implied totals: LV 26.0, LAC 26.0 The line wants us to believe: The 2-5 Chargers are just as good as the 4-3 Raiders. Clearly, the line is designed to get you to bet on the Raiders. But why? They won in ugly conditions last week at Cleveland and have some quality wins. Meanwhile, the Chargers keep finding ugly ways to lose. Maybe I'm walking face-first into a massive trap but I'm not ready to trust the Chargers. Toughest lineup decision: Justin Jackson — Start. The Chargers pulled the rug out from under us the last time we trusted Jackson, but he has 20 touches in two of three games without Austin Ekeler, so it feels like you have to trust him. Especially with the 16 targets in those three games. What we're watching for: That Chargers backfield split, for sure, but I'll also be watching Justin Herbert closely for any signs of regression moving forward. He's having one of the best rookie seasons of all time — he ranks third behind Dan Marino and Russell Wilson in TD% for a rookie and fourth in yards per attempt (min. 225 attempts — and it's awfully hard to keep a pace like that up. You generally won't go broke betting against outliers, so smart money is on Herbert regressing at some point. I'm not saying it'll come in Week 9, but there are going to be some rougher stretches coming up. Injuries: Troymaine Pope (concussion) — Has not practiced this week, so it looks like he may not play. Pope was a surprise contributor in Week 8, but his absence could mean more work for Joshua Kelley … Bryan Edwards (foot/ankle) — Edwards was a full participant in practice Thursday for the first time since Week 3. He was starting before the injury but hadn't made a big impact yet. There's upside here for sure, but he's just a deep-league stash for now. | | Steelers at Cowboys, 4:25 p.m., Sunday | Line: PIT -14.0; o/u 41.5 Implied totals: PIT 13.75, DAL 27.75 The line wants us to believe: The Cowboys will score two touchdowns. That's basically their implied point total. Maybe they can -- whoever they start at quarterback is an upgrade over Ben DiNucci, but the offensive line is still a massive liability and the defense makes mistakes constantly. James Conner should rack up a monster game. Toughest lineup decision: The Cowboys — Start Ezekiel Elliott. And that's it. And even he isn't someone you feel super confident in. The Cowboys are going to start either their third, fourth or fifth-string QB, and this offense has been Jets-level bad without Dak Prescott. Elliott gets the touches to be Fantasy viable, but the Steelers will make life tough on him. And good luck to whichever QB has to face this pass rush with that line. What we're watching for: Any sign of life from the Cowboys offense would be nice. Also, some clarity on the Steelers receivers would be great. It seems like JuJu Smith-Schuster is second on the team in targets every week, but it's either Chase Claypool or Diontae Johnson leading the way. It's a frustrating situation that makes relying on any of them difficult, especially with Ben Roethlisberger playing a much more conservative style of quarterback these days. All three are in play for Fantasy, but a more definitive hierarchy moving forward would be nice.
Injuries: Ezekiel Elliott (hamstring) — It doesn't seem like anything to be concerned about, but given how ugly everything else in Dallas' offense is, we sure don't want to see Elliott at less than 100%. | | Dolphins at Cardinals, 4:25 p.m., Sunday | | Line: ARI -4.5; o/u 48.0 Implied totals: MIA 21.75, ARI 26.25 The line wants us to believe: The Dolphins defense will keep the game competitive. If the oddsmakers wanted to really goad the public into taking the Dolphins, they would have made the line much larger. That tells me this is more of an honest line. The Dolphins have won four of their past five, they are no pushover. Three of Arizona's wins are by more than five points, but two came at the expense of the lowly Jets and Cowboys. I think Arizona is the right side to be on, if only because Tua Tagovailoa didn't have many "wow" moments in his debut. Toughest lineup decision: Devante Parker — Start. Maybe this is where my trust in Parker starts to creep into the irrational territory, but I still really believe in him — at least as a No. 3 WR. When he's healthy, there hasn't been a matchup that could slow him down over the past year or so, and I don't think we learned much at all about Tagovailoa or how the Dolphins offense will operate in Week 8, so I'm sticking with my priors. That includes Parker as the top option in the passing game. What we're watching for: Obviously, it's all about Miami's offense. Tagovailoa's first start saw the Dolphins score a punt return touchdown and a fumble return touchdown, and they only ran 48 plays in Week 8. We'll get a better sense of what they want to do and what they can do with Tagovailoa this week, though the absence of Myles Gaskin and Matt Breida changes that somewhat. Injuries: Myles Gaskin (knee) — Was placed on IR Thursday, so he's out for at least three games, as expected … Matt Breida (hamstring) — Did not practice yet again Thursday and seems like a long shot to be able to play. That likely means we're heading for a Jordan Howard/Patrick Laird split. I think I might prefer Laird in a game where the Dolphins should be chasing points … Kenyan Drake (ankle) — Drake may be able to return sooner than expected, but it almost certainly won't be in Week 9. Chase Edmonds is at least a one-week superstar. | | Saints at Buccaneers, 8:20 p.m., Sunday | | Line: TB -4.5; o/u 51.5 Implied totals: NO 23.5, TB 28.0 The line wants us to believe: Even with the Saints receivers healthy, the Buccaneers are the class of the NFC South. It's a challenging spot for the Saints -- they're outdoors on natural grass for the second straight week against a tough defense. Moreover, their pass defense just got beat up by Nick Foles, Allen Robinson and Darnell Mooney -- now they're getting Tom Brady, Mike Evans and Antonio Brown. So why isn't the line higher?! Seems suspicious. I hate feeling suckered, but I can't resist the situation. Give me the Bucs. Toughest lineup decision: Antonio Brown — Sit. Ask 1,000 Fantasy analysts and you'll probably get 998 different answers on this one, but you're stuck with pessimistic old me. Could Brown still be a difference maker? Sure! But we've already seen this offense limit the upside of Chris Godwin and Mike Evans, with Tom Brady throwing the ball less often for fewer yards and with the targets spread out more. Brown has all that working against him in addition to the fact that he's a 32-year-old who has played one game in the past season and a half. Let him prove he can still be a starting-caliber player, especially if Godwin does return. What we're watching for: Brown and Godwin aren't the only big names returning for this one: The Saints are hoping to have Michael Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders back together for the first time since Week 1. There's no shortage of huge names in this one, and figuring out how touches will be distributed for both teams will be key. For what it's worth, if Thomas plays, there's no way I'm sitting him. Injuries: Michael Thomas (hamstring) — Limited at practice Wednesday and Thursday, just like last week. Hopefully, Thomas can get a full session in Friday, but we'll hopefully know his status well before game time either way. Given that this is a Sunday night game, emphasis on the "hope" part … Alvin Kamara (foot) — This one gave us a bit of a scare Wednesday when Kamara was limited, but he practiced in full Thursday and should be good to go … Chris Godwin (finger) —Practiced Friday, and Bruce Arians said he expects Godwin will play. | | Patriots at Jets, 8:15 p.m., Monday | | Line: NE -7.5; o/u 42.5 Implied totals: NYJ 17.5, NE 25.0 The line wants us to believe: The Jets won't go down without a fight. Seriously, what stopped the oddsmakers from making the Patriots a 10-point favorite?! I know they're not the same ol' Patriots, but these definitely are the pitiful Jets. It's that thought that makes me nervous about trusting New England to win by eight or more ... but I can't trust the Jets. Pats it is. Toughest lineup decision: Cam Newton — Start. It's been a rough stretch for Newton, who has no passing touchdowns with five interceptions in three games since returning from his COVID-19 diagnosis. He's still running plenty, though, and he's still facing the Jets this week, so I'm willing to trust him if need be. What we're watching for: I mean … do we have to watch this one? I want to see the Jets prioritize LaMical Perine over Frank Gore, and I'd like to see if Jakobi Meyers can continue to step up as the Patriots leading receiver, but I'm not, like, excited to see either. There isn't much to be excited about with either of these teams right now. Injuries: Jamison Crowder (groin) — Did not practice Thursday, but hopes to get out there in some capacity Friday. Still seems like a long shot to play, which means there's nobody on this offense who is a must-start. | | | | | | | | SEC on CBS | | NFL on CBS | College Football Playoff hopes are on the line, as No. 8 Florida and No. 5 Georgia square off in a game that carries local, regional and national ramifications. Watch live on CBS and the CBS Sports App on Saturday at 3:30 PM ET!
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