We are already in week three in the NFL. Now we’ve got meat on the bones and have supplemented our theories before the season starts with two real games.
Still, there were many injuries. It deeply affects me, and I try to figure out how it will affect the season more or less while checking what others think.
Some teams have won two matches straight; it might seem like lot, and some people instantly start thinking that these teams are ready for the playoffs.
Other teams have lost after just two matches, generally with a miserable performance, and some may have already given up on the season. Some other teams really seem to have given up already. The NFL is an extremely physical sport where players no longer believe in their coach, or their teammates, and they end up giving up in order to protect their health.
After all this, it is easy to get lost in the illusion, and we end up betting on the opposing team.
New Orleans Saints
The Saints from Louisiana have one of the best offenses, one of the strongest advantages altogether with the Seahawks, and they’ve actually had a top-five defense, according to statistics from last year.
With some strong new plays in defense, many (including me) have thought that the Saints were one of the league’s best team.
Now the Saints have lost two out of two games and the halo has fallen off. But dig a bit deeper, these two losses have come at the very last second. The Saints could have just easily won both games instead.
Both matches were played away from their homeland and on real grass. On Sunday, they played on artificial grass at the Superdome, where the opposing team couldn’t communicate during the attack because of the noisy crowd.
The Saints need to win on Sunday and I expect a fireworks explosion this time.
Minnesota Vikings
There were many who believed in the Vikings before the season. They have a great team and many predicted that they would even reach the playoffs.
It all started well in week 1 with a convincing win away from home against the Rams with 34-6. But then they came down like a tree struck by lightning.
The Viking’s big star is Adrian Peterson. He is arguably the league’s best running back and also one of NFL’s biggest stars.
Or rather was.
He was struck not by a lightning but instead by a prosecutor. Adrian may be prosecuted for allegedly having assaulted his four-year old son.
Sometimes a picture says a thousand words. The picture of his four-year old son’s injury says it all.
Adrian Petersen was obviously suspended from his club. But then he got the chance to come back, and his team mates even stood with him. Two days later they shut him off again until further notice. The club doesn’t seem to feel good.
As a player, I saw a chance and played for the opposing team, the Patriots, who won easily against the Vikings 30-7 at home.
The Vikings didn’t play as a team and had absolutely no chance of winning this one.
I do not see how the Vikings would feel better this week. Unlike other teams, they don’t have a good reserve for Petersen. They have not given up yet, but deep inside they know the season is over for them.
In other matches they will certainly struggle more if they play against teams they have a chance against.
However, at the moment they have zero chance against the Saints this week, and I think the points will drain away towards one side.
I believe it’ll be a hard game for the New Orleans Saints with minus 9.5 points and the odds at 1.94.
If they manage to win the match, then the odds will be at 1.20; but I do not play for such low odds, and neither should anyone.
However, I think the odds will drop sharply after the kick off.