By Travers Cummings
Packers over Giants (Sunday noon): I’ve said numerous times that as a young running quarterback, you cannot take too many hits, or else it’s going to shorten your career really quickly. Well, it finally caught up to Jaxon Dart, as he had to leave the game against the Bears with a concussion. Hopefully, this is the rude awakening he needs to settle himself down and start running out of bounds and sliding to avoid contact. Not only did they lose Dart and the game after blowing a 10-point lead in the 4th quarter, but Head Coach Brian Daboll was also relieved of his duties and will be replaced on an interim basis by offensive coordinator Mike Kafka. It doesn’t sound like Dart will be ready to play this week, so 11-year vet Jameis Winston will get the call. The Packers dropped their second game in a row after another pitiful offensive output against the Eagles last Monday night. Green Bay has scored a total of 20 points over those two losses, and that is just not acceptable for a team with Super Bowl aspirations. The Giants also give up a lot of points, so this is the type of game the Packers need to figure things out.
49ers over Cardinals (Sunday afternoon): Both of these teams took pretty good beatings at the hands of the Seahawks and Rams last week, so both will look to rebound from those outings. The good news for my 49ers is that they managed to make it through a game without suffering any major injuries, so they’re already winning in that department. This team lives and dies with Christian McCaffrey, so if he doesn’t have a good game, they have no chance of winning—hence the loss last week after he only had 30 yards rushing. But a trip to Arizona to take on a crummy Cardinals team is exactly what they need to get back in the win column. The Niners currently sit 8th in the NFC, which is one spot out of a playoff position, so every win is going to matter from this point on. Arizona, on the other hand, isn’t in the playoff hunt, so they’re just out to derail San Fran’s chances of making it in. There’s a slight chance Brock Purdy will be back for this one, but I’m not getting my hopes up.
Rams over Seahawks (Sunday afternoon): In a battle of two heavyweights in the NFC, the Rams and Seahawks will face off with number-one seed implications on the line. Sam Darnold and the Hawks made short work of the Cardinals last week, jumping out to a 35-0 lead before even reaching halftime. I don’t believe he even threw more than two or three passes in the entire second half, as they were pretty much on cruise control by then. Obviously, things will be a lot tougher against the Rams since divisional games are always tough, no matter the teams or their records (see Dolphins and Bills from last week), but these also might be the top two teams in the NFL, period—so that alone will make this a must-see game. Matt Stafford, at the ripe old age of 37, continues his MVP season as he dismantled whatever was left of the 49ers’ defence last week, throwing for 280 yards and four touchdowns. I’ll give the edge to the Rams only because it’s a home game for them, although opposing fans seem to travel well when it comes to SoFi Stadium.
Last week: 3-0
Season overall: 18-12