Week 12 is a magical time in the NFL simply because football takes center stage during one of nation's most beloved holidays. We gather around the turkey with family and friends to be thankful for so much in our lives, and along the way, enjoy as much football as is humanly possible.

But while Thursday is magical since it's one NFL game after another, there are plenty of important games going down on Sunday as well. Divisional standings are on the line, playoff berths are up for the taking and more importantly, an undefeated is facing its greatest challenge yet and here are the games that we expect to be the most fascinating ones to watch come tomorrow.

Scotty's TakeI started off the season high on the Falcons this year, I mean they won five games in a row, but something seems to have changed over the past couple of weeks and they are looking to regain their identity.  Matty Ice has been a consistent leader in the past and can do most things to pull his team out of the tank and with Julio Jones and Roddy White, who should be the best one two punch in the game, Ryan should have no problems in moving the ball. But taking a big hit last week with Devonta Freeman getting a concussion, the running game may not be as dominate as it has been all season long.  On the opposite side of the ball, the Vikings are just looking better and better every week.  After getting his bell rung by the Rams, Teddy Bridgewater looks like the player that everyone thought he could be.  Not taking anything away from Teddy, the Vikings also have a special player that has turned back the clock to his old days and Adrian Peterson looks like he is the man of the hour and will be able to put the team on his back for victory.  Both of these teams have had great running games this season and the team that is able to stop the run will surely get the victory.

Scotty's TakeI actually had the Chiefs coming out on the top of the AFC West before the season started and they have been letting me down.  But something has snapped and the offense is starting to click on a higher level and has lead the team to four commanding wins in a row.  Thinking that Jamaal Charles was the only one who could carry this team this season seems foolish now and Alex Smith is showing what kind of a leader he can be.  And not taking anything away from the defense, Justin Houston has accounted for 7.5 sacks this season, quietly and the secondary is nothing to take lightly.  Sexy Rexy has to be fuming after his loss to the Patriots and I would be as well.  Being able to hold the best offense in the league to a low scoring affair and having the officials blow a last second call, well, it is time to get the job done in regulation time.  It is time to turn LeSean McCoy loose and have him run the defense all over the field so Tyrod Taylor can get the ball down the field and make anyone that faces them fear their coming into town.  The defense is slowly starting to get back to where they were to start the season and after not losing focus on their play last week, they have proven that they can rattle any game plan that is put in front of them.  I am somewhat afraid for what ever quarterback steps in front of them now, since there is little difference from a two to a three step drop back that these guys have not seen in the past two weeks.

John's Take
I don't know what it is about these "bucket" games, but they continue to impress me on paper and on the field and this week is no exception, specifically due to the fact I have no idea where this game will go. On one hand it could be a defensive struggle if the Saints fixed their defensive issues during the bye week. If they didn't, this could be a good old fashioned shootout, making Brian Hoyer look like a hero and well, I think we've come to expect incredible air attacks from Drew Brees. But really what has me fascinated most about this game, is Houston. This is a squad, myself included, that everyone left for dead ages ago and yet here they are now, the first team to beat the Undefeated Bengals, and jockeying for a shot at first place in the AFC South. This really should be a fun game. 

John's Take
Normally, it's the quarterbacks that catch my eye when it comes to games that I'm excited to see on Sunday. But for one game, only one quarterback has my interest piqued, Mister Brock Osweiler. He played a solid game against Chicago, keeping the ball safe the whole way and making some damn impressive throws. He goes up against a Patriots defense that knows how to figure quarterbacks out, so it will be interesting to see how Brock responds to one of the biggest tests in his career, in only his second start. The other element of this game that has my attention, is the Denver Defense. They have played phenomenal football all season long and saved the game on several occasions and well, this is the strongest D that Brady has faced all year and you know Denver will be hyper aggressive against #12 and will bring the pressure all night long. This is a game that could actually go either way, but I honestly think the Broncos and their defense could be the first squad to shut down the Patriots winning streak.

There are just a few weeks left in the NFL Regular Season and the Playoffs are looming large. In fact two teams will be able to clinch a berth this weekend with a win, giving the remainder of this season a sense of urgency as teams buckle in and prepare to give it their all for a shot at glory, while unfortunately some teams...begin to prepare for a better season next year. Either way, get ready for some incredible stories to emerge from the field this weekend and here are the ones we are keeping an eye on. 

Do the Undefeated teams stay perfect, or lose this weekend?
Let's be honest, when it comes to the New England Patriots and the Carolina Panthers, we are constantly keeping an eye on the score of every single game they play. We're dying to know if the opposing team is finally serving either team their first loss of the year and this weekend will be no different and both teams have a chance of leaving their respective games with a tarnished record. The Panthers are playing a weaker defense in the Cowboys, but a healthy and ready to go Tony Romo could cause an upset and the Denver Broncos are a different team with Brock Osweiler at the helm and could shock Tom Brady on Sunday Night Football. Or...they could handily beat both teams and enjoy another flawless week atop their respective conferences, time will tell.

The Johnny Manziel era ends in Cleveland before it began, and it will have repercussions. 
Heading into the bye week, Johnny Football was about to take the center stage and finally be given his big chance to show the Cleveland Browns what he can do and what he is all about. Unfortunately for Johnny, he decided to demonstrate those things...off the field. His partying ways got Johnny into trouble once again and he is now the #3 quarterback on the depth chart and this move means we should expect plenty of changes from the Browns, none of them good. It no doubt signals the beginning of the end for Head Coach Mike Pettine since let's be honest, he can't control his players and that in turn will lead to yet another roster purge, one that may include Manziel. But...on the other hand, Cleveland's executive brass is pretty clueless when it comes to handling players who simply don't care (see Josh Gordon) so really the penalty here is that the fans in Cleveland continue to suffer by way of sub par management, coaching and ugly play on the field. 

Brock Osweiler gets at least two more games to show the Broncos brass he is the QB of the future.
As of press time, Peyton Manning is at the Broncos facility walking around in an air cast and will miss Sunday's game and at least one more, provided everything heals properly, otherwise he's out longer. Either way, it's two more big time opportunities for Brock Osweiler to show the fans and John Elway that he can lead this storied franchise and quite frankly, if Brock goes out and beats the Patriots on Sunday Night and then the Chargers in their own house...healthy Peyton Manning or not the Broncos are going to be faced with one tough decision. This will be a stretch of games to keep a close eye on. 

The Philadelphia at Detroit game will decide much about the futures of both franchises. 
It's been a tough year for Eagles and Lions fans. Detroit is a shell of its former self and has played so poorly that there has been turnover in upper management and Philadelphia was expected to improve over last year and has taken a major step back both personnel and play wise. Sunday's game features a meeting of the two and well, it may also determine much for the future of both teams as well. After all, every player and coach in Detroit has received the message loud and clear and are playing for their respective careers while Chip Kelly continues his up and down year. This nationally televised game on Thanksgiving has a lot riding on it and the winner of this one inspires hope, while the loser may prompt change at all levels. 

The officiating in the NFL is absolutely awful and is there a way to fix it?
I've watched football for most of my life. I've seen many a game and seen many a mistake from a referee here and there because mistakes do happen. But this year, wow, the officiating in the league is the worst it has ever been and it's not getting any better. It really does look like some teams are being favored in games since there is zero consistency on the flags being thrown and some of the most fundamental parts of football, like time outs and time clocks are being badly managed by these crews. It's a little scary at this point because somewhere along the way one of these botched calls is going to cost a team a win they actually deserve and sadly I don't think the fix will come this year. But the only way to solve the problem is to make all of the refs full time employees that can be terminated for job performance, like the rest of the NFL. Until then however, get ready to yell at the men and woman in stripes for their mistakes this weekend.

John's Picks
New England Patriots at Denver Broncos - Denver
Philadelphia Eagles at Detroit Lions - Detroit
Oakland Raiders at Tennessee Titans - Oakland
New Orleans Saints at Houston Texans - Houston
Minnesota Vikings at Atlanta Falcons - Minnesota

Scotty's Picks
Philadelphia Eagles at Detroit Lions - Philadelphia
New England Patriots at Denver Broncos - New England
St. Louis Rams at Cincinnati Bengals - Cincinnati
Arizona Cardinals at San Francisco 49ers - Arizona
Pittsburgh Steelers at Seattle Seahawks - Seattle 

This is the time of year where football teams should be settling into "the norm" if you will as the bad teams stay bad and the great teams stay great and well, Week 11 proved that the norm simply does not exist. We saw a team without a its Hall of Fame quarterback win, more teams that should be left for dead suddenly came to life and well, I guess if there was any sign for normalcy...it's the fact the that undefeated teams still can't lose. Either way it was a week full of incredible stories and here are the top ones from the field this week. 

1. Brock Osweiler...looked good. In fact he basically transformed the Denver Broncos offense in Peyton Manning's absence. Gone were the turnovers and three and outs that Denver fans have become accustomed to this season, Brock was confident in the pocket, confident when the pocket collapsed, but most importantly he was the spark the offense has been needing. The run came game alive at last with Osweiler at the helm, and well, he looked Brock Solid (sorry, had to do it) the entire game, throwing for two touchdowns and completing 80% of his passes. Not a bad first career start but his biggest test will be coming since he was just named the starter for the New England game. But either way, the Broncos brass now have an idea of what they have in this kid and time will tell if a quarterback controversy is brewing in the Mile High City.

2. It's interesting how much wins cure all because we haven't talked much about the Philadelphia Eagles and the fact that they are still an inconsistent and poor football team. Why? Because they put together some wins. But here we are again, with Philly in the headlines after getting absolutely slapped around on the field this weekend, by one of the worst teams in the league. Tampa Bay has been nothing to write home about this year and they dropped 45 points on the Eagles defense and held the offense to only 17 points. That kind of result...well it's an unmitigated disaster and has me questioning if Chip Kelly can actually coach at this level. To make matters worse, he admitted, again, that the team was out coached which means a couple of things. One, Chip's clearly not that good of a coach and two, I hope ownership is ready to make a change. 

3. Let's ask the tough question that is on everyone's mind...what the hell happened to the Atlanta Falcons? They started off the season 4-0, looked phenomenal on offense and defense and then...it all fell to pieces. This is a team that lost to the super mediocre Indianapolis Colts on Sunday, with Indy's #2 quarterback at the helm and to top it off, Matt Ryan set up the win for the Colts with that lovely pick six near the end of the game and well, I'm in disbelief. This is a team filled to the brim with talent and once again that talent isn't producing on the field, even after a coaching change. At this point, I'm not sure what could be causing these problems in Hotlanta, but there is a silver lining, they are 6-4, but if the season continues to fall apart don't be shocked if the Falcons brass make some significant personnel changes in the offseason. 

4. Speaking of teams that continue to shock and surprise...say hello to the resurgent Houston Texans. They have suddenly come to life, and it could not have come at a better time since the AFC South is basically up for grabs. First they shock the world by taking down the Cincinnati Bengals and then they go ahead and rattle the New York Jets at home. They've put together a solid three win streak and well, they are starting to look like the team they are supposed to be. I don't know what changed in Houston and frankly I don't care. This is another team filled to the brim with talent, especially on defense and it is a welcome sight to see this team realizing its potential at last. 

5. Can anyone beat the Undefeated teams? Carolina swatted at Washington the same way anyone would a fly and the Patriots weathered a minor storm with the Bills in their house and well...here we are, looking at two 10-0 teams and it is time to have the "The Perfect Season" discussion? I say no. I honestly don't think either of these teams will finish perfect. If the NFL has taught me anything, it's that a team will shock you when you least expect it. The Patriots have had a couple of scares this season and Carolina is getting cocky, so really the answer to the question is...yes. It's really just a matter of time before someone surprises these teams, and we will all be watching and waiting. 

There's an interesting vibe hanging over this week in the NFL. There's so many fresh new faces starting at quarterbacks, so many new coaches taking the field that in many ways, there's a crisp new feeling hanging over the remainder of the 2015 NFL Regular Season...in fact one could easily say it almost feels like the start of a new season. 

But despite all the changes that have come about, that feeling of renewal will quickly disappear once everyone takes the field to play. The goal still remains the same for all 32 teams, compete, at a high level for the Championship and that drive will lead to plenty of incredible games that will entertain and no doubt captivate us and here are the ones we are keeping an eye come tomorrow.

Scotty's Take
The second meeting of these two teams should be a blast to watch.  As Sexy Rexy’s Bills were one of two teams that have give Brady and company a run for their money.  I am not going to say that the Bills are a better team this far into the season, but they definitely have the drive to win games.  Although you don’t hear much coming out of the Patriots camp about looking forward to being undefeated once again, they have a shot at another perfect regular season.  There are not many teams out there that can give them a run for their money, but after suffering another couple of injuries the past week, it will be amazing to see what they are able to bring to the table against Buffalo.  I just see a shoot out in the making and with one veteran quarterback and a youngin', it should be the game of the week.

Scotty's Take
What can be said about the Cincinnati Bengals that has not been said once this season.  They are lucky right?  I mean you cant be a good team if you lose to Houston, since they are beyond terrible.  But that is why the games are not played on paper and in a stadium.  Everyone has been thinking that the Bengals are just a fluke, but they continue to find ways to win their games and I don’t think that there is one problem with Andy Dalton and I look forward to seeing him take the field once again on Sunday to prove the haters wrong.  Arizona has been consistent this season and it has to be because of their quarterback Carson Palmer remaining healthy.  This team might be as razzle dazzle as some, but they just go out on the field and play their game.  They don’t get rattled, they don’t play afraid, they just play their game.  With one team having something to prove and the other just wanting to make up for last seasons playoff miss, well, I guess that they both have a reason to take to the field with some passion on Sunday.

John's Take
It's always a special game when two NFC North teams take the field and the gameplay that comes from such an event certainly piques your curiosity. But when one of those teams is surging while the other is riding a losing streak and both just happen to be the top two teams in the division, well that's a game that completely earns your attention and that's the case with Green Bay and Minnesota. The Vikings are strong right now, finding ways to grind it out on the field and earn a win no matter the odds and the Packers, well suddenly they are in decline. They have looked lost and confused on offense as of late and you know the Vikings defense is going to take full advantage of that. This could be another big time upset game, or it could be a chance for the Packers to get back on track.

John's Take
This is my personal game of the week, and not for the obvious, I'm a Bronco fan reasons. No, this one I'm excited about because it has the potential to be a big time game, simply because of all the story surrounding this one. On one hand you have John Fox, former Denver Head Coach now leading the Bears and no doubt itching for a chance to stick it to the team that he "mutually agreed" to part from. On the other hand, you have the Broncos, with Brock Osweiler at the helm this week, looking for a chance to right the ship again and prove that letting Fox leave Denver was the right decision. You really can't ask for a better setup for a game than that, and I fully expect this one to be a fairly tough back and forth battle on the field. 

It should be quite the interesting landscape when NFL teams take the field this weekend. There's been another wave of change since Week 10 came to an end with new quarterbacks taking the helm and even another coordinator change as teams do their best to put themselves into a position to win and earn their shot at the playoffs. Whether or not these changes work, time will tell but each one should make for an interesting story and here are the top ones we are keeping an eye on this week.

Will the Denver Broncos offense finally get moving under Brock Osweiler?
Let's be honest, it's been a rough year for the Broncos on the offensive side of the ball, something they are definitely not used to since they are often prolific and dominant on offense and with Manning now out with multiple injuries, we are all wondering if Brock can give the offense the life it so desperately needs and I think he can. He was able to produce two big drives late in the game against the Kansas City defense and he ran the traditional Kubiak system quite well in the preseason, giving the Broncos a host of options come Sunday as to how they want to look on the field and it should be a welcome sight to see them start putting up points again.

Does being named the starter finally give Johnny Manziel the confidence he needs?
Confidence is a huge deal in the NFL and Johnny Manziel really hasn't had a lot of it. He's shown some real flashes of brilliance in his limited time on the field, with some incredible throws being peppered in here and there as well, but he's never truly had command of the offense. He clearly found his groove against Pittsburgh throwing for 372 yards...but he only had one touchdown. It's clear that Manziel has a decent skill set at his disposal, so I'm hoping that being named the starter for the rest of the season is the missing ingredient and knowing that the job is now his to lose will finally let him show off his stuff. Of course, it could also have the opposite effect...and the pressure could get to him. Guess we will find out soon enough.

Is Austin Davis the answer at quarterback for St. Louis?
The whole QB situation in St. Louis is a strange one, they clearly didn't have a ton of confidence in either Sam Bradford or Austin Davis at the end of 2014, so they trade Sam away for Nick Foles...and then bench Foles for Austin Davis. Now I'm not saying Foles was the answer either, everyone knows his play this year was mediocre at best and even then I think I'm being generous. But I'm not sure making the move to Austin Davis helps the team that much either. His TD to INT ratio last year was pretty meh when you look at it (12 TD, 9 INT) and as a whole he basically did slightly better than Foles did this year. So...it's an odd move to say the least, time will tell if it pays off.

Will the New Orleans Saints defense look that much different without Rob Ryan at the helm?
I hate to say it, but it's Week 11 and at this time of year, any bad habit a player or a team have, are now a routine part of their play. Which brings us to the Saints defense. Last week, they let Washington utterly obliterate them and it cost Rob Ryan his job and well...despite the fact this D should continue to be awful because of how late in the season it is, I actually have faith that they will improve for a couple of reasons. Number one, there's no where to go but up. Number two, Dennis Allen. He's the new DC for the team and having seen his work first hand in the same role in Denver, the man knows how to get the most out of his players. But before someone points out his failed stint in Oakland as Head Coach, let me clarify by saying that I think he's a stronger coordinator than a Head Coach and I'll be keeping an eye on what this defense does come Sunday.

Will the Washington Redskins be the team to bring down Carolina?
If Monday night taught us anything, it's that at some point some team is going to have to your number. They'll figure out your offense and your defense and tear it to pieces and well, Washington may be the next team to pull off such a feat against the undefeated Carolina Panthers. After all, no one thought Houston stood a chance and few think Washington does as well. But they are coming off against one incredible win last week and Kirk Cousins' confidence is soaring sky high, which means this game could get extremely interesting and well...I think Washington has a chance to pull off the upset, this should be one interesting game for sure.

John's Picks 
Denver Broncos at Chicago Bears - Denver
Washington Redskins at Carolina Panthers - Washington
Oakland Raiders at Detroit Lions - Oakland
Indianapolis Colts at Atlanta Falcons - Atlanta
Tennessee Titans at Jacksonville Jaguars - Tennessee

Scotty's Picks 
Denver Broncos at Chicago Bears - Chicago
Dallas Cowboys at Miami Dolphins - Dallas
St. Louis Rams at Baltimore Ravens - St. Louis
Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings - Minnesota
Cincinnati Bengals at Arizona Cardinals - Cincinnati 

As always, the NFL delivered another incredible week of games. We were witness to another undefeated team lose for the first time while others continued to roll. We saw a record broken before an epic benching and we saw a perfect game from the most unlikely of quarterbacks. It was simply a wild weekend of football filled with wild stories and here are the top ones from the field this week.

1. Peyton Manning experienced the strangest game of his career on Sunday. First he shattered the all time passing yards record before throwing four interceptions and finding himself benched for backup Brock Osweiler. As it turns out, Manning is suffering from a battery of injuries. A sore shoulder, sore ribs and now a torn plantar fascia. In the hopes of seeing the future hall of fame QB heal up, Denver has announced he will sit out at least one more game, with Brock getting the nod for Chicago but one cannot help but wonder...with all the injuries he suffered last year, and the ones piling up now...has father time finally found Peyton? And will it be only one game that he sits out, or is this benching the beginning of the end of his illustrious career? Only time will tell.

2. Kirk Cousins left the game against the New Orleans Saints with his head held high for one particular reason...he threw a perfect game. Yes, the elusive 158.3 quarterback rating was in his hands as he threw four touchdowns against the Saints defense, leading the team to a 47-14 victory. Granted, one has to wonder if Kirk is that good or if the defense in New Orleans is that bad, and seeing as how Saints Defensive Coordinator Rob Ryan was fired after this game...I think we know the Saints opinion on this one, but either way, this game is a huge deal for Kirk. Awful defense or not, it's a confidence builder for a young QB and don't be surprised to see more improvement in his play courtesy of this tune up game. 

3. The New England Patriots may still be undefeated at 9-0 this season, but they had quite a scare on their road to that lovely record. The team that always seems to have their number, the New York Giants only lost to the Pats by a point and they did a fine job keeping pace with Tom Brady and that offense before letting the game slip away by giving Tom way too much time on the clock to do something at the end of the game. Either way, this was an exciting one that came down to the wire and don't be surprised if a team that watches the film from this game uses it as a blueprint to potentially beat the Patriots at long last, because no team is invincible...

4. Speaking of teams coming back down to earth, the Cincinnati Bengals suffered their first loss of the season...to the Houston Texans on Monday night. Talk about a stunner. Because no one, myself included, ever expected the dismal Texans to do what they did in this game. The Houston defense did a phenomenal job slowing down and containing the up tempo Bengals offense and in surprise fashion, backup QB T.J. Yates and WR DeAndre Hopkins connected for the game's only touchdown. It was simply incredible work by the Texans and I tip my hat to them for knocking off an undefeated team. 

5. There are a lot of games in this league that stick with players and coaches for various reasons, and one of those reasons is a chance to stick it to a former team and show them they made a horrible mistake in getting rid of you and that's exactly the kind of game Rex Ryan enjoyed on Thursday night when he faced off against his former team, the New York Jets. It wasn't the prettiest of games, nor did the Bills walk away knowing they blew out the Jets, but none of that matters. All that matters from that game is the fact that they won, that Rex Ryan beat the team that told him to beat it and those final moments as the clock wound down, watching Rex celebrate on the sidelines was nothing short of magical. While this game won't be an instant classic on ESPN, it did teach us one thing, when Coach Ryan puts his mind to it...he will achieve it. 

Oddly enough, when one peruses the Sunday schedule for football this week, there's quite a few games that well...look like they would be super boring. It's either a pair of losing teams or a squad that should dominate the other and if it was any other year in the NFL, one would be correct in those assumptions.

But this year has been anything but the norm and week after week has given us some close contests, instant classics or nail biting overtime and this week, will no doubt deliver more of the same. Will we see another undefeated fall? Will an underdog surprise another elite team and will another coach find himself fired after this weekend? Time will tell, and here are the games that have caught our eye for tomorrow.

John's Take
The Patriots are one incredible team right now. No one can hang with them on offense or on defense, but they are about to face off against the one team that always has their number, the New York Football Giants. This is a team that has always managed to figure out the Patriots and defeat them at critical times and what more critical a time than in the midst of the Tom Brady revenge tour? Eli Manning doesn't fear the Pats defense and Tom Brady has often found himself frustrated by the Giants D since they figure out how to shut #12 down on a regular basis. This should simply be one fantastic game and there is a good chance it could be the end of New England's winning streak. 

John's Take
Well if this doesn't have the formula for an incredible game on paper, I don't know what does. On one hand you have the Chiefs, who have lost seven in a row to the Broncos, on the outside looking in playoff wise and knowing that the Broncos are vulnerable right now. On the other hand you have Denver, coming off of an embarrassing loss in part to the undisciplined play of the defense and you know this is a team looking to set the wrongs right again with a big time win, which can mean only one thing...both teams will be coming out swinging and you really can't ask for more when it comes to an AFC West matchup. The only X factor here is the health of Peyton Manning who is battling a foot injury and a rib injury, if he can play through those and do what he has done the last couple of weeks, Denver wins...it not, it's anyone's game. 

John's Take
The elite teams are being challenged and while the Panthers on paper look like they should roll over the Titans after handily beating the Packers, that simply may not be the case. Tennessee put on an impressive showing against the Saints last week by pulling out the win under new head coach Mike Mularky, and you know they are looking to turn that streak into more wins and show the league they're not a joke and what better way to do that...than by going after an undefeated. The Panthers have to give the Titans the same intensity they have all season and find a way to contain Marcus Mariota otherwise there is a chance this game will get out of hand and another undefeated will fall. 

John's Take
As it turns out, when the Raiders play a worthy adversary, the results are pretty fantastic. While they may have lost to the Steelers in overtime last week, they hung with Pittsburgh the whole way and it made for one of the best games of Week 9 and now...they get a chance to entertain again when they host the Vikings tomorrow and the game might actually top their last one. The Vikings are a tough team, and as we learned last week, it doesn't matter who is at quarterback, they will fight for every yard and do whatever it takes to win, something the Raiders are doing as well this year and that means we should be in for another incredible back and forth game. 

I've always seen Week 10 in the NFL as the beginning of the home stretch for the rest of the season since this is when it seems the games get all that more incredible. Everyone seems to take a few more chances to do something special in hopes of either, keeping their jobs, making the fans happy or locking up their playoff spot and it makes for some magnificent football and some incredible stories and here are the top ones to keep an eye on this week.

What will Rex Ryan's return to New York look like?
This is one important question because in recent years, reunion games have turned out to be vastly different than we expect them to be. Peyton Manning let his return to Indy get under his skin and well, Rex is a emotional guy and that translates to his team on the field. When they're fired up in the right way, they dominate, when they're fired up for all the wrong reasons...well you see where I'm going with this and why tonight's game could go either way. Rex had some wonderful times in New York, taking them to the playoffs and two AFC Championships, but the end of his career there was less than joyous and whether or not the Bills win tonight depends on if Rex's mentality is to beat his old team and make a point, or if he's feeling nostalgic about his glory days in green and white. 

Will the Denver Broncos rebound and regroup after their embarrassing loss in Indianapolis?
Yes, I used the word embarrassing and I mean it. The defense's play was a joke in Indy and it potentially cost the Broncos the game. In the wake of it all, Aqib Talib is suspended for this week's game an the Broncos have to handle business differently this week and I think they will rebound and regroup because that ugly loss was one beautiful wake up call. It taught the defense that they need to play lights out football without being jerks about it and the offense learned it needs to quit screwing around and put up some big time points. I'm expecting to see a different squad take the field this week, one that resembles the team that came together for the Green Bay game. 

When will Carolina and Cincinnati finally lose a game? 
It's a well known fact, no team can win forever, and in the NFL someone will finally figure you out and get the best of you. One by one the undefeated teams are starting to fall in the league, but when will it happen for the Panthers and the Bengals? After all, Carolina faces off against a pretty dismal team this week in the Titans and the Bengals host the awful Texans on Monday Night Football, meaning there's a fair chance both of these teams will roll over their opponents this week and enjoy a lovely 9-0 status. I can't say I know exactly when either team will suffer their first loss, it actually could be this week if they underestimate their opponent like Denver did last week, but eventually they will fall, and speaking of an undefeated team on a roll...

Will the Giants work their magic and snap the Patriots winning streak...again?
Tom Brady is a pretty unstoppable quarterback and has a lovely habit of beating his rivals on a regular basis. If you don't believe me, just ask Peyton Manning. But every man has his nemesis and for Brady and the Patriots...that team just happens to be the New York Giants. They defeated the Pats in Super Bowl XLII despite being the underdogs and they were the team to end New England's bid for a 19-0 perfect season in Super Bowl XLVI, which means of all the teams this season Brady and the gang have faced...this is the one team that could put an end to their wonderfully undefeated season to date. 

Where do the Dallas Cowboys go from here?
Let's be honest. Things are not good in Dallas and they're not getting much better. Romo is still injured and while he is eligible to return to the field soon...the Cowboys are 2-6 and the their problems go beyond quarterback injuries. Week in and week out we have seen a defense that cannot stop their opponents and an offense that can't get the run game going. The season is all but over, their chances of making the playoffs slim, yet all we hear from Jerry Jones is they have a chance and they're going for it regardless of the odds and well...enough Jerry. We get you're proud of your franchise and your team. There's nothing wrong with that. But now is a great time to start evaluating other talent on the team and see if that gives this lifeless squad a spark. Maybe there's some hidden gems buried down the depth chart on both sides of the ball waiting for an opportunity to shine. I'm not saying throw in the towel, but now is the time to try something new, after all what else does this team have to lose?

John's Picks
Kansas City Chiefs at Denver Broncos - Denver
Buffalo Bills at New York Jets - Buffalo
New England Patriots at New York Giants - New York
Minnesota Vikings at Oakland Raiders - Minnesota
Carolina Panthers at Tennessee Titans - Tennessee

Scotty's Picks
Chicago Bears at St. Louis Rams - St. Louis
Dallas Cowboys at Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Dallas
New Orleans Saints at Washington Redskins - New Orleans
Jacksonville Jaguars at Baltimore Ravens - Baltimore
Arizona Cardinals at Seattle Seahawks - Seattle

As it turns out, Week 9 in the NFL absolutely delivered. We had an undefeated prove their worth to all the league, we saw another undefeated fall in the "classiest" of fashion and we saw a young quarterback become a hero and give his fans hope for the future. There were truly some amazing games on display Sunday, and while there are so many amazing stories to discuss from the field this week, we can only go over a fraction of them and here is what we learned from this weekend.

1. The Carolina Panthers are for real. I talked a lot of smack about these guys earlier in the season and the time has come for me to eat crow. This team has completely earned its 7-0 status after going up against a quality opponent in the Green Bay Packers and pulling out one incredible win. The Packers hung with the Panthers late in the game, but great teams find a way to win and the Panthers did just that. They stopped Rodgers when it mattered and put up all the points they needed on offense. Right now they really are looking like the team to beat in the NFC and I tip my hat off to them and I'm sorry that I doubted them. 

2. One surprising story from this weekend, is how amazingly resilient the Pittsburgh Steelers are with the injury laden carousel they are riding at Quarterback. Third stringer Landry Jones pulled off an impressive win over a strong Raiders team with that last minute touchdown but while there's cause for celebration to be at 5-3 for the year, Pittsburgh needs to do something to address their greatest weakness, the offensive line. They did a poor job protecting Ben Roethlisberger on Sunday and it shows since their star QB is out with another rough injury and if Pittsburgh wants to make it deep into the playoffs, or into the playoffs for that matter, they have to make some kind of adjustment to keep their signal callers safe.

3. Mike Mularkey made one smart move on Sunday, he took the training wheels off of Marcus Mariota and look what happened, the Titans won a game. Although, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little worried watching this game in the fourth quarter when Coach Mularkey turned to the run game late when Mariota was clearly hitting his stride, putting the ball on the money to receiver after receiver. I'm not sure what changed the Coach's mind exactly, but all that matters is that they turned the kid loose and it was impressive to see him lead his team down the field to a win. Hopefully now is the time when the coaching staff let's Mariota do more of his thing just to see exactly what the kid can do and if he starts putting together some amazing drives and wins while Tampa Bay continues to lose...we'll finally have an idea exactly who got the better QB in the draft this year. 

4. There's a lot of things that concern me about the Miami Dolphins, for one they are regressing quickly under Interim Head Coach Dan Campbell, and believe me, we could spend an entire blog on that alone, but something caught my eye Sunday while I was watching snippets of the Miami game, specifically the poor performance from Ndamukong Suh. Sure, he got a sack, but that increases his season total to three. Yes, you read that right ladies and gentlemen, three. Not to mention for most of the game he was getting worked over by the Buffalo offensive line and quite frankly, the Dolphins executive brass need to be extremely concerned about this. They guaranteed the man $60 million to play in Miami, and this is their return on their investment, an awful season for a "top tier" player. I hate to say it, but he may go down as one of the biggest free agent busts in history and Miami is going to have to figure something out to either get this guy to play better, or how they renegotiate that contract in light of his performance and with their season slipping away, now is the time to do it.

5. As a Denver Broncos fan, I'm upset about Sunday's loss. I'm not upset because it happened, the Broncos didn't bring their A game, they earned the loss and hey, they are still 7-1, but what I am upset about is the classless play the defense put forth. They were undisciplined and arrogant on Sunday and it showed because they underestimated their opponent and well, they made themselves look like fools on television by earning one silly penalty after another and well...let's not get started on the whole eye poke thing. But there is a silver lining in all of this. This kind of a loss can humble a team, and right now the Broncos need it. It's clear they let the wins get to their head and their arrogance was their downfall. Here's to hoping they don't take anything for granted on the field again this season and play the game with a little more class in the weeks to come.

Week 9 is upon us at last and it's a mad dash from here on out for several teams to do everything they can to not only lock up a playoff spot, but keep the wins flowing to potentially enjoy a first round bye or home field advantage throughout the playoffs. Some teams will succeed, some will falter but this is the time of year when the prize starts coming to the top of a player's mind. 

That means the games are going to be a little more intense. The hits a little harder because every team knows that it's either bring your best, or spend the postseason on the couch, and judging from this week's schedule, there are some seriously awesome games waiting for all of us to enjoy tomorrow and here at the games that we will be following closely come Sunday.

John's Take
This game is a big one in the NFC, since you have two of the finest teams in the conference facing off on Sunday, and there are quite a few things that make this one so incredibly fascinating. First and foremost, the Panthers have the attitude and the swagger of a winning team, and they have earned that right at 7-0...but prior to this week, they haven't faced one solid team. This will be their greatest challenge and they are going up against a Packers squad that was embarrassed on the field by Denver last week and you know they are going to be hungry for revenge. Expect this one to one heck of a back and forth match and if Carolina comes out the winner in this one, then the league can take them seriously as a contender.

John's Take
While this particular game may not feature two winning teams, it does have my attention simply because of the fact these are two teams flirting with success. Dan Campbell has done a great job turning around the Dolphins so far, but it's clear after the New England game there is much work to be done and well, when it comes to Buffalo, you simply have no idea what team you will get on the field any given week. Sometimes they're stellar, sometimes they stink and this is the kind of game where both teams can take their time, perfect a few plays on offense and defense and get an idea of what's working and what's not in order to tweak their teams for a playoff run. 

John's Take
Believe me, I did not expect to be sitting here today discussing how the Rams taking on the Vikings looks like an exciting game this weekend, but here we are because...the Rams taking on the Vikings looks like one exciting game. Both teams have been phenomenal this season and their records reflect it which means this may be the big time showdown of the week as Todd Gurley does his best to shred the Viking defense on the ground. In fact, that's going to have to be focus for the Minnesota D, stopping the Rams run game and forcing St. Louis to beat them through the air. I'm really looking forward to this one, it should be a lot of fun.

John's Take
So let's get this out of the way. The Broncos are more than likely going to win this game, because they are on a hot streak defensively and the Colts offense is plain awful. But, what makes this game so absolutely fascinating is the Peyton Manning factor. The last time he came back to Indy, the emotion clearly overwhelmed him and his game showed it. It was one errant pass after another and let's be honest, the man looked like he was ready to burst into tears, not to mention the Colts worked over the Broncos in the playoffs. So the question I have and what I'll be watching for is whether or not Peyton is finally ready to put the past aside and unleash the same fury he did against Green Bay upon the Colts. If he does, Denver is going to torch Indy, if not...it might be another close win for the Broncos.