Week 9: Detroit Lions @ Green Bay Packers, Monday Night Football
Twice yearly these two NFC North teams rise to the challenge, and often last minute heroics often come into play. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers is one of the league’s most elite when it comes to late-game Hail Mary’s.
Unfortunately, the Lions are all too familiar with Rodgers’ handy-work.
61 yards. One Throw.
This is how one of the craziest finishes in NFL history went down. #GBvsDET https://t.co/01AamoDd8J
— NFL (@NFL) December 4, 2015
On the other hand, quarterback Matthew Stafford is never shy to shift his offense into overdrive and force his own magical fourth-quarter comebacks.
What we don’t know yet is how many Lambeau leaps will go down this Monday evening. Will the Packers still be relying on rusher Ty Montgomery, who transitioned from wide receiver to running back? Is running back Ameer Abdullah going to be a healthy, key playmaker?
Interestingly enough, the last time the Packers and Lions met on a Monday night, it was in October of 1972. In that game, the Lions lost at home by one point, 24-23, to Green Bay. Scott Hunter and Greg Landry were under center that night at Tiger Stadium.
Fast forward 45 years and this Monday night at Lambeau could easily offer another thriller when Rodgers or Stafford makes a last-second clutch play.
Week 10: Los Angeles Chargers @ Jacksonville Jaguars, 1:00 ET
By Week 10, we would like to hope that the Chargers and Jaguars have more than the six combined wins they had by this time last year.
No matter what each team’s record is by then, there is no denying this matchup pits two of the league’s highest garbage time quarterbacks against one another. Rivers attempted 578 passes last season and Bortles ranked third with 625 attempts. Both are sure to be slinging the rock plenty to keep the game competitive.
Unfortunately, interceptions could be huge game-changers as well when caution is thrown to the wind. Bortles averaged one interception per game last season and Rivers threw a horrific 21.
The Chargers are fully equipped to score in bunches, featuring Keenan Allen, first-round rookie Mike Williams, Melvin Gordon and the best tight end duo in the league in Antonio Gates and Henry Hunter.
For the Jaguars, rookie running back Leonard Fournette could feasibly be averaging 100 yards and one touchdown per game by this time of the year. Receivers Allen Robinson and Allen Hurns should be keeping Bortles running hot.
It’s going to be a fun ride. And perhaps these teams might just surprise and actually be playing for something steeper than bragging rights by this point in the season.