Matchup Mashup is OFD’s look at what we think are the best games of the upcoming NFL weekend. This week, we have a special Thanksgiving feast of games for you all.
Thanksgiving Specials
Bears v Lions
Thursday, November 28th, 1:05 pm
This game is the ugly turducken, the one loud climate-change denier in your family, the empty gravy boat of Thanksgiving. We expect to see the Lions on Thanksgiving, but we expected to see Matt Stafford, not former Purdue quarterback David Blough in his first start. On the other side, we have Mitch Trubisky, which… well, speaks for itself this season. I’m not sure why the NFL didn’t make this the 8:20 game – it would have been perfect to fall asleep to after a big meal.
Bills v Cowboys
Thursday, November 28th, 4:30 pm
Both of these teams are in good position to make the playoffs, but for vastly different reasons. The Bills have ridden their defense and the vastly improved play of quarterback Josh Allen to an 8-3 record and a dominating lead in the AFC wild card hunt. Meanwhile, the disappointing Cowboys are still in the lead in the NFC East due to the awful play of the Giants and Redskins, and the pervasive mediocrity of the Eagles. That being said, Jerry Jones seems ready to finally blow a gasket at Jason Garrett after a bad loss in New England. Dak Prescott (who is having a stealth MVP-type season) and Ezekiel Elliott against the Bills’ defense is the kind of matchup that will have people sneaking off from the table to watch.
Saints v Falcons
Thursday, November 28th, 8:20 pm
These two division rivals played a few weeks ago and Atlanta shocked New Orleans in the SuperDome, giving one of the NFC favorites a shocking loss. This Thanksgiving, they will be heading to Atlanta for a rematch in this extremely heated rivalry. Matt Ryan vs. Drew Brees is a great quarterback matchup, and with Michael Thomas and Julio Jones, there are two of the best receivers in the NFL. While the Falcons mostly have Dan Quinn’s job to play for, and the Saints are playing for tangible playoff position, the Falcons would love to sweep their bitter rivals and send them home hungry on Turkey Day.
Weekend Watches
Niners v Ravens
Sunday, December 1st, 1:05 pm
Many currently consider these the two best teams in the league. The Ravens are led by the incomparable and unexplainable MVP frontrunner Lamar Jackson, who has won over legions of fans with his deep ball and incredible runs. On the other side, the elite Niners defense will try to stop Jackson after coming off an absolute drubbing of the Packers. Their defensive front of Nick Bosa and Arik Armstead has dominated offensive lines all year and made quarterbacks wish they were anywhere else. On the other side of the ball, Jimmy G and the Niners offense have improved but will have to be excellent in going against a Ravens defense that has been #1 in DVOA since the trade for Marcus Peters.
Pats v Texans
Sunday, December 1st, 8:20 pm
Currently the 1 and 4 seeds in the AFC, this matchup between the Pats and Texans might serve as a playoff preview. Tom Brady continues to be frustrated with his offense, but Bill Belichick’s wizardry (cheating???) and a historically good defense have the Pats at a 10-1 clip and dominating the AFC East as they have for the last two decades. On the other side, the Texans are a game up on both the Titans and the Colts in the AFC South and may have to win this game to stay ahead in the division. It will be difficult, but if Will Fuller is healthy, I see Deshaun Watson and the Texans offense scoring more points on New England than any non-Baltimore opponent so far this season.
Vikings v Seahawks
Monday, December 2nd, 8:15 pm
These two teams are somehow in the wild cards spots in the NFC, despite dominant seasons, due to the presence of the Packers and Niners in their divisions. If not for Jackson, Russell Wilson would be the presumptive MVP, as he’s led some of the best fourth-quarter drives in 2019. Meanwhile, while Kirk Cousins was the target of much derision in September, he has been very good since in leading the Vikings to likely playoff contention. With Dalvin Cook and Stefon Diggs at his side, Cousins has the weapons to make an at times shaky Seattle defense look weak at home. Since the Seahawks are playing, all I know is that it’s pretty safe to bet on a one score game.
