So, it’s Halloween week and if you think about it, there’s nothing to be scared about. The year 2020 has been such a horror, there’s no need to watch scary movies with a bowl of popcorn at night. Just turn on the news and you’ll be greeted with one fright after another. You’ll have to sleep with the light on.

That being said, there’s no reason we can’t get into the spirit of the holiday. It’s innocent fun. So without further ado, here are the things we should be scared of, when it comes to the NFL.

(You can discuss this on the BSL Board here.)

The Jets

This organization has been the equivalent of the “Saw” movies. Every season starts with hope, then quickly devolves into a grinder. Hopes and dreams are crushed, game plans are eviscerated and even quarterbacks can suddenly come down with diseases that we all thought don’t happen past high school. Even potential good news can be filled with landmines, as the hope of landing the No. 1 overall pick next year might crash and burn as rumors are flying that Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence (might return to school for his senior year rather than risk playing for Gang Green.

The Browns against good teams

I called it last week. Baker Mayfield played well against the Bengals after a stinker against the Steelers. He was even named AFC offensive player of the week. And Cleveland is sitting at 5-2. Here’s another factoid: Their wins have come against teams with a combined record of 9-18-1. And the Colts have four of those victories. When they played the Ravens? A 38-6 thumping. How about that Steelers game? A 38-7 blowout. And they have to play those teams another time each. Plus, a matchup against the Titans. They may end up in the playoffs, but they’re more pretenders than contenders. Even if Odell Beckham Jr. was healthy.

Antonio Brown

It’s difficult to write about him without it coming off as a personal attack. Let’s start by confirming that his talent on the field is second to none. His speed is electric and his ability to break defenses down and make big plays is elite. Despite all that, there’s probably no more annoying person in the league. With all his off-the-field nonsense and his penchant for disrupting team chemistry, why would anyone want him around? Apparently, Tom Brady thinks differently because Brown is in Tampa now and although the addition might do wonders for the Buccaneers, the popular meme from the show “Community” that shows Donald Glover walking into a room that’s on fire also springs to mind. Be careful what you wish for, Tom.

Bill Belichick’s legacy

Speaking of Tom Brady, his former team seems to be circling the drain. Actually, it’s probably already down the drain and someone has turned on the garbage disposal to chop up any hopes remaining for a playoff appearance. Now, I’m not saying that one bad season will sink Belichick’s reputation in the league, but there are people who will seize on that as proof that Bill’s success was solely the result of working with Tom Brady, which on its face is ludicrous, but people will say it anyway. It will look even worse if Brady is competing for a spot in the Super Bowl. Leave Bill alone! He’s grumpy enough as it is!

Steelers vs. Ravens

I’m really looking forward to this game on Sunday. Every time these two franchises meet, it’s like going back to the old school. Every yard is a fight, every point is sacred. But it’s also scary because these teams go at each other with so much ferocity, one wonders how many players will be left in one piece after the game.

NFL’S TOP 10

           1)          Chiefs — They’re fresh off a performance that saw them put up 43 points in a blowout win against Broncos. It was a game that saw them score a touchdown in all three phases of the game. What’s more, they only gained 286 yards on offense. Now they get rewarded with a home game against the Jets. Life is good in Kansas City.

            2)          Steelers — They were lucky to hold on for that win against the Titans, but I’m still impressed with the variety of ways they can beat you. Every week it’s a new wide receiver stepping up and their defense is No. 1 in the league in yards per game.

            3)          Buccaneers — Yes, Tom Brady has still got it. But really, it’s Tampa’s defense under Todd Bowles that has stood out the most. They fly around the field and put enormous pressure on offenses. When you can make Aaron Rodgers stumble and bumble around like a drunk man, you’re doing something right.

           4)           Ravens — Again, I’m not off the Baltimore bandwagon. They’re still a solid team. But I had to ask myself: Who would you pick if the Ravens played the three teams ranked ahead of them? I went with the opponent each time.

          5)         Titans — They were due for a loss, after playing three games in a relatively short amount of time. Tennessee deserves credit for battling back and making it a three-point game at the end after falling behind big in the first half. If Stephen Gostkowski just makes that kick, we might be singing a different song right now.

            6)           Packers — See? Told you they would bounce back after getting spanked by the Bucs. Nothing like facing the Texans to get your offense right again. And now they get to play the equally hapless Vikings. The smile is back on Aaron Rodgers’ face.

            7)          Seahawks — Three interceptions, Russell? Really? What happened? In all seriousness, elite quarterbacks can have the occasional stinker. Aaron Rodgers had one the week before. What’s still concerning is their defense is dead last in the league and even though they just traded for defensive end Carlos Dunlap, how much will that help? He had fallen to third string in Cincinnati, for Pete’s sake.

            8)           Rams — If you’re going to have a bounce back game, you want it to come on national television. L.A. took the Bears apart on Monday night and showed just how surgical their offense can be when it’s running right.

           9)          Bills — They’re back in the win column after two straight tough losses. Granted, their win came against the Jets, but nobody will care about that later.

            10)          49ers — They might be only 4-3, but San Francisco is humming again. Their injury situation is brutal, but any team that can take apart a Bill Belichick defense the way they did deserves respect. That makes them worthy of being ranked higher than some teams with better records.

WHAT’S THE CHATTER?

Good luck, Ben: Dak Prescott’s career in Dallas got started when he was put into the starting lineup when the two quarterbacks ahead of him on the depth chart got hurt. Well, the same thing is happening to a young blade named Ben DiNucci, who will likely get the start for the Cowboys on Sunday because Prescott is gone for the season and Andy Dalton suffered a concussion last week. Will we see the birth of a young star? Hmmm, let’s pump the brakes on that. Let’s just hope he can get through this start unscathed. The good news is guard Zack Martin, an All Pro, is ready to return to the lineup. Whew.

Just kidding: We were greeted with the news that Christian McCaffrey would return from injury in time for Thursday night’s game against the Falcons. Then Thursday rolled around and whoops! News broke that no, McCaffrey would not play as he continues to recover from a high ankle sprain. Sigh. So many disappointed fantasy team owners. Won’t anyone think about them?

Who cares? The league announced that Super Bowl Opening Night, where both teams gather in a stadium and media types from across this good nation embarrass themselves with idiotic questions and moronic stunts, will be a virtual only event this year. Good lord, just cancel it already. Nothing good has ever come from this dog and pony show. It’s a bore and only serves as a place for TV reporters and radio hosts to navel gaze. Pass.

Yikes: The Chargers placed guard Ryan Groy on injured reserve with a biceps injury. You never like to see that. But I guess fate wasn’t done with him as he was also placed on the reserved/COVID-19 list. This poor guy. Sometimes it just doesn’t pay to get out of bed.

Are you kidding me: Trevor Lawrence, the presumptive No. 1 overall pick in the next draft, has other things to worry about than possibly getting drafted by the Jets. News broke Thursday evening that he reportedly tested positive for COVID-19. If that’s true, here’s hoping for a speedy recovery, of course.

APPOINTING VIEWING FOR WEEK 8

Patriots at Bills: Will a loss here officially signal the end of the Patriots era of dominance in the AFC East? That might be stretching it a bit, but Buffalo will really want to make a statement here.

Raiders at Browns: What Baker will we get in this game? Can’t wait to find out.

Colts at Lions: Don’t look now, but the Lions are actually at .500. And they just landed Everson Griffen in a trade with the Cowboys. Keep an eye on this one. Maybe Matt Patricia won’t get fired.

Rams at Dolphins: Tua Tagovailoa’s first NFL start! And he gets to face Aaron Donald. Are we sure the Dolphins know what they’re doing?

Steelers at Ravens: Definitely the game of the week. Grab your popcorn.

Saints at Bears: Two teams that need a win here. Don’t be surprised if Chicago shuts down New Orleans’ offense at home.

49ers at Seahawks: Kyle Shanahan should have a field day against that weak Seattle defense. However, the Seahawks offense can keep up. This should come down to the last possession.

Happy Halloween and see you next week!

Sid Saraf
Sid Saraf

NFL Analyst

Currently a Mobile Editor at Yahoo, Saraf spent 5.5 years (Oct. 2010 – Feb. 2016) working for FOX Sports as an NFL Editor and Writer. Prior to that, Saraf worked for CBS Interactive for 4.5 years (May 2006 – Oct. 2010) as a Staff Editor.

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