Michael McQuaid of Pro Football Ireland looks at some of the key storylines ahead of the 13th week of the 2024 NFL season, which gets underway today (5.30pm Irish time) with Thanksgiving games.
Give thanks for Thursday evening games
Irish fans will have the pick of three games on Thursday evening/Friday morning because of Thanksgiving. While these games may have looked more appetising at the start of the season, it will still be interesting to see how they play out.
First up on Thursday evening is the Detroit Lions. They have played on Thanksgiving every year since 1934, when owner George A Richards' looked to attract more fans, and the game has become a staple of the Michigan team ever since. They welcome the Bears to Ford Field on Thursday, with an opportunity to reach 11 wins and potentially clinch a play-off spot. They need to claim a divisional win and hope results go their way, with the most likely path being a San Francisco 49ers loss to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday night.
There are two other games included in the Thanksgiving slate - the turkey-loving Dallas Cowboys continue their tradition with a home game against the New York Giants. Quarterback Tommy DeVito is a game time decision for the Giants, with Drew Lock expected to start if needed. The Cowboys pulled off a big win against the Commanders last weekend and while this seems like a lost season, they will want to put on a show on one of the biggest days of the year.
Finally the Miami Dolphins visit Green Bay to face the Packers. Wicklow's Dan Whelan is eyeing a Pro Bowl nomination and he will want to continue his excellent form. The Enniskerry man took time out on Wednesday to meet a number of Packers fans from Ireland and the UK.
The UK & Irish Packers meet Ireland's very own superstar punter Daniel Whelan!!@NFLUKIRE @NFLIreland @packers @AMTWhelan #GoPackGo pic.twitter.com/2mGJZprzGw
— UK and Irish Packers (@ukpackers) November 27, 2024
Eagles and Ravens rush into action
It’s the Saquon Barkley-Derrick Henry Bowl this weekend as the Philadelphia Eagles head to Baltimore to take on the Ravens. This is a key match-up for both teams as we get to the business end of the season.
After a loss for the Pittsburgh Steelers last Thursday, the Ravens will want to continue to put pressure on Mike Tomlin’s men. Since 2018, Henry leads the league by a country mile in terms of rushing, but Barkley has the bragging rights thus far this season, with the pair are utterly dominating the league.
Saquon Barkley and Derrick Henry both eclipse 1300 rushing yards 😳
— NFL (@NFL) November 27, 2024
(by @FedEx) pic.twitter.com/okeUVKVR9y
Last week Barkley led the league in rushing yards, putting up an impressive 255 yards on the ground, with 156 of those yards coming after contact, highlighting his ability to break tackles and gain extra yardage for the Eagles. Henry managed to rush for 140 yards. It will be interesting to see how both are deployed on Sunday - the Ravens' strategy appears to be giving Henry fewer carries in divisional games, with him receiving 16 or fewer carries in four divisional games since Week 2, compared to 23 or more in five out of six non-divisional games.
As the Ravens prepare to face Barkley, they rank 26th in total defence and are notably struggling at 32nd in passing defense. The Eagles and Barkley will provide a stern test.
Friday night lights
For the second year running, we will have a game on Black Friday, with the Raiders visiting the Chiefs (8pm Irish time on Friday). The Chiefs could secure their play-off spot this week with a win of their own, provided that either the Dolphins lose against the Packers on tonight or the Denver Broncos fall to the Cleveland Browns on Monday Night. While the Chiefs have won ten games so far this season, they have not hit their back-to-back Super Bowl levels thus far. Last week, Bryce Young and the Panthers put up 27 points on the Arrowhead outfit. Andy Reid will be a happy man when Charles Omenihu regains full fitness.
Two key games this weekend
It’s now or never for the Cincinnati Bengals. Joe Burrow and his team sit at 4-7 through 12 weeks. They have had to sober up after a very disappointing defeat to the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 11, with a bye week to consider what is next. This is a Bengals team that just cannot seem to get over the line this season, struggling in many areas, including special teams, where kicker Evan McPherson is having a difficult year. They welcome a Pittsburgh Steelers team who will be looking to put last week behind them after a snow battle in Cleveland. It’s easy to say the season is on the line for Burrow - but it really is. This is a must win game if the Bengals want to have any chance of making the AFC Wild Card play-off slots.
The Buffalo Bills come off a bye week on a high after defeating the Kansas City Chiefs. Up next is a game against the San Francisco 49ers late on Sunday night. At the time of writing, Brock Purdy is still questionable for the game - he is not throwing at practice. The 49ers have a 17% chance to make the NFL play-offs according to Next Gen stats - like Cincinatti, is this season lost for them? A match-up in Buffalo, which could be underneath a half-foot of snow blown by 30 mph winds, will be a challenge for any team coming into Highland Park. It’s another must win game for the 49ers as the weeks close in.
Andy Quinn
Ireland’s Andy Quinn, the latest Irish player to transfer his skills to American football will officially sign for Boston College next week via the NFL Academy. Quinn is a five-star rated recruit and the former Blackrock student and Leader Kicking athlete is held in high regard by his peers. Boston College have struggled with special teams this season - Quinn has a huge opportunity as he moves to Massachusetts. We will have more on this from Andy in next week's preview piece.
