NFL Trends: Denver are for real, Atlanta are not

Neil Monnery
03 November 2015

Peyton Manning isn't done quite yet

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After staying up so late to watch Green Bay @ Denver that he heard the first London-bound trains leave from his local railway station, Neil Monnery is very much a believer in the Broncos.

"The Broncos' O-Line kept Peyton upright and created holes for the running game all night long. One swallow doesn't make a summer but suddenly we've found a team who can give the Patriots a real game."

Trending Up

Denver Broncos

We can't start anywhere else can we? Denver were undefeated but a home underdog against Green Bay and they went and showed everyone exactly what they thought of that. We all knew the defense was good and probably the best in the NFL, now there is no doubt and the only question is are they great or are they historically great? They took Aaron Rodgers apart in a scintillating performance that will make the league sit up and take notice. If you hold any QB to 77 yards of passing offense then you've had a great day but a HoF player at the peak of his powers? That is unheard of. On the other side of the ball old man Manning showed that he might not be done quite yet. He passed for 340 yards and the inch perfect 40 yarder to Demaryius Thomas in stride was a thing of beauty. The O-Line kept Peyton upright and created holes for the running game all night long. One swallow doesn't make a summer but suddenly we've found a team who can give the Patriots a real game. I predicted in this column last week that they would win this game but the way they won, by beating the brains out of the Packers was something to behold. Six weeks ago I e-mailed the editor here at the US sports section of betting.betfair and wondered why the markets hadn't reacted to Denver's comeback win in Kansas City, well they have now as Denver are 9.417/2 third favourites to win it all.

Next up: @ Indianapolis

The Broncos @ Colts is a live game on Sunday and I'll be back with my full preview later in the week.

Cincinnati Bengals

7-0. What more needs to be said? They went into Pittsburgh and made the big plays in the fourth quarter to find a way to win. I know Pittsburgh had a QB who clearly wasn't 100% healthy. I know they lost their star RB to injury but still, Cincinnati made the big plays when it mattered. The best three teams in the league might well all be in the AFC and these guys are in that three.

Next up: home v Cleveland

The Browns @ Bengals is a live game on Thursday Night and Rom will be here with a full preview later in the week.

Oakland Raiders

Last week in this column I wrote about how big last weekend's match-up was for the New York Jets. It was the gut-check game, away at a good but unspectacular opponent. That team was of course the Oakland Raiders and the home side flat out dominated. The vaunted Jets D was taken apart all day long and suddenly the Raiders look a legitimate playoff candidate. Derek Carr is real good and they have a plethora of receivers who can make the catches but also gain yards after catch. I'm starting to think they can go far and, heck, if they get a wildcard spot and travel to whoever wins the AFC South, they could even win a game.

Next up: @ Pittsburgh

Trending Down

Pittsburgh Steelers

Ben Big is back. He's hurting, but he's back. This is a big tick for the Steelers but Le'Veon Bell is now out for the season with a torn MCL and that is a huge loss. I thought with Ben and Bell in tandem they had a shot to be a pretty decent football team. They still do but the confidence levels must drop. The defense is good and held the Bengals in check until late in the game, a feat in itself. Yet they are reeling and an in-form Oakland team are rolling into town this weekend.

Next up: home v Oakland

Detroit Lions

They fired their two offensive line coaches, and the offensive coordinator went too. The Lions went all in to fix their issues last week and travelled to London town to take on a pretty average team in the Kansas City Chiefs. I really thought they would bounce back and show us something, but let's admit it, I was dead wrong. This team has nothing. Matthew Stafford is a former #1 pick who we now know isn't the answer. His career as a starter is hanging by a thread. They are the most disappointing team in the NFL.

Next up: bye, @ Green Bay (week 10)

Atlanta Falcons

I sometimes get accused of writing too much by my editor here so I'll keep this one short and sweet. If you have the pretence to be a good team, a Super Bowl calibre team no less, then you don't lose at home to Tampa Bay. It is quite simple. They are nowhere near as good as we thought.

Next up: @ San Francisco

Recommended Bet
2pt back Oakland to beat Pittsburgh straight up at 2.466/4 on the exchange

Staked - 83pts
Returned - 134.22pts
P&L - +51.22pts