trick of treating in the NFL

We are halfway through the NFL season and what a season it has been! Going out begging for candy with my little son made me think of all the tricks and treats that have and will happen for football fans everywhere.

- Redskins vs. Panthers

This will be a Treat for NFL fans as the two most exciting young quarterbacks meet up. Both teams have terrible defenses which mean this will be a game full of fireworks for RGIII and Cam Newton. Cam Newton set all kinds of rookie records last year and halfway through the season, RGIII is right on pace.

- Falcons go for 8-0 against the Cowboys

Trick! For how many mistakes Tony Romo and the Cowboys make, they were one reversed call away from upsetting the Giants last week. Romo has been putting up huge numbers and the only thing stopping the Cowboys lately, besides the Bears defense, is themselves. Despite being 7-0, Matt Ryan and the Falcons have been surprisingly less effective at home than away. The three home wins included two last second field goals and a 6-point win over the Broncos. The Cowboys have been better on the road than at Cowboys Stadium, and have done a good job of coming back after losses. The way the NFL tends to go is the way you don’t expect. The Cowboys defense has been outstanding and the Falcons are due for a disappointment.

- Miami Dolphins 2012 Season

Treat! Rookie coach Joe Philbin is doing an amazing job leading a team most people picked to be headed for the top pick in the upcoming draft. Instead, Miami could be headed for games in January. Matt Moore showed everyone that he is the league’s best backup quarterback last week. At 4-3, the Fins still have tons of winnable games remaining: Colts, Titans, Bills twice, Seahawks at home, and Jags. A win in Indianapolis won’t be easy, but if they do, Miami could end up with a 7-game winning streak heading into December. If the Colts win, Andrew Luck could be headed for a playoff run and that would certainly be a treat.

- Packers look for their 4th win in a row against the Cardinals

Trick! Green Bay’s leading receiver Jordy Nelson is dealing with an injured hamstring and won’t test it until Friday. If he can’t go, the Packers will lose to the Cardinals. Aaron Rodgers is running out of weapons around him, and Arizona has already had success shutting down good quarterbacks like Tom Brady and Michael Vick. They got blown out by the 49ers recently, but so did the Packers in the season opener. With the Pack winning three in a row and Cardinals in a four game slide, both teams are due for a switch-a-roo and this is a game Ken Wisenhunt should be able to upset.

- Buccaneers a playoff contender?

Treat! Before the season I said that if either Atlanta or New Orleans slipped, Tampa Bay would sneak into contention. Well, the Saints have certainly slipped significantly. A win over the Raiders and either a Packers or Vikings loss would put the Bucs just half game back. And the remaining schedule is less daunting than it looked initially (Chargers, Panthers, Eagles, Saints, Rams). The Bucs losses were all by 7 or less points so they have probably played better than their record shows. It is still a long-shot, but Greg Schiano has this team playing tough and Josh Freeman is looking like the quarterback from ‘09 and ’10.