Five matchups to watch in Week 9

Here are some of the most intriguing matchups to watch in Sunday’s slate of action.

1. Broncos DE DeMarcus Ware vs. Patriots LT Nate Solder
The big clash in the AFC this week is loaded with intriguing individual matchups. Last season, the Broncos lacked a standout rusher opposite Von Miller, so they went out and added Ware in free agency. He’s been a huge addition, with 7.0 sacks in his first seven games. Unlike Shaun Phillips, he’s doing it by beating left tackles. That includes even quality left tackles like Joe Staley with a nasty fake spin move. Solder has the physical talent to lock even a player of Ware’s caliber down. This year, though, he’s been terribly uneven and prone to some shocking lapses. As he’s aged, Tom Brady is no longer as nimble in the pocket as he was, so this matchup takes on added importance. If Ware is constantly harassing Brady, New England’s offensive resurgence may come to a crashing halt at a key time.

2. Cardinals WR John Brown vs. Cowboys S J.J. Wilcox
The Dallas offense against the Arizona defense will draw most of the attention in this game, and rightly so-Calais Campbell against that Cowboys line, Tony Romo against Todd Bowles’ blitz-heavy scheme, Dez Bryant against Patrick Peterson. But don’t neglect the other side of the ball. Rookie Brown has been a huge addition to a Cardinals receiving corps that lacked a true burner on the outside, and keeps finding space deep. We saw that most notably on his game-winning touchdown against Philadelphia last week. That touchdown came in part because of a misplay by Eagles safety Nate Allen. Wilcox must avoid similar errors as part of a team effort to force Arizona to execute consistently to drive the field.

3. Chargers WR Keenan Allen vs. Dolphins CB Brent Grimes
As far as AFC West-AFC East matchups go this week, this game ranks a distant second to Denver-New England. But with a solid San Diego team that’s had some issues lately going cross-country to face a Miami team that’s playing solid football, it’s a better game than you might think at first. Philip Rivers is likely to make plays in the air to whoever’s open. Allen has had a mostly quiet season so far, but he’s been thrown the ball a fair amount and finally saw those targets turn into numbers last week against Denver. Miami will probably be able to move the ball against a Chargers secondary we know will be without first-round pick Jason Verrett, so Rivers must match that feat.

4. Rams LT Greg Robinson vs. 49ers OLB Dan Skuta (or Aldon Smith?)
With Jake Long on injured reserve, the second overall pick moves from left guard to left tackle on a full-time basis. Robinson at guard, and in his snaps at tackle after Long went out last week, looked like the player he was at Auburn-physical in the run game, but unschooled and vulnerable in pass protection. The 49ers have not gotten the pass rush they were hoping for from Skuta, but Robinson’s presence could give him an opportunity. Oh, yeah, and the NFL may be willing to reinstate Aldon a game or two early from his nine-game suspension. St. Louis head coach Jeff Fisher has already talked about the detriment it would be to his team if that happened this late in the week. To that, Jim Harbaugh says “What’s your deal?”

5. Buccaneers WR Mike Evans vs. Browns CB Buster Skrine
Let’s be fair-the Vincent Jackson-Joe Haden matchup, if that’s the way it in fact plays out-will draw most of the attention from the FOX broadcast crew and most viewers of this game. But Jackson’s been limited by a rib injury this week, and that matchup could fizzle out. If Tampa Bay is to win this game, it is much more likely because of this matchup. Evans was a high pick for a reason, while Skrine is a more physically limited corner who must play with excellent technique to overcome his limitations. He did that last year, but this year has been exploited as often as he was before 2013. Of course, none of this will matter if the Tampa Bay offensive line cannot keep Mike Glennon upright.

Quantcast