No matter what you think going into a given contest, the beautiful thing about the NFL is that it largely doesn't matter once the game kicks off. At that point, anything can happen, which is why the league has us in a chokehold throughout the fall. That said, as we roll along in a given season, the schedule begins to dictate where upsets could occur, simply due to the fact that one team may be a little more rested than the other, particularly as bye weeks come into play.
For instance, we see that this week, between the Panthers and Eagles. Philadelphia opened as a home favorite, but has since seen those odds flip. In part, because Carolina is coming off its bye, while the Eagles are coming off an international game in London in Week 5.
Even before getting into the head-to-head matchups on the rosters, that lopsided rest disparity could be a major factor. While we won't highlight that game as one of our possible upset alerts, there are some rest components we'll highlight this week as we identify five favorites who could be on the brink of a surprise loss. To steal a basketball analogy: Sometimes you just need to see the ball go through the net.
Could that be the case for the Houston Texans defense? While the Titans provide little resistance to just about anyone, the Texans' defense put together its best effort of the season vs. Tennessee and helped Houston get its first win of the year.
The unit held Tennessee to a field goal, a measly 3.2 yards per play average and sacked Cam Ward four times (three coming from Will Anderson Jr.). I wonder if that was a little bit of a get-right game for what was a reeling Texans team. Pair that with the arrival of C.J.
Stroud's Ohio State buddy, Marvin Harrison Jr., and the vibes might be shifting in a more positive direction for Houston as it hops on a plane to London to face the Jaguars. Jacksonville pulled a victory out of its hat in the first leg of its two-week stint in England, narrowly beating the Eagles. While it got the win, it didn't look great doing it.
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