Quick Slant
Mat Irby's Quick Slant
Quick Slant: MNF - The Cowboys Are What Fantasy Sadness Looks Like
Texans @ Cowboys, Sunday @ 8:15 PM Growing up in the northern suburbs of Dallas, my family and I spent a great deal of time Downtown; we regularly attended basketball games at Reunion Arena; the 1987 Mavericks, who my sister worked for, took the Showtime Lakers to seven in the Western
Quick Slant: SNF - Two Teams Meet in Hopes That This is the Right World
Bengals @ Chargers, Sunday @ 8:20 PM The Bengals are one week removed from a loss that could stand as a microcosm for their entire season (and be the reason they miss the playoffs in hindsight) – a one-point soul-crusher against division rival Baltimore where a narrowly-missed two-point try featured multiple glaring
Quick Slant: TNF - Somewhere Between a Rout and Shock; Can the Commanders Actually Keep Pace?
Commanders @ Eagles, Thursday @ 8:15 PM Thursday Night Football arrives as a welcome surprise: the Eagles, division royalty on paper, face an intrepid Commanders side that's transformed from long shot to full-blown threat as they've sprinted up the standings in the East. The Eagles are favored
Quick Slant: MNF - The Rams and Dolphins Have Played Bit Parts in 2024. Can One Get Back to the Top of the Call Sheet?
Dolphins @ Rams, Monday @ 8:15 PM The neons of South Beach, the 18ks of Hollywood – each can only serve as distraction. Monday Night Football rolls into two of the NFL's glitziest markets; underachievement is in the starring role. The Rams, at 4-4, and the Dolphins, at a dismal
Quick Slant: SNF - Dan Campbell Returns to Texas to Stunt the Growth of a Doppelganger
Lions @ Texans, Sunday @ 8:20 PM Sunday night features a clash of teams with more in common than their records suggest – though only one holds a seat at the top. Forget the jungle; the Lions come into this one as kings of the NFC, sporting a 7-1 record and a
Quick Slant: TNF - The Chill Hits the Wudder, the Stakes Grow High; Expect Fireworks Near the Inner Harbor Tonight
Bengals @ Ravens, Thursday @ 8:15 PM Thursday night brings us a classic AFC North showdown between the Bengals and Ravens, teams with familiar rhythms, predictable and strange. For Cincinnati, there’s the slow start – their autumnal ritual. They began this season in a lethargic quiet. Yet, November finds them awakening
Quick Slant: MNF - The Chiefs Make the Bucs Walk the Plank
Buccaneers at Chiefs, Monday @ 8:15 PM Anxious about tomorrow’s election? Indulge the NFL’s Monday night distraction. Tampa arrives in Kansas City as an avatar for the struggle of an enduring fan base that’s had to walk through a few thorns in recent weeks. Baker Mayfield was
Quick Slant: SNF - The Move, the Meniscus and a Couple of Maybes; How We Ended Up with Flacco vs. Darnold in a Game of Consequence
Colts @ Vikings, Sunday @ 8:20 PM Sunday night brings us a game between two teams with a rare commonality: Both have invested in QBs selected within the top ten of the NFL draft in the past two seasons. Each of those players now finds himself an understudy to a seasoned