@Karensman - you're prob right on the Chubb injury. I assumed BAL & LAC were match up issues and the bye was helpful. Takes me back to Mr. Bitter's comment... "the ghost of Chubb will limp" I cant find it below but that was pure comedy and sticks with me. Not that it matters, but when I checked the stats he was 10 for 50 and now he shows 11 for 50. Odd, but 4.5 not 5.0 vs NO.

I dont like the TNF game but I like your take on the refs. I may roll 0.5U on CLE +9.5 to start a 6-game teaser for fun.

@Bitter "Nick Chubb may be cooked; if Winston has to throw it around, the TOs could easily pile up"

Its only a matter of time before he implodes. I felt good about him VS Saints and even thought he was the deciding factor based on taking care of the ball, but joke was on me when he went 395-2-0.

Looking ahead: DAL is bad but Lawrence, Bland, Lewis & Cooks are due back soon. I hope they get worked in DC (speaking of DC - Quinn revenge game?). Side note... how'd DAL let Quinn, Armstrong & Biadasz go? 3 great pieces to a div rival.

Thinking of betting DAL in the near future - maybe vs DeVito

@Karensman 

Nick Chubb is a month shy of his 29th birthday. That's old relative to RBs, and Chubb is a very old 29. Last season's leg injury was vomit-inducing, and he had an equally gross leg injury in college.

Chubb is the heart and soul of the team - so his return has some short-term "good vibes" value - but he just doesn't look the same. Given his age/mileage, I think it would be a miracle if he ever will.

As for Stafford - yeah, everyone in the NFL is playing hurt to some degree, but not all injuries are equal. From what I've gathered, Stafford's main issue is his back - and back issues are often career-killers. Stafford is approaching 37. He's still a high-level QB, but It just feels like he's on borrowed time.

@Mr. Bitter & Baird : I haven't been watching the Browns games close enough to see how Chubb is playing. If I remember correctly didn't he suffer a catastrophic knee injury last year. The original projection was that they hoped that he would be able to play sometime this year ? What they didn't mention was what level of performance he would reach. Serious injuries take a long recovery time just to be able to play, usually at much less than maximum performance as well as the speed, maneuverability, and recovery period from a physical game all becoming factors. One of the toughest parts of handicapping football injuries is trying to determine whether a player is fully recovered. Most players come back early and are shot up with pain pills that masks the pain but doesn't enhance performance. I'm also leaning towards the Bears but refuse to bet them because I'm a lifelong fan. [ I also hate being at a huge coaching disadvantage ] 

   Also as far as injuries : you always keep in mind that Stafford may be more injured than we think. Doesn't that go for a lot of QB's ? I know Stafford was really brutalized when he played behind a horrible OL in Detroit all those years. When he got a chance to play behind a quality line in LA he won the Super Bowl but hasn't seemed to reach that level of his first year in LA [ mostly because of O-Line ] .