Game of the Week:
Pittsburgh (5-1) at
New Orleans (4-3)
Sunday, 8:20 p.m. (NBC)
Most 20- and 30-year-old guys would view back-to-back weekends in Miami and New Orleans as one heck of a bachelor party stretch, but for the Steelers it’s the first two legs of a grueling three game road trip. Pittsburgh is 12-3 in prime-time regular season games under Mike Tomlin, but Drew Brees rarely has back-to-back underwhelming efforts. Take the Saints (-1) over the Steelers, who got lucky last week.
Crippling injury:
Mathias Kiwanuka,
DE, Giants
The team placed him on injured reserve Thursday with a herniated disk in his neck. This is the second time in four years that Kiwanuka will miss the majority of the season with an injury. Adding insult to that injury is the fact this is a contract year for the versatile end, but general manager Jerry Reese said he hopes to have him back next season. We wouldn’t count on it.
Who to Watch:
Ryan Fitzpatrick, QB Bills
He’s quietly having as jaw-dropping a statistical season as anyone in the AFC. In his past three starts — all Bills losses, of course — the Harvard grad completed 61 percent of his passes for 722 yards and nine touchdowns. His 102.0 passer rating is second best in the NFL. The Bills are heavy underdogs in KC this weekend but only because the defense surrenders a league-worst 33 ppg.
