Traina Thoughts: Expect Ezekiel Elliott To Return To Form This Week
1. Three things that will happen in the NFL this weekend.
*The Cowboys will bounce back against the Cardinals and Ezekiel Elliott will have a big game: Elliot had eight yards and nine carries last week as the Cowboys got embarrassed by the Broncos. Then the really bad stuff happened and Elliott was called out for giving up on plays during the blowout loss. The running back admitted this week there was a lack of effort on his part. That's a good sign. It will also help Dallas that Carson Palmer is shot.
*Falcons-Lions will be the best game of the day: Both teams come in 2-0. Can Detroit keep up with Atlanta's high-octane offense now run by coordinator, Steve Sarkisian? I don't know, but it will be fun to watch. If you like offense, this game will make you happy. The over/under on this game is 50.5. I could see the over hitting by the third quarter.
*Twitter will be a lot of fun at 9:30 a.m. ET on Sunday: This is when NFL fans realize 1) There's a London game beginning at that time and 2) The only way you can watch the Ravens-Jaguars game is by streaming it on Yahoo!. That's a lot of trouble to go through just to watch Blake Bortles throw a few interceptions across the pond.
2. This week's Off The Board podcast is an all-NFL talk edition with Andrew Perloff, from SI.com the Dan Patrick Show. The Danette came on to defend some of his wacky thoughts (which you can now see in his new weekly SI.com column) and opine about what's going on in the league these days. Later in the show, I'm joined by new SI.com staffer, Daniel Rapaport, for an NFL picks segment. Daniel is from Northwestern, so he's trying to make a ridiculous nickname for Trevor Seimian happen. You can listen below or download on iTunes, SoundCloud and Stitcher.
3. Yes, the big storyline from Thursday's Rams-Niners game is that both teams unexpectedly lit up the scoreboard. However, another big talking point from the game was analyst Cris Collinsworth saying Rams defensive lineman Aaron Donald was a Hall of Famer. Here's how that went over on Twitter.
4. Speaking of Aaron Donald, this might be the worst roughing-the-passer penalty in NFL history.
6. With the NFL treating us to another 9:30 a.m. ET game at the U.K.'s Wembley Stadium this Sunday, here's a fun Q&A with the co-founder of a London sportsbook on the differences between gambling in Britain and the U.S.
7. Yesterday, the Extra Mustard staff here at SI.com posted a piece on 77 Reasons We Love Sports Right Now. One of my entries on the list was "Friday Night Lights on Netflix." Of course, a couple of hours after we published our story, it was announced that Netflix is ditching FNL on Oct. 1, so if you haven't seen the best sports show ever, start binging now. Actually, first watch this classic Coach Taylor speech, then start binging.
8. RANDOM WRESTLING VIDEO OF THE DAY: Bobby "The Brain" Heenan, Gorilla Monsoon and a turkey. That is all.
The best of the Internet, plus musings by SI.com writer, Jimmy Traina. Get the link to a new Traina's Thoughts each day by following on Twitter and liking on Facebook. Catch up on previous editions of Traina Thoughts. And check Jimmy Traina's weekly podcast, "Off The Board," on iTunes, SoundCloud and Stitcher.
BONUS ITEM: Take Purdue +10 against Michigan on Saturday.
