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Week 13 of NFLonTVinSLC:
Rams at Patriots, 11 a.m., Ch. 13
While it's not ideal that glass man Rob Gronkowski is broken again, it's not wholly unexpected either. Martellus Bennett, despite ankle and shoulder problems of his own, will fill in nicely. That shifts the focus to the other predominant storyline coming out of New England this week: Tom Brady's quest to become the winningest NFL quarterback of all time.
Considering the predominant storylines coming out of L.A. are the deactivation of former No. 2 overall pick Greg Robinson on account of his 12 penalties being the most committed by any offensive player in the league, and the defense allowing 63 points in its last 64:02 of game time, and franchise icon Eric Dickerson revealing that coach Jeff Fisher told him he was no longer welcome at games because current players were upset at his brutal assessments of their brutal performances …
Well, I guess that's all just a roundabout way of saying Peyton Manning will soon be sending Brady a congratulatory Papa Johns pizza.
Broncos at Jaguars, 11 a.m., Ch. 2
It's not ideal that Denver, which is suddenly fighting for its playoff life, will be without QB Trevor Siemian, who threw for 368 yards and three TDs last week but sprained a foot the fifth time he was sacked. It's also not ideal that there are suddenly questions about the team's chemistry and camaraderie, with CB Aqib Talib shoving Jordan Norwood following a muffed punt return being held up as a sign that a defense which has generated a league-best 93 points off turnovers — 35 percent of the season total — is frustrated at constantly doing the heavy lifting.
It IS ideal, conversely, that none of that probably matters against a Jacksonville team which is 0-4 at home, has lost six straight, has clinched a ninth-straight non-winning season, and is about to become the sixth team in league history to achieve a double-digit loss total for at least six straight seasons.
Giants at Steelers, 2 p.m., Ch. 13
Pittsburgh has yet to allow a 100-yard rusher this season, and considering New York is 31st in rushing, that streak seems safe. Le'Veon Bell's chances of hitting that mark against the G-Men appears much likelier, even if the Giants are fifth in rushing defense.
But who cares? Running the ball is so 20th century. These days, it's all about who can "spin it," as Jon Gruden is so fond of saying. Yeah, these teams can do that. Eli Manning is 98 yards away from reaching 3,000 for a 12th straight season. Ben Roethlisberger has thrown for 336 ypg with 15 TDs vs. two picks in games at Heinz Field this year. And the guys they're throwing it to are halfway decent. Antonio Brown's 10 TDs are tied for the league lead, while Odell Beckham Jr.'s eight are tied for fourth.
Spin away, gents … spin away.
Panthers at Seahawks, 6:30 p.m., Ch. 5
I don't care about who threw whose team flag to the ground in whose stadium last year, so this Richard Sherman-Cam Newton back-and-forth about "karma" is just silly and dumb.
Here's what it comes down to: Which offensive line's play will be less offensive? Both have been less than ideal. Carolina now has three OLs on IR, and will be starting undrafted rookie Tyler Larsen of Utah State at center. Seattle's line, which had shown some recent progress, was a sieve vs. Tampa, allowing Russell Wilson to be hit 11 times and sacked six. Meanwhile, Thomas Rawls ran for 38 yards.
I know it's cliché to say good teams are good up front, but sometimes clichés are true.
Twitter: @esotericwalden