To make matters even better, Mike Reiss is reporting we will NOT get a Jim Nantz/Phil Simms broadcast and we WILL get former NESN great Jamie Erdahl on the sidelines. The Sox game is on TBS, so one can only hope that also means a talent NESN willingly let go, Don Orsillo, will be in our living rooms.
So now that it's all nice and tidy, we're guaranteed a minimum of four games between the Patriots/Red Sox and Browns/Indians.
I don't need to remind you of the championship scoreboard between Boston and Cleveland, but lots of talk that Cleveland's on the up and up since Bronny brought the Cavs back from 3-1 down to win the city's first title since Pete Best was still a member of the Beatles.
It's time to restore the Earth to its proper tilt on its axis of 23.5 degrees, to put Cleveland back in its place. To ensure the Browns stay on the right track to 0-16 while the Patriots march towards a new meaning of 18-1, and to ensure the Indians sneaky World Series drought continues to grow towards 70 years (been since 1948 for the Tribe, with only the Cubbies more desperate).
I feel bad for Cleveland in a sense, and I kind of wish it was the Yankees and Jets or Giants that were about to feel the wrath, but beggars can't be choosers.
Add it all together, and it's time to figure out how many points Brady is going to drop on the Browns and how many runs the Sox can string together on the Indians' dinged-up rotation.
The Patriots are averaging just 20.25 points per game thanks to Sunday's abomination, while the Browns are giving up 28.75. Of course, Cleveland has given up 30 and 31 points the last two weeks, respectively, to the Miami Dolphins and Washington Redskins, a.k.a. Jimmy Garoppolo and Jacoby Brissett's future destinations. Add in an enraged Tom Brady and I'd have to say the Pats should score about 45 points on Sunday.
With the Red Sox, it's a little harder to pinpoint how many runs they'll score, because they'll play anywhere between three and five games. They averaged 5.42 runs per game in the regular season...and you have to figure with Clay Buchholz getting a start in Game 4, they may need closer to 10 runs to win...I've got Sox in 4, so I bet they cross the plate 25 times in the series.
The official Barnes Road Tavern Over/Under for Boston vs. Cleveland this coming week is 70. If I know Tom Brady and David Ortiz like I think I do, as two guys who are sick and tired of having their names dragged through the mud, I'd project a total closer to 100. Place your bets accordingly.
PS: I will lose all faith in humanity if the Thursday Night Football game between the Cardinals and 49ers this week does a better rating in Boston/Providence/Worcester/etc. than the Red Sox-Indians Game 1. Those ratings are sinking fast. Gotta keep showing @nflcommish what it really looks like when something gets deflated.
UPDATE
Rain is a pretty good bet. Intensity still needs to be worked out. https://t.co/2nIlkPYBSd— Michael Page (@MichaelPageWx) October 4, 2016
Less than ideal forecast for Sunday. Mike's the best meteorologist in the city so I've gotta take his word for it, but I'm hoping he's wrong this one time.
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