If you like rivalries, this is a particularly good week to be watching the NFL.
Cowboys-Washington. Ravens-Browns. Packers-Vikings – at Minnesota’s brand-new stadium. Division foes Miami and New England.
Maybe best of all, Bengals-Steelers, with both teams coming off wins and looking to establish their credentials as not only an AFC North power, but a Super Bowl contender.
“Physical. Heated. It’s going to be a good game. It’s going to be a slugfest,” says Bengals tight end Tyler Eifert, who won’t be involved because of an ankle injury.
“We play them every year, twice a year, sometimes three,” Cincinnati cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick adds. “They know us personally, and we know those guys personally. So it’s a little different.”
Rivalries tend to be that way, whether in Week 2, Week 17 or in the postseason. Remember, this was the matchup in an AFC wild-card game the Bengals blew when Vontaze Burfict and Adam Jones flew off the handle in January.
“We’re a pretty cool team,” defensive end Cam Heyward says. “We don’t get too high or too low. We try to stay pretty focused on the goal, that’s to win the game. All that ulterior stuff is hoopla. We don’t pay attention to it.”
EAGLES: Malcolm Jenkins plans to lead teammates in a protest that he says is “not an anti-police thing” during the national anthem when Philadelphia plays at Chicago on Monday night.
“I was very clear: It’s not an anti-police thing. In fact, the police are a key part of the solution in this issue,” Jenkins said after practice Saturday . “It has nothing to do with the military, nothing to do with the flag itself. If you listen, the message has been the same across the board. The police are a key part of the solution, in this issue, across the nation.”
CHIEFS: Kansas City waived defensive lineman Rakeem Nunez-Roches and elevated offensive lineman Jordan Devey from the practice squad for Sunday’s game in Houston.
COLTS: Indianapolis outside linebacker Trent Cole didn’t travel with the team and will miss Sunday’s game at Denver with a back injury.
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