Sports talk is frequently used as a common language but it’s far from universal. If you’re someone who doesn’t follow or even understand sports, you can find yourself at a disadvantage in common small-talk situations like in an elevator, waiting for a bus, sitting at a bar, or around the proverbial water cooler at work. Even if you are a sports fan, it’s impossible to watch everything and know everything. To help in these situations, we provide lines to use when engaged in a conversation about all of the high profile sporting events of the day, plus explanations of what they mean.
NFL Football
Sunday, October 25, 2015 9:30 a.m. ET
Buffalo Bills 31 at Jacksonville Jaguars 34
Line: You can dismiss the teams if you want, but London got a heck of a game.
What it means: Most NFL teams don’t want to travel to London and it seems like the more powerful ones are able to prevent the league from sending them. As a result, the London games tend to be between teams, like the Bills and Jaguars, who have not been good for many years. That’s led many fans to dismiss the London games as boring or even unwatchable. Not true for this close game.
Sunday, October 25, 2015 1 p.m. ET
Cleveland Browns 6 at St. Louis Rams 24
Line: I can’t think of anything to say about this game. No really. I guess the Rams might be good?
What it means: I can’t think of anything to say about this game. No really. I guess the Rams might be good?
Minnesota Vikings 28 at Detroit Lions 19
Line: It’s hard to believe that this was the Vikings’ first division win on the road in three years. They seem downright respectable this season — like a strong wildcard contender.
What it means: The Vikings have been bad for several seasons. So bad that they’ve lost all their divisional road games (three per year) for the last three years. This week, they broke that streak by beating the Lions. It may seem like a meaningless statistic, but in this case, it’s also symbolic of real progress. The Lions are playing like a playoff team.
Houston Texans 26 at Miami Dolphins 44
Line: It’s amazing how much the Dolphins must have hated their old coach.
What it means: Since the Dolphins fired their coach three weeks ago, they’ve won both of their games in very convincing fashion. Since it’s difficult for a new coach to make tactical changes in such a short time, it’s safe to assume that the Dolphins simply didn’t like their old coach and weren’t playing as hard for him as they are now for the new coach.
New Orleans Saints 27 at Indianapolis Colts 21
Line: This year’s AFC South is last year’s NFC South — 7-9 might win the division.
What it means: Last year, the NFC South division, which the Saints are in, was so poor across the board, that the Carolina Panthers won it and qualified for the playoffs with a 7-8-1 record. This year, the Colts, who play in the AFC South division, may find themselves in a similar position. After seven games, the Colts are 3-4 and still better than the other three teams in their division.
Pittsburgh Steelers 13 at Kansas City Chiefs 23
Line: Big Ben will be back soon.
What it means: The Steelers quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger, is known as Big Ben. He hurt his knee during the third game of the season. Since then, they’ve been trying their best to stay afloat without him. They’ve actually done pretty well — winning two games and losing two — but their fans will be very glad to get their starting quarterback back, probably next week.
New York Jets 23 at New England Patriots 30
Line: Dog bites man, Patriots beat Jets.
What it means: There’s a parable in the news industry that “dog bites man” isn’t news but “man bites dog” is. Well, in football terms, the Patriots beating the Jets isn’t news, but the Jets beating the Patriots would be. No news was made in this game.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 30 at Washington Redskins 31
Line: Kirk Cousins led a last minute drive to win the game and save Washington D.C. from another week of existential football crisis.
What it means: Washington is a tortured sports city and their sports talk would have been profoundly depressing this week if it weren’t for a last minute touchdown drive orchestrated by quarterback Kirk Cousins.
Atlanta Falcons 10 at Tennessee Titans 7
Line: This was either an ugly game that a really good team won or a sign that the Falcons aren’t actually a very good team.
What it means: There’s a sports truism that the sign of a good team is that they can win games even when they play badly. The Falcons may have done that today… then again, they may also have just struggled to beat a mediocre team because they themselves are not that good.
Sunday, October 25, 2015 4:05 or 4:25 p.m. ET
Oakland Raiders 37 at San Diego Chargers 29
Line: The future belongs to the Raiders.
What it means: The Raiders have been stuck behind the other three teams in their division, the Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs, and Chargers for years. Although they still probably won’t catch the Broncos, who are undefeated this year, but their stock of young, talented players suggests that they could surpass all three teams in the next couple years.
Dallas Cowboys 20 at New York Giants 27
Line: By the time Dez and Tony get back, it may be too late for the Cowboys.
What it means: The Cowboys lost their two best offensive players, wide receiver Dez Bryant and quarterback Tony Romo, at the start of the season to long-term injuries. They’re both expected back this year, but it may be too little, too late for the Cowboys to have a shot at making the playoffs. They’ve now lost four games straight without these two players.
Sunday, October 25, 2015 8:30 p.m. ET
Philadelphia Eagles 16 at Carolina Panthers 27
Line: In a weird way, this game was worse for the New Orleans Saints than it was for the Eagles.
What it means: Despite the Eagles loss and general malaise, because of the weakness of their division, at 3-4, they’re still only one game back from the division lead. The New Orleans Saints, who won yesterday and who are also 3-4 are stuck in a division with the Panthers, who moved to 6-0 by beating the Eagles, and the Atlanta Falcons, who are 6-1. It’s going to be far harder for the Saints to maneuver themselves back into the playoff hunt than it will be for the Eagles.