Last week, my picks really took it on the chin. I went 5-11. I did better with the pick'em leagues I am in. Go figure. Well, let me try to turn this around with the 16 games this week. Fantasy football people, please note, bye weeks start next week, so get ready!!!!!
Season to date: 12-20 after two weeks....not good. Not good at all.
Bonus picks: Last week, I was totally right (3-0) on my first set of bonus picks on the TV show Married at First Sight. I was 3-2 on my picks for last week's NASCAR race at Chicago as shown below. I will make my picks for this week on Friday or Saturday. As it is Thursday afternoon, I am posting my pick for tonight's Tampa Bay-Atlanta game, and will post my other NFL and bonus picks before Sunday morning.
I also will post my thoughts on the NFL scandals going on right now. I had written a blog entry already which I had not posted, which was exclusively on the Ray Rice saga. But as new things have come to light, seemingly every day, I keep having to rethink and change my thoughts. I will post a comprehensive blog entry before the games play on Sunday. Enjoy the games!
Thursday Night Football (NFL Network/CBS): Tampa Bay at Atlanta: This might have been a better matchup if both teams were playing better (both last year and so far this year). Atlanta looked like their old selves in the opener in beating the Saints in overtime…but also looked the same in being upset at Cincinnati (who lost top WR A.J. Green in the first quarter!). Atlanta QB Matt Ryan having his all-star WRs Julio Jones and Roddy White, plus their supporting cast, back healthy makes this a dangerous offense and the defense is a little better than in the recent past. Dome teams do have trouble outdoors, but that excuse is weaker in warm September. Tampa is rebuilding , but has a lot of nice players and a good coach in Lovie Smith. That has not translated to the field however, due to injury and poor play. The fact that this game is in the Georgia Dome where high scoring (especially for Atlanta) makes this interesting.
Who wins? Short and sweet…Atlanta’s offense is tough to stop in any indoor location. Even Seattle’s vaunted Legion of Boom would have trouble here against these receivers. Tampa’s defense is not even close to a shadow of that. Unless Ryan throws a LOT of pick-sixes and/or the receivers start getting hurt again, Tampa will not stop them. Falcons win.
Atlanta 30 Tampa Bay 21
Update: Well. I did say that Atlanta was a totally different team indoors...especially at home. But the ass-kicking they put down last night was....epic. I was not expecting this kind of dominance. Congrats to Atlanta WR-KR Devin Hester for breaking HOF Deion Sanders' record for return touchdowns (kickoff, punt return, interception and/or fumble recovery return). And WR Roddy White did not even play! All I can say is that Tampa will be remembering this for the rematch in Tampa later in the year.
Sunday's games:
San Diego at Buffalo: The Chargers looked pretty good on MNF only to choke away the win at Arizona. Then they go home and upset the world champion Seahawks last week. Now they must come east to face…the undefeated Buffalo Bills. WTF? Buffalo is gaining momentum after surprise wins at Chicago and at home over Miami after they had upset the Patriots. Can they, led by QB E.J. Manuel do it again? West Coast teams historically have trouble coming East to play due to the distance and so on. Traveling from San Diego to Buffalo, NY is about as long a travel route a NFL team must take on (until next week when Oakland must travel to London to “host” Miami. Oh, joy! Better this than having to do Hard Knocks.). The Chargers under QB Phillip Rivers can handle this trip…better to do it now than in November or later. But which Chargers team is showing up?
Who wins? San Diego is as scrappy and tough a team as there is, but they don’t have a lot to show for it, history-wise. But this team was a playoff team (due to some help that shouldn’t have happened, per Steelers fans) and they did go into cold (but not snowy) Cincinnati as a wild-card and won. But Buffalo has too much good feeling going right now even after their founder passed away earlier this year. The sale of the team seems to be going well and this team is on fire. At home, I am not going against that. Buffalo goes to 3-0 with this win in another upset.
Buffalo 30 San Diego 27
Dallas at St. Louis: The St. Louis Rams looked totally dead in their tracks after Opening Day. Then they man up and get by a totally lost but scrappy Tampa Bay squad. Can they do it again at home? The Cowboys, especially on defense, sucks. Getting back suspended CB Orlando Scandrick for this game can help. But embattled MLB Rolando McClain, who is replacing often-hurt Sean Lee is[WF1] hurt and probably not playing. Rumors also say that QB Tony Romo may be out too due to injury, but we don’t know yet. Even if he was, this team will have a hard time beating almost anyone. This is not a game that many other than fans of each team will watch….even if they have NFL Sunday Ticket on DirecTV, like me.
Who wins? The Rams are not in good shape but they haven’t given up. After watching them come from nowhere to 2 Super Bowl appearances and one title with a QB and team coming from nowhere not that many years ago, knowing how parity rules the NFL now, almost NOTHING is impossible. Dallas has been in ruins for 20 years, with a few shiny pieces and a lot of BS from owner/wannabe GM Jerry Jones. This defense cannot stop most teams and if Romo goes down again, even against weaker teams. I have no faith in backup QB Brandon Weedeen to carry this team. I rarely miss a chance to pick against Dallas, but this time, I have a lot of good reason to do so. So I am. Rams win in a close game.
St. Louis 23 Dallas 20
Houston at the New York Giants: Houston is one of those surprising 2-0 teams. But it is because they took advantage of their schedule. Their defense has carried them to two wins over teams with offensive challenges. Now they travel to New York to face the Giants, who looks they barely showed up the first two weeks. Even without 1st round pick DE J. Clowney, this D is fierce with DE J.J. Watt leading them. What chance does the punch-less Giants and QB Eli Manning have unless Watt gets hurt? Right.
Who wins? Unless Eli and big bro Peyton Manning change jerseys or brain functions for a day, I would say the Giants are screwed, since there won’t be any snow to help them. But the Texans offense is not that hot either. The Giants could steal a win 3-0, but the Texans can score 13 at least….and they will. Sorry, Eli….you lose again. Houston goes to 3-0.
Houston 20 New York Giants 12
Minnesota at New Orleans: We all know the Minnesota situation so let’s skip all that. The Saints being 0-2 is a surprise, especially falling at Cleveland last week. The Saints cannot lose another game, especially in division (and conference) and make the playoffs , even as a wild card. The Saints finally get to play at home and we all know what QB Drew Brees and this team is like in the SuperDome. Even if “suspended” Minnesota HB Adrian Peterson was playing, I would be looking the other way….the game would be closer though.
Who wins? Look, if the Saints blow this game…regardless of why…season over for the Saints. Period. No way that is happening unless Brees AND TE Jimmy Graham both go down early. I am not saying Minnesota is a candidate for 0-16…but unless Peterson gets his personal mess in order and is allowed to return to play for the Vikings fast…it may happen. Saints win going away.
New Orleans 35 Minnesota 17
Tennessee at Cincinnati: The Bengals have started strong and lead the AFC North while the rest of the division struggles behind them. Tennessee got one win, then got blasted by Dallas without a defense last week. Cincinnati may do the same, especially if WR A.J. Green can play the whole game. Then again…it may not matter. The Titans are rebuilding…and that takes time. Sorry.
Who wins? Really? The Bengals stuffed Atlanta at home last week without anything from Green. Then the Falcons went home and took a dump (okay 3 dumps and more) on the Buccaneers. Tennessee cannot score like Atlanta or these Bengals. Easy call. Bengals go to 3-0.
Cincinnati 30 Tennessee 20
Green Bay at Detroit: Okay…Detroit beat the Giants at home, but left lots of points on the turf. Then they got crushed at Carolina. Green Bay crushes Detroit EVERYWHERE as long as all-world QB Aaron Rodgers plays (the whole game). He is playing…so what else do you need to say?
Who wins? Detroit is tough at home, but Rodgers has had their number for years. What is going to change here? Detroit RB Reggie Bush and/or WR Calvin Johnson scores a lot of points/yards? Fine. Do that. Rodgers will just do more and Green Bay still wins. Prove me wrong, Detroit. But you won’t. Packers win.
Green Bay 34 Detroit 30
Indianapolis at Jacksonville: The Colts choked on MNF to Philadelphia after almost making Denver do the same on SNF the week before. The Jags may have more in the tanks than we thought, but it still isn’t enough to beat the top teams…right? Colts QB Andrew Luck knows you must win the so-called easy games, and this is one of them. With Houston ahead of them, every win means more now. No time for upset losses. Seriously.
Who wins? Luck is more similar to his predecessor at QB in Indy than we thought…except he can run pretty good for a QB. This team is okay on the road…and the Jags don’t have the firepower or the D to stop the Colts anywhere. Sorry. Colts win.
Indianapolis 27 Jacksonville 20
Kansas City at Miami: Ouch. KC put up a fight at Denver last week but still lost after not trying hard in Week 1. Miami got upset in Buffalo after upsetting the Patriots. Will they look ahead to their game in London nezt week and not think about this one much? Probably not. Either way, this game will be ugly.
Who wins? I think the Chiefs are having a reality check on how good they really are. Miami is not that bad. Simply put, I think little of this game. Miami had better just win this and get ready for Oakland across the pond…otherwise, a upset here will cause a bigger one in London. Mark my words. Miami wins.
Miami 28 Kansas City 20
San Francisco at Arizona: Hmmmm…this is now a big game. The Cardinals are 2-0, even with starting QB Carson Palmer being out with injury since the MNF opener. I believe he is out today too. Injuries on both sides of the ball haven’t stopped Arizona, who knows they can play after they hit ten wins last year but still didn’t make the playoffs in the competitive NFC West. But this is big for the Niners too. They, like Seattle trail these Cardinals by a game. The Niners must not fall further behind….remember the two games against Seattle (twice in 3 weeks) is still well down the road. The Cardinals can make a huge statement by winning today at home if they want to find a way to the 2014 playoffs, even this early. Tough call and a good game to watch.
Who wins? Arizona is ready to make the upset, but the injuries worry me. SF TE Vernon Davis may be out today, too, but even if that happens, the Niners have too many other weapons, starting with the QB and ending with a still dangerous defense. However, I have nothing to lose. Arizona in a overtime upset to stay undefeated.
Arizona 27 San Francisco 24 (OT)
Denver at Seattle: Game of the Week!: You know the hype. You know the players. Denver WR Wes Welker is back from suspension and concussion a week early. This is a must-see game, regardless of how and where. Denver barely won their two games. Seattle wilted in the San Diego heat last week. But this game is in Seattle. Enough said.
Who wins? If Seattle’s D comes back strong at home, I don’t see Denver winning since the defense has improved, but not enough to stop Seattle. Seattle is not leading their division, so they must win to stay with the pack chasing Arizona, especially IF they upset the Niners. Hopefully, Denver will show more cojones this time. Bottom line, this is Denver’s first road game and they were NOT dominant at home. Not good enough going into the craziness of CenturyLink Field and facing the 12th Man. Seattle gets it done. Again.
Seattle 34 Denver 30
Baltimore at Cleveland: This game is a huge division game. The loser will fall two behind the Bengals if they lose and have 2 division losses, which could be the kiss of death. Baltimore has handled their off-the-field distractions well in a win over the Steelers 10 days ago. Can they win on the road, especially with RB Ray Rice gone, and RB Bernard Pierce out? QB Joe Flacco, time to earn your extension money. The Browns are flying high after upsetting the Saints last week. Baltimore is a different challenge, even at home. If this is to be more than another rebuilding year, these young Browns must win games like this and like last week, even if Browns QB Johnny Manziel stays on the sideline. Told you QB Brian Hoyer had game. Said it last year.
Who wins? Must win game. Ravens big game experience versus youth and crazy home field of Cleveland. Tough call. I want to see Cleveland relevant again, which makes a better NFL all around, and they need a feel-good story BADLY. I am taking Cleveland in a upset.
Cleveland 27 Baltimore 24 (OT)
Washington at Philadelphia: This is another must-watch game. Washington WR DeSean Jackson returns to Philly after they….dumped…him in the off-season for reasons I still don’t understand. The Eagles are 2-0 anyway, with WR Jeremy Maclin returning for missing all of 2013’s playoff team with injury. The Redskins lost QB Robert Griffin III for a while last week, but backup QB Kirk Cousins and the defense still crushed Jacksonville even worse than Philly had done the week before (scored 34 straight after falling behind 17-0). This is a big division game for both.
Who wins? I don’t care how good the Eagles’ offense is and how much they can score. You cannot win every week when you are down 17+ points early. Washington has nearly as many weapons as the Eagles and Cousins may be better in managing the offense than Griffin III. Either way, if the Redskins win TOP by a lot, the Eagles offense stays on the sideline and there is no comeback opportunity. I am taking Washington and conventional running the ball and game manager passing over the very lucky Eagles…even in Philly.
Washington 24 Philadelphia 20.
Oakland at New England: Okay, no one is taking Oakland here in the Patriots’ home opener. NE QB Tom Brady has not looked good. But he is another level at home. Oakland lost RB Maurice Jones-Drew again this week. Unfortunately, for this Raiders fan…that will not matter. I want and need to see a win, but I cannot see it this week. Unless…the Patriots that went to Miami shows up today. Hmmm.
Who wins? No one outside of Raiders fans will take Oakland. I am a Raiders fan..and I want a upset. But the head is realistic. You don’t win 7 fantasy football titles without a good head (and more…lol). Sorry guys. I have to take New England…but I will NOT be sad if I am wrong.
New England 30 Oakland 24
Sunday Night Football: Pittsburgh at Carolina: The Steelers were blasted at Baltimore last week in a game where they made all of the mistakes that we expected the distracted Ravens to make. Not. Carolina is more dangerous than Baltimore. They have distractions too, but they are handling it better. Like the Jets, this is a rare primetime HOME game for them, so they need to win. Choking early games can bite them later (remember Seattle Week 1 2013?). These Steelers are not ready for primetime, not last Thursday and not now, either.
Who wins? Carolina is not a scoring juggernaut, but neither is the Steelers. Simple bottom line, Carolina’s defense is too good and the Steelers’ defense is not close to good enough, even with extra time to prepare. Sorry. Carolina goes to 3-0.
Carolina 28 Pittsburgh 24
Monday Night Football: Chicago at the New York Jets: The Bears got a big upset last week on SNF, while the Jets choked away a major upset at Green Bay. Bears QB Jay Cutler is not Aaron Rodgers, but he does have game. If his two starting WRs were not playing, like they almost didn’t at SF, the Bears would have been screwed. But they played and you saw the results. The Jets may be a okay team, but they are not that impressive. Yet. This is a rare primetime opportunity for these Jets. They must win. Period.
Who wins? These Bears are not as good as last year’s team that choked a playoff berth at home in Week 17 against the Packers. These Jets are not those Packers, either. Who wins? The Jets are desperate for a upset win, and must win especially to keep up with Buffalo and the rest of the AFC East. I am taking New York…just crazy, I guess. I just see a Bears letdown, with two long travel road trips in primetime back to back. Sorry.
New York Jets 27 Chicago 24
Bonus picks:
1: NASCAR Chase for the Sprint Cup Race 2: New Hampshire: Brad Keslowski won last week, automatically putting him into the next round. I see another Chase driver winning here this week and moving on. I also expect Chase drivers to dominate the top 15, and I think the drivers at the bottom of the Chase group, like Aric Amirola to bounce back in a big way and be ready to fight next week at Dover to make the next round. Also, Danica Patrick and Tony Stewart will both finish in the top 20 too.
2. WWE Night of Champions: Real simple. I see three championship title changes tonight, including John Cena somehow regaining the WWE World Heavyweight title over Brock Lesnar. I also predict a surprise return/appearance and/or betrayal that NO ONE sees coming. Oh, and Randy Orton will lose tonight too.
Season to date: 12-20 after two weeks....not good. Not good at all.
Bonus picks: Last week, I was totally right (3-0) on my first set of bonus picks on the TV show Married at First Sight. I was 3-2 on my picks for last week's NASCAR race at Chicago as shown below. I will make my picks for this week on Friday or Saturday. As it is Thursday afternoon, I am posting my pick for tonight's Tampa Bay-Atlanta game, and will post my other NFL and bonus picks before Sunday morning.
I also will post my thoughts on the NFL scandals going on right now. I had written a blog entry already which I had not posted, which was exclusively on the Ray Rice saga. But as new things have come to light, seemingly every day, I keep having to rethink and change my thoughts. I will post a comprehensive blog entry before the games play on Sunday. Enjoy the games!
Thursday Night Football (NFL Network/CBS): Tampa Bay at Atlanta: This might have been a better matchup if both teams were playing better (both last year and so far this year). Atlanta looked like their old selves in the opener in beating the Saints in overtime…but also looked the same in being upset at Cincinnati (who lost top WR A.J. Green in the first quarter!). Atlanta QB Matt Ryan having his all-star WRs Julio Jones and Roddy White, plus their supporting cast, back healthy makes this a dangerous offense and the defense is a little better than in the recent past. Dome teams do have trouble outdoors, but that excuse is weaker in warm September. Tampa is rebuilding , but has a lot of nice players and a good coach in Lovie Smith. That has not translated to the field however, due to injury and poor play. The fact that this game is in the Georgia Dome where high scoring (especially for Atlanta) makes this interesting.
Who wins? Short and sweet…Atlanta’s offense is tough to stop in any indoor location. Even Seattle’s vaunted Legion of Boom would have trouble here against these receivers. Tampa’s defense is not even close to a shadow of that. Unless Ryan throws a LOT of pick-sixes and/or the receivers start getting hurt again, Tampa will not stop them. Falcons win.
Atlanta 30 Tampa Bay 21
Update: Well. I did say that Atlanta was a totally different team indoors...especially at home. But the ass-kicking they put down last night was....epic. I was not expecting this kind of dominance. Congrats to Atlanta WR-KR Devin Hester for breaking HOF Deion Sanders' record for return touchdowns (kickoff, punt return, interception and/or fumble recovery return). And WR Roddy White did not even play! All I can say is that Tampa will be remembering this for the rematch in Tampa later in the year.
Sunday's games:
San Diego at Buffalo: The Chargers looked pretty good on MNF only to choke away the win at Arizona. Then they go home and upset the world champion Seahawks last week. Now they must come east to face…the undefeated Buffalo Bills. WTF? Buffalo is gaining momentum after surprise wins at Chicago and at home over Miami after they had upset the Patriots. Can they, led by QB E.J. Manuel do it again? West Coast teams historically have trouble coming East to play due to the distance and so on. Traveling from San Diego to Buffalo, NY is about as long a travel route a NFL team must take on (until next week when Oakland must travel to London to “host” Miami. Oh, joy! Better this than having to do Hard Knocks.). The Chargers under QB Phillip Rivers can handle this trip…better to do it now than in November or later. But which Chargers team is showing up?
Who wins? San Diego is as scrappy and tough a team as there is, but they don’t have a lot to show for it, history-wise. But this team was a playoff team (due to some help that shouldn’t have happened, per Steelers fans) and they did go into cold (but not snowy) Cincinnati as a wild-card and won. But Buffalo has too much good feeling going right now even after their founder passed away earlier this year. The sale of the team seems to be going well and this team is on fire. At home, I am not going against that. Buffalo goes to 3-0 with this win in another upset.
Buffalo 30 San Diego 27
Dallas at St. Louis: The St. Louis Rams looked totally dead in their tracks after Opening Day. Then they man up and get by a totally lost but scrappy Tampa Bay squad. Can they do it again at home? The Cowboys, especially on defense, sucks. Getting back suspended CB Orlando Scandrick for this game can help. But embattled MLB Rolando McClain, who is replacing often-hurt Sean Lee is[WF1] hurt and probably not playing. Rumors also say that QB Tony Romo may be out too due to injury, but we don’t know yet. Even if he was, this team will have a hard time beating almost anyone. This is not a game that many other than fans of each team will watch….even if they have NFL Sunday Ticket on DirecTV, like me.
Who wins? The Rams are not in good shape but they haven’t given up. After watching them come from nowhere to 2 Super Bowl appearances and one title with a QB and team coming from nowhere not that many years ago, knowing how parity rules the NFL now, almost NOTHING is impossible. Dallas has been in ruins for 20 years, with a few shiny pieces and a lot of BS from owner/wannabe GM Jerry Jones. This defense cannot stop most teams and if Romo goes down again, even against weaker teams. I have no faith in backup QB Brandon Weedeen to carry this team. I rarely miss a chance to pick against Dallas, but this time, I have a lot of good reason to do so. So I am. Rams win in a close game.
St. Louis 23 Dallas 20
Houston at the New York Giants: Houston is one of those surprising 2-0 teams. But it is because they took advantage of their schedule. Their defense has carried them to two wins over teams with offensive challenges. Now they travel to New York to face the Giants, who looks they barely showed up the first two weeks. Even without 1st round pick DE J. Clowney, this D is fierce with DE J.J. Watt leading them. What chance does the punch-less Giants and QB Eli Manning have unless Watt gets hurt? Right.
Who wins? Unless Eli and big bro Peyton Manning change jerseys or brain functions for a day, I would say the Giants are screwed, since there won’t be any snow to help them. But the Texans offense is not that hot either. The Giants could steal a win 3-0, but the Texans can score 13 at least….and they will. Sorry, Eli….you lose again. Houston goes to 3-0.
Houston 20 New York Giants 12
Minnesota at New Orleans: We all know the Minnesota situation so let’s skip all that. The Saints being 0-2 is a surprise, especially falling at Cleveland last week. The Saints cannot lose another game, especially in division (and conference) and make the playoffs , even as a wild card. The Saints finally get to play at home and we all know what QB Drew Brees and this team is like in the SuperDome. Even if “suspended” Minnesota HB Adrian Peterson was playing, I would be looking the other way….the game would be closer though.
Who wins? Look, if the Saints blow this game…regardless of why…season over for the Saints. Period. No way that is happening unless Brees AND TE Jimmy Graham both go down early. I am not saying Minnesota is a candidate for 0-16…but unless Peterson gets his personal mess in order and is allowed to return to play for the Vikings fast…it may happen. Saints win going away.
New Orleans 35 Minnesota 17
Tennessee at Cincinnati: The Bengals have started strong and lead the AFC North while the rest of the division struggles behind them. Tennessee got one win, then got blasted by Dallas without a defense last week. Cincinnati may do the same, especially if WR A.J. Green can play the whole game. Then again…it may not matter. The Titans are rebuilding…and that takes time. Sorry.
Who wins? Really? The Bengals stuffed Atlanta at home last week without anything from Green. Then the Falcons went home and took a dump (okay 3 dumps and more) on the Buccaneers. Tennessee cannot score like Atlanta or these Bengals. Easy call. Bengals go to 3-0.
Cincinnati 30 Tennessee 20
Green Bay at Detroit: Okay…Detroit beat the Giants at home, but left lots of points on the turf. Then they got crushed at Carolina. Green Bay crushes Detroit EVERYWHERE as long as all-world QB Aaron Rodgers plays (the whole game). He is playing…so what else do you need to say?
Who wins? Detroit is tough at home, but Rodgers has had their number for years. What is going to change here? Detroit RB Reggie Bush and/or WR Calvin Johnson scores a lot of points/yards? Fine. Do that. Rodgers will just do more and Green Bay still wins. Prove me wrong, Detroit. But you won’t. Packers win.
Green Bay 34 Detroit 30
Indianapolis at Jacksonville: The Colts choked on MNF to Philadelphia after almost making Denver do the same on SNF the week before. The Jags may have more in the tanks than we thought, but it still isn’t enough to beat the top teams…right? Colts QB Andrew Luck knows you must win the so-called easy games, and this is one of them. With Houston ahead of them, every win means more now. No time for upset losses. Seriously.
Who wins? Luck is more similar to his predecessor at QB in Indy than we thought…except he can run pretty good for a QB. This team is okay on the road…and the Jags don’t have the firepower or the D to stop the Colts anywhere. Sorry. Colts win.
Indianapolis 27 Jacksonville 20
Kansas City at Miami: Ouch. KC put up a fight at Denver last week but still lost after not trying hard in Week 1. Miami got upset in Buffalo after upsetting the Patriots. Will they look ahead to their game in London nezt week and not think about this one much? Probably not. Either way, this game will be ugly.
Who wins? I think the Chiefs are having a reality check on how good they really are. Miami is not that bad. Simply put, I think little of this game. Miami had better just win this and get ready for Oakland across the pond…otherwise, a upset here will cause a bigger one in London. Mark my words. Miami wins.
Miami 28 Kansas City 20
San Francisco at Arizona: Hmmmm…this is now a big game. The Cardinals are 2-0, even with starting QB Carson Palmer being out with injury since the MNF opener. I believe he is out today too. Injuries on both sides of the ball haven’t stopped Arizona, who knows they can play after they hit ten wins last year but still didn’t make the playoffs in the competitive NFC West. But this is big for the Niners too. They, like Seattle trail these Cardinals by a game. The Niners must not fall further behind….remember the two games against Seattle (twice in 3 weeks) is still well down the road. The Cardinals can make a huge statement by winning today at home if they want to find a way to the 2014 playoffs, even this early. Tough call and a good game to watch.
Who wins? Arizona is ready to make the upset, but the injuries worry me. SF TE Vernon Davis may be out today, too, but even if that happens, the Niners have too many other weapons, starting with the QB and ending with a still dangerous defense. However, I have nothing to lose. Arizona in a overtime upset to stay undefeated.
Arizona 27 San Francisco 24 (OT)
Denver at Seattle: Game of the Week!: You know the hype. You know the players. Denver WR Wes Welker is back from suspension and concussion a week early. This is a must-see game, regardless of how and where. Denver barely won their two games. Seattle wilted in the San Diego heat last week. But this game is in Seattle. Enough said.
Who wins? If Seattle’s D comes back strong at home, I don’t see Denver winning since the defense has improved, but not enough to stop Seattle. Seattle is not leading their division, so they must win to stay with the pack chasing Arizona, especially IF they upset the Niners. Hopefully, Denver will show more cojones this time. Bottom line, this is Denver’s first road game and they were NOT dominant at home. Not good enough going into the craziness of CenturyLink Field and facing the 12th Man. Seattle gets it done. Again.
Seattle 34 Denver 30
Baltimore at Cleveland: This game is a huge division game. The loser will fall two behind the Bengals if they lose and have 2 division losses, which could be the kiss of death. Baltimore has handled their off-the-field distractions well in a win over the Steelers 10 days ago. Can they win on the road, especially with RB Ray Rice gone, and RB Bernard Pierce out? QB Joe Flacco, time to earn your extension money. The Browns are flying high after upsetting the Saints last week. Baltimore is a different challenge, even at home. If this is to be more than another rebuilding year, these young Browns must win games like this and like last week, even if Browns QB Johnny Manziel stays on the sideline. Told you QB Brian Hoyer had game. Said it last year.
Who wins? Must win game. Ravens big game experience versus youth and crazy home field of Cleveland. Tough call. I want to see Cleveland relevant again, which makes a better NFL all around, and they need a feel-good story BADLY. I am taking Cleveland in a upset.
Cleveland 27 Baltimore 24 (OT)
Washington at Philadelphia: This is another must-watch game. Washington WR DeSean Jackson returns to Philly after they….dumped…him in the off-season for reasons I still don’t understand. The Eagles are 2-0 anyway, with WR Jeremy Maclin returning for missing all of 2013’s playoff team with injury. The Redskins lost QB Robert Griffin III for a while last week, but backup QB Kirk Cousins and the defense still crushed Jacksonville even worse than Philly had done the week before (scored 34 straight after falling behind 17-0). This is a big division game for both.
Who wins? I don’t care how good the Eagles’ offense is and how much they can score. You cannot win every week when you are down 17+ points early. Washington has nearly as many weapons as the Eagles and Cousins may be better in managing the offense than Griffin III. Either way, if the Redskins win TOP by a lot, the Eagles offense stays on the sideline and there is no comeback opportunity. I am taking Washington and conventional running the ball and game manager passing over the very lucky Eagles…even in Philly.
Washington 24 Philadelphia 20.
Oakland at New England: Okay, no one is taking Oakland here in the Patriots’ home opener. NE QB Tom Brady has not looked good. But he is another level at home. Oakland lost RB Maurice Jones-Drew again this week. Unfortunately, for this Raiders fan…that will not matter. I want and need to see a win, but I cannot see it this week. Unless…the Patriots that went to Miami shows up today. Hmmm.
Who wins? No one outside of Raiders fans will take Oakland. I am a Raiders fan..and I want a upset. But the head is realistic. You don’t win 7 fantasy football titles without a good head (and more…lol). Sorry guys. I have to take New England…but I will NOT be sad if I am wrong.
New England 30 Oakland 24
Sunday Night Football: Pittsburgh at Carolina: The Steelers were blasted at Baltimore last week in a game where they made all of the mistakes that we expected the distracted Ravens to make. Not. Carolina is more dangerous than Baltimore. They have distractions too, but they are handling it better. Like the Jets, this is a rare primetime HOME game for them, so they need to win. Choking early games can bite them later (remember Seattle Week 1 2013?). These Steelers are not ready for primetime, not last Thursday and not now, either.
Who wins? Carolina is not a scoring juggernaut, but neither is the Steelers. Simple bottom line, Carolina’s defense is too good and the Steelers’ defense is not close to good enough, even with extra time to prepare. Sorry. Carolina goes to 3-0.
Carolina 28 Pittsburgh 24
Monday Night Football: Chicago at the New York Jets: The Bears got a big upset last week on SNF, while the Jets choked away a major upset at Green Bay. Bears QB Jay Cutler is not Aaron Rodgers, but he does have game. If his two starting WRs were not playing, like they almost didn’t at SF, the Bears would have been screwed. But they played and you saw the results. The Jets may be a okay team, but they are not that impressive. Yet. This is a rare primetime opportunity for these Jets. They must win. Period.
Who wins? These Bears are not as good as last year’s team that choked a playoff berth at home in Week 17 against the Packers. These Jets are not those Packers, either. Who wins? The Jets are desperate for a upset win, and must win especially to keep up with Buffalo and the rest of the AFC East. I am taking New York…just crazy, I guess. I just see a Bears letdown, with two long travel road trips in primetime back to back. Sorry.
New York Jets 27 Chicago 24
Bonus picks:
1: NASCAR Chase for the Sprint Cup Race 2: New Hampshire: Brad Keslowski won last week, automatically putting him into the next round. I see another Chase driver winning here this week and moving on. I also expect Chase drivers to dominate the top 15, and I think the drivers at the bottom of the Chase group, like Aric Amirola to bounce back in a big way and be ready to fight next week at Dover to make the next round. Also, Danica Patrick and Tony Stewart will both finish in the top 20 too.
2. WWE Night of Champions: Real simple. I see three championship title changes tonight, including John Cena somehow regaining the WWE World Heavyweight title over Brock Lesnar. I also predict a surprise return/appearance and/or betrayal that NO ONE sees coming. Oh, and Randy Orton will lose tonight too.
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