Post by KING KID on Oct 5, 2017 0:16:05 GMT
Okay, so I couldn't think of anything fancy for the thread title. However, this is the return of the BYE week. I was waiting for UT or HR to start one, but it's Wednesday night and there's way too many good games in store that I'm too excited to not talk about.
I will be doing my usual pickem of the week after going 10-6 last week. With 10 wins, I'm still at the bottom of the list down 6 from the first place guy. What pisses me off about that is that I have picked the Giants FOUR times this season and they've lost FOUR times. I've picked against the Jets FOUR times this season and they've won TWO times. There's my 6 right there! Anyways, let's get on to this week.
The important stories going into this week are the bye weeks, the return of Doug Martin, the amount of injuries to players in Week 3 like Derek Carr and season ending injuries to Dalvin Cook and Chris Carson. Let's hope for a better week for the athletes and an exciting week of some football. We are 1/4 in for the football season. Let's see what the final 3/4 hold for us.
THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL:
New England Patriots (2-2) @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-1)
- The New England Patriots continue to struggle on defense and last week was another example of it. Tom Brady is literally the reason this team isn't 0-4 as this defense ranks last. Brandin Cooks has yet to be that every game baller that many expected when he arrived to New England, but that shouldn't scare people away from him. His TD catch against Houston was big enough to warrant him being a Patriot. His disappearing act can also be contributed to Tom Brady sharing the ball with everyone. Their running game is a "who's up next" mentality and that's what makes it hard to game plan against them and gameplan on fantasy. New England is going to have their hands full with a fired up Buccaneers squad who just won a last second FG.
The Buccaneers nearly lost the game last week, showing their defense is vulnerable. Nick Folk was also one more missed FG away from losing his job. After the thrashing they received in the hands of the Bears, it was hard to see if this team had the winning edge. Winston showed that last week and is expected to have a big game against the poor D. A big game for Mike Evans here is inevitable and Vegas has this game at a high 50 point score total. The good news for the Buccaneers offense is the return of Doug Martin to help improve their running game. After a bleh season last season, he exploded into the preseason making everyone think that he's back. With Rodgers never really taking over the starting role, the Buccaneers may find out that Doug Martin was this offenses last needed weapon. A game with an easy to expose defense should really give the world a vision of what the Buccaneers truly are this season.
This game is may be high scoring and it may come down to who has the last drive of the game. A familiar tune for both teams. The Buccaneers have a huge opportunity right now to show the world who they are and with the home crowd behind them, it's hard to pick against them. Except I will. I don't know how or when, but I know that the Patriots WILL eventually fix that defense. I don't know if this is going to be that game, but I think this is the game where the Patriots D at least makes a huge 4th quarter stop that helps them seal the win. I expect big games from both QBs in this one, but when it matters most, Winston will throw an interception to end their chances. The Patriots will walk away from this victory and it will be an important one with the division leading Bills facing the Bengals. The Patriots get to enjoy the Sunday games while the rest of the AFC East plays and tries to keep up or keep ahead of the Patriots.
New England Patriots win 34-27
New York Jets (2-2) @ Cleveland Browns (0-4)
- The New York Jets are the most winningest team in New Jersey! I would say New York, but then I would have to be reminded that Buffalo is technically New York. So then why doesn't Buffalo get us Dunkin Donuts perks when they win? I'll tell you why! They're not real! Anyways, thanks for two straight weeks of $1 large iced coffees at Dunkin Gang Green! Let's make it 3! Let's talk about how they made it two. The run game went insane and that was without Forte. Their D is playing with a lot of heart and is only going to get better as time goes by. To top it off, Josh McCown is playing good football! Now let's talk about how they tried everything in their power to give the game away last week and were one holding call on Benn away from being 1-3. They need to stop with the stupid mistakes. Josh McCown goes into Cleveland to take on his former team. You ready for an interesting fact? Josh McCown has NEVER won a game in Cleveland. His lone win as a Brown was on the road. Will he finally win a game in Cleveland in green? We'll see.
The Cleveland Browns are off to another disastrous start. They're 0-4 and have faced some bad teams and lost. They lost to the winless Colts. They lost to the winless Bengals. They are currently the worst team in the NFL. Deshone Kizer is the worst starter in the NFL. The Cleveland Browns are 2-29 in their last 31 games. That is awful. In some good news, they may be getting their first round pick Myles Garrett back on the field this week. The bad news; they're still the Browns.
So this has all the writing of a Jets loss on it. A Notre Dame QB to be Blindys infamous Scrub of the Night (SOTN) in Kizer. Josh McCown having never won a game in Cleveland could continue. The Jets really not being a good team and coming into this game sleep walking. This is a very dangerous game for the Jets and every superstition is pushing me to pick the Browns, but I can't. It has nothing to do with the Dunkin Donuts app and everything to do with the Cleveland Browns. They're just a bad team and the Jets have beaten both Florida teams in the AFC. That's impressive. I've picked against the Jets every game this season and I'll end that now (which means they'll probably lose), but it won't be a blowout. It'll be another nail biter that'll send th Cleveland fans home booing and in brown bags. This should be a bad football game to watch as Josh McCown runs in the game winning TD to pick up his first win in Cleveland. Jets have a winning record after 5 games! Oh my goodness!
New York Jets win 17-15
Los Angeles Chargers (0-4) @ New York Giants (0-4)
- I might as well keep it going with New York teams and winningless teams. Both of these teams are 0-4 and have both faced heartbreaking losses. The Chargers lost their first two games by missing FGs and the Giants have lost their last 2 games due to their opponents kicking GW FGs. So here they both stand with zero wins and 25% of their schedule wrapped up. Who has it worse? Believe it or not, I'm going to say the Chargers. They may be the only NFL team this season to have 16 ROAD GAMES and 0 HOME GAMES. They once again continued their streak of losing games by fewer then 7 points. What are they now? 1-13 in their last 14 games decided by fewer then a TD? If that's not humiliating enough, their home game last week was filled with Philadelphia Eagles fans. This has to be heartbreaking for Philip Rivers and his draft night will get thrown in his face over and over again. Eli holding up the Chargers uniform shaking his head in disgust and then ending up in New York with 2 Super Bowl rings and 2 Super Bowl MVP trophies. All while Philip Rivers has been stuck in the pit of Chargers hell. Shit, even Drew Brees was lucky and was shipped off. From what I hear, Rivers has 8 kids at home and apparently that's less stressful to be around then a Chargers game.
The Giants are by far the biggest disappointment of the season. They're 0-4 and 0-2 against their division. Brandon Marshall keeps dropping passes. OBJ keeps being selfish. Eli Manning keeps getting pressured. They still have no running game (I don't want to hear about Perkins replacement, either). To top it off, their punter has shanked two last minute punts in two straight weeks that have cost them both games. They're literally fucking up everywhere.
A loss here ends the season for both teams. I know many believe that the season is already over for them both, but I think the Giants still have a chance. Fortunately for Big Blue, they're facing a cursed and demoralized Chargers team. Eli vs Rivers should feel bigger then this, but who would've thought that they'd face all these years later in a battle of 0-4 teams? Probably nobody. I'm giving it to the Giants in another close game loss for the Chargers.
New York Giants win 23-17
Tennessee Titans (2-2) @ Miami Dolphins (1-2)
- The Tennessee Titans are coming from a game where they were absolutely annihilated by their division rivals, Texans. To make matters worse, Marcus Marriota got injured. For the second straight season, Derek Carr and Marcus Marriota got injured in the same week. Tell me that something weird isn't happening before our eyes here?! TELL ME! There is still no definitive proof that Marriota is playing this week, although it's leaning towards him playing. Even if he plays, I'm expecting the Titans to rely heavily on the running game here. Bounce back performances should be expected from Demarco Murray and Derick Henry here. That D needs to step it up, too. That game against Houston has put them in a bad look for defenses. This is the exact game they need to bounce back. The perfect matchup to feel better about themselves. If they don't perform well against Miami here, that D should be embarrassed.
The Miami Dolphins have now scored a total of SIX points against the New York Jets and New Orleans Saints and it's honestly not even fair to say 6. That touchdown happened in the final seconds of the game against the Jets. That means they could've easily been shut out in back to back games. If you want to look even further, this team was a last second missed FG by Koo/SD away from being 0-3 right now. Gase wants to be optimistic and bring up last seasons 1-3 start to a 10-6 finishing turnaround up, but man, this start is plain awful. Everyone wants to blame Jay Cutler, which is understandable, but where is Ajayi? Yes, everyone game plans around him, but so what? You want to be a star, be a star. Step it the fuck up.
I expect Miami to get back into the end zone in this one, atleast twice. I just don't think they're going to win. This result doesn't even depend on Marriota honestly. I just have zero belief in Miami right now. I see them starting this season at 1-3 again and this time, they won't have a bye week to get their shit together. They'll literally have to play it through. The home team will be sending Miami off the field with loud boos after this one. Tennessee by double digits here, with Murray and Henry both getting into the end zone once.
Tennessee Titans win 27-17
Buffalo Bills (3-1) @ Cincinnati Bengals (1-3)
- Last week, I asked if Buffalo should be taken as a threat if they beat Atlanta on the road. Everyone said, "no". Meaning that nobody believes they're a threat and nobody respects them. That lack of respect carries onto this game as they face a 1-3 team who is being favored by 3 points! Crazy or not crazy?! Tyrod Taylor continues to be a quiet and stellar QB for Buffalo and that D continues to shut down the opposition. Week in and week out and still no respect. This game could be a tough one, though as Cincinnatis D has been playing stellar. If they can shut down Matt Ryan, then I think it's fair to say they can shut down Red Rifle. The only question for Buffalo is when/if Lesean McCoy ever going to wake up.
Cincinnati finally got that first win on the board. A near shut out victory against Cleveland. Andy Dalton scored with ease and he has made people almost forget about his first two weeks. Almost. Gingers are hard to like, forget to forgive. Anyways, it's hard to judge what kind of an offense this is by looking at the Cleveland matchup. This is going to be the test for Andy Dalton to see if he's really back to form or is just never going to be good enough to beat good teams. Don't be surprised if Joe Mixon is the game changer here.
Listen, it's hard for me to believe in Buffalo yet. A road game in Cincinnati has me understanding the Bengals being favored. I am enjoying Buffalos ride so far and their rise to 3-1. If New England loses on Thursday and Buffalo picks up this victory, I will be right there with all the fake New Yorkers being excited about this team. It's just too soon to fully trust them. Watching AFC East football for a long time, this just seems like one of those let down games for the Bills. It will be close, but I see Cincinnati surviving at home. With my prediction of New England and the Jets winning, we would have a 3-way tie at the top of the AFC East after 5.
Cincinnati Bengals win 20-17
Jacksonville Jaguars (2-2) @ Pittsburgh Steelers (3-1)
- I was so excited to see Fournette in up and close action. So excited to see this super awesome, super hyped Jaguars D in action against a weak Jets team. What did I get? I got Bilal Powell and a 3rd string RB running through and past Jacksonville. I got Fournette playing great and Blake Bortles playing like the worst starting QB I have ever seen. My goodness is his throwing accuracy fucking awful! How is he still a starting QB?! How can Henne be worse then that? He can't be. Blake Bortles overthrows everything. He is fucking awful. That WR Benn should also have been released after last weeks holding call on Fournettes game winning TD catch. Fournette was going to score no matter what, but this bum held the guy for no fucking reason. The Jaguars should be 3-1 coming into this game and are instead 2-2 because they literally did everything in their power to give the game away. Instead of being at the top of their division, they're tied with 2 other teams and have all of a sudden become the third most expected team to win the division again.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are still my pick to win it all. Two weeks ago, the biggest story was Villanueva. Last weeks biggest story is Antonio Browns diva fit with the Gatorade bucket (but holy shit, he was WIDE open). This team is not playing good enough to get these distractions off of their back. Leveon Bell finally had a big game and after what the Jets running game just did against the Jags, you can expect more of the same for Bell coming into this one. Big Ben called out AB and has done it in the past with Martavis, as well. The reason he may want to retire is because he just dislikes his teammates to be honest. He misses the days of Hines Ward and Heath Miller. He's now surrounded by a bunch of divas in Bell, Brown and Bryant. The Killer B's demise may eventually be that diva bullshit and I wouldn't be surprised if that's what's really killing Big Ben on the inside.
Anyways, this is a home game where Big Ben plays good. The Jags have been great on odd week games and bad on even week games so Jacksonville might actually win this game! I doubt it, though. I expect Fournette to continue his streak of scoring TDs, possibly two. However, Blake Bortles is just going to throw this team out of the game in the second half and that's when I expect the Steelers to put them away. A big second half should win this for Pitt after a tight score at halftime. I got the Steelers improving to 4-1.
Pittsburgh Steelers win 38-17
San Francisco 49ers (0-4) @ Indianapolis Colts (1-3)
- Oh look, another awful game! The 49ers came so close to picking up their first victory of the season last week. Instead, they suffered another heartbreaking loss by failing to stop Larry Fitzgerald. They're now 0-4 and could've won any of their match ups this season. If you're a Niners fan, I would remain optimistic about the future and what Lynch has planned. Arizona is done very soon and Seattle has 2-3 years left in them. This division could belong to San Francisco soon, again. Look at what the Rams are doing. The problem the Niners have is their inability to get into the end zone. There's too many games where all they're getting is FGs. If they're not getting into the end zone, they're not beating anyone.
Indianapolis has some good news with Andrew Luck practicing now. He should be returning by Week 7 or 8. After playing the Seahawks tight for one half, they got blown out of the water in the second half. Their lone win this season came to a bad team in the Cleveland Browns and they get the luxury of facing another winless team in the 49ers here. If they can stay close in the division race, it will make this division super exciting when Andrew Luck returns in neck beard Superman fashion. Oh, also Frank Gore looks to pass Eric Dickerson on the rushing list against the team he started it all with, the 49ers. Many are predicting him to have a big game. This could be a big turnaround game for the Colts to keep their fans optimistic.
Except, I don't see the Colts winning this one. The San Francisco 49ers have been playing too good to still be winless. Yes, I know this is a road game, but the 49ers can win this one. The 49ers aren't going to beat their upcoming NFC East schedule and I don't see them falling to 0-8 before Halloween even arrives. The Colts may be looking too much into their upcoming division games against the Titans and the Jaguars and may give this game up. Until Luck returns, there's not many teams I will predict the Colts beating. Not even the Niners at home. I got the 49ers picking up their first win of the season.
San Francisco 49ers win 26-17
Arizona Cardinals (2-2) @ Philadelphia Eagles (3-1)
- The Arizona Cardinals survived another one against the 49ers. It took the new rules of OT and a HOFer in Fitz to do so. To say that this Arizona team looks lost without David Johnson would be an understatement. They just have no flow and it's almost as if their gameplan for the season was "Feed DJ" and once he went down, they ran out of ideas. It's still too early to knock them out and at 2-2, they're still in the mix of things. If they can stay in the hunt until David Johnson comes back, this team could easily steal a playoff spot and even the division. Their D is good enough, once they finally lock down.
The Philadelphia Eagles have been survivors in their own ways. They survived the Giants and survived the Chargers in back to back weeks. They now sit atop of the NFC East all by themselves at 3-1. Blount has been playing like Marshawn Lynch in his prime and Carson Wentz has been cool, calm and collective. Their only loss of the season has been to the only undefeated team in Kansas City. The Eagles are dangerous and believe it or not, QUIETLY DANGEROUS. However, they're not just dangerous to the rest of the NFL, but dangerous to themselves and their fan base. Who can forget their amazing start to last season ending with them going on a losing streak and ending at a bleh 7-9 record? Philly hasn't forgotten so tread carefully here.
If this game was in Arizona, I would be leaning more towards an upset. However, the Arizona offense has been so lost and them having to travel to the loud Philadelphia stadium just doesn't bode well for them. They'll fail to score much in this game and will be methodically torn apart by Wentz here. Philly should be able to continue their hot start to the season, but buyers beware.
Philadelphia Eagles win 27-10
Carolina Panthers (3-1) @ Detroit Lions (3-1)
- OHMAHGER CAMS BACK! SUPAHMAN! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's.... A fucking mirage! People need to chill out. The Patriots D is THAT bad. Let's not get carried away. Listen, I just want to see McCaffrey have a big game here. I don't think the Panthers are as good as their record shows and they're about to get punched in the mouth by a very gritty and underrated defense in Detroit.
The Lions should be undefeated, but whatever. They shut down the Vikings and Mr. Clutch Matthew Stafford was able to do it again. The Purple Eaters are a tough team to score on, but the Lions D did their thing to neutralize them enough for Stafford to get them back into the lead. The Lions are a very good team and they'll continue to prove that here.
This is a very good game in the making and I probably need to respect Cam more, but people certainly need to respect the Lions more. The Detroit Lions are no joke. This will be a close game, but the 4th quarter belongs to Matthew Stafford and he will make enough plays to put his team ahead for good and for the W. The Detroit fans are too nervous to be excited from all the PTSD heartbreak this team has given them, but they'll be leaving this one happy.
Detroit Lions win 30-17
Baltimore Ravens (2-2) @ Oakland Raiders (2-2)
- To start off the late afternoon games, we'll get a match up between two teams on two game losing streaks. Two teams who are one loss away from having their season in real trouble. The team with the least trouble right now is the Ravens. They're 2-1 in their division, but are coming off of a game where they were just unable to get anything going on offense. Two games in a row of that. Their D was so dominant in the first two games against the shitty half of their division that it overshadowed the lack of offense on the Ravens. Yes, Flaccos contract is to blame, but it's getting bad.
The last time the Raiders were in Oakland, everyone was dancing and having a good time and everyone was picking them to make it to the AFC Championship game. Well, what a difference two weeks of football in between make. First, the Redskins completely shut down the Raiders offense on national TV. Then the next week, Derek Carr gets injured and is now out with a back injury for 2-6 weeks. Wow. Like any party in Oakland, that shit went downhill fast. Amari Cooper has been Mr. Stone Hands this season and may never be as good as everyone thought he would be. Michael Crabtree is hurt. Marshawn Lynch has been stuffed. Now, to top it off, EJ Manuel is their starting QB. Wow.
If you look at the two rosters, Oakland has the better team. On paper and they're at home. Oakland should win this game. Still, I'm going to pick experience over youth in this one. I am really disappointed in this Carr injury as I was excited for this seasons Raiders, but I'm jumping off this ship before it gets real ugly. I think the Ravens D forces Manuel to make mistakes and forces him into turnovers. Justin Tucker will put up enough points for the Ravens and Flacco will play mistake-free football. This one will be a low scoring win for the road team.
Baltimore Ravens win 19-13
Seattle Seahawks (2-2) @ Los Angeles Rams (3-1)
- Is it too early to say that this is the biggest game of the season for both teams? Because it is. Especially for the home team. Let's start off with the road team, the Seattle Seahawks. Russell Wilson has been playing his heart out and running for his life due in large part to the O-Line troubles. More was expected from this team coming into this season, but they have yet to reach their expectations. They just lost their starting RB Carson for the season to a broken leg and will now be relying on other average RBs. Not too much of a change there, in my opinion. I actually didn't see the awesomeness of Carson and this team really did Marshawn dirty. They'll never find his replacement. That D is not ready to give up their division crown and will be playing with a lot of passion in this one.
The Rams are everyone's favorite team. The Greatest Show is back and they are led by everyone's favorite for HC of the Year, the young Sean McVeigh. Jarred Goff may be the next Peyton Manning. Following up an awful rookie season with a great career. Todd Gurley has been untouchable all season and would be the most talked about RB if Kareem Hunt was still in Toledo. They just upset Americas Team, the other youthful beasts in Dallas. That could be a playoff rivalry for years to come and that was an exciting game. Now comes the real test for the Rams. The team that has held that division on lock for the last bunch of years, the Seahawks. A win in front of the home crowd would completely rock the NFL. It would give them a 2 game lead over Seattle with the tiebreaker and even possibly Arizona. The Rams can win this game and start running away with the division.
Listen, I'm going to stick to nostalgia and stick with the pride of the BOOM here. I will say this, though. If the Rams win this game, they are legit. And I mean first round bye legit. I want to get on that bandwagon, but I'm old and I can't make impulsive decisions anymore. I have responsibilities. My responsibilities rely on me playing it safe. So I will here. I'll pick the Seahawks to win this one and not relinquish their grip on that division. A two way tie at the top of the division is my prediction. Not yet, Los Angeles.
Seattle Seahawks win 27-23
Green Bay Packers (3-1) @ Dallas Cowboys (2-2)
- GOTW right here. A rematch of last seasons playoffs. Same arena. Same superstars. Same result? I don't know. Aaron Rodgers is my first quarter of the season MVP. Yes, over Brady and Hunt. What Aaron Rodgers has been able to do with all the injuries to his receivers and offensive linemen is unbelievable. It's some legendary shit. The fact that he's only been to one Super Bowl is criminal to his actual skills and may be the unfortunate definition of his legacy 15-20 years from now. UT will be old and gray talking up Aaron Rodgers like our fathers talked up Dan Marino. Atleast he got that one ring. These injuries are mounting on Green Bay and it's sad to see. Aaron Rodgers is a God, though so he'll keep the Packers as a legit contender all year long. I don't know if Montgomery is going to go this game, but I expect Rodgers to throw for over 400 yards in this one.
The Dallas Cowboys remember what happened to them the last time they saw the Green God of Green Bay. They got prematurely knocked out of the playoffs. Maybe they were looking too much into this game and not respecting the Rams last week, but they will most certainly be laser focused on this game. They want that revenge and they want the win. I expect Dak to play great. I expect their usual suspects so shine in Witten and Zeke. They've kept Witten quiet the last two weeks and maybe that's because they want him to explode in this one. We'll see.
I'm pumped about this game, because of the lore of Packers vs Cowboys. I can't wait to see the stars out for this one. I picked the Packers to avenge their playoff loss against the Falcons and I was wrong. I'm probably going to be wrong again, but I'm picking the Cowboys to avenge their playoff loss to the Packers here. I just don't see the Cowboys falling below .500 and they just want this game way more then Green Bay does. Especially after being sent home in their big-to some FIRST-playoff game. The Cowboys winning a thriller here. The injuries may finally catch up to Green Bay. This is going to be a shootout in Arlington!
Dallas Cowboys win 38-34
As for the SNF and MNF games, my quick picks:
- The Houston Texans hand the Kansas City Chiefs their first loss of the season as Deshaun Watson leads a game winning TD drive in the final two minutes to give the home crowd something to go crazy about. Texans win 21-17!
- The Chicago Bears win an OT boring/thriller against the Minnesota Vikings when Mitch Trubitsky throws his first career TD pass on the first drive of OT to Tarik Cohen for the win. The rookies shine on the night caps! Bears win 16-10 in OT!
I will be doing my usual pickem of the week after going 10-6 last week. With 10 wins, I'm still at the bottom of the list down 6 from the first place guy. What pisses me off about that is that I have picked the Giants FOUR times this season and they've lost FOUR times. I've picked against the Jets FOUR times this season and they've won TWO times. There's my 6 right there! Anyways, let's get on to this week.
The important stories going into this week are the bye weeks, the return of Doug Martin, the amount of injuries to players in Week 3 like Derek Carr and season ending injuries to Dalvin Cook and Chris Carson. Let's hope for a better week for the athletes and an exciting week of some football. We are 1/4 in for the football season. Let's see what the final 3/4 hold for us.
THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL:
New England Patriots (2-2) @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-1)
- The New England Patriots continue to struggle on defense and last week was another example of it. Tom Brady is literally the reason this team isn't 0-4 as this defense ranks last. Brandin Cooks has yet to be that every game baller that many expected when he arrived to New England, but that shouldn't scare people away from him. His TD catch against Houston was big enough to warrant him being a Patriot. His disappearing act can also be contributed to Tom Brady sharing the ball with everyone. Their running game is a "who's up next" mentality and that's what makes it hard to game plan against them and gameplan on fantasy. New England is going to have their hands full with a fired up Buccaneers squad who just won a last second FG.
The Buccaneers nearly lost the game last week, showing their defense is vulnerable. Nick Folk was also one more missed FG away from losing his job. After the thrashing they received in the hands of the Bears, it was hard to see if this team had the winning edge. Winston showed that last week and is expected to have a big game against the poor D. A big game for Mike Evans here is inevitable and Vegas has this game at a high 50 point score total. The good news for the Buccaneers offense is the return of Doug Martin to help improve their running game. After a bleh season last season, he exploded into the preseason making everyone think that he's back. With Rodgers never really taking over the starting role, the Buccaneers may find out that Doug Martin was this offenses last needed weapon. A game with an easy to expose defense should really give the world a vision of what the Buccaneers truly are this season.
This game is may be high scoring and it may come down to who has the last drive of the game. A familiar tune for both teams. The Buccaneers have a huge opportunity right now to show the world who they are and with the home crowd behind them, it's hard to pick against them. Except I will. I don't know how or when, but I know that the Patriots WILL eventually fix that defense. I don't know if this is going to be that game, but I think this is the game where the Patriots D at least makes a huge 4th quarter stop that helps them seal the win. I expect big games from both QBs in this one, but when it matters most, Winston will throw an interception to end their chances. The Patriots will walk away from this victory and it will be an important one with the division leading Bills facing the Bengals. The Patriots get to enjoy the Sunday games while the rest of the AFC East plays and tries to keep up or keep ahead of the Patriots.
New England Patriots win 34-27
New York Jets (2-2) @ Cleveland Browns (0-4)
- The New York Jets are the most winningest team in New Jersey! I would say New York, but then I would have to be reminded that Buffalo is technically New York. So then why doesn't Buffalo get us Dunkin Donuts perks when they win? I'll tell you why! They're not real! Anyways, thanks for two straight weeks of $1 large iced coffees at Dunkin Gang Green! Let's make it 3! Let's talk about how they made it two. The run game went insane and that was without Forte. Their D is playing with a lot of heart and is only going to get better as time goes by. To top it off, Josh McCown is playing good football! Now let's talk about how they tried everything in their power to give the game away last week and were one holding call on Benn away from being 1-3. They need to stop with the stupid mistakes. Josh McCown goes into Cleveland to take on his former team. You ready for an interesting fact? Josh McCown has NEVER won a game in Cleveland. His lone win as a Brown was on the road. Will he finally win a game in Cleveland in green? We'll see.
The Cleveland Browns are off to another disastrous start. They're 0-4 and have faced some bad teams and lost. They lost to the winless Colts. They lost to the winless Bengals. They are currently the worst team in the NFL. Deshone Kizer is the worst starter in the NFL. The Cleveland Browns are 2-29 in their last 31 games. That is awful. In some good news, they may be getting their first round pick Myles Garrett back on the field this week. The bad news; they're still the Browns.
So this has all the writing of a Jets loss on it. A Notre Dame QB to be Blindys infamous Scrub of the Night (SOTN) in Kizer. Josh McCown having never won a game in Cleveland could continue. The Jets really not being a good team and coming into this game sleep walking. This is a very dangerous game for the Jets and every superstition is pushing me to pick the Browns, but I can't. It has nothing to do with the Dunkin Donuts app and everything to do with the Cleveland Browns. They're just a bad team and the Jets have beaten both Florida teams in the AFC. That's impressive. I've picked against the Jets every game this season and I'll end that now (which means they'll probably lose), but it won't be a blowout. It'll be another nail biter that'll send th Cleveland fans home booing and in brown bags. This should be a bad football game to watch as Josh McCown runs in the game winning TD to pick up his first win in Cleveland. Jets have a winning record after 5 games! Oh my goodness!
New York Jets win 17-15
Los Angeles Chargers (0-4) @ New York Giants (0-4)
- I might as well keep it going with New York teams and winningless teams. Both of these teams are 0-4 and have both faced heartbreaking losses. The Chargers lost their first two games by missing FGs and the Giants have lost their last 2 games due to their opponents kicking GW FGs. So here they both stand with zero wins and 25% of their schedule wrapped up. Who has it worse? Believe it or not, I'm going to say the Chargers. They may be the only NFL team this season to have 16 ROAD GAMES and 0 HOME GAMES. They once again continued their streak of losing games by fewer then 7 points. What are they now? 1-13 in their last 14 games decided by fewer then a TD? If that's not humiliating enough, their home game last week was filled with Philadelphia Eagles fans. This has to be heartbreaking for Philip Rivers and his draft night will get thrown in his face over and over again. Eli holding up the Chargers uniform shaking his head in disgust and then ending up in New York with 2 Super Bowl rings and 2 Super Bowl MVP trophies. All while Philip Rivers has been stuck in the pit of Chargers hell. Shit, even Drew Brees was lucky and was shipped off. From what I hear, Rivers has 8 kids at home and apparently that's less stressful to be around then a Chargers game.
The Giants are by far the biggest disappointment of the season. They're 0-4 and 0-2 against their division. Brandon Marshall keeps dropping passes. OBJ keeps being selfish. Eli Manning keeps getting pressured. They still have no running game (I don't want to hear about Perkins replacement, either). To top it off, their punter has shanked two last minute punts in two straight weeks that have cost them both games. They're literally fucking up everywhere.
A loss here ends the season for both teams. I know many believe that the season is already over for them both, but I think the Giants still have a chance. Fortunately for Big Blue, they're facing a cursed and demoralized Chargers team. Eli vs Rivers should feel bigger then this, but who would've thought that they'd face all these years later in a battle of 0-4 teams? Probably nobody. I'm giving it to the Giants in another close game loss for the Chargers.
New York Giants win 23-17
Tennessee Titans (2-2) @ Miami Dolphins (1-2)
- The Tennessee Titans are coming from a game where they were absolutely annihilated by their division rivals, Texans. To make matters worse, Marcus Marriota got injured. For the second straight season, Derek Carr and Marcus Marriota got injured in the same week. Tell me that something weird isn't happening before our eyes here?! TELL ME! There is still no definitive proof that Marriota is playing this week, although it's leaning towards him playing. Even if he plays, I'm expecting the Titans to rely heavily on the running game here. Bounce back performances should be expected from Demarco Murray and Derick Henry here. That D needs to step it up, too. That game against Houston has put them in a bad look for defenses. This is the exact game they need to bounce back. The perfect matchup to feel better about themselves. If they don't perform well against Miami here, that D should be embarrassed.
The Miami Dolphins have now scored a total of SIX points against the New York Jets and New Orleans Saints and it's honestly not even fair to say 6. That touchdown happened in the final seconds of the game against the Jets. That means they could've easily been shut out in back to back games. If you want to look even further, this team was a last second missed FG by Koo/SD away from being 0-3 right now. Gase wants to be optimistic and bring up last seasons 1-3 start to a 10-6 finishing turnaround up, but man, this start is plain awful. Everyone wants to blame Jay Cutler, which is understandable, but where is Ajayi? Yes, everyone game plans around him, but so what? You want to be a star, be a star. Step it the fuck up.
I expect Miami to get back into the end zone in this one, atleast twice. I just don't think they're going to win. This result doesn't even depend on Marriota honestly. I just have zero belief in Miami right now. I see them starting this season at 1-3 again and this time, they won't have a bye week to get their shit together. They'll literally have to play it through. The home team will be sending Miami off the field with loud boos after this one. Tennessee by double digits here, with Murray and Henry both getting into the end zone once.
Tennessee Titans win 27-17
Buffalo Bills (3-1) @ Cincinnati Bengals (1-3)
- Last week, I asked if Buffalo should be taken as a threat if they beat Atlanta on the road. Everyone said, "no". Meaning that nobody believes they're a threat and nobody respects them. That lack of respect carries onto this game as they face a 1-3 team who is being favored by 3 points! Crazy or not crazy?! Tyrod Taylor continues to be a quiet and stellar QB for Buffalo and that D continues to shut down the opposition. Week in and week out and still no respect. This game could be a tough one, though as Cincinnatis D has been playing stellar. If they can shut down Matt Ryan, then I think it's fair to say they can shut down Red Rifle. The only question for Buffalo is when/if Lesean McCoy ever going to wake up.
Cincinnati finally got that first win on the board. A near shut out victory against Cleveland. Andy Dalton scored with ease and he has made people almost forget about his first two weeks. Almost. Gingers are hard to like, forget to forgive. Anyways, it's hard to judge what kind of an offense this is by looking at the Cleveland matchup. This is going to be the test for Andy Dalton to see if he's really back to form or is just never going to be good enough to beat good teams. Don't be surprised if Joe Mixon is the game changer here.
Listen, it's hard for me to believe in Buffalo yet. A road game in Cincinnati has me understanding the Bengals being favored. I am enjoying Buffalos ride so far and their rise to 3-1. If New England loses on Thursday and Buffalo picks up this victory, I will be right there with all the fake New Yorkers being excited about this team. It's just too soon to fully trust them. Watching AFC East football for a long time, this just seems like one of those let down games for the Bills. It will be close, but I see Cincinnati surviving at home. With my prediction of New England and the Jets winning, we would have a 3-way tie at the top of the AFC East after 5.
Cincinnati Bengals win 20-17
Jacksonville Jaguars (2-2) @ Pittsburgh Steelers (3-1)
- I was so excited to see Fournette in up and close action. So excited to see this super awesome, super hyped Jaguars D in action against a weak Jets team. What did I get? I got Bilal Powell and a 3rd string RB running through and past Jacksonville. I got Fournette playing great and Blake Bortles playing like the worst starting QB I have ever seen. My goodness is his throwing accuracy fucking awful! How is he still a starting QB?! How can Henne be worse then that? He can't be. Blake Bortles overthrows everything. He is fucking awful. That WR Benn should also have been released after last weeks holding call on Fournettes game winning TD catch. Fournette was going to score no matter what, but this bum held the guy for no fucking reason. The Jaguars should be 3-1 coming into this game and are instead 2-2 because they literally did everything in their power to give the game away. Instead of being at the top of their division, they're tied with 2 other teams and have all of a sudden become the third most expected team to win the division again.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are still my pick to win it all. Two weeks ago, the biggest story was Villanueva. Last weeks biggest story is Antonio Browns diva fit with the Gatorade bucket (but holy shit, he was WIDE open). This team is not playing good enough to get these distractions off of their back. Leveon Bell finally had a big game and after what the Jets running game just did against the Jags, you can expect more of the same for Bell coming into this one. Big Ben called out AB and has done it in the past with Martavis, as well. The reason he may want to retire is because he just dislikes his teammates to be honest. He misses the days of Hines Ward and Heath Miller. He's now surrounded by a bunch of divas in Bell, Brown and Bryant. The Killer B's demise may eventually be that diva bullshit and I wouldn't be surprised if that's what's really killing Big Ben on the inside.
Anyways, this is a home game where Big Ben plays good. The Jags have been great on odd week games and bad on even week games so Jacksonville might actually win this game! I doubt it, though. I expect Fournette to continue his streak of scoring TDs, possibly two. However, Blake Bortles is just going to throw this team out of the game in the second half and that's when I expect the Steelers to put them away. A big second half should win this for Pitt after a tight score at halftime. I got the Steelers improving to 4-1.
Pittsburgh Steelers win 38-17
San Francisco 49ers (0-4) @ Indianapolis Colts (1-3)
- Oh look, another awful game! The 49ers came so close to picking up their first victory of the season last week. Instead, they suffered another heartbreaking loss by failing to stop Larry Fitzgerald. They're now 0-4 and could've won any of their match ups this season. If you're a Niners fan, I would remain optimistic about the future and what Lynch has planned. Arizona is done very soon and Seattle has 2-3 years left in them. This division could belong to San Francisco soon, again. Look at what the Rams are doing. The problem the Niners have is their inability to get into the end zone. There's too many games where all they're getting is FGs. If they're not getting into the end zone, they're not beating anyone.
Indianapolis has some good news with Andrew Luck practicing now. He should be returning by Week 7 or 8. After playing the Seahawks tight for one half, they got blown out of the water in the second half. Their lone win this season came to a bad team in the Cleveland Browns and they get the luxury of facing another winless team in the 49ers here. If they can stay close in the division race, it will make this division super exciting when Andrew Luck returns in neck beard Superman fashion. Oh, also Frank Gore looks to pass Eric Dickerson on the rushing list against the team he started it all with, the 49ers. Many are predicting him to have a big game. This could be a big turnaround game for the Colts to keep their fans optimistic.
Except, I don't see the Colts winning this one. The San Francisco 49ers have been playing too good to still be winless. Yes, I know this is a road game, but the 49ers can win this one. The 49ers aren't going to beat their upcoming NFC East schedule and I don't see them falling to 0-8 before Halloween even arrives. The Colts may be looking too much into their upcoming division games against the Titans and the Jaguars and may give this game up. Until Luck returns, there's not many teams I will predict the Colts beating. Not even the Niners at home. I got the 49ers picking up their first win of the season.
San Francisco 49ers win 26-17
Arizona Cardinals (2-2) @ Philadelphia Eagles (3-1)
- The Arizona Cardinals survived another one against the 49ers. It took the new rules of OT and a HOFer in Fitz to do so. To say that this Arizona team looks lost without David Johnson would be an understatement. They just have no flow and it's almost as if their gameplan for the season was "Feed DJ" and once he went down, they ran out of ideas. It's still too early to knock them out and at 2-2, they're still in the mix of things. If they can stay in the hunt until David Johnson comes back, this team could easily steal a playoff spot and even the division. Their D is good enough, once they finally lock down.
The Philadelphia Eagles have been survivors in their own ways. They survived the Giants and survived the Chargers in back to back weeks. They now sit atop of the NFC East all by themselves at 3-1. Blount has been playing like Marshawn Lynch in his prime and Carson Wentz has been cool, calm and collective. Their only loss of the season has been to the only undefeated team in Kansas City. The Eagles are dangerous and believe it or not, QUIETLY DANGEROUS. However, they're not just dangerous to the rest of the NFL, but dangerous to themselves and their fan base. Who can forget their amazing start to last season ending with them going on a losing streak and ending at a bleh 7-9 record? Philly hasn't forgotten so tread carefully here.
If this game was in Arizona, I would be leaning more towards an upset. However, the Arizona offense has been so lost and them having to travel to the loud Philadelphia stadium just doesn't bode well for them. They'll fail to score much in this game and will be methodically torn apart by Wentz here. Philly should be able to continue their hot start to the season, but buyers beware.
Philadelphia Eagles win 27-10
Carolina Panthers (3-1) @ Detroit Lions (3-1)
- OHMAHGER CAMS BACK! SUPAHMAN! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's.... A fucking mirage! People need to chill out. The Patriots D is THAT bad. Let's not get carried away. Listen, I just want to see McCaffrey have a big game here. I don't think the Panthers are as good as their record shows and they're about to get punched in the mouth by a very gritty and underrated defense in Detroit.
The Lions should be undefeated, but whatever. They shut down the Vikings and Mr. Clutch Matthew Stafford was able to do it again. The Purple Eaters are a tough team to score on, but the Lions D did their thing to neutralize them enough for Stafford to get them back into the lead. The Lions are a very good team and they'll continue to prove that here.
This is a very good game in the making and I probably need to respect Cam more, but people certainly need to respect the Lions more. The Detroit Lions are no joke. This will be a close game, but the 4th quarter belongs to Matthew Stafford and he will make enough plays to put his team ahead for good and for the W. The Detroit fans are too nervous to be excited from all the PTSD heartbreak this team has given them, but they'll be leaving this one happy.
Detroit Lions win 30-17
Baltimore Ravens (2-2) @ Oakland Raiders (2-2)
- To start off the late afternoon games, we'll get a match up between two teams on two game losing streaks. Two teams who are one loss away from having their season in real trouble. The team with the least trouble right now is the Ravens. They're 2-1 in their division, but are coming off of a game where they were just unable to get anything going on offense. Two games in a row of that. Their D was so dominant in the first two games against the shitty half of their division that it overshadowed the lack of offense on the Ravens. Yes, Flaccos contract is to blame, but it's getting bad.
The last time the Raiders were in Oakland, everyone was dancing and having a good time and everyone was picking them to make it to the AFC Championship game. Well, what a difference two weeks of football in between make. First, the Redskins completely shut down the Raiders offense on national TV. Then the next week, Derek Carr gets injured and is now out with a back injury for 2-6 weeks. Wow. Like any party in Oakland, that shit went downhill fast. Amari Cooper has been Mr. Stone Hands this season and may never be as good as everyone thought he would be. Michael Crabtree is hurt. Marshawn Lynch has been stuffed. Now, to top it off, EJ Manuel is their starting QB. Wow.
If you look at the two rosters, Oakland has the better team. On paper and they're at home. Oakland should win this game. Still, I'm going to pick experience over youth in this one. I am really disappointed in this Carr injury as I was excited for this seasons Raiders, but I'm jumping off this ship before it gets real ugly. I think the Ravens D forces Manuel to make mistakes and forces him into turnovers. Justin Tucker will put up enough points for the Ravens and Flacco will play mistake-free football. This one will be a low scoring win for the road team.
Baltimore Ravens win 19-13
Seattle Seahawks (2-2) @ Los Angeles Rams (3-1)
- Is it too early to say that this is the biggest game of the season for both teams? Because it is. Especially for the home team. Let's start off with the road team, the Seattle Seahawks. Russell Wilson has been playing his heart out and running for his life due in large part to the O-Line troubles. More was expected from this team coming into this season, but they have yet to reach their expectations. They just lost their starting RB Carson for the season to a broken leg and will now be relying on other average RBs. Not too much of a change there, in my opinion. I actually didn't see the awesomeness of Carson and this team really did Marshawn dirty. They'll never find his replacement. That D is not ready to give up their division crown and will be playing with a lot of passion in this one.
The Rams are everyone's favorite team. The Greatest Show is back and they are led by everyone's favorite for HC of the Year, the young Sean McVeigh. Jarred Goff may be the next Peyton Manning. Following up an awful rookie season with a great career. Todd Gurley has been untouchable all season and would be the most talked about RB if Kareem Hunt was still in Toledo. They just upset Americas Team, the other youthful beasts in Dallas. That could be a playoff rivalry for years to come and that was an exciting game. Now comes the real test for the Rams. The team that has held that division on lock for the last bunch of years, the Seahawks. A win in front of the home crowd would completely rock the NFL. It would give them a 2 game lead over Seattle with the tiebreaker and even possibly Arizona. The Rams can win this game and start running away with the division.
Listen, I'm going to stick to nostalgia and stick with the pride of the BOOM here. I will say this, though. If the Rams win this game, they are legit. And I mean first round bye legit. I want to get on that bandwagon, but I'm old and I can't make impulsive decisions anymore. I have responsibilities. My responsibilities rely on me playing it safe. So I will here. I'll pick the Seahawks to win this one and not relinquish their grip on that division. A two way tie at the top of the division is my prediction. Not yet, Los Angeles.
Seattle Seahawks win 27-23
Green Bay Packers (3-1) @ Dallas Cowboys (2-2)
- GOTW right here. A rematch of last seasons playoffs. Same arena. Same superstars. Same result? I don't know. Aaron Rodgers is my first quarter of the season MVP. Yes, over Brady and Hunt. What Aaron Rodgers has been able to do with all the injuries to his receivers and offensive linemen is unbelievable. It's some legendary shit. The fact that he's only been to one Super Bowl is criminal to his actual skills and may be the unfortunate definition of his legacy 15-20 years from now. UT will be old and gray talking up Aaron Rodgers like our fathers talked up Dan Marino. Atleast he got that one ring. These injuries are mounting on Green Bay and it's sad to see. Aaron Rodgers is a God, though so he'll keep the Packers as a legit contender all year long. I don't know if Montgomery is going to go this game, but I expect Rodgers to throw for over 400 yards in this one.
The Dallas Cowboys remember what happened to them the last time they saw the Green God of Green Bay. They got prematurely knocked out of the playoffs. Maybe they were looking too much into this game and not respecting the Rams last week, but they will most certainly be laser focused on this game. They want that revenge and they want the win. I expect Dak to play great. I expect their usual suspects so shine in Witten and Zeke. They've kept Witten quiet the last two weeks and maybe that's because they want him to explode in this one. We'll see.
I'm pumped about this game, because of the lore of Packers vs Cowboys. I can't wait to see the stars out for this one. I picked the Packers to avenge their playoff loss against the Falcons and I was wrong. I'm probably going to be wrong again, but I'm picking the Cowboys to avenge their playoff loss to the Packers here. I just don't see the Cowboys falling below .500 and they just want this game way more then Green Bay does. Especially after being sent home in their big-to some FIRST-playoff game. The Cowboys winning a thriller here. The injuries may finally catch up to Green Bay. This is going to be a shootout in Arlington!
Dallas Cowboys win 38-34
As for the SNF and MNF games, my quick picks:
- The Houston Texans hand the Kansas City Chiefs their first loss of the season as Deshaun Watson leads a game winning TD drive in the final two minutes to give the home crowd something to go crazy about. Texans win 21-17!
- The Chicago Bears win an OT boring/thriller against the Minnesota Vikings when Mitch Trubitsky throws his first career TD pass on the first drive of OT to Tarik Cohen for the win. The rookies shine on the night caps! Bears win 16-10 in OT!
