Last week: 11-4
Season record: 80-41
Last weekend, there was a point explosion. Fantasy owners were either happy or mortified, and the casual NFL fan was treated to a great block of games overall. This week, six teams are on bye again, so we only have thirteen games, meaning Red Zone will be more manageable with less split screens for the early games. It's the little things, I tell you. Now, let's have a look at that slate.....
New Orleans at Carolina--The, um, world beater Saints bring their 3-4 record to division leading Carolina (3-4-1). Are both of these teams that mediocre? We may find out tonight. Panthers 24, Saints 23
Tampa Bay at Cleveland--This is the rubber match of Cleveland's trio of games against crappy teams. They lost to Jacksonville, beat Oakland and now take on the hapless Bucs at home. And LeBron has that city energized. Browns 27, Bucs 16
Arizona at Dallas--I wonder if Jerry Jones will make Tony Romo take the field and risk paralyzing his investment. Cowboys 20, Cardinals 14
Philadelphia at Houston--Texans are improved, but not this much. Eagles 30, Texans 23
NY Jets at Kansas City--Wow, the Jets are horrible. I mean, really horrible. Chiefs 20, Jets 10
Jacksonville at Cincinnati--I can't figure this Bengals team out, can you? I can, however, figure the Jags out. Bengals 26, Jaguars 6
San Diego at Miami--Why do I feel like these teams just played each other? Dolphins 23, Chargers 20
Washington at Minnesota--There is a weird QB controversy in DC, and it's hard to believe Kirk Cousins was the darling of football fans and fantasy owners everywhere just a few weeks ago. Now he's lost his gig to Colt McCoy with RG3 almost ready to return. You can't make this stuff up. Vikings 21, Redskins 17
St. Louis at San Francisco--In a wacky division, it's still pretty clear that the Rams aren't equipped to beat any of their division foes on the road. Unless of course Jeff Fisher calls fake punts all game. Niners 28, Rams 13
Denver at New England--Same as it ever was, Brady vs. Manning. The 6-1 Broncos vs. the 6-2 Patriots. I don't think anyone would argue Denver has the better team, but Brady at home is pretty close to money in the bank. Patriots 37, Broncos 35
Oakland at Seattle--So it looks like we have one decent game in the late slot, and it's not this one. Seahawks 27, Raiders 3
Baltimore at Pittsburgh--Is it just me, or have the Steelers played like four straight home games? Ravens 19, Steelers 17
Indianapolis at NY Giants--Andrew Luck's neck beard comes to New Jersey to face a rested Giants team that truly struggles against good teams. This will be no exception. Colts 38, Giants 31
Thursday, October 30, 2014
Thursday, October 23, 2014
NFL picks--Week 8
Last week: 12-3
Season record: 69-37
The kid is rounding into form. 12-3 is definitely more like it and would have been better had the Browns not laid an egg in Jacksonville. Anyway, here we go....
San Diego at Denver--I wanna say this will actually be a good game on Thursday Night Football. But it wouldn't surprise me if the Broncos jump out to a 21-0 lead in the first 10 minutes like they seem to do every game. Broncos 38, Chargers 24
Detroit vs. Atlanta at London--This is the breakfast special. Seriously, a game at 9:30am Eastern time. I don't have a problem with it, mind you, but it's kind of weird. Lions 26, Falcons 20
Minnesota at Tampa Bay--Being that Tampa is 0-3 on the road already, you have to doubt Mike Glennon's Bucs can win one here. But lucky for them the Vikings are pretty bad as well. Bucs 20, Vikings 17
Buffalo at NY Jets--I think this is one of those games the Jets may not be favored in but that they will have one of their occasional good games. And Buffalo still feels inconsistent despite their magic weapon Kyle Orton playing like Aaron Rodgers. Okay, maybe not. Jets 21, Bills 14
Chicago at New England--I'd be wary of an upset here too, but then again that Chicago locker room is a bit of a mess. Patriots 31, Bears 24
Seattle at Carolina--Ooh boy, the Hawks are 3-3 and looking very beatable these days. The Panthers are actually leading the NFC South at 3-3-1. Can I predict a tie? No? Okay. Seahawks 27, Panthers 26
Miami at Jacksonville--The Jags had a taste of victory, the Dolphins continue to play better on the road than at home. Dolphins 23, Jaguars 16
Baltimore at Cincinnati--The Bengals seem to play the Ravens better than any other team does. And they are pissed that they got embarrassed against Indy....especially because it's not even playoff time yet. Bengals 20, Ravens 17
Houston at Tennessee--The Titans are starting some dude at QB I have never heard of. JJ Watt just may end up eating that guy. Texans 24, Titans 19
St. Louis at Kansas City--I wonder if Andy Reid will try to out-Fisher Jeff Fisher and do some crazy fakes or crazy plays. You just know he's concocting something behind that mustache of his. Wait, are we talking about Reid or Fisher? Chiefs 27, Rams 17
Philadelphia at Arizona--The Eagles are rested but that doesn't mean this AZ defense won't bottle up LeSean McCoy enough to give them chances to tee off on Nick Foles. Cards 23, Eagles 20
Indianapolis at Pittsburgh--Boy, this Colts team is becoming more frightening every week. And I'm not just talking about Andrew Luck's half-man, half-monster voice. Colts 30, Steelers 20
Oakland at Cleveland--The Browns need to get back on track, and the schedule gods seem to be favoring that to happen. Browns 20, Raiders 13
Green Bay at New Orleans--Another pretty good game for a Sunday nighter. Aaron Rodgers is in the zone, but the Saints are tough to beat in that dome. Saints 28, Packers 26
Washington at Dallas--Another pretty bad game for a Monday nighter. At least we can be entertained listening to Gruden spaz out like he did about that reverse for a left-handed TD pass by Antonio Brown last week. Cowboys 41, Redskins 17
Season record: 69-37
The kid is rounding into form. 12-3 is definitely more like it and would have been better had the Browns not laid an egg in Jacksonville. Anyway, here we go....
San Diego at Denver--I wanna say this will actually be a good game on Thursday Night Football. But it wouldn't surprise me if the Broncos jump out to a 21-0 lead in the first 10 minutes like they seem to do every game. Broncos 38, Chargers 24
Detroit vs. Atlanta at London--This is the breakfast special. Seriously, a game at 9:30am Eastern time. I don't have a problem with it, mind you, but it's kind of weird. Lions 26, Falcons 20
Minnesota at Tampa Bay--Being that Tampa is 0-3 on the road already, you have to doubt Mike Glennon's Bucs can win one here. But lucky for them the Vikings are pretty bad as well. Bucs 20, Vikings 17
Buffalo at NY Jets--I think this is one of those games the Jets may not be favored in but that they will have one of their occasional good games. And Buffalo still feels inconsistent despite their magic weapon Kyle Orton playing like Aaron Rodgers. Okay, maybe not. Jets 21, Bills 14
Chicago at New England--I'd be wary of an upset here too, but then again that Chicago locker room is a bit of a mess. Patriots 31, Bears 24
Seattle at Carolina--Ooh boy, the Hawks are 3-3 and looking very beatable these days. The Panthers are actually leading the NFC South at 3-3-1. Can I predict a tie? No? Okay. Seahawks 27, Panthers 26
Miami at Jacksonville--The Jags had a taste of victory, the Dolphins continue to play better on the road than at home. Dolphins 23, Jaguars 16
Baltimore at Cincinnati--The Bengals seem to play the Ravens better than any other team does. And they are pissed that they got embarrassed against Indy....especially because it's not even playoff time yet. Bengals 20, Ravens 17
Houston at Tennessee--The Titans are starting some dude at QB I have never heard of. JJ Watt just may end up eating that guy. Texans 24, Titans 19
St. Louis at Kansas City--I wonder if Andy Reid will try to out-Fisher Jeff Fisher and do some crazy fakes or crazy plays. You just know he's concocting something behind that mustache of his. Wait, are we talking about Reid or Fisher? Chiefs 27, Rams 17
Philadelphia at Arizona--The Eagles are rested but that doesn't mean this AZ defense won't bottle up LeSean McCoy enough to give them chances to tee off on Nick Foles. Cards 23, Eagles 20
Indianapolis at Pittsburgh--Boy, this Colts team is becoming more frightening every week. And I'm not just talking about Andrew Luck's half-man, half-monster voice. Colts 30, Steelers 20
Oakland at Cleveland--The Browns need to get back on track, and the schedule gods seem to be favoring that to happen. Browns 20, Raiders 13
Green Bay at New Orleans--Another pretty good game for a Sunday nighter. Aaron Rodgers is in the zone, but the Saints are tough to beat in that dome. Saints 28, Packers 26
Washington at Dallas--Another pretty bad game for a Monday nighter. At least we can be entertained listening to Gruden spaz out like he did about that reverse for a left-handed TD pass by Antonio Brown last week. Cowboys 41, Redskins 17
Thursday, October 16, 2014
NFL picks--Week 7
Last week: 9-6
Season record: 57-34
Week 7??? Man, this is what I hate about the NFL season. If you don't stop and enjoy it while it's here, it's over before you can exhale. So hey, let's stop and enjoy it while there are still 11 weeks of regular season to go....
NY Jets at New England--You know that since the Patriots should annihilate the Jets at this stage based on the last two weeks' games, the opposite will happen. But then again, the Jets have scored only 96 points and have given up 158. Yikes. And Brady is pissed again, so look out. Patriots 31, Jets 17
Minnesota at Buffalo--Is anyone else slightly weirded out by the Vikings playing home games outdoors? Of course, this game is in Buffalo, but I digress. Bills 27, Vikings 23
Miami at Chicago--Which one of these teams is more mediocre than the other? Bears 24, Dolphins 16
New Orleans at Detroit--So the Lions' offense is supposedly modeled after the Saints, but they've given up the fewest points in the league so far so are winning with defense. The Saints, meanwhile, are underachieving. Lions 29, Saints 26
Carolina at Green Bay--It's pretty clear that the Packers are crap without Aaron Rodgers, no? Packers 24, Panthers 20
Cincinnati at Indianapolis--This one appears to be one of this week's marquee games. And the Bengals sort of appear mortal. Colts 27, Bengals 21
Seattle at St. Louis--Finally the Hawks' defense has a good match up to dominate against, but 2014 has been so strange and the Rams have been strange for a few years now under Jeff Fisher. Go with the champs here. Seahawks 27, Rams 13
Tennesssee at Washington--It's amazing the talk of RG3 returning is getting louder. Redskins 28, Titans 14
Cleveland at Jacksonville--It would be just like the Browns to lose this game, but alas, under Mike Pettine this Browns team seems like they are for real. Browns 35, Jaguars 20
Atlanta at Baltimore--Wait, Joe Flacco threw for how many touchdowns last week? Five, and they were damn near all in the first quarter. And he faces another generous NFC South team this Sunday. Ravens 37, Falcons 24
Kansas City at San Diego--This is my upset special this week. The Chiefs had an extra week to prepare and the Bolts are due for a letdown. Chiefs 26, Chargers 24
NY Giants at Dallas--This is an exercise in contrast. Romo, Witten and Dez have beat up on the Giants before, but they are playing at another level now, and actually have a defense. Cowboys 41, Giants 17
Arizona at Oakland--Maybe the Raiders are more competitive under Tony Soprano (yeah I know that's not how you spell it but it's more fun this way), but this AZ team is in first place in maybe the toughest division in the NFL. Cardinals 22, Raiders 19
San Francisco at Denver--Shades of Montana vs. Elway in the Super Bowl. Okay, maybe not. Broncos 34, Niners 31
Houston at Pittsburgh--If Miami/Chicago is the Mediocrity Bowl, this one is Mediocrity Bowl II. I would like to formally apply for the position of picking which games to air on Monday Night Football. Steelers 19, Texans 16
Season record: 57-34
Week 7??? Man, this is what I hate about the NFL season. If you don't stop and enjoy it while it's here, it's over before you can exhale. So hey, let's stop and enjoy it while there are still 11 weeks of regular season to go....
NY Jets at New England--You know that since the Patriots should annihilate the Jets at this stage based on the last two weeks' games, the opposite will happen. But then again, the Jets have scored only 96 points and have given up 158. Yikes. And Brady is pissed again, so look out. Patriots 31, Jets 17
Minnesota at Buffalo--Is anyone else slightly weirded out by the Vikings playing home games outdoors? Of course, this game is in Buffalo, but I digress. Bills 27, Vikings 23
Miami at Chicago--Which one of these teams is more mediocre than the other? Bears 24, Dolphins 16
New Orleans at Detroit--So the Lions' offense is supposedly modeled after the Saints, but they've given up the fewest points in the league so far so are winning with defense. The Saints, meanwhile, are underachieving. Lions 29, Saints 26
Carolina at Green Bay--It's pretty clear that the Packers are crap without Aaron Rodgers, no? Packers 24, Panthers 20
Cincinnati at Indianapolis--This one appears to be one of this week's marquee games. And the Bengals sort of appear mortal. Colts 27, Bengals 21
Seattle at St. Louis--Finally the Hawks' defense has a good match up to dominate against, but 2014 has been so strange and the Rams have been strange for a few years now under Jeff Fisher. Go with the champs here. Seahawks 27, Rams 13
Tennesssee at Washington--It's amazing the talk of RG3 returning is getting louder. Redskins 28, Titans 14
Cleveland at Jacksonville--It would be just like the Browns to lose this game, but alas, under Mike Pettine this Browns team seems like they are for real. Browns 35, Jaguars 20
Atlanta at Baltimore--Wait, Joe Flacco threw for how many touchdowns last week? Five, and they were damn near all in the first quarter. And he faces another generous NFC South team this Sunday. Ravens 37, Falcons 24
Kansas City at San Diego--This is my upset special this week. The Chiefs had an extra week to prepare and the Bolts are due for a letdown. Chiefs 26, Chargers 24
NY Giants at Dallas--This is an exercise in contrast. Romo, Witten and Dez have beat up on the Giants before, but they are playing at another level now, and actually have a defense. Cowboys 41, Giants 17
Arizona at Oakland--Maybe the Raiders are more competitive under Tony Soprano (yeah I know that's not how you spell it but it's more fun this way), but this AZ team is in first place in maybe the toughest division in the NFL. Cardinals 22, Raiders 19
San Francisco at Denver--Shades of Montana vs. Elway in the Super Bowl. Okay, maybe not. Broncos 34, Niners 31
Houston at Pittsburgh--If Miami/Chicago is the Mediocrity Bowl, this one is Mediocrity Bowl II. I would like to formally apply for the position of picking which games to air on Monday Night Football. Steelers 19, Texans 16
Thursday, October 9, 2014
NFL picks--Week 6
Last week: 11-4
Season record: 48-28
There's still a lot of weird results in the NFL this season, and no reason to believe it will stop happening. So let's roll our dice.....
Houston at Indianapolis--The talk this week is all about the recent string of blowouts on Thursday Night Football. This game can go that way as well, with the Colts rounding into form and the Texans being erratic. It's in Houston, so I'll go out on a limb and say no blowout. Texans 24, Colts 20
Pittsburgh at Cleveland--Let's see how many points the Browns spot their opponent this week. Browns 27, Steelers 24
New England at Buffalo--The Bills tend to give the Pats fits, and both teams are about as hard to predict as any this season. But I think Billy Boy is starting to put things together. Patriots 20, Bills 16
Carolina at Cincinnati--With or without AJ Green, it's not smart to bet against the Bengals at home. Bengals 19, Panthers 12
Jacksonville at Tennessee--Oh boy, it's about to get ugly in Nashville. Jaguars 28, Titans 26
Green Bay at Miami--With these teams playing each other every four years, I wonder if in 2018 Miami will be under water. No worries if so, they can play their slate of home games in London.
Packers 20, Dolphins 17
Detroit at Minnesota--I think it's safe to say the Lions are snake bit. Vikings 27, Lions 23
Denver at NY Jets--Um, you may want to cover your eyes here. Broncos 37, Jets 20
Baltimore at Tampa Bay--I so wanna pick the Bucs here....they've come to life lately. But, uh, no.
Ravens 21, Bucs 17
San Diego at Oakland--Seriously, who saw the Chargers being this good? Everyone saw the Raiders being this bad. Chargers 35, Raiders 14
Chicago at Atlanta--Matt Ryan is back in the comfort of his own dome. That is all. Falcons 41, Bears 31
Dallas at Seattle--Isn't this where Tony Romo fumbled the snap for a potential game-winning field goal in the playoffs? The Cowboys may be resurgent, but they are going to fail this test miserably.
Seahawks 30, Cowboys 16
Washington at Arizona--It's hilarious how Kirk Cousins isn't talked about as a golden boy anymore. If anything, everyone is wondering when RG3 comes back. Cardinals 23, Redskins 17
NY Giants at Philadelphia--The Giants are looking like contenders again, almost miraculously after those first two games. The Eagles are scoring points mostly on defense, special teams, and smoke and mirrors. Throw it all out the window. These teams hate each other and the Eagles seem to have the Giants number most of the time. Eagles 38, Giants 35
San Francisco at St. Louis--Thankfully, Monday is an off night for the Cardinals in their NLCS against the Giants. Otherwise there might be like five people at this game. Niners 21, Rams 17
Season record: 48-28
There's still a lot of weird results in the NFL this season, and no reason to believe it will stop happening. So let's roll our dice.....
Houston at Indianapolis--The talk this week is all about the recent string of blowouts on Thursday Night Football. This game can go that way as well, with the Colts rounding into form and the Texans being erratic. It's in Houston, so I'll go out on a limb and say no blowout. Texans 24, Colts 20
Pittsburgh at Cleveland--Let's see how many points the Browns spot their opponent this week. Browns 27, Steelers 24
New England at Buffalo--The Bills tend to give the Pats fits, and both teams are about as hard to predict as any this season. But I think Billy Boy is starting to put things together. Patriots 20, Bills 16
Carolina at Cincinnati--With or without AJ Green, it's not smart to bet against the Bengals at home. Bengals 19, Panthers 12
Jacksonville at Tennessee--Oh boy, it's about to get ugly in Nashville. Jaguars 28, Titans 26
Green Bay at Miami--With these teams playing each other every four years, I wonder if in 2018 Miami will be under water. No worries if so, they can play their slate of home games in London.
Packers 20, Dolphins 17
Detroit at Minnesota--I think it's safe to say the Lions are snake bit. Vikings 27, Lions 23
Denver at NY Jets--Um, you may want to cover your eyes here. Broncos 37, Jets 20
Baltimore at Tampa Bay--I so wanna pick the Bucs here....they've come to life lately. But, uh, no.
Ravens 21, Bucs 17
San Diego at Oakland--Seriously, who saw the Chargers being this good? Everyone saw the Raiders being this bad. Chargers 35, Raiders 14
Chicago at Atlanta--Matt Ryan is back in the comfort of his own dome. That is all. Falcons 41, Bears 31
Dallas at Seattle--Isn't this where Tony Romo fumbled the snap for a potential game-winning field goal in the playoffs? The Cowboys may be resurgent, but they are going to fail this test miserably.
Seahawks 30, Cowboys 16
Washington at Arizona--It's hilarious how Kirk Cousins isn't talked about as a golden boy anymore. If anything, everyone is wondering when RG3 comes back. Cardinals 23, Redskins 17
NY Giants at Philadelphia--The Giants are looking like contenders again, almost miraculously after those first two games. The Eagles are scoring points mostly on defense, special teams, and smoke and mirrors. Throw it all out the window. These teams hate each other and the Eagles seem to have the Giants number most of the time. Eagles 38, Giants 35
San Francisco at St. Louis--Thankfully, Monday is an off night for the Cardinals in their NLCS against the Giants. Otherwise there might be like five people at this game. Niners 21, Rams 17
Saturday, October 4, 2014
NFL picks--Week 5
Last week: 8-5
Season record: 37-24
My apologies that this is a few days later that usual. And I hope you believe me when I say I would have picked the Packers over the Vikings on Thursday night. It's not always easy picking which team will blow out the other on Thursday Night Football, but it's easy predicting that there will be a blowout. Here are the rest of the games.....
Chicago at Carolina--These teams are both a bit schizophrenic, especially considering the Bears are 2-0 on the road and 0-2 at home. I think that streak ends here. Panthers 20, Bears 17
Cleveland at Tennessee--Man, I so want to pick the Browns here, but my sixth sense won't let me. Titans 23, Browns 19
St. Louis at Philadelphia--What, they couldn't put this one on Thursday night? Eagles 30, Rams 14
Atlanta at NY Giants--See, this is why being a Giants fan makes me crazy. Suddenly everyone is on their bandwagon and everyone is off the Falcons' bandwagon. Which means Eli will throw 3-4 picks in this and the Giants will find a way to lose. Falcons 31, Giants 27
Tampa Bay at New Orleans--Wow, the Saints have issues, don't they? Everyone seemed to pick them for the Super Bowl...not so much now. Saints 38, Bucs 17
Houston at Dallas--A very interesting battle of Texas. Right now the Cowboys are clicking and I can't see them losing this in-state rivalry. Cowboys 27, Texans 20
Buffalo at Detroit--I can't go against the Lions at home right now. Lions 34, Bills 16
Baltimore at Indianapolis--Ignore the records (Baltimore 3-1, Indy 2-2), this Indianapolis team is suddenly emerging as an offensive powerhouse. Colts 35, Ravens 31
Pittsburgh at Jacksonville--If you can figure the Steelers out, you are smarter than me. The Jags, on the other hand, are easy to figure out. They still stink. Steelers 31, Jaguars 24
Arizona at Denver--Yikes. Suddenly everyone is on the Cardinals. And they have the D to drive Peyton Manning crazy. But I just don't see it here. Broncos 23, Cardinals 19
Kansas City at San Francisco--The Alex Smith is Bitter Bowl. Niners 24, Chiefs 17
NY Jets at San Diego--Can Andrew Siciliano stop calling it SON Diego? Whatever he calls it, the team is pretty good. Chargers 20, Jets 13
Cincinnati at New England--I'm just not sure the Pats have this thing figured out yet. And they are about to play against a buzz saw. Bengals 17, Patriots 16
Seattle at Washington--The Skins have had 10 days to rest while the Hawks have had 14. If the Giants can crush this team in DC, I'm kind of afraid for Kirk Cousins on Monday night. Seattle 30, Redskins 17
Season record: 37-24
My apologies that this is a few days later that usual. And I hope you believe me when I say I would have picked the Packers over the Vikings on Thursday night. It's not always easy picking which team will blow out the other on Thursday Night Football, but it's easy predicting that there will be a blowout. Here are the rest of the games.....
Chicago at Carolina--These teams are both a bit schizophrenic, especially considering the Bears are 2-0 on the road and 0-2 at home. I think that streak ends here. Panthers 20, Bears 17
Cleveland at Tennessee--Man, I so want to pick the Browns here, but my sixth sense won't let me. Titans 23, Browns 19
St. Louis at Philadelphia--What, they couldn't put this one on Thursday night? Eagles 30, Rams 14
Atlanta at NY Giants--See, this is why being a Giants fan makes me crazy. Suddenly everyone is on their bandwagon and everyone is off the Falcons' bandwagon. Which means Eli will throw 3-4 picks in this and the Giants will find a way to lose. Falcons 31, Giants 27
Tampa Bay at New Orleans--Wow, the Saints have issues, don't they? Everyone seemed to pick them for the Super Bowl...not so much now. Saints 38, Bucs 17
Houston at Dallas--A very interesting battle of Texas. Right now the Cowboys are clicking and I can't see them losing this in-state rivalry. Cowboys 27, Texans 20
Buffalo at Detroit--I can't go against the Lions at home right now. Lions 34, Bills 16
Baltimore at Indianapolis--Ignore the records (Baltimore 3-1, Indy 2-2), this Indianapolis team is suddenly emerging as an offensive powerhouse. Colts 35, Ravens 31
Pittsburgh at Jacksonville--If you can figure the Steelers out, you are smarter than me. The Jags, on the other hand, are easy to figure out. They still stink. Steelers 31, Jaguars 24
Arizona at Denver--Yikes. Suddenly everyone is on the Cardinals. And they have the D to drive Peyton Manning crazy. But I just don't see it here. Broncos 23, Cardinals 19
Kansas City at San Francisco--The Alex Smith is Bitter Bowl. Niners 24, Chiefs 17
NY Jets at San Diego--Can Andrew Siciliano stop calling it SON Diego? Whatever he calls it, the team is pretty good. Chargers 20, Jets 13
Cincinnati at New England--I'm just not sure the Pats have this thing figured out yet. And they are about to play against a buzz saw. Bengals 17, Patriots 16
Seattle at Washington--The Skins have had 10 days to rest while the Hawks have had 14. If the Giants can crush this team in DC, I'm kind of afraid for Kirk Cousins on Monday night. Seattle 30, Redskins 17
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