Okay, I’m starting to get a little better at predicting these games. In week two, I only had 3 games wrong. I chose the Bengals over the Browns, but Chubb and Hunt proved they can coexist and be a problem in this league. I also had the Giants over the Bears. I guess I had too much confidence in Daniel Jones and the G-Men. Lastly, I didn’t expect the Colts to come out and destroy the Vikings the way they did. In fact, I’m rather disappointed in Minnesota right now as I orginially thought this was their year to take over the NFC North… So far I’ve been dead wrong. Anyway, we have a plethora of great games this week, and this is how I think they’ll go.
Thursday – 9/24
Jaguars vs Dolphins – Winner: Jaguars
Jacksonville has been quite the surprise to start the year as they stunned the Colts and really made the Titans work for it. Everyone (including myself) believed this franchise was tanking for Trevor Lawrence, but Gardner Minshew has other plans and is playing great football so far. On the the other side of the field, Miami had close games against the Pats and the Bills, who are both really tough teams. I like the swagger of the Jags more than the Dolphins right now, and with the way Minshew is throwing the ball, he should be able to pick-a-part that Miami defense.
Sunday – 9/27
Falcons vs Bears – Winner: Falcons
Atlanta shit the bed against the Cowboys last week after refusing to jump on an onside kick that would’ve clinched the game. The Falcons just haven’t been able to pull it together since losing the Super Bowl and who knows when they’ll pull themselves out of that funk. Either way, they have a great offense that can get down the field with ease, and they’re facing a Bears team that’s questionable at best. I never really know what version of Chicago we’re going to see each Sunday, but they’ve won 2 in a row, which means they’re due to lose… right?
Bills vs Rams – Winner: Rams
Josh Allen has been playing out of his mind so far, and should be an early candidate for MVP. However, he’s faced two cupcake defenses in the Jets and the Dolphins. This week is Buffalo’s first true test, as the Rams have one of the better defenses in the league. The Bill’s defense shouldn’t be ignored either, and I believe this will be a low scoring defensive game. LA’s O-line has protected Goff better than I imagined, which will help them tremendously in this game. It should be a close one, but the Rams have the fire power to upset the Bills in Buffalo.
Browns vs Football Team – Winner: Browns
Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt proved to be a dominant force in their matchup against Cincinnati, and they may just be the best RB duo in the NFL right now. Based on the way Baker Mayfield is playing, this team will likely stick to the ground game and wear out Washington this Sunday. Washington has a great front seven, and Terry McLaurin is a phenomenal athlete. Outside of that, this organization is going through some growing pains, and they’re likely not going to make much noise in the NFL this year.
Vikings vs Titans – Winner: Titans
Minnesota has been subpar to say the least. They can’t stop the pass, they can’t stop the run, and Kirk Cousins is looking like one of the worst QBs in the league right now. They still have great players on the roster which makes them a dangerous play every week, but right now, it’s hard to see this team turn things around against a “tough as nails” Titans team. Tennessee had to put up a fight against Denver and Jacksonville so far due to the lack of depth on the defensive side of the ball. Luckily for the Titans, Ryan Tannehill is playing out of his mind right now and he probably won’t slow down anytime soon.
Patriots vs Raiders – Winner: Raiders
A healthy Cam Newton coached by Bill Belichick will always keep the Patriots in every game they play. They nearly beat a great Seattle team last week and have the potential to get back on track against the Raiders. Las Vegas however just came off a huge upset win over the Saints, which means moral is high. I’m expecting this game to be one of the best games this week as we have the pleasure of watching two Hall of Fame Coaches battle it out. Jon Gruden vs Bill Belichick. How can you not be excited about this game?
Giants vs 49ers – Winner: 49ers
San Francisco is banged up, but luckily for them, they have a pretty easy schedule to start the year. New York just lost Barkley for the season after suffering an ACL tear, and the Giants O-line has been falling apart since week one. So even though San Fran has lost so many notable players on their roster, they should be able to pull out a Win this Sunday against the G-Men. I’m fully expecting the 49ers to dominate the run game and shutdown the Giant’s offense with stellar defense.
Eagles vs Bengals – Winner: Eagles
Finally one of these teams will be walking away with W (unless there’s a tie), and Philly should be able to achieve victory. They haven’t looked particularly exciting so far, and the team has been exposed early and often. Carson Wentz just doesn’t look like the QB we know him as, and we could be seeing Jalen Hurts under Center by next year. Cincinnati on the other hand has the most exciting QB prospect since forever, and it’s up to the Bengals front office to not mess this up. Even though the Bengals have such a bright future ahead of them while the Eagles are facing a downward spiral, Philly is still the better team THIS year, and should be able to get a much needed win this week.
Steelers vs Texans – Winner: Steelers
The Houston Texans have had one of the most difficult starts to a season as I’ve ever seen. Kansas City, Baltimore, and now Pittsburgh? Sheesh. The Texans don’t have a true WR1 to help in the passing game, and their O-line is one of the worst in the NFL. The defense isn’t much better than the offense right now, and the fact they’ve had such a hard schedule, they may be doomed for the year. The Steelers on the other hand have looked great. Of the older QBs in the league, Big Ben has looked the best (unless you count Rodgers as old), and this Steelers defense is damn near unstoppable. Houston might make this a game, but I foresee Pittsburgh running away with it in the 4th quarter.
Colts vs Jets – Winner: Colts
The Colts certainly aren’t the best team in the league, but the Jets are absolutely the worst. NY hasn’t been able to do anything and Adam Gase is coaching scared. I’m not sure how much longer this franchise will put up with Gase’s horrible coaching antics, but it has to stop soon, right? Indy actually has a great defense this year, and they proved that in their win against the Vikings last week. Rivers isn’t the QB he used to be, but the Colts O-line and sturdy run game will give the Colts enough to whoop ass this Sunday.
Chargers vs Panthers – Winner: Chargers
With Christian McCaffrey out for several weeks, this Panthers offense will be desperate for someone to step up. I’m expecting DJ Moore to have a big role until CMC comes back from injury, but even then, it won’t be enough for Carolina to really pose any threat. With a freak accident sidelining Tyrod Taylor, the Chargers will now be led by rookie QB Justin Herbert. He looked great in his first career start and gave the Chargers offense some life vs the Chiefs. The Panthers have a young defense that can’t stop the run to save their lives, so I’m expecting Joshua Kelley and Austin Ekeler to eat all day.
Broncos vs Buccaneers – Winner: Buccaneers
Denver hit a streak of bad luck and an injury bug to start the year off, which doesn’t do them any favors. They’re also an extremely young team still learning to play together and are going against a veteran squad in Tampa Bay. Brady looks old, but still has enough juice left to get the ball to his WRs. Leonard Fournette had a nice showing last week which may have been his welcoming party. It’s going to be tough for Denver to win this one, but they should be able to keep it close. The Bucs just have too many weapons and a stout D, which should be too much for the Broncos to handle.
Cardinals vs Lions – Winner: Cardinals
Kenny Golladay should be coming back this week, which will give Detroit a much needed boost in the pass game. But it probably won’t be enough to slow down a red hot Cardinals team. Kyler Murray is legit, and he has so many options to throw to it’s insane. I really don’t know how Defensive Coordinators even prepare for this Arizona team. I had the Cardinals pegged as one of my dark horse playoff teams, and so far, they’re proving me right. If you’re a gambler, take the Over on this matchup as this game will be all about the offense.
Seahawks vs Cowboys – Winner: Cowboys
Dallas looked abysmal in their season opener against the Rams, and in week two against the Falcons, they didn’t come alive until the 2nd half. Having said that, when this team is on, they’re on, and they can play with the best of them. Seattle is a tough team this year too, and this could be a “Game of the Week” candidate. Chances are, Seattle comes out and kicks ass, but I see Dallas withstanding Russell Wilson and winning this game.
Saints vs Packers – Winner: Packers
Drew Brees is either looking old, or he just misses Michael Thomas a lot. Either way, New Orleans should be leaning on Alvin Kamara throughout the year as Brees just may be washed. Green Bay on the other hand is out for revenge after listening to critics and analysts talk about how much they were going to suck this year. No new exciting WRs for Aaron Rodgers? No problem. A new rookie QB drafted in the 1st round? Aaron doesn’t care. Rodgers can still sling it and is an early MVP candidate right now. The Pack-Attack also has a rather stout defense that compliments the offense well. This should be a great game to watch, but Green Bay should be taking away the win on Sunday Night Football.
Monday – 9/28
Ravens vs Chiefs – Winner: Ravens
These are the two best teams in football right now, and not many people will argue with that statement. This has “Game of the Season” written all over it and I can’t wait to watch these two go at it. Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson are the face of the NFL right now and they both have plenty of weapons around them. At the end of the day, Baltimore has the edge, as their defense is much more in tune than Kansas City’s. This game will likely come down to the wire, but Baltimore’s defense should be able to get those key stops to win this one.
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