|
Here are the standings:
Jemp: 139-85 Reeb: 138-86 Alx: 134-90 Pep: 133-91 Screw: 128-96 It’s the holiday season and I am asking Santa for a perfect week in the pick’em. So let’s get right into it so we can take off for the holidays. Let’s pick some games. Jaguars at Jets: Jemp: Jaguars, Reeb: Jaguars, Pep: Jaguars, Screw: Jaguars What a matchup between the #1 and #2 overall picks from 2021. One is really coming into his own, lifting up his team into relevancy on the backs of Zay Jones and Evan Engram. The other is a guy that his team is reluctantly throwing out there because they can’t find a doctor to clear Mike White. You could say these two quarterbacks are headed in different directions, but Zach Wilson at least made some plays last week. And while the Jags have been surging, the Jets have a much better defense and better weapons on the outside, and I think that is enough for them to take this one at home. Prediction: Jets win 23-20 Bills at Bears: Jemp: Bills, Reeb: Bills, Pep: Bills, Screw: Bills The only intrigue in this game is how many fantasy points Justin Fields can put up in a losing effort. It is the fantasy playoffs, so this is pretty important. Josh Allen and Stefon Diggs should also have a field day against this terrible Bears defense. Prediction: Bills win 34-21 Saints at Browns: Jemp: Browns, Reeb: Browns, Pep: Browns, Screw: Browns I remember a few weeks ago when I said these are two of the sleeper teams that could make a late-season push. Good times. Now the Saints are barely squeaking past Desmond Ridder and the Falcons and the Browns are throwing out a shell of Deshaun Watson. Watson is making very gradual progress, but this game doesn’t matter so I’ll just take the Browns. Prediction: Browns win 20-17 Texans at Titans: Jemp: Titans, Reeb: Titans, Pep: Titans, Screw: Titans Nobody wants to take the Texans here? They have played the Cowboys and Chiefs tight in back-to-back weeks, and now I think they might actually hold Derrick Henry to under 200 yards. I know that sounds like a tall task, but I think they are up for the challenge. Especially since the Titans have been awful as of late. They are throwing Malik Willis out there and this time I think he will in fact need to throw the ball to win. I don’t think he can get it done. Prediction: Texans win 27-13 Seahawks at Chiefs: Jemp: Chiefs, Reeb: Chiefs, Pep: Chiefs, Screw: Chiefs I feel bad for Geno Smith because he got off to such a hot start and now he is coming back to Earth, and it isn’t even as if he is playing poorly. It’s just that he doesn’t have help and I don’t think he is the tide that lifts all boats. That title would belong to Patrick Mahomes who is on the other side of this matchup and he doesn’t lose in December, so I’m taking the Chiefs. Prediction: Chiefs win 38-24 Giants at Vikings: Jemp: Vikings, Reeb: Vikings, Pep: Vikings, Screw: Vikings Ah, the regression bowl. These were the two teams everyone said weren’t as good as their records, and have probably been slightly vindicated. However, both of these teams are still in playoff positions, with the Vikings already clinching their division after the biggest comeback in NFL history. I think they manage to win this one without having to come back. Prediction: Vikings win 27-21 Bengals at Patriots: Jemp: Bengals, Reeb: Bengals, Pep: Bengals, Screw: Bengals I think we might have to strip Bill Belichick of his GOAT coach title after the fiasco last week. Or we can just blame Matt Patricia because it’s funnier. Either way, the Patriots are on to Cincinnati, and I don’t see them responding the way they have in the past. Joe Burrow is on fire and the Bengals are playing great team football. They are ready for another postseason run while the Patriots will be sitting at home. Prediction: Bengals win 30-22 Lions at Panthers: Jemp: Lions, Reeb: Lions, Pep: Lions, Screw: Lions It seems like nothing can stop the Lions right now, so I’m not expecting Sam Darnold to prove me wrong. The Panthers unsurprisingly disappointed last week, and now they should get their clocks cleaned by the Lions. It is another potential cold-weather game for Jared Goff, so that is the only issue, but the Lions were able to coach around that last week and I think they do it again. Prediction: Lions win 23-17 Falcons at Ravens: Jemp: Ravens, Reeb: Ravens, Pep: Ravens, Screw: Ravens Well we get Tyler Huntley another week, and again he gets to play against a rookie quarterback who is over his head. I wasn’t expecting much from Desmond Ridder and somehow he still let me down. But to be fair, the Falcons did compete, so I shouldn’t totally rule them out of this one. But I will, since that’s the point of the pick’em. Prediction: Ravens win 17-10 Commanders at 49ers: Jemp: 49ers, Reeb: 49ers, Pep: Commanders, Screw: 49ers The 49ers are on a roll, but that all ends this week when the Commanders come to town. No amount of bogus calls will stop Heinicke this week. Prediction: Commanders win 100-0 Eagles at Cowboys: Jemp: Eagles, Reeb: Cowboys, Pep: Cowboys, Screw: Cowboys I’m surprised so many of us are on the Cowboys. I get it that the Eagles are missing their starting quarterback, but they have a quality backup who walks into an ideal spot. Sure, you miss the running ability of Jalen Hurts, but Minshew can get the ball to AJ Brown and Devonta Smith and let’s not forget the return of Dallas Goedert. It’s the Cowboys I’d be much more concerned about, after nearly blowing a game to the Texans and then losing to the Jags, I don’t know if they can hang with these Eagles. Prediction: Eagles win 31-21 Raiders at Steelers: Jemp: Steelers, Reeb: Steelers, Pep: Raiders, Screw: Steelers Finally the Raiders don’t blow a game and instead win in the craziest imaginable way. They finally had some luck go their way and I think it continues into this week. They are a better team than these Steelers and should take care of them if they don’t collapse like they have so many times this season. And like they almost did last week. Prediction: Raiders win 24-17 Packers at Dolphins: Jemp: Dolphins, Reeb: Dolphins, Pep: Dolphins, Screw: Dolphins None of us is buying any type of Packers resurgence right now after beating the Rams. I was glad to see the Dolphins offense look like the unit I expected again after two tough weeks. They couldn’t finish it off against the Bills, but they shouldn’t have a problem against these Packers. The Pack are a middle of the road type team that should be about ready to go home. Prediction: Dolphins win 27-24 Broncos at Rams: Jemp: Rams, Reeb: Rams, Pep: Tie, Screw: Broncos Good god, this is the saddest game of the year and we have to watch it on Christmas? Have any teams been more disappointing than these two? And the offenses are especially miserable. The Broncos get Russell Wilson back and at least have a consistent defense, so I’ll take them. Prediction: Broncos win 10-6 Buccaneers at Cardinals: Jemp: Bucs, Reeb: Bucs, Pep: Bucs, Screw: Bucs Trace McSorley is starting for the Cardinals, so I’m taking the Bucs. Prediction: Buccaneers win 20-0 Chargers at Colts: Jemp: Chargers, Reeb: Chargers, Pep: Chargers, Screw: Chargers Alright, Jeff Saturday is now going to Nick Foles. Why? I have no idea. Maybe he buys into the fact that Matt Ryan is the cause of the biggest collapse in Super Bowl history and now regular season history as well. Either way, I don’t think the Colts are beating the Chargers. Prediction: Chargers win 23-16 Here are the standings:
Reeb: 127-81 Jemp: 127-81 Pep: 123-85 Alx: 123-85 Screw: 116-92 We’re getting into the fantasy playoff and the crucial stretch for the pick’em as well. Reeb and Jemp are sitting pretty up top now, but Pep and I are just waiting for them to falter. Let’s pick some games. 49ers at Seahawks: Jemp: 49ers, Reeb: 49ers, Pep: Seahawks, Screw: 49ers Tough game to call as the NFC West flowchart says the Seahawks should take this one. However, Geno seems to be coming back down to earth, and the rest of the team isn’t giving him much help. On the other side, Mr. Irrelevant is being buoyed by the best defense in football and an ensemble of playmakers on offense. That isn’t to say Purdy isn’t also playing well, because he looks just as good as Jimmy G out there (until he takes his helmet off that is). Losing Deebo is certainly a blow for the 49ers, but the way their defense has been dominating means I feel like I have to take them even in Seattle. Prediction: 49ers win 23-17 Colts at Vikings: Jemp: Vikings, Reeb: Vikings, Pep: Vikings, Screw: Vikings We all really missed the Colts over their bye week, didn’t we? Watching football isn’t the same without watching Matt Ryan get sacked a bunch until he fumbles. The good news for him this week is that he is playing a defense that I think I could throw for 300 yards against. Four of the last five quarterbacks to play the Vikings have thrown for 300+ yards, and the only one who didn’t was Dak Prescott because his team beat them 40-3 so he didn’t need to throw. But I still expect the Vikings to win at home against the Colts. Prediction: Vikings win 31-24 Ravens at Browns: Jemp: Ravens, Reeb: Ravens, Pep: Browns, Screw: Browns Lamar Jackson has been ruled out for this one, but at least it looks like the Ravens will have Tyler Huntley to start for them. They managed to squeak by the Steelers last week thanks to their defense, and I think they could do it again. The Browns offense still looks lost with Deshaun Watson at quarterback, and their defense hasn’t been good all year. At least I know the Ravens defense will show up, so I’ll take the Ravens on the road. Prediction: Ravens win 19-16 Dolphins at Bills: Jemp: Bills, Reeb: Bills, Pep: Dolphins, Screw: Bills Well Tuanon has taken some hits this week after a couple shaky performances by their hero. The Dolphins offense has been stifled by press man coverage with linebacker help over middle. The Bills haven’t played that kind of defense, but I wonder if they will follow suit this week. Can’t pretend that it isn’t risky when you are playing against the fastest offense in the league, but it’s worked for the Chargers and 49ers, so let’s see if Mike McDaniel has a counterpunch. I think he just might, but I’m still taking the Bills, because I trust Josh Allen more. Prediction: Bills win 31-24 Eagles at Bears: Jemp: Eagles, Reeb: Eagles, Pep: Eagles, Screw: Eagles If Justin Fields could pull this one off, it could be a signature win for his career. But I don’t think he will because he has the far inferior team, and he is basically playing against the better version of himself in Jalen Hurts. However, he is faster, so he’ll probably need to break away on a few long TD runs for his team to have a chance in this game. Prediction: Eagles win 38-10 Falcons at Saints: Jemp: Saints, Reeb: Saints, Pep: Saints, Screw: Falcons All I wanted for Christmas was to have Marcus Mariota out of my life and it seems I was so good this year that Santa gave me my present early. I sincerely doubt Desmond Ridder will be much better since they didn’t go to him sooner, and he’s a 3rd round rookie quarterback in a bad draft class. But at least it is a new talking point, and maybe he’ll surprise us. Prediction: Saints win 24-14 Lions at Jets: Jemp: Lions, Reeb: Lions, Pep: Jets, Screw: Lions This should be a fun game because the Lions are on fire. They are playing as well as anyone right now, but the Jets are no pushovers. They still have a defense that nearly shutout Josh Allen in the first half last week. They certainly need Mike White to be healthy to have a chance, but I think the Jets have just as much talent on offense as the Lions, and a far better defense. We’ll just ignore the differences in offensive line. Prediction: Jets win 27-24 Steelers at Panthers: Jemp: Steelers, Reeb: Steelers, Pep: Steelers, Screw: Steelers I almost feel it is a little disrespectful that no one is taking the Panthers after what they have done with Steve Wilks. This is a team right in the chase for the NFC South title. Sure, I made fun of them last week and never believed in them, but they can beat this Steelers team. I haven’t seen anything better out of the Steelers who just lost to the Tyler Huntley/Anthony Brown led Ravens. But I get it because these are two bad teams, but the Steelers have Mike Tomlin and TJ Watt, so I’ll take the Steelers too. Prediction: Steelers win 20-17 Cowboys at Jaguars: Jemp: Jaguars, Reeb: Cowboys, Pep: Cowboys, Screw: Cowboys We’ve seen this too many times from the Jaguars for me to fall for them again. They played a good game against the Titans, but the Cowboys have way more talent and the Jags nearly always follow up these nice games with big let-downs. Prediction: Cowboys win 27-10 Chiefs at Texans: Jemp: Chiefs, Reeb: Chiefs, Pep: Chiefs, Screw: Chiefs I give the Texans an A for effort last week, but they couldn’t quite close it out. It feels like they probably gave everything they had in that one and are now running on empty against the Chiefs. Not an ideal spot when you are playing against Patrick Mahomes. Let’s see Mahomes take charge of the MVP race again here. Prediction: Chiefs win 38-14 Cardinals at Broncos: Jemp: Cardinals, Reeb: Broncos, Pep: Broncos, Screw: Broncos So this is Colt McCoy vs. Brett Rypien? Could we get a grosser matchup? Honestly this is a tough one to pick because McCoy is the more stable backup, but the Broncos defense is still the best unit in this game. The Broncos offense did start to gel a little last week, but I don’t see it continuing with Rypien this week. I’ll take my guy Colt. Prediction: Cardinals win 13-10 Patriots at Raiders: Jemp: Patriots, Reeb: Patriots, Pep: Patriots, Screw: Patriots I’m surprised everyone here is taking the Patriots. I know it’s hard to imagine Josh McDaniels beating Bill Belichick, but it has happened before. Granted, this time around he is coaching a team that just finds every possible way to give games away. And no team steals games like the Patriots under Belichick. However, the Raiders are just a better team overall and I think they are able to handle the Patriots. At least for the first 2-3 quarters. After that, they might start to blow it, but maybe they hold on. Prediction: Raiders win 31-24 Titans at Chargers: Jemp: Chargers, Reeb: Titans, Pep: Chargers, Screw: Chargers Well, I guess I’m jumping off the Titans bandwagon as it seems like every time I pick them, they lose. Justin Herbert stepped up to the challenge of defeating Tua, even with his undermanned team. We have to get Herbert in the playoffs for everyone’s sake, so I’m taking the Chargers to win at home. Prediction: Chargers win 27-24 Bengals at Buccaneers: Jemp: Bengals, Reeb: Bengals, Pep: Bengals, Screw: Bengals Rough game for Tom Brady. The Bucs couldn’t get anything going against that niners defense and Brady seemed as defeated as I’ve ever seen him. Now he plays Joe Burrow and the surging Bengals. I could totally see this being a game where Brady has to show Burrow that he isn’t up to his level, but I can’t pick the Bucs after what I’ve seen from them this year. Prediction: Bengals win 27-17 Giants at Commanders: Jemp: Commanders, Reeb: Commanders, Pep: Commanders, Screw: Commanders I can’t wait to watch Heinicke on Sunday Night Football. He will wipe the floor with the Giants and knock them right out of the playoff chase. Prediction: Commanders win 100-0 Rams at Packers: Jemp: Packers, Reeb: Packers, Pep: Packers, Screw: Packers Ugh, what a Monday Night game. Maybe I can get some holiday shopping done this night. But last time I counted out Baker Mayfield, he gave the performance of his life. Maybe it’s just because I’ve always had a soft spot for Baker, but that comeback was one of the craziest things I’ve ever seen. I had a good amount of money on the Raiders too, but I didn’t even care because that was awesome. Sean McVay deserves a ton of credit as well to create a gameplan that Baker could execute on only two days of preparation. I don’t think he does it again, but I’d love to see him keep it up. Prediction: Packers win 20-17 Here are the standings:
Reeb: 121-74 Jemp: 119-76 Pep: 117-78 Alx: 116-99 Screw: 111-84 Still a tight race, and we are going down the home stretch. Every week is huge for the pickem standings now, so I have to more cautious with my lone-wolf picks. Let’s pick some games Raiders at Rams: Jemp: Raiders, Reeb: Raiders, Pep: Raiders, Screw: Raiders Apparently things are so bad with the Rams that they are considering playing Baker Mayfield two days after he signed with the team. I can’t imagine that’s a good idea. But I guess the Rams don’t have much else going for them. I have to at least give them credit for playing the Seahawks tough, but I feel like that was all they had left in the tank. Expect the Raiders to blow the doors off of Sofi. Prediction: Raiders win 27-10 Jets at Bills: Jemp: Bills, Reeb: Bills, Pep: Bills, Screw: Bills I am so tempted to take the Jets here, but a world in which the Zach Wilson/Mike White Jets sweep the Bills just seems too odd. Granted, I think this is a dangerous Jets team. Mike White has given the offense life and the defense is still one of the most ferocious in the league. However, the Bills seemed to get on track last year after their second game against the Patriots, so maybe that Thursday Night win sparks them back into the team that was so dominant at the beginning of the year. I have to take the Bills at home. Prediction: Bills win 24-17 Browns at Bengals: Jemp: Bengals, Reeb: Bengals, Pep: Browns, Screw: Bengals Well that opening game for Deshaun Watson went about as poorly as it could have, and the Browns still beat the Texans by double digits. I think that says more about the Texans than the Browns. I guess we’ll find out if the first game was just due to rust, or if the Browns made a Russell Wilson-sized mistake… if Russ also sexually assaulted two dozen women. Oh sorry, Roger Goodell called and we’re not supposed to talk about that, so I’ll just say Joe Burrow finally beats the Browns. Prediction: Bengals win 24-20 Texans at Cowboys: Jemp: Cowboys, Reeb: Cowboys, Pep: Cowboys, Screw: Cowboys I think I just talked about what a disaster the Texans are, so no need to belabor the point. The Cowboys have the two biggest blowouts of the year in the past three weeks, and this one could be even bigger. Prediction: Cowboys win 37-10 Vikings at Lions: Jemp: Lions, Reeb: Vikings, Pep: Vikings, Screw: Lions These Lions are starting to make a run, and I wouldn’t be at all shocked if they beat the Vikings at home. They are actually favored in this game. It’s not hugely surprising since they are at home and they always seem to play the Vikings well. They also have just as much talent and did something last week that the Vikings haven’t done since week 1, which was win a game convincingly. However, the Vikings have had a knack for closing out these types of games, and the Lions, despite their last few wins, have not. Prediction: Vikings win 24-21 Jaguars at Titans: Jemp: Titans, Reeb: Titans, Pep: Titans, Screw: Titans Just when I start praising Mike Vrabel, he makes me look stupid. The Titans are coming off of back-to-back losses where I just thought they could cover the spread. But now their lack of talent is starting to show. They have no passing attack and now they can’t run the ball either. Derrick Henry needed to be the engine of this offense and he appears to be running out of gas. The defense is fine but couldn’t handle the Eagles passing attack. But they can probably handle the Jaguars so I’ll still take the Titans at home. Prediction: Titans win 17-16 Eagles at Giants: Jemp: Eagles, Reeb: Eagles, Pep: Eagles, Screw: Eagles It would be fun to see the Giants upset the Eagles, but I don’t think that is going to happen. Also for the sake of some particular team’s playoff scenarios, I hope it doesn’t. The Eagles are rolling again after dismantling the Titans, and the Giants are just trying to desperately cling to their playoff spot. I think it ends up slipping through their fingers after Jalen Hurts and company get done with them. Prediction: Eagles win 27-17 Ravens at Steelers: Jemp: Steelers, Reeb: Steelers, Pep: Ravens, Screw: Steelers I think it is a little disrespectful to the Ravens with all the Steelers picks I see up there. I get it, the Ravens offense has been pretty bad, and it went to an all-time low when Lamar went out last week. But they have one of the best defenses in the league now and Tyler Huntley is the best quarterback in this game, despite improvement from Kenny Pickett. To be fair, the Steelers as a team has certainly improved, but hanging on to a 3-pt win against the Falcons doesn’t inspire that much confidence. I expect this to be a gritty defensive struggle that comes down to the wire, but I like the Ravens to come out on top. Prediction: Ravens win 16-13 Chiefs at Broncos: Jemp: Chiefs, Reeb: Chiefs, Pep: Chiefs, Screw: Chiefs I don’t think there is much left to say about the Broncos. Their defense is good, their offense is historically terrible, and that equates to a 3-9 record. On the other side, Patrick Mahomes just took his first ever loss in December, so I’m not expecting another L this week. Not because I think he has some special powers in December, but because the Broncos are terrible. Prediction: Chiefs win 27-10 Buccaneers at 49ers: Jemp: 49ers, Reeb: Bucs, Pep: Bucs, Screw: Bucs Now here is an interesting game. Can Brock Purdy keep the 49ers afloat? He certainly did last week, so why not? It’s not like he has to replace Lamar Jackson, he just has to get close to the standard that Jimmy Garoppolo set. Kyle Shanahan’s offense is supposed to be quarterback friendly, and he has a host of playmakers that he can just dump the ball off to, assuming they are all healthy. While I love Tom Brady and he made an awesome comeback last week (which maybe I’m somewhat salty about because it cost me my fantasy matchup), but the Bucs don’t look like a good team and the 49ers should take care of business if Purdy can be short of a disaster. Prediction: 49ers win 24-17 Panthers at Seahawks: Jemp: Seahawks, Reeb: Seahawks, Pep: Seahawks, Screw: Seahawks I’m not sure why people were trying to hype up the Panthers to win the NFC South before the Bucs won on Monday Night, but I don’t think the Panthers are very good. I know that might be controversial, but I feel like this Sam Darnold guy might not be the franchise’s savior. He’s no Geno Smith. Prediction: Seahawks win 27-14 Dolphins at Chargers: Jemp: Dolphins, Reeb: Dolphins, Pep: Dolphins, Screw: Chargers Mike McDaniel must be disappointed that his first game playing against his mentor ended with Shanahan winning with Mr. Irrelevant quarterbacking his team. It looked like the Dolphins were going to boatrace the 49ers defense when they immediately hit a long touchdown pass to Trent Sherfield of all people, but the train really fell off the tracks after that. Their offense looked as mixed up as my vehicular metaphors. But that was against one of the best defenses in the league, which the Chargers certainly aren’t as Davante Adams and Josh Jacobs could tell you. Expect Hill and Waddle to tear them up, and plenty of Tua supporter to brag about his victory over Herbert. Prediction: Dolphins win 31-24 Patriots at Cardinals: Jemp: Patriots, Reeb: Patriots, Pep: Patriots, Screw: Cardinals I don’t have much faith in either of these teams, but I’m going to go out on a limb and take the Cardinals. Belichick’s defenses have had issues with mobile quarterbacks, and I think Kyler just does enough. The Cardinals are a weird team, but I don’t think they are as bad as people think. Granted, it is hard for me to pick Kliff Kingsbury to beat Bill Belichick, but I guess I’m doing it. Prediction: Cardinals win 27-24 Here are the standings:
Reeb: 109-71 Pep: 108-72 Jemp: 108-72 Alx: 106-94 Screw: 99-81 Reeb has taken the lead while on his honeymoon, but I don’t even care about that, because this week’s slate is stacked. Scott Hanson must be fired up for this one, because there are some doozies this Sunday and none of them are in primetime. Let’s pick some games Bills at Patriots: Jemp: Bills, Reeb: Bills, Pep: Bills, Screw: Bills Not a bad way to kick off Week 13. Josh Allen and the Bills go to Foxboro, and guess what? It’s gonna be windy. However, I doubt it will be so windy that Mac Jones will only throw the ball 3 times. But I could see the Patriots giving the Bills some problems, despite the fact that they haven’t punted against them in their last two matchups. This Bills team is starting to leak some oil, but I think they have enough in the tank to get over the Pats. Prediction: Bills win 23-20 Steelers at Falcons: Jemp: Falcons, Reeb: Steelers, Pep: Steelers, Screw: Steelers Mike Tomlin is still hanging on for dear life for that record over .500. He is still in contention for it, and has a very winnable game here against the Falcons. The Falcons were fun early on, but I once again find myself tired of the Marcus Mariota experience. I don’t really expect that Desmond Ridder would be better, but I’ll basically take anyone to get Mariota out of my life. They can play Feleipe Franks for all I care. Prediction: Steelers win 24-17 Packers at Bears: Jemp: Packers, Reeb: Packers, Pep: Bears, Screw: Packers It’s weird that I’m saying this, but Jordan Love would make this game way more interesting. After he looked like a disaster as a rookie and in limited relief time in his second year, he came out and played pretty well against the Eagles. I don’t think Rodgers has been awful this year, and expect he is much better than Love, but watching Rodgers play decent football for a failing Packers team isn’t something anyone is interested in at this point. On the other hand, seeing improvement from Jordan Love to spark some Packers QB controversy in 2023 might make this game almost watchable. The Bears defense would make that almost likely if Love was given the start, so I’m hoping for it, but not expecting it. It would also be cool for my fantasy teams if Justin Fields could play, but in pretty much any quarterback matchup here, I’d take the Packers. Prediction: Packers win 24-20 Jaguars at Lions: Jemp: Lions, Reeb: Lions, Pep: Lions, Screw: Lions Trevor Lawrence has the game of his life last week and yet everyone is taking the Lions? I mean, I do agree and am also taking the Lions, but surprised no one is on the Lawrence train. I’m not going to go crazy for him for one game-winning drive. It’s kind of expected for a quarterback to do that at some point in his career if they have an NFL future. I think Lawrence has clearly proven he is an NFL capable starter this year, but not much more than that. To be fair, he might be the only quarterback in his draft class who has in fact proven that yet, so props to him. Prediction: Lions win 24-17 Jets at Vikings: Jemp: Vikings, Reeb: Vikings, Pep: Vikings, Screw: Vikings Now here is a game I want to see. These have been two of my favorite teams this year and I can’t wait to watch this one. It was awesome to see the Jets when they have a competent quarterback. As much as I wanted Zach Wilson to be good, he has not proven to be an NFL capable starter… or backup… or practice squad guy. Maybe try the XFL. Mike White can do everything the Jets need from their quarterback, which is get the ball to Garrett Wilson and Elijah Moore and take care of the football so your defense can win you the game. This is a team that beat the Bills with Zach Wilson, so they can beat anyone with a real QB. But this week they play Kirk Cousins at 1pm EST, which means they are taking an L. Prediction: Vikings win 24-21 Commanders at Giants: Jemp: Commanders, Reeb: Commanders, Pep: Commanders, Screw: Commanders Tough for the Giants to go into this slump and now have to face the unbeatable Heinicke. Maybe the Commanders even get Chase Young back here. Prediction: Commanders win 100-0 Titans at Eagles: Jemp: Eagles, Reeb: Eagles, Pep: Titans, Screw: Eagles The AJ Brown revenge game continues this loaded slate of matchups. The Eagles took care of business on Sunday Night, reigniting their offense thanks to the ghastly Packers run defense. However, the Titans are the complete opposite as a team that can shut down opposing rushing offenses. Yes, it would be nice if the Titans had AJ Brown, but they continue to prove that they are a gritty team that knows how to win without a passing attack. I think they matchup well against a vulnerable Eagles run defense and Derrick Henry leads the Titans to the upset in Philly. Prediction: Titans win 20-17 Broncos at Ravens: Jemp: Ravens, Reeb: Ravens, Pep: Ravens, Screw: Ravens This Broncos operation is one of the saddest things I’ve ever seen. I guess I’ve lived a pretty happy life, but still. Russell Wilson might be the rare quarterback that is playing himself out of the hall of fame. I would have said he was a HOFer if he retired after last year, but if he does it now, I’m not so sure. Ravens have had their struggles, but if Sam Darnold can beat the Broncos then so can Lamar. Prediction: Ravens win 13-7 Browns at Texans: Jemp: Browns, Reeb: Browns, Pep: Browns, Screw: Browns We get the feel-good story of the year with the return of Deshaun Watson against his former team. The Texans are now in the basement of the league, which is a position the Browns know all too well. Fortunately for them, they sold their soul to get out of there and I guess now it is time to find out if it was worth it. Prediction: Browns win 27-10 Seahawks at Rams: Jemp: Seahawks, Reeb: Seahawks, Pep: Seahawks, Screw: Seahawks The Rams don’t care enough to put a real team on the field, so I don’t care enough to write about them. Prediction: Seahawks win 27-0 Dolphins at 49ers: Jemp: 49ers, Reeb: Dolphins, Pep: Dolphins, Screw: Dolphins This might be the game I’m most excited for. A bunch of incredible talented offensive skill players in creatively-schemed offenses. Mike McDaniel revisits his former mentor in Kyle Shanahan and will try to prove that the student has surpassed the teacher. I think we would all admit the Dolphins have been the better offense throughout the year, but the 49ers have the far better defense. I do like the niners here, but I am a little worried if Christian McCaffrey isn’t 100%. The Kyle Shanahan offense is pretty dependent on the running game, and I’m not sure if the combination of Jordan Mason, Tyrion Davis-Pryce, and Tevin Coleman is good enough. Maybe trading away Jeff Wilson will be their undoing. Prediction: 49ers win 27-24 Chiefs at Bengals: Jemp: Chiefs, Reeb: Bengals, Pep: Chiefs, Screw: Bengals As if this week of football couldn’t get any better we get a rematch of the AFC championship game. Joe Burrow is playing at the top of his game, and it looks like he will get his top target back for this one. This Bengals team is once again heating up at the right time. However, the Chiefs have stayed hot all season, and it is mostly due to the MVP campaign of Patrick Mahomes. Can he beat a Bengals team that has had his number? The Bengals beat the Chiefs twice last year, and they’ll look to win a third in a row here. I could certainly see it, but I think it’s just a good strategy to always take the Chiefs. Prediction: Chiefs win 31-27 Chargers at Raiders: Jemp: Chargers, Reeb: Chargers, Pep: Chargers, Screw: Chargers Can the Raiders keep their playoff hopes alive? None of us think so. But it was nice for Derek Carr and Josh Jacobs to play the way they did last week in a rough season for the team. Jacobs has been killing it all year, but it was certainly Carr’s best game. The Raiders do tend to close out seasons strong, so I could certainly see them pulling this one out, but the Chargers are looking better now too. Granted I’m saying this as they barely snuck by the Cardinals last week, but I just want the Chargers to fulfill their potential for once. Prediction: Chargers win 31-28 Colts at Cowboys: Jemp: Cowboys, Reeb: Cowboys, Pep: Cowboys, Screw: Cowboys So we had Dolphins 49ers and Chiefs Bengals that we could have flexed into this spot, but we are sticking with Colts at Cowboys? I’ve been intrigued by Jeff Saturday as much as anyone, but come on. I guess it is a solid joke and that is what we are all about here at PFJ. Prediction: Cowboys win 24-13 Saints at Buccaneers: Jemp: Bucs, Reeb: Bucs, Pep: Bucs, Screw: Bucs Well I can’t say this isn’t a pivotal game in the NFC South. Unfortunately the South is just atrocious. However, despite what seemed to be an embarrassing shutout for the Saints, people might have missed how well the Saints defense played. And maybe most importantly, they could get Marshon Lattimore back for this game. I think the Saints could shut down this Bucs offense and steal a win. Prediction: Saints win 17-14 Here are the standings:
Pep: 99-65 Jemp: 98-66 Reeb: 97-67 Alx: 97-67 Screw: 90-74 A good week for Jemp as he rocketed up into second place. Screw has fallen pretty far behind the rest of us, but as Bills Parcells would say, the season doesn’t start until Thanksgiving. Let’s pick some games. Bills at Lions: Jemp: Lions, Reeb: Bills, Pep: Bills, Screw: Bills Let’s start off Thanksgiving by watching Josh Allen try to throw himself out of this slump. He gets a nice matchup against this Lions defense this week, although they aren’t the total pushovers they were earlier in the year. The Lions have won 3 in a row and look to continue this magic on their one shining moment of the year. I’m not going to bother talking about the Lions record on Thanksgiving, because I find that it tends to correlate pretty well with how good they are in that year. Who would have thought? This year, they aren’t as good as the Bills. Prediction: Bills win 31-20 Giants at Cowboys: Jemp: Cowboys, Reeb: Cowboys, Pep: Giants, Screw: Cowboys It felt like everyone forgot about the Giants after their bye week, and they did nothing to remind people of all the good they’ve done after losing to the Lions. It’s been about a month since they did anything worth celebrating, since beating the Texans earns as much credit as you receive for brushing your teeth. The Cowboys already beat the Giants in MetLife with Cooper Rush, so I expect them to win again here. Prediction: Cowboys win 24-17 Patriots at Vikings: Jemp: Vikings, Reeb: Vikings, Pep: Vikings, Screw: Patriots No one on the Vikings was wearing chains after last Sunday. I can’t say I’m entirely surprised by the let-down game, as the Vikings always seem to crash hard. I was hoping this year was different, but apparently not quite. However, the best thing for them is to get right back out on the field as soon as possible, and hopefully take care of business here. The Patriots do have a tough defense, but the Vikings should have the talent to take them down at home. Nothing could possibly go wrong against Bill Belichick. Prediction: Vikings win 24-20 Buccaneers at Browns: Jemp: Bucs, Reeb: Bucs, Pep: Bucs, Screw: Bucs Jacoby Brissett gets to make his final start against his old mentor, Tom Brady. Okay, it might be a stretch to call Brady his mentor, but he did start out his career as Brady’s backup. Now he is fulfilling his lame duck duties so the Browns can get Deshaun Watson back and delude themselves into thinking they still have a playoff chance. They would absolutely need to win this game to make that a real possibility, but the Bucs looked like they were rounding into form in Germany, and I expect that to continue this week after their bye. Prediction: Buccaneers win 31-17 Bengals at Titans: Jemp: Titans, Reeb: Bengals, Pep: Bengals, Screw: Titans This is a tough one to pick. The Titans are just a well-coached bunch with a reliable quarterback, but not a ton of talent. The Bengals have all the talent you could want (except for on the offensive line), but their coaching might have a few question marks. However, Joe Burrow said he expects Ja’Marr Chase to play, which is all I need to take the Bengals. Prediction: Bengals win 24-21 Texans at Dolphins: Jemp: Dolphins, Reeb: Dolphins, Pep: Dolphins, Screw: Dolphins I don’t think we need any analysis here. Dolphins = good, Texans = very, very bad, therefore Dolphins > Texans. Prediction: Dolphins win 35-10 Bears at Jets: Jemp: Jets, Reeb: Jets, Pep: Bears, Screw: Bears Well this might be the end of the Zach Wilson era in New Jersey… or anywhere. Wilson was such a dumpster fire that I really do think that Mike White will be a huge upgrade. Not that I think Mike White is good, but if he is a competent NFL backup, then he will be miles better than Zach Wilson. I feel bad for the heel turn on Zach, but he has just been so bad there is no defending him. I don’t care about his comments to the media, it’s just his play that has been horrendous. Also, on the Bears side, it may be Trevor Siemian starting, so we have about an even QB matchup. The only problem is that one quarterback has arguably the best defense backing him up, while the other has arguably the worst. Prediction: Jets win 20-0 Falcons at Commanders: Jemp: Commanders, Reeb: Commanders, Pep: Commanders, Screw: Commanders Heinicke just continues to roll and we have a clean sweep for the Commanders. Can’t wait to see them mop the floor with Marcus Mariota. Prediction: Commanders win 200-0 Broncos at Panthers: Jemp: Broncos, Reeb: Broncos, Pep: Broncos, Screw: Broncos So we get to see Sam Darnold in this game, and he could be the best quarterback on the field. I didn’t get to watch much of the Broncos game last week thanks to the wedding of our unpaid intern, but I saw the long touchdown to Kendall Hinton and knew that would be the lone TD for the Broncos. I expect another 16 points out of them this week, so the only question is if Sam Darnold can take the Panthers over that. I suspect he cannot. Prediction: Broncos win 16-13 Ravens at Jaguars: Jemp: Ravens, Reeb: Ravens, Pep: Ravens, Screw: Ravens Not the most encouraging game for the Ravens last week, but they did keep up their winning streak. They get another soft one here against the Jags, who I don’t think will put up much of a fight. I feel like the world has forgotten about Trevor Lawrence, who has kind of leveled out as a serviceable starter. We talk about Justin Fields, Zach Wilson, and even Mac Jones more than this guy who was supposed to be the best quarterback prospect since Andrew Luck (speaking of guys we’ve forgotten about). But Lawrence has been fine while the Jaguars have not, and I expect the Ravens to take them out here. Prediction: Ravens win 20-13 Chargers at Cardinals: Jemp: Chargers, Reeb: Chargers, Pep: Chargers, Screw: Chargers I’m calling this one the stranded quarterback bowl. I’m assuming Kyler will be back since it was reported he is expected to start, so he can go back to desperately trying to make something work with this offense. Both of these young, talented quarterbacks are trapped in offenses that give them nothing easy, and big plays only come when they themselves make incredible plays. Herbert has been doing more of that lately, and I think he is just the better player in general, so I’m taking the Chargers on the road. Prediction: Chargers win 24-20 Raiders at Seahawks: Jemp: Seahawks, Reeb: Seahawks, Pep: Seahawks, Screw: Seahawks Gold star to the Raiders for beating the Broncos, but now they have to go to Seattle to deal with the twelfth man, not to mention a pretty good Seahawks team. Geno should be salivating from watching this Raiders defense give up big plays all season. Kenneth Walker will gash them on the ground and Josh McDaniels will just stand on the sidelines looking like he doesn’t know where he is. Prediction: Seahawks win 24-17 Rams at Chiefs: Jemp: Chiefs, Reeb: Chiefs, Pep: Chiefs, Screw: Chiefs I would accuse the Rams of tanking if they had any draft picks. I guess they can still get a higher second and third round pick. Regardless if it is intentional or not, I don’t think the Rams win another game, at least as long as Cooper Kupp is out. When you are relying on Tutu Atwell to make a big play and your offense still only put up 20 points, you know your offense is broken. Prediction: Chiefs win 31-10 Saints at 49ers: Jemp: 49ers, Reeb: 49ers, Pep: 49ers, Screw: 49ers It was nice to see that the Saints weren’t totally dead in the water like the Rams are, but that is about the best I can say about the Saints right now. On the other hand, the 49ers looked like an unstoppable machine on Monday Night Football. CMC, Deebo, Aiyuk, and Kittle all had big games, and it finally translated to a big game for Jimmy G as well. Prediction: 49ers win 34-20 Packers at Eagles: Jemp: Eagles, Reeb: Eagles, Pep: Eagles, Screw: Eagles The Eagles are finally showing some warts with their offense being held in check last week. But they did end up winning the game which is more than I can say about the Packers for most of this season. The one good development the Packers have had is the emergence of Christian Watson, who is doing his best Will Fuller impersonation with 5 touchdowns in 8 catches over the last two weeks. However, I don’t think that is enough for them to win this one. Prediction: Eagles win 24-17 Steelers at Colts: Jemp: Steelers, Reeb: Steelers, Pep: Colts, Screw: Steelers Ugh, what a stinker for Monday Night Football. When two mediocre (to be generous) teams get together, I tend to lean to the team with the edge at quarterback or coach. Matt Ryan and Kenny Pickett don’t tend to sway me, so I’ve got to pick the team with the clear edge at head coach. Prediction: Colts win 23-20 Here are the standings:
Pep: 89-61 Reeb: 88-62 Alx: 87-63 Jemp: 86-64 Screw: 82-68 We’re back to a very tight race in the pick’em. Let’s not waste any time and pick some games. Titans at Packers: Jemp: Titans, Reeb: Packers, Pep: Packers, Screw: Titans Everybody is rushing back to the Packers bandwagon after they finally got a win for the first time since 1942. They realized the strength of their team is the running game, and decided that maybe it was a good idea to lean on Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon. They also got a massive breakout game from rookie Christian Watson, so they may now have an explosive element to their passing game as well. However, I don’t think they have magically fixed their team, and I expect Mike Vrabel to win this one by leaning on Derrick Henry. Prediction: Titans win 24-20 Bears at Falcons: Jemp: Bears, Reeb: Bears, Pep: Bears, Screw: Bears This game could be over in like 2 hours with how much these two teams run the ball. The difference is that the Bears offense seems to work thanks to the incredible running of Justin Fields. He doesn’t seem to know how to play dropback quarterback, but I guess it just doesn’t matter. He immediately looks to escape the pocket, and only throws it when he has to. He still is moving this Bears offense and it doesn’t seem to matter if you try to spy him. The Bears offense is humming right now and this week it should translate to a win. Prediction: Bears win 31-24 Browns at Bills: Jemp: Bills, Reeb: Bills, Pep: Bills, Screw: Browns Tough mini-losing streak for the Bills here, but I’m guessing Jacoby Brissett can help them out here. Jacoby has been fine, but his time as the starter is coming to the close. The Browns defense did not build on their strong performance before the bye. Granted, it was a tough matchup against the Dolphins offense, but things don’t get any easier against the Bills. Sure, Josh Allen has made some mistakes in his last few games, but he is still as good as anyone at moving the ball up and down the field. Prediction: Bills win 30-17 Eagles at Colts: Jemp: Eagles, Reeb: Eagles, Pep: Eagles, Screw: Eagles Only one coach in this game is undefeated this season, and it isn’t the one who has previous NFL coaching experience. Jeff Saturday didn’t need any of that, he just decided to play the team’s best quarterback and hand the ball off to their best player. And it didn’t hurt that he was playing against the Raiders. Unfortunately, he now goes against the most complete team in the league coming off a loss. And it’s a revenge game for Nick Sirianni, so I’m taking the Eagles. Prediction: Eagles win 24-17 Jets at Patriots: Jemp: Patriots, Reeb: Patriots, Pep: Patriots, Screw: Patriots Another intense AFC East bout here, with both teams coming off a bye. The Patriots seem to have come down from Zappe fever, and now they are just a boring team no one wants to talk about. Granted, everyone still thinks they will beat the Jets because they are expecting Zach Wilson to be seeing ghosts again thanks to Bill Belichick’s defense. However, I think Zach rebounds with the bye week to prepare and the confidence from the Bills win. Prediction: Jets win 17-13 Rams at Saints: Jemp: Saints, Reeb: Rams, Pep: Saints, Screw: Rams Well, the Saints have seemingly given up after I thought they were showing some fight with Andy Dalton. However, they don’t really need to put up any effort to win this game, because I don’t know how the Rams score another point this season without Cooper Kupp. They had one of the worst offenses in the league with Kupp, and the only positive plays they produced were thanks to him. Maybe Sean McVay cooks something up, but if he hasn’t done it to this point, I think he just doesn’t have the horses. Prediction: Saints win 17-0 Lions at Giants: Jemp: Lions, Reeb: Giants, Pep: Giants, Screw: Giants The Lions on a bit of win-streak here. They took out the Packers and then the Bears, and now they have a winnable game against the Giants. I know the Giants are 7-2, but they aren’t much better than the Lions. But they are at home and they are better coached, so I’ll take them. I’d love to see a very possible Lions upset though. Prediction: Giants win 24-21 Panthers at Ravens: Jemp: Ravens, Reeb: Ravens, Pep: Ravens, Screw: Ravens Week 10 was so jam-packed with action I feel like I’ve forgotten about all the teams who were on bye last week. But I now remember that the Ravens were starting to look like one of the best teams in the NFL, and they host one of the worst teams in the NFL. Ipso-facto, I’m taking the Ravens. Prediction: Ravens 27-6 Commanders at Texans: Jemp: Commanders, Reeb: Commanders, Pep: Commanders, Screw: Commanders Heinicke has taken command of the starting job in Washington, and now he travels to Houston to trounce the Texans. Just keep feeding Terry. Prediction: Commanders win 200-0 Raiders at Broncos: Jemp: Raiders, Reeb: Broncos, Pep: Raiders, Screw: Broncos The NFL should just cancel this game to spare both teams the embarrassment. Neither of these teams is going anywhere and the rest of their seasons will just depress us. I think I’m just going to take the Raiders because last week was so humiliating that the team will be hyper motivated to rebound and may come out to hot start. If they end up blowing another 17-pt lead to this Broncos team, then everyone should be fired, because the Broncos have only scored 17+ points twice all season. Prediction: Raiders win 17-14 Cowboys at Vikings: Jemp: Vikings, Reeb: Cowboys, Pep: Vikings, Screw: Vikings This Vikings team just keeps on winning. The Vikings have been stockpiling their luck for 50 years and are now cashing it all in for this season. Don’t get me wrong, I think this Vikings team is good, but they have spent so many years on the other side of these wild games, that this must feel justified for all their fans. The Cowboys are certainly not an easy out, and I could see a let-down game after the emotions of last week, but the Vikings have been dealing with this all year, and it hasn’t stopped yet. I say they keep it up at home. Prediction: Vikings win 24-20 Bengals at Steelers: Jemp: Bengals, Reeb: Bengals, Pep: Bengals, Screw: Bengals Congratulations to our Unpaid Intern, as he will be getting married while this game is happening. I’m sure he won’t be at all nervous about the Bengals going up against a Steelers team with TJ Watt back. The splits with and without him continue to be absurd as they are 1-6 without him this year, and 2-0 with him, including a win in Cincinnati. This time they get the Bengals in Pittsburgh without Ja’Marr Chase, so I’m sure nothing could go wrong. All that being said, I’m taking the Bengals. Prediction: Bengals win 17-13 Chiefs at Chargers: Jemp: Chiefs, Reeb: Chiefs, Pep: Chiefs, Screw: Chiefs Well this is starting to feel like the same-old Chargers. Devastated by injury and losing close games despite the best efforts of their quarterback. I’m guessing they won’t fare any better with Patrick Mahomes coming to town. I’m not even going to speculate about them getting back any of their weapons, because I seem to do that every week and it is always a no. I’d hope they make this a game, but even if they somehow do, the Chiefs probably pull it out in the end. Prediction: Chiefs win 31-17 49ers at Cardinals: Jemp: 49ers, Reeb: 49ers, Pep: 49ers, Screw: 49ers We don’t know if it will be Kyler Murray or Colt McCoy on Monday Night, but it definitely won’t affect any of our picks. Only one of these two teams is going places this year, and it sure isn’t the Cardinals. Prediction: 49ers win 27-20 Here are the standings:
Pep: 84-52 Reeb: 82-54 Alx: 78-58 Screw: 78-58 Jemp: 78-58 Well Pep and Reeb gained some distance from the rest of us, but it is still anyone’s game. Let’s get into it and pick some games. Falcons at Panthers: Jemp: Falcons, Reeb: Falcons, Pep: Falcons, Screw: Falcons I can just picture this game that trudges along as a bleak affair, and the whole time Al and Kirk are just complaining because the last time these two teams played it was maybe the most exciting game of the year. Somehow I doubt they will recapture that magic. The PJ Walker experience seems to have petered out, as Baker came in relief last week and Sam Darnold is coming back soon. Hard to stand up to that kind of competition. But maybe the Falcons defense is exactly what PJ needs to get back on track. Prediction: Falcons win 24-20 Seahawks at Buccaneers: Jemp: Seahawks, Reeb: Seahawks, Pep: Bucs, Screw: Seahawks The first ever Germany game is a pretty good one, although the German fans might be disappointed in the version of Tom Brady they are getting. They’ve heard all about the GOAT and his incredible feats and then he comes to town to put up 13 points. These German kids might end up thinking Geno Smith is the greatest quarterback of all time. Okay, maybe a slight exaggeration since Geno has cooled off a little bit to level out as just a consistently good quarterback. Combine that with the emergence of Ken Walker and the resurgence of the defense and the Seahawks have become a true contender. However, I can’t help but think that TB12’s game-winning drive last week lights a fire in him and he gives these German fans a little Brady magic. Prediction: Buccaneers win 27-24 Vikings at Bills: Jemp: Vikings, Reeb: Bills, Pep: Bills, Screw: Bills This is a tough one to pick with Josh Allen’s status up in the air. Though it could be fun to have the Case Keenum to Stefon Diggs revenge game. For the Vikings, everyone is calling this a measuring stick to see if they are good enough to compete with the elites, but it is the Bills who need this game. The Vikings can drop this one easy and they’ll still have their division on lock. If the Bills lose and Dolphins win, then the Bills drop to 3rd place in the AFC East. We all think the Bills are the better team if Josh Allen is right, but if he’s out or playing hobbled, then their chances at the division, let alone the #1 seed looks a little harder to grasp. I’m going to take the Vikings thinking Josh Allen isn’t going to play, but could see him toughing this one out and making me look silly. But I’m used to that. Prediction: Vikings win 24-20 Lions at Bears: Jemp: Lions, Reeb: Bears, Pep: Bears, Screw: Bears Justin Fields is starting to heat up. Mostly just as a runner, but he’s a really good runner. Everyone on the defense knows he is just looking to run and he still evades them anyway. The Dolphins were spying him, sending delayed blitzers, and it just didn’t matter. His overreliance on his running game does cause him to take a lot of sacks, but it also allows him to have some easy throws. As for the Lions, I have no idea what I’m getting week to week. Sometimes their offense shows up, sometimes they don’t. Their defense occasionally will play well, but other times they can’t get a stop to save their life. At least I know who the Bears are, so I’ll take them at home. Prediction: Bears win 31-24 Broncos at Titans: Jemp: Titans, Reeb: Titans, Pep: Broncos, Screw: Titans I look at these two teams and can’t help but think the Broncos are more talented. The only issue is the Titans have Derrick Henry and the coaching mismatch here is out of this world. Mike Vrabel just always keeps this team competitive, and I’d hope Ryan Tannehill is back for this one. Maybe he can actually complete a pass to a wide receiver. I’d stay clear of Pat Surtain though. Prediction: Titans win 17-13 Jaguars at Chiefs: Jemp: Chiefs, Reeb: Chiefs, Pep: Chiefs, Screw: Chiefs Nice win by the Jaguars on Sunday, but anyone can come back from down 17 against the Raiders. The Chiefs already did that back in Week 5. I’m a little more skeptical about the Jags being able to win in Arrowhead against Patrick Mahomes. I guess if they just do what the Titans did, but better. Maybe with some more passes since Trevor Lawrence can actually throw downfield and has capable NFL receivers. Capable is about as high a superlative as I’m willing to go with this group, but still better than what the Titans are running out there. But they don’t have the makeup and the culture of the Titans, so I’m pretty confidently taking the Chiefs. Prediction: Chiefs win 34-21 Browns at Dolphins: Jemp: Browns, Reeb: Dolphins, Pep: Dolphins, Screw: Dolphins Jemp the only one bold enough to take the Browns here. I was talking about how I think the Browns are a sneaky good team, but I don’t think they are as good as the Dolphins, who are undefeated this year when Tua plays start to finish. I don’t know if it is Tua taking a leap or if the receivers are just so good they carry the offense, but there is no denying that this is one of the best offenses in football. Both defenses in this game have been disappointing thus far, but they both have the pieces to turn things around. But I trust the Dolphins offense more. Prediction: Dolphins win 31-28 Texans at Giants: Jemp: Giants, Reeb: Giants, Pep: Giants, Screw: Giants I enjoyed the effort by the Texans on TNF to keep us entertained, but no one ever thought they really had a chance. Granted, they are much closer to the Giants in talent than the Eagles, but the Giants just know how to win games, and the Texans don’t. Brian Daboll should have these boys ready to go coming off their bye, and I expect the Giants to keep rolling here. Prediction: Giants win 24-17 Saints at Steelers: Jemp: Steelers, Reeb: Steelers, Pep: Saints, Screw: Saints I think Mike Tomlin is finally going to experience what it’s like to go below .500. The Kenny Pickett experience hasn’t been much better than what Mitch brought to the table. The offense has looked awful all season, and Matt Canada is starting to take the blame now that so many quarterbacks have tried and failed in this system. The good news is that they might get TJ Watt back for this one, which may allow them to beat up on a Saints offense that was terrorized by the Ravens pass rush last week. However, I still think this Saints team is better, so I’m taking the Saints now that Andy is back in the 1pm slot. Prediction: Saints win 21-13 Colts at Raiders: Jemp: Raiders, Reeb: Raiders, Pep: Raiders, Screw: Raiders I guess it’s time for Jeff Saturday to prove all the doubters wrong. He goes against the coach the Colts originally wanted to hire as their head coach, and might be glad they didn’t, now that we see what he’s doing in Vegas. Jeff Saturday’s gameplan should be to just go down 17-0 and then the Colts are sure to win. Except that they have Sam Ehlinger, so that could be an issue. Prediction: Raiders win 24-10 Cowboys at Packers: Jemp: Cowboys, Reeb: Cowboys, Pep: Cowboys, Screw: Cowboys Yeah, I think we are all done picking the Packers, maybe for the season. If they can’t beat the Lions, who can they beat? Surely not this Cowboys, with their menacing defense and an offense that started to get rolling before the bye. This could be another Tony Pollard show with Zeke questionable and the Packers generous run defense. And Micah Parsons and company will be frustrating Aaron Rodgers all day. Though of course, none of it will be his fault. Prediction: Cowboys win 24-7 Cardinals at Rams: Jemp: Cardinals, Reeb: Rams, Pep: Cardinals, Screw: Rams We would have thought this would be a great matchup going into the season, but now it doesn’t seem like this is any better than Lions Bears. At least that game should be high-scoring. This one features a Rams offense that seemingly couldn’t get any worse until we found out Matthew Stafford was in concussion protocol. I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if the Cardinals found a way to lose anyway, but I can’t pick John Wolford to beat Kyler Murray. Though there is talk of them platooning Wolford and my guy Bryce Perkins. Wahoowa! Prediction: Cardinals win 20-13 Chargers at 49ers: Jemp: 49ers, Reeb: 49ers, Pep: Chargers, Screw: Chargers It’s the injury-bowl. Unfortunately for the Chargers, the 49ers are starting to get healthy and the Chargers aren’t. Yeah, I know, it pains me to pick Jimmy G over Justin Herbert, but Garoppolo has an offense loaded with talent, where Herbert is throwing to Michael Bandy. I think the 49ers are just starting to heat up, and I think they roll over the chargers. Prediction: 49ers win 31-17 Commanders at Eagles: Jemp: Eagles, Reeb: Eagles, Pep: Eagles, Screw: Eagles What could possibly go wrong with a Monday Night game against the undefeated Eagles? I don’t see any possible way the Eagles beat Taylor Heinicke in primetime. Prediction: Commanders win 100-0 Here are the standings:
Pep: 73-50 Reeb: 72-51 Alx: 71-52 Screw: 68-55 Jemp: 67-56 And Pep regains the lead. Every week is becoming so crucial as we are all still so close. Unfortunately for Jemp he’s getting killed by his Lions, but plenty of time for them to bounce back. Let’s pick some games. Eagles at Texans: Jemp: Eagles, Reeb: Eagles, Pep: Eagles, Screw: Eagles And we are back to some terrible Thursday Night Football. This might be trying Al’s patience, as I think we all expect an Eagles blowout here. That is probably the best case scenario for the team, because at least then they can talk about how good the Eagles are. It’s hard to argue, as the Eagles have their offense and defense both humming at this point, and I can’t see the Texans putting up a realistic fight. Arguably the best team in the league against the worst team in the league doesn’t spell great football. Prediction: Eagles win 31-10 Chargers at Falcons: Jemp: Chargers, Reeb: Chargers, Pep: Chargers, Screw: Chargers I’m a little surprised we are all taking the Chargers here, but not enough so that I would take the Falcons. The Falcons have been a fun team and they are scrappy, but the Chargers should take care of this one, right? Sure the Chargers have some injuries, but at the end of the day this is Justin Herbert against Marcus Mariota. Please just take care of business here Chargers. Prediction: Chargers win 31-28 Dolphins at Bears: Jemp: Dolphins, Reeb: Dolphins, Pep: Dolphins, Screw: Dolphins You have to give the Bears offense some credit, because they have evolved from a ridiculously run-heavy unit, to a ridiculously run-heavy unit that is pretty good. At the very least, Fields is getting more efficient as a passer. Sure, the bar is low for him, but if he can get to a competent NFL passing standard, his incredible rushing ability can lift him up. However, I think the Dolphins are one of the most underrated teams in the NFL, and the addition of Bradley Chubb should only further solidify them as an AFC playoff team. Prediction: Dolphins win 34-17 Panthers at Bengals: Jemp: Bengals, Reeb: Bengals, Pep: Bengals, Screw: Bengals It appears that Ja’Marr Chase was in fact important to the Bengals offense. Their biggest issue is pass protection, but when Burrow and Chase are clicking, they can overcome that. Without Chase… not so much. Now they get the Panthers who have Brian Burns still hanging around ready to take down Burrow. Still, the Bengals defense has been pretty consistent all season, and I’m not buying this Panthers offense. Prediction: Bengals win 17-10 Packers at Lions: Jemp: Lions, Reeb: Packers, Pep: Lions, Screw: Packers Well we did get some of the fun Lions offense back last week, but we also got the invisible Lions defense. Granted, they were playing against Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, and this week they are going up against Romeo Doubs and Sammy Watkin. Allen Lazard could also be back so watch out. If the Lions can’t slow down the Packers then they really have issues. On the other hand, if Aaron Rodgers can’t take advantage of this Lions defense, then I think he loses my hall of fame vote. So I’m taking the Packers. Prediction: Packers win 27-20 Colts at Patriots: Jemp: Patriots, Reeb: Patriots, Pep: Patriots, Screw: Patriots Ehlinger wasn’t really any worse than Matt Ryan in his opening start, which I guess is good news for the Colts. Theoretically he could improve and be as good as Mac Jones. Mac did get the win last week, but it wasn’t all that pretty. He threw a ghastly pick six, but got bailed out thanks to a roughing the passer call. Now he returns to Foxboro, where he is bound to hear some Zappe chants if he does anything less than perfect. I’m guessing he makes some mistakes and the Pats fans let him hear it, but still think he gets the win. Prediction: Patriots win 20-14 Bills at Jets: Jemp: Bills, Reeb: Bills, Pep: Bills, Screw: Bills Things keep going south for Zach Wilson. He started off so promising and things have slowly gotten worse and worse. Last week was a low point, where he finally made the critical mistakes we all saw coming, and lost his first game of the season. Now he plays the Bills. Need I say more? Prediction: Bills win 38-10 Vikings at Commanders: Jemp: Vikings, Reeb: Vikings, Pep: Vikings, Screw: Vikings The gold old Kirk Cousins revenge game, and he even gets it at 1pm on a Sunday. I’ll always have a soft spot for Kirk, but he’s no match for Terry McLaurin and the Commanders. Prediction: Commanders win 100-0 Raiders at Jaguars: Jemp: Raiders, Reeb: Jaguars, Pep: Jaguars, Screw: Jaguars Remember when the Jaguars were feeling good after starting 2-1? Well, now they have lost five straight. It isn’t as if they are getting blown out, but they don’t seem to know how to win these close games. Now they face the Raiders coming off the first ever double bye week. At least it seemed that way based on the no-show from them last week against the Saints. Derek Carr is having an awful season, but I’ve seen enough good from the Raiders offense to think that last week was just a blip on the radar. I think they get back on track in Jacksonville. And when I say back on track, I mean on track to go 8-9 and miss the playoffs. Prediction: Raiders win 24-20 Seahawks at Cardinals: Jemp: Seahawks, Reeb: Seahawks, Pep: Seahawks, Screw: Seahawks Can anyone stop Geno Smith? Geno doesn’t even care when Tyler Lockett is off his game, he’s just like, we’ll get ‘em next time, and they do. The Seahawks defense is getting much better now as well, and Pete Carroll has to be loving this season. However, with all that being said, I feel like this is a game the Cardinals are going to win. DeAndre Hopkins has totally proved me wrong when I thought he might be done. Honestly with all the Larry Fitzgerald comparisons he’s received, I should have known he would age gracefully. I’m certainly not saying the Cardinals are a great team or even that they are better than the Seahawks, but this feels like a game they can win at home. Prediction: Cardinals win 27-24 Rams at Buccaneers: Jemp: Bucs, Reeb: Rams, Pep: Rams, Screw: Rams It is really hard for me to imagine Sean McVay or Tom Brady dropping another game here, but one of them has to, barring a tie I guess. That would probably be the most depressing thing to happen. I feel like I’ve seen more signs of life from the Rams recently, but I tend to have slightly more faith in Tom Brady, and I can’t imagine him continuing this slide. Granted, I’ve said that the past two weeks, and it hasn’t worked out, but I’m riding with him one more time. Prediction: Buccaneers win 20-17 Titans at Chiefs: Jemp: Chiefs, Reeb: Chiefs, Pep: Chiefs, Screw: Chiefs I don’t want to say Mike Vrabel is underrated, because everyone talks about him as a good coach, but I have no idea how he just continues to win games with the Titans. He has absorbed the Patriots energy of doing just enough to win. This team has no passing game, and Derrick Henry didn’t even really get going until a couple weeks ago, but they just keep winning. I don’t think they can beat Patrick Mahomes, but I honestly wouldn’t be shocked. They tend to pull out crazy wins like this. I’m still taking the Chiefs though. Prediction: Chiefs win 31-21 Ravens at Saints: Jemp: Ravens, Reeb: Ravens, Pep: Ravens, Screw: Ravens Please serve me up this Monday Night lone wolf. Nothing against the Ravens, and I can’t wait to see how Roquan Smith looks on this team, but I think this Saints team is pretty good. Alvin Kamara has returned to full form, and Andy Dalton is taking charge of this offense, at least when Taysom Hill isn’t in there. Give Dennis Allen some credit for sticking with Sean Payton’s Taysom Hill packages, and I think even improving them. The only issue with this team has been the defense, but it came to life last week. With the talent they have, there is no reason they can’t continue to play that way. It would be nice if Michael Thomas would ever play football again, but instead he lands on IR. I still think it’s enough fo the Saints to win in the Superdome. Prediction: Saints win 31-27 Here are the standings:
Reeb: 61-47 Pep: 61-47 Alx: 59-49 Screw: 59-49 Jemp: 57-51 Not much of a change in the standings after last week. Despite some massive upsets that I’m sure ended many survivor leagues, we all came away with records just over .500. This week I’m hoping to gain some more ground, so let’s pick some games. Ravens at Buccaneers: Jemp: Bucs, Reeb: Ravens, Pep: Ravens, Screw: Ravens So maybe the Bucs do have some issues? I thought they would have figured things out now that they have most of their weapons back, but barely escaping a shutout against the Panthers was a low point for them. Now they play a Ravens defense which has played much better since some early struggles. Conversely, the Ravens offense has gone into a slump, which shouldn’t be that surprising from an offense running out Devin Duvernay and DeMarcus Robinson as starting receivers. Ultimately I think the Bucs get back on track. Tom Brady still looks fine physically and I expect him to right the ship. Prediction: Buccaneers win 24-20 Broncos at Jaguars: Jemp: Jaguars, Reeb: Jaguars, Pep: Broncos, Screw: Jaguars I feel bad for this Broncos defense. They thought they were just a quarterback away from being a Super Bowl contender, and they were probably right. The defense has only given up over 20 points one time all season, but the offense is averaging just over 14 points per game.. This team would probably be 6-1 if Geno Smith was their quarterback. However, I have to feel Russell Wilson can’t really be this bad. And even if he is, I think the defense alone is enough to beat Jacksonville. Prediction: Broncos win 17-13 Panthers at Falcons: Jemp: Falcons, Reeb: Falcons, Pep: Falcons, Screw: Falcons Quite the NFC South matchup here, as it could be a bout for first place if the Bucs lose on TNF. I may have picked the Bucs just to hope to avoid that atrocity. But, PJ Walker looked like the most competent the Panthers have had in 2 years so maybe he will save this team. Also the two-headed monster of D’Onta Foreman and Chuba Hubbard looked pretty good, and the team also unveiled a new promising receiver named DJ Moore. But let’s be real, nobody thinks the Panthers can keep this up. The Falcons know what they are, and that is a team that needs to run the football to have a prayer of winning, which is why they only threw the ball 13 times last week despite being down double digits from the first quarter onwards. I can’t even blame them, because we all know they weren’t going to get back in the game by having Marcus Mariota throw the ball. He probably won’t have to in this one. Prediction: Falcons win 24-17 Bears at Cowboys: Jemp: Cowboys, Reeb: Cowboys, Pep: Cowboys, Screw: Cowboys Speaking of performances I didn’t expect, did anyone watch the Bears offense on Monday Night Football? They looked borderline unstoppable with Khalil Herbert and David Montgomery running the ball, and even Justin Fields looked like an NFL quarterback. Sure, he still only completed 13 passes, but I actually saw him go to his second read on a couple of plays. But this week, I expect them to be completely stoppable, since they are going up against the Cowboys defense. And they are still the Bears. Prediction: Cowboys win 20-10 Dolphins at Lions: Jemp: Lions, Reeb: Dolphins, Pep: Dolphins, Screw: Dolphins This Lions team is right back where they are most comfortable, in control of the number 1 overall pick. We thought they could still be something if they continued that offensive magic, and tightened up their defense. Instead, they’ve maybe played a little better on defense, but their offense has totally cratered. The injuries to Amon-Ra and D’Andre Swift have certainly been a factor, and they might get both of them back this week. But I’m a little tired of holding out hope for that. The Dolphins had some issues against the Steelers, but Tua was just coming back and they still are loaded with weapons, so I’m taking the Dolphins. Prediction: Dolphins win 27-20 Cardinals at Vikings: Jemp: Vikings, Reeb: Vikings, Pep: Vikings, Screw: Vikings I’m not sure what to make of this Vikings team. They are 5-1, and I don’t see any reason they wouldn’t go to 6-1 here. Kirk Cousins is usually pretty good at home, especially at 1pm on a Sunday, and I’m not sure if the Cardinals sold me with the dual pick sixes on Thursday. They may have gotten a little lucky, but they did still move the ball pretty well on offense for the majority of the game. DeAndre Hopkins isn’t quite as explosive as he once was, but he finally gives Kyler a reliable target on the outside with some size. But I don’t think it will be enough in Minnesota. Prediction: Vikings win 27-24 Raiders at Saints: Jemp: Raiders, Reeb: Saints, Pep: Raiders, Screw: Raiders In an NFL where scoring is down, these two teams have been playing in some shootouts. The Raiders offense has been unlocked through the hard running of Josh Jacobs, and the Saints offense has found life under Andy Dalton? It’s ironic that under Jameis, the Saints were this boring, play-it-safe offense, while with Dalton, they have turned into a high-flying attack that occasionally gives the defense a couple pick sixes. Okay, maybe the pick-sixes were a bit of a one-off, but still kinda funny. But even in that game, Andy was dropping some dimes, that his receivers also decided to drop. Unfortunately, the Saints defense isn’t nearly where it was last year, and the Raiders seem like their success is more sustainable, so I’m taking the Raiders. Prediction: Raiders win 34-31 Patriots at Jets: Jemp: Patriots, Reeb: Jets, Pep: Jets, Screw: Jets It has been a weird week for both these teams. The Jets beat Brett Rypien, but they did it with another abysmal passing performance. They also lost two of their most important offensive players in Breece Hall and Alijah Vera-Tucker, especially if they want to keep up this run-heavy approach. Bringing in James Robinson helps, but he isn’t the home-run hitter that Breece Hall is. On the other side, the Patriots are in an all-out quarterback controversy that Bill Belichick is completely ignoring. He’s just pretending that it’s normal to plan for two quarterbacks to play in each game. I haven’t seen that since Ken Whisenhunt did it with Matt Leinart and Kurt Warner. And let’s be honest, that was just a soft-benching for Leinart. However, I can’t imagine Bill doesn’t get his defense to rebound against these Jets. After a great start for Zach Wilson, he has looked awful two weeks in a row now. Granted, they won both games, so maybe if he is forced to throw a little more he can get in rhythm. But I can’t count on it. Prediction: Patriots win 20-17 Steelers at Eagles: Jemp: Eagles, Reeb: Eagles, Pep: Eagles, Screw: Eagles It has been hard watching this Steelers offense over the past three years and five quarterbacks. Kenny Pickett is just the latest Steelers QB to put on a snoozefest in primetime. Matt Canada is starting to run out of excuses, but things don’t get any easier in Philly this weekend. The Eagles are coming off of their bye, and we all expect them to stay undefeated. Prediction: Eagles win 24-10 Titans at Texans: Jemp: Titans, Reeb: Titans, Pep: Titans, Screw: Titans I think no team has screwed me in the pickem more than the Titans. I’m always picking against them, but Mike Vrabel just knows how to win games. It isn’t pretty, but they are getting it done, and the Texans are not. Other than Damien Pierce, Texans fans don’t have much to get excited about. I thought they would at least be a fun team this year, but maybe I was naive to believe that about a Lovie Smith team. Prediction: Titans win 27-17 Commanders at Colts: Jemp: Commanders, Reeb: Commanders, Pep: Commanders, Screw: Commanders We all thought this would be Carson Wentz vs. Matt Ryan to see which truly was the better quarterback option. The correct answer was neither, as both are now relegated to the bench. Wentz still has a chance to return as a starter, but not if Heinicke keeps winning, and we all know he wins this one. Prediction: Commanders win 100-0 49ers at Rams: Jemp: 49ers, Reeb: Rams, Pep: 49ers, Screw: Rams I’m not surprised we are split on this, but it’s hard to pick against the 49ers considering the history of this rivalry. I know their injury-riddled defense was torched by Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs last week, but this Rams offense is about as far from the Chiefs as you can be. I don’t see the Rams putting up those kinds of points, and they might need to in order to keep up with the niners loaded offense. Granted, it is Jimmy G at the helm, but he can steer a ship with this arsenal, especially with several players that he can just dump the ball to. Prediction: 49ers win 31-20 Giants at Seahawks: Jemp: Seahawks, Reeb: Seahawks, Pep: Seahawks, Screw: Giants Man, I thought I’d be lone-wolfing the Seahawks this week, but apparently we all feel like it’s time for the Giants to take a loss. This team is really good at closing out games, but they can’t win these close games every week, can they? 7-1 just seems a bit too far, and they are going against a Seahawks team that is playing well on both sides of the ball. Kenneth Walker is a stud, and I expect him to lead the Seahawks to victory in front of the twelves. Prediction: Seahawks win 24-17 Packers at Bills: Jemp: Bills, Reeb: Bills, Pep: Bills, Screw: Bills Aaron Rodgers said this might be the best thing for the Packers. I would agree if he has other plans in January. You can’t choke in the playoffs if you don’t make the playoffs, so that is nice for him. I’m trying to see a way that the Packers put on a magical performance on Sunday Night Football, but I just can’t. Even if Rodgers was to play like he has at points during his MVP seasons, I still don’t know if it would be enough. Not with the lack of weapons, and the fact that Josh Allen is playing like that with an actually good team around him. So I’ll take the Bills decisively at home. Prediction: Bills win 38-20 Bengals at Browns: Jemp: Bengals, Reeb: Bengals, Pep: Bengals, Screw: Bengals Are the Bengals back? Last week looked like another Joe Burrow to Ja’Marr Chase clinic that they put on last year a few times. Burrow is starting to get back in a groove, and I don’t expect him to stop this week against a poor Browns defense. The Browns only chance is if Myles Garrett can take over the game. The Bengals worst performances were when they faced an elite pass rusher like TJ Watt and Micah Parsons, and Myles Garrett is still absolutely elite. Unfortunately, the Steelers and Cowboys have much better defenses around their star pass rushers, so maybe that was more important. Prediction: Bengals win 30-17 Here are the standings:
Reeb: 53-41 Pep: 52-42 Alx: 51-43 Screw: 50-44 Jemp: 49-45 I told you I was coming back. I was 4/4 on lone-wolf picks last week, skyrocketing me up the ranks to… the middle of the pack. That’s okay though, now we’re all in the running and it is anyone’s title. Let’s pick some games. Saints at Cardinals: Jemp: Saints, Reeb: Cardinals, Pep: Saints, Screw: Saints I can’t believe Reeb is taking the Cardinals here. The Saints haven’t even named their starting quarterback but I think Dalton or Winston can take care of this Cardinals team. Hell, they could bring back Ian Book to start and I still might pick the Saints. This Cardinals team is hard to watch, and I’m not sure trading in Hollywood Brown for DeAndre Hopkins is an upgrade for them. Maybe Kyler comes out and has a heroic performance to resurrect this Cardinals team, but I’m not counting on it. Prediction: Saints win 24-10 Falcons at Bengals: Jemp: Bengals, Reeb: Bengals, Pep: Bengals, Screw: Bengals Watch out for this Falcons team. Marcus Mariota got the Justin Fields treatment last week, throwing only 14 passes as his team boat-raced the 49ers. Arthur Smith is running a ground and pound attack that is leaving fantasy managers crazy, but who can blame him when you have a backfield tandem like Caleb Huntley and Tyler Allgeier? You have to give those guys a workload. The Bengals are essentially the polar opposite, and I’m not too worried about the Falcons pass rush, so I’ll take the Bengals at home. Prediction: Bengals win 27-23 Lions at Cowboys: Jemp: Lions, Reeb: Cowboys, Pep: Cowboys, Screw: Cowboys I’m very tempted to take the Lions here, but I expect that it is mostly wishful thinking. I’d love to see a disastrous collapse by the Cowboys upon Dak’s return, but I’d also like to think the Lions may have figured some things out during their bye week. Their defense can’t be as bad as it has performed up to this point. But it’s hard for me to trust Jared Goff against this Cowboys pass rush. Prediction: Cowboys win 24-20 Colts at Titans: Jemp: Titans, Reeb: Titans, Pep: Titans, Screw: Titans Are the Colts figuring things out? At least Matt Ryan no longer looks like the worst quarterback in the league. I guess guys like Baker Mayfield and Justin Fields always kept him off of that title, but now he looks more like the Matt Ryan of last year. Still not amazing, but good enough for this year’s NFL. Granted, the Titans were starting to look more like themselves before their bye week as well. Derrick Henry is back to his old self, and Tannehill has been pretty solid as always. I think this is the point where the Colts hit their stride though, so I’ll stick with them. Prediction: Colts win 27-24 Packers at Commanders: Jemp: Packers, Reeb: Packers, Pep: Commanders, Screw: Packers Heinicke is back and ready to take out this lowly Packers team. Matt Lafleur had never lost two games in a row until last week, so why not make it three this week? Prediction: Commanders win 100-0 Buccaneers at Panthers: Jemp: Bucs, Reeb: Bucs, Pep: Bucs, Screw: Bucs Surprisingly getting rid of Matt Rhule and Baker Mayfield didn’t magically fix the Panthers. Sure, those guys were terrible, but when you replace them with Steve Wilks and PJ Walker, there isn’t much to be excited about. PJ Walker only completed one pass beyond the line of scrimmage and it went for a whopping 6 yards. Sure, the Bucs aren’t perfect by any means, but the Panthers are a cure-all for anyone at this point, just ask the Rams. Prediction: Buccaneers win 20-0 Giants at Jaguars: Jemp: Giants, Reeb: Jaguars, Pep: Giants, Screw: Giants I’m not sure how long the Giants can keep this up, but Brian Daboll has these Giants playing above their paygrade. Well, except for Kenny Golladay. Their defense is bad by pretty much every metric, and their offense is somehow average despite the questionable cast of characters they are throwing out there. But in this NFL that has about 27 mediocre teams, they keep finding themselves in close games that they are able to close out. I think they will do it again this week. Prediction: Giants win 24-21 Browns at Ravens: Jemp: Ravens, Reeb: Ravens, Pep: Ravens, Screw: Ravens I’m surprised everyone united on the Ravens for this one. I know the Browns were disappointing against the Patriots, but I could have told you Bill Belichick would shut down Jacoby Brisset. In fact, I did tell you. But this week they face a Ravens team that Lamar can’t quite keep afloat with the lack of help he’s getting. He was playing at an unsustainable level for the first few weeks, and now is coming back down to earth a bit. Granted, this Browns defense has been atrocious so maybe they help him explode once again, but I suspect the Browns are able to steal this one. Prediction: Browns win 27-24 Jets at Broncos: Jemp: Jets, Reeb: Jets, Pep: Jets, Screw: Jets Who would have thought we’d all be picking the Jets over the Broncos this season? I feel like I am turning into a lowkey Jets fan, as I loved watching them steamroll the Packers last week. Granted, my guy Zach Wilson looked more like he did last season, but he didn’t make any killer mistakes and they didn’t ask him to do much since their defense and running game were playing so well. I’d like to see them trust him a little more, as I think he showed a lot in his first two starts, and the run heavy approach that leaves your quarterback to only throw the ball on 3rd down isn’t helpful to him. Sure, a good running game can help a quarterback, but only if you sprinkle in play-action on first and second down. But this week he should only need to put up about 17 points to clinch the win since he is playing the Broncos, so I’ll take the Jets. Prediction: Jets win 24-10 Texans at Raiders: Jemp: Raiders, Reeb: Raiders, Pep: Texans, Screw: Raiders Two weeks after lone-wolfing the Raiders against the Chiefs, Pep is now lone-wolfing the Texans against the Raiders. To be fair, the last time we saw the Texans they managed to pull out their first win against the Jags. I’d argue that the Raiders 1-point loss to the Chiefs was actually more impressive than that, but I guess a win is a win, and we don’t hand out stickers for effort. But this week I think Davante Adams won’t need to push any camera men since he’ll be feeling good after the win. Then again, he could probably get away with it here since there won’t be anyone watching. Prediction: Raiders win 27-10 Seahawks at Chargers: Jemp: Chargers, Reeb: Chargers, Pep: Chargers, Screw: Chargers I’ll be honest, I’m not feeling great about this Chargers team, but it’s hard to complain when you’re 4-2 and every team has its faults. I definitely wouldn’t chalk this one up for the Chargers though. The Seahawks defense might be getting better (or they might have just benefited from playing the Cardinals), and the offense is still playing well even if it cooled off a little. As for the Chargers, they are still riddled with injuries. And as much as we criticize the Broncos, the Chargers only beat them thanks to a muffed punt. I’m still sticking with the Chargers because I like them and these teams are relatively even, but this is a coin-flip game. Prediction: Chargers win 31-27 Chiefs at 49ers: Jemp: Chiefs, Reeb: Chiefs, Pep: Chiefs, Screw: Chiefs Tough loss for the 49ers last week. Sure, they have quite a few injuries, but to get absolutely run over by the Falcons was embarrassing. Now they have the Chiefs coming to town, so things aren’t exactly looking up. The Chiefs are coming off a loss to the Bills, but I doubt they drop two in a row. But maybe I’m wrong and Jimmy G can get some revenge for the Super Bowl. Prediction: Chiefs win 34-20 Steelers at Dolphins: Jemp: Dolphins, Reeb: Steelers, Pep: Dolphins, Screw: Dolphins Unfortunately, we didn’t get to see much of Skylar Thompson last week. I actually think he played pretty well before he left the game, he was just destroyed by penalties and drops. But it doesn’t matter anymore because Tua is back. It looks like Kenny Pickett will start as well, so this could be a good one. However, I think the Dolphins are just the better team, and if they can get some continuity at quarterback, they should get right back on track. Prediction: Dolphins win 24-17 Bears at Patriots: Jemp: Patriots, Reeb: Patriots, Pep: Patriots, Screw: Patriots I have a feeling this game is not going to go well for Justin Fields. There are some quarterbacks where Belichick must feel like he has to cook up a master gameplan, but this is not one of them. I guess the only hope for the Bears is that Belichick gets so cocky that he doesn’t even bother coming up with a gameplan and just gets blasted this week instead. But even that strategy might still work against this Bears team. Prediction: Patriots win 27-0 |
RSS Feed