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Let’s take a look at the standings:
Pep: 64-42 Jemp: 62-44 Reeb: 61-45 Screw: 59-47 Alx: 57-49 Well, I’m back in last week, after Screw has won two straight weeks now. Let’s see if he can continue his hot streak by picking some games. Redskins at Vikings: Jemp: Vikings, Reeb: Vikings, Pep: Vikings, Screw: Vikings So much revenge in this game. Case Keenum, Adrian Peterson, and most importantly, Kirk Cousins. The Redskins slighted Kirk when they refused to pay him, and you don’t want to get on Kirk’s bad side or he might apologize to you. Personally, I don’t know how I’m going to feel watching this game, as I think my heart might want Kirk to stick it to Dan Snyder and Bruce Allen. I think Kirk absolutely lights up the Redskins like no one before him. Prediction: Redskins win 100-7 Seahawks at Falcons: Jemp: Seahawks, Reeb: Seahawks, Pep: Seahawks, Screw: Seahawks It’s weird that this Seahawks team is undefeated on the road, but just 2-2 at home, with both their wins by just 1 point. The worry from this Seahawks team is that they just aren’t that talented, and they aren’t going anywhere without Russell Wilson carrying them. The good news is that Russ can carry them pretty far, and this week it is like he is dragging them a downhill ski slope. The Falcons have reached second half of 2015 levels where I’m not picking them against anyone right now, regardless of if it’s Matt Ryan or Matt Schaub at quarterback. But yikes, if it’s Matt Schaub, I’d probably pick the Dolphins to beat them. Prediction: Seahawks win 34-17 Broncos at Colts: Jemp: Colts, Reeb: Colts, Pep: Colts, Screw: Colts I would have thought this was a perfect upset pick last week, but last week completely changed my mind. The Colts win was impressive, but it didn’t change my opinion of them much. The Broncos game on the other hand, was an absolute train wreck of an offensive performance. Joe Flacco going into a steep decline midseason seems to be regular occurrence now, and Garrett Bolles and Elijah Wilkinson aren’t helping matters. At least the defense is playing up to par now, so Broncos fans can take that as a silver lining. Prediction: Colts win 16-6 Buccaneers at Titans: Jemp: Titans, Reeb: Titans, Pep: Titans, Screw: Bucs Maybe this Titans team is back on track for an uninspiring 9-7 finish once again. It’s too bad we won’t get the long-awaited rematch of Mariota vs. Winston, but I guess it was doomed from the start. This game will probably be determined by which Jameis shows up, because Ryan Tannehill is basically the same guy every week, which is maybe a slightly better version of Mariota, which is probably being generous. Prediction: Titans win 20-17 Cardinals at Saints: Jemp: Saints, Reeb: Saints, Pep: Saints, Screw: Saints Our unpaid intern made the point last week that the Saints make winning look easy. They were without their star quarterback and running back, and yet they scorched the vaunted Bears defense for 424 yards of offense and 36 points. They may now get their two best offensive players back. Well, two of their three best offensive players, because Michael Thomas has proven to continue to be perhaps the best receiver in the NFL, regardless of the quarterback. I also don’t want to disrespect their offensive line, so let’s just say their offense should now be stacked, and might not even be their best unit, since their defense is among the best in the NFL. Might want to work on the special teams though, after giving up a kick return TD, and nearly two onsides kick recoveries. Prediction: Saints win 31-14 Bengals at Rams: Jemp: Rams, Reeb: Rams, Pep: Rams, Screw: Rams I guess the one positive thing I can say about the Bengals is that they finally seem to have stopped getting worse. Last week was actually their best performance in quite a while I thought. Of course, they still lost, and will probably continue to do so until that epic matchup against the Dolphins. Remember when they almost beat the Seahawks in Seattle? Prediction: Rams win 34-13 Eagles at Bills: Jemp: Eagles, Reeb: Bills, Pep: Bills, Screw: Bills Rough game for the Eagles last week after getting smashed by the Cowboys. Their defense has been torched by pretty much every quarterback not named Luke Falk, and their offense hasn’t been able to uncork their potential. However, their loss to the Cowboys was not much more concerning than the Bills victory over the Dolphins. Even against this Eagles defense, I don’t think Josh Allen can put up enough points to squeak out a win. Unless of course the Bills defense shuts down the Eagles offense, which is very possible, but I’m picking the Eagles to rebound and get a win on the road. Prediction: Eagles win 21-17 Chargers at Bears: Jemp: Bears, Reeb: Bears, Pep: Bears, Screw: Bears This is where we’re at with the Chargers now. When they were driving down at the end of the game, Jemp thought they were setting up for missed field goal to lose. Yet, in typical Chargers fashion, they managed to shock us while still staying true to what we expect from them. You would think they would have run out of ways to lose by now. However, this one seems like a mismatch, with Khalil Mack and co. going against that Chargers offensive line. Yet the Chargers and Mitch Trubisky will probably make sure this is a close one that Chargers blow in spectacular fashion. Prediction: Bears win 16-13 Giants at Lions: Jemp: Lions, Reeb: Lions, Pep: Lions, Screw: Lions So much for all the Giants weapons being back. Evan Engram, Saquon Barkley, and Golden Tate were all on the field at the same time for the Giants, and yet, they were still as bad as ever. They did claw their way back into a game where it seemed like the Cardinals were coasting, to the detriment of all my fantasy teams with Kyler Murray. I forgot where I was going with that, I just wanted to complain about my fantasy which I’m sure everyone is invested in. Anyway, who cares, Lions can finally win an easy one. Prediction: Lions win 34-21 Jets at Jaguars: Jemp: Jaguars, Reeb: Jaguars, Pep: Jaguars, Screw: Jaguars I find it interesting that everyone is picking the Jags here, since this seems like a pretty evenly matched game. Sure, the Jets had a horrific performance on Monday Night, but as long as Sam Darnold stops trying to throw the ball to Bruce Willis, I think the Jets can win this one on the road. He was dead the whole time, Sam! Prediction: Jets win 19-17 Panthers at 49ers: Jemp: Panthers, Reeb: 49ers, Pep: Panthers, Screw: 49ers This might be the most fun game on Sunday between two true NFC playoff contenders. Sure, there are like 10 of them right now, but here is our chance to get a little more clarity in the playoff picture. Maybe it’s unfair to declare every week as a litmus test for the 49ers, but if they can’t withstand the scrutiny of ProFootballJokes, then are clearly way too sensitive and probably shouldn’t be playing football for a living. It is also a huge test for Kyle Allen, who is trying to preserve his undefeated record, something Jimmy G can empathize with. That’s why I think Jimmy will generously give a few turnovers to the Panthers defense allowing Kyle Allen to continue his winning streak and maybe hold on to that starting spot. Prediction: Panthers win 16-10 Raiders at Texans: Jemp: Texans, Reeb: Texans, Pep: Texans, Screw: Texans Just when it looked like the Texans had turned a corner, they go out and get smacked around by the Colts. Deshaun Watson did not have his best game, and the Texans can’t beat good teams when that happens. Fortunately, the Raiders are not a good team, despite doing a pretty good impression of one so far this season. The Raiders have stayed in games by having a dink and dunk offense that controls and moves the ball, but that doesn’t work very well when they have three redzone possessions that end with no points. Unfortunately, they don’t have enough talent to rely on another way to win, so I think Gareon Conley goes home on the right side of this one. Prediction: Texans win 31-17 Browns at Patriots: Jemp: Patriots, Reeb: Patriots, Pep: Patriots, Screw: Patriots Things are not going well for the Browns even when they don’t play. While on their bye, the Ravens managed to take down the Seahawks in Seattle, and now the Browns play in Foxborough. I’d like to think the Browns can rebound and get back on track, and it isn’t too late for that, but no way I’m taking them to beat the Patriots. Baker just better hope he plays better than Sam Darnold did last week, and hope somehow they can climb out of the 3 game hole they will be in behind the Ravens if they lose this. Prediction: Patriots win 27-14 Packers at Chiefs: Jemp: Packers, Reeb: Chiefs, Pep: Chiefs, Screw: Packers It is a shame that we may have lost our only chance to watch peak Rodgers vs Patrick Mahomes. Rodgers has returned to the form he was in five years ago, but so has this defense. I was a huge proponent that this defense was going to be really good this year, and it looked like I was right early on. However, over their last 4 games, the Packers are allowing over 420 yard per game, which is more than the Dolphins give up. To be clear, the Packers defense certainly isn’t worse than the Dolphins, as they can still pressure the quarterback and make some big plays, but it has been four straight weeks of offenses moving up and down the field on them. Now they play against an Andy Reid offense that has had extra time to prepare. I think we could be in store for a fun one on Sunday Night Football, but there is no way I have the stones to pick Matt Moore. Prediction: Packers win 34-27 Dolphins at Steelers: Jemp: Steelers, Reeb: Steelers, Pep: Steelers, Screw: Steelers Can’t wait to watch Mason Rudolph and Ryan Fitzpatrick on Monday Night Football! All while being serenaded by the sounds of Joe Tessitore’s excitement over meaningless plays and Booger’s complaints about things he doesn’t seem to fully grasp. That’s all I got on this one. Prediction: Steelers win 17-7 Let’s take a look at the standings:
Pep: 56-36 Jemp: 53-39 Reeb: 51-41 Alx: 49-43 Screw: 48-44 Screw and I had pretty good weeks that could have been even better had it not been for a couple of blown calls on Monday Night. But I still had quite the Week 6 with the Redskins finally getting a win, Kirk and Deshaun lighting it up and getting big victories, Robby Anderson returning to form, and even Marcus Mariota getting benched. I just hope week 7 is as good. Let's pick some games. Chiefs at Broncos: Jemp: Chiefs, Reeb: Chiefs, Pep: Chiefs, Screw: Chiefs Just a couple weeks ago I said I was getting to the point where I don’t pick against the Chiefs unless they are playing the Patriots, and they haven’t won since. I also didn’t pick them last week, and spoiler alert, I’m not picking them this week. This is a perfect storm for the Broncos to get a win. At home against a banged up Chiefs team on a short week (Andy Reid is 2-6 in midseason TNF games since 2011). The Broncos finally look like the defense we expected them to be, and the offense has a two-headed monster at running back. We saw the Colts and Texans play keepaway from the Chiefs with their running games, and I think the Broncos will do the same. Prediction: Broncos win 24-20 Dolphins at Bills: Jemp: Bills, Reeb: Bills, Pep: Bills, Screw: Bills Time for the 543rd revenge game for Ryan Fitzpatrick, as it appears Josh Rosen has already fallen out of favor with the Dolphins. However, he should probably be thankful that he doesn’t have to play against this Bills defense. I’d be surprised if the Dolphins offense scores more than the Bills defense in this game. Prediction: Bills win 23-0 Jaguars at Bengals: Jemp: Jaguars, Reeb: Jaguars, Pep: Bengals, Screw: Jaguars A lot of teams have suffered injuries, but I don’t know that any team has suffered more than the Bengals, and the Bengals probably wouldn’t have even been good if everyone was healthy. Our unpaid intern watches as injuries are taking this team to near-Dolphins levels, and while the Jags might not have Jalen Ramsey anymore, they should have more than enough to take down the Bengals. I don’t know what the bigger mismatch is, BW Webb trying to cover DJ Chark or John Jerry and Bobby Hart trying to block Calais Campbell and Yannick Ngakoue. Maybe Minshew mania can make a slight comeback this week. Prediction: Jaguars win 27-10 Vikings at Lions: Jemp: Lions, Reeb: Vikings, Pep: Lions, Screw: Vikings It seems like every NFC North game is so crucial with all four teams clearly in the NFC mix. Unfortunately for Jemp, the Lions were robbed of one of those games on Monday night, and they are not getting this Vikings team at a good time. The Vikings are now firing on all cylinders, as their passing game has flourished to go along with a dominant running game and a great defense. Granted, they played a pair of really bad pass defenses, so maybe this Lions team can offer up a little more resistance. But I have to ride with Kirk as he looks like a man on a mission. Prediction: Vikings win 27-20 Raiders at Packers: Jemp: Raiders, Reeb: Packers, Pep: Raiders, Screw: Packers Looks like we have some Raiders believers on the staff. It’s hard to deny that they have been impressive. In three of their five games they have kept control of the game from the start, physically dominating their opponents, none of which were easy tasks. However, I still don’t see them having the talent to beat a team like the Packers, as we’ve seen what has happened when they have played the Vikings and Chiefs. However, maybe with the injuries, the Packers aren’t any better than the Colts, Bears, or Broncos, all of whom the Raiders have taken care of. Still, I think I’ll stick with the 5-1 Packers at home. Prediction: Packers win 23-21 Rams at Falcons: Jemp: Rams, Reeb: Rams, Pep: Rams, Screw: Rams I wonder if the air in LA will serve as a cure for the back ailment that has plagued Jalen Ramsey. They could use him in what would surely be a fun matchup against Julio Jones. Then again, it probably doesn’t matter since no matter what Julio does, it won’t be enough to overcome what the Falcons defense will give up. Matt Ryan has played pretty well all year, but he would probably have to throw for 8,000 yards for this team to make the playoffs. Since I don’t think that’s going to happen, I’m taking the Rams Prediction: Rams win 48-28 Texans at Colts: Jemp: Colts, Reeb: Texans, Pep: Colts, Screw: Texans The AFC South on the line with both teams coming off of wins in Arrowhead. I wonder if that is the first time that has ever happened. I’ll make our unpaid intern research that completely contrived and irrelevant stat. Anyway, while I appreciate what Frank Reich and the Colts are doing, you know there is no way I am backing off the Deshaun Watson hype train right now. If this protection he has continues to hold up, he looks absolutely unstoppable. He makes this Texans team a true Super Bowl contender, and I can’t wait to watch them in the playoffs. Prediction: Texans win 31-20 49ers at Redskins: Jemp: 49ers, Reeb: 49ers, Pep: Redskins, Screw: 49ers The Redskins got the impressive win last week, and now they are ready to put an end to the 49ers win streak. Pep is with me at least. Prediction: Redskins win 100-0 Cardinals at Giants: Jemp: Cardinals, Reeb: Giants, Pep: Cardinals, Screw: Cardinals I begged the Cardinals offense to be interesting, and they finally obliged. Playing the Falcons probably made it easier for them, but at least Kliff is showing a little creativity. And they aren’t exactly playing the ‘85 Bears this week either. I think the Cardinals continue their winning streak with another victory here. Getting three straight wins against the Bengals, Falcons, and Giants should make them Super Bowl contender based on all the logic all those people on the Cowboys hype train after Week 3. Prediction: Cardinals win 31-28 Chargers at Titans: Jemp: Chargers, Reeb: Titans, Pep: Chargers, Screw: Titans Ugh, this is so sad. I’m actually at the point where I think I’m going to take the Titans to win this one. I’d like to think the Chargers get back on track, but they have had two of the worst offensive performances in the last two weeks by any team not from Miami. The Titans defense is formidable at least and maybe Ryan Tannehill will move the offense better than Mariota? Okay, probably not, but the Steelers were able to score enough with Duck Hodges as their quarterback, so I’m taking the Titans. Prediction: Titans win 17-13 Saints at Bears: Jemp: Saints, Reeb: Saints, Pep: Saints, Screw: Saints I don’t know why I’m feeling this, but I guess I’m just taking the good defenses to win at home. I think the Broncos, Titans, and even the Mitch Trubisky-led Bears are managing wins this week over teams that had 12+ wins last year. Maybe Mitch will completely implode against a Saints defense that has stonewalled opponents lately, but I think Nagy can channel enough of Andy Reid’s bye-week magic to get an early lead that the Bears defense will protect. Remember this Saints team could only put up 13 points against a far inferior Jags defense. And let’s remember that if Trubisky still can’t go, then we get a Chase Daniel revenge game. Prediction: Bears win 10-6 Ravens at Seahawks: Jemp: Seahawks, Reeb: Seahawks, Pep: Seahawks, Screw: Seahawks The Ravens are continuing their attempt to fall into an AFC North title, but maybe the addition of Marcus Peters can help them even exceed this. Early in the offseason I thought the Ravens would have the best secondary in football, and they have fallen far short of that so far. However, now they get Jimmy Smith back along with adding Marcus Peters, so maybe they are piecing together the elite unit I expected them to have. But as I have stated many times before, I don’t pick against the Seahawks in Seattle, and certainly not when Russell Wilson is playing at an MVP level. Prediction: Seahawks win 30-20 Eagles at Cowboys: Jemp: Eagles, Reeb: Eagles, Pep: Cowboys, Screw: Eagles Is this the week the Cowboys offense gets back on track? On the one hand, this would be the matchup for them to exploit, as the Eagles pass defense has been bad all year, but they might return Ronald Darby to the starting lineup this week, which would be huge for them. Certainly this defense would still be exploitable, except that the Cowboys could be without Tyron Smith, La’el Collins, Amari Cooper, Zack Martin, and Michael Gallup. If I had to guess now, it looks like Martin and Gallup should play, but I don’t see them flourishing through the air without those first three guys. Prediction: Eagles win 34-17 Patriots at Jets: Jemp: Patriots, Reeb: Patriots, Pep: Patriots, Screw: Patriots Sam the savior is back! But maybe calm down with crowning him after one win. I think Marcus Mariota could have been placed in there and looked like a franchise quarterback compared to Luke Falk. I certainly still think Sam Darnold can get there, but one victory against the Cowboys where he looked just fine isn’t the reason why. However, I wouldn’t totally count out the Jets against the Patriots here. The Pats have looked vulnerable to start their last few games, and then broke away from completely inferior competition. Then again, they could figure it out on offense at any moment, so I’m obviously sticking with New England. Prediction: Patriots win 31-21 Let’s take a look at the standings:
Pep: 48-30 Jemp: 47-36 Reeb: 45-33 Alx: 40-38 Screw: 38-40 Well I moved out of last place thanks to an abysmal 3-12 week by Screw. Maybe he should start sending his picks like a normal person. Anyway, I think I can move up the ladder again this week, since I’m not hamstrung by having to lone wolf the Redskins, so let’s pick some games. Giants at Patriots: Jemp: Patriots, Reeb: Patriots, Pep: Patriots, Screw: Patriots The Pats continue the gauntlet that is their opening schedule. The only concern with them is that their offense hasn’t played particularly well since week 1. Of course, it hasn’t mattered at all thanks to the ineptitude on the opposite side, and shouldn’t matter this week either. In fact, it seems that whenever an offense needs a get-right game, the Giants defense always obliges. Well, almost always. Prediction: Patriots win 27-10 Panthers at Buccaneers: Jemp: Bucs, Reeb: Bucs, Pep: Bucs, Screw: Panthers Can’t wait to get up early to watch Panthers vs. Bucs round 2. The first matchup was so good I can’t wait to see the rematch, this time featuring Kyle Allen. I’m not quite sure why everyone is taking the Bucs after their performance last week, but I’ll gladly take gain a game on everyone by riding with a quarterback that has never lost an NFL start. Kyle Allen is the new Jimmy G, but it’s the Panthers defense that has really come together, despite not being able to stop the Minshew to DJ Chark connection. I would like to see them get their receivers more involved against a bad Tampa secondary, because Christian McCaffrey can’t keep up this workload all season, can he? Prediction: Panthers win 27-24 Redskins at Dolphins: Jemp: Joke Team, Reeb: Redskins, Pep: Redskins, Screw: Redskins Finally, a game where I don’t feel doomed picking the Redskins! And at least if they lose, everyone drops a game instead of just me. Also, they will be in prime position for the #1 pick, which they have never had in the Super Bowl era. But, I still think there is no way this team loses to the Dolphins. Prediction: Redskins win 10,000,000-0 Eagles at Vikings: Jemp: Vikings, Reeb: Eagles, Pep: Eagles, Screw: Vikings This is a crossroads for the Vikings. They can prove that they are a real contender in the NFC by taking down a soaring Eagles team. Kirk needs to outduel Carson Wentz here, and Kevin Stefanski needs to let him. The good news is that he gets to play a defense that isn’t very good, while Carson Wentz has to deal with the Vikings defense. Everson Griffen and Danielle Hunter have been playing some of their best football this year, but they will be tested against the Eagles offensive line. I’d say the Eagles have easily the best offense in the NFC, but with the Vikings at home, I’m sticking with them. Prediction: Vikings win 27-24 Texans at Chiefs: Jemp: Chiefs, Reeb: Chiefs, Pep: Chiefs, Screw: Texans I haven’t been this pumped for a regular season game since we got to watch the Brady v Manning games that feel so far in the past now. Of course, we could all be disappointed if Mahomes isn’t fully healthy and who knows if we will get peak Deshaun Watson. We definitely got him last week, and the Texans offensive line looks good now that they have their rookies in there along with Tunsil, and while I think the Chiefs defense has improved, I think Deshaun Watson will easily slice through it, and Patrick Mahomes will match him point for point, bad ankle and all. This seems like the kind of QB duel Deshaun Watson always ends up losing through no fault of his own, but I’m sticking with him even in arrowhead. Prediction: Texans win 44-42 Saints at Jaguars: Jemp: Saints, Reeb: Saints, Pep: Saints, Screw: Saints I’m sensing some Minshew magic coming here. However, it’s the Saint who continue to impress me, as they seem to get better every week. We will see if they can keep that up as they go back on the road for this one. It’s tough to win in Duvall. I really wish I knew if Jalen Ramsey was playing, because if I did, it would solidify my pick of a Jags upset, but without him, I have to go the safe route and pick the Saints. Prediction: Saints win 24-23 Seahawks at Browns: Jemp: Seahawks, Reeb: Seahawks, Pep: Seahawks, Screw: Seahawks Here is where I get my lone wolf. Yes, the Browns looked absolutely terrible on Monday Night, but they had a distinct mismatch between the 49ers defensive line and their offensive line. The Seahawks don’t have pass rushers like the 49ers do, and Baker can’t possibly play that badly again. He hasn’t been great all year, but that was a like a Luke Falk/Dwayne Haskins type of game. Russell Wilson is playing at an MVP level, and I wouldn’t be surprised for him to win any game, but we all know the Seahawks tend to drop a few on the road, and I think this could be one of them against a motivated Browns team. Prediction: Browns win 28-27 Bengals at Ravens: Jemp: Ravens, Reeb: Ravens, Pep: Ravens, Screw: Ravens I don’t know that there is much left to say about this Ravens team. I guess congratulations for beating Duck Hodges? Now they get a winless Bengals team at home. This is a perfect opportunity for Lamar Jackson to go back to looking like the revelation people thought he was after the first two weeks. Or he can just hand the ball off to Mark Ingram, and run the ball himself and watch the Bengals implode. Prediction: Ravens win 34-17 49ers at Rams: Jemp: 49ers, Reeb: Rams, Pep: Rams, Screw: 49ers Hard to imagine the 49ers ahead of the Rams by 3 games in the loss column. However, apart from that, it’s hard to think of a reason to take the Rams. The Rams have been unable to pass protect all year and we saw the ferocious pass rush of the niners take over on Monday Night. However, the formula to beat the 49ers is simple, you have to jump on them early and make Jimmy G and their passing offense beat you. I think Sean McVay schemes something up to get a quick score or two which might keep that 49ers rushing attack at bay for long enough for the Rams to get a win. Prediction: Rams win 24-20 Falcons at Cardinals: Jemp: Falcons, Reeb: Falcons, Pep: Cardinals, Screw: Falcons Last week I finally felt good about picking the Cardinals, and I feel good about it this week again. Really it has nothing to do with the Cardinals getting better (because they haven’t), and everything to do with their competition. This Falcons team is an embarrassment. They can’t run the ball, their defense is trash, and despite having perhaps the best receiver trio in league, their leader in receiving yard is frikin Austin Hooper. The Falcons can get out of my life and I hope Kliff Kingsbury needs to grow some balls and make his offense exciting. Can one of these teams please become interesting? Prediction: Cardinals win 31-30 Cowboys at Jets: Jemp: Cowboys, Reeb: Cowboys, Pep: Cowboys, Screw: Cowboys Sam Darnold is back and he might not have yet proved himself a franchise QB, but Luke Falk’s performance in his absence will certainly make him look better by comparison. The Jets are not a good team, but having Luke Falk at quarterback made them near Dolphins level, while now they at least shouldn’t be an easy out. I certainly still expect the Cowboys to win, but the Jets need to just show some life to get their fans at least a little hopeful for the future again. Prediction: Cowboys win 28-17 Titans at Broncos: Jemp: Titans, Reeb: Titans, Pep: Broncos, Screw: Broncos I am so bummed I didn’t stick with my Broncos pick last week. The defense finally looked closer to what I thought it could be under Fangio. I don’t think they will rise to be a consistently elite unit, but if there is a team they can keep it up against, it would be the Titans. Joe Flacco might not be able to live up to that either, but Marcus Mariota can make him look like John Elway. Prediction: Broncos win 20-10 Steelers at Chargers: Jemp: Chargers, Reeb: Chargers, Pep: Chargers, Screw: Chargers No one believes in Duck Hodges? Whoops, didn’t mean to put a question mark there. The Chargers have plenty of issues and I don’t know how they are going to deal with the Steelers pass rush, but how can we pick a third string quarterback that no one has ever heard of? Who would have thought the Steelers would have such regret over trading away Josh Dobbs. Glad we all get to watch this in primetime rather than the Watson vs. Mahomes showdown. Prediction: Chargers win 17-3 Lions at Packers: Jemp: Lions, Reeb: Packers, Pep: Packers, Screw: Lions This is quite the Monday Night game, as I will stick up for Jemp’s team and say that no one is giving the Lions enough respect. They could easily still be undefeated if it wasn’t for Kerryon Johnson fumbling at the 1 without the play being blown dead thanks to some bad refs in the Saints Rams game. I could see this game going either way, but I’m taking the Lions out of principle. They have earned some support with the way they’ve played so far. Prediction: Lions win 30-27 Let’s take a look at the standings:
Pep: 38-25 Reeb: 38-25 Jemp: 37-26 Screw: 35-28 Alx: 31-32 Bad week for all of us, as only Screw went positive, but especially bad for me, as I'm now below .500. Still, it's early in the season, and just like many of these NFL teams, I can bounce back in a big way, and it starts this week. So let's pick some games. Rams at Seahawks: Jemp: Rams, Reeb: Rams, Pep: Seahawks, Screw: Seahawks All of the Rams problems were on display against the Bucs. Their pass protection was exposed by Shaq Barrett and company, Jared Goff made some mistakes, and Marcus Peters made a head-scratching decision to let Mike Evans run right by him for an easy TD. He made up for it later with a pick six, so we got the entire Marcus Peters experience. Now they are expected to rebound in Seattle on a short week. This might be a cliche, but the Seahawks just find ways to win games. It seems like they are undermanned, but give me their well-coached defense and Russell Wilson-led offense any day of the week. Prediction: Seahawks win 27-20 Jaguars at Panthers: Jemp: Jaguars, Reeb: Jaguars, Pep: Panthers, Screw: Jaguars Who would have thought at the beginning of the year that we would get a Gardner Minshew vs. Kyle Allen matchup? And that we’d be kind of excited about it, at least I am. Both backups have shown promise, and left their fan-bases questioning if their MVP starters should get their jobs back. Minshew has the moxie that has endeared him to Jags fans and mustache lovers everywhere. Kyle Allen might not be as beloved, but he has shown just as much promise, as he can actually hit open receivers. I also think he has a better team around him, despite the emergence of DJ Chark, so I’m sticking with the surging Panthers at home. Prediction: Panthers win 20-17 Patriots at Redskins: Jemp: Patriots, Reeb: Patriots, Pep: Patriots 100-0, Screw: Patriots I’m just going to plead the fifth on this game. Prediction: Redskins win 100-0 Bills at Titans: Jemp: Bills, Reeb: Titans, Pep: Bills, Screw: Titans It’s probably bad for my picks record when I say the Titans are going to end up 9-7 but pick against them around 14 weeks out of the year. Maybe not quite that many, but I’m picking against them this week. I’ve always enjoyed watching Matt Barkley, and he doesn’t need to do much with the way the Bills defense is playing. Of course, it will be tough for them to handle shutting down Marcus Mariota. I can’t see the TItans doing much of anything against this defense, so as long as Matt Barkley doesn’t give the Titans defense free points, the Bills should win this. Prediction: Bills win 13-3 Ravens at Steelers: Jemp: Ravens, Reeb: Ravens, Pep: Ravens, Screw: Steelers Alright, I think we have calmed down on the Lamar Jackson hype and people are viewing him for what he is. He is a much improved passer, and the best running quarterback since Michael Vick, but he isn’t an elite quarterback yet. Might be elite in fantasy, but not in real life. Good news is he is much better than Mason Rudolph, and is probably a better runner than James Conner too, so I don’t see him losing to the Steelers. Then again, the Steelers probably have the better defense here, so maybe they can win that matchup. Prediction: Ravens win 24-17 Cardinals at Bengals: Jemp: Cardinals, Reeb: Cardinals, Pep: Cardinals, Screw: Bengals The Bengals play in their second straight battle of winless teams, and hope things go better in this one. They can’t go any worse, right? Especially against a Cardinals team that has been disappointing to say the least. I was expecting the offense to be exciting, and I thought it could take the league by storm, but I wouldn’t have been surprised if it was a total trainwreck either. I never expected it to be the boring slugfest we’ve seen through a quarter of the season. I still think Kyler Murray has been pretty good, and think the Cardinals can get their first win against a hapless Bengals team here. Prediction: Cardinals win 24-23 Falcons at Texans: Jemp: Texans, Reeb: Texans, Pep: Texans, Screw: Falcons Not a great game by Deshaun Watson last week, which he freely admitted himself. However, he was playing a good Panthers defense, instead of a Falcons team which isn’t very good on either side of the ball. The Falcons receivers should be able to expose the Texans secondary, but the lack of consistency from their offense is way too concerning for me to take them to win on the road against the Texans. The Texans offense has been up and down as well, but I trust the playmaking ability of Deshaun Watson much more than Matt Ryan. Prediction: Texans win 35-24 Buccaneers at Saints: Jemp: Saints, Reeb: Saints, Pep: Saints, Screw: Saints I might be coming around on the Bucs just a little bit. Sure, their secondary is trash, and their quarterback is highly erratic, but they compensate for that with the best WR duo in the NFL and a terrorizing front seven led by DPOY leader, Shaq Barrett. He only had one sack this past week, but it was a strip sack to win the game, and he’s on pace for 36 sacks on the year. Probably won’t get there, but he might finish with more sacks than the Broncos have combined. Imagine what Vic Fangio could have done with him… Anyway, I think the Bucs can win this if Jameis doesn’t pull a Jameis and throw away the game, which is pretty much a coin flip. Prediction: Bucs win 24-17 Vikings at Giants: Jemp: Vikings, Reeb: Vikings, Pep: Vikings, Screw: Giants Why is everyone picking on Kirk Cousins? He is such a nice guy that when his receiver publicly calls him out, he apologizes. Maybe if he played in an offense that actually prioritized passing the ball, he could get Thielen and Diggs going. He plays a Giants defense this week that has been absolute garbage against real offenses, so I think he rebounds nicely… unless Stefanski doesn’t let him throw at all. Prediction: Vikings win 31-10 Bears vs Raiders: Jemp: Bears, Reeb: Bears, Pep: Bears, Screw: Bears Great news London fans! You get to watch Chase Daniel take on the Raiders, which I guess is better than having to watch Mitch Trubisky. Despite a nice performance from the Raiders last week, I don’t see them producing that way in London against this Bears defense, and I think there might be someone on that defense with a little extra motivation. Just what he needed. But maybe Jon Gruden will pull out the win and prove he never needed Khalil Mack. Prediction: Bears win 14-0 Jets at Eagles: Jemp: Eagles, Reeb: Eagles, Pep: Eagles, Screw: Jets I’m not sure if Screw messed up his picks again or if he really believes in the Jets. It’s especially surprising with the Eagles coming off an impressive Thursday Night win. However, this Eagles defense is just bad. If they want to be a real contender, their offense will need to push to Chiefs levels, which it almost has been so far. And even if it’s not, I don’t think I trust Luke Falk to take advantage of the weaknesses of the Eagles defense. Though I like Robby Anderson in fantasy this week. Prediction: Eagles win 31-20 Broncos at Chargers: Jemp: Chargers, Reeb: Chargers, Pep: Chargers, Screw: Chargers Damn I’m so tempted to take the Broncos here. While I don’t necessarily think they are better than the Chargers, I don’t think there is much of a gap here. The Broncos might not be a good team, but they are an average team, and I feel like their luck has to change at some point. Granted, the loss of Bradley Chubb is certainly big, but they did finally get some sacks last week, so maybe this is a turning point for their defense. However, the Chargers have Melvin Gordon coming back, and their running back duo should take advantage of a bad Broncos run defense. I’d probably take the Broncos if it was in Denver, but no way they come into the StubHub Center and leave with a W. Prediction: Chargers win 24-23 Packers at Cowboys: Jemp: Packers, Reeb: Cowboys, Pep: Cowboys, Screw: Cowboys This is a tough matchup for the Packers run defense, as Zeke should be able to run right through them. However, Zeke hasn’t been properly fed all season, as Kellen Moore wants his offense to run through Dak, and I’m not convinced that is a good thing. Definitely not in this game, for a Packers defense that has been fantastic against the pass. If he couldn’t produce against the Saints, then I see him disappointing again in this one. Prediction: Packers win 24-17 Colts at Chiefs: Jemp: Chiefs, Reeb: Chiefs, Pep: Chiefs, Screw: Chiefs The Chiefs have reached nearly Patriots level, where I don’t see myself picking against them until, well I guess until they play the Patriots. I’m certainly not picking against them at home with Jacoby Brissett coming to town. Mahomes didn’t play his best last week, and yet the Chiefs still scored 34 points with their top WR and RB hurt and took down an undefeated team on the road. Ridiculous. Prediction: Chiefs win 38-21 Browns at 49ers: Jemp: 49ers, Reeb: Browns, Pep: Browns, Screw: Browns This will be a great test for both of these teams. I think we are all still trying to figure out if the 49ers are for real. Their defense has played lights out in their first 3 games, but their offense seems out of sorts at times. Of course, the same thing can be said about the Browns. But in the end, I’ll take Baker over Jimmy G any day of the week, and twice on Sunday, or Monday Night as the case may be. Prediction: Browns win 20-17 Let’s take a look at the standings:
Jemp: 32-16 Reeb: 31-17 Pep: 31-17 Screw: 27-21 Alx: 26-22 I’m not off to a great start here, but I did get the score of two games right last week (Lions-Eagles and Steelers-49ers). I was close on a few other scores as well, so I think that counts as me winning the week. Anyway, let’s pick some games. Eagles at Packers: Jemp: Packers, Reeb: Packers, Pep: Packers, Screw: Eagles I probably would have stuck with the Eagles if this game wasn’t at Lambeau. There isn’t a big gap between these two clubs, even with the injuries to the Eagles. Both these teams have been in several close games, and the Packers defense has come up big in key moments, while the Eagles receivers have not. However, the Eagles defense is more of a problem, as they are lucky Vic Fangio has diverted the attention away from this once ferocious pass rush only having two sacks through three weeks. If Aaron Rodgers and company can’t take advantage of this matchup, it might be time to worry about the Packers offense. Prediction: Packers win 21-20 Titans at Falcons: Jemp: Falcons, Reeb: Falcons, Pep: Titans, Screw: Falcons Pep is counting on the Titans to be their usual selves by following up a dreadful TNF performance with a tough road win against a middling Falcons team. However, I think the Falcons are much better at home, and are able to take care of the Titans. Dirk Koetter hasn’t exactly revived this offense like Dan Quinn hoped he would, but they are still certainly capable thanks to their skill position talent. Prediction: Falcons win 24-20 Redskins at Giants: Jemp: Giants, Reeb: Giants, Pep: Redskins, Screw: Giants Great start for Danny Dimes, but he’s clearly overmatched in this one. Might want to just throw Eli to the wolves here and let Danny pick things back up next week. Prediction: Redskins win 100-0 Chargers at Dolphins: Jemp: Chargers, Reeb: Chargers, Pep: Chargers, Screw: Chargers I don’t know how much more analysis we can do on the Dolphins. Credit to Josh Rosen for going in there and providing a spark, until the talent gap proved to be too great in the second half. Melvin Gordon must be begging the coaching staff to let him play in this one, but Austin Ekeler gets to provide fantasy owners with one more blowup performance. Also, let’s acknowledge the early stretch Keenan Allen is having, looking like the best receiver in the league through three weeks. Prediction: Chargers win 45-3 Raiders at Colts: Jemp: Colts, Reeb: Colts, Pep: Colts, Screw: Colts How about Jacoby Brissett? He hasn’t exactly set the world on fire, and he most certainly isn’t Andrew Luck, but he might be the second best QB in this division, no offense to Gardner Minshew. This Colts team could easily make the playoffs in a top-heavy AFC, and should have no problem taking care of the Raiders at home. I am a little disappointed that this probably means we won’t get to see Swag Kelly make an appearance this year, but at least the Colts haven’t descended into Titans irrelevancy. Prediction: Colts win 24-14 Panthers at Texans: Jemp: Texans, Reeb: Texans, Pep: Texans, Screw: Texans Is it even a hot take to say that Kyle Allen is better than Cam Newton now? I’m not saying he’s better than peak Cam, but we haven’t seen that version of Cam since early 2018. I think it’s fair to wonder if he will ever return to that form. Allen turned this offense into the fun, versatile offense I expected it to be. CMC, Curtis Samuel, DJ Moore, and Greg Olsen all had good days. Now he plays a struggling Texans secondary, so why can’t he get another win? Oh, that’s right, Deshaun Watson is why. He and Philip Rivers had another great duel last week, even if it wasn’t the traditional high-flying affair we think of when we think QB duels. Somehow, I don’t quite put Kyle Allen in that category just yet. Prediction: Texans win 34-27 Chiefs at Lions: Jemp: Lions, Reeb: Chiefs, Pep: Chiefs, Screw: Chiefs The Chiefs and Patriots are far ahead of the rest of the NFL right now. While other teams are still figuring themselves out, the Chiefs know they can ride the right arm of Patrick Mahomes, and any plays made by their defense just feel like icing on the cake. Sorry Jemp, but I don’t think even the undefeated Lions can stop the Chiefs. Prediction: Chiefs win 38-21 Browns at Ravens: Jemp: Ravens, Reeb: Ravens, Pep: Browns, Screw: Ravens It’s bad that I can’t quit the Browns, despite the performances their offense keeps producing. Cris Collinsworth’s analysis was right on point, and it’s exactly what I said after their first loss to the Titans. Baker looks great when he’s getting the ball out quickly, but he can’t help himself from trying to create big plays. As of now, I can’t bring myself to pick the Browns on the road against a Ravens team that is clearly playing better than them right now, but I still believe the Browns will right the ship eventually. Prediction: Ravens win 24-17 Patriots at Bills: Jemp: Patriots, Reeb: Patriots, Pep: Patriots, Screw: Patriots I don’t remember a more lopsided game between two 3-0 teams before. The Bills are by no means a bad team, and will be in the mix for a wild card. Their offense has been holding it together, and they have one of the best defenses in the league, as I knew they would. The only problem is that the Patriots defense might be even better, and their offense is miles ahead with Tom Brady looking like he’s back to MVP form. The Bills better hope their defense can change that this week, but I can’t count on that, and maybe they can score the first offensive TD against the Patriots. Prediction: Patriots win 23-10 Buccaneers at Rams: Jemp: Rams, Reeb: Rams, Pep: Rams, Screw: Rams Despite what has been a lackluster start for the Rams offense and especially Jared Goff, the team seems like the favorite in the NFC. Aaron Donald better watch out though, because Shaq Barrett is coming to take his DPOY crown. Will he get 5 sacks this week? This Bucs front seven is saving this team from getting shredded constantly through the air. Yet, Daniel Jones still seemed to take care of them last week, and so will Sean McVay… I mean Jared Goff. Prediction: Rams win 31-28 Seahawks at Cardinals: Jemp: Seahawks, Reeb: Seahawks, Pep: Seahawks, Screw: Seahawks Something about these Lincoln Riley QBs keeps me believing in these offenses that can’t get it going. Not that the Cardinals offense has been terrible, but I always feel like they are due for a breakout. The Seahawks are an average roster at best, so the Cardinals should be able to take advantage. However, the Cardinals roster isn’t any better, and as much as I like Kyler, I’d be crazy to believe in him over Russ. Prediction: Seahawks win 31-27 Vikings at Bears: Jemp: Vikings, Reeb: Vikings, Pep: Bears, Screw: Bears Yes, Mitch Trubisky’s stats look good from his Monday Night performance, but he was well set up with 5 turnovers, and other than the nice deep ball to Taylor Gabriel, didn’t have to do all that much. He started with a few bad misses, and has looked like an even worse version of what we saw from him last year. Kirk hasn’t had a great year either, although he’s really just had one bad game, but I have much more faith in him to turn things around. It will be tough against that Bears defense this week, but I expect they continue to lean on their running game, and let their defense do the rest. Prediction: Vikings win 17-3 Jaguars at Broncos: Jemp: Broncos, Reeb: Jaguars, Pep: Broncos, Screw: Broncos I’m starting to wonder if Vic Fangio thought it would be an interesting challenge to see if he could prevent Von Miller and Bradley Chubb from getting a sack through 3 weeks. People thought this would be the best pass rushing duo in the NFL, and yet they are the only team without a sack, after hiring arguably the best DC this decade as their head coach. To me, it’s the most baffling thing that has happened so far this year, but they have to get a sack eventually, right? We will see if they can stop Minshew Mania from taking over. Prediction: Broncos win 17-14 Cowboys at Saints: Jemp: Cowboys, Reeb: Cowboys, Pep: Cowboys, Screw: Cowboys Congratulations to the Cowboys on beating the Eli Manning led Giants, the Dolphins, and some other team I don’t remember. I haven’t been all that impressed with the Cowboys defense, and the Cowboys offense has only been good in spurts against terrible defenses. Granted, the Saints defense hasn’t been that good, and neither has Teddy Bridgewater, but they managed to pull off the win against the Seahawks, and now they go back to the Superdome. Maybe we get a little more Taysom Hill in this one? Also Alvin Kamara is pretty good at football. Prediction: Saints win 27-24 Bengals at Steelers: Jemp: Steelers, Reeb: Steelers, Pep: Bengals, Screw: Steelers I can’t wait for the Bengals Steelers rivalry to be reignited on Monday Night Football with Joe Tessitore and Booger MacFarland on the call. Granted, it has been better without Jason Witten, but only marginally. But one of these teams has to win in the end, so why not go with the Bengals to get their first win? Oh right, because Andy Dalton is in primetime. Eh, he’s probably over that at this point, right? At least no one cares about this game anyway. Prediction: Bengals win 24-20 Let’s take a look at the standings:
Jemp: 21-11 Reeb: 21-11 Pep: 20-12 Screw: 18-14 Alx: 17-15 I put myself in an early hole here once again, but I like playing catch-up, makes me feel like I’ve earned it. Anyway, time to move on, so let’s pick some games. Titans at Jaguars: Jemp: Titans, Reeb: Titans, Pep: Jaguars, Screw: Titans I don’t know how I feel about the early edition of Titans Jags on TNF. I guess the NFL wanted to schedule it before these teams faded into irrelevancy, but that defeats the entire purpose of this matchup and the place it has in our hearts. Also, it didn’t work, because these teams are already irrelevant. We know exactly how this season is going to go. The Jags are going to be a four win team with Gardner Minshew to DJ Chark providing us with fun moments, probably all in the fourth quarter when they are down 20. The Titans will pull off some surprising wins, followed by inevitable losses, only to finish 9-7 and miss the playoffs and provide zero fun moments. Time to celebrate the PFJ holiday of Titans-Jags on Thursday night. Prediction: Titans win 17-7 Bengals at Bills: Jemp: Bills, Reeb: Bills, Pep: Bills, Screw: Bills Are the Bills on their way to 3-0? We all think so here at PFJ. Sure, they might not have played the highest level of competition that this league has to offer, but you can’t deny they are fun to watch. Okay, maybe you can, but I have fun watching Josh Allen play his ultimate playground style of football. He seems like the kid on your youth football team who is just put at QB because he’s the most athletically-gifted guy out there, but has no idea how to play the position. As for the Bengals, they went back to being the disaster we expected them to be. Granted, Zach Taylor does seem to have improved that passing offense, and maybe John Ross isn’t a bust? Prediction: Bills win 17-13 Lions at Eagles: Jemp: Lions, Reeb: Eagles, Pep: Eagles, Screw: Lions This is a tough one. The Eagles go back home, and would be the more talented team, except that they are ravaged with injuries to their playmakers. I’ve been saying how deep this team is all season, but that is really being put to the test right now. Their secondary has been their biggest issue for the past few years, and their front seven is very much depleted since their Super Bowl season. The Lions are still rocking an undefeated record, and yet everyone is writing them off. I don’t think they are an elite team, but they could be in the mix for a wild card spot, and I think they get this win on the road. Prediction: Lions win 27-24 Jets at Patriots: Jemp: Patriots, Reeb: Patriots, Pep: Patriots, Screw: Jets Pretty sure Screw lived up to his name when he sent his convoluted method for sending his picks, but I told him all picks are final once they are sent. Either that, or maybe he does really believe that Luke Falk can lead the Jets offense, which has scored 13 points all season, to a win over the Patriots defense, which has allowed 3 points all season. At least they don’t have much to contend with on the other side of the ball. Prediction: Patriots win 34-7 Raiders at Vikings: Jemp: Vikings, Reeb: Vikings, Pep: Vikings, Screw: Raiders Okay, I’ll admit, that was a rough game for Kirk. Although, despite Kirk playing an awful game, and a terrible offensive pass interference replay review, the Vikings were right in it to the end. Not to mention it was a game in Lambeau. Kirk will turn his play around, and this Vikings team is certainly a force to be reckoned with. The Raiders, not so much. Patrick Mahomes just needed one quarter to KO the Raiders, and they never got back up. The talent gap is too great between the Raiders and the Vikings, so this should be an easy one for the Vikes at home. Prediction: Vikings win 31-10 Ravens at Chiefs: Jemp: Chiefs, Reeb: Chiefs, Pep: Ravens, Screw: Chiefs Lamar Jackson has been great so far, but the Chiefs might actually be the best defense he has faced yet this year, which is pretty sad. Lamar has truly impressed me so far this year, and I’m just about ready to start buying into him, but let’s hold off on comparing him to Patrick Mahomes. Mahomes has almost lazily thrown 7 TD passes this year already, and it seems impossible for him to have a game with less than 3. And could it be Darwin Thompson time? Damien Williams might not play and Shady is a little banged up too. Darwin can work in more this week and prove he should take over this backfield. Prediction: Chiefs win 34-24 Falcons at Colts: Jemp: Falcons, Reeb: Falcons, Pep: Colts, Screw: Falcons Big win for the Falcons on Sunday Night Football. Calvin Ridley and Julio Jones might be the best WR duo in the NFL, and the defense looked a lot better than expected. If only they could run the ball. I’m hoping Devonta Freeman picks it up this week for the sake of my fantasy teams, but I sure am worried. The Colts, on the other hand, can run the ball with whoever is back there. I’m favoring the Falcons in this one, but wouldn’t be at all shocked if the Colts could pull this one out at home. They just need a little… uh... good fortune. Prediction: Falcons win 23-20 Broncos at Packers: Jemp: Packers, Reeb: Packers, Pep: Packers, Screw: Packers You have to be impressed with this Packers defense so far this year. However, the offense is a bit of a concern. Aaron Rodgers hasn’t topped 210 yards passing in either of his first two games which is less than Patrick Mahomes had in the 2nd quarter last week. To be fair, they have played two pretty good defenses, something that can’t be said about this Broncos defense right now. Through two games, somehow a team with Von Miller and Bradley Chubb has yet to get a sack or a turnover. But don’t worry, because Joe Flacco has control of the offense. Prediction: Packers win 20-6 Dolphins at Cowboys: Jemp: Cowboys, Reeb: Cowboys, Pep: Cowboys, Screw: Cowboys Watch out for the Taco Charlton revenge game here. That’s all I got for this one. Oh, and Josh Rosen is starting so that’s cool. We can watch a different quarterback throw the ball to the other team and get killed behind this offensive line. Prediction: Cowboys win 34-0 Giants at Buccaneers: Jemp: Bucs, Reeb: Giants, Pep: Bucs, Screw: Giants I was sure I was going to pick the Bucs in this game, until the Giants announced Danny Dimes is now the starter. Now I have to rethink things. Todd Bowles has shocked the world by making this defense look respectable, although give that pass rush credit as they harassed Cam all night last Thursday. I’m not quite buying the secondary yet, since they got bailed out by Cam missing everything. I like the idea of the spark of new QB igniting this Giants offense. However, I don’t know how the Giants defense is going to stop Chris Godwin and Mike Evans, and maybe OJ Howard? Can we get him a target please? Prediction: Bucs win 31-28 Panthers at Cardinals: Jemp: Cardinals, Reeb: Panthers, Pep: Cardinals, Screw: Cardinals Only Reeb thinks Kyle Allen can pull off the win for the Panthers. Sure, he might not be much of a downgrade on the Cam we watched last week, but that isn’t saying much. I’d rather stick with the Cardinals, whom are on the brink of an offensive explosion. Kyler moved the ball brilliantly against the Ravens, but just couldn’t quite get it into the endzone. Kliff needs to grow a pair and start going for it. I’m excited for this Cardinals team down the stretch. Prediction: Cardinals win 28-17 Steelers at 49ers: Jemp: 49ers, Reeb: Steelers, Pep: Steelers, Screw: Steelers I’m surprised at how many people are sticking with Mason Rudolph and the Steelers here. Rudolph did look solid last week, and better than Big Ben has this year, but I’m not sure I trust him against the undefeated niners. Okay, I’m not saying the 49ers are a powerhouse team, and probably won’t have over 300 scrimmage yards from their running backs again, but this isn’t a bad roster at all. Their defense is pretty good, and Kyle Shanahan runs a fun offense. I’m not quite sold on Jimmy G, but I’m still gladly taking the 49ers at home here. Prediction: 49ers win 24-20 Saints at Seahawks: Jemp: Saints, Reeb: Seahawks, Pep: Seahawks, Screw: Seahawks I am looking forward to watching the Saints two-QB offense here. We haven’t seen a true two-QB offense since Ken Whisenhunt briefly ran the Matt Leinart and Kurt Warner offense. Hard to match that tandem though. It’s probably not ideal to break out a new complicated offense in Seattle, but good luck. I don’t pick against the Seahawks at home, so the Bridgewater factor just makes this more of a slam dunk for me. Prediction: Seahawks win 24-17 Texans at Chargers: Jemp: Chargers, Reeb: Texans, Pep: Texans, Screw: Texans The Chargers haven’t been able to put together a complete performance yet. Their defense struggled in week 1, and there offense couldn’t punch it in the endzone last week. The team overall looks better than I expected, but I am still sticking with Deshaun Watson and the Texans. The offense struggled last week against the Jags, but I’m still taking that mainly as an aberration. Sure, I’m concerned about Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram going against this offensive line, but I still think the Texans make enough plays to get the W here. Prediction: Texans win 31-24 Rams at Browns: Jemp: Rams, Reeb: Rams, Pep: Rams, Screw: Rams This should be a fun matchup. The Browns certainly haven’t put it all together yet, but don’t count them out just yet. Baker is still making throws that few other quarterbacks can make, and Odell is still Odell. The Rams haven’t exactly been an offensive juggernaut either. Jared Goff’s struggles on the road are well-documented, and Myles Garrett and company should be getting after him. I’m lone wolfing the Browns here. Prediction: Browns win 30-27 Bears at Redskins: Jemp: Bears, Reeb: Redskins, Pep: Bears, Screw: Bears The Bears are a bad roughing the passer call away from being 0-2. They get demolished by the best team in football here. Prediction: Redskins win 100-0(can the Bears score less than 0?) Let’s take a look at the standings:
Reeb: 11-5 Pep: 11-5 Jemp: 10-6 Alx: 10-6 Screw: 10-6 Not a bad week 1, especially considering it is before we get a lot of information about how teams are going to look. I thought it was an intriguing week 1 to say the least, and I’m already stoked for week 2, so let’s pick some games. Buccaneers at Panthers: Jemp: Panthers, Reeb: Panthers, Pep: Panthers, Screw: Panthers Thursday Night Football goes back to its roots by scheduling a rager between the Bucs at Panthers. Bruce Arians was brought in to try to salvage the career of Jameis Winston, who managed to throw 3 touchdowns in his first game under the two-time Coach of the Year. Unfortunately, two of them were to the wrong team, which maybe Bruce Arians forgot to tell him not to do. Old age can cause the best of us to forget some minor details. But at least Vernon Hargreaves made a play! We will see if this secondary can hold up like it did last week. As for the fun Panthers offense I was looking forward to, well, not so much. All we saw was the Christian McCaffrey show once again, who looked spectacular in his season debut. In this one, I think DJ Moore and Curtis Samuel might be able to get something going as well. Prediction: Panthers win 31-14 Cardinals at Ravens: Jemp: Ravens, Reeb: Ravens, Pep: Ravens, Screw: Ravens Kyler vs. Lamar. Does anything else need to be said for this one? Two of the most polarizing quarterbacks to enter the league play for league-wide respect in this one. Lamar Jackson could not have had a better start to his season by taking a JV team back to school. He leads the NFL in TD passes after week 1, and his retort to the media was straight to the point: “Not bad for a running back.” I did say beforehand that I wouldn’t take anything done against the Dolphins too seriously, but I have to give him some respect for that performance. As for Kyler, his opener couldn’t have looked worse… at least for 3 quarters. I don’t know what it was, but a switch came on for him in the fourth quarter and he turned into an unstoppable force. I’d love to say that continues this week, but I’m not bold enough to pick him to go into Baltimore and get a win against arguably the best secondary in the league, which will still be good even if Jimmy Smith can’t play. Prediction: Ravens win 24-20 Cowboys at Redskins: Jemp: Cowboys, Reeb: Cowboys, Pep: Redskins, Screw: Cowboys The unveiling of the Kellen Moore offense couldn’t have gone better. Amari Cooper, Michael Gallup, and Randall freaking Cobb looked like the best receiving corps in the league (obviously they aren’t in reality). However, the Redskins will shut them down in FedEx, so watch out Cowboys. Prediction: Redskins win 200-0 Colts at Titans: Jemp: Titans, Reeb: Colts, Pep: Colts, Screw: Titans I know I have criticized the Titans in the past, and I’m not about to stop now, but I do have to give it up for one of the most underrated players of the decade, Cameron Wake, who continues to ball out at age 37. I also like AJ Brown who I loved going into the draft and was so disappointed that he went where receivers go to die. Anyway, despite a few interesting players, I’m not taking the Titans. I know I exclaimed that these teams are basically the same, and logic would dictate that when two even teams square off that I should take the home team, but I’d rather stick with the team I want to win. Prediction: Colts win 20-17 Seahawks at Steelers: Jemp: Seahawks, Reeb: Steelers, Pep: Seahawks, Screw: Seahawks I’m surprised at the Seahawks support here. This is the same team that got almost doubled up in yardage against the Bengals last week. Yeah I know the Steelers laid an egg against the pats, but what else is new? Even when the Seahawks were good they always lost on the road in September. I don’t have immensely high expectations for this Steeler team this year, but they won’t be as bad as they were last week again, until they end up losing random games to terrible teams in the middle of the season. Prediction: Steelers win 27-20 Bills at Giants: Jemp: Bills, Reeb: Giants, Pep: Giants, Screw: Giants The Bills look to remind people that they are the real team of New York. After beating the Jets last week, this is their chance to complete the sweep. Hell, they might end up winning more games at the Meadowlands than the Giants this year. Anyway, their defense looked as good as I expected last week, and their offense… well it was about as good I expected too. A whole lot of nothing for most of the game, intermitted with a great Josh Allen deep ball to John Brown. As for the Giants, maybe they should consider giving the ball to SaQuon a bit more since last week he had just 11 carries, which he took for 120 yards. Prediction: Bills win 24-13 49ers at Bengals: Jemp: 49ers, Reeb: Bengals, Pep: Bengals, Screw: Bengals One of these teams impressed last week, and one of them won the game, they just happened to be different teams. Ironically, a Bengals loss made me feel much better about them, while a 49ers win made me all the more wary of them. Jimmy G couldn’t take advantage of what I thought was the worst secondary in the league, and the 49ers only won due to the generosity of Jameis Winston. The Bengals, on the other hand, managed to confound expectations by making Andy Dalton the passing yards leader, and yet, they still lost. However, I don’t think the 49ers can pull the magic Russell Wilson and the Seahawks did, so I’m sticking with the Bengals at home. Prediction: Bengals win 23-16 Chargers at Lions: Jemp: Lions, Reeb: Chargers, Pep: Chargers, Screw: Chargers I loved watching Philip Rivers have a vintage performance last week to lift the Chargers to a win. I was worried about the offense, but Rivers, along with Keenan Allen and Austin Ekeler quelled any concerns I may have had. Well, not entirely, but at least for the early part of the year. That’s when Philly Riv is at his best. I would not be surprised at all if the Lions won this game, but I can’t go against the Chargers after watching Rivers do his thing in Week 1. Although, I might be a little concerned about the defense, which couldn’t get a stop against Jacoby Brissett when it mattered. Prediction: Chargers win 30-24 Vikings at Packers: Jemp: Vikings, Reeb: Packers, Pep: Vikings, Screw: Vikings The Vikings followed through on their promise to be a run-first team by having Kirk Cousins throw only 10 passes. Of course, it’s a lot easier when you get out to a 28-0 lead. I expect a lot more passing in this one, despite the improved Packers defense. Now we just have to see if the Packers offense can get it going, as the Bears shut them down last week. They face another tough test with this Vikings defense, but I can’t imagine them only scoring 10 points again, especially at home. I still like the Vikings though, as the passing offense will be unleashed in this one. Prediction: Vikings win 27-20 Jaguars at Texans: Jemp: Texans, Reeb: Texans, Pep: Texans, Screw: Texans Deshaun Watson proved once again that he is one the most electric players in the NFL, and he can go toe-to-toe with the best quarterbacks in our game. And yet, his defense always seems to let him down in these QB duels. Fortunately, I don’t see Gardner Minshew giving him quite the same competition that Drew Brees, Tom Brady, or Russell Wilson have. Although, I could see Gardner being the 2015 version of Blake Bortles, where he racks up fantasy points for him and his receivers in garbage time. So pay attention for that. Prediction: Texans win 31-21 Patriots at Dolphins: Jemp: Patriots, Reeb: Patriots, Pep: Patriots, Screw: Patriots Doesn’t anyone remember that the Patriots struggle in Miami? I’ve never really bought into that, but if they lose this one, then there must be some strange voodoo going on. There is no way the Dolphins win a game this year. They might all pull a Vontae Davis, and retire at halftime of this game. Maybe Bill Belichick will do his former defensive backs coach a solid and take his foot off the gas in the second half. That sounds like Bill Belichick, right? Honestly, I just feel bad for Brian Flores, as we might never know if he is a good coach or not, but if he can finish this season without his team completely quitting on him, then that’s a win for him in my eyes. Prediction: Patriots win 48-7 Chiefs at Raiders: Jemp: Chiefs, Reeb: Chiefs, Pep: Chiefs, Screw: Chiefs The Raiders came out and proved they don’t need Antonio Brown, especially since they already have an elite receiver. Tyrell Williams came out and proved he can be a number one receiver, and he shouldn’t have a problem doing the same thing against this Chiefs secondary. Unfortunately, it probably won’t be enough to keep up with the Chiefs offense, even without Tyreek Hill. I thought Mahomes was actually somewhat underwhelming in his first game, mostly just because the bar is so high for him. He goes against a softer defense this week, which is already banged up, so I don’t expect the Raiders to keep up their win streak. Prediction: Chiefs win 48-24 Saints at Rams: Jemp: Saints, Reeb: Rams, Pep: Rams, Screw: Saints Finally, we get the rematch we’ve all been waiting for. Last time, it resulted in a rule change that is resulting in more reviews and more penalties, just what everyone wanted! I really hope that the Saints end up losing this game because of an overturned pass interference call. However, I think they are too good to lose this one. Alvin Kamara and Michael Thomas are essentially the entire Saints offense once again, and honestly I don’t know if that’s a bad thing. I was impressed with the Rams in the opener, but I think the Saints are the better team. Prediction: Saints win 38-33 Bears at Broncos: Jemp: Bears, Reeb: Bears, Pep: Bears, Screw: Bears Vic Fangio might have had the worst week 1 of anyone. Not only did his defense not get a single sack or QB hit against the porous Raiders offensive line, but the Bear defense appeared not to miss their former DC at all. Then again, I may have exaggerated that no one had a worse week 1, because Mitch Trubisky’s performance was pretty bad. He couldn’t move the ball at all, and finally threw the game away to Adrian Amos at the end. I at least think Vic Fangio has a better chance to rebound, or at least that Von Miller and Bradley Chubb will bounce back. Mitch can’t get any worse (that’s not a challenge for you Mitch), but I can’t see him getting all that much better either. I’ll lone wolf the Broncos here. Prediction: Broncos win 13-7 Eagles at Falcons: Jemp: Eagles, Reeb: Eagles, Pep: Eagles, Screw: Eagles The Falcons looked like the same team they were last year. A team that can’t pass protect, run the ball, or play defense. However, the Eagles’ performance wasn’t particularly encouraging either. Their secondary was torched, and their pass rush isn’t nearly as deep as it once was. The offense has a chance to be great, but we will have to wait and see if Wentz can live up to the ghost of Nick Foles. Still, I think they are the better team here, but don’t be surprised if the Falcons look better in their home opener. Prediction: Eagles win 38-28 Browns at Jets: Jemp: Browns, Reeb: Browns, Pep: Browns, Screw: Browns I don’t think I’ve ever seen a quarterback miss a game because of Mono before. It’s pretty disappointing when we were expecting to see the rematch of Baker v. Darnold. We do get to see Trevor Siemian again, whom I know we all missed. This puts the Browns in a perfect get-right spot. I’m not concerned about them just yet. Baker looked fantastic through 3 quarters last week, and I don’t expect them to be so derailed by penalties every week. If they lose this week to Trevor Siemian and company, I’ll certainly be concerned. Prediction: Browns win 31-14 And we’re back folks. It always feels so good to write the first pick’em of the season. There are so many things that I say that will end up being dead wrong, but it’s fine because no one reads this. But that's okay because it’s the first week of football. The first NFL Sunday is probably my favorite day of the year, so let’s get right to picking some games.
Packers at Bears: Jemp: Bears, Reeb: Bears, Pep: Bears, Screw: Bears No surprises here, because who wouldn’t pick Mitch Trubisky to beat Aaron Rodgers on opening night? They clearly have the better defense, as the only starter they lost from the end of last year is Adrian Amos, who will be on the opposite sideline for this one. Of course, they also lost perhaps the best defensive coordinator of the decade, but never fear, they have Mitchell Trubisky to pick up the slack. I expect this Bears team to regress, leaving the Packers to get the first win of the 100th NFL Season, and more importantly, giving me an early 1 game lead in the picks with the first lone wolf of the year. Prediction: Packers win 23-13 Rams at Panthers: Jemp: Rams, Reeb: Rams, Pep: Rams, Screw: Rams This is a tough one for me. Part of me wants to follow the logic that coaching wins out early in the season, and I don’t know that I trust Ron Rivera’s midlife crisis making him switch to a 3-4 defense. So I might give Sean McVay a slight edge here. However, I think this could be a fun Panthers team, and starting out the year at home, I could certainly see them shock the defending NFC champs. The Panthers overall fate is ultimately in Cam’s hands, and I think I’d rather trust him than the now highest paid quarterback in the NFL. Prediction: Panthers win 34-33 Redskins at Eagles: Jemp: Eagles, Reeb: Eagles, Pep: Eagles, Screw: Eagles Sure the Eagles might have the best roster in the NFL, but the Redskins will obviously dominate them and definitely won’t sink my picks record this year. Prediction: Redskins win 100-0 Bills at Jets: Jemp: Jets, Reeb: Bills, Pep: Jets, Screw: Bills Ah, the AFC-East-Second-Place-Bowl. We may need to come up with a catchier name for this. Still, I like the moves both these teams made in the offseason. The Bills could have one of the best defenses in the NFL, but until Josh Allen learns to complete some passes under 30 yards, I’m probably not going to trust their offense. The Jets offense is much more intriguing, despite paying too much for Le’Veon Bell according to their head coach. Darnold managed to make some strides towards the end of last year, and if he can build on that, this team does have a chance at a Wild Card spot. However, this week I think Sean McDermott’s defense smothers the Jets and takes the early lead in the division race. Prediction: Bills win 13-6 Falcons at Vikings: Jemp: Vikings, Reeb: Falcons, Pep: Falcons, Screw: Falcons I’m surprised by how many people are taking the Falcons here. I feel much better about the Vikings than I did a few months ago. They still lack depth, but their offensive line does look improved enough to think it might at least not be a bottom-5 unit. And this Falcons pass rush could make them look even better. The Falcons ignored their lackluster defense this offseason to spend their time improving their offensive line, and yet I don’t know that it has gotten any better. The Vikings lack of depth might still be a problem as the season progresses, but here in week 1, I think they are a far superior team to the Falcons, and home field advantage should give them a comfortable win. Prediction: Vikings win 34-23 Ravens at Dolphins: Jemp: Ravens, Reeb: Ravens, Pep: Ravens, Screw: Ravens Dolphins fans can take solace in the fact that the Ravens run the ball so much that this game might at least end quickly. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a roster look so bad going into a season. There are probably several college teams with a better offensive line than the Dolphins. Maybe some high school teams too. The Ravens re-invented front seven should get a nice boost in confidence here, and people can go crazy that this Lamar Jackson-led offense really can work. But we will probably have to wait until they play a real NFL team to find out. Prediction: Ravens win 24-0 Chiefs at Jaguars: Jemp: Chiefs, Reeb: Chiefs, Pep: Chiefs, Screw: Chiefs Is it weird that two years ago no one would have considered going from Blake Bortles to Nick Foles an upgrade at quarterback? I guess two years ago no one knew that Patrick Mahomes would be an upgrade over Alex Smith at quarterback either. So maybe Foles really can turn this Jaguars team around. Sure, their offensive line is bad and Dede Westbrook is their best receiver, and of course their OC was fired in less than a year during his only stint as a playcaller, but if there is one thing Nick Foles has proven over the years, it’s that he can succeed in any environment. That combined with the losses of Telvin Smith, Malik Jackson, and Tashaun Gipson on defense makes this game an embarrassingly one-sided affair. Prediction: Chiefs win 38-20 Titans at Browns: Jemp: Browns, Reeb: Browns, Pep: Browns, Screw: Browns Tough one. Am I going to take the fun, new-look Browns with their young, brash, gun-slinging quarterback and their polarizing, mega-talented, superstar receiver, or am I going to take the Titans with Marcus Mariota and Corey Davis? Notice I couldn’t even come up with adjectives bland enough to describe the Titans. Sure, maybe they go 9-7 for the fourth straight year, but I still won’t be paying attention. Okay, that’s a lie, because I’m a football junkie and I certainly want to watch this Browns coming-out party in week 1. Prediction: Browns win 27-17 Colts at Chargers: Jemp: Chargers, Reeb: Chargers, Pep: Chargers, Screw: Chargers Very tempted to go lone wolf here. I’m not all that high on the Chargers this year, and the Colts certainly have more depth and fewer holes than the Chargers. Unfortunately, Jacoby Brissett at QB slightly hurts their chances. And of course they have to contend with the wild home-field advantage that the Chargers have. Still, no Melvin Gordon, no Derwin James, no Russell Okung, and let’s not discount the distinct coaching advantage the Colts have. Like I said, coaching wins early. Spoiler alert, I have the Colts as the only AFC South team to get a win in week 1. Prediction: Colts win 20-17 Bengals at Seahawks: Jemp: Seahawks, Reeb: Seahawks, Pep: Seahawks, Screw: Seahawks I wouldn’t have any problems with someone taking this game in a survivor league. I was concerned about the lack of talent for the Seahawks, but the addition of Clowney plugs their biggest hole, and the advantage they get from their coach, their quarterback, and of course their twelfth man is impossible to ignore. They still have a ways to go before getting back to the form they had in their Super Bowl years, but I like the direction they are heading. Prediction: Seahawks win 24-10 49ers at Buccaneers: Jemp: Bucs, Reeb: Bucs, Pep: 49ers, Screw: 49ers I’m not a big fan of the 49ers this year, but the talent gap between their roster and the Bucs is pretty glaring. Other than wide receiver, the 49ers are better at every single position group. Nick Bosa might even suit up, but even if he doesn’t, the 49ers are still much more talented. I feel a Kwon Alexander revenge game brewing. Of course, the 49ers have been disappointing since Jim Harbaugh left, so losing is certainly not out of the question. Prediction: 49ers win 30-24 Giants at Cowboys: Jemp: Cowboys, Reeb: Cowboys, Pep: Cowboys, Screw: Cowboys I’m not sure why anyone is surprised Zeke became the highest paid running back in the league. He is arguably the best running back in the league and inarguably the most valuable running back in the league. I don’t disagree that running back is a replaceable position, but not for this team. Now the Cowboys are certainly playoff contenders, and the Giants are still a joke. I’m guessing most Giants fans are saying “wake me up when Daniel Jones comes in.” I think it could happen by week 3. Prediction: Cowboys win 31-13 Lions at Cardinals: Jemp: Lions, Reeb: Lions, Pep: Cardinals, Screw: Lions I think this is one of the most fun games of week 1. Diametrically opposed philosophies duke it out for a desperate attempt at relevancy. Both these teams are longshots to make the playoffs, but I think they both have potential to be the surprise team of the year. Unfortunately for Jemp, I think the Cardinals have a higher potential, with the excitement of Kyler Murray and Kliff Kingsbury, and I don’t think the offensive line and the defense are as bad as everyone makes them out to be. Prediction: Cardinals win 28-24 Steelers at Patriots: Jemp: Patriots, Reeb: Patriots, Pep: Patriots, Screw: Steelers The defending Super Bowl champs are pushed back to Sunday Night Football, but it still seems like the game of the week. The Steelers tried to quell all the doubters in the preseason by looking as good as ever despite no AB or Le’Veon. Steeler fans might want to take a breath from saying “I told you so” at least until they actually win a regular season game, which I don’t think will happen in week 1. They are playing a Patriots team that has been to 3 straight Super Bowls, and I think this roster is better than any of those teams. Prediction: Patriots win 34-20 Texans at Saints: Jemp: Texans, Reeb: Saints, Pep: Saints, Screw: Saints The management of the Texans is a disaster, but that shouldn’t stop their team from being fun this year. Deshaun Watson has the most talented offense he’s had, with at least a little bit of protection, even if the line will probably still be well below average. I have no idea what to think of their defense, with some major holes and a lack of depth. However, it almost doesn’t matter this week, because I wouldn’t pick any team to beat the Saints at home. Prediction: Saints win 38-30 Broncos at Raiders: Jemp: Raiders, Reeb: Raiders, Pep: Raiders, Screw: Broncos How could we not end week 1 by seeing Jon Gruden in the real culmination of the Hard Knocks saga. Sure it might be past my bedtime, but how can I not stay up to watch Derek Carr vs. Joe Flacco? Will AB manage to play in a new helmet? Will we catch a glimpse of Josh Jacobs? Is Joe Flacco elite? So many questions to be answered. However, I am pretty high on this Broncos defense with Vic Fangio at the helm. Since I don’t believe in the Raiders defense at all, I’ll stick with the Broncos. Prediction: Broncos win 23-17 Let’s take a look at the standings:
Reeb: 171-105 Pep: 169-107 Jemp: 167-109 Alx: 163-113 Screw: 154-122 It all comes down to this, as only Pep and Reeb are still in the running for the pick’em crown. We still haven’t decided how to settle a tie, but we will cross that bridge when we come to it. Although that’s what we said in year 2 and then just ended up forgetting about it, but nevermind that. Let’s pick the Super Bowl! Patriots vs Rams: Jemp: Saints, Reeb: Patriots, Pep: Rams, Screw: Patriots It wouldn’t really be the Super Bowl if the Patriots weren’t here. You may have noticed that they have been to quite a few. Even talking about how all the Patriots narratives are overused has become an overused narrative. There just isn’t much left to write in the story that is the New England Patriots. Then of course we have the Rams. While many, including Jemp, think they shouldn’t even be here, there is no doubt that they have been a revolution over the past two years. The new hotshot young coach that has become what every owner is looking for, and teams haven’t even tried to pretend otherwise. Sean McVay brought football back to LA, despite Jeff Fishers attempt to sabotage it. He reinvented a quarterback labeled as a bust, reinvigorated a generational running back, and turned a blocking receiver into one of the most reliable targets in the NFL. The offense is exciting, and the defense has a bunch of exciting playmakers, including perhaps the best defensive player of the era. It seems as if everyone wants this team to take down the evil empire centralized in Foxborough, Massachusetts. Whenever it seems as if it might crumble, somebody decides that they need to make another movie. But I’m always tuning in to watch the greatest coach and greatest quarterback of all time go to work, and why not just widen the gap once again this year? Regardless of who you are rooting for, we can always count on the Pats to give us a good show. Prediction: Patriots win 27-24 Let’s take a look at the standings:
Reeb: 169-103 Pep: 165-107 Jemp: 165-107 Alx: 161-111 Screw: 152-120 Well I’m officially out of the running for the picks title this year, but there is some relief in knowing that I can now just go back to trusting my gut. Sure, that hasn’t worked out too well for me this season, but since it doesn’t matter anymore, I can get back to the spirit of picking games! Rams at Saints: Jemp: Saints, Reeb: Rams, Pep: Rams, Screw: Saints It the NFC championship we all expected, but these might not be the same two teams that played back in Week 9. Drew Brees no longer looks like an MVP, and we can’t help but wonder if Michael Thomas and Alvin Kamara can continue to carry that offense. However, they have the best defense left in the playoffs, and I don’t even think it’s all that close. On the other side, the Rams have gone from a high-flying, explosive offense, to a ground-and-pound attack led by CJ Anderson. There is no doubt it has been effective, but I think the Saints will be able to have their way with the Rams defense, despite the Saints’ recent struggles. There is no doubt that these are the two best teams in the NFC, other than the Redskins of course, but I trust Drew Brees to get the win at home. He has never lost a home playoff game, and I don’t think that starts now. Prediction: Saints win 30-27 Patriots at Chiefs: Jemp: Patriots, Reeb: Chiefs, Pep: Patriots, Screw: Patriots The Patriots waited as long as humanly possible to make their statement game this year. Tom Brady looked like the old Tom Brady, rather than the old Tom Brady. However, Patrick Mahomes looked the same as he did all year, every game, and that might be more dangerous. He is borderline unstoppable, but the Patriots proved earlier in the year that he is beatable. As great as Mahomes is, it seems that when the Chiefs get into shootouts, they have come out on the losing end. This could just be coincidence, but I can’t pick against Tom Brady in a game I expect to come down to the wire. However, if Mahomes can topple the Patriots, this could be a changing of the guard in the AFC. Prediction: Patriots win 34-31 |
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