|
Here are the standings:
Screw: 121-72 Jemp: 119-74 Reeb: 118-75 Pep: 115-78 Alx: 113-80 It was a pretty even week in the pick’em, but this week we get some great games that we’ll be watching during the annual PFJ retreat. Many Jokes will made and Cokes will be drank, and hopefully many picks will be right, so let’s pick some games. Patriots at Steelers: Jemp: Steelers, Reeb: Steelers, Pep: Steelers, Screw: Steelers A historically low Over Under in this game and yet no one thinks it is low enough. The Steelers have averaged 16 points per game which is pretty astonishing considering they are 7-5. And the Patriots have accomplished an even more impressive feat, holding their past 3 opponents to 10 points or less. They lost all of those games. This all to say I smashed the under and I think the only way that fails is if we get a couple defensive TDs. Which certainly isn’t out of the question for Mitch Trubisky and Bailey Zappe, but I had to give myself some reason to watch this game. Prediction: Steelers win 13-6 Buccaneers at Falcons: Jemp: Falcons, Reeb: Falcons, Pep: Bucs, Screw: Falcons Another riveting NFC South matchup. It’s again a battle for the division lead, where the winner will have the inside track to getting smashed by the Cowboys or Eagles in the first round of the playoffs. The Falcon are looking to continue a pretty unconvincing winning streak here, but I think the Bucs get this one. Mostly because no one in this division deserves to be above .500 so I’ll take the Falcons to lose. Prediction: Bucs win 24-20 Lions at Bears: Jemp: Lions, Reeb: Lions, Pep: Lions, Screw: Lions Last week it seemed like the Lions were quelling all of our fears last week when they stomped on the Saints in the first half. Then the Saints got going and the Lions let them right back in the game, and all the doubts set in again. Now they get the Bears again who nearly beat them last time and will be looking to prove it wasn’t a fluke. I think it probably was, but Justin Fields has played his best football against the Lions and there’s nothing about this defense that makes me think that isn’t a possibility again. Prediction: Lions win 34-27 Colts at Bengals: Jemp: Colts, Reeb: Colts, Pep: Colts, Screw: Colts Honestly this feels a bit disrespectful to Jake Browning. Maybe the fact that I have talked up the Colts each week has influenced the staff’s picks, but I feel like this is a pretty even matchup. Jake Browning was sensational last week, and while I doubt he can quite keep up that level of play, he could certainly end up being as good as Gardner Minshew. I think the Colts are a fun wild card contender but certainly not out of the Bengals league. They nearly lost to the Titans last week for goodness’s sake. You know what, I will lone wolf the Bengals here. Prediction: Bengals win 31-28 Jaguars at Browns: Jemp: Browns, Reeb: Browns, Pep: Browns, Screw: Browns So we are likely getting CJ Beathard vs. somone for the Browns. It could be DTR and it could be Joe Flacco, search me. Flacco played about as well as anyone could have expected last week. Off the couch he led the Browns to a whopping 19 points, which might sound sarcastic but that’s pretty impressive for this Browns team. The problem is that their defense has floundered the last two weeks. But I think it bounces back against the Jaguars this week. Prediction: Browns win 22-17 Panthers at Saints: Jemp: Saints, Reeb: Panthers, Pep: Saints, Screw: Saints Well the Panthers shockingly aren’t any better without Frank Reich. They were leading for a little bit in this game before they allowed the long Mike Evans touchdown. For the Saints we don’t know if it will be Derek Carr or Jameis Winston, but who cares against this Panthers team. Prediction: Saints win 21-10 Texans at Jets: Jemp: Texans, Reeb: Texans, Pep: Texans, Screw: Texans The Jets are such a mess that they cut their disappointing backup QB to sign another disappointing backup QB that was cut by the Rams. The saddest part is that it’s probably the right move, which seems to beg the question, why did they ever roster Tim Boyle at all? And now they are so bad that Zach Wilson has become the Alex Moran of the NFL, begging to be left on the sidelines. But maybe this game they can learn what a competent organization does when they get the 2nd overall pick. Prediction: Texans win 23-10 Rams at Ravens: Jemp: Ravens, Reeb: Ravens, Pep: Ravens, Screw: Ravens The Rams are now right back in the thick of the NFC playoff race. They’ve rattled off 3 in a row, but now they get the Ravens off their bye week. It’s probably asking too much for them to win this one on the road. Puka Nacua and Kyren Williams can’t carry this team by themselves. Prediction: Ravens win 23-10 Vikings at Raiders: Jemp: Vikings, Reeb: Vikings, Pep: Vikings, Screw: Vikings I’m a little surprised no one is taking a flyer on the Raiders here. The Raiders have been playing tough ever since Antonio Pierce took over, and the Vikings have shown themselves to be vulnerable. The main problem is that I just can’t pick Aidan O’Connell to beat anyone. Josh Dobbs was horrible last game, but I think that was a bit of a fluke. Not that he has ever been a perfect quarterback and he has put the ball in harm's way all season, but he won’t do it that many times every week. Plus he should get JJetas back. Prediction: Viking win 20-16 Seahawks at 49ers: Jemp: 49ers, Reeb: 49ers, Pep: 49ers, Screw: 49ers Despite the loss last week, the Seahawks finally showed the potential I had been waiting for all year. Geno had maybe his best game ever, dropping dimes all over the field while constantly under pressure. I don’t expect him to play that well every week, but I think he can get back to being an above average QB. I also think this could be an upset alert for the niners. Their last losing streak came right after they smashed the Cowboys, and this could be a week that they are exhaling after a big win. But let’s be real, I can’t pick against these 49ers right now. Prediction: 49ers win 31-24 Bills at Chiefs: Jemp: Chiefs, Reeb: Chiefs, Pep: Bills, Screw: Chiefs This was probably expected to be an epic clash for the AFCs one seed, and instead it’s a desperate attempt to get back on track. The Chief dropped another game last week to an albeit surging Packers team. And I might be the only one in the world to agree with that non-PI call that isn’t a Packers fan. But I digress, I think the Bills are playing good football right now and are the more desperate team. I know the logic failed me when I picked them against the Eagles, but they had a few breaks not go their way and the Chiefs haven’t shown the ability to close like the Eagles this year. Prediction: Bills win 27-24 Broncos at Chargers: Jemp: Broncos, Reeb: Broncos, Pep: Broncos, Screw: Broncos So can we get rid of Brandon Staley now? His win last week was as bad as any of his losses and this Chargers team is a total lost cause. I guess the one positive is that their defense was good enough to shutout Bailey Zappe. Congratulations. At least the Broncos are a well coached operation that plays smart football. Even in the loss last week their style kept them in the game until the end. Prediction: Broncos win 26-12 Eagles at Cowboys: Jemp: Cowboys, Reeb: Eagles, Pep: Cowboys, Screw: Cowboys Okay, this is maybe the best Sunday Night game we’ve had all year. The Cowboys are now within striking distance of the NFC East lead, and they get to host the Eagles coming off a thrashing at the hands of the 49ers. And last week wasn’t an isolated incident for the Birds. They had been living dangerously for weeks and there is no question the Cowboys have been the better team since their last matchup. I wish I could pick both teams to lose but I just think the Cowboys are better right now. But I would not be remotely surprised if they choked. Prediction: Cowboys win 31-27 Titans at Dolphins: Jemp: Dolphins, Reeb: Dolphins, Pep: Dolphins, Screw: Dolphins So we are getting two Monday Night games again, probably to distract us from the fact that neither game is any good. Remember when we got Steelers Browns and Panthers Saints in week 2? Probably not, but it wasn’t much fun. But at least I can have each game up on a screen as I watch with Jemp and Pep during the PFJ retreat. Exciting stuff. Anyway, I’d give you some analysis but I think these two picks are pretty self-explanatory. Prediction: Dolphins win 27-14 Packers at Giants: Jemp: Packers, Reeb: Packers, Pep: Packers, Screw: Packers See above. Prediction: Packers win 27-10 Here are the standings:
Screw: 113-67 Reeb: 111-69 Jemp: 111-69 Pep: 107-73 Alx: 105-75 Well that was a rough Thanksgiving. Not only did a certain game on Thanksgiving day not go according to plan, but I also had the worst week in the pick’em. But overall, this is still a tight race, and I’m ready to pick some games. Seahawks at Cowboys: Jemp: Cowboys, Reeb: Cowboys, Pep: Cowboys, Screw: Cowboys What looked like a great game a few weeks ago might be another TNF slaughterfest. I was sure this Seahawks offense would get it together, but things went from bad to worse against the 49ers. The offense hasn’t been able to get going all year, and I’m not sure this team can compete with the top teams in the NFC. And as much as it pains me to say it, the Cowboys are one of those teams. Granted, I still believe the Cowboys could collapse at any moment, but they have slammed bad teams, and right now, I think the Seahawks are a bad team. Prediction: Cowboys win 27-13 Colts at Titans: Jemp: Colts, Reeb: Titans, Pep: Colts, Screw: Colts I’m telling you, these Colts are so much fun. They currently hold the 7 seed in the AFC playoff picture, and I think they deserve it. Shane Steichen deserves serious consideration for coach of the year right now, as he has steadied a ship with Gardner Minshew as its captain. The only unfortunate part of last week’s game was that Jonathan Taylor now needs thumb surgery. This is a huge blow because Taylor was starting to look like the best back in football once again. However, Zack Moss did a great job filling in before, and I expect them to take care of the Titans this week. Prediction: Colts win 30-20 Chargers at Patriots: Jemp: Chargers, Reeb: Chargers, Pep: Chargers, Screw: Chargers Well Bill Belichick is doing some serious damage to his coaching record, but on the bright side, he’s putting the Patriots in position to draft a top quarterback. Mac Jones had another dreadful performance in which he was again benched for Bailey Zappe. Belichick hasn’t committed to either guy for this game, but both are so bad that I’d be shocked if it made a difference. Then again, the Chargers have the innate ability to lost any game they set their mind to, so who knows? Prediction: Chargers win 20-10 Lions at Saints: Jemp: Lions, Reeb: Lions, Pep: Lions, Screw: Lions I’m starting to get a little nervous about this Lions team. They have struggled mightily the last two weeks, and this Saints team isn’t a pushover. Well, sometimes they are. For instance, last week Derek Carr threw the game away with a disgusting pick six and then failed to get in the end zone each and every time they had the ball. Chris Olave also suffered a concussion with leaves him highly questionable for this one. That really leaves the Saints with not a lot of options at receiver if he can’t go. Rashid Shaheed can’t carry the group by himself. If Olave can go, then I think the Saints certainly have a shot against a generous Lions defense, but I’m picking the Lions to bounce back here. Prediction: Lions win 27-24 Falcons at Jets: Jemp: Falcons, Reeb: Falcons, Pep: Jets, Screw: Falcons Good god, please don’t make me watch another game from Tim Boyle. And versus Desmond Ridder? We are really in a QB wasteland here. Aaron Rodgers was designated to return from IR, but I don’t see a reason for the Jets to send him out there this year. They are pretty much out of the AFC playoff picture, and only Pep thinks they win this one at home. Prediction: Falcons win 16-0 Cardinals at Steelers: Jemp: Steelers, Reeb: Steelers, Pep: Steelers, Screw: Steelers Could it be? The Steeler reached a monumental milestone last week, 400 yards of total offense. That might not sound like a huge accomplishment, but Matt Canada was watching in awe trying to figure out how they did it. Sure, they still only put up 16 points, but it was enough for the win, and I expect they’ll win a similar game this week. The Cardinals had a stinker against the Rams, and now Kyler has to try and rebound against this Steelers team that knows how to close out games. I’d love the Cards to pull this one out, but I’m expecting the Steelers to have their usual 17-14 victory. Prediction: Steelers win 17-14 Dolphins at Commanders: Jemp: Dolphins, Reeb: Dolphins, Pep: Dolphins, Screw: Dolphins Easy dub for Sam Howell and the Commanders. Just ignore the ongoing exodus of coaches. Prediction: Commanders win 100-0 Broncos at Texans: Jemp: Broncos, Reeb: Texans, Pep: Texans, Screw: Broncos Who would have thought that this would be one of the most important games in the AFC playoff race? Both of these teams are just out of the playoffs due to tiebreakers, but the winner of this game is in great position to take a slot. CJ Stroud is taking the league by storm, but it’s the Broncos who have the longest winning streak in the conference. I’m not sure how they keep doing it, but they are solid on both sides of the ball, and just keep playing smart football. They have just enough firepower to win these close games, and I think they do it again in Houston. Prediction: Broncos win 23-21 Panthers at Buccaneers: Jemp: Bucs, Reeb: Bucs, Pep: Bucs, Screw: Bucs The Panthers are the biggest mess in the NFL. Maybe they can hope for the bump that usually comes after firing a coach, but I don’t think this team is lighting cigars due to the departure of Frank Reich. This organization is in shambles and Bryce Young might be the only one who can help get them back on track. Prediction: Buccaneers win 24-10 Browns at Rams: Jemp: Rams, Reeb: Browns, Pep: Browns, Screw: Browns Things are getting bleak for the Browns as we could potentially see Joe Flacco start this game for them if DTR can’t go. I wouldn’t feel very comfortable leaving Flacco out there with Aaron Donald on the other side of the ball, and I’m guessing he won’t be too comfortable either. I expect a lot of plays where Flacco just ducks and says “I give up, I give up!”. While the Browns defense will certainly be a problem for this Rams offense, I think McVay can scheme up just enough to outscore the Browns here. Prediction: Rams win 13-7 49ers at Eagles: Jemp: Eagles, Reeb: Eagles, Pep: 49ers, Screw: 49ers America’s game of the week is truly living up to the hype, assuming that we don’t have a quarterback immediately leave with an injury in the NFC Title game rematch. The Eagles keep winning these close games, and they are so dangerous because they have playmakers at all levels. Their defense can be had, but their offense can beat you in so many different ways. But this week they go against an offense that is just as versatile and has the defense to boot. The 49ers continue to look like the best team in the NFL, and I don’t think it stops this week. This team wants to prove they should have gone to the Super Bowl last year if not for the injury to Purdy, and I think they come out on top in this instant classic. Prediction: 49ers win 31-24 Chiefs at Packers: Jemp: Chiefs, Reeb: Chiefs, Pep: Chiefs, Screw: Chiefs It might not be 49ers-Eagles, but I can’t complain about this Sunday Night game. The Packers looked dead in the water a few weeks ago, but suddenly they look like they have risen from the dead. This could be a statement win for Jordan Love and company against a vulnerable Chiefs team. The Chiefs haven’t looked dominant all season, and it always looks like Patrick Mahomes doesn’t have enough help. Still, I can’t pick against Mahomes and Reed in primetime. This is still one of the best teams in football. Prediction: Chiefs win 27-20 Bengals at Jaguars: Jemp: Jaguars, Reeb: Jaguars, Pep: Jaguars, Screw: Jaguars Well, this could have been fun if Joe Burrow was playing. But instead we get Jake Browning making the Bengals an afterthought. At least the Jags are back on track after the thumping they took from the niners. This could be a great week for them to flex their muscles and prove they are a true contender. Prediction: Jaguars win 27-10 Here are the standings:
Screw: 103-61 Reeb: 101-63 Pep: 97-67 Jemp: 100-64 Alx: 97-67 It’s that time of year that brings us joy and removes all fear. There’s nothing better than watching a great slate of Thanksgiving games while shoveling a disgusting amount of food down your gullet. I can’t wait, so let’s pick some games. Packers at Lions: Jemp: Lions, Reeb: Lions, Pep: Lions, Screw: Lions Thanksgiving staples include Turkey, Stuffing, Potatoes, and bad Lions games. But this year it is because the Lions are so much better than their opponent, who just happens to be the Packers. That’s something I never thought I’d say. However, I know Jemp and all Lions fans won’t be too cocky. They did watch their team get pounded by the Bears for 3.5 quarters last week. But this is a resilient team that keeps finding ways to win. Jared Goff can’t have stinkers like last week against the good teams, but if they can just avoid that, this team can beat anyone. Prediction: Lions win 34-17 Commanders at Cowboys: Jemp: Cowboys, Reeb: Cowboys, Pep: Cowboys, Screw: Cowboys The best part of my Thanksgiving will be watching the Commanders destroy the Cowboys as always. Prediction: Commanders win 100-0 49ers at Seahawks: Jemp: 49ers, Reeb: 49ers, Pep: 49ers, Screw: 49ers Well we could have a fun one for the Thanksgiving Night game, or we may just get another blowout. The 49ers are rolling once again, and the Seahawks are headed in the other direction. Pete Carroll continues to get owned by Sean McVay, but Kyle Shanahan is bucking his trend of losing to Carroll. It probably helps to have like 8 All-Pros playing for him. Geno Smith also suffered an injury during the loss to the Rams, so it’s hard to imagine him coming off a short week and lighting up the niners. I think this one might get ugly. Prediction: 49ers win 31-13 Dolphins at Jets: Jemp: Dolphins, Reeb: Dolphins, Pep: Jets, Screw: Dolphins Everybody hold off on that Black Friday shopping, because you’re not going to want to miss Tim Boyle saving the Jets season. Now I’ve seen people endlessly bashing him for throwing 1 touchdown to 13 interceptions in college which just isn’t true. I think sports-reference.com owes this man an apology, because they are the ones showing this as his college record, and they are leaving off his senior season that he played at Eastern Kentucky, where he threw a whopping 11 TDs to 13 INTs. So let’s get it right guys. Sure, Tim Boyle is like the kid who got into college after flunking his first three years of high school but then showed major improvement in his senior year with like a C- average, but he got there all the same. Anyway, I’m taking the Dolphins. Prediction: Dolphins win 17-10 Saints at Falcons: Jemp: Falcons, Reeb: Saints, Pep: Saints, Screw: Saints Well we’re back to Desmond Ridder. I’m glad he and Arthur Smith could work things out. Except that it means I have to watch him play again. Both these teams make me sad, so I’ll pretty much only be paying attention to see if my fantasy players can produce in this one. I mean this is also an important matchup to determine the winner of the NFC South, but I don’t think that matters much at this point. We might as well give the 5 seed in the NFC a bye in the first week of the playoffs at this point. Prediction: Saints win 23-20 Steelers at Bengals: Jemp: Steelers, Reeb: Steelers, Pep: Steelers, Screw: Steelers Thank god the Steelers lost last week because 7-3 would just be too much for this team. Granted, we all think they get to 7-4 this week which seems a bit ridiculous too, but it’s maybe a little more palatable. It also might have been the best game of the season for Steelers fans, because it was the game that got Matt Canada fired. Pittsburgh should send Myles Garrett a thank-you note. On the other side, Bengals fans know their season is over without Joe Burrow. They can relax and wait for next year. Again, the Steelers are certainly bad enough to lose to Jake Browning, but I think they get it done this week. Prediction: Steelers win 17-13 Panthers at Titans: Jemp: Titans, Reeb: Titans, Pep: Titans, Screw: Titans Do I really need to give analysis on this game? We will be watching to see if either of these rookie quarterbacks can show any improvement. Other than that, this doesn’t matter. Prediction: Titans win 19-16 Buccaneers at Colts: Jemp: Colts, Reeb: Bucs, Pep: Bucs, Screw: Bucs I actually think this could be a fun game. The Bucs and Colts are both mediocre teams, but they are both fun to watch. Baker has played really well this year and has kept the Bucs competitive most weeks despite some deficiencies with the team. But it’s the Colts that are the truly fun team. I’ve always felt Minshew was a similar QB to Baker, and he isn’t playing as consistently as Baker, but he hasn’t been boring. And most importantly, I feel like Shane Steichen is getting the most out of his players. This is a well-coached Colts team with a bunch of pieces to work with. I think they get this done at home. Prediction: Colts win 34-31 Patriots at Giants: Jemp: Patriots, Reeb: Patriots, Pep: Patriots, Screw: Giants Okay well this is the final test to see if Bill Belichick is truly washed. If he can’t cook up Tommy Devito, then he clearly has lost his touch. I don’t really want to talk about what Devito did last week, so let’s just move on. Prediction: Patriots win 17-0 Jaguars at Texans: Jemp: Texans, Reeb: Jaguars, Pep: Jaguars, Screw: Texans Oh boy, this one should be fun. Trevor Lawrence finally blew up last week against the Titans, as did Calvin Ridley. I know people were disappointed with Lawrence because he wasn’t putting up the number that they wanted in fantasy, but I think he’s had a pretty good season. However, that doesn’t mean he’s even the best quarterback in this game. I know it’s early for Stroud, but he’s already done things we’ve never seen from Trevor Lawrence. If you’re ranking the MVP candidates this year, there is no question that Stroud would be ahead of Lawrence. However, I think the Jaguars are the better overall team and pull this one out in a fun one. Prediction: Jaguars win 27-24 Browns at Broncos: Jemp: Browns, Reeb: Browns, Pep: Broncos, Screw: Broncos I think this is another pretty fun matchup. I know if you don’t like defense you probably won’t enjoy this game. In fact, you might want to avoid the Browns for the rest of the year, but I enjoy watching great defense, and that is what the Browns have. On the Broncos side of things, they aren’t great in any area, but they play smart football and haven’t been making mistakes. I don’t think they can keep that up this week against a Browns defense that causes problems for everyone. Prediction: Browns win 16-13 Rams at Cardinals: Jemp: Rams, Reeb: Rams, Pep: Rams, Screw: Cardinals The Rams were lucky to come away with a win last week, and yet my belief in them continues to dwindle. Their fun passing attack has more or less dissipated, and they certainly aren’t a great defense. The best news they had this week is that Kyren Williams is coming back. Whoopty-doo. I’m much more interested in this Cardinals team that isn’t much better, but they have been way more interesting with Kyler back at the helm. Kyler looks as dangerous on the ground as ever. He’s knocking off a bit of rust throwing the ball but he still delivers a few great passes each game. I expect him to keep getting better and I think he wins this one. Prediction: Cardinals win 23-20 Chiefs at Raiders: Jemp: Chiefs, Reeb: Chiefs, Pep: Chiefs, Screw: Chiefs Seeing the Raiders play the Dolphins close last week gave me tremendous respect for what Antonio Pierce has done with this team. They play hard and don’t give up and the defense has really stepped up its game. The fact that they were in that game until the end despite Aidan O’Connell having one of the worst games I’ve ever seen from a quarterback was impressive. O’Connell had a few back-breaking turnovers, and also was routinely missing easy underneath throws that could have kept drives alive. I know Jimmy G was not playing well under McDaniels, but I wonder if he came out with this version of the Raiders if he could give them a little bit more. I know the season doesn’t matter for the Raiders, but there is no chance O’Connell is your quarterback of the future. Prediction: Chiefs win 20-10 Bills at Eagles: Jemp: Eagles, Reeb: Eagles, Pep: Eagles, Screw: Eagles The Eagles just keep finding a way each week. But this is another big test for them. While the Eagles have been far more consistent than the Bills, I think the Bills best has actually been better than the Eagles best. The Bills just don’t always bring their best. However, in this huge game against the team with the best record in the NFL, I expect Josh Allen to come up big with a quality win. I like the Bills upset here on the road. Prediction: Bills win 31-30 Ravens at Chargers: Jemp: Ravens, Reeb: Ravens, Pep: Ravens, Screw: Ravens Does anybody know if Brandon Staley is still calling the defense? If so, it’s great news for Lamar and company, because he loves to give up yards and touchdowns. It was fun when Staley was just the 4th down guy, but now he’s just the guy who is about to be out of a job. This Chargers team isn’t going anywhere and the Ravens can cruise to an AFC North title. Even the Lamar haters can admit that he’s significantly better than Kenny Pickett, DTR, and Jake Browning. Prediction: Ravens win 24-14 Bears at Vikings: Jemp: Vikings, Reeb: Vikings, Pep: Vikings, Screw: Vikings Tough loss for the Vikings on Sunday Night Football, but they are still firmly in the playoffs and get a pretty nice matchup against the Bears this week. Justin Fields had a good game in his return, but even in his good games we still see the offense go quiet when it matters. I’m not saying it’s all his fault, but I’d be shocked if he was the QB for the Bears next year. This is just about increasing his trade value at this point. Prediction: Vikings win 24-20 Here are the standings:
Screw: 94-56 Reeb: 92-58 Pep: 90-60 Jemp: 90-60 Alx: 87-63 Alright, I had a rough week in the pick’em last week, but it’s tough when there are so many games decided by a last-second field goal. Now I’m back in catch-up mode, so let’s pick some games. Bengals at Ravens: Jemp: Ravens, Reeb: Ravens, Pep: Bengals, Screw: Ravens Do my eyes deceive me? Could this be a good TNF game? We were talking just last week that these could be the best two teams in the AFC, and then they both lost last Sunday. However, they were both last-second field goals against good teams, so I’m not that worried about either of them. I’m sure people will be panicking about whoever ends up losing this one, but the short answer is that these are still two of the top AFC contenders. Granted, the AFC North is so tough that a loss could still prove devastating, especially for the Bengals. However, I still see shades of the Bengals that have been to two straight AFC championship games, so I think Joe Burrow pulls this one out against a great defense. Prediction: Bengals win 20-17 Steelers at Browns: Jemp: Browns, Reeb: Steelers, Pep: Steelers, Screw: Steelers While Deshaun Watson is home counting his money, Dorian Thompson-Robinson will be thrown into the fire once more. While his first start was horrendous, he was going against an extremely tough Ravens defense as a fifth round rookie in his first start. We should probably give him some chance to improve on that. Then again, now he gets to enjoy TJ Watt and Alex Highsmith bearing down on him every time he drops back. This is where Kevin Stefanski needs to earn his paycheck, because I’ve always said his greatest strength as a play designer was his ability to hide bad quarterback play. I think he gets just enough out of his offense to let his defense win the game. This is mostly because I can’t live in a world where these Steelers are 7-3. Prediction: Browns win 13-10 Bears at Lions: Jemp: Lions, Reeb: Lions, Pep: Lions, Screw: Lions Hey Justin Fields is back! Hopefully he has studied that Tyson Bagent tape so he can lose to the Lions by 21 instead of 30. The Lions defense had a rough week against Justin Herbert, but it didn’t matter because the offense was so unstoppable. The Jahmyr Gibbs - David Montgomery tandem couldn’t have looked better, and Jared Goff is now PFF’s top graded quarterback. They should dismantle this Bears defense and there is zero chance that Justin Fields can keep up in a shootout. Prediction: Lions win 38-17 Chargers at Packers: Jemp: Chargers, Reeb: Packers, Pep: Chargers, Screw: Chargers Jordan Love wasn’t a total trainwreck against the Steelers last week, but he got two chances to make a game-winning drive and neither time did I feel like there was any chance he would convert it. Love is lacking weapons and he does nothing to elevate the talent around him. We’ve seen Justin Herbert elevate his guys, and hopefully that is enough this week to take out the Packers. But I’m sure the Chargers will find some way to blow it. If they do, I think it could be the end for Brandon Staley. Prediction: Chargers win 27-17 Raiders at Dolphins: Jemp: Dolphins, Reeb: Dolphins, Pep: Dolphins, Screw: Dolphins It has been a nice run for Antonio Pierce’s Raiders, but I don’t see them taking out the Dolphins. The defense has looked great under Pierce so far, but I think Tommy Devito and Zach Wilson have a lot to do with that. Tua is a little better than that, especially when Mike McDaniel has an extra week to gameplan. Prediction: Dolphins win 35-21 Giants at Commanders: Jemp: Commanders, Reeb: Commanders, Pep: Commanders, Screw: Commanders Tommy Devito. Enough said. Prediction: Commanders win 999-0 Cowboys at Panthers: Jemp: Cowboys, Reeb: Cowboys, Pep: Cowboys, Screw: Cowboys So, at what point do we declare Bryce Young a bust? I’m not saying we’re there yet, but I’m just wondering when we can make that declaration? I guess give him into next year? He does get knocked by the fact that CJ Stroud is killing it. Trevor Lawrence was pretty bad in his rookie year but it wasn’t that big a deal because all the rookies were terrible. He also had Urban Meyer as his head coach so there’s that. Anyway, right now, Bryce Young is one of the worst quarterbacks in the league leading one of the worst teams in the league. And the Cowboys love to crush bad teams. Prediction: Cowboys win 31-9 Titans at Jaguars: Jemp: Jaguars, Reeb: Jaguars, Pep: Jaguars, Screw: Jaguars Well so much for that Will Levis hype. Levis has shown off a special arm in his few starts, but maybe it was too much to ask for a rookie to thrive in this situation. He is still behind one of the worst offensive lines in the league with no one to throw to other than an aging DeAndre Hopkins. He still has a ways to go before he can be a player that elevates everything around him. This should be a nice bounce back spot for the Jaguars who just had their clocks cleaned by the 49ers. I wasn’t expecting such a beatdown on the Jags, but I’m not too worried about them moving forward. Prediction: Jaguars win 24-16 Cardinals at Texans: Jemp: Texans, Reeb: Texans, Pep: Texans, Screw: Texans I don’t know that you could have asked for a better debut from Kyler Murray. He looked like the old Kyler Murray, making plays with his legs, running in a touchdown, and then completing a game-winning drive. However, he still has limited help and the Texans are playing too well for me to pick against them at home. As good as Kyler looked in his return, he still might be the second best quarterback in this matchup. Prediction: Texans win 27-24 Buccaneers at 49ers: Jemp: 49ers, Reeb: 49ers, Pep: 49ers, Screw: 49ers Great statement win for the 49ers last week. They took the bye week to remember that they are the most talented team in football. They laid a smackdown on an AFC contender and it didn’t even matter that CMC lost his touchdown streak. Everybody else hit paydirt, and they looked just like the unstoppable force they were before the losing streak. I think they keep it up against the Bucs this week. Prediction: 49ers win 34-17 Jets at Bills: Jemp: Bills, Reeb: Bills, Pep: Jets, Screw: Bills Alright, I must admit that Pep’s concern about the Bills might be valid. The turnovers from Josh Allen are getting out of control, and the injuries on defense are taking their toll. So the Bills solution is to fire Ken Dorsey. Joe Brady is the interim replacement, but don’t worry, they should have Brian Daboll available to come back soon. Anyway, all the concerns can be put on pause for a week because the Jets are just too rough a watch on offense. The Bills need to tell Josh Allen that all he has to do is not turn the ball over and this is an automatic win. They could probably just punt every possession and just let the Jets offense implode. Prediction: Bills win 24-10 Seahawks at Rams: Jemp: Seahawks, Reeb: Seahawks, Pep: Seahawks, Screw: Seahawks I’m surprised everyone is taking the Seahawks here. The Rams are at home, and Sean McVay owns the Hawks. He took them apart in week one and now they should have their full offense ready to go with Stafford expected back and Cooper Kupp now on the field. I guess Kyren Williams is still out, but I think Kupp is a little more valuable. The Seahawks are probably the overall better team, but I do put stock in McVay’s record against Seattle, and I think the Rams offense comes together this week. Prediction: Rams win 26-23 Vikings at Broncos: Jemp: Vikings, Reeb: Vikings, Pep: Broncos, Screw: Vikings Last week I thought this was another Sunday Night stinker, but now I’m feeling pretty good about this game. Josh Dobbs is starting to become the story of the year. He has seamlessly taken over this Vikings offense, and the ceiling could be even higher once Justin Jefferson returns. However, the Broncos resurgence has gone much more under the radar. They are coming off wins against the Chiefs and Bills where they looked like the better team from wire to wire. I know they haven’t been flashy, but they aren’t terrible on either side of the ball. That might be faint praise, but they are finding ways to win games, and I think they do it again at home. Prediction: Broncos win 27-24 Eagles at Chiefs: Jemp: Eagles, Reeb: Chiefs, Pep: Chiefs, Screw: Eagles You can’t ask for much more of a Monday Night game. We have the two one-seeds battling it out, and it just so happens to be a Super Bowl rematch as well. And most importantly it’s the Kelce bowl. This will be a great game that could go either way, but I just can’t pick against Patrick Mahomes at home. I know he’s had some struggles, but the defense is great, and as Mahomes said, they will figure the offense out. Prediction: Chiefs win 30-27 Here are the standings:
Pep: 84-52 Jemp: 84-52 Screw: 83-53 Reeb: 82-54 Alx: 82-54 Somehow the race is getting even tighter. We have to deal with some horrendous primetime games this week, but there is some good football in between. So let’s pick some games. Panthers at Bears: Jemp: Panthers, Reeb: Bears, Pep: Bears, Screw: Bears Now here’s a banger to start the week. Typically when we get a matchup this bad we can at least say that it is a battle for the number 1 pick. But since the Bears own both these teams' picks we don’t even get that minor drama. Honestly, the Bears have played better than the Panthers as of late, but I still have a soft spot for these Panthers and hope they can get it together enough to at least take down the Bears. Bryce Young, you really have to rebound after last week. Prediction: Panthers win 20-17 Colts at Patriots: Jemp: Patriots, Reeb: Colts, Pep: Colts, Screw: Colts Well, here you go Germany, you get the best rivalry in the NFL from 15 years ago. If there are any German fans who haven’t been plugged in since Brady vs. Manning, they are in for a rude awakening when they watch Gardner Minshew vs. Mac Jones. But at the least the Colts have a little bit of juice, with Jonathan Taylor getting involved again, and a nice little receiving group. They are nothing more than an average team, but that should be more than enough to beat the Patriots right now. It’s truly an indictment of your offensive team-building when losing Kendrick Bourne cripples your receiving corps. But I guess it’s possible Belichick could scramble Minshew into throwing multiple picks, but it wasn’t enough against Sam Howell so I don’t think he can do enough this week either. Prediction: Colts win 24-10 Texans at Bengals: Jemp: Bengals, Reeb: Texans, Pep: Bengals, Screw: Bengals Reeb is still trying to find a way to manage expectations for the Bengals now that everyone is putting them in the Super Bowl. But I’m all aboard the Bengals hype train. Joe Burrow looks as good as ever, and everything else on this team just seems to be falling into place. However, this is no easy matchup against CJ Stroud, who just lit up the Buccaneers. Maybe CJ Stroud can do it again and start building his MVP case, but I think it’s more likely the Bengals keep rolling. The Texans have been too inconsistent, and even last week they almost fell to the Bucs. Prediction: Bengals win 31-24 Saints at Vikings: Jemp: Vikings, Reeb: Vikings, Pep: Saints, Screw: Vikings What a gritty performance from Josh Dobbs. He barely knew the plays or his teammates’ names, but he knew where the endzone was. It was also a masterclass from Kevin O’Connell, who pushed all the right buttons, communicating with Dobbs just enough to explain the plays and figure out what worked best for him. It was truly spectacular. The Saints have none of the grit and toughness of the Vikings, but I think they are far more talented, so I’m taking the Saints on the road. I still feel like Dobbs is just good enough to almost win, but most of the time, with this team, he’ll probably come up a bit short. Prediction: Saints win 24-21 Packers at Steelers: Jemp: Steelers, Reeb: Steelers, Pep: Steelers, Screw: Steelers I don’t think I can live in a world where this Steelers team is 6-3. But I think that world might come on Sunday, because this is a bad Packers team. Granted, they did dominate the Rams last week, but that was because of Brett Rypien. The only takeaway that gave me some hope for the Packers future is that Aaron Jones looked more like himself. But I don’t think that’s enough for me to pick this team. They certainly will have a chance, because any team has a chance against this Steelers team, but the Steelers always manage to eke out these wins. Prediction: Steelers win 16-13 Titans at Buccaneers: Jemp: Titans, Reeb: Bucs, Pep: Titans, Screw: Bucs I feel like we aren’t giving Baker enough credit for going blow for blow with CJ Stroud last week. Baker came up with a clutch would-be game-winning drive, but left just a bit too much time for Stroud. However, he’ll have to outduel another promising rookie quarterback this week. Will Levis wasn’t perfect against a tough Steelers defense on TNF, but he still made some exciting throws. Never before have I watched the Mike Vrabel Titans and think, they need to stop giving the ball to Derrick Henry and air this thing out, but that’s how I felt last Thursday. There were some plays where Levis held the ball too long and took unnecessary sacks, but he made up for it with throws that only a few quarterbacks can make. He gets a much easier matchup this week and I think he takes advantage. Prediction: Titans win 30-20 49ers at Jaguars: Jemp: 49ers, Reeb: Jaguars, Pep: 49ers, Screw: 49ers I have been saying for a few weeks now that the Jags are underrated, but I can’t see the 49ers dropping a 4th game in a row. Kyle Shanahan is coming off a bye, and while the Jaguars are good, they are nowhere near as loaded as the niners. Of course, I think we’d all prefer to have Trevor Lawrence than Brock Purdy, but Purdy has still been making plays even with the mistakes he’s been making the past few weeks. I think the Jags are definitely good enough to keep this one competitive, but I’m taking San Fran. Prediction: 49ers win 24-21 Browns at Ravens: Jemp: Ravens, Reeb: Ravens, Pep: Ravens, Screw: Ravens Is this a matchup of the two best defenses in the NFL? We all know how good the Browns defense has been, and they showed it again last week against Clayton Tune. Maybe not the stiffest competition, but holding the Cardinals to 0 points and 58 yards is impressive even if I was playing quarterback. However, the Ravens holding the Seahawks to 3 points and 151 yards might rival that performance. The Ravens haven’t had the toughest schedule this year either, but this is the second time they have dominated an NFC contender, and they are allowing less than 14 points per game. I’d still take the Browns defense over the Ravens, but on offense it isn’t even close, so I’ll take the Ravens at home. Prediction: Ravens win 17-13 Falcons at Cardinals: Jemp: Falcons, Reeb: Falcons, Pep: Falcons, Screw: Cardinals Well I am pretty excited for the return of Kyler Murray, and it looks like we’re going to get it this week. Last week was the low point for the Cardinals because they were starting Clayton Tune against the best defense in the league, but for the most part the Cardinals offense has exceeded expectations this year. Sure, the expectations were through the floor, but there is certainly upside for this team with Kyler Murray. The question is if he will be the same guy coming off such a big injury. With so many questions, I’ll take the Falcons on the road. I’m sure Jonnu Smith will come through this week. Prediction: Falcons win 27-24 Lions at Chargers: Jemp: Lions, Reeb: Lions, Pep: Lions, Screw: Lions So much for Kellen Moore fixing the Chargers offense. Justin Herbert and company have been totally stagnant for about five weeks now, and things don’t get easier against the Lions. The Lions might get David Montgomery back for this game, which would mean we could finally see the realized version of the Montgomery-Gibbs backfield tandem. Gibbs broke out against the Raiders before the bye, and now with both RBs healthy together, and of course the addition of Donovan Peoples-Jones, this offense could be electric. I know it’s another interconference road game for Goff which seems troubling, but I still trust the Lions much more than the Chargers right now. Prediction: Lions win 27-17 Giants at Cowboys: Jemp: Cowboys, Reeb: Cowboys, Pep: Cowboys, Screw: Cowboys Well this is no longer a real NFL team with Tommy Devito at quarterback. They were already borderline with Daniel Jones, but now they might as well be relegated to the XFL. Micah Parsons and company should feast against this team, and I expect 45 carries from Saquon Barkley. I don’t know if this matchup can get uglier than it was in Week 1, but it actually has the potential to. Prediction: Cowboys win 24-0 Commanders at Seahawks: Jemp: Seahawks, Reeb: Seahawks, Pep: Commanders, Screw: Seahawks Tough season for the Seahawks offense so far. They hit a low point against the Ravens last week, and now the Commanders will do the same and worse to them. Prediction: Commanders win 100-0 Jets at Raiders: Jemp: Jets, Reeb: Raiders, Pep: Jets, Screw: Raiders How the hell was this not flexed as soon as Aaron Rodgers got hurt? I understand the Jets got all these primetime games because they were a fun, exciting, up and coming team with Rodgers, but seriously, we knew this game was going to suck since that fateful Monday night. I guess we get to see if the Raiders resurgence without Josh McDaniel is for real or if it was a temporary high fueled by the firing and helped along by Tommy Devito. Then again, if the Jets play the same level of offense they did last week, then Maxx Crosby and the Raiders defense can certainly take advantage. However, I feel like it’s the Jets defense that should take advantage of Aidan O’Connell, so I’ll take the Jets somewhat reluctantly. Prediction: Jets win 13-10 Broncos at Bills: Jemp: Bills, Reeb: Bills, Pep: Bills, Screw: Bills Who came up with this primetime slate? At least we get to watch the Bills here, who I think will rebound from a couple of rough games. I know the Broncos just beat the Chiefs before the bye, but no one is taking them seriously. I really have nothing more to say about this embarrassing slate of primetime games. Next week we get Bengals Ravens on TNF and Eagles Chiefs on MNF, so let’s look forward to those. Prediction: Bills win 35-17 Here are the standings:
Screw: 75-47 Pep: 75-47 Jemp: 73-49 Reeb: 73-49 Alx: 72-50 This pick’em race is as close as it has ever been. We get another great week of football, so let’s pick some games. Titans at Steelers: Jemp: Steelers, Reeb: Steelers, Pep: Steelers, Screw: Titans What looked to be another Thursday Night snoozer was saved on Sunday by an exciting young quarterback. Something neither of these teams have had in years. The stock of Will Levis had plummeted since the night of the NFL draft. He had a great red carpet interview, and then he tumbled to the second round and somehow fell behind Malik Willis on the Titans depth chart. But everything changed when he took the field on Sunday. Suddenly, the Titans had a downfield passing attack. He threw four touchdowns, making DeAndre Hopkins look like he was back in his prime. He even almost hit one to Treylon Burks, but I guess he isn’t a magician. TJ Watt and company might bring him back to Earth on TNF, but at least he gives some hope to Titans fans, and NFL fans that just want to watch some offense, because the Steelers sure as hell aren’t providing any. Prediction: Titans win 20-17 Dolphins at Chiefs: Jemp: Chiefs, Reeb: Chiefs, Pep: Dolphins, Screw: Chiefs The German NFL fans are getting a good one this time around. They better enjoy it because next week they get Colts Patriots. But there is plenty of intrigue within the matchup of these two AFC powerhouses. Of course it’s the Tyreek Hill revenge game, and the Chiefs need to rebound after a disastrous loss to the Broncos. Then we have the Dolphins, who haven’t stepped up when they’ve played real contenders. That’s the biggest issue to me as it has been a consistent theme throughout the year. The Dolphins running game has slowed down and the Chiefs have a quality defense. The Chiefs have issues, but we all know they will work it out. But they better get Taylor Swift on the plane if they want to win this one. Prediction: Chiefs win 31-24 Vikings at Falcons: Jemp: Vikings, Reeb: Falcons, Pep: Falcons, Screw: Falcons It finally happened. Arthur Smith has finally benched Desmond Ridder. He had to use the concussion as an excuse so as not to hurt their relationship, but now we get to watch some quality football. At least by NFC South standards. As for the Vikings, they are probably doomed without Kirk Cousins. Josh Dobbs is a quality replacement level QB, but I see him running this team the same way he ran the Cardinals. He has very little talent around him so he can prevent them from being an embarrassment, but he won’t actually win any games. Also it sounds like he won’t play until next week, so we probably have another week of Jaren Hall. Prediction: Falcons win 20-3 Cardinals at Browns: Jemp: Browns, Reeb: Browns, Pep: Browns, Screw: Browns So there is a chance this game is PJ Walker against Clayton Tune. But there is also a chance that this game is Kyler Murray vs. Deshaun Watson which would have been a hell of a matchup in 2020. Now Deshaun Watson sucks and Kyler is coming off a catastrophic injury to a terrible team. Granted, the offense has been pretty decent so if he’s back to 100% then the team could still be pretty fun. But probably not against this Browns defense which is the only unit in this game I trust, which is why I’m rolling with the Browns despite the murky quarterback situation. Prediction: Browns win 17-3 Rams at Packers: Jemp: Rams, Reeb: Rams, Pep: Rams, Screw: Rams This could be another gross game if Matthew Stafford doesn’t play. I love what Sean McVay has done this year, but I don’t think it would be as successful with Brett Rypien under center. Then again, it might not be any worse than having Jordan Love, which is what the Packers have had to endure all year. Initially we thought the Packers might be intriguing with so much young talent that could develop as the year goes on. Now I’m losing hope in any of their players. The Rams have had much more interesting players, and I think they have a chance in this game even without Stafford, so I’ll stick with them. Prediction: Rams win 24-21 Commanders at Patriots: Jemp: Patriots, Reeb: Patriots, Pep: Commanders, Screw: Patriots Bill Belichick has a reputation for confusing young quarterbacks, but he can’t stop the great Sam Howell. Expect another big day from Sam. Prediction: Commanders win 100-0 Bears at Saints: Jemp: Saints, Reeb: Saints, Pep: Saints, Screw: Saints Finally the Saints offense seemed to unlock something, and they did on the back of the big play from All-Joke team superstar Rashid Shaheed. Derek Carr seemed to remember that he is allowed to throw the ball downfield. And then they mixed in Alvin Kamara and Taysom Hill who had two touchdowns each. It was against a leaky Colts secondary, but the Bears defense isn’t any great shakes either, even with the addition of Montez Sweat. Another week of Tyson Bagent should make this easy for the Saints. Prediction: Saints win 30-10 Seahawks at Ravens: Jemp: Ravens, Reeb: Ravens, Pep: Ravens, Screw: Ravens Now this one should be fun. Although the last time the Ravens were paired against an NFC contender, they absolutely smoked them, which is probably why we all like the Ravens at home. However, don’t count out this Seahawks team. Pete Carroll is coaching up a deep defensive unit that just added Leonard Williams, and Geno just seems to make enough plays each week. He’s making some crucial mistakes as well right now, but they have the playmakers to be a great offense. JSN now has TDs in back to back weeks, and I think Lockett and Metcalf have looked great all year despite the lack of production. The production should be coming at some point, but it might be tough to find this week against a stingy Ravens defense. Prediction: Ravens win 23-20 Buccaneers at Texans: Jemp: Texans, Reeb: Texans, Pep: Texans, Screw: Texans I’ve made up a few games on people by fading the Texans, and I feel like this could be another spot to do the same. It feels like we were so enamored with CJ Stroud early that we now look at the Texans as a better team than they actually are. They just lost to the Panthers so it seems a bit odd that we’re clean sweeping them against the Bucs. This just feels like two evenly matched teams, but I’ll join the rest of the gang in thinking the Texans can bounce back at home. I don’t think we need to spend any additional time on this game. Prediction: Texans win 27-24 Colts at Panthers: Jemp: Panthers, Reeb: Colts, Pep: Colts, Screw: Colts I feel like Gardner Minshew is the new Ryan Fitzpatrick. He’s not as good as Fitz was in his later years, but he’s working his way up to that. He’s currently in the early Fitz years where he is a total roller coaster, but you know the offense will be fun. The Colts keep getting into shootouts helping out fantasy managers everywhere. Now if only they could get Jonathan Taylor a full workload. I know Moss has been good, but JT was absolutely dominating in the first quarter last week and I thought he was going to have 200 yards, but then they went away from him. On the Panthers end, they finally got a win, and earned a little breathing room in the Bryce Young vs. CJ Stroud debate. Now Frank Reich has a chance to beat his former team in a true revenge game. This is the team that fired you for Jeff Saturday, so go out and get a win Frank. I’m not picking you, but just use that as more motivation. Prediction: Colts win 27-24 Giants at Raiders: Jemp: Raiders, Reeb: Giants, Pep: Giants, Screw: Giants No one should have to subject themselves to watching this game. The Giants played in one of the most disgusting games I’ve ever seen last week, where they ended the day with -9 passing yards. And yet they still almost won. The Raiders were nearly as bad on Monday Night. Well, not really, but bad enough to get their coach fired and their quarterback benched. Now it’s Aidan O’Connell moving forward. The one thing I’ll say about these teams is that their defenses have played pretty well. Maxx Crosby and Dexter Lawrence might legitimately be DPOY candidates if their teams weren’t so awful. But it’s the Giants defense that has really impressed me the past few weeks, and the Giants get Daniel Jones back, so I guess I’ll take them. Prediction: Giants win 14-6 Cowboys at Eagles: Jemp: Eagles, Reeb: Eagles, Pep: Eagles, Screw: Eagles God I hate both of these teams so much. I know I typically leave my bias out of my picks, but I really don’t like when these two teams are good. But at least one of them has to lose this week. I know we don’t expect the Cowboys to show up for big games, but in this rivalry they typically put up a good fight. However, it feels like the Eagles offense is firing on all cylinders. If you try to stop their passing game, they can ride D’Andre Swift behind that great offensive line. If you load the box, AJ Brown will torch you over the top. I don’t think even this vaunted Cowboys defense can stop them. But I do expect a fun game. Prediction: Eagles win 34-31 Bills at Bengals: Jemp: Bengals, Reeb: Bills, Pep: Bengals, Screw: Bills Finally, a great primetime game. All of the concerns we had about the Bengals pretty much dissipated after they took care of the 49ers. Joe Burrow looked like his old self, which was essentially the only issue with the team. I think the concerns about the defense were overblown and were only due to the offense leaving them out there too much. As for the pass protection and the running game, those have always been issues for the Bengals, but they always overcome them. I still believe in the Bills as well, but I think the Bengals take care of business at home. Prediction: Bengals win 30-27 Chargers at Jets: Jemp: Chargers, Reeb: Chargers, Pep: Jets, Screw: Chargers If there was ever a game that both teams deserved to lose, it was the one played in MetLife last week. But somehow, the Jets made a miraculous comeback. But the offense once again looks inept, and despite the holes in the Chargers defense, I don’t think the Jets put up more than 20 points. The Chargers finally had a game where they cruised to a win against the Bears, and hopefully they can do the same here against the Jets. However, I will say that the Jets defense has completely balled out every time they’ve been in primetime this year, so maybe they’ll show out again. Prediction: Chargers win 20-17 Here are the standings:
Jemp: 65-41 Screw: 65-41 Pep: 63-43 Reeb: 63-43 Alx: 60-46 Not a great week for the pick’em. None of us went positive, but please still read the pick’em. Anyway, I’m coming off a week where Screw distracted me with his wedding so I didn’t catch all the action live and now I’m sick, so let’s just get through this quickly. Let’s pick some games. Buccaneers at Bills: Jemp: Bills, Reeb: Bills, Pep: Bills, Screw: Bills I guess not the worst Thursday Night game, although the Bucs have certainly come back down to earth after their hot start. Losing to the Falcons is probably a bad omen for this team, but it was the Bills who had the bigger let-down, falling to the Patriots. This Bills team seems to be the most erratic in the league. Each week they either look like a Super Bowl favorite or a team reminiscent of the 2022 Panthers. But ultimately I trust them at home on a short week looking to get some redemption. The Bills take care of business here. Prediction: Bills win 27-17 Rams at Cowboys: Jemp: Cowboys, Reeb: Cowboys, Pep: Cowboys, Screw: Cowboys I’m so tired of writing about the Cowboys and we aren’t even halfway through the season. I’d love to see the Rams blow through them with their elite group of pass-catchers. In a world where all these number 2 receivers are struggling to put up numbers the Rams haven’t had any problems with that. Devonta Smith, Jaylen Waddle, and Tee Higgins are disappointing fantasy managers, but I guess they don’t compare to the Rams #2 receiver, Cooper Kupp. Sure, he had one bad week but overall you can’t complain. But I’m not sure if the Rams can handle this Cowboys pass rush, so I’ll take the Cowboys at home. Prediction: Cowboys win 23-17 Vikings at Packers: Jemp: Vikings, Reeb: Vikings, Pep: Vikings, Screw: Vikings What a performance by Kirk Cousins. I’ve always said Kirk’s primetime struggles were overblown, but Monday Night was a sore spot for him. Though that curse goes back to many other Washington quarterbacks before him. But to elevate this Vikings team over the 49ers was a thing of beauty. If Kirk could lead this Vikings team to the playoffs then he could legitimately be an MVP candidate without many quarterbacks stepping up this year. Okay, he’s probably not winning MVP, but I think he wins this week, because my fascination with the Packers has completely ended. Jordan Love has went from inconsistent but interesting to total disaster, and the Packers are one of the most boring offenses to watch right now. Prediction: Vikings win 20-10 Falcons at Titans: Jemp: Falcons, Reeb: Falcons, Pep: Falcons, Screw: Falcons The Arthur Smith revenge game. I don’t know if I should get credit for picking the Falcons last week when I said it would be on the back of a blowup Bijan performance. Instead, he barely played because he had a headache? One of the strangest situations I’ve ever seen in football. But I guess there are a lot of strange decisions being made by the Falcons. However, the Titans might be the ones giving up on the season. They already traded away Kevin Byard, and now there is speculation that Derrick Henry could be on the block. However, this feels like a Mike Vrabel spot to come up with a win vs his former OC. Prediction: Titans win 20-17 Saints at Colts: Jemp: Colts, Reeb: Colts, Pep: Saints, Screw: Colts What the hell happened in the Colts game last week? Gardner Minshew had an ultra Jameis Winston game, scoring 4 total touchdowns while also committing 4 turnovers. He’s basically the polar opposite of Derek Carr who seems to be channeling his inner Sam Bradford right now. He must own Alvin Kamara in a PPR league that he is really invested in. Like maybe he has some crushing gambling debt that his $150M contract won’t cover. But then in the 4th quarter last week he remembered that he was actually allowed to throw the ball downfield. Maybe it took Chris Olave slowing down on that one pass (something he clearly vowed to never do again) to wake him up. I don’t know, I think the Saints are more talented if they just open up the offense a little, so I’ll take them. Prediction: Saints win 24-21 Patriots at Dolphins: Jemp: Dolphins, Reeb: Dolphins, Pep: Dolphins, Screw: Dolphins I have no idea how the Patriots won last week, nor how the Dolphins offense only put up 10 points. But that’s the NFL. Will either of those things happen again this week? Probably not. I could see the Patriots getting better because they have Bill Belichick and their offense had nowhere to go but up. But I don’t see them getting the level of the Dolphins, who still have one of if not the best offense in football. Prediction: Dolphins win 31-20 Jets at Giants: Jemp: Giants, Reeb: Jets, Pep: Jets, Screw: Jets Another sad iteration of the Snoopy Bowl. I guess at least these teams are both coming off of big wins, but this season has been a huge disappointment for both teams. At least the Jets can point to their quarterback getting hurt. The Giants are pointing to their quarterback getting hurt as the reason for their newfound success. Sure, Tyrod is leading the Giants to 11.5 points per game, but clearly he’s given their defense some inspiring pep talks. Unfortunately I think the Giants have the second best defense in this game and it could be a rough outing for Tyrod. Prediction: Jets win 17-10 Jaguars at Steelers: Jemp: Steelers, Reeb: Steelers, Pep: Jaguars, Screw: Jaguars I feel like the Jaguars aren’t getting enough credit right now. I felt they were overrated coming into the season, but I feel as if they’ve proven me wrong and now they are underrated. Their defense was a huge question mark coming into the year, but now they look like an above average unit. And their offense has been great. Travis Etienne looks like one of the best backs in football, and they have a great group of receivers, even if Calvin Ridley is disappointing some fantasy managers. The Steelers are a team that has disappointed from all the hype that surrounded them coming into the year, and yet they are 4-2. I expect some course correction this week and the better team to win on the road. Prediction: Jaguars win 24-17 Eagles at Commanders: Jemp: Eagles, Reeb: Eagles, Pep: Eagles, Screw: Eagles Easy win for the Commanders here. Prediction: Commanders win 100-0 Texans at Panthers: Jemp: Texans, Reeb: Texans, Pep: Texans, Screw: Texans The battle of the top two overall picks in the 2023 NFL draft. CJ Stroud has come out and made the Panthers look like chumps for picking Bryce Young over him. He’s been sensational for the Texans, performing as one of the most consistent quarterbacks in the league. Bryce Young has been consistently bad. The environment is a big part of that and he is certainly far from being labeled a bust, but everyone knows he’s been disappointing so far. But, this week he has a chance to put that to rest. If he can come out and beat CJ Stroud head to head, he can inspire some hope in this Panthers fanbase. I don’t see it happening though. Prediction: Texans win 27-17 Browns at Seahawks: Jemp: Browns, Reeb: Seahawks, Pep: Seahawks, Screw: Browns This is a really tough one to call. On one hand, I’m not sure how the Seahawks handle Myles Garrett and company. We could be in for a couple more Geno Smith “Oh my god” moments. However, the Browns situation at quarterback is perhaps even stranger than the Bijan Robinson drama last week. At least we know now that Deshaun Watson is not going to play, and I’m not sure if that’s even a bad thing for the Browns. Granted, it’s not like PJ Walker has been good for the Browns. Far from it. But neither has Watson, and the Browns keep performing with Walker. I kind of think the wheels are going to fall off at some point thought, and this could be the week. Prediction: Seahawks win 20-17 Chiefs at Broncos: Jemp: Chiefs, Reeb: Chiefs, Pep: Chiefs, Screw: Chiefs Why are we getting this matchup again? I guess we can get these games out of the way quickly. I guess the only question is will the Chiefs win by 3 or by 30? Both are very plausible, but it seemed like the Chiefs worked out a lot of their issues last week. I guess Mecole Hardman was the only missing piece. That and of course the fact that Taylor Swift showed up for that game. Prediction: Chiefs win 34-17 Ravens at Cardinals: Jemp: Ravens, Reeb: Ravens, Pep: Ravens, Screw: Ravens Is this the Ravens offense we can expect to see for the rest of the year? Maybe they just needed a little time to adjust to the Todd Monken offense, and now it will be smooth sailing. Lamar balled out against the Lions, and nearly all of his pass catchers came along for the ride. They should trounce this Cardinals team that is losing steam quickly. The only glimmer of hope for the Cardinals this year is the idea that Kyler might return, and might do so sooner than later. There is even a chance he plays in this one, though I doubt it. But even if he did and was 100% then this should still be an easy win for the Ravens. Prediction: Ravens win 27-16 Bengals at 49ers: Jemp: 49ers, Reeb: 49ers, Pep: 49ers, Screw: 49ers Everyone is taking Sam Darnold in this one. Granted it is hard to pick the niners to lose 3 in a row with how loaded they are on both sides of the ball. They got outplayed by the Vikings last week, but we all know they just underperformed. Despite the big fantasy day for McCaffrey, it still didn’t feel like he was 100%. However, we know this Bengals team can compete with anyone when their quarterback is right. Joe Burrow is coming off the bye right after his best two game stretch of the season. And I did say it would be Darnold, but that hasn’t yet been confirmed, we could still get Purdy in this one. This might be the game of the week. Prediction: 49ers win 27-24 Bears at Chargers: Jemp: Chargers, Reeb: Chargers, Pep: Chargers, Screw: Chargers I don’t understand how this is Sunday Night Football. In what universe was this ever going to be a good game? Of course that means the Chargers are somehow going to make this an exciting game. Hopefully they can at least pull out a win against Tyson Bagent though. Prediction: Chargers win 31-17 Raiders at Lions: Jemp: Lions, Reeb: Lions, Pep: Lions, Screw: Lions Tough loss for the Lions last week, but this is a perfect bounce back spot. Jared Goff can struggle on the road, but he’s back at home against a bad Raiders team. We don’t even know who is starting at QB for the Raiders, but unless it’s Patrick Mahomes, then I’m taking the Lions. Prediction: Lions win 35-10 Here are the standings:
Jemp: 60-33 Pep: 60-33 Screw: 60-33 Reeb: 57-36 Alx: 55-38 It’s getting tight up at the top of the standings. Pay no attention to the name on the bottom. This week Screw has scheduled his wedding in the middle of Sunday, so we’re going to struggle to watch all of the games on our phones during the ceremony. But whatever, congratulations I guess Screw. Now let's pick some games. Jaguars at Saints: Jemp: Jaguars, Reeb: Jaguars, Pep: Jaguars, Screw: Jaguars Alright, I can get on board with this one. I picked against the Jags last week despite talking about how they are hitting their stride. That was probably a mistake as they continued to roll against the Colts. Josh Allen also seems to have taken it personal when I said the Jaguars have no stars on defense. He already has 7 sacks this year, as many as he had all of 2022. He and this defense have stepped up, and if they pair a good defense with the talent they have on offense then this team can go places. The Saints are honestly in the same boat, but they can’t seem to put anything together on offense. They are just as talented as the Jags on offense, apart front the quarterback, but they are one of the worst offenses in football. Maybe watching this game in the Amazon prime vision view will give me a clue as to why, but I just don’t trust Derek Carr and this offense right now. This is also assuming Trevor Lawrence will play, but if not it could put a wrench in our picks here. Prediction: Jaguars win 24-20 Raiders at Bears: Jemp: Raiders, Reeb: Bears, Pep: Raiders, Screw: Raiders It’s usually hard to pick games when we aren’t sure if the starting quarterback for one team is going to play, let alone games where that is true for both teams. However, this is a situation where I really don’t care. These teams aren’t much different with their backups in. The Raiders are still going to force balls into Davante Adams and Jakobi Meyers and run Josh Jacobs into a herd of defenders, and the Bears offense might look a bit different with Bagent under center, but their results are the same. The Bears unsurprisingly could not keep up the offensive output they had against the Broncos and Commanders last week, and it didn’t matter if it was Fields or Bagent out there. I expect Maxx Crosby to have another field day (no pun intended) against the Bears this week. EDIT: Jimmy G is now officially out. Figured I’d update even though I don’t care. Prediction: Raiders win 20-9 Browns at Colts: Jemp: Browns, Reeb: Browns, Pep: Browns, Screw: Browns I may have overestimated the Gardner Minshew revenge factor last week. Minshew led to Colts to a huge deficit that he tried his best to throw his way out of, resulting in some pretty decent fantasy performances from his receivers. However, he fell well short of actually winning the game. Now he has to play against the best defense in football, as the Browns proved last week when they took down the previously unbeatable Brock Purdy. The Browns QB situation is still in flux, but whether it’s Walker or Watson or even DTR, the Browns defense can carry them to a win here. Okay, maybe not with DTR. Prediction: Browns win 17-10 Bills at Patriots: Jemp: Bills, Reeb: Bills, Pep: Bills, Screw: Bills Remember when the Patriots used to stomp the Bills twice a year? Back in the day they had this guy named Tom Brady and he was pretty good at football. Now they have Mac Jones, who could be benched at any moment for some other guy who will disappoint. Malik Cunningham was the active backup last week and I guess he can run at least? But the Bills have Josh Allen who can run and throw and actually win football games, so I’m taking them. Prediction: Bills win 34-10 Commanders at Giants: Jemp: Commanders, Reeb: Commanders, Pep: Commanders, Screw: Commanders What a tough schedule for the Giants. They have had to play the Bills, the Dolphins, the 49ers, the Cowboys, and now the best team in football. Poor guys. Prediction: Commanders win 100-0 Falcons at Buccaneers: Jemp: Falcons, Reeb: Bucs, Pep: Bucs, Screw: Bucs I’m still not quite sure what to make of the Bucs. It’s clear they can’t compete with the top of the NFC as evidenced by their games against the Lions and Eagles, but this Falcons team is nowhere close to that level. I had thought the clear identity of this Falcons team was their running game, but they have moved away from that. The problem is that they don’t have the quarterback to be a passing attack. I hate to keep bashing on Desmond Ridder every week, but I just don’t understand what makes Arthur Smith so loyal to this third round pick? Maybe Arthur Smith and Desmond Ridder are having a secret affair. And hey, I hope the best for those two, but not at the cost of watchable football. But I do feel like we’re due for a Bijan eruption game, so I’m taking the Falcons here. Prediction: Falcons win 24-20 Lions at Ravens: Jemp: Lions, Reeb: Lions, Pep: Lions, Screw: Lions Now here is a fun game. The Lions continue to prove that they are one of the best teams in the NFL. Aidan Hutchinson and that defense are for real, and the offense produces no matter who is out there. Jameson Williams is back and had a nice long touchdown grab. Amon Ra continues to burn through defenses in his Egyptian God Phoenix mode, and they make the most of their backfield thanks to their offensive line. But this is another test, as the Ravens are no easy out. They’ve had the lead in the fourth quarter of all of their games, but I still don’t know if we’ve seen the best of the Ravens. Granted, a lot of that is due to injuries, but I think there is room for this team to grow. However, right now, the Lions are the far better team, so I’m taking them on the road. Prediction: Lions win 30-21 Steelers at Rams: Jemp: Rams, Reeb: Rams, Pep: Rams, Screw: Rams You know it’s tough for the team when no one is picking you against the Rams. Of course, the Rams are much better than we thought coming into the year. We love their receivers, Matthew Stafford is playing well, and Kyren Williams has been a gem as well. Even with Williams out this week, I trust McVay to get the run game going with my guy Zach Evans. Steelers fans must be so envious that the Rams have an offensive coach that inspires that sort of confidence. Instead they have to settle for some Mike Tomlin witchcraft that will force them to the nine ugliest wins you’ll ever see. I wouldn’t be surprised if this is one of them, but I’ll still stick with the Rams. Prediction: Rams win 23-17 Cardinals at Seahawks: Jemp: Seahawks, Reeb: Seahawks, Pep: Cardinals, Screw: Seahawks Will Geno ever get this passing game going? This would be the week to do it, as while the Cardinals have been feisty this year, they have also been the cure to ailing offenses. The Seahawk receivers against the Cardinals corners should be the biggest mismatch of this game, I just hope the Seahawks offense takes full advantage. JSN at least had a game where he averaged more than 2 yards per target last week, so things could be looking up for him. Lockett and Metcalf still look great, and Geno hasn’t even played poorly, it just hasn’t all been clicking for some reason. But I think they remedy that this week, I’m taking the Seahawks. Prediction: Seahawks win 34-20 Packers at Broncos: Jemp: Packers, Reeb: Packers, Pep: Packers, Screw: Packers The Jordan Love experiment has gone south in a hurry after a decent start. Love easily had his worst two games right before the bye, but maybe Matt Lafleur was able to correct some things with the break. And if he can’t fix Love, then this Broncos defense might. Granted, they didn’t fall apart against the Chiefs, so maybe they are working their issues out too. Unfortunately, their offense took the opportunity to regress to the days of the Hackett Broncos. Russ was as bad as ever, and I don’t trust this Broncos team on either side of the ball, so I’ve got to pick the Packers, who might have some faint hope of saving their season. Prediction: Packers win 17-13 Chargers at Chiefs: Jemp: Chiefs, Reeb: Chiefs, Pep: Chiefs, Screw: Chiefs I don’t think I have anything new to say about this matchup. We get it twice every year, can the Chargers beat the Chiefs? And they do their best. They put up a fight. But in the end the Chiefs have Patrick Mahomes and the Chargers are the Chargers. I know the Chiefs have issues. But we all know how this ends. Mecole Hardman probably ends up scoring three touchdowns and then does nothing for the rest of the year. But Chargers, please feel free to prove me wrong. Prediction: Chiefs win 27-24 Dolphins at Eagles: Jemp: Dolphins, Reeb: Eagles, Pep: Dolphins, Screw: Eagles How about this for a Sunday Night Football game. The defending NFC champs vs. the best offense in the league? This one should be fun. The Eagles took a tough loss last week, where Jalen Hurts and the offense struggled. I don’t come away from the game feeling too worried about the Eagles, but I’ve said all season that they aren’t the same team from last year. They are still very good, but last year’s team was special and we need to recalibrate our expectations. The Eagles defense has been average at best this year, and their offense is good, but not explosive. The Dolphins have a below average defense, but their offense is absolutely electric, and I don’t think the Eagles defense will be able to do anything about it. Unless Jalen Hurts can keep up in a shootout, then I like the Dolphins here. Prediction: Dolphins win 35-27 49ers at Vikings: Jemp: 49ers, Reeb: 49ers, Pep: 49ers, Screw: 49ers Well that Vikings game last week went pretty much exactly as I expected. The offense was dreadful without Justin Jefferson even though Kirk was pretty good. Fortunately, the Bears offense was worse, something I don’t expect from the niners this week. However, the niners offense struggled more than I thought possible last week. Purdy took his first regular-season L in a poor performance without some of his key players. CMC, Deebo, and Trent Williams all left with injuries, and are questionable for this one. However, while the Vikings defense isn’t the trainwreck from last year, it is nowhere near the Browns. I expect the 49ers could win this one without any of those guys suiting up. But there is nothing I would enjoy more than a hero performance from Kirk in primetime to lead the Vikings to a win. I very much doubt it will happen though. Prediction: 49ers win 27-10 Here are the standings:
Jemp: 50-28 Pep: 49-29 Reeb: 47-31 Screw: 47-31 Alx: 46-32 Great week of football where I actually did pretty well despite the fact that I’m still at the bottom. But I gained some ground on everyone except Pep, so I’m just trying to keep it rolling. Let’s pick some games. Broncos at Chiefs: Jemp: Chiefs, Reeb: Chiefs, Pep: Chiefs, Screw: Chiefs Ugh, talk about a TNF stinker. I guess the best we can hope for is that the Broncos defense is so bad that we get a vintage Patrick Mahomes game where he throws 5+ touchdowns. But I don’t even know if we can get that with the receivers the Chiefs are running out there. All of them have drop issues and it’s the strangest rotation I’ve ever seen at receiver. MVS leads the wide receivers in snaps, Rashee Rice leads them in targets, and Justin Watson leads them in yards. And even Travis Kelce hasn’t been his usual dominant self. But the Chiefs probably will just figure it out eventually and in the meantime they will feast on bad teams like the Broncos. Prediction: Chiefs win 31-17 Ravens at Titans: Jemp: Ravens, Reeb: Ravens, Pep: Ravens, Screw: Ravens I’m a little surprised we are all taking the Ravens here after the debacle in Pittsburgh last week. The Ravens had 273 opportunities to put away the Steelers and blew each and every one of them. Basically all of their receivers had key drops and Lamar had a brutal endzone interception on possibly the worst fade balls I’ve ever seen. The Titans tend to not lose ball games that way, but I’m with the rest of the staff here because the Ravens are just the better team. While Mike Vrabel always puts his team in the best spot possible, John Harbaugh is too good of a coach to let his team blow back-to-back games against inferior teams. Lamar and the passing game have to step up in this matchup though. Prediction: Ravens win 24-21 Commanders at Falcons: Jemp: Falcons, Reeb: Commanders, Pep: Falcons, Screw: Commanders I don’t want to talk about the Commanders right now so let’s just get to the score. Prediction: Commanders win 100-0 Vikings at Bears: Jemp: Vikings, Reeb: Bears, Pep: Vikings, Screw: Vikings Has Justin Fields arrived? Eight touchdown passes in two weeks would indicate yes, unless you actually watched the games. I think Washington had a gameplan of just letting receivers get wide open downfield and hoping Justin Fields would miss them. And he actually wasn’t even that accurate because he was missing wide open receivers at his normal rate, he just had them on nearly every play of that first half. Not to say he didn’t make some good throws, because he dropped a few dimes that still show he has some promise, but the mistakes haven’t gone away and the defense is still atrocious, so the Bears still have plenty of concerns. That being said, the Vikings have the biggest concern in this game, which is that they are without the best receiver on planet Earth who is the object which their offense orbits around. Their passing game was the strength of their team and now they will be extremely lucky to be an average passing attack. Things are looking bad for the Vikes, but I’m trusting my guy Kirk to at least come through against this Bears defense. Prediction: Vikings win 20-17 Seahawks at Bengals: Jemp: Seahawks, Reeb: Seahawks, Pep: Seahawks, Screw: Bengals This was maybe the toughest game for me to pick. The Seahawks are coming off of their bye week after their defense had a field day against Daniel Jones and that putrid Giants offensive line. My biggest question about the Seahawk is if they can get the passing game going. They might get their left tackle Charles Cross back for this one which would be huge. While the defense has been solid so far, the Seahawks need to be a great offense to make some real noise this year. And of course the Bengals do too, and they finally looked like they had a good quarterback last week. Joe Burrow may not have been 100%, but he looked way more like the guy we’ve seen the past 2 years. Ja’Marr Chase wasn’t worried about the loss of Tee Higgins and absolutely torched an overwhelmed Cardinals secondary. The Seahawks won’t make it quite as easy on him, but I can’t help think that the Bengals are starting to round into form. Prediction: Bengals win 27-24 49ers at Browns: Jemp: Browns, Reeb: 49ers, Pep: 49ers, Screw: 49ers I’m pretty surprised Jack is taking the Browns here but I won’t complain since he’s on top of the standings. I’m at the point where I’m taking the niners every week until I see some reason to doubt them, and they certainly didn’t give any last week. They dominated the Cowboys from start to finish and I don’t see any reason they can’t do the same to the Browns. I know I said the Browns defense was the best in football not too long ago, but the scheming of Shanahan combined with the talent on this offense just makes me think no defense can have all the answers for them. Prediction: 49ers win 27-10 Panthers at Dolphins: Jemp: Dolphins, Reeb: Dolphins, Pep: Dolphins, Screw: Dolphins There are quite a few lopsided matchups this week, and none more so than this one. The only people who can enjoy watching the Panthers offense are Adam Thielen fantasy managers. But at least you can watch the Dolphins offense which is fun each week. They lost Devon Achane, but there are still plenty of playmakers here and maybe someone new will pop up. It is the Robbie Chosen revenge game, so watch out. Prediction: Dolphins win 37-20 Colts at Jaguars: Jemp: Jaguars, Reeb: Jaguars, Pep: Jaguars, Screw: Jaguars Speaking of revenge games, sign me up for Gardner Minshew going back to Jacksonville. It feels like just yesterday that we were enjoying Minshew Mania in a classic Jags Titans TNF matchup. Now the Jags have moved on, but Minshew wants to prove they made a mistake in drafting a generational QB prospect. And even though the Jags dominated this matchup in week 1, I think these are two pretty even teams. Shane Steichen has something going with this Colts offense, and I’m interested to see if they get Jonathan Taylor more involved this week. The main question I have is if the Colts can contain Calvin Ridley, who torched their secondary last time around, and he hasn’t been the only one. They made DeAndre Hopkins look like he turned back the clock last week, but I somehow just trust this Colts team more than in years past. I think the Jags will be fine and will ultimately win this division, but I have a feeling about the Colts this week. Prediction: Colts win 27-24 Saints at Texans: Jemp: Texans, Reeb: Texans, Pep: Texans, Screw: Texans This one I’m very surprised about. I don’t think this is a lopsided matchup by any means, as the Texans have proven they are no pushovers, but the Saints finally put together a complete performance last week. Maybe, “complete” is strong as the offense benefited from the Patriots ineptitude, but they moved the ball pretty well and I don’t think Derek Carr is elevating the offense much past that version anytime soon. But, their defense has been great all season and they have plenty of talent on offense. I agree that CJ Stroud is the best quarterback in this game by far, but I still think the Saints are the better overall team and get the win on the road. Prediction: Saints win 23-16 Patriots at Raiders: Jemp: Patriots, Reeb: Raiders, Pep: Raiders, Screw: Raiders This one I had some trouble with because this is not the same Patriots team we have grown accustomed to. Even last year with all the offensive turmoil, they were never this bad. They have totally collapsed on offense two weeks in a row, scoring a combined 3 points and giving up 3 defensive touchdowns. The other team’s offense didn’t need to score a point in order for them to win. It has been terrible. But somehow, I feel like Bill Belichick is going to somewhat rebound this week, and have something cooking against Josh McDaniels. Maybe this is giving too much credit to Bill, who certainly hasn’t seemed the same in any way this year. I don’t expect him to turn the season around, just take out his frustrations on his former assistant. Prediction: Patriots win 17-14 Cardinals at Rams: Jemp: Rams, Reeb: Rams, Pep: Rams, Screw: Rams An odd matchup of two teams that have totally confounded our expectations for them this year, and yet are a combined 3-7. But these teams must be tired of being the plucky underdogs who play hard. But we all think it’s another week of that for the Cardinals, because the Rams just got Cooper Kupp back and now they might have the best receiving corps in the league. I know that might sound ridiculous, but Kupp is as good as anyone, and Puka Nacua is a sensation that has had the best start to a career that a receiver can have. Add Tutu Atwell to the mix and this Rams team could be hard to stop. They couldn’t get past the Eagles last week, but they should be fine against the Cardinals. Prediction: Rams win 27-21 Eagles at Jets: Jemp: Eagles, Reeb: Eagles, Pep: Eagles, Screw: Eagles So the Jets won, but Zach Wilson predictably didn’t build on his performance from last week. It wasn’t a totally dreadful Wilson game, but considering the lulls they had on offense against one of the worst defenses ever, no one thinks it was promising for him. However, it was promising for Breece Hall, who went off his pitch count and immediately went off. Again, we should keep in mind that everyone is doing this to the Broncos, but even so, it is encouraging. They should enjoy it now, because they probably won’t have anything to celebrate in this one. Prediction: Eagles win 24-3 Lions at Buccaneers: Jemp: Lions, Reeb: Lions, Pep: Lions, Screw: Lions How about these Lions? I said how good this team looked coming into this year, but they have even exceeded my expectations so far. The minor offensive struggles they had in Week 1 have dissipated quickly, and their defense has gone from atrocious to pretty good in just a calendar year. They have young stars emerging everywhere, and Jared Goff continues to play really well. Let’s not forget that he has taken a team to a Super Bowl before, and he’s only gotten better since then. I’m still a bit skeptical about the Bucs, but anyone could lose to this Lions team right now. Prediction: Lions win 34-20 Giants at Bills: Jemp: Bills, Reeb: Bills, Pep: Bills, Screw: Bills How is this on Sunday Night Football? The Giants might be the worst team in football right now, and would certainly own that title if not for the second half against the Cardinals. Daniel Jones is getting beat up behind this offensive line, and Saquon might just want to stay on the sidelines. It’s just a waste of his time and ability to try to get back on the field. The Bills stumbled a bit in London, but we all know they are still one of the best teams in the NFL, and I expect them to rout the Giants who may just want to stay out of primetime going forward. Prediction: Bills win 42-7 Cowboys at Chargers: Jemp: Chargers, Reeb: Chargers, Pep: Cowboys, Screw: Cowboys At least we get a fun Monday Night matchup, as these are two teams that are very similar to me. Both are hyped up every year, but end up disappointing, but they do it in very different ways. The Chargers keep every game down to the wire and often find a way to lose those close games. The Cowboys drop bombs on bad teams and look like a juggernaut, then lay an egg in big spots. I don’t know what to make of this one, but when in doubt, I pick against the Cowboys, so give me the Chargers at home. Prediction: Chargers win 28-27 Here are the standings:
Jemp: 43-21 Reeb: 41-23 Screw: 40-24 Pep: 39-25 Alx: 37-27 Another week in books, and I’ve fallen to the bottom of the standings. However, I did go 8-0 in fantasy this week so it wasn’t all bad for me. But I’m looking to catch up in the pick’em standings, so let’s pick some games. Bears at Commanders: Jemp: Commanders, Reeb: Commanders, Pep: Commanders, Screw: Commanders Well the Bears lost the battle of the trainwrecks, but at least Justin Fields had a fantastic first half. Sure, it was against a defense that just gave up 70 points, but you’ve got to look for some silver lining if you’re a Bears fan. Fortunately, I’m not, so I can just enjoy the Commanders’ dominance here. Prediction: Commanders win 999-0 Jaguars at Bills: Jemp: Bills, Reeb: Bills, Pep: Jaguars, Screw: Bills Apparently the Bills are in fact pretty good at football. They poured some cold water on the Dolphins last week, holding them to 50 points less than they scored the week before. The Bills defense has proven to be one of the best in the league, but they did lose Tre’davious White for the year. The good news is that they could be getting back Von Miller soon, as he’s eligible to come off the PUP. I doubt it will be this week, but I don’t think they need him against the Jags. Trevor Lawrence has been solid, but they are so average across most of the roster. The Jags will need some severe jet-lag to kick in on the Bills to have a chance in this one. But at least London might get to experience a Josh Allen on Josh Allen sack. Prediction: Bills win 31-21 Texans at Falcons: Jemp: Texans, Reeb: Texans, Pep: Falcons, Screw: Texans The commitment to Desmond Ridder is getting ridiculous now. At least before you could make the claim that he wasn’t helping, but at least he wasn’t killing them with turnovers. Now, not so much. If Arthur Smith doesn’t make a change soon, then Mack Hollins might take matters into his own hands. Especially when he’s playing against a team that has found their solution at quarterback. CJ Stroud is starting to run away with OROY. He picked apart the Steelers defense last week with the help of my guy Nico Collins. While the Falcons defense has been much improved this year, I think Stroud can do the same to them. But Pep and I are thinking along the same lines, that Arthur Smith’s hand will be forced and he’ll have to turn the reins over to Heinicke in this one if the offense continues to struggle. Then a little Heinick revenge game will allow the Falcons to pull it out. Prediction: Falcons win 24-23 Panthers at Lions: Jemp: Lions, Reeb: Lions, Pep: Lions, Screw: Lions Right after talking about how good CJ Stroud has looked, we transition into the first overall pick in the 2023 draft. I’m certainly not ready to call Bryce Young a bust, but it is discouraging that the most exciting this offense has looked was when Andy Dalton was under center. Now they have to travel to Detroit to face a red-hot Lions team. The Lions just dismantled the Packers and I don’t expect this week to be any different. Until we see something more from the Panthers offense, I can’t call them a real challenge to most NFL teams. Prediction: Lions win 27-0 Titans at Colts: Jemp: Titans, Reeb: Colts, Pep: Colts, Screw: Titans The Titans are a tough team to figure out. They have so little going for them, yet they somehow produce better results than you’d expect. But the Colts have actually been fun. Anthony Richardson is far from perfect, but he’s been dynamic as a runner, and despite a very modest passing performance last week, he’s still made some plays through the air. And this week it appears that they could have Jonathan Taylor back. Reports have been that he’s healthy and wants to play, and it’s a nice situation for him now in Indy. Except for the fact that the one strength of the Titans has been their run defense, and the fact that they have won 5 straight against the Colts. But that streak’s gotta break eventually and I like the Colts at home. Prediction: Colts win 20-17 Giants at Dolphins: Jemp: Dolphins, Reeb: Dolphins, Pep: Dolphins, Screw: Dolphins It’s hard to imagine a much rougher start to the season for the Giants. I’m not the biggest fan of Daniel Jones, but even I felt bad for him on Monday Night. Usually I feel he brings a lot of sacks on himself, but the immediate pressure the Seahawks were getting on every play was astounding. They desperately need Andrew Thomas back, but it appears he’s going to miss at least another week. Not that it really matters for the result, because I don’t think the Giants could keep up with the Dolphins offense anyway, but at least Daniel Jones wouldn’t have to endure a myriad of hits. Prediction: Dolphins win 34-16 Saints at Patriots: Jemp: Patriots, Reeb: Patriots, Pep: Patriots, Screw: Saints What a disastrous week for both of these teams. I had been critical of Derek Carr’s play this season, but last week was still clearly due to his injury. I’m not sure why they felt the need to run out a hobbled Derek Carr when even the healthy version of him hasn’t been great. As a PPR owner of Alvin Kamara, I appreciated the thirteen catches, but when his yards per catch is significantly less than his yards per carry, something is wrong with the offensive design. Even Kamara was quick to criticize the offense after that performance. But while the Saints loss was bad, it was Bill Belichick who sustained his worst defeat ever as a head coach. Mac Jones completely imploded against the Dallas defense, and they keep sustaining injuries to a defense that looked like it was going to be great. Matthew Judon and Christian Gonzalez went down, who might have been their two best players. But they did trade for JC Jackson which I called as soon as he was a healthy scratch for the Chargers, and I’m guessing he’ll go back to being good now that he’s back with the Pats. Bill Belichick has always rebounded from nasty defeats with emphatic victories, but that was with Tom Brady. I don’t think he does that here with Mac Jones. Prediction: Saints win 13-9 Ravens at Steelers: Jemp: Steelers, Reeb: Ravens, Pep: Ravens, Screw: Ravens Has any team been as disappointing as the Steelers? And yet they are 2-2 which is the Mike Tomlin experience. And 15.5 points per game is the Matt Canada experience, who Steelers fans are desperately trying to run out of town. Really I’ve never seen all NFL fans in such lockstep about firing a coordinator, but that’s where we are with Matt Canada. The problem is firing Canada midseason isn’t going to magically fix their offensive woes. No one can install a radically different offense midseason, and their personnel was certainly overrated going into the year, and it’s even worse now with Diontae Johnson out. I don’t see this team beating a Ravens team that hasn’t been all that exciting, but they quieted most of my concerns last week. The high-flying passing attack we were promised may have been a fantasy, but this is still a good team who got back to what they do best. Lamar ran in two touchdowns and threw two more to Mark Andrews against one of the best defenses in football, so they’re doing just fine. Prediction: Ravens win 23-10 Eagles at Rams: Jemp: Eagles, Reeb: Eagles, Pep: Eagles, Screw: Eagles I am very tempted to take the Rams here, but I know it’s a mistake. Let’s see if I can talk myself into it. The Eagles have been an exceptional running team this year, and finally got their passing game going last week as AJ Brown went off. However, despite the excellent play from Jalen Carter, their defense has been leaky to say the least. Mac Jones, Kirk Cousins, and Sam Howell all had their best games of the season against this defense, and I think that is something Sean McVay can exploit. The Rams could also get Cooper Kupp back for this game, who could make for a great number two receiver behind budding superstar Puka Nacua. However, I worry about them blocking that Eagles pass rush and I’m not sure how their defense stops the Eagles unless Aaron Donald absolutely takes over, which I admit is possible. But I couldn’t quite talk myself into it, so I’m going Eagles. Prediction: Eagles win 23-16 Bengals at Cardinals: Jemp: Cardinals, Reeb: Cardinals, Pep: Bengals, Screw: Cardinals We’ve really reached the point with the Bengals where most of us are taking the Cardinals to beat them. And it’s only week 5. This is a team that reached the Super Bowl and then the AFC Championship in the past 2 seasons. Who would have thought one calf would be so important? Joe Burrow did say this week that this is the best he’s felt since the calf injury. I’m not sure how much to take away from that since it would be concerning if it felt worse now than before. That would pretty much confirm that the Bengals made a horrendous decision playing Burrow in these first few weeks. But I think Burrow will improve enough to get this win despite the good football that the Cardinals are playing. Prediction: Bengals win 23-20 Jets at Broncos: Jemp: Jets, Reeb: Broncos, Pep: Jets, Screw: Jets Alright, there is a glimmer of hope for the Zach Wilson truthers. The bar was set so low for Zach Wilson that anything other than a complete disaster on Sunday Night would have been promising, but he actually showed some real promise. He wasn’t skittish in the pocket and he threw some real dimes. But he has to build on that performance, and there is no better defense to do it against than this Broncos unit. After giving up 70 points to the Dolphins, they found an even new low when they allowed Justin Fields to throw four touchdown passes against them. The stage is primed for you to take advantage of this Zach, try not to let me down. Prediction: Jets win 30-17 Chiefs at Vikings: Jemp: Chiefs, Reeb: Chiefs, Pep: Chiefs, Screw: Chiefs Okay, definitely not Kirk’s best performance last week, but glad to get that out of the way against the Panthers. Now he’s got to bring his A game against the Chiefs. There are still a few chinks in the armor of this Chiefs team. They allowed Zach Wilson to look functional, and Mahomes definitely isn’t fully in MVP form. And of course there is still the issue of who he has to throw to. While his receivers haven’t repeated the disastrous performance of week 1, no one has stepped up and even Travis Kelce hasn’t been nearly as dominant as last year. If this Vikings team can shake its turnover problem, they have a great shot against the Chiefs at home. I’m lone-wolfing Kirk in a big spot. Prediction: Vikings win 34-31 Cowboys at 49ers: Jemp: 49ers, Reeb: 49ers, Pep: 49ers, Screw: 49ers While people are talking about this as a potential game of the year, we are all in agreement on the result. Obviously I was never going to lone-wolf the Cowboys, but the 49ers have been as complete a team as I’ve seen in recent memory. They have a top-5 defense and their offense is so versatile with all of its weapons. If Deebo is quiet then Aiyuk goes off and vice versa, while Christian McCaffrey just goes off each and every week. But to be fair to the Cowboys, they have achieved utter domination in 3 out of 4 weeks. However, most of it has been from their defense, finding ways to score and just take over games against struggling offenses. The Cowboys offense has certainly been good, but it hasn’t been explosive and it hasn’t faced a real test. I don’t think Kyle Shanahan’s offense will make the mistakes that the Giants, Jets, and Patriots made, and I think the niners take down the Cowboys once again. Prediction: 49ers win 27-20 Packers at Raiders: Jemp: Packers, Reeb: Packers, Pep: Packers, Screw: Packers So I guess we’re just hyping up the Davante Adams revenge game aspect here? I feel like he doesn’t harbor much ill-will towards the Packers and would love to go back there given the chance right now. I feel like the Josh McDaniels experience is wrapping up here and soon he’ll be back on the Patriots staff. While the Packers disappointed last week, I trust Matt Lafleur much more than McDaniels to rally the troops. Also, I expect Aaron Jones and Christian Watson to not be nearly as limited as they were last week, so I’ll take the Packers. Prediction: Packers win 30-17 |
RSS Feed