by Everlong » Sep 18, '18, 10:21 am
Week three. Make or break time for those 0-2 teams!
GAME OF THE WEEK – Denver Broncos (2-0) at Baltimore Ravens (1-1), BAL by 5 – Not a whole lot of must-see football this weekend, but this one could be a really tight game that ends up meaning a lot to the playoff race in the AFC. The Broncos managed a dramatic comeback in week two to keep themselves perfect after two weeks. The Ravens had the misfortune of having the first short week of the season, so I’m not going to crush them too hard for the way they lost to Cincinnati. The big question is whether the Broncos are capable of going into Baltimore and coming away with a win against a team that’s capable of playing well on both sides of the ball. I’m taking the home team. Ravens 23, Broncos 17
THURSDAY NIGHT – New York Jets (1-1) at Cleveland Browns (0-1-1), CLE by 3 – Boy, I’ll tell you what, my rule is to always take the home team in Thursday night games when it seems to be a close-ish contest… but with the Browns… it’s tough. I’ll still take them, but this might be the only game this season in which I pick them. Probably a stupid idea. Browns 20, Jets 14
Indianapolis Colts (1-1) at Philadelphia Eagles (1-1), PHI by 6.5 – It’s finally the first game back for Carson Wentz. Who knows exactly what to expect… there’s definitely going to be some rust for him to shake off, so I don’t expect a barn burner here. Still, the Eagles need a win to shake off the stink of the upset loss in Tampa, and the Colts haven’t played particularly inspiring football in the first two weeks. Give me the champs. Eagles 27, Colts 17
Cincinnati Bengals (2-0) at Carolina Panthers (1-1) CAR by 3 – It’s a cat team showdown in Carolina. The Bengals have gotten off to a surprisingly hot start, and are well rested with a mini-bye coming into this one after their Thursday night game. The Panthers seem to be a little offensively challenged, which makes me think Cincinnati is capable of coming into this one and notching an upset victory. UPSET! – Bengals 26, Panthers 17
Tennessee Titans (1-1) at Jacksonville Jaguars (2-0), JAX by 7 – What the Titans did against the Texans was impressive, considering the pieces they were missing. But the Jaguars and the Chiefs are the class of the AFC at the moment. I don’t see the Jags having much trouble here. Jaguars 24, Titans 13
New Orleans Saints (1-1) at Atlanta Falcons (1-1), ATL by 3 – The NFC South is shaping up to be a hotly competitive division this year, which means every single divisional game is going to be crucial. The Saints simply cannot afford to start off by going 0-2 in the division. Still, it’s tough for me to pick against the home team in this series, so I’m going Atlanta. Falcons 30, Saints 23
New York Giants (0-2) at Houston Texans (0-2), HOU by 6 – Both of these teams have been both bad and boring, but the Texans are just slightly less of each. Texans 20, Giants 13
Oakland Raiders (0-2) at Miami Dolphins (1-1), MIA by 3 – The Raiders had it in the bag against Denver but couldn’t seal the deal. Going cross country in an early game in a time zone three hours ahead of what they’re used to is going to be a tough task. Dolphins 23, Raiders 16
Green Bay Packers (1-0-1) at Washington (1-1), GB by 3 – The Packers are entering the softest part of their schedule, and every game here is going to be crucial, because things get really tough in the second half of their season. They should dispatch of Washington without too much difficulty. Packers 30, Washington 17
Buffalo Bills (0-2) at Minnesota Vikings (1-0-1), MIN by 16.5 – A dude retired at halftime rather than play another snap for the Bills. That’s how bad this team is. Vikings 37, Bills 6
San Francisco 49ers (1-1) at Kansas City Chiefs (2-0), KC by 6 – The 49ers have had a rough schedule handed to them to start their season. I think they can make this one competitive, but with the way Patrick Mahomes is playing, these Chiefs are going to be really hard to beat. Chiefs 30, 49ers 20
Los Angeles Chargers (1-1) at Los Angeles Rams (2-0), LAR by 7 – The prodigal son vs. the team nobody wanted. One team is the class of its conference, the other can’t even come close to selling out a 27k seat stadium. Rams 34, Chargers 13
Chicago Bears (1-1) at Arizona Cardinals (0-2), CHI by 6 – The Cardinals might be the second worst team in the league right now. They’re baaaaad. But the Bears have really improved over last year, and might be a challenger for a wild card in a stacked NFC. Bears 23, Cardinals 9
Dallas Cowboys (1-1) at Seattle Seahawks (0-2), SEA by 1 – Fuck both of these teams. UPSET! – Cowboys 20, Seahawks 17
New England Patriots (1-1) at Detroit Lions (0-2), NE by 6.5 – Lol, this game got Sunday Night billing? All the better for the Lions to be nationally embarrassed, I guess. Patriots 42, Lions 17
Pittsburgh Steelers (0-2) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-0), PIT by 1.5 – Pittsburgh has shown me nothing to make me think they’re capable of going on the road in prime time to take down the hottest offense in the league. UPSET! – Bucs 31, Steelers 24
YOU HEARD IT FROM TAJ FIRST FOLKS