LAST WEEK’S RECORD (9-7)

We rebounded last week to at least a winning record from stinking up the joint in week three.

SEASON RECORD: (33-31)

NFL WEEK 5 STRAIGHT PIC-EM

THE THURSDAY NIGHT GAME

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (0-4) AT DALLAS COWBOYS (2-2)

The Thursday night game is a no-brainer. The Cowboys are at home. Baker Mayfield is out. The Buccaneers have to rely on an undrafted rookie from Kansas University, Jalon Daniels, making his second career start in the NFL. Last time I checked, Kansas University is a basketball school. The Cowboys offense should be able to run up the score as the Buccaneers have no answer to match Dak Prescott and company.

OUR PICK: COWBOYS

THE SUNDAY MORNING GAME

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (2-2) AT JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS(3-1) IN LONDON

London England is the Jacksonville Jaguars second home. The Eagles are not soaring high in the skies this year. The two victories the Eagles have are against bottom feeders in the league. One of their offensive linemen retired this week. The Eagles have multiple injuries on their playmakers list. They blew a late 4th quarter lead versus the Rams last Sunday. Their offense is not in sync. The Jags offense is playing well. More important is that the Jaguars defense is scary right now. The Eagles will not have a welcome to Hotel London this weekend.

OUR PICK: JAGUARS

THE SUNDAY SLATE

CHICAGO BEARS (3-1) AT GREEN BAY PACKERS (2-2)

The passing of Bears legendary Hall of Fame tight end and head coach will haunt the Packers this weekend. The spirit of Mike Ditka will be with the Bears this Sunday as he passed away at the age of 86. The Bears really don’t need outside help as this team has been winning without their star quarterback, Caleb Williams. The Bears are 2-0 without the Iceman. The Packers just barely got by the Buccaneers last Sunday facing an undrafted quarterback making his first start of his career. Despite winning two games, the Packers really have not played well this season. Ben Johnson has the Bears playing well right now and in his grand scheme of things, I don’t see the Packers being a problem. They will be left as road kill when the Bears go in and out of Wisconsin cutting the cheese. Da Coach will be proud looking down from the heavens.

OUR PICK: DA BEARS

HOUSTON TEXANS (0-4) AT TENNESSEE TITANS (0-4)

I’m not sure how the Texans are 0-4 for the season. Nothing like a bad Titans team to get things straightened out. Watch the Texans defense make a statement here with head coach DeMeco Ryans who now will be calling the plays. The new management for the Titans have their young quarterback Cam Ward regressing in his second season instead of taking positive steps forward. CJ Stroud has not turned over the football the last few weeks which make this one a easy pick.

OUR PICK: TEXANS

CINCINNATI BENGALS (0-2) AT MIAMI DOLPHINS (0-4)

Do the Dolphins crack the win column this week due to some Bengals injuries at the wide receiver position? Last week versus the Jaguars, Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase suffered injuries. The Dolphins despite being 0-4 have have played a few teams tough. The fins only allowed 15 points versus the Vikings last week. The Bengals have lost two straight games after starting the season off 2-0. I just don’t see Joe Burrow losing to the Dolphins. The Bengals may get both their playmakers back or even if it’s one of them, it should be enough to get back in the win column. The Dolphins roster right now is very young and unproven. A solid running game the Bengals have with Joe Cool should allow the Bengals to get the job done.

OUR PICK: BENGALS

LAS VEGAS RAIDERS (3-1) AT NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (2-2)

I liked what I saw from the Raiders last week even though they lost a tough one to the Chiefs. For the Patriots who got off to a sluggish start for the season they have hope as Drake Maye’s performance last week vs the Bills in Buffalo was his best game of the season. Last year the Patriots started the season 1-2 and then went on a tear when they evened their record at 2-2. I feel the Raiders will have a hard time rebounding from the loss last week where the Patriots will now turn around their entire season.

OUR PICK: PATRIOTS

MINNESOTA VIKING (4-0) AT NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (1-3)

Can the Vikings go 5-0 to start this season? The Saints laid a complete clunker last week on Monday night versus the Falcons. The Vikings defense is awesome. With some injuries on the Saints defense, you have to believe Kyler Murray could generate more than the 15 points they got versus the Dolphins last Sunday. Without Justin Jefferson, the Vikings offense can be contained with a banged up defense. I like Tyler Shough to come through with a big game to save the Saints season from drowning and not starting 1-4. The Vikings 5-0 would be hard to believe.

OUR PICK: SAINTS

CLEVELAND BROWNS (3-1) AT NEW YORK JET (1-3)

The Jets have lost three straight games which all of them were close and they could have won. The Browns have won three straight as Deshaun Watson has resurrected his NFL career with three solid performances in a row. I will keep rooting against the Sexual Predator as I smell an upset in the makes. Yep, it’s the NFL so anything can happen. I think the Jets will get a good day at the office with that offense and give the Browns a battle. In the end, the Jets win it.

OUR PICK: JETS

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (2-2) AT PITTSBURGH STEELERS (2-2)

The Colts have won two straight games after opening up the season with a 0-2 record. The Steelers lost a close one to the Browns in a Thursday night game. The Colts prevailed in London vs a bad Commanders team. The Steelers are at home. Arron Rodgers is playing well. The Colts defense is still a problem as I can see Rodgers having a big game and out-dueling Indianapolis’ Daniel Jones in a tight game with plenty of offense.

OUR PICK: STEELERS

NEW YORK GIANTS (3-1) AT WASHINGTON COMMANDERS (1-3)

The Commanders will have their star quarterback Jalen Daniels back for this NFC East show down. The Giants are playing well with the Crab Man behind center, Jameis Winston, since taking over for Jaxson Dart who is out for the season. The Commanders are ailing at the wide receiver position and may not have Scary Terry McLaurin, & Stephon Diggs is definitely out.

Cam Skattebo has hit it big now in the State Farm commercials with Jake, and he’s not wearing khakis. The Giants offense will be able to score plenty of points off that Commanders’ suspect defense. The Giants defense should be able to contain Daniels from doing any significant damage.

OUR PICK: GIANTS

DENVER BRONCOS (2-2) AT LA CHARGERS (0-4)

I can’t see a Jim Harbaugh team starting the season 0-5.

The Broncos offense is struggling right now. Sean Payton will be taking over the play calling duties. I like the Chargers defense. I think their offense will have a big day as Justin Herbert is due for a solid performance. With the passing of Mike Ditka as Jim Harbaugh played for Iron Mike. His spirit will also help the Chargers find their first W of the season. As Jim will push all the right buttons in this one.

OUR PICK: CHARGERS

DETROIT LIONS (2-2) AT ARIZONA CARDINALS (1-3)

This will be a high scoring game. Last week the Lions lost in a shoot out versus the Panthers. The Cardinals were out-gunned by the Crab Man and the Giants. Look for the Lions to prevail in this shoot out. Both teams have poor defense, but Jared Goff will out gun Jacoby Brissett, who will not have Marvin Harrison Jr. playing. Rumor has it he is being traded.

OUR PICK: LIONS

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (4-0) AT SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (3-1)

This is probably the game of the week here between two teams in the NFC West battling it out. I like Seattle at home. Even though the 49ers have played well in Seattle. The Seahawks are the healthier team right now. That Seahawks defense will be the defining factor as Sam Darnold will just do enough to beat the 49ers’ Brock Purdy in this late afternoon duel.

OUR PICK: SEAHAWKS

THE SUNDAY NIGHT GAME

BALTIMORE RAVENS(3-1) AT ATLANTA FALCON(2-2)

The Falcons gave their division rival, the Saints, a beat down last week on Monday night in New Orleans. The Ravens played around with the Titans for most of the game and then finally put another W in the win column. The Ravens will be without their starting QB, Lamar Jackson. This is a bigger test for the Falcons even though they will not face Jackson. Tyler Huntley has proven to be a solid back up QB for the Ravens, and I don’t think they miss a beat with him behind center. It will be a game. In the battle of the birds, the Ravens come out flying high in and notch a road win.

OUR PICK: RAVENS

THE MONDAY NIGHT GAME

BUFFALO BILLS (3-1) AT LA RAMS (2-2)

Both these powerhouses are not playing their best football right now. The Patriots went into Buffalo after playing lousy the entire season & gave the Bills their first lost. The Rams made a second half comeback to beat an Eagles team that has not played well on offense this season. Josh Allen versus Matthew Stafford should be a night where both offenses click and should be a high scoring game. It will be a close game as well. It may be whatever team has the ball last to decide this one. I will lean that it will be Josh Allen and the Bills prevailing in this one as they steal one off the road which could be a Superbowl preview.

OUR PICK: BILLS

Last week was my worst week of all-time picking NFL football match up.

LAST WEEK’S RECORD: (6-10)

They should take my laptop away. Even with all the embarrassment, I peeled myself off the ground and am getting back in the game with a brand new week of picks. Can I do worse? Sure. I feel like I can rebound this week and put up a better showing.

SEASON RECORD: (24-24)

I can’t go under 50 MPH, or under the .500 mark, or the bomb will blow. Let’s hope the week 4 picks don’t explode.

NFL WEEK 4 STRAIGHT PICK-EM

THE THURSDAY GAME

PITTSBURGH STEELERS (2-1) AT CLEVELAND BROWNS (2-1)

The Thursday match up features two quarterbacks that are the most hated guys in the NFL. The Sexual Predator Dashaun Watson, or a complete douche in Aaron Rodgers. Watson is starting to look like his old self when he wore a Texans uniform. While Rodgers still has game left in that old body so went head to head with Joe Burrow and beat the Bengals last week. This match up is a coin flip. I will give the Browns defense as the better unit out of the two. The Browns are at home. However I like the Steelers in this one. I have to back Rodgers over a rapist QB any day. I’m sure Rodgers has some hidden crimes we are not aware of in the dark retreat he likes to frequent. The Steelers just edge the Browns in this battle of supreme scum.

OUR PICK: STEELERS

THE SUNDAY MORNING GAME

WASHINGTON COMMANDERS (1-2) AT INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (1-2) IN LONDON, ENGLAND

Both the Colts and the Commanders found their first win last week. The Commanders had a big upset over the Superbowl champions, the Seattle Seahawks. While the Colts win a division game and keep Houston perfect at 0-3 for the season. The Colts will exploit a Commanders’ weak run defense with their star running back Jonathan Taylor, who is averaging 4.9 yards per carry. The Colts defense is nothing to write about either as they have given up over 500 yards of offense in two of the three games. The Commanders will go with Marcus Mariota again, who’s filling in for the injured RGIII. I mean Jayden Daniels. The Commanders will be without scary Terry McLaurin, who finally had a big game last week. He pulled his hamstring in Friday’s practice. Now he has been ruled out. The Commanders still have weapons but taking Scary Terry off the field gives the Colts defense hope they can get the job done. I think Daniel Jones will have a solid day and put the Colts on a winning streak, which they have not had since early in the first half of last year. The win over the Texans snapped a 9 game losing streak that dated back from last year. Mostly when Jones was hurt.

OUR PICK: COLTS

THE SUNDAY SLATE

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS(2-1) AT CINCINNATI BENGALS(2-1)

These two great AFC quarterbacks met back in the 2020 National championship in college, where Joe Burrow prevailed over Trevor Lawrence. In fact Lawrence has beating every AFC team in the conference at least once except the Bengals. The Bengals lost in a shootout to Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers last week. Lawrence and the Jaguars easily beat up the Patriots like a school bully on the playground. A sexy match up to watch is Ja’Marr Chase facing the Jaguars’ Travis Hunter. This game will definitely have it’s share of points. The Jaguars will exploit the Bengals defense on first downs. Burrow gets rid of the ball quickly & should be able to be productive against a attacking defense the Jags have to offer. The Jags have the better defense and will make that one or two plays to seal the deal in a close affair which will have lots of action and points.

OUR PICK: JAGUARS

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (1-2) AT BUFFALO BILLS (3-0)

The Buffalo Bills welcome their first division opponent to their new place. The Patriots have been struggling this year with the difficult schedule & they come in at 1-2. The Bills offense played a sloppy game defending their home base to the Chargers intrusion last week. The Bills defense bailed the offense that turned over the ball 5 times. Any time struggling teams like the Chargers or even these Patriots appear on the schedule, nothing is ever easy. A Bills win over the Patriots will put them in a great spot in the AFC East. The Patriots came into Buffalo and beat the Bills in their first meeting last season. Back then the Patriots were playing solid football. This year the Patriots quarterback, Drake Maye, has been a disaster. The Bills defense is different from last year’s unit and they are starting to get things amped up in a good way. The Bills offense will play a cleaner game. Watch the Bills defense really make a statement against their first divisional opponent. The Bills will prevent the next evil empire from emerging in this one as the Pats will continue to struggle.

OUR PICK: BILLS

DALLAS COWBOYS (1-2) AT HOUSTON TEXANS (0-3)

Who the hell do you pick in this pile of Texas garbage? Both teams are combined 1-5 this season. I think my record is 0-6 picking these teams to win or lose. The Texans lost to a division rival giving the Colts their first victory of the year. The Texans will have back their top receiver in this one in Nico Collins, which should help their offense. The Cowboys offense is still lethal as they put up a ton of points on the Ravens defense last week. However they lost in a shootout in Brazil. This comes down to a top offense versus a top defense of yesterday in last year. Jadeveon Clowney will make his Texans debut as he played for the Cowboys last year. I’m going Texans in this one because their defense will finally put things together. That means Clowney will make a dent in this game. Cowboys are weak on the road. Look for Nico to spark this offense against a Dallas D which is not very good.

OUR PICK: TEXANS

LA RAMS (1-2) AT PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (2-1)

The Eagles defense made the Bears third string quarterback Case Keenum look like a Hall of Fame QB on Monday night. Keenum’s last pass in the NFL was back in 2023. The Rams had a 16-0 lead on the Broncos at half time. The Rams defense surrendered the lead in the second half and eventually lost the game on Sunday night. Good news is the Rams will get their star wide receiver Puka Nacua that should make the Rams offense explode in Philadelphia. The Liberty Bell may suffer another crack as I can see the Rams running up the score on a Eagles defense that has not yet gotten a takeaway. The Eagles have slithered in both wins they have in close encounters with the Commanders and Titans which is not any murderer’s row they were facing. The Eagles offense has been a disaster. The Rams defense has been superior versus the run. This is a no-brainer.

OUR PICK: RAMS

NEW YORK JETS (1-2) AT CHICAGO BEARS (2-1)

The Jets are not a pushover as they have been taking teams in the NFC North to the brink of victory. They lost to the Packers in overtime. They lost to the Lions by one score in the game Detroit had to win at the very end of regulation. The Bears have a good QB problem. Last week veteran quarterback Case Keenum got the start over Tyson Bagent because he suffered a concussion at the end of that Vikings loss in week two filling in for Caleb Williams who pulled his hamstring. This week QB 2 Bagent will get the start. The Jets will not have their starting running back, Breece Hall. Geno Smith was a league leader in interceptions last year when he was a Raider & has played clean games with the Jets. Bagent has played in 13 NFL games and has started 4 of them. He’s 2-2 as a starter. The Bears will be at home. It will not be a rainy day like when they lost to the Vikings so I expect Bagent to play well. The Jets will make this game close. Aaron Glenn is 3-7 in one score games as a head coach. Ben Johnson will have a solid scheme using a well-balanced attack to generate just enough points to give the home team the W.

OUR PICK: BEARS

TENNESSEE TITANS (0-3) AT BALTIMORE RAVENS (2-1)

The Ravens star running back Derrick Henry will face his former team, the Titans, in this match up. Henry played 8 seasons for the Titans. Things were not going well in Tennessee back then as Henry left in free agency and signed with Baltimore. Things are not going well right now for the Titans. The Titans are averaging 12.3 points per game this season. Looks like new offensive coordinator Brian Daboll has ruined their young star QB in Cam Ward in his first year on the job. The Ravens won last week in a shoot out over the Cowboys in Brazil in a high scoring game. The Titans will not match scores with the Ravens. The Ravens defense has played better than they did last year as well. Even if the Ravens have suffered jet lag from their trip to South America, they will win this one sleep walking.

OUR PICK: RAVENS

GREEN BAY PACKERS (1-2) AT TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (0-3)

Who is Jalon Daniels? Jalon is not related to Jayden, but they both share the same last name. Jalon is an undrafted player who played his college ball at Kansas University and he will start for the Buccaneers as Baker Mayfield is out. The Packers have been served a lifeline here because this Green Bay team has struggled this season. Their only win, they barely survived in overtime versus the Jets. The Buccaneers have not been playing well this year but have played in some close games. The last time a non-drafted free agent started a game, you have to look on the Bears roster at Tyson Bagent back in 2023. Jalon filled in for the injured Mayfield last Sunday and threw his first career interception. The Packers desperately need this game to stay afloat in the NFC North where the Lions & Bears are 2-1 and Vikings are 3-0. Their season is on the brink. I think they will get the job done. It will be ugly though.

OUR PICK: PACKERS

ARIZONA CARDINALS (1-2) AT NEW YORK GIANTS (2-1)

I don’t believe the New York Giants traded for JJ McCarthy from the Vikings to have him watch the crab man throw interceptions. Is it like the dodge a wrench line in the movie, Dodgeball? Don’t do that, referring to Jameis Winston. The Cardinals shocked the Charger in week 1 and are the favorite to win this game on the road. Last time Arizona was a favorite on the road. it was the first week of the 2025 season. The Giants barely squeaked by a bad Titans team. They had an impressive week 1 win over the Cowboys as Jaxson Dart was their QB at the time and he’s out for the season. The Cardinals have played well this season. They got blown out in week two versus the Seahawks. Last week they put up 30 points against a solid defense in a loss versus the 49ers. Minus Nick Bosa, it was still impressive. Jacoby Brissett or the Crab Man? Brissett or McCarthy? I have to go Brissett in each match up. The Cardinals can score points while the Giants lack an offense without Dart.

OUR PICK: CARDINALS

MIAMI DOLPHINS (0-3) AT MINNESOTA VIKINGS (3-0)

The Dolphins last week had a bad break as one of their defenders sacked Patrick Mahomes and got a flag for roughing the QB. If the Dolphins didn’t get flagged on that play, that game would have been closer. Mahomes and Chiefs survived & the Dolphins are 0-3 even playing their best game of the season. However they lost their star running back for the season in De’Von Achane. Meanwhile the Vikings are trying to stay perfect for the season in a tough NFC North division they play in. They also have a guy that has an ax to grind when it comes to the Dolphins. Defensive coordinator Brian Flores, who got a raw deal in Miami as a head coach. Watch Flores unleash his beasts that he has on his defensive unit and watch the Dolphins offense turn into minced meat. The Vikings may be without their star wide receiver, Justin Jefferson. So what? The Vikings should nail this one down with or without Jefferson and stay perfect for the season. Especially playing at home.

OUR PICK: VIKINGS

DENVER BRONCOS (2-1) AT SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (3-0)

The Broncos have been playing the tales of two halves. In the first half, they have struggled. In the second half they have made comebacks in back-to-back wins. Meanwhile the 49ers out of the gates are perfect and the injured list is not out of control yet for them. The 49ers have enjoyed some cupcakes with the Dolphins and Cardinals the last two weeks after beating up the Rams in week 1 in Australia. The Broncos, since they drafted Bo Nix, are 9-2 in games outside the conference. This will be a very close game as the winner will get the W by three points or by one score. The Broncos defense is on the rise. The 49ers are having some troubles pressuring the quarterback. I like Nix to exploit that with his legs and arm. The Broncos have played a tough schedule as the 49ers have been just coasting. Look for the Broncos to squarely hit the 49ers in the jaw for a victory on the road, as they thrived last year in close games. I like them this week which will be a close affair.

OUR PICK: BRONCOS

LA CHARGERS (0-3) AT SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (2-1)

Could the Chargers start the season off 0-4? The Seahawks with Sam Darnold back as their starting QB, lost to the Commanders in the battle of Washington. Mike McDaniels takes the blame for the Chargers offense that has been cold this entire season. It will only get more difficult for the Justin Herbert and that offense, playing perhaps the best defense in the league which Seattle has to offer. I can see Jim Harbaugh finding some way to get an upset here for the Chargers. Darnold knocked off the rust last week. The Chargers offense shows no signs they can keep up with Seattle’s offense. Plus Seattle is very tough to beat when they are at home.

OUR PICK: SEAHAWKS

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (3-0) AT LAS VEGAS RAIDERS (3-0)

Kirk Cousins has never beaten Patrick Mahomes. However they only faced each other once before this division rivalry face off as both the Raiders and Chiefs look to stay unbeaten. This was once one of the best rivalries in the NFL. Now for years it has been one sided in the Chiefs’ favor. Can Captain Kirk win a big game here? That is my first question. If Cousins delivers, he may be enshrined as one of the favorite players in Raiders nation. Now this is not much of a home game as I expect Raiders stadium to be packed with Chiefs fans. The Raiders need to defend the run better, as Kenneth Walker III could have a huge game. Brock Bowers is the new younger version of Travis Kelce? Does Bowers land a pop singer in his future? I would love to sell you an upset here. Mahomes has not been making many mistakes. The Chiefs running game is better than the passing game which is the Raiders weakness. Mahomes is 13-2 all-time versus the Raiders. Captain Kirk lacks big game wins.

OUR PICK: CHIEFS

THE SUNDAY NIGHT GAME

DETROIT LIONS (2-1) AT CAROLINA PANTHER (1-2)

The Lions defense is giving up 31.7 points per game. The Panthers are without their starting duo at the corner back position. This game has been lighting up the scoreboard written all over it. The Lions offense can score off any defense in the league. It’s a well-balanced offense that features one of the best running backs in the league, in Jahmyr Gibbs. This is the first time Bryce Young will be facing the Lions. Young has been lighting up the skies so far this season. Young should be able to rack up plenty of points versus the Lions defense. The Lions are the healthier of both teams here. The Panthers have a slew of injuries on both sides of the ball. This is why I have to pick the Lions winning the shoot out on Sunday night.

OUR PICK: LIONS

THE MONDAY NIGHT GAME

ATLANTA FALCONS (1-2) AT NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (1-2)

The Falcons are well rested after winning on Thursday evening a few weeks back, throttling the Packers. The Saints lost to the Raiders in their home opener after upsetting the Ravens in week 2. So the Saints had a let down while the Falcons are hoping their victory can turn their season around after looking like the worst team in the league their first two weeks. Tyler Shough should have a big game with the Saints aerial attack. The Falcons could run all over the Saints with Bijan Robinson, who has had some big games playing on prime time. Last year the Falcons swept the Saints in the two game series. I like Shough over Michael Penix Jr. The Falcons have not got much production from Kyle Pitts Sr, who was a top tight end in the NFL last year. This is the 20th year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. The Saints will be honoring the guys from that 2006 team. Watch the present day Saints team get pumped up because of that. I like the Saints in a close one.

OUR PICK:SAINTS

In week two we matched OUR same record in week 1, which is nothing to write home to mom about.

LAST WEEK’S RECORD: (9-7)

SEASON RECORD: (18-14)

I know trying to pick the winners in the NFL you do not need to have a Harvard education. I know you need a lucky horseshoe up your rear. Especially predicting games like the Saints over the Ravens last week. You know people picked the Raiders over the Chargers as well. I have a horseshoe coming through Amazon. As a prime member, it should arrive after all the games come to an end. Here’s hoping I do not need that extra junk in my truck for week three. Enjoy!! Slainte!!!

NFL WEEK THREE STRAIGHT PICK-EM

THE THURSDAY NIGHT GAME

ATLANTA FALCONS (0-2) AT GREEN BAY PACKERS (1-1)

This game looks like a complete dud for being aired as a prime time game on Thursday. First of all the Packers escaped Jersey where the Jets play their home games in a game that went to overtime. I feel the Packers have fallen off the turnip truck. They definitely escaped Jersey in a turn up truck to get their first win of the season, which you may say the Jets should had won that game. The Falcons will have Michael Penix Jr.back as their starter for this one. Cooper Rush was awful at quarterback for the first two games. The Falcons were humiliated by the Panthers last week. They let the Steelers come back and beat them in week 1 in a close affair. The Packers at home, I like them winning this one. Penix Jr.will be rusty as he missed half of the season last year. The Packers will finally start adapting to life without Josh Jacobs. Look for Jordan Love to step up his game and get the cheese heads going in the right direction against a bad team that the Falcons are right now.

OUR PICK: PACKERS

THE SUNDAY SLATE

TENNESSEE TITANS (0-2) AT NEW YORK GIANTS (1-1)

Can Titans head coach Brian Daboll create an offensive game plan to slice and dice his old team, the Giants? On offense the Giants have new problems that occurred on Monday night versus the Rams losing their young quarterback for the season. Jaxson Dart is off the board as the Crab Man is taking over at the QB position.

Jameis Winston went 0-2 as a starter last year for the G-Men. The 32 year old veteran did not look good in relief of Dart versus a fierce Rams D. The Titans defense is another story. Winston has started 73 NFL games in his career. He has 156 touchdown passes compared to 114 interceptions. Last time he won a start, you have to go back to Cleveland in 2024 filling in for the Sexual Predator. He went 2-5 and had some dandies behind center. You really don’t know what you will get with Winston. The Titans offense is sputtering. The Giants defense has been steady. Winston has some offensive weapons and a few guys that can run the ball. The Giants are at home. The Titans have not showed me much so far this season. I think we see a season sweep here of New York teams that technically play their home games in New York over the Titans. Jets did them in week 1. Giants deliver in week 3.

OUR PICK: GIANTS

NEW YORK JETS (1-1) AT DETROIT LIONS (1-1)

The Jets are surprisingly playing some solid football to start the season off. They actually should be 2-0 as they let one slip away versus the Packers last week losing in overtime. The Lions offense is on track, but the defense has been gashed both weeks as they are giving up over 30 points per game. Now Jets head coach Aaron Glenn returns to his ole stomping grounds where he was the defensive coach for the Lions in Motor City before taking the job in New York. Geno Smith has resurrected his game from last year’s disaster in Vegas with the Raiders. He is completing 70% of his passes in the first two games and has stayed away from the interception which he was one of top leaders in that category last year. The Lions offense has put up numbers on the scoreboard. It’s been the tale of two halves with this team. They scored in chunks. The defense has allowed points in chunks in halves. The Jets will generate some nice scoring drives. The Jets defense will prevent this from being a lopsided affair. I don’t see Smith keeping up matching up scores with Jared Goff. Lions prevail.

OUR PICK: LIONS

LA CHARGERS (0-2) AT BUFFALO BILLS (0-2)

The Chargers last year were a playoff team and this season they are the first NFL team to start 0-2, and both their games to teams the previous season that lost 14 or more games. The Cardinals shocked the Chargers in week 1. Then they made Kirk Cousins look like a MVP candidate last week when the Raiders beat them. Meanwhile the Bills will play their second home game at their new stadium. About ten days ago, they put up 41 points off the Lions and in week 1 hung 36 points on one of the best defenses in the NFL last year, the Texans. Josh Allen and the Bills offense are firing on all cylinders. The Chargers offense has had plenty of hiccups to start the season as their new offensive coordinator, Mike McDaniels, has not molded Justin Herbert to his scheme yet.

I know 0-2 teams are scary. The Bills may be without some of Josh Allen’s play makers. Allen is playing right now like a mid-season MVP. The Bills defense have given up points, but have also given the opposing teams lots to think about with all kinds of pressure thrown at them. The Bills are too tough to beat at home even in their new stadium with the crowd noise and no signs this Chargers team can come into Buffalo and get the upset.

OUR PICK: BILLS

CINCINNATI BENGALS (2-0) AT PITTSBURGH STEELERS (1-1)

The Bengals are finally off to a good start to open the season. Usually they would have half their graves dug out already. If you’re a Steelers fan, you have to hope this is the last year you have Aaron Rodgers as your team’s quarterback.

Rodgers resembles the X-President of the United States’ last days in office. The Steelers only mustered up 3 points versus the Patriots. DK Metcalf has the early case of the drops which does not help your quarterback. The Steelers somehow found a way to beat a Falcons team with their 3rd string quarterback. BARELY!!! The Bengals are playing better defense than they were last season. The Bengals offense is still potent as usual with Joe Burrow and his stud wide receiver class he has going on there. Right now the AFC North is all Bengals all the time. The Steelers will not win many games only averaging 11.5 points per game which is lowest in the NFL. Along with their offensive unit only averaging 249.5 yards per game, which is also the lowest in the NFL. No way Rodgers matches any kind of Burrow productions in this one.

OUR PICK: BENGALS

CAROLINA PANTHERS (1-1) AT CLEVELAND BROWNS (1-1)

I’m sorry I will not jump on the bandwagon of the sexual predator Deshaun Watson’s bus of horrors. Watson may have played his best game wearing the orange ugly helmet last week slaying the X Cleveland QB Baker Mayfield on the road in Tampa. The Panthers blew up the Falcons and their offense is averaging over 30 points per game. The Browns will play their first home game of the season which will not favor the sexual predator because his own fans hate his guts. Even Watson has said the home fans treat him worse than the away fans. The Panthers defense allowed only three points to the Falcons who have one of the best running backs in the league. They rebounded after giving up 59 points versus the Bears in their home opener. Bryce Young has already thrown six touchdown passes in two weeks with only 1 interception. The Panthers have a well balanced offense. The Browns have a good defense but the Panthers offense will be hard for them to contain. I like Watson making a few mistakes that knock the wind out of his sails, pop his ballooned ego, and bring him back down to earth in a loud thud.

OUR PICK: PANTHERS

HOUSTON TEXANS (0-2) AT INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (0-2)

One of these teams will notch their first victory unless they strike up the first tie of the season. The Texans defense has not played to what their hype was coming into the season. The Colts defense has not gotten off the bus after the first two games surrendering over 500 yards of offense in each game so far to start the season. The Colts offense even without their star wide receiver Alex Pierce has still generated points with Daniel Jones behind center and having one of the best running in the NFL with Jonathan Taylor. The Texans QB CJ Stroud has played well. He still has not thrown an interception. However he had two costly fumbles. Stroud and the Texans offense have been without two of their stud receivers. This is a divisional match up as both teams know each other very well. The Colts came close to beating Kansas City but went too conservative in OT which may have cost them a win. Aggressive could have backfired as some are saying the Colts head coach is a wimp for not rolling dice late in OT. Especially with Patrick Mahomes getting another chance with the football. The Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans has started out of the gates 0-2-3 out the last 4 seasons as head coach for Houston. I expect the Texans defense to make a statement here versus the Colts. They played Josh Allen & then Joe Burrow which is a tall task in both weeks. The Texans offense will get points off the turnstyle defense the Colts have.

OUR PICK: TEXANS

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (2-0) AT MIAMI DOLPHINS (0-2)

Malik Willis has to be thinking to himself why the hell did I sign with the Dolphins? The Dolphins have only averaged 13 points per game. They were blown up by the 49ers last week. The Raiders beat them by double digits in week 1. Now you face the resurrection of the Chiefs with a rejuvenated quarterback in Patrick Mahomes, who are off to a 2-0 start. The Chiefs week 1 beat up on the divisional rival, the Broncos, in week 1. Then survived in overtime on Sunday night of last week versus the Colts. How good are the Chiefs right now? Did the Broncos lay an egg? Why did it take to overtime just to get by the Colts? With the Packers Willis was more effective with weapons and a better O-line. With the Dolphins he lacks a bit of everything. The defense does not do him any favors as well. The Dolphins are a young team that is looking for anything they could hang their hat on. This is not the week for them to find out what is working well. The Chiefs should dominate on their first road game of the year. Look for another Dolphins BBQ. Anybody craving Cuban sandwiches? Instead of pork, some nice Dolphins meat.

OUR PICK: CHIEFS

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (2-0) AT WASHINGTON COMMANDERS (0-2)

Drew Lock vs Marcus Mariota sounds like an Arena Bowl ’77 match up. Both the Commanders and Seahawks are without their starting QB’s. Sam Darnold went out in week 1 while Jayden Daniels once again will miss significant time with an elbow injury. Lock has been impressive since filling in for Darnold. He has 4 touchdown passes and led a comeback in game one and won his first start last week versus the Cardinals. Seattle has not missed a beat. Mariota saw action after Daniels’ injury but he could not lead the Commanders back in that game against the Cowboys. Mariota some say may be one of the better back-up’s in the NFL. Last year he lost 6-7 starts filling in for Daniels. I can’t see Mariota carving up that deadly Seattle defense. I do picture Lock being able to do his thing against a suspect defense like the Commanders have. The Superbowl champs stay perfect.

OUR PICK: SEAHAWKS

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (1-1) AT JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (1-1)

This match up consists of Drake “Maye Day Malone” and his slider of death with 4 interceptions already in only two games for the Patriots. You know Jaguars QB Trevor “Spicoli” Lawrence is always good to throw a costly interception like he did in the second half versus the Broncos. Maye has one touchdown pass to 4 interceptions while Spicoli has 4 TD passes to the one costly interception so far this season. The Pats beat up on the elderly in Aaron Rodgers to get their first win which was ugly. The Jags blew out the Browns in week 1 & then gave away a win to the Broncos last Sunday. The Jaguars from the eye test look better than what the Patriots are doing so far this season. I think the Jaguars defense is a better unit than the Patriots. DUDE! Spicoli looks crisp so far after two games while Maye Day will only sabotage his team’s chances to establish an early season winning record.

OUR PICK: JAGUARS

ARIZONA CARDINALS (1-1) AT SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (2-0)

The 49ers MASH unit is not out of control just yet this early in the season. However they have lost the services of one of their big defensive pieces in Nick Bosa, who will be out a few weeks with calf strain. The Cardinals have been de-winged and brought back down to earth instead of soaring high like they did in week 1. These are the same old red birds as they struggled on offense with Seattle’s defense. Look for a repeat of that against this 49ers defense. The 49ers offense will pick apart the Cardinals’ young defense and win this game with ease. Probably hanging 30 or more points on the Cardinals defense is just an estimate right now as numbers are still coming in. It’s too early to tell when the birds will be lying belly up.

OUR PICK: 49ERS

MINNESOTA VIKINGS (2-0) AT TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (0-2)

The Vikings should be ecstatic pulling out two games with Carson Wentz doing most of the quarterbacking. How are the Buccaneers 0-2 ? Kyler Murray will once again be inserted behind center for the Vikings. His first game ever with the Vikings he went out early in week 1 with a concussion. The Buccaneers last week versus the Browns had a weather delay. When things cleared up, Baker could not lead the Buccaneers to a comeback victory. The Buccaneers in week 1 had another failed come back versus the Bengals that week. The Vikings engineered a beautiful comeback versus the Packers in the second half in week 1. Then won in sloppy conditions in Chicago with a game where it rained before, during, and after. Then Caleb Williams went out with an injury which helped the Vikes win the field goal battle at Soldier field. The Vikings offense will have problems with Murray thinking about the concussion he had and knocking off the rust at the same time. I just can’t imagine Baker Mayfield going 0-3 to start the season. Mayfield has a bad taste in his mouth from that loss to his former team, the Browns. Mayfield is due with a Buccaneers explosion and will sink the Vikings ship with their pirate ship. “YOU SUNK MY BATTLESHIP,” are the words uttered by Murray and company.

OUR PICK: BUCCANEERS

BALTIMORE RAVENS (1-1) AT DALLAS COWBOYS (1-1) AT BRAZIL

Dak Prescott versus Lamar Jackson has only happened one time so far. These two fantasy quarterbacks will meet for the second time in another country, which is Brazil. Jackson won the only meeting between these two teams. The Ravens were upset by the Saints last week while the Cowboys annihilated the Commanders at home. Ravens beat up on the Colts week 1 while the Cowboys could not escape New York with a win versus the Giants. With these two high powered offenses, you are thinking a track meet with two improving defenses from last year? They will be playing on a grass field which could slow both teams down. On a neutral site, either team could win this one which should be a close affair. I know Jackson is 25-4 all-time versus the NFC. However the Saints prevailed and did it with a second half comeback which is the same old Ravens problems they had last year. The Ravens could bulldoze over this Cowboys defense. Will the Boys defense have some help from the bad grassy turf in Brazil to slow down that potent running game? I like a shoot out and late comeback by the Cowboys to upend the Ravens in another continent.

OUR PICK: COWBOYS

LAS VEGAS RAIDERS (2-0) AT NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (1-1)

Captain Kirk Cousins has the Raiders 2-0 which is the only way to keep the number 1 draft pick on the bench. The Saints marched back in week one versus the Lions and that resulted in a loss in overtime. Last week the Saints’ late march resulted in a win versus the Ravens on the road. Are you buying what the Raiders are doing beating a bad Dolphins team & then winning against a Chargers team that has not gotten their act together yet? Meanwhile the Saints may be the real deal. They are the best second half team so far this season. Taking a chapter out of the playbook of Caleb Williams and the Bears from last season. This is only the 17th time these two teams have played each other as the Raiders lead the all-time series, 8-7-1. I think this will be a tight game as we thought the Raiders were going to just be bad this season. They are showing me they can mix it up with most teams. Tyler Shough has impressed me more than the Captain. The way he leads is something special to watch. With the home crowd who will be loud and excited for a change finally knowing this organization has found the right recipe and quarterback to win games like they had in Drew Brees back in the day.

OUR PICK: SAINTS

THE SUNDAY NIGHT GAME

LA RAMS (1-1) AT DENVER BRONCOS (1-1)

Last week was a big game for both the Rams and Broncos. Both teams starting off 0-1 and losing to a division rival. The Rams on Monday night gave the Giants a beat down on prime time. Aaron Donald played well in his first game back from coming out of retirement. The Broncos did win but they just got by the visiting Jaguars. Matthew Stafford played well last week as he recovered from a tough first week for the Rams. Bo Nix, who is working himself back from the post-season injury, is not playing at his highest level. The Broncos defense showed improvement from week 1 and should keep this game close. I think the Rams offense can generate points off any defense in the NFL. They have a well balanced attack and when Stafford is right, he is dangerous. Nix is not there yet. I think the Rams will go into Denver and leave with a victory in a close game.

OUR PICK: RAMS

THE MONDAY NIGHT GAME

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES(2-0) AT CHICAGO BEARS(1-1)

Who’s on first? The Bears will be without the Ice Man Caleb Williams as he strained a hammy last week playing in the rain slop versus the Vikings. Williams was very lucky because it looked like a serious knee injury when the play happened. No worries, the Bears have a solid two in Tyson Bagent. Bagent however came in for Williams and was in concussion protocol most of the week. So will the third string quarterback, Case Keenum, get the start versus the undefeated Eagles? Eagles are 2-0 and in both wins they barely beat two bad teams in the Commanders and the Titans last week. However playing the back up QB or the 3rd stringer with a Vic Fangio defense who was a former Bears D-coordinator at one time, could be hazardous to your health. The Eagles defense is solid. Not so fast as the Bears two-headed monster at the running back position ran all over that same Eagles defense last year in a big win. Bagent has been cleared of the concussion protocol and the game being on Monday night, he will probably get the nod. He is 2-2 all-time as a starter in 4 games. Keenum has not thrown a NFL pass in a NFL game since 2023 when he wore the Texans uniform. Keenum is 30-26 as a starter in the NFL. I think the Eagles offense can score points off a bad Bears defense that has problems stopping the run. I see the Eagles defense keying on the run and seeing if Bagent or Keenum can beat them with their arm. Watch the Eagles play their best game of the season and take full advantage of the Ice Man being down for the count right now.

OUR PICK: EAGLES

In week 1 our football picks were hot garbage. Some would call them a flaming heap. We did have a winning record in the 16 game docket which we will not hang our hat on.

LAST WEEK’S RECORD: (9-7)

SEASON RECORD: (9-7)

Our upset specials were not very special. I think we picked as a fan not an expert. We may change that philosophy going into week two where we want to get 12 or more wins every week which is a nice goal. We obviously want to see improvement each week. If we win 10 games, I may do cartwheels in my back yard. The first week is always very challenging as many picks can go sideways with some teams starting out the gates very poorly. Here’s to a week two rally and flipping the script as we will claim we have knocked off the rust.

Some call it oil to loosen up the bolts. We use the oil that’s in the beer cans to loosen our thought process. Cheers!!! Enjoy week two.

WEEK TWO STRAIGHT PICK-EM

THE THURSDAY NIGHT GAME

DETROIT LIONS(0-1) AT BUFFALO BILLS(1-0)

This is a Thursday clash of the Titans match up with two high powered offenses going head to head with the visiting Lions vs the Buffalo Bills.

Where’s the beef. We’re referring to which defense will stop the bleeding and make one more stop than the other team to win this game.The Lions blew a second half lead last week playing the Saints who forced overtime. The Bills new scheme on defense helped along with Josh Allen slaying the Houston Texans demons. Allen has gone 0-4 vs Houston in his career. This was the first victory in Houston for the Bills since 2006. The Bills defense gave up over 30 points, but they had two strip sacks that caused two fumbles which one sealed the win for the Bills. The Lions defense looked gassed in the second half on the Saints explosion of points on their comeback. The Bills are at home. Along with christening the first ever regular season game in their new home, Highmark Stadium. Bills Mafia and the nation will be in for a treat. It will be a high scoring game. I like the Bills defense over the Lions in this one. Josh Allen looked unstoppable in week one against the best defense in the NFL, the Texans, which they hung 36 points on. Bills are tough at home and this new stadium will be even louder than the old Highmark stadium. Bills Mafia will celebrate.

OUR PICK: BILLS

THE SUNDAY SLATE

CAROLINA PANTHERS (0-1) AT ATLANTA FALCONS (0-1)

How do you dissect this match up? Two teams that opened the season with losses. The Falcons once again will march out veteran back up Quarterback Cooper Rush. The Panthers allowed 59 points to the Bears who ran all over them in their home opener. The Falcons made things interesting on the Steelers. I can see Bijan Robinson having a big day running the ball like the two Bears running backs did. The Panthers offense did put 31 points on the scoreboard. I expect this to be a close game as both teams know each other. I think the Panthers will make the Falcons one dimensional and just slow their roll on their rushing attack just enough to win this game. I think Bryce Young will have another nice game as he threw over 300 yards of passing in week 1 with three touchdown passes.

OUR PICK: PANTHERS

CINCINNATI BENGALS (1-0) AT HOUSTON TEXANS (0-1)

This may be one of the better games on the docket. Does the Houston defense rebound from the Bills putting 36 points on the board? The Bengals won their opener versus the Buccaneers and survived a comeback attempt by Baker Mayfield. Joe Burrow is expected to play as he has been dealing with some back issues. CJ Stroud played well last week versus the Bills but also doomed his team coughing up the ball twice. The Texans adding David Montgomery paid off, giving the Texans a balanced attack on offense. I think the Texans can generate points on a Bengals defense that has improved but are not anything to write home to mom about. The Texans will be dealing another top quarterback in the conference and his stud receivers the Bengals have. Both teams are notorious for slow starts to start the season off the last few years. Look for the Texans defense to rebound and bring this Bengals offense to a grinding halt while getting just enough points to secure their first victory of the season. It will be a close one.

OUR PICK: TEXANS

MINNESOTA VIKINGS (1-0) AT CHICAGO BEARS (1-0)

If you are the Bears, does Carson Wentz put any fear into your defense? Last week Kyler Murray suffered a concussion earlier in the game and in relief, Wentz slayed the Packers. Last year Wentz went 2-3 in 5 starts for the Vikings before suffering an injury himself. Meanwhile the Bears exploded the scoreboard in Carolina putting up 59 points in week 1 vs the Panthers. The Vikings defense is not the Panthers turnstile they have on their D-Line. Brian Flores, the Vikings D coordinator, will have his work cut out for him here with the Bears’ high octane offense. I think Wentz will be able to engineer some scoring drives. I don’t think he will stay hot from that relief performance. The Bears defense will do better and they need to. They can force Wentz into some bad throws. It’s a home opener for the Bears. The conditions will be wet and soggy at Soldier Field. Which will benefit the Bears. These NFC North battles are always close. Bears stay perfect for the season.

OUR PICK: DA BEARS

PITTSBURGH STEELERS (1-0) AT NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (0-1)

The Steelers won a game at home with the visiting Falcons, which was too close for comfort last week. The Patriots went up 10-0 on Seattle in the first game of the year, knocked out their starting quarterback, and had a meltdown in the second half. The back up QB for Seattle led a come back with the Seahawks defense intercepting three Drake Maye passes. The Patriots have had plenty of time to mull over the embarrassment. The Patriots weapons on offense is a concern. AJ Brown is out with a high ankle sprain. The Steelers offense only mustered up 20 points. Aaron Rodgers looked comfortable running the Steelers offense so that tells me they will get more points as the season goes along. I like the Steelers pass rush in this one and setting the tone to stop the Patriots by pressuring Maye and forcing him to make multiple mistakes. This will be a close game overall. In the end the Steelers pull off like a 21-17 win, that is where I’m going with this.

OUR PICK: STEELERS

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (0-1) AT BALTIMORE RAVENS (1-0)

In his second season as quarterback, Tyler Slough is being compared to Josh Allen. The Saints were down 21-0 and Slough turned over the ball twice to start the second half. However the Saints and Slough came back in that game on the road in Detroit to force overtime with the Lions. Lions prevailed in OT. Slough had three touchdown passes for 410 passing yards versus Detroit. Meanwhile the Ravens had over 500 yards of offense versus the Colts last week. They hung 41 points on the score board. Derrick Henry ran wild for 144 yards on the ground and three touchdowns. Lamar Jackson and that Ravens offense looked like they were in mid-season form. The Ravens defense looks like an improved unit forcing two turnover while limiting the Colts to 21 points. It’s a tall task for the Saints to start their season on the road for the first two games. I would love to see the Saints prevail in this one. The Ravens will prevail. I think the Saints will give them a good game. They will lose by about 10 points as the Ravens defense will continue to get better each game.

OUR PICK: RAVENS

CLEVELAND BROWNS (0-1) AT TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (0-1)

Do the Cleveland Browns have a similar sign to what they have at factories about injuries? Instead of injuries, it’s how many days Cleveland has been without a quarterback. Watching Deshaun Watson play, is that not inflicting pain on your fan base? Pains can cause injuries. Cleveland will face their old quarterback who they should have kept, in Baker Mayfield. This will be the second time Mayfield will get a crack at the team that drafted him. The first go around was a loss when he wore the Panthers uniform facing the Browns. Mayfield and the Buccaneers tried to rally late versus the Bengals in week 1 but came up short losing by six points. Cleveland had an ugly loss in week 1 to the Jaguars. I think Watson’s days are numbered career-wise. Mayfield will get his revenge in this one. He has a different animal than he had when he ran with the Panthers. I predict the Buccaneers will not be far behind in this one.

OUR PICK: BUCCANEERS

GREEN BAY PACKERS (0-1) AT NEW YORK JETS (1-0)

Are we buying into the Jets so soon? The Jets have a nice W on the road against a Titans team that is not very good. You can say Geno Smith for the Jets at the quarterback position played well. I think he was better in this one game than he was in any of the games last year suiting up for the Raiders. The Packers choked against the Vikings in the second half against Minnesota’s second string quarterback. Jordan Love did play well. The Packers seem to be missing Josh Jacobs at the running back position who is suspended by the NFL for his delightful off-the-field actions. The Jets defense looked solid. I feel like the Packers will find a way on the road, get things turned around, and crack the win column. The Packers have some guys MIA right now, but their roster is much more talented than the Jets. I can see Love turning things around quickly while Smith rides the struggle bus once again.

OUR PICK: PACKERS

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (1-0) AT TENNESSEE TITANS (0-1)

I thought the Titans would have won their home opener last week against a bad Jets team flying into town. The Eagles won a very close one against one of their divisional rivals the Commanders, a team with who you don’t know what to expect. How do you recover losing to the Jets? Are the Eagles going to be a playoff team this year? The Jets running back, Breece Hall, ran wild on the Titans defense last week. I expect Eagles running back Saquon Barkley to have the same kind of success. The Eagles defense should be able to penetrate the Titans offensive line that is suspect at best. The Eagles have a new offensive coordinator. While the Titans have a entire new coaching staff in place. It took Cam Ward, last year, to late in the season to really find his groove as a rookie. He is learning a brand new system so it may take some time to get him back to where he was closing out the season. Vic Fangio is one of the sharpest defensive coordinators in the NFL. I think the Eagles defense will be the decider in this one. I can’t pick the Titans until I really see some success in a stretch of a season. Not just some flashes. Eagles fly high in this one.

OUR PICK: EAGLES

MIAMI DOLPHINS (0-1) AT SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (0-1)

In the middle of the 1980’s, this match up between the 49ers and the Dolphins was a Superbowl game. Dan Marino for the fins versus Joe Montana of the 9ers looked like it was going to be an epic Superbowl. The 49ers blew up the Dolphins in that one. Things have changed. These two teams to start the season have racked up some frequent flyer miles. The 49ers flew out to Australia to beat the Rams. While the Dolphins visited Vegas, lost last week, and now travel in the second week across the country again to San Francisco. The 49ers, when healthy, can beat up on everyone. They held the Rams, which have one of the best offenses in the NFL, to only 7 points. The Dolphins have all kinds of holes in their roster. The 49ers defense really only have to key on the Dolphins running back, De’Von Achane, who is their only weapon they have right now. This is varsity versus junior varsity in this match up. Pick the 49ers as your survivor pick. Dolphins should just tank this entire season to get a franchise quarterback. The fish have no chance in San Francisco this week.

OUR PICK: 49ERS

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (1-0) AT ARIZONA CARDINALS (1-0)

The Seahawks got lucky in week 1 after losing their starting quarterback Sam Darnold early in the game vs the New England Patriots. Meanwhile the Cardinals had the shocker of the week and showed on Any Given Sunday, anybody can win as they knocked off a talented Chargers team. Can Drew Lock take over for Darnold and guide them to a winning season? Lock has played in 42 NFL games and started 28 of them. He is 10-18 all-time as a starter in the NFL. Originally drafted by the Broncos, he only has one winning season which was his rookie year when he went 4-1. He completed 16-22 passes for 187 yards and threw a touchdown pass to help the Seahawks come back from a 10-0 deficit. It was the defense of Seattle who picked off the Patriots quarterback Drake Maye three times, that turned the tide of the league’s opening night. The Cardinals veteran quarterback Jacoby Brissett played well vs the Chargers and is a guy that will not make that many mistakes like Maye did. I feel like the Cardinals defense could stop Lock and keep Seattle to a low scoring game. We know the Seahawks will keep the Cardinals’ numbers down in this one as well. I feel like Jacoby could put up just a tad more points and offense than Drew. Yes, another upset on the horizon. I did not get the first one with the Cards from last week. I feel like they can win this game because of Darnold being out. The Cardinals offense have assembled some talented play makers. I think Jacoby will use them wisely.

OUR PICK: CARDINALS

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (1-0) AT DENVER BRONCOS (0-1)

The Jacksonville Jaguars beat up on a bad Cleveland team in week 1. The Broncos only mustered up 10 points against their division enemy, the Chiefs. The Chiefs ran all over the Broncos defense. The Broncos did not look anything like their last year’s team. In December of last year, the Jaguars did come into Denver and left with a win. That was the only loss the Broncos had in regular season in Denver. The world is thinking the Jags will go into Denver and leave with another win. First the Jags beat a crappy Browns team. I will not crown them champions just yet. My gut feeling is telling me the Broncos will be ready to play in this one.

The Broncos will flip the script and get back to business as usual. The defense will force a few takeaways from the Surf Nazi, Trevor Lawrence. Look for Bo Nix to shed the rust and have a solid performance. The Broncos running game will be productive in this home opener for the Broncos.

OUR PICK: BRONCOS

LAS VEGAS RAIDERS (1-0) AT LA CHARGERS (0-1)

I’m surprised people did not gather with torches and pitchforks in front of the Chargers headquarters looking for justice.

Justice for the stick people who selected the Chargers as their survivor pick. Imagine if the survivor league was a cut throat one and done. Imagine the people breaking down the doors at Chargers HQ and dragging their offensive coordinator, Mike McDaniels, to the town square to stone him to death. The Chargers were embarrassed by the Cardinals. The Raiders beat the Dolphins last week which would have been a nice survivor pick. Captain Kirk Cousins is now 89-77-2 as a starting QB in the NFL. At 38 years of age, can he find a way to end his career with 100 wins? This is a must win for the Chargers because the stakes will get higher after week 2. You can’t lose to the Cardinals and the Raiders and expect to make the post-season. The Raiders beat a crappy team. It will be interesting to see what they can do against a better opponent. I like the Chargers rebounding quickly using the Raiders as that neighborhood girl you go to after a break up and she sets you right again.

OUR PICK: CHARGERS

WASHINGTON COMMANDERS (0-1) AT DALLAS COWBOYS (0-1)

I was shocked with both of these teams last week. Both came away with losses. The Commanders hung in there with the Eagles in a tight game. The Cowboys owned New York.

The Giants defended their home turf and put down the Cowboys on Sunday night. How do you sort out this match up in week two? I feel home-cooking for the Cowboys is what they need right here, right now. Look for the Cowboys offense to have a big day at the office with Dak Prescott having a huge day. The Cowboys were one of the top offenses last year. I think the Boys defense will be light years better than last year. I don’t trust Jayden Daniels. He had that great rookie season. I think injuries will follow his career like dark clouds. The Commanders defense will have a let down as they played solidly versus the Eagles.

OUR PICK: COWBOYS

THE SUNDAY NIGHT GAME

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (0-1) AT KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (1-0)

I just threw up in my mouth seeing the Chiefs just whack their divisional rival, the Broncos, last week. I hate to see the Chiefs so soon back to their old ways. Who did the Colts piss off in the NFL giving them first Baltimore & now Kansas City to start the season off? The Colts got off to a strong start last year with a weaker schedule is my guess. Their collapse in the second half of the season is still noticeable. The Chiefs meanwhile added the Superbowl MVP from last year’s game, Kenneth Walker III, and he did not disappoint as he ran all over the Broncos. He’s now added to the list of Chief players I dislike. A solid running back will help Patrick Mahomes recover from that injury that ended his season last year. The Chiefs defense played well. I don’t like the Colts chances at Arrowhead Stadium They need Jonathan Taylor to have the biggest game of his career to beat these she devils at their place. The Colts defense gives me no confidence after the Ravens put 41 points on that unit.

OUR PICK: CHIEFS

THE MONDAY NIGHT GAME

NEW YORK GIANTS (1-0) AT LA RAMS (0-1)

He’s back!! Aaron Donald is expected to make his return to the field in this Monday night match up versus the Giants. The Giants will only have to worry about one defensive player of the year as the other, Myles Garrett, is sidelined and ruled out with a knee injury he suffered in the game in Australia versus the 49ers. Donald coming out of retirement may have to knock off some rust. The Giants visit LA after knocking off the Cowboys at home. The Rams offense only scored 7 points in Australia. I expect the Rams offense to turn things around which is not good news for the Giants. How good are the Giants? They play in a division that is winnable. John Harbaugh has quickly turn things around. I think the G-Men will give the Rams a game. At the end, Rams prevail in this one. Look for Donald to have some sort of impact in this one. I think Stafford will have a huge game as well.

OUR PICK: RAMS

I’m not saying to start drinking the red Kool-Aid because the Arizona Cardinals stunned the Chargers in LA in week 1. The Cardinals are projected by many experts to be the doormat of the loaded NFC West. You can probably say the door mat for the entire NFC conference as well. The Cardinals hired Mike LaFleur as their new head coach. He is the brother of Matt LaFleur, who is the head coach in Green Bay with his own set of problems in cheese ball land. He comes to Arizona off the Sean McVay coaching tree as he was the offensive coordinator last year for the Rams. He is only 39 years of age as the NFL suddenly filled with young football masterminds instead of the old guys always barking at the referees on the side lines. A dysfunctional franchise, the Cardinals’ last time a head coach won in his debut you have to go back to 1973, a guy named Don Coryell. In the 1970’s the Cardinals played in St.Louis. Don coached 9 seasons in Arch Town and came away with a 69-56 record in 125 games. LaFleur’s debut is pretty impressive as the Cardinals were like 9 point underdogs to the Jim Harbaugh-led Chargers team some experts think can go to the Superbowl.

The Arizona Cardinals have never won a Superbowl. The last time the Cardinals were interesting was back when Kurt Warner was their quarterback. You have to go back to the years of 2005 through 2009. He had weapons of mass destruction in wide receivers Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin. They made the Superbowl in 2009 which was the only time the red birds made it to the big dance. It resulted in a loss obviously. It was a heart breaking loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers during which Santonio Holmes made a spectacular catch for a touchdown with 35 ticks left in regulation. It was Big Ben Roethlisberger who delivered the gut wrenching blow to all the Cardinals fans who dared to watched this dysfunctional franchise get over the hump. The Steelers won that game 27-23 in one of the best Superbowls in my opinion I ever watched. You have to go back to 1947 when the Cardinals won a championship. This was before the Superbowl era. They actually won two championships. Both when they were the Chicago Cardinals. It’s a franchise that has moved multiple times. Like the Chargers. Another dysfunctional franchise. The Chargers originated in LA, then went to San Diego, & then back to LA. Maybe yesterday was the Dysfunctional Bowl played between the Chargers and Cardinals.

Kyler Murray had some solid years playing in Arizona. The franchise only made the post-season once with Murray in charge. The Cardinals decided to move on from Murray. Everything went Arizona’s way yesterday as Kyler starting for his new team was knocked out of the game early for the Vikings. Injuries have followed Murray the last few seasons. Right now the Cardinals have another veteran QB, Jacoby Brissett, as their starter. Brissett started 12 games last season for Arizona filling in for Murray and only won 1 game. Brissett did have the offense humming last year. He threw 23 touchdown passes to only 8 interceptions. The Cardinals defense was a problem. They had the idiot running back that made a beautiful 72 yard run & then dropped the ball on purpose before he crossed the goal line. Emari Demercado wanted to be Joe Cool instead of being like the great Walter Payton and handing the ball to the referee after you are sure you got the touchdown. Emari cared more about the celebration than the team. With the new coaching, the Cardinals got rid of Demercado, went into the draft, and got a solid running back in Jeremiyah Love from Notre Dame who scored his first NFL touchdown against the Chargers yesterday. This Cardinals offense has some electric play makers. Like Marvin Harrison Jr, son of Marvin Sr, who had plenty of great years as a Colt in Indianapolis. They have one of the best tight ends in the league in Trey McBride.

I’m not sure if the Cardinals have their solution at the QB position. However Jacoby Brissett was very solid yesterday completing 27-37 passes for 277 passing yards, 1 touchdown pass. and no interceptions. The Cardinals have insurance with a veteran back up to Jacoby in Gardner Minshew III who has done well in his career being thrown into action at times of need. The Cardinals also drafted a quarterback in the 3rd round of the NFL draft in Carson Beck, who played his college ball at Miami and before that Georgia.They could slowly develop him. If the Cardinals are supposed to be bad this season, they could get a solid QB in the 2027 NFL draft which will be loaded with plenty of talent. The Cardinals won 26-14 versus the Chargers. Is the Cardinals defense fixed from last year? Or is Mike McDaniels smoking the pipe calling the plays in his new gig as the Chargers offensive coordinator? The Cardinals defense held the Chargers to 14 points and 268 total offensive yards which is very solid. The Chargers offense is suppose be deadlier with McDaniels adding a new aerial attack to the mix.

Perhaps we can spike the red Kool-Aid and see what else occurred in the NFC West in week 1. The Seahawks are up next and they lost their starting quarterback in Sam Darnold. The 49ers healthy will also be a tough match up. The Rams as well, but they lost their defensive player of the year Myles Garrett to a knee injury, who they landed in a trade with Cleveland. His return is not known at this time. After only 1 week in the NFL the Cardinals could still perch themselves to their usual spot in last place in the NFC West. I remember all the years they were the doormat of the NFC East. Many football fans’ probably favorite Cardinal of all-time is Pat Tillman.

Pat Tillman played safety for the Cardinals in the late 90’s into the 2000’s. He played in 60 NFL games which was 4 seasons and gave up a huge contract to fight for our country after the 9/11 incident that changed this country forever in 2001. Tillman was an Army Ranger who was killed in action. A true American hero. Every franchise has their moments and some solid characters playing for them at some point. The Cardinals just have so few of those moments. After week 1 stunning the Chargers, if you are a fan of the red birds, you wish time stood still for a little while longer to savor the moment. You may have hope yet. This could be like a mirage in the dessert where you see water, go running towards it, and it’s not quite there. That’s the franchise you have. I always wonder if Cardinals actually hang out in the state of Arizona. I figure the bird feeders there are getting flying scorpions or something to that length. The Cardinals did Rock the Chargers like a Hurricane.

Here at Wild Shamrock Headquarters, we are a garage with a bar inside it and bucket for the bathroom. This season we are going scientific with our predictions. No injury reports. No bar graphs. No data. Straight out picking how each team does from a hat. Obviously we need the most luck we can get, beside the luck of the Irish. Who knows what the real NFL script has in store for us simpletons this season. Nothing is stuck in glue and permanent with our records and selections. We have not done very well in the past with our selections. For funzies we throw our hat into the ring and pick each NFL team’s record in regular season along with a division record. Then we select 7 playoff teams from each conference. We then have a set of conference championships. Then finally a Superbowl match up with a prediction. Hope you enjoy it!! P.S. If we have your team doing poorly, no worries they might do the total opposite.

DIVISION RECORDS

THE NFC CONFERENCE

NFC EAST

#1. Philadelphia Eagles (10-7)

#2.Dallas Cowboys (8-9)

#3.New York Giants (8-9)

#4.Washington Commanders (6-11)

I like the Giants improving with the hire of John Harbaugh. The Cowboys continue to be just hype. The Commanders will find out they need a new franchise quarterback. Which leaves the Eagles by default winning the division.

NFC NORTH

#1.Detroit Lions (10-7)

#2.Green Bay Packers (9-8)

#3.Minnesota Vikings (9-8)

#4.Chicago Bears (8-9)

The Lions will benefit from playing a weaker schedule like the Bears did last year. The Bears will be shell shocked from the schedule they have to play this season. While the Vikings and Packers eke out winning records barely in a tough division.

NFC SOUTH

#1.New Orleans Saints (9-8)

#2.Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-8)

#3.Atlanta Falcons (7-10)

#4.Carolina Panthers (7-10)

The Saints finish from last year has me hopeful they can win one of the worst divisions in football. The Buccaneers ironed out Baker Mayfield’s contract. The Buccaneers lost a few guys from last year. The Falcons QB situation is horrific. The Panthers shocked some teams the way they played in the second half of last season to make it to the post-season. No sneaking up on teams this year for Carolina.

NFC WEST

#1. LA Rams (14-3)

#2.Seattle Seahawks (12-5)

#3.San Francisco 49ers (11-6)

#4.Arizona Cardinals (5-12)

Everyone in this division could win the Superbowl or make it that far except the Cardinals.

AFC CONFERENCE

AFC EAST

#1.Buffalo Bills (12-5)

#2.New England Patriots (8-9)

#3.New York Jets (5-12)

#4.Miami Dolphins (3-14)

The Bills will reclaim this division. The Patriots will take a step backwards this year. No easy road for New England like they had last year. Same ole Jets and Dolphins. Jets will show some improvement.

AFC NORTH

#1.Baltimore Ravens (11-6)

#2. Cincinnati Bengals (9-8)

#3.Pittsburgh Steelers (8-9)

#4.Cleveland Browns (5-12)

The Ravens defense gets back on track. I’m not buying the Steelers reunion with Aaron Rodgers and his former head coach, Mike McCarthy, in Pittsburgh. The Browns have QB issues. The Bengals’ questionable defense and hot and cold streaks will linger once again.

AFC SOUTH

#1.Houston Texans (10-7)

#2.Jacksonville Jaguars (9-8)

#3.Indianapolis Colts (7-10)

#4.Tennessee Titans (6-11)

This division: You never know what you will get at the QB position. Daniel Jones had the Colts at 8-2 before he went down last year. Do you trust Jones having another great season and doing it in back-to-back years? CJ Stroud seems to get worse every season since his rookie year. Trevor Lawrence I think will lead the NFL in interceptions. The Titans will show improvement as they go into their second season with their rookie QB from last year.

AFC WEST

#1.Denver Broncos (12-5)

#2. LA Chargers (11-6)

#3.Kansas City Chiefs (9-8)

#4. Las Vegas Raiders (7-10)

Can the Broncos keep winning close games like they did last year? I truly think Patrick Mahomes’ injury from last year will prevent his Houdini acts in the pocket of his escape abilities. This will haunt the Chiefs. The Raiders will be better. The Chargers still have not won a post-season game with Justin Herbert.

POST SEASON

NFC SEEDING

Number 1 seed: LA Rams

Number 2: Detroit Lions

Number 3: Philadelphia Eagles

Number 4: New Orleans Saints

AFC

Number 1 seed: Denver Broncos

Number 2: Buffalo Bills

Number 3: Baltimore Ravens

Number 4: Houston Texans

WILD CARDS

NFC

#5. Seattle Seahawks, #6. San Francisco 49ers, #7. Green Bay Packers

AFC

#5.LA Chargers, #6. Cincinnati Bengals, #7. Kansas City Chiefs

CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS

NFC

San Francisco 49ers vs LA Rams

AFC

Buffalo Bills vs Denver Broncos

THE SUPERBOWL

Buffalo Bills vs LA Rams

Buffalo Bills win their first ever Superbowl!!!