Last week, I was unable to get my usual NFL weekly predictions posted. I did not do well last week as I went 9-7 in a straight Pick-em pool that I’m in. My NFL predictions have returned and will debut in week two of the 2022 season as I roll out a winner out of each match-up with some insight that can be helpful or add fuel to the fire. I will cross my fingers and may as well cross my toes in hopes these predictions do well. I will warn you the NFL can make you look smart one moment, then dumb, or even dumber, the next week.

THE THURSDAY NIGHT GAME

LA CHARGERS (1-0) AT KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (1-0)

This game will be the Clash of the Titans between two of the best quarterbacks in the league. Patrick Mahomes versus Justin Herbert sounds like a fight card. My problem is this game is only available on Amazon streaming. Where your television screen will look like a computer refreshing itself way too often like a pause in the action. Both teams won their first week of action. Chargers defense has improved, but this game will be a high scoring affair as the winner will win by just a score. Seems like whoever has the ball last will win. Chiefs are very hard to beat at Arrowhead Stadium. Chargers head coach Brandon Staley at times does not believe in punting and puts his team at risk. Like last season, they would have won a few more games. Andy Reid will be the difference as Chiefs remain perfect throughout the first two weeks.

OUR PICK: CHIEFS

THE SUNDAY SLATE

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

On the old Wendy’s commercials, the little old lady asks “Where’s the beef?” Patriots and Steelers could be using that slogan replacing beef with offense. Patriots replaced their old offensive coordinator Josh Daniels who took the Raider job with defensive coordinator former Lions head coach Matt Patricia.

The Biscuit, Mitch Trubisky, threw for 194 yards last week with one touchdown pass. Not bad as Steelers won the game with their defense. I really think the Empire is dead in New England. I think Trubisky is going to hang on to the starting job longer than people think. Patriots offense will have problems against one of the league’s best defenses.

OUR PICK: STEELERS

WASHINGTON COMMANDERS (1-0) AT DETROIT LIONS (0-1)

The Commanders remain undefeated with their new nickname. Lions, like last season in games, find themselves in a hole in the second half and claw their way back into the game versus the Eagles last week to make the game close. Commanders were taken to the brink of the game last Sunday, but overcame the Jaguars, which is not saying much. This one could go either way. Can you picture the Commanders 2-0? If the Bears can win a game, why can’t the Lions get one the following week. Lions find their courage early in this game and play a complete game to get that first slash in the win column.

OUR PICK: LIONS

MIAMI DOLPHINS (1-0) AT BALTIMORE RAVENS (1-0)

I’m not going to go there and say the Dolphins Air and Water show is the best since the Dan Marino days. It was TUA TIME last week as Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa played with his new toy and aired it out against a Patriot team they already have a hex over. Meanwhile Ravens are healthy and back to business as usual in week one with solid defense while Lamar Jackson runs his own air and water show. Tagovailoa versus better defenses in the league has not added many wins in the win column. Ravens at home make an early statement to the NFL world.

OUR PICK: RAVENS

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (1-0) AT NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (1-0)

Tampa Tom has never beaten the Saints in regular season since wearing a Buccaneers uniform. An early division clash between the two teams has them both with victories in the opening week. Buccaneers suffered some key injuries to Tampa Tom’s offense. Saints defense is like a fly on shit when they play Tom Brady’s team. The shit being Brady. Brady always had problems winning in Miami when he wore the Evil Empire helmet. The Saints are Brady’s nemesis. I like revenge of the Crab-man seeing Jameis Winston upend his old team.

OUR PICK: SAINTS

CAROLINA PANTHERS (0-1) AT NEW YORK GIANTS (1-0)

The Giants had a sneaky win last week in Nashville. It was a revenge game for Baker Mayfield versus his old team that the Panthers fell short on. With a game under his belt in Carolina, Mayfield looked healthy and facing his old team is out of his system. I can see the Panthers getting a road win in New Jersey. Giants will not be overlooked this week and Carolina has the better team.

OUR PICK: PANTHERS

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (0-0-1) AT JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (0-1)

It seems like the Indianapolis Colts lay an egg in their first game of the season. Last season, Colts lost their opener to the Jaguars. Last week the Colts salvage a tie with the Texans. Jaguars played well versus the Commanders but eventually lost the game. Colts also have to remember the Jaguars preventing them from getting in the playoffs suffering a must-win game in the last week of the season. Jaguars have a new coaching staff, but the same losing wrapper which will take more time to change their culture down in Florida. Colts find their revenge in this one and help their fan base off the ledge.

OUR PICK: COLTS

NEW YORK JETS (0-1) AT CLEVELAND BROWNS (1-0)

When veteran Joe Flacco is the starting quarterback to begin the season for the Jets, you know you’re in trouble. In Cleveland, the DAWG pound’s plan is starting to come together. Browns will pound the football with their two headed back field. Jacoby Brissett will be a game manager. Browns defense will play stingy defense and hope the team strings together enough victories to hand the keys off to the biggest dog of the pound, Deshaun Watson. I can’t see the Jets prioritizing containing Cleveland’s running game, making Brissett beat you with his arm. Can’t see the Jets able to put up a lot of points either.

OUR PICK: BROWNS

ATLANTA FALCONS (0-1) AT LA RAMS (0-1)

The Rams’ Rocky Mountain Superbowl high bubble was popped by the Bills in week 1. Typical Falcons give the Saints a battle of a lifetime in week one only to see it result in another loss late in the game. Rams should be able to get the running game going versus Atlanta and give Matthew Stafford a well-balanced attack. Can Marcus Mariota be a productive starting quarterback in this league? I see Rams putting the crimps on Atlanta Swiss Army knife Cordarrelle Patterson to force Mariota to beat them through the air. Rams rebound nicely in week two.

OUR PICK: RAMS

CINCINNATI BENGALS (0-1) AT DALLAS COWBOYS (0-1)

Remember the Bengals lost an early game last season to the Bears. Don’t you hate when bad things happen to good people like Cowboys owner Jerry Jones? Once again Cowboys lose their quarterback, Dak Prescott, for several weeks. Does Cooper Rush scare you? Loved the Rush sisters on Too Close for Comfort.

The losing team of the Superbowl usually has a hangover the next season. Bengals start to sober up in this one.

OUR PICK:BENGALS

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

Head coach Pete Carol should walk off into the sunset as his team beat his former quarterback last week, Russell Wilson and the Broncos. I can’t believe Geno Smith is still in the NFL the former Jet you would think he should be playing in the USFL or the XFL. How bad is Drew Lock? The 49ers have a quarterback soap opera going as Trey Lance is trying to hold on to the starter’s job with Jimmy Garoppolo holding the clip board. The 49ers looked bad last week versus the Bears in bad weather. Seahawks are pretenders as they played their version of a great game but Broncos’ bad clock management at the end gift wrapped that game for Seattle. I think the 49ers will rebound with some better weather and home cooking. The 49ers will show you why Smith is not an every day starter as San Francisco defense comes to play.

OUR PICK: 49ERS

HOUSTON TEXANS (0-0-1) AT DENVER BRONCOS (0-1)

Will the Seahawks loss come back to haunt the Broncos late in the season trying to get the last wild card spot? Lovie Smith’s Texans look like a team that can battle you. Texans defense played very well during the second half of the season last year. I see two things. Can’t see Russell Wilson losing two games in a row to inferior teams especially first home game in a Bronco uniform. Lovie Smith will never have that guy that can actually be in the top tier of the league at the quarterback position. I think Wilson gets it done as he razzles and dazzles the home crowd with one of his best games to show why the Broncos went after this guy in the first place.

OUR PICK: BRONCOS

ARIZONA CARDINALS (0-1) AT LAS VEGAS RAIDERS (0-1)

These are the two teams that made the playoffs last season, and I predict both will not make it to post-season after this. Arizona looked awful versus the Chiefs last week. The Raiders played better than the Cardinals team but still didn’t look that impressive. I think the Raiders offense will take a few games to get on the same page with their new coach, Josh Daniels. Evidence includes three interceptions by Derek Carr last Sunday versus the Chargers. Raiders probably overall have a better team than the Cardinals. I have a hunch that tells me Kyler Murray with the big recent contract will have his day in the sun and not roll snake eyes at the casino.

OUR PICK: CARDINALS

THE SUNDAY NIGHT GAME

CHICAGO BEARS (1-0) AT GREEN BAY PACKERS (0-1)

Did the Bears beat the 49ers in the rain or did San Francisco beat themselves? Last two seasons, Packers looked bad in their first game this season against the Vikings, last year the Saints. Any struggling Packer team needs the Bears on the menu. This Bears team is too hard to pinpoint. The shaky offensive line is still there which Justin Fields will have run like Forest Gump for any offensive production. R-E-L-A-X my cheese Curd friends up North, Aaron Rodgers owns the Bears. The Packers receivers will suddenly catch the ball. Once again Green Bay will right the ship.

OUR PICK: PACKERS

TWO MONDAY NIGHT GAMES

TENNESSEE TITANS (0-1) AT BUFFALO BILLS (1-0)

The Titans I think is another team that will miss post-season this year. The Bills rebounded from that miserable playoff loss with the Chiefs that ended in overtime in maybe one of the ten best playoff games of all-time. Bills took all their frustrations out on the Rams last Thursday as they just throttled the Superbowl champs. Bills will take out the Titans best weapon in Derrick Henry on Monday night with that talented defense. I can’t see the Titans’ Ryan Tannehill beating the Bills with his arm alone.

Josh Allen in another prime time game makes me believe Bills at home should send the Titans back to the Moonshine state with 0-2 record.

OUR PICK: BILLS

MINNESOTA VIKINGS (1-0) AT PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (1-0)

Whoever wins this one will be 2-0 in the NFC and feel like a legit playoff team. Over the last few years, most of these Monday Night games have been duds as Vikings and Eagles on paper look to be the cream of the crop. Will Kirk Cousins, who has been labeled as one who can’t win the big games, thrive on prime time? Vikings have an elite offense. The Eagles offense is no slouch with quarterback Jalen Hurts who could beat you with his arm and legs. Eagles have a very talented running game to go along with Hurts. Which defense will stand on their two feet? Vikings defense has proven themselves last week, but I need to see more. I give the Eagles the nod being at home.

OUR PICK: EAGLES