STRAIGHT UP PICK-EM

2023 SEASON RECORD: 27-21

This season I have been swinging at some stuff out of the strike zone hoping to make contact. Some of my picks I have made contact. Still looking for that magical week to get my picks firing on all cylinders. In the NFL trying to figure out losers or winners, sometimes it’s easier to have no rational thoughts about each match up. That is my problem… I have too many words for each match up and talk myself out of a pick that had that gut feeling. This is why they play they the game; anything can happen on any given Sunday. I will tell you right now these picks feel right. On Sunday, suddenly the tide will change.

THE THURSDAY NIGHT GAME

DETROIT LIONS AT GREEN BAY PACKERS

This is an early season match up that features both teams on top of their division. The Lions swept the Packers last season and that was with Aaron Rodgers behind center. If Derek Carr does not leave last Sunday’s game with an injury, Packers do not win that one. Lions beat the Falcons last week with ease as the Packers fell to the dirty birds and the team crumbled like a stale old log of cheese in the 4th quarter. The Lions have the better offense and seasoned quarterback compared to Jordan Love who’s just getting his feet wet in the NFL.

OUR PICK: LIONS

THE SUNDAY SLATE

ATLANTA FALCONS(2-1) VERSUS JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (1-2)

Both the Falcons and Jaguars fly over the pond with their tails in between their legs as they will meet for a Sunday morning match up in London. The Jaguars seem like London’s team making frequent trips over the pond as they lost three in row in Europe. Both teams suffered bad losses last Sunday. The Jaguars always lose to division rival Texans at home, where they lost six straight. The Falcons are one dimensional and the Lions put a halt to the Falcons running game. I like the Jaguars doing the same thing as the Lions building a lead and defending the box with eight guys. The X-factor of this match up will be former Falcon Calvin Ridley having a big game versus his former team in front of people who are still learning the rules of the game and have no clue where any of these cities in this game are or where in the states they are located.

OUR PICK: JAGUARS

MINNESOTA VIKINGS (0-3) AT CAROLINA PANTHERS (0-3)

The Vikings have been close in each game they played this year. Andy Dalton or Bryce Young at quarterback for the Panthers? Either Panther QB should generate some offense on a terrible Viking defense. Not enough offense to keep up with Kirk Cousins and that Viking offense that features the best receiver in the league, Justin Jefferson. I like Vikings winning this one by ten points because Minnesota this year can’t win the tight games.

OUR PICK: SCREAMING VIKING

PITTSBURGH STEELERS(2-1) AT HOUSTON TEXANS(1-2)

CJ Stroud has his first victory under his belt as a starting quarterback as the Texans won for the first time last Sunday over the Jaguars. The Steelers defense is a different animal that the Texans offensive line will be facing. Steelers have won two straight after being humiliated by the 49ers in the opener. It’s been the Steelers defense making the impact on both of those wins and right now you can say TJ Watt is defensive player of the year.

Stroud’s worst nightmare could be Watt.

OUR PICK: THE STEEL CURTAIN

DENVER BRONCOS(0-3) AT CHICAGO BEARS(0-3)

THE TURD BOWL !!!

Combined, both the Bears and Broncos defenses gave up 114 points. I don’t think you can mix and match both these defenses and build a decent unit in the NFL. Both fan bases are pissed off and each team is desperate for a victory. Do the Bears still want Russell Wilson? Maybe they can trade quarterbacks and see if that works out. Both teams coming into the season had high hopes. Bears signing multiple free agents and Broncos bring in Sean Payton as their next coach. Payton has Chicago ties, went to Eastern Illinois, and actually during the NFL strike in the 1980’s played one game for the Bears. The Broncos can score points. The Bears, it would take them a month to score 70 points. Payton’s Chicago ties will give his team some luck to squeak by in this La Bad cinema.

OUR PICK: BRONCOS

MIAMI DOLPHINS(3-0) AT BUFFALO BILLS(2-1)

This Bills/Dolphins game is must see television. The last time these two teams have met when they are both playing like a well oiled machine, you’d have to go back to the 1990’s with Jim Kelly versus Dan Marino.

I know these two teams met in the playoffs last year. Now the plot thickens as the Dolphins scored 70 points while the Bills had 9 sacks on defense last week. Miami comes down to earth in this one as Buffalo has home field advantage. The defense can get to Tua Tagovailoa. Josh Allen, not forcing the football in the last two games, Bills offense has protected him as well. I don’t see this as a high scoring shoot out. I see this one ending up a 20-17 type of score, but Bills will not lose their first two games to division foes like they did last year.

OUR PICK: BILLS

BALTIMORE RAVENS(2-1) AT CLEVELAND BROWNS (2-1)

This match up is another tough one to pick. I can’t see Lamar Jackson’s Ravens team losing two games in a row after the Colts loss stung. Cleveland rebounded from their loss to the Steelers. I love the city of Cleveland. I love their teams at times. When I hate their teams, it’s a rapist at quarterback and Welcome Back Kareem Hunt who likes to knock out girls in Hotel hallways. I’m presently watching The Wire, an HBO show based in Baltimore so the Drew Carey show will collect dust until the restart of next year’s baseball season. Ravens like to collect division wins and like the Bengals they beat, they will go 2-0 versus Ohio early on in this season.

OUR PICK: RAVENS

LA RAMS (1-2) AT INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (2-1)

The Rams have shown they can play with any team they played so far which resulted in one win versus the Seahawks. The Colts have won two straight with both wins using Gardner Minshew for an injured Anthony Richardson. The Rams have veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford, who’s staying upright this season and is doing some nice things with his young trio of wide receivers. Richardson is expected to play for the Colts. I like the Rams winning on the road.

OUR PICK: RAMS

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS(2-1) AT NEW ORLEANS SAINTS(2-1)

Derek Carr is not expected to play in this one and I still feel the revenge of the Crab Man is in the works. I know Jameis Winston did not look good coming in for Carr last week. A week of practice & the feel of the boiling water about to saturate your skin with that yearning to still want to beat your old team. The Buccaneers had a hiccup last week in their first loss so they are wobbling. The Saints defense can knock that wobbling weeble down. Saints play their best versus the Buccaneers. I like the Crab Man finally showcasing he can still have a big game once in awhile. This is the game and Alvin Kamara is due back from his suspension as well.

OUR PICK: SAINTS

WASHINGTON COMMANDERS (2-1) AT PHILADELPHIA EAGLES(3-0)

Sometimes life is not fair. In this case you have to be thinking about Commanders quarterback Sam Howell being beaten like a red headed step child last week by the Bills defense. He now goes on the road to face an Eagles defense. How does Howell recover from a 9 sack 4 interception day? Both Philadelphia and Washington are division rivals so this game should be close most of the way. Once you think Howell adjusts and is doing some nice things out on the field, trouble will find him and Eagles will use that as the key to victory and stay undefeated.

OUR PICK: EAGLES

CINCINNATI BENGALS(1-2) AT TENNESSEE TITANS(1-2)

I just do not trust the Titans when it comes to picking them or even against them. The Titans like to screw me and it does not feel good. Then the Bengals, you think they are dead in the water after they start off 0-2 for the season. Then the Bengals get by the Rams on Monday night for their first victory of the year. Now Joe Burrow is getting healthier just in time to play a defense they can pick apart. In the back of my mind, the Titans will get me. When you don’t kill the killer in a scary movie, he always comes back to get you. I feel the Bengals get back to 500 rather than the Titans getting there.

OUR PICK: BENGALS

LAS VEGAS RAIDERS (1-2) AT LA CHARGERS (1-2)

Who is dumb? Who is dumber when it comes to both head coaches for the Raiders and Chargers? Maybe a tie for the dumbest with Brandon Staley and Josh McDaniels. No wonder Andy Reid feels like he is the smartest in the room when he mingles with all the AFC West head coaches. He is. The Raiders slogan: If your quarterback is struggling, come meet our defense and we’ll get him back to normal in no time. Justin Herbert should take advantage.

OUR PICK: CHARGERS

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (1-2) AT DALLAS COWBOYS (2-1)

The Cowboys will get back on track with the bad taste left in their mouth from being upended by a questionable Cardinals team. The Patriots won their first game last week but don’t have the horses to keep up with the boys in Dallas. Mac Jones will not have a very good game with the Cowboys defense in his face, he will create the turnovers they need to get back in the win column.

OUR PICK: COWBOYS

ARIZONA CARDINALS(1-2) AT SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (3-0)

No way the 49ers will overlook this Cardinal team like the Cowboys did last week. No way the Cardinals mount another big fish on their mantel two weeks in a row.

The 49ers live in the same division as the Cardinals and will exploit all their weaknesses. Does not matter who’s behind center, the 49ers defense will kill any positive vibes this Arizona team has.

OUR PICK: 49ERS

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS(2-1) AT NEW YORK JETS (1-2)

Oh the misery for those NFL schedulers who had a hard-on when the Jets signed Aaron Rodgers putting them in all these prime time slots. The Jets don’t have a quarterback. The Chiefs certainly do.

OUR PICK: CHIEFS

THE MONDAY NIGHT GAME

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS(2-1) AT NEW YORK GIANTS(1-2)

The Giants should be able to generate some offense versus a poor Seahawk defense. The Seahawks offense is explosive and they will get their share of points. Geno Smith is looking like he did last season and coming back to where it all started for him in New Jersey. I just don’t trust the Giants this season as they had one good half it seems against a bad Cardinal defense. Smith has a well-balanced offensive juggernaut. While the Giants will be without their star running back.

OUR PICK : SEAHAWKS