This year the NFL promoted their first ever Black Friday game between the Dolphins at the Jets. All the big football networks that carry the NFL like CBS, NBC, and Fox got their turkey day game on Thursday, leaving Optimus Amazon Prime out in the dark. The Amazon Prime is the host of Thursday night football in the NFL. Like Sally says in the Peanuts Christmas ,”All’s I want is my fair share.” Suddenly the idea came up with the NFL brain trust or the Amazon people you can pick. Doing a Friday game for Black Friday. What a novel idea to keep people home watching football instead of of out shopping. Being at home you can have your lap top handy and after checking on your fantasy teams, you can save big money shopping Amazon web site for Christmas gifts just the way Santa Clause wrote it up in his play book. The game was a clunker as all these Prime Time games are involving the Jets. All these networks who have a hard on for Aaron Rodgers are exposed, & the smoking gun lies on the television every week as you try to spoon feed us Jets football. Then they put the game in the late afternoon as some people will not be seeing it due to work. They did not miss anything because the game and most of the idea was hot garbage. The NFL could have a Friday night game every week instead of a Thursday night game. It would be better for almost everyone because I know you can’t make everyone happy campers.
The Bruce Willis movie, The Last Boy Scout, was based on the game of football in a made up professional league. They had a song in the movie that sang, “Friday night of football,” like the NFL in their Monday night song. Mostly the movie portrayed bad stuff behind the scenes of football and their league obviously played on Friday nights. This clip above explains this movie had a twisted dark plot of the game. It was a typical Bruce Willis shoot em up action flick like we all like. The way the world is now I hope we don’t see a player shooting his way to get a first down or beyond. Back in the 1960’s before the merger of the NFL and the AFL. The AFL played Friday night games back in the 1960’s. Friday night in the AFL was a fixture in the league. The last game on Friday night in the month of November in the AFL was November 20th of 1964 between the Boston Patriots, at the time, versus the Denver Broncos. Last game played on Black Friday at night in the AFL was a game between the Patriots and the Buffalo Bills on November 23rd of 1962. The NFL has played games on Friday since 1999 on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. The NFL had a pair of games on Friday night in 1993 on New Year’s Eve. The last time the NFL played on Friday that was not a holiday, you have to go back to 1986 in late December. In 1970, the last NFL game not played in December was a season opener between the Cardinals and the Rams in the month of September. The AFL had the coolest programs back then advertising their games each weekend including Friday Night Lights They looked like boxing match up posters with the team’s logo in a cartoon form.
I always thought that the Superbowl should be played on Saturday so everyone has the day off the next day. The Superbowl is practically a holiday because no one wants to work the day after watching the game and eating and drinking with family and friends. If the NFL changed days and went Friday night instead of Thursday night, you could enjoy a game and not have to work the next day. Which would be better for local business throughout the states and it would not matter if your team was playing or not. The ratings may be better on Friday over Thursday. I get people do work Saturdays. I’m talking the majority. The NFL does not care – it’s a billion dollar business, so they can put games on Monday morning and people will watch. That is exaggerating most definitely. I know Friday Night Lights is for the high school games. I know college has football games on as they do them on Thursday nights. If the games were on Friday nights, it gives the teams that played Sunday an extra day of rest and game-planning. Which they would not have on Thursday, a very short week. The product on the field would be better with the extra day of rest. Something about the first and second round NFL playoff games on Saturday night that I really enjoy is because you have Sunday off. You’re going to have people over or go out and have those extra beers or order that fried food that you would not order when you’re dieting during the weekdays. I know Thirsty Thursday is Friday night eve, but something about getting out and having the day off is just better in general. You can still do your Thirsty Thursday thing as well. If Amazon and the NFL got what they wanted in viewers, and the money on Black Friday, it will be a regular thing. I would like to see the game start in the early evening or at night instead of 2 in the afternoon on a Friday. I do ask enough of Aaron Rodgers on all these prime time games. It’s like ESPN’s obsession with Yankees Red Sox in baseball coverage.
LAST WEEK’S RECORD: (9-5) I thought turkeys could fly last week with some of my picks that went south.
SEASON RECORD: (100-64)
WEEK 12 STRAIGHT PICK-EM
THE THURSDAY THANKSGIVING DAYS GAMES
GREEN BAY PACKERS (4-6) AT DETROIT LIONS (8-2)
The Packers found a way at home last week versus the Chargers. The Lions were in deep slumber late in the game over the Bears until they fought back and won the game being down two scores with very little clock time left. Jordan Love is playing better. Jared Goff looked very bad last week but managed to get his act together. The Packers are 1-4 on the road. This is the Lions’ best team since Barry Sanders was running the ball with Wayne Fontes as the head coach and they ran the run and shoot offense.
The Lions are better than that team. The Lions good, bad or ugly always play tough on Thanksgiving day.
OUR PICK: LIONS
WASHINGTON COMMANDERS (4-7) AT DALLAS COWBOYS (7-3)
When the Washington franchise was called the Redskins and when they played the Cowboys on Thanksgiving it seemed like the Pilgrims and Indians gathering for a feast and playing some ball. Now they are called the Commanders and they looked like they checked out versus a bad Giants team last week. The Cowboys prey on teams under 500 and they feasted on Panther jello last week in a easy victory for them. The Commanders traded their top defenders away weeks ago, and Dak Prescott and company should have no problem picking this Washington team apart.
The good ole days of John Madden and Pat Summerall calling one of the Thanksgiving Day games every year, were priceless with their six legged turkey.
OUR PICK: COWBOYS
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (7-3) AT SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (6-4)
Thanksgiving with father and son moments like above. Al Bundy once said if you lose to the Rams, you should be kicked out of the league. The Seahawks lost to the Rams last week and now were swept by their division rival as they lost opening day to LA. The 49ers after the bye week found whatever they were looking for and all are rolling again looking like the Superbowl pick everyone predicted at the start of the season. Geno Smith is banged up on a short week versus that 49er defense. It is a stuffing recipe gone bad.
OUR PICK: 49ERS
THE BLACK FRIDAY GAME
MIAMI DOLPHINS (7-3) NEW YORK JETS (4-6)
The NFL has been hyping the dumpster fire game for weeks. All the networks with the hard on for the Jets putting them in all these prime time games for what? To see Aaron Rodgers. Pathetic!!! The Jets have made a QB change and are going with Tim Doyle instead of Zach Wilson.
Tim Boyle has played for the Packers, Lions, and Bears. Boyle started three games in a Lions uniform back in 2021 and did not win any of those games. The Miami Dolphins will get at least 20 points which will be good enough as the Jets defense will keep close, but it’s another loss for gang green.
OUR PICK: DOLPHINS
THE SUNDAY SLATE
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (5-5) AT ATLANTA FALCONS (4-6)
Both the Falcons and Saints are coming off their bye week. Did that give Derek Carr enough time to heal? The Falcons have lost three in a row and a victory over the Saints keeps them in the thick of things. The Saints win, they may be able to give the Falcons season their fatality. However this is the NFC south, and these two teams will meet again later in the season and probably be neck and neck. I like the Saints defense. I question the Falcons’ one dimensional offense they run. The Saints stop the Falcons running game & it’s over.
OUR PICK: SAINTS
PITTSBURGH STEELERS (6-4) AT CINCINNATI BENGALS (5-5)
Would Charlie Brown and the Peanuts be a successful cartoon without Joe Cool aka Snoopy? Joe Burrow is done for the year and on comes Jake Browning.
Browning making his first ever NFL start versus the Steel Curtain defense. Browning threw a touchdown pass last week in garbage time versus the Ravens defense. The Steelers fired their offense coordinator this week so Kenny Pickett and the offense may look efficient for a change. Steelers defense against another young quarterback, I can’t see them letting this happen two weeks in a row as the Browns rookie did it to them last week. Steelers have found 6 wins with a bad offense and this may be the week the playbook opens up.
OUR PICK: STEELERS
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (7-3) AT HOUSTON TEXANS (6-4)
It seems like the power of the AFC is thriving suddenly in the south. The Texans have won 4 straight. The Jaguars got back on track last week after losing to the 49ers to break their 5 game winning streak. These two teams met up earlier in the season when the Texans won in Jacksonville. The Texans have won the last 10 out of 11 meetings when these two teams meet. It’s hard to pick against the Texans, they are rolling. The Jaguars played & dispatched a bad Titans team last week. Before that, the 49ers brought the Jags back down to earth. I think the Texans are inside Trevor Lawrence’s head.
OUR PICK: TEXANS
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (4-6) AT INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (5-5)
The Colts come off their bye week after beating the Patriots in London. The Buccaneers really had no shot at beating the 49ers last week. Which QB will have the better game in this match up: Baker Mayfield for the Buccaneers or Gardner Minshew? Both quarterback’s stats are similar as Baker has more touchdown passes. The Colts rely on their running game with Jonathan Taylor and Zach Moss giving them the edge over the Buccaneers who don’t run the ball well. The Colts defense has gotten their act together and have found ways to stop teams lately. They should be able to make key stops versus Baker Mayfield. Colts do better on the road than at home but they get another notch in front of the home faithful.
OUR PICK: COLTS
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (2-8) AT NEW YORK GIANTS (3-8)
You can flip a coin in this one and find the winner that way. Your call!! The Patriots lost in Europe and the team is in disarray right now. The Giants’ Tommy DeVito had his best game of the year last week versus a dead Commanders team. Bill Belichick does very well against rookie quarterbacks. If Billy Boy is not smoking the pipe by now, he was planning his attack right when he got on the plane after the Colts game in Europe. Brian Daboll can be that QB whisperer. Watch DeVito have another good game as the Patriots offense struggles massively here. Belichick and the Patriots would like a top QB out of next year’s draft. That is what I’m seeing since Mac Jones is not the answer.
OUR PICK: GIANTS
CAROLINA PANTHERS (1-9) AT TENNESSEE TITANS (3-7)
Another rookie match up here with Bryce Young first round pick versus a guy who slid to the second round in Will Levis. The Panthers are trying and showing up every Sunday which is half the battle. The Titans are finally home after losing three straight on the road. Young will have a better day than his usual. The Titans defense is better than the Panthers and will force Young into mistakes. Will Levis will let it rip at home? The Titans are better at home and have won all three of their games this season. I like the 2nd rounder beating the 1st rounder in this one.
OUR PICK: TITANS
LA RAMS (4-6) AT ARIZONA CARDINALS (2-9)
The Rams looked better with Matthew Stafford back behind center as he returned from an injury last week. You have to like the first two games of the year for Kyler Murray as the Cardinals look like a different team when he is behind center. Both these teams know each other in a division battle. This game can go either way. I like the Cardinals defense playing better at home in a close game able to capitalize on Stafford’s mistake or two. This Rams team does not have that same defense like they had in recent years. Murray will play well and be able to put points on the score board.
OUR PICK: CARDINALS
CLEVELAND BROWNS(7-3) AT DENVER BRONCOS (5-5)
Can you say the Broncos right now are in the playoff hunt? We know the Browns are with their stellar defense. It does not matter who starts behind center for them as they have won three straight. The Broncos looked like the worst team in football. The team now has won 4 straight games and are climbing the standings man. Sean Payton looks like he fixed Russell Wilson and he’s having a come back season. The Browns can run the ball as they like to control the clock and kill the time with the lead. On the road, the Browns will be coming after Wilson who can improv with the best of them and find some scoring plays. You live by the blitz, you die by the blitz. The deciding factor I think is teams can run the ball on the Broncos defense. If the Browns do this and they do it well, this will get them the win on the road.
OUR PICK: BROWNS
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (7-3) AT LAS VEGAS RAIDERS (5-6)
The Chiefs lost a tough one against the reigning NFC champs, the Eagles in the Superbowl rematch of last season. The Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce has revitalized this Raiders team that looked dead in the water weeks ago. The Chiefs hardly ever lose two straight games. If Pierce wants to remove the word interim from his job title, this is the game he needs to win. In Vegas it is a home game for the Raiders, but I can see the stadium taken over by Chiefs fans. Patrick Mahomes will do his thing in a close game but a Chiefs rebound win.
OUR PICK: CHIEFS
BUFFALO BILLS (6-5) AT PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (9-1)
The Eagles are the best team in the league this year as they have the best record. The Bills have struggled weeks prior until last week they looked awesome in their win over the Jets. Both teams are going through the meat of their schedule and the Bills need this game more than the Eagles. It’s a short week for the Eagles and you could say they needed a lot of effort in that win over the Chiefs on Monday night coming back in the second half. Josh Allen looks reborn with a new offensive coordinator. This can make Allen very dangerous. Jalen Hurts will be tough for that Bills defense to control as Russell Wilson made improv plays with that Bills pass rush. The Bills clean up their game in this one and throw everything they have including the kitchen sink at this Eagle team and win on the road before finally going on their bye week. It will be close, but the Bills Mafia will feel like the team is back on track.
OUR PICK: BILLS
THE SUNDAY NIGHT GAME
BALTIMORE RAVENS(8-3) AT LA CHARGERS (4-6)
The Ravens right now are the best team in the AFC. Lamar Jackson is having one of his best seasons in his career. The Chargers laid a clunker in Green Bay and this team is not making it back to the post-season. The Chargers defense is sketchy and the Ravens passing game should have no problems picking them apart. The Chargers offense can be in the conversation as one of the best offenses in the league, but this team is flawed. The coaching staff is hot garbage. They should be better than this on both sides of the ball with the talent they have. The Ravens defense, one of the best in the league, should be able to contain this Chargers offense most of the night. Ravens win rather easily.
OUR PICK: RAVENS
THE MONDAY NIGHT GAME
CHICAGO BEARS (3-8) AT MINNESOTA VIKINGS (6-5)
Both the Bears and the Vikings lost heart breakers last Sunday. The Bears blew their game in the last few minutes of the game on the road in Detroit. The Vikings lost by one point on the road in Denver. The Vikings and Bears are always close games. Can the Bears rebound? Justin Fields looked awesome in his return from injury versus the Lions. Then the Vikings riding the hot hand of Joshua Dobbs. I don’t trust Fields and Matt Eberflus, head coach of the Bears, in close games. Eberflus, since taking over as the Bears head coach, still has not won a game in the division. The Vikings the last few years, seem to play all close games and have a better percentage of closing them out than the Bears.
Last week we got bloody with some of our upset specials prevailing with the Cardinals over the Falcons. We even impressed our selves with the Texans over the Bengals pick.
SEASON RECORD: (91-59)
Still looking to win our first pot of the year in our local family/friends pool.
WEEK 11
THE THURSDAY NIGHT GAME
CINCINNATI BENGALS (5-4) AT BALTIMORE RAVENS (7-3)
Both teams last week fell to unexpected teams. Were they overlooking those match ups thinking of this Thursday night division show down? On a short week, Bengals will be another week without their other star receiver, Tee Higgins. The Bengals have been winning before the loss to the Texans but not as crisp and easy like it has been. The Ravens have played solid football on both sides of the ball. I like Lamar Jackson gashing this Bengals walking wounded defense with big plays. The Ravens defense, the best in the league, can slow down this Bengals offense that is not clicking on all cylinders. Bengals are all talk no walk this season. Ravens sweep the series.
OUR PICK: RAVENS
THE SUNDAY SLATE
DALLAS COWBOYS (6-3) AT CAROLINA PANTHERS (1-8)
The easiest game to pick this week is this match up that has blow out written all over it. Imagine being the fans of Carolina who have a bad season and being in line to have the number one draft pick that is not yours. It’s the Bears who the Panthers lost to last Thursday. The Cowboys feast on bad teams as they enjoy Panther meat in a big fashion right before Thanksgiving.
OUR PICK: COWBOYS
PITTSBURGH STEELERS (6-3) AT CLEVELAND BROWNS(6-3)
I hate when bad things happen to such good people as poor old Deshaun Watson is out with a shoulder injury. That shoulder will need multiple massages to get it back to working condition. Maybe the Texans know some girls. How is Pittsburgh winning these games? Defense, running the ball, and quietly in the thick of things. The Browns defense is still very solid. The Browns will be trotting out their rookie quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson to fill the rapist’s shoes.
The Browns defense and their running game will keep this a close game. In Robinson’s first start of the year, he threw three interceptions & completed just over 50% of his passes. I just can’t see a rookie with limited experience picking apart this Steeler defense.
OUR PICK: STEELERS
CHICAGO BEARS (3-7) AT DETROIT LIONS (7-2)
Justin Fields will be back behind center for this match up with the Lions team that has a roar unlike several decades of no courage. This will not be the battle between two teams hovering at the bottom of the NFC North division standings, fighting not to be in the basement of the division. Fields has a big test on his hands and starts with the Lions. Is Fields the future QB of this team going into next season? The Bears have played better. This Lions team can bite you several different ways. Lions will stay king of the jungle in the NFC North as their defense takes care of rusty Fields and can prepare themselves for turkey day on Thursday, bringing Bear legs to gnaw on as an appetizer.
OUR PICK: LIONS
LA CHARGERS (4-5) AT GREEN BAY PACKERS(3-6)
The Chargers at Lambeau Field just sounds odd. Both the Packers and Chargers need a win as their seasons are in jeopardy of not making the post-season. The Packers can probably have nice production out of their offense with the Chargers’ suspect defense. Right now in Green Bay, no bad weather has hit the Midwest. Which quarterback in this one will get the job done: Justin Herbert or Jordan Love? I can’t see Love matching scores with Herbert all day. Chargers lost a close one last week and scored off a better defense than the Packers in LA versus the Lions.
OUR PICK: CHARGERS
ARIZONA CARDINALS (2-8) AT HOUSTON TEXANS (5-4)
After watching Clayton Tune behind center getting back Kyler Murray, if you are a Cardinals fan, you must have been ecstatic. Murray gets the win in his season debut. The Texans’ CJ Stroud rookie quarterback is walking on water right now. The talk is the Texans can get back to the playoffs. The Cardinals have stayed competitive in most all of their games so this one could be a close affair. I have to ride the hotter hand in Stroud and the Texans. They have more fire power on offense and their defense can make some plays and stops when needed. When players come off long injuries, the first game can be good like Murray did versus the Falcons. But the second game could be a struggle just adapting to the feeling after your first game in over a year.
OUR PICK: TEXANS
TENNESSEE TITANS (3-6) AT JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (6-3)
This will be the third road game in a row for the Titans. The Titans are 0-5 this season on the road. Meanwhile Jacksonville came crashing back down to earth with a very motivated 49er team that came in and put the Denver boot on the Jaguars offense.
The Jaguars’ loss ended their five game winning streak. I feel the Titans are the perfect team for the Jaguars to cut off the boot and find their game on the offensive side of the ball. The Titans defense is not even close to being in the tier of defenses in the league. Will Levis has not thrown a touchdown pass in the last two games and last week only completed under 50% of his passes. The Jaguars defense should be able to handle that kind of completion percentage.
OUR PICK: JAGUARS
LAS VEGAS RAIDERS (5-5) AT MIAMI DOLPHINS (6-3)
The resurgence of the silver and black have won two straight since they cut off their killer mole on the back of their neck called a Josh McDaniels in medical terms. The Dolphins come off their bye week after touring Germany in their loss to the Chiefs. The Raiders wins have been against a bad Giants team and a Jets team that has a bad offense. I love to see the Raiders upset the Dolphins here. I think the Raiders will be able to generate some points. I just can’t see the Raiders defense containing that Miami offense. Miami is at home. Miami does very well with 500 teams and teams with losing records, and are rested.
OUR PICK: DOLPHINS
NEW YORK GIANTS (2-8) AT WASHINGTON COMMANDERS (4-6)
Last year in this match up, both teams were fighting to get into the playoffs. This year both the Commanders and Giants are waving the French flag. The Giants are a mess and it starts with their quarterback situation which is worse than Oscar the Grouch’s trash can. The Commanders actually have played well after they sent some of their bigger names on their defense packing.
Sam Howell may be the quarterback sacked the most times in the NFL this season. Howell has turned into a keeper for the Commanders this season. Howell is completing 66% of his passes and has 17 touchdown passes going into week 11. In his first full year under center, Howell has earned a look beyond this season and hopes the team can get him some protection with offensive line help. I like Howell having a big game against this Giants team.
OUR PICK: COMMANDERS
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS(4-5) AT SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (6-3)
The Buccaneers had a rare win last week breaking a long losing streak. The 49ers broke a long losing streak beating up on a good Jacksonville team. This is not a good game for the Buccaneers. First the flight to the west coast. The 49ers defense trumps anything great that Baker Mayfield has left in the tank by this point of the season. The 49ers resurrected themselves after losing three straight. That defense with the Chase Young addition looks Superbowl bound. After the Buccaneers lost, the bright side is this team will still be in the playoff hunt playing in a very bad division. The 49ers win big.
OUR PICK: 49ERS
NEW YORK JETS (4-5) AT BUFFALO BILLS (5-5)
The Jets offense is struggling. The Bills offense is not struggling like the Jets but has been sputtering. The Bills fired their offensive coordinator after last week’s loss to the Broncos. The Jets players are foaming at the mouth dealing with Zach Wilson as their quarterback. The Bills should have won the first match up after they knocked out Aaron Rodgers. Wilson has won against the Bills, maybe the only team he can beat twice. The Jets defense usually gives Josh Allen fits. Allen is the problem repeatedly making stupid mistakes against teams with multiple turnovers that result in losses. This is a must win for both teams to keep their playoff hopes alive in a log jam in the AFC. I think Bills come to life because of the firing of Ken Dorsey. I think the offense is simplified and Allen thrives and doesn’t make the mistakes he’s been making, as the Bills live for another week with the grind of the schedule waiting in the wings.
OUR PICK: BILLS
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS(6-3) AT LA RAMS (3-6)
The Rams have lost three straight games. The Seahawks found a win at home versus the Commanders in a close battle. Matthew Stafford is back behind center for the Rams, a team coming off their bye week. The Seahawks lost to the Rams in week one. The Rams play better with Stafford behind center so this will be a tight contest. These teams and coaches know each other very well being in the same division. It’s a road game for Seattle, but at the same time it’s tough to sweep a team twice when you know each other very well. I think the Seahawks defense is the X-factor as they force a rusty Stafford who has that gunslinger mentality, into a few mistakes that cost the Rams the game.
OUR PICK: SEAHAWKS
THE SUNDAY NIGHT GAME
MINNESOTA VIKINGS (6-4) AT DENVER BRONCOS (4-5)
Several weeks ago you would have said this match up is a flop. TERRIBLE!!!
The Vikings have won 5 straight. The Broncos have won 3 straight. Joshua Dobbs came to Minnesota in a trade from Arizona. Russell Wilson has found his old glory from the Seahawks games. Both defenses suddenly improved. Remember the Dolphins putting over 70 points on this same Broncos defense? Both quarterbacks can use their legs to make things happen on the run. The Vikings are winning without their superstar receiver, Justin Jefferson. Who do you pick on a game like this? I don’t trust the Broncos kicker because in a close game last week, Denver had miscues on special teams which can haunt them in a close affair. I like Dobbs living The Natural story of Roy Hobbs. The question is where did he come from. The Browns are probably regretting trading Dobbs away with Deshaun Watson out for the season. Vikings thrived in close games last year, so why not another one.
OUR PICK: VIKINGS
THE MONDAY NIGHT GAME
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (8-1) AT KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (7-2)
This may be the best Monday night we have had in years – a rematch of last year’s Superbowl. WOW!!! Another epic showdown of the Kelce brothers. Winner gets Taylor Swift.
Wouldn’t it be cool if Jason Kelce was dating Sheryl Crow? Everyday is a winding road and it leads to Kansas City where the match up is set. Both teams come off their bye week. Andy Reid coming off his bye week has done very well over his career as he was head coach of the Eagles before arriving in Kansas City. This match up has the QB superpowers with Patrick Mahomes versus Jalen Hurts. The Eagles have the Tush push while Mahomes can razzle and dazzle you with his escape ability from the pocket. The Chiefs have their best defense since Mahomes has been in a Chiefs uniform. I think the Eagles will plot a better way not to let Travios Kelce beat them. The Chiefs defense has improved this year, but the Kansas City offense is not having its best year of Mahomes’ career. I like the Eagles defense in that match-up. The Eagles offense will score the right amount to win a close one on the road in an epic game overall. No comebacks this time for the Philly special…..
What is wrong with the Buffalo Bills? Right now going into week 11 the Bills have a 5-5 record coming off another humiliating loss, this time to the Denver Broncos. If the season ended today, the Bills would not make the playoffs. That from a team that came in hoping to reach their ultimate goal of getting to the Superbowl and winning it. Since the London trip in week 5, this team looks dreadful. Josh Allen is a turn over machine. The team continues to play football stupidly with penalties that end up killing them in the long run. These are not the same Sean McDermott teams that showed discipline and played smart football the last few seasons. This team should be 8-2 right now but gave games away to the Jets in the first week & then the Patriots. Then again a few days back to the Broncos. Many teams would be ecstatic to be 5-5 with 7 games to go. The Bills have to go through the meat of their schedule to face some of the top teams in the league like the Eagles, Cowboys, and Chiefs. Then still be able to beat the teams in their division with rematches with the Jets and Dolphins while the Patriots in the first match up were thorns in the side of the Bills. The Bills are a very talented team that someone needs to pull the switch right now to resurrect this lifeless team before the season unravels for good. How do you fix a train wreck about to derail from the tracks?
The Bills offense has not been the same since Brian Daboll left Buffalo and took the head coaching gig with the New York Giants right before the 2022 season. Since then the former quarterbacks coach Ken Dorsey has taken over calling the plays. After the dreadful loss versus the Broncos, the Bills made a change. This may be the first step to prevent this Bills train from derailing. The Bills fired Dorsey and promoted Joe Brady as the new Bills offensive coordinator. Brady was the play caller for LSU back in 2019 when Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase were lighting up SEC defenses together. In 2020, Brady took the Carolina Panthers job as their offensive coordinator. His offense had Teddy Bridgewater behind center and the Panthers that year had a pair of 1,000 yard receivers in DJ Moore and Robby Anderson. The Panthers’ other wide receiver, Curtis Samuel, had 851 receiving yards as they were able to pass the ball and run it with Christian McCaffrey. Dorsey and Brady’s philosophy is somewhat the same but different. Brady will have more spread looks, to spread out the defense to find the right match up for the quarterback. The Bills will probably have less two tight end sets. They will show defenses more 3 & 4 wide receiver sets. Brady worked with offensive mastermind Sean Payton who just led his Broncos over the Bills in that dreadful loss. Sometimes a new voice is what a team like the Bills needs in this kind of situation. It’s better to have a Brady working on your side instead of facing the arch nemesis Tom Brady all those years.
I know Stefon Diggs is a super star receiver in the NFL. I feel like Josh Allen has to go to him and force the ball into his hands on some plays. The Bills have talented play makers on this roster that hardly has been used this season. Where is Josh Allen’s security blanket? This team misses guys like Cole Beasley and Isaiah McKenzie who make those catches over the middle while taking the hit but also getting that crucial first down. Khalil Shakir or newcomers, Trent Sherfield and Deonte Harty – one of them needs to be that guy. With Joe Brady as the offensive coordinator in his style of offense, yards after the catch is a big deal. The new guys that came over from other teams in the off-season are guys you need to get the ball too. They need to find ways for Shakir, Sherfield, and Harty to get the ball from Allen on stride to give the Buffalo offense some big play capabilities. Have not seen the big play this season by this Bills offense. Most importantly, we need to move the chains on third down to keep drives alive.
The Bills have been saying now for years they like to run the ball more. I believe if the Bills would have ran the ball down the Broncos throat most of that Monday night game, they would have won that game against the visiting Broncos. James Cook was in the dog house for the fumble on the first drive on Monday night. Then Cook carried the ball like a man seeking revenge and on a mission. Cook had another fumble in the second half on a big run and luckily the ball bounced back in his hands as he was still in motion. The Bills need to unleash the beast they have on their practice squad for the stretch run. See if Leonard Fournette still has gasoline left in the tank. Fournette helped carry that Tom Brady team in Tampa Bay all the way to the Superbowl. The Bills need to run the ball and stop saying they need to run more and just do it. Use Cook & then bring in your bruising backs in the second half with Fournette and Latavius Murray.
Everything revolves around one person, Josh Allen. If Allen is hot, this team is unstoppable. The Bills are losing games because Allen has become a turn over machine this year. Allen is still slinging touchdown passes at a high rate as one of the league leaders. Allen has turned himself or is heading into the direction of Jameis Winston. Winston was a gunslinger as he threw touchdown passes for both sides of the ball, the offense and the opposing defense, as everyone would score when he was behind center for the Buccaneers. Allen is leaning to the Jay Cutler ways as a gunslinger making mistakes at the wrong time of the game. Every time Allen has more than one turnover, the results turn into a loss. Turnovers killed this team in week one versus the Jets. The Bills knocked out Aaron Rodgers and led most of that game. Allen dishing out early Christmas gifts wrapped it up with red pretty bow for the gang green. Allen will probably go down as the best Bills quarterback of all-time. The things Jim Kelly did better than Allen was beat the teams in your own division and protect the football. Kelly beat the best teams in regular season as well as the division opponents that you needed to beat. Allen is the key to the entire enchilada. If Allen’s games are crisp, the defense does not have to stay on the field most of the game & they can turn this season around. This Bills turn around needs help from the head coach as well.
Sean McDermott is a solid NFL coach. This season is the first I’ve heard since he took the Bills job that he is on the hot seat. McDermott has full control over the defense and I have a bone to pick with him about his play calling. When is he going to learn to defend teams in the last two minutes? I will not get over how Kansas City got a field goal with 13 seconds left in regulation during the post season that ended up with an overtime loss. That one still hurts. The Patriots marched right down the field and beat you in the last minute of the game a few weeks back. The Patriots crap of an offense waltz down the field like they owned you with all those Tom Brady teams that did the same thing to the Bills for over a decade. His defense with the muggings causing pass interference call after pass interference calls. In crucial situations of the game as well. Then the penalties are a major concern. This Bills team used to play a clean crisp game. Now it’s which number are you going to call that shot the team in the foot. The 12th man on the field during that missed Broncos field goal at the end of regulation should not happen. The Broncos awarded 5 yards and like a kids pick up game of whichever sport was awarded the do over and the Broncos won the game. Look in the mirror McDermott because you are not going to like what you see. McDermott better start coaching this team and find a way to get his message through. If the Bills can’t do any of these things I listed, this team will not make the playoffs this season. The Superbowl window with this team could be permanently closed. McDermott could be canned at the end of the season which would be a belly flop heard around the world if the Bills wither away and don’t resurrect their season.
LAST WEEK’S RECORD:(9-5) In week 9, it seemed like we were chasing the chicken in all the games that could go either way. Obviously the 5 losses mean we did not catch Colonel Sanders’ next masterpiece.
OVERALL SEASON RECORD: (81-55)
WEEK TEN
THE THURSDAY NIGHT GAME
CAROLINA PANTHERS (1-7) AT CHICAGO BEARS (2-7)
The Panthers as a team are struggling this season for anything positive. Justin Fields is out for the Bears. Bryce Young has not impressed me behind center for the Panthers. The Bears will roll with their rookie quarterback Tyson Bagent from division II Shepard University. If Bagent could just manage this game, you will see a division II school beat the big dog QB Young from the University of Alabama. The Bears defense will be the key in this win. They have played better the last few weeks and not worried about the Panthers offense mustering up enough points to win this game.
OUR PICK: DA BEARS
THE SUNDAY SLATE
EUROPE GAME
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (4-5) AT NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (2-7)
This game is being played in Germany. You have to love the mugs on her. German’s fine engineering is what you call it. The Colts have been scoring points as their defense played better than weeks before last Sunday’s win over a bad Panthers team. The Patriots are a broken team & they have nothing positive they do on weekly basis. Is it time to send Bill Belichick packing if you are the slime ball owner of the Patriots Robert Kraft? When you play on neutral ground, I think the best friend to have is a running game. The Colts two headed monster attack with Zack Moss and Jonathan Taylor should be enough to give Indianapolis a road win over the Patriots.
OUR PICK: COLTS
BACK TO THE STATES
CLEVELAND BROWNS (5-3) AT BALTIMORE RAVENS (7-2)
Both the Browns and the Ravens have two things in common. They play solid defense as the Ravens are number one scoring defense in the league while Cleveland is number 3. The Browns have allowed less yards than the Ravens defensive unit. Both the Browns and Ravens do very well in their respective division battles with only one loss in the season. How do you sort this out? You have to go by the quarterback position. Lamar Jackson is playing out of his mind right now as the Ravens as a team look like the best in the entire league. Jackson is much better than the rapist Deshaun Watson this season. Ravens put their claws on the strangle hold of the division in this one with a win.
OUR PICK: RAVENS
HOUSTON TEXANS (4-4) AT CINCINNATI BENGALS (5-3)
Can the Texans go into Cincinnati and get the upset? The Bengals are red hot right now as Joe Cool Burrow is completing over 70% of his passes. CJ Stroud last week completed over 70% of his passes and had 5 touch down passes for 470 passing yards versus a pretty good Buccaneer defense is not too shabby. Call me crazy. Call me insane… this is my upset pick of the week. First thing is the Bengals can look past the Texans at their next match up on Thursday night versus the Ravens. Tee Higgins is out in this one for the Bengals. I like Stroud being able to escape the Bengals pressure on defense. Besides, the Texans are not a team that is a walk in the park anymore. I’m going Houston with the upset of the week.
OUR PICK: TEXANS
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (5-3) AT JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (6-2)
This game looks like a must see. I’m thinking it may be a let down. Both the Jaguars and 49ers are coming off their bye week. Something has to give in this match up as the Jaguars have won 5 straight while the 49ers have lost three straight. I think the 49ers will benefit from the bye week more than the hotter team, the Jaguars. The 49ers used the week to heal up and get their new guys familiar with the scheme of things. The 49ers adding a dog to their defense from the Commanders in Chase Young will be unleashed in Jacksonville.
The 49ers snap their losing streak and at the same time break the Jaguars winning streak to bring their fans back in from the ledge.
OUR PICK: 49ERS
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (5-4) AT MINNESOTA VIKINGS (5-4)
The Vikings are either the luckiest team in the NFL for a stretch of weeks or unluckiest for stretches of the season. The team trades for Joshua Dobbs & then insert him into the game due to an injury. Like that, the Vikings are over 500. The Saints defense came to life in the second half versus the Bears last week, the unit many expected to see most of the year. Can Dobbs save the Vikings season? Can the Saints play the perfect game with Derek Carr putting up points on the scoreboard while the defense limits the opposing team on the scoreboard? Dobbs will now have a week to learn the Vikings play book, but can he run the plays? Last week you know Dobbs was doing the bare bones of the offense and just doing things that came natural. I like the Saints being able to game plan for Dobbs. Another Viking receiver will be out. K.J. Osburn suffered a concussion last week versus the Falcons and will not play which gives the Saints the advantage. Vikings star receiver Justin Jefferson is still out. Saints defense can key in on Dobbs.
OUR PICK: SAINTS
GREEN BAY PACKERS (3-5) AT PITTSBURGH STEELERS (5-3)
The Packers and the Steelers need this win in week ten. The Packers need the win to creep back to the 500 mark and plot a way to get back in the NFC North race. The Steelers are involved in a tight race in the AFC North. Both teams won last week. The Packers beat a Rams team without Matthew Stafford behind center. The Steelers had to come back and top the Titans. Kenny Pickett versus Jordan Love is like a runner in baseball getting to the bag at the same time as the ball. In which goes to the runner being called safe. Which one is the runner? I like the Steelers chances better at home and their defense can do more and give Love a bad name as Pittsburgh shot to the heart of Green Bay fans.
OUR PICK: STEELERS
TENNESSEE TITANS (3-5) AT TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (3-5)
It was all fun at the beginning of the season with Baker Mayfield playing well for the Buccaneers. Tampa Bay was sniffing the playoffs and Mayfield was going to redefine himself as a starting quarterback in the NFL. The Buccaneers may have to do what the Titans have done with rookie Will Levis who is going to start his 3rd NFL game of his career and has done pretty decent so far. The Buccaneers defense has gone soft. The team has lost 4 straight. The Buccaneers should see what they have in Kyle Trask who I thought should have started the season as QB 1. Levis has to be licking his chops right now seeing another rookie CJ Stroud throw for 470 yards last week on the Buccaneers defense. This will be a close game as the Titans pull it out at the end as Levis starts to look more like the future of this Tennessee team for the long haul.
OUR PICK: TITANS
ATLANTA FALCONS (4-5) AT ARIZONA CARDINALS (1-8)
The Falcons Cardinals showdown features former Commander quarterback Taylor Heinicke versus the return of Kyle Murray. Cardinals fans have to be dancing in the streets naked not seeing Clayton Tune, not play it again Sam. Heinicke took over the starting job from Desmond Ridder. Heinicke is a young Colt McCoy who can win games in the NFL but will also lose more games than he wins. Murray will be rusty, but his return has to be a lift for the entire team. The Cardinals have played most of their games tough losing a lot of close ones. I see Murray doing something special and I like the Cardinals at home for this one.
OUR PICK: CARDINALS
NEW YORK GIANTS (2-7) AT DALLAS COWBOYS (5-3)
Danny Devito’s brother Tommy ia getting the start for the Giants and he is not a sub above behind center. Tommy is probably not related to actor Danny Devito. I know this after Tommy faces the Cowboys defense, Giants fans will want to throw him off the train. It can be a sequel, “Throw Tommy Off the Train.” Dallas feeds on teams under 500 like zombies chomping down on brains. The Cowboys use the Giants like that girl everyone knows as a nice rebound to get back on their feet after the loss in Philadelphia.
OUR PICK: COWBOYS
DETROIT LIONS (6-2) AT LA CHARGERS (4-4)
The Lions come off a bye week as they look to win their second straight on the road versus a Charger team that has won two straight. We are still waiting for Justin Herbert to get hot as that Charger offense is not firing on all cylinders. For the Lions, they had a comfortable lead in the NFC North, but objects appear closer than usual in your rear view mirror as the Vikings are closing in on distance. I like the Lions defense well rested to keep this Charger offense contained. Jared Goff back in his old stomping grounds will want to play one of his better games in LA and escape with a victory. The Lions are 3-1 on the road, so they can win as they did knock out the Chiefs in the very first game of the season at Arrowhead stadium.
OUR PICK: LIONS
WASHINGTON COMMANDERS(4-5) AT SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (5-3)
The Commanders were sellers at the trade deadline and show me something winning on the road versus a New England team. Meanwhile, Seattle was beaten like a red headed step child by the Ravens last weekend. Geno Smith looked like Geno Smith back in those Jets days. Seattle is 3-1 at home this season so they should be able to get that offense back on track. For the Commanders, two road games and one all the way to Seattle is tough task. I like the Seahawks defense being able to put the pressure on Commanders quarterback Sam Howell who has been sacked one of the most this season in the NFL. The offense reboots and Seahawks will still be on top of the NFC West by themselves or sharing the honors with the 49ers once again.
OUR PICK: SEAHAWKS
THE SUNDAY NIGHT GAME
NEW YORK JETS (4-4) AT LAS VEGAS RAIDERS (4-5)
Another prime time game for the Jets as all the networks had a hard on for Aaron Rodgers before the season even started. The Raiders lost the dead weight of their former coach Josh McDaniels & now look like a whole new team. The Jets have been lingering around like a floater that will not go down on the first flush. Rodgers is not going to save this team coming out of some dark retreat smoking the pipe. The defense of the Jets has been over worked every week trying to keep this team in games. The Jets offense is horrific while the Raiders defense see red and will be charging like some Viking movie led by Mad Max Crosby. Josh Jacobs, a reborn football player after McDaniels coaching, will have another big game running the ball for another Raiders win.
OUR PICK: RAIDERS
THE MONDAY NIGHT GAME
DENVER BRONCOS (3-5) AT BUFFALO BILLS (5-4)
This is a must win game for the Buffalo Bills. It’s never easy it seems lately for the Bills as the Broncos have won two straight with the last victory coming against the Kansas City Chiefs. The Bills find themselves falling on hard times with an offense that is sputtering and fans are waiting for the one play or the savior who will spark this team. The Broncos come off a bye week to face a tough road test with a team that is wounded mentally and possibly physically, and they don’t want to set the short wick. The Bills have the Eagles, Chiefs, and Cowboys coming up after a rematch with the Jets so they need games like this with the buzz saw of a schedule in late November, early December.
The Bills will come out loose in this game & playing at home will help get them back on track for at least this week. I can’t promise you anything beyond. The Broncos bye week comes when the team is hot, but will come out cold.
The Chicago Bears baffle me when it comes down to running a football team in the NFL. Instead of being sellers at the trade deadline, they became buyers and for whatever reason, a 2-6 record at the time. The Bears traded a second round pick in next year’s draft for 27 year old defensive end Montez Sweat from the Washington Commanders. The first question after your jaw dropped is Sweat is going to be a free agent so why waste a second round pick on a half of season rental. The Bears were quick withe the defenses and gave Sweat a multi-year contract extension as the Bears have money to burn with their salary cap not yet in handcuffs. I know the Bears need pass rushing and Sweat can provide that. The team could have kept their second round pick and ate their cake by signing Sweat on the open market after the season.
Motez Sweat was drafted by the Commanders in the first round in 2019, number 26 overall. Sweat has played 5 seasons in the NFL and has racked up 35.5 sacks. Sweat this season has 6.5 sacks all with the Commanders as he debuted for the Bears last week versus the Saints. Sweat is a guy that could draw double teams which could leave other guys unprotected going after the quarterback. The Bears as a group coming in last week had only ten sacks as a team. With Sweat on one edge it should give the other edge rusher the Bears signed right before the season started, Yannick Ngakoue, a better chance to improve his game. The Bears threw 10.5 million at Ngakoue on a one year deal at him to pressure the quarterback pretty much by himself. Ngakoue is an 8 year veteran who has played multiple teams in the NFL & has two sacks this season. I can see why the Bears need a guy like Sweat to help other guys and to keep the opposing offenses concerned about a guy they know they have to key on, like Montez. Montez may not rack up the sacks with this Bears defense. Not yet at least he can hit the quarterback often during the game and disrupt his passes.
The Bears’ brain trust this go around has their fans scratching their heads. Guys like Montez Sweat should be added to the roster when the Bears are finally ready to make that final step and be that playoff team. The second round pick GM Ryan Poles gave the Commanders for Sweat is a top 40 pick in next year’s draft. The Bears will have the Carolina Panthers’ number one and they look and play the part of one of the worst teams in the league right now. Then you have the Bears record itself which will grant this team a high pick which gives you two most likely in the first ten picks of the draft. To have that early second rounder gets you three talented players to take off the board. Then adding a Sweat type of player is not a bad idea, but you could have drafted a defensive edge rusher with one of three picks and saved that money from the extension for a rainy day. The Bears still have no quarterback which is a glaring need since the 1940’s when Sid Luckman was behind center. Has Justin Fields developed into that number one guy? I have not seen it. This is the biggest question because will the Bears brain trust trot out Fields next year? Once again thinking and crossing your fingers saying, “this is the year.” The Bears could draft another quarterback in the first round. The Bears would not get that lucky and pick the CJ Stroud type that is already producing in big ways for the Houston Texans. The Bears would pick the other door prize, the guy that will become a lingering project. Like Charlie Brown with his Christmas tree. Whatever the Bears touch at the quarterback position, it instantly dies. Paying veterans like Sweat right now during a bad season makes no sense if the team wanted to get a quality veteran quarterback through trade or free agency. They need to keep money available if they want to go that direction. The Bears are who we thought they were as they run a football team completely backwards and have continued that trend for decades. Why we thought Ryan Poles would be different, it beats me.
Just one of those weeks that we could not get the games that could go either way, right.
SEASON RECORD:(72-50)
WEEK NINE
THE THURSDAY NIGHT GAME
TENNESSEE TITANS (3-4) AT PITTSBURGH STEELERS (4-3)
Both the Steelers and the Titans have been unpredictable all season as they are a roller coaster at Fright Fest with screams of you don’t know what. I dig the Titans throwback uniforms – the old Oilers ones from back in the Houston days. The Steelers defense threw everything they had even the kitchen sinks at the Jacksonville offense last week and held them to only 20 points. The Titans came to life with a quarterback switch as Tennessee went with rookie quarterback out of Kentucky, Will Lewis. The Steelers offensive line has been dreadful & starting quarterback Kenny Pickett is playing with an rib injury. I like Lewis’ debut last week as we had a DeAndre Hopkins sighting. Lewis has lots to prove and will have nice night with a tired Steeler defense.
OUR PICK: TITANS
THE SUNDAY SLATE
MIAMI DOLPHINS (6-2) AT KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (6-2) IN GERMANY
The Dolphins versus Chiefs in Germany? Crazy… two AFC heavyweights going at it. The Chiefs lost to the Broncos which Patrick Mahomes has said he had flu-like symptoms during that loss. The Dolphins also lost to the Eagles. Which team will lose two in a row and do it over in another country? Is this Tyreek Hill’s revenge game versus the Dolphins playing his former team? The Dolphins can’t beat really good teams. I can see Patrick Mahomes able to generate points on the Dolphins defense. The Dolphins can score points, but the Chiefs defense can stop the bleeding. I can’t bet against Patrick Mahomes to lose two straight.
OUR PICK: CHIEFS
MINNESOTA VIKINGS (4-4) AT ATLANTA FALCONS (4-4)
Just when the Vikings started playing their best football and doing it without their best player on the field, Justin Jefferson. Vikings in a win over arch-rival Packers lose Kirk Cousins for the remainder of the season. The Falcons lost last week but remain at the top of the NFC South.
Can the traveling Dobbs in Josh who arrives in Minnesota through a trade with Arizona be the guy to continue to guide this Viking team to the promised land? The Viking ship sinks in Atlanta as Dobbs or the other back up will not be up to speed, the Vikings are hoping. The Falcons are 3-1 at home this season and should be able to score off the bad Viking defense.
OUR PICK: FALCONS
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (5-2) AT BALTIMORE RAVENS (6-2)
The last time the Seahawks played a AFC North opponent, they had their chances to beat the Bengals in Cincinnati. The Seahawks’ drives stalled with bad decisions on Geno Smith. The Ravens are playing solidly on both sides of the ball. The Seahawks defense has been catching up with their offense. The Seattle offense has been digressing in the last few games, not as potent it was like last year. This match up looks enticing on paper. Like a fight to the end. Not going to happen. The Ravens defense will stress Geno out. I forgot this little nugget of information – Lamar Jackson for the Ravens is 17-1 versus the NFC conference. Last time I checked, Seattle moved out of the AFC West to the NFC years ago. Checkmate!!!
OUR PICK: RAVENS
ARIZONA CARDINALS (1-7) AT CLEVELAND BROWNS (4-3)
The Cardinals traded their starting quarterback this entire season, Joshua Dobbs, to the Vikings last week. Dobbs was just holding the fort down for Kyler Murray. The Browns have PJ Walker going again for the injured Deshaun Watson. The Cardinals will be going with rookie quarterback Clayton Tune, a 5th round pick out of Houston University. The Browns defense will make sure Clayton’s Tune does not get into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame. The Cardinals coaching staff is serving up steaks to the dog pound defense that have played like junk yard dogs most of the season and they will fine tune their prowl in this one.
OUR PICK: BROWNS
LA RAMS (3-5) AT GREEN BAY PACKERS (2-5)
Both the Packers and the Rams are a mess right now. The Rams have played tough in almost every game, but the wheels fell off the LA bus especially last week versus the Cowboys. The Packers are finding out what it is like to have no quarterback.
It’s like trying to put cheese on top of liver and onions hoping to improve the taste. The Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford is banged up. The Packers are at home and will find a win with their running game in a sloppy affair resulting in low scoring.
OUR PICK: PACKERS
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (3-4) AT HOUSTON TEXANS (3-4)
The Buccaneers and Texans are desperate for a victory with both teams losing last week. The Texans lost to the winless Panthers, which has to sting. The Buccaneers have now lost three in a row after starting off the season 3-1. I like the Buccaneers defense versus a rookie quarterback, C.J Stroud, who will feel the pressure about to lose two in a row and thinking about the Panthers’ loss. The Buccaneers have extra rest, and playing last Thursday should give Bake Mayfield and that offense time to find themselves and be able to put more points on the board and get back to the 500 mark.
OUR PICK: BUCCANEERS
WASHINGTON COMMANDERS (3-5) AT NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (2-6)
This is another bad game on the week 9 schedule. The Commanders have waved the white flag after losing to the Eagles. The Commanders traded away two key pass rushers. The Patriots did what they could against the Dolphins in Miami. The Patriots should be able to generate pass rush versus a very weak Commanders offensive line who are tops in the league with sacks allowed. The Patriots should be able to score off the Commanders defense who have weakened their strong suit on defense by trading away their pass rushers. Patriots are also at home which should serve their purpose – a victory in front of the storm troopers.
OUR PICK: EVIL EMPIRE
CHICAGO BEARS (2-6) AT NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (4-4)
Remember Da Coach getting the job with the Saints? Mike Ditka trading all that draft capital for running back Ricky Williams as things did not go well for Da Coach in the Big Easy. The Bears will have rookie quarterback Tyson Bagent starting for the third straight game. Justin Fields still hurt. The Saints got back to the 500 mark last week with a win. Derek Carr and the Saints offense are starting to click. The Saints defense will be a tough test for the Division II quarterback. Saints at home get over 500 with a win.
OUR PICK SAINTS
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (3-5) AT CAROLINA PANTHERS (1-6)
The Panthers finally get their first victory of the year. The Colts lose another high scoring affair versus the Saints this time. The Colts defense has been awful, especially the last two games. The Panthers offense and Bryce Young have not been a part of any showdowns at high noon like that. Panthers will score more points than usual. I don’t think the Panthers defense can stop that two headed monster running game that the Colts have. Gardner Minshew will air out the rock as well as anything goes for the Colts on offense. Panthers can not keep up with the Colts pace on offense. This week the Colts are on top of the arena football game at Lucas Oil Stadium.
OUR PICK: COLTS
NEW YORK GIANTS (2-6) AT LAS VEGAS RAIDERS (3-5)
This is another disaster on the week 9 menu of the NFL. Who’s playing quarterback for each team? The Giants may have their starting quarterback, Daniel Jones, who was out with a neck injury, back behind center. The Raiders fired their head Josh McDaniels this week. The new head coach for the Raiders benched Jimmy Garoppolo in favor of their back up QB, Aidan O’Connell. Antonio Pierce will dumb things down for the Raiders players stepping in for McDaniels. The Giants traded away one of their main pieces on their defense line sending Leonard Williams to Seattle. This game could go either way. The Giants still have a shaky offensive line against which the Raiders defense can give a rusty Jones a long day at the office. With new coaches in these situations, the team usually wins the first game for the interim.
OUR PICK: RAIDERS
DALLAS COWBOYS (5-2) AT PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (7-1)
Cowboys versus Eagles is always a measuring stick for both teams when they face each other. Two NFC power houses that share the same division. The Cowboys have played well the last two weeks. The Eagles are winning games, but we have not seen their best which is frightening. I like the Eagles at home. The Cowboys seem due for another clunker that comes every few games. The Cowboys are like the Dolphins, in the AFC they beat all the bad teams along with the middle of the road teams but can’t take out that big buck in the forest as they miss or miss really bad.
OUR PICK: EAGLES
THE SUNDAY NIGHT GAME
BUFFALO BILLS (5-3) AT CINCINNATI BENGALS (4-3)
Here we go again: Bengals versus the Bills. A rematch from last post season that made Buffalo look bad. The last time the Bills and Bengals met in Cincinnati was the game that never finished with Damar Hamlin needing CPR after making a tackle early in that contest. The Bills have been struggling since losing in London. The Bengals have been red hot and a healthier Joe Burrow is finding his mid-season form. Both teams won last week. Bengals looked good winning a tough one on the road versus a great 49er team. The Bills played well, but it was not easy for them putting away a bad Buccaneer team. This game has Bengals written all over it as the Bills found their kryptonite dealing with these guys. It’s a bad match up on both sides of the ball for the Bills. I’m a die hard Bills fan and I’m praying for the miracle on Sunday with the resurrection of the Bills squad we saw earlier in the season. I want revenge from that playoff loss. I want Hamlin to beat his demons on that field. Bills get the upset.
OUR PICK: BILLS
THE MONDAY NIGHT GAME
LA CHARGERS (3-4) AT NEW YORK JETS (4-3)
The first two questions in this match up between the Jets and Chargers: Can the Jets stop the Chargers offense? Can the Chargers score points they are comfortable scoring versus the Jets defense? The other side has things I like about the Chargers defense over the Jets offense. The Jets have been hanging around as they escape the battle of New York facing another Big Apple team with an offense like them. The Chargers were a playoff team last year. Are they due to win two straight games? The Jets will slow down the Chargers offense and keep them in check most of the game. In the end, the Chargers defense comes up with the key turnovers on Zach Wilson to decide this one. Big road win for the Chargers as they even up their record at 4-4.
Since it is Halloween I came up with a list of players that have or are still in the NFL that would scare the hell out of me in a dark alley. Some of these players are ghosts from the grave yard coming back on Halloween night like a Freddie or Jason for another sequel. Some of these guys were before my time, but I have read about them and it was a different game back then. More violent. Nobody had concussions back then. All these guys for sure were bat shit crazy during their time playing on the gridiron with an edge of being fearless. I have ten guys. I ranked them counting down from ten with number 1 being the scariest. All of them would do a solid job scaring the life out of you and me, especially if trapped in a dead end alley. These guys are why we have horror movies.
#10. CHARLES MARTIN DE/NT
Charles Martin during the 1980’s played six seasons in the NFL as he tallied up 11 total sacks playing defensive line mostly for the Packers. Martin was nicknamed “Too Mean.” When he played for the Green Bay Packers, he had a towel that he made his personal hit list on with players’ numbers on them. One hit off that list was Jim McMahon when the Packers played their rival Bears. Martin body-slammed the punky QB to the turf like it was a WWF wrestling ring. After that McMahon was never the same quarterback. Martin did not care about the team as this happened after the play was over as he had his own agenda and accomplished it. Now imagine a big guy like Martin that elevated his game using marker over crayons, having a hit list, and him finding you in a dark alley.
#9.JACK YOUNGBLOOD DE
Jack Youngblood may go on multiple lists as he played 14 seasons with the LA Rams in the 70’s and 80’s and was one of the toughest SOB’S of all-time. Youngblood tallied up 151.5 sacks in his career and opposing offenses feared him – especially the quarterbacks around the league. During the 1979 NFC Championship and when the Rams went on to play in Superbowl XIV, Youngblood played with a broken leg. In all those Halloween movies or Friday the 13th movies, the football mask of Youngblood is the hockey mask of those horror movies. You think you killed the serial killer, but he keeps coming after you. That is Youngblood chasing you down an alley maimed with a broken leg, but he eventually will get you. His last name has blood in it… so what do expect?
#8.MYLES GARRETT DE
Myles Garrett is still active in the NFL playing 7 seasons with the Cleveland Browns. Garrett has racked up 83 sacks so far in his promising career. There was the time Garrett snapped on the field ripping the helmet off Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolf. Then Garrett using the same helmet as a weapon to whack the Steelers quarterback. Luckily he was being held back by other players on both sides, or Rudolf could have been brain dead. This may be Garrett’s only incident like that, but he still gives anyone he faces the jeebie weebies because you don’t know when his short wick will ignite. In a dark alley, Garrett would use anything for a weapon and beat your head with it like Rodney King with nightsticks from the LAPD.
#7.JACK LAMBERT LB
Jack Lambert’s teeth looks like something you carved in your pumpkin to scare the neighbors’ cat away. Lambert was a big part of the Original Steel Curtain for the Pittsburgh Steelers during the 1970’s. Lambert was nicknamed Dracula in spikes and Jack Splat as he destroyed opposing players playing linebacker. It did not matter the size of the players as the bigger they were, the harder they would fall with Lambert knocking you into tomorrow-land. Lambert had 28 interceptions during his time in the NFL. Imagine him chasing you down in a dark alley with a grin like the Joker or rotten teeth like Penny Wise, the clown. You’d be dragged into the sewers and never be heard from again.
#6. RICHIE INCOGNITO OL
Richie Incognito played with multiple teams in the NFL for 13 seasons. Incognito was a 4x pro-bowler playing in the trenches protecting the quarterback. Incognito had a evil streak in him as he was the Gooch of the Miami Dolphins when he played in Florida. Incognito was the guy demanding your lunch money as he bullied his former teammate, Jonathan Martin. Incognito would be suspended for his actions of hazing Martin. A guy who pretty much could not take the everyday abuse, left the team, and not long after retired from the game. When Incognito’s own father died, he walked into the funeral parlor and wanted to cut his own father’s head off. Imagine Incognito catching up with you in an alley to remove your head from your body to use it like the Governor on Walking Dead for his own personal fish tank ornament.
#5. RAY LEWIS LB
Ray Lewis played 17 seasons in the NFL, all for the Baltimore Ravens. Lewis was a mad man playing the line backer position with anger as he racked 1.568 solo tackles in the NFL along with 41.5 sacks. Lewis was part of two Superbowl winning teams in Baltimore. The linebacker will be remembered mostly for the double murder he did after a Superbowl party he went to in Atlanta in 2000. Lewis did some jail time as he was never convicted of the double murder where two people were stabbed in a bar/restaurant which he witnessed. Or did he? The charges were dropped. Lewis was only charged with obstruction of justice. You can say Lewis was covering for one of his guys. Maybe someone took the fall for him. Maybe in the alley someone else would take the fall for this mad man named Ray Ray taking you out.
#4.DICK BUTKUS LB
Dick Butkus played his entire career with the Bears for nine seasons during the 60’s and early 70’s. Out of those 9 seasons, Butkus made the pro-bowl in 8 of them. The last two seasons of Butkus’ career, he still strived on the field with two bad knees. The playing career of Butkus is like the legendary tales of a Vampire. The legend, the myths, the stories… what’s true & what’s false in folk tales still being told about this man’s legacy. The things Butkus did no way in hell you could get away with in today’s NFL. Butkus would clothesline opposing players as they crashed to the ground being roped with his forearm under the helmet. In the piles, Butkus may have bitten and scratched opposing players drawing blood while getting some rabbit punches in. Butkus would launch his body like a missile, not like present days of players doing that as he would make the tackle and drive them into the ground. Opposing offenses had to plan how to work around Butkus as they knew they couldn’t contain him. In a dark alley, even knowing where Butkus is, at some point he was going to get you.
#3. VONTAZE BURFICT LB
Vontaze Burfict was a middle linebacker most of his career with the Cincinnati Bengals. Burfict was a head hunter and he did not care. Burfict has been suspended by the NFL 4 times and has been fined by the league 9 different times in 7 total seasons. Burfict has paid about 5 million dollars out of his pocket roughly for his head hunting ways on the field. He obviously did not care as he liked to launch his body and knock opposing wide receivers out of the game. His hits have cost his team games. Even a playoff game against the arch rival Steelers when he knocked out Antonio Brown with a vicious hit to his helmet. That may explain why Brown is crazy. Burfict would not care about ending you in a dark alley as his wallet may not be as full as it once was. Seeing you on the ground would be the extra gravy he needs to get his fix.
#2. AARON HERNANDEZ TE
Aaron Hernandez was a part of the Patriots dynasty and made it to one of the losing Superbowls of the Evil Empire. Hernandez only played three seasons and at the tight end position he had star written all over him along with all the disturbing tattoos he was covered in. Hernandez in three seasons caught 175 passes for 1,956 yards and 18 touchdowns. Hernandez outside football acts like a gang banger as he shot one of his friends for finding out something about him. Hernandez was always around trouble as it followed him. In 2007 in the state of Florida, he knocked out a bouncer at a bar hitting the man right on the ear drum. Hernandez was acquitted for a double murder they proved he did not do while in jail. Hernandez eventually took his own life in jail. Hernandez would have no problem putting a bullet in someone’s head in a dark alley.
#1.JACK TATUM (THE ASSASSIN) DB
Jack Tatum, nicknamed The Assassin, is my number one villain I would not want to meet in an alley in the dark in the light. Tatum played in the 1970’s with the Raiders for nine seasons as he ended his career in Houston in 1980. Tatum had 37 interceptions in his entire career. It was not the interceptions that earned Tatum the nickname. It was Tatum’s wicked hits where he earned that name. During the 1970’s, you could mug someone and not get penalized as Tatum would deliver an assassin-style blow to any opposing player going over the middle to catch a ball. In a pre-season game in 1978, Tatum seemed to be in mid-season form and laid out Patriots wide receiver, Darryl Stingley. It ended his career as he was paralyzed for the rest of his life. Tatum never showed any compassion for the hit on Stingley and never apologized for it. In an alley, Tatum a guy with a nick name assassin with no conscious, would easily take out his target.
The Wild shamrock 