Maybe the greatest head coach in NFL history, is starting new chapter in his life. We already know about Bill Belichick’s 20 something year old girlfriend when he is 72 years old. That might tell you Belichick is ready for something new in life, a college job which is a younger man’s game. Belichick was served his walking papers after the 2023 season as the Empire dynasty officially came to an end as the New England Death Star came crashing down to Earth. In 2024 all the opening NFL jobs went to others instead of giving full control of their franchise to the evil master mind with a 400 page manifesto about the structure of the Empire running things. Now he will try to turn the men’s basketball power house into a football school seeking a similar dynasty like the Patriots went down and became the team that everyone despised. Belichick will get a five year deal to turn the Tarheels into a football power house.
The only thing Bill Belichick knows is the NFL. As a head coach he was the leader for 29 years with 24 of them in New England. Belichick has been a part of 8 Superbowl wins which six came from the Patriots and the other two when he was the assistant head coach of the New York Giants. He was the guy that handled the defense for those Bill Parcells teams. In the Giants’ Superbowl XXV win over the Bills, his team contained Jim Kelly’s high powered offense to only 19 points. That was the Bills wide right miss by Scott Norwood, kicker for the Bills, who sealed the deal for Belichick and the Giants. Belichick’s first head coaching job came in Cleveland where he managed 5 years with a record of 36-44 as he had no quarterback. That all changed in New England.
Bill Belichick may have gotten lucky drafting Tom Brady in the late rounds of the NFL draft from the University of Michigan. Things took off when the Patriots franchise Quarterback before Brady was Drew Bledsoe and when he got hurt that is when the dynasty started. Bledsoe would eventually get traded. Belichick would earn coach of the year honors in 2003, 2007, and 2010. His record in New England as the head coach after 24 seasons was 266-121. Without Tom Brady the last three seasons in New England Belichick was 29-28 which equals out to a .463 winning percentage. Without Brady, Belichick had a losing record in his head coaching career of 82-98 which includes the Browns. He finished his NFL career as a head coach with 333-178 record which includes post-season. He still holds the record as head coach with the most post-season victories of 31. His regular season record is 302-165 which he trails only Don Shula in NFL history who has the most victories all-time with 347. If Belichick was hired for another head coaching job in the NFL, he would have passed Shula.
Bill Belichick will replace a legendary head coach in college football history. Mack Brown was 73 years old and is not dating a 20 year old cheerleader. Brown had two stints at North Carolina. His first stint he coached the Tar Heels from 1988-1997 and had a record of 67-46 and led North Carolina to six bowl appearances. Last time the Tar Heels won the ACC you have to go back to 1980. Brown was then hired back in 2019 after taking 5 years off coaching and Tar Heels improved right away to a 7-6 record in the first year back. In 2022 he had North Carolina back in the ACC Championship which they lost. Brown has tallied up 288 career wins which ranks him number 8 all time in FBS coaching lists.
In the press conference welcoming Bill Belichick, the school has already unveiled their new head coach’s hoodie. The Hoodie was Belichick’s signature item he wore during the New England empire days. He said in the press conference, “I didn’t come here to leave.”
Bill Belichick is not using his new opportunity as a stepping stone back to the NFL. Belichick informed the press that his father coached in North Carolina back in the 1950’s. So you will see the old Belichick disciples start to gather. The only holdover Belichick is keeping is Freddie Kitchens of the UNC staff. Kitchens had no right to be a head coach for the Browns back in 2019 as he was a joke in the NFL. Belichick’s son coached the Huskies defense of Washington University so I’m sure he will joining the staff. It’s not like Belichick will have problems getting his coaching staff assembled. All on his coaching tree could not cut it by themselves in the NFL. You may see Josh Daniels calling the offense for the Tar Heels in 2025.
What can you expect from here and the future of the University of Carolina football program with Bill Belichick taking over? The college football job is a 365 days of the year commitment. Which is not going to bother Belichick who bleeds football 24/7 every day. Not sure how he will fit the 20 something year old squeeze into the new situation? When he was with the Patriots he had full control of the team which included the draft and General Manager duties on who to sign. I don’t see Bill and his sunshine personality doing well in these kids’ parents homes in a recruitment visit. Do young kids want to go through boot camp hell to play football for Belichick? Of course you can see recruits thinking if they can survive a 4 year ride to North Carolina under the scrutiny of Belichick, they could make it in the NFL. Belichick has only been out of the game for one season so he still knows what the youth are thinking, If not, the 20 something year old girl friend, besides walking his dog, could inform the old guy of what this generation is thinking. You feel like it will be Hitler youth the way old Bill runs this football program. His staff will be filled with guys that are his yes men. If Bill gets the recruits he wants and if they have talent, he will put them in the best position to win. Belichick could go up against any other head coach in College football on the simple X’s and O’s. I believe he will do better than what Deion Sanders has done at the University of Colorado. You know guys on this current football team at North Carolina are already transferring out because they know his program will be tough. This is not football Siberia, North Carolina. They have had two Quarterbacks drafted in the first round in the last ten seasons starting with Mitch Trubisky and last year’s Drake Maye. This experiment could go wrong if Belichick can’t get the type of guys he wants. This could be a team of hard working SOB’s giving opponents battles because they do the small things right and will not make mistakes. It seems like he needs the Ivy League style of players. To be the best and to be known like the UNC basketball program, Belichick will have to land a stud quarterback is the key. He found Tom Brady. He may get the quarterback because of what Tom Brady did. You could say Brady needed Bill as much as Bill needed Brady. Right now I feel a disturbance in the force and the Tar Heels are building themselves a weapon of mass destruction which will start in the ACC.
It looks like spring football is here to stay a while longer. The successful merger of the USFL & the XFL to form the UFL United Football League which kicked off this past spring already said they will be back this March of 2025 with the same 8 teams. On Sunday Fox is already advertising the return of the spring fling year two of the UFL. The league wants to expand in 2026 with two new teams. Then another two teams in the year 2027.
Right now the UFL consists of two conferences. In 2023 the XFL had 8 teams while the USFL had 8 teams. The teams that made the cut and played last year from the XFL are the St.Louis BattleHawks, San Antonio Brahmas, Arlington Renegades, and DC Defenders. They are in the XFL Conference.
The 4 teams that made the cut that survived the merger from the USFL start with the Memphis Showboats, Birmingham Stallions, Michigan Panthers, and the Houston franchise. The Houston franchise from the USFL was the Gamblers. The Houston franchise from the XFL were called the Roughnecks. This is America where we need oil and love our big engines so Houston adopted the XFL Roughnecks name and Gamblers are with the rest of the old teams from the past. Maybe on hold. Maybe gone but not forgotten.
So where will the UFL go West or East? Could the league add to the Midwest as the league has most of their teams south in the midwest region of the country. Will the UFL resurrect old names from the XFL and the USFL? They could pick cities that they never had a team in. They could use a different name for that new city or an old city that once fielded a team. Do you pick cities where they already have an NFL team playing there? Michigan, Houston, & DC share the same city with the Lions, Texans and Commanders from the NFL. Those three teams the beer snake in DC the Defenders have the best attendance out the three last year. You know the UFL will pick the cities they think will make them the most money. I will throw my two cents into the ring and help the league choose the right teams. I will pick two teams from the old XFL list and two from the old USFL archives. I will throw two cities that have never been in either the USFL or the XFL that may be a good choice.
THE XFL
My first choice is the Seattle Sea Dragons for the XFL conference. In 2020 Seattle debut in the 2020 XFL that did not finish its season due to the pandemic. That was a good year for Seattle as they averaged 25,616 fans. In 2023 that number was pretty much cut in half with only 12,328 fans. They would play their home games in an NFL stadium with the Seahawks. Seattle will give the league an established team on the west coast.
My second choice for the XFL conference would be going back into the hot tub time machine and putting a team in the bay on the west coast. Bringing back the Demons of San Francisco back in the original Vince McMahon hooligan football league that was wrestling inserted into the gridiron. Imagine the Demons playing home games at Oracle Park, home of the baseball team the San Francisco Giants. The water views from up above during the telecast would be awesome. The back up stadium certainly could be where the 49ers play their home games, Levis stadium.
THE USFL
The Oakland Invaders coming back would be awesome as they can play their home games where they last played them in the 1980’s. The Oakland Coliseum. The city of Oakland had the Raiders and their baseball team the Athletics ripped away from them. This could re-spark the San Francisco Oakland rivalry in the sports landscape if the league also brings back an oldy but a goody from the original XFL, the Demons. Demons vs Invaders sounds like a monster mash on the football field. Remember the Black hole? Those Raiders fans were scary SOB’s. The Vegas version looks rated G. Look at St.Louis with the BattleHawks. Oakland fans may embrace a team with that kind of love and support.
I showed the love for the west coast. I have to go east and we need to bring back the Pittsburgh Maulers. The Maulers have the best logo in spring football history. The logo even looks sharper when they changed the color scheme to black and gold to match every other team in the Pittsburgh landscape. The league has the love for the hard workers. The Roughnecks in Houston. The Maulers in Steel Town. The Maulers have been around the last few seasons in the reboot of the USFL and they played back in the original one of the 1980’s league. The Maulers could probably play their home games where the Steelers play at Heinz Field. The Maulers made it all the way to the 2023 USFL championship only to lose to the Stallions. In the reboot of the USFL the Maulers did not get a chance to play in the city of Pittsburgh. They shared other hub cities. They were close when they played their home games in Canton, Ohio. Pittsburgh is a great sports town and they love football. My first choice would be Maulers.
THE UNKNOWN CITIES
For the two cities I will pick if the UFL wanted to start a team in a different city. My first choice is San Diego. First of all San Diego has the best climate perhaps in the entire country. Secondly, their hearts were wrenched when the Chargers left town to be the second fiddle to the Rams in LA. The city of San Diego did have the Fleet that played in the AAF American Alliance Football league that almost finished regular season. They came up short as the league ran out of money. I would expect the city of San Diego would be classy enough to embrace a new spring football team.
Do you remember the Hartford Whalers of the NHL? The owner ripped the hearts out of all the Hartford fans when he moved the Whalers to Carolina and renamed them the Hurricanes. Why not Connecticut? The state of Connecticut shows huge love and support for the Huskies. The University of Connecticut is a power house in basketball as they are fans of football. In the past they have supported the Whalers hockey team. It would give the UFL a city that does not have much of a professional sports landscape. I’m sure they have a football field that they can play some home games on during the spring. The Huskies field would be a great choice. The UFL is looking for 20,000 fans each contest which is reasonable for their league. You know all those fans in Connecticut are either rooting for the Patriots or the Giants. Most of the state may be people from New York City or Boston. Maybe for once these two cities could agree and find common ground on a new team that does not represent where they came from but where they are currently.
I would love to see my home town bring back their team, the Chicago Blitz from the 1980’s USFL. It seems like it’s a Bears and Bears only kind of town when it comes to football. Another great choice would be Tulsa, Oklahoma. Oklahoma City Thunder do well in the NBA in that state. You could bring back the Oklahoma Outlaws which have a very kick ass logo.
The UFL has to take things slowly because expansion can kill this league. The product on the field suffers if you water down the league with too many expansion teams. Some cities don’t embrace their new team especially if they are bad. I do like how they are playing year two with the same 8 teams from last year. This will help develop those cities and grow their fan base. Maybe they need to expand in 2026 & then try it again in 2028 to let the league slowly develop into something special.
Last week the Rams put up 44 points on the Buffalo Bills defense. While the 49ers demolished the Chicago Bears and they put up 38 points on the ole score board. This is a division battle between the 49ers and Rams and watch all the offense in this one be thrown out the window and this game turns into a defensive stalemate. The 49ers have a ton of injuries, but they have a deep roster and have guys on both sides of the football that can beat you. The Rams have not strung together many victories this season. Win one, lose one, has been the Rams pattern. The 49ers have not done well in the NFC West. I think this changes on a short week the 49ers put brakes on this Matthew Stafford aerial outburst and Brock Purdy engineers a few key drives and win this low scoring affair as the 49ers are not dead yet on their return to the post-season.
OUR PICK: 49ERS
THE SUNDAY SLATE
DALLAS COWBOYS(5-8) AT CAROLINA PANTHERS(3-10)
The Cowboys blew a chance to have won their third straight game with a punt play gone wrong versus the Bengals on Monday night. This game is the first time the Carolina Panthers have been favored to win since 2022 in a game versus the Steelers. That is a streak of 34 consecutive games as you Cowboys fans must be feeling pretty good, because you have sank lower than Carolina. These are the two worst rushing defenses in the league, so I expect each team to have a good day running the football. The Panthers have lost 3 straight games, but Bryce Young has been playing like a number one drafted quarterback. He has had this Panthers team on the brink of winning the last 3 games. The Panthers suffered two of those three loses in overtime. I like the Cowboys defense who are healthier at this point of the season and did well keeping the Bengals under 30 points last week which could have been 20 if not for that punt play. Cooper Rush is emerging as one of the better options as a back up QB in the league. He has weapons. He will use them to squeak by the Panthers on the road. Bryce Young will figure out how to avoid the biggest slide in the game of chutes and ladders at some point.
OUR PICK: COWBOYS
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS(12-1) AT CLEVELAND BROWNS(3-10)
I feel like the Crab Man Jameis Winston has that hunter mentality to hunt the biggest bucks when he plays quarterback. Winston has beaten the Steelers and the Ravens since taking over as starting QB for the injured sex offender, Deshaun Watson. His bucks had been Russell Wilson and Lamar Jackson. Could he add a Patrick Mahomes on the cabin wall? The Chiefs have won three straight since taking that loss to the Bills. The Chiefs have won most of their games by one score or even less than 3 points. The last three wins posted by the Chiefs, two of them were low scoring affairs against teams in the division like the Raiders and Chargers. The Chiefs survived a scare from the Panthers in overtime as well. The Chiefs seem to get the call in most of these games and prevail with the lucky breaks. The Browns are thinking vacation plans as the Chiefs will get another break to prevail and Winston is also very good at serving up the football which he did to the Broncos the last time the Browns played an AFC West team.
OUR PICK: CHIEFS
WASHINGTON COMMANDERS(8-5) AT NEW ORLEANS SAINTS(5-8)
The picture above looks like Derek Carr’s little brother. That is Jack Haener, rookie QB from Fresno State University, and he will be the Saints starting QB in week 15. Carr is out from the concussion and hurt his wrist from the fall he took trying to leap for the first down last week versus the Giants. It will be a homecoming for Marshon Lattimore suiting up for his first game as a Commander. He was traded by the Saints to Washington at the trade deadline, got injured, and now looks to have the last laugh versus his former team. Haener has thrown one touchdown pass along with 177 passing yards this season coming off the bench. He will be making his first start in the NFL. The Saints elected to go with Jack over Spencer Rattler who is 0-3 in starts when Carr was out earlier in the season. The Saints have not done well with games Carr has missed. The Commanders have gotten back in the win column after a bad stretch of their season took place against good teams. Darren Rizzi is 3-1 as the Saints interim coach. I like Jayden Daniels to have a monster game against a banged up Saints team in general.
OUR PICK: COMMANDERS
NEW YORK JETS(3-10) AT JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS(3-10)
What’s new to bitch about if you are the Jets quarterback named Aaron Rodgers? The Jets have lost 4 straight games and have been eliminated from the playoffs. The Jaguars offense erupted with ten points last week which was enough to down the Titans. Mac Jones now is 1-4 as a starter for Jacksonville and still has not thrown a touchdown pass as he has 8 interceptions. Who really wants to watch this game if you are either fan base? I guess I would want to continue to see the Jets lose with Rodgers as the QB. I think the Jets win this game. Rodgers will have a big game versus this bad Jaguars defense. Who really cares? I think it’s time to pull the plug on Rodgers’ career in general. The Jets should be seeing what they have behind the booby prize in Rodgers. Wow, you beat Mac Jones. Maybe Rodgers will say he owns the Jags after this rare win in the dark green and white uniforms.
OUR PICK: JETS
BALTIMORE RAVENS(8-5) AT NEW YORK GIANTS(2-11)
Brian Daboll looked like a great hire by the Giants a few seasons ago. Daboll found magic in season one playing a weak schedule and got great production out his quarterback Daniel Jones and running back Saquon Barkley. Now the Giants have to rely on Drew Lock or Tommy DeVito to take advantage of the Ravens 32nd ranked pass defense. The Ravens had a bye week and come in fresh. The Giants should have won against the Saints last week. The football gods are against Daboll and this Giants team. The Ravens will rack up points with Lamar Jackson and the big man behind him, Derrick Henry, on whatever the Giants have left on this defense that has fallen to injuries mounting up. No way Lock and Devito will match what ever points the Ravens offense generate. Daboll’s rear end just got hotter. As he will be back to calling the offense in another city another team.
OUR PICK: RAVENS
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS(3-10) AT ARIZONA CARDINALS(6-7)
Only three weeks ago, the Arizona Cardinals were on top of the NFC West and looking like they were heading to the post-season. Since then they have lost three straight games, two of them were to the archrival Seahawks. Now the Cardinals find themselves one game under 500. It’s a perfect time to welcome the Patriots to the desert. The Patriots have lost three straight games as well. New England is just all about developing their rookie QB in Drake Maye. The Cardinals should be licking their chops as Patriots will serve as life preserver and get Arizona back in the win column and back to the 500 mark. The Cardinals dormant offense should be able to convert in the red zone where they have struggled over the past three weeks getting field goals instead of touchdowns. Look for Kyler Murray to have a big game.
OUR PICK: CARDINALS
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS(6-7) AT DENVER BRONCOS(8-5)
The Colts have been hovering around the 500 mark most of this season. The Broncos will be a tall task for this Colts team to achieve this goal on Sunday.The Broncos are rested up coming off a bye week and have played very well. The Colts should be jealous seeing Bo Nix develop in his rookie year as he looks like the cream of the crop of QB’s selected in the first round in April. The Colts quarterback has raw talent Indianapolis is trying to develop as he was taken in the first round of the 2023 NFL draft. Antony Richardson has had moments but is dead last in the NFL with the lowest completions percentage. He is only completing 47.4% of his passes. That will not work against this Denver defense. Bo Nix and the Broncos offense should have a field day versus a bad Colts defensive unit. This one is an easy pick as Denver is at home. Maybe they should call this one the Peyton Manning bowl as the legendary QB won a Superbowl with both franchises.
OUR PICK: BRONCOS
MIAMI DOLPHINS(6-7) AT HOUSTON TEXANS(8-5)
Can the Dolphins beat a winning team and even their record at 7-7 at the same time? The Texans was that sexy pick in the off-season that Houston would be rolling to the Superbowl with CJ Stroud bettering himself in his second year after a great rookie season. The Texans are rested and can feast off the Dolphins defense which has not been able to stop anybody. Tua Tagovailoa is seeing the field well like a batter in baseball seeing the ball come down the plate like meatballs. Tua has had a nice streak of completing 70% of his passes in the last several games. The Dolphins avoided disaster last week escaping the bad Jets team in overtime. The Texans have a defense that fares better than what the Dolphins have. The Dolphins are fish out of water when they play winning teams and Stroud could redeem his lackluster season by playing over his head in this one and pump confidence into this Houston team. The Dolphins’ playoff hopes are crushed as Houston becomes their problem.
OUR PICK: TEXANS
CINCINNATI BENGALS(5-8) AT TENNESSEE TITANS(3-10)
You have to go back to the 1980’s Houston Oilers days when this franchise had three straight seasons of 10 or more losses. Remember the Oilers moved from Houston to Tennessee and they became the Titans. The Titans lost an ugly one to Mac Jones and the Jaguars to get the hat trick of 10 or more losses in three seasons. The Oilers did the same thing from 1983-86 where they suffered double figure losses in a row like that. The Titans and Bengals never listen to me when I pick them to win. The Titans may need a new future quarterback as Will Levis looked promising last year. This year he has played like hot garbage. Joe Burrow and that Bengals offense will score points that Levis will not be able to match.
OUR PICK: BENGALS
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS(7-6) AT LA CHARGERS(8-5)
Can Baker Mayfield prevail against the Chargers stout defense? That is the million dollar question. The Chargers have not lost back to back games since week 3 & 4. Last week the Chargers lost another close one to the Chiefs in Kansas City. Meanwhile the Buccaneers have been plowing through teams on their three game win streak and have taken over first place in the NFC South. The Chargers still have not beaten a top notch team as they have been benefiting from a easy schedule. The Chargers will have their hands full with the Buccaneers’ well-balanced attack as they have averaged 150 yards or more on the ground. That is what I mean about plowing through their opponents. Then you have Baker Mayfield who is just slinging the football all over the field. Justin Herbert and that Chargers offense are not meant for shoot outs like the old days. This will be a close game, but at the end Tampa Bay prevails because Jim Harbaugh’s team has not beaten a good team this season.
OUR PICK: BUCCANEERS
PITTSBURGH STEELERS(10-3) AT PHILADELPHIA EAGLES(11-2)
The battle of Pennsylvania this go around features some heavy weights in the NFL world with these Steelers and Eagles. The Eagles have won 9 straight games. The Steelers have resurrected the Seattle version of Russell Wilson, and Pittsburgh can score points unlike some of their teams in the last few seasons. The concern I have is the Steelers defense has given up a ton of points in the last several weeks. You have to give the Eagles the credit they deserve with the better defense in this one. The Eagles offense is a well-balanced attack especially adding Saquon Barkley to the mix who is in the conversation for MVP this season. How do you beat this Eagles team? I like Jalen Hurts having the better day than Wilson. I think Barkley can do his damage catching or running the football on a Steelers defense that has played like the shower curtain than their normal steel curtain units of the past. The Eagles are at home. The Steelers have lost ten straight road games against the Eagles which dates back to 1965. Wilson will make a mistake or two that seals this one in a close battle for the Eagles.
OUR PICK: EAGLES
BUFFALO BILLS(10-3) AT DETROIT LIONS(12-1)
Could this heavyweight match-up be a preview of the Superbowl in February? The Lions have won 11 straight and they need this game as do the Bills. The Lions have the Vikings in their rearview mirror in the division. The Lions also have the Eagles on their tail for the number one seed. The Bills defense did not show up last week versus the Rams. When Josh Allen and that Bills offense scorch the Rams defense with 42 points or any team, Buffalo should easily win those games. The Bills were right on the Chiefs’ tail for the number one seed, but with the loss they have to be concerned with the Steelers for the number two seed in the AFC. The Bills have already clinched their division but need to rebound or else they could be finding themselves sliding down the stripper pole, but not in a good way. The Lions are tough at home. The Lions can run the football down the Bills throat with their two-headed monster at the running back position Detroit has. I know the Bills can score points off this Detroit defense. The Lions are favored in this one. I like redemption in this game. I like the Bills defense that were roasted last week by the Rams. They will make a statement in this one. Like the BIlls winning streak came to an end, the Lions will come to an end on Sunday.
OUR PICK: BILLS
THE SUNDAY NIGHT GAME
GREEN BAY PACKERS(9-4) AT SEATTLE SEAHAWKS(8-5)
The Seattle Seahawks have been on fire for the last month as they have won 4 straight games which two of those came from the division rival Cardinals. The Packers lost yet another tough game to the first place Lions in a NFC North battle that took place last Thursday night. Will Jordan Love hurt his team with a turnover as Seattle has done well getting interceptions and running them back for scores. The Packers running back Josh Jacobs has been hard to handle the last few weeks as he has piled up 7 rushing touchdowns the last three weeks. Seattle is only 3-4 at home this season. It’s not like the 12th man anymore where it was hard for visiting teams to escape Seattle with a victory. This will be an interesting match up as both teams play some good sound defense and have an offense that can score points. I like Green Bay winning this one as they have rebounded rather quickly from losses all year. Jordan Love will out duel Geno Smith and Packers will remain in the hunt in the NFC North.
OUR PICK: PACKERS
TWO MONDAY NIGHT GAMES
CHICAGO BEARS(4-9) AT MINNESOTA VIKINGS(11-2)
I would be a fool to pick the Bears in this one. The Bears and Vikings last met in Chicago and it ended in overtime as Minnesota won. The Bears fired their head coach and now they can’t play defense as they were smoked by the 49ers who lead the league in injuries. Sam Darnold bombarded the Falcons with an aerial attack where you wonder if the Vikings sold his soul to the devil playing this well, a former Jets washout. The Bears have had problems scoring points in the first half the last few games. The Bears offense had 4 stinking yards in the first half last week. The Vikings will build a nice lead in the first half. The Bears offense will wake up in the second half, try to come back, and fall short. The Bears have lost their last seven games. They are 0-6 on the road. I have to go with the purple people eaters in this one or else you’d think we lost our cotton-picking minds over here drinking the tainted Kool-Aid.
OUR PICK: VIKINGS
ATLANTA FALCONS(6-7) AT LAS VEGAS RAIDERS(2-11)
Here we go with another revenge game, this time former Falcon QB Desmond Ridder getting the start for the Raiders. The Falcons have shit the bed their last 4 games with all losses. The Raiders have shit the season away as their QB issues are a glaring problem with injuries and performance. The Raiders have lost nine straight games. Captain Kirk Cousins’ days looked numbered as he has thrown 15 interceptions which a shit ton of them came in the last 4 losses. The Falcons were once perched on top of the NFC South looking pretty, but now have seen the Buccaneers take control as they won three straight games. The Falcons should win this one or they should be kicked out of the league. The Falcons remaining schedule plays out very easy and this is a game they need to break this losing streak. Atlanta could easily string a couple wins together and take back the division. I don’t have faith in Ridder to rub salt in the wounds of his former team. If he did win this game, the Falcons goose would be cooked. The pressure will be on Captain Kirk. The Raiders are a team he needs to get better himself and get that confidence back.
Last Sunday the Chicago Bears shit the bed in their visit to the Bay Area to face a depleted 49ers team. Many of the players on the Bears were fed up with their old head coach Matt Eberflus. The Bears front office fired Eberflus finally after that debacle in Detroit. Not using a time out in a crucial situation in the last 30 seconds of the game when the offense was hovering around field goal range looking to tie the game versus the Lions. That was not the first blunder by Eberflus in his short coaching tenure with the Bears. The Bears front office finally showed some balls firing a guy that needed the pink slip last year with games still left on the 2024 schedule. In the past the Bears would wait on firing a head coach after the season concluded or letting their contract simply run out and move on. The Bears promoted Thomas Brown to the interim head coach, a guy who was just promoted weeks ago as the team’s new offensive coordinator. The players pretty much sang “Ding dong the witch is dead,” all week rejoicing that Eberflus had left the building. On Sunday in the debut of Brown as the Bears head coach, the Bears players shit the bed as the 49ers romped Chicago 38-13.
Who is Thomas Brown? Brown was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons back in 2008 in the sixth round of the NFL draft. He was a running back out of the University of Georgia. He suited up for the Falcons and Browns and really had a sip of coffee in the NFL. Brown is only 38 years of age and went into coaching after his playing career was non-existent. Brown had multiple coaching jobs in the college game. His position was running backs coach. In 2020 he got his first pro job with the LA Rams and worked for master mind Sean McVay as running backs coach. In 2022 he was still with the Rams as McVay switched Brown to tight ends coach. In 2023 Brown would find a better gig with the Carolina Panthers as the offensive coordinator. That did not work out well as the Panthers were a disaster in 2023. The Bears hired Brown as passing game coordinator this season. The Bears’ first scapegoat for their season gone bad was their new offensive coordinator they just hired in the off-season, Shane Waldron. The Bears promoted Brown to the offensive coordinator and Caleb Williams and the offense started to play better. That was enough then for the Bears front office to promote Brown again to interim head coach where he is way over his head and not even close to being qualified for this job in the NFL.
Thomas Brown changed some things around like any other guy would do when he was promoted. He said the Bears would play the game violently. On Sunday it looked violently ill. Brown’s style of football would be physical which he would bring to the opposing team. Usually when the interim coach takes over at least in the first game or two, the players respond. Many teams usually dumb down the play book. They get a loose free spirit environment for that week ridding the old tensions out of the locker room. Not these Bears as their shit stunk up the bay as the 49ers steam rolled them with back up personnel playing for back ups to the starters in some positions. The Bears were shut out 24-0 in the first half and the offense gained 4 stinking yards with 5 punts compared to the 319 yards of offense the 49ers had.
The Bears on defense were aggressive as they came after Brock Purdy with multiple blitzes. The 49ers encountered with running plays and screen passes that baffled this Bears defense that regressed after Matt Eberflus was shown the door. Maybe the Bears should have kept Eberflus to work the defense. Do you remember defensive end Montez Sweat who the Bears acquired at the trade deadline from the Commanders? Where has he been most of this year? MIA. Then Jaylon Johnson a talented Bears defensive back running his mouth all week on Eberflus being fired was also a no show against this 49ers offense that let Purdy finish the day with a 145.4 quarterback rating. George Kittle seemed wide open the entire game as linebackers Tremaine Edmunds and Jack Sanborn may have not read the scouting reports on one of the better tight ends in the league that may need some attention. Kittle finished with 6 grabs for 156 receiving yards.
The new interim head coach Thomas Brown is still calling all the offensive plays. Under his watch as the O-Coordinator, the Bears have not scored in the first half . It seems like he abandons the running game and the Bears looked like the walking dead going through the motions. Every game it seems like Caleb Williams finds his groove in the second half when most of the time it’s too late. In the second half the running game was installed on the play sheets and Bears mustered up 13 points. This offense still has all the same problems that no one on this coaching staff can fix. Once again Williams was sacked 7 times. Which now tallies up to 56 for the year as he closes in on David Carr’s rookie record as he was sacked the most all-time in NFL history. Williams’ knock is he holds on to the ball way too long. Which is true. The offensive line the Bears have assembled is horrific. Braxton Jones and Coleman Shelton became a turning style for the 49er defense. This was defense without their star defensive end Nick Bosa. The Bears O-line was losing one on one battles. It’s not like 49ers defense brought everything at Williams including the kitchen sink.
The Chicago Bears had many of us fooled this off-season with their moves including taking Caleb Williams with the number one pick. They say fools always rush in. We were admiring all the new shiny weapons the Bears had assembled on offense in flashy colored wrapping paper with bows on them. It felt like Christmas as the upcoming season was going for change be jolly and the playoffs. Bears fans had dancing sugar plums inside their head thinking about their team in the post-season. The return of a solid defense and an offense that were going to light up the score board every week. Now the bottom has dropped out of the house of cards that Bears general manager Ryan Poles built. He probably thought this Chicago job was going to be easy. I’m not sure if Williams is the right quarterback as all the others drafted in April’s NFL draft look much better than Caleb. The Bears have not had a franchise QB since the 1940’s. This franchise needs to hand the keys over to somebody that knows about the NFL and football. This team needs to nail down a new head coach. Someone who can discipline the players and rid this team of guys who play hard when they want to. They need a head coach that knows what an offensive line looks like. This head coach, either offensive or defensive, needs a guy on his staff that can develop Williams. Enough of giving assistants around the NFL their first head coach job. This Bears franchise better pull out the check book and get themselves a name. They need a guy that has been there done this. My short list would be Jon Gruden & Mike Vrabel to start. I may even give full control to Bill Belichick because he would do better getting the right players and they would play hard or else find themselves elsewhere. This has gone on long enough. The Bears have been shitting the bed since the late 80’s. I know the Bears made the Superbowl in 2006, but had Rex Grossman as their starting quarterback. Enough with shitting in the wood or the Bay, it’s time to use the bathroom like every other NFL franchise in the league.
NFL Week 14 starts the week Thursday off with the clash of the Titans in the NFC North. The Packers and Lions met weeks ago and Detroit squeaked by. Now the Packers are visiting Motor City which should be another game that is decided at the wire. The Lions have been the hottest team in the NFL winning ten straight games. The Lions started the year 1-1 and now have won 10 games in a row. The Packers and Lions have an offense that could match each other in score all night long. Each offense run a balanced attack with running the football and making big pass plays. You can say the Lions and Packers defense are about eye to eye. I have to go with Jared Goff over Jordan Love because Goff takes care of the football better than Love. I like the Lions at home in a close affair. If Lions win and they play the Packers in the playoffs, I may go Green Bay in that contest because it’s very hard to beat a team three times in one season.
OUR PICK: LIONS
NEW YORK JETS(3-9) AT MIAMI DOLPHINS(5-7)
It is time to pull the plug on Aaron Rodgers in New York. The Jets blew a 14 point lead last Sunday to the Seahawks and now have accomplished yet another losing season. The Dolphins were ice cubes in Green Bay on Thanksgiving night. When the Dolphins play a winning team, they are fish out of the water. Rodgers has single handily ruined this Jets team that showed a young promising defense the last few seasons. Now you can’t even hang your hat on that. Rodgers now has had 34 consecutive starts where he has thrown fewer than 300 yards in passing. I think the X-Green Bay QB should hang up the spikes for good. Who is going to want him next season? The Dolphins playoff hopes are still alive even though their chances are slim. The fins will be motivated and being at home feasting on a bad team is their jam. Let’s face the facts the Jets are the walking dead on the field. Someone check the time before the series of beeps.
OUR PICK: DOLPHINS
ATLANTA FALCONS(6-6) AT MINNESOTA VIKINGS(10-2)
Captain Kirk Cousins returns to his ole stomping grounds in Minnesota. The Vikings are getting along fine without Cousins as they have won 5 straight. The Falcons really need this game in a bad way as they have lost three straight games. The 185 million the Falcons shelled out for Cousins has not paid off lately as he has six interceptions zero touchdown passes in the last six games. You have to go back to Brian Hoyer being the last QB to have that kind of slide when he played for the Browns back in 2014. The Falcons have swept the Buccaneers in both games this season. Tampa Bay has found life winning their last two games and pulled even with a 6-6 record. The pressure is on the shoulders of Cousins who could be motivated using this Sunday as a revenge game. The Vikings defense is sick this season, with that pressure the mind set of Cousins is going to feel like a pressure cooker. I think the Vikings have been really lucky this season winning all these close games like they have. The Falcons are backed in the corner and I have a feeling this team will play like their life depends on the outcome of this match up. Cousins will right the Falcons ship and have one of his better games this season to keep Atlanta perched at the top of the NFC South standings.
OUR PICK: FALCONS
CAROLINA PANTHERS(3-9) AT PHILADELPHIA EAGLES(10-2)
If you are a Panthers fan you have to be feeling better about Bryce Young who looked like he was going to be the next Ryan Leaf. A bust. The Eagles may be the best team in the NFC. You can also say the Lions are the best. The Eagles should not downplay the Panthers in this one as they have forced to overtimes with the Chiefs and Buccaneers in back to back weeks. The Panthers will give the Eagles a battle in this one. I think the Eagles will be prepared and it will not be a game that will go down to the wire. With a loss by the Panthers, Young’s record will be 5-20 in his first 25 games as a starter in the NFL. He will join three other guys that had the same record after their first 25 starts. That list starts with Blaine Gabbert, Justin Fields, and Trevor Lawrence. Not a terrible list as he will not be associated with Ryan Leaf. I like Philly winning their 9th in a row and staying red hot at home.
OUR PICK: EAGLES
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS(4-8) AT NEW YORK GIANTS(2-10)
The Giants have moved on from Daniel Jones. The G-Men Italian Stallion Tommy DeVito played more like Italian ice. Now they will continue to see what veteran Drew Lock can do behind center. The Saints started off 2-0 under their interim head coach Darren Rizzi and he suffered his first lost last week versus the Rams. Lock has played for the Broncos, Seahawks and now the Giants and has a 9-15 record as a starter in the NFL. Lock has thrown 28 touchdowns with 24 interceptions in his rear view mirror as defenders are closer than you think. This will be a close game. The Saints injuries they have, keep the Giants in this one. I really like the way the Saints have handled themselves under Rizzi. I like Derek Carr out-playing Lock in this one. The Saints running game is the deciding factor as New Orleans gets the road win and improves the interim record to 3-1.
OUR PICK: SAINTS
CLEVELAND BROWNS(3-9) AT PITTSBURGH STEELERS(9-3)
The Steelers wide receiver George Pickens is no George Bailey, a fan of a white powder coming down on the football field. The Browns a few weeks back won in the snow in Cleveland and Pickens blamed the loss on the conditions as it was only snowing when the Steelers had the ball. The Steelers are always great at drafting talented receivers that are head cases. Pickens finds his wings in part two in Pittsburgh. Russell Wilson is playing well. You can’t bet that Jameis Winston has a flawless game like he had in the first match up after throwing two pick sixes to the Broncos on Monday night. The Browns have not completed the season series sweep on the Steelers since 1988. The Steelers will roll in this one.
OUR PICK: STEELERS
LAS VEGAS RAIDERS(2-10) AT TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS(6-6)
The Raiders threw everything including the kitchen sink at their arch rival last Friday versus the Chiefs and suffered a close loss. The Buccaneers are in the rear view mirror of the Falcons as they have won two straight to even their record up at 500 which is the same as Atlanta. The Raiders have lost eight games in a row. The Raiders will keep this a close game most of the day with their defense and the quarterback play of Aidan O’Connell. Baker Mayfield is playing like a man possessed right now as he is red hot. He’s throwing dimes. Lasers. Whatever he chucks is hitting his guys right in the chest. Mayfield has 25 touchdown passes compared to only 11 interceptions so far this season. The Buccaneers are healthy and should be able to hold off the visiting pirates from trying to invade their ship.
OUR PICK: BUCCANEERS
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS(2-10) AT TENNESSEE TITANS(3-9)
The Jaguars will be without their starting quarterback Trevor Lawrence for the rest of this season due to the hit he took last week versus the Texans. The Titans quickly fell back down to earth as they were manhandled by the Commanders last week after beating the Texans the week before. Now the Jaguars are Mac Jones’ team. Can Jones prove he is a starter in this league by playing well in Jacksonville’s remaining games they have left? The Titans starting QB has something to prove as well. Can Will Levis be a starter in this league for years to come? The Jaguars have dropped 9 straight road games dating back to the 2023 season. Levis has been playing better than what he was doing in the beginning of the season. The Titans should be able to generate enough points off a bad Jaguars defense. I the Titans D putting Jones in place in this one.
OUR PICK: TITANS
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS(7-5) AT ARIZONA CARDINALS(6-6)
Here we go again, the rematch of these two division rivals from a game that was played in Seattle two weeks ago. It was a Seahawks win in that game that knocked the Cardinals out of first place in the battle of the birds. The Seahawks have now won three straight including coming back to beat the Jets last week. The Cardinals since taking that loss to the Seahawks dominated most of the game on the road last week versus the Vikings. Then saw their lead slip away to come away with a loss on the road. Now we are heading to the desert. I’m going to ride the hotter team in this rematch, the Seahawks. In the first match up, I thought Seattle would take that one and Arizona would win this weekend at home. The Seattle defense is playing solid. I like the Seattle offense better than what Kyler Murray has been doing the last few weeks.
OUR PICK: SEAHAWKS
BUFFALO BILLS(10-2) AT LA RAMS(6-6)
The Bills locked up the AFC East with their win in the snow globe last Sunday versus the 49ers. The Rams pattern seems to win one lose one. The Rams have lost back to back home games. The Bills are looking for more than the division as they want the highest seed in the AFC. They have to chase the Chiefs for that. The Bills will exploit the Rams weakness on defense stopping the run for which they rank in the bottom of the league. The Bills can defend the pass on defense which should contain the Cooper Cupps of the world. The Rams can run the ball as well and the Bills defense gives up chunks of yardage in the running game. It comes down to Matthew Stafford finding ways to convert touchdowns in the red zone. Josh Allen and that Bills offense can beat you many different ways. I can see the Bills defense bending, not breaking. Then as the game goes with the Bills winning their defense will pounce on Stafford as he is good for a mistake or two in most games. Bills escape LA with a road victory.
OUR PICK: BILLS
CHICAGO BEARS(4-8) AT SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS(5-7)
The Bears new head coach is Thomas Brown who has been promoted up the ranks twice in only a few weeks of time. The 49ers season is on the brink right now as they were white washed by the Bills in Buffalo last week as the injuries keep mounting for them. The Bears have lost six in a row. What can Thomas Brown do to flip the script? The 49ers healthy they are a team that can make it to the Superbowl once again. Something is off about this 49ers team besides the injuries. The Bears offense has improved since Brown took over as offensive coordinator. This game seems the blind leading the blind with inexperience on the sideline and injuries that have handicapped your team. The Bears defense has played hard this entire year and are healthy. Caleb Williams seem to respond better with Thomas Brown. The 49ers are not doing anything better than the Bears besides racking up the medical bills.
OUR PICK: DA BEARS
SUNDAY NIGHT GAME
LA CHARGERS(8-4) AT KANSAS CITY CHIEFS(11-1)
The first match up between the Chiefs and Chargers was a defensive game where Kansas City eventually won. The Chargers have been benefiting from an easy schedule. The Chiefs since the loss to Buffalo have won two straight games but barely. The Chiefs have escaped with wins against bad teams like the Panthers and Raiders. This game will be another tight game for both teams. The Chargers hung with the Ravens most of the game like the Chiefs in the first match up. Jim Harbaugh teams in the past have been very hard to sweep in one season. This is road game for the Chargers which will be out of their element in the cold weather. Patrick Mahomes finds ways to win especially being at home at Arrowhead Stadium. He will be motivated to keep his team as the front runner for home field advantage and the first round bye in the playoffs. The Chiefs will get a break at the end and put the rubber stamp on this one for the victory.
OUR PICK: CHIEFS
THE MONDAY NIGHT GAME
CINCINNATI BENGALS(4-8) AT DALLAS COWBOYS(5-7)
The Bengals can score points with the best of them. The Cowboys have suddenly won two games in a row. Do the Bengals still have an ideal chance to get to the playoffs? Not with that defense. The Cowboys have been bad on that side of the ball not being able to hold teams to a reasonable amount of points. The Cowboys are getting healthier on defense. The offense under Cooper Rush has been getting better since he took over for the injured Dak Prescott. The Bengals still have Joe Burrow. The Bengals defense will not slow down the Cowboy offense even with QB 2 under center. Burrow will keep this a game. In the end the Cowboys will win this one in a low scoring shootout like 28-27 type of game. I’m done thinking the Bengals will resurrect their season. Beside Burrow just purchased a Bat Mobile as he has his off-season of fighting crime all planned out.
Last Sunday in Jacksonville, fans of the Jaguars had their hearts stop after seeing their franchise quarterback getting laid out by a Houston linebacker. Before the game Trevor Lawrence was cleared to play after missing several weeks with an AC joint issue to his no throwing shoulder. It was late in the second half as Lawrence scrambled out of the pocket and headed down field for about six yards & then gave himself up with a feet first slide. The Texans linebacker came charging in like a bull in a china factory and launched himself at the sliding Lawrence and gave the Jaguars a devastating blow to the head right across the face mask of the helmet with left forearm, which was covered in a brace. Lawrence was laid out on the turf for several minutes on his back motionless. Lawrence took the first blow in the head by the Texans linebacker & then the back of his head also hit the turf for the double whammy. While Lawrence laid on his home turf, his arms appeared to be in what they call a fencing position. The involuntary position is usually associated with a brain injury. Eventually Lawrence would be okay as he did suffer a concussion and was carted off the field.
While Trevor Lawrence laid out on the field, tempers flared between these two division rivals of the AFC South. The Jaguars tight end Evan Engram retaliated going after Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair and suddenly a brawl breaks out between the two teams. Once the referees broke up the melee, Texans linebacker Al-Shaair was ejected from the game for his illegal hit on Lawrence to the head and neck area. Engram was accessed a personal foul penalty. While the cart came out to scoop up a dazed and confused Jaguars quarterback. Meanwhile the Texans linebacker was not done as he needed a curtain call walking off the field after being ejected. He started another physical encounter with the opposing team. He removed his helmet and was all fired up.
The NFL has suspended the Texans linebacker for three games for his actions on Sunday against the Jaguars. This was not Azeez Al-Shaair’s first rodeo even this season for being on the NFL radar for his misconduct or cheap hits on the field. In week 12 against his former team from last year the Tennessee Titans, he had a late hit out of bounds on running back Tony Pollard. The NFL handed him a bill of $11,255 on that incident. In week 2 against the Bears, he punched running back Roschon Johnson on the sideline as the NFL fined him $11,817 dollars for that incident. One video that was resurfacing this week was AL-Shaair’s choke hold on Tom Brady when he played for the Buccaneers and Azzeez was with the 49ers then.
Azeez Al-Shaair went to Florida Atlantic University and made his NFL debut in 2019 with the 49ers. He has been in the league for six seasons as 4 of those years he has played in San Francisco. Last year he played in Tennessee, then moving on to Houston where he signed 3 year 34 million dollar deal in the off season. He is only 27 years old and has played in 83 games so far in his NFL career. He has racked up 240 solo tackles, six sacks, 4 forced fumbles, and has two interceptions so far in his NFL career. He is one of the captains for the Texans on that defense. I don’t know what the Texans head coach De Meco Ryans is smoking saying the Jaguars overreacted after the hit on their quarterback. If that was CJ Stroud, you better believe it his guys would be up in arms over a hit on their young quarterback. The Texans head coach says AL-Shaair has a heart of gold. The Texans front office disagrees with the length of the suspension compared to other guys around the league. AL-Shaair went on social media saying he plays the game hard with intent of not hurting anybody. He wants to hit you as hard as he can and pray that you get up. He basically apologized for the outcome of the situation.
Former Bengal, and Raider line backer Vontaze Burfict should be on anyone’s list of dirty players. The list of incidents Burfict got fined for over the years looks like a Santa’s naughty list. In 2013 fined for striking opponent in the groin area. In 2014 twisting the ankles of Cam Newton quarterback for the Carolina Panthers at the time. In 2015 purposely diving at the Steelers quarterback Big Ben Roethlisberger’s knees. Then the memorable hit on Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown in that 2016 playoff game that cost the Bengals a win. In 2017 he did not learn his lesson getting fined for hitting a defensive receiver. Then in 2019 the late hit on Colts tight end Jack Doyle. Burfict racked up 5.3 million dollars in fines. You could say that Azeez Al-Shaair is heading down Burfict boulevard.
I know the NFL players are wearing specialized designer cleats with their own personal fight in life. The Texans linebacker fight is Pro Palestine which means free their country from the Middle East of Israel that has been going on since the beginning of time. All these players’ cleats then get auctioned off and help charities as the NFL calls it the My Cause My Cleats campaign. Azeez Al-Shaair’s shoes are helping the Palestine Children’s relief fund. Of course some yahoos have to bring up politics or religions in incidents that take place on football field. I’m glad that Al-Shaair is helping the kids. On the football field he may be a solid defender but at the same time he is hurting the Texans. His hit on Trevor Lawrence gave that Jaguars team life and they made that a close game at the end. Why is it all these incidents take place out of bounds or when the player is giving himself up with this guy? It’s like the guy on the battlefield gives up, surrenders, and then gets shot in the head for laying down his arms. Does he not see what is in front of him? I know it’s hard to stop yourself if you’re launching your self like a missile. Why are you launching yourself like a missile in the first place? Why did he bring his forearm up in the air to break his own fall? He could feel bad. He can say it was the heat of the moment. If this happens in a playoff game like Vontaze Burfict did hitting Antonio Brown in 2016 giving the Steelers the victory instead of a Bengals win, it only hurts your own team. Why is he a captain of your defense? Don’t you want your captain to be the voice of reason out on the field? You can play hard. When you play hard and stupid these are the guys that will hurt your team’s chances in the long run.
Being a Chicago Bears fan this is nothing new for the fan base getting humiliated on a national broadcast. That is what went down in Detroit on Thanksgiving. The Bears in the last three games have pretty much been MIA in the first half of important games against division rivals the last three weeks. In the second half it seems like the Bears rookie quarterback suddenly wakes up and finds ways to get the team back in the game. In the first game of the Thanksgiving Day slate, the Bears were lingering around the field goal range with about 30 seconds left with a time out and chance to tie the game with the Lions or perhaps win the game. Caleb Williams, like he’s done multiple times, took a bad sack on 2nd down as the clock ticked away. It took Williams at least 20 seconds to get the offense set up for the next play. Let me remind you that the Bears head coach Matt Eberflus had a time out in his back pocket. The play went off and by the time Williams threw the ball, seconds on the clock had vanished. It was a deep pass to rookie wide receiver Rome Odunze and ended up being incomplete. Game over!! As everyone was speechless over what just happened on turkey day with the entire nation wondering why the Bears did not use the time out to reset things.
Immediately the CBS broadcasters chimed in saying this clock management by Matt Eberflus was horrendous. The former Falcon QB Matt Ryan now working the telecasts went on to say….
“This is unacceptable from the head coach position. Your responsibility is not to panic in a critical situation to put your team in the best opportunity to win games. That is a massive, massive fail by Matt Eberflus.”
You know the first question Matt Eberflus was asked in the press conference after the game. Why didn’t you use the timeout? The head coach of the Bears did not accept the blame for yet another blunder & instead threw his quarterback under the bus, Caleb Williams. Basically saying the lack of presence of mind to get the offense situated in time to get the play off & then use the time out. Did Eberflus not see that his rookie quarterback was having problems getting the troops up to the line as precious seconds ticked off? If the time out was used to reset the offense, the Bears could have tried a side line pass to get the first down or even get into field goal range. Obviously whoever caught the ball would need to step out of bounds to stop the clock.The Bears could have also spiked the football to stop the clock & then reset the offense. Then find a play to get them in field goal range while stopping the clock with the time out to set up the kick. Once again we go back to Williams trying to line up his guys which throws the spike out of the equation. Why did the Bears have a deep pass set up on that final play to Rome Odunze? It took the Bears staff too long to get Williams the play. Which is concerning. Williams changed the play to go with the deep ball to the end zone. Overall with a rookie QB, Eberflus needed to call the time out seeing his offense was not responding getting up to the line like a fire drill.
Only three weeks ago the Bears used the offensive coordinator Shane Waldron as the team’s scapegoat and fired him. Before the three division games against the Packers, Vikings, and just recently the Lions, the Bears offense could not generate many points which is frustrating having all these play makers that should get the job done on a regular basis. The Bears promoted Thomas Brown as their new offensive coordinator and the Bears offense looked way better. The Bears were in all three of these division games. You could have said the Bears could have won all three games. How did they lose all 3 game? You have to point to all the mistakes on the field. Which comes down to the head coach on penalties that happened over and over. The bad sacks that happen to their starting quarterback over and over. The clock management, the risky 4th down gambles, and stupid challenges all come down to Matt Eberflus. He was the Jive Turkey of what happened in Detroit. Yesterday his goose was cooked as the Bears finally pulled the trigger on this guy to get rid another stooge they hired as the long list goes on back to the Lovie Smith days when the Bears actually had a decent head coach.
The Bears organization is so dysfunctional on Friday & they knew they were going to fire Matt Eberflus. They still let him do his regular press conference that he does after all games the following day. Answering questions about the game and how he was getting the team prepared for next week. The Bears front office wasted the reporters’ time and by lunch Eberflus had his walking papers. Eberflus should have been fired weeks ago for not calling the time out during that Hail Mary play by the Commanders that beat the Bears with a walk off touchdown. Once again he had a time out and one of his defenders, Tyrique Stevenson, was too busy chirping with the Commanders players and fans on the sidelines thinking his team had the game in the bag. He was late to the party and let the guy he was supposed to cover wide open, game over. The Bears front office should have fired Eberflus after last year. The Bears played better in the 2nd half of the 2023 season. Why keep this guy when you have the number one pick and are going after an elite quarterback. Now once again the last three quarterbacks the Bears have drafted will have to deal with a new head coach and learn a new playbook along with a new offensive scheme. Eberflus is a defensive minded coach and should never be a head coach again as he was way over his head in this type of job. He is a good defensive coordinator, so he should stick to his day job.
Matt Eberflus was in Chicago for three seasons and finished with a record of 14-32 which is only a .304 winning percentage. Eberflus’ record against teams in the Bears division was horrific. The Bears have lost six straight games this season and they went through a 14 game losing streak under the Eberflus watch. Eberflus makes the Bears’ last head coach Matt Nagy look like a genius. Eberflus will probably go down as one of the worst head coaches in Bears history along with the great Marc Trestman. The Bears have promoted Thomas Brown twice in the last few weeks as he will become the interim head coach for the rest of the season.
The Lions have roared to 9 straight victories and always play their best on Thanksgiving Day. Can the Bears find a way to upset the Lions as losers of 5 straight games? The Bears gave the Packers and the Vikings a battle the last two weeks. In both games they shot themselves in the foot at the end. Meanwhile the Lions even when they play bad they can overcome mistakes unlike the Bears. The Lions have played mistake-free most of the season and that’s why they are the cream of the crop of the NFC. I don’t trust the Bears, too many rookie mistakes by Caleb Williams behind center. Then the head coach of the Bears, Matt Eberflus, should just be defensive coach somewhere. The mistakes he makes with time management and when his team is going for it on 4th down. Mind baffling. Add in all the penalties. How can I make a case for the Bears to upset the Lions? Lions are the better team across the board.
OUR PICK: LIONS
NEW YORK GIANTS(2-9) AT DALLAS COWBOYS(4-7)
Tommy DeVito versus Cooper Rush are your starting quarterbacks in this week 13 match up on Thanksgiving. You may want to pass on the stuffing. You may want to schedule your turkey feast when this game is on. The Giants have lost six straight. The Cowboys awakened from a giant losing streak to knock off the Commanders last week in a thriller. In DeVito’s first start of the year the G-Men offense did not do anything against Tampa Bay. The Cowboys offense can still move the ball with Cooper Rush. Rush is now 6-3 as a starter and Devito is 3-4 which most of those games came last year. This Giants team is going through the motions right now. Dallas has not played well at home but this will change. Dallas should be able to finish New York off by the time dessert hits your plate.
OUR PICK: COWBOYS
MIAMI DOLPHINS(5-6) AT GREEN BAY PACKERS(8-3)
The Miami Dolphins are on the verge of getting back to the 500 mark versus the Packers. The Packers are trying to keep up with the Vikings and the Lions in their own division. The Dolphins have won three straight as Tugo Tagovailia is wheeling and dealing in TUA time in Miami, winner of three straight games. The Packers knocked off the 49ers last Sunday as San Francisco were playing without their starting QB Brock Purdy. How cold will it be in Green Bay? That is my first question. Remember the Dolphin ice cubes in the post season last year versus the Chiefs. We know it will not be that cold. Miami on the road trying to beat a team with a winning record is the smoking gun to go Packers. The Packers have played well on both sides of the ball. Jordan Love can keep up with Tua. Love just needs to avoid the turnovers and I like the Pack at home in this one.
OUR PICK: PACKERS
BLACK FRIDAY
LAS VEGAS RAIDERS(2-9) AT KANSAS CITY CHIEFS(10-1)
You know Amazon has to have their own day as they will host the Black Friday game. Last year when the Raiders upset the Chiefs on Christmas Day, that game was hosted by Nickelodeon. Everyone probably thought another Raiders/Chiefs game has to be on National Television. We did not know how the Raiders have sunk since then. The good news is the silver and black with starter Aidan O’Connell behind center.
No chance. Gardner Minshew suffered a broken collar bone last week versus the Broncos and it could have been Desmond Ridder getting the start for the Raiders. O’Connell suffered a broken thumb was out a few weeks but being back gives the Raiders a better chance. Who knows, the Panthers took the Chiefs to OT last week. Chiefs would prevail but definitely got a scare. This is a division game, so it could be a close game for little while. I love to see Mad Max Crosby disrupt the Chiefs offense and get a few good licks on Patrick Mahomes. The Raiders have lost 7 straight. The Chiefs are a tough opponent when they play at home. Watching this game is better than shopping.
OUR PICK: CHIEFS
THE SUNDAY SLATE
LA CHARGERS(7-4) AT ATLANTA FALCONS(6-5)
The Chargers are finally playing some tougher teams as they gave the Ravens a battle but the 30-23 score was not as close as you think. Meanwhile the Falcons have lost two straight games and come off their bye week as they still are perched on top of the NFC South. It will be a short week for the Chargers and a long flight to Atlanta. The Chargers defense has played well this season. Mostly they played inferior competition. I think the Falcons will be ready for this game. The Falcons offense went dormant in the two losses. I think Kirk Cousins steps up and has a big game. Justin Herbert has played well, but Falcons defense will be geared up. The Bolts will still be stunned from the Monday night loss as the Falcons balanced offense will keep the Charger defense off their game. It will be a close game in the end and Falcons find the win column once again.
OUR PICK: FALCONS
PITTSBURGH STEELERS(8-3) AT CINCINNATI BENGALS(4-7)
I feel we will start seeing the wheels on the Pittsburgh bus start falling off after the loss to Cleveland on Thursday.
The Bengals who had a bye last week have a 4-7 record. You know Joe Burrow and his striped friends think Cincinnati can go on a hot streak starting at home with the Steelers and perhaps sneak into the back door of post-season play. Russell Wilson is now starting to look like the Denver version of himself. The Steelers number one wide receiver George Pickens blames the snow for the loss in Cleveland. Like the Browns were not playing in the snow. When they had the ball it was rainbows and unicorns with sunny skies. I feel this game could have one final gasp from the Bengals that their season is not over. Burrow and that Bengals offense can outscore Wilson from his Seattle days.
OUR PICK: BENGALS
HOUSTON TEXANS(7-5) AT JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS(2-9)
It seems like CJ Stroud is feeling the sophomore slump after taking the NFL by storm last week. The Jaguars may have their starting QB back in action. Will Trevor Lawrence suit up? I really don’t know why the Jags would risk further injuries on their franchise QB who should just be shut down the rest of the way. The Texans were victim of an upset by the Titans last week. The Jaguars were on their bye week as they have lost 4 straight games. I like the Texans getting back in the win column quickly. That bad Jaguars defense should be a good way to build some late season confidence for Stroud.
OUR PICK: TEXANS
ARIZONA CARDINALS(6-5) AT MINNESOTA VIKINGS(9-2)
Which team do you trust here? The Cardinals offense disappeared last week in a division game versus the Seahawks. The Vikings just got by the Bears and won their 3rd straight road game. The Vikings won 4 straight game and overall are finally back at home. Neither of these teams I would have thought would have winning records this late in the season. The Vikings have been winning despite Sam Darnold not playing that well. He did play well last week in Chicago. I like the Viking defense to rattle Kyler Murray’s cage and keep him from getting off clean passes. I think Darnold can get a big touchdown strike from Justin Jefferson who was too quiet last week in Chicago. Home cooking prevails for the purple. Anyone for Cardinal chili?
OUR PICK: VIKINGS
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS(5-7) AT NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS(3-9)
The Colts offense was not seen last week versus the Lions. The Patriots have lost two straight games and those losses did not look good. Drake Maye could generate some points against this Colts defense. I expect the Colts offense to be able to score off the legs of Jonathan Taylor. Anthony Richardson has shown some signs of improvement over the last few games. Richardson behind center this season has a 4-4 record. He is 6-6 since his rookie season last year. He has some nice weapons to throw to on this Colts offense and should be able to make all his throws versus a Patriots defense that is vanilla right now. This game will stay reasonably close, but Colts distance themselves late in the second half for the victory.
OUR PICK: COLTS
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS(6-5) AT NEW YORK JETS(3-8)
Which quarterback in this match up has more to prove: Aaron Rodgers or Geno Smith? I think it’s Rodgers because he is running out of excuses after each loss. Talk in the media is he’d like to be elsewhere in 2025, and then some rumblings he’d like to stay in New York. If Rodgers continues to play like he has and be the cancer in the locker room, he will not be playing anywhere next year. Career over on a whimper along with crying and screaming as we should expect. The Seahawks had a big win versus the division rival Cardinals last week. Could the Jets be a trap game as Seattle meets Arizona next week in the desert. Geno Smith in two games versus his old team the Jets has done well. The Seahawks defense has recently got their mojo back. The Jets are not a disciplined team and make too many bone-headed mistakes. I don’t trust them. I like Seattle escaping Jersey with a big win before they head to Cardinal-land.
OUR PICK: SEAHAWKS
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS(5-6) AT CAROLINA PANTHERS(3-8)
The Buccaneers came off their bye week healthy and gave the G-Men a beat down. That is nothing special as the Giants are terrible. Baker Mayfield giving the fans and Giants QB the Italian capiche gesture after a a Buccaneer score. The Panthers have won 2 out of their last three games and gave the Chiefs a scare in Carolina. Bryce Young is suddenly finding his NFL groove as he struggled last year and in the first half of this season. The Panthers are no easy task. I like the Buccaneers as Mayfield is playing on another level, has his guys back, and that Tampa Bay defense is swarming once again. Mayfield may have other worries in the future.
OUR PICK: BUCCANEERS
TENNESSEE TITANS(3-8) AT WASHINGTON COMMANDERS(7-5)
Suddenly the Commanders season is crumbling as they have lost 3 straight games. The Titans stunned their division rival Houston Texans last Sunday scoring 32 points with Will Levis behind center. The Commanders were sitting pretty a few weeks back & then lost two tough games against solid opponents in the Steelers and Eagles. How do you explain a bad Cowboy team taking down the Commanders last week? Sometimes heated division rivals know you the best which explains the Titans win over the Texans. Look for Jayden Daniels to stop the bleeding in this one. I can’t jump on the Titan bandwagon on one good game. The Commanders are the better football team and will look like it at the end of this one.
OUR PICK: COMMANDERS
LA RAMS(5-6) AT NEW ORLEANS SAINTS(4-7)
How do you figure out this match up? When I pick either one of these teams to win, they come back to bite me on the rear. The Saints are 2-0 under their interim head coach Darren Rizzi. The Rams offense with that running game and all those talented wide receivers you wonder why their record is below 500. What have the Saints been drinking the last two games to turn their season around? Their offense is humming and the defense is playing well. Derek Carr versus Matthew Stafford on their best day you have to lean towards Stafford. The Eagles put 37 points on that Rams defense. The Eagles put up 12 points on the Saints defense earlier this season. The Rams defense has been up and down this season. The Saints have scored 55 points in the last two games. The Saints offense is well-balanced and has a much faster pace. I like the Saints to keep on rolling here.
OUR PICK: SAINTS
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES(9-2) AT BALTIMORE RAVENS(8-4)
Could this match up be a preview of the upcoming Superbowl? Sorry, lost my head. No Chiefs? The NFL writers would be appalled with us going off script. The Eagles are one of the hottest teams in the NFL winning seven straight games. The Ravens showed up on Monday night and flexed their offensive muscles and took care of business against the Chargers after being knocked off by Pittsburgh the week before. The Eagles destroyed the Rams, a playoff team from last season. Jalen Hurts has this Eagles offense playing well. Lamar Jackson is 23-3 all-time versus NFC opponents. The Eagles have the better defense as the Ravens are still MIA this season. The Eagles have many young pieces assembled on their defensive unit. With Derrick Henry and Jackson who’s running when Lamar is passing might be complicated for the younger guys seeing this unfold in front of their eyes. This game could go either way. I like the Ravens ending the Eagles winning streak. Which may benefit Philly in the long run.
OUR PICK: RAVENS
THE SUNDAY NIGHT GAME
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS(5-6) AT BUFFALO BILLS(9-2)
The Bills are at home with snow in the forecast and will be facing a Californian team on Sunday night. Sounds like a winning recipe to me. The Bills are well-rested and coming off their bye week. The 49ers may be without their starting QB Brock Purdy for the second straight week. The 49ers did not look good with their Allen in Brandon as their staring QB last Sunday versus the Packers. The Bills went on their bye week beating the Chiefs and giving Kansas City their first loss of the year. The 49ers are not the same team from the past Superbowl. They seem like a shell of their former selves. Riddled with injuries. The Bills have some injuries, but they welcome back their stud linebacker Matt Milano who has missed over a year of action on the field. It is tough to win in Buffalo especially in cold temperatures. I like Josh Allen and the way this Bills team has played the last several weeks. The defense of the Bills is getting back to their stingy ways. Milano gives this team that extra lift and motivation to get the job done. The Bills win this one.
OUR PICK: BILLS
THE MONDAY NIGHT PARTY
CLEVELAND BROWNS(3-8) AT DENVER BRONCOS(7-5)
Jameis Winston has started 4 games for Cleveland. Winston has prevailed over the Ravens and then the Steelers last week. The Broncos have won two straight and have one of the best defensive units in the NFL. Winston has lost to bad teams, but can he manage a clean game versus this Broncos wrecking crew on the road? The Browns defense played well last year. This season the Browns defense has given up more points and are not the same stingy unit as they were in 2023. The Broncos offense may have the best rookie QB in the league in Bo Nix. Nix’s completion rating has been off the charts especially in the last few games. Winston is normally a turnover machine. He has not won back to back games in a Cleveland uniform. I like the Broncos stopping Nick Chubb to fluster Winston. Nix does his thing and Denver is getting closer to a playoff spot.
The Steelers coming off two impressive victories against the Commanders and then last week taking down Lamar Jackson and company the Ravens. The Browns were destroyed by the Saints. It’s a short week as both the Browns and Steelers are division rivals who know each other well so this should be a close game. Russell Wilson even in the win last week looked flat. That’s better than what the Browns have at QB with Jameis Winston in which the Steelers defense may feast on multiple turnovers. Browns defense keeps this game a game. In the end the Steelers prevail late.
OUR PICK:STEELERS
THE SUNDAY SLATE
MINNESOTA VIKINGS(8-2) AT CHICAGO BEARS(4-6)
Did the Bears get robbed last week versus the Packers on the no call penalty on the block field goal? The Bears would have won from a walk off field goal. The Vikings have won three straight and are heading to Chicago for their 3rd straight road game. The Bears offense looked better versus the Packers on the week they fired their Offensive coordinator Shane Waldron. The Vikings defense has carried this team for several weeks now after the hot start. Sam Darnold the Vikings QB has definitely come back down to earth after getting out the gates looking strong. This game will be close. It seems when either the Vikings and Bears are good, bad, or ugly it does not matter when, it’s always a close game. I don’t trust the Bears because they lost 4 straight games and the offense has been dormant most of that time. The Vikings defense will do the heavy lifting and come after the rookie QB Caleb Williams and cause a few turnovers that will decide this one.
OUR PICK: VIKINGS
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS(9-1) AT CAROLINA PANTHERS(3-7)
Last week the Chiefs were knocked off their perch by the Buffalo Bills as they suffered their first loss of the season. The Carolina Panthers coming off a bye week and the last time we saw them they had a successful business trip to Germany and knocked off the Giants. The Panthers have actually won two in a row. The Chiefs are a different animal. This match up is varsity against the freshman team. The Chiefs are mad after their perfect season ended. This will be the story of the bully taking the younger kid’s lunch money… that simple.
OUR PICK: CHIEFS
TENNESSEE TITANS(2-8) AT HOUSTON TEXANS(7-4)
The Texans got back on track with a beat down of the Cowboys on Monday night. Do you remember the Titans last time they won? It must have been three weeks ago because they have lost two straight games. CJ Stroud looked better with the return of his old number one receiver in Nico Collins.
The Texans lost their other top notch receiver Stephon Diggs to a season ending injury. The Titans QB Will Levis as a starter this season is 1-6 and has only 8 touchdown passes. Levis has also thrown 8 interceptions and he makes too many bone-headed decisions. This game should be an easy one for the Texans to pad the division lead on the AFC South. They are the only horse in that stable that has gotten out of the gates.
OUR PICK: TEXANS
DETROIT LIONS(9-1) AT INDIANAPOLIS COLTS(5-6)
Another 50 point game for the Lions as they buried the Jaguars. The Colts surprised me with a win over the Jets. Maybe the Aaron Rodgers Jets team is just that bad as we all think they will take off sooner as later has arrived and they have been grounded all year. Anthony Richardson had one of his best games last week as a starter. The Lions are the king of the jungle of the NFC and can beat up many of the AFC teams. The Lions offense will baffle the Colts defense which is not a solid unit. The Lions will rule the ground game with their two headed monster back field. They will rack up points with the play action pass. The Lions defense will eventually slow down the Colts running back Jonathan Taylor. I see Richardson regressing from his last start a week ago. Lions will win their 9th straight.
OUR PICK: LIONS
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS(3-8) AT MIAMI DOLPHINS(4-6)
The Dolphins are swimming the high waters as suddenly they have won two straight games. The Dolphins have always feasted on bottom of the ocean level teams like the Patriots. I like the way Drake Maye has performed so far in his rookie season.
He is 2-4 as a starter completing 66.7% of his passes. He has thrown 9 touchdown passes but six interceptions you like to see him do better at protecting the football. Could Drake be the next Boston legend like May Day Malone?
Maye Day Drake may have a tough landing in Miami which is a tough place to play for visitors. Tua Tagovailoa for the Dolphins is playing his best since returning from his concussion injury that sidelined him for several weeks this season. Dolphins pick up their 3rd win in a row slowly crawling back into the playoff picture.
OUR PICK: DOLPHINS
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS(4-6) AT NEW YORK GIANTS(2-8)
In New York it is the end of the Daniel Jones era at the quarterback position. Looks like it was a mutual thing as Jones will go through waivers and another team may pick him up. Now the keys to the car have been handed over to Tommy DeVito, a 26 year old out of the University of Illinois. He has seen some action as he is 3-3 as a starter filling in for Jones which was all last season. He had 8 touch down passes and only 3 interceptions. The Giants need some kind of new direction & new life as they have lost 5 straight games. Meanwhile the Buccaneers coming off their bye week have lost 4 straight. A much needed bye for the Buccaneers because they got healthier. The Giants will look better this week with DeVito behind center. Baker Mayfield is having a great year and my gut is telling me he will have a big game and Tampa Bay will get back in the win column.
OUR PICK: BUCCANEERS
DALLAS COWBOYS(3-7) AT WASHINGTON COMMANDERS(7-4)
The Cowboys are a gigantic mess as they lost 5 straight games. They are using back up quarterbacks with Dak Prescott out for the year. Will the Commanders see Cooper Rush or Trey Lance? They may even see both. The Commanders have lost two straight tough games versus the Eagles and Steelers as they are looking up at Philadelphia in the standings. These two teams are division rivals. Archrivals from the days of the Redskins. The Cowboys really have no chance in this one. Jayden Daniels will slice and dice this Cowboys defense with his arm and legs. This will be a easy one for the Commanders as they get back in the win column.
OUR PICK: COMMANDERS
DENVER BRONCOS(6-5) AT LAS VEGAS RAIDERS(2-8)
The Bo Nix/Sean Payton marriage is looking like the real deal. Flashing back to the New Orleans days of Payton and Drew Brees.
The frightening thing is Payton has had Nix as a pup and has been programming him from day one. The Raiders have lost 6 straight games. Only thing you can say about the Raiders and Broncos is this is a division game so it could be a close game. I like the Broncos defense smothering a bad Raiders offense which is the X-factor of this match up. Nix will generate some points on the score board in a Broncos win.
OUR PICK: BRONCOS
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS(5-5) AT GREEN BAY PACKERS(7-3)
Every time I think the 49ers will take the right step forward, they seem to takes 4 steps backwards as they lost to the Seahawks last week after manhandling them in the first match up earlier in the season. The Packers get away with a penalty on a last second blocked kick and escape Chicago with a win. The injuries have riddled this 49ers team all year as they will be without their starting QB Brock Purdy in this one.
Brandon Allen will be the 49ers starter as he has been around for 5 seasons and is 2-7 as a starter in the NFL in his career so far. The 49ers will be without their star defensive lineman Nick Bosa. I like the Packers in this one even though Jordan Love has struggled in the last few weeks. The Packers being at home have found the 49ers at the right time.
OUR PICK: PACKERS
ARIZONA CARDINALS(6-4) AT SEATTLE SEAHAWKS(5-5)
This looks to me like the game of the week between the Cardinals and Seahawks. The Cards coming off their bye week have won 4 straight games and are perched at the top of the NFC West standings. The Seahawks season looked to be in a tailspin until they accepted the challenge and beat the division rival 49ers in a street fight style game. The Cardinals defense has played solid the last 4 weeks. The Seahawks defense has been up and down but played solid versus the 49ers. Kyler Murray has outplayed Geno Smith this season. This game can go either way. I like the Cardinals making the playoffs at the end of this season. The Seahawks will make a bold statement being at home that they are in the playoff conversation. These two teams will meet again in Arizona in 2 weeks. I like Seattle taking this one at home which is a hard place to win for visitors.
OUR PICK: SEAHAWKS
THE SUNDAY NIGHT GAME
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES(8-2) AT LA RAMS(5-5)
The Eagles have been one of the hottest teams in the league & winners of their last six games. The Rams season has been a battle of ups and downs as they handled business on the east coast last week in New England versus the Patriots. The Rams and Eagles have multiple young pieces on their defenses. These are two very talented defenses and units on the rise. That Rams defensive line is explosive going after the quarterback. Jalen Hurts will have his work cut out for him. You have to love both these teams’ starting running backs. Saquon Barkley for the Eagles is having an outstanding season in his first year as an Eagle. Kyren Williams is no slouch for the Rams and a guy that can get his yards in chunks. Matthew Stafford and that passing attack will take off on Sunday night which will give the Eagles defense problems and will end their six game winning streak. It will be a close affair. In the end Rams take this one at home.
OUR PICK: RAMS
THE MONDAY NIGHT GAME
BALTIMORE RAVENS(7-4) AT LA CHARGERS(7-3)
Jim versus John in another epic battle between the Harbaugh brothers. John has been a stationary fixture in Baltimore for over a decade. While Jim has bounced around the NFL and helped his alma mater, University of Michigan, win the National title last year. Jim has turned this Chargers team into a force in the AFC. The Ravens were in cruise control until Lamar Jackson could not slay his demon in the Ravens. This match up has Jackson versus Justin Herbert, two stud QB’s in the AFC. The Ravens lack a defense while the Chargers have defended the field this season well. The Ravens offense can score on anyone. The Chargers have won 4 straight. The Chargers have been playing a basic easy schedule. It’s hard to imagine the Ravens losing two straight. The Ravens have played the cream of the crop all year and have done well. I like John over Jimbo in this match up right now. In the future maybe it will be a different story.
WASHINGTON COMMANDERS(7-3) AT PHILADELPHIA EAGLES(7-2)
Week 11 has multiple games like Commanders vs Eagles, a first place battle on Thursday night. The Eagles looking like the old Eagles two seasons ago when they made it to the Superbowl. The Commanders played a solid game versus the Steelers last week in which Pittsburgh may have gotten a few breaks their way in that one. The Eagles have won 5 straight and are playing well on both sides of the ball. The Commander offense will be one of the most challenging teams the Eagles has played this season. The Commanders defense is not the top unit in the league but they have played well. Anything could happen on a short week playing on Thursday night. I like Jayden Daniels pulling out an upset over the Philly special and getting back in the win column as Washington takes full control over the NFC East and take the split from the two Pennsylvania teams.
OUR PICK: COMMANDERS
THE SUNDAY SLATE
GREEN BAY PACKERS(6-3) AT CHICAGO BEARS(4-5)
I’m not going to lie to you about the Bears as I scream inside my head, put in the back up QB Tyson Bagent over the struggling rookie Caleb Williams. The Packers had a bye week last week with a chance to recharge their batteries to play a Bears team that is in a massive tailspin right now. The Bears have lost three straight games and the offensive line riddled with injuries has given up 15 sacks in the last two weeks. Jordan Love is already out of the gates against the Bears. He is 2-0 as he was handed down the torch from Aaron Rodgers & before that Brett Farve, the recipe for how to cook the Bears goose. The Bears this week fired their offensive coordinator Shane Waldron who will be the scapegoat for the time being until we watch them fail miserably this week. Even if the Bears make a change at QB, they might do better on the score board but this game is the Packers bread and butter team for an automatic W.
OUR PICK: PACKERS
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS(2-8) AT DETROIT LIONS(8-1)
Is it cannibalism when a Lion cat gnaws down a Jaguar puddy cat? The reason the Patriots traded away their former QB Mac Jones is because he’s terrible. The Lions are the best team right now in the NFC and they won on Sunday despite their QB Jared Goff throwing 5 interceptions. The Jaguars are 0-5 on the road this season and played better defense last week versus the Vikings. This is a team walking dead right now & just going through the motions. The Lions will clean up their mistakes, play a cleaner game, and should not even put up a sweat in this game as they eyeball the number one seed in the NFC.
OUR PICK: LIONS
LAS VEGAS RAIDERS(2-7) AT MIAMI DOLPHINS(3-6)
The Raiders come off their bye week and have to fly to Florida as they visit Miami. The Dolphins played a solid game versus the Rams on Monday night. The Dolphins defense did not allow the Rams to score a touchdown. The Raiders may have made a bad decision keeping their interim head coach Antonio Pierce. You have to bet that the reason why Raiders management kept him is because they had that win over the Chiefs on Christmas Day. McGenius, the Dolphins head coach Mike McDanie,l has issues as he has not sprouted very far from the Pierce weeds in the coaching landscape. Tua Tagovailoa finally got his first win back from the concussion injury that side-lined him multiple weeks. The Dolphins usually feasted on teams below 500 and they will do so at home versus a Raiders team that can’t match the number on the score board with this Miami aerial attack. The Raiders will be unprepared with bad coaching decisions that will doom them as Miami will start to trend upwards and get closer to the 500 mark.
OUR PICK: DOLPHINS
LA RAMS(4-5) AT NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS(3-7)
The Rams had a melt down on Monday night as LA looked like the team they were without their top two receivers in the beginning of the season. The Patriots stunned the Bears in Chicago as New England racked up multiple sacks taking advantage of an injured offensive line in Chicago. The Patriots tend to play better at home. What do you think about the play so far from the Patriots QB, Drake Maye? He has shown some nice flashes of why he was picked in the first round. Before Monday night versus the Dolphins, the Rams were predicted to land a playoff spot. Matthew Stafford has to play better if they want to land a wild card spot or challenge the others in a tight race for the NFC west. The Patriots will give the visitors a game, but LA finds just enough offense to win the game and get back to the 500 mark.
OUR PICK: RAMS
CLEVELAND BROWNS(2-7) AT NEW ORLEANS SAINTS(3-7)
The revenge of the Crab Man as Jameis Winston plays his former team, the Saints. The Saints turned some heads after winning a big division game versus the first place Falcons. For Winston what are you going to get from him this week? His first start for the Browns he looked like a top QB in the league. Last week the Browns had a bye week. In Winston’s last start he threw multiple interceptions and the Browns lost. The Saints interim coach Darren Rizzi took over last week and his team looked prepared. The Saints played a solid game from all three phases. The Browns have the better defense. Derek Carr has the edge over Winston at the field general position. Winston really never played that much during his Saints tenure. I can see the revenge type of game against his first team, the Buccaneers. I think Rizzi’s voice changed this team as that humiliation losing to the Panthers a few weeks back has helped get this Saints swagger back.
OUR PICK: SAINTS
BALTIMORE RAVENS(7-3) AT PITTSBURGH STEELERS(7-2)
Remember when the Steelers and Ravens featured some of the top defenses in the league? It seemed like last year both squads had an elite defense. The Steelers right now have the better D than the Ravens who have a hard time stopping anyone this season. Lamar Jackson is Superman most of the time. The Steel curtain contains Kryptonite as Jackson has not done well versus Pittsburgh. Jackson versus the Steelers is 1-3 in his career. Jackson has turned over the ball 10 times against the Steelers in those games. He has more interceptions than touchdowns. The Steelers are now 3-0 with the rebirth of the Seattle version of Russell Wilson. The Steelers offense is popping some big numbers as well. Let’s not forget the Ravens steam roller running back Derrick Henry who is new to this party like Wilson is. This is another big match up of week 11 and I have to lean towards the Steelers being at home and having the hex over Jackson. Every elite QB ever always has that one team that they have a hard time beating. I think the Steelers defense can stop the Ravens offense more than Baltimore’s defense stopping Pittsburgh’s offense.
OUR PICK: STEELERS
MINNESOTA VIKINGS(7-2) AT TENNESSEE TITANS(2-7)
Sometimes you can’t get rid all that New York Jets quarterback gangrene inside their bodies. Once a Jet always a Jet QB, is an infection. Look at Sam Darnold. He was in full control of this infection playing well as the Vikings starting QB. Now the infection is back and Darnold looks like the same QB from his Big Apple days. The Titans may have some infection at their QB position as Will Levis looks like a bust. Vikings won last week without scoring a touchdown holding another AFC South team, the Jaguars, to a touchdown. The Vikings used 4 field goals to win a road game in Jacksonville. I like the Vikings defense in this run as they also should lean on their running game and hope Darnold gets some ointment for his Jets infection that is still lingering. The Titans I’ve been done with for weeks picking them unless it’s against a team they can handle. They will not be able to handle the Vikings.
OUR PICK: VIKINGS
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS(4-6) AT NEW YORK JETS(3-7)
Last Sunday’s Mike Williams an X Jet got traded to the Steelers and scores a touchdown in his first game. Williams was one of Aaron Rodgers’ excuses he made for why the team was losing. Using Williams as a scapegoat. The Jets looked like total shit in a bad way last week in a loss to the Cardinals. The Colts are in their own slump as well and have lost three straight games. The Colts will make another switch behind center as Anthony Richardson will start over Joe Flacco. Something has to give in this game. I like Jonathan Taylor versus this Jets defense. Aaron Rodgers should be able to get their offense going with a Colts defense that is hot and cold, but mostly freezy freaky. With Richardson at QB, the Colts passing game is dwindled down to deep passes and really nothing over the middle. This will be an ugly game as the Jets are a stupid team but New York’s defense makes a stand with the season on the brink.
OUR PICK: (GRRR) JETS
ATLANTA FALCONS(6-4) AT DENVER BRONCOS(5-5)
The Falcons and the Broncos coming off tough losses last Sunday. The Broncos just needed a field goal to end the Chiefs perfect season only to get the kick blocked which should have been a walk off win for Denver. Then the Falcons losing to the Saints who came off a bad loss to the Panthers who’ve been the door mat for the entire league. The Falcons are 3-1 on the road this season, but Denver is a tough place to win a game in general. The Saints held Kurt Cousins and the Falcons offense to under 20 points. The Broncos defense is better and legit. I like the rookie QB Bo Nix being the General Lee out on the field and airing it out in this one.
Nix has improved each game he has played so far. The Falcons offense stumbles as the Broncos end their two game losing streak.
OUR PICK: BRONCOS
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS(4-5) AT SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS(5-4)
Both these division rivals are heading in opposite directions. The 49ers have quietly won two straight. While Seattle has lost two straight games. Seattle is coming off their bye week and hope they get their star receiver DK Metcalf back in the mix. The 49ers welcomed back their running back last week as Christian McCaffrey played his first game of the 2024 season. The 49ers needed a field goal to get by the Buccaneers. A few weeks ago these two teams met and the 49ers won big 36-24. The Seattle’s defense has crumbled over the last few weeks. The 49ers kicker missed three field goals versus the Buccaneers so that score could have been different if he made them. Look for the 49ers to have a big offensive day as they light up the score board while sweeping the series over their rival.
OUR PICK: 49ERS
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS(9-0) AT BUFFALO BILLS(8-2)
Here we go again with another epic game between the Chiefs and Bills slated for this week’s game of the week. Patrick Mahomes versus Josh Allen has been the tales of two seasons. Allen has dominated the regular season match ups as he is 3-1 versus Mahomes and the Chiefs. We know Mahomes has master Allen and the Bills in the post season and has a record of 3-0. Last time these two teams met was the Divisional round when the Chiefs knocked off the Bills in a game where Tyler Bass missed a chance for Buffalo to regain the lead with a wide right field goal in the last two minutes of that game. The Chiefs are 9-0 and their defense has played well all season. The Bills defense is getting healthier and played well last week versus a not so good Colts team. Allen is having the better season as Mahomes has struggled lately. Can Allen and that Buffalo offense score points with the injuries piling up on that side of the ball? Watch this game be a defensive battle all the way through. If I was writing the script here, I would give the Chiefs the win and then have the Bills beat these guys in post-season. However you never know if these teams will hook up again after this game. Overall I think the Chiefs ;luck finally runs out and the Bills find a way on offense despite the injuries to find points as the Buffalo defense stands tall on Mahomey and the meat head, Travis Kelce. The Chiefs lose their first game of the year.
OUR PICK: GO BILLS!!!
THE SUNDAY NIGHT GAME
CINCINNATI BENGALS(4-6) AT LA CHARGERS(6-3)
The Bengals are running out of time as they continue to try to get out of the hole they dug themselves. The Chargers have won three straight games.
Joe Burrow versus Justin Herbert has only happened once with these two QB’s as the Chargers won the game. This game will be a shoot out. The Bengals defense has been terrible all season. The Chargers defense has been the opposite as they are trending as one of the better units in the league. Burrow and the Bengals can score on any defense in the NFL. Ja’Marr Chase had a monster game last Thursday night versus the Ravens. Tee Higgins should be good to go versus the Chargers so the Bengals will have their top two play makers on the field. This is not the old Chargers teams where Herbert slings the ball all over the field in a shoot out. The Chargers offense is a balanced attack of ball control & run the clock out mentality. The Chargers will have a hard time catching up if Bengals start out of the gates scoring early. It seems like when the Bengals season is on the brink they win a game and they need this one being 2 games under 500.
OUR PICK: BENGALS
THE MONDAY NIGHT GAME
HOUSTON TEXANS(6-4) AT DALLAS COWBOYS(3-6)
It’s the battle of Texas on Monday night and both teams are absolutely dying for a victory. The Cowboys have lost 4 straight games and would need to find a way to string some victories together. Another lost Jerry Jones team could start making vacation plans. The Texans have lost two straight games and CJ Stroud seems to be having a sophomore year slump in the league. The Texans locker room seems to be grumbling as this was a team picked to go deep into post-season. The Cowboys have to rely on their back up QB Cooper Rush who got his first start of the season last week. He threw for just over 200 yards and completed about 56% of his passes and had a touchdown pass along with an interception. Stroud should be able to slice and dice the Cowboys bad defense in this one to right the ship for at least this week. Rush and the Cowboys will keep this close, but Texans win the battle of Texas.
The Wild shamrock 