The Buffalo Bills will be playing at a brand new spanking facility this upcoming season. The new Bills stadium will still be named Highmark stadium which cost 2.1 billion dollars to construct this new facility that is across the street from the old building. The Old Highmark stadium is being bulldozed which is already underway. Left under the rubble will be one of the Bills most famous running backs not named Thurman Thomas. All the Bills greats from the old stadium will be honored at the new stadium like nothing ever happened except one name. The Juice. OJ Simpson will be a ghost of the past when it comes to his old team moving into a new home. You can’t erase the past. However you could erase him from your new building which many thought they should have done a long time ago when the Bronco was in motion and the gloves did not fit in the 1990’s. When Juice was suddenly not a healthy choice in Western New York anymore. The Bills X running back created more black clouds above their skies which lingered for decades. Now the Bills leaders have finally got rid of a stain on the franchise that Simpson caused murdering two people and getting away with it.
OJ Simpson was the oil and gasoline of the Buffalo Bills on the field during the 1970’s. Simpson was drafted by the Buffalo Bills number 1 overall in the 1969 NFL draft from USC. He played 11 seasons in the NFL of which his first 9 came in wearing a Bills uniform. His last two seasons he went back home to the west coast and suited up with the 49ers. From 1969-1977 he made a name for himself on the gridiron playing professional football after a very solid college career. In 1973 he became the first running back in the NFL to rush for over 2,000 yards in one season. He was a 6 x Pro-Bowler. He made 5 first All-Pro squads in his 11 year career. He played in 135 games and ran the ball 2,404 times and tallied up 11,236 rushing yards. He averaged 4.7 yards per carry and scored 61 rushing touchdowns. He was a 3x AFC MVP. He was the first inducted member of the Bills Wall of Fame at the old stadium. They called it the Wall of Fame and his name was there for a reason. His play on the field eventually earned himself a trip to Canton as he made the NFL Hall of Fame.
Then in 1994 Nicole Simpson and Ronald Goldman were found stabbed to death. OJ Simpson now became a person of interest. Everyone was glued to their television set when OJ tried to make a run for it in his white Bronco with his best friend. Which set up one of the slowest ever police chases of all-time. Then in 1995 Simpson was charged with murder for what he did to his X-wife Nicole and Mr. Goldman. When you have money you can hire the dream team table of lawyers which the Juice did. His trial drew a larger audience than he ever saw on the football field. It was a world wide trial of people wanting to know what would happen next. What happened was Simpson was acquitted of all charges & that put plenty of dark clouds on America’s justice system. A trial that prosecutors botched big time. Simpson was a free man. But two years later his bank account all of a sudden dried up as he lost the civil court case that cost him 33.5 million dollars. The civil court claimed he was liable for wrongful death. In 2007 Simpson would be arrested in an arm robbery along with kidnapping charges with several accomplices. He claimed he was trying to get back his sports memorabilia that was stolon from him as he broke into a hotel in Las Vegas. In 2008 he was locked up. He served only 9 years in prison as he was once again a free man in 2017. Simpson would die of cancer in 2024 at the age of 76.
The Bills President of Business Operations, Pete Guelli, said, “We have an organizational decision that he is not fit to display inside our new stadium and family circle.”
The family circle will be all the Bills legends outside with three gigantic bison statues that will be open all year round.
Inside, other players on the Wall of Fame will be in the new stadium except OJ Simpson. No Juice. Just tall boys of Labatt Blue. Inside the new stadium will have history of all those great teams in the 1990’s with the 4 Superbowls in a row in that decade. Then other seasons that were memorable.
OJ Simpson had it all. He was a side line reporter for the NFL after his playing career concluded. He was a pitchman for Hertz car rental. He was a Hollywood movie star starring in all three of the Naked Guns.
Simpson was a guy that was liked on those commercials and movies. The fans in the NFL liked his insight on the sidelines of games he covered. He had a dark side and that is what came out years later.
OJ Simpson will always be one of the Best Buffalo Bills running backs of all-time. When he played the game on the gridiron, he did not have that dark side. He had a knack and the athleticism to run the football well on the field. He may have played with an edge. He had that friendly personality that fans loved after the games. Those were dark days of your franchise because the team did not win a ton of games like they do now in present day. He was a bright spot in those dark days that turned into a problem when he stabbed his X-wife and Ronald Goldman. Murderers should only be on the walls of the post office as a wanted person dead or live by the law. You have to protect the youth and not glamorize an athlete who committed double homicide. If you call something Family Circle, no way you should have OJ’s face on that. The Bills should have removed OJ from the old stadium . They let it linger. It’s better to leave OJ’s memories there. The Bills did not win any Superbowls in the old facility that had OJ on the wall. It’s a new beginning. The Bills are making the smart decisions to hopefully create more sunshine above Highmark stadium and disburse those dark clouds to New England.
The Buffalo Bills added another running back to their roster by signing the UFL,United Football League MVP of the recent championship, Ian Wheeler. Wheeler helped the Louisville Kings win their first title in the United Bowl III which was only weeks ago. Wheeler is 24 years old and will be 25 when the month of September rolls around. This is a guy that put medical school on hold to achieve his NFL dreams. His NFL dreams were crushed with a preseason injury with the Chicago Bears. After that he made the Saints practice squad which only lasted a week. Can Wheeler help the Bills and Josh Allen win a championship with a very loaded running back room already in place?
This will not be the first time Ian Wheeler has run with the Buffaloes. Wheeler played college football at Howard University.
Howard University had nothing to do with that award winning Hollywood movie, Howard the Duck. Howard University’s nickname is the Bison. When Wheeler played for the Bison during his college years, he averaged 6.5 yards per carry on the grid iron. I imagine in the classroom his grades were also off the charts as he already achieved a degree in Psychology. His college stats he carried the ball for the Bison 177 times and tallied up 1,154 rushing yards with 14 rushing touchdowns. The passing game he only tallied up a couple hundred yards with one more touchdown. In the return game, he had three touchdowns on special teams in his collegiate career. He was an undrafted free agent and signed with the Chicago Bears after he concluded a very nice career at Howard.
On August 10th of 2024, Ian Wheeler in a Chicago Bear Uniform scored two touchdowns against the team he just signed for, the Buffalo Bills, in a preseason game. By August 24th he was placed on injury reserve as a torn ACL which made his football career at that time very grim. By 2025, about a year later, the Bears released Wheeler. In late November he was able to sign with the Saints practice squad but it only lasted for a cup of coffee in the Big Easy. To keep Medical School on hold, Wheeler needed a new plan and that’s when the United Football league would help his case to show teams what he still has in his legs. Wheeler played in 9 regular season games for the Louisville Kings and finished 4th in rushing yards for the season in the UFL. He carried the ball 68 times and tallied up 370 rushing yards in those 9 games. Which averages out to 5.4 yards per carry. He had 6 rushing touchdowns during regular season. In two post-season games, he carried the ball 17 times for 175 rushing yards. He scored two rushing touchdowns. One of those touchdowns came in the 4th quarter in the United Bowl, a 44 yard dagger that beat last year’s champions the DC Defenders in their home stadium. Wheeler ranked number 5 in the UFL during the regular season for all-purpose yards. He averaged 28.5 yards on kick off returns for the Kings this spring.
Why do the Bills even need another running back when their starter won the rushing title in 2025? James Cook III tore up the league last year and won his first rushing title of his career. The Bills already have in place a solid third down running back in veteran Ty Johnson. The Bills also have the legendary Frank Gore’s son, Frank Jr., as the guy on the practice squad that has been improving every week and waiting to latch on to the main roster this upcoming season. Then Ray Davis who has been crucial on the return game on special teams for the Bills. When Davis carries the rock, he has done very well in limited time on the field. However Davis has been disgruntled as he voiced his opinions that he should be used more in the Bills offense. Could Wheeler be his replacement?
The Bills gave Ian Wheeler a contract as this is not your normal thing inviting UFL players or un-drafted free agents to try out for your team. Wheeler is a winner everywhere he played. Obviously we saw that with the Louisville Kings. If we go back to his college days, he helped the Bison of Howard win back to back MEAC championships. I’m not saying Wheeler is the missing piece that the Bills need to get to the Superbowl. He is a smart guy. He is a smart guy with talent on the field which you don’t get very often on the football field. You don’t get that very often in general in sports. I like anybody that can make big plays in the 4th quarter in a crucial game. He may be a guy the Bills only use on special teams. In football to be a Superbowl team, you have to be talented in all three phases of the game: offense, defense, and special teams. Wheeler could be an important factor if any of these guys get injured. This is a nice signing because there is nothing wrong with having too much talent at one position. It’s a low risk/high ceiling type of move here by the Bills. Hoping medical school waits a little bit longer to see Wheeler run wild with the Buffaloes in Orchard Park, New York.
Cameron Jordan has stayed afloat in the free agent pool lingering until June looking for his next team to play for in the NFL. After coming off a solid season weighting his offers, he clicked his spiked shoes three times and decided to come home. Jordan is coming home back to the New Orleans Saints for his 16th season in the NFL. All of them have been in the Big Easy. At 36 years of age, Jordan will turn 37 in July & says this will be his last season in the NFL. He could have pursued a Superbowl ring with a contender. He always had an invite by the Saints organization to play another season. He probably would have made more money elsewhere. He settles on a 1 year deal which is an incentive-laden type of contract. He will have to perform his best to get all the extra trimmings. The Saints right now are not Superbowl-bound. Late in the season last year, the Saints showed their fan base improvements. Could the Saints win their division the NFC South which is not a power house in the NFL? When any team makes it to the post-season, sometimes anything can happen. Look at the New England Patriots – a team that looked like they did not belong in the Superbowl. The Patriots found a way winning games on one of the easiest schedules in the NFL last year.
The Saints Defensive End Cameron Jordan was a 1st round pick by the Saints in the 2011 NFL draft 24th overall coming from the University of California. In 17 games last year for the Saints, he recorded 10.5 sacks along with 32 solo tackles and forced two fumbles. Not too shabby for a 36 year old athlete. Jordan has made the NFL Pro-Bowl 8 times in 15 seasons. Jordan has hit double digits in sacks in 7 out of 15 seasons. His career high in sacks was 15.5 sacks in 2019. In 2017 he had 13 sacks that year. He has a pair of 12.5 sack seasons as well. Last season was a contract year for Cameron as he responded but did not get the deal he expected to sign. In 2024 & ’25, he combined 6 sacks in those two seasons. Jordan has started every game in his career except 1 game. He has only missed 1 regular season game in his career. He has played 11 extra games in the post-season and has recorded 5.5 sacks in the playoffs. He has never played in a Superbowl as he missed Drew Brees and the Saints winning their only title by a few seasons. His career numbers he has 132 sacks in the NFL during regular season. Which ranks number 17 all-time in the NFL since they made the sack a stat. He has tallied up 494 solo tackles and has forced 17 forced fumbles in his career. He has 3 interceptions and has tallied up 248 QB hits in 15 seasons. Last year he had 15.
Ricky Jackson was a former Saint line backer as he played some defensive end as well. Jackson played for the Saints from 1981-1993 and racked up 115 sacks which is good for number two all-time on the Saints sacks list. Jackson would move on from New Orleans and play two seasons with the 49ers where he helped San Francisco win a Superbowl. In 15 seasons Jackson has 136 total sacks in the NFL. Cameron Jordan has 132 sacks all with the Saints which makes him the number 1 guy all-time at killing the quarterback for New Orleans. He would need 4 sacks to tie Jackson and with 5 he would move ahead of him on the all-time NFL sacks list. Number three all-time in sacks for the Saints is Wayne Martin who tallied 82.5 sacks from 1989-1999. One of the biggest bad asses in Saints history on their defense was Pat Swilling, who tallied up 76.5 sacks in Saints history from 1986-1992. Which is good for 4th all-time dressed in gold, black and white.
Then Will Smith rounds the top 5 on the Saints all-time sacks list. Smith unfortunately passed away in 2016. He helped the Saints win their only Superbowl as he played from 2004-2013 and played a few seasons with Cameron. He recorded 67.5 sacks for Smith.
The Saints came into last season with a new head coach, Kellen Moore, a guy that has played some quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys. Moore has been one of the league’s best play callers as well as being an offensive coordinator for years before getting his first head coaching job in New Orleans. The Saints fans may have found their next Drew Brees in Tyler Shough, who was a rookie last year. He showed he can throw the football and use his legs to get some yards. He was quite the leader out there. As a starter down the stretch he had a 5-4 record and Saints looked like a complete different team. The Saints added another top notch receiver in the draft picking up Arizona State Jordyn Tyson which will give Shough another play maker in New Orleans offense. The Saints still have Chris Olave who was the number 1 Saints receiver last year. The Saints aerial attack will be making some noise with Tyson and Olave. Then the Saints added running back free agent Travis Ethienne Jr. who had a monster year for the Jaguars last year. This offense will be better. The Saints defense played better as the season went on. Bringing back Cameron Jordan for peanuts is a big move for this organization. He is a guy that wants to be playing in New Orleans. His wife and 4 kids love the Big Easy. It’s their home away from home. Jordan dd not want to play for an arch rival like the Falcons, Panthers, or Buccaneers. That shows you something. He was honest he did not want to play for any cold weather teams. I thought the Bears should have tried to lure him to Chicago with the Saints old head coach Dennie Allen who is the defensive coordinator in the Windy City. Jordan gave the Saints a definitely home town discount. His heart is still in New Orleans and I have to give credit to a guy playing in one city his entire career. With free agency & trades that is unheard of in the sports world. If the Saints do make the post-season and don’t quite get to the Superbowl, they still look like a future contender. I think Jordan Cameron will go another year after this season just because this team is trending upwards. Look for Jordan along with the Saints to march after your quarterback at a stadium near you. Jordan is back home in the Big Easy looking to kill the quarterback.
In 2021 the LA Rams pulled out a blockbuster trade that helped them win the Superbowl in the same year they acquired their quarterback, Matthew Stafford, from the Detroit Lions. The Rams are notorious for trading their number 1 draft picks for established veteran players over the last several years. The Rams have done it again in another CHECKMATE move and acquired one of the best defensive ends in the league, Myles Garrett, from the Cleveland Browns. The Rams will send their much younger defensive end, Jared Verse, to Cleveland with three draft picks of which two are number one selections. The draft picks are 2027 first round pick, 2028 first round pick, and finally a 2029 3rd round pick. This is a trade that can certainly help the Rams get to the Superbowl which their home stadium is hosting next February. It also helps the Cleveland Browns get some of the draft capital they surrendered to the Houston Texans a few seasons ago when they acquired the sexual predator, Deshaun Watson.
Myles Garrett was originally drafted by the Cleveland Browns back in 2017 in the first round number 1 overall from Texas A&M. He is 30 years of age and already has 9 seasons in the NFL. He is the highest paid player in the league that is not a quarterback. He has won back to back years as the defensive player of the year. Last year he tied the NFL single season record of most sacks by a player in one season. He had 23 sacks. He played in all 17 games for the Browns last year, tallied up 43 solo tackles, and forced three fumbles in 2025. He has played in 134 career games in his career and has racked up 125.5 sacks with 293 solo tackles while forcing 23 fumbles. In 9 seasons he has only played in 3 career playoff games with the Browns and has recorded one sack in those games. Garrett is remembered for ripping the helmet off Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolf during a play & then using it as a weapon to hit him in the head with it. Garrett would miss six games including the post-season in 2019 for that incident as he was suspended by the league.
You have to feel sorry for Jared Verse who has two years in the league and has been a starter for the Rams both seasons. Now he leaves a potential team that could make it to the Superbowl to play for a flunky like the Browns. Verse is also a first round pick. He was drafted in 2024 by the Rams number 19 overall from Florida State University. Last year he racked up 7.5 sacks for the Rams as he played in all 17 regular season games. He also had 35 solo tackles and forced 3 fumbles. In two seasons he has racked up 12 sacks and has 71 total solo tackles in 34 games. He has also forced 5 fumbles. He has 45 total QB hits in two seasons. He was named Defensive Rookie of the Year for the Rams in 2024. He is a 2x Pro-Bowler as well and has only two seasons under his belt. The Rams are getting a solid piece in return for Garrett who is still playing under a rookie contract. Plus he is 25 years of age which is 5 years younger than Myles Garrett. The Browns in March also restructured Garret’s contract making him easier to trade. The restructuring will allow the Browns two seasons to spread his 41.09 million dollars in dead cap space on the salary cap instead of taking the hit in one season. The Browns also get two number 1 draft picks along with a 3rd. Let’s not forget Verse was picked in the first round. Now you have your draft capital back from the horrific deal acquiring the sexual predator, Deshaun Watson, back in 2022 from Houston. Watson has been terrible most of the time since he came from Cleveland. He has missed a ton of games with season ending injuries. Plus he’s a cancer in the locker room. Then you still hear about more sexual assault cases against him popping up. Hopefully Cleveland can use one of those draft picks and find a QB. Next year’s draft will be loaded with QB talent.
When the Rams won their last Superbowl, they had that one player on that defense who was a game wrecker. Aaron Donald was a beast. He has been retired now for the last few seasons. The Rams defense was solid last year. By bringing in Myles Garrett they have that Donald, a guy that can change the game. He’s a QB killer who has 239 hits on the guy behind center in 9 seasons. If he does not record a sack he will let you know his presence is there. He’s a guy that can close out football games. Let’s face it, the Rams are all in. They have a veteran quarterback approaching 40 years of age in Matthew Stafford who has shown he is capable of still playing at a high level. Last year the Rams went out and got another top receiver in the NFL, in Devante Adams. The Rams went all the way to the NFC Championship game and lost to a division rival, the Seattle Seahawks, who went on to dispose of the New England Patriots in the Superbowl. The Rams feel they need one more player to get them over the top of the mountain to get back to the Superbowl. The Rams feel they get more for their teams by trading their number 1 pick for talented veteran players. They have also acquired Von Mille and Jalen Ramsey in the past. This off-season they made a deal with the Chiefs for their all-pro corner back, Trent McDuffie, for some draft picks. The Rams actually used their number 1 pick this season on a quarterback, Ty Simpson. This Rams team has one of the best coaches in the NFL, the young mind of Sean McVay. Then next year’s Superbowl is in LA. The Rams could do their version of Tom Brady and the Buccaneers, and host the Superbowl in their own stadium. The Rams before the trade landing Garrett, had good odds by Las Vegas to win next year’s big game. Now they should be the lead horse in the race to win next year’s Superbowl. In my opinion this looks like a solid trade for both teams. Cleveland is not getting to the Superbowl any time soon as they need to rebuild that roster. The Rams have done this before and made the big move to put themselves in the best position possible. You can really say, “CHECKMATE!!”
The Chicago Bears brought in veteran wide receiver, Chicagoland native Scotty Miller, for a visit. Miller participated in the team’s rookie mini camp and the Bears liked what they saw. Miller will join the Bears receiving core as he walks out of Lake Forest with a contract for this upcoming season. He’s from the Northwest suburbs of Chicago. He was originally drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 6th round of the 2019 NFL draft out of Bowling Green. Miller is remembered mostly for his best year with the Buccaneers in 2020 where he became a nice target for Tom Brady. Miller has a Superbowl ring as the Buccaneers won it all in 2020 behind Brady.
Scotty Miller is 28 years of age and has been in the NFL for the last seven seasons. Miller spent 4 seasons in Tampa Bay before moving on to Atlanta in 2023. The last two seasons he has played for the Pittsburgh Steelers. For the Steelers in the last 2 seasons, he has played in 26 games and has hauled in only 14 passes for 131 receiving yards. In 2023 his numbers were better than what he did the last two seasons in Pittsburgh. One season with the Falcons he caught 11 balls for 161 receiving yards and two touchdown catches. His best year was when Tom Brady was his quarterback in 2020 when he caught 53 balls for 501 receiving yards and three touchdown catches. In 93 games in the NFL he has caught 99 balls for 1,216 receiving yards with 6 touchdown catches. You have to remember his catch wearing a Buccaneers uniform versus the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Championship game. At Lambeau Field, Miller was wide open as Brady found him & threw him the ball for a 39 yard touchdown pass right at the end of the first half that gave Tampa Bay a 21-10 halftime lead. The Buccaneers would go on to the Superbowl after beating Green Bay on the road and win their second championship in their franchise history. In post-season, Miller has 4 catches for 80 receiving yards and that touchdown catch versus Green Bay.
Scotty Miller is originally from the suburb of Barrington in the Chicagoland area. He attended Barrington High School. He also played youth football with his old and now new teammate from the Bears, tight end Cole Kmet. It is a nice story reuniting two teammates from the past when they were kids who were just starting to play the sport of football. What does Miller right now bring to the table for the Bears? Last year he only had 9 catches for 62 receiving yards. The Bears in the off-season traded one of their top receivers to Buffalo to open up more cap space for the team. DJ Moore will wear a Bills uniform. The Bears have a young core of talented receivers such as Rome Odunze & Luther Burden III who are coming off a big year under Ben Johnson’s offense. The Bears added a veteran Lions receiver that Johnson knows from the motor city in Kalif Raymond. The Bears also have some other young options they’d like to develop in Zavion Thomas and Jahdae Walker. The Bears had a solid 1-2 punch at the tight end position with Cole Kmet and Colston Sutherland last year. That did not stop the Bears adding another tight end in the draft this season by selecting Sam Roush out of Stanford. Miller gives the Bears another veteran receiver who can convert some third downs and has a knack at finding the end zone. Miller gives the Bears depth at the wide receivers position just in case of any unfortunate injuries that occur before the season even starts. Miller has not really had a solid quarterback since Brady retired from the game. I could see Caleb Williams giving a guy like Miller more targets because he is dependable when he gets the ball thrown in his direction. This is a low risk/high ceiling type of move by the Bears here. If he does not serve a purpose, the team could release him back into the free agent waters of the NFL. With Johnson’s offensive system, plenty of balls can feed many of the play makers on this team. Nothing wrong with bringing in the hometown guy to help the team and really revive Miller’s career where he can do the things he did for Tom Brady. You have to like the post-season experience Miller has for being around one of the best all-time. He has seen firsthand how the goat did it. Can Williams be that goat?
I wonder if the Mangum household is similar to the show Blue Bloods. In Blue Bloods, Tom Selleck plays character Frank Reagan who sits at the head of dinner table as the Police Commissioner with a family that has law enforcement as the family business. It seems like the Mangum family business is football. John Mangum Jr. played for the Chicago Bears during the 1990’s. His father, the original John, played defensive tackle for the Boston Patriots, who at the time resided in the AFL before the merger with the NFL. Then John Mangum’s brother Kris played tight end for the Carolina Panthers for 10 seasons in the NFL. Along came John Mangum Jr.’s son Jake who elected to play baseball over football. He followed his own path in life and has made it to the MLB. I’m sure Jake is not sentenced to the kids table at Sunday family dinners.
At the age of 30, Jake Mangum has had a very interesting path to the MLB after spurning football his freshman year of high school to concentrate on baseball. In 2025, Jake made his MLB debut with the Tampa Bay Rays. This season he is on the Pirates in year two of his career as he has already been traded three times in his career. Mangum was drafted three times by both New York teams. He avoided the Yankee Death Star by playing college ball instead of wearing storm trooper pinstripes. The Mets drafted him two years in a row in 2018 & ’19. He played his college ball at Mississippi State University where he earned a degree in business administration. In 4 seasons at Mississippi State, he helped the Bulldogs get to the College World Series in back-to-back years in 2018 & ’19. In 4 seasons he racked up 383 hits which ranks him number 1 all-time in the Southeastern conference. Those 383 hits rank him number 4 all-time in NCAA Division 1 history. He would finally sign with the Mets to begin his journey to the MLB. In 2020 due to the pandemic, he did not play as all minor league seasons were cancelled completely that year. The Mets traded him to the Marlins for that famous player to be named later deal. Then about a year later the Marlins flipped him to get that famous player to be named later. Finally Mangum had a break out camp with the Rays while being protected from any other team poaching him in the rule 5 draft. Mangum is switch hitting outfielder with remarkable defensive skills. With the lumber last year he racked up 120 hits in 118 games. His batting average was a impressive .296. Not much power with the bat only 3 long balls but he drove in 40 runs. The Rays had a fire sale during the off-season as they work on another quick rebuild on the fly, they threw in Mangum in the deal with second baseman Brandon Lowe who was headliner of the deal.
John Mangum Jr. presently 59 years of age. He was born and raised in the state of Mississippi. John was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the 6th round of the 1990 NFL draft from Alabama University. John was defensive back and played 9 seasons in the NFL all with Da Bears. In 105 NFL games he tallied up 5 interceptions. He recorded 4.5 sacks and racked up 272 solo tackles. When John played for the Bears this was after those great 1980’s teams they had when they won the Superbowl in 85. The Bears still had some Hall of Fame players that played with John in the 1990’s.
Steve “Mongo” McMichael and Richard Dent were on their last legs when Mangum Jr. was patrolling the Bears secondary. The Bears did make it to the post-season three times with John Mangum Jr. In 5 post-season games, Mangum did record an interception and fumble recovery on his playoff resume.
John Mangum Jr.’s younger brother Kris is 52 years of age presently. He was drafted by the Carolina Panthers in the 7th round of the 1997 NFL draft from Alabama University. He helped the Crimson Tide win a National title in 1992. Before transferring to Alabama he played for Ole Miss. Kris did not play defense like his brother and father. He was an offensive player whose position on the gridiron was tight end. He played 10 seasons in the NFL all with the Panthers. He played in 126 NFL games and racked up 151 catches for 1,424 receiving yards. He also hauled in 9 touchdown passes. He played from 1997 until 2006.
Jack Mangum was way too young to see his father play professional football. In 2025 for a Monday football game between the Bears and the Vikings, Jack was in town with the Rays. It was an alumni game for his father John, at Soldier field. Jack had the day off as the Rays were going to be playing both Chicago baseball teams during the week starting on Tuesday. Jack got some perspective about his father and all his Bear chums that night. The stories that were told. Along with watching the game together, it had to have been special for the Mangum football family.
When John Mangum Jr. was playing for the Bears, I always liked how he played the game. He was not your All-Pro defensive back out on the field. He played hard every down and had a high football IQ which you have to respect. In sports, guys like John Jr. are some of the unsung heroes of these teams you watch every Sunday. You need these guys on the roster to win games. You can tell that about his son Jack, who carved his own path in life. He may have been good playing football until he gave it up. He was committed to Alabama but backed out in the last minute to go to Mississippi State which was close to home. It was a school he visited multiple times before going there because he knew people there. By the time he went to school there, he knew many people and everyone knew his name earning himself the “Mayor” nickname. I was watching the Pirates game yesterday, his new team, as they were in New York playing the Mets, the team that drafted him and traded him away. He was playing center field and on one play he tracked down a ball that was destined to be off the wall for extra bases. He got on his horse and tracked it down for one hell of a catch. He looked like a defensive back like a safety ball hawking a ball thrown deep by a quarterback. His father would be proud that Jack has taken some football into his sport of baseball. The Mangum family toughness with the game high IQ is what this family is all about. Jack was late getting to the big leagues, but he certainly looks like he should be an everyday player as I hope the Pirates give him plenty of playing time. You hope he can get 8-10 good years in the MLB like his father and uncle got playing on the gridiron.
Right before the start of the NFL free agent frenzy, the biggest trade made was between the Baltimore Ravens and the Las Vegas Raiders. The Ravens acquired one of the top pass rushers in the NFL in 28 year old 5x Pro Bowler Mad Maxx Crosby. The Ravens have never traded any of their first round picks in their franchise history. To acquire a talent like Crosby with other teams making bids, the Ravens sealed the deal with a 2026 1st round pick along with a ’27 first round pick. It looked like the Ravens upgraded their defense with one of the fiercest pass rushers in the league. Crosby was not looking to go through another rebuild with the Raiders who already have the number one draft pick this April. The deal was orchestrated before the official NFL year begins. Plus every deal depends on pending physicals for players involved. Crosby would be looked at by the Ravens doctors in Baltimore and they apparently did not like what they saw with his off-season surgery. Crosby missed the last two games of the season due to a meniscus tear in the knee which he had it repaired with off-season surgery. The Ravens backed out of the deal and the trade was cancelled. Right after the trade, the Ravens signed another stud pass rusher in Trey Hendrickson who was available through free agency. The Raiders along with some football experts would call the Ravens backing out of the deal very dirty. As if they had two plans in motion the entire time.
With the Ravens backing out of the deal with the Raiders, they will have access to those two first round draft picks back in their arsenal. They still get one of the elite pass rushers in the NFL as well without having to give up any draft capital. The Ravens signed the 31 year old Hendrickson to a 4 year deal worth 120 million to play for the Ravens. This move also steals one of the Ravens archrival’s players away from the Cincinnati Bengals. Originally Hendrickson was drafted by the Saints back in the 3rd round of the 2017 NFL draft from Florida Atlantic University. He played for the Saints his first 4 years out of his 9 year NFL career so far. He signed with the Bengals in free agency and has played in Cincinnati for the last 5 seasons. Hendrickson only played in 7 games last year as he had a season-ending injury that occurred in week six. It was a core muscle injury originally reported in his hip pelvis region. In week 8 he re-aggravated the same injury because he continued to play after week 6. The Ravens doctor must have liked what they saw from Hendrickson during his physical because the contract was signed and he finally got his money. Hendrickson has been creating plenty of noise with the Bengals for not giving him the top money his position makes in the NFL. Before last year’s season started, he was threatening to hold out until his demands were made. The Bengals and Hendrickson never hammered out a long term deal. Hendrickson is older than Mad Maxx Crosby. In seven games last year, Hendrickson had 4 sacks, 11 solo tackles, and forced one fumble. In ’23 and ’24 Hendrickson led the NFL in sacks in back-to-back seasons. Those two seasons Hendrickson tallied 17.5 sacks in each of those two seasons. Hendrickson in 9 seasons has racked up 81 sacks.
What does this mean for the Raiders as their trade is blown up by the dirty Ravens? After the Raiders thought the deal was done with the Ravens, they went on a shopping spree for players in the free agent market. The Raiders added some solid linebackers to their defense with the signing of Quay Walker along with former Eagle, Nakobe Dean.
Dean helped the Eagles trash the Kansas City Chiefs in the Superbowl. The Raiders added some much needed offensive help as well. They signed a veteran receiver in Jalen Nailor, a former Viking who had 4 touchdowns last year. The best signing was taking away the Ravens top offensive lineman in Tyler Linderbaum who will be the Raiders new center this upcoming season. When Mad Maxx Crosby arrived in Baltimore, he was watching the moves his former team was making. The Raiders certainly will draft the best quarterback option in April by selecting the Heisman trophy winner from University of Indiana, Fernando Mendoza, who also helped the Hoosiers win the National Championship. The shopping spree the Raiders just had will not effect the salary cap even if the Las Vegas keeps Crosby next season. The Raiders have enough room to keep all the players they just signed and still have enough space to pay Mad Maxx.
How long will this Raiders rebuild take? The Raiders coming into the off-season had some nice pieces on offense. Ashton Jeanty was the top pick for the Raiders last year in the first round 6th overall. He rushed for 975 yards and had 5 rushing touchdowns in his rookie season. The Raiders’ new head coach will have a better offensive design for Jeanty. Klint Kubiak’s offense featured two star running backs for Seattle last year. The Raiders also have a tight end in Brock Bowers who is closing in on being one the top tight ends in the NFL. I believe Mendoza will be a solid quarterback for years to come. The Raiders could trade Crosby and get some more draft capital or keep him and ride him out through the end of his contract. Keeping him will help this Raiders team get to their goals quicker. He wanted to leave, not wanting to be involved in another rebuild. His heart seems to have always been with the silver and black. Tom Brady, who I hate, is part owner of this Raiders franchise. His voice is being heard. Eventually every team wants a solid pass rusher. The Raiders have one again. You can pay guys some big money when your rookie QB is on a rookie deal. Brady’s pride is on the line with his Raiders. He does not like to lose. He will win more with Crosby and help than without Mad Maxx and the help. When it comes time to pay your QB after his first contract concludes, then you can cut ties with Crosby. This could be a blessing in disguise for the Raiders. Crosby will play with a chip on his shoulder to prove himself to be healthy and able to play in the NFL, to the entire league. Meanwhile the Dirty Ravens need more players on that defense than just Trey Hendrickson. If the Ravens go into the season as is, it’s like Hendrickson playing on those bad Bengals defenses for the last few seasons. It seems like Hendrickson is one step & one play away from breaking down completely at his age as injuries have followed him. Back and hip issues are not a good recipe for playing football at a high level. Attaching yourself onto Lamar Jackson to complete your Superbowl dreams is not a smart decision. I think Jackson will never win a Superbowl and may never get a team to that kind of a game in the first place.
When Kellen Moore was hired to be the head coach of the New Orleans Saints last season, he was coming into a very difficult situation. After Moore’s short playing career on the gridiron came to an end with the Dallas Cowboys, he immediately went into coaching. The Cowboys gave him his first coaching job in the NFL. Moore was the offensive coordinator for the Eagles when they stampeded over the Chiefs in Superbowl LIX and became one of the hotter coordinators which the Saints pounced on. Moore is only 37 years of age and took a job with the Saints with three young quarterbacks of whom two were drafted in the later rounds. Not one of them was drafted in the first round. The team was in salary cap hell. The Big Easy was not going to be easy for Moore who had his team in almost every game as they hit many bumps in the road along the way. It took until the middle of the season to finally find a quarterback out of three guys without much experience coming into the 2025 season. Moore, who was a former quarterback in the NFL, got the best results from rookie Tyler Shough. The Saints drafted him in the 2nd round as he played his college ball with Oregon University and Texas Tech. Shough would start 9 games, had a winning record of 5-4, and finished the season off strong.
In 2023 the Saints went out and signed veteran quarterback Derek Carr after the Raiders benched him in ’22 & then released him into the wild. It seems like back then the Saints were in salary cap hell. In ’23, Carr was supposed to be the team’s savior and get the Saints back to the post-season. The Saints just missed the post-season as Carr finished with a 9-8 record. In 2024 Carr would try again, started 10 games, and finished 5-5 for the season. His season was cut down short due to injury that would lead to his retirement after the season concluded. Those other seven games went to the young-en’s. Like Jake Haener who was drafted in the 4th round of the 2023 draft. He went to multiple schools, as he played college ball at Washington University and Fresno State. He lost his only start. Spencer Rattler received the most action out of the three young QB’s in ’24 & ’25. Rattler was drafted in the 5th round of the 2024 NFL draft. He also went to multiple schools as he played his college ball for Oklahoma and South Carolina University. He finished 0-6 for the season. Then Rattler would be Moore’s number 1 guy starting the 2025 season. After 8 games, Rattler did win his first ever NFL start. However he started 8 games and finished 1-7. Then Moore made the switch and found his starter with Tyler Shough.The Saints, who drafted a quarterback three straight seasons, finally hit pay dirt. Shough completed 67.6% of his passes for 2,384 passing yards. He threw 10 touchdown passes and did have 6 interceptions. The 26 year old showed you poise in the pocket. He showed he had great mobility as he used his legs on several plays for a touchdown or to extend the drives. The Saints won 4 straight games and 4 of their last 5 games to end the season. Let’s remember the Saints traded away one of their top playmakers in their receiving core at the deadline. The Seattle Seahawks acquired speedster Rashid Shaheed from New Orleans at the deadline. In Shough’s 9 games, he had some key injuries to some of his other playmakers on the offense. The Saints continue to march with Shough and Moore being the QB whisperer.
The Saints salary cap became less than a burden with some big names coming off the cap hitting the free agent market. The Saints made two interesting moves to give Moore’s offense more traction. The Saints signed 27 year old running back former Jaguar Travis Ehienne who went on a tear in the second half of last season. Travis is a Louisiana native as well and wanted to be closer to home. Then solidifying the offensive line with 28 year David Edwards who helped protect Josh Allen for the Bills the last three seasons. Etienne gets a 4 year deal worth 52 million. While Edwards also gets a 4 year deal worth 61 million. Etienne was drafted in 2021 and was a first round pick out of Clemson University by Jacksonville. Meanwhile Edwards is from my home state of Illinois where he hails out of a suburb called Downers Grove. He played his college ball at Wisconsin University. He was drafted in the 5th round of the 2019 NFL draft by the LA Rams where he played 4 seasons and helped them win a Superbowl.
With the addition of Travis Ethienne, what will the Saints do with their other star running back Alvin Kamara? Kamara already has 9 seasons in the NFL. Kamara is a duel threat style running back who can run through the tackles and also catch the ball out of the back field while being productive. Karmara was reduced to only 11 games last year with injuries. He tallied up 471 rushing yards and caught 33 balls. With Kamara’s arrival in the league being drafted in 2017 by the Saints, he shared the load with Mark Ingram II. They formed a solid two-headed monster in the back field. Ethienne last year tallied 1,107 rushing yards and found the end zone 7 times. In 4 seasons he has tallied up 3,798 rushing yards and has 25 touchdowns. Kamara seems like that type of guy that would be okay with splitting the duties. Kellen Moore may get better production out of both running backs splitting up the carries or go with the hotter hand that game day. Kamara could be a nice 3rd down back. The Saints could also trade Kamara and get some draft capital for this April’s draft.
The Saints are residents in a terrible division with teams like the Panthers, Buccaneers, and the Falcons. The Saints finished the season last year in last place but beat the Panthers and Buccaneers. Panthers were swept by the Saints and won the division. These are some savvy moves by New Orleans landing a guy like David Edwards to reinforce the line who has a ton of playoff experience. Then adding a talented running back like Travis Ethienne automatically upgrades that position. The Saints have a number 1 receiver in Chris Olave who caught 100 balls last year for over 1,000 yards with 9 touchdown catches. If Tyler Shough continues to develop, this Saints team is marching in the right direction for a change.
I started out of the gates really bad with 2 losses on Thanksgiving day last week. Then the Bears upsetting the Eagles gave me 3 losses in the first 4 games. I rebounded with a very nice Sunday only losing 1 match up as the Panthers upset the Rams. My Monday night pick was a pipe dream going Giants over the Patriots.
OVERALL SEASON RECORD:(126-68)
NFL WEEK 14 STRAIGHT PICK-EM
THE THURSDAY NIGHT GAME
DALLAS COWBOYS (6-5-1) AT DETROIT LIONS (7-5)
The Cowboys come into this short week versus the Lions red hot. The Lions may not have their number 1 weapon of offense in wide receiver Amon-Ra St.Brown who left the Thanksgiving match up versus the Packers with an sprained ankle. The Lions have already lost their starting tight end for the remainder of the season in Sam LaPorta. The Cowboys are one of the top offenses in the league. They have also rebuilt their defense at the trade deadline and it has paid off. The Lions have struggled lately losing 2-3 games and barely getting by the Giants which took OT to do so. The Lions play better at home. The Lions defense are not stopping teams. I just can’t see Jared Goff short-handed keeping pace with the Cowboys offense. I think the Cowboys can put up points on that Lions defense to get out of Detroit on a short week with a win especially St.Brown not playing or if he does, not giving 100 percent,
OUR PICK: COWBOYS
THE SUNDAY TILT
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (8-4) AT JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (8-4)
The Colts will not have have their hot sauce on defense. Sauce Gardner will miss this AFC South showdown which this game means a lot to both teams. The Jaguars are red hot winning three straight games. The Colts have lost two straight games. They have also lost 3 out of the last 4 games and you just feel this Indianapolis team crumbling right now. Daniel Jones is playing with a broken fibula. The Jags offense is clicking at the right time. Their defense has done well most of every game except in the 4th quarter. The Colts have not won in Jacksonville since 2014 which that streak will continue after this game.
OUR PICK: JAGUARS
WASHINGTON COMMANDERS (3-9) AT MINNESOTA VIKINGS (4-8)
The Commanders showed me something last week even with the loss giving Denver a battle to the end which took overtime. The Vikings offense was on life support with the other rookie quarterback not named JJ McCarthy. The good news is McCarthy will be back behind center, if that is good news for Viking fans watching the growing pains unfold this season. Can Marcus Mariota find a way to beat this Vikings defense? The Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell wants to dumb down the offense for McCarthy and just let him play and react after being out with a concussion. Dan Quinn has this Commanders defense playing better which has not been the case most of this season. This game to me is a coin flip. I think the QB whisperer O’Connell finally gets through to his rookie QB and we see a Viking offense that will take off and generate just enough points to beat this Commanders team. The Viking defense will make a huge impact in this game as well to secure the win at home.
OUR PICK: VIKINGS
CINCINNATI BENGALS (4-8) AT BUFFALO BILLS (8-4)
Joe Burrow is a thorn in the side to teams at this time of the year. Last year the Bengals made a playoff push and the team got red hot the last few weeks. They did not get the help from other teams to get in the back door of the post-season. Burrow came back last week and beat Lamar Jackson and the Ravens. Burrow is 2-0 versus Josh Allen. The Bills came off an impressive win versus the Steelers last week which their defense stood tall. The Bills have taken on multiple injuries as Joey Bosa will miss this game and he came up big last week versus Aaron Rodgers. Burrow will have all his weapons in this one. The Bills have lost to teams with a losing record this season. This game looks all wrong for Buffalo. I do like the Bills running game versus a bad Bengals defense. The Bills at home they play much better there. This will be a game. Bills will prevail and find a way to finally beat Burrow and cool off his fire in December.
OUR PICK: BILLS
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (9-3) AT ATLANTA FALCONS (4-8)
The Seahawks are 5-1 this season on the road. The Falcons have been in games with Kirk Cousins under center since he took over for the injured Michael Penix Jr. The Seahawks won last week versus Minnesota which was not Sam Dranold’s best game. Look for the Falcons to bring everything including the kitchen sink at Darnold like the Vikings did. The Falcons offense has consisted of running the football and short passes which Seattle’s defense should be able to contain. Cousins has not been good at throwing the ball down field. You need a well-balanced offense to beat this Seattle defense. I think Darnold will have better results than he had last week and hit on some deep passes while avoiding the pressure for some big plays which result in another win in an epic three team race in the NFC West.
OUR PICK: SEAHAWKS
TENNESSEE TITANS (1-11) AT CLEVELAND BROWNS (3-9)
Can Myles Garrett of the Cleveland Browns set the single season sack record versus the Titans? Garrett comes in already with 19 sacks. He needs 3.5 sacks to join Michael Strahan and TJ Watt who have the record of most sacks in one season with 22.5. Cam Ward of the Titans is the most sacked quarterback in the NFL this season. If Garrett gets 4 sacks, he sets the record in front of the Dawg pound. Even if he does not set the record this weekend, he has weeks left to break the record this season. This match up features Cam Ward vs Shedeur Sanders – two rookie quarterbacks. You better get used to this match up because this is the next Tom Brady versus Peyton Manning in the AFC for years to come. Most likely not because one of these guys will be washing cars in a few seasons. The Browns defense is the key in this match up. The Titans will not generate enough points. The Browns offense will squeak by with just enough offense to win their 4th game of the year.
OUR PICK: BROWNS
PITTSBURGH STEELERS (6-6) AT BALTIMORE RAVENS (6-6)
Not sure what neighborhood is Mr. Aaron Rodgers’? Mr. Darkness may have to retreat to his cave. We saw him retreat to the blue tent last week. The Ravens found out Joe Burrow is not rusty in his return from the injury list. Both these AFC North teams are struggling even though this game is a first place battle between the two teams. They will meet twice before the end of the season. The Steelers can’t stop the run. Derrick Henry should have a big game. Rodgers is broken in multiple pieces. He has tainted the Steelers with his presence this season. The natives in Pittsburgh are chanting for the firing of their head coach, Mike Tomlin. Tomlin might get his first losing season with Rodgers as his QB. He has held on to the Steelers head coaching job like the Pope, which seems forever. I think this is going to get uglier for the Steelers. Even the original Mr. Rodgers of the neighborhood changed his last name to Robinson because of Aaron.
The Ravens will come after whoever is the QB for the Steelers. Lamar Jackson will rebound and have a better game. It’s the running of the Ravens that will get Baltimore to first place by themselves.
OUR PICK: RAVENS
MIAMI DOLPHINS (5-7) AT NEW YORK JETS (3-9)
The Miami Dolphins in cold weather are priceless. Miami head to New Jersey to play the Jets winning three in a row, their first winning streak of the season. Meanwhile the Jets are coming off a victory last week when they stunned the Falcons. The Jets have won 3 out their last 5 games. The Jets offense is starting to generate points. The Dolphins defense has gotten better. The Dolphins have been running the ball well which will be needed in colder temperatures. The Jets defense has also been playing better.The Jets defense are last in the league at finding ways to get turnovers. The Dolphins are a perfect team to change that stat around. The Dolphins have lost 7 straight games including the playoffs in temperatures 45 degrees or lower. The Jets will enjoy their meal of fish sticks after this game.
OUR PICK: JETS
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (2-10) AT TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (7-5)
If you are in Northern Ireland in County Down, stop by Laverty’s pub. They are watching American football and giving out free pints. New Orleans Saints fans are all over the world, believe it or not. I can’t say that is a fact but they do have a kicker that hails from Northern Ireland. Charlie Smyth made his NFL debut last week and boomed a 56 yard field goal versus the Dolphins. At least somebody is watching Saints football. The Saints will travel once again to Florida to take on the Buccaneers this time. Baker Mayfield, who was questionable to play last week, showed grit ending a Buccaneers losing streak to stop the bleeding. That win kept them in front of the Panthers who upset the Rams last week. The Saints, you don’t know what to expect. They have played teams very hard even though they lack the talent to win the games. They have another wide receiver emerging with Devaughn Vele who is not Irish. He had 8 catches last week versus the Dolphins and a touchdown. I like to see Smyth beat the Buccaneers with a walk off 60 yard field goal which would send Laverty’s on a beer run because they would drink it all in the celebration. The Buccaneers defense should put a damper on things with the Saints offense. Could be multiple kicks by Charlie. The Buccaneers will be able to control the clock in this one with their running game. Mayfield and company will not overlook this game with a match up next week versus the Panthers.
OUR PICK: BUCCANEERS
DENVER BRONCOS (10-2) AT LAS VEGAS RAIDERS (2-10)
Geno Smith is heading straight down JaMarcus Russell avenue dressed in the Raiders silver and black. Smith is on pace for the lowest QB Rating of all-time held by the first round bust, Russell. The Raiders are allowing the second most sacks in the NFL. That is not great news for the Raiders this week hosting the Broncos front 7 that like to kill the quarterback. The Broncos have Pat Surtain II back in the secondary which he will shut down the Raiders only true offensive weapon in tight end Brock Bowers like he has done before. Smith’s bookends of his career, back with the Jets and now with the Raiders he has been awful. Smith and Pete Carroll seem to have pissed off the devil at some point because this combination of QB along with head coach has gone so bad. I don’t trust anything the Raiders have. Broncos will roll to their 10th straight victory while giving the Raiders their 7th straight loss.
OUR PICK: BRONCOS
LA RAMS (9-3) AT ARIZONA CARDINALS (3-9)
How will the Rams respond after losing to the Panthers last weekend? The Cardinals have lost 4 straight games and are 1-5 at home this season. Matthew Stafford did not have MVP numbers last week like he had all season. Jacoby Brissett has started 7 games already for Arizona and is 1-6 as the starter. The Cardinals have been in most of those games with chances to win late. Brissett is completing 67.5% of his passes and has thrown 13 touchdown passes to 4 interceptions. This is a division game, so the Cardinals will give the Rams a good game like they do with all their opponents. Good is not enough obviously. I like the Rams defensive to make a stand. Stafford will not have to do everything as the running game will help get him and the offense back on track. Rams get their 10th win.
OUR PICK: RAMS
CHICAGO BEARS (9-3) AT GREEN BAY PACKERS (8-3-1)
I think someone had to pinch me seeing the Bears beating the Eagles last week for the Black Friday game. The Packers have won three straight games. The Bears are one of the hottest teams in the NFC & have won 5 straight games. With the Rams losing their game last week, the Bears are the number 1 seed in the NFC. I must be dreaming. I should also be ready for the collapse because it’s the Chicago way in this town’s sporting landscape. This will be the first meeting of the year between the Packers and Bears with another coming in 2 weeks. This game has division implications and also the conference seeding for the post-season. Jordan Love is 3-1 versus the Bears as he thrown 6 touchdowns to 1 interception in his career vs Chicago. Caleb Williams slayed the Packers in the last game of the season last year. He is 1-1 all-time versus the Packers. History has not been on the Bears’ side in decades. You have to go back to the 80’s when the Bears kicked around the Packers in that decade. Ben Johnson is the X-factor. Can Johnson’s plan be executed to perfection by the Bears? I think the Bears can run on the Packers defense as Green Bay has some injuries up front on that D-line. I have bet against the Bears for weeks and they continue to throw it back in my face. I hope they do. History is not on the Bears side as Green Bay always knocks Chicago down a few pegs if we are feeling good about ourselves.
OUR PICK: PACKERS
THE SUNDAY NIGHT GAME
HOUSTON TEXANS (7-5) AT KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (6-6)
Will the Texans put the final nail in the Chiefs coffin? This is a huge game for both teams. The Chiefs need to win this one for survival. They will not win the AFC West with the Broncos light years ahead. The Chargers are in front of them. Plenty of other teams like the Texans are ahead of them for a wild card spot. The Texans are chasing two teams in their division as well – the Colts and Jaguars. Those two teams are playing each other this weekend. If the Texans lose, it will be hard to get back up. The Texans have won 4 straight games. The Chiefs are 5-1 at home this season. The Texans defense has played lights out the last several games and they may be the best unit in the league. Patrick Mahomes will be a caged animal and will do anything to break free. Watch him do one of his best Houdini acts of his career and have a monster game to keep the Chiefs alive for at least one more week. Houston playing in the cold weather will favor the Chiefs defense. That final nail will come at some point for Mahomes and the meathead, Travis Swift.
OUR PICK: CHIEFS
THE MONDAY NIGHT GAME
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (8-4) AT LA CHARGERS (8-4)
The Eagles were gashed by the Bears running game on Black Friday. The Chargers had an easy win over the Raiders, but Justin Herbert injured his non throwing hand. Will that injury come back to haunt the Chargers? The Eagles have now lost two straight games and suddenly the defense, which did very well versus the NFC North teams, has vanished. The Chargers last week rebounded coming off their bye week, but the Jaguars loss to me is still lingering in the rear view mirror before the week off. The Raiders are a cream puff. I can’t see the Eagles losing three straight games here. Jalen Hurts and Saquon Barkley are due for an explosive game. The hurt hand on Herbert sways me into a verse of “Welcome to the Hotel California,” performed by the Eagles.
In honor of Shedeur Sanders making his first ever start in the NFL, we honor him with one of the biggest busts in the NFL. The Boz,. Brian Bosworth, was supposed to be the next Dick Butkus at linebacker for the Seattle Seahawks. The hype from Deion Sanders’ kid will be under the microscope in his first start versus the Raiders. Sanders’ son, who bombed at certain team’s interviews before the draft, I see will get a rude awakening in his first start in the NFL. This is why he was not picked in the first round of the NFL draft.
LAST WEEK’S RECORD: (10-5)
SEASON RECORD: (106-58)
THE THURSDAY NIGHT GAME
BUFFALO BILLS (7-3) AT HOUSTON TEXANS (5-5)
The Bills rebounded from the bad Dolphins loss at home giving the Buccaneers a beat down putting up 44 points. Meanwhile the Texans have won 2-0 with their back up QB behind center in Davis Mills. The Texans just survived beating a bad Titans team & needing a walk up field goal to win that one. The week before that they shocked the Jaguars with a come-from-behind win in the 4th quarter. The Texans will need more than 16 points to beat this Bills team. Mills will get the start once again for CJ Stroud who has been out with a concussion. What do we expect from the Bills? Will they play down to the competition? Houston has a solid defense and beat the Bills last season. The Bills still have losses to the Dolphins & Falcons this year. Allen was Superman last week having the monster game versus the Buccaneers. The Bills have some injuries on both sides of the ball. Anything can happen in these Thursday games on short weeks. I like the Bills getting out of Houston with a win.
OUR PICK: BILLS
NEW YORK JETS (2-8) AT BALTIMORE RAVENS (5-5)
The Jets will bench Justin Fields in this game in favor of veteran quarterback Tyrod Taylor. The Ravens have won 4 straight games and are looking to have a winning record for the first time this season. I think we’ve seen the last of Fields being a regular starting quarterback in this league. Taylor, like Fields, had his chances as a starter in the NFL. Now he’s just a permanent back up with a career record of 28-29-1 when he is the starter. Can the Jets win this game? The Jets defense has tallied 8 sacks in the last two games. The Ravens offensive line recently has been shaky as Lamar Jackson is getting sacked 3.2 times per game which is a career high for the Baltimore QB. Can the Jets bring everything including the kitchen sink on Jackson? The Ravens defense has gotten better with guys coming back from injuries. The Jets will run the ball. Taylor’s dink and dunk short passing game is not going to beat this Ravens team. The Jets have two quarterbacks that are the same . They can’t throw the ball down the field consistently. Jackson’s hamstring is getting better. The Ravens will get their 27 to 28 points they’ve been getting and hold the Jets into the teens to win this game and perhaps find themselves in first place in the AFC North when week 12 concludes.
OUR PICK: RAVENS
CLEVELAND BROWNS (2-8) AT LAS VEGAS RAIDERS (2-7)
The Cleveland Browns will give Deion Sanders’ kid Shedeur his first start ever in the NFL at quarterback. The Browns defense has to be licking their chops playing the Raiders offense where Geno Smith has thrown more interceptions than touchdown passes. However Mad Max Crosby may have an epic Sunday versus the Browns offense with rookie Shedeur Sanders getting the start behind center. This game has two solid defenses. This game also features two junior varsity offenses. Sanders saw some action last week filling in for the other Browns rookie quarterback, Dillon Gabriel, who was knocked out of the game with a concussion. Sanders was supposed to have been selected in the first round. He dropped to the 5th round. He looked bad last week versus the Ravens. He completed 4 passes out of 16 attempts for 47 yards. He threw 1 interception and also fumbled the ball. Crosby could show the entire football world that Deion’s son is a fraud at the quarterback position. This could get ugly very quickly. The Browns do have a veteran quarterback in Bailey Zappe waiting in the wings as the back up. Zappe would give the Browns their best chances to win this game. The last time a Browns rookie quarterback won in his debut, you have to go back to 1995 in Eric Zeier.
It has been 17 consecutive losses for the Browns rookie quarterbacks making their debut ever since. I’m not sold on Sanders. I think Pete Carroll, as bad as the Raiders have been, finds a plan to beat the Browns and the turd they are trotting out on the field.
OUR PICK: RAIDERS
NEW YORK GIANTS (2-9) AT DETROIT LIONS (6-4)
The New York Giants have had NFC North opponents on the ropes in two consecutive games. They are unable to FINISH THEM!!! The Giants let the Bears and Packers come from behind late in the game to beat them. The Lions offense went dormant versus the Eagles last weekend. More bad news is the Lions lost their tight end Sam LaPorta who underwent back surgery. He has been placed on injured reserve and most likely is done for the year. The Crab Man, Jameis Winston, is getting the start for the G-Men in this one while rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart is still in concussion protocol. Winston, king of the pick-six, threw an interception last week versus the Packers with under a minute left as the Giants were driving & trying to tie that game up. The Lions still have plenty of play makers to get that offense back on track. The Lions are at home. Winston will make mistakes as the Giants have shown they can’t finish their opponents.
OUR PICK: LIONS
PITTSBURGH STEELERS (6-4) AT CHICAGO BEARS (7-3)
This will be the first game of Aaron Rodgers’ career where he faces the team he owns in another uniform. Rodgers all-time is 25-5 versus the Bears which includes a playoff game when he even said, “I own you.” Can the Bears serve up a cold dish of revenge versus the former Cheesehead? Is Rodgers going to play? That is the million dollar question. Rodgers suffered a fractured wrist on his non-throwing hand in last week’s win over the Bengals. Rodgers did not play in the second half. Meanwhile the Bears have won three straight games. The last loss coming from an AFC North opponent, the Ravens. If Rodgers can’t go, they have a capable back up QB in Mason Rudolf who is 9-8-1 as a starter in his career. Rodgers is a game time decision. I feel like he will play, so he can slay the Bears once again. The Bears defense will have problems with multiple line backers ruled out in this one. The Steelers defense is very good at getting to the quarterback and creating turnovers. I feel the Bears have been lucky during this three game winning streak. I think Rodgers or Rudolf will generate the points off this wounded Bears defense to go on the road and get the victory to stay ahead of those Ravens who are in the rear view mirror of Pittsburgh.
OUR PICK: STEELERS
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (9-2) AT CINCINNATI BENGALS (2-7)
It was one magic loogie from wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase that has him suspended in this game versus the visiting Patriots.
Last week Chase and Steelers trash-talker Patrick Ramsey had more than words in an altercation. Chase spit on the Steelers defender and Ramsey pushed the Bengals receiver after the magic loogie came out of his mouth. The Patriots don’t have to defend the Bengals’ best playmaker in this one. The Patriots have won 8 straight as Drake Maye is on fire. The Bengals have allowed 27 or more points in 9 consecutive games. This is a horrific defense the Bengals have and the Patriots offense should easily have their way. The Patriots can concentrate on the other Bengals playmaker, Tee Higgins. The Patriots defense is solid so taking Higgins out leaves Joe Flacco with not many other options that are game changers.
OUR PICK: PATRIOTS
MINNESOTA VIKINGS (4-6) AT GREEN BAY PACKERS (6-3-1)
For the Vikings this is must win game as they find themselves at the bottom of the division and have lost two straight games. Last week they lost to the Bears on a walk off field goal after taking the lead with under a minute left on the clock. The Packers escaped New York with a victory barely.
The Packers did not escape from the Big Apple like Jake Plissken. It was a struggle and you know the crab Man will deliver the opposing team a gift of the interception. The Packers have lost two straight games before the Giants win. One loss came from the Panthers. Both teams have struggled and both teams need this game because the division is so good, everyone has a winning record except the Vikings. JJ McCarthy has thrown 8 interceptions in 5 games. He was able to give his team the lead late in that game versus the Bears. The Vikings have a solid defense but are not getting the turnovers like they did at the high rate they did last season. The Vikings should easily stop the Packers running game which has not been good. Jordan Love will make a mistake in this one. The Vikings are better on the road than at home with a 3-2 record. The X-factor, Aaron Jones Sr., running back for the Vikings, will want to have a big game against his former team. I like the Vikings stunning Green Bay in Green Bay.
OUR PICK:VIKINGS
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (8-2) AT KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (5-5)
Can Indianapolis Jones, aka Daniel Jones, slay one of the AFC’s bigwigs? The Colts have been reborn with Daniel Jones at quarterback and have the number one running back in the league in Jonathan Taylor. Can they put the final nail in the Chiefs season and keep them out of the playoffs? The Chiefs were handed a loss coming out of their bye week last week by the Broncos. Andy Reid’s teams have dominated coming back from a bye. The Colts coming off their bye week are well rested and have their defense looking at full strength. The addition of Sauce Gardner from the Jets should help keep the Chiefs receivers in check. The Chiefs have lacked a running game most of the season. They will need to rely on their defense and Patrick Mahomes if they want to stay alive and make a playoff run. The Colts have lost both games on the road as they have a 2-2 record. The Chiefs have been better at home where they are 4-1. I can’t believe the Chiefs will just go away. This is where the NFL script pulls the wool over our eyes as Patrick Mahomes will be Superman combined with all the Avengers and have a monster game to save their season. Look for the meathead Travis Kelce to have a big game as well. The Chiefs will get the phantom calls by the referees and come up with a big play afterwards that will give them the win. I would love to see the Colts win this one. I think the Chiefs defense like they have done in the past make the big stand here. The Chiefs will use this game to get on a tear in the next few weeks. It’s all in the script.
OUR PICK: CHIEFS
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (6-3) AT TENNESSEE TITANS (1-9)
The Titans may have played their best game last weekend versus the division rival Texans. Houston won on a walk off field goal. The Seahawks, despite Sam Darnold throwing 4 interceptions at the Rams, still had a chance to win that game as they lose their 3rd game of the season. The Titans offense is one dimensional. They have one of the worst rushing attacks in football. Seattle is ranked number six in the NFL versus the run. Cam Ward is expected to throw the ball more because of the lack of running game. Ward has one of the worst QB ratings in the NFL. In this game I expect Seattle to get back on track playing a team they should be able to beat up and not even work up a sweat.
On any given Sunday, the NFL wants any team to beat anybody. You can see the league maybe will flip the script on any game on any Sunday. Since we don’t get previews of the NFL manuscripts I pick Seattle.
OUR PICK: SEAHAWKS
ATLANTA FALCONS (3-7) AT NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (2-8)
It only took the Saints rookie quarterback two starts to win his first game in the NFL as a starter. The Saints coming off their bye week last time they played Tyler Shough delivered, as New Orleans knocked off the Panthers. Meanwhile Atlanta is a team in shambles right now. This was the team that this season they had high hopes. They have lost 5 straight games. They have lost their starting quarterback Michael Penix Jr. for the season with a knee injury. Their top wide receiver Drake London is out with a knee injury. Now they have to rely on aging quarterback Kirk Cousins, who may be ready to be sent out to the pastures by the time this season ends. Cousins is 1-5 in the last six starts, a guy that has not been able to get over the season ending injury he had back in his last season in Minnesota. The Saints defense has come to life. They will not have one of Shough’s weapons because Brandin Cooks wanted to be released from the team and the Saints granted his wish. Look for Alvin Kamara to continue his late in the season efforts with another solid running game. Chris Olave should be able to burn the Falcons defense. I like the way the rookie handled himself two weeks ago with the Panthers. He makes smart decisions and takes what the defense gives him. The Saints continue their roll.
OUR PICK: SAINTS
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (8-2) AT DALLAS COWBOYS (4-5-1)
The Eagles are rolling right now and winning games because of their defense. Last week they held the Lions high octane offense to under 10 points. The week before, they held the Packers to a touchdown. The Eagles defense has been halting their opponents’ running game due to the return of their line backer Nakobe Dean. Opponents are averaging 3.9 yards per rush now which was much higher weeks ago. The Cowboys have made some changes on their defense as they made some trades bringing in guys like Logan Wilson, Quinnen Williams, and DeMarvion Overshown. Then in secondary, they have Donavan Wilson and Malik Hooker back from injuries. The Cowboys tested their revamped defense against a bad Raiders team on the last Monday night game and they passed with flying colors. I sense an upset here in the works. The Cowboys’ emotions are high right now playing hard for their fallen teammate. Marshawn Kneeland committed suicide on the bye week after the Arizona game. Dak Prescott has won 18 consecutive games versus divisional opponents at home. The Eagles offense has not scored many points in the last few weeks but are still winning games. The Cowboys offense will score points off the Eagles defense. Jalen Hurts will not match Prescott score to score. I think this newly revamped Cowboys defense will get a true test with the Eagles and play well to help them win this game that will get Dallas to the .500 mark and be in the thick of things for the post season run.
OUR PICK: COWBOYS
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (6-4) AT ARIZONA CARDINALS (3-7)
The Jaguars rebounded last week from the loss Houston hung on them, a huge comeback that gave Texans the win. The Jaguars offense exploded on the Chargers as they put up 35 points in a beat down of LA. The Arizona Cardinals are not a very disciplined team as they continue to rack up penalties at a high rate. The Cardinals’ Jacoby Brissett had to throw the football 57 times last week because the team got behind very quickly to the 49ers and the running game they had was not working very well. The penalties & some injuries mean the Cardinals struggle is real. I think that the Jaguars can bring that same offense to Arizona. Running back Travis Etienne Jr. found the end zone twice. Trevor Lawrence and this Jaguars offense has been well balanced for the last few weeks and should put up points versus the Cardinals defense. The Jaguars defense will find ways to create turnovers. Brissett threw two interceptions last week & I think he will throw 1 or more this week.
OUR PICK: JAGUARS
THE SUNDAY NIGHT GAME
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (6-4) AT LA RAMS (7-2)
The Buccaneers are collecting the frequent flyer mileage. Last week going up North to Buffalo, and now traveling across the country to play in LA. The Rams are one of the hottest team in the NFC right now as they have won 5 straight games. The Buccaneers have lost two straight games and have a Christmas list of injuries at the skill positions on offense. Baker Mayfield with the lack of weapons still has made a game out of each contest win or lose. The Rams may have the MVP of the league right now in Matthew Stafford. He is blowing up the competition with the aerial attack. He has 27 touchdown passes to only two interceptions, just mind blowing. We know the Buccaneers like to blitz and Stafford responds being number 1 in the league with 20 touchdown passes under pressure. The Buccaneers defense is good, but great offenses can score on them like Buffalo last week hung 44 points on the scoreboard. The Rams defense can get the job done as they picked off Sam Darnold 4 times last week. Right now I just can’t see the Buccaneers matching scores with the Rams right now. Baker Mayfield will make a mistake or two trying to do too much which the Rams will capitalize on.
OUR PICK: RAMS
THE MONDAY NIGHT GAME
CAROLINA PANTHERS (6-4) AT SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (7-3)
Last week the 49ers got back their stating quarterback in Brock Purdy who missed several weeks due to an injury. He did not disappoint. Purdy threw three touchdown passes versus the Cardinals as he went 17-26 for 200 passing yards in a rout versus Arizona. The Panthers are that annoying team you can’t predict this season. You think they will beat the Saints and they don’t. You think they will lose to the Falcons, but then they win in OT last week versus the dirty birds. Bryce Young looks average one week & then turns into Joe Montana the next week. I can see the Panthers getting some points off a 49ers defense that has taken on too many injuries. From my vantage point, the 49ers look like the better team overall. Purdy is Mr.Reliable and the 49ers have been reliable so far for picking them this season to win or lose. Like Simon says. In the back of my mind, the Panthers will make me regret this pick like usual.
The Wild shamrock 