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.
Since this past week was Veterans Day, we want to honor former Cardinals defensive back Pat Tillman who gave up his NFL career to fight for our country, in this week’s Straight Pick-Em.
NFL WEEK 11 STRAIGHT PICK-EM
LAST WEEK’S RECORD: (8-6)
We would have to be helmet pickers in week 10 to have a better record than what we got. How do you figure the Dolphins over the Bills? Then the Saints over the Panthers was another slap to the face in trying to pick these match ups with some science to it. I know we have to go back to the lab and work even harder to better ourselves in week 11.
THE THURSDAY NIGHT GAME
NEW YORK JETS (2-7) AT NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (8-2)
The Patriots come into this game winning seven straight games. They are talking around the football world that their quarterback in his second season is in the MVP conversation. What about the Jets? They have won two straight beating the terrible Bengals defense and winning over a solid defense that the Browns offer. The Browns offense is going through a rookie quarterback’s hiccups. The Patriots defense will be a different challenge for the Jets. I like Justin Field being able to match up scores with Maye and that Patriots offense. Fields and that Jets passing game is one of the worst in the league which makes them one dimensional. The Patriots will take away what works well for the Jets, that running game. The Pats stay hot at home.
OUR PICK: PATRIOTS
SUNDAY MORNING (EUROPEAN GAME IN SPAIN)
MIAMI DOLPHINS (3-7) AT WASHINGTON COMMANDERS (3-7)
This match up looked very good on paper before the season started. These are two bad teams playing overseas in Spain. Marcus Mariota will get the start at quarterback for the Commanders for the injured Jayden Daniels. The Dolphins come into this game with a pulse as they upset the Buffalo Bills last week in South Beach. Now, can the Dolphins swim the length of the pond and take their talents to Madrid’s beach? The head coach of the Commanders, Dan Quinn, will now call the plays on defense for Washington. Will that help bring Dolphins running back De’Von Achane to a halt? Probably not. The Dolphins defense should be able to fluster Mariota like they did to Josh Allen last week. Dolphins will finally have their first winning streak of the year.
OUR PICK: DOLPHINS
THE REST OF THE SUNDAY TILT
CAROLINA PANTHERS (5-5) AT ATLANTA FALCONS (3-6)
These two teams have made my hit list. How do the Panthers lose to the Saints and score one touchdown last week? The Falcons have pecked my eyeballs out a few times this season like some nightmare in the Alfred Hitchcock movie, The Birds.
It’s too bad the Falcons don’t play like the dirty birds of the olden days. They might win more games. The first meeting of the year with these two teams, the Panthers did not eat crow and beat up on the Falcons 30-0. The Falcons have lost 4 straight games. It is hard to sweep a team in divisional play. Bryce Young has struggled in the passing game. The Falcons have played better at home and have played in close games the last few weeks. I may end up giving both teams the bird trying to figure out who comes out victorious in this mess. I like Falcons by a beak.
OUR PICK: FALCONS
CHICAGO BEARS (6-3) AT MINNESOTA VIKINGS (4-5)
What do X Bears head coach Matt Eberflus and Caleb Williams have in common? They can’t win games in their own division. Eberflus as a Bears head coach went 2-10 in the NFC North. Williams as a starting quarterback is 1-7 versus teams in the NFC North and is 0-2 this season so far. In week one of the season, the Vikings had a second half comeback over the Bears in Chicago. It was a rookie debut for JJ McCarthy who led the comeback for the Vikings. The Bears last week look like they were blown out of the water by the Giants. Williams engineered another come from behind victory for the Bears as now he has 4 game winning drives this season. The Vikings are lingering around this season at the .500 mark waiting to get on a roll. They have played in some close games the last few weeks. They knock off the Lions and last week lost to Lamar Jackson and the Ravens. The Vikings defense will confuse Williams with their blitz packages. The Vikings should generate points from their rookie because the Bears defense is surrendering the most touchdown passes in the league. No comeback for Williams in this one as they lose on the road in a close game.
OUR PICK: VIKINGS
CINCINNATI BENGALS (3-6) AT PITTSBURGH STEELERS (5-4)
The first time these two teams met, it was a track meet with no defense on either side which ended up a high scoring game and a Bengals win. It was week 7 and Joe Flacco flung the ball all over the field, and the Bengals ran the ball well on the Steelers shower curtain that has all the holes in it. The Bengals are coming off their bye week and rumors around the water cooler are Joe Burrow is starting to practice again. The Steelers played sloppy last week which included Aaron Rodgers. I don’t think he will point the finger at himself, but many want to give the aging QB the finger for sure.
It was called the Icy Hot bowl in the first go around. I decided they should call part two the Ben Gay bowl. Not sure Ben Gay creme is still around. This time around the game is in Pittsburgh. I like the Steelers in this one. I think Mike Tomlin will have his guys rebounding from the bad game last week versus the Chargers. They will have a better game on defense. Rodgers will have a big game as well.
OUR PICK: STEELERS
GREEN BAY PACKERS (5-3-1) AT NEW YORK GIANTS (2-8)
Which set of problems would you rather have? Trying to figure out why the Packers offense went dormant or just the multiple Giant problems New York has. The Giants fired their head coach after the Bears game, Brian Daboll. The Giants were in control of the entire game until the Bears came out of hibernation to come back and win. The Packers lost 10-7 versus last year’s champions, the Eagles. Can Jordan Love find a way to resurrect this offense versus a Giants team that is all out of whack? The Giants interim head coach will be Mike Kafka. He will have his work cut out for him. Green Bay should win this game flat out. The Giants will not have their rookie quarterback, Jaxson Dart, who suffered a concussion versus the Bears. Russell Wilson will get get the nod at quarterback for the Giants. Do I have to say anything else?
OUR PICK: PACKERS
HOUSTON TEXANS (4-5) AT TENNESSEE TITANS (1-8)
Can the Texans find their way to the .500 mark after this game? The Titans are coming off a bye week. I’m sure the Titans don’t have some master plan they’ve been brewing up over their time off. The Texans shell socked the Jaguars with some 4th quarter magic last week in a come-from-behind victory with their back up QB Davis Mills who got the start. The Texans will have CJ Stroud back behind center in this one. The Titans really should be 0-9. Their only victory of the year came from the Cardinals, who gift wrapped that for them with a pretty bow. The Texans have a solid defense that should be able to stop the Titans rookie quarterback which is the key to a victory for Houston.
OUR PICK: TEXANS
LA CHARGERS (7-3) AT JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (5-4)
THE HIPPIE BOWL
Remember in 2023 when the Chargers and Jaguars met in the AFC Wild card round? It was Justin Herbert vs Trevor Lawrence back then.
The Chargers had a 27-0 lead at the half in that post-season game. After a miserable first half, Trevor Lawrence led a huge come back in the second half as the Jags won the game 31-30. Lawrence is 2-0 all-time versus the Chargers. The Jags are coming off a humiliating loss to the Texans in the game they had last weekend. The Chargers blew the doors of the Steelers caravan. Can the Jaguars take advantage of getting to Herbert who has been sacked the third highest in the league? Herbert has also been hit a league high of 134 times. The Chargers defense has been doing most of the heavy lifting with this team this season. They will be the grill of the Surf Nazi quarterback all game and he will make some kind of mistake. Herbert will find pockets to avoid the Jaguars pass rush and generate enough offense to put these kitty cats to sleep for good.
OUR PICK: CHARGERS
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (6-3) AT BUFFALO BILLS (6-3)
The Buccaneers and the Bills are right now desperate for a victory. The Buccaneers are lacking play makers for Baker Mayfield. The Bills pretty much beat themselves last weekend versus the Dolphins. Josh Allen had a bad day at the office as the Bills turned over the ball multiple times ending solid drives. The Buccaneers are 4-1 on the road. Can the Buccaneers win in Buffalo in colder conditions? The Bills defense hung in there most of the game to keep Buffalo in that Dolphins game. Then the Dolphins ran wild on the Bills D and put the game on ice in South Beach. Mayfield has 4 game winning drives this season. If Mayfield does not engineer those key drives in the end of those games, the Buccaneers record would be totally different right now. I think the Bills defense can handle the Buccaneers lack of weapons. Josh Allen will have a big game. The Bills are at home and very tough to beat in Buffalo. The Bills get some key players back from sitting out with injuries in this one which will help.
OUR PICK: BILLS
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (6-4) ARIZONA CARDINALS (3-6)
Last week both the Cardinals and 49ers defense gave up over 40 points.
WELCOME TO THE X PATRIOTS BOWL
The 49ers will have X-Patriot Mac Jones as their starting quarterback in this one. Then the Cardinals counter with another X Patriot quarterback in Jacoby Brissett. Jones was 18-24 as a starting quarterback when he left New England. While Brissett went 2-5 as a starting quarterback with the Patriots in his time in New England. Brissett has done better than Kyler Murray this season who is on the injured list right now. Mac Jones has done very well filling in for the injured Brock Purdy. The Cardinals will be without two of their top wide receivers in Marvin Harrison Jr. and Zay Jones. I like Christian McCaffrey having a big game to get the 49ers back in the win column. It will be a close game until the 49ers pull away late in this one. Which Jones will win the X-Patriots bowl? He will get a free lunch with Bill Belichick in the North Carolina University cafeteria.
OUR PICK: 49ERS
BALTIMORE RAVENS (4-5) AT CLEVELAND BROWNS (2-7)
This is the game where the Ravens will climb out of their gigantic hole they dug themselves out of earlier in the season when they were 1-5. The Ravens could get to the .500 mark with a win over the Browns who they beat up in week 2. The Ravens trail only the Steelers in the AFC North, who are 5-4. Meanwhile the Browns lost to the Jets last week.
The Browns are the first team since 1950 to hold their opponent to 175 yards or fewer while not turning over the football. The record coming in was 225-0. The Browns lack an offense and are going through growing pains with their rookie quarterback. The Browns defense have kept them in most games this season. Even though the face of this Browns team, Myles Garrett, did not like the DAWG pound booing his guys for losing to the Jets.
DA Coach Mike Ditka would tell Myles he has a big zero for his IQ. The Ravens will win this game. The Browns can’t stop Lamar Jackson and company all game long. The Browns will not generate the offense to keep up with the Ravens. They are back & they are in the thick of things.
OUR PICK: RAVENS
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (5-4) AT DENVER BRONCOS (8-2)
A Chiefs loss here will set Andy Reid back in the AFC West and in the conference. The Broncos have won 7 straight and are trying to stay ahead of the Chargers who are on their tails. The Chiefs are coming off a bye week. The Broncos are rested as well, playing on Thursday in their last game. The Broncos have been winning the one score games unlike last year. The Chiefs are losing the one score games unlike last year. It’s been the Broncos defense that has carried this team the last few weeks. Bo Nix and that Bronco offense have had hard times generating a lot of points but getting just enough to win the games. I would love to see the Broncos put the Chiefs in a worse situation by adding another L to their record. Andy Reid historically after bye weeks has responded with victories only. My gut is telling me Patrick Mahomes will have a big game to help the Chiefs stay afloat in the playoff picture.
OUR PICK: CHIEFS
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (7-2) AT LA RAMS (7-2)
This to me is the game of the week. This will be an epic NFC West show down with two offenses that put 40 points on the board last week. Both the Rams and Seahawks can play some defense as well. Both offenses are very well balance.
Both quarterbacks for each team are having one hell of a season. Matthew Stafford is completing 67.1% of his passes and has thrown 25 touchdown passes to only 2 interceptions. Just SICK numbers. Then Sam Darnold… you probably can’t say he’s a number 1 draft pick bust anymore. He has 17 touchdown passes and 6 interceptions. He is completing 71.1% of his passes. Is this a Cooper Kupp revenge game now? Playing for Seattle after years in LA which he helped them win a Superbowl. This obviously is for first place in the division as well. Who the hell do you pick here? I like Seattle’s defense just a tad over LA which leans me to the Seahawks side in which should be an amazing game.
OUR PICK: SEAHAWKS
THE SUNDAY NIGHT GAME
DETROIT LIONS (6-3) AT PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (7-2)
The Eagles have a hex on Dan Campbell’s Lions. It’s like the Eagles’ Kryptonite turns the Lions’ silver and blue, to green. Campbell has not beaten the Eagles since he took the job as head coach of the Lions. He is 0-2. The Eagles played on Monday night in Green Bay and won. This will be the Lions’ second straight road game for them. This looks like another awesome game to watch in week 11. It’s a game that could go either way. The Eagles defense has improved with the addition of Jaelan Phillips from Miami. They also got back another solid defender of theirs in Nolan Smith Jr. from the injury list. Last week they had 8 hits on the Packers QB along with 3 sacks. The Eagles can get the pressure on the QB. With that pressure, Jared Goff is only completing 50% of his passes with two picks and only one touchdown pass. When he is not pressured, he completes 80 something percent of his passes. I think the Eagles will slow down his high octane Lions offense just enough for their offense to give them one score better than them for the win.
OUR PICK: EAGLES
THE MONDAY NIGHT GAME
DALLAS COWBOYS (3-5-1) AT LAS VEGAS RAIDERS (2-7)
The Dallas Cowboys after their Monday night loss to the Cardinals almost two weeks ago had to deal with some sad news that went into their bye week. Marshawn Kneeland committed suicide after being involved in a police chase. Somehow the police lost him in that chase. They found Kneeland’s car after he crashed it. Then he fled on foot. After that he shot himself and police found his body. Kneeland was the defensive end that scored a touchdown versus the Cardinals on that Monday night game scooping the football off the turf and running it in. He was only 24 years old & in his second year in the league as he was drafted out of Western Michigan. He had a history of mental illness. The Cowboys should be amped up to get a win for their fallen teammate. The Cowboys added two solid defensive players at the trade deadline. They added former Jets defensive lineman, Quinnen Williams, and Bengals linebacker, Logan Wilson. Remember when the Raiders were king of Monday night football? That is a time warp. The Raiders are not very good this year. Pete Carroll has already been doing a shake up on his coaching staff getting rid of dead weight. The Cowboys are the better team. They will be emotional from their loss and get the job down in Vegas.
Week 8 was terrible picking as we suffered five losses. The Jets bombed the Bengals for their first win. Mr. Rogers’ old neighborhood screwed Aaron’s second revenge game of the year as we picked Steelers over the visiting Packers. Cannot figure out the 49ers for the life of us as they do opposite of whatever we have them down for. The Ravens resurrect themselves like some bad Jason movie, Friday the 13th: The Chicago Massacre, with a back up QB. The Captain Kirk Cousins should have his stripes removed for the Falcons offensive no show versus a weak ass Dolphins defense. It was bad week if you quit sniffing glue, drinking, and even smoking the good stuff.
We peel ourselves off the pavement and come out swinging for week 9.
OUR SEASON RECORD: (79-42)
THE THURSDAY NIGHT GAME
BALTIMORE RAVENS (2-5) AT MIAMI DOLPHINS (2-6)
I’m not buying what the Dolphins did last week versus an unpredictable Falcons team. The Ravens won with their old back up quarterback who is 3rd on the totem pole this season for the Ravens. Tyler Huntley looked like he should have been the number two after the Ravens beat the Bears and broke a long losing streak. And the win saved their season. This week they get Lamar Jackson back from injury. Bad Dolphins defense gives the Ravens their first back to back wins of the season.
OUR PICK: RAVENS
THE SUNDAY GAMES
ATLANTA FALCONS (3-4) AT NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (6-2)
I don’t hear any more griping of all the people that were soured because the Patriots fired Jerod Mayo in the off-season for Mike Vrabel. The Patriots have won 5 straight games. This Falcons team plays well once in a blue moon and I’m not talking about the bottles in the cooler. The Falcons really do not do well on the road as they play better at home. The Falcons quarterback play has seen better days. I don’t care who they play this week. The Patriots will key on the Falcons rushing attack and that’s game when New England wins their 6th straight game.
OUR PICK: PATRIOTS
CAROLINA PANTHERS (4-4) AT GREEN BAY PACKERS (5-1-1)
When Aaron Rodgers played for the Packers he owned the Bears. Since Jordan Love beat Rodgers’ Steelers does Jordan own Aaron? We do know the Panthers will have Bryce Young back behind center which they missed him last week. The Panthers do not play well on the road while the Packers are awesome defending their home field. I just don’t see banged up Young getting the job done. Love lit up the Steelers as he should have no problems with the Panthers defense.
OUR PICK: PACKERS
CHICAGO BEARS (4-3) AT CINCINNATI BENGALS (3-5)
Last year when the Bears got to their 4th win, they went on a long losing streak that went into double digits. Can the Bengals come back from losing to the Jets?
The Bears offense should be able to generate points off a bad Cincinnati Bumbles defense which may be the worst in the league. If former Bears QB Justin Fields can light up the Bengals defense, why can’t Caleb Williams rebound from a bad game versus the Ravens. I like the Bears in this one because Joe Flacco is dealing with shoulder injury. Bears defense will bounce in this one.
OUR PICK: BEARS
DENVER BRONCOS (6-2) AT HOUSTON TEXANS (3-4)
This game features two of the best in the league at defense. The Texans played well last week in a win versus the 49ers. Their best performance overall the entire season. The Broncos have been rolling winning 5 straight games and are trying to stay one game ahead of the evil Chiefs in the AFC West which Kansas City has thrived in for years. I like Bo Nix over CJ Stroud. Nix threw 4 touchdown passes in a win over the Cowboys last week as he is heating up at the right part of the season. The Texans have issues with their offensive line. They do not have a balanced offensive attack as they lack a running game. The Broncos are balanced on offense and have the better defense which will make the Texans their 6th straight victory.
OUR PICK: BRONCOS
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (7-1) AT PITTSBURGH STEELERS (4-3)
The Steeler are lucky they are playing in a bad division with teams like the Bengals, Browns, and Ravens who all have losing records. New York Giants fans have to be baffled seeing Daniel Jones playing well behind center for the Colts who are a team that looks like no one will stop. The Steelers have lost two straight games and their defense sucks. Aaron Rodgers has played well in a Steeler uniform, but he’s not the guy that will get you a guaranteed win when the defense does not show up. Jones is throwing dimes in the air. Jonathan Taylor is running wild and may be the best running back in the NFL. The Steelers will hang around all season until the Ravens finally over takes them for the division.
OUR PICK: COLTS
LA CHARGERS (5-3) AT TENNESSEE TITANS (1-7)
If you’re a Titans fan, what are the plans if you get another number 1 pick in next season’s draft? Is Cam Ward your guy? The Chargers are coming off a big Thursday night victory over the Vikings and should have no problem dispatching the Titans this week. Make it your survivor pick. The Titans are giving up 7.3 yards per pass play this season. Justin Herbert has played well. Perfect recipe for the Chargers. Make sure you rinse the vegetables before preparing the game plan.
OUR PICK: CHARGERS
MINNESOTA VIKINGS (3-4) AT DETROIT LIONS (5-2)
For the Vikings, Sam Darnold is that one night stand you want back. It was such a magical night when the Vikings fans and team met Darnold. Everything was new and refreshing. The team was fighting for the number one seed versus the Lions in the last game of regular season. Now what? Carson Wentz is done for the season. Now it’s back to the rookie quarterback JJ McCarthy who has been very injury prone since they drafted him. I don’t see McCarthy coming back behind center after missing the last few weeks and beating a very solid Lions team. The Vikings have had luck on their side most years inserting a QB into the offense like a light bulb. Now they are facing taking their lumps with a rookie QB. The Lions D will provide McCarthy with some lumps.
OUR PICK: LIONS
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (5-3) AT NEW YORK GIANTS (2-6)
The 49ers this season have been the story of cry wolf. You think they should win, they lose. You pick them to lose, they win. On offense they need a wolf because they have not been scoring points lately. Another road game for the 49ers as they lost in Houston last week. The Giants are like that novelty can of shooting snakes.
Some teams will not fall for it. Some will loosen the jar and the snake will Dart out. I have a feeling Jaxson Dart will hit a bullseye this week and give the Giants an upset victory over nonchalant injured ridden 49ers squad.
OUR PICK: GIANTS
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (4-3) AT LAS VEGAS RAIDERS (2-5)
Both of these teams are desperate for a win. Both teams are well rested coming off their bye weeks. The Jaguars have been having trouble establishing their aerial attack. While the Raiders have had issues generating offense. The Raiders defense have played well. The Jaguars defense has played better and seem to have the knack of getting turnovers. They are playing the man Geno Smith for the Raiders who has already thrown 10 interceptions. Trevor Lawrence will have a decent game and give the Jags what they need to crack the win column this week.
OUR PICK: JAGUARS
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (1-7) AT LA RAMS (5-2)
The Saints were dreadful on offense last week versus Tampa Bay. That was with Spencer Rattler behind center. Now the Saints will start Tyler Shough who has seen some action versus the Buccaneers defense last week. The Rams are coming off a bye week. Matthew Stafford will have a big game versus a Saints defense that has problems with the aerial attack. The Rams defense should give Shough in his first NFL start, a tough day at the office.
OUR PICK: RAMS
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (5-3) AT BUFFALO BILLS (5-2)
The Bills and Chiefs, a pair of heavy weights in the AFC, are squaring off in the game of the week. Josh Allen has dominated Patrick Mahomes in regular season. It’s the other way around in the post-season as the Chiefs have knocked out the Bills in multiple post-season meetings. The Chiefs offense is firing on all cylinders. The Bills came off their bye week and got their offense back on track putting up 40 points versus the Carolina Panthers. Whose defense is better right now? I think both defenses will be MIA this weekend. This game has shoot out written all over it. I like Allen at home in this one. The Bills win it in the last few minutes by one score.
OUR PICK: BILLS
THE SUNDAY NIGHT GAME
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (5-2) AT WASHINGTON COMMANDERS (3-5)
I don’t care if Jayden Daniels is playing for the Commanders in this one. The Commanders defense is a problem. Sam Darnold and the Seattle offense have played well and will score points off this Washington team. It’s a long flight for Seattle, but they are well rested coming off their bye week. Seattle’s defense has played well and will give Daniels a tough match up trying to give a go and being banged up. I just don’t see anything good here for the Commanders.
OUR PICK: SEAHAWKS
THE MONDAY NIGHT GAME
ARIZONA CARDINALS (2-5) AT DALLAS COWBOYS (3-4-1)
The Cardinals started off the season 2-0 and since have lost 5 straight games. The Cowboys were beating up by the Broncos last weekend. The Cardinals coming off their bye week will have the services of their starting quarterback Kyler Murray. Even with Murray, the Cardinals will not score a ton of points. Even against a bad Cowboys defense. No way Murray will match points with Dak Prescott. The Cowboys have one of the best offenses in the league. Their defense will make two key stops to give the Boys a home victory on Monday night in front of the entire world watching.
NFL Hall of Famer linebacker, the late Dick Butkus, played on many bad Bears teams over his career. Butkus signed a contract extension during his career to stay in Chicago where he was from. He made a name for himself because of the defense he played. He was feared all over the league. Opposing teams game-planned around him, but he still created havoc on offenses zeroing in on him to take him out of the game. In present times I think you can say Myles Garrett, defensive end for the Cleveland Browns, is going down the same career path as the great Butkus. On Sunday, Garrett sacked Patriots quarterback Drake Maye 5 times and even forced a fumble. With that kind of performance you would think the Browns would have won the game. The Patriots won the game 32-13. The Browns record now is 2-6 and they are on their way to yet another losing season. Meanwhile Garrett is on pace to be the new sack king of the NFL if he continues his current pace. With longevity he should end his career with over 200 sacks.
This is Myles Garrett’s 9th season in the NFL, all with the Browns, and he already has 112.5 sacks in his career. On Sunday Garrett’s 108th sack of his career broke the great Reggie White’s record of most sacks before the age of 30. White played 15 seasons in the NFL and tallied up 198 total sacks before his career came to an end. Let’s remember White played in the USFL for two seasons before coming to the NFL.
In 1984 & ’85, White played for the Memphis Showboats. He played in 34 games and tallied up 23.5 sacks. White has tallied up 198 total sacks in the NFL and is second all-time on the league’s sacks list. Garrett could shatter White’s second place on the sacks totem pole list and surpass the current king of all sacks. That is former Buffalo Bills defensive end Bruce Smith who tallied 200 total sacks. Smith ended up in Canton, Ohio like White & his devastation on the quarterback position.
Myles Garrett has size, speed, and athleticism, determination, and will not turn 30 until this December. He has plenty of time to increase his numbers this season with only 8 games in. He will still have multiple games left to play at the age of 29. He already has 10 sacks for the season which will be the 8th straight season of getting double digits in the quarterback smash. It did not take very long to be the number 1 in sacks in Browns history. Clay Matthews is second in Browns history with 62 total sacks which he broke years ago. He is six sacks away from tying his personal best of his career when he had back-to-back years getting 16 in 2021 & ’22. The 5 sacks on Sunday meant he broke his own personal sack record in one game. In 2021 he had 4 1/2 sacks versus the Bears. Since the NFL has counted sacks since the year 1982, 20 players have had 5 sacks or more in one game. Only 4 of those players ended up losing the game.
In 2017, the Browns drafted Myles Garrett with the first pick of the NFL draft from Texas A&M university. If the Browns went quarterback that year, the player would have been a bust. They had a sure thing picking Garrett who is a game wrecker. A game changer. If the Browns were a winning organization, he would have been a closer. Everyone remembers Garrett ripping off Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolf’s helmet in the Browns/Steelers melee and beating him over the head with it. When it comes to Garrett that is the first thing I think about. That moment does not take away from his play on the field on any given Sunday. I thought during the off-season, the Browns were going to trade their game wrecker because Garrett wanted out of Cleveland. He demanded a trade out of town. They have been a bad team, they paid all the guaranteed money, and gave away a ton of draft capital for a bum of a quarterback in Deshaun Watson. A guy who is a sexual predator. The Browns ownership should have never traded for this guy. Now they are set back years because of this bad deal which may be the worst trade in history by a NFL franchise The Browns ownership suddenly ponied up a 4 year extension worth 204.8 million to keep their defensive end in town and we have not heard a peep out of Myles every since. There are no clear signs in Cleveland that this franchise will turn things around. Garrett may be heading down the same path as Dick Butkus. I’m not saying anything wrong with playing for only one franchise as that is not done anymore. Butkus was the best player on a bad team. So is Garrett. These two guys would be one of the top players on a very great team. No question about that. Reggie White did win a Superbowl. Bruce Smith was part of 4 AFC Championship wins and 4 Superbowl loses. Garrett could be supreme king of the all-time sacks list when his career comes to an end. He may get to play in some future playoff games. When is the biggest question. No guarantee he will do that suited up for the Browns. He may set a new sacks record like Babe Ruth did to the home run record where it took decades to break. He will never get that ring with the Browns.
The Wild shamrock 