CAN CARSON WENTZ RESURRECT HIS CAREER IN THE VIKINGS SYSTEM?

Carson Wentz has not been the same quarterback since he sustained an injury in the 2017 season in the NFL. In 2017 Wentz went 11-2 as the starter for the team that drafted him in 2016, the Philadelphia Eagles. Wentz was a first round pick 2nd overall from North Dakota State and was supposed to have been the franchise quarterback for the Eagles for the next decade. In week 14 of that 2017 season, Wentz tore his ACL & LCL in his left knee which ended his season versus the Rams. Veteran QB Nick Foles came in like a closer in baseball and guided the Eagles the rest of the way that included winning the NFC Championship and beating the Patriots in the Superbowl. Wentz would last three more seasons in Philadelphia after his second season in 2017. In 2020, Wentz’s last year, the writing was on the wall when the team selected another quarterback, Jalen Hurts, in the draft in the second round. Five years in Philadelphia and ever since then he has bounced around the league. Now he gets the call once again as Wentz will get the starting job for the Vikings because of the injury to JJ McCarthy. Can Wentz use this opportunity and capitalize on it to be once again a starting QB in the NFL?

The Vikings drafted JJ McCathy in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft 10th overall from University of Michigan. McCarthy in his first ever pre-season in the NFL, suffered a season ending injury. The starting job went to veteran Sam Darnold who once was a number one draft pick by the Jets back in the 2018 draft. Darnold was a bust for the Jets. After leaving the Big Apple, Darnold was bouncing around the league until he got his opportunity with the Vikings. Last season Darnold had a career year behind center for the Vikings. He started all 17 games for the Vikings. His record as a starter was 14-3. The Vikings were a wild card team that almost could have had the number 1 seed in week 17 in a game versus the Lions which they suffered a loss in that one. Darnold completed 66.2% of his passes last year. He threw 35 touchdown passes to only 12 interceptions. In 2023 Darnold started one game with the 49ers. In 2021 & ’22 he played in Carolina. He had a winning record in ’22 as starter as he went 4-2. He was not throwing a ton of TD passes across the field. In his last season with the Jets, he went 2-10 during the pandemic of 2020. His year with the Vikings paid dividends for his football career as he has inked a big contract with the Seattle Seahawks, which he is 1-1 as the starter there this season in two games. As a starter he still was three games under the .500 mark with 36-39 record in his career. If you take away last year’s record of 14-3, the word BUST best describes his career. Darnold has a career 100 touchdown passes to 70 interceptions. If you take away last year’s 35 touchdown passes he threw, the back of his football card would say he should be a third string quarterback just looking at the numbers

The Minnesota Vikings during the 1990’s were always great at inserting veteran quarterbacks into their system. Some of these guys were on their last legs and playing for the Vikings brought back their glory days from their original teams. In 1993 Jim McMahon, had been known for helping the Chicago Bears win their only Superbowl in 1985. McMahon played for the Vikings late in his career for one season and started 12 games. He most likely was filling in for the injured starter. He went 8-4 as a starter as he completed 60.4% of his passes that season. He threw 9 touchdown passes to only 8 interceptions. The punky QB had that gunslinger mentality. As a starter he found ways to win games as it was not very pretty at times but he got the job done.

Jeff George had all the talent in the world to be a Hall of Fame quarterback. He was a bust for the Indianapolis Colts who drafted him number 1 overall in the 1990 NFL draft. Then 9 seasons later from being drafted, George suited up with his 4th franchise by the time 1999 came around. In ten starts he went 8-2 as a starter for the Vikings. He threw 23 touchdown passes compared to 12 interceptions. One of his best years in the NFL. George did not have many good years even though he had the tools for the job.

Randall Cunningham, long time Eagles quarterback, was reborn again in Minnesota. Cunningham actually retired for 1 season before signing with the Vikings. In his second season with the Vikings in 1998, he took over the starting gig and started 14 games. He went 13-1 in 1998 and threw 34 touchdown passes to only ten interceptions. Those 34 touchdown passes was a career high for Cunningham. His best before that was 30 touchdown passes he threw back in 1990 when he was still wearing a Eagles uniform. The Vikings had different offensive systems and different head coaches from back then to present day. The Vikings always had a system where you can insert here, like a quarterback was a light bulb. It was an easy fix.

JJ McCarthy suffered a high ankle sprain last week and will only be out 2-4 weeks. The Vikings are 1-1 with McCarthy behind center so far this season. For Carson Wentz who has been sitting on the couch most of last year, it was a late signing for the Chiefs. He did get one start for the Chiefs last year when they rested all their starters in the last game of the year. In 2023 Wentz was a Ram, he made 1 start in LA and won that game. In 2022 he played for the Washington Football team and he started 7 games and went 2-5 as the starter. In 2021 the Eagles traded Wentz to the Colts. Wentz went 9-8 as the starter. He had a solid year throwing 27 touchdown passes to only 7 interceptions. In the final game of regular season, the Colts needed to beat a bad Jaguars team to make it into the post-season. Wentz had his worst game of the season in that one. He was sacked six times. He threw an interception and lost a critical fumble. The Steelers won their final game and the Colts did not make it to the playoffs. That single game ended Wentz’s career with the Colts.

The Vikings have one of the best receivers in the game of football, Justin Jefferson. The Vikings brought back one of their best slot receivers in veteran Adam Thielan in trade with the Panthers. On the other side of Jefferson, they have Jordan Addison who is a very talented wide receiver. They have one of the best tight ends in the league with TJ Hockenson. They lost one of their veteran running backs, Aaron Jones Sr., to an injury. However Jordan Mason is a solid back. This offense has plenty of weapons and any quarterback that runs it does not have to do all the heavy lifting. The Vikings have a solid defense to help their quarterback when they make mistakes, so they can stop the bleeding. This is not the worst offense Wentz has had in his career. It may be one of the best offenses Wentz has had in his career. Can the Vikings get the version of Wentz from 2017? Wentz has played in 98 NFL games and started 94 games. He does have a winning record as a starter. His record is 47-46-1. He lifetime stats he has thrown for 22,410 passing yards. He has 153 touchdown passes to 67 interceptions. He has completed 62.7% of his passes. The Vikings hope he can steer the ship a few games & maybe go .500 until they get JJ McCarthy healthy. What if Wentz does what Sam Darnold did last season and light up the competition? They may want to keep him behind center as the starter a little longer. Kevin O’Connell is a real good coach and is the offensive mastermind for the Vikings. He has another talent and that is a QB Whisperer. I can see O’Connell getting the best out of a 32 year old veteran who has seen much action in the last two seasons. This opportunity could help Wentz become a starter next season, probably for another team. It could also lead to a contract extension to stay in Minnesota. If he rights the ship right now and mentors McCarthy when he returns from his injury, this could be a nice quarterback room beyond this season. If Wentz lays an egg on this opportunity, he will be looking for work next season from his couch at home waiting for injuries to occur. The Viking way has worked to perfection. You watch as they will insert Wentz into his center like a light bulb. Then watch him suddenly have new life, lead the Vikings to a few victories, and perhaps beyond depending on McCarthy’s time table when he returns exactly.

TIME OF DEATH OF THE CHICAGO BEARS SEASON 3:00 PM WEEK TWO

Ben Johnson was the hottest coaching commodity out there last year in the NFL and the Bears somehow convinced the offensive mastermind to come to Chicago. This signing was supposed to get rid of the stench of all the other coaches and General Managers that walked through Halas Hall spreading manure thinking they would be the guys to get this Bears team back to the promised land. The Bears opened up their piggy bank and are betting the farm on Johnson, paying him one of the highest salaries in the league. This is the Bears – they like to thumb through the penny saver to get their guy in the handyman section with a coupon attached. The first game of the Ben Johnson era opened up on Monday night football versus the Vikings. It was a game it seemed the Bears dominated most of. In the end the Vikings made a comeback with a rookie quarterback to stun the Bears at home. Then yesterday Johnson, playing his former team in Detroit, and the Bears would be battle tested early and find out what they are made of with a measuring stick versus the Lions. The Lions annihilated the Bears 52-21. The Johnson era is starting off 0-2 and they are already 0-2 in the division. The Bears roster is supposed to be competitive. This hire was to help this fan base forget about the turds of the past like Matt Nagy and Matt Eberflus. Now Johnson may be added to this list of misfits.

Ford Field seems to be turning into the house of horrors for the Chicago Bears in the last two seasons. Last year when the visiting Bears were in Detroit, it was an embarrassment for the franchise. It was the game that eventually got the front office to fire Matt Eberflus because he thought the time outs at the end of the game roll over to the next contest. Untrue as the Bears try to run a play and ran out of time as a time out could have kept the drive going for a few more plays. Instead the Bears walk away from Detroit as the jive turkeys while Detroit hung another loss on them which was a close game actually. The Bears may have been able to tie that game if a time out was called as they were by mid-field. The final in that one was 23-20 Lions. A field goal could have sent that one to overtime. Yesterday the Bears defense brought back memories of Marc Trestman, another turd head coach that let the defense fall into shambles during his era. The hair combover head coach, Trestman, lasted two seasons in 2013 & ’14 for the Bears. Back then as a fan base, we saw week after week opposing teams hanging 40 to 50 points.

You could say the turd from last year had the Bears playing solid defense. This season I thought the Bears made a good hire bringing in the former head coach of the Saints to be the defensive coordinator. Allen had two stints as a head coach as his first was with the Raiders. He became a head coach because of what he could do with a defense. In week one versus the Vikings, who started rookie JJ McCarthy, the Bears were playing three quarters of solid defense. In the 4th, McCarthy suddenly knocked off the rust and got in a groove to lead his Vikings to a comeback win. You would think that Ben Johnson would give Allen some insight into his old players in Detroit. The Lions in week one played like kittens as the Packers had their way with them and they gave Detroit a beat down. The Lions offense quickly roared back and the Bears looked like the junior varsity team. Why do the Bears still have Tyrique Stevenson on this roster? This is the turd that taunted Washington fans last year in DC. He was late to the party in the last play of the game. Jayden Daniels converted a winning Hail Mary pass to beat the Bears. The guy who caught the ball for the Commanders was the guy Stevenson was supposed to be covering. When the Bears lost their best corner back, Jaylon Johnson, to an injury yesterday, the Lions all-pro receiver had a big day on Stevenson’s expense. Stevenson could not cover Amon-Ra St.Brown who scored three touchdowns and had 9 catches for 115 yards. Jared Goff lit up the Bears secondary with play action passes. Isn’t that what the Lions also did under Ben Johnson the last few years?

Is Caleb Williams getting better as a quarterback? This is why Ben Johnson is here. I see the same things that happened last year. The offensive line has been revamped with veterans in the off-season. The Bears O-line looks like a turnstyle at Great America Amusement Park where everyone has a good time in our back field except us. Williams is running for his life back there like last year when he almost set a record for taking the most sacks as a rookie quarterback. The Bears drafted a tight end, Colston Loveland, in the first round and have not utilized him in their offense yet. Loveland is a tight end that can run routes like a receiver and has big play capabilities. Johnson’s play calling has been baffling so far. The Bears tried a QB sneak on 3rd and 1 and did not get it. Then Johnson ran it again on 4th down and the Bears did not get it. Lovie Smith could have done that. I think he invented that kind of stupid. My eyes see the Bears are having problems grasping some of the offense that have resulted in multiple penalties. The team looks unprepared. Once, wide receiver Muhsin Muhammad said that Chicago is where receivers come to die. The Bears still have not had a franchise quarterback since Sid Luckman back in the 1940’s. Williams still has not impressed me yet so far. I know after only two weeks, teams have time to right the ship. These are the Bears we are talking about. They have been looking for a solid head coach since the day they fired Lovie. He was not the best coach. He sure looks like the best coach this team has had in a very long time. Maybe the Bears is where head coaches come to die as well. Next week the Bears play the Cowboys. A bad Russell Wilson threw three touchdowns passes against the Cowboys and lit up their secondary with 450 passing yards. Guess who is the defensive coordinator for the Boys? Yes Bears X head coach, Matt Eberflus. If his defense suddenly stops Johnson’s Bears offense, then we should be looking to replace another yahoo at Halas Hall. I still think the season has concluded and should look when the Bulls and Blackhawks start their seasons.

2025 NFL WEEKLY PREDICTIONS: WEEK 2 DONE THE WILD SHAMROCK WAY

WEEKEND AT BERNIE’S

WEEK 1 RECORD: 11-5

In week one we come away with a winning record. We drank the Kool-aid picking the Bears. The Panthers pick bites us on the rear. Suddenly Joe Cool can win a game in week 1. We did pick Colts to beat the Dolphins as perhaps the best pick of the week. We wish we jumped on the Chargers bandwagon beating the Chiefs. In week two, there’s plenty of solid match-ups. We may look better or implode, but our goal is the same – win the weekly football pool. Let’s roll out week two’s clunkers.

NFL WEEK 2 STRAIGHT PICK-EM

THE THURSDAY NIGHT GAME

WASHINGTON COMMANDERS (1-0) AT GREEN BAY PACKERS (1-0)

Can we be impressed with the Green Bay Packers in week 1 on what they did to the Lions? The Commanders beat the Giants, a team they should beat, and almost every NFL team in the league should. The Lions either self-destructed and made Jordan Love look like a young Aaron Rodgers, or a Brett Farve.

The new big cheese in dairyland, Micah Parsons, has elevated Green Bay’s young defense as they are playing on another level. The visiting Commanders have Jayden Daniels who is a new kind of beast in the NFL, a guy that can do it all behind center. As a rookie he had ice in his veins when the game was on the line. In week 1 the Commanders mostly unloaded their running game against the G-Men. The Packers held the Lions rushing attack to 50 yards. I would like to think the Lions just self-imploded and made the Packers look that good in week 1. I think the home team has the advantage this week. The Packers have settled in at home playing their second straight game there. It’s a short week which is bad for any visiting team. The last time Washington beat Green Bay in Wisconsin, you have to go back to 1988. It was not even at Lambeau Field as the Packers played a few games back then in Milwaukee. Love is hot right now and Daniels is still finding his groove. The big cheese is very familiar with Washington playing most of his career with the Cowboys. Parsons can chase down Daniels.

OUR PICK: PACKERS

THE SUNDAY TILT

CLEVELAND BROWNS (0-1) AT BALTIMORE RAVENS (0-1)

The Browns and Ravens are both coming off tough losses in week 1. The Browns defense held the Bengals to 141 total yards of offense in week 1. The Ravens thought they had their game in the bag but saw a 15 point lead vanish in the last 4 minutes on Sunday night to the Bills. Since 2008, the Ravens have lost 17 games when they were leading by double digit points in the second half. Which has been the most in the NFL. Can Joe Flacco beat his former team in Baltimore? He has only faced his old team once with the Jets in 2022 and lost that one. The Bengals defense coming in were not supposed to be anything good and held the Browns to 16 points. I can’t see the Browns putting up 40 points on this Ravens defense who will be looking to perform better than they did in week 1. First thoughts of this game, you think walk in the park for Baltimore. Since 2022 the Browns and Ravens have split the series 3-3 in six match ups. The Browns went 3-14 last year of which 1 win came from the Ravens. I think Baltimore pulls out a victory at home in a close one.

OUR PICK: RAVENS

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (1-0) AT CINCINNATI BENGALS (1-0)

The Jaguars traded up to get two-way player Travis Hunter in last April’s draft. The former Heisman trophy winner plays wide receiver and corner back. The Jags won their first game of the season last week as Hunter played 44 plays on offense & caught 6 balls for 33 yards. He played only six plays on defense and registered a solo tackle. The Bengals did not dig themselves an early season hole as they won their first game of the year which is not Cincinnati-like. Joe Burrow was held to 113 passing yards. Burrow is not a duel threat quarterback so the Bengals offense were hurtful to fantasy owners throughout the world. Trevor Lawrence was back behind center & was held to under 200 yards passing but did not make any mistakes versus the Panthers. Jaguars are under new management with Liam Coen as a new head coach who wants to clean up his surfboard dude quarterback. The Bengals shockingly played solidly versus the Browns. I can see them hanging tough versus this Jaguars team. I can see Burrow coming out on the Bengals home opener firing on all cylinders. Hunter may razzle us with one or two plays, but not enough to take down the Bengals on the road.

OUR PICK: BENGALS

NEW YORK GIANTS (0-1) AT DALLAS COWBOYS (0-1)

The Cowboys offense was firing on all cylinders in the first half of the NFL opener versus the Eagles. In the second half, the defenses took over for both the Cowboys and Eagles in that opener as either team could stop each other in the first half. The Giants offense needs a major face lift. New York is thinking they can resurrect the career of their new starting quarterback Russell Wilson, but they are mistaken. Giants were held under ten points versus the Commanders and Wilson completed 45.9%. Wilson did OK last year in Pittsburgh, but he is far and away from the guy in Seattle. Dak Prescott has a trio of weapons he can throw the football to as that Cowboy offense could be legit if George Pickens can get his head out of his rear. The Cowboys defense is a work in progress but only gave up 3 points in the second half versus the Eagles after they had their way with them in the first. The Cowboys are the better team and should notch their first victory in front of the home crowd this weekend.

OUR PICK: COWBOYS

CHICAGO BEARS (0-1) AT DETROIT LIONS (0-1)

Last week most people were drinking the Chicago Bears Kool-aid picking them over the Vikings. Bears ended up getting beaten by a rookie QB making his debut. In typical Chicago fashion, the Vikings QB JJ McCarthy is a local kid who grew up a Bears fan. What happened to the Lions last week? Either Green Bay is superior to everyone in the league or they self imploded. The Lions offense looked like they missed Ben Johnson, their former 0-Coodinator who now is the head coach of the Bears. Johnson was supposed to upgrade Caleb Williams and the Bears offensive line coming to Chicago. I’ve seen no signs. I have to go with Lions, a playoff team the last two years rebounding quickly in week two over a Bears team that has a history of blowing up as soon as the first quarter starts in game one of the regular season. The Bears I give credit to, as they won the pre-season. They beat the Chiefs and the Bills. They were going to the post-season. The Vikings comeback pulls the rug from under the Bears fans.

OUR PICK: LIONS

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (0-1) AT MIAMI DOLPHINS (0-1)

I really don’t think Dolphins fans are trying to save their head coach’s job. The Dolphins looked like fins out of the water in week 1 versus the Colts. In New England the Patriots began the Mike Vrabel-era part two of the Death Star and that ended up in a loss to the visiting Raiders. The Patriots lost a close game unlike the Dolphins. That does not really mean anything as teams all the time play a horrific bad week and rebound in week 2.

The Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniels better pray and hope his squad does that in their home opener because his tush is getting red hot right now. Many think he will be the first one fired this season. I think Patriots will bring it all. Miami is a tough place to play for visiting teams with the heat. Look for Tua Tagovailoa to redeem himself after a very rough game in week one as Dolphins Save Ferris at least for one more game.

OUR PICK: DOLPHINS

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (1-0) AT NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (0-1)

Something you will never see again – a Big Mac for 0.99 cents. That’s probably what it cost the 49ers in the off-season to sign the former Patriots & Jags quarterback this off season. Brock Purdy is out with an injury and now it’s Mac tonight with Mac Jones getting the start. The Saints played better than I thought versus the Cardinals last week. Spencer Rattler is now 0-7 as the starting QB for the Saints. The 49ers injury list grew with George Kittle who is also out in this one. Injuries killed the 49ers last week. I think the 49ers still have plenty of talent to overcame the Saints for their second straight home game. Watch Mac Jones flourish in head coach Kyle Shanahan’s offense. Jones has had his ups and downs in the NFL. Mostly downs. My Spidey senses tell me he will have a good day and is still not sold on Rattler yet. Even though he may have the coolest last name over any other QB in the league.

OUR PICK: 49ERS

BUFFALO BILLS (1-0) AT NEW YORK JETS (0-1)

Last year the Bills swept the Jets. In Met Life Stadium where the Jets play their home games, Josh Allen is not your typical Josh Allen. The Bills won there last year 23-20. Then at home Bills beat up on the Jets 40-14. The Jets now have a new field manager in Justin Fields and new head coach in Aaron Glenn, former Lions D-Coordinator. The Jets were involved in an offensive shoot out with the Steelers as Pittsburgh prevailed at the end. The Bills stampeded back versus the Ravens down by 15 with 4 minutes remaining to win that game. I think both defenses will be much better in week two. Fields played well last week in his Jets debut. Once again in close games he fails to deliver in crunch time. I bet the farm Allen would deliver a W in a close game over Fields. I think the Bills defense who had egg on their face from being burned by Derrick Henry, responds in this one to help their quarterback at Met Life prevail.

OUR PICK: BILLS

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (0-1) AT PITTSBURGH STEELERS (1-0)

The Pittsburgh Steelers are taking turns with their revenge tours. In week 1 Aaron Rodgers got his revenge against the NY Jets. Now it’s wide receiver DK Metcalf’s turn as he faces his old team, the Seahawks. It was Seattle who traded Metcalf to Pittsburgh during the off-season. The Seahawks also traded away their starting QB from last year, Geno Smith. Then signed Sam Darnold who had a career year in Minnesota last year. Darnold was nothing special in week 1 in his debut as he tallied up 150 passing yards with no touchdown passes & no interceptions in a loss to the 49ers at home. He did have a costly fumble in the game. The offense was dormant as the Seattle defense kept them in the game. The Steelers offense was humming as their defense was more of a shower curtain than a Steel one. How will all this unfold? This is a long flight for Seattle. I question the Seahawks offensive line at this time. Rodgers is out to prove his critics wrong. Metalf will help his QB cause and his own. The Steelers defense also have a rebound in their home debut.

OUR PICK: STEELERS

LA RAMS (1-0) AT TENNESSEE TITANS (0-1)

Cam Ward was thrown into the wolves den making his NFL debut versus the Broncos defense. Mr. Number 1 overall completed 12-28 passes for 112 passing yards for the Titans. He was sacked 6 times and lost a fumble. It was the Titans defense that kept the game close. For the Rams they were in a close one with the Texans. Everyone was waiting for the Rams to unleash their exotic aerial attack with their new toy wide receiver Davante Adams who signed with LA in the off-season. Pairing Adams up with Puka Nacua with the Rams running game this offense should be able to put a ton of points up on most of the competition. I think the Rams will score enough points off the Titans to win this game. I think the Rams defense will disrupt Ward’s growth as a quarterback making him have another bad day at the office. The Titans offense had too many penalties as a whole and dropped too many balls. It’s a work in progress for rookies. They will take their lumps in losses most of the time before they take those solid steps forward.

OUR PICK: RAMS

ARIZONA CARDINALS (1-0) AT CAROLINA PANTHERS (0-1)

I don’t know what I was thinking picking the Panthers in week 1 over the Jaguars. I also thought the Cardinals would have scored more points off a bad Saints team in week one. Bryce Young is now back to back to his old ways as a QB after doing well in the second half of the season. The Cardinals will be on their second consecutive road game to start the season. Kyler Murray was sacked 5 times in the opener. He had two touchdown passes & no interceptions. Before I pick Young and the Panthers again like some kind of fool, I have to see improvement with my own eyes. I like the Cardinals defense in this one. They should do enough to keep the Panthers from breaking out on the scoreboard. Look for James Conner to have a big game versus the Panthers defense. I like Murray to have a bigger day than he had in week 1 as well. Look for better protection in week 2 for their QB by the Cardinals.

OUR PICK: CARDINALS

DENVER BRONCOS (1-0) AT INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (1-0)

The Colts have had talent on the offensive side of the ball the last few seasons. They just needed a QB. Two seasons ago Gardner Minshew almost had the Colts in the post-season. Last week Daniel Jones was throwing dimes out there on the field as Colts scored 33 points and beat up on the Dolphins. For Denver the Broncos won a ugly game against the Titans who would not go away. Bo Nix was not the Bo Nix from last season. Jones went 22-29 for 272 passing yards and three touchdown passes. Now he faces Denver which is a different animal on defense than the Dolphins. I’m going to roll with the Colts being at home. Their defense has improved. The Broncos should be back in the post-season this season. They are a solid team. They look like they are still knocking the rust off. I think Jones can do enough to win this game. His mind set is light years ahead from his playing days in the Big Apple. The Colts offense also has a solid running game with Jonathan Taylor which will help Jones avoid the dumb mistakes like he did when he wore a Giants uniform.

OUR PICK: COLTS

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (1-0) AT KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (0-1)

Can you imagine the Kansas City Chiefs starting out the season 0-2? The Chiefs took a loss in Brazil by Jim Harbaugh’s Chargers as Justin Herbert did his own version of the Patrick Mahomes Houdini act using his legs to make big plays happen. The Eagles raised their Superbowl banner at home in the NFL opener by beating the Cowboys.

REVENGE WEEK

The Eagles as you remember gave the Chiefs a beat down in the Superbowl. A few years before that Patrick Mahomes guided the Chiefs to a comeback victory over the Eagles in that Superbowl win. Here we go again with part three of the Eagles/Chiefs but this time meeting up in regular season. I want to pick Eagles in this one. Watching the Eagles last week they are missing too many guys from that Superbowl defense that stomped out the Swifties. The Chiefs at home. I can’t see them going 0-2 to start the season either. I have to go Chiefs. I hope this pick will be wrong.

OUR PICK: CHIEFS

THE SUNDAY NIGHT GAME

ATLANTA FALCONS (0-1) AT MINNESOTA VIKINGS (1-0)

The Vikings made a 4th quarter comeback versus the Bears to win their first game of the year on the road. It was JJ McCarthy’s NFL debut and it did not look pretty until late in the game. The Falcons had some kicking issues in a loss versus their archrival Buccaneers. Michael Penix Jr. from the Falcons played well as he was picked in the same draft and round as McCarthy and made his debut late in the season for Atlanta. Both Atlanta and Minnesota seem like every game they play is too close for comfort if you are a fan of any of these teams. Last year the Vikings stomped down on the Falcons in an old-fashioned beat down. The two QB’s at the time was Sam Darnold versus Kirk Cousins. I think McCarthy has confidence after his 4th quarter versus the Bears. I think he will now be like Darnold and enjoy all the weapons he has. The Falcons have a great running game, but the Vikings are very good at stopping the run. If Falcons win it will be all about how Penix plays. That Viking defense will come after Penix with all those fancy blitz packages that were orchestrated by Brian Flores. You do not know who is coming and where they are coming. Vikings in another close one.

OUR PICK: VIKINGS

THE MONDAY NIGHT DOUBLE HEADER

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (1-0) AT HOUSTON TEXANS (0-1)

If the NFL had only two divisions and they were both from the south in each conference, this game may be the Superbowl. The Buccaneers fought tooth and nail versus their arch-rival the Falcons and won the game. It was a Baker Mayfield drive to seal the deal and a missed kick. Houston battled the Rams and came out on the losing side of that one. Houston failed to score a touchdown off the Rams defense. The Texans have the home field advantage. How will the Texans offensive line do against a blitzing style Buccaneers pass rush. The Texans offensive line is not very good. CJ Stroud continues to struggle after his amazing rookie season where he looked like he was getting a ticket to Canton. Give me Baker Mayfield and that offense which was moving the ball last week, not like the lame duck of the Texans O.

OUR PICK: BUCCANEERS

LA CHARGERS (1-0) AT LAS VEGAS RAIDERS (1-0)

With the Chiefs and Broncos losing in week 1, it makes the Raiders and Chargers tied for first in the AFC West. How about those apples? Geno Smith is the new QB for the Raiders. With Pete Carol, his old coach, Smith passed for 362 yards in his first ever game as a Raider. He had 1 touchdown and 1 interception. Justin Herbert beat the Chiefs in Brazil in their first game of the season. Herbert is 3-7 all-time versus the Chiefs. Herbert is 6-3 all-time versus the black and silver. Herbert vs Smith only happened once when Geno played for the Seahawks. Smith won that game. Both starters have a similar record as a starter. Smith is 41-43 as a starter all-time in the NFL. Smith is older than Herbert. Herbert’s record is 42-38 as a starter. This game will be a shoot out. I like the Chargers winning a close one here. The way Herbert played against the Chiefs was something that sticks in the back of my mind. How he scrambled around in the pocket making some nice throws on the run and using his feet for yards. I think Chargers ruin the Raiders opener.

OUR PICK: CHARGERS

DIRTY RAVENS

The Baltimore Ravens deserve what happened to them on Sunday night football by the Buffalo Bills. Once again the Ravens blow a 4th quarter lead because they think they have the game all wrapped up in a pretty bow. Zay Flowers was waving to the Bills Mafia. The announcers were saying he was saying hello because he did not play in the playoff loss versus the Bills last season when the Ravens were eliminated, due to injury. He was on his high horse showboating to the home team fans that this game was done and the Bills’ goose was cooked. He was waving like he won the Miss America pageant. Then after DeAndre Hopkins’ one hand grab touchdown, they proceeded to celebrate within reach of the visiting fans. Once again showboating as the Hopkins touchdown should have put the game on ice. Then Hopkins gets swatted in the helmet by a young Bills fan. Then the fan may have touched Lamar Jackson’s helmet as he came over to celebrate with his wide receiver after the amazing catch. Jackson then pushed the fan back into his seat forcefully. It’s not a very good look seeing your MVP quarterback shoving a fan.

Lamar Jackson is one of the best quarterbacks in the league. He’s a duel threat quarterback that can do damage throwing the football or running with it. In Sunday night’s game, he completed 14-19 passes for 209 passing yards with two touchdown passes. He took off 6 times for 70 yards and had one rushing touchdown. He is 70-25 as a starting quarterback. He has thrown 168 touchdown passes compared to only 49 interceptions. The Ravens are a good team every year and they are one of those teams with good odds to win the Superbowl. Jackson has won the MVP twice. In post-season, he is 3-5 all-time. The Ravens have had home field advantage throughout the post-season with Jackson. Once in 2019, as they were upset in the divisional round by the Tennessee Titans. Then in 2023 the visiting Buffalo Bills ended their playoff run in the divisional round. In 2024 they lost to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship. Since 2022, the Ravens have lost six regular season games when they had a 4th quarter lead of 9 points or more. Six games. The last time the Ravens won the Superbowl was back in 2013. They have won two Superbowls, the first coming back in 2001. Back then they had Ray Lewis who was a leader for those two teams that won it all. Lewis was so determined he got away with two murders in Atlanta as a fan at a Superbowl. Or was it, did he try to help his posse by covering it up? You can believe either story. Lewis was dirty however he did the dirty job until the job was completed, unlike Jackson.

Why does Lamar Jackson let a guy like Zay Flowers do his own antics on the field? If you are a Ravens fan, do you remember when the antics of Flowers lost you the AFC Championship versus the Chiefs in 2024? Flowers was called for a very costly taunting penalty. Then he fumbled the football into the red zone by the goal line which became a touch back for the Chiefs instead of score for the Ravens. After the fumble he cut his hand slamming it on the bench. This does not bother Jackson sitting on the bench with his posse wearing a hooded shirt under his helmet on a fall night of 60 degrees. He plays home games in Baltimore and his record in cold games is dismal. You should shift the blame to the head coach John Harbaugh. He has a pair of Superbowl rings but has not brought the gauntlet down on the dirty Ravens. On Sunday, mistake after mistake in the 4th quarter brought the Bills back. Will they learn from them? No. Again six times since 2022, the Ravens blow 4th quarter leads. Why did the Ravens go for it 4th and 2 on Sunday night inside the 2 minute warning? Poor Lamar had cramps. The Ravens defense was not stopping the Bills at that point as they got the ball back and went down the field on them. This as Allen shredded their secondary and set up the game winning field goal.

The Ravens old kicker is suspended for the first ten games of the 2025 season for violating the NFL conduct policy. Justin Tucker is a Hall of Fame kicker but did his best impersonation of Deshaun Watson liking to whip it out on the massage tables. Many massage therapists across Maryland came out of the woodwork with sexual harassment claims of the Ravens kicker. Tucker is 35 years old & I don’t think anyone will sign him after he serves the 10 games. He will hang up the spikes. No team wants this kind of pub from a kicker. They have seen what Watson has become in Cleveland.

The Ravens will not win any more Superbowls with Lamar Jackson being Lamar Jackson. This guy’s stats are video game-like every Sunday. He’s not a leader. He does not have the killer instinct to put teams away like Patrick Mahomes. Would Michael Jordan shove a fan? No way Lamar. A true MVP goes beyond what’s on the outside of the field, court or ice. You can argue he was sticking up for DeAndre Hopkins. The veteran receiver was not in harm’s way with some young high school or early college punk. I do not condone what the Bills fan did. It’s stupid and he will be banned from every NFL stadium. The Ravens wear that purple and black uniform trying to be intimidating. The purple Raven coming from the great novelist Edgar Allen Poe, who was a Baltimore native and his famous poem is called the Raven. With Ray Lewis, the Ravens defense was the best in the league when they won. They only needed guys like Joe Flacco and Trent Dilfur at the QB position to hand the ball off and be game managers. Flacco did more with his arm than Dilfur. The Ravens have constructed this mega offense with Jackson and Derrick Henry. Henry had a late fumble in that Sunday game which helped the Bills win that game. Before that fumble, Henry was gashing the Bills defense with 18 carries, 169 rushing yards, and two touchdowns. The Ravens offense put up 40 points and lost the game. Back when the Ravens won it all last, they had a good offense, not like today’s, to go with that stellar defense. The Ravens defense is not very good the last two seasons. They were a pretty good unit when they made the AFC Championship versus the Chiefs. That game was lost by Lamar and his buddy Flowers with his antics. With lack of leadership and suspect defense, the Ravens are still going to be a top team in the league. They will not win or get to the Superbowl until something radically changes there. They have to clean up their cage if they want to knock off the AFC champs, the Chiefs.

2025 NFL WEEKLY PREDICTIONS: WEEK 1 DONE THE WILD SHAMROCK WAY

It’s a new year for the NFL which means it is a new year of trying these damn predictions weekly. We once again will give it a go. We will not pick by the helmets. We will try to pick each match up with plenty of football intel and by the gut feeling. Week one of the NFL is always a freak show and anything can go. I have some upsets. I have some off-the-wall picks. I’m hoping week one to come out with a winning record at least. Dive in & see what I have.

THURSDAY NIGHT GAME

DALLAS COWBOYS AT PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

The Eagles are the defending champs after their beat down of the Kansas City Chiefs back in the month of February. Can the Cowboys spoil the celebration of the Superbowl festivities in Eagles town? What is the impact from the trade recently for the Cowboys as they sent Micah Parsons to Green Bay? The Eagles have 10-11 of their starters on their offense returning from last year’s championship run. I think the Cowboys defense will be solid with X-Bears head coach Matt Eberflus running the defense. He’s a better defensive coach than a head coach. The Cowboys got a run stuffer, Kenny Clark, from the Packers for Parsons. They added a head case receiver, George Pickens, from the Steelers. A healthy Dak Prescott with Pickens could make their offense hum. The Cowboys will be better than last year’s team. No way they are stopping running back Saquon Barkley of the Eagles in week 1. The Boys will give the Eagles a battle, but they will not break their mojo from last season right here right now.

OUR PICK: EAGLES

FRIDAY NIGHT GAME

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS AT LA CHARGERS (IN BRAZIL)

Will Patrick Mahomes and the black Jake from State Farm be recruiting any Brazilian beach gals for one of their commercials? This game will be played in Brazil at a neutral site. Hopefully away from the bombs Donald Trump is dropping on cartels. Jim Harbaugh, like Pete Carol, escaped their college program after winning a National Championship just in time before all the shit hits the fan.

The Chiefs will look to get back on track from their embarrassing loss in that Superbowl. They improved their offensive line over the off-season. Which should give Patrick Mahomes more time and he still is master of the Houdini act finding a way out of the collapsing pocket. Harbaugh’s Chargers were 0-2 versus the Chiefs last year. The Chargers lost their best tackle, Rashawn Slater, to a season ending knee injury. That will weaken the Chargers running game. The Chargers did not beat great teams last year on a weaker schedule. I don’t see things changing in week 1.

OUR PICK: CHIEFS

THE SUNDAY TILT

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS AT ATLANTA FALCONS

Baker Mayfield will be airing it out on a suspect Falcons defense, especially at the back end. The Falcons inserted Michael Penix behind center for three games as he replaced Kirk Cousins who went flat last season. Peniz completed 58% of his passes. He went 1-2 in three starts. He had 3 touchdown passes and 3 interceptions. He was okay!!

The Buccaneers defense is better this year. I do not see Penix able to match Mayfield score to score. I think Penix will need more starts to really get his footing down.

OUR PICK: BUCCANEERS

CLEVELAND BROWNS AT CINCINNATI BENGALS

Is the Cleveland Browns the perfect team for the Bengals to get out of the gates with a win? Both teams did not start off the season very well. The Browns will have Joe Flacco behind center. Joe Burrow and the Bengals did sweep the Browns last year in regular season. Flacco was a Colt then. I think the Browns will be able to generate points against a bad Bengal defense.

Myles Garrett has sacked Joe Cool the most out of any QB in the NFL. Garrett has gotten Joe 9 times. I like Cleveland’s defense being able to contain the Bengals offense in this one. I don’t think the Browns will win many games this season, but I think they will win this one. History tells you the Bengals can’t get off to a good start and this has been going on for years.

OUR UPSET PICK: BROWNS

MIAMI DOLPHINS AT INDIANAPOLIS COLTS

The Dolphins have not been kind to teams with losing records. The Colts did have a losing record last year. So did the Dolphins. Both teams had a 8-9 record. This may not be an air-it-out style game going in the Dolphins’ favor where they win big. The Colts have a ton of talented players on this roster. The Dolphins have one of the best aerial games in the league. Good defense cancels the air show. What do we expect out of Daniel Jones being named the starting QB for the Colts? I think Jones will be good enough as he has a chip on his shoulder from the G-Men cutting ties with him last year. Jones ended up signing with the Vikings, and he watched Sam Darnold resurrect his career. Not sure Jones will have the same year as Darnold. I think he can exploit the Dolphins’ weak ass secondary and pull out a home opener win over the fins.

OUR PICK: COLTS

CAROLINA PANTHERS AT JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS

This match up is the story of two young QB’s heading in different directions. Trevor Lawrence of the Jaguars came into the league blazing and now has gone dormant. Then Bryce Young looked like a bust for the Panthers after they drafted him number one overall. Then in the second half of last year, he was looking like a number one pick in complete control and dialing it up. Panthers played everyone tough when Young figured things out even losing to the Chiefs in overtime. The Jaguars have a new order with another new staff in place. Have they improved that bad Jaguar defense from last year? Is Lawrence ready after taking that huge hit versus the Texans that knocked him out of the game and season with a concussion. The Panthers added a top notch rookie receiver in the draft in Tetairoa McMillan to give Young another weapon. Even with new management I’m not sold on the Jags right now. I think Panthers will ride their late season success into this season.

OUR PICK: PANTHERS

LAS VEGAS RAIDERS AT NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS

This match up has two teams that will improve this season with their new coach hires. Mike Vabrel will be the guy that resurrects the Death Star in New England. While Pete Caroll, the devil himself, will have this Raiders organization back in the post-season quicker than you think. This is a long trip for the Raiders, but being week one teams will be energized. Look for a defensive game between these two teams. Drake Maye is a young QB on the rise. Look for Geno Smith being back with Carroll & having the bigger game in this match up. It will be close. In the end the Raiders will get their first win under the devilish leadership. It will be close. The Patriots will be racking up some victories this season, but they are just short in this one.

OUR PICK: RAIDERS

ARIZONA CARDINALS AT NEW ORLEANS SAINTS

Can Kellen Moore work the magic in New Orleans like he did in Philadelphia as the Eagles Offensive Coordinator? The Arizona Cardinals were making a run at winning the NFC West & then were derailed in the second half and finished with a 8-9 record. Moore will have to go with Spencer Rattler as his opening day starter. Rattler went 0-6 as the Saints QB last year. He threw only 4 touchdown passes to 5 interceptions. The Cardinals have improved their defense from a year ago. Kyler Murray looked better last season as their offense was well balanced with a pretty good running game. This Saints team has a roster filled with holes. An aging defense. Probably the worst QB room in the league which are all youngsters with no true veterans. I think the Saints will be one of the worst teams out of the gates. I think Arizona finds their first win rather easily.

OUR PICK: CARDINALS

PITTSBURGH STEELERS AT NEW YORK JETS

This is a revenge game for Aaron Rodgers going back to the Big Apple where he caused havoc with the Jets franchise. You could say that the new Jets quarterback has a chip on his shoulder after playing one season for the Steelers. Fields was 4-2 as the Steelers starter from week 1 & then was benched for Russell Wilson who came back from an injury. In the off-season, Fields was low balled by the Steelers offer so he took the better deal the Jets offered. Rodgers was a cancer for a Jets team that thought they only needed a QB to get back to post-season and beyond. The Jets sunk like the dinosaurs in the tar pits. Rodgers finds a new team in the off-season with the Steelers. I think Rodgers would thrive on any revenge game to rub salt on his former team’s wounds and stick it to them. I’m sure Fields would like to beat his former team. In big games, Fields is not very good in them. Rodgers has been there & done that. Fields will make a few too many mistakes where the Steelers defense will take advantage giving Rodgers a victory to keep his ego floating high.

OUR PICK: STEELERS

NEW YORK GIANTS AT WASHINGTON COMMANDERS

Russell Wilson as the Giants starting quarterback will not be able to turn New York into a playoff team. The Commanders had an awesome year last season and Jayden Daniels was the real deal for them in his rookie year. Washington improved the offensive line for their franchise QB during the off-season. The Giants are pretty good at pressuring the quarterback. Daniels will make the moves on the fly to adjust. Wilson improved last year in a Steelers uniform from the two seasons in Denver. His presence & his play as an aging QB don’t give me any confidence to pick the Giants in this one. Giants fans are waiting on Jaxson Dart, their next franchise QB. Washington does enough in this one to notch their first victory.

OUR PICK: COMMANDERS

TENNESSEE TITANS AT DENVER BRONCOS

Throwing the number one overall pick to the wolves in game 1. That’s what the Titans are doing starting their top pick, Cameron Ward, at QB versus the best defense in the NFL, the Denver Broncos. The Titans are hoping Ward will play like Jayden Daniels last year. The Broncos made the post-season last year. They had a pretty good solid rookie QB in Bo Nix who got better and better as the season went along. Nix and his head coach, Sean Payton, seem to have that relationship like the coach had back in his New Orleans days with Drew Brees. Nix and that Broncos offense will get better and should thrive out of the gates versus an average Titans defense. It is hard winning any football games in Denver. This is an easy one going Broncos.

OUR PICK: BRONCOS

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS AT SEATTLE SEAHAWKS

The 49ers have won 7 out of the last 8 games they played versus their arch rival, Seattle. Seattle did win the last game back in November. The 49ers were banged up last year with a MASH list longer than Santa Claus’ naughty list. The 49ers still have a ton of talent of that roster and going into week one are healthy. The Seahawks have a new quarterback.

Sam Darnold had a career year last year in a Vikings uniform. He was awarded with a big contract by the Seahawks. Darnold struggled his last few games as a Viking and in that post-season game. Which Darnold are you going to get in Seattle? First round bust or another solid year behind center? Seattle will keep this game close no matter what with their solid defense that should carry over from last year. The 49ers have proven they can win in Seattle. I think Darnold will not play flawlessly in his first game in a Seattle uniform, and that will give the 49ers their first road victory.

OUR PICK: 49ERS

DETROIT LIONS AT GREEN BAY PACKERS

It seems like any game between any NFC North teams will be a close affair. How will the Lions do with their new offensive & defensive coordinators? Both coordinators now have head coaching jobs. The Packers are the youngest team in the NFL and added one of the best pass rushers in the game in a trade with Dallas which landed Micah Parsons. The Lions defense will be roaring to go as they are finally healthy unlike last year when they lost a few key guys like Aidan Hutchinson. Both teams have solid defenses. This game should be a shoot out. I’m going with the Lions because Jared Goff takes care of the football. Jordan Love for the Packers will make at least one mistake or more to cost the Packers an opening week victory.

OUR PICK: LIONS

HOUSTON TEXANS AT LA RAMS

How is Matthew Stafford back? That is the first question I have in this match up between the Rams and Texans. He was limited in preseason. Then second question is: Can CJ Stroud recover from his sophomore season slump? The Rams added Davante Adams to their receiving core. The Rams already have Puka Nacua. The Rams offense will be one of the best aerial attacks in the NFL. The Rams can also run the ball well. The Texans offensive line is another big question. Let’s face it. It’s their weakness. Look for the Rams D to exploit that and be in the face of Stroud all day long. The Texans won the weak AFC South. They did not win many games versus opponents with winning records. I like Rams at home.

OUR PICK: RAMS

SUNDAY NIGHT GAME

BALTIMORE RAVENS AT BUFFALO BILLS

The rematch of last year’s divisional round game between the Bills and Ravens. Which the Bills won in a close game. The Bills and Ravens did play in regular season last year, which Baltimore won. It was in Baltimore and the Ravens blew out the Bills in that regular season match up.

Two of the best quarterbacks in the league will duel it out. Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen, besides on the field battles they had, these two guys were in the running for the MVP award. Which Allen won. Both teams have solid rosters. Both teams improved their defense during the off-season. Can the Bills stop the Ravens running game? Can the Ravens defense contain Allen? I think this will be another close game. Both teams are eager to win this one because it could be a tie breaker for post-season seeding. I like the Bills able to make Jackson make mistakes, especially turning over the football. That and the Bills at home find a way to win a tight game in week 1 with the Mafia loving every moment. Going with the home team indeed.

OUR PICK: BILLS

THE MONDAY NIGHT GAME

MINNESOTA VIKINGS AT CHICAGO BEARS

We will finally see the debut of JJ McCarthy for the Vikings. McCarthy was drafted in the first round by the Vikings last year but was injured in preseason and missed the entire season. The Bears found their dream coach hiring the hottest offensive coordinator in the league, Ben Johnson, former Lions OC. It is the second year for Caleb Williams who was the number 1 overall pick last season. He did not play like it. What can we expect from both quarterbacks? Johnson turned Jared Goff into a top QB in Detroit. I expect Williams to play better than he did last year. Can the Vikings get the same results they did inserting Sam Darnold behind center last year? This will be a close game no matter who wins it. I like the Bears in this one because Johnson knows the Vikings defense very well playing them twice a year last year with the Lions. I think with the Viking receiver core banged up, it favors the Bears and prevents McCarthy from having a bigger game if he can have a big game in his first test in the NFL on the road.

OUR PICK: DA BEARS

NFL LEAGUE PREDICTIONS 2025

Here we go again! Another NFL season is upon us. Almost every franchise is feeling pretty good about their team with a 0-0 record. We could be optimistic or you know that your team or even my team will be horrific. I know we will see some new blood in the post-season which happens every season. It seems like the best teams that have separated themselves from the pack are the usual suspects in the NFL post-season.

I still have the Chiefs winning the AFC West. Can anybody in the AFC knock out the Chiefs? That is the biggest question. We saw them get a beat down by the Eagles last year which was epic. Not sure I really want to see the Eagles fly back to the Superbowl this season. I’d like to see new blood. I’d like to see the fighting Swifties of Kansas City get their medicine quickly and be dispatched early into the post-season. We have new coaches for some teams. I see some improvement there. Not drastic. My early guess is the Saints will be the worst team this year in the NFL. Could it be their year to do badly and next draft the Saints could be taking another Manning named Archie? My predictions are not going to be perfect. They may be a house of cards. I have predicted every team’s record and which teams will make the post-season. I posted a single comment for each team during the regular season as well. Then I have a Superbowl prediction at the end of it all.

AFC CONFERENCE

The AFC will be a grindhouse this season with many solid teams. I know it is the tougher conference.

AFC EAST

#1.BUFFALO BILLS (13-4) Bills defense will play on a higher level all season including playoffs.

#2. NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (8-9) Mike Vrabel starts the resurrection of the Evil Empire in football.

#3.MIAMI DOLPHINS (7-10) Mike McDaniel is fired before the season ends.

#4. NEW YORK JETS (5-12) Justin Fields goes back to the Bad News Bears ways.

AFC NORTH

#1. BALTIMORE RAVENS (12-5) Lamar Jackson will get closer than last season to the Superbowl.

#2.CINCINNATI BENGALS (10-7) Bengals defense becomes a dumpster fire during the post-season.

#3. PITTSBURGH STEELERS (8-9) Aaron Rodgers clinches Mike Tomlin’s first ever losing season.

#4.CLEVELAND BROWNS (4-13) Which QB are the Browns going to draft in 2026?

AFC SOUTH

#1. HOUSTON TEXANS (9-8) That offensive line could be “danger danger Will Robinson” to their young QB.

#2.INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (8-9) Anthony Richardson along with Daniel Jones are busts at the QB position.

#3. JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (7-10) Are Jacksonville fans still sold on Trevor Lawrence?

#4. TENNESSEE TITANS (3-14) Rookie QB hiccups will occur!!

AFC WEST

#1. KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (11-6) Travis Kelce takes Taylor Swift’s last name. Travis Swift takes the field.

#2. DENVER BRONCOS (10-7) Bo Knows Nix!!!

#3. LAS VEGAS RAIDERS (9-8) Pete Carol’s masterpiece is brewing.

#4. LA CHARGERS (7-10) Year 2 Jim Harbaugh and his Chargers will be doomed by the tougher schedule.

AFC PLAYOFF SEEDS: #1. BUFFALO, #2. BALTIMORE, #3. KANSAS CITY, #4. HOUSTON TEXANS

AFC WILD CARDS: #5. CINCINNATI, #6. DENVER, #7. LAS VEGAS

NFC CONFERENCE

NFC EAST

#1.PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (11-6) The Eagles will still win their division in hard fought contests every week. They will get knocked out early in post-season.

#2.WASHINGTON COMMANDERS (10-7) No surprises from the Commanders this season. Hail Marys will be defended well.

#3.DALLAS COWBOYS (9-8) The Cowboys defense will improve despite trading their best rusher.

#4. NEW YORK GIANTS (4-13) Throw a dart at the QB board and miss. Russell Wilson walks away from the game.

NFC NORTH

#1.DETROIT LIONS (12-5) How will Dan Campbell’s two new coordinators fair? Business as usual.

#2.GREEN BAY PACKERS (11-6) The youngest team in the league is getting better each season.

#3.CHICAGO BEARS (8-9) Is Ben Johnson the QB whisperer??

#4. MINNESOTA VIKINGS (7-10) No inserting a rookie QB like a light bulb and winning double digit games this season.

NFC SOUTH

#1. TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (9-8) Baker Mayfield is the only QB in the NFC South.

#2. ATLANTA FALCONS (7-10) Growing pains for Michael Pennix.

#3. CAROLINA PANTHERS (6-11) Bryce Young will continue to get better. Not by wins though.

#4. NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (2-15) Worst QB room in the league with a rookie head coach. No Way Jose!!

NFC WEST

#1. SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (12-5) Don’t sleep on the 49ers. The talent is still there.

#2. LA RAMS (11-6) The Rams aerial attack may be compared to the Kurt Warner attack back in St. Louis when they were the greatest show on turf.

#3. ARIZONA CARDINALS (9-8) Kyler Murray really is not the answer for this franchise.

#4. SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (7-10) Sam Darnold regresses for Seattle’s offense.

NFC PLAYOFF SEEDS: #1. SAN FRANCISCO, #2. DETROIT, #3. PHILADELPHIA, #4. TAMPA BAY

NFC WILD CARDS: #5. LA RAMS, #6. GREEN BAY, #7.WASHINGTON

THE SUPERBOWL

This Superbowl will finally have new blood. No Chiefs/Eagles rematch on this blog.

The Buffalo Bills finally break out of the AFC grindhouse and make it to the big game. Then in the NFC where anything can happen, Baker Mayfield gets hot at the right time and gets the Buccaneers back into the Superbowl.

The Buccaneers will lose their first ever Superbowl while the Bills finally win their first ever to slay the 1990’s dragons when they lost 4 big games in a row. I like Josh Allen doing what he does putting up the big offensive numbers like the Bills offense will still do. I said the Bills defense will finally play a big part in getting this team over the playoff hump as it carries over in the big game.

THE DAWG POUND IS DESPERATE FOR A QUARTERBACK

The Cleveland Browns should hold auditions to find their next franchise quarterback. This off-season, the Browns have collected rookie quarterbacks and veteran quarterbacks to cover up the reek of Deshaun Watson which may be the worst trade in NFL history. Watson will miss the entire 2025 season due to re-injuring his Achilles tendon. Hate when bad things happen to bad people. The Browns brain trust thought they needed to bring in a cast of characters to find their next starter behind center. They acquired veteran QB Kenny Pickett from the Philadelphia Eagles. They signed another veteran Tyler Huntley who was Lamar Jackson’s back up for years in Baltimore. They drafted two quarterbacks in the NFL 2025 draft. In the 3rd round they took Dillon Gabriel from Oregon University. Then they took Shedeur Sanders in the 5th round from the University of Colorado. Then they brought back an old friend who may be over the hill at 40 years of age in Joe Flacco, who suited up for the Browns in 2023 and he was named this year’s starter.

I think any Dawg in Cleveland would rather have Joe Flacco starting as their quarterback than Deshaun Watson. In 2023 Flacco took over the starting job for the injured Watson and started 5 games for the Browns. Flacco went 4-1 and the Browns found the post-season. The Browns were quickly dispatched by the Houston Texans who rebuilt most of their team thanks to the Browns front office giving them a slew of top draft picks for the sexual predator. Last year Flacco suited up for the Colts because Watson wanted another Dawg behind him doing him doggie style. The Crab man in Jameis Winston is the king of the pick six. Flacco wanted to come back to Cleveland, but the Browns front office fumbled the ball again and listened to the sexual predator instead. Last year Flacco started six games for the Colts and had a losing record of 2-4. The Browns are starting a guy who is 40 years of age and has not played a 16 game schedule since he was a Raven in 2017. Since Flacco won the Superbowl with the Ravens & then was paid, he has not really done well since his resurrection with the Browns. He flopped in Denver after Baltimore. He then saw action with the New York jets for three seasons filling in for injured and inefficient Quarterbacks there. His last winning season besides 2023 was back in 2017 with the Ravens when he went 9-7. In 2018 he started 9 games for the Ravens, had a 4-5 record and then Lamar Jackson took over. Flacco headed to Denver. Flacco has 17 years in the NFL during which he has plenty of experience. He is familiar with the Browns division playing in Baltimore for so many years.

The rest of the quarterbacks that Cleveland brought in, many of them did not survive. If you can’t play QB in Cleveland maybe you should hang up the spikes. The Browns cut Tyler Huntley as he will probably crawl back to Baltimore & beg for his old job. Kenny Pickett did not see the field due to a hamstring injury. Pickett was a former Pittsburgh Steeler which he knows the AFC North from starting his career there. He was traded to the Raiders which leaves the two youngsters. I thought Cleveland was going to avoid the mistake of drafting another bust like Johnny Manziel. In the 3rd round, they drafted Dillion Gabriel who is QB number two for the Browns this year. Then in the 5th round the Browns just could not resist and took a flier of Shedeur Sanders who fell in the draft like the 1929 Stock Market crash. Sanders looked good in the very first pre-season game. Then looked horrific in the other two preseason games. He will be the Browns 3rd string QB. The Browns then perhaps don’t trust what they have in this year’s QB room, so added another veteran former New England Patriot Bailey Zappe to their practice squad. Looks like the Cleveland front office is not trusting Sanders and looking for a quick insurance plan just in case. When has Joe Flacco been a mentor to young QB’s? He was not a big fan when the Ravens took Lamar Jackson in the first round. He did not mentor Jackson after he was benched.

The AFC North is a grind house playing Lamar Jackson and the Ravens. Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals. Will Aaron Rodgers have his own resurrection at the QB position with the Steelers. If Flacco gets hurt, these young draft picks Cleveland has will be thrown to the wolves. This could be a recipe for disaster. Memories of DeShone Kiser going 0-15 as the starter in 2017 throwing 22 interceptions that season. Tim Couch was the number 1 pick overall in the 1999 NFL draft and he was a bust. Johnny Manziel was a science experiment that blew up in the lab that was the NFL field. If you’re the Browns, you don’t want to see Dillion Gabriel or Shedeur Sanders in a game until late in the season. These two next QB busts should at least hold the clipboard and learn most of the season before they get their feet wet on the NFL turf. I would root for Dillion Gabriel. I think Browns fans would want him to be the next franchise QB. Shedeur Sanders is overrated. Being Deion Sanders’ kid carries too much baggage. Then having the audacity to throw a few draft interviews of teams you did not like is equal to the Cleveland’s brain trust just being stupid for drafting you in the first place. These are the same idiots that kicked Baker Mayfield to the curb for playing most of the season hurt. You had a franchise QB you drafted number one overall in 2018 and you let him go. Mayfield looks solid in Tampa Bay. Why did these morons give Deshaun Watson a guaranteed contract which still baffles me? Giving that kind of money to a guy coming in with all sorts of baggage. Cleveland is desperate. They reek of desperateness. The same smell the stadium workers have to dung out after the Dawg pound heads home after another defeat. Now all the pressure is on a 40 year old QB that will make or break your entire season. Flacco is not the future. He is a distraction from Watson and like in baseball you want your starter to eat all those innings to save the young arms in the bullpen. More games Flacco plays, the better for the kids to learn. It may look and feel a lot better than the sting these fans took last year with Watson and Jameis Winston at the helm. Quarterbacks in Cleveland have been more than a sting. They are compared to a zombie bite. You have to cut off the arm or leg if bitten. No wonder so many Dawgs in Cleveland are named Lucky with missing limbs due to their QB play.

RICHARDSON BRINGS BACK THE NIGHTMARE OF JEFF GEORGE FOR THE COLTS

Is it too early to determine that Anthony Richardson may be a first round bust for the Indianapolis Colts? Can you pull the plug on a guy after two seasons who’s only played in 15 games and is only 23 years of age?

Richardson was drafted in the first round by the Colts 4th overall in the 2023 NFL draft from the University of Florida. How many chances to give a number one pick, especially the guys that play quarterback I’m thinking have nine lives in the NFL like Morris the cat? If Richardson was a fish and the field was his tank of water, he has been in and out multiple times for injuries or his poor play making him gasp for air and flop around. Suddenly Colts fans are having nightmares of one of their greatest quarterback busts in their history, Jeff George.

Jeff George was supposed to be the “real deal can’t miss” quarterback of the draft. The Colts selected George number 1 overall in the 1990 NFL draft out of University of Illinois. I watched him play for the Fighting Illini, and he had a cannon for an arm. George was born and raised in the state of Indiana so it seems like it was meant to be with the Colts hitting a home run on this pick. George would last 4 years in Indianapolis out of his 12 year career that featured stops in Atlanta, Oakland, Minnesota, and Washington. In 52 games over a 4 year span, George’s record as a starting QB for the Colts was 14-35 as he made 49 starts wearing the horseshoe on his helmet. George was simply a bad dude, not in a good way. He demanded to be traded. He would have arguments with coaches on the field wherever he played it seemed. He was not a good teammate on and off the field. A cancer in the locker room is putting it simply. He even made gestures in bad taste to fans in the stands. In 12 seasons he only had three winning seasons as a starter. He played in 131 NFL games in his career and as a starter he had a 46-78 record well below .500. He completed 57.9% of his passes and threw for 27,602 passing yards. He did throw 154 touchdown passes, but he a was gunslinger and threw 113 interceptions. This is a guy that had all the talent in the world but was too pig-headed to use these traits for good not evil purposes like the money and fame.

In two seasons, Anthony Richardson is strutting down Jeff George lane, but he is not the asshole the former University of Illinois quarterback was. Richardson only played in 24 college games. Basically he became the starter his last season on the college gridiron. Every team knew he was going to be a project that they had to mold into a true NFL quarterback. His athleticism is top notch. I’m not sure why the Colts even played him in the very first season he was drafted. You could make a case for him sitting on the sideline for one full season which could help his development. Patrick Mahomes sat most of his first season as he got action in a meaningless game at the end of the season for the Chiefs, who had their playoff position that year settled. Last season, Richardson completed only 47.7% of his passes. He tallied 1,814 passing yards in 11 games. He threw 8 touchdown passes to 12 interceptions. Surprisingly he went 6-5 as the starter for the Colts last year. In two seasons he has an 8-7 record as a starter. He has completed once again only 50.6% of his passes which is very bad. He has tallied up 2,291 passing yards. He has 11 touchdown strikes to 13 interceptions.

This season the Colts are going with another bad quarterback as their opening day starter – Former Giants QB Daniel Jones. Jones has one winning season under his belt in six seasons. Jones is a former first round pick by the Giants in the 2019 NFL draft as he was selected 6th overall. His starting record as a QB is horrific as his record is 24-44. His completion rating is much better than Anthony Richardson’s over his career at 64.1%. Jones has thrown 70 touchdown passes compared to 47 interceptions. This looks like an upgrade on paper. Jones will be looking to prove something after being dumped by the Giants. He is a better option giving the Colts a balanced offense. He can utilize all the talented receivers the Colts have as well. At which Richardson had problems. The Colts have a star running back in Jonathan Taylor. With Richardson, the opposing defenses can key on Taylor and Taylor only. Last year the Colts offense thrived with Joe Flacco behind center.

Will the Colts consider trading Anthony Richardson? Being athletic is not always the recipe at being a true quarterback in the NFL. You know in this league some coach is licking their chops to coach Richardson and mold him into a QB. Richardson has been in and out of the water so much he may be scarred right now being a back up in Indianapolis. He may need new scenery to develop. He may be a bust right now but a guy that is a late bloomer down the road like Sam Darnold. I believe he will have more chances like 9 lives, a number one pick gets compared to a 7th rounder. Present day in the NFL they expect these quarterbacks to establish themselves right away thrown to the wolves. Some can swim right away, but most cannot as teams move on quickly. I’m not feeling sorry for the Colts as they had legends behind center like Peyton Manning, who won them a Superbowl. They had Andrew Luck who was a solid QB for years for the Colts. Right now Richardson is on Jeff George Boulevard in his Colts career. Not with the bad attitude. George was able to at least complete passes down the middle of the field where Richardson will run more. He will get hit more in the open field. He will take on more injuries and eventually most running QB’s that can’t throw the ball with accuracy have a short shelf life in the NFL.

THE UFL HAS LANDED THEMSELVES A MONEY MAN

After the 2023 season when the USFL and XFL completed their entire season in two different spring football leagues, it was time to merge them. The spring fling has seen many football leagues implode for multiple reasons. No way two spring leagues would survive multiple seasons. They ended up merging the XFL and USFL into one football spring league in 2024 and now call themselves the UFL United Football League. In 2024 the launch of the UFL took place with 8 teams, 4 from each league. The UFL had a nice rookie season as the merger had high hopes for 2025 to be better. This year they had the same 8 teams hoping to build on each franchise city and grow the fan bases. This year the numbers were not bad but they did take a step backwards. In comes an entrepreneur, a billionaire a new investor. Not a silent partner. An investor that has a business plan for the UFL and how to grow it. The billionaire is Mike Repole who has full authority over the UFL business operations. He is the money man and has some ideas already brewing for the league in 2026.

Who is Mike Repole? He made his money off bottleD water beverages. In 1999 he was the co-founder of Vitamin Water with a company called Glaceau. It was company that made energy drinks and Smart Water. Repole was credited with launching these waters and netting a huge profit & then made even more money selling these products to Coca Cola. Repole had the Smart Water along with Vitamin Water reaching over billion dollars in sales by 2007. Then sold it to Coke for 4.1 Billion. Then he was involved in some sports drinks as he helped launch Body Armour. Which has done very well the last few years. In 2019 Repole co-starred in the Barstool sports investment. Which they have grown very quickly. In sports he has always loved horseracing. One of his best horses named Mo Donegal won the Belmont Stakes back in 2022. He even has his own company in horse racing called Repole Stables where they buy and train racehorses.

How many times have we seen in spring football games where the stadiums looked like they are empty during most games? This has been going on since the 1980’s when the original USFL launched. Back in the 1980’s, a game between the Houston Gamblers and the LA Express was coined the greatest game no one ever saw.

It was a game that featured two young Hall of Fame quarterbacks before they played in the NFL. Jim Kelly versus Steve Young & each QB lit up the scoreboard that day. They may have had 10,000 people. In the LA Coliseum, it looked like ten people as you can hear a pin drop in express games. Mike Repole wants the UFL to scrap the oversized stadiums of college or pro ball that the capacities are 40 to 50,000 seats. He believes it creates a poor atmosphere and compares it to watching games during the pandemic of 2020. With smaller stadiums that seat 20,000 fans, it looks much better on television with 10,000 seats filled up. Going smaller will create the vibrant energetic environment that the UFL is seeking.

Right now the UFL has multiple stadiums that don’t fit his criteria. In the XFL Conference, the St.Louis BattleHawks at the Dome of America Center has 67,277 seating. You would be crazy to change the BattleHawks venue because they average the most attendance in the UFL at 30,000 fans per game. The Brahmas play in the Alamo Dome that holds 64,000 fans. In the USFL conference, the Stallions play at Protective Field which holds 47,100 fans, The Panthers play at Ford Field and that stadium home to the Detroit Lions holds 65,000 fans. The Panthers were the only team last season where their attendance increased. They averaged 11,681 fans which was a 30.4 % increase from 2024. The Roughnecks played their games in TD ECU Stadium which holds 40,000. The Showboats play in Memphis at Simmons Liberty Field which holds 58,325. That is six teams as the only two stadiums that fits what Mike Repole wants to do include the DC Defenders who were the champs this season. They also are home of the beer snake which Audi Field seats 20,000 fans. Then UFL headquarters is located is in Arlington, Texas. The Renegades play Choctaw Stadium which seats 20,000 fans.The UFL averaged 12,162 fans per game last season which is only a 5% drop from 2024. In the business world this could be catastrophic.

They say the most important part about opening up a business is location, location, and location. In 2026 we may seek re-location, re-location, and re-location. How many teams will relocate next season is the million dollar question. It could be 1 to 4 teams that will be on the move. The UFL has already said one team will be moving to Columbus, Ohio. They will play at the historical Crew Stadium that used to host MLS games. Crew stadium seats 20,000 fans. Other cities that may get a re-located team is Boise, Orlando, and somewhere in Kentucky either Louisville or Lexington. Which teams are rumored to be relocated? It seems like the entire USFL conference: Birmingham, Michigan, Houston and Memphis. In the XFL they are safe right now because St.Louis draws the most fans. The Defenders and Renegades have the smaller venues in place. The Brahmas are questionable. I think they stay because of “The Rock” Dwayne Johnson who is still a partner in this league. The Brahmas name came from the former wrestler, now Hollywood actor. You wonder if any of the cities that currently have a team can find a stadium in the area that has that 20,000 seating? Perhaps a few cities like Memphis and Houston, they have given up on. They would be the two I would relocate. The Stallions have been three time champions with two USFL titles and one UFL title. Their attendance seems like it is decreasing every season even though they have a championship team almost every year. The Michigan Panthers should not move because they are growing. That would be like a knife in the back to that franchise if they are relocated. Because of the increase in fans last year, they should at least get another year.

Mike Repole plans to have 10-12 teams within 5 years in the UFL. He wants 16 teams within ten years. The UFL has all the major media markets covering this league. The entire league including players along with operations are based in Arlington, Texas. This is where all the teams practice, game plan, sleep, and eat. The UFL headquarters is established there. Last few year the teams would fly to their city right before game day. The day before the game is my guess. . Repole likes how this has been working but wants these teams to fly in a few days earlier to meet and greet their fan base. The original USFL had some great seasons where fans showed up and they did all kinds of cool things to entertain the crowd. More fans in the seats means the more stuff you can do to install that electric atmosphere we see in many sports. More fans in the seats mean more money for the league. It also would improve ratings on the television and give people the idea in their heads that they would like to go see a game.

Everything sounds great with the new guy with a business plan and money to fund his ideas. I hope they keep the tradition of the two conferences where they separate the USFL and XFL teams. In the old USFL, the Breakers played in Boston, New Orleans, and Portland. If the Columbus team is going to the USFL conference, will they take a former name from their league history from the 1980’s or the reboot? Some former XFL teams I would like to see resurface as well. Is Repole the kind of person to give a new city a new team name? Houston in 2023 had three football teams the Texans in the NFL, the Roughnecks in the XFL & the Gamblers in the USFL. Now Houston has a problem as they may only have the Texans. Why does the UFL need so many teams in the state of Texas? The state of Texas has three teams in Arlington, Houston, and San Antonio. If you keep Michigan, now you have Columbus which gives you two teams in the Midwest that have a team. I like the return of the Chicago Blitz. They have a stadium in the south suburbs that seats 20,000. My favorite team in these spring flings is the Pittsburgh Maulers. That is a team that needs to be back in action. They made the reboot & then were left out in the merger. Overall great ideas by the new money man. I like to keep the traditions alive. I’m glad they are bringing in someone that cares and wants to grow the league or he’ll call himself a failure if he does not achieve his goal. Like any Richie Rich we will wait and see if he can achieve his goal.

MARV LEVY TURNS 100

Sometimes in life we get stuck in a rut hearing about people dropping like flies. Recently we lost the Godfather of Heavy Metal, Ozzy Osbourne, at the age of 76 to his fight with Parkinson’s. Hulk Hogan went into cardiac arrest and died on the way to the hospital at the age of 71. Then we lost Hall of Fame second baseman Ryne Sandberg to cancer at the age of 65.

Yesterday the news came out that we lost the beautiful actress Loni Anderson at the age of 79. She played the character Jennifer Marlowe on one of the funniest comedies of all-time, WKRP in Cincinnati. Losing people in their 60’s or 70’s in my opinion is way too early in life. Over the weekend in Canton. Ohio for the NFL football Hall of Fame festivities, you could witness something extraordinary in life. The Buffalo Bills legendary head coach Marv Levy turned 100 on Sunday and many who were wearing the yellow coats on Saturday, including some of his former players, sang Happy Birthday to the Chicago native.

Marv Levy was enshrined in Canton in 2001 for his 17 years of coaching in the NFL. He left Harvard law school to become a football coach. When he broke the news to his father who was a former military man, there was a long pause after Marv told his dad what he wanted to do. Finally his father said, “Be a good one.”

Marv Levy’s journey started with being recruited to the University of Wyoming as a defensive back. The coach then left and so did Marv, as he transferred to Coe College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. There he played football, basketball, and ran track. He landed a degree in literature and he was a member of the Phi Kappa society as well as belonging to the Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity. Then he went on to Harvard where he earned a Master of Arts in English History degree. Before he coached in the NFL, he started his journey in the college game. From 1973-1977 he was head coach of the Montreal Alouettes where he won 2 Grey Cups. In 1978 he landed the head coaching job with the Kansas City Chiefs where he coached 5 seasons there until he was let go. He left Kansas City with a losing record of 31-42.

His next coaching gig was in the USFL with the Chicago Blitz in 1984. Levy’s lone season where he grew up he had a 5-13 record with the Blitz which was 5th place in the Central division. Then he found his next gig in Buffalo in 1986. With the Bills he brought Buffalo back from the land of the dead where he coached 12 seasons. In 12 seasons in Buffalo, his regular season record was 112-70, went 11-8 in post-season, and brought the Bills to 4 straight Superbowls. He won 4 AFC Championships and six division titles along with 8 playoff berths from 1986-1997. Unfortunately the Bills lost all those Superbowls and the first one from a wide right kick heard around the world that would have won it if it had went through the golden up rights. His NFL regular season record all-time was 143-112. His record as a professional football head coach, he went 191-156 in regular season. The post-season combined he went 18-11. In 1988 he won SN coach of the year. He’s also a 2x winner of the UPI Coach of the Year award.

Born in 1925, Marv Levy right now is the oldest living member of the NFL Hall of Fame. Being from Chicago, he did root for the wrong team in baseball. Not many people can say that they saw the last two World Series for the Chicago Cubs. In 1945 he was in the Army Air Corps and had a furlough that allowed him to see game 7 of that series versus the Tigers. The Tigers won that World Series. In 2016, Levy was able to go to game 7 of that Cubs World Series versus the Cleveland Indians at which they won it all and broke over a 100 year drought. Levy has written multiple books including a children’s book about the “Go Go Cubs” in 2016 breaking that 108 year drought they had. Levy used that Harvard Master of Arts in English History degree with some epic game speeches throughout his coaching career. His famous Pregame huddle speech asked: “Where else would you rather be than right here, right now?”

Marv Levy had some of his former players on hand during the Canton festivities that included Jim Kelly, Thurman Thomas, and James Lofton leading the charge for the famous birthday song. Even the crowd on hand could not help singing along for Levy’s 100th year on this earth still sharp as a tack. All the sadness in the world today makes things like this story about one of the good guys in coaching and just in life, make your day witnessing that moment at that time. I wished the Bills could have won at least one of those Superbowls in the 1990’s. The coaching, the plan, the plotting, the motivation to pick up this team after a bad Superbowl loss and march them right back there the following year is amazing work itself. Many teams that lose the big game suffer through a hangover the next season and most of the time they miss the post-season. HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARV!!!