The Hail Mary - Week 5

Sunday, October 5

St. Louis (1-2) at Philadelphia (3-1), Philadelphia favored by 7

The Eagles finally ran out of miracles and were unable to secure a fourth straight come from behind victory last week. The much ballyhooed Chip Kelly offense was held to 0 points by the 49ers and for the second straight week LeSean McCoy was completely shut down. Nick Foles really struggled last week and the whole offense just seemed out of sorts. The Rams highly touted but not quite living up to that type of talk defense should be the cure to the Eagles ills. Austin Davis is officially the starter for the rest of the season according to Jeff Fisher, until he isn't. The Rams will have an extra week of rest on Philadelphia but I don't expect that to make up the talent difference between these two teams. I expect McCoy to bounce back in a big way.

Prediction: Philadelphia 35, St. Louis 21

Chicago (2-2) at Carolina (2-2), Carolina favored by 2 1/2

The Bears are quickly starting to appear to be a team that performs much better on the road than they do at home. They are 2-0 away from Soldier Field and have suffered embarrassing losses in their two games as hosts. Jay Cutler was really bad last week against Green Bay, trying to force way too much. One bright spot for the Bears was that Matt Forte finally was able to run the ball effectively. The Panthers defense went from looking like one of the best units in the game the first two weeks to one of the worst the past few weeks. Maybe getting away from playing the AFC North will help them out. But then I think of all the weapons Chicago has, and how banged up the Panthers are on offense, especially at running back, and I expect the Panthers defense to struggle again.

Prediction: Chicago 27, Carolina 20

Cleveland (1-2) at Tennessee (1-3), Cleveland favored by 1

The Brows are expected to welcome back Ben Tate to the fold, and putting him in with Terrence West and Isaiah Crowell gives the Browns a plethora of options at running back. The Titans are expecting to welcome back Jake Locker after he missed last week's embarrassing loss at Indianapolis. The Titans have been blown out for three straight weeks, and nothing like the team that pounded the Chiefs in Kansas City. They don't have a consistent rushing attack and Delanie Walker is their best receiver at the moment. The Browns have shown signs of improvement in their first three games, and a road game like this, where they are favored, is one they have to have if they want to take the next step into becoming winners.

Prediction: Cleveland 26, Tennessee 23

Atlanta (2-2) at New York Giants (2-2), New York Giants favored by 4

The Falcons are a mess. They can't stop anyone on defense and now their offense, which has been a bright spot, could be in for some trouble after losing two starters to season ending injuries in last week's loss at Minnesota. The Giants are completely different, coming in feeling quite good about themselves and well rested after destroying the Redskins last Thursday. Eli Manning has looked especially good the past few weeks, and even the Giants defense has shown signs of waking up. Now, it would be very Giants like for Eli to come out and lay an egg, throwing picks left and right and the Giants get beat. But, the Falcons are so terrible on defense, I believe Eli and Rashad Jennings will have big games, leading the Giants to a third straight win.

Prediction: New York Giants 31, Atlanta 28

Tampa Bay (1-3) at New Orleans (1-3), New Orleans favored by 10 1/2

The Buccaneers make no sense. They looked completely dreadful the first three weeks of the season. Going into Pittsburgh last week, it was assumed by everyone that they were going to put up another embarrassing performance. But instead, they played the Steelers tough and completed an amazing come from behind win in the fourth quarter. My boy Mike Glennon played well, much better than Josh McCown ever had this season. Tampa was also bolstered by the return of Doug Martin, who found his way into the end zone. The Saints are a complete mess right now. They are absolutely atrocious on the road and have all the makings of a team that will finish 8-8, with an 8-0 home record and an 0-8 road record. Getting blown out by the average Cowboys was just startling to watch. Whatever magic Rob Ryan used on the defense last season has gone by the wayside. Being at the friendly confines of the Superdome should get the Saints back on the winning side of things at least.

Prediction: New Orleans 34, Tampa Bay 24

Houston (3-1) at Dallas (3-1), Dallas favored by 4

I don't think anyone would have guessed these two would have 3-1 records when they met in Week 5. The Texans have already surpassed last season's win total and the Cowboys have made the media do a complete 180 and declare them as back! I'm still not sold on Dallas just yet, but playing at home against a mediocre Texans team with a medicore quarterback will keep people thinking that maybe their defense isn't nearly as bad as we all thought it would be.

Prediction: Dallas 27, Houston 17

Buffalo (2-2) at Detroit (3-1), Detroit favored by 7

Remember when the Bills were 2-0? Feels like so long ago. Doug Marrone has already benched their quarterback of the future EJ Manuel in favor of Kyle Orton. Orton makes his debut at Ford Field against the rising Lions. Detroit turned in a solid performance on the road against the Jets, and are playing pretty good football for Jim Caldwell.  There will be no absence of speed on the field in this game with Sammy Watkins and C.J. Spiller for Buffalo matching up with Reggie Bush and Calvin Johnson. I think Orton will bring some stability to the Buffalo offense but I don't expect a noticeable difference between him and Manuel.

Prediction: Detroit 29, Buffalo 19

Baltimore (3-1) at Indianapolis (2-2), Indianapolis favored by 3 1/2

This should be one of the better games of the weekend. The Ravens have won three straight and the Colts have recovered from their 0-2 start by beating up on sorry teams Jacksonville and Tennessee. Indianapolis failed in their first two games against tough competition, so how they perform against Baltimore on Sunday will say a lot about them as a team.  Andrew Luck has been fantastic and is earning very early MVP talk. I have to give credit where credit is due, Joe Flacco has been very good so far this season. He is completing 63% of his passes and has 7 TDs against 2 INTs. Steve Smith Sr. has been superb for Baltimore and has supplanted Torrey Smith as Flacco's number one target. The Ravens are even starting to find a running game with Justin Forsett and Lorenzo Taliaferro. I expect a back and forth game in this one, with lots of entertaining moments and a thrilling finish.

Prediction: Indianapolis 28, Baltimore 24

Pittsburgh (2-2) at Jacksonville (0-4), Pittsburgh favored by 6 1/2

There have started to be some whispers about Mike Tomlin being on the hot seat. The Rooneys are known for letting coaches ride it out so I chalk this talk up to frustration after an inexcusable loss at home to Tampa. After all, Tomlin won a Super Bowl and has two AFC championships.  Now if the Steelers lose at sorry Jacksonville this weekend, then I could understand firing talk. Hell, if the Steelers score less than 30 against Jacksonville then at least Todd Haley should be fired. The Jags closest loss this season is 18 points against Philadelphia. It is hilarious that some people think this is a team on the rise. Blake Bortles was decent in his debut but this team has so many holes that strong quarterback play won't be enough to make them competitive week in and week out. Look for big games from Ben Roethlisberger, LeVeon Bell, and Antonio Brown.

Prediction: Pittsburgh 33, Jacksonville 21

Arizona (3-0) at Denver (2-1), Denver favored by 7 1/2

This might be the game of the weekend, that is if Carson Palmer were starting for Arizona. Now I know that Drew Stanton has gone 2-0 but lets not kid ourselves. Stanton has been adequate but the Cardinals have been winning without Palmer because of their defense. I expect their defense to keep them in this game, but I also expect Stanton to have a long afternoon.  Give Peyton Manning two weeks to prepare for an opponent and I expect the Broncos to have a strong offensive gameplan in this one. Hopefully, Demaryius Thomas got his mind right during the bye week and will start to become a more consistent contributor. As expected, Manning has started to turn Emmanuel Sanders into a star. I expect Manning to hit and surpass 500 passing touchdowns for his career in this game and the Broncos to hand the Cardinals their first loss.

Prediction: Denver 23, Arizona 14

New York Jets (1-3) at San Diego (3-1), San Diego favored by 7

Hot damn Philip Rivers! Rivers is proving that last season was no fluke and he has officially returned to being an elite quarterback. Facing a porous Jets secondary Rivers could be in line for even more stat padding moments on Sunday. Geno Smith is the opposite of elite and has Jets fans yearning for Michael Vick. They seem to forget that should Vick enter game he more than likely will be injured within 5 plays and Smith will have to return anyway.  The Jets have a pretty brutal stretch the next couple of weeks, so the circus could really just be starting for New York.

Prediction: San Diego 34, New York Jets 21

Kansas City (2-2) at San Francisco (2-2), San Francisco favored by 6 1/2

Alex Smith makes his triumphant (?) return to San Francisco on Sunday. Smith says he is not bitter towards San Francisco, which is good, because he has no reason to be. The 49ers organization gave him more chances than most other franchises would and thanks to Jim Harbaugh he was able to resurrect his career and earn a big payday with Kansas City. The 49ers seemed to save their season with last weekend's win against Philly. It was damn sure bowling shoe ugly as Jim Ross would say but wins are on not based on style in the National Football League. Colin Kaepernick needs to learn that a play clock is 40 seconds and not any longer than that, as he has a hell of a time not getting at least 1 or 2 delay of game penalties each game. Also, I hope Greg Roman noticed that when he fed Frank Gore, the Tank delivered and the 49ers won. No more of this giving him 6 carries in a game nonsense. Feed Gore and feed him often. It looks San Francisco could be without Vernon Davis, so in his place they need Steve Johnson and Brandon Lloyd to step up their games. The Chiefs appear rejuvenated after an 0-2 start, and you know that Smith will be jacked up for this one. He might be so jacked up that he will throw the ball 7 yards downfield instead of 5! Hopefully, the 49ers defense can put up another masterpiece performance, as they will have to heavily gameplan for Jamaal Charles. I don't expect it to be a happy homecoming for Alex though, as Kap will show why he was inserted in place of Smith and lead the 49ers to victory.

Prediction: San Francisco 24, Kansas City 17

Cincinnati (3-0) at New England (2-2), Cincinnati favored by 1 1/2

I'm too lazy to look back but in the years since I started The Hail Mary I think I have picked the Patriots to lose less than 5 times. But with how terrible they have been offensively the first month of the season, and following last week's shellacking against Kansas City there is no way I can pick New England to beat undefeated Cincinnati, even at home. I expect the Patriots to show pride and put up a much more respectable performance on Sunday night football this weekend, but I don't believe that will translate to a win. Who knows whether it is Tom Brady's fault the offense sucks, the offensive line's fault, or the fact that Brady doesn't have enough weapons. What we do know is after four games and after Brady admitted it himself, the Patriots are horrible offensively. That makes for a bad mix when playing one of the premiere defenses in football. Andy Dalton will receive some help on offense with Marvin Jones making his season debut in this game. I foresee the Bengals winning this game with a field goal as time runs out.

Prediction: Cincinnati 24, New England 21


Monday, October 6

Seattle (2-1) at Washington (1-3), Seattle favored by 7 1/2

Well the Kirk Cousins honeymoon was more like a minimoon. Any talk of Kirk taking RG3's job came to a swift end following his 4 interception debacle against the Giants last week. The knock against Kirk is that he is a turnover machine and that pitiful performance did nothing to dispel that notion. Now, knowing Kirk, he will probably turn the narrative around and play really well against Seattle's tough defense. Who knows, but I do think I can safely say I don't expect him to throw 4 picks again, let's say he will throw at least 1, maybe 2.  The Skins always seem to save their worst for primetime, so most people, especially Skins fans are expecting an ugly blowout. But given a week and a half to prepare, and after how humbled they were by the Giants, I expect a lot of energy from Washington for this game. The problem is, their crappy defense led by their crappy defensive coordinator Jim Haslett is going to not be able to stop Russell Wilson or Marshawn Lynch. With the Cardinals on the road looming next week, things are about to get very ugly in Washington. Somewhere in Denver, Mike Shanahan is in his mansion, overly tanning himself and laughing.

Prediction: Seattle 31, Washington 21

Last Week Against the Spread: 6-7
Overall Against the Spread: 26-35

Last Week Straight Up: 7-6
Overall Straight Up: 32-29

Cram Session - Week 6

Thursday, October 2

Minnesota (2-2) at Green Bay (2-2), Green Bay favored by 9

NFC North rivals do battle as the Packers play their second Thursday night game in five weeks. So far we are 0 for 4 in their being a good Thursday night game and I don't think that trend will change tonight. The Vikings are coming off an impressive performance at home against Atlanta, as Teddy Bridgewater was outstanding in his first career start. However, he had to leave the game early with an ankle injury and is questionable for this game. If he can't go it means the Vikings will have to turn the reigns over to Mr. Sam Ponder, Christian. If Ponder does start then Minnesota should just try to run the ball as much as possible with Matt Asiata and Jerrick McKinnon. The Packers have struggled to stop the run all season. Green Bay's offense showed some signs of life last week at Chicago, although Eddie Lacy still appears sluggish rushing the ball. The Vikings defense has struggled against the run but has been pretty stellar against the pass. It will be interesting to see how much success Rodgers has against the Vikings secondary. I might lean towards Minnesota at least keeping things interesting if Bridgewater was starting, but if Ponder is the guy, I think we are in for another double digit game on Thursday night.

Prediction: Green Bay 34, Minnesota 17


Top 10

Thursday, October 2

Arizona (4-0, 1-0) at #2 Oregon (4-0, 1-0)

After struggling in their Pac-12 opener at Washington State, the Ducks will be looking to exert their dominance at home in front of a national audience against Rich Rodriguez's Wildcats. Arizona is very lucky to be 4-0, as they won their last game on the last play with a Hail Mary, defeating California. This should be a fun quarterback battle to watch. Arizona freshman QB Anu Solomon has 13 TDs and 3 INTs, while Oregon QB Marcus Mariota is the front runner for the Heisman with 13 TDs and 0 INTs. It will be interesting to watch how Solomon responds to his first true road test. Will be quite different playing at UT-San Antonio versus going to Eugene in primetime.

Prediction: Oregon 48, Arizona 27


Saturday, October 4

Wake Forest (2-3, 0-1) at #1 Florida State (4-0, 2-0)

The Seminoles got down 24-7 and 38-28 at NC State last week, but were eventually able to put away the Wolfpack. Their performance was slightly worrisome but things will become truly stressful if they have trouble with Wake Forest at home on Saturday. I picture this being the type of game Florida State needs to get some of their swagger back.

Prediction: Florida State 42, Wake Forest 13

#3 Alabama (4-0, 1-0) at #11 Mississippi (4-0, 1-0)

The SEC takes center stage this weekend, well I guess they always are center stage, but more so on Saturday because the conference features 3 games with Top 10 teams facing ranked opponents. I have been accused of picking too much chalk in Cram Session so I decided to go out on a limb last week and take Memphis over Mississippi. The Tigers ended up losing 24-3 and I looked like a fool. This game will tell us a lot about the Crimson Tide and especially how legit QB Blake Sims is. The Rebels defensive gameplan against the Bama passing game should start and end with Tide stud receiver Amari Cooper. He leads the Tide with 43 catches, and the next person closest to him is DeAndrew White with 12 catches. But Bama also has weapons at running back, with Derrick Henry and T.J. Yeldon both averaging over 6 yards per carry. Sims himself is a threat to break loose and run with the ball. Rebels QB Bo Wallace has struggled with making too many mistakes, having already thrown 6 interceptions in 4 games, including 2 last week. Again a Memphis you can get away with that, but against Alabama, those types of mistakes will get the Rebels in a hole quick. The Rebels aren't really known for their offense though, it is all about their defense. Defense can often win you games, and the Rebels defense will keep them in this one, but I think a poor performance from Wallace will do them in.

Prediction: Alabama 27, Mississippi 21

#4 Oklahoma (4-0, 1-0) at #25 TCU (3-0, 0-0)

After a week off the Sooners face a second straight road test, this time against the 25th ranked Horned Frogs. TCU has had some success against Oklahoma in the past and you can expect the Sooners to face a highly hostile atmosphere on Saturday. TCU has blown out all three of their opponents but the only worth anything and that's being nice, is Minnesota. The Sooners are much more battle tested and will have the most dangerous player on the field, freshman RB Samaje Perine, who rushed for 242 yards against West Virginia. He made the absence of Keith Ford almost irrelevant. The Sooners rushing attack has been potent, which has been crucial because Trevor Knight has been average at best. Horned Frogs QB Trevone Boykin will present some match up problems for the Sooners defense, as he is both a passer and a runner. I was impressed with how Oklahoma handled themselves at West Virginia a few weeks ago. They will need that same resolve against TCU and their games against Tennessee and the Mountaineers will prove useful in pushing them to victory in this game.

Prediction: Oklahoma 30, TCU 23

#15 LSU (4-1, 0-1) at #5 Auburn (4-0, 1-0)

This matchup begins a brutal stretch of games for Auburn. LSU is looking to avoid starting 0-2 in SEC play after a surprising loss at home to Mississippi State a few weeks ago. However, it looks like they may have solved their quarterback issues, as Brandon Harris has been playing circles around Anthony Jennings. Les Miles has indicated that Harris will get the start in this game and I think LSU should stick with him the entire game unless he goes completely off the rails. Both of these teams will be looking to pound the opposing defense with their rushing attacks. Leonard Fournette and Kenny Hilliard each get about the same amount of carries per game. Auburn is more reliant on Cameron Artis-Payne, but QB Nick Marshall will take off and run when need be and also has a lot of designed runs called for him by Gus Malzahn. Auburn did have a nice win at Kansas State and a strong win at home against Arkansas, but I have a feeling that LSU will turn the tide from their poor performance against Mississippi State. I think their defense can force Marshall into turnovers and that will be the difference.

Prediction: LSU 28, Auburn 24

#6 Texas A&M (5-0, 2-0) at #12 Mississippi State (4-0, 1-0)

The Aggies were very lucky to get out of Jerry's World with a win against Arkansas last week. Trailing by 14 points in the fourth quarter, QB Kenny Hill righted the ship just in the nick of time, leading the Aggies to an overtime win. The Bulldogs have a good player of their own at quarterback. Dak Prescott tore up LSU's defense in the Bulldogs upset road win and has thrown for over 200 yards and rushed for over 100 yards in every game but one. Where Hill has the edge is with his receiving corps. Malcome Kennedy has slowed down considerably since he shredded South Carolina in the opener, but even if you stop him, you still have to contain Josh Reynolds. The Aggies gave up 285 yards rushing to Arkansas last week and may give up even more to Mississippi State this week. In addition to Prescott, they will have to contend with Josh Robinson, coming off his best game of the year against LSU. I think we began to see some cracks in Texas A&M last week, couple that with the Bulldogs having and extra week to prepare and I like Mississippi State.

Prediction: Mississippi State 38, Texas A&M 28

#7 Baylor (4-0, 1-0) at Texas (2-2, 1-0)

Oddly, despite completely sucking this year and getting blown out by Baylor last season, Texas players have been talking some trash coming into this game. They seem hung up on the fact that Baylor used to suck and Texas used to be good. If they need any more convincing, that will be done by Bryce Petty and company on Saturday night, when they hand the Longhorns their second straight blowout home loss of the season.

Prediction: Baylor 45, Texas 31

Utah (3-1, 0-1) at #8 UCLA (4-0, 1-0)

The Bruins team that everyone expected to see this season finally showed up last Thursday night at Arizona State. After trailing early 17-6, it seems like some sort of switch was turned, similar to last season when UCLA got down big at Nebraska and then blew them out. The Bruins ended up winning the game 62-27 and find themselves back in the Top 10. Utah is feeling pretty down about themselves after blowing a 20 point lead at home to Washington State. Bruins QB Brett Hundley was spectacular against the Sun Devils and I don't think his or the Bruins performance will turn out to be a one week aberration.

Prediction: UCLA 41, Utah 24

#14 Stanford (3-1) at #9 Notre Dame (4-0)

Notre Dame turned in about the ugliest 16 point victory I have ever seen last week against Syracuse. They turned the ball over constantly and against a lesser opponent they would have been blown out. Everett Golson was excellent passing the ball but he was also careless when we would run and had a few fumbles. Stanford isn't doing much offensively right now either though and I expect this game could set offensive football back a few years. Like Golson, Kevin Hogan is accurate but he doesn't throw for many yards, mostly because the Stanford offense doesn't really have any playmakers. The closest they have is WR Ty Montgomery, who leads the Cardinal with 26 catches and 3 TDs.

Golson will really earn himself some Heisman talk if he can play well against the stout Cardinal defense. Stanford is first in the nation in points allowed per game as well as yards allowed per game. Notre Dame still can't run the ball with any sort of consistency and I don't expect that to magically change this weekend. It will be up to Golson to get the ball to William Fuller and his emerging receiver, son of David Robinson, Corey Robinson.

Its cliche but it applies to this game. Whichever team wins the turnover battle will win this game. The defenses will dictate the game as the only way I see the offenses doing much is if they are put in favorable positions by their defense. Stanford is favored in this game, which is slightly puzzling to me, but I guess it mostly because Notre Dame hasn't played anyone worth a damn yet this season. In Golson I trust, as he looks to remain undefeated as the starting quarterback in regular season play.

Prediction: Notre Dame 20, Stanford 16

#19 Nebraska (5-0, 1-0) at #10 Michigan State (3-1, 0-0)

Huskers RB Ameer Abdullah is other-worldly. Just 5 games into the season and he already has rushed for 833 yards. He is averaging 7.3 yards per carry and has 8 touchdowns. He pretty much single-handedly led Nebraska to victory against Illinois last week. He faces his toughest challenge this season as the Huskers go to East Lansing to play under the lights against Michigan State. The Spartans are the Big Ten favorites and still have playoff hopes. Nebraska isn't being talked about in those types of scenarios but a win Saturday night would change all of that. This is the type of game that Bo Pelini hasn't been able to win at Nebraska. You can usually count on a Pelini led team to beat the teams they are supposed to, but when they face someone more talented, especially on the road, it tends to get very ugly. It is key that Abdullah run the ball well, because if he is limited and Tommy Armstrong Jr. has to do more than manage the game, things could get ugly in a hurry.

The Spartans are led by Connor Cook. Cook hasn't been asked to do much in the Spartans last two games, blowout wins over Eastern Michigan and Wyoming. But in this game, he will have to make plays for Michigan State to win. The Nebraska pass defense is suspect so WR Tony Lippett could be in line for a big game.  The Spartans have a strong rushing attack that helps open up their passing game. Jeremy Langford receives the bulk of the carries and is supplemented by Nick Hill.

I really want to believe that this year will be different for Nebraska and they will shock the world and win on Saturday night. If anyone can do it it would be Abdullah. I don't think Michigan State will completely contain him but he won't be running all over the place like he has been the last few games. I don't trust Armstrong in this spot and expect him to be overwhelmed and turnover prone. I think Nebraska will at least keep the game somewhat respectable but getting a win will be too much to ask.

Prediction: Michigan State 35, Nebraska 24
 
Last Week: 7-1
Overall: 40-7

The Hail Mary - Week 4

Sunday, September 28

Miami (1-2) "at" Oakland (0-3), in London, England, Miami favored by 4

Poor England always seems to get the worst matchups. The Raiders are dreadful as I and anyone that isn't a dumb superfan of the team expected, and Miami has created a quarterback controversy out of thin air. Usually, the media will start chirping and then a team has a quarterback controversy. But Dolphins coach Joe Philbin was bored or something and decided to create one of his own. He won't commit to Ryan Tannehill as his starter, despite the fact that benching him for middling Matt Moore would not be positive in any for the team. Tannehill has played poorly though, and is struggling with consistency and that is despite not throwing the ball far downfield. The Dolphins Week 1 one victory over New England feels like a distant memory at this point. A bright spot in last week's embarrassing loss at home to Kansas City was the play of Lamar Miller. Miller was running great and despite the Dolphins being close for most of the game, the Dolphins didn't embrace the success he was having. If Miller gets going strong in this game, they need to ride him and let Tannehill just manage the game. Raiders rookie QB David Carr has been decent, but he hasn't had much support from his teammates. Darren McFadden has stayed healthy but is barely averaging over 3 yards per carry. The Raiders are hoping to have Maurice Jones-Drew back, but he is over the hill and not that good anymore. If the Dolphins can't beat the sorry Raiders, maybe there should be a new coach instead of a new quarterback.

Prediction: Miami 28, Oakland 17

Green Bay (1-2) at Chicago (2-1), Green Bay favored by 1 1/2

Football's oldest and some would argue best rivalry is renewed this Sunday. The Packers come in desperate, and in a way that is different than previous years. This is the third straight season Green Bay has started 1-2, but instead of there being questions about their defense, it is their offense that has come under fire. Aaron Rodgers has been underwhelming in two out of the Packers three games, and Eddie Lacy seems like he is still shaking off the cobwebs from his Week 1 concussion. The Bears are banged up on the defensive end and have had rushing problems of their own, as Matt Forte has essentially disappeared from the team the last two weeks. Brandon Marshall has also been fighting injuries, but his presence has been made up for by TE Martellus Bennett. In the past, the Packers have always responded well when their backs have been against the wall. I expect a similar performance this Sunday, as the Bears will fall to 0-2 at home.

Prediction: Green Bay 27, Chicago 20

Buffalo (2-1) at Houston (2-1), Houston favored by 3

It's the Ryan Fitzpatrick bowl! Bills and Texans fans can unite and share Fitzpatrick horror stories. All the good feelings in Buffalo dissipated after a dispiriting home loss to the Chargers last week. A major reason for that loss was the lack of plays C.J. Spiller was able to make. The Texans were beaten like a drum by the Giants rushing attack, so Spiller and Fred Jackson could be in line for big games. The Texans were without Arian Foster last week, and he looks to be a game time decision for this game. This game will be won based on the quarterback, Fitzpatrick or EJ Manuel, that makes less mistakes. I'll go with the veteran over the second year player.

Prediction: Houston 20, Buffalo 16

Tennessee (1-2) at Indianapolis (1-2), Indianapolis favored by 7 1/2

The Colts found that the cure to losing is to play the Jacksonville Jaguars. They flatted the Jags and have calmed down some of the panic that was beginning in Indy. However, if they lose at home to the Titans that level of panic will quickly return. The Titans, much like the Dolphins, have lost all of the good vibes they had after an opening weekend win. Jake Locker has been especially terrible, and now he is injured because that's one thing Locker is good at doing. His cause won't be helped if one of his favorite targets, TE Delanie Walker, is forced to miss this game due to a shoulder injury. Even if Walker were to play, it won't matter, Andrew Luck and company are going to carve up that Titans defense.

Prediction: Indianapolis 31, Tennessee 17

Carolina (2-1) at Baltimore (2-1), Baltimore favored by 3

The main story around this game is Steve Smith Sr. facing his former team, the Panthers. Carolina decided that at 35 Smith was expendable, but Smith has played like a man possessed and quite motivated to prove the Panthers wrong. Smith will be all sorts of jacked up for this game, and I would be really surprised if he doesn't snag at least one touchdown. I had doubted the Panthers to start the season but started to come aboard after their 2-0 start. It looked like they could have an all-time type of defense. But then last week at home against Pittsburgh, the defense completely fell apart, giving up over 100 yards rushing to both Le'Veon Bell and LaGarrette Blount. The Panthers are also hurting on offense, but are hopeful they will have RB DeAngelo Williams for this game. Joe Flacco has lost one of his favorite security blankets, Dennis Pitta for the season, so expect to see Owen Daniels step into that role. I think this will be a defensive struggle type of game, and give the Ravens the edge due to homefield.

Prediction: Baltimore 19, Carolina 15

Detroit (2-1) at New York Jets (1-2), Detroit favored by 1

It wasn't pretty but the Lions got the job done at home against the Packers last week. Matthew Stafford though has not looked right the past two games and the Lions offense has really stagnated. As has been the problem in Detroit for many years, running the ball has been tough sledding so far this year. Joique Bell is getting the majority of the carries but is only averaging 3 yards per carry. If he can get going that would open up things so much for Megatron and Golden Tate. The Jets were sloppy on offense in their loss to Chicago and there are already whispers starting about benching Geno Smith in favor of Mike Vick. Much like in Miami, I think that is a knee jerk type of move that wouldn't make much of a difference and really just stunt Smith's growth. A fun battle to watch in this game will be in the trenches between the Lions defensive line and the Jets offensive front. I think the Lions are a different team away from Ford Field and because of that, expect them to fall to 0-2 on the road.

Prediction: New York Jets 26, Detroit 18

Tampa Bay (0-3) at Pittsburgh (2-1), Pittsburgh favored by 7

So somehow, despite adding respected coach Lovie Smith, the Bucs seem to have gotten worse. They were lambasted by the Falcons last Thursday night, 56-14 and at one point, actually trailed 56-0. Josh McCown was really struggling and is now out with an injury so Mike Glennon has his job back. The Steelers were told how awful they were for a week and a half and seemed to take it to heart because they played angry at Carolina. I expect Tampa to show much more heart in this game and not get completely railroaded, but the chances of them winning at Pittsburgh are about slim to none. Expect Blount to be motivated playing his former team that gave up on him a few years ago.

Prediction: Pittsburgh 34, Tampa Bay 21

Jacksonville (0-3) at San Diego (2-1), San Diego favored by 13

The Jaguars should just focus on baby steps. They shouldn't be looking to win, because lets face it, they suck and won't win this game on the road. Their goal should be to lose by single digits or allow under 30 points for the first time all season. They have already ended the Chad Henne plan and are implementing the Blake Bortles era. Bortles seemed to get the offense going when he stepped in last week, and I think the benefits of getting Bortles experience now outweighs the risks of him getting killed. San Diego is being talked about as an upper echelon team after beating Seattle at home and following that up with a convincing road win against Buffalo. It will be interesting to see how they fare in this game, against a bad opponent and after having their egos stroked.

Prediction: San Diego 35, Jacksonville 23

Philadelphia (3-0) at San Francisco (1-2), San Francisco favored by 5 1/2

The 49ers found themselves in the same position one year ago. They were 1-2, coming off back to back ugly losses and faced a must win game at St. Louis. They started off terribly but eventually righted the ship, and won the game in a blowout. After that, they proceeded to go 10-2 the rest of the season. The point of this history lesson is to try to convince myself that the 49ers season isn't going off the rails just yet. But now, welcoming undefeated Philadelphia to Levi's Stadium, a third straight loss would be disastrous. The biggest worry through the first three weeks for the 49ers is the disappearing act their offense has done in the second half of games. Before this year, when Jim Harbaugh's 49ers had a halftime lead, it guaranteed victory. But for whatever reason this year, a halftime lead just means the 49ers will completely forget everything they did in the first half. In the second half they commit stupid penalties in the second half, be unable to get stops on defense, and go three and out on offense. Greg Roman once again abandoned the run game last week for no reason, and I am starting to tire of his erratic play calling. If the 49ers lose this game it will feed the media monster that the players have tired of Harbaugh and the team is on the verge of mutiny. Philly is 3-0 but don't tell Cary Williams that. He is on the verge of his own mutiny because he has to practice too much or something. Philly has taken the opposite approach of the 49ers. They start games really crappy and then turn on the jets in the second half. LeSean McCoy is coming off perhaps his worst ever game as a pro, so the 49ers have to be ready for a revved up Shady McCoy. The Eagles pass defense is there for the taking, so this is a huge statement type game for Colin Kaepernick. Hopefully, Vernon Davis can play because history shows that without him the 49ers offense can do next to nothing. I have no reason to pick the 49ers other than blind homerism, but sometimes you just have to have faith. I think in an odd twist, this game will see the Eagles jump out to a lead, and then the 49ers rally for the win in the second half.

Prediction: San Francisco 28, Philadelphia 24

Atlanta (2-1) at Minnesota (1-2), Atlanta favored by 2 1/2

Teddy Bridgewater makes his NFL starting debut and will be the Vikings quarterback for the rest of the year after Matt Cassel was placed on IR with broken bones on his foot. Bridgewater acquitted himself pretty well in relief duty at New Orleans last week. He will need Matt Asiata to step up his game at running back to provide him some support. Asiata has been strong out of the backfield as far as catching passes, but is averaging just 3 yards per carry. The Falcons are coming off a performance they aren't likely to come anywhere near matching. They now have to prove that they can play well away from the Georgia Dome. The Vikings are a much easier opponent than the Bengals were and add to that facing a rookie quarterback and a loss in this game would be unacceptable for the Falcons.

Prediction: Atlanta 24, Minnesota 14

New Orleans (1-2) at Dallas (2-1), New Orleans favored by 3

New Orleans has dominated Dallas in recent meetings, but Dallas is feeling pretty good after overcoming a large deficit at St. Louis last weekend. Despite getting behind big Dallas stuck with DeMarco Murray, who has been sensational the first three weeks of the season. However, after securing the ball well in his career, he has had a case of fumbleitis this season. The Saints are coming off their first victory of the season. However, the offense is still not at the level we are used to seeing. Khiry Robinson has stepped in for the injured Mark Ingram at running back, and Brandin Cooks has been as good as advertised at receiver. The stats are there, the Saints just aren't converting all those yards into points. The Cowboys defense has been better than expected so far this year, but playing this Saints team will serve as a litmus test for both their defense and the Saints offense. Tony Romo has been susceptible to some bad throws this year, and at a higher rate than he was throwing them at last season. It is obvious that he is still trying to get himself right coming off surgery in the off-season. The Saints are a putrid road team but the Cowboys themselves aren't very good at home. I'll go with the better offense. 

Prediction: New Orleans 28, Dallas 24


Monday, September 29

New England (2-1) at Kansas City (1-2), New England favored by 3 1/2

The Patriots seem to have this penchant this last few seasons of not being able to blow out teams that you think would be overmatched. It happened again last weekend against Oakland, when they couldn't put away the Raiders. Tom Brady has been average at best and even saying that might be kind. He said he would retire when he sucks and it might be closer to happening than he realized. The only receiver that he seems to be able to consistently get the ball to is Julian Edelman. The run game has been stagnant as Stevan Ridley has probably had his confidence completely damaged by the yo-yo treatment Bill Belichick has given him over the years. The Chiefs did what I expected them to do and got off the schneid at Miami. Alex Smith played safe and avoided huge mistakes and Knile Davis looks like he could be a star in the making at running back. The Chiefs are hopeful they will have Jamaal Charles back for this game, but even if he returns they should use Davis a little more, since Charles is so brittle. Arrowhead Stadium used to give the Chiefs great homefield advantage, but as evidenced by how the Titans destroyed them there in Week 1, I don't expect it to be much of a factor in this game. I expect the Patriots to win ugly yet again.

Prediction: New England 24, Kansas City 21

Last Week Against the Spread: 8-8
Overall Against the Spread: 20-28

Last Week Straight Up: 11-5
Overall Straight Up: 25-23

Cram Session - Week 5

Thursday, September 25

New York Giants (1-2) at Washington (1-2), Washington favored by 3 1/2

The Giants got a much needed shot of confidence and a victory over the Houston Texans on Sunday. Eli Manning played well, finally going a game without turning the ball over. It helped that RB Rashad Jennings had a monster game, taking pressure off of Manning to force plays. The Skins defense bottled up LeSean McCoy in Sunday's loss but their pass defense and special teams were hit hard by the Eagles. The Redskins are without their number one corner DeAngelo Hall for the rest of the season with a torn Achilles. That means that Victor Cruz and Reuben Randle, relatively quiet through the first three weeks of the season could be in line for big games tonight. A major bright spot for the Skins in their loss was the play of QB Kirk Cousins. Cousins made some critical second half mistakes, but overall he was awesome, and if he keeps up this level of play, it will be impossible for Jay Gruden to give Robert Griffin III his job back. Even on a short week, I think that Cousins can keep the same standard of play he had last Sunday. I also believe that Washington will find more success running the ball with Alfred Morris than they did last week. The game will be close, as most Redskins games are, but I like Washington to remain undefeated at home and earn a much needed victory before they host Seattle next week.

Prediction: Washington 31, New York Giants 24


Games That Matter To Me

Illinois (3-1, 0-0) at #21 Nebraska (4-0, 0-0)

Expect points and lots of them when the Illini and Huskers tangle in Lincoln on Saturday night. Nebraska continued their offensive dominance by putting up 41 points on the Hurricanes last Saturday. RB Ameer Abdullah added to his legendary status at Nebraska by rushing for 229 yards and surpassing Johnny Rodgers as the all-time Huskers leader in all-purpose yardage. The Huskers focused on pounding Miami with Abdullah, so QB Tommy Armstrong only threw the ball 13 times. You can't work Abdullah to that level every week, so expect to see some more passing out of Nebraska this weekend. Or, you might just see Armstrong run the ball even more, like he did last week.

The Illini will test the Huskers defense, especially QB Wes Lunt. Lunt is just a sophomore and seems to have taken a major leap forward from his freshman season. Through four games Lunt has 11 TDs and just 3 INTs. Lunt can hit the big play and also is accurate while doing so, completing 65% of his passes thus far this season. Geronimo Allison and freshman Mike Dudek are Lunt;s go to weapons. The Huskers struggled with pass coverage against Miami last week and will be just as challenged by Illinois this week. Nebraska can't focus solely on Illinois' passing game though. RB Josh Ferguson had success against Nebraska last year and is coming off a 190 yard, 2 touchdown performance against Texas State.

Nebraska has to avoid the urge of looking ahead to next week's monster game at Michigan State. That game will lose a lot of its meaning and luster if they don't take care of business at home like they should against Illinois.

Prediction: Nebraska 42, Illinois 31


Top 10

#1 Florida State (3-0, 1-0) at NC State (4-0, 0-0)

The Seminoles long winning streak almost came to an end at the hands of Clemson last week. Jameis Winston went from being suspended for a half to suspended for the entire game. Clemson had chance after chance to knock off the Seminoles, but couldn't get out of their own way and eventually lost in overtime. Winston is back in the lineup this weekend as the Seminoles travel to Raleight to take on the Wolfpack. The Wolfpack have had a lot of success against Florida State at home, but despite their 4-0 record, they are heavy underdogs in this game. That is because two of those wins were close ones at home against Georgia Southern and Old Dominion. The Seminoles last ACC loss was two years ago at NC State but that was before they had Winston. In the two games he played Winston hasn't been near the player he was last season, but Winston at half his best should be enough for Florida State to knock off an overmatched NC State.

Prediction: Florida State 38, NC State 24

Louisiana Tech (2-2) at #5 Auburn (3-0)

The Tigers are coming off an impressive road win at Kansas State. The Wildcats alleged that Auburn was stealing their signals, which of course Auburn denied. Auburn won't have to resort to any signal stealing this weekend at home against Louisiana Tech. However, what Auburn would like to do is get better performances out of their offensive stars, including QB Nick Marshall. Louisiana Tech is coming off a home loss to Northwestern State, so they would seem to be the team for Auburn to break out against. This is Auburn's last cupcake game before a brutal stretch of six straight games against ranked opponents.

Prediction: Auburn 44, Louisiana Tech 14

Arkansas (3-1, 0-1) "at" #6 Texas A&M (4-0, 1-0), in Arlington, TX

Jerrah Dome hosts this SEC battle on Saturday. Texas A&M has had three straight weeks of easy opponents since their breakout win at South Carolina to open the season. Arkansas has won three in a row after getting blown out by Auburn in the opener, and is eager to earn their first SEC win under Bret Bielema. This game is another chance for Aggies QB Kenny Hill to add to his legend that he has built in record time. With 13 TDs and 1 INT throw four games, Hill has placed himself in the Heisman trophy discussion. The Aggies defense will have to try to contain the Razorbacks dangerous rushing attack of Alex Collins and Jonathan Williams. As a unit Collins and Williams have already rushed for 881 yards and 12 touchdowns. I don't think the Aggies will wipe the floor with the Razorbacks like they did South Carolina but I expect them to remain unbeaten.

Prediction: Texas A&M 35, Arkansas 30

#7 Baylor (3-0, 0-0) at Iowa State (1-2, 0-1)

The Cyclones aren't a juggernaut but they will be the toughest test of this young season Bryce Petty and the Bears.  The Cyclones have a history of pulling off upsets of ranked teams at home in primetime, and the atmosphere will be electric in Ames. Baylor has been electric on offense and is doing it despite suffering injuries to many starters. Petty has dealt with injuries of his own but looked healthy and efficient against Buffalo two weeks ago. Iowa State also had a week off leading up to this game and I expect the first three quarters to be a dogfight, before Petty and company get out of Ames with a victory.

Prediction: Baylor 36, Iowa State 23
  
#8 Notre Dame (3-0) "at" Syracuse (2-1), in East Rutherford, NJ

After a week off, the Irish look to continue their perfect season, as they travel to MetLife Stadium to take on the Orange of Syracuse. Starting this season, Notre Dame will play at least four or five ACC opponents a season and stretch of the schedule begins this weekend. A fun stat, Notre Dame will be looking to score 30+ points in their first four games of a season for the first time since 1943. Everett Golson will also look to continue his Heisman playing ways against an Orange defense that has had their problems slowing down quarterbacks, including last week in a loss to Maryland. It would be nice if Notre Dame could establish a run game, but that doesn't seem to be a priority of Brian Kelly's. When Notre Dame has to play teams like Stanford and Florida State it will likely come back to bite them, but against Cuse it should be alright.

The Orange's offensive attack centers around stud RB Prince-Tyson Gulley, who is averaging a ridiculous 7 yards per carry. The Orange also have a dual threat at quarterback as Terrel Hunt is Syracuse's leading rusher this season. Hunt passes when only necessary so the Irish defense need to key in on whatever fakes he might try and be prepared to stop him from running. On paper this would appear to be a relatively easy win for Notre Dame but Irish fans won't soon forget 2008, when a God-awful Syracuse team won at Notre Dame Stadium. Notre Dame started off slow against Purdue in its last game before putting them away, so I am hoping for a more consistent, dominant performance in this one.

Prediction: Notre Dame 31, Syracuse 17

Wyoming (3-1) at #9 Michigan State (2-1)

Sparty has to make sure they aren't caught looking ahead to next week's game against Nebraska, as they host the Cowboys this weekend. Wyoming gave Oregon a bit of a fight before eventually being steamrolled, something that Michigan State can understand as well. Wyoming will be good preparation for the Huskers rushing attack, as Wyoming is a run first, pass second type of team. 

Prediction: Michigan State 38, Wyoming 13

Memphis (2-1) at #10 Mississippi (3-0)

Picking upsets in college football can be quite difficult. But it is around this point in the season that we begin to see some wacky results. On the surface, Mississippi should be fine to beat Memphis at home. But when looking closer at Memphis, you see a team that is quite good and nearly knocked off UCLA in Pasadena. The Rebels have played no one so far this season and they could look past Memphis as they prepare for the SEC season to begin. Memphis QB Paxton Lynch has been impressive this season and I think he is line for another good game Saturday.  Anyone watching this upset will have to do so on their computer, but it would be worth firing up ESPN3 as it expect this to be an instant classic type game.

Prediction: Memphis 30, Mississippi 27

Last Week: 6-2
Overall: 33-6

The Hail Mary - Week 3

Sunday, September 21

Minnesota (1-1) at New Orleans (0-2), New Orleans favored by 9 1/2

Controversy is surrounding the Vikings due to the indictment of Adrian Peterson for "disciplining" his 4-year-old child. Peterson felt that beating his son to the point of leaving scratches and bruises will instill discipline in him, rather than fear and confusion. The Vikings sat him for last weekend's game and then reinstated him on Monday. But the PC police weren't having that, so now Peterson is on an exempt list and will not play for an undetermined length of time. The Vikings offense showed how much they will miss Peterson as Matt Cassel forgot that he no longer plays for the Patriots and kept throwing it to them. Matt Asiata and Jerrick McKinnon don't figure to make Vikings fans forget about Peterson anytime soon. The Saints couldn't be happier to be returning to the comfy confines of the Superdome. They still appear to be the same team that can't win on the road. The Saints offense scuffled last week at Cleveland, but a return to the fast turf of New Orleans figures to kick this offense back into high gear.

Prediction: New Orleans 38, Minnesota 21

Washington (1-1) at Philadelphia (2-0), Philadelphia favored by 6

The Redskins got their first win of the season last week but it came at a price. Robert Griffin III continued to be injury prone, suffering a non contact ankle injury that could have him out for at least a month and a half. Kirk Cousins stepped in and didn't miss a beat though as the Skins piled up 41 points on the hapless Jaguars. Cousins will receive a much stiffer test this weekend on the road against the undefeated Eagles. This game is also the homecoming for former Eagle, DeSean Jackson. Jackson was also injured in the win against Jacksonville but has been insisting he will be back and ready to play in this game on Sunday. The Eagles had an impressive come from behind win against the Colts on Monday night, making it two straight weeks that they overcame a double digit deficit. I am sure Chip Kelly would prefer that they get off to a faster start this week. It will be key for Philadelphia to protect Nick Foles, as the Skins registered 10 sacks last week, including Ryan Kerrigan grabbing four of those. The Eagles run defense also struggled against Indy, so they should be expected a heavy dose of Alfred Morris in this game. I believe that Philadelphia will get off to a good start this weekend and hold off Washington late to secure the victory.

Prediction: Philadelphia 27, Washington 20

San Diego (1-1) at Buffalo (2-0), Buffalo favored by 2 1/2

The Chargers smacked around the Seahawks, dominating the Seahawks vaunted defense and cooling the talk of this Seattle team being some sort of juggernaut this season. The Bills dominated the Dolphins at home and have their fans excited. However, I hope their fans remember that the Bills have had a lot of 2-0 starts in the last 15 years and it has never ended up well. That being said, with the Chargers having to play on the East Coast at 1 PM, after flying cross country, I have to go with C.J. Spiller and the Bills to win this one.

Prediction: Buffalo 23, San Diego 17

Dallas (1-1) at St. Louis (1-1), Dallas favored by 1

It is unknown at this time whether Shaun Hill or Austin Davis will get the start for St. Louis. Davis led the Rams to victory at Tampa Bay last weekend and was pretty impressive in doing so. The Cowboys had an impressive win of their own, dominating Tennessee on the road behind RB DeMarco Murray. Let's see if Jason Garrett remembers this game and continues to feed Murray the ball instead of forgetting that he has a very good running back and forces Tony Romo to do everything. The Rams have really struggled against the run in the first two weeks of the season, so all the signs are there for Murray to carry Dallas to another win.

Prediction: Dallas 25, St. Louis 17

Houston (2-0) at New York Giants (0-2), Houston favored by 2 1/2

I have way too much faith in the New York Giants. They have made me look foolish for two weeks now, but I still can't stop myself from picking them to beat the Texans at home. I don't think the Giants are good and I am already regretting picking them as my NFC East winners but they can't be so bad as to lose to Houston and Ryan Fitzpatrick at home, can they? I guess it depends on how effectively the Giants line can protect Eli Manning from the beast that is J.J. Watt. Watt also had a touchdown catch last weekend, so maybe New York needs to gameplan for him on defense as well.

Prediction: New York Giants 24, Houston 21

Tennessee (1-1) at Cincinnati (2-0), Cincinnati favored by 7

The Bengals remained unbeatable at home during the regular season, completely dominating Atlanta. The defense was especially potent and matching up with a Titans team that has far less talent on offense, I expect another dominating defensive performance in this game. Even if WR A.J. Green is unable to go I don't expect that to slow down the Bengals offensive attack. Andy Dalton has yet to be sacked this season and Giovanni Bernard and Jeremy Hill are proving to be quite the dynamic duo at running back. The goodwill Jake Locker and the Titans had built up after Week 1 disappeared pretty fast when their offense could do nothing against a porous Cowboys defense. If the Titans couldn't score on the Cowboys at home, it could get pretty ugly at Cincinnati.

Prediction: Cincinnati 33, Tennessee 17

Baltimore (1-1) at Cleveland (1-1), Baltimore favored by 1 1/2

Thanks to Adrian Peterson, Greg Hardy, and Jonathan Dwyer it appears the Ravens are disappearing from the headlines caused by the Ray Rice story. They didn't seem bothered by the controversy at all last week, when they annihilated Pittsburgh at home on Thursday Night Football. The Browns are coming off a stirring come from behind win at home against the Saints. The Ravens and especially Joe Flacco have had their problems in the past playing at Cleveland, and that was against some bad Browns teams. This Browns team might be decent and their defense is definitely good. One of the keys to the Ravens win last week was they were able to run the ball effectively with Bernard Pierce and Justin Forsett. I don't think they will find the same success in the Dawg Pound on Sunday.

Prediction: Cleveland 20, Baltimore 14

Green Bay (1-1) at Detroit (1-1), Detroit favored by 1

The Packers were staring at a disastrous 0-2 start to the season as they trailed the Jets 21-3 at Lambeau Field. But they persevered and came back to take the victory as Aaron Rodgers and Jordy Nelson both had huge games. The Lions wilted badly on the road against a good Carolina defense, slowing down any excitement that Lions fans might have had after Week 1. Matthew Stafford was sloppy and turnovers killed the Lions, like they did last season. The Lions will feel better being at home, but I think the Packers are the better team, and Rodgers has a history of feasting on the Lions defense.

Prediction: Green Bay 26, Detroit 21

Indianapolis (0-2) at Jacksonville (0-2), Indianapolis favored by 6 1/2

The Colts did something different for a change. Instead of getting behind by a ton of points and either coming all the way back or at least coming close, they were the ones who gagged away a large lead. Leading the Eagles by 14 points in the second half at home, the Colts defense wilted and the Eagles ended up winning the game. If the Colts can't right the ship against the putrid Jags, then they might want to call it a season. Jacksonville was blown out by the Redskins and quarterback Chad Henne was sacked 10 times. No wonder coach Gus Bradley isn't in any rush to start the Blake Bortles era. This game should serve as a much needed jolt of confidence for the Colts.

Prediction: Indianapolis 38, Jacksonville 20

Oakland (0-2) at New England (1-1), New England favored by 14

Two games in and it already looks like another lost season for the Raiders. They were dominated at home by an average Texans team. They appear to have no offense, no defense, and no hope. The last place you want to go to when feeling this down is to play the Patriots on the road. The Patriots bounced back against Minnesota, but the offense, especially quarterback Tom Brady still doesn't look quite right. Brady and the offense have a great opportunity against a porous Oakland defense to start to figure things out.

Prediction: New England 30, Oakland 17

San Francisco (1-1) at Arizona (2-0), No Line

The regular season opening of Levi's Stadium couldn't have gone much worse for the 49ers. It started off well, as they raced to a lead against the Bears, but then conservative play calling, a litany of penalties, and poor play from Colin Kaepernick came back to bite the 49ers and they lost. Now, San Francisco has to go on the road and try to beat division rival Arizona. The Cardinals will be without starting QB Carson Palmer for the second straight week, meaning Drew Stanton will once again be the starter. Stanton completed less than 50 percent of his passes last week in the win against the Giants, so he will really have his work cut out for him going against the 49ers. The Cardinals will also be without backup RB Jonathan Dwyer who was arrested for beating his wife and hurting his young child. Kaepernick has to do a better job of consistently getting the ball to Michael Crabtree and Anquan Boldin. He might not have TE Vernon Davis available for this game, so both teams are coming into this game with issues. Playing at Arizona will be challenging but I don't think Stanton will give the Cardinals good enough play at quarterback to defeat San Francisco. I think this could be a good game for the Niners to win and feel good about themselves again.

Prediction: San Francisco 27, Arizona 17

Kansas City (0-2) at Miami (1-1), Miami favored by 4

Both these teams suffered major injuries to their top running backs last week. Jamaal Charles has a high ankle sprain and it is unknown how long he will be out, while Knowshon Moreno dislocated his elbow and will miss at least a month. That means it will be up to Knile Davis of the Chiefs and Lamar Miller of the Dolphins to try to step in and carry the load. Davis has shown a lot of potential when he has played in Charles absence, while Miller has been mostly disappointing. Its important the backs do something because each team's quarterbacks have been underwhelming thus far this season. Smith has been especially dreadful, completing less than 60% of his passes and throwing just 1 touchdown against 3 interceptions. I think these teams are pretty evenly matched, so I give the edge to the Chiefs because of Andy Reid. Reid certainly has his faults, but his teams usually win, so it is hard for me to imagine the Chiefs starting 0-3.

Prediction: Kansas City 20, Miami 17

Denver (2-0) at Seattle (1-1), Seattle favored by 5

The schedule doesn't break this way often but we have a rematch of last year's Super Bowl. Denver will be highly motivated to go to Seattle and shock the Seahawks, and gain some measure of revenge for the shellacking Seattle gave them in last year's Super Bowl. The Broncos are expected to have Wes Welker make his season debut for this game, joining an already loaded receiving corps with Demaryius Thomas, Emmnauel Sanders, and Julius Thomas. That means that Dick Sherman will have his work cut out for him this week, after being exposed by the Chargers last week. We will see if Dick is exposed again and if he is, whether or not he sticks around to talk to the media. The Seattle defense will have to do a much better job of getting off the field then they did last week when dominated by the Chargers. Denver has to try to take the lead early and mitigate the effect of Seattle's electric crowd. If the Broncos start off slow, then they will have no chance in hell of winning this game. I expect Marshawn Lynch to have a pretty big game, so Seattle can ensure much more ball control then they had last week. This game will also rest on the type of pressure Seattle can get on Peyton Manning. I expect Denver to put up a much better fight this year, but homefield advantage will be the difference.

Prediction: Seattle 30, Denver 27

Pittsburgh (1-1) at Carolina (2-0), Carolina favored by 3

Thankfully, the WWE has a pay-per-view Sunday night so I will be watching that instead of this game, which is sure to be a snoozefest. The Steelers have played dreadful football the last six quarters, while the Panthers keep proving me and many others wrong. It doesn't seem to matter what Carolina does on offense, because their defense is so damn good. I expect Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger to have a very long night, and for Luke Kuechly to become even more well known nationally after a big game.

Prediction: Carolina 20, Pittsburgh 10


Monday, September 22

Chicago (1-1) at New York Jets (1-1), New York Jets favored by 3 

The Bears looked dead in the water at San Francisco. Their offense could do nothing, so it was up to their much maligned defense to help bring them back. But the defense did just that and then Jay Cutler and Brandon Marshall did the rest. The Jets had the opposite week, they blew a big lead and then had a massive blunder when assistant coach Marty Mornhinweg called timeout right before the Jets secured the tying touchdown late in the game. Despite the win the Bears would like to start seeing more results out of running back Matt Forte. They had to abandon the run because they were behind last Sunday, and Forte will have his work cut out for him against a tough Jets defensive front. It could be another big game for Marshall as the Jets secondary just allowed Jordy Nelson to go over 200 yards receiving.

Prediction: Chicago 24, New York Jets 17

Last Week Against the Spread: 8-8
Overall Against the Spread: 12-20

Last Week Straight Up: 6-10
Overall Straight Up: 14-18

Cram Session - Week 4

Thursday, September 18

Tampa Bay (0-2) at Atlanta (1-1), Atlanta favored by 6 1/2

I am not anti-Thursday NFL like some people are. I don't necessarily buy into the theory that the games are of lower quality due to the short turnaround. I have an insatiable appetite to watch the NFL and like having the option on Thursdays. However, because of the NFL's edict that each team play a Thursday night game, you get left with dud matchups like this week's. People in Atlanta and Tampa Bay might care about this game but even that is somewhat debatable knowing the fanbases in those cities. The Falcons were feeling pretty good about themselves after their win over the Saints in Week 1, but were whipped by the Bengals last Sunday and know they have a long way to go. The Buccaneers were though of by many as this year's sleeper success story. But two home losses to Derek Anderson and Austin Davis have made it clear that Lovie Smith has a ton of work on his hands. So far, the Josh McCown pick up looks to be a bust. The Bucs rank 31st in the league in passing through two games and it appears like it might have been a mistake to shove Mike Glennon to the sidelines to make room for McCown. Tonight will be telling because so far the Falcons defense has been atrocious in all facets. If McCown and the Tampa offense can't get anything going against Atlanta, their may be no hope for this offense. Signs are pointing to Doug Martin returning for the game but the Bucs have to be wondering how much they can count on Martin to be a factor. The Falcons are typically a strong home team and that figures to play in their favor in a short week.

Prediction: Atlanta 28, Tampa Bay 17


Games That Matter To Me

Miami (2-1) at #24 Nebraska (3-0)

Hard to not get nostalgic when thinking about Miami playing Nebraska. My favorite memory from this rivalry is when the Cornhuskers won their first national championship under Tom Osborne by beating Miami in the Orange Bowl. I will never forget Huskers fullback Corey Schlesinger slicing through the Miami defense, and watching Warren Sapp with hands on his knees, a tired and beaten man. The stature of these programs has gone down quite a bit since then, as Nebraska blowing out Fresno State last week is what made this matchup not just a game between two unranked teams. This figures to come down to a battle between Nebraska's dominant offense and the Canes tough defense. That is not to say Miami is without weapons on offense. They have an excellent running back in Duke Johnson and receiver Phillip Dorsett is coming off a 200 yard receiving game against Arkansas State last weekend. Canes freshman quarterback Brad Kaaya has been up and down as freshman usually are, throwing 7 touchdowns and 5 interceptions in three games. Kaaya has had trouble with his accuracy but should be feeling confident after a 4 touchdown performance against Arkansas State.

The Huskers offense hit big play after big play at Fresno State last week. QB Tommy Armstrong Jr. had his best game of the season, coming oh so close to completing 60% of his passes. RB Ameer Abdullah is averaging 7 yards a carry, and Jordan Westerkamp is turning into a star at receiver, scoring a touchdown in each game this year. In Week 1 the Canes were overwhelmed on the road against a ranked Louisville team and I expect a similar result for this game on Saturday. I think Nebraska's offensive skill will eventually overwhelm the Miami defense, and I think Kaaya will make a lot of mistakes in a tough place to play.

Prediction: Nebraska 34, Miami 24


Top 10

Thursday, September 18

#5 Auburn (2-0) at #20 Kansas State (2-0)

The Tigers best beware of the Thursday night upset, especially when you have to go on the road. Auburn is favored by 9 in this game, but my upset senses are tingling. Tigers quarterback Nick Marshall had some Heisman talk prior to the season but has been underwhelming in the 1 1/2 games he has played this year. Auburn isn't much of a passing team though, so for Kansas State to spring the upset they must focus on stopping Auburn's rushing attack. That attack is a three headed monster of Marshall, Cameron Artis-Payne and Corey Grant. Kansas State has a dual threat weapon of their own at quarterback, Jake Waters. The senior is coming off a 239 yard passing and 138 yard rushing game against Iowa State. Sophomore running back Charles Jones has big play capabilities, averaging over 6 yards a carry. Both of these teams have had a week and a half to prepare for this game. I expect to see a tightly contested battle, with tons of drama and great athleticism from Marshall and Waters. In the end, I think it will be a good night for the Big 12 as they knock off the SEC.

Prediction: Kansas State 27, Auburn 20


Saturday, September 20

#22 Clemson (1-1, 0-0) at #1 Florida State (2-0, 0-0)

The big news coming into this game is the first half suspension of Seminoles quarterback Jameis Winston. Being perhaps the dumbest person on the planet, Winston decided to yell out something about having sex with cats in a common area at school and is now being disciplined for it. If I am an NFL team, I don't care about how talented Winston is, he is dumb as a box of rocks and I want him nowhere near my team. Sean Maguire will star the first half for the Noles and the Tigers will be chomping at the bit to tee off on him and assert themselves in that first half. Clemson is still smarting from the embarrassing beatdown given to them by Florida State last season in Death Valley. With Winston sitting out the first half that could mean a heavy dose of Seminoles running back Karlos Williams in the first half. Tigers quarterback Cole Staudt will look to improve his game after suffering a poor performance in the season opener at Georgia a few weeks ago. Winston's absence will be felt in the first half, but not to a point that Florida State won't be able to recover from. Seminoles will pull the game out in the second half and Winston will celebrate by f@*!ing a girl right in the pu@@y, hopefully consensually.

Prediction: Florida State 38, Clemson 31

#2 Oregon (3-0, 0-0) at Washington State (1-2, 0-0)

The Ducks open the Pac-12 season in Pullman against Mike Leach's Cougars. Washington State can pile up the points but they aren't very good at stopping opposing teams from doing the same. Washington State gave up 38 points to Rutgers anemic offense a few weeks ago, so Marcus Mariota and company should be salivating about what they might do this weekend.

Prediction: Oregon 56, Washington State 24

Florida (2-0, 1-0) at #3 Alabama (3-0, 0-0)

This is a spotlight game because of name value but the current incarnation of the Gators don't figure to put up much of a fight in Tuscaloosa on Saturday. The Gators were lucky to escape with a victory against Kentucky in Gainesville last weekend. They didn't look anything like a team ready to travel on the road and give the #3 team in the country a good game. It doesn't seem to matter who is at quarterback for Bama, the plan is simply get the ball to wide receiver Amari Cooper. Cooper "only" had 8 catches against Southern Miss last weekend, slightly less than the 12 and 13 catches he had in the first two games this season. The Gators secondary is young and was torched by the Wildcats last week, so expect Cooper to have another huge day.

Prediction: Alabama 38, Florida 14

#4 Oklahoma (3-0, 0-0) at West Virginia (2-1, 0-0)

The Sooners could be on upset alert this week as they travel to couch burning country to take on the Mountaineers. Oklahoma will be without leading rusher and pass catching threat Keith Ford for this game. The Sooners will no doubt miss him but have an abundance of talent at the running back position, including Samaje Perine, who averages over 5 yards a carry. The most intriguing matchup will be how Oklahoma's defense fares against Mountaineers quarterback Clint Trickett. Against Maryland last week, Trickett completed 75.5% of his 49 passes for 511 yards in West Virginia's 40-37 victory. The Sooners defense is 8th in the country in points allowed so if Trickett can play well against them the Mountaineers will really know what a stud they have at the position. The previous two meetings between these teams have been pretty close, and I expect this one to follow that script.

Prediction: Oklahoma 45, West Virginia 35

#6 Texas A&M (3-0) at SMU (0-2)

This game is slightly notable because it is the first game for new SMU coach Tom Mason, who is replacing the recently resigned June Jones for the season. Jones resigned after the Mustangs were obliterated by both Baylor and North Texas to open the season. Offense had always been Jones calling card but the Mustangs have scored just 6 points in two games. Kenny Hill and company should find themselves with another easy victory before opening up SEC play next weekend.

Prediction: Texas A&M 45, SMU 10

Mississippi State (3-0, 0-0) at #8 LSU (3-0, 0-0)

This is the conference opener for each of these teams and after this game we should know a lot more about where they truly stand. The Bulldogs have played no one worth a damn yet, while LSU is three weeks removed from their come from behind win against Wisconsin. LSU is currently second in the country in points allowed per game, and their passing defense has been especially stingy. Bulldogs quarterback Dak Prescott has a terrible name but has thrown 9 touchdowns through three games. The Tigers are going to look to ram the ball down the Bulldogs throats with running backs Kenny Hilliard and Heisman trophy posing freshman Leonard Fournette.

Prediction: LSU 33, Mississippi State 20

Last Week: 8-2
Overall: 27-4

The Hail Mary - Week 2

Sunday, September 14

Miami (1-0) at Buffalo (1-0), Miami favored by 1

The Dolphins got off to an excellent start for the 2014 season, thoroughly dominating the Patriots in the second half and cruising to victory. Now before Dolphins fans go printing playoff tickets, they should remember that Miami started last season 3-0, and ended up missing the playoffs. They didn't have much of a run game last season, but if Knowshon Moreno can play even at 75% the level he did last weekend, the Dolphins should be all set at running back this year. Buffalo is coming off an impressive victory of their own, winning at Chicago. The defense gave up a ton of yards but also forced three turnovers and the offense was surprisingly effective, after a lot of negative talk surrounding that unit in the preseason. EJ Manuel is likely going to be asked to just be a game manager at this point, while the Bills focus on running the ball with Fred Jackson, C.J. Spiller, and Anthony Dixon. I think the Dolphins defense will present more of a challenge for Buffalo then Chicago did, and I like Miami to build off their Week 1 momentum.

Prediction: Miami 20, Buffalo 17

New England (0-1) at Minnesota (1-0), New England favored by 3

Two weeks ago if you had said one of these teams would be winless going into this game, almost no one would have predicted that team would be the Patriots. New England played one of the worst halves of football they have played in a long time last weekend in the second half against Miami. The offense could do nothing and their defense couldn't get pressure on Miami or slow them down. After an average performance, some are beginning to wonder if Tom Brady simply is just a good quarterback at this point, and won't ever regain his elite status. The Vikings Matt Cassel will face his former team for the first time in his career. He was mostly a game manager in Minnesota's win, as the defense and Cordarrelle Patterson did most of the heavy lifting. After the big game Moreno had against New England last week, Adrian Peterson has to be excited about what he might be capable of doing. This is the Vikings first home game at the University of Minnesota, and they will be playing outdoors, although weather shouldn't really be a factor in this one. Hard to imagine the Patriots starting off 0-2 for the first time in 13 years, so somehow and someway I think they take this one.

Prediction: New England 27, Minnesota 20

Jacksonville (0-1) at Washington (0-1), Washington favored by 6

The Redskins overall looked dreadful in their Week 1 loss at Houston. The offense struggled most of the game and when they were able to move the ball, they killed themselves with turnovers. Special teams was still a mess as they had an extra point blocked and a punt blocked that turned into a Houston touchdown. The defense did well enough, only allowing 7 points but wasn't able to get a stop at the end of the game when they needed to. The Skins were running the ball effectively with Alfred Morris but went away from that for some reason, calling stupid gimmick plays for DeSean Jackson. The Jaguars jumped out to a 17-0 lead on the road at Philly but then remembered they are the shitty Jags in the second half and allowed 34 straight points, losing 34-17. Allan Hurns became the biggest pickup in fantasy football with 2 first half touchdowns and playing the Redskins poor secondary he could in for a second big game. Toby Gerhart was dreadful in his first start with Jacksonville and is now dealing with an ankle injury. This will likely be just as ugly as Redskins/Texans was and I am happy that I will be watching football on Sunday at a place with Red Zone so I am not subjected to this entire game. If the Skins lose at home to Jacksonville to fall to 0-2 they may just not win a game this season.

Prediction: Washington 21, Jacksonville 17

Dallas (0-1) at Tennessee (1-0), Tennessee favored by 3 1/2

Not surprisingly, the Cowboys season got off to an ugly start against the 49ers. What did surprise some people, was that it was Tony Romo's fault more than it was the defense's. Romo threw three awful interceptions and put the Cowboys in a position where they had no chance of winning. The Titans surprised everyone by lambasting the Chiefs at Arrowhead. Jake Locker played superbly, but Titans fans have seen this story before and will continue to hold their breaths about his health. The Cowboys want to keep this game close so they have a chance to get DeMarco Murray more involved. It would also be nice for Romo to attempt to throw it to Dez Bryant instead of the other team. I think Dallas will turn in a better performance this week, but it won't be enough to win.

Prediction: Tennessee 31, Dallas 28

Arizona (1-0) at New York Giants (0-1), Arizona favored by 2

These teams had vastly different Monday Night Football experiences. Despite my faith in them, the Giants were completely destroyed by the Lions. The Cardinals overcame a 17-6 deficit in the 4th quarter to beat the Chargers, despite Larry Fitzgerald having just one catch. The Giants offense looked completely out of sync and Manning seemed to have no chemistry with any of his receivers, despite many of them being guys he's played with for years. I would expect both Victor Cruz and Larry Fitzgerald to have much better games for their respective teams than they did to open the season. I am sticking with the Giants for another week, but if they drop this one, I will be convinced that they suck.

Prediction: New York Giants 24, Arizona 20

New Orleans (0-1) at Cleveland (0-1), New Orleans favored by 8 1/2

Both the Browns and Saints lost heartbreakers on last second field goals. The Saints blew a double-digit lead, while the Browns almost came back from a double-digit deficit. The Browns had to have been pleased with their offensive showing in Week 1. Terrance West had 100 yards rushing in place of the injured Ben Tate, and Isaiah Crowell had a touchdown. TE Jordan Cameron is questionable, but Andrew Hawkins picked up the slack from him when he went down last week and could be Hoyer's favorite target. The Saints had to have been happy with the performance of Mark Ingram in Week 1, as he had two touchdowns and rookie WR Brandin Cooks made his presence felt right away. What the Saints were not happy about was their defense reverting to their terrible 2012 form. The Falcons gashed the Saints, making everyone wonder what the hell happened to the improved unit we saw last season. This game will show whether or not that was a one week aberration or a sign of trouble for the Saints this season.

Prediction: New Orleans 34, Cleveland 27

Atlanta (1-0) at Cincinnati (1-0), Cincinnati favored by 5

The Falcons took a major step towards erasing the stink of the 2013 season by defeating the Saints in Week 1. The offense looked fantastic and Matt Ryan looked like himself with his full complement of receivers available to him. The Bengals erased some demons by going to Baltimore and winning and both their offensive and defensive units seemed to be okay despite the change in coordinators. Each team would like to see a little more out of their run games this week but with the amount of talent on the field at receiver, expect the passing games to shine in this one. Julio Jones and A.J. Green will be facing each other for the first time since their SEC days at Alabama and Georgia respectively. The Bengals have been tough to beat at home in recent years, and I expect them to win pretty easily in this one. I don't think Ryan will perform as well with the pressure the Bengals will apply and that will force him into turnovers.

Prediction: Cincinnati 33, Atlanta 21

Detroit (1-0) at Carolina (1-0), Carolina favored by 2 1/2

The Panthers got an impressive road win at Tampa with Cam Newton not playing due to injury and Derek Anderson having to take the reigns. I admit I laughed to myself when #1 Panthers fan Matt Pinto said he had faith in Anderson, but he was proven right. The Panthers defense looked like the dominant unit people expect them to be. The Lions looked great on Monday night, but it remains to be seen if they actually are that good, or the Giants were simply that bad. Playing at Carolina should be a sufficient test, at least to see how good the Lions are offensively. The Panthers will have their hands full with Megatron, who dominated the Giants and dominates just about everyone. I'm still not sold on the Panthers, especially offensively, so going with the Lions.

Prediction: Detroit 20, Carolina 16

St. Louis (0-1) at Tampa Bay (0-1), Tampa Bay favored by 5 1/2

The Rams laid the biggest turd in the NFL in Week 1, losing by 31 points at home to Minnesota. Shaun Hill and Jeff Fisher couldn't seem to agree on whether Hill was benched or hurt. If Hill was benched I think that was an absurd decision by Fisher. You can't give a guy a half to acclimate himself after not starting for 6 years and expect him to be lights out. The Rams defense also looked terrible and now will be without Chris Long for an extended period of time. Tampa Bay seemed to take about a half to wake up and realize the season had started. Josh McCown looked very shaky and Doug Martin got hurt once again. Martin is expected back for this game and I think the porous Rams should cure some of the Bucs ills.

Prediction: Tampa Bay 28, St. Louis 13

Seattle (1-0) at San Diego (0-1), Seattle favored by 6

If Week 1's domination is a sign of things to come, then sadly the Seahawks look to be the favorites to repeat as Super Bowl champions. With the added dimension of Percy Harvin to the offense, and Marshawn Lynch running like a beast, the Seahawks offense looked unstoppable. Their defense looked just as dominant, and the Packers didn't even attempt to throw at Dick Sherman's side of the field. The Chargers had their game in hand but then the bad Chargers from the Norv Turner years reared their ugly head and they blew the lead late. The Chargers didn't do enough to get the ground game going and even if they try to do that Sunday, it may not happen against the stout Seahawks. I think that Seattle will make another statement on Sunday and earn a second straight rout.

Prediction: Seattle 37, San Diego 20

Houston (1-0) at Oakland (0-1), Houston favored by 3

The Texans already have half the wins they had last season, although unfortunately for them they started 2-0 last season before losing 14 in a row. They have a shot to start 2-0 for the second straight year with a game against the putrid Raiders. Derek Carr will be facing the Texans, the team that drafted his older brother with their first ever draft pick. Things didn't work out for David and you know Derek wouldn't mind exacting a little revenge against the franchise. Houston has already lost their number one pick from this past year's draft, Jadaveon Clowney, who will miss 6-8 weeks. Ryan Fitzpatrick and the Texans offense didn't move the ball very well against a poor Redskins defense, and they could fare worse on the road this weekend. The Raiders sometimes seem to pull wins out of their butts in the black hole, and I expect strong showings from Maurice Jones-Drew and Darren McFadden to be the difference in this game. Each player had less than 10 carries in last week's loss to the Jets, so that gameplan needs to definitely change in this game.

Prediction: Oakland 19, Houston 16

New York Jets (1-0) at Green Bay (0-1), Green Bay favored by 8

The Packers received a scare when Eddie Lacy had to leave last week's loss to Seattle with a concussion. Despite it being his second concussion in two seasons, all signs are pointing to him playing this weekend against the Jets. Lacy will have his work cut out for him against the Jets front, but Aaron Rodgers should be able to exploit the Jets weak secondary. The Jets might lean on the run, with Chris Johnson and Chris Ivory after seeing how the Seahawks rushing attack manhandled Green Bay last week. Homefield advantage will make a huge difference for Green Bay but I expect the Jets to keep this game close.

Prediction: Green Bay 24, New York Jets 17

Kansas City (0-1) at Denver (1-0), Denver favored by 13 1/2

The Chiefs 2014 season already turned into a nightmare after one week. They were blown out at home by the Titans and lost two defensive starters for the season in Derrick Johnson and Mike DeVito, as both players ruptured their achilles. Fresh off his new contract Alex Smith looked terrible. He was his usual dink and dunk self but he did the one things that he usually never does and that was turn the ball over. Trailing most of the game, Jamaal Charles only had 7 carries, and if Charles isn't doing anything offensively, the Chiefs are going to be hard pressed to score points. They will be helped by the return of WR Dwayne Bowe,w ho is coming off a one game suspension stemming from an arrest in Denver last season. Hard pressed to score points is never a sentence you will read about Peyton Manning and the Broncos. The offense didn't seem to miss Knowshon Moreno or Eric Decker at all with Montee Ball and Emmanuel Sanders comfortably stepping in to take their places. Even the absence of Wes Welker didn't seem to matter much. Tempted to take Denver to cover the huge 13 1/2 point spread but not bold enough.

Prediction: Denver 35, Kansas City 23

Chicago (0-1) at San Francisco (1-0), San Francisco favored by 7

I had most of my fears relieved last Sunday when the 49ers dominated the Cowboys. It wasn't so much that I was surprised San Francisco won or even that it was relatively easy that made me feel better. It was the fact that the offense looked sharp, especially new addition Carlos Hyde, and the defense still looked strong despite all the changes. Now the level of competition wasn't exactly high and I would expect the Bears to be a little tougher, even with the 49ers and their fans being jacked up for the debut of Levi Stadium. However, it doesn't appear the 49ers will be getting a Bears team at full strength. Both Alshon Jeffery and Brandon Marshall have missed practice time this week and are questionable. The Bears are also banged up on the offensive line with Roberto Garza and Matt Slauson fighting injuries. The Bears are coming in as the desperate team after a surprising opening week loss to Buffalo at home. Jay Cutler made some poor throws last weekend that cost Chicago and he could be in trouble with this 49ers secondary, that is coming off a 3 interception game. The 49ers defense will focus much of its game plan around Matt Forte, the Bears dual rushing and receiving threat. Much like the Cowboys porous defense, the Bears aren't much better so there will be plenty of chances for plays to be made by Colin Kaepernick and his plethora of receivers. After this game, I expect things to start getting quite panicky in Chicago come Monday.

Prediction: San Francisco 28, Chicago 20


Monday, September 15

Philadelphia (1-0) at Indianapolis (0-1), Indianapolis favored by 3

Both the Colts and Eagles are dealing with injuries early on in the season. The Colts were already without Robert Mathis for four games due to a suspension and now will be without him for 16 games due to an Achilles tear. The Eagles were already hurting on their offensive line with the suspension of Lane Johnson and now will be without Evan Mathis until at least November. The problems on the line seemed to effect Nick Foles, who was a turnover machine in the first half against Jacksonville last weekend. Andrew Luck seemed to revert back to his 2012 form and threw two interceptions and was too careless with the ball. The Colts once again nearly overcame a huge deficit but it has to be somewhat concerning to their fans that they keep finding themselves in these holes. Trent Richardson continued to look useless but Reggie Wayne had almost 10 catches and remains Luck's favorite passing target. The Colts also did a nice job of using Ahmad Bradshaw out of the backfield as a receiving threat. LeSean McCoy didn't have a rushing day up to his standards but the Eagles had to be encouraged by the breakaway play new acquisition Darren Sproles made. These teams both have good offenses and questionable defenses, so I am expecting a high scoring and entertaining game on Monday night. I give the edge to Indy because of the game being at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Prediction: Indianapolis 34, Philadelphia 27

Last Week Against the Spread: 4-12
Overall Against the Spread: 4-12

Last Week Straight Up: 8-8
Overall Straight Up: 8-8