NFL Conference Championship Weekend.
NFL Picks
CAROLINA -2.5 OVER CHICAGO (45.5) – This game is so ugly I don’t even want to talk about it. The Panthers can’t run the ball, nor can they stop the run, but they’ve had success throwing it a little bit. The Bears got crushed by Green Bay last week at home and looked clueless. ANYBODY can win the North except the Vikings it seems. I’m going to completely PASS on this game.
DALLAS -6 OVER HOUSTON (46.5) – The Cowboys offense is moving the football. That is for sure. DeMarco Murray has rushed for at least 100 yards the first four games and scored at least a TD in each game. Dez Bryant and Terrance Williams are a formidable 1-2 punch receiving the football and you can’t forget about TE Jason Witten. Except for J.J. Watt creating havoc for opposing offensive lines and rushing the passer, the Texans defense hasn’t been very good. Texans RB Arian Foster has been up and down with injuries. Even though the Cowboys generally don’t have much of a homefield advantage at the “Spaceship”, I think they have a shot at delivering a pretty good blow here against a struggling Texans team. Texans QB Ryan Fitzpatrick has been OK so far but he’s not as good a QB as Romo. TAKE THE OVER 46.5 FOR 4 STARS AND THE COWBOYS FOR 3 STARS MINUS THE 6 POINTS.
DETROIT -7 OVER BUFFALO (44) – The Lions have beaten three decent teams so far. The Giants, the Packers, and the Jets, but they’re not all that good. They DID LOSE to the Carolina Panthers and the Panthers have had problems too. To stay in the driver’s seat of the NFC North Division, the Lions aregoing to need to stop the running game of the Bills’ offensive line and RBs C.J. Spiller and Fred Jackson. The Lions will probably NOT be able to do much against the defensive front 7 of the Bills even though they’ve had some injuries. Lions WR Calvin Johnson might be out this week but Golden Tate stepped in and performed admirally last week against Jets depleted secondary. Because of the nature of the injuries to Buffalo’s defense and the offense of the Lions, I’m going to PASS on the game.
INDIANAPOLIS -3.5 OVER BALTIMORE (48.5) – The Colts lost two tough games at the start of the season to Denver and Philly. They can’t afford to lose any more games anytime soon. After losing to the Benglas opening day, the Ravens have looked good the past three weeks. The Colts may struggle running the football against the Ravens front 7 but they’ll have to establish the run in order to keep Andrew Luck upright. Luck has thrown for 13 TDs already and only thrown 4 picks. RB Ahmad Bradshaw is dangerous not only running the football but as a receiver out of the backfield. This is probably going to be a close game but I DO LIKE THE OVER 48.5 POINTS!! TAKE THE OVER HERE FOR 5 STARS!
PITTSBURGH -6 AT JACKSONVILLE (47) – I can’t figure out the Steelers. When you think they’ve got an offense that can score some points, they sit down like last week against the Buccaneers and lose to a team that has no business beating them… AT HOME!! The Jaguars are horrible. I think everyone agrees with that, but they have their franchise QB Blake Bortles starting now. They can’t run the football and besides Rookie WR Allen Hurns and WR Allen Robinson, nobody really gives Bortles a good target to throw to. The Jags have lost by an average of 23.5 points per game. I don’t see anything really changing here going against a Steelers team that needs a win desperately. TAKE THE STEELERS MINUS THE 6 POINTS FOR 4 STARS.
NEW ORLEANS -10 OVER TAMPA BAY (48) – TAKE THE OVER. I’m serious. The game itself shouldn’t be close. If it is close…then they’ll hit the OVER. If it’s not close and the Saints blow out the Bucs, then it will STILL GO OVER!! The Saints just lost their best defensive back for the season. The Bucs get back their starting RB in Martin. Bobby Rainey gives them a good RB to spell Martin while he gets back in shape. With Glennon throwing the ball against a New Orleans defense that struggles against the pass (giving up0 a 105.7 QB rating with 7 TDs and 0 picks) The Saints have won 18 straight games with Sean Payton on the sidelines. I see them winning this game but I don’t think they’re going to run away with anything here. ONCE AGAIN, TAKE THE OVER 48 POINTS IN THIS GAME FOR 3 STARS!!
GIANTS -4 OVER ATLANTA (50.5) – This SHOULD be a shootout but last week the Giants forced 6 turnovers against their Division rival Washington Redskins so maybe it won’t be a shootout. Eli Manning and the Giants offense has looked good the last two weeks but that was against Houston and Washington. The Falcons can score but they have a hard time keeping their opponents from scoring. Both teams are 2-2 so a win for both of them puts them in a position to compete for their division lead. The Giants are at home. TAKE THE GIANTS MINUS THE POINTS AND THE OVER FOR 5 STARS EACH!
TENNESSEE -2 OVER CLEVELAND (44.5) – The Titans start out strong beating a decent K.C. team at home. (K.C. looked bad) Then thy run into the Cowboys, Bengals and Colts. Three good QBs and teams. Shonn Greene gets injured as does Sankey in the offensive backfield. Jake Locker also was down last week in a blowout loss to Indy. This week Locker comes back but I doubt it will be enough to take care of a Browns team that is improving and playing as well as they’ve played in year. QB Brian Hoyer has a 97.5 QB rating and not thrown a pick this season. The Browns also get starting RB Ben Tate back this week to go with West and Crowell who have been excellent so far this season out of the backfield. The Browns average 4.5 yards per carry. The Browns are also healthy, coming off of their bye week. Make no mistake about it. The Browns are the better team here. TAKE THE BROWNS MINUS THE POINTS FOR 3 STARS HERE.
DENVER 7.5 OVER ARIZONA (48.5) – This is probably the MARQUEE GAME of the day here. Both teams come off of their bye weeks and they are playing like they will be around for the playoffs, even though it looks like the number 1 QB for the Cards Carson Palmer might be out for a while. Drew Stanton, Palmers understudy but no rookie to the NFL has played well so far. He has thrown 2 TDs and has no picks. The Cards have had trouble running the football and future Hall of Famer Larry Fitzgerald has yet to get on track but make no mistake about it, this team is good. They have beaten the Chargers, Giants, and the 49ers in their first three weeks of the season. All three of those teams might make it to the playoffs this season. Their defense, led by DC Todd Bowles is tough and is extremely tough to run against. Their secondary is stellar led by Patrick Peterson and Antonio Cromartie. On offense, Stanton has great targets in Michael Floyd, Larry Fitzgerald, and John Brown. The Broncos are coming off of an OT loss to the World Champion Seahawks, nothing to be ashamed of. Peyton Manning historically comes off bye weeks with wins. TE Julius Thomas has 5 TDs so far this season AND he is on my fantasy team. The Broncos are going to have to establish the run or it might be a tough day for Manning. However, the Cards only have 3 sacks in 3 games so far. TAKE PEYTON MANNING AND HIS BRONCOS TO COVER THE 7.5 SPREAD IN MILE HIGH THIS WEEKEND!! 4 STARS HERE.
SAN DIEGO -6.5 OVER JETS (43.5) – This game is going to be a very physical confrontation between two teams that seem to be going in opposite directions. Even I picked the Jets to come out playing hard and winning some games this season. So far, the offense isn’t in sync and is turning the ball over WAY too much and the defense, even though they have a very tough front 7, has a secondary that looks like swiss cheese! The defensive backfield has given up 9 TDs and has yet to make an interception this season. Their lone win comes against a HORRIBLE Raiders team. All three of their loses come against the NFC North. The Chargers, on the other hand, are looking like a team that could end up in the Super Bowl. Phillip Rivers leads ALL NFL QBs in QB RATING so far this season with a 114.5 mark. He has thrown 9 TDs and has only one interception. Even though their average yard per carry as a team is 2.4, they have rushed 117 times and do protect Rivers on passing situations. WR Eddie Royal and TE Antonio Gates join WR Keenan Allen in a group that confuses and outruns the opposition defenders. Their defense has been just average IMO. This game could be an old fashioned shootout with Geno Smith putting the ball in the air quite a big to keep up with Rivers and his guys! TAKE THE OVER 43.5 FOR 4 STARS HERE.
KANSAS CITY +6 AT SAN FRANCISCO (44.5) – Once again here are two teams going in opposite directions IMO. After losing their first two games of the season, Alex Smith and the Chiefs seemed to be hitting on all cylinders now as they’ve beaten the Dolphins and the Patriots by a total of 46 points. RBs Jamaal Charles and Knile Davis give the Chiefs a 1-2 punch not seen anywhere else in the league this season. The Chiefs have rushed for 581 yards in their first 4 games. They have one of the best TEs in the league in Jayson Kelce who has 18 catches and 2 TDs. Jim Harbaugh’s 49ers have beaten the Dallas Cowboys opening day and held on to beat Philly last week. The Eagles had every opportunity to win that game but the San Francisco defense was extremely tough and held on at the goal line at the end of the game for the victory. WRs Anquan Boldin and Michael Crabtree are Colin Kaepernick’s favorite targets but Boldin so far doesn’t have a TD. TE Vernon Davis has two scores but only 9 receptions. The 49ers defense is far better than K.C’s even with some injuries to their best players. I’M GOIN TO PASS ON THIS GAME!
CINCINNATI -1 AT NEW ENGLAND (46) – If the Patriots are horrible, we’ll find out tonight when the Bengals come to Foxboro and see just how bad they are. Coming off of a bye week, the Benglas are undefeated with wins over the Ravens, Falcons, and Titans. QB Andy Dalton shows no signs of missing his former OC Jay Gruden. Gio Bernard and Jeremy Hill make up a good 1-2 punch on offense running the football. The Pats only have wins against Oakland and Minnesota so far. Tom Brady looks average behind an offensive line that is having their problems. Tom Brady has lost 3 fumbles already this season and looks lost at times. TE Rob Gronkowski has also looked just average at times this season. TAKE THE MUCH BETTER CINCINNATI BENGALS MINUS THE POINT FOR 5 STARS! New England is getting too much respect here with this line.
SEATTLE -7 OVER WASHINGTON (46.5) – The Seahawks although they’ve looked at times a little weaker defensively than the past season, has a very good football team. Led by Russell Wilson, run the football efficiently and force their opponents to pass the ball. The Redskins are coming off of a blowout loss to the Giants at home where they had problems throwing the football with backup QB Kirk Cousins in for an injured Robert Griffin III. Wilson’s QB rating is 108.9. Cousins is 87.4. The Redskins will try to pound the ball on the ground to help out Cousins with his receivers and they might have SOME success doing so with Albert Morris and Roy Helu. The Redskins defense is tough against the run but I’m pretty sure that the Seahawks with Marshawn Lynch and a TOUGH offensive line that has Lynch averaging 5.1 yards per carry, will have success holding on to the football and scoring against the Redskins. THIS IS A PRETTY DAMN GOOD LINE HERE BUT……TAKE THE SEAHAWKS MINUS THE POINTS HERE as they have beaten three teams that are ALL much better than the Redskins. 5 STARS ON THE SEAHAWKS MINUS THE POINTS.
Week 3 of the NFL season. All our picks, and a recipe for the perfect Pop Tart.
11:05 – 11:30 – MIKE WALLACE (MLB INSIDER/ NATS TALK/ FORMER MAJOR LEAGUE PITCHER)
CAROLINA -2 1⁄2 OVER DETROIT (43) – Cam Newton gets the start for a Carolina team that held on last
week to beat the Tampa Bay Bucs. I doubt he’s 100% but by the looks of things, he’s ready to get
his offense on track. Last week in street clothes he ran out onto the field to read the “riot act” to his
offense. It seemed to work. Detroit has Matthew Stafford, Megatron, Reggie Bush, and an offense that
looks like they can attack from everywhere. Their defense is improved but I’m not sure if they will be
as good with bad weather tomorrow expected in Charlotte. If they can establish the run and open up
their passing game, I look for Detroit to give the Panthers some problems they can’t handle. DETROIT 27
CAROLINA 21. TAKE THE POINTS FOR 3 STARS.
MIAMI PICK AT BUFFALO (43) – PASS. I just can’t get a feel for this game. Sure, Buffalo won last week
and everyone is happy because they won’t have to travel to Canada to see future NFL football games.
Last week the Bills played well in Chicago and took advantage of three Bears turnovers to beat them
in OT 23-20. I’m still not convinced that Bills QB E.J. Manuel is the guy for the job but he managed the
game well only throwing one interception and going 16 for 22 with a touchdown. The Bills ran the ball
33 times for 193 yards. If they can do that against the Dolphins, they should win the game but I think
that this is definitely an improved Dolphins squad. The Dolphins came back from a 20-10 halftime deficit
to outscore the struggling Patriots 33-20. Knowshon Moreno rushed 24 times for 134 yards in the win.
Patriots QB Tom Brady threw the ball 56 times and did NOT throw a TD pass. I’M GOING TO PASS ON
THIS GAME.
JACKSONVILLE +6 OVER WASHINGTON (43) – The Jaguars are getting better but it is a slow process.
They have two good QBs who can move the football and some players who have the tools to score. The
Redskins defense is decent and their best side of the ball for sure, but I’m not sure how successful they
will be against an improving Jacksonville tea. Both teams have some injuries to watch. I’ going to pass
on the game but wouldn’t be surprised if the Jaguars stay close and cover. I’ going to PASS.
TENNESSEE -3.5 OVER DALLAS (49.5) – Tennessee looked ready to play last week going into Kansas City
and handling the Chiefs and Andy Reid by a score of 26-10. It wasn’t that close. Jake Locker looked
good going 22 for 33 for 266 yards and 2 TD’s and NO picks. The Titans also RUSHED for 162 yards
distributing the ball to different runner. I look for the Titans to jump on the Cowboys at home and take
advantage of a confused looking Tony Romo and the Dallas offense. The Dallas defense is a sieve to
begin with. If Dallas is going to have a chance, it will lay in the hands of running back DeMarco Murray
who had 118 yards on 22 carries and a TD last week. Their passing game looks horrible. FINAL SCORE
TENNESSEE 34 DALLAS 24. TAKE THE TITANS FOR 4 STARS!
ARIZONA -2.5 OVER GIANTS (42.5) – Carson Palmer practiced on Friday and even though he’s listed as
questionable, he’s close to 100% according to my sources. The Cards held on and beat a good San Diego
Chargers team last Monday and even though they are on a short week AND they play on the East coast,
I’m tempted to play the against the struggling Giants. The Giants have injuries and their offense, which
is new under Coach McAdoo, doesn’t seem to have much of a chance anytime soon. Eli threw two picks
and had a QB rating of only 53 last week against the Lions. They only averaged 3.5 yards PER PLAY.
Carson Palmer looks comfortable in Bruce Arians offense and he has some weapons. Even though the
Cards have lost some good defensive players to injury, they played great last week. I’M GOING TO TAKE
THE CARDS FOR A REGULAR PLAY TO BEAT AND COVER AGAINST THE GIANTS. FINAL SCORE ARIZONA 27
GIANTS 21.
NEW ENGLAND -5.5 AT MINNESOTA (48.5) – What has happened to Minnesota this past week you
couldn’t make up. Adrian Peterson is probably done for the year, suspended for being indicted in Texas
to disciplining his 4 year old son with a switch and leaving marks that didn’t look good in the pictures.
No matter how you feel about this, the Vikings best offensive weapon is gone. The Pats lost last week.
They are playing outside in a new stadium when the home field advantage won’t be as easy to attain
thus the 5.5 point spread with Vikings the underdog. Matt Cassel had a great week throwing the ball
last week in St. Louis. They HAMMERED the Rams 34-6. I doubt that Belichick is going to let former
Patriot QB Cassel beat him. Tom Brady had a horrible week last week ending up with a 69.7 QB rating
against the Dolphins. Gronkowski should be a week healthier this week. I’M GOING TO PASS ON THIS
ONE. FINAL SCORE NEW ENGLAND 23 MINNESOTA 20.
NEW ORLEANS -6.5 OVER CLEVELAND (48.5) – The Saints lost a tough one when their defense under
Rob Ryan, forgot to show up and cover and tackle. I don’t see the Saints and Sean Payton coming into
Cleveland and losing to a team that lost their star running back and tight end in last week’s game. Look
for a shootout of sorts but Ryan will get the Saints defense working better and Cleveland won’t have
a team to come back on like they did last week against the Steelers. The Browns were down 27-3 at
halftime last week. I like the Saints here to completely manhandle the Browns. We might see JOHNNY
FOOTBALL at halftime of this week’s game. TAKE THE SAINTS FOR 5 STARS HERE. FINAL SCORE NEW
ORLEANS 35 CLEVELAND 14.
CINCINNATI -5.5 OVER ATLANTA (49) – Cincinnati prevailed in Baltimore last week and the Falcons
UPSET the Saints at HOME in a shootout of sorts. Matt Ryan was Offensive Player of the Week going
31 for 43 for 448 yards and setting all kinds of Atlanta Falcon records. They ran the ball very efficiently
also running the ball 25 times for 123 yards. Everybody seems to be healthy for Atlanta this week. The
Bengals have some injury issues but the Falcons defense is anything but tough. I look for a shootout
in Cincinnati in some good weather and the results will be too close to call. A.J. Green looks like a Hall
of Famer in the making. IM GOING TO TAKE THE OVER 49 POINTS HERE FOR 5 STARS! FINAL SCORE
CINCINNATI 38 ATLANTA 34.
TAMPA BAY -5.5 OVER ST. LOUIS (37.5) – The Rams pretty much SUCKED last week against the Vikings
who opened up a can of whoop ass against them. The Bucs lost a tough one against a Panther defense
that refused to lose. You’re going to see a very similar game today in Tampa on a hot day but not a lot
of humidity. Since the Rams look to be starting a backup today (Shaun Hill is hurt) I don’t see much of
a chance of the Bucs losing this one. Whether they cover the spread is another question. Last week
against Carolina they HAD NO RUNNING GAME at all. I’M GOING TO HEDGE HERE ON BOTH PLAYS.
I’M GOING TO TAKE THE BUCS TO COVER THE SPREAD AGAINST A ROOKIE QB AND I SEE THE NUMBER
GOING UNDER 37.5. FINAL SCORE TAMPA BAY 23 ST. LOUIS 10
SEATTLE -5.5 OVER SAN DIEGO (44) – This has the makings of a GREAT game this week but it will all
hinge on whether the Chargers defense can stop Russell Wilson and his balanced offense and running
game to be able to stay close enough for the Charger OFFENSE to score enough points to cover and/or
win the game. The Seahawks are healthy. The Chargers are a little banged up after their game against a
physical Arizona tea that they lost a close one against last week. It is also a short week for the Chargers.
Gametime temperatures are going to be around 90 degrees but I don’t think that will give either team
an advantage. This game features two great QBs in Phillip Rivers and Russell Wilson. Wlson gives the
Hawks an edge with his ability to run when nothing is available. Rivers has to look for a soft place to
lay down. Chargers RB Ryan Matthews will get the ball at least 20 times for the Chargers to have any
chance to win. I’M GOING TO PASS ON THE GAME, EVEN THOUGH SEATTLE IS THE BETTER TEAM FOR
SURE. THE LINE IS A GOOD ONE. FINAL SCORE SEATTLE 24 SAN DIEGO 21.
HOUSTON -3 AT OAKLAND (40) – UGLY UGLY UGLY GAME. The Texans are banged up but have a much
better team than Oakland and after winning last week in Washington, they know how important this
game is in the grand scheme of making the playoffs. J.J. Watt pretty much beat up the entire Redskins
OL and made Robert Griffin nervous and caused turnovers. TAKE THE HOUSTON TEXANS TO GO 2-0
BEATING THE RAIDERS IN OAKLAND ON A BEAUTIFUL TEXAS DAY! FINAL SCORE HOUSTON 27 OAKLAND
20.
GREEN BAY -8 OVER JETS (46) – Hey, I’d love to take the JETS here but I’m scared of how good the
Packers are going to look coming off a loss an ass whooping to the Seattle Seahawks. Granted, the
Jets aren’t the Seahawks, but they have a pretty good defense. However, coming off one of the worst
passing games of his career, I look for Aaron Rodgers to bounce back and deliver a win for the Packers
hopeful. Whether they cover 8 points or not is another thing. JETS QB Geno Smith looked good against
Oakland but, hey, IT WAS OAKLAND!! I’M GOING TO TAKE THE PACKERS HERE TO BOUNCE BACK AND
DELIVER A WIN AND A COVER HERE AGAINST REX AND THE JETS! PLAY THE PACKERS FOR 5 STARS HERE.
FINAL SCORE GREEN BAY 31 JETS 21. WE MIGHT SEE MIKE VICK IN THIS GAME.
DENVER -12.5 OVER KANSAS CITY (50.5) – This is my play of the week. I think Denver will absolutely
DESTROY the Chiefs. Sure, K. C. still has some weapons on offense but I’m looking for the Chiefs to be
just as bad as they did in the playoffs last season. Manning and his offense are going to score early and
score repeatedly. I don’t see the Chiefs having much of a chance here in the altitude of Denver. Chiefs
QB Alex Smith had the WORST QB rating of the entire league last week against the Tennessee Titans.
Hey, give me a break. That absolutely sucks. Their best receiver is suspended for another few games
(Dwayne Bowe) and last week they didn’t run the ball much at all. It sure is starting to look like an
Andy Reid team. Look for Jamaal Charles to get the ball much more frequently this week. TAKE THE
BRONCOS TO COVER AND WIN THIS GAME. YOU CAN HEDGE (IF YOU WISH) ON THE OVER ALSO. THAT
WOULD COVER A K.C. GOOD OFFENSIVE GAME (WHICH I DON’T THINK WILL HAPPEN). FINAL SCORE
DENVER 48 K.C. 24.
SUNDAY NIGHT
SAN FRANCISCO -7 OVER CHICAGO (48) – Chicago looked so pitiful last week on both sides of the ball
that I have to go with the Niners AND the over in a slight hedge here. The Niners minus some personnel
are still FAR better than the Bears. The Niners are at home for their Opener in their new stadium. I
could see Cutler getting hurt in this game against a defense that is going to be looking to kick a little ass
today and go 2-0. The Bills had 193 rushing yards last week against the Bears defense. Look for Frank
Gore and Colin Kaepernick to do more of the same. Some injuries to some Bears players isn’t going to
help either. TAKE THE NINERS MINUS THE POINTS FOR 4 STARS AND THE OVER FOR 4 STARS. FINAL
SCORE SAN FRANCISCO 45 CHICAGO 28.
MONDAY NIGHT
INDIANAPOLIS -3 OVER PHILADELPHIA (54) – See my website for the pick tomorrow night!! As of right
now, I’m taking the OVER for 5 stars. I might release Indy tomorrow. I’m waiting on some news.
PICKS FOR NHB-
TENNESSEE -3.5 OVER DALLAS 3 STARS
DENVER -12 OVER KANSAS CITY 5 STARS
NEW ORLEANS -6 OVER CLEVELAND 5 STARS
NEW ENGLAND -6 OVER MINNY 3 STARS
HOUSTON -3 OVER OAKLAND 3 STARS
INDIANAPOLIS -3 OVER PHILLY 4 STARS
SAN FRANCISCO -7 OVER CHICAGO 4 STARS
HAPPY BIRTHDAY CAROL!!
DEDICATED TO LINDA
10:05-10-15 GARY MYERS (NEW YORK DAILY NEWS) WRITER JETS/GIANTS
10:30-10:45 RICK SNIDER (REDSKINS AND NFC EAST)
11:30-WHENEVER CLARK JUDGE (NFL, JETS AND GIANTS)
ST. LOUIS -3 OVER MINNESOTA (44) – With Sam Bradford out, the Rams don’t lose too much starting
Shaun Hill at QB. Hill has a winning record as a starter in the NFL and they are going to need Zak Stacy
to run the ball effectively behind their offensive line to win anyway. Minnesota has a new head coach
in veteran DC Mike Zimmer and look for the Vikings to POUND the ball on the ground and mix in some
passes to their great TE Kyle Rudolph. This should be a close game and probably without much scoring.
I’m going to PASS on this one. ST. LOUIS 23 MINNY 20.
NEW ORLEANS -2 OVER ATLANTA (52) – Normally this would be one of the games of the day, but
personally, I don’t see it that way this season. Atlanta is coming off one of their worst seasons in history
and definitely in Mike Smith’s tenure as HC of the Falcons. Even though they lost Tony Gonzales to
retirement, the Falcons still have Roddy White and Julio Jones. However, I don’t see the defense for the
Falcons having enough to stop Drew Brees and his talented offense of the Saints. I look for the Saints to
score often and the entire game. The Saints have added Jarius Byrd at safety. That won’t hurt either.
TAKE THE SAINTS MINUS THE 2 POINTS FOR 4 STARS. NEW ORLEANS 31 ATLANTA 21.
CHICAGO -7 OVER BUFFALO (47) – I’m looking for the Bears to come out ready to play both offensively
and defensively at home over a Bills team that struggles on both sides of the ball. Bills QB EJ Manuel
continues to struggle with this offense He’s going to have to improve dramatically for the Bills to get to
the postseason. Jay Cutler is HEALTHY and usually gets off to a good start anyway. I look for the Bears
to have their way on offense with a good but not great Bills defense. Matt Forte and the Bears receivers
will be open and open regularly for Cutler to move the sticks. TAKE THE BEARS MINUS THE POINTS FOR
5 STARS! CHICAGO 27 BUFFALO 17.
BALTIMORE – 2 OVER CINCINNATI (43) – This game might be the most important of the day because
the winner takes a full game lead over the team that will probably be right there at the end of the
season to compete for the playoff spot and division championship. The Ravens have been fairly quiet
in the offseason but have made some strides on the defensive side of the ball. Ray Rice sits a two game
suspension for knocking out his new bride but many people believe that Bernard Pierce is a better
overall back than Rice anyway. If Pierce plays well, look for Rice to have a reduced role with the Ravens
offense when he does come back. TE Dennis Pitta is healthy and is Joe Flacco’s security blanket. Torrey
and Steve Smith give Flacco plenty of ammunition to go down the field in their no-huddle. Cincinnati, by
the way, is the AFC North returning champion and have plenty of weapons on both sides of the ball to
win this ballgame. Andy Dalton has just signed a long term deal with the Bengals but has lost his OC in
Jay Gruden, who took the HC job in Washington. This game should come down to the final 5 minutes of
the game. PASS. BALTIMORE 27 CINCINNATI 24.
WASHINGTON +3 OVER HOUSTON(44.5) – Two rookie coaches in Jay Gruden and Bill O’Brien going at
it with two teams whose combined records last season were 5-27? No wonder Thom Brennaman and
David Diehl are announcing the game. Houston doesn’t have much except Arian Foster (who didn’t take
a snap in preseason) and Andre Johnson on offense. Jadeveon Clowney has looked good in preseason
next to J.J. Watt and they could create problems for the Washington offensive line but in reality, the
Redskins probably have more talent overall than a Houston team where I seriously have a hard time
finding names I recognize. If Robert Griffin can deliver the ball to his receiving corps and run the ball
effectively with Alfred Morris, I wouldn’t be surprised to see them BEAT the Texans in Houston. PASS.
Too close to call. WASHINGTON 27 HOUSTON 24.
JETS -5 1⁄2 OVER OAKLAND RAIDERS – I don’t see any way the Raiders starting a rookie quarterback the
first game of the season with the way they looked during the preseason, can stay very close to a beat up
but tough Jets roster. I look for the Jets to run and throw the ball successfully against a Raiders defense
which is suspect at best. The Jets are going to do this while playing several second string players on the
defensive side of the ball. I don’t think it will make a difference. TAKE THE JETS FOR (4 STARS)JETS 31
TENNESSEE +3 OVER KANSAS CITY (42) – Kansas City made me look good last year as my TOTAL WINS
PLAY OF THE YEAR won its first 9 games on their way to a playoff spot. Don’t look for the same good
fortune this season. Starting the season without Dwayne Bowe on suspension doesn’t help. New
Titans head coach Ken Whisenhunt and exceptional DC Ray Horton give Tennessee a shot at a much
better team immediately this season. Even though Alex Smith struggled to a 59.8 QB rating during the
preseason, he signed a HUGE new contract. Their offensive line is beat up and missing some key people.
I wouldn’t be a big surprised if Tennessee wins this game in Arrowhead. Titans QB Jake Locker had a
GREAT preseason. Jamaal Charles will have to have another great game to deliver a win for the Chiefs.
The Chiefs lost their last 3 home games last season. PASS.TENNESSEE 34 KANSAS CITY 31.
NEW ENGLAND -4 AT MIAMI (46.5) – Tom Brady is supposed to play which pretty much gives you a
good reason to give the 4 points and take the Pats against a Miami team that has a lot to work on this
season if they’re going to even THINK about going to the playoffs. Adding Derrelle Revis to a pretty
good defense to begin with is going to Ryan Tannehill a tough time finding anyone open to throw to.
The Dolphins picked up Knowshon Moreno as a free agent and that won’t hurt but with a new offense
and an offensive line that at best is NEW…I look for the Dolphins defense to wear down being on the
field all the time and get outscored easily. TAKE THE PATS GIVING UP JUST 4 POINTS FOR 3 STARS! NEW
TAMPA BAY -3 OVER CAROLINA (38) – Cam Newton is a game time decision and I wouldn’t be surprised
if he doesn’t start this game. He’s injured and shouldn’t play if he IS injured. Josh McCown starts for the
Bucs at QB. He can flat out play the game and I look for him to lead this Tampa Bay offense to the lead
and the win here. RB Doug Martin should be fed the ball regularly in this game and new HC Lovie Smith
(welcome back!) will find a way to win this game on the defensive side of the ball. FINAL SCORE TAMPA
BAY 23 CAROLINA 20. PASS.
PITTSBURGH -6 1⁄2 OVER CLEVELAND – I really don’t see much happening here in the way of scoring
but what score IS done in this game will be done mostly by Ben Roethelisberger and the Steelers. The
ineffectiveness of the Cleveland offense should keep Big Ben and the Steeler offense on the field long
enough to score and cover against this anemic offense of the Browns. Maybe Hoyer looks good enough
to stay and finish the game for the Browns and maybe Johnny Football gets in there sometime in the
second half to try to spark the Browns…who knows? But this game won’t be close in my opinion. Take
Big Ben and the Steelers to win big at home and make sure they get off to a good start this season.
TAKE THE STEELERS FOR 5 STARS. PITTSBURGH 31 CLEVELAND 10.
SAN FRANCISCO – DALLAS (OVER 51) – Lots of missing parts to a very good San Francisco defense and
a Dallas defense that pretty much sucks completely (last in the league in defense last year). Look for
Romo and Kaepernick to light up the scoreboard in this game in Dallas probably with the roof on which
should create plenty of action and scoring. Usually I’d be on the 49ers here to win and cover but their
offense didn’t look that good in the preseason and there are PLENTY of distractions going around
with this team right now. The Niners are missing key pieces of their great defense and it’s looking like
Michael Crabtree might not play on Sunday. TAKE THE OVER 51 POINTS FOR 5 STARS! SAN FRANCISCO
DENVER -7 OVER INDIANAPOLIS (54) – This game will be entertaining if for no other reason than
watching two future HOF quarterbacks compete. Denver has some distractions with Wes (Molly)
Welker sitting out a few games and Colts owner Robert Irsay being disciplined for driving while high
as hell on something. Earlier during the preseason, Broncos Owner Pat Bowlen announced he would
be stepping down as an active CEO of the team because of early Alzheimer’s disease. But the bottom
line here is talent. Denver on the offensive side of the ball will move the sticks almost at will. Indy will
move the ball also but it will take a hell of a lot more out of Andrew Luck to do so because of his limited
weapons. The game is in Mile High so I’m TEASING THE BRONCOS WITH THE OVER HERE WITH 50% OF
MY WINNINGS FOR THE DAY!! FINAL SCORE DENVER 41 INDY 28.
MONDAY NIGHT GAME – DETROIT -5 1⁄2 OVER GIANTS – The Giants will start slow like last season but
I’m not sure if they will improve all that much. The defense should be better but the offense looked
crippled in the preseason. I’ve already been listening to excuses out of Eli’s mouth so I’m prepared
for not much of a showing on the offensive side of the ball. Look for a rebuilt, rejuvenated, and new
offense out of the Lions. Matthew Stafford will come out slinging and Reggie Bush is ALWAYS ready for
prime time!! The Lions still have a guy on the offensive side of the ball named MEGATRON!! TAKE THE
LIONS MINUS THE POINTS OVER THE GIANTS. DETROIT 34 NEW YORK 24.
MONDAY NIGHT GAME – ARIZONA -3 OVER SAN DIEGO (46) – This game could go either way. Both
offenses are solid. Phillip Rivers and Carson Palmer have over 66,000 yards passing between them.
Both of these guys are familiar now with their offenses. Both have pretty good defenses also. I think
this game will be a shootout with the team that has the ball last winning the game. Therefore, I’M
GOING TO TAKE THE OVER 46 POINTS FOR 5 STARS!!
FINAL WEEK 1 PICKS
NEW ORLEANS -2 AT ATLANTA 5 STARS
PITTSBURGH -7 OVER CLEVELAND 5 STARS
CHICAGO -7 OVER BUFFALO 5 STARS
NEW ENGLAND -4 OVER MIAMI 3 STARS
OVER 52 DALLAS-SAN FRANCISCO 5 STARS
OVER 55 DENVER-INDIANAPOLIS 5 STARS