It's been a while since I've done this. Having had an illness which has kept me out from work all this week... I've had some time to think about, and come up with, some projections for this week's slate of NFL games. Minus Thursday's game (since it's already past), in which Daniel Jones and the Giants stumbled their way to a double digit fourth quarter lead before Carson Wentz and the Eagles came flying back to win a surprisingly fun game to watch, 22-21.
I'll go through each of the remaining 13 games on the slate, pick the winner and score, tossing in a few insights as well.
Buffalo at NY Jets... I expect this one to be over well before halftime. The Jets are bad, and this is a good "get right" spot for Buffalo following two tough losses. Buffalo wins, 40-17.
Pittsburgh at Tennessee... The Steelers and Titans both come in to this game with a perfect 5-0 record. The matchup features Pittsburgh's defense (2nd in the league) against Tennessee's offense (likewise rated the league's 2nd in its category). The Steelers run defense in particular is very good, and I think they can contain Derrick Henry in this one. Ben Roethlisberger and the Pittsburgh offense can move the ball as well against the Titans defense, and they can win the battle of the undefeated in a close one on the road. Pittsburgh wins, 31-27.
Green Bay at Houston... Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers are favored to bounce back from last week's blowout loss and win this game in Houston... and clearly they are the better team. But... couple things give me reason to believe this game can be the upset of the week, especially if it turns into a shoot-out. The Houston Texans are at home, and have been playing much better these last couple weeks since making their coaching change... and Deshaun Watson is a pretty good quarterback too, who can pass and run. Green Bay's defense can give up yards and points, and there's a possibility they may be without one of their best offensive weapons too on Sunday, with running back Aaron Jones being added to the injury list late in the week. I think the Packers keep it closer than the Tampa Bay game, but Houston wins 31-30.
Cleveland at Cincinnati... Ugh. I don't like this game. Cincinnati wins, 23-17.
Carolina at New Orleans... Some people will probably look at this game and give the Carolina Panthers a fighting chance to pull off the upset. I'm going the other way... I think this game will be the most one-sided of the week. Saints quarterback Drew Brees has certainly been less then stellar this year, but he really doesn't need to do much here except protect the ball... I expect the run game and defense to dominate and New Orleans wins, 24-0.
Detroit at Atlanta... Bold prediction, the final combined score will be under 100. Maybe not by much though. The quarterbacks are Matt Ryan and Matthew Stafford. Playing in a dome. Neither the Lions nor Falcons play any defense. Atlanta wins, 48-37.
Dallas at Washington... I'd really like to pick Washington but, well... (cue Stephen A Smith here).... THEY DON'T EVEN HAVE A NAME!!! Anyway, I think Dallas can find a way to get back on track despite all their issues. Andy Dalton has a proven record as a starting quarterback (in the regular season anyway) and Ezekiel Elliott isn't going to keep fumbling the ball away. Dallas wins, 31-23.
Tampa Bay at Las Vegas... The Raiders entire offensive line is out. Yes... all 5 starters! Out? Out! That's probably not going to be good for Derek Carr. That's probably not going to be good for anyone. Well, except for the Bucs that is. Tampa Bay wins, 31-7.
Jacksonville at L.A. Chargers... The Jaguars are bad. The Chargers are, well... not quite as bad. And they're coming off a bye too, not to mention... playing at home. Los Angeles wins, 31-14.
Kansas City at Denver... The Denver Broncos are trending upwards, and coming off a big win. Last week, they went into Foxboro and kicked 6 field goals, outscoring and sending the mighty New England Patriots 20 year long dynasty crumbling to the ground! (well, for one week anyway!) But I digress. This Sunday, they're facing the Chiefs at home in what is forecasted to be the first snow game of the season. The Broncos do have a couple things going for them... an under-rated defense and a talented pair of running backs which should have success against the Chief's run defense, especially in the type of weather conditions expected. Though I think Denver keeps it close for 3 quarters, Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs can be expected to pull away in the 4th. Kansas City wins, 28-13.
San Francisco at New England... They're my two favorite teams in the NFL. This is a must-win game for both the 49ers and the Patriots. The Patriots, because they can't afford to fall to 2-4... and the 49ers, because it would put them further behind in the most competitive division in the league. Expect a low-scoring and close game. New England wins, 20-16.
Seattle at Arizona... The Cardinals have been playing over their heads a little bit to start the year, but the Seahawks will give them a real good test. It should be a fun one to watch. Seattle wins 27-24.
Chicago at L.A. Rams... Finally we get to the last one. It's the Monday night football match-up this week, and I anticipate a strong defensive showing from both sides... with the advantage going to the home team. Los Angeles wins, 24-19.
That's it. Enjoy the games!
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