Miami at Cleveland
Indy vs. Pittsburgh
Kansas City at San Diego
Seattle vs. Arizona
St.Louis vs. Baltimore
Carolina vs. Jacksonville
Minnesota vs. Detroit
The two teams with the toughest games are the Colts and the Chiefs. Both of those teams won their respective divisions and hosted playoff games last year on Wildcard Weekend, and now both of them are staring down the barrel of 0-3. St. Louis has a really tough game too, but they are at home. Plus, the NFC West is so bad that the Rams could still have a shot to win the division with seven or eight wins this year. Seattle hosts Arizona, but even if the Seahawks win to avoid 0-3, they are so bad that they are headed for a terrible season anyway. Carolina and Minnesota have the best chances of the group to avoid 0-3. The Vikings could definitely take care of business at home against the young Lions, and the Panthers could get their first win over the Jags, who are starting Blaine Gabbert for the first time. Whatever the case may be, some team in this group is starting 0-3, and that team's 2011 season could very easily be over already. Onto to the picks for Week 3.......
Last Week's Record: 6-8-2
BUFFALO (+8) over New England: The big matchup of the day goes to Buffalo hosting New England. How pissed are Jim Nantz and Phil Simms that they are not getting to do this game? The Bills come in a surprising 2-0, and you have to love what you have seen from their offense and Ryan Fitzpatrick the last two weeks. Everyone should be jumping on the Bills bandwagon because it would be a great story if they are good this season. We will find out some answers about them as they host the Patriots this week. The Pats offense and Tom Brady just look fantastic so far this season. What amazes me is the amount of time that Brady actually has on every pass play. It really looks like a 7-on-7 drill in practice. This game could either be 38-14 New England or a lot closer. I'm going to take a chance and say that the Bills keep it close.
NEW ORLEANS (-4) over Houston: This is the first big test for the Texans as they head to NOLA to take on the Saints. We will find out a lot about Houston in this game. Forget about what you think about Gary Kubiak as a head coach, but this guy and his system (The old Mike Shanahan/Bronco running scheme) always finds a running back. Last year, it was Arian Foster and now this year it is Ben Tate. That running game will be tested against the Saints this week. The Saints looked sluggish early last week, but they put it together to put away the Bears. The best offseason acquisition for the Saints was Darren Sproles. He has played really well for them, and he has made an immediate impact. Look for the Saints to win by a touchdown.
PHILADELPHIA (-7) over NY Giants: The Football Gods are really crapping on the Giants this season. Dominik Hixon, who was supposed to help the Giants are their 3rd WR, went down with a torn ACL in Monday's win over the Rams. I would love to pick the Giants in this spot, but too many injuries and bad karma against the Eagles makes me go against them. Right now, the Eagles own the Giants with a record of 6-1 in their last seven meetings (That includes the playoff game in 2008.) Whether Mike Vick is 100% is irrelevant because the Eagles are just too good for the banged up Giants at this point in the season. Take the Eagles and lay the seven.
Miami (+2) over CLEVELAND: Two things about this game scare me. First, the Browns are not as feisty as I thought they would be. Last week's game against Indy proved that to me. The second thing is that this seems like one of those scores that pops up on the bottom of the screen that just surprises everyone. I could see the Dolphins getting some early turnovers and miscues by the Browns, and the next thing you know you look up and Miami is up 21-0 at the half. I don't like Miami, but I don't know if I can trust the Browns just yet.
MINNESOTA (+3) over Detroit: The young Lions (Sounds like a 1980s WWF tag team) head to Minnesota with a 2-0 record. The Vikings could very well be 2-0, but they blew a 17-7 lead at San Diego and a 17-0 lead at home to the Bucs. The Vikings get Kevin Williams back from a two-game suspension, and look for more of the same from Adrian Peterson. Can the Vikings get a solid, complete game from Donovan McNabb. McNabb hasn't looked good in a start since Week 16 of the 2009 season, when the Eagles beat Denver. If he has a good game, then the Vikings will beat the Lions, who will learn a lesson this week after everyone has patted them on the back the first two weeks of the season.
CAROLINA (-3) over Jacksonville: It is very tempting to pick the Jags here on the road, but the safer play is to take the Panthers at home. Carolina played very well the first two weeks, and they easily could have won both games with a play here or there. Cam Newton has thrown for over 400 yards in each game, but the Packers seem to find a way to get to him last week and forced three interceptions. Newton has been a pleasant surprise so far, but look for defenses to start to clamp down on him now that there is some game tape on him. Blaine Gabbert gets the start for Jacksonville, and anything is an upgrade over Luke McCown's disgraceful performance against the Jets last week. At least Jack Del Rio and the Jags organization has the balls to go with the young guy and build for the future with Gabbert (You hear that Denver?). Look for the Panthers to squeak one out late.
Overall Record: 15-14-3
(HOME TEAM IN CAPS)
CINCY (-2) over San Francisco: I'm buying stock in the Andy Dalton Era in Cincinnati. Well, at least for one week I will buy in. Dalton impressed me in the loss at Denver last week, and A.J.Green looks like a stud for the Bengals. The Bengals are not a playoff team this year, but they are not as bad as everyone thought they were going to be. The 49ers aren't bad either, but I still don't trust Alex Smith, especially on the road. Look for the Bengals take care of business in the "Jungle" this week.
(HOME TEAM IN CAPS)
CINCY (-2) over San Francisco: I'm buying stock in the Andy Dalton Era in Cincinnati. Well, at least for one week I will buy in. Dalton impressed me in the loss at Denver last week, and A.J.Green looks like a stud for the Bengals. The Bengals are not a playoff team this year, but they are not as bad as everyone thought they were going to be. The 49ers aren't bad either, but I still don't trust Alex Smith, especially on the road. Look for the Bengals take care of business in the "Jungle" this week.
BUFFALO (+8) over New England: The big matchup of the day goes to Buffalo hosting New England. How pissed are Jim Nantz and Phil Simms that they are not getting to do this game? The Bills come in a surprising 2-0, and you have to love what you have seen from their offense and Ryan Fitzpatrick the last two weeks. Everyone should be jumping on the Bills bandwagon because it would be a great story if they are good this season. We will find out some answers about them as they host the Patriots this week. The Pats offense and Tom Brady just look fantastic so far this season. What amazes me is the amount of time that Brady actually has on every pass play. It really looks like a 7-on-7 drill in practice. This game could either be 38-14 New England or a lot closer. I'm going to take a chance and say that the Bills keep it close.
NEW ORLEANS (-4) over Houston: This is the first big test for the Texans as they head to NOLA to take on the Saints. We will find out a lot about Houston in this game. Forget about what you think about Gary Kubiak as a head coach, but this guy and his system (The old Mike Shanahan/Bronco running scheme) always finds a running back. Last year, it was Arian Foster and now this year it is Ben Tate. That running game will be tested against the Saints this week. The Saints looked sluggish early last week, but they put it together to put away the Bears. The best offseason acquisition for the Saints was Darren Sproles. He has played really well for them, and he has made an immediate impact. Look for the Saints to win by a touchdown.
PHILADELPHIA (-7) over NY Giants: The Football Gods are really crapping on the Giants this season. Dominik Hixon, who was supposed to help the Giants are their 3rd WR, went down with a torn ACL in Monday's win over the Rams. I would love to pick the Giants in this spot, but too many injuries and bad karma against the Eagles makes me go against them. Right now, the Eagles own the Giants with a record of 6-1 in their last seven meetings (That includes the playoff game in 2008.) Whether Mike Vick is 100% is irrelevant because the Eagles are just too good for the banged up Giants at this point in the season. Take the Eagles and lay the seven.
Miami (+2) over CLEVELAND: Two things about this game scare me. First, the Browns are not as feisty as I thought they would be. Last week's game against Indy proved that to me. The second thing is that this seems like one of those scores that pops up on the bottom of the screen that just surprises everyone. I could see the Dolphins getting some early turnovers and miscues by the Browns, and the next thing you know you look up and Miami is up 21-0 at the half. I don't like Miami, but I don't know if I can trust the Browns just yet.
MINNESOTA (+3) over Detroit: The young Lions (Sounds like a 1980s WWF tag team) head to Minnesota with a 2-0 record. The Vikings could very well be 2-0, but they blew a 17-7 lead at San Diego and a 17-0 lead at home to the Bucs. The Vikings get Kevin Williams back from a two-game suspension, and look for more of the same from Adrian Peterson. Can the Vikings get a solid, complete game from Donovan McNabb. McNabb hasn't looked good in a start since Week 16 of the 2009 season, when the Eagles beat Denver. If he has a good game, then the Vikings will beat the Lions, who will learn a lesson this week after everyone has patted them on the back the first two weeks of the season.
CAROLINA (-3) over Jacksonville: It is very tempting to pick the Jags here on the road, but the safer play is to take the Panthers at home. Carolina played very well the first two weeks, and they easily could have won both games with a play here or there. Cam Newton has thrown for over 400 yards in each game, but the Packers seem to find a way to get to him last week and forced three interceptions. Newton has been a pleasant surprise so far, but look for defenses to start to clamp down on him now that there is some game tape on him. Blaine Gabbert gets the start for Jacksonville, and anything is an upgrade over Luke McCown's disgraceful performance against the Jets last week. At least Jack Del Rio and the Jags organization has the balls to go with the young guy and build for the future with Gabbert (You hear that Denver?). Look for the Panthers to squeak one out late.
SAN DIEGO (-14) over Kansas City: When I would talk to various Chiefs fans(Yes, there are a few out there), not one of them actually like Todd Haley as a head coach. That was all before this season even started and the Chiefs were coming off a 10-6 season and a division title. Haley is definitely going to be on the hot seat because the Chiefs got destroyed by the Lions in Week 2, and they lost Jamal Charles in the process with an ACL tear. KC heads to San Diego to take on the Chargers. The Chargers at 1-1 look to rebound after their sloppy loss in New England last Sunday. Usually, a 14-point spread is too high to bet, but this one looks so lopsided that I have to take the Chargers. San Diego will stick it to Haley and Chiefs this week and it will get ugly very quickly.
OAKLAND (+3) over NY Jets: The Raiders return to the Black Hole after a tough loss on the road in Buffalo, which they lead 21-3 at halftime. The Jets go West with a 2-0 start, but they have some questions to be answered. Just how good are these Jets? Can they get their running game going? Will another trip to Oakland be another house of horrors for them? The Jets historically struggle in Oakland, but the one thing that scares me about this game for the Jets is that they will be without C Nick Mangold. The Raiders defensive line, led by Richard Seymour, is as physical of a defensive line there is so far this season. It will be very interesting to see if the Jets can run the ball on the Raiders this week. Another fascinating storyline in this game will be if the Raiders can get Darren McFadden going against the Jets defense. This should be a real fun game, but my only concern is that CBS will show about 1,000 clips of the "Heidi Bowl." Look for Oakland to intercept a late Mark Sanchez pass to win the game.
Baltimore (-4) over ST.LOUIS: Watching Josh McDaniels call the Rams' offense Monday Night got me thinking something. How fair is it that McDaniels can completely botch every trade, personnel move, and draft pick in Denver for two years, and just leave and go call plays for Sam Bradford on another team? Shouldn't the league have stepped him and made him sit for a few years! Roger Goodell should have suspended him for basically butchering the Broncos franchise for that time period. Anyway, with that off my chest, I like the Ravens this week on the road. Everyone was predicting that the Rams would run away with the NFC West with Bradford leading the way. The problem is that although Bradford looks good, he is struggling in the red zone. You can't settle for field goals in the NFL. The Ravens took their lumps last week in a road loss to the Titans, but look for them to come back and win this game going away on the road.
Atlanta (+2) over TAMPA BAY: Josh Freeman got me again last week. I thought I learned my lesson last year when Freeman constantly led the Bucs back to beat me with my pick, but I had the Vikings last week, and I got burned again. You would think that I would learn my lesson, but I have a hunch that the Falcons will play well enough to win this game on the road. The Bucs are looking at their 10th straight blackout at home. With no real homefield advantage to speak of, take the Falcons on the road.
Arizona (-3) over SEATTLE: What was Pete Carroll thinking when he signed Tarvaris Jackson to be his starting QB? I know Jackson knows the system from Minnesota, but it has turned out to be a terrible move so far. Kevin Kolb has been impressive so far this seasons, and the Cardinals almost pulled one out in Washington last week. I'm picking against the Seahawks until they bench Jackson, which might be after this week.
OAKLAND (+3) over NY Jets: The Raiders return to the Black Hole after a tough loss on the road in Buffalo, which they lead 21-3 at halftime. The Jets go West with a 2-0 start, but they have some questions to be answered. Just how good are these Jets? Can they get their running game going? Will another trip to Oakland be another house of horrors for them? The Jets historically struggle in Oakland, but the one thing that scares me about this game for the Jets is that they will be without C Nick Mangold. The Raiders defensive line, led by Richard Seymour, is as physical of a defensive line there is so far this season. It will be very interesting to see if the Jets can run the ball on the Raiders this week. Another fascinating storyline in this game will be if the Raiders can get Darren McFadden going against the Jets defense. This should be a real fun game, but my only concern is that CBS will show about 1,000 clips of the "Heidi Bowl." Look for Oakland to intercept a late Mark Sanchez pass to win the game.
Baltimore (-4) over ST.LOUIS: Watching Josh McDaniels call the Rams' offense Monday Night got me thinking something. How fair is it that McDaniels can completely botch every trade, personnel move, and draft pick in Denver for two years, and just leave and go call plays for Sam Bradford on another team? Shouldn't the league have stepped him and made him sit for a few years! Roger Goodell should have suspended him for basically butchering the Broncos franchise for that time period. Anyway, with that off my chest, I like the Ravens this week on the road. Everyone was predicting that the Rams would run away with the NFC West with Bradford leading the way. The problem is that although Bradford looks good, he is struggling in the red zone. You can't settle for field goals in the NFL. The Ravens took their lumps last week in a road loss to the Titans, but look for them to come back and win this game going away on the road.
Atlanta (+2) over TAMPA BAY: Josh Freeman got me again last week. I thought I learned my lesson last year when Freeman constantly led the Bucs back to beat me with my pick, but I had the Vikings last week, and I got burned again. You would think that I would learn my lesson, but I have a hunch that the Falcons will play well enough to win this game on the road. The Bucs are looking at their 10th straight blackout at home. With no real homefield advantage to speak of, take the Falcons on the road.
Arizona (-3) over SEATTLE: What was Pete Carroll thinking when he signed Tarvaris Jackson to be his starting QB? I know Jackson knows the system from Minnesota, but it has turned out to be a terrible move so far. Kevin Kolb has been impressive so far this seasons, and the Cardinals almost pulled one out in Washington last week. I'm picking against the Seahawks until they bench Jackson, which might be after this week.
CHICAGO (+4) over Green Bay: Did anyone see Jay Cutler's epic sideline rant last week in New Orleans? After Cutler was sacked and buried on a series, he cursed out his position coach, and basically threw a tantrum on the sidelines in disgust. I wish NFL Films had a microphone on Cutler everyweek with the Bears troubles on the offensive line. This game seems so obviously one-sided for the Packers, but I'm going to go with the upset here and take the Bears. These teams know each other very well, and the Packers secondary hasn't played very well in the first two games. Somehow Cutler and the Bears pull this one out.
Pittsburgh (-10) over INDY: The Colts are done. Forget about them, they are finished for 2011. The Steelers come in after a convincing win over the Seahawks last week, and they will pounce on Kerry Collins all night long. Look for the Steelers to put this game away early. It is too bad NBC can't use the Flex Schedule this week and flex this game out. The questions for the Colts the remainder of the year will be: Does Peyton Manning return at some point this season? and Will they take Andrew Luck if they have the number one pick in the 2012 Draft?
Washington (+5) over DALLAS: Give Tony Romo credit. One week he is the goat, and last week he was the hero. Playing with a cracked rib is one thing, but playing with a punctured lung is another. The Cowboys seem like they will be up and down every week. You don't really know what you are going to get with them. The Redskins have looked solid in their first two wins, but now they take Rex Grossman on the road. This line just seems too high. The Skins keep it within a field goal and might just pull it off in the end.
Washington (+5) over DALLAS: Give Tony Romo credit. One week he is the goat, and last week he was the hero. Playing with a cracked rib is one thing, but playing with a punctured lung is another. The Cowboys seem like they will be up and down every week. You don't really know what you are going to get with them. The Redskins have looked solid in their first two wins, but now they take Rex Grossman on the road. This line just seems too high. The Skins keep it within a field goal and might just pull it off in the end.
TENNESSEE (-6) over Denver: The Broncos were begging to give that game away last week to the Bengals. They were able to hold on and win and even their record to 1-1. This week could be a lot different for them. This is the first time they go on the road, and the Titans are a quality opponent. This is very similar to this time last year. The Broncos were 1-2 and headed to Nashville. The Broncos couldn't run the ball and Kyle Orton was getting killed everytime he dropped back to pass. Somehow Denver's defense was able to contain Chris Johnson, and Orton rallied Denver to a late win 26-20. That was the last positive moment of the Josh McDaniels Era in Denver. The Broncos are still banged up and will probably be without Champ Bailey, Marcus Thomas, Demaryius Thomas, Eddie Royal, and Julius Thomas. They will have game-time decisions for Knowshon Moreno, Brandon Lloyd, and D.J. Williams. The Titans are going to try and run right at the Broncos defense. Plus, they have Matt Hasselbeck ready to pick them apart if Chris Johnson falters. If the Broncos can't get Willis McGahee going on the ground, then they are in deep trouble. If Kyle Orton wants respect and wants to be treated like an elite NFL QB, then this is a game he has to put on his shoulders and win. That just might be too tall of an order for Orton.
Final Score: Tennessee: 27 Denver: 10
Final Score: Tennessee: 27 Denver: 10
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