Broncos-Chargers and Week 8 Picks

The Broncos have a huge game on Sunday in Denver if they want to make something out of this 2020 season. At 2-4, and with a very difficult part of their schedule behind them, they host the 2-4 Chargers. The Chargers come in with Justin Herbert lighting up the league, and it will be a very bitter pill to swallow if Herbert shines again in a victory over the Broncos. If Denver has to deal with Herbert and Mahomes as stars, then they will have no chance for a long time to compete. Plus, Drew Lock did not play well last week against the Chiefs, so the pressure is on him to take the next step and become the franchise level QB that the Broncos so desperately need. The Chargers have Melvin Ingram back and with Joey Bosa, they can present some major problems for the Broncos offense. Denver once again is dealing with more injuries as Mike Purcell is out for the season, and Tim Patrick and Philip Lindsay might not play due to a hamstring and a concussion respectively. I just think Herbert is playing so well right now, and I feel like the Chargers will ride that momentum into Denver and knock off the Broncos-especially with a crowd of 6,700 fans and no real home field advantage.

Los Angeles Chargers (-3) over DENVER

Final Score: Chargers-27 Broncos-20

Now, onto the picks for Week 8....

Last Week's Record: 7-7

Overall Record (52-48-4)

(HOME TEAM IN CAPS)

Las Vegas (+3) over CLEVELAND: The Browns are 5-2 after a dramatic win last week over the Bengals. They are right in the mix for a Wild Card berth in the AFC. The Raiders are 3-3 and need a win to keep pace. I like the Raiders in this spot to get a big road win and get to 4-3.

DETROIT (+3) over Indianapolis: The Lions have battled back to get to 3-3. The Colts are 4-2 and coming off a bye. I actually think the Lions are pretty decent and I like them in this spot at home as an underdog.

Pittsburgh (+3) over BALTIMORE: I'm actually surprised that the Ravens are favored by 3 in this game. This is the game of the day in Week 8. Two division rivals battling for first place. I'm taking the Steelers and the points on the road because I don't think the homefield is going to matter without fans here, and I think the Steelers are pound-for-pound the better team.

New England (+4) over BUFFALO: The 5-2 Bills lead the AFC East and the struggling 2-4 Patriots come to Buffalo. I am going to ride Bill Belichick in this one. I know the Pats and Cam Newton have not looked good at all the last two weeks, but I'm think they will figure out a way to at least keep this game close to the very end.

New York Jets (+20) over KANSAS CITY: The Chiefs win and sleep walk through this game. They will get a big lead early and just ride it out the rest of the way and avoid getting anyone hurt.

Minnesota (+7) over GREEN BAY: The Packers buried the Vikings in Minnesota in Week 1 and I feel like the Vikings haven't recovered. At 1-5, their season has been a disaster. The Packers are 5-1 and flying in the NFC North. I think the Packers win, but I think the Vikings keep this game close. 

MIAMI (+5) over Los Angeles Rams: Tua time in Miami begins as Tua Tagovailoa gets his first career start. The Dolphins are 3-3 and right in the thick of things in the AFC East. The Rams come in at 5-2 after spanking the Bears on MNF. I have a feeling the Dolphins will play well enough to keep this game close. This is another long trip back East for the Rams this year already.

CINCINNATI (+6) over Tennessee: You have to like what you see out of Joe Burrow if you are a Bengals fan. He looks like the real deal. Although they only have 1 win, they have been competitive each week. I like their chances here to keep it close against the Titans in a game that is a classic "Letdown" game for Tennessee. 

CHICAGO (+3) over New Orleans: I think the Bears can rebound from their loss to the Rams last week and pull the upset at home over the Saints. I like the Bears defense here at home, and I would expect Nick Foles to rebound and play better this week.

SEATTLE (-3) over San Francisco: Big game in the NFC West as these two division rivals square off. I think Seattle has to be kicking themselves after blowing that lead in the loss to Arizona on Sunday night, and look for them to rebound here against the Niners. SF is playing better at 4-3 but they are still dealing with so many injuries. This will be a tough one for them. 

PHILADELPHIA (-5) over Dallas: The Cowboys season is a disaster so far and at 2-5 they are still somehow in the NFC East race. Andy Dalton probably won't play after suffering a severe concussion last week, so Dallas will have to turn to third string QB Ben DiNucci. I know the Eagles are not very good at 2-4-1, but they are getting some healthy pieces back and I would expect them to take care of this dismal Cowboys team on Sunday Night Football.

Tampa Bay (-9) over NEW YORK GIANTS: The Giants are 1-6, but they have played hard and been in most of their games. The Bucs come in red-hot at 5-2 and Tom Brady is playing at a MVP level and they have the look of a team that could be a serious threat in the NFC. Look for that Tampa Bay train to keep on rolling. 

Panthers-Falcons Week 8 TNF Pick

 CAROLIN (-2) over Atlanta

Broncos Embarrass Themselves at Home in Loss to Chiefs

The Broncos hosted the Chiefs in snowy Denver on Sunday afternoon and their two-game winning streak came to a halt with a 43-16 loss to the defending Super Bowl champs. The Broncos fell to 2-4, and this game featured a lot of blunders and critical errors by the Broncos. They are still a long ways away from competing with the Chiefs in the AFC West. Here are my thoughts and observations on the game.....

-It was a rough day for Drew Lock. He has to play better. His pick six was a bad throw and it turned the momentum and gave the Chiefs a 17-6 lead in the 2nd quarter. He missed some easy throws and his accuracy has come into question. His second interception was a little behind KJ Hamler, and it tipped of Hamler's hands and right to Tyrann Mathieu. I'm not giving up on him yet, but he needs to start playing better, making better decisions, and somehow get more accurate.

-Melvin Gordon is killing us. He fumbled in the second quarter, and that was his second fumble this year, and then he completely botched a flea flicker throwback to Lock in the 3rd quarter that led to another turnover. That was one of the worst plays I have ever seen in my life. Philip Lindsay was having a big day until he got knocked out of the game with a concussion. Lindsay has to be the featured back. Gordon can't be the main guy. This offense needs to run through Lindsay.

-It was going to take a huge, flawless effort to knock off the Chiefs. You can't give the Chiefs an interception return for a TD, a kick return for a TD, and 3 turnovers overall. It's just embarrassing and the Broncos make too many mistakes to compete with KC.

-The Broncos defense actually did well against Pat Mahomes and the KC offense. After giving up a TD on the first drive, the Broncos defense settled in, and did a nice job. They actually held KC to 0-8 on 3rd down conversions and under 300 total yards. This game was not their fault at all. It wasn't a perfect game for them, but it was the kind of effort that can give them hope when the two teams meet again in December.

-The Broncos special teams have had a bad year and Sunday was no different. The Broncos cut the lead to 17-9 in the second quarter and it looked like they had a chance to keep this game close and then they gave up a kick return touchdown and air just came out of the balloon and they were down 24-9. 

-Denver is simply not ready to challenge KC. All the moves in the offseason to try and match the firepower of the Chiefs didn't materialize on Sunday. Jerry Jeudy only had 2 catches, Hamler didn't do much, and Melvin Gordon was a disaster. Drew Lock played his worst game of his Broncos career, and the team showed just how far they are from beating the Chiefs. 

-At 2-4, the Broncos need to start putting together a few more winning streaks to get back into this AFC Wild Card race. This week they host the Chargers and sensational rookie QB, Justin Herbert. Herbert has looked amazing since his first start in Week 2, and if he comes into Denver and plays great and knocks off the Broncos, then that will be a very tough pill to swallow for Broncos fans. The Broncos not only need to win this game, but Drew Lock needs to have a big time game.

Broncos-Chiefs and Week 7 Picks

The Broncos are 2-3 after a big win in Foxboro last week over the Patriots, and now they head home to take on their rival, the 5-1 Kansas City Chiefs. The Broncos haven't beaten the Chiefs since Week 2 of the 2015 season. Pat Mahomes has never lost to the Broncos in his career, and Denver hasn't really been competitive in these matchups with KC. Can Denver bridge the gap and pull off the upset at home? A few factors that suggest they could are the fact that they are getting healthier and healthier each day. AJ Bouye, Noah Fant, KJ Hamler, and DreMont Jones are among the players who have a good chance to return this week. Also, the Chiefs are going from playing in Buffalo on Monday afternoon to Denver on Sunday, so maybe the short week hurts them a bit. In a normal season, the home crowd in Denver would be a huge factor, but with only 6,700 fans in attendance this week, that will not play a role this year. There is a chance of snow in the forecast, so maybe that will affect the Chiefs, but Pat Mahomes has thrived no matter what type of weather it is. I need to see it from the Broncos against the Chiefs to believe that they can actually compete with them, and I just don't think they are there yet.

Kansas City (-9) over DENVER

Final Score: Chiefs-34 Broncos-17

Now, onto the picks for Week 7.....

Last Week's Record: 8-5-1

Overall Record (45-41-4)

(HOME TEAM IN CAPS)

Buffalo (-9) over NY JETS: The Jets are so bad at 0-5. They are clearly the worst team in the league. They might be worse than the 1-15 Jets from 1996. Buffalo has lost two in a row and sit at 4-2. Look for a rebound week for the Bills and Josh Allen.

Detroit (+3) over ATLANTA: Atlanta won their first game last week with interim HC Raheem Morris to improve their record to 1-5. The Lions are 2-3 after a blowout win over Jacksonville. I like the Lions in the Lions in this spot to get to 3-3.

Cleveland (-4) over CINCINNATI: The Browns got buried by the Steelers last week to fall to 4-2. Can they be considered playoff contenders? We know they can beat the weaker teams, but I think the Bengals will give them a close game and might even win the game outright, but Cleveland does find a way to cover.

Pittsburgh (-1) over TENNESSEE: The last two undefeated teams in the AFC battle here in Week 7. Great game in the early window on Sunday afternoon. I'm looking forward to it. I think the Steelers go to 6-0 with a statement win over the Titans. 

Carolina (+8) over NEW ORLEANS: The Saints will win this game, but I think the Panthers will keep it close. I think this game actually comes down to the last minute, and I'll take the Panthers plus the points.

Dallas (-3) over WASHINGTON: The Cowboys are 2-4 and somehow in first place in the NFC East. Andy Dalton looked pretty bad last week in the loss to the Cardinals. It shows how much this team will miss Dak Prescott. The Cowboys offensive line is banged up and their defense is the worst in the league in points allowed, so things are not looking so good right now. Lucky for them, they head to DC to take on 1-5 Washington. I would think they would get to 3-4 after this week.

Green Bay (-3) over HOUSTON: Houston was valiant in their loss to Tennessee in overtime last week, but at 1-5 it is going to be an uphill climb the rest of the year. The Packers are 4-1 after a blowout loss to Tampa Bay last week, but I think they will be fine. I would be very surprised if they lost this week in Houston.

Tampa Bay (-2) over LAS VEGAS: The Raiders are having issues with their offensive line due to Covid protocols, but even if they are full strength, I still like Tom Brady and this 4-2 Bucs team on the road in Vegas to get the win.

NEW ENGLAND (-3) over San Francisco: Huge game for both of these teams. The Niners are 3-3 after their home win over the Rams. The Patriots lost at home to the Broncos to fall to 2-3 and under .500 in the month of October for the first time since 2002. I think the Patriots bounce back this week and get to 3-3 with a home win.

LA CHARGERS (-8) over Jacksonville: Justin Herbert has been very impressive in his first four starts of his career, but the Chargers have lost all four of those games and are at 1-4. The Jaguars are 1-5 and clearly in play for the Trevor Lawrence sweepstakes. I have no doubt that the Chargers will roll in this one and get to 2-4 with a blowout win at home.

Seattle (-3) over ARIZONA: This game got flexed into Sunday Night Football and I like the matchup. The undefeated Seahawks go into Arizona to take the 4-2 Cardinals. Good game in the loaded NFC West. Russell Wilson vs. Kyler Murray. I like Arizona here, but I can't go against Wilson.

Chicago (+6) over LA RAMS: It's a rematch of the 1985 NFC Championship Game! The 4-2 Rams host the 5-1 Bears in a very good Monday Night Football game. I gotta think the Rams will get to 5-2 and bounce back after that loss to SF. The Bears are a surprising 5-1, so I don't think a loss here will kill their season. Their defense will keep them in it long enough. Rams will win but the Bears cover.

Week 7 TNF Pick

 PHILADELPHIA (-4) over NY Giants

Broncos Hold On to Upset Patriots 18-12, Improve to 2-3

The Broncos went into Foxboro and defeated the Patriots 18-12 and improved to 2-3 on the season. The Broncos lead the game wire-to-wire and they dominated it for most of the day but it came down to the end, but the Broncos defense made another big play to save the day. The win might have been the biggest win of the Vic Fangio era so far and more importantly it gave Denver their second straight win and at 2-3 it does breathe some life into their season. Here are my thoughts and observations about the game...

1) The Broncos dominated this game for the first thee and a half quarters. They had an 18-3 lead and nearly blew it, but totally outplayed the Patriots in every facet of the game. They deserved to win. They were the better team. They outplayed and outcoached the Patriots and Bill Belichick. 

2)  The defense was excellent. They forced three turnovers, harassed Cam Newton, sacked him four times, and  took away everything else the Patriots tried to do. The only thing that worked for the Pats offense was when Newton had to scramble and Julian Edelman was throwing passes out of trick plays.

3)  This was not Bill Belichick's finest game. He declined a penalty in the 3rd quarter and it made it 4th and 4 but Denver was in NE territory and although it was a long FG attempt, Brandon McManus made it to extend the Denver lead. Belichick should have taken the penalty and backed up the Broncos for a long, long 3rd down. He also didn't challenge the spot when the Broncos stopped James White short of a first down on a key play in the 4th quarter. Belichick elected to punt when it was obvious that a challenge there would have resulted in a first down. 

4) Drew Lock played better than his stats. He had three killer drops on him that would have resulted in touchdowns and another drop by DaeSean Hamilton that would have put the Broncos inside the NE five yard line up 18-3 in the 4th quarter. He made some big-time throws-especially to Tim Patrick deep, and I thought he played well up until the very end. Look,  the last two INTs were awful and allowed the Pats to get back into the game, but still like what I see out of Drew. His offensive coordinator needs to do a better job of managing the game at the end and not even think about throwing at that point.

4) Philip Lindsay goes over 100 yards in first game back from injury. He is the sparkplug for this team. He is one of the best playmakers on the team and he was a main reason this offense was able to move the ball and keep the drives alive.

5) The Broncos have found a way to lose these types of games in the Fangio era. They pulled it out today against the Patriots no less. They were the better team all day and held on.

6) Brandon McManus has been sensational so far this season. He kicked 6 field goals today, and has been very consistent in a year where it is hard to find a solid kicker. 

7) The Broncos scored on first 6 drives of the game- all field goals. You don't like the lack of TDss in the redzone but they still were able to move the ball, get points and extend the lead. The DaeSean Hamilton drop was the turning point of 4th quarter. That really would have put the game away.

8) A win is a win, and the Broncos and their fans should be happy. This was the biggest win under Fangio.  It sends the Pats to 2-3 for the first time in the month of October since 2002. At 2-3, Broncos have some life with KC coming to Denver next week. They have at least added another week to make something out of this season. 

Broncos-Patriots and Week 6 Picks

With the postponement of this game to a week later in Week 6, the Patriots get the benefit of getting Cam Newton and most likely Stephon Gilmore back. Both of those two players tested positive for Covid-19 last week, which postponed this game. That will certainly not help the Broncos. Denver will hope to get QB Drew Lock back for this game from the shoulder injury he suffered in Week 2. Even if Lock plays, the Broncos will probably be without TE Noah Fant and WR KJ Hamler. Fant suffered an ankle injury in the Week 4 win over the Jets. The Broncos have too many injuries to deal with and even with the 17 days off between their game against the Jets and the game here against the Pats, I don't think they will be healthy enough to compete with the Pats on both sides of the ball. I have a hard time seeing that happen and I just don't have faith in the Broncos at this point.

NEW ENGLAND (-9) over Denver

Final Score: Patriots-31 Broncos-16

Now, onto the picks for Week 6.........

Last Week's Record: 7-7 

Overall Record (37-36-3)

(HOME TEAM IN CAPS)

 Houston (+6) over TENNESSEE: The Titans are 4-0 after beating the Bills on Tuesday night, but I think they will feel some of the affects in this one with the short week and coming back to play on Sunday. The Titans will defeat the 1-4 Texans to stay undefeated, but look for a closer game than people expect.

Cincinnati (+8) over INDIANAPOLIS: I don't trust the Colts or Philip Rivers-even though they sit at 3-2. I think the Colts will win but I like Cincy to cover the spread.

MINNESOTA (-3) over Atlanta: The Vikings were so close to defeating the Seahawks in Seattle last Sunday night. They get their second win here by beating the 0-5 Falcons, who just fired head coach Dan Quinn this past week.

NY GIANTS (-3) over Washington: The Giants are 0-5 but had chances to win their last two games against the Rams and Cowboys. They fell short in those games, but they will not fall short this week with a win over the 1-4 Washington Football Team.

PHILADELPHIA (+8) over Baltimore: Carson Wentz has not be good this year and the Eagles are a disappointment at 1-3-1 so far. The 4-1 Ravens come to town this week, and many people expect a blowout win by Baltimore. I don't know if the Eagles will win the game, but they will keep it close.

PITTSBURGH (-3) over Cleveland: The Browns are 4-1 for the first time since Bill Belichick was their head coach in 1994. They head to Pittsburgh to take on their division rival, the Steelers. Pittsburgh is 4-0 for the first time since 1979. I think the Steelers defense gets after Baker Mayfield all game long, and the take care of the Browns. A lot of people are taking Cleveland this week, but I'm going the other way.

Chicago (+3) over CAROLINA: I'm not ready to buy into the 3-2 Panthers as playoff contenders. I do admire the job that Matt Rhule has done with this team, but I think the Bears are a smart play here as an underdog. The Bears are 4-1 and I think they get to a surprising 5-1.

Detroit (-3) over JACKSONVILLE: The Lions are the better team and they will go into Jacksonville and take care of business and get their second win of the season and sending the Jags to 1-5.

MIAMI (-8) over NY Jets: The Jets are the worst team in the league right now. Everything about them is a joke. They are 0-5, and I think they get buried this week in Miami by the 2-3 Dolphins.

Green Bay (-1) over TAMPA BAY: Great matchup in the late afternoon window on FOX on Sunday. Tom Brady goes up against Aaron Rodgers. You have to love the way that Rodgers has been playing this year, and I think that continues this week in a big win over Brady and the Bucs.

LA Rams (-3) over SAN FRANCISCO: The 49ers are reeling at 2-3. They have injuries in key spots, Jimmy Garapolo looked awful last week, and they have lost their first 3 games at home this year. The Rams come in at 4-1 and atop the NFC West. I like what I have seen from the Rams so far this year. They are playing better right now and they will keep the 49ers home woes going.

Kansas City (-3) over BUFFALO: This featured AFC matchup got moved from Thursday Night Football to Monday night at 5:00pm EST due to the fact that the Bills had to play on Tuesday against the Titans. I know it is in Buffalo, but without the crowd being there to help them, I don't see the Bills standing a chance against Pat Mahomes and the Chiefs. 

Arizona (-2) over DALLAS: This game now becomes the second half of the Monday night doubleheader. Losing Dak Prescott will hurt Dallas, but they have a lot of injuries on both sides of their lines and it will start to take a toll. Andy Dalton takes over for Prescott and he will probably be okay as their starter, but I think Kyler Murray and the Cardinals will come into Big D and get the win. 

Broncos-Patriots Postponed Until Week 6 Due to Covid-19

The Broncos Week 5 game at New England was postponed to Week 6 because the Patriots had a player test positive for Covid-19 on Sunday morning. The game was originally supposed to play on Sunday October 11th, but last Thursday (October 8th), the game was moved to Monday October 12th at 5:00pm EST. That was the plan going into the weekend but on Sunday morning it changed. The Broncos and Patriots were given the week off and Week 5 counted as their bye week. The Broncos-Pats game is now scheduled for Week 6 on Sunday October 18th at 1:00pm EST. The Broncos were originally scheduled to host the Dolphins in Week 6, but that game was moved to Week 11 on November 22nd. Their Week 8 bye turned into a home game against the Chargers. It is certainly confusing and not ideal at all, but this is what was expected, and the NFL is going to do what is has to in order to continue on with this season and get the games in. 

Broncos-Patriots Preview and Week 5 Picks

I usually write my weekend Broncos preview and picks on Thursday night while watching the TNF game. It is a tradition to start off my football weekend each week. 2020 has taught us to pivot and take things as they come. Traditions get broken and schedules get thrown out. The NFL is having to deal with that as we enter Week 5 with Covid-19 causing another disturbance in our lives and sports calendar. As of Thursday night, the Broncos-Patriots game is moved from Sunday at 4:25pm EST to Monday at 5:05pm EST to give the Patriots more time to prepare amid positive tests to CB Stephon Gilmore and QB Cam Newton. This is another schedule change and there will be more this year as the NFL tries to just plow forward and get through these games. How does this affect the Broncos? Well, it gives them one more day to get Drew Lock healthy to play. Perhaps he returns from his shoulder injury. It also puts them in a bind because next week they host the Dolphins in Denver, so this is a shorter week for them. It also gives the Pats an extra day to get Cam Newton back from Covid. If Cam plays, then the Broncos are in big trouble. I don't really know how the Broncos will react and play in this game, but they have been so disappointing the last few years, that I am not getting my hopes up.

NEW ENGLAND (-10) over Denver

Final Score: Patriots-27 Broncos-10

Now, onto the picks for Week 5....

 Last Week's Record: 6-8-1

Overall Record (30-30-3)

ATLANTA (-4) over Carolina: The Falcons are 0-4 and they have to win at some point....right? The Panthers are 2-2 and playing better, but I think the Falcons are due to get their first win.

KANSAS CITY (-11) over Las Vegas: The Chiefs are rolling and off to a 4-0 start once again. They won't stumble at home with the Raiders coming to town.

LA Rams (-8) over WASHINGTON: The Redskins are going away from Dwayne Haskins and turning to Kyle Allen at QB. I think the Rams will roll and get to 4-1.

Jacksonville (+5) over HOUSTON: The Texans fired Bill O'Brien this week after starting the year at 0-4. I think they will find a way to get their first win over the 1-3 Jaguars, but I am worried about them covering the spread this week. Romeo Crennel takes over as interim head coach, and that could be a disaster for Houston.

Arizona (-5) over NY JETS: The Jets are 0-4 and are the worst team in the league right now. Sam Darnold will likely miss this game and that means that Joe Flacco will get the start. Gotta like the Cardinals to get to 3-2 after this one.

Philly (+7) over PITTSBURGH: One of the few interesting games on the slate on Sunday. I think the 1-2-1 Eagles, who are in first place in the NFC East, will keep it close with the Steelers. I know the Steelers defense will be able to get after the Eagles, but I just have a feeling that Philly will keep it a one score game.

Cincy (+13) over BALTIMORE: The Ravens will win the game but this will be a little bit closer than people expect. Look for Joe Burrow to get the backdoor cover here.

Miami (+9) over SAN FRANCISCO: I think Miami keeps it close in the empty stadium in San Francisco.

NY Giants (+10) over DALLAS: The 0-4 Giants travel to Dallas to take on the Cowboys in the late window on Sunday afternoon. I'll take the G-Men to keep it close but the Cowboys will win.

Indy (-1) over CLEVELAND: Sneaky good game in the late window on CBS. The 3-1 Browns host the 3-1 Colts. I think this could be a fun game. I really like what I see out of the Indy defense and I think they get to 4-1 with a win on the road.

Minnesota (+7) over SEATTLE: The Vikings saved their season with a win over Houston and are now 1-3 as they head to Seattle to take on the 4-0 Seahawks. Russell Wilson is the MVP of the league after four weeks, and he is having one of those dream seasons. I think Seattle and Wilson will probably win the game, but I can see the Vikes keeping it close-especially since there are no fans in attendance. 

LA Chargers (+8) over NEW ORLEANS: You have to like what you have seen out of Justin Herbert early on in his career for the Chargers. Now, he takes the 1-3 but feisty Chargers to the Superdome to take on the 2-2 Saints. I think the Saints win but look for the Chargers to keep it close.

Buffalo (NO LINE) over TENNESSEE: This game was moved from Sunday to Tuesday night at 7:00pm EST due to an outbreak of positive tests on the Titans. Hopefully, they will be able to get this game in, and if they do, then I will have to take the Bills. I have no idea how this game plays out though.

Buccaneers-Bears Week 5 TNF Pick

 CHICAGO (+4) over Tampa Bay

Broncos Outlast Jets, Get First Win of 2020

 The Broncos got their first win of the 2020 season with a 37-28 win over the Jets in the Meadowlands on Thursday night. The battle of 0-3 teams was ridiculed going into it, and at least the game provided some sort of an entertaining game. The Broncos won the game, got to 1-3 and gave the Broncos fans something to get excited about early in this 2020 season. Here are my thoughts and observations on the game....

1) The opening touchdown run by Sam Darnold was just ridiculous and I thought it was going to be a long night for Denver. Al Johnson missed a sack, Justin Simmons got juked, and Kareem Jackson just didn't try as Darnold galloped in for a touchdown and an early 7-0 lead for the Jets. I really thought that was going to be a indicator that the Broncos were going to lose this game.

2) I thought Brett Rypien played pretty well with 2 TD passes, but his 3 interceptions were killer. He has to clean that up. It was better seeing him get a chance over Jeff Driskel and he deserves to start another week if Drew Lock is out. Rypien showed some guts and guile and some ability on some deep throws. He had TD passes to Jerry Jeudy and Tim Patrick. I was pleased with Rypien's play for the most part. Maybe he can keep this team afloat until Lock comes back.

3) I thought Vic Fangio did a nice job with the defense. They attacked Darnold all night long and brought a lot of blitzes. Al Johnson was great and Bradley Chubb was dominant with 2.5 sacks, including a sack to end the Jets chances of coming back to win the game late. Devaunte Bausby also played well and deserves to get more snaps than rookie Essang Bassey. The Jets offense doesn't have a lot of talent, but I was impressed how Denver attacked them all night long.

4) After Denver took a 30-28 lead, I was totally expecting them to blow the lead and the Jets to come back and win the game 31-30, but the defense got the stop with the sack on Darnold by Chubb, and Melvin Gordon put it away with a TD run for the 37-28 win. It is only the 4th time the Broncos scored 37 or more points in a game since Peyton Manning retired. They could have put this game away earlier if it wasn't for Rypien's interceptions-including a pick six in the 4th quarter. 

5) Denver avoids the 0-4 start for the second straight year and now at 1-3 they head to New England to take on the Patriots, who may be without Cam Newton, who tested positive with Covid-19 right before Week 4. It will be nice to see Drew Lock return, but he is 50-50 at this point so it might be Brett Rypien once again. 

Week 4 Quick Picks

 Last Week's Record: 7-9

Overall Record (24-22-2)

Cleveland (+4) over DALLAS

DETROIT (+3) over New Orleans

HOUSTON (-3) over Minnesota

LA Chargers (+7) over TAMPA BAY

Baltimore (-12) over WASHINGTON

Arizona (-3) over CAROLINA

CINCY (-1) over Jacksonville

MIAMI (+5) over Seattle

LA RAMS (-12) over NY Giants

LAS VEGAS (-3) over Buffalo

CHICAGO (+4) over Indy

Philly (+9) over SAN FRANCISCO

GREEN BAY (-7) over Atlanta

KANSAS CITY (-10) over New England