Broncos-Bears and Week 4 Picks

The Broncos are 0-3. Sean Payton's first three games as the Denver head coach have not gone as planned. Last week, the Broncos were embarrassed 70-20 by the Dolphins in Miami. I didn't think I would see 70 points scored by a team in the NFL, and yet it happened to Denver last week. Now, they are the laughingstock of the NFL as they head to Chicago to take on the 0-3 Bears. This really is the "Toilet Bowl." Until the Broncos prove to me that they can win, I can't pick them. I don't see it happening once again this week.

Prediction: Chicago (+3) over Denver

Final Score: Bears-27 Broncos-21

Now, onto the picks for Week 4.......

Last Week's Record: 9-7

Overall Record: 24-22-2

(HOME TEAM IN CAPS)

Jacksonville (-3) over Atlanta (In London)

Miami (+3) over BUFFALO

Minnesota (-3) over CAROLINA

CLEVELAND (-2) over Baltimore

Pittsburgh (-3) over HOUSTON

Rams (+2) over INDIANAPOLIS

Tampa Bay (+3) over NEW ORLEANS

PHILADELPHIA (-7) over Washington

Cincinnati (-1) over TENNESSEE

CHARGERS (-4) over Las Vegas

DALLAS (-7) over New England

SAN FRANCISCO (-13) over Arizona

Kansas City (-9) over JETS

Seattle (-2) over GIANTS

Week 4 TNF Pick

 Detroit (-1) over GREEN BAY

Broncos-Dolphins and Week 3 Picks

There's no chance the Broncos will win this game in Miami. At 0-2, the Broncos are desperate for a win after blowing the Washington game at home in Week 2, but I just think the Dolphins are too good for the Broncos at this point.

Prediction: MIAMI (-7) over Denver

Final Score: Dolphins-30 Broncos-17

Now, onto the picks for Week 3.....

Last Week's Record: 6-8-2 

Overall Record: 15-15-2

BALTIMORE (-8) over Indianapolis:

Tennessee (+5) over CLEVELAND:

DETROIT (-3) over Atlanta:

GREEN BAY (-2) over New Orleans:

Houston (+9) over JACKSONVILLE:

Chargers (-1) over MINNESOTA:

New England (-2) over JETS:

WASHINGTON (+7) over Buffalo:

SEATTLE (-4) over Carolina:

Dallas (-10) over ARIZONA:

Chicago (+13) over KANSAS CITY:

LAS VEGAS (+1) over Pittsburgh:

Philadelphia (-6) over TAMPA BAY:

Rams (+6) over CINCINNATI: 

Week 3 TNF Pick

 SAN FRANCISCO (-9) over Giants

Broncos-Commanders and Week 2 Picks

The Broncos opened the 2023 season with a deflating loss to the Raiders 17-16 at home in Denver. It is amazing but it felt like the same old story we have been watching the past few years in Denver. It doesn't matter if you change the owner, the coach, or the QB, the result is the same. Denver has now lost 17 out of their last 22 regular season games. This week they host Washington, but I have a hard time at this point picking the Broncos to win. I have to see it to believe it.

Prediction: Washington (+3) over DENVER

Final Score: Commanders-23 Broncos-17

Now, onto the picks for Week 2....

Last Week's Record: 9-7

Overall Record: 9-7

(HOME TEAM IN CAPS)

Green Bay (-2) over ATLANTA: Both teams come in at 1-0, but I really liked what I saw out of Packers and Jordan Love last week in their win over the Bears.

Las Vegas (+9) over BUFFALO: The Bills blew that game at the Jets on MNF in Week 1. The Raiders are 1-0 and looked pretty good. I think the Bills win but the Raiders keep it close.

CINCINNATI (-3) over Baltimore: The Bengals looked horrible in their loss at Cleveland in Week 1. The Ravens cruised to a home win over the Texans. I like the Bengals in their home opener to bounce back.

DETROIT (-5) over Seattle: I was on the anti-Seahawks bandwagon this year, and they got beat badly at home by the Rams last week. The Lions upset the Chiefs in KC in the TNF opener, and I think they will get to 2-0 at home this week.

HOUSTON (+1) over Indianapolis: I think CJ Stroud out duels Anthony Richardson in the battle of rookie QBs.

Kansas City (-3) over JACKSONVILLE: I think the Chiefs will rebound this week and go into Jacksonville and get a win to get to 1-1. This will be a tough game for KC, but Pat Mahomes will find a way to win it.

Chicago (+4) over TAMPA BAY: I'm not going to overreact to the Bucs Week 1 win over the Vikings last week. I think this will be a close game. The Bears played awful in their Week 1 loss, and I think they will bounce back.

LA Chargers (-3) over Tennessee: Tough game to pick, and a lot of people are going to back the Titans at home, but I can't see Ryan Tannehill outplaying Justin Herbert. Both teams are 0-1, so this game is huge, but I like the Chargers to win it.

NY Giants (-3) over ARIZONA: The Giants will bounce back from that embarrassing loss to Dallas in Week 1, and they will go on the road and take care of the Cardinals. 

LA RAMS (+8) over San Francisco: The Niners looks lights out in their Week 1 win. The Rams upset Seattle on the road. I think the 49ers win, but the Rams keep it close.

NY Jets (+8) over DALLAS: The Jets lost Aaron Rodgers for the season to an Achilles injury just four plays into the season on MNF against the Bills. It is a crushing loss for the franchise. The Jets came back and beat the Bills and proved how good of a team they have. Now, they have to ride with Zach Wilson at QB, and we saw how that looked last year. Dallas will get the win at home but it might be closer than people anticipate. 

Miami (-3) over NEW ENGLAND: If Tua is healthy, the Dolphins offense is going to be very hard to stop. I think they will keep it rolling this week on the road in New England.

CAROLINA (+3) over New Orleans: This game is a toss-up. I'll take Carolina on a hunch.

PITTSBURGH (+2) over Cleveland: I think the Steelers will respond and play a lot better than they did in their home loss to the 49ers last week. The Browns upset the Bengals in Week 1, but I think they will fall short on the road this week. 

 

Eagles-Vikings Week 2 TNF Pick

 Minnesota (+7) over PHILADELPHIA

Broncos-Raiders and Week 1 Preview

Week 1 is here and the 2023 NFL season kicks off this weekend. There will be plenty of surprises and over-reactions in Week 1, but I'll try to get off to a good start with my picks.....

The Broncos open up the Sean Payton era at home against the Raiders. Denver has lost six straight games to the Raiders, and they have not beaten them since December of 2019. I get why the Broncos are favored in this game at home, and I'm sure the crowd will be a factor, but until I see it, I can't be confident in picking the Broncos at this point. I need to see it first.

Prediction: Las Vegas (+4) over DENVER

Final Score: Raiders-24 Broncos-20 

Now, onto the rest of the picks for Week 1......

(HOME TEAM IN CAPS)

ATLANTA (-3) over Carolina:

CLEVELAND (+3) over Cincinnati: 

INDIANAPOLIS (+4) over Jacksonville:

MINNESOTA (-6) over Tampa Bay: 

Tennessee (+3) over NEW ORLEANS:

PITTSBURGH (+3) over San Francisco:

WASHINGTON (-7) over Arizona:

BALTIMORE (-9) over Houston:

CHICAGO (-2) over Green Bay:

Philadelphia (-3) over NEW ENGLAND:

Los Angeles Rams (+5) over SEATTLE:

LOS ANGELES CHARGERS (-3) over Miami:

Dallas (-2) over NY GIANTS:

NY JETS (+2) over Buffalo: 

Chiefs-Lions Week 1 TNF Season Opener Pick

 KANSAS CITY (-4) over Detroit

2023 NFL Predictions

 AFC

AFC East

1) Buffalo Bills (11-6)

2) NY Jets (10-7) *Wild Card

3) Miami Dolphins (8-9)

4) New England Patriots (7-10) 

AFC North

1) Cincinnati Bengals (12-5)

2) Cleveland Browns  (11-6)*Wild Card

3) Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7)*Wild Card 

4) Baltimore Ravens (9-8)

AFC South

1) Tennessee Titans (10-7)

2) Jacksonville Jaguars (8-9) 

3) Indianapolis Colts (7-10)

4) Houston Texans (4-13) 

AFC West

1) Kansas City Chiefs (12-5)

2) Los Angeles Chargers (8-9)

3) Denver Broncos (8-9)

4) Las Vegas Raiders (5-12)

NFC

NFC East

1) Philadelphia Eagles (12-5)

2) Dallas Cowboys (11-6)*Wild Card 

3) New York Giants (9-8)

4) Washington Commanders (5-12)

NFC North

1) Minnesota Vikings (11-6)

2) Detroit Lions (10-7)*Wild Card 

3) Green Bay Packers (10-7)*Wild Card

4) Chicago Bears (6-11)

NFC South

1) New Orleans Saints (9-8)

2) Carolina Panthers (8-9)

3) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-10) 

4) Atlanta Falcons (5-12)

NFC West

1) San Francisco 49ers (11-6)

2) Los Angeles Rams (8-9)

3) Seattle Seahawks (7-10)

4) Arizona Cardinals (3-14) 

AFC Playoff Seeds

1) Cincinnati Bengals

2) Kansas City Chiefs 

3) Buffalo Bills

4) Tennessee Titans

5) Cleveland Browns

6) NY Jets

7) Pittsburgh Steelers 

NFC Playoff Seeds

1) Philadelphia Eagles

2) San Francisco 49ers

3) Minnesota Vikings

4) New Orleans Saints

5) Dallas Cowboys

6) Detroit Lions

7) Green Bay

2023 Playoff Predictions

Wild Card Weekend:

AFC

2) Kansas City over 7) Pittsburgh

3) Buffalo over 6) NY Jets

5) Cleveland over 4) Tennessee 

NFC

2) San Francisco over 7) Green Bay

6) Detroit over 3) Minnesota

5) Dallas over 4) New Orleans

Divisional Round:

AFC 

1) Cincinnati over 5) Cleveland

3) Buffalo over 2) Kansas City

NFC

1) Philadelphia over 6) Detroit

5) Dallas over 2) San Francisco

Championship Sunday:

3) Buffalo over 1) Cincinnati 

1) Philadelphia over 5) Dallas

Super Bowl

Buffalo over Philadelphia 

2023 Broncos Season Preview

With training camp in the rear view, the Broncos have finalized their roster and are looking forward to the beginning of the 2023 season and their Week 1 season opener at home against the rival Las Vegas Raiders. Instead of doing a training camp preview for the Broncos this year, I decided to do something different. I wanted to do a Broncos Preview once training camp ended in preparation for the 2023 season. Here's this year's 2023 Denver Broncos Preview......

Where we left off? The last time we saw the Broncos in the 2022 season they defeated the Los Angeles Chargers at home in Mile High, but the season was a disappointment. They finished 5-12 and fired head coach Nathaniel Hackett a few weeks earlier, and the season was a massive disappointment. 

What changed? Sean Payton was named head coach shortly after the season. The Broncos desperately needed a new head coach and REAL head coach to lead this franchise. Payton fit the bill with his terrific record in New Orleans and a Super Bowl championship. Payton comes to Denver and tries to change the culture from the Hackett regime and turn the Broncos franchise around. 

New Faces in Denver: The Broncos added starters on the offensive line with the free agent signings of Mike McGlinchey and Ben Powers. They also added DL Zach Allen from Arizona, and pass rusher Frank Clark. Denver also bolstered their RB position with the addition of Samaje Perine. In the draft, Denver added WR Marvin Mims and LB Drew Sanders in Rounds 2 and 3. All of those additions figure to play a significant role in the Denver lineup this year.

Can Russ Still Cook? The biggest question in Denver is if Sean Payton can get Russell Wilson to be "Russ" again and get back to his All-Pro form. It just was a disaster last year with Wilson and Hackett, and it just never clicked. I think that Payton will be able to help Russ and get him to play well. Wilson might not be the player he once was, but I think Payton can get him back on track to get him to play well enough to get the Broncos offense going in the right direction.

Rookies to Watch: Look for LB Drew Sanders to make an impact on defense for the Broncos. A lot of people thought that Sanders was a steal for the Broncos in the 3rd round. He looked really good in the preseason. Also, undrafted RB Jaleel McLaughlin was a stud in preseason and looks like a nice change of pace back to help Javonte Williams ease back in from that terrible knee injury he suffered last October. 

Impact Players: We know about the importance of Javonte Williams, but look for Perine and McLaughlin help the running game tremendously. Also, with the season-ending injury to WR Tim Patrick and the hamstring injury to Jerry Jeudy, look for Courtland Sutton to be a big contributor for Wilson in the passing game. Plus, look for TE Greg Dulcich to take a big step in year two. On defense, the Broncos still have Justin Simmons and Pat Surtain in the secondary, and the LB combo of Alex Singleton and Josey Jewell. If Randy Gregory can stay healthy, then he and Frank Clark can provide a solid pass rush combination with DTs DJ Jones and Zach Allen can be steady in stopping the run game.

Schedule Outlook: The Broncos have to get off to a 2-0 start with two home games against the Raiders and Commanders. They need to be 5-3 after their first eight games before the bye week. After that, there is a realistic path to going 5-4 the last nine games and getting to 10 wins. I'm going into this season with cautious optimism. Nothing can be worse than last year, so there is hope that this year will be a fun and exciting season. As long as Denver has a chance to make the playoffs in Weeks 17 and 18, then that will be a positive for the Broncos and their fans. 

Final Thoughts: The Broncos should be better than the debacle that we endured last year. They will be better coached with Sean Payton, and he should be able to get Russell Wilson to at least play better than he did last year. I like the defensive pieces 

Broncos Final 53 man Roster

 Here are your 2023 Denver Broncos....

Offense

QB: Russell Wilson, Jarrett Stidham

FB: Michael Burton

RB: Javonte Williams, Samaje Perine, Jaleel McLaughlin

WR: Jerry Jeudy, Courtland Sutton, Marvin Mims, Brandon Johnson

TE: Adam Trautman, Greg Dulcich, Chris Manhertz, Nate Adkins

OL: Garrett Bolles, Ben Powers, Lloyd Cushenberry, Quinn Meinerz, Mike McGlinchey, Cam Fleming, Quinn Bailey, Luke Wattenberg, Alex Forsyth 

Defense

DL: Zach Allen, Mike Purcell, Matt Henningsen, D.J. Jones, Jonathan Harris, Elijah Garcia

LB: Randy Gregory, Jonathon Cooper, Frank Clark, Nik Bonitto, Thomas Incoom, Josey Jewell, Alex Singleton, Drew Sanders, Justin Strnad, 

CB: Patrick Surtain, Demarri Mathis, Fabian Moreau, Ja/Quan McMillian, Essang Bassey, Riley Moss, Tremon Smith

S: Justin Simmons, Caden Sterns, Kareem Jackson, Delarrin Turner-Yell, JL Skinner

Special Teams

K: Will Lutz

P: Riley Dixon

LS: Mitchell Fraboni

* (CB)K'Wuan Williams, (S)P.J. Locke, and (OT)Alex Palczewski were placed on short-term IR, so they can return after the first four games of the season. Also, (LB) Baron Browning is on the PUP list and he can return a month into the season as well.