Wow. The Thursday night game between the Broncs and Colts set the NFL back 20 years. What is happening with Russell Wilson? This season is quickly turning into an unmitigated disaster for both team. When you trade your future and give $ 245 million to the player that will take your team back to the Super Bowl, there are huge warning sirens going off in Denver. And the Colts, by way of their poor conference, win a game they sorely needed, but no one deserved to win this one. Let’s hope the rest of the weeks games are better. They have to be!
Jets v Dolphins
Teddy Bridgewater will have the helm for the Dolphins for the foreseeable future as Tua rests his multiple injuries. While the Jets have steadily improved, particularly on offence, I think steady Teddy will be able to lead the Fins to a solid performance and they will be able to pull away early. Zack Wilson showed flashes in their comeback victory last week, but consistency is still the name of the game, and he still makes many questionable plays.
Dolphins 30 over Jets 17
Packers v Giants
Our second straight London game opens the Sunday window with two teams that depend heavily on their talented backfield. Aaron Rodgers is slowly starting to receive better protection, and players like Romeo Doubs are expanding the playbook. I can see the Giants hanging in there with the Pack, but injuries to their skill positions will force Daniel Jones into mistakes and turnovers that allow Green Bay to take and maintain their lead.
Packers 24 over Giants 20
Bills v Steelers
Steelers fans finally got their wish when Trubisky was benched in favour of exciting rookie QB Kenny Pickett. While he was game, rushing for 2 touchdowns and almost pulling out the win against the Jets, his three turnovers were killers. No one will hold these interceptions against Pickett, who had to relieve at half time, but he is still facing a great Bills D with a ruthless pass rush. I can see Pickett playing bravely, and giving the Pittsburgh faithful some hope for the future, but he is going to be on the ground a lot. Look for Allen to dominate a vulnerable Steelers defence which has had to play a lot of snaps to start the season.
Bills 38 over Steelers 20
Bucs v Falcons
The Falcons and Bucs meet each other with some interesting contrast. Where the Bucs have heavily leaned on their dominant defence, the Falcons have needed their offence to give them a chance. This will be an interesting NFC South matchup with the Bucs wanting to bounce back from a poor performance against the Chiefs. Marcus Mariota is not Patrick Mahomes, but Arthur Smith does have some punch in his running game. I see this as a close game to start, with the Bucs D taking over and forcing the Falcons into 3rd and long, which they are not built to convert consistently. Brady’s health is a concern, but if the Bucs can run the ball against a vulnerable Falcons front seven, they should be able to pull put the victory.
Bucs 28 over Falcons 20
Panthers v 49ers
The Panthers offence is awful. The 49ers defence is elite. Analysis over.
49ers 33 over Panthers 6
Patriots v Lions
Two teams that look like they should have more wins than they do, this will be a battle of philosophy. The Pats defence has played pretty well considering their talent level, and the running game is powerful. That said, I think this is the week the Lions get off the schnide. Bailey Zappe is not an NFL quarterback, or even a backup. If the Lions can score early, and run the clock down, they will force Zappe into passing situations. While the Lions D is terrible, if they have one strength, it might be their pass rushers. Look for a big game from rookie Aiden Hutchinson.
Lions 34 over Pats 27
Browns v Chargers
Two surprises so far for very different reasons, the Browns are playing better than most thought, while the Chargers have struggled more than most thought. Cleveland fans must be thrilled with where their team is early on, as their running game and solid quarterback play has them playing quite well. The Chargers need more from their run game to allow Herbert and Co to hit shot plays with the play action game. I can see the Browns slowing the game down and leading early, but LA coming back through downfield passing.
Chargers 24 over Browns 17
Jags v Texans
Is this the Trevor Lawrence coming out game? The Texans defence is not awful, but their lack of consistency in all three phases leaves them vulnerable to the Jags balanced attack. I can see Lawrence picking apart the Texans secondary on the way to an easy win.
Jags 35 over Texans 13
Vikings v Bears
The Bears offence is a special kind of terrible. All of Justin Fields’ possibilities are being crushed by bad play calling necessitated by a lack of weapons and poor line play. The run game is OK, but teams have already started keying on the run putting 8 or 9 in box, and Fields has not shown the ability to beat it. The Vikings have to get Justin Jefferson going, and this might be his comeback week. Look for Jefferson and Thielen to feast on the Bears D as they will have lots of opportunities to have the ball.
Vikings 30 over Bears 9
Commanders v Titans
The Commanders started looking decent on offence, but the old Wentz turnover machine is back in business. The Titans have got Henry and the run game working, and the defence is hawking against opposing offences. I don’t see a dominant win by the Titans, but overall, Washington will be lacklustre and not really challenge Tennessee.
Titans 17 over Commanders 10
Saints v Seahawks
The Seahawks won a shootout over the Lions last week, with Geno Smith looking very comfortable in running the offence efficiently. The Saints will be coming off a heartbreaker in London, and I can see them starting slow and having a tough time coming back against a Seattle team that can score in bunches. While the Saints D is still a solid unit, they are not the elite group that could win despite the sub-20 point offence that Dennis Allen is putting out there.
Seahawks 27 over Saints 16
Cards v Eagles
The Eagles have yet to hit their high gear, and it is hard to say whether the offence or defence is more impressive. Jalen Hurts continues to make the right reads at the right time, and the defence menaces opposing offensive lines with stunts and opportune blitzes. I see Kyler having a rough day as the Eagles get out to a quick early lead, forcing Murray to pass. The speed that the Eagles have in their secondary will allow them to keep Kyler in the pocket, and the o-line will get dominated by the Green men in the trenches.
Eagles 44 over Cards 17
Rams v Cowboys
The tale of two teams in transition, the Rams offence has played horribly so far, and the Cowboys offence has surpassed expectation with backup Cooper Rush managing well. If the Rams cannot sort out their protection for Stafford, and get people off the ball in the run game, they are looking at falling farther behind the Niners in the West. The Rams are favoured in Vegas, but I see the Cowboys defence dominating and Zeke and Pollard doing enough on the ground to have them coast to the win at home.
Cowboys 20 over Rams 14
Ravens v Bengals
The Ravens and their aggressive playstyle may have been their downfall last week against the Bills. They definitely showed they belonged in the AFC elite with the Bills and the Chiefs, and need to show a return to this dominance to keep pace. The Bengals offence has been better, but is still not unlocking Ja’Marr Chase and his ability to bust open the opposing defence. Look for Lamar to take control and guide the Ravens to a tough road win.
Ravens 27 over Bengals 14
Chiefs v Raiders
The league is officially on notice with Mahomes and Co embarrassing the Bucs last week and dominating. The defence is also playing well, with heaps of pressure the ability to take risks knowing their offence can move the ball at will. The Raiders only hope will be Josh Jacobs taking control and keeping the KC offence off the field. I don’t see this happening with the game script quickly pushing the run game to the side.
Chiefs 38 over Raiders 28
Can’t wait for the rest of this weeks’ action. See you later for the recaps!
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