Okay, so clearly, I was not as prepared for this NFL season as I have been in the past. I still did not finish the divisional predictions, even though it is already the third week of the new season. Only half of them were done and published. Also, I have not made any predictions for the first two weeks, although at least this much seemed to be easily remedied.
So, here, finally, are my predictions for the new upcoming weekend in the NFL:
New York Giants a Houston - Anyone who follows this blog, or knows me personally, knows that I am a fan of Big Blue. But last season, they were just terrible. And the problem so far this season is that the Giants look a little too similar to the way that they did last season. Houston does not look great, either. Still, a road game with an improved defense might prove too much to a weak and vulnerable offensive line. Maybe the Giants show a little of the promise that they showed towards the end of last week's game at Dallas, but my suspicion is another loss, and an 0-3 start. Hopefully, I am wrong about this one, but I suspect that the home team wins. My pic: Houston
Buffalo at Minnesota - Yikes! Possibly the worst team in the NFL goes to visit one of the teams that has a real chance at the Super Bowl. The Vikings probably are still stinging from not having won that game at Green Bay last weekend, when they really should have. And the Bills have the misfortune of being their first opponents after that. Frankly, I just do not see Buffalo finding a way to make much of a game of this one against Minnesota. My prediction: Minnesota easily
Indianapolis at Philadelphia - Well, the Colts are improving, and maybe the Eagles are not as good as they were last season. Still, this is a tough order for anyone, going into an away game against the defending Super Bowl champions, after the champs were just upset, and somewhat embarrassed, the weekend before. Indy might be better than they seem, and perhaps the Bucs exposed some weaknesses, so maybe I am wrong here. But I expect Philly to bounce back. My prediction: Philadelphia
Green Bay at Washington - Washington looked awesome in week one, then looked weak last weekend. The Pack, meanwhile, look like a legitimate playoff contender, and some even believe they could be a Super Bowl contender. It's hard not to notice that Aaron Rodgers is questionable for this game, though, and that could affect the outcome. Still, nevertheless, my suspicion is that the Packers know the value of this game, and know that they might very well need it. So, I expect Green Bay to eke out a victory on the road here. My prediction: Green Bay
San Francisco at Kansas City - Kansas City might just be the hottest team out there right now. They have a hot young quarterback, and a seriously explosive offense. They are undefeated at 2-0, and just won a big road contest at Pittsburgh. The 49ers are hoping to be competitive and reach the playoffs, so this is a big test early for both teams. But with home field advantage and a ton of momentum heading into this one, it is difficult to predict anything but a Chiefs win. My prediction: Kansas City
Tennessee at Jacksonville - The Titans are perhaps an improved team, but the Jaguars look like they are seriously on a mission thus far this season. With Mariota questionable, and with Jacksonville having a chance to seriously grab this division by the throat early, I suspect that the Jaguars really come out swinging, and simply wear down a weaker opponent to remain unbeaten and look like the early favorite to take the division and establish themselves as one of the favorites in this young season. My prediction: Jacksonville
Oakland at Miami - The Dolphins are red hot, while the Raiders are not. Sure, the Raiders likely will sap out of it, and most people expect that the Dolphins will falter at some point, as well. It could happen this week, but my suspicion is that this will be a tight game, but that the home team Dolphins will nose out the Raiders in this contest to remain unbeaten. That said, I would not be surprised to be wrong in this one, as Oakland is better than their 0-2 record might suggest. So, this could be an upset. For now, though, I have to go with the Fins. My pick: Miami
Cincinnati at Carolina - A tough test for both teams. This is not exactly a must win for either side just yet, but the Panthers especially need to win in order to keep up in a tough division, where the surprising Bucs are undefeated and ahead. But Cincy is also undefeated, and with good reason. They look better than they have in years, and based on the way that these two teams are playing, they should have the edge. Still, this game is in Carolina, and that is not the easiest place to play. Another toss up, but I expect that the Panthers, behind Cam Newton, pull this one off and hand the Bengals their first loss of the young season. My pick: Carolina
New Orleans at Atlanta - A good rivalry, and this is a very important game for both teams. The Saints have not looked as good as they did last season, while the Falcons, I suspect, look like they are emerging as playoff contenders yet again. Atlanta is a tough place to play, and so my suspicion is that home field advantage serves them well, and they continue their winning ways. My prediction: Atlanta
Denver at Baltimore - The Broncos are hot and unbeaten. The Ravens, meanwhile, are reeling after that stinging loss to he Bengals. But the Ravens are back home, and Baltimore can be a tough place to play. Plus, Denver has hardly looked overpowering, and they have not yet been seriously tested. With a hungry Ravens team ready to get back to winning, it will be a tough challenge for a Denver team still trying to find their identity, and resolve lingering quarterback issues. My pick: Baltimore
L.A. Chargers at L.A. Rams - The battle for Los Angeles. Unfortunately, this does not look like it will be much of a match. The Chargers won last weekend, although they beat a very weak, struggling Bills team that bears no resemblance to the powerhouse that the Rams appear to be. The Rams simply have too many weapons, too much talent on both offense and defense, and it s hard to see how the Chargers can even really make a game of this one. My prediction: L.A. Rams
Dallas at Seattle - Dallas looked good last weekend in hanging on and beating the Giants. Now, even though they are on the road, they go up against a winless and struggling Seahawks team. Seattle is not as bad as some people suspected, at least based on their play so far. But they still have lost a lot of talent, and so far, they have lost each of their games. Expect that to remain the case, as the 'Boys continue to roll with a win here. My prediction: Dallas
Chicago at Arizona - Every time these two teams meet, I think about that infamous postgame press conference, where former Arizona coach Dennis Green famously stated that they (the Bears) were who they thought the Bears were, but they let them off the hook. Well, the Bears are a better team than they have been now in years, while the Cardinals seem worse than they have been in a long time. Home field advantage or not, the Cardinals are likely headed to another loss city. Chicago is an emerging powerhouse, potentially, and these are the games that will help to establish them as serious contenders. My pick: Chicago
Sunday Night Football
New England at Detroit - New England is coming off a disappointing, rare loss. The Lions, meanwhile, are coming off two all too familiar losses. Logic would dictate that the Patriots win this one, and win big. However, the Lions really hung in there against San Francisco last week, after getting embarrassed by the Jets in week on. Also, it is possibly a wild card factor in this game that Matt Patricia knows these New England Patriots, and presumably, might know how to tame them. Still, the Lions have not shown much yet, and with the Patriots clearly hungry to get back to their normal winning ways, it is a tall order, and probably a little bit too much to expect from this year's Detroit Lions. My pick: New England
Monday Night Football
Pittsburgh at Tampa Bay - Normally, this would seem like a no brainer. After all, this is the Pittsburgh Steelers, perennial bullies and winners in this league. And this is the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, perennial losers and the bullied in the NFL. But so far, this season has been different. The Buccaneers are playing some phenomenal ball, and the Steelers, meanwhile, are surprisingly struggling. If there is a week when the Steelers really need to put it together, this would be the week. Tampa Bay surely cannot stay as hot as they have been, logic would suggest. Still, this is a MNF game, which gives the Bucs a bit more time, and the national television focus. Yet, Pittsburgh is undeniably more experienced in these situations. A tough call, and I could see it go either way, but I will give a nod to the home team. My pick: Tampa Bay
No comments:
Post a Comment