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New England 54, NY Jets 13 – What do you say after a pounding like this? The Jets came into this game with one of the league’s worst rated offenses, so the fact that they produced 13 points was not entirely surprising. But the defense allowing this many points? Sure, the Pats have owned Gang Green for quite some time now, but losing by over 40 points? I mean, this is not the dynasty era for New England anymore. And while I suspect that Belichick is improving them and getting them ready to make a run at the playoffs in the near future, there simply is no excuse for this kind of a beating. Plus, Zach Wilson suffered a concussion, which is not a good sign, obviously. Let’s hope that he’s okay, but we also should understand that the already struggling Jets offense will likely not look any better anytime soon. That said, the Jets did sign veteran quarterback Joe Flacco, so he can hopefully provide some stability there. This was obviously just an ugly loss, with no real positives that could be seen in the aftermath. New England improves to 3-4 with the win, while the Jets fall to 1-5. My pick: Accurate
Tennessee 27, Kansas City 3 – Okay, so there is a point where we all have to admit that the Chiefs are not looking very much like they have in recent seasons, and nothing like what we expected them to be at this point. They had a big game at Tennessee, and with the Titans coming up that big win against Buffalo, KC could hardly claim t have bene taken by surprise or anything. But they still got their butts kicked from the beginning of this game, right to the end. They were down 27-0 by halftime, and scored a field goal in the second half as an answer. That was hardly enough to really have them rally and make a run at a comeback win. Just an ugly game, and you have to say that as of right now, even though I do not want to count them out, it is difficult to view the Chiefs as one of the top teams in the AFC so far based on the way that they have been playing to this point. Sad. My pick: Inaccurate
Tampa Bay 38, Chicago 3 – Another outcome that makes you kind of say, “Yikes!” Brady was a bit too much for Da Bears on this day, completing 20 of 36 passes for 211 yards, and a whopping four touchdown passes. The Bucs produced over 400 yards of offense and 28 first downs, numbers that Chicago simply could not keep up with. But worse, the Bears committed five turnovers, while the Bucs only had one. You just cannot expect to win games when you give the ball away that much more than your opponent. So the Bucs sat back and let the Bears beat themselves. A predictable outcome, frankly, although the Bears lack of ability to score has to be a growing concern. My pick: Accurate
NY Giants 25, Carolina 3 – How about this? My Giants won a second game on the year. The Panthers scored first, taking a 3-0 lead in the first quarter. But after that, it was all Giants. They got a safety in the second quarter, then took the field goal a few minutes later to take the lead for good. For the most part, the Giants settled for field goals. Yet still, they dominated this game, hanging onto the ball for over 34 minutes, producing 21 first downs, to just 11 for Carolina, and over 300 yards of offense, while limiting the Panthers to 173 total yards on offense. So the defense played well, and the offense did, as well. Danie Jones returned, completing 25 of 33 passes for 203 yards and a touchdown, which seems like a solid return performance. An important win, because the G-Men no longer appear to be contenders for worst team in the league, although they still look very much in the bottom five or ten. Still, it feels good to see them winning like that, especially comfortably. With the win, the Giants improve to 2-5 on the season, while the Panthers drop their fourth straight game following a 3-0 start to the season. My pick: Inaccurate
Atlanta 30, Miami 28 – This was a fairly evenly matched game. The statistics reflect this. The Fins actually held advantages in yards gained and first downs earned, and enjoyed a significant advantage in time of possession. Yet, their defense just could not stop the Falcons in the second quarter and early in the third, and that allowed Atlanta to enjoy a 20-point run. Sure, it might have wound up as a tight game, but you just cannot allow that kind of a run and expect to win. It was a good game, and went back and forth. Ultimately, however, the Falcons survived a tough Miami rally which even saw the Dolphins taking a lead late. But the Falcons got that field goal on the final play that won it for them. With the win, Atlanta improves to 3-3 on the season. As for Miami, this dreadful, nightmarish losing streak just keeps going on and on. This was the sixth straight loss for the Fins, who fall to 1-6 on the season. My pick: Accurate
Cincinnati 41, Baltimore 17 – Whoa! Now this was a surprise. Not so much a surprise that the Bengals should win, but it was the manner in which they did it that kind of raises eyebrows. The two teams were mostly even and engaged in a tough and tight game through the first half. Then the Ravens scored a touchdown early in the third to actually take a lead. But then, it was all Cincinnati. They scored four unanswered touchdowns to make this one a laugher. The Bengals put up a whopping 520 yards, and the Ravens simply could not stop the Bengals offense in the second half. Quarterback Joe Burrow has already been impressive, but in this game, he was transcendent. He completed 23 of 38 passes for 416 yards and three touchdowns, although he also had one interception. As impressive as he may have been prior to this game, it felt like this game might have elevated him to elite quarterback status. Possibly, it might have done the same for the Bengals as a team, because they still felt a bit suspect, but wins like this are pushing the doubts away. What a win for the Bengals. Both teams are now 5-2 and tied for first place in the AFC North as of right now. My pick: Inaccurate
Green Bay 24, Washington 10 – This was mostly what everybody would have predicted, right? The Packers put up enough offense, and played solid enough defense, to win. Surprisingly, Washington actually dominated in some key statistical categories. They won the time of possession battle, produced far more first downs, 25 to 19, and earned 430 total yards on offense, to just 304 for Green Bay. They did, however, turn the ball over twice, to just one time for the Packers. But the Pack also have Aaron Rodgers, who enjoyed a spectacular day, completing 27 of 35 passes for 274 yards and three touchdowns. And while the Pack capitalized better on their opportunities, Washington just was not able to score enough when it mattered. After a first quarter touchdown, they only produced one scoring drive, and that was a field goal late in the fourth quarter. That’s just not good enough to win at Lambeau. With the win, the Packers stay hot, taking their sixth straight win to improve to 6-1. Meanwhile, Washington falls to 2-5 on the season, and are tied with the Eagles and Giants for last place in the NFC East. My pick: Accurate
Arizona 31, Houston 5 – The Cardinals won this game in predictable fashion, although the Texans did look good early on. But after taking a surprising, not to mention unconventional, 5-0 lead early in the second quarter, the Texans ran out of steam. From that point onward, the Cardinals took over. By halftime, they were up 17-5. And they wound up winning very comfortably, 31-5. Arizona held onto the ball for over 34 minutes, produced just shy of 400 yards of offense, all while limiting the Texans to 160 yards of total offense. The Cards tripled the amount of first downs that the Texans earned, 24 to 8. All of which leads to the obvious outcome: the Cards win, and win big. Kyler Murray remains a top contender for league MVP, as he completed 20 of 28 passes for 261 yards and three touchdowns, although he also had one INT. With the win, Arizona remains the league’s last remaining unbeaten team at 7-0, while the Texans drop their sixth straight to fall to 1-6. One interesting side note: this was the first NFL game in history that ended with the score 31-5. The Cardinals will host the Packers next in a big game on Thursday, while the Texans next host the Rams on Sunday. My pick: Accurate
LA Rams 28, Detroit 19 – The Rams did not blow the Lions out or anything. Yet, they did hang on for the important win. That is a sign that maybe the Rams are for real, because they won on a day when they did not play their best, and they improve to 6-1 on the season. Meanwhile, the Lions simply cannot catch any breaks. This was just another in an already long and growing line of disappointments this season, as they fall to 0-7 on the year. It already feels like they might want to position themselves for a high pick in next year’s draft. My pick: Accurate
Las Vegas 33, Philadelphia 22 – The Raiders have had an up and down season thus far. Yet, they earned a key win here when they needed it the most, at least to this point in the season. The Eagles managed to score the early touchdown to take the lead, but then the Raiders just dominated, going on a 30-point run in the second and third quarters, and putting the game out of reach, for all intents and purposes. With the win, the Raiders improve to 5-2 and take sole possession of first pace in the AFC West, while also tied with several other AFC teams for best record in the conference. As for the Eagles, this is another brutal loss that pushes them still farther behind Dallas. My pick: Accurate
SNF:Indianapolis 30, San Francisco 18 - The 49ers lost their fourth straight game, this time at home to Indianapolis. That was after their bye week, so they had some extra time to rest and prepare for this one. Not a good sign. The Colts are really getting it on after that dismal 0-3 start to the season, and have now won three of their past four games. They improve to 3-4 on the season, although they remain two behind Tennessee. San Fran, meanwhile, falls still farther behind both the Cardinals and Rams in the NFC West. My pick: Inaccurate
MNF: New Orleans 13, Seattle 10 – Is it safe to say that the Seahawks season is done yet? Not that the Saints are a bad team, or anything. Clearly, they are not, having qualified for the playoffs several years in a row now, and having gotten off to an impressive 4-2 start here this season. But the Seahawks were supposed to be a serious contender this season, yet things just keep growing worse for them. This was the third straight loss for Seattle, and at this point, it is just becoming very difficult to picture them digging themselves out of the hole that they find themselves in, through a combination of bad luck and bad play. They have talent, but with the injuries and other bad luck, it just feels almost hopeless. Seattle is usually a tough place for road teams to play, but the home crowd has yet to see the Seahawks actually win a game at home yet. It just does not feel like their season. My pick: Inaccurate
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