Week 16 Picks

Philadelphia and Washington face off

with the NFC East up for grabs

(via Washington Post)

Washington (+3) @ Philadelphia - A toss up game between division rivals in a game that could ultimately decide the division championship.  Washington has won its last two meetings against the Eagles and even in their loss against Philadelphia last season, Washington managed to put up 35 points at Lincoln Financial.

Sam Bradford is capable of throwing deep bombs against Washington's secondary.  Mychal Kendricks of the Eagles are talking trash and giving Washington bulletin board material- "If I know myself and I know my teammates, the Redskins got something coming to them.  For real. That's real shit."

Of course, DeSean Jackson likely could get revenge against his former team especially since the Eagles have injuries in the secondary


NY Giants (+6) @ Minnesota - Even though the Giants are losing Odell Beckham for one game due to a suspension, they are still playing for their playoff lives.  Manning has other viable targets including Randle and Vereen to make this close.  Of course, the Giants need to step it up defensively or they could be looking at another disappointing season.

Chicago @ Tampa Bay (-3) - Chicago has blown a lot of games as of late to lesser opponents and Lovie Smith looks to get revenge against his former team.

Carolina (-6.5) @ Atlanta - Atlanta is coming off a win but the Panthers have easily took care of business earlier in the season with 38-0 drumming.  Carolina had a bit of letdown against the Giants but are still playing for homefield advantage throughout the playoffs.

Dallas @ Buffalo (-6) - Buffalo will be missing Lesean McCoy with an injury but Dallas could be without Dez Bryant and Cole Beasley.  The Dallas Cowboys will go with yet another quarterback in Kellen Moore.

Jacksonville @ New Orleans (-3) - New Orleans blew another home game last week to the Lions but go against the Jaguars who are battling for a division title, have still struggled against lesser opponents including the Titans and Falcons

San Francisco @ Detroit (-10) - Detroit when playing up to its potential is cable of putting the clamps down on defense against high octane teams like the Packers and Saints.  The 49ers have scored 14 points or less in six of their past seven games.  

Cleveland @ Kansas City (-11) - Cleveland did struggle on the road against the Seattle.  These problems could continue against the Kansas City who look to solidify their playoff case.

Indianapolis @ Miami (-2.5) - Perhaps Matt Hasselbeck has reverted back to the mean.  In a battle of two struggling teams, the Dolphins may have the edge from the homefield advantage as they look to recover from a bad loss to San Diego.

New England  @ NY Jets (+3) - This could be a defensive battle especially if the Patriots could be without Brandon LaFell.   The Jets could devise an effective strategy to slow down Gronkowski and they have enough offensive weapons in Marshall, Decker, and Ivory to pull off the upset.

Houston (-3.5) @ Tennessee - In this battle of backup quarterbacks, Houston's defense could be the difference.  Look for the Texans to establish the run early and often with Alfred Blue.

Green Bay @ Arizona (-4.5) - While Arizona suffered notable injuries to their secondary, they could still throw out an effective game plan to slow down Aaron Rodgers.  Arizona may be the deepest teams in terms of receivers and running back David Johnson showed shades of Marshawn Lynch last week against the Eagles.

St. Louis @ Seattle (-12.5) - Seattle will look to take revenge against the Rams who pulled out a close win against Seattle earlier in the season.  Seattle was without Kam Chancellor and should put the clamps down on St. Louis's offense.

Cincinnati @ Denver (-3.5) - In the battle of backup quarterbacks, Brock Osweiler is slightly better. The Broncos managed to play the Steelers to one score where as the Bengals lost by double digits to Pittsburgh.  

Week 16 Thursday Night Pick

Phillip Rivers looks to even the series

after losing to the Raiders earlier this season

San Diego (+5.5) @ Oakland - Both teams come into this game eliminated from playoff contention.  San Diego is coming off a win against the Miami Dolphins while the Raiders did manage to keep it relatively close against the Packers. While it is a home game for the Raiders, San Diego should be more well rested given that they traveled less. 

Last week: 8-8

Season: 114-87-6

Week 15 Picks

Ryan Fitzpatrick is only 5 TDs away 

from setting the Jets franchise record

for most passing TDs in a single season

(via Newsday)

New York Jets (-3.5) @ Dallas - Dallas only managed to put up 7 points against Green Bays 'defense.  The Jets, under Todd Bowls, could easily replicate that efford.  Chris Ivory seems confident in the Jets running game as he declares himself a top 5 running back.

Atlanta @ Jacksonville (-3) - Atlanta has lost six of its past seven games and looks to avoid being the first team in NFL history to finish the season below .500.  The Jaguars in the meantime have averaged 38.33 points per game over the past 3 games including 51 points in a win against the Colts.

Houston @ Indianapolis (-2) - It looks like Texans QB Brian Hoyer is going to be out and TJ Yates who was not on the roster at the beginning of the season is going to start.  Hasselbeck, the 40 year old, has reverted back to the mean with terrible performances in the past few weeks but should still give the Colts the advantage at the helm.

Kansas City (-7) @ Baltimore - Baltimore appears to have thrown in the towel in a blowout loss to the Seahawks.  The Chiefs did get a much tougher fight from the Chargers, a division rival, but look to take care of business against the Ravens this week.

Chicago @ Minnesota (-5.5)- The Bears struggled on the road against Washington while the Vikings while losing to the Cardinals, did play relatively well and could bounce back with some momentum against Chicago at home.  

Green Bay (-3) @ Oakland - The Packers have rediscovered their running game with Eddy Lacy even though Aaron Rodgers is struggling.  The Raiders are coming off a big win against the Broncos but could be due for a letdown.  

Miami (+1.5) @ San Diego - Not much separates these struggling teams.  The Dolphins have slightly better players at running back (Lamar Miller) and wide receiver (Jarvis Landry).  

Tennessee @ New England (-14) -  While Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski did not practice, look for them to play against the lowly Titans.  The Patriots should be able to devise a defense that confuses rookie Marcus Mariota.  

Cleveland @ Seattle (-14.5)- Seattle is clicking on offense without Jimmy Graham and they look to stomp the Cleveland Browns at home to keep their playoff hopes alive.

Carolina (-4.5) @ NY Giants - While the New York Giants play for their playoff lives, the Panthers defense may be good enough to slow down Odell Beckham which could help continue Carolina's undefeated season.  

Arizona (-3.5) @ Philadelphia - Arizona looks to end Philadelphia's two game winning streak in order to maintain its division lead against the Cardinals.  The Eagles may be tough and look to win their third straight although the Cardinals may be a better team than the injured bunch the Patriots put out against the Eagles a few weeks ago.

Buffalo @ Washington (+1.5) - The lack of offensive line protection for the Bills was a concern against the Eagles even though the Bills have a mobile quarterback in Tyrod Taylor.  Although Washington did lose its last home game to Dallas, Washington is still 5-2 at home.  

Denver @ Pittsburgh (-6.5) - Pittsburgh could get a good performance from Big Ben who usually does not have two bad weeks in a row.  Even though Roethlisberger failed to throw a touchdown for the first time in 7 games, the Steelers were still put up 33 points.  The Broncos' offense may have issues after failing to score a touchdown in their last game and after being held scoreless in the 2nd half against the Raiders.

Cincinnati @ San Francisco (+5.5) - The 49ers defense could contain the Bengals offense without Andy Dalton.  Backup AJ McCaron was mistake prone in his appearance against the Steelers.  Blaine Gabbert looks to get the 49ers offense going as he did struggle against the Cleveland Browns last week.  

Detroit @ New Orleans (-3) - New Orleans may close out the schedule strong as all of their remaining opponents are under .500.  The Lions keep finding ways to lose and could struggle if the Saints make it a high scoring game.  

Week 15 Thursday Night Pick

Jameis Winston has so far  proven his critics wrong

and has show the ability to be a decent starting quarterback

(via NFL.com)

Tampa Bay (+2.5) @ St. Louis - The people who did not decide to book their tickets for Star Wars will get an opportunity to see this Thursday Night game.

The Bucs and the Rams previously played each other 

on Monday Night Football when a Star Wars movie came out

Tampa Bay looks to get going after losing a home game to the Saints.  Jameis Winston has gone through ups and downs but it looks like he is a solid leader.  Saint Louis Rams' running back Todd Gurley managed to rush for over 100 yards against the Lions; this was the first time in 6 games that Gurley surpassed 100 yards.   The Bucs have one of the top rushing defenses and have not given up a single run longer than 21 yards this season.

Last week: 7-9

This season: 106-79-6

Week 14 Picks

Adrian Peterson could be a tough 

challenge for the Cardinals' defense

Minnesota (+11) @ Arizona - Minnesota is coming off a blowout loss against Seattle where the Vikings only produced 125 yards of offense.  Still, Minnesota has won its past 4 road games and could make it competitive against the Cardinals.

Pittsburgh @ Cincinnati (-3) - Cincinnati looks to sweep the season series against the Pittsburgh Steelers.  In their last game, Ben Roethlisberger threw 3 interceptions.  The Bengals are playing to keep homefield advantage and should be motivated against a division rival.  

Buffalo (-1.5) @ Philadelphia - LeSean McCoy looks to get revenge against the Philadelphia Eagles who traded him to Buffalo.  While the Eagles are coming off an impressive win against the New England Patriots,  Philadelphia is still only 2-5 outside of their division.  

Atlanta @ Carolina (-7.5) - Cam Newton is playing himself as the MVP favorite.  While the Panthers had a close win against the New Orleans Saints, the Falcons have lost their past 5 games.  This could be a close game if Falcons coach Dan Quinn can come up with an effective game plan against Newton, as he was 3-0 against Newton when he was with Seattle.  Of course, the Falcons defense has not been nearly as good as the legion of boom so far this season. 

San Francisco @ Cleveland (-1.5)- Cleveland tries to get back on track after suffering a big loss to the Bengals as they go back to Johnny Manziell as their starting quarterback. San Francisco in meantime came away with an impressive win against the Bears although itthey could be due for a letdown.  

Washington @ Chicago (-3) - Washington and Chicago both had disappointing losses to below average teams.  Washington appeared worse though given that they likely could have locked up a playoff spot with a win.  The Bears look to get back on track against Washington who has failed to register a road win this season. 

Detroit (-2.5) @ St. Louis - Detroit is still feeling the sting of a last second loss off a Hail Mary from Rodgers to Rodgers.  Still, the Lions look to be the superior team to the Rams who have lost 5 straight.  The Rams look like they have made a mistake by extending Nick Foles before the start of season.  

San Diego @ Kansas City (-10) - Kansas City came away with a blowout win earlier this season against San Diego and are on a six game winning streak.  San Diego offense looks in shambles as they only scored 3 points last week against the Broncos and their only wins this season are against below .500 teams including the Lions, Browns, and Jaguars.  

Indianapolis (+1) @ Jaguars - Hasselbeck seems to be healthy again and look to bounce back after suffering a blowout loss to the Steelers.  

New Orleans @ Tampa Bay (-3.5) - While New Orleans did play Carolina close, that still does not mean that they have yet overcome their road struggles as the Bucs look to sweep the Saints.

Tennessee @ NY Jets (-7) -  Marcus Mariotta and the Titans offense put up 41 points against the Jaguars offense but could struggle to put up the same number of points against the New York Jets could have Revis back after he participated in practice this week.  

New England (-3) @ Houston - The Patriots come into the game losing their past two games and could kiss their chances of a by goodbye if they lose to the Texans.  JJ Watt could be limited a bit with a broken hand.

Oakland @ Denver (-7.5) - The Onion speculates about Peyton Manning.  In the meantime, the Broncos appear to be a better team with Brock Osweiler at quarterback.   

Dallas @ Green Bay (-7) - While Dallas kept its playoff chances alive by beating Washington, Green Bay could prove to be a tougher test.  Although Green Bay also struggled to run the ball against the Lions,  I would expect the Packers to put the pressure on Dallas's offense as they should put up more than 16 points that Washington put up last week.  

Seattle  @ Baltimore (+9) - Seattle has won its past 3 games.  Still, the Ravens have made it a habit of keeping their games close; all of their losses have been by 8 points or less.  

NY Giants (-1) @ Miami - The Giants playoff chances are alive and well despite losing 4 of its past 5 games.  This is perhaps the Giants easiest game left on their schedule although it could be tough as the Dolphins are 2-1 against NFC east opponents.  

Last week: 7-9

Season- 99-70-6

Week 13 Picks

You like that!!??

Kirk Cousins looks to keep Washington atop 

the NFC East with a win against Dallas

(via the Washington Post)

Green Bay @ Detroit (+3) - 

Bizarro World pic.twitter.com/1KSsK4uhpe

— Kevin Patra (@kpatra) December 3, 2015

It appears the Lions are playing better football right now and did win their last meeting at Green Bay.  It will be interesting to see if Rodgers can play more like the quarterback that started the season 6-0.  The Lions comes off a week of rest while the Packers have only 3 days rest.  

San Francisco @ Chicago (-7) - 

Jay Cutler is three touchdowns away from becoming the 39th quarterback in NFL history to reach 200 career passing touchdowns. #Bears

— Jeff Dickerson (@DickersonESPN) December 3, 2015

The Bears shut down the Packers offense last week.  It will be interesting to see if Bears can score more than 20 points which they were not able to do the past two weeks against the Broncos and Packers.   The 49ers now go to Shaun Draugn as the starting running back. while Blaine Gabbert has shown signs of being an NFL quarterback with good mobility and pocket presence so far.  It may not be enough to overcome a Bears team that is playing pretty well.  

Cincinnati (-9.5) @ Cleveland - Apparently, Greg Rosenthal thinks that Dalton can make you a super bowl contender.  While that remains to be seen, the Bengals will benefit from playing a dysfunctional Browns team whose coaching has not been great as they have managed to lose their past 6 games.  

Jacksonville (+2.5) @ Tennessee - The Jaguars look to make up for a loss against a 2-8 Chargers team and lost ground in their division with Houston and Indianapolis winning.  The Titans did manage to keep it close last week against the Raiders but they still can't walk away from the fact that they are 1-9 in their past 10 games.  

Houston (+3) @ Buffalo - 

AFC Defensive Player of the Month for November: @HoustonTexans DE J.J. Watt. 5th career Player of the Month Award

— Jon Zimmer (@NFLhistory) December 3, 2015

The Bills have lost their past two games on the road.  Although the Bills have not been all that great at home either with a 2-3 record.  JJ Watt and Houston's defense appears to be hitting its stride as they have won their past 4 games.   

Baltimore (+4) @ Miami  - Baltimore did come out with a road win against Cleveland.  It remains to be seen if the Ravens can find the same special teams magic that they did against Cleveland.  Still, the Dolphins have lost 4 of their past 5 games.  

Carolina @ New Orleans (+7) - The Saints did play the Panthers close earlier in the season with their backup quarterback.  While the Saints have been struggling with 3 straight losses, they are still 3-2 at home and all of those losses at home were by 7 points or less.  

Seattle @ Minnesota - Russell Wilson has been playing great- he's statistically playing better than some all time greats.  If Wilson is solid, the Seahawks could come out with a win even against a Vikings team that has won 6 of its past 7.

Arizona (-6) @ St. Louis - St. Louis did beat Arizona earlier in the season although they have currently lost their past four games.  Jeff Fisher is 12 losses away from having the most losses of all-time.  The Cardinals will have to survive without Chris Johnson for the rest of the season.  David Johnson will have to fill in a bigger role and perhaps we will even see more runs from Carson Palmer like this.  

Atlanta (+1.5) @ Tampa Bay  -  The Buccaneers look to get back on track after losing by double digits to the Colts.  The Falcons have lost their past 4 games although their past two losses are against hot teams including the Colts and Vikings.  Atlanta is 3-2 on the road and Tampa Bay is 2-3 at home so the homefield advantage should be minimal for the Bucs.  

NY Jets @ NY Giants (-2) - For what it's worth, Eli Manning is 2-0 against the New York Jets in his NFL career.  The Jets may be without Darrell Revis (concussion) and Marcus Williams (knee) which could make it hard for them to contain Odell Beckham Jr.  

Denver (-4) @ San Diego - Manning still says he not close to returning but the Broncos remain undefeated with Brock Osweiler as their starter after an overtime win against the Patriots.  The Chargers did come away with a win against the Jaguars but could be in for trouble against a much better Broncos team.  

Kansas City (-3) @ Oakland - The Chiefs have won their past five games including two on the road.  The Chiefs defense has a clear edge over the Raider's defense so far this season.  

Philadelphia @ New England (-9.5)- The Eagles have lost their last two games by at least 28 points to below .500 teams.  New England comes off its first loss of the season and looks to get back on track.  

Indianapolis (+7) @ Pittsburgh - The Colts have been under the radar as they have won their past 3 games and their past 5 with Matt Hasselbeck as a starter.  Despite last weeks loss to the Seahawks, the Steelers have won their past 2 games and have managed to score 30 or more point in those games.  Still, the Steelers defense did give up 39 points to Russell Wilson and also gave up a lot of points recently to the Oakland Raiders.

Dallas @ Washington (-4.5) - 

NEXT ON #MNF. @dallascowboys vs @Redskins. https://t.co/RNsZuCZ47h

— ESPN Monday Night (@ESPNMondayNight) December 2, 2015

Washington has won its past 5 games at home as Kirk Cousins has thrown 10 TDs and 0 interceptions during that streak.  The Cowboys have lost their past 7 games without Tony Romo in the lineup.  

Last week: 12-4

Season: 92-61-6 

Week 12 Picks

Carolina looks to continue its winning ways as 

it has opened the 10-0 and won its past 13 regular season games

(via huffingtonpost.com)

Philadelphia @ Detroit (-3) - The Lions are currently on a two game winning streak and expect to have a healthy Calvin Johnson.  The Eagles will start Mark Sanchez who has thrown twice as many interceptions as touchdowns (4 to 2) this season.

Carolina (+1) @ Dallas- The Panthers are vulnerable for a loss given that the Cowboys have Tony back  Romo.  Still, the Panthers appeared to be clicking on all cylinders last week in a blowout win against Washington and Romo was far far from perfect as he threw two interceptions last week against the Dolphins.  

Chicago @ Green Bay (-8.5)-  Green Bay appears to be back on track after a blowout win against the Vikings and look to maintain its division lead by taking care of business against the Bears, who got blown out by the Packers at home earlier this season.

New Orleans @ Houston (-3) - The Texans have won 3 of their past 4 games.  While New Orleans is coming off a bye, their defense is ranked last in the league and fired their defensive coordinator Rob Ryan.  

Minnesota @ Atlanta (-1) - Atlanta has lost its past 3 straight games and 4 of its last 5 games.  The Vikings 5 game winning streak just ended against the Green Bay Packers.  Matt Ryan is the superior quarterback to Terry Bridgewater who could struggle on the road against Atlanta's crowd noise.

Tampa Bay @ Indianapolis (-3 ) - Tampa Bay played great against Philadelphia and comes off their 2nd straight win.  They became the first road team in NFL history to throw for five touchdowns and run for 200 yards in the same game according to bucaneers.com.  Andrew Luck is uncertain about his return date, although Matt Hasselbeck is 3-0 as the teams starting quarterback.

St. Louis @ Cincinnati (-8.5) - Rams' wide receiver Stedman Bailey was shot in the head in the Miami area this past weekend.  

#Rams WR Stedman Bailey is out of surgery after several hours of extensive work. He'll be in the ICU for 3-5 days and doctors are hopeful.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 25, 2015

The Bengals appear to be playing much better football and generally have a habit of exploting poor quarterback play. Things could get even shakier for the Rams as they ignored the concussion suffered by quarterback Case Keenum.

NY Giants @ Washington (+2.5) - Look for this game to be a high scoring affair which is a toss up.  Washington is 4-1 at home while the Giants are 2-3 on the road.  The Giants ended up losing another game in tragic fashion to the Patriots.  Washington will need to establish its running game, limit mental mistakes such as interceptions and penalties to come out with a win in this one.  

Oakland (-2) @ Tennessee - Both teams come into this game with losing streaks, the Raiders have lost their past three while the Titans have lost their past two and and 8 of their past 9.  All of the Raiders wins have come against below .500 teams like the Titans.  It will be key for Amari Cooper to limit dropped passes which caused him to be upset in a loss against the Lions. 

Buffalo @ Kansas City (-6.5) - Kansas City has won its past 4 games as it defense has held its opponents to 13 points or less in its past 4 games.  Tyrod Taylor's injured his shoulder in a loss to the Patriots which could limit his productivity.

Miami @ New York Jets (-3.5) - Ryan Tannehill and the Dolphins offense did not look great against Dallas last week.  While Tannehill's ball placement is pretty good, he has struggled with pocket awareness and staring down his receivers.  The Jets in the meantime look to end their 2 game losing streak against the Dolphins, who they beat by double digits on the road earlier this season.  

San Diego (+4) @ Jacksonville - While the Chargers have lost its past 6 games, the Chargers lost 5 of the six game by a single score. The Jaguars have won 3 of their past 4 games.  Look for the Chargers to come out motivated after getting manhandled by the Chiefs.

Arizona (-10.5) @ San Francisco - Tickets for the 49ers are currently selling less than parking passes.  Look for the Cardinals to exploit San Francisco's weak quarterback play as Colin Kaepernick is out for the season.

Pittsburgh @ Seattle (-4) - While Marshawn Lynch had sports hernia surgery, Thomas Rawls  has filled in as an adequate replacement as he carried the ball for 30 times for 209 yards against the 49ers last week.  The Steelers come into the game winning their past 2 games but could struggle because of Seattle's 12th man.

New England @ Denver (+3) - Brock Osweiler makes his second consecutive start and appears to be an upgrade over Peyton Manning.  The Patriots are having trouble fielding a decent receiving corp due to injuries to Edelman and Amendola and could struggle to create offense on the road against the Bronco's defense.

Baltimore @ Cleveland (-3) - Josh McCown and the Browns managed to beat the Ravens earlier this season on the road and now the Ravens will be without Joe Flacco for the remainder of the season.

Last week: 10-3-1
Total: 80-57-6

Week 11 Picks

The Jaguars and Texans game may be the  least exciting game this season Tennessee @ Jacksonville (-3) - Jacksonville has won 2 of its past 3 games.  Tennessee has won 2 of its past 9 games.  Jacksonville also has homefield which could be a significant factor with short rest on a Thursday night game.   Washington @ Carolina (-7) - Kirk Cousins won NFC offensive player of the week for the 2nd time this season.  If Washington somehow comes away with a win this week, they could seriously entertain the idea of making it the playoffs.  Still, Carolina is undefeated and their defense should do a lot more to contain Washington than the Saints did last week. Oakland (-1.5) @ Detroit -  Detroit did look impressive at times against the Packers in their first win Lambeau since 1991.  Still, the Raiders could bounce back against the Lions after losing last week to the Vikings.  Dallas @ Miami - Tony Romo makes his return and even a rusty Romo is a significant upgrade for what Dallas has been throwing out there at quarterback.   Dallas proceeded to six games and celebrated by getting Romo back to the lineup by cutting Brandon Weeden.   Indianapolis (+6) @ Atlanta - The Colts may be without Andrew Luck, but Hasselbeck has been an adequate replacement as he is 2-0 as a starter this season.  The Falcons did have a bye to rethink its overall strategy after losing 3 of its past 4 games.   St. Louis @ Baltimore - While it remains questionable what St. Louis offense will look like as they go to QB Case McNeenum over Nick Foles, the Ravens have bigger questions on they are playing for this season after losing last week to the Jacksoville Jaguars.   New York Jets @ Houston Texans (+2.5) - Houston has been playing well, winning 3 of its past 4 games and looks to perhaps shore up a run for a playoff spot in a weak AFC South.   Green Bay @ Minnesota (+1) - Its time to take the Vikings seriously who have won its past 5 games.  The Packers are struggling with consecutive losses to the Broncos, Panthers, and Lions.   Tampa Bay (+5.5)  @ Philadelphia - Mark Sanchez playing in place of Sam Bradford appears to be a downgrade for the Eagles.  The Buccaneers  will attempt to win consecutive games for the first time this season.    Denver (+1) @ Chicago - This feels like a game where Broncos right the ship again.  Although if they do not, Peyton Manning could hear more noise about him getting benched since he has the worst quarterback rating among active starters.   Cincinnati (+5) @ Arizona- While the Bengals struggled immensely against the Texans, they could respond with a better effort and are still playing for a top seed in the AFC.   San Francisco @ Seattle (-12.5) - Seattle looks to take out revenge of its frustration on the 49ers after last weeks loss against the Cardinals. Kansas City (-3) @ San Diego - The Chiefs have bounced back with 3 consecutive wins.  The Chargers are coming off a bye but have lost their last 5 games.  Buffalo (+7) @ New England- New England could have a hard time replacing Edelman in the short term which could make this a relatively close game.  Tyrod Taylor struggled in his last meeting against the Patriots but has played much better lately.  
Last week: 6-7 Total: 70-54-5

Week 10 Picks

 Rex Ryan looks to get revenge against his former team

(via CBSSports)

Buffalo (+2) @ New York Jets - LeSean McCoy had injury to his shoulder but is able to play in this game.  Tyrod Taylor looks like the better of the two quarterbacks.  Geno Smith plays against Ik Enemkpali who is an honorary team captain.

Detroit @ Green Bay (-11.5) - Green Bay has lost two games in a row but look to get on track against the Lions.  This is the first time in three weeks that the Packers will not be playing an undefeated team.

Dallas @ Tampa Bay (-1.5) - Tony Romo still is not back and the Bucaneers look to get back on track after a double digit loss to the Giants.

Carolina (-5.5) @ Tennessee - Carolina just rolled past the Packers.   If it was hard for Aaron Rodgers to get it going against the Panther's defense, the same could be true for Marcus Mariotta.

New Orleans @ Washington (+1) - These are two evenly matched teams.  I will take Washington at home with the points although it could get ugly for Jay Gruden and Washington if they manage to lose this one.  

Miami +6 @ Philadelphia - Perhaps coach Campbell can get back to running the ball against the Eagles.  Sam Bradford was impressive against Dallas but has more or less been inconsistent this season.

Cleveland @ Pittsburgh (-5.5) - In what is likely to be the battle of backup quarterbacks, Landry Jones has the statistical advantage over Johnny Manziel, a superior supporting cast, and is also playing at home.

Jacksonville @ Baltimore (-5.5) - Jacksonville has played well the past couple of weeks.  Still, I expect Baltimore to be amped up for this one as they come off a bye.  

Minnesota @ Oakland (-3) - This is a battle of surprise teams.   Minnesota has looked really good but struggled against West Coast opponents like the 49ers and Terry Bridgewater is out.  I expect Oakland to rebound after a close loss to the Steelers.

Kansas City @ Denver (-6) - Peyton Manning was unable to pull it out against the Indianapolis Colts.  The Chiefs appear to be cursed against the Broncos and have not beaten Manning since he joined the Broncos.  

New England (-7) @ NY Giants - While Eli Manning has played especially well against the Patriots, including two Super wins, the Patriots offense could get going against a Giants defense that has struggled to create a pass rush .

Arizona @ Seattle (-3) - Look for Seattle to win a close one against the Cardinals as it is always hard for the road team to get it going in Seattle's especially loud stadium.  Both teams are coming off byes.  

Houston @ Cincinnati (10.5) - Cincinnati is still undefeated and is looking to prove a point as being one of the top teams in the NFL.  While Houston is coming off a bye and a win against the Titans, the Bengals should have more than enough rest coming off a Thursday night game.

Last week: 5-8

Total:  64-47-5

Week 9 Sunday Picks

Cam Newton and the Panthers 

look to remain undefeated against Green Bay 

(via ESPN)

Oakland @ Pittsburgh (-4.5) - The Raiders are streaking but look for Roethlisberger to shake off the rust in his second start back from injury.

Jacksonville @ New York Jets (-7.5) LOCK - The New York Jets look to put the clamps on the Jaguars after losing two straight to the Patriots and the Raiders. 

St. Louis (+2) @ Minnesota - This will be the battle of the best running backs in the league including rookie Todd Gurley and Adrian Peterson.  The Rams defense is more imposing and perhaps Nick Foles can play well on the road with a good running game behind him.

Miami @ Buffalo (-3) - Miami has been playing better lately but last time they played Buffalo, they were lost 41-17. 

Tennesee @ New Orleans (-8) - Tennessee looks to get a boost from firing its head coach but New Orleans plays better at home.

Washington (+14) @ New England - New England is a favorite playing at home and getting extra rest off of a Thursday night game.  Still, Washington is coming off a bye and Kirk Cousins may put together back to back solid games.

Green Bay @ Carolina (+2.5) - While Aaron Rodgers could have a bounce back game after a disappointing performance, the Packers have struggled against the run and Carolina's defense could do enough to remain unbeaten.

Atlanta (-7) @ San Francisco - San Francisco now turns to Blaine Gabbert who has been terrible in Jacksonville.  Atlanta looks to make up for last weeks loss against the Buccaneers.

New York Giants (2.5) @ Tampa Bay - After losing last week, the Giants look to avoid consecutive losses to hold on to their division lead.  

Denver (-5) @ Indianapolis - Denver looks to put the clamps down on Andrew Luck after holding the Packers to less than 200 yards of offense.  

Philadelphia (-3) @ Dallas - Dallas will remain underdogs as long as Tony Romo is sidelined.

Chicago (+4) @ San Diego - While both teams have two wins, Chicago has been the slightly better team with Jay Cutler under center.  

Last week: 6-5-2

Season: 59-39-5

Week 9 Thursday Night Pick

Johnny Manziel was pulled over by police after

arguing with his girlfriend and was drinking.

And he's starting this Thursday

(via Rantsports)

Cleveland (+12) @ Cincinnati - The Bengals are undefeated and Johnny Manziel failed to lead the Browns to any points last time these two teams met.  Still, Cleveland looks like a better team than last year's team and it could be close given that they are division foes.

2012 QBs Struggling and Week 8 Picks

Ryan Tannehill currently has the

best winning percentage in 2015

out of all the QBs from the 2012 draft

The 2012 draft class featured four quarterbacks being drafted in the first round including Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin, Ryan Tannehill, and Brandon Weeden.  Russell Wilson and Kirk Cousins were also drafted later in the draft  

However, 2015 has not been kind to these quarterbacks.  Only Ryan Tannehill has a .500 record and even his season was off to rocky start given that his head coach was fired and was criticized for making fun of practice squad players who intercepted his passed in practice

Andrew Luck is currently 1-4 and has also suffered a shoulder injury earlier in the season.  Even his backup quarterback Matt Hasselbeck is 2-0 in place of Luck.  Robert Griffin lost his starting job in training camp, who lost 12 of his 13 games even before getting benched.  

Brandon Weeden took the starting job of Tony Romo after he was injured.  Weeden only to get benched in favor of Matt Cassell after going 0-3.  Russell Wilson is 3-5 and has failed to capitalize on the acquisition Jimmy Graham from the New Orleans Saints.  

Kirk Cousins did win offensive player of the week, after bringing Washington back from a 24-0 deficit and is currently selling -shirts based on his comments after the game.  Deion Sanders joked that Kirk Cousins may have been directing those statements to RG3.  Still, Cousins only holds a 3-4 record as a starting quarterback this season.  

YOU LIKE THAT! Get your official tee supporting International Justice Mission at https://t.co/sCSLssw9Hs @Redskins pic.twitter.com/n3JIrLMZqx

— Kirk Cousins (@KirkCousins8) October 27, 2015

WEEK 8 PICKS

Miami @ New England (-8) - Miami has been playing well but the Patriots are still playing at a high level and could devise a game plan that could stifle Tannehill.

Detroit @ Kansas City (-5) - The Lions are struggling while the Chiefs are coming into their own after a win against the Steelers as Chandrick West appears to have filled the void left by Jamal Charles.

Minnesota @ Chicago (-1) - The Bears are coming off a bye and Jay Cutler looks to get back to .500 as a starting quarterback.

Tampa Bay (+7) @ Atlanta - Tampa Bay will look to redeem themseleves after a 24 point collapse against Washington.  Atlanta has not been putting their opponents away convincingly as of late. 

NY Giants @ New Orleans (-3) - The Giants defense has been below average.  Brees will have time to dissect the defense given that New York has not done much to pressure oppossing quarterbacks. 

Pittsburgh @ Cincinnati (-1) - The Bengals remain undefeated and have had time to prepare coming off a bye.  Big Ben could make his return but could have some rust after a 6 week layoff.

San Diego @ Baltimore (-3) - Both teams are struggling.  The Ravens being the home team has to count for something.  

San Francisco @ St. Louis (-8) - The Rams look to continue their undefeated record against division foes.  Colin Kaepernick has struggled in the past against this Rams' defense.

Houston (-4) @ Tennessee - Houston looks to get its act together after a humiliting loss against the Dolphins.  

Oakland @ NY Jets (-2.5) -   The Jets could stifle the passing attack of the Raiders.  

Seattle (-6) @ Dallas - Dallas could get Dez Bryant back and its rushing attack was pretty good last week with Darren McFadden spelling Joeseph Randle who went down.  Still, Seattle's secondary could capitalize on Cassel's lack of arm strength.  

Denver Broncos @ Green Bay Packers (-3)-  This is the 4th time in the NFL history that 2 6-0 teams have met.  Denver's defense has been great although the Packers defense could take advantage of Manning's lack of arm strength.  

Indianapolis @ Carolina (-7) - This is a battle of #1 picks of respective drafts.  Cam Newton is 6-0 while Luck is 1-4 .

Why Back to the Future was Wrong about the Cubs and Week 5 Picks

Why people should not have bet

their life savings that the Cubs were going to win

In the movie Back to the Future 2,  which was made in 1989, Marty McFly visited on October 21, 2015 at 4:29 PM (Pacific Time Zone).  Marty noticed that the Chicago Cubs won the World Series.  People believe in this Hollywood prediction so much that Vegas actually made the Cubs the favorites, despite the fact that the Cubs are supposedly cursed and have not won a World Series since 1908.

To the disappointment of Cubs fans everywhere, the Cubs season ended on October 21st, which may be the most Cubbiest thing ever, continuing the trend as perhaps the most tragic franchise ever.   Of course, there were signs that the movie's predictions were a bit faulty.  In the movie, the Cubs beat the Miami Marlins in the World Series.  While the movie somehow predicted that the Miami Marlins would exist, even though they did not exist in 1989, it was still an impossibility that these two teams would play in the World Series given that they are both in the National League.   Back to the Future predicted that the World Series ended on October 21st.  However, since there are six more playoff teams, the World Series will end at the earliest on October 31st, and most likely will end sometime in early November.  And of course, there are  no flying cars, no film production of Jaws 19 (although there have been a few Sharknados), no mini pizzas that can be hydrated to large pizzas, and people do not have a fax machine in every room of their house.  

A Jaws movies marathon of 18 Jaws movies would

last about 48 hours

Still, Back to the Future did acknowledge that the world was never bound to these future events.  Marty and Doc Brown end up changing the world a few times by traveling back to 1955 and 1885. And in the final scene of Back to the Future 3, Doc Brown explains

It means your future hasn't been written yet.  No one's has. Your future is whatever you make it.  

And of course, the Back to the Future trilogy are just movies.  There is no Hill Valley where the clock tower got struck by lighting in 1955.  So despite all the people who believed that the Cubs were going to win because of the movie, it was never guaranteed.  

NFL Picks

Seattle @ San Francisco (+6.5) - Seattle may be better than its 2-4 record, but this is a rivalry game that could be close especially with the 49ers playing better in recent weeks.  

Buffalo @ Jacksonville (+4) - Buffalo will be without its starting quarterbacks, its top two wide receivers, and its backup running back.  Jacksonville looks to get on track in London.

Cleveland @ St. Louis (-6) - Cleveland's offense has been playing relatively well, although they came up short against the Denver Broncos.  St. Louis looks to regain momentum at home coming off a bye as the Rams look to get their first win outside of their division.  

Pittsburgh (-2.5) @ Kansas City - Pittsburgh may have found an adequate quarterback in Landry Jones in case Big Ben is unable to make a return this week.  Kansas City needs to find ways to create offense without Jamal Charles.  While Kelce is an excellent pass catching tight end, the Chiefs still need to expand their passing game with Alex Smith, who lacks arm strength.

Houston @ Miami (-4)- Both teams are coming off wins.  The Dolphins looked more impressive in their win against the Titans where they showed the ability to run the ball and had more physicality.

New York Jets @ New England (-9) - Even though New England continue to be unbeaten, they had an off game for themselves.  Still, New England will look to take advantage of Ryan Fitzpatrick, who has been turnover prone.  

Minnesota @ Detroit (+2.5) - Two evenly matched teams.  The Stafford/Calvin Johnson connection appears to be alive and well.  

Atlanta (-5) @ Tennessee -  Look for Atlanta to rebound after a tough loss to the New Orleans Saints.  

Tampa Bay @ Washington (-3.5) - Tampa Bay seems to have a great number of offensive weapons that could give Washington trouble.   Mike Evans is a big receiver that Washington has had trouble defending, although he has struggled for most of the season.  Doug Martin could exploit Washington's run defense which has gotten lit up in the past two weeks weeks by Devonta Freeman of the Falcons and Chris Ivory of the New York Jets.  And Tampa Bay is also coming off a bye which should prepare them.

Still, Winston is a rookie quarterback that is a wild card and could be due for a bad game against Washington's defense, which forced 3 turnovers last week.  Washington is also a significantly better team if their health improves as Trent Wiliams, Jordan Reed, and Matt Jones practice and look to make their returns.  

New Orleans @ Indianapolis (-4.5) - While the Saints looked excellent against the Falcons, it remains to be seen if they can carry that momentum on the road.  Despite a horrendous special teams play, the Colts dLid manage to keep the game close

Oakland (+4) @ San Diego - The Chargers and Raiders are two evenly matched teams.  The Raiders could rebound for a win coming off a bye.  

Dallas Cowboys @ New York Giants (-3.5) - The Giants have been exposed as not having a pass rush which have lead for closer games than anticipated.  Still, Dallas questions at the quarterback continue as they insert Matt Cassel into the lineup and it remains uncertain if Dez Bryant can make his return.   One wold think that the Giants would have the extra motivation to make up for not only last week's blowout against the Philadelphia Eagles but also a 4th quarter collapse in week 1 of the NFL season to the Dallas Cowboys.  

Philadelphia @ Carolina (-3)- Philadelphia win against the Giants was impressive but the Panthers present a tough challenge as one of the four remaining undefeated teams.  Carolina's defense is one of the league's best and Cam Newton presents problems as a mobile quarterback who also create downfield.

Baltimore @ Arizona (-7.5) -   Arizona looked terrible against the Steelers.  However, the Cardinals should be properly motivated to win in a primetime game.  The Ravens defense has been exploited by practically every team this season.  It will probably take an excellent performance by Joe Flacco to keep this one close.  

Last week: 5-8-1

Season: 51-35-4

Week 6 Picks

After taking care of the Cowboys, Tom Brady looks to 

pile up the points against the Indianapolis Colts

who were the teams that accused him of inflating footballs

(via BusinessInsider)

Atlanta -3 @ New Orleans - Atlanta's passing attack was slowed down by Washington's defense last week but pulled out a win thanks to Devonta Freeman opening up the running game.  New Orleans defense has been vulnerable, and Drew Brees has had trouble throwing the ball downfield because of his shoulder injury.  While New Orleans could get a boost from its homecrowd, \Atlanta is poised to continue its undefeated season.

Denver -4.5 @ Cleveland - People are getting nervous about Peyton Manning's arm as Denver failed to score an offensive touchdown last week.  That being said, Denver's defense looks to be one the best in the league.  Josh McCown was great leading Cleveland to over 500 yards last week but it looks like the that may have more to do with the Ravens' lack of defense.

Cincinnati (-3.5) @ Buffalo - The Bengals overcame a 17 point deficit against Seattle to pull out a win.  While there are signs that Cincinnati is becoming complacent, Buffalo is dealing with a lot of injuries including quarterback Tyrod Taylor, running backs LeSean McCoy and Karlos Williams and top wideout Sammy Watkins.

Kansas City @ Minnesota Vikings (-3.5) - Minnesota is coming off a bye and looks to get its running game going again with Adrian Peterson.  Kansas City in the meantime lost Jamal Charles for the season.  Crowd noise could be a factor which could make it difficult for Kansas City going.

Houston (-1) @ Jacksonville - Both teams are looking for their second wins.   Brian Hoyer did a good job getting the passing game going, finding DeAndre Hopkins who secured another 100 yard game.  Bortles had a decent showing against the Bucaneers but the Jaguars run defense struggled to contain Doug Martin and gave up 37 points.

Chicago @ Detroit (-3) - Detroit looks to secure its first win against a division rival at home.  While Jay Cutler has been surprisingly effective this season, Detroit could pose to be a tougher match especially with its pride on the line after getting blown out the previous week by Arizona.

Washington (+6) @ New York Jets-  This game comes down to which quarterback can limit his mistakes the most.  Kirk Cousins had a dreadful interception which resulted in a pick six that resulted in an overtime loss.  Then again, Ryan Fitzpatrick, the Harvard graduate, has been known to make similar mistakes throughout his career.  Washingon's secondary will be tested by Jet's Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker.  This game should be a battle of the leagues top defenses, and it could be a low scoring game.

Arizona (-3) @ Pittsburgh- Big Ben started practicing to face his former quarterback coach Bruce Arians who is now the head coach of the Arizona.  Even if Roethlisberger returns, he may have to shake up some rust after suffering a sprained MCL.  Carson Palmer suffered a career altering knee injury against the Steelers in the playoffs when he was on the Bengals, which could inspire some extra motivation.

Miami Dolphins @ Tennessee Titans (-2.5) - Miami fired their head coach Joe Philbin and replaced with Dan Campbell who looks to add to the Dolphins toughness.  While Miami is coming off a bye and looking to change its philosophy, Tennessee has shown signs of being a competent football team with Marcus Mariotta.  Miami's problem now appears to be a lack of talent, not toughness.

Carolina (+7) @ Seattle - Carolina has typically played Seattle close in their past few meetings and is also coming off a bye.  Of course, this is a must win for Seattle but Russell Wilson could be tested by Carolina's defense.  Seattle will need to figure out how to integrate tight end Jimmy Graham into the offense.  Graham has been putrid in run blocking and Pete Carroll has not utilized  him effectively as one of the pass catching tight end.  

San Diego @ Green Bay (-10) - Aaron Rodgers was not perfect last week as he threw two interceptions against St. Louis last week.   However, it remains unclear if the Chargers' defense is up to the task, especially after giving up a game winning 4th quarter drive to Michael Vick.  Phillip Rivers has been solid so far this season but Green Bay's defense has been pretty effective in forcing turnovers.

Baltimore @ San Francisco (-2.5) - Three years ago, Joe Flacco and Colin Kaepernick faced off in the Super Bowl.  Now, both of their teams are 1-4 and each team's postseason's hopes are dwindling.  The 49ers did play better than the Ravens last week, since they almost came away with a win against the NY Giants while the Ravens managed to make Josh McCown look like one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL.

New England Patriots (-8) @ Indianapolis Colts - These games between Tom Brady's Patriots and Andrew Luck's Colts have not been close in recent history.  Look for New England to try to run up the score if this game shifts in New England's favor as they try to seek revenge about Deflategate.  Colt's wideout Andre Johnson looks to be a living and breathing football player as he finally got on the board by scoring 2 touchdowns against the Texans.  Still, there are still a lot of questions about Indianapolis's offensive line.  Things do not get easier for the Colts, as four of the Colts' next five games are against teams that are currently undefeated.

NY Giants (+3.5) @ Philadelphia - Eli Manning and New York Giants almost let one get away against the struggling 49ers, while the Eagles comfortably put away the New Orleans Saints in the second half.  While Sam Bradford could exploit the weaknesses in the Giants lack of pass rush, it could be difficult for the Eagles to contain Odell Beckham, who was key in the final comeback to close out the game against San Francisco.

Last week: 8-4-1

Season: 46-27-3 

Week 5 Picks

Greg Hardy, who was charged with assault 

and gun possession, wants Tom Brady's wife to 

come to the game (via Foxports.com)

Indianapolis @ Houston (-2) - Andrew Luck may miss this game which makes it a toss up and even with a healthy Luck, the Colts have been 1-2 because of a shoddy offensive line.  Without Luck, it took overtime for the Colts to beat Jacksonville.  The Texans QB picture is not pretty either with Ryan Mallet at the helm.

Jacksonville @ Tampa Bay (-3) - Jameis Winston looks to rebound against another young quarterback in Blake Bortles.  Tampa Bay has better defensive talent as well as the home crowd.   

Buffalo(-2.5) @ Tennessee  - Buffalo looked shaky against the Giants last week and could be without running backs LeSean McCoy and Karlos Williams.  Still, Rex Ryan could devise a defensive game plan to slow down Marcus Mariota.  

Cleveland (+6.5) @ Baltimore - Baltimore's defense has not been very good without Terrell Suggs and may have had some good fortune to avoid an 0-4 start.  The Browns blew a good opportunity to win a game last week against the Chargers but their offense could make this a close game.  

Washington (+7.5) @ Atlanta - Atlanta is 4-0 and has been playing extremely well. Washington could make this game  with the return of DeAngelo Hall and DeSean Jackson to the lineup.  Kyle Shanahan, now the offensive coordinator of the Atlanta Falcons, goes against his former team with former Washington wideout Leonard Hankerson.  

Chicago (+9.5) @ Kansas City - While the Chiefs' three losses have come against teams who are undefeated, it does not mean that Chicago could put up a decent fight.  Cutler has managed to keep most of the games close except the Packers.

New Orleans @ Philadelphia (-4.5) - Philadelphia's offense finally got rolling in the second half against Washington.  While it was not enough to come out with a win, the Eagles may carry this momentum into the next game.  The Saints managed to squeak out a win against the Cowboys but could have a tougher time in Philadelphia, especially since New Orleans has struggled on the road.

St. Louis @ Green Bay (-9) - St. Louis comes off a win against the Arizona Cardinals and rookie running back Todd Gurley looked great.  However, it still is not clear if the Rams are actually that good or if they manage to play their division foes close.  Despite a sub-par offensive effort last week with only 17 points, Aaron Rodgers returns home where the Packers appear to be unstoppable.  

Seattle @ Cincinnati (-3) - Cincinnati looks to continue its undefeated season.   While Russell Wilson can pull out some great plays to extend plays, it is still unclear if Marshawn Lynch returns.  

Arizona(-2.5) @ Detroit- Arizona comes in with a chip on their shoulder after losing to the Rams last week.  Detroit is desperate for a win but their offense could struggle against a tough Arizona defense.  

New England (-9) @ Dallas - Greg Hardy specifically called out Tom Brady's wife and made a comment about "guns ablazing" which may not be the best tact given that his ex-girlfriend had testified against Hardy the following (via Business Insider)

Hardy choked me with both hands around my throat while I was lying on the floor. Hardy picked me up over his head and threw me onto a couch covered in assault rifles and/or shotguns.

Brandon Weeden has been better than his previous stint with the Cleveland Browns.  However, Tom Brady has been playing at a high level  and Dallas is still playing without Dez Bryant.    

San Francisco @ NY Giants (-7) - The New York Giants could easily be 4-0 without their fourth quarter collapses against the Dallas Cowboys and Atlanta Falcons.  Colin Kaepernick has been playing pretty badly and it remains to seen if he can get out of his funk especially because of the 49ers poor offensive line play.  

Pittsburgh @ San Diego (-3) - While the Steelers are deep offensively especially with the return of wide receiver Matavis Bryant from a suspension, it could be problematic for the Pittsburgh to keep up with the Chargers if Phillip Rivers finds his rhythm and makes this a high scoring game.  

Last Week: 8-6-1
Season: 38-23-2

Week 4 Picks

DeSean Jackson broke Philadelphia's hearts last year

His status for this game remains uncertain

Baltimore (-3) @ Pittsburgh - Baltimore comes into this game desperate for its first win.  While nearly anything can happen in this bitter rivalry game,t it remains to be seen if Michael Vick can fill in capably as a starter for the injured Big Ben. 

New York Jets @ Miami - This game is in London.  The Jets were abysmal offensively against the Eagles last week while the Miami offense has been terrible all year long on both sides of the ball.

Jacksonville @ Indianapolis (-9) - Indianapolis did seem to find its momentum after overcoming a big deficit against the Tennessee Titans.  Jacksonville in the meantime got trashed by the Patriots.  The Colt could carry back some of the momentum that they got where they established Luck and the run game of Frank Gore.

Houston @ Atlanta (-6.5)- Atlanta remains undefeated.  While I would not rule out a letdown by the Falcons, their defense should get a boost from its home crowd.  tthe Texans offense is still a work in progress with Ryan Mallet under center.  

Carolina (-3) @ Tampa Bay-  Carolina's defense did struggle containing the Saints who were without Drew Brees.  Still, the Panthers defense could give Jameis Winston problems, who could not lead the Bucs to double figures against the Texans.  

New York Giants (+5.5) @ Buffalo - The Bills really put a clinic against the Miami Dolphins.  The Giants also were clicking on all cylinders against Washington.  Eli Manning has not thrown an interception this season.  

Oakland (-3) @ Chicago - Oakland is coming off consecutive wins against the Ravens and the Browns.   Chicago's offense has been terrible with Jimmy Clausen as the starting QB.

Philadelphia @ Washington (+3) - Kirk Cousins and the Redskins offense struggled committing 3 turnovers, 2 of which occurred in the redzone.  Still, Cousins did have his best game of his career last year against the Eagles as Washington lost 38-35.  DeSean Jackson could make his return back from a pulled hamstring, who was greatly responsible for Washington eliminating Philadelphia's postseason hopes.  The Eagles uptempo offense could give Washington problems, but Sam Bradford's performance so far has been a bit shaky thus far.  While the Eagles did come away with a decent win against the Jets, Bradford only threw for 128 yards.   

Kansas City @ Cincinatti (-4)- The Bengals are quietly 3-0 and look to continue their streak against the Chiefs, who are better than there 1-2 record indicate. 

Cleveland @ San Diego (-7.5) - The Chargers look to rebound after a tough loss to Minnesota after failing to contain Adrian Peterson.  Cleveland could be in trouble if this becomes a high scoring shootout.   

San Francisco @ Green Bay (-8.5) - Aaron Rodgers has thrown for 48 TDs and 0 interceptions in his last 18 home games.  Colin Kaepernick has been shaky so far this season, he could be due for a big game against Green Bay but even that might be enough if Rodgers continues his stellar play.  

Minnesota @ Denver (-6.5)- The demise of Peyton Manning may have been overstated so far as the Denver has improved to 3-0.  Denver's defense did a good job last week by forcing the Lions into some terrible turnovers.   Adrian Peterson has rushed for over 100 yards in his past two games but did struggle in his last road game against San Francisco.  

St. Louis @ Arizona (-7) - Arizona's defense managed to score two defensive touchdowns against Colin Kaepernick.  The Cardinals record with Carson Palmer as a starter improved to 15-2.   St. Louis failed to score a TD against Pittsburgh.  I do not expect Arizona to look past St. Louis especially since the Rams did manage to beat Seattle in Week 1.  

Dallas @ New Orleans (-4) - Even without Drew Brees, the Saints scored 24 points against a pretty stingy Panthers' defense.  Brandon Weeden and Dallas's rushing attack scored 28 first half points against Atlanta, but were shut out in the second half by Atlanta.  Perhaps New Orleans could try to emulate Atlanta's defensive strategy, but they should be wary of running back Joseph Randle, who scored 3 touchdowns last week.

Detroit @ Seattle - While Detroit is desperate and looking for its first win, it is always tough for any team to get it going in Seattle with their 12th man.   The matchup between Calvin Johnson and Richard Sherman will be interesting to watch, although I imagine that Sherman will be getting a lot of help from safety Kam Chancellor.  

    Last Week 13-3
Season 30-17-1

Week 3 Picks

Will Ryan Kerrigan be able 

to pressure Eli Manning?

Washington (+3.5) @ New York Giants -  While the Giants have begun the season 0-2 off of consecutive 4th quarter collapses,  Matt Ryan and Tony Romo are pretty good quarterbacks who can make defenses look silly in crunch time.  Still, Washington's defense is playing at a high level, who currently boast the NFL's best defense in terms of yards allowed.  They will have their hands full trying to contain Beckham, who had 1 touchdown and 143 yards receiving in his last matchup against Washington.  Washington will attempt to rev up their running game with Alfred Morris and Matt Jones, which is currently the best in total yardage and in the top 5 in yards per attempt.  A big key for the Thursday night matchup will be if Cousins can continue to limit his turnovers as he did in Washington's last win against the St. Louis Rams.

Pittsburgh (-1) @ St. Louis - The Steelers' offense got it going against the 49ersas they put 43 points, 28 points coming in the 1st half and could be even more explosive as they add Leveon Bell to the mix.  In the meantime, St. Louis's offense struggled greatly against Washington's defense; look for Pittsburgh to try to replicate it since they also run a 3-4 scheme.   Nick Foles was inconsistent last week, it will be interesting to see if he can bounce back at home.

San Diego @ Minnesota (-2.5) -  Minnesota seems to be a better team at home.  Adrian Peterson was much better last week as well as the Viking's defense who may have gotten a boost from the crowd noise.  The Chargers could pose problems if Phillip Rivers can get going, although he did struggle against the Bengals.

Tampa Bay @ Houston (-6.5) - Jameis Winston was impressive against the New Orleans Saints, but that may say more about the Saints' current affairs than Winston's progress.  Look for Houston and JJ Watt to slow down Winston as they try to avoid an 0-3 start.  

Philadelphia @ NY Jets (-2.5) - The Jets defense did a great job against the Colts.  Last season, the Jets forced a total of 13 turnovers, and this season, through 2 games, they have already forced 10.  The Eagles have had trouble getting their offense going so far this season, and may be without DeMarco Murray who is dealing with a hamstring injury. I expect the Eagles offense to get it going eventually this season but as of right now Sam Bradford has been too inconsistent.  The Eagles secondary has also been sub-par and they will have a tough time covering Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker.    

New Orleans (+6.5) @ Carolina  - The Panthers are clearly the better team but I like the Saints to at least put together a game which could be close.  The Saints and Panthers did split their last season's as each team won on the opposing team's field.  Of course, I would be nervous if I am New Orleans given that the Panthers' defense is playing at a high level.

Jacksonville @ New England (-13.5) -  Even coming off a win against, Jacksonville comes in as a huge underdog.  The Jaguars did a great job shutting out the Dolphins' offense in the 2nd half but Tom Brady passing attack of Gronkowki and Edelman may be too much of a challenge.  

Cincinnati (+2.5) @ Baltimore - This is a must win game for Baltimore.  Still, one has to have questions about the Ravens defense who could not contain the Raiders passing game.  

Oakland (+3.5) @ Cleveland - I would consider this game a tossup game.  Derek Carr seems to be the better of the two starting quarterback and Amari Cooper showed that he has elite speed.  The Browns go back to Josh McNown at quarterback, who is coming off a concussion.  The Browns defense did look much better in containing Marcus Mariotta.  

Tennessee Titans @ Indianapolis (+3.5) - Look for Andrew Luck to have a bounce back game and Indianapolis should also get a boost from Vontae Davis returning back to their secondary after suffering a concussion.  

Atlanta (-2) @ Dallas Cowboys - Look for the Falcons defense to take advantage of Brandon Weeden, who has a history of being a turnover machine.   While Weeden completed all of his throws against the Eagles, the Cowboys are already hedging their bets by acquiring Matt Cassel.  

San Francisco @ Arizona (-6.5) - The Cardinals are quietly becoming one of the better teams in the NFL.  The key for them long term will be if preserving Carson Palmer's health.  The 49ers' offense had a bit of down week.  While this is a division game, Arizona's defense should be able to contain Colin Kaepernick.

Chicago @ Seattle (-15) - Seattle gets back Kam Chancellor and are looking for their first win after losing to the Green Bay Packers.  Jimmy Clausen comes into replace Jay Cutler at quarterback and this game could get ugly for the Bears rather quickly.

Buffalo @ Miami (-3) -  Look for Miami to bounce back from a loss to Jacksonville.  Miami historically has been a much better team at home.  Buffalo did play well in the 2nd half against New England but look for Miami's defense could present problems to the inexperienced Tyrod Taylor.  

Denver (-3.5) @ Detroit - After winning in unusual circumstances against the Kansas City Chiefs off of 4th quarter fumble to Jamal Charles, the Broncos appear to just find ways to win.  The Lions have gotten off to a pretty bad start although they could get a boost by finally getting to play at home.  Still, I like what I have seen from the Broncos defense, and Peyton Manning did seem to find his rhythm in the 2nd half against Kansas City.

Kansas City Chiefs @ Green Bay Packers (-6.5) - Aaron Rodgers may look to get revenge against Alex Smith, who was taken #1.  I bet San Francisco is regretting that pick especially the way Colin Kaepernick is playing.  

Last week: 8-8

Season: 17-14-1

Week 2 Picks

Tom Brady recently came out and 

stated his support for Trump

Denver Broncos @ Kansas City Chiefs (-3) - Peyton Manning could not get it going against the Baltimore and like the Ravens, Kansas City  has a good defense.  Kansas City's offense showed that they can put up points last week against solid defensive team in the Texans.

Houston Texans @ Carolina Panthers (-3) - The Panthers hope to keep this a low scoring affair as they limited the Jaguars to only 9 points last week.  Houston did have trouble containing Kelce last week, so look for the Panthers to try to utilize tight end Greg Olsen in a similar fashion.  

Tampa Bay @ New Orleans (-10) - New Orleans is a different team at home.  Jameis Winston may bounce back but he would need to play at a high level if the Saints' high octane offense gets going.

Detroit (+2.5) @ Minnesota- Both teams suffered losses in Week 1 on the road.  There are a lot of question marks including whether Adrian Peterson has lost a step.   The Lions will face a hostile environment, but I did like what I saw from their offense at times when they put up 28 point against the Chargers in Week.  Stafford does need to limit his turnovers.

Buffalo (-1) @ New England -  New England does have extra time to prepare for the Bills as their game was last Thursday.  Still, the Bills defense showed a lot by limiting the Indianapolis Colts.  The Patriots should be able to put up more points but I am a little bit worried about how the Patriots defense will slow down the Buffalo.  

Arizona (-1.5) @ Chicago- I am not anticipating a let down by the Cardinals.  The Bears played much better than I expected against the Packers but I think the Cardinals defense should be able to contain the Bear's offense.  

Tennessee (-1) @ Cleveland - Marcus Mariota looks to continue his momentum.  The Browns on paper appear to be at a disadvantage at the QB position with Manziell starting.  The Titans defense is hoping to fluster Johnny football much like they were able to contain Jameis Winston last week.  

San Diego @ Cincinnati (-3) - I like the Bengals to continue their momentum at home here.  Phillip Rivers did pick up where he did last year with a good performance against a solid Lions defense.  Still, I think the Bengals have the better weapons on the offensive end including AJ Green and TJ Yeldon.  

Atlanta Falcons @ New York Giants-  Eli Manning looks to bounce back after some questionable decisions of telling his running back not to run it in on first and second down late in the 4th quarter against the Dallas Cowboys.  Still, it may be tough for Atlanta to continue their momentum on the road.  

St. Louis @ Washington (+3.5) - Washington should be playing with a sense of desperation as two home losses could begin the countdown of some big changes in the coaching department.  Washington is familiar going against Nick Foles when he was on the Eagles.  You have to wonder if Jeff Fisher will rub it in again reminding Washington how many players they gave up to get RG3 even though he is on the bench.  

Miami (-6) @ Jacksonville - While Suh did not have a great game, Miami's defense last week was very good, as they managed to shut out Washington in the second half.  I do not think the Jaguars have the running game to keep the ball away from Miami's offense like Washington did, so Ryan Tannehill should have more opportunities to get it going offensively.  

Baltimore (-6) @ Oakland - Both teams do not want to fall into a 0-2 hole. Baltimore defense looked really good against the Broncos and I look for them to create problems for the Raiders.

Dallas Cowboys (+5) @ Philadelphia Eagles-  While Dez Bryant is out and DeMarco Murray is looking for revenge against his former team, I still think the Cowboys should be able to keep it close to cover the spread.   

Seattle @ Green Bay (-3.5) - Seattle's defense looks like a mess without safety Kam Chancellor.  The Packers look to avenge last season's postseason loss to the Seahawks.  

New York Jets (+7) @ Indianapolis - New York offense seem pretty solid with a steady running game of Chris Ivory and decent wideouts in Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker.  The Colts will play with a sense of urgency but I still expect this game to be close given that the Colts running game has been anemic.  

Last week: 9-6-1