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

Week 1 Picks

Tom Brady won his case 

and is back for week 1

Pittsburgh @ New England (-7) - The Patriots may be disliked because of Deflategate, Spygate, and perhaps others are envious of their good fortune with their four Super Bowls.  Still, New England will play with a chip on its shoulder because of the accusation.  Also factor in that the Steelers are missing a few players including Leveon Bell with a suspension, so it may tough for Big Ben to get it going.  

Green Bay (-7) @ Chicago - This is a rivalry game as the Bears look to revamp their defense under head coach John Fox.  However, the Packers are likely to up a lot of points and Jay Cutler cannot be counted on.  We will have to see if Chicago managed to plug up the holes on the offensive line to allow Cutler enough time to throw the ball.  

Kansas City (+1) @ Houston - This is a toss up game.  I have more faith in Alex Smith running a simple offense than Brian Hoyer.  

Cleveland @ New York Jets - Michael Vick gets to start again due to Geno Smith getting punched out.  The Jets offense should get a boost from Brandon Marshall, who is older, but should be a significant upgrade.  Revis returns to New York.  Cleveland comes in with a new quarterback in Josh McNown; you have to wonder if Johnny Manziel is already a bust.  We will see if Isiah Crowell can help Cleveland's running game; at least it will be interesting to watch from a fantasy standpoint.  

Indianapolis (-2.5) @ Buffalo - This could be a trap game for the Colts.  Still, I'm not sure how effective Tyrod Taylor can be- he certainly has strengths as a mobile quarterback but he is still unproven.  The Bills introduce some new weapons in LeSean McCoy and Percy Harvin while the Colts have some new weapons for Andrew Luck including Andre Johnson and Frank Gore.  

Miami (-3.5) @ Washington - The Miami Dolphins seemed to pretty hyped this year with the acquisition of Suh.  While I did like what I saw from Kirk Cousins and Washington in preseason, you have to remember it was just preseason.  Washington's front seven looks much better but their secondary still looks shaky especially with DeAnagelo Hall returning from an Achilles injury.  

Carolina (-3) @ Jacksonville - Carolina did finish last season strong although they will be without rookie standout Kelvin Benjamin for the whole season.  Jacksonville is supposed to be better but I have to see it to believe it.

Seattle (-4) @ St. Louis -  St. Louis did manged to upset the Seahawks last season 28-26.  You can't imagine that Seattle will looks past the Rams at this point.   Russell Wilson and Jimmy Graham will look to connect in the red zone.  

New Orleans @ Arizona (-2.5) - The Saints will try to makeup for the loss of Jimmy Graham with a running game of Mark Ingram and newly acquired CJ Spiller.  Still, the Saints have struggled on the road and the Cardinals look to play at a high level like they did last season.

Detroit Lions (+3) @ San Diego Chargers - Phillip Rivers had a great season last year but I expect Matthew Stafford to have a much better season especially if Megatron is healthy.

Tennessee @ Tampa Bay Bucs (-3) - I will go with Jameis Winston to win this battle of rookie quarterbacks mostly because of the deep threats he has in his disposal including Mike Evans and Vincent Jackson. 

Oakland @ Cincinati (-3.5) - The Bengals are the more established team with the likes of Andy Dalton and AJ Green and an interesting running back combination of Jeremy Hill and Giovani Bernard.  Oakland has some interesting young talent including running back Latavius Murray and wideout Amari Cooper, the number 4 overall pick from Alabama.  Still, the Bengals defense has been solid under head coach Marvin Lewis.  

Baltimore Ravens @ Denver Broncos (-4.5) -  While Manning has struggled against the Ravens, most notably in the postseason, Manning should be closer to 100% and not worn down to start the season.  Joe Flacco could show flashes of brilliance but the decks could be stacked in the Broncos favor given all the offensive weapons that they have including wideouts Demaryus Thomas and Emmanuel Sander as well the feature back CJ Anderson. 

New York Giants (+6) @ Dallas Cowboys -  Given that this is a rivalry game and every NFC East game seems up for grabs, I expect this one to be a close game.  This game features two of the best wide receivers in the game- Dez Bryant and Odell Beckham.  I will be looking to see if the Giants did enough this offseason to fix their offensive line.  

Philadelphia Eagles (-3) @ Atlanta Falcons - Chip Kelly's offense should be enough to get the Eagles going against a poor Falcons defense.  Matt Ryan gets a healthy Julio Jones back but it remains to be seen if the Falcons can find a consistent running game.  

Minnesota Vikings @ San Francisco 49ers - Many of the 49ers left or retired with the departure of Jim Harbaugh and the Vikings are adding back probably the best running back in the game in Adrian Peterson.   It will be interesting to see if Colin Kaepernick career will fare with a new coach Jim Tomsula and a new set of teammates.