Football season is quickly approaching, and teams have began to prepare for the upcoming year. The AFC could be a very competitive conference, but which teams have enough talent to be playoff contenders? My cousin Michael Philipkosky and I broke it all down in this episode of his podcast, the Master Plan.
Training camp is here, and it’s time for my final batch of NFL Draft Report Cards. Last time, I reviewed the AFC South, where several teams struggled. But the AFC West had some teams with much better draft classes. Who are they? Keep reading to see my grade for each pick as well as my final grades. As I post more articles, I will also include links to the rest of my draft grades.
Denver Broncos
The Broncos put together one of the league’s best draft classes. The trade down in Round 1 was very smart, as Fant fills a huge need and was an amazing fit. They added a tackle (Risner) in Round 2, and if he can make a successful move to guard, he could really help the team. Lock was a bargain as well, and Dre’Mont Jones will fill another big need for Denver. The Broncos could’ve added more secondary help and another WR, but every pick had a purpose, and with just six picks, they filled a good amount of needs.
Los Angeles Chargers
The Chargers started this draft off very strong. But they made some confusing choices later on. They didn’t have too many needs to fill, and they filled them early. Tillery and Adderley were great adds, and Pipkins was a reach but should still compete for a tackle job and have success. Later on though, they reached a bit on several picks. It was smart to take a QB, but Round 5 is too early for Stick. They also reached for Tranquill, Broughton, and Egbule. Still, LA filled their needs earlier and more efficiently than any other team, making for a strong draft class where the later rounds didn’t matter nearly as much.
Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs reaches on a handful of these selections, but they did filled a decent amount of needs. They boosted the interior o-line. They drafted extra RB and WR help. They even added a safety with their first pick. But even with Frank Clark on the roster, the Chiefs’ biggest need for an edge rusher, and that need has yet to be filled. That fact, alongside the lack of interior o-line depth and the numerous reaches the Chiefs made, brings down KC’s grade.
Oakland Raiders
The Raiders went into this draft with a handful of defensive holes and a few offensive holes as well. They filled most of these, but they took players that they could’ve drafted in later rounds. If they had traded down a couple times, they would likely have more help at guard and defensive tackle than they got, and they’d get some of their targets at better values. Clelin Ferrell could’ve been taken at #24 or #27. They took him at #4. The Raiders did have some really good picks as well though. I liked the choices of Trayvon Mullen, Foster Moreau, and Hunter Renfrow. But they could have done a better job at managing their draft picks and focused more on value.
That’s all for my 2019 NFL Draft Report Cards. Stay tuned for more NFL coverage as the regular season looms.
Welcome to my 6th post in my series of Super Bowl LIII Preview articles. My video preview of the game with a transcript is below. How do these two teams match up? Watch the video to find out what I think. You can also check out my entire Super Bowl LIII preview schedule below. I will be posting preview articles throughout the week as festivities in Atlanta take place.
January 28: Super Bowl LIII: How They Got Here
January 29: The Case for the Patriots: How They Can Win, Keys to the Game
January 30: The Case for the Rams: How They Can Win, Keys to the Game
February 1: Super Bowl LIII Fast Facts and Their Significance
February 1: Super Bowl LIII: Final Prediction, Projected Stats & MVP
February 3: Super Bowl LIII Video Preview
February 3: The Final Countdown: Final Injury Report, Outlook Before the Game (Including iMovie Trailer)
February 3: Enjoy the game and stay tuned for my recap after the game!
After taking the Rams down in the first Super Bowl of the Brady-Belichick era, the Patriots take them on again in Super Bowl LIII. Coming off an OT thriller over the Chiefs, the Pats should have plenty of motivation for this game after losing the Super Bowl last year. In addition, a win will give the Pats 6 Lombardi trophies and tie the Steelers for the most Super Bowl wins all time by an NFL team. The Rams made it here after an overtime victory of their own that was made possible because of a Rams pass interference no-call, but they’ll look to get revenge on the Pats for derailing the “Greatest Show on Turf” back in 2001. 17 years later, the Pats are the experienced dynasty, and the Rams are once again on the rise. But the Pats took down a high scoring Rams offense back in 2001 and with 2 weeks to prepare, Belichick should have a game plan to shut down the Rams again. Though the Patriots dynasty is headed “Back to their Roots”, there are several factors that make this game different.
The Patriots defense isn’t quite as good as it was back in 2001. So for the Pats to beat the Rams again, they’ll need to play like they did in the first half in KC and stop the Rams running game led by Todd Gurley and C.J. Anderson. The Patriots defense has struggled to contain big name running backs in recent years, and if they fail to contain Gurley and Anderson, it may prevent them from winning. Winning the turnover battle will also help their case. Both QBs have had interception troubles this year, and both teams are Top 5 in interceptions. The question is, who will throw more? About 80% of the time, teams who win the turnover battle win the game. The Pats will also need to score early as they did against the Chiefs and Chargers. Though they did score their only Super Bowl first quarter points in the Brady-Belichick Era last year, they were outscored in the first quarter. Starting out strong with a TD will prevent that from happening again.
If the Rams want revenge, they will need to put pressure on QB Tom Brady. If they can apply the pressure up the middle, Brady could be limited and interception-prone. The battle in the trenches will be key as New England’s offensive line has been playing well but the Rams defensive line is probably the toughest they’ve faced all year.
QB Jared Goff will need to show that his lack of experience doesn’t matter and avoid interceptions. Gurley and Anderson cannot lead the offense alone, and Goff has not been throwing it as much since WR Cooper Kupp got hurt. Interceptions could significantly impact the game so it will be interesting to see if he forces some throws.
I expect Julian Edelman to have another stellar playoff performance with about 100 receiving yards and a TD. I also won’t be surprised to see Gronk play a big role in what could be his last game.
This will definitely be a close one like all of the Pats Super Bowls but in the end, I believe the Pats win 26-24 making it 3 Super Bowl wins in 5 years.
Stay tuned for a final update before the game including my iMovie Trailer.
Welcome to my 1st of several Super Bowl LIII Preview articles. The match-up is set, the teams are in Atlanta for Opening Night, and today I will be looking at how the Patriots and Rams got here and taking a first look at the match-up. What can we expect from this year’s big game? Keep reading to find out what I think. You can also check out my entire Super Bowl LIII preview schedule below. I will be posting preview articles throughout the week as festivities in Atlanta take place.
January 27 or 28: Super Bowl LIII: How They Got Here
January 28 or 29: The Case for the Patriots: How They Can Win, Keys to the Game
January 29 or 30: The Case for the Rams: How They Can Win, Keys to the Game
January 30 or 31: Super Bowl LIII Fast Facts and Their Significance
January 31 or February 1: Super Bowl LIII: Final Prediction, Projected Stats & MVP
February 1 or 2: Super Bowl LIII Video Preview
February 2 or 3: The Final Countdown: Final Injury Report, Outlook Before the Game (Including iMovie Trailer)
February 3: Enjoy the game and stay tuned for my recap after the game!
Patriots
The Patriots were off to a rough start this season, going 1-2 in their first three games without WR Julian Edelman. However, they brought in WR Josh Gordon to add back WR depth they’d lost in the off-season. Gordon thrived in his first game with the Pats, and when Edelman returned, they made for a dynamic duo that led the offense to dominate.
Though they started 7-2, they lost their third game in Tennessee before the bye as TE Rob Gronkowski sat out an extra game after an injury. After the bye, they did win a couple games, playing the Jets and Vikings. But after that their road struggles continued as they lost in Miami and in Pittsburgh. After 14 games, the Pats were 9-5, and they were at risk of missing out on a first round bye. They had the tiebreaker over the Texans, but the Texans were 10-4 at this point. The Pats needed to win one more game than Houston.
It wasn’t a good sign when WR Josh Gordon was suspended indefinitely once again for marijuana, but the Pats took care of the Bills and Jets easily in New England. They nearly shut out the Jets in Week 17! They did grab hold of the first round bye, but the question was, were these blowouts against the league’s worst a fluke, or were the Pats legitimate Super Bowl contenders?
The fans’ doubts were silenced when the Patriots dominated their Divisional Round match-up, hosting the Chargers. They would head to Kansas City to take on the Chiefs in the AFC title game. This was bound to be a close one, especially because the Patriots lost the last time they had played on the road. They were off to a strong start, but they began to fall behind late in the game.
With two minutes to go, it was 28-24 Chiefs. The Pats had the ball in what was still a one possession game. They marched down the field and Burkhead scored the TD, but they scored a little too fast. They left enough time for the Chiefs to add a field goal to tie it up at 31-31 and force overtime.
After that the Patriots won the toss, and though it was a nail biter with many close calls and 3rd downs, the Pats made their way down the field for the TD, winning the game 37-31! This was Brady’s third OT victory in a postseason game, making him the first player to do so. This was also the first time two playoff games had gone into overtime in one day.
You can read more about the AFC Championship at the link below:
Back to their Roots: Pats Dynasty Continues after OT Thriller
The Patriots are now headed to their 4th Super Bowl in 5 years, as Brady looks to ‘Blitz for Six’ and Gronk looks to potentially end his career with a bang. The best part is, as intriguing as a Brady vs. Drew Brees match-up would be, they’re playing the Los Angeles Rams, taking the Brady-Belichick dynasty back to their roots. Back in 2001, Brady led the Patriots to their first Super Bowl victory over the QB Kurt Warner-led St. Louis (now Los Angeles) Rams. You could also compare that victory to this year’s AFC Championship when Brady and co. took down QB Patrick Mahomes II and an explosive Chiefs offense after coming in as 3 point underdogs.
Rams
The last time the Rams won the NFC was back in 2001, when QB Kurt Warner led an offense known as ‘The Greatest Show on Turf’ to their second Super Bowl in three years. They would face QB Tom Brady and the New England Patriots. Though they had won in 1999, they could not get past Brady and Belichick, who won their first championship together and started a legendary dynasty. 17 years later, the Rams will seek revenge.
After Warner left St. Louis, things were ugly for the Rams for much of the 2000s. But in 2015, they began rebuilding, drafting star RB Todd Gurley in 2015, trading up in 2016 to draft the QB of their future: Jared Goff, firing head coach Jeff Fisher, and hiring the young Sean McVay to replace Fisher. To top off their rebuild, they moved back to Los Angeles as they seeked a culture change heading in to the second half of the 2010s.
In 2017, Goff, Gurley, and McVay led the team back to the playoffs with help from a star-studded defense led by DT Aaron Donald. However, as the #3 seed, they lost on Wild Card Weekend. The 2017-18 off-season was a busy one for the Rams. The Rams made it clear they wanted to win now, exchanging WR Sammy Watkins, TE Lance Kendricks, DE Robert Quinn, OLB Alec Ogletree, and CB Trumaine Johnson for WR Brandin Cooks, DT Ndamukong Suh, CB Marcus Peters, CB Aqib Talib, and CB Sam Shields. Later in the season, they added RB C.J. Anderson and pass rusher Dante Fowler Jr. as well. They now had one of the best secondaries in the league, Gurley and Anderson made for a dominant RB duo, and WRs Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods broke out, giving Goff a WR trio for most of the season. Kupp has since torn his ACL and ended his season, but the Rams dominated in all aspects for most of the season.
After starting 8-0, the Rams headed to New Orleans, where they lost their first game in a shootout. The Rams lost WR Cooper Kupp the next game despite a win. Without Kupp, they weren’t as dominant, going 4-2. But they took care of business against the Cowboys, winning 30-22. They would travel to New Orleans once again for the NFC Championship.
They were trailing for most of the game as expected, but they came back to tie it up at 20. The Saints were going for one last drive. When QB Drew Brees threw it to WR Tommylee Lewis, he was hoping for a first down. However, the pass was broken up on a hard hit by CB Nickell Robey-Coleman. I am not alone in my belief that the play by Robey-Coleman was blatant pass interference. But the refs didn’t call it. The Saints made the field goal. But the Rams had time to respond with a field goal of their own.
The game went to overtime, and New Orleans won the toss. But after S John Johnson picked off QB Drew Brees, the Rams drove down the field, kicked another field goal, and won the game, 26-23. Saints fans were heartbroken. But the Rams were ecstatic – they had won the NFC for the first time in 17 years. This was only their third Super Bowl appearance, the other two coming during the ‘Greatest Show on Turf’ era.
Championship weekend and the weeks leading up to it were very exciting. But moving on to the Super Bowl, the Rams will take on the Patriots in just 6 days. Who will come out on top? Keep reading to hear my initial take on the match-up.
This is definitely going to be close. The Pats aren’t coming off a great season by Brady-Belichick standards. They went 11-5 for the first time since 2009, and the first time since their run of seven straight AFC Championships (now eight) began. But the Pats have dominated offensively in each of their last 4 games, and they have motivation going on as QB Tom Brady looks to win his sixth ring and TE Rob Gronkowski looks to potentially end his career with one more. Until this year, Gronk had been spoiled year after year with records of 12-4 or higher. Despite a rough regular season, the Pats will look to make up for it with another Super Bowl victory (which would be Gronk’s third). To get past a difficult Rams defense, they’ll have to use a large variety of plays to try and fake them out. If they are as strong offensively as they have been in the last 4 games, they should be capable of winning this. But the Rams’ D might be the toughest New England has faced since their latest win streak.
Coming off a first round playoff exit and a busy off-season that got fans excited, the Rams went 13-3 and earned the #2 seed in the NFC behind only the New Orleans Saints (who they lost to). After being ‘overthrown’ by Brady-Belichick dynasty in 2001, they will look to dethrone the Pats in their return to the Super Bowl. In order to do so, not only will they need QB Jared Goff and the RB duo of Gurley and Anderson to step it up, they’ll need the entire offense around Goff and Gurley to thrive against a mediocre New England defense.
Who will win Super Bowl LIII? What is the game plan for each team? What Super Bowl and season-long stats will burden, encourage and/or influence each team? Find out this week as I release more articles each day.
Welcome to my Week 16 NFL picks and previews. Last week, I went 11-5, putting my overall record at 126-97-2 (127-98-2 including Week 16 Saturday games). For the most part, there are very few upsets in the final few weeks of the season. I don’t think there will be many upsets this week, either. But that doesn’t mean there won’t be any surprises. There’s bound to be a couple surprise victories. But who will be the team to surprise us this week? Keep reading to find out what I think, and feel free to comment with your thoughts.
Lock of the Week
Expect Detroit’s offensive struggles to continue against the strong Vikings defense. The Vikings won’t be at their best offensively either in this game, but they should still score multiple TDs. The combination of these two factors will help the Vikings win with ease in Detroit.
Upset of the Week (SNF)
I think QB Patrick Mahomes II could have a dominant game against the inexperienced Seahawks defense, tossing 3+ TDs. But I expect Seattle’s versatile, consistent offense to put together more quality drives and find a way to win at home, especially against one of the worst defenses in the league. The Chiefs will be without not only RB Kareem Hunt, but also WR Sammy Watkins. I see them just barely coming up short at CenturyLink Field.
The Other Games
| Saturday, 4:30 PM EST (Posted to Twitter on Saturday; Actual Score: 25-16 Titans)
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Look for QB Marcus Mariota and the young Titans offense to get it done against an unmotivated Redskins defense. QB Josh Johnson and his offense will not help matters for the Redskins as they fail to score a TD. This will partially be due to Washington’s QB struggles without Alex Smith, but also partially due to a dominant defensive game by Tennessee that secures them a victory. |
| Saturday, 8:20 PM EST (Posted to Twitter on Saturday; Actual Score: 22-10 Ravens)
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Despite an ugly game, expect QB Philip Rivers and the Chargers to prevail here. RB Melvin Gordon and WR Keenan Allen will boost the Chargers in their return, but the entire offense including Gordon and Allen will be limited by the overwhelming Baltimore defense. QB Lamar Jackson and his offense will make this close, but they even after the strong defensive performance, the Ravens will fail to keep up with Rivers, Gordon, and Co. |
| Sunday, 1:00 PM EST
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Look for the Pats to rebound from two straight losses in their return to Gillette. Even without WR Josh Gordon (who was suspended earlier this week), I think QB Tom Brady will turn it around for 3+ TDs. Even the Pats defense will improve here as they hold Buffalo to just 1 TD. |
| Sunday, 1:00 PM EST
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Expect the Dolphins to win here, but it will not be easy. First of all, I’m expecting a low scoring, ugly game. In addition, I see the Jags forcing overtime as their defense gets back on track here. However, Jacksonville will fall short as their offense struggles to produce without a quality starting QB. |
| Sunday, 1:00 PM EST
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Look for Green Bay to get by due to a consistent offense led by QB Aaron Rodgers. Expect New York’s offense to look good at times as the Packers struggle at times to contain the Jets’ receivers. But the Packers defense will still prevent them from getting into a real rhythm. |
| Sunday, 1:00 PM EST
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Cleveland has struggled in overtime throughout the season. For all we know, they could be leading the division if it weren’t for their OT struggles. But in this game, I see the Browns winning in overtime thanks to a clutch performance by QB Baker Mayfield and his young offense. Cincy will make it close thanks to the emergence of WRs Tyler Boyd and John Ross agains the inexperienced Browns D. But I still expect them to fall just short. |
| Sunday, 1:00 PM EST
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Look for Philly to pull the upset after a strong offensive game supported by QB Nick Foles. Their case will be helped by Houston’s offensive struggles without RB Lamar Miller. The Texans D will limit Foles and the Eagles, but it will not be enough. |
| Sunday, 1:00 PM EST
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Look for QB Andrew Luck and his offense to find a way against a weakened Giants D. The Giants should be alright without WR Odell Beckham Jr. against an inexperienced Colts defense. But Luck and the Colts will be able to lead Indy to victory regardless. |
| Sunday, 1:00 PM EST
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Expect QB Dak Prescott to lead the Cowboys to victory in a relatively high scoring game. QB Jameis Winston will toss 2-3 TDs of his own against a young Dallas defense, but the Bucs D will struggle regressively as usual, allowing the Cowboys to outplay Tampa’s offense and win easily. |
| Sunday, 1:00 PM EST
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QB Taylor Heinicke will not be able to compete with QB Matt Ryan like QB Cam Newton would. Look for Ryan and the Falcons offense to dominate against a weak Carolina secondary as Atlanta wins in a blowout. |
| Sunday, 4:05 PM EST
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Look for the Bears to get by in a defense-first game. Chicago’s D will hold QB Nick Mullens and the Niners to just 10 points. Don’t expect a field day for the Chicago offense, but they should put up enough points for a road victory. |
| Sunday, 4:05 PM EST
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Look for the Rams strong D to shut down the Cardinals’ young offense. The Rams won’t be great offensively, but they’ll put up enough to get by despite an ugly overall game. |
| Sunday, 4:25 PM EST
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The Saints won’t be up to full speed offensively, as WR Michael Thomas is the only trustworthy receiver QB Drew Brees has right now. But the Steelers’ offense won’t be at full capacity either with RB James Conner out. QB Ben Roethlisberger will toss multiple TD, but it won’t be enough as the run game is practically non-existent. This will allow the Saints to get by at home. |
| Monday, 8:15 PM EST
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Look for the Broncos’ to win in primetime thanks to a strong game by not only RB Phillip Lindsay but the entire Denver run game. The Raiders’ offense will struggle to produce against a strong Denver defense, even in Oakland. |
That’s all for today’s picks. Stay tuned for more NFL coverage soon.
Welcome to my Week 15 NFL Picks and Previews. Last week was a rough week, as I went 6-10, putting my overall record at 115-92-2 (117-93-2 including TNF and Saturday). I am still only ahead of 1 expert (Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports). This week, many teams have a chance to lock up playoff spots, but will all of the current contenders keep rolling this week, or will some fall behind as other teams rise? The Patriots take on the Steelers, and the Saints play the Panthers in Carolina, so there’s bound to be a couple teams knocked out of contention. Pittsburgh, who’s already just 7-5-1, faces not only New England but also the Saints on their remaining schedule. This could open the door for the Ravens and Browns in the AFC North. Keep reading to find out what I think, and feel free to comment with your thoughts.
Lock of the Week
The Redskins won’t be able to do much offensively with Mark Sanchez and Josh Johnson as their QBs. The Jags may have struggled this season, but their defense is still easily top 10 in the NFL. This will open the door for young QB Cody Kessler and the Jaguars to put up a strong offensive game in a blowout win. The Redskins defense will lack motivation considering how badly the offense is doing, allowing Kessler to toss multiple TD and the Jacksonville run game to dominate.
Upset of the Week
Seattle has been strong at home this season with a 5-2 record. But on the road, they are a measly 3-3. We’ve seen what Niners QB Nick Mullens is capable of. Against an inexperienced Seahawks defense, I could see Mullens having a big game and leading San Francisco to pull off an upset. The Niners run game will struggle though, since RB Matt Breida is not 100%. Seattle should have a decent game offensively, but they won’t be able to compete with Mullens’ dominance, and QB Russell Wilson will struggle to connect with any WR who isn’t named Tyler Lockett. Mullens will prove that although he’s not the future of the Niners, he is a capable QB who can handle the weaker defenses in the league with ease.
The Other Games
| TNF (Posted to Twitter Thursday Night; Actual Score: 29-28 Chargers)
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Look for QB Philip Rivers and his receivers to lead the Chargers past the weak Kansas City defense in a close, overtime game. The Chiefs should also look very strong on offense, but they won’t be up to full speed without RB Kareem Hunt and WR Sammy Watkins. This and the defensive struggles will cost the Chiefs late in the game. |
| Saturday, 4:30 PM EST (Posted to Twitter Saturday; Actual Score: 29-22 Texans)
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Expect QB Sam Darnold and the Jets to put up a relatively strong game, even against the tough Houston defense. But QB Deshaun Watson and the Texans will get by as the Jets are still held under 20. The return of RB Dont’a Foreman will boost the Texans’ offensive performance in the road victory. |
| Saturday, 8:20 PM EST (Posted to Twitter Saturday; Actual Score: 17-16 Browns)
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Look for the Broncos to win at home in a low scoring game. The Browns will struggle against a tough Broncos defense in Denver despite a stronger offensive season. The strong defense as well as a big game from the Broncos RBs will lead the Broncos in their victory. |
| Sunday, 1:00 PM EST
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Led by the WR duo of Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs, expect the Vikings to secure a victory at home after losing 2 in a row. The Vikes defense will help their case as well, but the Dolphins will make this closer than you think. |
| Sunday, 1:00 PM EST
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Look for QB Josh Allen to lead the Bills to a home victory, taking advantage of his running abilities with RB LeSean McCoy out and RB Chris Ivory banged-up. The Lions will look better offensively than they have been lately, but the Bills defense will prevent Detroit from providing a serious challenge. |
| Sunday, 1:00 PM EST
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QB Lamar Jackson will prove himself as Baltimore’s starting QB here, leading the Ravens to victory at home. The Ravens D will also have a strong game, holding Tampa under 15. The Bucs offense will lack the energy it usually has in the loss, making the Ravens D’s job easier. |
| Sunday, 1:00 PM EST
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Look for QB Jeff Driskel and his offense to outperform their expectations against the young Oakland defense. Cincy’s run game will help, as Joe Mixon has 100+ yards rushing. But Driskel will still throw multiple TDs in the victory. Meanwhile, Oakland will be held to just 1 TD, as QB Derek Carr has a hard time relying on his WRs, instead relying on TE Jared Cook. |
| Sunday, 1:00 PM EST
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QB Marcus Mariota should be able to find his receivers despite lacking WR depth, as the Giants defense struggles to contain Mariota’s receivers without S Landon Collins (injured) and CB Eli Apple (traded). The Giants will fall short as the defense struggles and QB Eli Manning throws throws more picks than he throws TDs. |
| Sunday, 1:00 PM EST
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The Colts offense should be alright against the young Dallas D. However, QB Dak Prescott and the Cowboys will continue to dominate against the weak Colts defense. Strong games by WR Amari Cooper and RB Ezekiel Elliott will lead them to victory. |
| Sunday, 1:00 PM EST
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Look for DE Khalil Mack and the Bears defense to dominate against a Packers team that lacks talent outside of QB Aaron Rodgers. This will allow QB Mitch Trubisky and the Bears to thrive, winning easily with the help of a strong game by their RB duo. |
| Sunday, 1:00 PM EST
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Look for QB Matt Ryan and his receivers to dominate against the struggling Arizona defense. The Cardinals will also put up an underwhelming performance on offense, as QB Josh Rosen struggles to find his receivers without WR Christian Kirk, even against the weak Falcons D. The Cardinals will fall short after Atlanta’s much better offensive game. |
| Sunday, 4:25 PM EST
Check back closer to kickoff for a video preview! |
The Pats will get by in Pittsburgh, but QB Tom Brady will still struggle to connect with his receivers on the road. The Steelers offense will struggle as well and their run game won’t be able to do much of anything without RB James Conner. |
| Sunday, 8:20 PM EST
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QB Jared Goff and the Rams will look good against the depleted Eagles defense, even if they aren’t at their best. But it’s LA’s defense that will lead the Rams to victory. The Rams defense will shut down a Philly offense that can be explosive at times. |
| Monday, 8:15 PM EST
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The Saints should be able to get by on the road, even against Carolina. New Orleans will not be at full strength in their third straight road game, especially after losing their momentum in an all out embarrassing loss to Dallas. The Panthers defense will hold them back, but QB Drew Brees and WR Michael Thomas will lead the Saints to victory. QB Cam Newton and his offense will make it close in primetime, but it will not be enough. |
That’s all for this week. Stay tuned for more posts soon.
Welcome to my NFL Week 13 picks and previews. Last week, I went 11-4, putting my overall record at 96-78-2 (96-79-2 including Week 13 TNF). I am still ahead of 1 CBS Sports expert. This week, a lot of divisional matchups occur, with many of them having playoff implications. The Eagles and Redskins play for 2nd place in the NFC East, and the loser may be knocked out of contention. The Colts visit Jacksonville hoping to increase their chances at a wild card spot. Who will win these divisional games? Keep reading to find out what I think, and feel free to comment with your thoughts.
Lock of the Week
Look for dominance from the Rams defense in the first shutout of the NFL season. The revamped duo of Aqib Talib and Marcus Peters won’t give up anything to Detroit’s depleted WR corps, and DT Aaron Donald and company will shut down QB Matthew Stafford and the run game. The Rams will not need more than a couple touchdowns for a Rams clinic victory thanks to the strong defense. Meanwhile, The Lions will begin to miss RB Kerryon Johnson and WRs Golden Tate and Marvin Jones in a shutout loss.
Upset of the Week
The Panthers are coming off two frustrating last-minute losses, and the Buccaneers are coming off a much-needed victory. Look for QB Jameis Winston to ride the momentum and put up his best performance yet against Carolina. The Bucs D will still give up plenty to QB Cam Newton and his versatile offensive core. But a 3 or 4 TD game from Winston should be enough for the Buccaneers to pull the upset.
The Other Games
| TNF (Posted to Twitter Thursday Night; Actual Score: 13-10 Cowboys)
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QB Dak Prescott and the Cowboys offense will be slowed down significantly by the improving New Orleans defense. Meanwhile, QB Drew Brees and WR Michael Thomas will lead the Saints to victory despite the Dallas defense’s shut down of the Saints RB duo. |
| Sunday, 1:00 PM EST
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Look for Miami to hold on for a home victory against a young Bills defense that is not great but can be pesky at times. QB Ryan Tannehill will lead the Dolphins here, even without WR Danny Amendola. QB Josh Allen and his offense will perform better than they usually do, but expect them to just fall short in Miami against a mediocre, but not putrid Dolphins defense. |
| Sunday, 1:00 PM EST
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Look for the Atlanta defense to step it up against rookie QB Lamar Jackson and the Ravens, especially with RB Alex Collins on IR. QB Matt Ryan won’t have an amazing game against this strong Baltimore D, but it will be enough thanks to the improving Falcons defense. |
| Sunday, 1:00 PM EST
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The Broncos will ride the momentum to a third straight win as the defense dominates against a banged-up Cincinnati pass offense that will miss QB Andy Dalton, especially since WR A.J. Green is not 100%. The Broncos will be alright offensively without TE Jeff Heuerman, as QB Case Keenum finally begins to rely on his receivers more in the Denver victory. |
| Sunday, 1:00 PM EST
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Expect QB Deshaun Watson to put up another strong game against the inexperienced Browns defense. Meanwhile, the Texans D will do a respectable job in shutting down QB Baker Mayfield and this young Browns offensive core. The Texans will win triumphantly as they play strong football all around. |
| Sunday, 1:00 PM EST
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Expect the Jaguars to win by a surprisingly large margin as they host the Colts. They came close in Indy, so I expect a win in Jacksonville. QB Cody Kessler will also help the Jags improve as he outperforms QB Blake Bortles. QB Andrew Luck and his receivers will struggle to handle the Jags strong D, but they’ll still manage to score a couple TDs. |
| Sunday, 1:00 PM EST
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QB Eli Manning will have to dig into New York’s WR depth here to even score a TD against this improving Chicago defense. The Giants’ experienced defense will limit the QB Chase Daniel-led Bears offense, but Daniel will still throw multiple TDs in the victory. |
| Sunday, 1:00 PM EST
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The Packers should manage to win at home here, but as they nearly blow it, the “fire Mike McCarthy” campaign will just get louder. QB Aaron Rodgers will rely on his younger receivers as they just barely get by the Cardinals. QB Josh Rosen will find his receivers more easily against a struggling Green Bay secondary, but it won’t quite be enough. |
| Sunday, 4:05 PM EST
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QB Josh McCown should struggle regressively as his receivers are out done by a Titans secondary that is no more than average. This will highlight the Jets’ flaws as the Titans win by multiple TD. A strong all-around offensive game as well as a clutch defensive performance will help Tennessee in the home win. |
| Sunday, 4:05 PM EST
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The Chiefs won’t be at full strength after the release of RB Kareem Hunt. But QB Patrick Mahomes II will still lead the Chiefs to victory though, with 3 TD and 0 INT. The Raiders will come close though as QB Derek Carr relies on his younger receivers (since WR Jordy Nelson is struggling). |
| Sunday, 4:25 PM EST
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Neither offense will be up to full speed here as both defenses thrive. But QB Tom Brady will lead the Pats to get by at home as he uses his WR depth, something New England has at full health. The Vikings will make this close, led by QB Kirk Cousins and his receivers. |
| Sunday, 4:25 PM EST
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The Seahawks will be able to get by here, but the 49ers will come close to an upset and play the better all around game, as young QB Nick Mullens throws multiple TD against the young Seattle D. The Seahawks, however, will find a way to win thanks to veteran QB Russell Wilson. |
| Sunday, 8:20 PM EST
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The Steelers offense will look good here, as QB Ben Roethlisberger tosses multiple TD. But even without RB Melvin Gordon, QB Philip Rivers and his deep WR corps will be too much for the Pittsburgh D to handle as they outperform the Steelers significantly. The Chargers will be able to handle Pittsburgh’s offense a little easier, helping their case in a road primetime victory, handing the Steelers their second straight loss. |
| Sunday, 8:15 PM EST
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Expect the Eagles to win in a shootout thanks to the strong game by QB Carson Wentz and his receivers. QB Colt McCoy will outperform his expectations though, tossing multiple TD and making this close. But the Eagles will still get past McCoy’s Redskins as their run game thrives in addition to the pass offense. |
That’s all for today’s picks. Stay tuned for more posts soon, including Part 3 of my MLB free agent predictions.
Welcome to my Week 9 NFL Picks & Previews. Last week I went 7-7, putting my overall record at 68-51-2 (69-51-2 including Week 9 TNF). I am ahead of 3 ESPN experts and 1 CBS Sports expert. Look for a lot of the borderline contenders to prove themselves this week with important wins. I think the Ravens will shut down the Steelers for the 2nd time this year, the Vikings will silence the Lions, and the Chargers will dominate the 4-3 Seahawks coming off the bye week. The Chargers had put a 4-game win streak together prior to the bye. Although some of these contenders will win, some will be upset. Who will fall in a shocking upset? Who will remain elite? Keep reading to find out what I think.
Lock of the Week
Expect LA’s explosive offense to embarrass the young Seattle D in a blowout. With WR Brandon Marshall a free agent, QB Russell Wilson will also struggle to find reliable open men. Meanwhile, QB Philip Rivers will lead the Chargers to a blowout victory with 4+ TD.
Upset of the Week
I don’t think WR Amari Cooper will make much of a difference for QB Dak Prescott and the troubled Dallas pass offense. Their big week against Jacksonville is a sign of big things to come, but it won’t happen this week as Tennessee’s secondary steps it up. The Titans will bounce back from a rough October with a triumphant Monday Night victory coming off the bye as they shock the Cowboys in their first home loss of the season.
The Other Games
| TNF (Posted to Twitter on Thursday Night; Actual Score: 34-3 49ers)
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Even with their third-string QB starting, I think this young 49ers offense can put together a big game considering how bad the Oakland D has been without DE Khalil Mack. Oakland’s season will begin to fall apart despite looking okay on offense. I don’t think they will win many more games with RB Marshawn Lynch out and WR Amari Cooper gone. |
| Sunday, 1:00 PM EST
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QB Brock Osweiler somehow led for the Dolphins to victory in Week 7. But I don’t see him winning against the Jets elite secondary. Expect multiple interceptions here, even on Osweiler’s home turf. QB Sam Darnold will step it up to secure a Jets victory on the road. QB Ryan Tannehill spoiled New York’s home opener. Darnold will look for revenge with Tannehill injured for the third straight game. |
| Sunday, 1:00 PM EST
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Look for Chicago’s defense to lead them to victory against another banged-up AFC East team in the Bills. Buffalo will have to settle for Nathan Peterman at QB, although they did add another weapon in Terrelle Pryor Jr. for him. I think Peterman will look better than usual and make this close, but there’s no way he leads the Bills to victory against this Bears defense. |
| Sunday, 1:00 PM EST
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Pittsburgh was starting to look alright without RB Le’Veon Bell. But there’s no way they get past this versatile Ravens run defense without their star running back. This will make it hard for Pittsburgh to outscore Baltimore. I don’t see the Steelers defense performing any better than usual against this deep Ravens receiving corps. |
| Sunday, 1:00 PM EST
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Against a rebuilding Browns defense, QB Patrick Mahomes II should be dominant as usual. I could even see him throwing 4 TD in this game. The Chiefs defense will slip a little against QB Baker Mayfield and an improved Cleveland offense, but Mahomes’ field day will be enough for them here. |
| Sunday, 1:00 PM EST
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Look for the Redskins to play complimentary football here in an all-around strong game. They will utilize their versatile roster as they win at home. Atlanta’s washed-up defense will also struggle to contain QB Alex Smith’s deep receiving corps. |
| Sunday, 1:00 PM EST
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Look for serious regression from Detroit’s offense as they face one of the league’s best defenses without WR Golden Tate. I have the Vikes holding them under 10 here. QB Kirk Cousins and his receivers won’t look much better, but they should manage to get by. Don’t expect many more losses by the Vikes either. With RB Dalvin Cook healthy, things should be smooth sailing. They’ve really only had one concerning loss this whole season. |
| Sunday, 1:00 PM EST
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QB Cam Newton and the Panthers offense should ride the momentum they gathered in Week 8 to beat the Bucs in Carolina. They should not be concerned about facing a Buccaneers D that has struggled all season. QB Ryan Fitzpatrick will not be enough to lead Tampa to victory here as Carolina shuts down Tampa’s run game. That puts a lot of pressure on Fitzpatrick, which could cause him to struggle. |
| Sunday, 4:05 PM EST
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Houston will struggle offensively, as WR Demaryius Thomas doesn’t provide much of an upgrade over WR Will Fuller. Plus, Denver’s secondary knows Thomas very well and will be able to shut him down. The Broncos will edge out a victory in a low scoring game as WR Courtland Sutton steps it up with Thomas flipping sides. Don’t expect much scoring though. This is a battle of two of the AFC’s best defenses. |
| Sunday, 4:25 PM EST
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The Rams will stay undefeated with a road win over New Orleans. Their elite defense will come ready to shut down QB Drew Brees, RB Alvin Kamara and the Saints offense. Even with WR Cooper Kupp back, the Rams won’t be at full speed on offense. But they should get past the Saints thanks to elite defense and a last minute, victory-securing TD. |
| Sunday, 8:20 PM EST
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If RB Sony Michel and TE Rob Gronkowski are healthy, this will be a blowout. Otherwise, it could be close. QB Aaron Rodgers will struggle to find open men here, as the Patriots secondary will keep Rodgers’ small number of dependable receivers well covered. The Pats offense will be back to dominance if they have Gronk and Michel. But after New England’s hiccup without them last week, I don’t think the offense would be the same without them. I think they will be able to play, but I’m not an injury expert. Either way, New England should win and remain undefeated at home. |
That’s all for this week. Stay tuned for more NFL posts soon, including my mid-season report (I usually post it after Week 8, but have delayed it until after Week 9 to the chaotic playoff picture we have right now). Hopefully, Week 9 will settle some things.
Welcome to my NFL Week 7 picks and previews. Last week, I went 8-7, placing my overall record at 53-38-2 (53-39-2 including TNF Week 7). This puts me ahead of 3 of 10 ESPN experts and 1 of 8 CBS Sports experts. There have been a lot of early season surprises this year. The Bears are tied for the NFC North lead. The Eagles sit at .500, and the Falcons sit at just 2-4. Both of them were playoff teams in 2017. Could this mark the turning point for some of those surprise bad teams? Will some of the pleasant surprise teams begin to regress? Read below to find out what I think.
Lock of the Week
The Buccaneers struggled last week in Atlanta. But now that they are back on their home turf, expect QB Jameis Winston and the Bucs to bounce back. The Browns have little to no momentum going into this one either. They’re coming off an embarrassing blowout loss in Cleveland. Don’t expect a much better offensive performance from the Browns against an underrated Bucs defense in Tampa. I also don’t think the Browns secondary will be able to contain Tampa’s deep group of receivers. Expect an easy Buccaneers victory.
Upset of the Week
I tend to lean towards teams with the home field advantage when making my picks. But the Bills have actually performed relatively well on the road. If they can shock the Vikings in Minnesota, they should be able to take down the 1-5 Colts in Indy. It doesn’t matter if Josh Allen is the QB or if Derek Anderson is. This Colts defense has struggled all season, costing Indy several games. With the Bills dominating a rebuilding Colts D, QB Andrew Luck and the Colts offense should be able to put up a fight. But it will be very difficult to keep up with Buffalo, leading to a Bills road victory.
The Other Games
| TNF (Posted to Twitter Thursday Night; Actual Score: 45-10 Broncos)
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Look for QB Josh Rosen to lead Arizona to a home victory against the sinking Denver Broncos. The Broncos defense may be good, but they are not even close to 2015 form, and that will cost them. QB Case Keenum and his receivers will make it close, but it won’t be enough thanks to the dominance of the Cardinals offense. |
| Sunday, 9:30 AM EST (Posted to Twitter Before Kickoff)
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Look for QB Philip Rivers and the Chargers offense to put up another strong offensive performance in London. The Chargers have only lost twice this year, and the losses were to the Rams and Chiefs, two of the best teams in the league. They have dominated offensively against every other opponent. I also see Tennessee struggling against a young Chargers defense. This will lead to a secure Chargers victory.
Note: I think it’s a possibility that the Chargers eventually move to London if LA doesn’t work out for them. |
| Sunday, 1:00 PM EST
Stay tuned for a potential video preview closer to game time! |
Expect QB Tom Brady to throw to many different receivers and lead the Pats to victory. New England should use their newfound receiver depth to their advantage. Even the Bears strong defense should struggle to contain an offense that outscored the then undefeated Kansas City Chiefs. Look for New England’s secondary to at least partially contain QB Mitch Trubisky’s receivers and for the Pats front seven to shut down Chicago’s RB duo to secure victory. |
| Sunday, 1:00 PM EST
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Look for the Lions to struggle in Miami against a young, versatile Dolphins D. Expect QB Matthew Stafford to connect with his WR trio for TDs to make this close. But I also think the Dolphins will have a strong offensive game on home turf, especially against a mediocre Lions D. Miami will pull ahead to win by 13. |
| Sunday, 1:00 PM EST
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Expect the Vikings to be led by a strong defensive performance that holds the Jets under 15 points. I see Minnesota’s offense making an impact later to secure the Vikings a lead. The Vikes should win easily in the end thanks to defensive dominance and a late-game offensive statement. |
| Sunday, 1:00 PM EST
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This will be a defense first game as two of the best defenses in the league face off. But Jacksonville should at least look better offensively than they did last week, despite facing a tough Texans defense. I also expect the Jags defense to bounce back. They’ve just faced two offense-heavy teams. Now they go up against another defense-first team, the Texans. I expect Houston to struggle regressively against the young Jags defense. |
| Sunday, 1:00 PM EST
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The Eagles may have gotten off to a mediocre 3-3 start, but QB Carson Wentz has met expectations, and that will show this week as he throws 4 touchdowns in a dominant performance against a young Carolina secondary. The Panthers’ defensive backs have looked better this year, but they are facing one of the best passing offenses in the league. Meanwhile, expect Philly’s D to perform surprisingly well, holding Carolina under 25 as the Panthers are unable to bounce back from a tough Week 6 loss. |
| Sunday, 4:05 PM EST
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Until 2017, the Saints were known as the team that sucked because they had no defense. But last year, the young Saints D broke out for a huge year. Expect to see flashes of the 2017 Saints D against a mediocre Ravens pass game. Baltimore has been led by their defense so far this year as well. New Orleans will be impacted by this, but their experienced offense should allow the Saints to get by in Baltimore. |
| Sunday, 4:25 PM EST
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QB Dak Prescott had a huge game last week out of nowhere. Don’t expect to see it again in Washington. The Cowboys have been dominant on home turf, but have not won a game on the road. Look for the Redskins defense to step it up here while QB Alex Smith just barely leads Washington past Dallas. |
| Sunday, 4:25 PM EST
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The Rams offense should struggle without WR Cooper Kupp. But San Francisco won’t do much better without QB Jimmy Garoppolo. Look for them to put up a dud against LA’s shut down defense. The Rams should get by despite their offensive struggles. |
| Sunday, 8:20 PM EST
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Now that they’ve lost their momentum, don’t expect QB Patrick Mahomes II and his receivers to look as sharp as usual, but they still should put up 20+ points. QB Andy Dalton and the Bengals should make this close, but look for the young Chiefs defense to step it up despite battling numerous injuries. Kansas City hasn’t really needed much defense, not until these last couple of weeks. But defense wins games, and with the Chiefs D stepping it up, Kansas City should win a close primetime game. |
| Monday, 8:15 PM EST
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Atlanta will struggle early here as the defense falters against a strong Giants offense. QB Eli Manning may be having a rough year, but he should be alright against Atlanta’s inconsistent defense. Look for the Falcons to put up a fight on offense late, but fall just short in primetime. |
That’s all for this week’s picks and previews. Stay tuned for more Boston sports articles soon, including a preview of the crazy week ahead for all four Boston teams.
Boston Sports Mania 