By Jack Yang and Omid Naisani
Omid (in yellow) and I (in white) are back for our week 3 picks. I finished a respectable 9-7 last week while Omid struggled to a 7-9 finish. Omid also lost the game of the week so I’m currently winning the friendly wager (with a yet to be determined prize). As a reference, 12 ESPN analysts finished with an average record of 9.25-6.75, so we are not far off. Let’s see if we cannot do better this week. (Btw we both picked the Browns to win, so maybe not)
(Fun fact, when Michael Turner was arrested late Monday for DUI, that broke a NFL record of 38 days without an arrest of a player. Disclaimer: Records only have been kept for 5 years, plus with the 1700 players in the league, the arrest rate is similar to average citizens, however these are role models and DUI's are just stupid)
1) Giants +1 at Panthers
ELI MANNING. I don't know what to say about this guy. I don't know anyone who has had as many ridiculous comebacks as him in the last 2 seasons. They will be missing Nicks this week so that will take away from their passing offense a bit. Defensively they have struggled so far and I don't see this game being any easier for them. Carolina had an impressive showing last week against the Saints. They scored a lot of points and looked in control throughout the game. Their defense is getting better as the season goes on but they need to get pressure on Eli or he will shred their defense. Carolina 27-24.
The Saints clearly aren't who we thought they are, so it is hard to put too much faith in Carolina for their win last week. However this game is in Carolina and the Giants will be without Nicks and Ahmad Bradshaw. The Giants secondary is still without 4 starters, this is a very tough game to call, but I think Cam Newton will have a great game and Carolina wins it at home, 34-32.
2) St Louis Rams +9 at Chicago Bears
I don't know how Chicago is so favoured in this game. This Rams defense is legit. They are chippy and dirty, and they play hard to every whistle. Coming off an emotional win against my Redskins (sigh), they are looking for the upset in Chicago. The Bears got crushed in Green Bay last week, but they have had 10 days to prepare for this game. I see them harassing Sam Bradford all night. Defensive battle, close game, Chi 17-12.
The Rams showed that week one was no fluke vs the Detroit Lions. Jeff Fisher has got that defense playing hard and they are making it difficult and painful for anyone to score. Sam Bradford is back to performing how I believed he would once he got some decent talent on his team and didn't have to worry about a new offensive scheme every season. People forget how good he was in his rookie season. The Bears on the other hand had a tough loss vs Green Bay but more embarrassing was the way Jay “Baby” Cutler acted. If he wants to win maybe he should take some responsibility for what happens on the field as he is the QB. Green Bay got to Cutler too easily and if the o-line continues to perform poorly it will be a long season for Cutler and the Bears. Bears come out hungry and win this game but it will be close. Look for Bradford to outperform Cutler. Chicago 20-17.
3) Buffalo - 1.5 at Cleveland
The Bills destroyed the Chiefs last week thanks to a dominant C.J. Spiller. Fred Jackson who??????? Ok maybe thats too far but Spiller looked awesome last week. Besides that what I learned was how bad the Chiefs are. The Browns looked much better in week two as well., specially rookie QB Weeden. They scored a lot of points against what I consider to be a decent defense in Cincinnati. If they can perform with the same level of intensity and execution against the Bills they will win this game. a big IF. Browns 21-20.
LOL is Fred Jackson a product of the system? Sure looks like it so far. Maybe CJ Spiller finally realized football is a contact sport. Buffalo has looked great at times and awful at other times, I really can’t put my finger on this team. I like Cleveland too, Trent Richardson is a stud and if Weeden can avoid being awful, that D will give them a chance to win. Add in the atmosphere at the Dog Pound and I think Cleveland beats the spread, 24-18.
4) Tampa Bay +9 at Dallas
Tampa is coming off a tough loss at the hands of the Giants, and Dallas just got embarrassed by Seattle (!?!). Both teams are looking for a bounce back game, especially Dallas, who cannot afford to lose at home and go 1-2. Tampa Bay plays hard, and their offense is solid, but they really can't cover anyone right now. With Miles Austin and Dez Bryant on Dallas, this will once again be a long day for the Tampa secondary. I think Tony Romo will have a field day with Dallas winning 31-24.
After picking Dallas to win last game I don't think I will pick them for the rest of the season. How do you beat the Giants week 1 and not show up to Seattle in week 2? As Jack pointed out so elegantly above, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers cannot cover anyone in the league and the rest of the defense is average at best.They have a decent offense and can score points but after last week's devastating loss I don't know if they will be emotionally ready this week. Good Thing they play the COWGIRLS who got crushed last week as well. Tampa Bay 28-24.
5) San Fran -6.5 at Minnesota
San Francisco looks dominant this year. That run defense is absolutely amazing and they only have 8 in the box most of the time. They have beaten 2 of the better teams in their conference easily and not only with defense, Alex Smith is finally looking like the first overall pick. It seems he has found a comfort zone and having a former QB as a coach doesn't hurt. The talent he is got around him also doesn't hurt. Crabtree was an absolute stud in the 4th quarter. Minnesota on the other hand lost to the Colts after tying the game up late in the 4th quarter. The San Fran defense is going to have a field day against Minnesota's offense and Petersen might as well sit this one out. San Francisco 31-10.
Remember during when Mike Singletary first took over the 49ers, and they went 5-4 and people said, hey with a real coach this team is good. Well Singletary wasn’t a real coach, but now that Jim Harbaugh is in town, he has this team looking like the best in the NFL. The 49ers just look physically better than their opponents, with good coaching they ran all over good teams like Detroit and Green Bay. Minnesota don’t stand a chance, 30-7 for San Fran.
6) Detroit -3.5 at Tennessee
Detroit ran into a 49ers team that just looks better than anyone in the league at this point of the season, but the Lions kept it close and things are easier this week. The Titans have been crushed in the first two games of the season so far, with 20+ point losses against the Pats and Chargers. CJ2LAME is looking awful and you don’t want to put the game in the hands of Jake Locker at this point of his career. I think Detroit’s offense finally starts clicking this week, with a 34-21 victory in Nashville.
People are starting to worry about the Lions but to be fair they played a much improved Rams team in week 1 and played the best team in Football last week in San Francisco. I think they will get better as the season goes on and look for Stafford and MEGAtron to have a big game vs the Titans. The Titans defense hasn't been able to rush the passer very well and that will be a problem vs Detroit. They got crushed last week (I took them to be my upset win............) by the Chargers and I think the same thing happens this week. Detroit 28-9.
7) Cincinnati +3 at Washington
This will be an awesome game. Both teams have good Qb’s and they can score a bunch of points as shown by their respective performances last week. Washington was unable to closeout the game against the Rams last week and will need to play better defensively this week. The Bengals on the other hand took care of business vs the Browns and showed signs of life on offense. Their defense still worries me a bit as they did give up 27 points to the Browns last week. Dalton or Griffin in what this game really comes down to. Cincinnati 24-21.
My poor poor Skins, they played OK in St Louis, but the Defensive game plan was awful and the chippyness of the game got to Josh Morgan and he threw the game away, literally. The replacement officials are awful and it is a wonder no one got hurt by a cheap shot last week. However the Skins did lose their best pass rusher in Orakpo and run stuffer in Carracker, both for the season (sigh). AJ Green will present all sorts of problems for the Redskins secondary, however, it is the Skins home opener and I think RG3 will be pumped up and put on a show. This might be another shootout, Skins take it 35-28.
8) New York Jets -1 at Miami
Miami ran all over what I thought was a good Raiders team last week, with Reggie Bush running for over 175 yard on the ground. This week will be much tougher for the Dolphins as they face a Jets team that dominated Buffalo in week 1. The Jets though did lose to the Steelers last week, but that was at Heinz Field. I won’t underestimate this Dolphins at home again, but I still see the Jets winning, 17-14 in an ugly game.
I think REGGIE BUSHHHHHHHH was upset about the USC loss to Stanford the day before so he took it upon himself to show how the Trojans use to beat teams when he was playing there. Ryan Tannehill also looked much better and I think he might turn out to be a good quarterback in the league. The Miami defense didn't have a particularly strong game but they were able to keep the Raiders out of the end zone. The Jets came back down to earth after their smacking of the Bills in week 1. They did play in Heinz field and that's no easy road game. Their offense struggled as most expected and their defense looked a little slow compared to previous seasons. I think the Jets play better this week but the Dolphins win this one. Miami 20-14.
9) Kansas City +9 at New Orleans
The New Orleans Saints will win this game. It is at home, they have a great offense that can score and more importantly they play the Chiefs. Also if the Saints go down 0-3 they know they are out of the playoffs in that conference.The Chiefs looked dreadful vs the bills last week. They gave up 35 points most of coming as a result of the Bills strong running game. The Chiefs offense was unable to get any flow going and scored a measly 10 points. Saints win big. New Orleans 27-13.
This is a must win for both teams, but one clearly has more talent than the other. Kansas City got blown out in both games so far. Their two headed RB monster of Charles and Hillis has looked very ordinary. New Orleans have not been able to stop anyone so far, RG3 and Cam has both had huge days against this secondary. But Matt Cassel is not a running threat, this will play in the Saints favour, they get on the board in 2012, but it won’t be easy, 38-30 for NO.
10) Jacksonville +3 at Indianapolis
Ugh, this game doesn’t interest me at all. Andrew Luck looked fantastic last week, I really wanted to take Indy but I was worried about Jared Allen killing Luck because that o-line is so so bad. But they proved me wrong. Jacksonville looked pretty bad against the Texans last week and I don’t think they will have much luck this week, as he will be on the colts (wordplay!). On top of that the game is in Indy, I think the Colts take it, 26-21
Andrew Luck looked very good last week. The best part was the way he drove down the field to set up the winning field goal after the Vikings had tied the game late. IF he continues to progress and gain more confidence the Colts could finish second in the division behind the mighty Texans. The defense was also ok considering they are weak against the run and only gave up 60 yard to Petersen. Jacksonville got blown out by the Texans last week but they should be in a dogfight this week. They always play the Colts tough and it should be the same story this week. There defense is not as bad as the Texans made it looked the past week and they will have a some success vs the Colts. Indianapolis 20-17.
11) Philly -3.5 at Arizona
Who would have thought that the Cardinals would be 2-0 by the end of week 2 (Not counting Kevin Kolb, who thought he would be starting at the time he made that prediction lol)? They have beaten two good teams in Seattle and New England. The offense looks pretty good and they have the weapons to be dangerous. More impressive is the defense and how they have been able to contain teams so far this season. They also have Patrick Peterson who is a game changer on defense and special teams. The Eagles on the other hand we expected to be 2-0 but not by having 9 turnovers over 2 games. They did a better job of running the ball last week and it definitely helped take the pressure off Vick. If they can limit their turnovers they should be able to win this game. Philadelphia 27-17.
Kevin effin Kolb. I mean he had nothing to do with the win last week but at least he is on a winning team again (and starting!). But seriously, Kevin Kolb has NOTHING to do with the win last week. The Arizona defense is ballin right now and I think Patrick Peterson has already entered into the conversation of best CB after Revis and Nnamdi. The Eagles have won their first two games by a combined 2 points, further cementing the fact that the Eagles will play to their opponents level. They shouldn’t have won either game, Cleveland dropped a game clinching INT and the replacement refs robbed Baltimore of a game winning TD. I think this is a classic trap game for Philly as Arizona is very good at home. I have Arizona winning a close one, 21-17. (I really want Kolb to lead the Cardinals on a game clinching 98 yard TD drive in under 2 minutes just to see the headlines in Philly)
GAME OF THE WEEK
12) Atlanta +3 at San Diego
This could very well be the game of the week. The underrated Chargers have stormed out of the gate with two impressive wins against the Raiders and Titans. I don’t know why, but subconsciously I no longer thought of Phillip Rivers as a top QB after last season, but clearly that is a huge mistake. Atlanta looked great in the first half against the Broncos, forcing 4 TOs in the first quarter alone. But their inability to run the ball and put the game away ment they had to sweat through the last few minutes. I think they will take a step back this week and lose a close game in SD, 28-24 Chargers take it.
Atlanta is here to play and boy does that offense look good. If it doesn't scare you yet just wait until they win this shootout in San Diego. Gonzalez, White and Jones is an awesome set of receivers to have for any QB, let alone Matty Ryan. This team runs the no huddle as good as any team in the league and they can score at will. Their running game is also good enough that they can slow down the game if they want. San Diego had a good game last week but they did play the Titans so take what you want from it. Philip Rivers looks like he is comfortable thus far and having a 2-0 start is good for his moral. This game will come down to whose defense has that one or two big plays. Atlanta 30-24.
13) Houston -1 at Denver
Where does one start with this game? Manning vs Schaub? The wicked offense of the Texans vs the Methodical Denver offense? The physical defense of the Texans vs the young and talented front line of the Broncos? Boy is this game going to be fun. Denver comes off a tough loss at Atlanta where they had 4 turnovers in the first quarter and lost by just 6 points to a good Atlanta team. Manning won’t have a repeat performance so thats bad news for the Texans. The Broncos can also run the ball as they showed the first two weeks of the season which will make it that much tougher for the Texans defense. Houston hasn't played a close game yet as they have had two weak opponents. To their credit they beat both of them convincingly. Not having played any close games yet will have a negative effect on them as they come out on the short end of the stick in The Mile High City. Denver 28- 20.
I like it Omid, tough though games to call this week. I really think Houston have not played that well so far, yet they’ve won both games so far convincingly, but they are no longer facing Tannehill or Gabbert, they are facing the one and only Peyton Manning. If it weren't for an awful first quarter, Denver could very well have won last week. Their Defense is playing at a very high level right now with Von Miller looking like a bonafide superstar. However, Houston’s defense is also playing at a very high level, JJ Watts and Brian Cushing anchor the best run D in the league. This is the hardest game of the week to call, but seeing as the game is a Mile High, and Peyton probably fuming after last week, i think Denver eeks it out in a tight, tense affair 24-23.
14) Pittsburgh -4 at Oakland
I cannot figure this Raider team out. I thought they were very good and had a legit shot at winning the AFC west this year, clearly i am very wrong. Run DMC has the worst yards per carry average in the league and the Defense has been awful. I mean anyone giving up 30 points to Ryan Tannehill should be embarrassed. Pittsburgh has looked quite good so far, and I can’t see them losing this game. Pitt takes it 24-17.
The Raiders have started the season playing very sloppy football. The turnovers is what cost them in week one vs the Chargers and last week they just couldn't score when they got close to the Dolphins end zone. You should score more than 13 points with 400 yard of offense. It won't get any easier vs the Steelers who crushed the Jets last week. The O-Line looked fantastic and they were moving the ball on the ground like the super bowl teams in the 2000s. If they keep that up and use Mike Wallace as a deep threat they will cruise to a victory in week three. Pittsburgh 31-13.
15) New England +3 at Baltimore
One of these teams will be 1-2 at the end of this week. Both are coming off a bad loss in week 2. New England lost to the Arizona Cardinals on a last minute missed field goal. More significantly they lost one of their dynamic duo’s at TE in Hernandez and have signed Kellen Winslow to replace him. It is a definite downgrade but Winslow can still play and Bill Belichick always gets the most out of his players. The Ravens lost a tough fought game against the Eagles on a last minute touchdown drive. A positive is that they had 4 takeaways which will usually result in a win. The offense needs to score more points this game as the defense is not what it use to be. This is the toughest game to call in my opinion as both teams are so well coached and bounce back well from bad losses. Advantage home team, Baltimore 24-21.
Another tough game to call. Baltimore should have won last week if it were not for a ridiculous pass interference call. New England also got robbed by the replacement referees on a phantom hold call to erase a key touchdown. Baltimore has held Tom Brady in check the last few years, one of the only teams in the League to do so. Joe Flacco steps up and takes his game to the next level, Baltimore 28-21.
16) Green Bay -3 at Seattle
Green Bay righted the ship last week, making Jay Cutler look silly in a beat down on Thursday night. They will be confident, however they are heading to a dangerous field to play another confident team. The Seahawks dominated Dallas last week, jumping out to an early lead and riding the home crowd to a solid victory. The Seahawks needs to once again jump out to an early lead, and let the crowd force Green Bay into making some mistakes. Beast Mode needs to be in full effect for Seattle to have a shot at this game. However I don’t think it will be enough and I see Green Bay pulling it out, 21-15.
This game will not be as close as most people think. Green Bay hasn't looked great this far but they were missing Greg Jennings last game. The bears are also one of the most improved teams in the league and the packers made them look bad. Clay Matthews is on pace for 48 sacks this season with 6 in 2 games but the defense is still weak overall. The seahawks dominated the Cowgirls last week and their rookie QB looked much better. Marshawn “ BEASTMODE” Lynch also had a great game last week and they will need the same from both of those two to have a chance this week. Seattle is at home so that will help them not lose by double digits. Green Bay 27-21.
This could very well be the game of the week. The underrated Chargers have stormed out of the gate with two impressive wins against the Raiders and Titans. I don’t know why, but subconsciously I no longer thought of Phillip Rivers as a top QB after last season, but clearly that is a huge mistake. Atlanta looked great in the first half against the Broncos, forcing 4 TOs in the first quarter alone. But their inability to run the ball and put the game away ment they had to sweat through the last few minutes. I think they will take a step back this week and lose a close game in SD, 28-24 Chargers take it.
Atlanta is here to play and boy does that offense look good. If it doesn't scare you yet just wait until they win this shootout in San Diego. Gonzalez, White and Jones is an awesome set of receivers to have for any QB, let alone Matty Ryan. This team runs the no huddle as good as any team in the league and they can score at will. Their running game is also good enough that they can slow down the game if they want. San Diego had a good game last week but they did play the Titans so take what you want from it. Philip Rivers looks like he is comfortable thus far and having a 2-0 start is good for his moral. This game will come down to whose defense has that one or two big plays. Atlanta 30-24.
13) Houston -1 at Denver
Where does one start with this game? Manning vs Schaub? The wicked offense of the Texans vs the Methodical Denver offense? The physical defense of the Texans vs the young and talented front line of the Broncos? Boy is this game going to be fun. Denver comes off a tough loss at Atlanta where they had 4 turnovers in the first quarter and lost by just 6 points to a good Atlanta team. Manning won’t have a repeat performance so thats bad news for the Texans. The Broncos can also run the ball as they showed the first two weeks of the season which will make it that much tougher for the Texans defense. Houston hasn't played a close game yet as they have had two weak opponents. To their credit they beat both of them convincingly. Not having played any close games yet will have a negative effect on them as they come out on the short end of the stick in The Mile High City. Denver 28- 20.
I like it Omid, tough though games to call this week. I really think Houston have not played that well so far, yet they’ve won both games so far convincingly, but they are no longer facing Tannehill or Gabbert, they are facing the one and only Peyton Manning. If it weren't for an awful first quarter, Denver could very well have won last week. Their Defense is playing at a very high level right now with Von Miller looking like a bonafide superstar. However, Houston’s defense is also playing at a very high level, JJ Watts and Brian Cushing anchor the best run D in the league. This is the hardest game of the week to call, but seeing as the game is a Mile High, and Peyton probably fuming after last week, i think Denver eeks it out in a tight, tense affair 24-23.
14) Pittsburgh -4 at Oakland
I cannot figure this Raider team out. I thought they were very good and had a legit shot at winning the AFC west this year, clearly i am very wrong. Run DMC has the worst yards per carry average in the league and the Defense has been awful. I mean anyone giving up 30 points to Ryan Tannehill should be embarrassed. Pittsburgh has looked quite good so far, and I can’t see them losing this game. Pitt takes it 24-17.
The Raiders have started the season playing very sloppy football. The turnovers is what cost them in week one vs the Chargers and last week they just couldn't score when they got close to the Dolphins end zone. You should score more than 13 points with 400 yard of offense. It won't get any easier vs the Steelers who crushed the Jets last week. The O-Line looked fantastic and they were moving the ball on the ground like the super bowl teams in the 2000s. If they keep that up and use Mike Wallace as a deep threat they will cruise to a victory in week three. Pittsburgh 31-13.
15) New England +3 at Baltimore
One of these teams will be 1-2 at the end of this week. Both are coming off a bad loss in week 2. New England lost to the Arizona Cardinals on a last minute missed field goal. More significantly they lost one of their dynamic duo’s at TE in Hernandez and have signed Kellen Winslow to replace him. It is a definite downgrade but Winslow can still play and Bill Belichick always gets the most out of his players. The Ravens lost a tough fought game against the Eagles on a last minute touchdown drive. A positive is that they had 4 takeaways which will usually result in a win. The offense needs to score more points this game as the defense is not what it use to be. This is the toughest game to call in my opinion as both teams are so well coached and bounce back well from bad losses. Advantage home team, Baltimore 24-21.
Another tough game to call. Baltimore should have won last week if it were not for a ridiculous pass interference call. New England also got robbed by the replacement referees on a phantom hold call to erase a key touchdown. Baltimore has held Tom Brady in check the last few years, one of the only teams in the League to do so. Joe Flacco steps up and takes his game to the next level, Baltimore 28-21.
16) Green Bay -3 at Seattle
Green Bay righted the ship last week, making Jay Cutler look silly in a beat down on Thursday night. They will be confident, however they are heading to a dangerous field to play another confident team. The Seahawks dominated Dallas last week, jumping out to an early lead and riding the home crowd to a solid victory. The Seahawks needs to once again jump out to an early lead, and let the crowd force Green Bay into making some mistakes. Beast Mode needs to be in full effect for Seattle to have a shot at this game. However I don’t think it will be enough and I see Green Bay pulling it out, 21-15.
This game will not be as close as most people think. Green Bay hasn't looked great this far but they were missing Greg Jennings last game. The bears are also one of the most improved teams in the league and the packers made them look bad. Clay Matthews is on pace for 48 sacks this season with 6 in 2 games but the defense is still weak overall. The seahawks dominated the Cowgirls last week and their rookie QB looked much better. Marshawn “ BEASTMODE” Lynch also had a great game last week and they will need the same from both of those two to have a chance this week. Seattle is at home so that will help them not lose by double digits. Green Bay 27-21.
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