Just some random thoughts for all fellow Handicappers to ponder:
1) I liked what I saw in New England even though I picked the overrated Texans. Don't get RJ Bell to ban me for this, but the Pats might go undefeated this year. They were 10-0 at DEN last year when the Ref's handed the BRONCOS that game, and that game changed these two team's fortunes re: Home Field, etc. And the Pats still almost beat DEN in that Playoff game. The Pats were clearly the 2nd best team last year; if they had advanced to face panthers in the Super Bowl, the Pats would have prevailed. Don't think for one second Belichick is not sore about 2008 season a la NY Giants? If he smells perfection, he will pursue it relentlessly. Once the BRONCOS ended perfection last year, their "letdown" was a home loss to Eagles, big chalk, and did not look the same. They went 2-4 the last 6 regular games, and it showed. Belichick ratcheted it up for the Playoffs, of course.
2) The Texans: Osweiller is only a stop-gap fill-in. Elway let him walk for a reason. Brock has the 6' 8" height, which I LOVE in QB's as they can scan the field over the flailing Linemen's arms/hands reaching for the ball, but Brock does not have that "zip" Elway, Cutler, Rodgers, Manning, Brady does. Sounds harsh, but the QB's with the high-velocity rocket-arms are the requirements, not the exception, in today's games. The Texans WILL switch QB's next year or sooner.
3) BUFF +4 hosting the Cardinals. If BUFF loses here. Rex is gone. I am gambling that the BILLS put an all-out effort to eek out a Cover. Cards are good, and Phil Steele has them as the Supe Champ. I have GreenBay as the Champ, but am ready to jump ship like a fickle feminist wanna-be-a-Man and put the Pats as the Supe Champ. Speaking of the Pats, that is on deck for the BILLS. AT NEW ENGLAND. You can't tell me that the players/coaches know they have no chance like the KKK giving BLM kids a free lunch of beating the Pats the way they are playing. Rex has them totally focused on getting THIS game as their Winner. Look for fake punts, squib kicks, WR reverses, Blitzes, 4th down attempts, etc.
4) Cleveland is got to be the worst team right now in the NFL. they had 18 Rookies on Opening Week 1, I THINK that is the non-expansion team record. Somewhere, one Rookie was cut, IR, whatever, still have 17 Rookies on the team. As much as I like Hue Jackson, he put himself in a bad situation. The Clowns are not interested in building a winning team. I am from the Old School: Prove it. Your words mean nothing when year after year you can't get your act together. Only the Nerdiest File Clerk who can't get laid in a Cat House with $50K keeps believing the bleached-blonde bimbo, who repeats her Prepared line over-and-over again: "I won't do this anymore" but still won't leave the Manor Home.Cleveland fans deserve better and the words don't match the product they keep putting on the field. Remember, Belichick was in Cleveland, took a nothing team to the Playoffs. The trick is finding the next Belichick, let him run the team, and leave him alone. Does the name Jimmy Johnson ring any bells out there??? A few Coaches have the knack. Too bad the Owners, rich as they are, are soooooo stubborn they can't see the forest through the trees. So I LOVE betting against them when the numbers allow it.
5) Baltimore: a true quandary. talent abound, was last year the new Bal norm, or were they really that banged up? Flacco has that rocket-arm described earlier, is NFL material, but some of the Roster are marginal. My take is that they will fade 2nd H gof the season. They will lose today versus the 0-2 Jags.
6) Detroit: should have beat Tenn. They have a lot of good pieces, but Megatron's retirement hurts them drastically. a 7-9 would be good for them; they have the airborne muck-bug that travels from Cleveland to the 130 miles or so to Detroit. Just pick your spots against Martha Ford's team and you can make money.
7) Green bay: should have beat MINN last week. They are in a funk, the same funk after they went 6-0 last year and skidded the next 3 games, 0-3, and looked like Cle/Det. BUT, the Pack can recover, and will recover. Too much O talent to be denied.
8) Cincinnati Bungles: Another team hard to figure, maybe a few airborne particles lagged behind from Cleveland and traveled to pay the Bungles a visit. HC Marvin Lewis has the proven track record, a la Ravens 2000 D the best all-time ever, and at times you can see this on the CIN field. But too many penalties( see the Pit game playoff no-excuse-the-Owner-lacked-balls-to-fire-entire-staff), and too many "intangibles" and the Bungles will revert to the Bungles of old. Lewis will be gone in two years or less. I have Cin-3 over the Broncos, but if they lose here, I am getting my shovel out of the storage shed.
9) CAROLINA: a cocky team that thinks they can "turn it on or off" at will, and the pesky 49ers took the lead a few times. You have to know HC Rivernoat Ron chewed the team a new one after that horrible performance. I know they pulled away in the 4th Q, but the Minnesota D is not the vanilla 49ers. The Vikes might have the # 1 D in the NFL. At least top 5. However, I look for the CAR D to rattle "can't-stay-on-the-field:" overrated Bradford good enough to eek out a low-scoring snorefest.
10) Was @ NYG. 0-2 at 2-0. But the Divison familiarity and a desperate Washington team sneaks up on Eli, and eeks out a Cover, and sprinkle a dash on the ML.
11) Everyone all of a sudden love the BUCCS hosting the Let-down-spot Rams. if the Rams can play 1/2 as good on D as they did hosting Seattle last week, I am looking for a 23-7 type game, the Rams win. Their D can play. It is they O I am worried about. can't score Touchdowns is a losing recipe, unless you are the reincarnation of the Ravens of 2000. Don't hold your breath, I am not sold on Jeff Fisher, who discovered Steve McNair after McNair rusted on the bench two seasons before the light bulb goes of in Fisher's brain. Fisher rode McNair as far as he could take them. Fisher gets a pass this year as the move to LA is the excuse, but in 2018 look for a change there.
12) Seatte: a notoriously slow starting team. They will get it rolling again.
13) NY Jets: DE Wilkerson, the Beast, is played all games, but is hobbled. Watch out if he gets to 95% or better.
14) KC: My pick to represent the AFC in the Supe this year. Getting ready to jump off that bandwagon real quick. My fatal flaw: I forgot who the HC was. The good but never-will-be-great Andy Reid. He tries to get the Ed Wood award of worst coach of the year.
15) Chargers: showing a lot of heart. Losing KEY pieces early, but not giving up.
16) PHI: Now that everyone is firmly planted their brains( backsides) on the flatbed bandwagon on Wentz, thisnis the game that will have that bandwagon floor the pedal to the metal and lose 50% or more of those fickle Rave-kids; the Steel comes into town and will properly introduce Wents to the NFL. The Clowns and teddy bears have no pass rush. The Steel has it all.
17) Speaking of the Teddy Bears, they are going to change QB's. But Hoyer is not the answer. I am surprised at HC John Fox, who I consider a top tiered HC. DAL D is bad enough to keep the Bears in the game, but if I were to have this game, i am looking for a Cover only; the Bears might not have what to takes to steala win in DAL. And DAL is a poor Home Favorite over the years. A numbers play only.
18) SAINTS: 0-2, but could be 2-0. SHOULD be 2-0. They kick that FG at NYG, they in that game. Oakland went for the 2-pointer and got it for the win, but the REAL story is that SAINTS had that game in the bag, let it slip away. The Falcons? NO pass rush again, all they have is a capable O. NO ONE is giving the Falcons a chance versus the 0-2 SAINTS, except contrarians like me. I look for the 'AINTS to go 0-3.
19) I tired to get to 20 points to ponder, but ran out of both time and gas. Good luck everybody.
20) Just remembered: don't bet against Belichick ever again. Wait until Brady returns. Maybe the entire team is going to show Commish Goodel who the REAL boss in there NFL is. A 19-0 season would just do exactly that.
Jaxterspix.