The Giants are doing things backwards, quarterbacks are trending bad, and tripping is dumb.
Went 3-11 in Week 10 so I will abstain from any prognostication this week outside of a pick (blind guess is more accurate). Let’s revisit some of my awful preseason predictions and talk about dumb stuff instead.
Last Week: 3 – 11 – 0
Season: 68 – 81 – 0
Thursday (8:20PM ET)
Jets 14 at Patriots 27
Drake Maye is playing at an MVP level and the Patriots have won eight straight. Go ahead and call me names, but I still don’t think they’re winning a playoff game, because there is a pretty good chance they’ll be hosting the Ravens, Chiefs or Bills.
Early, Early Game (9:30AM ET)
Commanders at Dolphins
I was spot on about the Commanders in my preseason predictions. It’s about the only thing I’ve been right about in the last two months. Here’s what I said on September 4th….
The Washington Commanders will finish with a losing record. The Commanders needed an outside consultant this offseason – someone who would look at their 2024 season from a realist perspective. Their schedule was a joke. They benefited from some historically fluky wins. Their biggest flex was defeating the Eagles and a backup quarterback, and their playoff run was simply good fortune. Sure, the victory over Tampa Bay was a nice win, but Detroit was badly short-handed. That’s why the Eagles dealt the Commanders a very violent and swift slap of reality in the NFC Championship. Instead of building a young roster around budding star Jayden Daniels, the Commanders added aging talent and become one of the oldest rosters in the NFL. While I do believe Daniels is great, sophomore struggles for quarterbacks are a real thing. Just ask CJ Stroud. Wide receiver depth is an issue, the offensive line is questionable at best, and in general the front office added names over on field production.
Anyway, this is an awful game that shouldn’t be permitted on American soil anyway. Sorry, Madrid, we are sending you our tired and poor. DOLPHINS -2.5
Early Games (1:00PM ET)
Panthers at Falcons
I can’t figure out Bryce Young. I’m not convinced the Panthers can either. The NFL is in a delicate spot in regards to quarterbacks. Like it or not, quarterbacks have always driven the NFL. By my count, there are 8.5 franchises that could 100% commit to their quarterback in 2028 being on the roster right now. That list, in no particular order, is; New England, Los Angeles (Chargers), Buffalo, Kansas City, Baltimore, Cincinnati (if he stays upright), Chicago, Washington (if he stays upright), and maybe New York (Giants – too early to tell). That’s a little terrifying for the direction of the NFL. Obviously, there are a handful of other quarterbacks playing extremely well, but Matthew Stafford will likely be retired by then, Sam Darnold needs to finish a season and postseason strong before I believe, and Jalen Hurts Jordan Love and Jared Goff are meh. PANTHERS +3.5
Buccaneers at Bills
Buffalo isn’t an elite roster but I’m also not going to overreact to much of anything they do in the regular season. At this point in the Josh Allen era, nothing else matters except getting out of the AFC and it appears that’s how the team is approaching the season. I’m not defending that mentality, but it’s not unusual for perennial contenders to sleep walk through Thanksgiving. BUCCANEERS +6
Texans at Titans
If there were Least Watchable rankings for the NFL, I think the bottom five would all reside in the AFC, and both of these teams would be included. The Jets would be number one followed by the Titans, Raiders, Browns and Texans. Yes, I would rather watch the Saints and Dolphins than any of the aforementioned clown shows. TEXANS -5.5
Bears at Vikings
As a Tim Duncan fan, I hate Chicago head coach Ben Johnson screaming the work ethic poem/motto/slogan that Duncan’s Mom famously used to encourage him to always get better. I know that’s irrational, but Duncan is a stoic all-timer and Johnson is just a screaming idiot. It’s annoying. I sincerely hate the Bears because of this. VIKINGS -2.5
Packers at Giants
If Brian Daboll’s job was on the line this season the organization should never have allowed him major sway on draft night, especially when it came to trading back into the first round for a quarterback. Yes, Jaxson Dart appears to have potential as a franchise quarterback, but new coaches inheriting young quarterbacks that the franchise is previously tied to rarely evolves into something special. Dave Canales in Carolina, Sean McVay with the Rams, Doug Pederson and Liam Coen in Jacksonville and even Daboll and Daniel Jones are all recent failures. PACKERS -7
Bengals at Steelers
Prior to Week 1 kickoff, I declared the AFC North would send three teams into the postseason. I think only an automatic bid saving the division is more likely.
The AFC North will send three teams to the postseason, which means the Bengals are back! This isn’t as bold a prediction as I thought. The AFC is sneaky bad outside of two divisions (this one and the AFC West). I don’t see anyone outside Buffalo in the AFC East making waves, and while the AFC South may be more competitive, there isn’t a lot of fire power down there either. No, the Bengals don’t have a great defense but they didn’t have that in 2024 either and only a 1-4 start kept them out of the postseason. Joe Burrow and the Bengal offense will drag whatever 11 the defense throws out there to a Wildcard berth.
For the record, I also said Aaron Rodgers would throw for 30 touchdowns. He’s on pace for 34, so maybe I end up with a small victory from the AFC North despite this massive blunder. BENGALS +5.5
Chargers at Jaguars
I can’t imagine a more frustrating franchise than the Jaguars. How they manage to lose games is astounding. That roster has been decimated by injuries all season and they’ve continued to battle, so the resolve of the locker room appears to be in good standing. However, I’m not sure how you bounce back from a loss like last week to a division opponent. CHARGERS -3
Afternoon Games (4:05PM ET)
Seahawks at Rams
Here we go… are you ready for the dumbest thing anyone said in regards to football this season? Enjoy…
Despite some pretty favorable schedules, no team in the NFC West gets to double-digit wins. I know, this is a reckless pick, but let’s go with it… The 49ers need a miracle season of health and lack depth. Their defensive line outside of Nick Bosa is no bueno. The Rams quarterback situation is fragile (they blow past 10 wins if Matthew Stafford stays healthy). I’m not buying Sam Darnold stock if Kevin O’Connell isn’t involved. It’s year seven for Kyler Murray. I’m not convinced he’s the guy. Though I think all these teams are solid, cannibalization will go a long way in keeping the ceiling low for the division.
If you’re keeping track, both Seattle and the Rams are five games above .500. The 49ers are 6-4. On the other hand, everything else I said outside of being a Sam Darnold doubter was spot on. RAMS -3.5
49ers at Cardinals
Brock Purdy is finally back but that’ll likely only be for a quarter or two until he’s hurt again. Let’s talk about the Micah Parsons trip on Saquon Barkley last Monday night. I think that’s a really, really bad look for the NFL. Football isn’t the most popular sport because everyone just loves football. No, it’s also tied up in fantasy football and fantasy football requires scoring. Barkley runs for a long touchdown there if Parsons doesn’t illegally swing his leg into Barkley’s feet. It wasn’t subtle. The refs completely missed the call. It didn’t ultimately impact the outcome of the game but these are the things that cost you the fringe fans, and it’s the fringe fans that elevate your sport to the levels the NFL is at right now. 49ERS -3
Ravens at Browns
I watch Saquon Barkley run and don’t see any change in his performance outside of production. The cuts are still smooth. The explosiveness still pops. Barkley simply has nowhere to go. Derrick Henry on the other hand looks slow. Is he injured? When he runs he appears to be laboring. He’s also not afforded the same space as a year ago but the physical traits seem lacking. BROWNS +7.5
Chiefs at Broncos
I said Denver would miss the postseason…
Here comes the biggest swing… The Denver Broncos miss the playoffs. I understand the offseason love for the Broncos. That defense is a monster. But Bo Nix? Really? The Broncos are all-of-a-sudden contenders in a top heavy AFC? I’m not buying. Where’s the overhaul of the running game? Maybe some legitimate help opposite Courtland Sutton? I watched Nix last year and saw a competent quarterback but not a quarterback capable of hanging with the current legends atop the AFC. There’s too much love for the Broncos just like the Texans got last season. The only difference is the Texans were in the dreadful AFC South. Denver resides in a tough AFC West. No playoffs for the Broncos.
Look, it’s likely a loss for me, but I wasn’t all that wrong. Bo Nix has been mostly terrible. Fluke wins over the Eagles and Giants have Denver’s record inflated. The Broncos probably finish 4-3 down the stretch and get into the playoffs but I still don’t think they’re any good, or at least as good as the true AFC contenders. CHIEFS -4
Sunday Night (8:20PM ET)
Lions at Eagles
These are the games that generally bring out the best in the Nick Sirianni Eagles. On the other hand, it’s another top ten rush defense for Kevin Patullo to flail against. Philadelphia three-and-outs could be plentiful. I keep saying this team… while similar… does not give off the same vibes of the 2023 team that imploded. With that said, there is a chance this is the 2025 version of the 2023 49ers game when the locker room collectively let go of the rope. San Francisco stole the soul of that team and they never recovered. I can’t handle that again. Please no. LIONS +2.5
Monday Night (8:15PM ET)
Cowboys at Raiders
I predicted Dallas would finish 2nd in the NFC East. I’ll probably end up being right on that because Washington and New York imploded. But I also loved Dallas’ offense…
The Dallas Cowboys finish second in the NFC East. Dallas had a mess of a season in 2024 and still managed seven wins. They beat three playoff teams and only one of those was with Dak Prescott. I don’t love Brian Schottenheimer but I do think he brings an even keel to the franchise that is lacking everywhere else. The Micah Parsons drama is over. The team has been written off and left for dead. Yes, the defense will likely be terrible but I love the George Pickens Jr. addition. Even without a true number one back I think the offense will be one of the more explosive in the league.
So I’m going to take that win even if I actually think Dallas’ offense is a little overrated and only bullies bad teams (2nd half against Green Bay excluded). COWBOYS -3.5