Steve Smith welcomes his old team to Baltimore. Time for blood and guts. (Photo Credit: Sabina Moran/PressBox)
Season: 29 – 19 – 0
Last Week: 10 – 6 – 0
Thursday Recap
Giants 45 at Redskins 15
Please pretend I never said any of this. What an embarrassment I am. The worst part? I praised Kirk Cousins’ poise. Poise? Cousins was a lost soul Thursday night. His eyes were glazed over. He looked like he saw a ghost. Cousins’ collapse Thursday was Romo-esque. Maybe even worse. I didn’t think that was possible. Again, I apologize for being an idiot. Though, it will most definitely happen again. (By the way, Eli Manning looked great Thursday. He’s completed over 70% of his passes the past two weeks. Maybe he’s starting to figure out that offense because he was vintage Manning Thursday night.)
Early Games (1:00PM ET)
Packers at Bears
Neither team can run the football right now. Chicago could really use the help of a running game as significant members of the offense spend their time in the infirmary. In Green Bay, Aaron Rodgers is demanding fans relax. Not sure I blame Packer fans for panicking. Seven points against the Lions is embarrassing. PACKERS If I were Charles Barkley; Packers -2
Bills at Texans
An intriguing game, at least for me. Both stand at 2-1 but I’m not convinced either will finish with a winning record. The Achilles heel for both teams is at quarterback. Ryan Fitzpatrick is serviceable one week and laughably bad the next. EJ Manuel is still young but appears to digress rather than progress. He still looks lost. He still lacks accuracy. Essentially, he struggles to do quarterback things. A healthy Arian Foster is the key to Houston’s season. Move the ball, burn clock, and give JJ Watt and the defense a chance to win the game. TEXANS If I were Charles Barkley; Texans -3
Titans at Colts
AFC South battles are must-watch. Just kidding. I think the last time this was true was… you’re right, it’s never been true. COLTS If I were Charles Barkley; Colts -7.5
Panthers at Ravens
Steve Smith is one of my all-time favorite players. I was sad when the Panthers decided to part ways with the Carolina legend. On the other hand, I think it may have been the right call. Smith’s voice was too loud in the locker room. It was time to hand the team over to the next generation and Smith isn’t exactly the submissive type. Still, I hope Smith plays ‘til he’s 45. PANTHERS If I were Charles Barkley; Panthers +3
Lions at Jets
Let’s rank the QB meltdowns this season. 1. Kirk Cousins. Whoa, that was worse than awful. That was epic. 2. Tony Romo. Not the first time for Romo. Probably not the last. 3. Geno Smith. At least Geno never got the deer-in-headlights look. That’s half the battle. 4. Colin Kaepernick. Kaepernick self-combusted because he tried to do Superman things while he was playing like Green Lantern. LIONS If I were Charles Barkley; Lions -1.5
Buccaneers at Steelers
What Pittsburgh did to Carolina’s vaunted defense in Week 3 was quite impressive. Antonio Brown and LeVeon Bell may be the most dynamic 1-2 offensive punch in the AFC. Actually, they most definitely are. The AFC is low on offensive playmakers. STEELERS If I were Charles Barkley; Buccaneers +7.5
Dolphins at Raiders
London will never welcome NFL football if this is the garbage we keep sending over. RAIDERS If I were Charles Barkley; Raiders +3.5
Afternoon Games (4:05PM ET)
Jaguars at Chargers
Don’t fall asleep, San Diego. This is the NFL. Even the lowly Jaguars can sneak up and steal your lunch money. CHARGERS If I were Charles Barkley; Chargers -13.5
Falcons at Vikings
Minnesota’s defense is good enough to give Teddy Bridgewater a shot at his first NFL victory. However, I making that assumption because I believe they contained an explosive New Orleans offense last week in the Superdome. It’s possible the Saints offense isn’t very good this year and Minnesota gets rolled like Tampa Bay did last week. FALCONS If I were Charles Barkley; Falcons -3
Eagles at 49ers
The Eagles offensive line is in shambles. The defensive line struggles to generate pressure. Bradley Fletcher and Cary Williams have been pretty awful through three weeks. This just feels like a loss. 49ERS If I were Charles Barkley; 49ers -4.5
Sunday Night (8:30PM ET)
Saints at Cowboys
Drew Brees and the New Orleans offense have been due for nearly a month now. If this isn’t their week against a miserable Dallas defense I’m not sure when their time will come. By the way, congrats to Jerry Jones for blowing another 1st round pick. If only Morris Claiborne could chase receivers as quickly as he flees the practice facility. SAINTS If I were Charles Barkley; Saints -3
Monday Night (8:30PM ET)
Patriots at Chiefs
After an ugly performance in Week 1 the Chiefs have actually been a better football team than New England. It almost seems like Andy Reid does better when his team is depleted and counted out. I’m not giving up on Tom Brady and the Patriots this season, but they don’t look ready to step on the gas just yet. CHIEFS If I were Charles Barkley; Chiefs +3
*****
If I were Charles Barkley…
Season: 21 – 26 – 1
Last Week: 6 – 9 – 1