NFL Game Predictions Week 2 (Home Team Listed Last) (Favorite Denoted by Point Spread)

Sunday, September 15 Titans Texans (-9.5) Panthers (-3) Bills Browns Ravens (-6.5) Vikings Bears (-5.5) Cowboys Chiefs (-3) Redskins Packers (-7) Dolphins Colts (-2) Chargers Eagles (-7) Rams Falcons (-6) Lions (-1.5) Cardinals Saints (-3) Buccaneers Broncos (-4) Giants Jaguars Raiders (-5.5) 49ers Seahawks (-3) 21 27 23 20 16 24 21 24 20 23 27 30 17 24 30 24 17 20 24 27 24 21 27 30 14 23 13 16 12:00 PM CT 12:00 PM CT 12:00 PM CT 12:00 PM CT 12:00 PM CT 12:00 PM CT 12:00 PM CT 12:00 PM CT 12:00 PM CT 3:05 PM CT 3:05 PM CT 3:25 PM CT 3:25 PM CT 7:30 PM CT 1 Monday, September 16 Steelers 17 Bengals (-7) 20 7:40 PM CT

MY STONE COLD LEAD PIPE LOCK OF THE WEEK

Sure everybody is excited about the new Chip Kelly offense in Philadelphia, especially after the Eagles hung 33 points on the Washington Redskins on Monday night. However, is the Philly offense exciting enough for Vegas to make them 7-point favorites this week against the San Diego Chargers? Apparently so, but I disagree considering the Redskins outscored the Eagles 20-7 in the second half of the game. The Skins were also a successful onsides kick away from possibly winning the game. The odds makers were so caught up in Chip Kellys new offense that they failed to remember that Phillys defense is still suspect. San Diego, on the other hand, has a very high powered offense of their own and stormed out to a 28-7 lead on Monday night before blowing the game 31-28 to the Houston Texans. The Chargers may have very well won the game if it wasnt for some bizarre penalty call that NFL fans have never heard of before a la The Tuck Rule. On a Texans field goal try, a Chargers defender tried to block the kick by running over the center snapping the ball. Apparently, on field goal tries, the center is now considered a defenseless player. This new rule was implemented as part of the NFLs crackdown on making the game safer. However, it had me scratching my head in amazement as Houston was awarded a first down and eventually scored a touchdown. San Diego quarterback Philip Rivers squandered a four- touchdown pass performance against Houston. He should have the same opportunity to throw for a handful of TDs against the questionable Philly defense. However, the Chargers defense needs to help keep Eagles running back LeSean Shady McCoy in check and not allow him to break off 184 yards like he did last week against the Skins. There is also talk about San Diego having difficulties with traveling across the country to play a game on a short week. However, Vegas again forgot that Philly played on Monday night, too. Sundays Chargers and Eagles game should be full of offensive fireworks. I look for the Chargers to bounce back from their Jekyll and Hyde performance on Monday night and win the game to avoid going 0-2 on the season.

Chargers 30, Eagles 24 MY UPSET OF THE WEEK

Seemingly everybody has already anointed the Denver Broncos Super Bowl champions after quarterback Peyton Manning threw for seven touchdowns against the Baltimore Ravens in the NFL season opener. I find it hard to believe that Peyton Manning will replicate his NFL record tying performance this week against the New York Giants. Peyton Manning and the Broncos were motivated by the revenge factor after getting knocked out by the Ravens in last years playoffs. Their offense was also stuck in neutral for the first half, down 17-14, before kicking it into gear and blasting the Baltimore Ravens 49-27 in the season opener. Yes, the Denver Broncos deserve to be favored in this game tomorrow against the New York Giants based on their spectacular performance. However, 2

the Denver defense remains questionable letting up a lofty 27 points to the Ravens. The weakness in the Denver D is attributed to the absence of linebacker Von Miller who is serving a suspension for violating the NFLs substance abuse policy, and linebacker Elvis Dumervil who was essentially allowed to walk this summer and join the Baltimore Ravens because of a fax snafu. Denver didnt need to run the ball in their demolition of the Ravens since the passing game was exceptional. However, the Broncos running game remains iffy with Knowshon Moreno constantly injured (he hasnt played a full season since his rookie year) and rookie Montee Ball still unproven. The Broncos had 65 yards rushing in the contest against Baltimore. However, at this point, its hard to determine if this is a sign of things to come or merely a result of the passing game working seamlessly. The other Manning in this battle tomorrow is quarterback and little brother Eli of the New York Giants. Eli has lost both contests to big brother in 2006 and 2010 when Peyton was with the Indianapolis Colts. Eli has the edge on Peyton in Super Bowl wins and he is chomping at the bit to get a W against his brother head-to-head. Eli and Coach Tom Coughlin saw the New York Giants cough up six turnovers to hated division rival Dallas last week. The Giants should have easily been blown out with so many turnovers. However, Big Blue hung in there and eventually put 31 points up on the board. The Giants had a chance to win the game late when Eli was picked off for the third time in the game. Brandon Carr of the Cowboys promptly returned the interception 49 yards for the clinching touchdown with Eli in tow. Eli would eventually finish 27 for 42 for 450 yards, four touchdowns (three to wide receiver and salsa master Victor Cruz), and 3 INTs. Eli posted considerable numbers except for the three passes to the other team. Like the Broncos, the Giants running game remains dubious with starting running back David Wilson twice putting the pigskin on the ground both resulting in Giants turnovers. Also, New York isnt getting the vaunted pass rush that they once had with DEs Justin Tuck and Jason Pierre-Paul. It remains to be seen if the Giants defense is merely a shadow of its former self. However, an excellent performance tomorrow against Peyton Manning and the high-powered Denver offense will go a long way in dispelling the demise of the defense. Quarterback Eli Manning and Coach Tom Coughlin have faced too much adversity together without knowing how to respond to a turnover-laden loss to the detested Dallas Cowboys. They have both been involved in games of this magnitude before including two Super Bowls together. The Giants also made a valiant attempt to make a comeback in the game last week despite six turnovers. The Giants running game and defense may be susceptible, but Eli Manning can always be counted on to be competitive in big games and finish strong in the fourth quarter. The Broncos also have their own problems in the running game and with their defense. Denver may also be rusty with the long layoff between the NFL season opener on September 5th and Sundays game. Eli and the Giants had the fifth best scoring offense last year and their 31 points last week proves that they can still put some points on the opposition. The brothers Manning should match each others touchdown passes tomorrow tit for tat in a high scoring affair. However, dont look for Peyton to throw seven again. Instead, a more pedestrian number should be expected like three or four touchdown passes. Tom Coughlin is too good of a coach to let last weeks mistakes rear their ugly head again this week. Look for the G-Men to make adjustments and put forth a better effort at home this week against the Denver Broncos and avoid going 0-2.

Giants 30, Broncos 27

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MY SLOBBERKNOCKER OF THE WEEK

The banter on Twitter this week leading up to the Sunday night contest between the San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks has been downright hilarious. 49ers reserve running back Anthony Dixon resorted to calling his division rival the She-Hawks while Seahawks linebacker K.J. Wright countered by calling the Bay area squad the Forty Whiners. Call the two NFC West powerhouses whatever you want, but I can guarantee that the media will be calling the winner of this game Sunday night the NFC frontrunner for the Super Bowl. The Seahawks and the 49ers both feature quarterbacks who exploded on to the landscape last year and quickly changed the NFL as we know it. Quarterback Colin Kaepernick assumed the helm of the 49ers when Coach Jim Harbaugh refused to reinstate now Chief quarterback Alex Smith after he recovered from a concussion. Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson unexpectedly won the starting job in training camp last year as a rookie. Both quarterbacks have never looked back and have led to their respective teams to playoff victories along the way. Kaepernick went above and beyond by playing in a little game called Super Bowl XLVII in the Superdome in New Orleans last year. Wilson and Kaepernick are similar in that they both have strong arms to throw deep and accurately downfield. They both have the innate ability to scramble and extend the play in order to bide time for receivers to get open or run for yardage. Where the two quarterbacks are different is in their size. Kaepernick is a beast with a mammoth 6 5 frame and biceps the size of my head! The more diminutive Wilson stands 5 11, but is as equally dangerous, smart, and slippery as Kaepernick in eluding the pass rush and making the big play downfield with his arm or his legs. Complimenting these two supreme quarterbacks are offensive lines and defenses that are equally as exceptional. Its no wonder that the Seahawks and the 49ers are among the top teams being considered as favorites to play in the Big Game in February. San Franciscos finished third in scoring defense last year allowing 19.1 points per game. The stingy defense of Seattle let up an average of 16.1 points per game, best in the league. The Seahawks used their defense prowess to their advantage last week giving up a mere touchdown on the road to the Carolina Panthers and limiting quarterback Cam Newton to a paltry 125 yards in the air. However, the Seahawks struggled offensively, especially in the running game where Marshawn Lynch only rushed for 43 years against a tough Panthers defense. Russell Wilson came to the rescue in the fourth quarter firing the ball over double coverage into the outstretched hands of wide receiver Jermaine Kearse. The 43-yard score would stand as the go-ahead points in Seattles 12-7 win. San Francisco took a different approach in securing their 34-28 victory against the Green Bay Packers. Unlike Seattle, the 49ers defense wasnt much of a factor going up against a formidable foe in quarterback Aaron Rodgers and the Packers in what amounted to the best NFL game of the week. Instead, San Francisco won the see-saw battle on the colossal arm of Kaepernick and the surefire hands of wide receiver Anquan Boldin. Kaepernick went 27 for 39 for a whopping 412 yards and three touchdowns. Tight end Vernon Davis snagged two Kaepernick passes for scores, but the real star of last Sundays matinee was Anquan Boldin. The Bay Bombers essentially stole the reliable Boldin away from Baltimore in the offseason for a sixth round pick. He paid dividends in his Niners debut grabbing 13 balls for a lofty 208 yards. Boldin is looking like the best offseason 4

acquisition for any NFL team this year. The rich certainly became richer when Boldin joined this already talented squad. It remains to be seen what will happen tomorrow night in the next chapter between these two teams who have a strong dislike for each other. Will we get the defensive slugfest of a 13-6 49ers victory in San Francisco last year? Will we see a 42-13 Seahawks thrashing of the 49ers like we did in Seattle last year? Perhaps Kaepernick will go off again like he did last week and spark a rout of the Seahawks. However, maybe the most important person in determining the outcome of this tilt is the 12th man. Seattle boasts one of the loudest crowds in the NFL and you can bet CenturyLink Field will be rocking Sunday night where Seattle posted a perfect 8-0 record last year. Im betting on a close knit, defensive struggle tomorrow night between these two NFC giants. The winner will certainly have an early edge for NFC home field advantage in the playoffs and the road to the Super Bowl.

Seahawks 16, 49ers 13