We’re now over a quarter of the way done with the 2021 season. Time really does fly. Now, we enter the territory where there are less than 16 games on per week, as teams start to have bye weeks. But, even with less football on, this season promises to keep on delivering incredible football. I had my best performance of the season last week, going 13-3. That brings my season total to 50-29. I told you guys I’d get back on track. Let’s get into this week’s picks:
Buccaneers 31-17 Eagles 
I have some belief that the Eagles can put up somewhat of a fight in this game. This is a scrappy young bunch, and their offense definitely has the talent to compete against an injury-riddled Tampa defense. But Brady and the Bucs offense will simply be too much in this game. This is a unit that has been borderline unstoppable this season, and Philly doesn’t necessarily have the defensive talent to slow them down. Even if this is close for a while, it won’t be in the end.
Dolphins 24-20 Jaguars 
I don’t even know at this point. Both of these teams are so bad it hurts. Once again, I can’t help but feel bad for our poor friends in England who have to watch this one. I was honestly very close to picking the Jags in this game, but I just can’t bring myself to. The Dolphins are definitely the more talented team, and I think getting Tua back will help the offense just a bit. They have no excuse whatsoever to lose this game. That being said, I wouldn’t be too surprised if they do.
Packers 27-20 Bears 
This next installment in this historic rivalry feels a little bit different. The Bears have won back-to-back games with Justin Fields as their starting QB, and this is his toughest test yet. It’s a Packers team that isn’t necessarily playing its best ball, especially defensively with all of their injuries. That being said, Chicago hasn’t shown me enough offensively to make me trust them to win this one. Though their defense has been very solid in their last few games, Aaron Rodgers has a history of tormenting them. I think Green Bay will simply be too much to handle, and I doubt the Bears offense can keep up with them for 60 minutes.
Bengals 26-17 Lions 
Our last cat fight of 2021 sees the surprising Bengals taking on the most depressing football product of our time. I don’t see anyone’s trajectory changing here. Cincy is simply too solid all around, and too much of a handful offensively, for a reeling Lions team with a subpar defense to handle. I expect another big game out of Jamarr Chase in this one, despite the throat issues being dealt with by Joe Burrow. The Bengals defense has also been shockingly good, and they always seem to step up when it matters most. Don’t overthink this one just because of some tears shed by a head coach. It shouldn’t be close.
Colts 23-16 Texans 
Surely the Colts won’t find a way to lose this game, right? Well, I wouldn’t put it past them. This team just finds ways to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, and the Texans honestly looked like they had some fight in them last week against a Patriots team that is definitely better than Indy is. Still, I refuse to pick them to win a game. Their offense isn’t nearly as good as the Colts’ despite their big play tendency a week ago. I think this is an Indy team that feels how desperate things are right now, and they’ll handle business in what should be an easy one. But, don’t be surprised if this is a dogfight for a while, or even if this game goes the other way.
Rams 34-14 Giants 
Oh brother, this one is going to be ugly. I know the last time I picked the Rams to blow out a New York team, it didn’t exactly go that way, but I really doubt that happens again. The Giants are as beat up as they possibly can be right now. Daniel Jones will likely play in this game, but even if he does, he’ll be without Saquon Barkley and probably Kenny Golladay was well. Even though it seems like rookie WR Kadarius Toney is a legit threat in this offense, he can’t do it alone. Moreover, the Rams defense is way too good to let the Giants do anything substantial here. And New York’s defense doesn’t seem fit to contain the deep, dynamic LA offense. It’s just a complete mismatch on both sides of the ball, and that will surely be reflected in the final score.
Chiefs 40-27 Washington 
I assure you, you will not see less defense played in an NFL game than in this one on Sunday. This will look like a Big 12 game. So, from an entertainment standpoint, this will be a fun one. These are the two worst scoring defenses in the NFL, so do yourself a favor and bet the over right now. Neither of these teams are capable of stopping a breeze, but one team does have Patrick Mahomes, Tyreek Hill, and Travis Kelce. The Chiefs defense is playing worse than anyone in football, but against an equally bad defense, their offense should be able to compensate for that, as we saw in their game against the Eagles. And while Washington’s offense has thrived in track meets against bad defenses this season, I don’t think they have what it takes to keep up with the likes of the Chiefs. They’ll put up their points and stats, but they will be playing catch-up forever. Unless this defense decides to be good again. But we all know that’s not happening anytime soon.
Vikings 28-23 Panthers 
This one could be fun. These are two very talented teams that have seemingly underachieved thus far in 2021. Yes, the Panthers had that 3-0 start, but they were playing garbage teams. They have been exposed in their last 2 games, and now the playing field is leveled. And if you know me, you know how I feel about the Vikings. This is a very solid team that is playing a lot better than their 2-3 record would suggest. Even without Dalvin Cook, this offense keeps chugging along thanks to the work of Alexander Mattison out of the backfield. Their defense is also playing vastly improved football in recent weeks. I think that’ll be the difference in this one. Carolina has a good defense of their own, but they haven’t played up to par since the undefeated start. The offense has also been stumbling in the absence of Christian McCaffrey, although he could return to the lineup in this game. That will make a huge difference. As it stands, that doesn’t seem to be the case, so I’ll stick with the team playing better ball at the moment.
Chargers 31-20 Ravens 
This appears to be the game of the week on paper as two of the hottest young teams in football with two star young QBs duke it out for the world to see. The prospect of Justin Herbert vs. Lamar Jackson should have you hooked instantly. That being said, I don’t think this game will be as amazing as people think. The Ravens have been winning games in awesome fashion, yes, but it’s not a very sustainable formula. Their defense continues to get gashed on a weekly basis, and while Jackson has been awesome putting the team on his back, this is one hell of a test for him. The Chargers are just too good on both sides of the ball, so I expect them to move the ball with ease and do enough defensively to keep Lamar relatively in check. As I said yesterday, the Chargers have proven to us that they can beat anyone in any fashion, so against a team that is definitely worse on paper, I have to trust them to get the job done here.
Cardinals 30-27 Browns 
Now this is going to be fun. These are two of my favorite teams in football to watch duking it out in a window with only two other games on. I know where my attention will be on Sunday evening. Kyler and the Cards have been as hot as anyone in football, as they remain the only undefeated team in the NFL, but this Browns team definitely has the formula to put that evasive 1 in the loss column. Both of these teams have star-studded offenses that will give any defense fits, but my interest this week lies with Cleveland’s. Last week’s offensive performance in LA was astounding, and they probably should have won that game. While I usually expect similar fireworks out of that unit, I think this is a tough test for them. In my eyes, Cleveland’s offense is only as good as their run game is. When they run the ball effectively, it allows Baker Mayfield to throw the ball comfortably and find open targets. As we saw last week, when it’s all on him to make the plays, he rarely steps up to the occasion. The Cardinals’ defensive front is as solid as any in football, and I think they’ll limit the Browns run game enough to make Mayfield uncomfortable in the pocket and get the necessary stops to win this game.
Raiders 20-17 Broncos 
All eyes will be on the Las Vegas Raiders as they play their first game since the controversy surrounding former HC Jon Gruden and his resignation on Monday night. It will be the first game for interim HC Rich Bisaccia, and it won’t be an easy one. The Broncos may have struggled in recent weeks, but they certainly have the talent to stay in any game. I just don’t know what Raiders team we’re going to get on Sunday. Will it be an inspired group ready to play for their new coach? Will it be a despondent team that’s confused and lost after finding out that their former coach was a seemingly terrible person? There are just too many questions. And yet, I’m still picking them to win. Why, you may ask? I don’t know. I think Vegas has far more offensive firepower than Denver does, and for some reason, teams always seem to come out on fire in their first game under interim coaches. I think we’ll see an inspired Raiders team that does just enough to pull away with a victory in a tough divisional game in Denver.
Cowboys 29-20 Patriots 
This game will get all the ratings in the world. How can it not? It’s two of the biggest, if not the two biggest brands in the sport duking it out on national TV on a peachy Sunday afternoon. Even if the entire country watches, I doubt this will be a very good game. The Cowboys are playing significantly better football on both sides of the ball than the Patriots are at the moment, which is something I don’t think I’ve ever said. Their offense has been unstoppable, and their defense has been like an oven at Christmastime, creating more turnovers than any other team in football. New England’s performance didn’t inspire a ton of confidence for them to show up in a game against a team of this caliber, but perhaps their defense does enough to keep this close for just a bit. I doubt it’ll happen, but the NFL seems to always deliver on these big matchups, so we’ll see what happens.
Steelers 26-14 Seahawks 
This matchup had the potential to be a rather good one, but a few things have derailed that. For one, this isn’t 2014. Secondly, the Seahawks will be starting Geno Smith at QB in lieu of Russell Wilson’s finger injury. I really liked Geno once upon a time, but that was when he was playing against Baylor and Texas Tech, not NFL defenses. He has never been a good NFL QB, and going up against a defensive front as solid as Pittsburgh’s is a disaster waiting to happen. Also, Seattle’s defense is giving up more yardage than any other team in football, so the Steelers should have a field day in this game. I know their offense isn’t exactly prolific, but they looked very good last week against Denver, and I think they’ll carry that momentum into this game and put up a similar performance, especially in the passing game. I’m pretty sure I could put up 100 yards against these Seahawks corners.
Bills 38-17 Titans 
Nobody in football is hotter than the Bills, and they are showing no signs of slowing down. The hardest part of their schedule is now behind them, and it’s cupcake city from here on out. First up on this tour is a Titans team that has lost to the Jets and struggled with the Jaguars in back-to-back weeks, and is in the bottom half of the league in total and scoring defense. So, this should be another prolific, big statistical performance for Buffalo’s offense. They’d make any defense look silly, but they make the worst defenses look like they’re playing a different sport. That’s fully what I expect on Monday night. Also, the Bills have the top total and scoring defense in the NFL themselves, so even against a Tennessee offense capable of doing big things, they should keep things on lock. Everything on paper simply points towards this being a complete smothering.
All stats taken from ESPN.
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