Useless predictions: 2022 Week 10 picks

   Brutal few days, need to get back on track. On to next week.

Last week: 2-11 (15%)

Season overall: 22-92 (19%)

Seattle (+2.5) at Tampa Bay     U45

   At this point how can the Bucs still be favored and against a team with a winning record? The Bucs can still play defense but will they start scoring TDs? I don't thing they will against a stingy Seahawks defense.

Jacksonville at Kansas City (-9.5)    O51

   This is a bate game if not ever, the Jags wont win but their talent can put points on the board if they can get it together, the Chiefs are a juggernaut but they often forget how to do it consistently.

Cleveland at Miami (-3.5)    O49

   The Browns are coming off their by while the Dolphins escaped defeat against the Bears thanks to some help from the stripes, still the Dolphins are as good a team as the Browns but better coached.

Minnesota (+6.5) at Buffalo    O44.5

   This should be the true test of how good the Vikings are, the only thing that can ruin it is if Josh Allen isn't fully healed, I will probably be wrong but I think it will be a close game.

Houston at NY Giants (-4.5)    U41

   The Giants got exposed against a true good team like the Seahawks and they aren't even one of the true good teams still they should have enough to take care of a poor Texans team but can they cover is a whole different question.

New Orleans (-1) at Pittsburgh    O40

   The Steelers are getting their leader on defense back in T.J. Watt but their offense still don't score enough points and I don't think it will change against a very though Saints defense.

Detroit at Chicago (2.5)    U48.5

   The Bears almost pulled the upset against the Dolphins and this week they get to play a very weak Lions defense, they should be able to take their frustrations out on them.

Denver at Tennessee (-2.5)    39

   This Titans team should look better with Ryan Tannehill back and he gets some help with Treylon Burks back from injury to try and revive a corps which is the Titans air offense to help Derrick Henry take a breather once in a while. The Broncos are still a bad team that should be good.

Indianapolis at Las Vegas (-4.5)    U41

   I don't know who is going to win this, the Colts are in shambles and the Raiders are a bad coached team, so yeah the Raiders should win because they aren't as broken as the Colts.

Arizona at LA Rams (-2)    U39.5

   Is Kyler Murray and Matt Stafford playing? Whatever Aaron Donald is going to win.

Dallas (-4) at Green Bay    U44

   I still don't get how the Packers are THIS bad, I like it but I don't get it.

LA Chargers at San Francisco (-7.5)    U45

   The Chargers have still to show they can dominate a rival, the 49ers are as tough a team as anyone this year, I don't think they can manage their manpower.

Washington at Philadelphia (-11)    O43.5

   The Commanders are looking better with Taylor Heinicke at QB but still they aren't going to beat the Eagles.

Useless predictions: 2022 Week 8 picks

   Are... are they finally done? Are Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers declining? Is the shift of power complete? A new era can finally commence, let the new in and the old be remembered for what they once were, Russell Wilson & Matt Ryan you can go too. What's that? what about Ryan Tannehill and Andy Dalton? I don't know why they are still starting. On to next week.

Last week: 2-11 (15%)

Season overall: 20-81 (20%)

Pittsburg (+11) at Philadelphia     (U42.5)

   I'm not saying the Steelers are going to win, but for some reason they keep themselves in games and they are very healthy right now, the Eagles have slipped up at the beginning of some games when they should be dominating so Im going to give the Steelers the benefit of the doubt and believe they will cover.

Miami (-3.5) at Detroit    (O52)

   Really seems that the Lions offensively rely very much on Amon-Ra St. Brown, they get him back for this game so it could end up being a shootout but still the Dolphins might be too much for them to handle.

Chicago (+10) at Dallas     (42.5)

   The Bears upset against the Patriots was no fluke so giving them 10 points against the Cowboys really makes me think Vegas doesn't believe they can do something similar once more, I'm not saying the Bears are going to win but they might make this a very interesting game depending on Bears OL and Cowboys front sevens health.

Las Vegas (-1) at New Orleans    (O41)

   The Saints have been a very competitive team while the Raiders have struggled mightily, the resurgence of Josh Jacobs to his old Alabama days have given life to the Raiders offense and it might end up being too much for a banged up Saints team that if they get left behind early I don't thing Andy Dalton can come back from it.

Carolina (+4) at Atlanta    (O41)

   Huh, strange, why do I still believe the Panthers can win a game? the Falcons without their best corner so that should give the Panthers an edge and they still have more talent than this team, so logic is telling me to believe, but the Panthers go against all logic, so confusing.

Arizona at Minnesota (-4)    (U48.5)

   The Vikings only have to not lose sight of DeAndre Hopkins and they should be fine, yeah Kyler Murray can still try and win by himself like usual but even he cant help his defense play better.

New England at NY Jets (+3)   (U40)

   I don't get it, why are the Patriots favorited after the massacre they received against a team that has half the talent the Jets have? Does Vegas think that poorly about Zach Wilson?

Tennessee (-1) at Houston    (O39)

   The Titans should still win this one just because they weren't really winning because of Tannehill so him not playing should be that bad.

NY Giants at Seattle (-3)    (O44.5)

   This should be a good game against surprising good coached teams, seems like the Giants are still banged up so the Seahawks at home could take advantage of this with Kenneth Walker going crazy recently.

San Francisco at LA Rams (PK)    (U42)

   Two struggling teams going at it for second place, who would have guessed? The 49ers are somewhat depleted with injuries while the Rams aren't, so lets pick the Rams.

Washington (+3) at Indianapolis     (O40)

   This one can get messy, the Colts have a very poor Oline against a very strong front seven from the Commanders but offensively they are coming a bit unarmed while the Colts will try a new field general to try and get things straighten out, give me the points.

Green Bay at Buffalo (-10.5)    (U47)

   This really cant be the game the Packers turn things around, they can try and keep up but winning should be out of the question.

Cincinnati (-3) at Cleveland    (U45)

   The Bengals not having Jamar Chase is something to monitor, how bad does Joe Burrow need him to be good?

W5@MIN & W6vsWSH: *Yoga breathing*

       From here on out the Bears are the underdogs if they weren't before this point, they almost got the best of the first place NFC North Vikings and then inexplicably let a win go against the Commanders, the Bears are a bad team and it pains me to accept it even if it makes sense being that they are on rebuilding mode, still in gruesome to see Justin Fields play behind such a porous Oline.

   The offense is once again suffering from lack of talent in the trenches, Sam Mustipher is at negative snaps he should be playing, his time was up three games ago. Lucas Patrick is quickly turning in to the second most hated lineman on the starting team by playing worse than Mustipher on the LG position, its so bad that I don't even feel comfortable on moving him to C anymore, but if it helps to sit Mustipher I can live with it. Larry Borom and Braxton Jones are going trough some major growing pains, there is some consideration for Jones who is a rookie but Borom has taken steps back from his previous year where he showed some promise, I wouldn't bench him yet but I am pondering who should take his place if this continues. Teven Jenkins, the guy who was rumored to leave the team by trade, is the best lineman the Bears have right now, talk about close calls. Fields is showing big plays followed by broken plays and/or taking to much time making decisions, progress is not going to be linear until this Oline gets better results. When Fields manages to make a play he is getting let down by his wideouts, sadly the small growths Fields has shown are minimized by the lack of talent their receivers are showing on the field, the need for a big bodied possession receiver is showing in my opinion and looks like Equanimeous St. Brown isn't Fields choice, maybe returning N'Keal Harry can be a better option. Speed isn't a problem at wideout, its getting the ball to them what is lacking, Velus Jones might not be the return man that the Bears envisioned, at least not yet, but when he has gotten the ball he has been productive, time to expand his role on the offense a bit more. Khalil Herbert might be the hot hand recently with some big gains but David Montgomery should still be considered the lead back, I'm cool with then splitting carries but for now Monty is still the more dependent one.

   On defense the secondary is improving by the week especially Kindle Vildor and Kyler Gordon, Vildor is benefiting by the type of defense this coaching has installed and Gordon is on trial by fire and is coming from the other side of this with more experience and better understanding of his role. The problem on this defense is the front seven, the Dline struggles with the run, they are missing a clogger on the middle to dominate or just help the LBs get more clean shots at the ball carrier, but they are also lacking big time in pressuring the QB, Al-Quadin Muhammad and Robert Quinn are not getting it done, Quinn is waiting for the QB to step back but the DTs are not bringing enough pressure upnfront to make the QB drop back more, making Quinn just get ushered by the tackle behind the pocket while the QB just steps forward to make time, Muhammad isn't fast enough period, its time to give the younger players more time in Trevis Gipson and Dominique Robinson and see what they can do or cant do, at the middle its not that easy, there is just isn't a dominant enforcer on the team like when they had Akiem Hicks.

   Next up against the Patriots is not going to be an easy game, the Patriots have shown to be a very solid team on both sides of the ball and know the game plan to a T, they are a very prepared and we'll coached team and it shows, even when Mac Jones went down with injury the team didnt even flinch with Bailey Zappe at the helm, they got the best ranked duo of rookie CBs and their front seven play the run exceptionally well. The Bears will finally mix things up with the Oline with Patrick at C and Schofield at LG, its better than nothing, they might have been waiting for their mini bye to make the change and get everyone ready with the extra time, but even so they took to long. Having the defense maintain a close game and having a cleaner pocket for Fields more often is the only things that this Bears team need to do to be able to evaluate their young QB which is priority number one, playoffs is a far second right now. Rumors of Ryan Poles being interested on trading for a receiver, although it makes sense due to the present recurrence of teams signing their best wideouts to big contracts is getting applied more at this time, getting one of Jerry Jeudy or Chase Claypool would be beneficial but the Bears cant be giving too much when the team still have various holes to fill and still need to evaluate all their Oline players (Alex Leatherwood, Kellen Diesch, Zach Thomas and Dieter Eiselen) to see if they need to go deep in FA and/or the draft as priority one, because if the Bengals have shown anything is that you can have the best WR but if you cant protect your QB, you might make it far, but you aren't winning the big game, Poles needs to be smart and go all in next year, if he is going to get some help it has to be someone to maintain Fields in his feet.

Useless predictions: 2022 Week 7 picks

   How in frozen hell can the secondary-less Steelers win against the playoff bound Bucs? The Browns suck because they believe they have a QB and the Patriots are good because they believe they have a QB, both can be true. Dammit Jaguars your suppose to be good now what the hell and Giants you are being too good what the hell. On to next week.

Last week: 3-10 (23%)

Season overall: 18-70 (20%)

NY Giants (+3) at Jacksonville     (O43.5)

   Ok this is stupid, one team has pulled wins out of their ass with less talent that the opponent that has the tools and skill to make real magic but instead turns out they are just a clown show fooling us all. The Jaguars should win this one at home with their crazy weather but they just toy with their opponent and end up the prey, the Giants have two WR down and it really doesn't matter they still keep winning so why should this one be any different.

Indianapolis (+2.5) at Tennessee     (U41.5)

   The Titans are coming out of their bye while the Colts are returning from an impressive Matt Ryan air game which everyone was waiting for, the Titans have enough secondary to match the Colts, this might be a ground pounding match and might end in the hands of the veteran QBs, I'm going with the Colts because they have the hot hand, if it can reaches 3 points even better.

Atlanta at Cincinnati (-6.5)    (O47.5)

   If the Falcons showed any real threat of a running attack I would chose they to win flat out but they haven't, they still have played a good air attack but the Bengals have a pretty good secondary and offensively they get Tee Higgins back, still could be close but gotta go with the better team.

Cleveland at Baltimore (-6.5)    (U46)

   Ok Browns you are prohibited to be remotely good anymore, you don't deserve it, Ravens hit an invisible wall last week but they get back some much needed help offensively.

Tampa Bay (-13) at Carolina    (U39)

   What happened Bucs? I don't know you anymore, can you handle a team with no offensive purpose this week? I mean you have everything needed and you couldn't stop a rookie QB or Mitchell Trubisky? Scored 18 points against a team with no secondary? It had to be a fluke right? it cant happen twice in a row right? RIGHT?

Green Bay (-4.5) at Washington    (U41.5)

   I had a hunch that the Packers were going to get owned by a good defense but their defense only played half a game, here's the thing, the Commanders can get to Aaron Rodgers but can they take advantage of that? They really shouldn't have enough man power to beat the Packers, they might get close but its a stretch.

Detroit (+6.5) at Dallas     (O49)

   Well the Cowboys had a good run without Dak Prescott but now he is back and they should be a better team with him, the Lions get back a healthy Amon-Ra St. Brown which should result in a sort of shootout, I think its going to be another one of those Lions games where they almost had it but fall short at the end, lets hope its not by a TD.

NY Jets (-1.5) at Denver    (U37)

   If the Broncos do better without Russell Wilson its going to be hilarious.

Houston (+7) at Las Vegas     (U46)

   I'm not entirely sure why, but I'm going with the Texans, the Raiders haven't shown enough to be favorited by a TD and the Texans are bad but their not get blown out of the water bad.

Kansas City at San Francisco (+1)   (U49)

   Jimmy Garoppolo can live the rest of his NFL life dunking short passes to Christian McCaffrey and still win games, I don't know why the Chiefs are going to lose but they just do enough to lose against strong competition for some reason, like their an average team or something.

Seattle (+5) at LA Chargers    (U50.5)

   The Seahawks might have a chance if Kenneth Walker has a good game against a surprising weak Charges run defense, Justin Herbert is a hell of a QB but even him need targets to throw to and they are very limited due to injuries, the Chargers also haven't won against a good team yet so I might want to wait a bit more until they bully some teams.

Pittsburgh at Miami (-7)    (U44.5)

   The Dolphins are too talented to be losing like they have been lately, the Steelers are coming out of a mind blowing win against the Bucs but I don't think they can pull those type of shenanigan's again.

Chicago at New England (-8)    (U40)

   It pains me to say that the Bears are a bad team but it is what it is when in rebuild mode, the Patriots are a very solid team that didn't miss a beat when their starting QB when down, now Mac Jones comes back to make things harder for the Bears who cant get the offense rolling.

Useless predictions: 2022 Week 6 picks

   I knew the lines were getting harder but damn I got embarrassed. A lot of team I just don't know who they are anymore, Ill just go directly to next week.

Last week: 1-14 (6%)

Season overall: 15-60 (20%)

Jacksonville (+1.5) at Indianapolis     (U41)

   The Jaguars are who I thought they were, a sheep dress as a wolf with a knife, its still a sheep but it has a knife so you cant take him lightly, not with that crazy stare. What? I don't know who is going to win, both teams are a freaking rollercoasters, Indianapolis air attack along with Jonathan Taylor in the backfield should destroy defenses, but Taylor is hurt and for some reason I cant comprehend the OLine cant protect the remaining's of Matt Ryan, the Jaguars have the better all around team but they didn't follow the assembly instructions and were left with some nuts and bolts and the base is rocky and crooked and shit,  Ill just take the points.

New England at Cleveland (-2.5)    (U43)

   The dark magics of Bill Belichick are still too strong, he has spawned another minion QB with the powers of BS just like the others before him, with a steady running game and strong defense he doesn't need him to do much, they will go up against a Browns team that oozes talent but don't get results because they still think Jacoby Brissett can QB, they just need to run the ball and everything will be fine.

Baltimore (-5.5) at NY Giants    (U45.5)

   Nothing but respect for this Giants team and their competent coaching staff that knows who they have at QB and most importantly who they got at RB whit their defense keeping them in games, still they might be getting too cute, the Ravens aren't a team you can fool so easily, this game may end being a reality check for the Giants.

Minnesota (-3) at Miami    (O45.5)

   I cant trust you Vikings, you are just a big tease of a team, the Dolphins playing at home with Tua Tagovailoa should be enough to beat them but will have to go with a rookie or half a Teddy Bridgewater which is not ideal, I just cant right now.

Tampa Bay (-9.5) at Pittsburgh    (O46)

   Holy crap, the Steelers have no secondary to go along with their offense, this is going to be brutal.

Cincinnati (-2.5) vs New Orleans    (O43)

   I under estimate the Saints too much, they aren't a playoff team but they put a hell of a fight, the Bengals are all hands on deck and cant let this one slip up.

NY Jets (+7.5) at Green Bay     (O45)

   The Packers should be a dominant team and they are most definitely not playing like it, the Jets entered this season as a loaded team with some questions in direction, the Packers could still be a sleeping giant, the Jets have enough power to win this game.

San Francisco at Atlanta (+4.5)   (O45)

   My apologies to the Falcons, they are most definitely not the worst team in the NFL, that title belongs to the Panthers up to this point, they might not be good but their capacity to bounce back from adversity is inspiring. The 49ers are banged up at defense, this could end up being a shoot out.

Carolina at LA Rams (-10)    (U41.5)

   Common Rams, this is your chance to get back on track, you forgot how to be the bully, you might still struggle against a very decent Panthers defense but they are a headless team, you just need to take it easy one step at a time and crush them.

Arizona at Seattle (+2.5)   (O50.5)

   I knew the Seahawks weren't as bad has foretold but Geno Smith being a decent QB wasn't what I expected, he might still show his bad habits here and there but Kyler Murray has his own, this might be the sloppiest best game ever.

Buffalo (-2.5) at Kansas City    (O54)

   Battle of the best young guns, its anyone's guess who will come on top, but for some reason Vegas knows something fishy is going on with this Chiefs team and it has shown, again they go with the opponent, so I will as well.

Dallas at Philadelphia (-6.5)    (O42)

   Honestly I envy the Cowboys not because their a complete team but because they are not and still have managed to win, they have used their limited talent and found a way to be in games even with their backup QB, that some major coaching, lets see if it lasts. The Eagles on the other hand are a team to envy as a whole, they should cover unless the Cowboys keep on surprising.

Denver at LA Chargers (-4.5)    (U45.5)

   Are you going to show up this time Broncos? Are you still allergic to scoring TDs? Has anybody seen Russell Wilsons cook book? This is what I get for picking them to win the super bowl this year, what a freaking waste. Give them hell Chargers.

Useless predictions: 2022 Week 5 picks

   Back on track, still really bad at O/U. Let downs of the week were Bears who cant score and Lions who cant defend. Panthers and Broncos are good teams that just cant figure it out with their veteran QBs. Watch out for the Jaguars and Jets, they are looking to make the jump. On to next week.

Last week: 4-11 (26%)

Season overall: 14-46 (23%)

NY Giants at Green Bay (-9)    (U42)

   The Packers should cover this line but for some reason they aren't blowing the scoreboard this year, the Giants are very hurt on offense except for Saquon Barkley but if the Packers can score early the Giants wont be able to catch up.

Seattle (+5) at New Orleans     (O45)

   Geno Smith is playing good football and that's good news for the Seahawks WRs that are very talented, the Saints are a very similar team but with less impact with their veteran QB, so I will take the points.

Pittsburgh at Bills (-14)    (O45)

   The Steelers will go in this game with their rookie QB, the Bills are hurt but should have enough to give Kenny Pickett a good NFL welcome.

LA Chargers (-1) at Cleveland     (U47)

   The Chargers are banged up and struggle to defend the run which is the Browns bread and butter, still I don't trust Jacoby Brissett as much as I do the Chargers defense to focus on Chubb.

Detroit (+3) at New England     (O45.5)

   I honestly don't feel confident on going with the Lions with a banged up offense but who are known to be close on every game, their defense has been horrible and don't feel confident they can stop even a rookie in his first game, still when in doubt of close games go with points.

Houston at Jacksonville (-7)    (O43.5)

   The Texans aren't going to win many games this season, the Jaguars are a team in the rise and can keep it with a win against a struggling team.

Atlanta at Tampa Bay (-10)    (U46.5)

   If the Falcons can cover this game color me impressed, the Bucs are a playoff team and the Falcons aren't, the Bucs should be able to cover even with some guys down.

Chicago at Minnesota (-7.5)    (U44)

   The Vikings have all the weapons to take on this line, but its the Vikings, everything is on the table.

Tennessee (PK) at Washington    (U43)

   The Redskins have weapons to put points on the board against a Titans team that cant control a complete game, still the Redskins Oline is porous and the Titans can benefit from it if Mike Vrable cranks the blitzing a knotch.

Miami (+3.5) at NY Jets    (O45)

   I don't think the Dolphins are going to win easy, the Jets have as much talent than the Dolphins have, its only a matter of if the Jets can get it together.

San Francisco at Carolina (+6.5)   (U39.5)

   Only thing that is making me pick the Panthers is that their defense can benefit from the 49ers not having Trent Williams, its a matter of whether Baker Mayfield can lead his offense with the 49ers Dline missing two starters.

Dallas (+5.5) at LA Rams     (O42)

   I hate the Cowboys not having QB issues, defensively they aren't all that but their front seven are playing like their hair is on fire and the Rams are struggling against these type of teams.

Philadelphia (-5) at Arizona    (U49)

   I believe Kyler Murray will struggle more than Jalen Hurts with their respective Oline injuries.

Cincinnati (+3.5) at Baltimore    (O47.5)

   The Ravens will go without their starting LT, G and WR, I mean Lamar Jackson is good but this good?

Las Vegas at Kansas City (-7)    (U51.5)

   The Chiefs have everything to take care of this line, I don't get why Vegas is so down with them.

W4@NY Giants: Time to mix it up

    The Bears let the win slip away against a Giants team that was getting depleted in front of our eyes and still wasn't enough of an advantage to get back in the game. The score displayed the same old Bears that cant get going on offense and the defense does just enough to give them a chance, the game shows a bit of a difference, this time although the QB didn't have a good game, he wasn't responsible for the debacle.

   The offense went as far as the Oline took them and it almost resulted in Justin Fields getting injured as he was hurried, hit and sacked a plenty in this game, Fields still showed struggles to get rid of the ball when getting pressured but as I said before, if the Oline doesn't improve I can not expect better play from Fields, he is panicking and seeing ghosts and I cant blame him, he is getting defenders in his face almost as fast as the snapped ball hits his hands, the interior pressure does not help these young Tackles to create a pocket as they are shifting the defenders to the back of the pocket but if Fields takes to many steps back or tries to escape from the back he is gonna get sacked by the edge rushers which has happened too often. Fields small flashes of improvement in reading and reacting made his receivers show their flaws, as talented as they are none of them can help Fields as a possession receiver or at least they haven't shown that ability or trust with Fields. Sam Mustipher needs to get benched ASAP, this regime cant make the same mistake the previous one did of having no contingency plan of trying to make the Oline better, they got lucky playing Larry Borom and Teven Jenkins due to injuries that made them have no choice but to play them, now with the loss of arguably the best Olinemen the Bears had in the field in Cody Whitehair this forces the Bears to play Jenkins full time now, I was expecting this to happen in this game pushing Lucas Patrick to C but this had to happen and its not the way it should have been, they still have the chance of trying to improve the line by sitting Mustipher and playing Ja'Tyre Carter or Michael Schofield at LG or even Alex Leatherwood eventually, heck they can even play Patrick at LG who honestly didn't look good or any of the others and place Dieter Eiselen at C which wouldn't make any sense because Patrick was the guy who should have played C since the preseason so why wait more time!

Upside players: Jenkins keeps showing in limited reps that he should be playing, he isn't perfect but when he is on he just destroys Dlinemen. In all this mess, Whitehair was silently playing good football but so has Braxton Jones just not as good as Whitehair still its something to look forward to in a rookie LT.

Downside players: Not even the bad play of Patrick at LG can cover for how bad Mustipher has looked, he is not the force an Oline needs at the pivot position. 

   The defense can take credit of being good in crunch time, they haven't allowed a TD in the second half of games this season, if they keep this up they only have one half to worry about to be a good defense even when struggling with the run. The Giants outsmarted the Bears with their RPOs and rollouts resulting in a very productive day for Saquon Barkley, when rushed from the inside the Bears Dline suffers on combo blocks and the LBs just missed to many tackles, looked like the Giants didn't want nothing to do with Roquan Smith and ran the other way where it was to much for Nicholas Morrow and Joe Thomas to handle all game, Smith still shows that if he gets blocked he is taken away from the play, Smith needs to attack the lane but for that to happen the front four need to absorb the blockers, they can usually take one on ones but not double teams and this game showed that. One cant expect the QB rush to work if the offense isn't scared to run the ball through your defense, the Bears placed more bodies at the line with safety help and it backfired with outside runs, they need better play form their DTs or get thumpers at the LB position, which require change and the coaches might not be ready to make them yet as they may be sacrificing coverage for run stuffing.

Upside players: Eddie Jackson has looked amazing showing his signature cover skills while showing improvement as a tackler which is a pleasant surprise. 

Downside players: Kyler Gordon is suffering as a rookie, got beat twice deep but Jackson bailed him from one of them, corner is not an easy position, lets hope he learns from all of this. It might not be fair to place Robert Quinn but his absence is hurting.

   Next against the Viking there isn't much hope of victory or there shouldn't be against a well rounded team that still finds ways to lose games mysteriously. Kurt Cousins is good enough to get the job done with three capable WRs and with Dalvin Cook in the back field. The Bears will need to stop the run to have a chance to even try and keep Cousins and Justin Jefferson in check. I would try giving Mike Pennel more playing time than Angelo Blackson next to Armon Watts who is a tweener that wins with power while Justin Jones is more of a penetrator and better used for pass plays, its time to let Al-Quadin Muhammad rest more on the bench who is struggling at both run and pass while letting Trevis Gipson and Dominique Robinson get more snaps at DE who might struggle on run plays but look better at putting pressure on the QB, not having Jaylon Johnson is going to hurt even if Jaylon Jones and Kindle Vildor are doing a decent job but neither have played against someone like Jefferson. Offensively it just needs to be obvious that Mustipher is not it and accept it, a new inside group needs to be built where it includes Jenkins full time, the passing game might still struggle but at least gives the run a chance to continue where it left off, giving Fields opportunities to hurt defenses can only help open more lanes for the RBs hoping that David Montgomery can return and help his QB be even better protected.

Useless predictions: 2022 Week 4 picks

 Well damn, O/U destroyed me last week not to mention the upset galore that was week 3, The Chiefs couldn't stop shooting themselves in the foot against the Colts, the Chargers are cursed continuing to lose players to injury by game and the Jaguars just annihilated them, the Raiders cant win even if their lives depend on it, the Lions Lioned once more and I was an idiot believing Joe Flacco could QB. On to next week.

Last week: 2-13 (13%)

Season overall: 10-35 (22%)

Minnesota (-3.5) at New Orleans    (U42)

   The Vikings are an up and down team but against a very injured Saints team they should win this one.

NY Jets (+3.5) at Pittsburgh     (U41.5)

   The Jets are getting back Zach Wilson, I don't know if this is a significant difference yet, the Jets have the more talented team but didn't show it last week, no team has the upper hand, I will go with the points.

Buffalo  at Baltimore (+3)   (O51)

   Both teams have significant injured players, the uncertainty at LT for the Ravens is troublesome even if Lamar Jackson is playing possesses, Ill take the points, its probably going to be a hard fought game.

LA Chargers (-6) at Houston    (U45)

   The Chargers continue losing players to injury but still looks a team with enough talent to take on the Texans.

Tennessee (+3.5) at Indianapolis     (U43)

   Ill probably regret this later, the Colts are probably getting back Shaquille Leonard so their defense is getting a boost, the Titans haven't played lights out as of yet so there isn't a clear dominating team here, so I will take the points.

Chicago (+3) at NY Giants     (U39.5)

   Weather is probably making this game more of a run game that people already expect, give me the Bears defense to play better than the Giants offense.

Jacksonville at Philadelphia (-6.5)    (O45.5)

   The Jaguars played a hell of a game but the Eagles are not hurting with big injuries.

Seattle at Detroit (-3.5)    (U48)

   Man this should have been the Lions bounce back game but they are playing without three big time offensive weapons, can they figure it out without them? The Seahawks are bad, are they this bad though?

Washington at Dallas (-3)    (O41.5)

   The Cowboys demolished the Giants with loads of pressure to their QB, they can repeat this again against an average Commanders OL.

Cleveland  at Atlanta (+1)   (U47.5)

   The Falcons have managed to flash on offense but I cant see them beating the Browns defense although the status of Myles Garrett and Jadeveon Clowney is iffy, well I get I can see why its only a one point line, you know what? I'm taking the Falcons, call it a hunch.

Arizona at Carolina (-1)    (U43.5)

   The Cardinals are down to three WRs? the Panther should roll... defensively.

Denver at Las Vegas (-2.5)    (U45.5)

   OK the Raiders have to win this one, the Broncos are down two starting OL and when they did they didn't score a lot.

New England at Green Bay (-9.5)    (U40)

   The Packers are going to win, will they cover? Interesting that its not a given, they really haven't scored that much but in Lambeau against a Brian Hoyer? 

Kansas City (+1) at Tampa Bay    (U46)

The Bucs are hurt at WR and are favorites against a healthy Chiefs team? What does Vegas know about the Chiefs I don't?

LA Rams at San Francisco (-1.5)    (U42.5)

   This is a though one, this whole week is though, the Rams without their LT and the 49ers without their center and two starting corners, can Jimmy G take advantage of this? He should.

W3vsHOU: Not quite feeling the win

    Any NFL team knows that you take a win anyway you can because none of them is a given and it showed this past week with some big upsets, with that said, the Bears win against the Texans was without a stable passing game for one more game this season, patience is wearing thin for those who have waited many years for a steady NFL caliber offense, the promise of Justin Fields magically turning into Bear fans savior is not manifesting, time is needed to see if there will be growth but the wait, even if reasonable, is getting old and frustrating.

   The offense went through Khalil Herbert and the run game, David Montgomery went down ugly in the 1st qtr with a leg injury but luckily the reports seem to indicate that its not serious and can return soon, still Herbert and Trestan Ebner are good enough to carry the load until Montgomery returns. The running game has carried the Bears until now with a strong and improving play from the OL that can only get better once Teven Jenkins gets to play full time at RG and Lucas Patrick kicks in at center, Cole Kmet is getting more used to being a blocker and the receivers are doing their part very well, Khari Blasingame truly takes the run game up a notch with his play at FB. The passing game is a whole other story, Braxton Jones is looking better each game he plays but the same cannot be said of Sam Mustipher and Larry Borom, the later having technique issues in pass pro is bad enough to consider making a chance and let veteran Riley Reiff get a crack at RT, although Jenkins isn't a sure thing at upgrading the pass game and Borom is still young and can improve, if a change makes the line better right now, it should be strongly considered an option for the sake of the improvement and development of Fields who is lacking rhythm, he isn't getting rid of the ball enough to his safety valves and looks like he is overthinking where to go with the throw, he looks to be worried of making the mistake or afraid that he is going to get hit and that will cause him to make a mistake by fumbling the ball or making him make a bad pass, the coaches are definitely not asking Fields too much and are being patient by limiting his snaps maybe aware the situation is not the ideal one and are relying more on what is working which is the run, might not be a winning formula but its all for the sake of better QB play, a more stable play from the OL should help him trust the pocket more and make more confident throws to create rhythm, if the OL improves then Fields needs to show improvement as well.

Upside players: Khalil Herbert got his chance and took it for more than 180 yards on the ground, that is seizing the moment right there. Cody Whitehair has been playing pretty quiet in a good way.  Blasingame in his limited role is really helping the offense do some damage.

Downside players: Fields bounced back with some good throws in the 4th qtr but his all around game is still bad. I already given up hope with Mustipher as a starter but Borom is disappointing mainly in pass pro. 

   The defense with all their struggles and growing pains are still getting the job done mainly in the second half, the Texans could have taken this game but the philosophy of Matt Eberflus is showing on this defense, the players are all in on hustle to create turnovers, this is what put the game away in favor of the Bears. Roquan Smith dominated this game, he took advantage and got to the running backs lanes to limit the Texans run game, be it that the Texans ignored blocking Smith at the second level or that the Bears threw enough bodies at the line to maintain Smith clean to pursue the ball carrier, only they know, what I know is that Smith took advantage and showed his agility and speed to get where he was needed to stop plays near or behind the LOS. Kudos to Jaylon Jones in his debut in place of injured Jaylon Johnson, he wasn't shown much on the screen meaning he did a good job at coverage, maybe because the Texans wanted to continue to bully Kyler Gordon, they got away with some but Gordon keeps displaying better play in coverage at the outside, its a bit frustrating to know there is talent at corner but not a legit NB, time will tell if Gordon can be that player but at least as an outside corner he keeps showing promise. Jaquan Brisker has displayed the same good skills as a cover S, he still needs to get better in his tackling technique against RBs in the second level. It was weird to see Joe Thomas get elevated from the PS and get the nod to start at SAM backer when they already had Jack Sanborn and Sterling Wheaterford on the team but Thomas played fairly well in his limited snaps plugin running lanes as did Nick Morrow. Better QB play could have dealt more damage against the Bears defense mostly because the rush didn't get to the QB in time even against an average OL, but if they keep creating turnovers then they will be giving their team a chance to get back in the game.

Upside players: Smith had a great game and he can thank his teammates for it. Kindle Vildor is taking steps in the right direction and his play in the Eddie Jackson interception was gold. Jackson is also displaying his old self which is great to see.

Downside players: There is no one player that I can think of having a bad game but the pass rush did come up short in this one.

   Haven't talked about special teams but I have a problem with it so I'm going to start considering them until its not a problem for me. I don't like the punt cover unit, they aren't getting fast enough in a horde to get to the ball carrier, normally I see one gunner get to the returner almost instantly when the ball is caught, behind him around 4 or 5 guys are 10 yards behind the play, I don't see this in the Bears cover team, the gunner is close enough to the play but rarely if at all has makes the tackle and the next guy up is like 15 to 20 yards behind giving the returner tons of space to make a move, honestly I haven't searched for yards per return by the Bears opponent's but I don't like what I'm seeing from this cover group and for a team that is being coached to hustle, this group disappoints in that regard.

   Next up is a trip to the Meadowlands against the Giants who is another team resembling the rebuilding process the Bears are living, the difference? not much, the Giants have a vet QB in Daniel Jones who is looking like Mitch Trubisky when he was with the Bears, strong arm and enough legs to hurt defenses but questionable decision making and accuracy, in reality the Giants offense, like the Bears, goes through the run game mainly with Saquon Barkley that might have a grudge against the Bears for it was against them where he got hurt and regressed in his play, now he looks better than ever and it is one more team the shaky Bears run defense will have to find out how to stop and the Giants might not have another option with a very depleted WR group due to injury, the Giants OL looks better and might be more troublesome but Trevis Gipson might get chances at getting to the QB against struggling rookie Evan Neal, their defense has some nasty players in their DL minus Leonard Williams out with an injury but gets a bit softer in the second level that the Bears might choose to test out although they get back Aaron Robinson. So will the better running team win or will it fall in the hands of the QB and see who can take a step further in their progression., it is definitely another stepping stone the Bears can use to build up their team while getting a very reachable win. 

Useless predictions: 2022 Week 3 picks

   The Steelers, Panthers, Browns and Raiders let me down because they suck in the 4th quarter, Texans lead the Seahawks, Colts and Falcons for worst team, Bengals need to put their shit together, Bears need to find their shit to put together, OMG Kirk Cousins who are you? are you good or bad? make up your mind, you too Broncos. On to next week.

Last week: 4-11 (26%)

Season overall: 8-22 (26%)

Detroit (+6) at Minnesota     (O52.5)

   The Lions have lit up the scoreboard recently against fairly good competition, the Vikings will be another good caliber opponent who keeps flopping in prime time. If the Lions can go toe to toe offensively with the Vikings then picking the points loos like a good idea.

Baltimore (-2.5) at New England    (O44)

   Lamar Jackson is a man on a mission and its looking very difficult to stop him, the Patriots survived a very lost Steelers team.

Buffalo at Miami (+4.5)   (O53.5)

   You want offense, this has to be the game for you. The Bills got hit with some significant injuries and might make this game close, it all depend if Tua Tagovailoa is able to connect frequently with his dangerous WRs.

Cincinnati at NY Jets (+6)   (O45)

   The Bengals are still searching for answers in their Oline to get the offense going, the Jets are all in with Joe Flacco and the aerial assault and I don't think its going to change.

New Orleans at Carolina (-2.5)   (O41)

   The Panthers are a big tease, they should be winning against average competition yet they find ways to screw things up, they get another chance against the Saints at home.

Kansas City (-5) at Indianapolis    (U51)

   Am I missing something? Are the Colts THAT good when they have all their WRs? They got ZERO points against the Jaguars for crying out loud and your telling me they can cover the line if they only lose by a TD against the Chiefs? Is Andrew Luck back from retirement?

Houston at Chicago (-3)    (U39)

   HOMER ALERT, both teams are in building block stage finding out what works and what doesn't, I'm just optimistic that the Bears are better coached.

Philadelphia (-6) at Washington    (O47.5)

   The Commanders can be a juggernaut of an offensive team, the Eagles are an overall good team, its a matter of the defense clamping down the aerial attack of the Commanders or Jalen Hurts growth keep pointing up and outscore them.

Las Vegas at Tennessee (-2)   (U45.5)

   The Titans got thrashed by the Bills but its the Bills, the Raiders haven't looked good and blew a very decent 4th qtr lead against the Cardinals, for me this match is more a bounce back game for the Titans than for the Raiders.

Jacksonville at LA Chargers (-3.5)    (O42.5)

 This line changed a fair amount due to Justin Herbert's injured ribs, if he is playing I am all in with the Chargers, not having Keenan Allen might hurt but I believe Austin Ekeler is going to have a big game.

LA Rams  at Arizona (+3.5)   (U48.5)

   The Rams are hurting and might open the door for the Cardinals to have a chance and take this game, I don't know if Aaron Donald can outrun Kylee Murray the whole game.

Atlanta (+1) at Seattle     (O42)

   These teams are fairly equal in talent and lead by a veteran QB, the Falcons have been putting up big chunks of points their last games while the Seahawks haven't so I'm going with the Falcons.

Green Bay (+1.5) at Tampa Bay     (O42)

   Tampa Bay is another team with the injury bug on their side, the Packers could easily take advantage of this.

San Francisco (-1.5) at Denver    (44.5)

   The Broncos are not the team I envisioned, the 49ers now with Jimmy Garoppolo leading them is a whole different team.

Dallas (+1) at NY Giants     (39)

   The Cowboys played well even if it was against the confused Bengals, they displayed their weapons which they always have had, that talent should be enough to beat a Giants team that is doing thing right but are still a rebuilding team, it all goes through Saquon Barkley, if the Cowboys can limit his rushing they have a legit chance.

W2@GB: Same old story

    I couldn't help myself but believe the Bears had a chance to win even when I knew the Packers have very little flaws on their team and are more in tone with each other that the new formed squad the Bears have, at the end of the day I was naïve. The Bears lacked execution on both sides of the ball paired with some questionable to bad refereeing, still there is no question that this team is still in its infant stage.

   The offense struggled mightily in the passing department while excelling on run plays, David Montgomery looked inspired and ran with determination but wasn't enough, the offense lacked execution, the Oline looked like they took turns to make a mistakes but what really hurt the offense was Justin Fields looking hesitant and not in control, yes the line didn't make it easy for him but there where chances to get some positive yards out of those broken down plays if he just got rid of the ball to his safety valve or eliminate that extra step when dropping back to pass and be inside a good pocket for an extra second or two, he was too eager to run at times instead of moving a bit to have some space and get rid of the ball while other times he could have run and get some yards but instead stopped in his tracks and made a bad pass, he needs to be more determined in his decision making and he will be better, it might just take more reps and opportunities to get him going. 

Upside players: If David Montgomery can play with that time of energy for most of the season, look out offensive MVP. Teven Jenkins is a mauler and was one of the biggest reasons the run game worked, getting him to play a whole game would be ideal and may happen with Lucas Patrick taking snap duties in practice this week. Khari Blasingame was the other big reason that the run game worked, I wouldn't mind if he gets more playing time to get Fields more blockers and a potential extra receiver to get out of trouble.

Downside players: Fields had a bad game, he gets some film to study and get better, he still has time for it. I give Braxton Jones a pass but Larry Borom needs to get better handling that RT spot. Sam Mustipher got better this year, he showed improvement this preseason but doesn't make him a starter, its time to see Patrick at C. Cole Kmet missed too many plays, he can be a difference maker but this game as a blocker he showed too little improvement, his opportunities as a pass catcher were limited of course but a drop ball is never a good thing.

   The defense held but the Packers found a weakness and tried to exploit it all game and for a whole quarter it worked and that was enough to put this game away. Matt LaFleur installing a solid running game on that Packers team really is helping Aaron Rodgers bring the best of that offense, you just cant focus on Rodgers when Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon can pound on you on any time. The defense, as it has been for a long time, did give the offense a chance to get back in the game but this story continues to tell the same tale. The rookies struggled in this one, there was to much responsibility put on Kyler Gordon which put him out of position too many times and Jaquon Brisker missed to many tackles, they are young and can learn from this and if they do then this defense gets better, cant say the same for the LB position where both veterans struggled to plug the running lanes especially Roquan Smith who is not known for doing that, possibly the reason the new coaches and GM weren't in a hurry to give him a big contract.

Upside players: The pass rush found some success especially when Dominique Robinson, Trevis Gipson and Robert Quinn where in together, this NASCAR group is something to look forward to. Eddie Jackson will probably never be an enforcer but he really looked like he tries.

Downside players: Its tough to put Gordon and Brisker here but its only one game and are still improving. Smith is a hard one to place here when he is the guy you are counting to lead this unit, but the defensive scheme is doing him no favors and something tells me it will continue the same way, so if Smith cant find a way to improve his block shedding, I don't think he will be on the team for long and the media will have more ammo to talk trash about the Bears.

   The Bears have a really good game to bounce back on this weekend against the Texans who are as raw as they are, its a good opportunity to solidify the fundamentals, if they can manage to control this game and give Fields more shots to throw the ball it would be ideal, still the Texans are as hungry as the Bears are so anything is possible and it could wind up being a close game where the team will have to count on Fields to win it, not the best of scenarios but what this team needs is scenarios to gain experience, against a subpart team it doesn't matter if it's close, if they can get the win at the end is something that they can grown on. Injuries are starting to pile in but these injuries might be good for the team, Velus Jones can't get on the field yet for his debute and he might just be ready when N'Keal Harry is as well, Ryan Griffin won't be available so there's a chance to see Jake Tongues get some snaps, defensively not getting Jaylon Johnson and Roquan Smith could be impactful and it might be in a good way, if this pushes Gordon outside for the whole game and plays well while we get to see if Jaylon Jones or Josh Blackwell can be effective at NB and get to see Jack Sanborn or Sterling Weatherford play, getting them on the field early might be good for the future, maybe.

Useless predictions: 2022 Week2 picks

    If the Bears was an upset, and I'm not saying it wasn't, then the Giants and Seahawks games were miracles, its just three teams stating that they aren't as bad as everyone says they are but Titans, Broncos and 49ers, you have some issues to fix. The Panthers got robbed by the zebras on a no call 15 yd penalty on that fake spike by the Browns that would have push them out of FG range and would have cost them the game as well as the line cover. I hate the over/under. On to next week.

Last week: 4-11 (26%)

Tampa Bay (-2.5) at New Orleans    (U44)

   Do the Saints still have the Bucs number and keep their recent dominance over them alive? The Bucs moved the ball against the Cowboys but struggled in the red zone, the defense on the other hand did not. The Saints survived the lowly Falcons. Talent is in favor of the Bucs while the Saints are without Drew Brees this time.

Indianapolis  at Jacksonville (+3)   (U45)

   Who will triumph? stability or talent? The old or the new? The Colts had everything to win against the Texans but didn't. The Jaguars have talent to be good but haven't gotten it together yet. I'm going with the points but I don't trust either of these teams.

Miami (+3.5) at Baltimore     (O44.5)

   Tua Tagovailoa can do damage with the team he is surrounded with, but he cant carry this team. Baltimore has Lamar Jackson that can carry his team a has, but on this game the Ravens have a hampered secondary to try and stop a potent Dolphins WR group and still they are favored, gimme the points.

New England at Pittsburgh (+2.5)   (U40.5)

   Those are the Patriots I wanted to see, boring and lost. The Steelers will be without T.J. Watt for half of the season but are still very good at defense, the offense on the other hand is still on evaluation but to have the Patriots as favorites is a joke.

Carolina (+2) at NY Giants     (U43.5)

   The Panthers with Baker Mayfield are not the dominant team I thought they were going to be, at least I didn't see it against the Browns who have a very good defensive group, still Mayfield was all over the place with his throws. The Giants won because the Titans couldn't get out of their on way and Brian Daboll went YOLO, how many games can they win that way?

Washington at Detroit (-1.5)    (O48)

   OK so Carson Wentz can still throw the ball, who knew, makes the Commanders look even more dangerous. The Lions on the other hand are a no quit team, they might win some with that mentality but still they have too much talent to just win because of effort.

NY Jets at Cleveland (-6.5)    (U39.5)

   Oh Jets, if you only had a QB, I get you so well. Hmm this might be a battle of defenses but I would choice Nick Chubb over any RB the Jets have.

Atlanta at LA Rams (-10)    (O46.5)

   I cant pick the Falcons to cover against the Super Bowl champs, not when I said they are my candidate for worst team this year, Atlanta is blessed to have Cordarrelle Patterson on their team but Marcus Mariota can only do so much as a QB.

Seattle (+9.5) at San Francisco    (U40.5)

   The Seahawks impressed especially QB Geno Smith, Seattle's defense might have helped themselves from some of Russel Wilson's history from his Seahawks days and of course they had plenty of help from the Broncos bogus play calling and clock management. Still I believed before the season started that Seattle's defense isn't that bad, if Trey Lance still isn't NFL ready, the Seahawks can manage to cover this line.

Cincinnati (-7) at Dallas    (U42)

   Joe Borrow turned the ball over 5 times, 4 by interception against the Steelers, was it rust by not participating all preseason or still recovering his legs from the operation he had or a reality check or the the new revamped Oline still getting to gel or all the above, still the Bengals almost came back to win that game, talent isn't the problem but that Oline does need to play better against the Cowboys defensive front seven which is the only thing going for them, shaky secondary as is the running game and injured receiver group with the backup QB throwing to them, the Bengals have no excuse really unless you believe Micah Parsons can do it on his own.

Arizona at Las Vegas (-5.5)    (U51.5)

   OK Cardinals what's wrong, you usually look like this at mid season, you want to try a 180 and see if you can reach the playoffs full throttle? Actually that's not a bad idea considering you will get DeAndre Hopkins in week 6, can you survive until then though? You got mushed by the Chiefs and put up garbage point, the Raiders got run over by the Charger, the Chargers almost had the Chiefs until they broke Justin Herbert, so what's my point? They both have problems but one has Davante Adams and the other doesn't.

Houston at Denver (-10)    (U45)

   Broncos you only need to score and you win, think about it. The Texans have fight but the Broncos are too good to lose to them just like they were too good to lose to the Seahawks but did, are the Broncos the new Vikings?

Chicago (+10) at Green Bay     (U41.5)

   The Bears wont have it easy winning this one and all the media say they cant but recent evens tell otherwise, the Packers looked way off against a good Vikings team, the Bears managed to contain a playoff caliber team, so even if the Bears cant pull it off, 10 points is a lot.

Tennessee at Buffalo (-10)    (U47.5)

   The Titans botched a win and now come in to Buffalo to get punished for their mistakes.

Minnesota at Philadelphia (-2)    (O50.5)

   This looks to be a great game, I'm going with the Eagles to put major point against an old but savvy Vikings defense, the Vikings will make it close with a potent offense but the Eagles have the man power on defense to keep it marginal.

W1vsSF: Rinsing off the critics

    I was thinking on the title for this one obviously wanted to make reference to the wheatear the game was played on, suddenly I got flashbacks of Super Bowl XLI, Payton Manning slicing the defense like Moses, Rex Grossman throwing ducks, 5 seconds of PTSD. Fans needed this win, I needed this win, obviously the Bears needed this win to shut people up or just tone it down a few bars at least.

   Offensively I kind of went through the 5 stages of grief in a different order on that first half, I was on denial not believing how poor the offense was playing, got angry when seeing more of the same plays and results as last year, depression that it wasn't looking any better, acceptance that this is a young team and growing pains where to be expected, bargaining? I didn't know to who sell my soul for things to change but maybe someone else did because the second half happened. Seriously now, that shift from first to second half was a coaching thing as much as it was a talent thing, Luke Getsy and crew correctly changed a plan that was getting them nowhere and Justin Fields made things happen with his athleticism maintaining plays and drives alive resulting in scoring 3 TDs on consecutive possessions. The offense benefited by playing a clean game while taking all of the 49ers defensive help via penalties especially the 3 personal fouls, the first PF was bogus in my opinion which resulted in nothing for the Bears, the other 2 helped the Bears on their first 2 touchdowns while the 3rd TD was thanks to Eddie Jacksons interception that left the offense just outside the red zone. So yeah, the offense got help but one solid positive thing is that they where able to capitalize in their opportunities with TDs and not FGs or stupid penalties that pushed them back and forced them to punt like that towel penalty, I don't know all the rule book but I would strongly debate that action taken by Trenton Gill was a merit for a flag and most definitely not worth 15 yards. 

Upside players: There wasn't any good consistent play on offense, but one this is for sure, the Bears don't win without Justin Fields keeping plays alive and moving the chains with his feet. As imperfect as it was, the Oline fought a very tough 49ers front seven, they still have ways to go but its good to see they can and want to get better. Justin Herbert benefited from the positive response of the Oline to get some good chunks of yards and a TD.

Downside players: It was a bad day for David Montgomery but the offense should still round through him as the lead back, better weather should help him and the Oline create more inside lanes for him. Braxton Jones had his rookie welcome by a top caliber DL, if he's got it it should only get easier from here forward.

   The defense still is the hero of the game for this Bears team, they managed to stop the 49ers offense to just one TD in the first half when starting 3 of their 6 possessions near midfield. The defense did permit 3 big gains through the air and one on the ground for more than 15 yards, but managed to get 2 crucial turnovers, the first a fumble at the red zone to negate any points and the second the interception by Jackson that lead to the 3rd TD that sealed the game. The defense managed to get pressure on Trey Lance to hurry his decision making and forcing him to use his legs often. Again penalties killed some chances for the 49ers to maintain drives while the Bears stayed clean on defense as well. Even without George Kittle, the 49ers had weapons to make damage, losing Elijah Mitchell for the second half did hamper them a bit and obviously the rain limited the passing game greatly, so the Bears defense took advantage of this and had an overall good showing against a tough opponent.

Upside players: Rookie Dominique Robinson with 1.5 sacks on limited snaps is very promising. Armon Watts showed his more than just a NT, displaying movement and run stuffing ability. Rookie DBs Jaquan Brisket and Kyler Gordon are very talented athletes and it showed on this game. Jaylon Johnson and Eddie Jackson complete this secondary that shows promise to be a top unit in the league. 

Downside players: A sloppy game no doubt but 10 points given is always a good job by the defense.

Trey Lance is a talented QB, on this game neither him of Fields could show how much due to the weather, Fields demonstrated on this game that he can carry the team while Lance could not do the same, while only down by 3 points at the start of the 4th quarter the 49ers inexplicably made Lance throw the ball while it was pouring down instead of sticking to the heavy run scheme that was working and would have been more efficient in those conditions, the result was the interception which ended in 6 more points for the Bears and pretty much ended almost any chance for them to come back by going run heavy, they had to pass now and it was almost impossible with the rain coming down even harder, the 49ers coaching I believe made the mistake that cost them the game. The Bears won this one because they looked very well coached and never gave up, they trusted the system, this will make games very interesting and the future even more. Next up is against the archrival nemesis in Green Bay, the Packers had their butts handed to them by Justin Jefferson and the Vikings, without their starting tackles and WR1 the Packers looked bad, I still believe they have a very good defense but it didn't show this past weekend and Rodgers is still a top 5 QB, hopefully they are who they showed they are and the Bears can have a chance to surprise the critics once more.

Useless predictions: 2022 Week 1 picks

   Let the betting begin, may the football gods lead us to glory and win some cash so we can keep on making some games more interesting. I did believe the Bills where going to win but the Rams got their ass handed to them and that I didn't expect, still its the first week of the season and stuff like this can happen, we just don't want it to happen to the team we bet on. Lets get to it.  

Cleveland at Carolina (-1)    O42

   Baker Mayfields revenge game, I like the Panthers winning this one at home, I like their team and I don't like Jacoby Brissett making a difference in this one.

San Francisco  at Chicago (+6.5)   O40.5

   I have mentally prepared for this for weeks, I believe, I believe. The 49ers will go without one of their top receivers in George Kittle and starting C Brunskill, still Tray Lance will have enough weapons to work with just not his safety blanket and the guy passing him the ball which are fairly important for a new WB, probably more Deebo Samuel or run plays on the menu. I expect the defense to give Lance fits and the offense to slow down the defense enough to get it done.

Pittsburgh (+7) at Cincinnati     U44.5

   So Joe Burrow is going to play right? any rust? Guess we will see. The Steelers can make some now if Mitchell Trubisky starts doing some damage. I believe the Bengals will win but its gonna be a close one.

Philadelphia at Detroit (+5.5)   U48.5

   Ok Lions I'm believing you have something cooking, its time you show it to me or else I'm going to cast you back into the "they are still the Lions" hole. The Eagles are still going to win but common show me some kneecap biting and stuff.

Indianapolis at Houston (+7)  O45.5

   Is it too early for the Texans to be average or is it to early for the Colts to implode? Lets go with the points just in case.

New England at Miami (-3.5)    O46

   Common Dolphins show me your are competent and you still know how to beat Bill Belichick.

Baltimore (-6.5) at NY Jets    O44

   Lamar Jackson minus his LT against Joe Flacco minus his LT, this has to be a no brainer.

Jacksonville at Washington (-3)    O44

   I probably shouldn't but I like the team the Commanders have, Carson Wentz makes me look the other way. The Jaguars have good players and a QB, but I don't trust they will use them correctly. This game will tell who is the foney.

New Orleans (-5.5) at Atlanta    U44

   The Saints are going to win because they are playing the Falcons, there is that enough reason? Fine, the Falcons maybe have a chance if Marcus Mariota has enough time to chug the ball long and high enough for his tall WRs to go get it, for all the game, honestly if it works it would give the Falcons new life.

Kansas City (-6.5) at Arizona    O54

   The Chiefs are not what they were but still managed to balance the scale upgrading the defense a bit with some rookies and Patrick Mahomes is still very good. The Cardinal have good players but will Kyle Murray come in with the right mentality to lead the team. 

Las Vegas at LA Chargers (-3.5)    U52.5

   not the best of run challenges the Chargers will start with to see if the upgrades on the DL they made in FA works but its a good starting point for them. Only chance I see for the Raiders to win is if the Derek Carr and Davante Adams connection is as good or better than with Aaron Rodgers.

Green Bay (+1.5) at Minnesota    O46.5

   I'm not sure if they should make the Packers the underdog unless Rodgers is not playing, they are missing their tackles but still the Oline is somewhat staked and should be a weak link, receivers are unproven but have to talented rookies in the wing waiting for an opportunity like this with  the Allen Lazard injury, are the Vikings tat good to take "advantage" of this? If the Vikings win is because they are the better team at home, not because of the injuries.

NY Giants at Tennessee (-5.5)   44

   The Giants defense was their best shot of being an NFL team and now they have two starters down from their front seven, King Henry is going to feast.

Tampa Bay (-2.5) at Dallas    O50.5

   I don't like the Cowboys secondary but maybe they can still do damage with their front seven, the Bucs aren't a good match to figure it out.

Denver (-6.5) at Seattle    O44.5

   The Seahawks defense isnt bad and they will have the 12t man on their side but against the Broncos? 7 points is just not near enough.