W13@DET: Accept the stupidity

    The last straw, the loss to the Detroit Lions was the last utter disaster that was the tenure of HC Matt Eberflus, three straight divisional games lost because of "bad luck", well a cleansing was due and it happened with his firing, it was clear that this was needed, the locker room was lost as was the hopes of any playoff chances the Bears had this season and boy did they had them, three divisional games lost by a sum total of 7 points, a blocked FG, an OT loss and a saved time out that with better time management would have probably send them to another OT game, the bar was low on expectations for this team this season with a rookie QB, but it was turning for the worst, there is finally hope at the QB position and the leadership was doing everything possible to burn it to the ground once more. Luckily the decision came crystal clear, too many losses, to many drama, too many eyes from the outside criticizing the organization while screwing up in national television, the change had to be made and so it was, the Bears have the chance once more to stumble into a good situation by elevating new OC Thomas Brown to interim HC, he went from being the passing coordinator to be the top dog in 3 weeks, its the only way the Bears can turn things around, by pure luck and stupidity. 

   The offense once more was missing in the first half of the game, all three and outs the first four possessions, penalties and getting behind on the scoreboard forced them to abandon the run which made it to difficult for Caleb Williams to move the ball against a stout Lions defense that are too good against an offense that goes one dimensional. In the second half they started to play clean football and the run game started to work which opened the door for Williams to do his magic. The Bears once again where in position to at least tie the game, 1st ant 10 at DET 25 with 46 seconds and 2 time outs, a bad pass from Williams that would probably take them inside the 10 but was thrown behind DJ Moore, for some reason a time out had to be used after an incompletion, second down ended with a 12 yard gain negated by penalty, 2 and 20 ended in a sack with 36 seconds and running, the next play took 30 second to snap the ball because the time out left was never used, the game ended in an incompletion. Enough was enough, its everyone's fault but the responsibility goes to the head of the team, it was time for change.

Upside players: Caleb Williams keeps making big plays and keeping games close. Keenan Allen is keeping himself relevant in this offense.

Downside players: Still waiting for Cole Kmet to get more targets. DJ Moore might benefit by playing a bit less, he really looks to be hurt.

   The defense continued to do enough to have a chance to win, the game could have been over if it wasn't for the forced fumble by Tyrique Stevenson at the end of the second quarter when Jahmyr Gibbs took the ball inside the Bears 10 yard line, it probably would have ended in another TD for the Lions. Before that the Lions scored points the previous 4 drives, in the second half they scored in their next dive and then missed a FG, the Bears defense managed to stop them on two drives, one of them was a 3 and out. So yeah, they still did just enough, but just enough still is not enough.

Upside players: Kyler Gordon makes a big difference in this defense. Gervon Dexter sighting is always a good thing, making the pass rush relevant.

Downside players: When the pass rush is generated by the DTs and still there are no sacks generated, its a bad look for the EDGEs.

   Next up is a visit to the west coast against a familiar foe that are the 49ers who are struggling mightily to keep their players healthy, the defense might struggle because of this but the offense can still click even without Christian McCaffrey although he will be missed with good reasons. The Bears defense might be in its way to shift a bit in mentality with the coaching changes, the whole season they have been the bend but don't break unit that has kept games close for their offense to respond, but when they need the offense to shut the door they haven't been able to do it. Now with Erick Washington at the DC spot, I would like this defense to take more chances and execute the blitz packages more effective and often, its really frustrating to see blitzing LBs just get stuffed in the LOS and generate no pressure at all. Offensively is gong to be the main story and focus, will Thomas Brown be capable of transitioning from leading an offense to now lead a whole team and still keep the focus on elevating Caleb Williams game? This season is much over for this team, now is the time to focus on what works and who stays to get this team ready for next season, this organization still needs to get things done but at least there seems to be one thing that they finally FINALLY don't need to worry about and its the QB is set and ready to be build around him, DONT SCREW IT UP.

W14 picks

   Took a week of after one awful weekly prediction. What the hell Cowboys, you should be dead. I'm disappointed in the Bears, but real disappointments are the Falcons, Bengals and Jets. The NFC West would be the new NFC South if the NFC South would stop being the NFC South. Dolphins and Colts hanging to dear life. Texas are you OK? Can someone else beat the Chiefs for Pete's sake. On to next week.

Last week: 2-10 (16%)

Season overall: 37-125 (22%)

Browns (+7) @ Pittsburgh    (O43.5)

   Probably wrong going with the Browns but these two teams always seem to go to the wire when facing each other.

Jets @ Miami (-6)    (U44.5)

   The Dolphins are fighting for playoff hopes, the Jets are thinking offseason.

Falcons (+6) @ Minnesota    (U45.5)

   As bad as the Falcons have played, they are still a team with lots of talent that go toe to toe with every one, just cant get out of their own way.

Saints (-5) @ NY Giants    (O41)

   The Saints are still in the hunt while the Giants are experimenting with q QB carousel. 

Panthers (+13.5) @ Philadelphia     (O45)

   The Panthers have been playing better, still need to get more weapons. The Eagles are cruising to the post season thanks to Saquon Barkley.

Raiders @ Tampa Bay (-6.5)   (U46.5)

   The Raiders are still a good team with a big hole at QB, against a Bucks team that is getting their best player in Mike Evans back, there is no chance.

Jaguars (+3.5) @ Tennessee    (U40)

   Which coaching staff can keep their team fighting for nothing?

Seahawks @ Arizona (-2.5)    (O44.5)

   I don't know man, just toss the coin. The Seahawks are getting DK Metcalf back, but the Cardinals should still be the better team.

Bills (-3.5) @ LA Rams    (U49.5)

   Josh Allen is a man possessed, the Rams defensive front will have their hands full for this one.

Bears (+3) @ San Francisco    (O43.5)

   The Bears have new energy if the coaching change works for the better, the 49ers are still very banged up, the offense will have to make do to get the win.

Chargers (+4) @ Kansas City     (U43)

   The Chargers are a capable team, can they break the voodoo magic of the Chiefs, which is play a mistake free 4th quarter.

Bengals (-5.5) @ Dallas    (U49.5)

   The Cowboys cant continue winning like this can they?

W12 picks

   Had my personal best las week, still the BS is too much for me. I just cant with the Bears. The Saints are an impressive team, not necessarily a good one. The Patriots have something going, just not this year. The Broncos on the other hand are building something right now. The Cowboys, Jets and Falcons are so disappointing. The 49ers and Bengals just cant find a way to climb out the ditch they got in. The Chargers are not chargering. Thank you Bills. On to next week.

Last week: 6-6 (50%)

Season overall: 35-115 (23%)

Chiefs (-11) @ Carolina    (U43)

   The Chiefs are going to win, but I can never feel sure that they will be able to cover. They should.

Vikings (-3.5) @ Chicago    (U39.5)

   The Bears cant stop shooting themselves in the ass. The Vikings are playing solid football.

Patriots (+7) @ Miami    (O46)

   The Patriots are a whole different team with Drake Maye at QB, still don't have enough dudes to be relevant.

Lions (-7.5) @ Indianapolis    (U50)

   The Colts put up a good fight against any team, but these are the Lions who are very healthy and motivated.

Titans @ Houston (-7.5)    (O40.5)

   The Texans have been struggling, this game could bring back their mojo. the Titans are just not good with their defense missing players with injury.

Cowboys @ Washington (-10.5)    (U45)

   The Cowboys are done without Dak Prescott. The Commanders just keep getting better.

Buccaneers (-6) @ NY Giants    (O40.5)

   The Giants have entered the rebuild, time to get stomped by Baker Mayfield and a healthier Bucs team.

Broncos (-5.5) @ Las Vegas    (U41)

   The Broncos with Bo Nix have shown to be a team on the rise, contrary to the Raiders.

Cardinals @ Seattle (PK)    (U47.5)

   Both teams go hot and cold, playing in Seattle is never easy.

49ers @ Green Bay (-5.5)    (U44.5)

   The Packers get to play a very banged up 49ers team, lucky them.

Eagles (-3) @ LA Rams    (U49)

   The Eagles found out how to play defense, bad news for everyone.

Ravens @ LA Chargers (+2.5)    (U51)

   The Ravens just don't know how to end games, contrary to the Chargers that are growing as a team.

W11vsPackers: There's just no way

    Gut-wrenching loss to the Packers on the last seconds of the game by a blocked filed goal, the Bears just find new ways to lose these close games, it just getting too frustrating as a fan to cheer for this team. It was a game that few believe the Bears had a shot of winning and did just enough good things on offense and defense to make it close, but both had mental mistakes and bad luck to give the Packers the shot they needed to win and just break every Bears fans heart in a new way.

   The offense clicked faster than I would expected, new offensive coordinator Thomas Brown made it possible to help Caleb Williams get rid of the ball faster and let him get more positive yards with his legs, this opened up the running game and opened the door for the possible upset. Still, its only one game and its still a wait and see if Brown can adjust and mix it up so that next opponents wont catch up on tendencies he might present. Getting Rome Odunze more involved like on this last game is key for the improvement of this offense. Getting Cole Kmet back in this offense has to happen, he cant go more games with 2 or less catches. Giving the rock more to Roschon Johnson can change the tempo of the offense. Getting the Oline back in shape and limit the time they have to block can be good news overall.

Upside players: Willimas could have been the hero of this game if not for the blocked FG, his last three throws were pro caliber. Odunze has to see more balls thrown his way, he has everything to be the WR1.

Downside players: D.J. Moore looks to be playing hurt and just doesn't look as explosive. Not throwing to Kmet is just bad football.

   The defense played good enough but just slipped at the worst times, they made Christian Watson´s stat line look dominant with 2 big plays where the secondary just had a meltdown. They didn't blitz enough to help pressure the QB and they struggled to stop the run at the start of the game ,but managed to improve in the second half. It was an up and down game for this unit that once more did just enough for the offense to have a chance to finish it. Still, Matt Eberflus approach looks to be relying on the defense by limiting the offense to make a mistake, this just doesn't look to be helping the offense improve and its not like this defense is playing lights out with a bunch of three and outs, it has been playing to stop the big chunks and limit them to field goals, that wont give the offense better field position even with big punts by Tory Taylor and with an offense playing scared that struggles to move the ball, it just makes the defense play more and will get tired, its not a good formula.

Upside players: Kyler Gordon is a very important part of this defense in the run game. 

Downside players: The pass rush is still not where one would like, not enough pressures are being generated from the edges.

   Next up is a visit by the Vikings who are arguably playing better ball than the Packers. They are as well coached as the Packers, but have more firepower on offense with their pair of pro caliber receivers, while the defense is well schemed and can put any QB in a bind. The Bears will need to play better than they did against the Packers, they were close and another step forward could be enough to come up with the win, but that depend more than just the offense playing better, all three units need to be better prepared and that is the whole coaching staff getting all their player ready to execute and fight until the last second on the clock.

W11 picks

    Normally bad week, still hate the over/under. Flacons and Jets still shock me how they can lose so bad. Speaking of bad, the Bears, so tired of this BS. Speaking of BS, the Chiefs. On to next week. 

Last week: 3-9 (25%)

Season overall: 29-109 (22%)

Rams (-4.5) @ New England    (U43.5)

   Rams still good enough to beat a bad team.

Packers (-5.5) @ Chicago    (U47)

   I don't even think I could jinx this one.

Jaguars @ Detroit (-13.5)    (O47)

   No Trevor Lawrence, this could get really ugly for the Jaguars.

Browns (PK) @ New Orleans     (U44)

   Common Browns, don't go all Falcons on me, don't lose to the hospital.

Raiders (+7.5) @ Miami     (O43.5)

   I think its gonna be one of those weird Gardner Minshew games where he just go berserk.

Colts (+4) @ NY Jets     (O43.5)

   Would have loved seeing Joe Flacco vs Aaron Rodgers, so vintage. Still cant trust the Jets.

Ravens @ Pittsburgh (+3)    (U48.5)

   Good game, Ravens are to better team though. Still the Steelers have been playing better each game under Russell Wilson, might be to close of  a game so Ill go with the points.

Vikings (-6) @ Tennessee    (O39.5)

   The Titans are the AFC Bears.

Seahawks (+6.5) @ San Francisco     (U48)

   The 49ers are still banged up, its a chance the Seahawks should be able to take or at least be close to winning.

Chiefs (+2) @ Buffalo    (U46)

   First time this season the Chiefs are underdogs, maybe the only way they can cover a line.

Bengals @ LA Chargers (-1.5)    (O48)

   The Chargers are playing better, the Bengals are not bad but just fall short so many times.

Texans (-7) @ Dallas    (O41.5)

   The Texans should roll over the Dak-less Cowboys. And there's not gonna be any problems with the blinding sun.

W10vsPatriots: The joke that is the Chicago Bears

    A crushing loss to the lowly New England Patriots was a minor possibility, but the way they managed to perform even a worse offense than the previous games is just so gut wrenching, I was just grossed out watching Caleb Williams get obliterated, I didn't even watch the end of it, it was pure masochism. Shane Waldron´s head rolled after this, but Matt Eberflus is next in line or Ryan Poles can get added to it if he doesn't do something to not get thins team derailed more than it already is. Eberflus has managed to establish an good defense, proof that he is a good defensive coach, the problem is he is the HEAD COACH and his team is unbalanced way waaaaay off. Even if the offense starts clicking, Poles need to think really hard if the wins, if they start coming, cover up the mess Eberflus has done these last 2 years in hiring his coaching staff and game managing, because the roster looks fine (with more Oline help and some on the Dline) and that's more on Poles than Ebeflus, but at the end of the day its Poles job to make it all work.

   There was no offense, it failed to show up, it went even more downhill with Teven Jenkins getting injured, the only players surviving this season from the starting line from week 1 has been  Coleman Shelton, not ideal. There was no plan to mitigate the injured Oline, no quick passing game, no success with the screen play, abandoning the run too quickly in the game, just total disaster.

Upside players: Ryan Bates played OK, its the only positive thing I can take going forward from this game.

Downside players: Too many new faces on Oline made Williams have his worst game of his short professional career, Keenan Allen and D.J. Moore are not doing a good job as veterans and leaders. The offensive scheme is none existent because of execution's due to bad coaching.

The defense once more tried to keep it close but with no offense in this game, there was little to nothing they could do to even dream for a win. The Patriots are not a good team, the Bears just gave this one away so the Patriots didn't need to do anything spectacular on offense, just run the ball and go short on passing plays and it was enough to get the defense tired and seal the game.

Upside players: There isn't anyone that is outstanding but T.J. Edwards giving the Bears a takeaway interception to try and inject life to the defense was something.

Downside players: The front four did a good job overall but still need to show that they can generate more pressure more often.

   Next up is the game that can seal the Bears season, a loss to the Packers is the worst thing that can happen right now for this team, starting to lose divisional games just makes it a sure thing that there is no shot at the post season. The same can be said if the Bears end up winning this one, it would flip the script so drastically even if it shouldn't, but it will because its against the Packers, It would give so much life to the fans if they manage to make it, but I highly doubt they do, the team is resetting at offense and at this point of the season it could be too late with the next 3 games going against all the NFC North rivals back to back to back, I just don't see a quick enough learning curve to deal with these teams, its now or never to get it started on the win column or Ill be on tankathon real soon.

W10 picks

    I fell really good about last week's predictions and it ended up being one of my worst weeks, life. Texans really miss Nico Collins. Saints still too injured but could go up with Carr returning, Cowboys more banged up and probably will go deeper down with Prescott injured. Bengals getting better, too late? Bears and Seahawks losing steam. Eagles looking to take flight again. On to next week.

Last week: 2-11 (15%)

Season overall: 26-100 (20%)

Patriots (+6) @ Chicago    (U38.5)

   The Bears have played well against bad competition which this is, but can trust the defense to stop the run and the offense to put enough point.

Vikings (-7) @ Jacksonville     (U43)

   With Trevor Lawrence nursing an injured shoulder, cant trust the Jaguars to slow down the Vikings.

Steelers @ Washington (-2)    (O45)

   Looks like Jayden Daniels is healthy enough to not be on the injury report, that will be a problem for the Steelers.

Falcons (-3.5) @ New Orleans    (U46.5)

   The Saints are just too banged up even with Carr back, the Falcons should pounce on them,

Broncos @ Kansas City (-7.5)    (U42)

   The Chiefs almost enver cover, but its at home against the Broncos, just get it done.

49ers @ Tampa Bay (+6.5)    (O50.5)

   Baker Mayfield is playing and that is enough for me to believe its going to be a shootout.

Bills (-4) @ Indianapolis    (U46.5)

   the Colts are not getting any better at offense with Michael Pittman out. The Bills have their own WR problems but can get this win on the ground.

Titans @ LA Chargers (-8)    (U39)

   The Titans playing Will Levis again is a choice.

Eagles (-7) @ Dallas     (O43.5)

   The Cowboys without Dak is enough for me to know they are done.

Jets @ Arizona (+1.5)    (U46)

   Still can't trust the Jets, the Cardinals are playing better.

Lions @ Houston (+3.5)   (O49.5)

   The Lions are pretty banged up and if the Texans get Collins back its going to probably boost their offense quite a bit. I  may be expecting too much of the Texans run game.

Dolphins (+1.5) @ LA Rams    (U49)

   the Dolphins are a more explosive team than the Rams right now.

W9@ARI: Here we go again

   The Bears loss in the desert was a tipping point not just because of the loss but how they preformed, injuries made it look worse but the was nowhere you could turn to on this team on this game that made you feel as a fan that there's something consistently going right. Honestly Im just feed up, too many years watching an unbalance Bears team with a bad offense and a defense that is asked to much, its the same product wrapped up differently.

   On offense the Oline was being gutted by injuries to both tackles, Teven Jenkins went down at one point and it was just too much. Caleb Williams tried to do too much instead of playing the short yardage game, they opted to go long and didn't have the protection for it, D.J. Moore at one point just gave up do to injury or just plain quited. The run was hot and cold, but got iced once the Oline started going down, so there were no answers to a team that was not prepared for this, as usual.

Upside players: Rome Odunze has to get more involved in this offense and Williams need to look more his way and better this connection.

Downside players: Its not all Keenan Allen's fault that he is getting targeted that frequently or the scheme is focus more on him for some reason, but that needs to change. Moore needs to sit a bit if he is too injured or continues with that attitude, justifiable or not due to bad coaching and scheme. 

On defense they are sorely missing Kyler Gordon on the run game, they managed to control the game as much as possible as always, but injuries also  started to happened, they failed to protect Andrew Billings who is now lost for the season most probably, which will be a big blow for this defense especially on the run game. With no points being scored, the game just slipped from them. Now with news that the players are losing hope of the leadership in the offices, what was once a good defense and the only consistent part of this team might just come crashing down, time will tell.

Upside players: Coverage is still holding up without Jaquan Brisker and Gordon, kudos to Terrel Smith, Josh Blackwell and Elijah Hicks.

Downside players: The Dline is still not generating enough pressure, it was to be expected without Montez Sweat on the game, but Gervon Dexter has somewhat disappeared, a bit disappointed his streak of good plays is on hold.

   Next up is a home game against a struggling Patriots team, they should win this game, it would say a lot if they didn't even with riddling injuries, still its a possibility at this point with the Bears own struggles right now. I honestly don't really care much for the outcome of this game, I expect them to win yes, but I don't care if they with by a blow out, because next week they get the Packers and for me the season rides on how they play that team, a Packers team that is competing for a playoff sport, If the Bears end up with similar results like they ended having against the Cardinals, that's it for me, they cant continue giving me the same crappy results as a fan and expect me to believe its going to be different this time around, I guess Ill just have to wait a bit to see if I get to offseason more this early.

W9 picks

  Not a good week, still a lot of close games against the spread, good job by Vegas. The Dolphins, Eagles, Browns and Jets are back, sort of. The Vikings and Texans are crashing. Panthers, Giants. Raiders and Titans are looking at QB college film. The Bengals need to find answers quick. The Colts have a problem and a solution at the same time. On to next week.

Last week: 2-13 (13%)

Season overall: 24-89 (21%)

Chargers (-1) @ Cleveland    (O42.5)

   Pretty similar teams if you ask me, Browns banged up secondary gives me the nod to the Chargers.

Patriots (+3) @ Tennessee    (U38.5)

   The Titans are lost at this point, the Patriots still look they want to find themselves.

Broncos (+9.5) @ Baltimore     (U46.5)

   The Ravens still struggle to close games, the Broncos are feisty.

Cowboys @ Atlanta (-3)    (O52)

   Kirk Cousins is starting to cook, the Cowboys just... no.

Dolphins @ Buffalo (-6)    (U49.5)

   I like the new Bills offense. The Dolphins are lucky it's still not snowing.

Saints (-7) @ Panthers    (U43.5)

   Derek Carr is back, Saints are back. Bryce Young is back, yikes.

Commanders (-4) @ NY Giants    (O44)

   The Giants cant get out of their own way.

Raiders (+7) @ Cincinnati    (O45)

   The Bengals are mega lost.

Bears (+2) @ Arizona     (O44.5)

   I'm still optimistic, I don't know how I do it.

Jaguars @ Philadelphia (-7.5)    (O46)

   The Eagles finally are looking scary as the roster shows they should be.

Lions @ Green Bay (+2.5)    (O47.5)

  Jinx dammit.

Rams (-1.5) @ Seattle    (U48)

   D.K. Metcalf is really important to the Seahawks offense. 

Colts (+5.5) @ Minnesota    (O47)

   Lord and savior joe Flacco will play.

Buccaneers @ Kansas City (-9)    (O45.5)

   The Bucs are just a hospital dressed as a football team. The Chiefs don't usually cover, I don't know why.

W8@WASH: Slipping

    While the Bears had no reason to be winning the game against the Commanders based on the way they played the first 3 quarters of the game, if by any reasons whatsoever they place themselves to be able to win a game, be it because you got lucky or the other team just had a meltdown, it doesn't matter how ugly a win is, is it's still a win, you take it, survive the day and move on. The Bears had the game won until they didn't, their defense kept it close, the offense did the bear minimum and they only had to survive the last 25 second of the game, they couldn't. Its onto the next game regardless while still searching to get better.

   The offense had a bad day, let's call it that, the Oline is a rollercoaster of an experience this season, it just fluctuates from bad to good on each snap, there was a lot of bad in this game and the injuries to this group will just make things worse. Caleb Williams struggled mightily, if he wasn't running for his life he was not finding open receivers or not making the decision to throw it, his conservative play and lack of deep ball accuracy is something to monitor. The run game existed in spurts which was what kept the offense alive most of the game, it's just so frustrating not knowing why all the snaps go to D'Andre Swift, Roschon Johnson is such a good change of pace and 3rd down back and the decision to not get Khalil Herbert involved whatsoever is such a head scratcher. 

Upside players: Rome Odunze is giving glimpses of a true WR1 for the future. 

Downside players: Bad day in general for the entire offense but Kiran Amegadjie really had his welcome to the NFL moments in this game.

   The defense did what it has been doing all season in a very impressive consistent manner, even with Kyler Gordon and Jaquan Brisket out the secondary still manages to limit the big blows, all the criticism going Tyrique Stevenson's way is not all deserved, he is a good corner with a big attitude, does he need to step it up? Yes. Will he? I believe he will, I expect him to lower his attitude a notch but still be him and his play is good enough to be a starter in the league and has been an important part of this defense success. It's not hard to look at this defense and see that it's run by the cover team, there is a worrisome lack of pressure not generated by the front four. with Montez Sweat dealing with an injury, it's going to ask the backs to do even more to make due.

Upside players: Elijah Hicks and Josh Blackwell are doing a fine job filling in for Brisker and Gordon.

Downside players: Stevenson will get better.

   Next up is a trip to the desert of Arizona, this will be another good test for the Bears, the Cardinals can be a good team but the have struggled to make it all work consistently, the Bears can pressure this team to a loss if they can execute which is something they have struggled to do on offense, now with both sides of the ball dealing with injuries, all points that it's going to be another one of those nail biting Bears game the fans are used to.

W6vsJaguars: Momentum

    The Bears managed to look better as a team coming back from London with the win against a Jaguars team that could have made the scoreboard look no so much as a blowout but they haven't been able to play a clean game yet. The Bears on the other hand have manage to capitalize from their opponents mistakes, this has given them the opportunities they need to get their offense rolling and clean up Shane Waldron's offense to better adjust to the players strengths.

   The offense still  struggling at the beginning of the game and start clicking in the second quarter on these last games, much of the scoring opportunities come by turnovers or good field position thanks to the defense and special teams but still, the offense is finishing by scoring more touchdowns than field goals or just not going 3 and out as so often happened on past seasons. The existence of a run game has been so pivotal to the success that the offense has gotten, hopefully the Oline will gel more with every game they play, but its a bit too early to tell when the games played until now have not been against balanced teams, still the Jaguars do have a decent group of defensive players, its just that they haven't been playing to expectation.

Upside players: D'Andre Swift has been playing much better, whether its the improved Oline play or the way Waldron has drawn his use. Caleb Williams was impressive on this game, his pocket presence and calm inside the pocket was outstanding on this game.

Downside players: Cheating a bit, Waldron still has work to do, just as he did with Roschon Johnson and Swifts snaps and plays changed to improve the run game, he needs to put his wideouts in the best situation possible get them to block and run the routes they best perform.

   The defense, even without Jaquan Brisker, Kyler Gordon and Tyrique Stevenson, played good enough defense to shut down the Jaguars, they did get help from the Jaguars receivers by droping a pair of touchdown passes, still they Bears defense keeps getting the much appreciated turnovers that help their offense to polish their craft. I cant repeat this enough, this defense is so bend but don't break.

Upside players: Gervon Dexter has been an important piece in this Dline to be an all around player to help the run and put much needed pressure when this does not come from the edges. Kevin Byard has been a silent assassin, he isn't shown much but when he does show up it doesn't end well for offenses.

Downside player: Still need more help on the opposite side of Montez Sweat.

   After the Bears bye, they head to Washington who are as another team that is on the rise, their offense has shown more explosiveness than the Bears, but the Commanders defense has been sus whereas the Bears has been their strength. It has everything to be an entertaining game.

Week 8 picks

   Average week, so another bad one. The Saints really took a rollercoaster dive. The Vikings are looking to stabilize as an average team as expected at the beginning of the season. Bills have an offense again? The Falcons and Jets make me sick. The Browns might get better on addition by subtraction, and Nick Chubb. Bucs and 49ers are a hospital now. On to next week.

Last week: 3-11 (21%)

Season overall: 22-76 (22%)

Jets @ New England (+7)    (U41)

   The Jets should be winning often but they aren't. The Patriots are in a rebuild and playing bad defense which should be their strength, the Jets should be able to run all over them. I'm led by my hatred and disgust for the Jets and picking the point.

Packers (-3.5) @ Jacksonville     (O49)

   Hurray the Jags won a game, would be great if they can make it a streak, but it probably wont happen.

Cardinals (+4) @ Miami     (U46.5)

   Tua Tagovailoa is back, I fear for him. Will that be enough against Good/Bad Kyler Murray? Ill take the points.

Tennessee @ Detroit (-12)    (O45)

   Oh good heavens the massacre.

Falcons (-1.5) @ Tampa Bay     (U46.5)

   The Falcons are headed to be the biggest disappointment of this season, the Bucs are so injured and still I don't feel 100% trusting the Falcons enough to win this game, but I am.

Eagles @ Cincinnati (-2.5)    (O47.5)

   Can the Bengals stop being so average? What the hell happened to both these teams in general?

Ravens (+7.5) @ Cleveland     (U44.5)

   The Ravens look like they want to be the Chiefs, make the bare minimum to win. Jameis Winston is really going to right this ship? I don't think so, I'm scared for nick Chubb.

Colts (+5) @ Houston     (O45)

   The Colts are getting healthier, but Anthony Richardson is still not playing good enough. The Texans are still stuck in second gear.

Saints (+7)  @ LA Chargers     (U41)

   The Saints are getting players back and the Chargers are soooo boring.

Bills (+3) @ Seattle     (O45)

   The Bills can score lots of point again. The Seahawks without D.K. Metcalf is not going to be pretty.

Chiefs (+8.5) @ Las Vegas     (U42)

   Can the Raiders upset the Chiefs again? No.

Bears (+1) @ Washington     (O46)

   This can be the game of the week, but its not two juggernauts going head to head, its just two good teams on the rise. I'm going homer on this one.

Panthers @ Denver (-11)    (U41)

   My only question is if the Broncos are able to score tons of pints again like las week. It should be possible against a  Panthers team with no answers.

Cowboys @ San Francisco (-5)    (O47)

   The Cowboys are disappointing but I suspected them to be not good this year so its not a big surprise for me. The 49ers are disappointing but really injured as well, still good teams find ways to win.

Giants @ Pittsburgh (-6)    (U36.5)

   The Giants are dropping to levels of bad I expected them to reach. The Steelers are a team that fights so hard not to be bad that they manage to achieve it often than not.

Week 7 picks

   Still and forever bad at over/under. No real surprises last week, Eagles vs Browns was a pain to watch, Ravens vs Commanders was as advertised, teams are showing their true colors at this stage of the season. This week is a THOUGH one to predict, lots of games where teams go versus another team that are at a vey similar level of play. On to next week.

Last week: 4-9 (30%)

Overall: 19-65 (22%)

Patriots (+6.5) @ Jacksonville.    (O42)

   I like the chances of Drake May stunning this struggling Jaguars team, they will probably not win but I believe it should be a close one.

Texans @ Green Bay (-3)       (U48)

   The Texans are really banged up, Packers chances of taking this one are pretty good.

Titans @ Buffalo (-9.5)       (U41)

   The Bills might struggle a bit to score but there is no scenario where the Titans matches their offense against the Bills defense with Will Levis leading the charge.

Seahawks @ Atlanta (-3)       (O52)

   The Seahawks have plummeted due to scheme or/and injuries, the Cardinals need to snap out of it and take this opportunity to get back in the win column.

Bengals (-5.5) @ Cleveland       (U41.5)

   The Browns have owned the Bengals for some time now, I cant see the Bengals losing this game, their defense would have to play abysmal to let the Browns offense have a chance.

Eagles (-3) @ NY Giants       (U42.5)

   The Eagles are not what they used to be, their roster is a mirage of a good team. The Giants cant be relevant with Daniel Jones as the QB. Its going to be an ugly game no matter what.

Lions (+1.5) @ Minnesota        (U50.5)

   The Vikings seem to be banged up and should give the Lions a leg up, if only they could give it to Aidan Hutchinson.

Dolphins (+3) @ Indianapolis       (U43.5)

   I believed that Anthony Richardson would strive to be a good QB but its hard to do seeing him play this year. The Dolphins just need to limit the mistakes.

Raiders @ LA Rams (-7)       (O43.5)

   The Raiders will keep on fighting, but its an uphill battle. I still believe in the Rams potential.

Panthers @ Washington (-9.5)       (O51.5)

   The question is if the Commanders defense can stop the Panthers enough to cover. Why I very much think they can.

Chiefs (-1.5) @ San Francisco       (U47)

   You go with the Chiefs until the BS calms down, if it ever does.

Jets (-1.5) @ Pittsburgh       (U39)

   I'm going with the better roster overall, still both teams are a mess.

Ravens @ Tampa Bay (+3.5)        (O49.5)

   The Ravens might win but they struggle to win with dominance, I believe the Bucs at home will prove to be a tough opponent.

Chargers @ Arizona (+1.5)       (O44)

   We got bad Kyler Murray last week, can the Cardinal get good Kyler this week?

Week 6 picks

   I am soo bad at over/under. The Jets are bad? HOW?. The Browns, Panthers, Raiders, Titans and Patriots are bad, this I get. The Bills, 49ers and Bengals are not bad but are really struggling. I don't know what the Colts, Broncos, Giants and Cardinals are. The Rams and Dolphins are damaged goods. The Seahawks, Cowboys, Chargers, Jaguars and Saints are broken. The Bears and Commanders are a thing. The Packers, Ravens, Eagles and Texans are good but not as good as last year. The Vikings Lions, Falcons and Bucs are happy. The Steelers are chaos. That's it, no I did not forget the Chiefs.

Last week: 1-12 (8%)

Overall: 15-56 (21%)

Jaguars @ Bears (+1)    (U44.5)

   Its going to be though for the Bears, having some injuries at their secondary, still I will believe they can pull it off.

Cardinals (+5.5) @ Green Bay     (U47)

   "Good" Kyler Murray can keep this one close enough against "Bad" Jordan Love.

Browns @ Philadelphia (-8.5)    (O42.5)

   A healthy Eagles team will go against a banged up Browns secondary with poor QB play and no Nick Chubb.

Texans (-6.5) @ New England    (O37.5)

   The Texans will go without Nico Collins which will hurt, still the Patriots have struggled to protect their QB and plan to go with rookie Drake May, I don't see a big change coming soon.

Commanders (+6.5) @ Baltimore    (O51.5)

   The Commanders are coming in hot and they might have to many points in their favor against a Ravens team that has struggled to close out games.

Buccaneers (-3.5) @ New Orleans    (U42)

   The Saints will go without David Carr, so a rookie behind a injury plagued Oline does not bode well against a stout Bucs Dline with Vita Vea at point blank range.

Colts (+2.5) @ Tennessee    (O43)

   So who is going to QB for the Colts, it may not even matter at this point.

Chargers (-3) @ Denver    (O35.5)

   The Chargers conservative approach is what makes it hard to believe in them. Bo Nix is up and down which is no surprise given he is a rookie, still he should get a tough matchup against some nasty Chargers EDGE rushers.

Steelers (-3) @ Las Vegas    (U36.5)

   The Raiders will go with a new QB and the Steelers will have T.J. Watt hunting him down, that should do it.

Falcons (-6) @ Carolina    (O46.5)

   I do expect the Falcons to pop at offense and just pummel the Panthers defense. I don't expect the Panthers to make it close offensively.

Lions (-3) @ Dallas    (U52.5)

   The Cowboys are frauds, the Lions are legit.

Bengals (-3.5) @ NY Giants     (U47)

   How the Giants win games is beyond me, the Bengals are a good team just constantly shooting themselves in the foot, stop it already.

Bills (-2.5) @ NY Jets    (O41)

   These two teams are just a headache, the Jets are a better team led by someone that doesn't play to his potential, is he washed up? Maybe. Josh Allen and the Bills where bound to have a downgrade this year but have played themselves too often. Flip a coin.

W5vsPanthers: Successfully playing the role of bully

   Its good to know that the outcome of a game the Bears should win was a game dominated by both sides by them. It wasn't instantaneous but it got done, the Bears showed they can beat the weak no problem, they couldn't do this against the struggling Colts so consistency is the next step.

   The offense had a field day with the Panthers, even the most struggling player had a good day in this game. What I appreciate is that once they had a big lead, the offense didn't stop throwing the ball, giving Caleb Williams much needed reps in a live game against starters. The Oline gave us a decent running game and gave D'Andre Swift a chance to display his talent and give him more opportunities in the future, time will tell if this was a wake up call for this unit and can build from this against more stout Dlines.

Upside players: It was great to see the connection between Williams and DJ Moore. Bill Murray played angry, I liked that a lot.

Downside players: Its hard to point someone having a bad game, I could say that Keenan Allen still playing average is somewhat worrisome.

   The defense was solid, had some breaks with how some plays were executed poorly by the Panthers, still they played strong, hustled and stood firm in the red zone.

Upside players: Gervon Dexter is looking really good, along with Andrew Billings, they can really make the pass rush work along Montez Sweat even with subpar effort from the other EDGE position. Kevin Byard showed up in a positive way, he is making this secondary look elite. Jaquan Brisker is growing on me as a really good enforcer.

Downside players: The opposite side form Sweat is was very quiet this game.

   Next up is a far away home game in London against Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars who just won their first game las week, they have talent on the roster but are still finding the right formula to make it work. The Bears could beat this team but they will have to do it without Brisker and Tyrique Stevenson against a good Jaguars receiving core with rising star rookie Brian Thomas Jr., the Bears pass rush will have to be extra effective on this game if they want to help Williams and the offense not play catchup against a good Jaguars pass rush led by Josh Allen. Both Olines are going to play a big role on this game, both are shaky but have the RBs to punish either defense, although both have good LBs. Come to think of it, with the injuries to the Bears secondary, these teams are really similar right now, no home advantage and both coming out of a win, its very even, comes down to who has the hotter hand at QB, still think the Bears can come back with the win.

Week 5 picks

   Over/unders are still not my thing. The Bengals are no longer losers. The Jaguars are the only team to still not win. The Vikings sold their soul. The Jets and Eagles are still struggling. The Broncos are the new version of the 2011 Tim Tebow led team. Joe Flacco can still play, its amazing. Jayden Daniels WTF. The Dolphins and Browns are in deeeeeep trouble, same problem different reasons. The Chiefs won by ref ball I'm not sure but I'm sure.

Last week: 3-12 (20%)

Season overall: 14-44 (24%)

Jets @ Minnesota(-2.5)    (O41)

   The Jets haven't proven they can maintain an offense, on the other hand the Viking have done it on each game.

Panthers (+4) @Chicago     (U41)

   The Panthers are a totally different team with Andy Dalton leading, still dont think they win but keep it close.

Colts (+3) @ Jacksonville     (U45.5)

   Same thing with the Colts, Joe Flacco can distribute the ball better than Anthony Richardson, the Jaguars are lost with a banged up Trevor Lawrence.

Browns @ Washington (-3)    (U43.5)

   One more bad game by Deshaun Watson and its time to bring someone else on the field. Jayden Daniels is on fire.

Ravens @ Bengals (+2.5)    (U48.5)

   The Bengals might be back, the Ravens are sooo inconsistent.

Bills (+1) @ Houston    (O47)

   Both teams are showing some struggles to keep things under control, I just believe more in Josh Allen.

Dolphins (-1) @ New England    (U35.5)

   The Patriots are playing bad with a solid team and no QB, the Dolphins are playing bad with a great team and no QB. 

Raiders @ Denver (-3)    (U35.5)

   Who am I kidding I don't know, its hard playing in Denver.

Cardinals (+7) @ San Francisco    (O49)

   Kyler Murray makes this Cardinals team so enigmatic, they have the talent to beat even the 49ers but there's Murray to hold back the team or run over the opponent.

Packers @ Rams (+3)    (U48.5)

   I'm just going with the idea that Jordan Love is still broken and will struggle against the sneaky Rams.

Giants @ Seattle (-7)    (U42.5)

   The Giants without Malik Nabers is going to be interesting to know how bad this team is without him.

Cowboys (+2.5) @ Steelers     (U44)

   The Cowboys should win against a banged up Steelers defense, but its the Cowboys.

Saints @ Kansas City (-5.5)    (O43)

   You just cant say the Chiefs are going to lose, ever.

W4vsLAR: Taking what is given

    Last week against the Colts they let the game slip by playing worse than they did, this time around, the Bears did just enough to take advantage of the sloppiness of the opponent to capitalize a win, but also played a sloppy game themselves but not enough to make it impossible to come back from it. So, baby steps where taken, improvement none the less, that what many expect to see as the season continues.

   The offense struggled less, but the Oline made SOOO many penalties in the first half, it was pure pain. Losing Teven Jenkins is never a good sign, he adds one more to his injury history which does not bode well for a possible extension. Shane Waldron made a positive thing by playing Roschon Johnson more, if it wasn't for D'Andre Swift doing good things on this game, I would expect Johnson and Swift to share the snap count down the middle, but it was closer to 70/30 which at the end of the day it worked, just keep feeding Johnson. I cant imagine what Khalil Herbert did to disappear from the faze of the earth or what lingering injury he could be dealing with, but even Travis Homer got snaps when healthy, I don't get it. Caleb Williams is getting better, made a pair of great throws and took care of the football, solid performance, still needs to be in sink with his wideouts to get better results.

Upside players: Cole Kmet is showing up and is making a difference in this offense.

Downside players: Keenan Allen was there but didn't do much really, would be good to see more Tyler Scott just to see what he brings to the table. Once Ryan Bates and Kiran Amegadjie get healthy, I need to see what they got and push Colman Shelton and Matt Pryor to the bench.

   The defense did a solid job to maintain the game in reach for the offense to maintain the slim lead. The turnovers where so critical and limiting the Rams offense to field goals was key, the bend but don't break mentality of this defense was in full effect in this game. 

Upside players: Gonna place Tory Taylor here because his punts made a difference by pinning the Rams inside the 10 on three occasions, huge boost for the defense. Montez Sweat made his appearance with a big turnover to place the offense on Rams territory for the first 7 points, pivotal play. Gervon Dexter and Jaquan Brisker had a pair of splash plays to turn things around. 

Downside players: None

   Next up a visit from the Panthers led by vet Andy Dalton who helped this team turn things around by playing better offense in their last two games, still its another game that should be winnable for the Bear The defense has to put pressure on Dalton and it wont be that easy against a solid Oline and Dalton´s quick read and release . The Bears offense will have to play the ground game to take advantage of an injured Panthers front seven, if they fall behind to soon, its going to be a bit hard to go through the air against Jaycee Horn who Williams will have to be very aware of were he lines up.

Week 4 picks

 

   Last weeks predictions were close in some games but fell short. Teams are starting to struggle due to injuries like the Bucs, Dolphins and 49ers, others like the Rams just find ways to win despite of it. Browns and Jaguars are in for a long season as bad teams, Bengals haven't won a game yet and that was not expected. Panthers turn things around in a big way with their QB switch. The Vikings are legit. The Commanders and Jayden Daniels are on the map now. Chiefs still needing the refs to bail them.

Last week: 3-12 (20%)

Season overall: 11-32 (25%)

Bengals (-4.5) @ Carolina     (O47)

   Andy Dalton and the Panthers looks dominant last week, but the Bengals have to play in win now mode and have the team to do it.

Broncos (+8) @ NY Jets    (O39.5)

   The Jets and Broncos seem to have found their rhythm, Ill take the points.

Saints @ Atlanta (-2.5)    (O41)

   The Saints looks somewhat shell shocked against the Eagles, the Falcons took the champs head on and could have one if not for ref ball.

Steelers (-2) @ Indianapolis    (U40)

   The Colts have shown a poor offense and the Steelers are the best defensive unit in the league.

Vikings (+3) @ Green Bay    (U44.5)

   Good divisional matchup, I'm taking the Vikings points and their defense to make this one close.

Rams (+3) @ Chicago    (U40.5)

   I don't understand how the Rams are underdogs when coming out of a win against the 49ers, if all the Bears should be the underdogs coming off a game they could have or should have won against a bad Colts team.

Jacksonville @ Houston (-6)    (U44.5)

   The Jaguars have a long ways to go to be trusted with a win against good competition.

Eagles (-1) @ Tampa Bay    (O42)

   The Bucs are still too banged up to count on. The Eagles are likely to get A.J. Brown back and they sorely miss him.

Commanders (+.3.5) @ Arizona    (O49)

   Clash of mobile QBs and average defenses, going with the points.

Patriots @ San Francisco (-10)    (U40.5)

   the 49ers need to bounce back and this game is as good as any against a Patriots team that has an Oline problem.

Browns @ Las Vegas (+2.5)    (U36.5)

   I don't know if I wanna trust the Raiders to win it but the Browns are just not good and that is so weird with the roster they have, they really need Nick Chubb back pronto.

Chiefs (-7) @ LA Chargers     (O41.5)

   The Chargers have a banged up Justin Herbert and the Chiefs are getting all the calls.

Bills @ Baltimore (-2.5)    (O46.5)

   I don't know what's wrong with the Ravens, but if they don't pull the win this week, even against a tough Bills team, I might consider thinking the Ravens are in for a rebuild.

Titans (+2.5) @ Miami    (U37)

   This is the Titans chance to point their team in the right direction with a win against a Dolphins team that is missing its QB and no real backup choice.

Seahawks (+3.5) @ Detroit    (U46.5)

   This looks like its going to be a really good game, the Seahawks defense has played very good and the Lions have struggled to be consistent on both sides of the ball.

W3@IND: Crack of light beyond the muddy Oline

    The Bears let a win slip from their grasp, Anthony Richardson made enough bad plays to give the win wrapped in a bow and the Bears didn't want it. The Bears Oline is a problem once more, the coaches need to figure something out because they are close of ruining yet another QB.

   The offense struggled, again, more at running than passing, the Oline will be hard to fix if its a personnel issue, it might be. Want they can try is by making a switch at RB, push DeAndre Swift to backup duties and place Khalil Herbert in changer with Roschon Johnson as a change of pace and 3rd down back, Swift has done too little to consider keep feeding him the ball. Caleb Williams is continuing to make rookie mistakes but he was forced to throw the ball more than 50 times against the Colts which was crazy, but did show progress by doing so and connected with Rome Odunze and Cole Kmet for scores and threw very precise passes in the process, building from this would be great but an existing running attack would be better when talking about throwing so many passes behind an offense that cant run the ball so the defense knows you have to pass and headhunts your QB.

Upside players: Roschon Johnson helped plenty by moving the ball on the grounds with punishing yards, help block and even catching passes.

Downside players: I really don't know who from the OLine is doing worse.

   The defense had the Colts under control in the first half but started struggling stropping the run in the second half and all went downhill from there. They managed to halt the Colts to 3 scores but the Colts offense was really not playing that well. Needles to say I has a bit disappointed by them last week. Hope they can bounce back from this one.

Upside players: Jack Sanborn can really do his role of punishing run stuffing LB. 

Downside players: I getting a bit concerned about Montez Sweat, I haven't really seen him make plays, maybe there aren't going his way too much but hi is the guy for the defense and not showing up is not good.

   Next the Bears receive the very dangerous Rams and Matthew Stafford who are coming off a very impressive win against the 49ers, even when they have a banged up roster, they manage to pull out improbable wins, needles to say its going to be hell for the Bears to win this one, the defense will have to pressure Stafford more often than not, find answers to slow down the run, still the offense for the Bears are the real challenge and its all up to them to figure out how to start running the ball effectively.

Week 3 picks

   OK I had a good week, 2 tied scores I will just eliminate no win nor loss. The Dolphins are in trouble, I expect Tua to retire for his own good. Holy hell, I expected the Vikings to not suck but didn't expect them to be good, and where did this Cardinals team come from?. I forgot I suspected the Cowboys to be not that good. The NFC South are a bunch of showoffs, Panthers are soooo screwed.  

Last week: 5-8 (38%)

Season: 8-20 (28%)

Chargers  @ Pittsburgh (-2.5)   (U35)

 With Justin Herbert hurt, its going to be tough for the Chargers to beat the Steelers defense.

Eagles @ New Orleans (-3)    (O49.5)

   The Saints look like a better team than the Eagles right now, A.J. Brown is sorely missed.

Giants (+6.5) @ Cleveland    (O38.5)

   The Browns Oline is banged up, the Giants Dline is their strenght and they only lost last week because they didnt have a kicker the whole game, the Browns offense is still a mistery.

Packers (+3) @ Tennessee    (U37)

   The Packers and Titans defenses are good, if Will Levis keeps playing like the last two games, I expect same results.

Texans @ Minnesota (+1.5)   (O46)

   The Vikings are playing very well and I do see them putting up a fight at home against a Texans team that hasn't looked elite yet.

Bears (+1) @ Indianapolis    (U44)

   If there's a game I see the Bears building on is this one, the Colts are a banged up at defense and Anthony Richardson is still looking to be an accurate passer.

Broncos @ Tampa Bay (-6)   (U41)

   This one should be Bucs all the way if not for injuries all over their roster, but I haven't seen enough of the Broncos to believe they can manage a win.

Dolphins @ Seattle (-4.5)    (U42)

The Dolphins will start their backup QB while Seattle is growing as a team game by game.

Panthers @ Las Vegas (-6)    (U40)

   The change at QB by the Panthers might mitigate the mistakes and play a more reserve game plan, still the Raiders have played good enough to beat a bad coached team.

Lions @ Arizona (+3)    (O51.5)

   The Cardinals impressed me last week, they looked so explosive, if they can show that type of game again, the Lions are in trouble, hell the whole NFL is in trouble.

49ers (-6) @ LAR    (U43.5)

   The 49ers got humbled last week, the Rams are hurt especially at WR. 

Ravens (-1) @ Dallas    (O47.5)

   The Cowboys showed who I thought they were, the Ravens need this game to bounce back on track.

Chiefs (-3) @ Atlanta    (O46.5)

   Atlanta showed they can win, still too early to believe they can take the champs.

Jaguars @ Buffalo (-5)    (U45.5)

   The Jaguars look lost, its another game the Bills can take advantage on at home to build on.

Commanders @ Cincinnati (-7.5)    (U47)

   The Commanders are not a good team yet and still are living growing pains, the Bengals will come out angry from last weeks loss.