Football Forecasters

Last week was a bit tough on us coming up with 9 – 7 straight up making the season record to 30 – 18 straight up. Against the spread a disappointing 7 – 9 but still above average at 25 – 21 – 2. Next week starts the bye weeks, as four teams will be idle.

I participate in a pick’em league and these choices reflect the picks I make there; for that league I can make changes until the first game kicks off and will (rarely) based on last minute injury information. These picks are for amusement value only; please do not confuse these choices with the real picks made on this site by those who are focusing on the best choices available as they see them. The line used is a line in effect when I picked the game (usually the day prior to the line being posted).

Week 4

San Francisco at Atlanta – Surprisingly, San Francisco has been inconsistent defensively, the offensive line is still coming together but slowly. Atlanta might have a bit of a let down but their run defense is good enough to control Gore, Falcons win 24 – 14.

New York Jets at Buffalo – The Bills look better with the change at quarterback but the key will be keeping Spillers involved. The Jets defense is the strength of this team, and should dominate; the offense is developing some consistency, Jets win 21 – 10.

Cincinnati at Cleveland – Cleveland has issues in the passing game; while their quarterback play has been unexceptional, they lack receiver talent. Cincinnati is a solid team on both sides of the ball, they can play better than they have shown to date, Bengals win 24 – 14.

Detroit at Green Bay – The Lions have played each division opponent away after this game; the defensive secondary is poor. The Green Bay passing game is not going to get much in the way resistance their defense should control as well, Packers win 35 - 17

Carolina at New Orleans – Carolina has been very inconsistent, starting a rookie quarterback is contributing but the defense has been disappointing as well. New Orleans has been playing close games; the defense is not playing particularly well, Saints win 28 – 14.

Baltimore at Pittsburgh – The Steelers have done well with various quarterbacks filling in because of outstanding defensive play but this is a difficult opponent. Baltimore appears to have gotten their offense on track last week but have a tough test here, Ravens win 17 – 14.

Seattle at St Louis – Seattle still does not appear to be much of a road team the offensive line is mediocre and the defense is inconsistent. St Louis is starting to come together offensively, and the defense is showing some life as well, Rams win 21 – 20.

Denver at Tennessee – The Broncos have had difficulty establishing their running game and the defense has been mediocre. Tennessee is one-dimensional offensively but their solid defense allows them to use that to control the tempo of games, Titans win 24 – 17.

Indianapolis at Jacksonville – Jacksonville has a number of issues offensively but the pass defense has been terrible and will be exploited further this week. Indianapolis seems to have an answer for whatever defense they come up against, Colts win 28 – 14.

Houston at Oakland – The Raiders have improved but still lack consistencies in the play of the lines, injuries have not helped. The Houston defense is vulnerable over the top; the offense is capable of putting up more points than the defense can give up, Texans win 31 – 20.

Washington at Philadelphia – Washington has a solid but limited team, their problem this week is a lack of team speed on defense. The Vick experiment is required because the offensive line is not very good particularly pass blocking, Eagles win 28 – 24.

Arizona at San Diego – The Cardinals have had injured receivers but the limitation on the passing game is still the quarterback. San Diego can score with their passing game and are going to need to score a lot most weeks, Chargers win 28 – 21.

Chicago at New York Giants –The Bears offense is spotty though productive but the defense has been keeping them in games. The New York pass defense is weak but generally sloppy play and mental mistakes have cost games, this week they are focused, Giants win 24 – 21.

New England at Miami – The Patriots have a potent passing offense and the beginning of a running game but their defense is terrible. Miami has a very good defense and an offense that is just good enough this week, Dolphins win 24 – 21.

Despite a few upsets last week we went 11 – 5 straight up making the season record to 21 – 11 straight up. Against the spread the week was a very good 10 – 5 – 1 giving a good looking 18 – 12 – 2 going into week three. Some teams showed big swings between their performance between weeks one and two. Now we will try to find the teams that will be doing that this week.

I participate in a pick’em league and these choices reflect the picks I make there; for that league I can make changes until the first game kicks off and will (rarely) based on last minute injury information. These picks are for amusement value only; please do not confuse these choices with the real picks made on this site by those who are focusing on the best choices available as they see them. The line used is a line in effect when I picked the game (usually the day prior to the line being posted).

Week 3

Cleveland at Baltimore – Cleveland is rebuilding and improving but has very little depth, the passing game is particularly limited. Baltimore has a more talent and offense than has been seen this season, until now at least, Ravens win 24 – 10.

Cincinnati at Carolina – The quarterback play of the Panthers has been inconsistent; the normally reliable running game has not been productive either. Cincinnati has been playing very good defense while the offense seems to be improving, Bengals win, 24 – 13.

Dallas at Houston – Dallas has issues along the offensive line and the secondary is exposed when the pass rush is not effective. Houston is a good offensive team and has more weapons than most teams can stop, Texans win 28 – 21.

San Francisco at Kansas City – The Chief defense is better than anticipated thus far in the season but the offense has been misfiring. San Francisco has a decent defense but the offense needs to set the game tempo and control the clock, forty-niners win 24 – 14.

Detroit at Minnesota – Detroit is clearly an improving team, they are headed the right direction but they lack depth and the defensive secondary is a problem. The Vikings are not nearly as good as most people were thinking but good enough for this week, Vikings win 24 – 17.

Atlanta at New Orleans – Atlanta has been up and down, the offense is capable but depends on the running game. New Orleans will be on a short week, the offense is potent the defense will be challenged this week in what should be an interesting match up, Saints win 28 – 27.

Tennessee at New York Giants – Tennessee has a very good defense but overall is limited by their one-dimensional offense. The Giants offense has multiple weapons and big play capability, the defense is solid for the most part, Giants win 24 – 20.

Buffalo at New England – The Bills have a poor offensive line and quarterback issues, which make winning a challenge, this week it is going to be near impossible. New England is not happy about last week and will be anxious to put that loss behind them, Patriots win 35 – 14.

Pittsburgh at Tampa Bay – Tampa Bay is undefeated and playing well, the offense is not very dynamic but the defense has been sound. In Pittsburgh it is does not seem to matter who the quarterback is, the defense has everything under control, Steelers win 17 – 10.

Philadelphia at Jacksonville – The running game of the Jaguars has been less effective than usual and the defense is marginal. The Eagle defense had some problems last week even though they won, and will be looking for redemption, Eagles win 24 – 14.

Washington at St Louis – The Rams are still developing as a team, the offense is a work in progress but is showing improvement, the defense not so much. Washington has a solid defense; McNabb helps an otherwise average offense, Redskins win 20 – 14.

Oakland at Arizona – Oakland will need to figure out how to play more consistently but Gradkowski is not a long term or probably even a short-term answer. Arizona will struggle, Anderson is too random the rest of the offensive talent deserves better, Cardinals win 27 – 20.

Indianapolis at Denver – The Broncos have played solid if somewhat unspectacular offense, the defense has not been severely tested, this week it will be. The Indianapolis defense showed up last week, if they stay around this becomes a very scary team, Colts win 28 – 17.

San Diego at Seattle – The Seahawks have shown some different looks early in the season, on both sides of the ball with mixed success. San Diego is has some defensive issues and the offensive line play mediocre but it is enough to get them by this week, Chargers win 24 – 21.

New York Jets at Miami – The Dolphins are playing very good defense, the offense has been inconsistent and will need to play error free. The Jets have to be concerned with a let down after two difficult games and be careful not to underestimate this opponent, Jets win 20 – 14.

Green Bay at Chicago – Chicago has adapted to the Martz offense but they are still learning, the defense will be challenged to keep up with this opponent. Green Bay has shown a versatile offense attack, the defense has yet to be really tested, Packers win 31 – 24.

Last week was a lackluster 10 – 6 straight up and 8 – 7 – 1 against the spread. I am reasonably content to be above average against the spread in any week and happy to get out of week one that way. Hopefully, we have learned something about the teams from their performances last week that will help us do better this week that remains to be seen. Some of those results may be indicative of trends and some aberrations, figuring out which were which is the challenge.

I participate in a pick’em league and these choices reflect the picks I make there; for that league I can make changes until the first game kicks off and will (rarely) based on last minute injury information. These picks are for amusement value only; please do not confuse these choices with the real picks made on this site by those who are focusing on the best choices available as they see them. The line used is a line in effect when I picked the game (usually the day prior to the line being posted).

Week 2

Arizona at Atlanta – It seems likely that Arizona is going to struggle at quarterback, as Anderson does not appear to be the answer at this point. Atlanta should be able to establish better balance this week and get their running game untracked, Falcons win 24 – 14.

Tampa Bay at Carolina – The Buccaneers do not have any dynamic weapons on offense so the defense has to keep them in games. The Carolina running game matches up well against this defense in what should be a close game, Panthers win 20 – 17.

Baltimore at Cincinnati – Cincinnati will be looking to rebound they have a passing game that can challenge the defense is the question. The Baltimore defense was very good against the run but their pass defense has not been challenged this week they will be Ravens win 28 – 27.

Kansas City at Cleveland – Kansas City has more talent in this matchup but may suffer a let down; the defense is suspect. Cleveland has improved on both sides of the ball but depth is still an issue, the offensive line is a strength, Browns win 21 – 17.

Chicago at Dallas – Chicago won despite four turnovers as the Martz offense showed the good, the bad, and the ugly. Dallas has too many offensive weapons but the offensive line is a problem due to injuries and lack of depth, Cowboys win 28 –21.

Philadelphia at Detroit – The Lions defensive front has improved; the offensive line is still a question and with Stafford out the prospects is not good. Philadelphia also has quarterback injury but more depth though losing their center is an additional problem, Eagles win 24 – 14.

Buffalo at Green Bay – Buffalo has talent on offense but it limited by poor play on the offensive line, their defense is good but on the field too much. The Green Bay offense is good, the defense is capable but not deep, Packers win 31 – 14.

Miami at Minnesota – The Dolphins defense looks very good and is likely to get better as the season goes on; the offense lacks consistency. Minnesota has had a few extra days to prepare and the offense needs them, Vikings win 20 – 17.

Pittsburgh at Tennessee – Tennessee has a great running attack and the self-declared best running back in the NFL. The Pittsburgh defense is solid against the run; this will be a strength versus strength match up, Steelers win 20 – 17.

Seattle at Denver – The Seahawk defense played better than expected and will need to keep that up, as the Seahawk offensive line looks soft. Denver has defensive questions also, but the defensive secondary is a strength that helps this matchup, Broncos win 24 – 17.

St Louis at Oakland – St Louis played reasonably well in a losing effort, Bradford has potential but there is still a lack of depth overall and especially on defense. Oakland has a number of injuries on defense that could impact, they are better than last week’s result, Raiders win 24 – 17.

Jacksonville at San Diego – The Jaguars need to get their passing offense going but the offensive line play has picked up. San Diego looks soft defensively and the offensive line is not playing well limiting the rushing game, Chargers win 28 – 17.

New England at New York Jets – New England has a potent passing offense but defensively they are still suspect but will limit the run. New York cannot afford penalties but the defense matches up well otherwise, expect a slightly more open offense, Jets win 21 – 17.

Houston at Washington – The Redskins are coming off a huge victory and solid defensive effort and need to be careful of a let down. Houston has a quality offense and the ability to score points, the defense appears to be coming around, Texans win 28 – 17.

New York Giants at Indianapolis – New York has a number of offensive weapons and can score; their secondary will be tested. Indianapolis has to improve their offensive blocking, the defense is undersized and can be run on but pass defense is solid, Colts win 28 – 24.

New Orleans at San Francisco – The forty-niners defense will be severely tested; the offensive line play needs to improve, the rookies are coming along slowly. New Orleans has had some extra time to prepare and the offense should be better, Saints win 28 – 20.

We ended the regular season at 175 – 81 straight up one of our better years, and 138 – 114 – 4 against the spread our best year so far being forced to pick every game against the spread is a challenge and the ball bounces the way it will.

The first week can be difficult as the changes some teams have tried to make in the off-season are yet to be tested under fire. This will be no exception as there were some dramatic changes of philosophy in places like Washington, Seattle, and Arizona just to name a few. It may take a few weeks to figure out how those changes are going to work out. Some bad teams got better but the question is going to be exactly how much.

I participate in a pick’em league and these choices reflect the picks I make there; for that league I can make changes until the first game kicks off and will (rarely) based on last minute injury information. These picks are for amusement value only; please do not confuse these choices with the real picks made on this site by my betters who are focusing on the best choices available as they see them. I do not gamble on football once you see my results you should be able to figure out why.

Week 1

Minnesota at New Orleans – The New Orleans defense is going to be worse than last season but so is the Minnesota offense. This trade off is likely to result in an interesting game with plenty of offense for the season kickoff, Saints win 34 – 28.

Miami at Buffalo – The Bills have a good defense when healthy; the offensive line has not performed well which limits an already mediocre offense. Miami is improving, they are not a dominate group but rate to be in most every game, Dolphins win 20 – 14.

Detroit at Chicago – Detroit is going to better this season, the defensive line has a lot of talent and the offensive skill positions are solid but there are still plenty of gaps. Chicago has made a number of changes this will be a chance to see what the team learned, Bears win 24 – 17.

Indianapolis at Houston – The Texans team is talented; the defense has just not played to their talent level and until they do they are only the second best team in their division. The Colts have some questions on the offensive line but otherwise are solid, Colts win 28 – 21.

Denver at Jacksonville – The Denver defensive line has been retooled a lot will depend upon how that group plays, the margin for error is very slim. Jacksonville is one-dimensional offensively still but very good in an area where the opponent is suspect, Jaguars win 21 – 14.

Cincinnati at New England – The Bengals have added some interesting characters to the offense and should be more dynamic. The Patriots have some question marks on defense, particularly the secondary but still rate to out score most opponents, Patriots win 30 – 27.

Carolina at the New York Giants – Carolina ha made major changes in key personnel during the off-season on both sides of the ball and it may take some time to evaluate this team. The Giants look solid offensively; the defense is the question here, Giants win 28 – 14.

Atlanta at Pittsburgh – The Steelers defense is healthy which counts for a lot but the offense will likely be struggling a bit until Roethlisberger returns. Atlanta underperformed a bit last season and looks like it has improved talent-wise, Falcons win 24 – 20.

Cleveland at Tampa Bay – Cleveland has a good offensive line, which does give it a point to develop from, they are still talent thin overall though. Tampa Bay has made the move to get younger and there will be growing pains but the foundation is solid, Bucs win 24 – 17.

Oakland at Tennessee – The Raiders may be one of the more improved teams in the NFL this season, but that would only cover the distance from terrible to mediocre. For the Titans the defense is biggest the question going into the season but Titans win 20 – 17.

Green Bay at Philadelphia – Philadelphia has a new quarterback and primary running back as well; there are plenty of questions to be answered. Green Bay probably has the best offense in the NFL, how well the defense holds up will be the question, Packers win 31 – 24.

San Francisco at Seattle – For the Seahawks cutting your number on receiver and having your offensive line coach retire a week before the season starts cannot be good. San Francisco has a good defense, how fast their rookie linemen develop will be their key, 49ers win 24 – 17.

Arizona at St Louis – St Louis will start a rookie quarterback, their defense may be more of a question mark than their offense. Arizona is starting a quarterback who is at best inconsistent; they have plenty of talent and questions as well, Cardinals win 17 – 16.

Dallas at Washington – The Redskins have added a quarterback but the key change is going to revolve around the offensive line changes. Dallas also will go as far as their aging offensive line can take them; they are nicked up going into game one, Cowboys win 14 – 13.

Baltimore at the New York Jets – Baltimore finally has a potent offense, just as their defense appears to be starting to decline. The Jets have a defense that looks to be the best in the NFL and an excellent offensive line, Jets win 20 – 14.

San Diego at Kansas City – The Chiefs have addressed some of their problems, notably safety, and should improve overall this season. San Diego has a lot of talent that will not be in uniform and it is not clear that they can compensate for it, Chargers win 20 – 17.