Super Bowl Match ups 2020

The Conference Championships are this weekend and we are down to the Final Four of the 2019 NFL season, with two teams vying to punch a ticket to Miami, Florida for Super Bowl 54.

With the four teams left and three games to play to crown someone Super Bowl champions, here is a piece about the four possible match-ups we could see in Miami on 2nd February.

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San Francisco 49ers v Tennessee Titans

The No.1 seeds have home-field advantage this week and would be looking to go to their first Super Bowl since the Colin Kaepernick led Niners who lost to Joe Flacco's Ravens in New Orleans during the Blackout Super Bowl.

The 49ers have been one of the stories of the season, getting a full year of health from Jimmy Garoppolo, the brilliant sophomore year of tight end George Kittle, coupled with an elite run offense and the injection of Emmanuel Sanders in a trade makes the Kyle Shanahan offence one of the best in the league and most entertaining.

The Titans led by Pro Bowl Derrick Henry who is racking up big numbers in the post-season would provide a huge challenge to the vaulted 49ers run defence and from a tactical standpoint this would be the most fascinating match-up as the Titans would bet their house on Henry to have the answer against that defence.

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San Francisco 49ers v Kansas City Chiefs

Garoppolo would have his chance at a first Super Bowl of his own, having been on the roster of the New England Patriots; but he would be going up against the prodigal son of Patrick Mahomes. A player who reminded everyone of his greatness in the divisional round against Houston Texans when he led his team from a 24-0 deficit to a 51-31 triumph.

As they were losing points, Mahomes was seen to be marching up and down the touchline telling players they will get a chance to show what they can do following a series of crucial drops.  It paid off.  The narrative would be about Mahomes versus the Salah defence, and will the speed of Kansas out run the 49ers secondary which has leaked points on many an occasion this year.

The narrative of Shanahan v Reid, Jimmy G v Mahomes, Kittle v Kelce - the playmakers all over the field would make this a spell binding attraction at the end of an amazing year.

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Green Bay Packers v Tennessee Titans

Probably, the least anticipatory of the four possible match-ups but the Packers bring their sense of history and a former coach is on the name of the trophy they seek, Aaron Rodgers is gunning for his 2nd ring to beef up an already Canton bound career.

This has been the most unlike career of Rodgers who has seemingly done enough all year and shown again how capable he is when he has decent offensive weapons to play with. This is helped by Aaron Jones at running back who gets good first down yardage allowing Rodgers to find the elite level Devante Adams where possible.

The Titans have a few weapons to stretch the field in AJ Brown and a resurgent Cory Davis to stretch the field which would give more space for Henry to exploit.

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Green Bay Packers v Kansas City Chiefs

Quite possible the match up the television people would seek, two big time QBs going head to head. Aaron Rodgers v Patrick Mahomes. A shootout in Miami. Rookie Head coach and much maligned Matt Le Fleur to put detractors to bed with a ring, and the esteemed Andy Reid looking to win his first one at the end of a long career.

The playoffs have broken nicely for the Chiefs, due to the Ravens defeat and the Patriots not getting a bye the cards have fallen for the Arrowhead faithful and the resolve they showed to not panic at a 24-0 deficit to come back and show how potent an offence they have at their disposal, served as a reminder that this might be the best offense in football. Can the 49ers or Packers be able to match-up, the Niners possibly but the Packers do not have the defensive talent to stop this Chiefs side.

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NFL 2018 - Week 5 Preview

The NFL starts making a bit more sense once teams have played a significant proportion of their games. Remember we are four weeks in and bar Washington and Carolina, all teams have played 25% of their games. That is a quota enough to start making clear who are contenders, who are also rans and who are looking for the draft next year already - looking at you New York G-men.

What did we learn from Week 4 - that the two best teams are the Rams and the Chiefs, they have two young quarterbacks who are ready to reach for that brass ring and make noise that needs to be heard. Whilst the Rams were thoroughly dominant in usurping the now treading water Vikings, the Chiefs had to come from behind to get a road win in Denver - a big step for Patrick Mahomes and company.

The false economy I alluded to last week was evident in the very poor performance by the Miami Dolphins who laid a huge egg on the road in New England, a team that still has question marks on Brady's consistency and yet could not muster a jab on them. The Chicago Bears are legitimate contenders now, partly due to a weird division where teams trip up at every occasion and also having a Top 3 defence led by Khalil Mack and Mitch Trubizky looking able to make plays and amazingly throw across his body.

Teams that are flailing for life remain the New York Giants who picked Saquon Barkley in a win-now draft pick but are struggling with Eli Manning getting any rhythm; the Pittsburgh Steelers are being let down by no consistency from Big Ben and a weak secondary; the Buffalo Bills could get nothing on the road at Green Bay unable to get pressure on an ailing Aaron Rodgers. In another two weeks it will be clear which teams are playoff bound and which are sucking for a higher draft pick.

Week 5 Predictions
Byes: Chicago Bears, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Thursday Night Football
Indianapolis Colts (1-3) at New England Patriots (2-2)
Following Frank Reich's brain fart of a call to punt the ball away to Houston in overtime and allow them sufficient time to get into field goal range, the Colts look a little bit lost. They have not got a lot of talent on the roster and they are struggling to be taken seriously; although Nyheim Hines a fourth round pick at RB had himself a day and is probably a fantasy football pick. They travel to Boston to face New England who have Julian Edelman returning for his first game, expect targets a plenty underneath which could well open up Josh Gordon for big plays downfield. James White was big in this game and the Patriots showed some efficiency on offense for once this season.
Prediction: New England by 10

Sunday
Tennessee Titans (3-1) at Buffalo Bills (1-3)
The Titans are probably the most pleasant surprise finding themselves 3-1 despite starting Blaine Gabbert for one game but they are not scoring a lot but they tough out games sticking with the Super Bowl champs in overtime; their defence is excelling themselves and this is despite a plethora of injuries that seem to mount up for them; Mike Vrabel is getting the best of his charges. The Bills at home finally after what seems an eternity could provide some resistance but can they get any fluency against that D-line of the Titans.
Prediction: Titans by 3

Miami Dolphins (3-1) at Cincinnati Bengals (3-1)
The Dolphins were woeful in Boston and a road trip to the red hot Bengals might fill them with dread as Andy Dalton the Red Rifle is throwing for 300+ a game and has weapons everywhere in AJ Green, Ross, Boyd and Bernard. The defence remains elite and will try and snaffle up any productivity the Fins can muster.
Prediction: Bengals by 8

Baltimore Ravens (3-1) at Cleveland Browns (1-2-1)
The Ravens had a good road win against Pittsburgh and this looks like a good battle between two stellar defences, the Browns swarm hunting the ball at every opportunity while the Ravens will try to win the line and force Mayfield to throw downfield where Eric Weddle will be waiting. Flacco is getting big plays when he needs them with John Brown outside.
Prediction: Ravens by 4

Green Bay Packers (2-1-1) at Detroit Lions (1-3)
The Packers are being very professional, winning games concisely and not outdoing themselves or forcing issues while Rodgers still recuperates on the fly. The defence is exceeding expectations and will fancy their chances against a team struggling for consistency.
Prediction: Packers by 7

Jacksonville Jaguars (3-1) at Kansas City Chiefs (4-0)
This should be a great game, the perfect Chiefs have the league's most exciting QB prospect but they do not have a defence that can stop many teams. Blake Bortles has showed an improvement in game management and the ability to find his pacy receivers in open spaces may exploit this leaky Chiefs defence. This is definitely the biggest test of Mahomes career against the Jags.
Prediction: Chiefs by 6

Denver Broncos (2-2) at New York Jets (1-3)
The Broncos had a 10 point lead over the Chiefs and have shown a toughness not seen in recent years as Case Keenum does enough on offence; Von Miller must be licking his lips to attack Sam Darnold as his learning in the big boy league is getting harder with every week; talent wise they have not got enough game changers.
Prediction: Broncos by 7

Atlanta Falcons (1-3) at Pittsburgh Steelers (1-2-1)
A match up between two teams with records they would not have been expecting, and the team that loses this matchup could be eliminated from play off consideration as they will be cast adrift at the bottom of their respective divisions. The Falcons have been firing on offence with Matt Ryan not turning the ball over and yet they have been outgunned by Drew Brees and Andy Dalton in the last two weeks; the inability to not get stops on defence may offer hope to the struggling Steelers but they themselves are poor on defence and lack a fire in them to stand toe to toe with rivals currently.
Prediction: Falcons by 6

New York Giants (1-3) at Carolina Panthers (2-1)
The Panthers return from a bye week and are at home to the timid Giants - a team failing to land a punch of note in this season. Barkley is running great but the pressure on Eli Manning to perform at a high level is not coming to fruition; the ability on both sides of Panthers will be too strong for the Giants to even get close. This could be the most one-sided scoreline of the week.
Prediction: Panthers by 12

Oakland Raiders (2-1) at Los Angeles Chargers (2-2)
The Chargers host the Raiders who got their first win last week in overtime against the Browns, though they got a few breaks to go their way. The Chargers are still exciting but they could do with Joey Bosa to return on defence and would it hurt to have a decent field goal kicker to stop leaving points on the field.
Prediction: Chargers by 7

Minnesota Vikings (1-2-1) at Philadelphia Eagles (2-2)
At the start of the season, this would have been earmarked as a great game now it is between two teams failing to meet expectations. The Eagles are suffering a hangover from Super Bowl celebrations, and the Vikings got hit by the LA Rams buzzsaw which can be forgiven as they are the best team in the league. This is a hard one to call though Cousins showed enough in defeat to warrant another chance to back him.
Prediction: Vikings by 3

Arizona Cardinals (0-4) at San Francisco 49ers (1-3)
The winless Cardinals face the Jimmy G-less Niners, yet the 49ers were resilient on the road against the Chargers and CJ Beathard is a good set of hands in the offense and has weapons that are ready to stand up. The Cardinals could be picking one overall at this rate and be lucky to get 2 wins this season.
Prediction: 49ers by 8

Los Angeles Rams (4-0) at Seattle Seahawks (2-2)
Expect more of the same from the Rams against a defence that was ageing before Earl Thomas' season ending injury on Sunday. The Rams d-line will be able to get after Russell Wilson and this could get nasty early if the Rams explosive offence catches fire again.
Prediction: Rams by 10

Dallas Cowboys (2-2) at Houston Texans (1-3)
This is Sunday night football and everything is bigger in Texas. The Cowboys overcame the Lions despite having 240 total yards from Ezekiel Elliott who is taking the team on his back and dragging them to unlikely victories. The Texans show plenty on offence although the inability to close out a Colts side they were leading 28-10 and nearly tie and/or lose the game is a worry for fans who must still have question marks over Bill O'Brien's tenure.
Prediction: Cowboys by 3

Monday Night Football
Washington Redskins (2-1) at New Orleans Saints (3-1)
The Saints are a very good side able of scoring quickly. From a 12-7 half time scoreline, before you blinked it was 33-18 due to the big playmaking ability of Alvin Kamara. Mark Ingram returns from his PED suspension which will give the Saints another dimension to their play. Can they get pressure to Alex Smith though in an under-rated Washington side, should be a good game.
Prediction: Saints by 7

Fantasy Football Advice

Courtland Sutton (WR, DEN) - have mentioned this man before and his yardage and targets has gone up week upon week. This week away at the Jets expect him to get a red zone look for sure

Nyheim Hines (RB, IND) - a 4th round pick who had a huge day with 2 receiving touchdowns and with a weak backfield in terms of depth and TY Hilton got multiple injuries on a short week against a still unproven New England defence, Andrew Luck will need a safety blanket.

Mark Ingram (RB, NO) - back from a four week suspension, it will be intriguing to see what this does for Alvin Kamara's carries and numbers. Either way it will not stop New Orleans' offensive juggernaut.

Nick Chubb (RB, CLE) - he had three carries for 105 yards for two touchdowns. One carry was for 1 yard. He had a big day, at home to Baltimore might be a tough match-up but he will provide that option for Baker Mayfield.

Follow me on Twitter for NFL @JamieGarwood

NFL 2018 - Week 4 - False Economy

What struck me most about watching the bewildering set of results happen on Sunday was not just the Any Given Sunday motto ringing truer than ever, but that there is a False Economy in the league. We buy stock in people who are hot and then the next week go colder than England in February.

This rang true for the Minnesota Vikings who were the epitome of complacent at home to the winless (now winning) Buffalo Bills; the Jacksonville Jaguars get revenge versus the New England Patriots yet cannot muster any offense superiority versus the Tennessee Titans who somehow have two wins both coming by a combined six points. The Miami Dolphins are 3-0 but have beaten three losing teams and face another one this week in New England in a tasty divisional encounter.

The Saints remain the most complete offensive unit in the league week in, week out but are being upstaged by the Patrick Mahomes show who led his side to a perfect record. The Rams are favourites for the NFC because no-one can stand up to them on either side of the ball.


Week 3 Predictions: 9-6 - Best pick KC over 49ers by 10 points, they won by 11
Week 4 Preview
Byes: Washington Redskins, Carolina Panthers

Thursday Night Football
Minnesota Vikings (1-1-1) at Los Angeles Rams (3-0)
It may only be late September, but the Vikings laid the biggest egg in time for Easter; like Sunday they were either too late or way too early; much like our supposed hype for them. The defence vaulted Josh Allen to new heights and a Bills side much derided put on a show in Minnesota. The last thing you want is to probably travel cross country, lick you wounds and play the most complete team in the NFL. Alas, the Vikings play the Rams on Thursday night - the same Rams who are scoring at will and have enough on defence to stop the Vikings.
Prediction: Rams by 9

Sunday
Cincinnati Bengals (2-1) at Atlanta Falcons (1-2)
Despite Matt Ryan throwing for 5 TDs and no turnovers, they succumb to bitter rivals the Saints in OT. The Bengals lost on the road to Carolina, but still showed offensive production but could not contain Cam or McCaffrey. The Falcons at home are the surer bet here you feel with Calvin Ridley having three TDs himself on Sunday, the two headed monster of Ridley and Jones may pay dividends again.
Prediction: Falcons by 7

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-1) at Chicago Bears (2-1)
The Fitzmagic is era, its over, turn off the lights, the Winston regime returns, crab legs all round. They may have lost but the Bucs were unfortunate in certain aspects and rallied in the fourth quarter for a memorable comeback. Now the decision has to be made in regards to who starts, however they would be doing Fitzpatrick a disservice should Winston step back in. On the road to the Bears could be a challenge, and Fitz can get the ball out quicker which may be necessary against that Chicago line whereas Winston is prone to lapses in concentration. Dependent upon who starts is how my pick goes, at the moment I'm leaning towards the Bucs in a closely run contest.
Prediction: Bucs by 2

Detroit Lions (1-2) at Dallas Cowboys (1-2)
The Lions got a win at home to the underwhelming Patriots, and now travel to Dallas who lost to Seattle last week. The Cowboys have little or no offense and are reliant on Elliott so expect Detroit to load the box on run plays and contain Zek, and with Darius Slay in the secondary the Lions have playmakers to turnover, this could well be a road upset if Stafford does not get flustered.
Prediction: Lions by 3

Josh Allen was eye-catching to say the least v Minnesota

Buffalo Bills (1-2) at Green Bay Packers (1-1-1)
The Bills had the performance of the season, defeating the Vikings 27-6 racing out to a 27-0 halftime lead; the defence swarmed the Vikings in a showing that shocked many but Josh Allen had a coming out party to make passing plays and even hurdled tackles showing athleticism. The Packers meanwhile were not impressive again, their weaknesses being overshadowed by 'We have Rodgers' constantly - Washington got to Rodgers over and over, so if Buffalo can build upon that show they may well have a .500 record.
Prediction: Bills by 3

Philadelphia Eagles (2-1) at Tennessee Titans (2-1)
The Titans have probably been the least convincing side with more questions than answers remaining, yet they overcame the Jaguars in a field-goal battle. The Eagles have Carson Wentz back and they did enough to defeat the Colts but they were dominant in terms of possession outgaining by 170 yards and twenty minutes more time in possession. This was indicative of the Eagles last year, Wentz under centre controlling the game with long drives then suffocating the opposition. Eagles should have enough but they remain in close encounters not blowing anyone out yet.
Prediction: Eagles by 6

Houston Texans (0-3) at Indianapolis Colts (1-2)
In this divisional matchup, this is a must win as the loser will no doubt be eliminated from winning the division and the Texans need to show something. Time and again Deshaun Watson makes mistakes, three red zone turnovers this season has crippled their offence and the line did not force enough mistakes out of Eli. A returning Andrew Luck is showing life and the Texans' secondary of the Texans may be under attack from TY Hilton this week.
Prediction: Colts by 3

Tom Brady will be seeking consistency at home to Miami this week

Miami Dolphins (3-0) at New England Patriots (1-2)
Following the Patriots road loss in Detroit, this game becomes about AFC East supremacy. Traditionally, the Dolphins do not travel well to Boston and they would feel they have enough to overcome the Foxboro hoo-doo based on confidence, however, there three wins have come against the Titans, Jets and Raiders who have one win between them. They have beaten who they have faced but can they still trouble Tom Brady who cannot seem to find people downfield whilst Gronk is double teamed, and yet once the game was out of reach James White was finding room. The defence cannot make plays forcing the Lions to three punts all game. This will be close but could be messy.
Prediction: Patriots by 3

New York Jets (1-2) at Jacksonville Jaguars (2-1)
The Jaguars laid an egg themselves this week as they failed to defeat the Titans as they were again without Leonard Fournette and did not replicate their gameplan versus the Patriots failing for fluency on offence. The Jets had the indignity of losing to the Cleveland Browns, yet were 14-0 up in that game. There is hope in NY for Sam Darnold but expect an angry reaction from the Jaguars on home turf.
Prediction: Jaguars by 6

Baker Mayfield - The No.1 overall pick now starts for Cleveland

Cleveland Browns (1-1-1) at Oakland Raiders (0-3)
The Raiders are bad, they cannot seemingly play a full game. I remember Mike Lombardi stating this about teams last season, there are 45 minute, 50 minute and so on. The Raiders are currently playing 45 minutes and do not show up for the remainder. They burst to a 10-0 lead and yet left enough time for the Dolphins to come back. The Browns meanwhile are walking on air, the era of Baker Mayfield has begun and they must be giddy with this match up and the possibility of a winning streak.
Prediction: Browns by 3

Seattle Seahawks (1-2) at Arizona Cardinals (0-3)
The Cardinals are bad also, they seemingly cannot function and yet they were 14-0 up and lost 16-14 as the Bears shook off jet lag to get the win. David Johnson was involved but for only 31 yards on 12 carries. Sam Bradford turned the ball over too much forcing Josh Rosen to come in and attempt to muster a 4th quarter comeback. The Seahawks won their home opener versus the Cowboys and in this divisional match up should have enough to win so long as Wilson has time to make plays, though Chris Carson had 102 yards off 32 carries (!) talk about a workload, they forced three turnovers on Dallas also so expect more of the same versus the wingless Cards.
Prediction: Seahawks by 7

New Orleans Saints (2-1) at New York Giants (1-2)
You can have your Mahomes and Fitzmagic but if there is a more entertaining team week in, week out than the Saints let me know. They can go toe to toe with any team, overcoming a near flawless Matt Ryan by winning in overtime. Two receivers - Michael Thomas and Alvin Kamara - had 100+ yard games, with Kamara adding 66 yards on the ground. They travel to the Big Apple to face a Giants team who got a much needed win in Houston, they got offense and shut up shop to get the win. However, can that Giants secondary and core stand up to the offensive barrage they should face.
Prediction: Saints by 8

San Francisco 49ers (1-2) at Los Angles Chargers (1-2)
Two losing sides meet but two teams going in different directions, the 49ers had bad news as they lost both Jimmy G to an ACL tear and with that goes any hope the Niners had of causing a stir in a bridging year. They still have Breida and Goodwin is back who had a good connection with CJ Beathard last year in relief.  The Chargers show potential as always and yet cannot get the victories to back up that up, expect that to alter this Sunday.
Prediction: Chargers by 10

Baltimore Ravens (2-1) at Pittsburgh Steelers (1-1-1)
The Steelers redeemed themselves somewhat against the Bucs getting a vital road win to remain relevant in the now competitive AFC North, a home game versus the Ravens means no respite and this rivalry will be enhanced again. Steelers won thanks to big plays from Vance McDonald and Antonio Brown, yet the underrated secondary picked off Fitzpatrick three times. This will be a game won at the line of scrimmage, if only the Steelers had a ground and pound type running back.
Prediction: Steelers by 3

Patrick Mahomes - the front runner for the MVP

Monday Night Football
Kansas City Chiefs (3-0) at Denver Broncos (2-1)
The Broncos ran out to a big lead on Sunday, but could not sustain the performance at Baltimore. They return to Mile High to face the dominant KC offence and the hottest property in the NFL right now - Patrick Mahomes. The question remains though on the KC defence which bleeds points against anybody. The Broncos have those two quality wide receivers and a decent running back combo (if one remains on the pitch). Can the Broncos make Mahomes look mortal, we shall see, but no fresh quarterback has seen the field like Mahomes has, though the possibility of Von Miller getting him is appetising.
Prediction: Chiefs by 6

Fantasy Football Advice

- Tyler Boyd (CIN, WR) with injury concerns remaining over AJ Green, Boyd had a big day with 6 catches for 132 yards and a touchdown. He overtakes John Ross as the #2 in Bengals depth chart.

- Baker Mayfield (CLE, QB) now confirmed as the starter you can anticipate Mayfield going big against the haphazard Raiders. He will find comfort in targets such as Duke Johnson (himself one to pick up) and Jarvis Landry.

- Marquis Goodwin (SF, WR) had a great relationship with CJ Beathard last year in his six games as starter - expect more of the same. Beathard will also dump off to Breida much like he did to Carlos Hyde for catches in space. Breida has had a great start and luckily has not suffered as bad an injury as sadly Garoppolo has.

- Stirling Shephard (NYG, WR) has been a good receiver for a couple of seasons for the Giants who no doubt will be involved in a shootout with New Orleans this week.

NFL 2018 - Week 3 Preview

By the end of Week 2 there are some events becoming more set in stone; this occurs because teams maintain a week 1 performance level or they have a drop off because they may be on the road or suffering from home debut nerves. Other people maintain performance and still we are surprised - those that we are surprised by are Ryan Fitzpatrick and Patrick Mahomes; Mahomes has started his career with three road games and three road wins.

On Sunday in Pittsburgh, he showed no nerves as he threw for 6 touchdowns and no turnovers as the Chiefs gained their second win of the season; they are tied with the Broncos who defeated the Raiders at home. The Chiefs are in better shape and more impressive as they opened on the road while Denver have had the comfort of Mile High.

Cleveland still cannot catch a break; they lose by three points in New Orleans with new field goal kicker missing two extra points and two field goals. A team that cannot win, will always find a new way to lose.

Jacksonville are not going away and neither is Blake Bortles - he shouldered responsibility with Leonard Fournette hamstrung - throwing for four touchdowns as the Patriots questionable defence cost them again. Early days in the season but the Pats are behind the Dolphins for East supremacy but no shame in losing to a genuine contender in the AFC but may count come playoffs and home field advantage.

Week 3 Preview
Thursday Night
New York Jets (1-1) at Cleveland Browns (0-1-1)
A team that conspires its own downfall play a team that came back down to earth. Tyrod Taylor again played badly but he will probably get the start due to quick turnaround, while Sam Darnold threw for over 300 yards but two interceptions proved costly as the early scores came from costly turnovers. Miami did not have do much to gain the victory. The Jets may have a few more weapons but can the Browns get it together, we hope.
Prediction: Browns by 2

Sunday
New Orleans Saints (1-1) at Atlanta Falcons (1-1)
The NFC South is going to be the toughest division this year, three good teams anyway but one team exceeding expectation. The Saints got over the line versus Cleveland though they the reliance on Kamara is proving them to be one-dimensional. The Falcons bounced back at home to Carolina, and they are a different beast in the Mercedes-Benz stadium seemingly. The Falcons have a greater balance on both sides while the Saints look for an answer before Ingram returns.
Prediction: Falcons by 7

San Francisco 49ers (1-1) at Kansas City Chiefs (2-0)
The Chiefs finally get home to Arrowhead and the atmosphere will be electric, the 49ers will be buoyant after their first victory of the season however they are going up against a rampant KC offense led by the lights out Patrick Mahomes who had six touchdowns and no turnovers on the day in Pittsburgh. The defence is giving up numbers though so it will again be a 60 point game probably, but does JimmyG have the firepower to contend with Tyreek Hill and company.
Prediction: Chiefs by 10

Oakland Raiders (0-2) at Miami Dolphins (2-0)
The Dolphins have quietly gone under the radar gaining two wins to lead the division, and they face the woeful Raiders at home who have to travel from coast to coast. Although they showed improvement and lost only by one point, you feel the chance was gone and this will be a tough trip for them. Miami though have an efficiency and force turnovers that result in points; facing a mistake prone Oakland side that could be a match made in heaven.
Prediction: Dolphins by 3

Buffalo Bills (0-2) at Minnesota Vikings (1-0-1)
The Vikings have a lot going for them, but for a questionable roughing the passer call they may have lost to Green Bay; while the Bills were again abysmal versus the Chargers. Josh Allen is starting for Buffalo and he showed promise but he has no talent outside and if LeSean McCoy cannot get running room there is little chance for productivity. The Vikings defence will be too strong for the Bills
Prediction: Vikings by 9

Indianapolis Colts (1-1) at Philadelphia Eagles (1-1)
Andrew Luck is an inspiring figure gaining his first win since his return usurping Alex Smith and the Washington franchise who stutter despite the good efforts of Chris Thompson. The Eagles meanwhile, got thrashed by the Bucs and Fitzpatrick who showed up their questionable secondary. The Colts have one great receiver and the Eagles did well against one great WR such as Julio Jones, the problem was against a squadron of WR. The Eagles may have Carson Wentz back which would be interesting to see, and they may have enough.
Prediction: Eagles by 6

Green Bay Packers (1-1-0) at Washington Redskins (1-1)
The Packers have Aaron Rodgers who is nursing himself through a knee injury, this may be the toughest game to pick as the Packers have a questionable secondary which Washington may exploit. Alex Smith has the skills to manage this game, while the Packers still need to find their offensive identity despite having a great quarterback.
Prediction: Washington by 3

Cincinnati Bengals (2-0) at Carolina Panthers (1-1)
This should be a great contest, the Bengals came out firing against the Ravens and shot out to a huge lead that they never gave up. The Panthers will be licking their wounds after losing in Atlanta, but McCaffrey got a huge amount of yardage and can Carolina get to Dalton enough to force mistakes.
Prediction: Panthers by 4

Tennessee Titans (1-1) at Jacksonville Jaguars (2-0)
The Jaguars are for real, despite the injury to Leonard Fournette, Blake Bortles had the keys to the cars and drove through New England with reckless abandon, Keenan Cole had a huge day with great runs supplemented by Ryan Grant. Bortles was able to find receivers open anywhere on the field. The Titans got a good game out of Blaine Gabbert but can imagine Sacksonville having a field day here.
Prediction: Jaguars by 7

Denver Broncos (2-0) at Baltimore Ravens (1-1)
Another good even contest, the Ravens will be in need of a reaction following the woeful submission to the Bengals on Thursday night. The Broncos rode their luck at home to Oakland but they have a perfect record. Again though the big travel across country may count against them, the Ravens though face a formidable defensive line while Keenum has shown great poise under duress. A field goal to split them here.
Prediction: Ravens by 3

New York Giants (0-2) at Houston Texans (0-2)
One team will get a win, unless we have our third consecutive tie, and for all the promise and talent on display in the Big Apple there is a real worry that the Giants may be looking at a terrible September; is Eli Manning just past it now? The Texans have a home game opener and they showed promise but need to find better protection for Deshaun Watson who nevertheless threw to both DeAndre Hopkins and Will Fuller for over 100 yards each. The Texans may have enough, while the Giants are merely treading water.
Prediction: Texans by 6

Los Angeles Chargers (1-1) at Los Angles Rams (2-0)
The Battle for LA - but the Rams are appearing to be the most complete team in the NFL, they brushed aside the Arizona Cardianls 34-0, Todd Gurley ripped them up and the defence swallowed up Sam Bradford. Goff is executing McVay's game plan with little fuss and you cannot see anything but a Rams victory here. The prediction may seem harsh but this due partly to Rivers prone to errors be it fumbles or interceptions.
Prediction: Rams by 10

Chicago Bears (1-1) at Arizona Cardinals (0-2)
This Bears defence is frightening, they looked good admittedly against a poor O-line of Seattle which necessitated to Russell Wilson having kittens; yet it is Trubizky doing enough when required either with passes or on his feet. There is a nice balance in Chicago which may come to greater fruition, and this defence against a weak Cardinals side may eat up more sacks again on the road.
Prediction: Bears by 6

Dallas Cowboys (1-1) at Seattle Seahawks (0-2)
A few seasons ago this would have been a prime time fixture, now it is two franchises in a state of flux and flabbergast. A one-dimensional Dallas side reliant upon a running back due to the lack of receivers against a Seahawks side who still have defenders to make plays. Can Seattle get to Dak enough, does Dallas have enough pressure to force Russell to get out of his comfort zone with Doug Baldwin still sidelined. Feel the Seahawks will sneak this one in an ugly contest.
Prediction: Seahawks by 3

New England Patriots (1-1) at Detroit Lions (0-2)
The Patriots have a questionable defence, they leave receivers wide open and cannot get pressure up front on third downs to force mistakes from the relevant quarterback; they face a good quarterback with receivers but their old defensive co-ordinator Matt Patricia who has not had a good start to his head coaching career. The Patriots should have enough to overcome this defence and the importance of having match ups and fooling the Lions is key, would like to see more of James White.  The Patriots got outplayed and even Brady cannot overcome that defence and scoreline.
Prediction: Patriots by 7

Monday Night Football
Pittsburgh Steelers (0-1-1) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-0)
It is strange how schedulers are sometimes laughed at, and yet happen stance or good fortune results in hot properties getting their due attention. The Buccaneers have turned some heads with a road win in the opener in the Superdome followed by a defeat at home of the Superbowl champions, Philadelphia Eagles. Thanks in no small part to the resurgent Ryan Fitzpatrick, with 8 touchdowns in two games, but a defence that is swallowing up offensive lines. This is the last game of Jameis Winston's suspension, meaning the Bucs will have a huge decision to make. Fitzpatrick has made great start to seasons before and tailed off, but he gives a level of dependency you will not ordinarily get from Winston with fewer turnovers. Plus the explosive nature of three wide receivers gives them a match up nightmare for any defence, and facing a Steelers secondary that gives up big plays after big plays - can you see anything but the continuing Fitzmagic spell?
Prediction: Bucs by 8

Fantasy Advice
- Austin Ekeler (LAC, RB) - has to share workload with Melvin Gordon for carries but outrushed Gordon who was used more in screens, had 98 total yards on Sunday in Buffalo. Will aim to get a TD this week albeit against the stellar Rams defence.
- Philip Lindsay (DEN, RB) does all the hard work - 107 yards off 14 carries but Royce Freeman got the TD. On the road at Baltimore that may alter this week.
- Philip Richardson (WAS, WR) - 63 yards off of four targets, they are at home to Green Bay and their questionable secondary. Ample opportunity there for big numbers.