I picked, Dallas (@ NO), San Diego (v. Denver) and Tampa (v. Miami) to win this week. Am I nuts? Atlanta, too, though that seems like a shorter limb.
I didn’t check whom Atlanta is playing, but I do think that the opposite of all your other predictions will happen. The Saints and Brees have to be PISSED losing to the Jets the way they did, so I expect them to have a big game offensively against Dallas at home and get the win…Denver is one of the not THE best team in the NFL right now so I expect them to beat San Diego although it will probably be close, and I think Miami will absolutely beat Tampa as bad as they are.
This is it. Time to see if the Panthers can beat a good team
They are what, 5-3? I don’t think they HAVE to beat the Niners to prove anything, they just need to keep progressing and manage to get five more wins out of their schedule, which of course includes two games against the Saints, so the road isn’t exactly paved with bad teams for them from here on out. I think they also play the Patriots, and I know they have a game against the Fins. Win 2 out of 4 of those and sweep their other bad teams and get into the playoffs should be their goal. They do have a stout defense.
Seattle, FYI.
Maybe Eagles can get lucky with GB with Rosgers being out. GB defense seems to be average at best.
Looking at the stats GB defense is 15th, so that would be about right. The Eagles’, on the other side, is at 32th. 
Perhaps Wallace can get some plays…
Tonight we’ve got, for everyone else I’m sure, a pretty crappy game, but my team is playing so I’ll be watching.
Probably the most winnable game on the schedule for Washington. They still can’t stop anybody through the air, but their run defense has been at least average (though Adrian Peterson can make even good defenses look bad) and the offense has finally started to come together.
Christian Ponder doesn’t scare anybody, but OTOH the Skins pass defense can make anybody look like Dan Marino The special teams is improved of late but still more “short bus” special than “gifted and talented” special. This could be a close game.
Watch the Oregon at Stanford game instead.
Denver does seem to at least have stretches where they’re vulnerable, and this looks like a kitchen sink game for the Chargers. They probably have to go 6-2 to make the playoffs, and still have Denver & KC twice each. So I think SD has a decent shot, but Denver still has to be the favorite.
Atlanta is playing Seattle. Seattle barely squeaked out wins against the Rams and Bucs, so they are vulnerable if Atlanta can hold things together.
Tampa absolutely manhandled Seattle on the road for two and a half quarters. I think they’re determined to knock out their one win so they can tank the rest of the season. Plus, Miami has been snowed under all week with the Jonathan Martin/Richie Incognito fiasco, not to mention they’re missing their starting LG and LT.
Atlanta manhandled Seattle this January in Atlanta. The Falcons went into the locker room at the half going wtf-we-thought-they-were-supposed-to-be-a-good-team, and then ended up winning the game on a last-minute drive. The Seahawks seem to have found a comfort zone as a come-back team. Curiously, the Seahawks seem to be in the same boat as the Falcons were last year: nowhere near as good as their record would indicate. But the Hawks have not hit their turning point, while the Falcons are a shambles.
It all comes down to the compass. Seattle plays a North-South field, while Atlanta plays an East-West field (the only actual 90-270 field in the league), so Atlanta will have a definite advantage there (they are both bird teams, birds are sensitive to magnetic lines).
This must be repeated. It is the secret to everything.
So far, the Redskins-Vikings looks like a more entertaining game, which may answer the question: “can the Vikings win a game on American turf?”
Christian Ponder actually looking like a legit NFL QB.
…and he’s injured. This year, it seems to be another “legit NFL” QB to do.
He looked like a legit NFL QB in his very first start. He’s really inconsistent, and most baffling to me is that he’s inconsistent with the mental stuff, like standing in the pocket and delivering a throw on time or quickly diagnosing the need to to advance to his next read.
For consistency, here is the week 3 game list:
(Apologies for the PST times, add 1 to 3 hours if you live in the other part of the country)
Thursday: Minnesota beats Washington 32-27
Sunday Morning (10am here)
Bengals -1.5 @ Ravens (44 o/u)
Lions @ Bears -no line (52.5 o/u)
Eagles @ Packers -1 (47)
Rams @ Colts -9.5 (44)
Seahawks -4.5 @ Atlanta (44.5)
Raiders @ Giants -7.5 (44)
Bills @ Steelers -3 (43.5)
Jaguars @ Titans -13 (41.5)
13:05
Panthers @ 49ers -6 (43.5)
13:25
Texans @ Cardinals -3 (41.5)
Broncos -7 @ Chargers (58.5)
17:30
Cowboys @ Saints -6.5 (54)
Monday
Dolphins -3 @ Bucs (41)
bye week: Chiefs, Jets, Patriots, Browns
And the Packers are down to their third string QB, who throws a pick in the red zone. I’m going to lie back and think of England.