Critic Al’s Football Week 3 Pick ‘Em
Here we are in Week 3. Michael Vick is back on the field and somehow the 49ers are 2-0. But the game I’m interested in takes place between two AFC teams with opposite records after two games.
Titans vs. Jets
First we have New York. The Jets are on top of the world after beating the Patriots. They’re in love with Mark Sanchez, and enjoying a 2-0 record.
Meanwhile, the Titans have managed to lose more games in two weeks than they lost in three-and-a-half months during the 2008 season. Kerry Collins isn’t the problem, but merely the fact Tennessee has played in two tight games against the Steelers and their division-rival Houston. The Titans shouldn’t push the panic button just yet, but if they lose to the Jets, then all bets are off.
I like the Titans in this one for the sheer fact that they’re hungry. And New York obviously isn’t over their win against New England, seeing how Bart Scott is still yapping about the game four days afterwards. Tennessee is last in the league in pass defense and 20th in scoring, but they’re certainly better than those numbers might suggest. They’ll prove that this week.
With that, let’s get to the other 15 games.
Dolphins at Chargers (-6)
“The Chargers may or may not have LaDainian Tomlinson for this one, but I think they can still pull it off. Miami needs to dig itself out of a hole, but it won’t be this week.”
Chiefs at Eagles (pick ‘em)
“Once again, I really don’t care who the Eagles start at quarterback. They could put Donovan McNabb, Kevin Kolb, Jeff Garcia and Michael Vick on the field at the same time for all I care. Any of those guys are capable of beating the Chiefs. That’s how bad Kansas City is.“
Jaguars at Texans (-3.5)
“The Texans are feeling good about themselves in the early season. I don’t think that’s ever happened before. And while they’re far from a playoff lock, Houston seems to have enough mojo to surge past the struggling Jags.”
Browns at Ravens (-13)
“If the Browns win this one, then I’ll re-name my son ‘Otto Graham’. The Ravens might be the best team in the NFL right now, so no way do the Brownies pull the upset here.”
Giants (-6.5) at Buccaneers
“Like the Titans and Dolphins, the Buccaneers aren’t the worst 0-2 team on the planet. They’re still more than capable of winning some games. But that won’t happen this week. The Giants are too good to let this one slip away.”
Redskins (-6) at Lions
“I’d love to join the chorus of pundits who think the Lions will get a win here. But the Redskins stuck with the Giants in Week 1, and that shows me they’re capable of making some noise this season. I like the Lions to win a game this year, but it might be against the Browns or Rams. Redskins win this one.”
Packers (-6.5) at Rams
“I can’t give the Rams any credit until they show at least a little fight. And while Green Bay isn’t an elite team just yet, they should roll the Rams without much problem.”
49ers at Vikings (-6.5)
“Boy, who would have thought back in May that this would be a game between two 2-0 teams? Forget the quarterback battle. I want to see if Adrian Peterson finishes with more yards than Frank Gore. I’ll venture to guess the tailbacks combine for at least 325 yards. But in terms of this game, I’ll take the Vikings.”
Falcons at Patriots (-4.5)
“Who to like in this one? The Patriots might have something seriously wrong this year, or maybe Tom Brady is still not back to his old self. Still, if Mark Sanchez can beat the Patriots, so could Matt Ryan, right? I’m going to give the Pats one more shot before I start to seriously question them.”
Bears (-2) at Seahawks
“This seems like the type of game the Bears drop all the time. Just a week removed from beating the Super Bowl champs, Chicago could easily lose one to the Seahawks. But I’m going to give Jay Cutler a little credit. He should pull this one out, especially if Chicago’s defense gets a few shots at Matt Hasselbeck’s broken rib.”
Saints (-6) at Bills
“The Bills aren’t totally dead in the water, but T.O. will get more than a little peeved watching the Saints’ offense bolt up and down the field at Ralph Wilson stadium. Saints win this one, and I’m sure they’ll hang their usual 40 points.”
Steelers (-4) at Bengals
“I like the Bengals this season. They’ve got some fight in them. Cedric Benson isn’t God-awful anymore and Carson Palmer finally appears to be healthy. Still, I’m nowhere near confident enough to give them the nod over the Steelers. Pittsburgh wins.”
Denver (-1.5) at Raiders
“Well, what do you know? It’s week 3 and neither the Broncos nor the Raiders are complete disasters. I like the Raiders, merely for the fact that they should have won at home against the Chargers, so they can make up for it this week.”
Colts at Cardinals (-2.5)
“Wow, it’s strange to see that the Colts aren’t favored in this game. But Kurt Warner isn’t exactly running on all cylinders here. I think Peyton can pull this one out. He won’t be able to do it every week, but Arizona’s defense isn’t exactly a group of world-beaters here.”
Panthers at Cowboys (-8.5) (Monday night)
“I’m not sure what to make of the Cowboys just yet. They hung in there with the Giants, but Dallas’ defense doesn’t have a sack and Tony Romo is turning over the ball like it’s covered in swine flu. Fortunately for him, he’s facing off against one of the few QBs in the league with more interceptions than him. I like the Cowboys in this one, but I think Romo and Jake Delhomme will combine for five INTs.”
Week 2 Prediction Results: 8-8 (.500)
2009 Season Prediction Results: 16-16 (.500)
[Critic Al appears on SportScape screens throughout the country.]
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