Three weeks into the NFL football season and I am officially humbled. I have started the season about as good as a Brett Favre reunion in Green Bay. Still, I am not giving up. I am now entering the part of the season where I usually go on a long winning streak. The pattern has been this way for several seasons, so why change now? Week four is the week when everything changes for NFLpicksandpredictions.com. Mark my words. You will be glad you did. Here is the free week four NFL picks and predictions:
SUN, OCT 4
Detroit at Chicago
This game features two teams that are feeling pretty good about themselves. Chicago is riding high with Cutler getting comfortable, and Detroit because they got their first win in the last century this past week. The Bears will crash the party and send Detroit on another losing streak.
Winner – Bears
Cincinnati at Cleveland
The Bengals winning? What the blue blazes is going on here? At least the Browns are playing normally. (if you call what they have been doing playing, that is) The Bengals win this one going away.
Winner – Bengals
Seattle at Indianapolis
The Seahawks are hurting badly, and the Colts are among the worst possible teams for them to face right now. This one could get ugly.
Winner – Colts
NY Giants at Kansas City
The Giants will stomp all over the Chiefs. That is a given. The question is, can the Chiefs possibly get any worse?
Winner – Giants
Baltimore at New England
The Ravens will send notice to the Pats that their time is over in the AFC. Flacco is for real, and nobody doubts that. If Brady plays like he did last week, the Patriots will have no chance at all.
Winner – Ravens
Tampa Bay at Washington
Washington will look like supermen in defense of Zorn’s job. They better.
Winner – Redskins
Tennessee at Jacksonville
The Titans are really starting to make me look bad with my picks. They get one more vote of confidence and then I show them the door. Go Titans!
Winner – Titans
Oakland at Houston
The Raiders had a bad let down game against Denver and could be dangerous here. I think it is more likely that JRussell will self implode instead.
Winner – Texans
NY Jets at New Orleans
The game of the week by far, this one will come down to who has the better defense and who can score more points. The Saints will win the point battle, and barely hang in there on defense. Great game expected here.
Winner – Saints
Buffalo at Miami
The Dolphins reaaaalllllllyyyyy needed the Bills this week. Maybe they can right the ship with a new quarterback.
Winner – Dolphins
St. Louis at San Francisco
The Niners are a team that people had better watch out for. The Rams are a team that nobody even sees anymore. This one will be a blowout.
Winner – Niners
Dallas at Denver
Denver has slowly made me a believer. They are going to have a tough one here, but I think at home they will pull it out. I still am not sold on Orton though.
Winner – Broncos
San Diego at Pittsburgh
The Steelers are angry. Very angry. If this was in San Diego, I would go with the Chargers. At home, Pittsburgh will get back on track.
Winner – Steelers
MON, OCT 5
Green Bay at Minnesota
This is the football game everyone is waiting for. The coup de gras. The first time Favre faces his former team wearing the purple. What a game this is going to be. The Vikings have too much APeterson in the backfield. He will be the difference.
Winner – Vikings
Tiebreaker Score – Green Bay 21 Minnesota 28
Week Three Record – 9-7
Season Record – 27-21
Every once in a while, some player that nobody expected goes bonkers and has a breakout season. Sometimes it is an aging star, (see Kurt Warner) and sometimes it is the rookies. More often than not it is those players that have been in the league a couple of seasons, and gotten their feet wet. Maybe they are just finally getting their shot. Whatever the case, NFL Sleepers are tough to guess.
Of course, that won’t stop me from trying….Here are five guys that I think will have better than expected years.
Dwayne Jarrett – This Carolina Panther has had a very uneventful first couple of years in the NFL. The events he has had unfortunately have been fairly bad. Still, he is the prototypical wide out in the NFL and he will have a great target opposite him in All World receiver Steve Smith. Mushin Muhammed will be back as well to continue working with Jarrett. So why Jarrett? Quite simply put, he made some huge catches in huge situations last season for the Panthers. Delhomme is freshly signed, and he plays better when under contract. And finally, Moose has great things to say about him. Another key is the Panther running game is a beast so Jarrett should get a lot of balls slung to him in open spaces. With his size, he could make some inroads.
Felix Jones - Felix is kind of a given, and some might not call him a sleeper. The reason I do is because he is sharing the backfield with two other guys that would likely start in other backfields. Felix will be the man in Dallas this year, however. He is going to be a huge star, and I am far from a Cowboy fan. The kid is legit. Watch the tapes.
Brady Quinn
Brady Quinn – Though Quinn has not got the starting job wrapped up by any means, he certainly is in control of his own destiny. The kid is talented, and he has been brought along slowly. That will not mean tons of Cleveland wins this season, but it will be enough to allow him to take possession of this team. With his intangibles, the Browns star will be better than advertised. That is saying alot considering he is heavily hyped.
Roy Williams – Sleeper? After the dud he layed in Big D last season he most certainly is. The guy is simply a huge talent that never quite fit in. When you put that much talent in a wide out slot at number one, and then add a NFL quarterback that is no longer distracted by Jessica Simpson like Romo, good things have to start happening. Roy will fill in nicely for Terrell Owens.
Phillip Rivers – Again, he is no typical sleeper. The difference is that this year he has a healthy Gates to throw to. This year, Rivers will step into the ranks of the mighty among the NFL quarterbacks. He is already well respected and a proven winner, but his talent will get the respect it deserves this year. He just might secure a Super Bowl.
