NFL Predictions - Week 3 (and Week 2 in review)

For all the Chicago Bears fans whose hopes I unfairly raised early last week (after all, your team was facing the defending world champs)... you're welcome. And that Bears win over Pittsburgh was only the first of many Week 2 entries into the "teams-that-honestly-should-have-won-but-didn't" file. But I picked the Bears last week...let's just get that straight....

My copycat week of FIVE losses (and 11 wins) was made possible thanks to FIVE very unfortunate scenarios:

1) After nearly taking down the defending champion Steelers in the season opener at Pittsburgh, the Titans come home only to allow the Texans to steamroll them for 34 points...oh...and lose.

2) Tom Brady has all necessary offensive weapons to manhandle the new-look Jets...but fails to put a touchdown on the board in a 16-9 loss.

3) Week 1: Packers beat Bears; Bengals lose at home to Broncos. Week 2: Bears beat Steelers, making Packers Week 1 victory all the more significant; Bengals beat Packers at Lambeau? Unfortunately yes.

4) Before a regular season record-setting crowd of 105,121 at the new Cowboys stadium, Tony Romo goes for the worst outing of his career in Dallas, and the 'Boys lose by just 2 to the Giants. Imagine if he were on his game....

5) Finally Monday night, the Dolphins control the ball for THREE TIMES as long as the visiting Colts, they do everything right - everything in Tony Sparano's gameplan - and Indy wins.

Let's just pick Week 3, shall we? Look for this week to be in favor of the home team.

Last week: 11-5

Overall: 22-10

Jets over Titans

Raiders over Broncos

Chargers over Dolphins

Cardinals over Colts

Cowboys over Panthers

Ravens over Browns

Steelers over Bengals

Texans over Jaguars

Vikings over 49ers

Patriots over Falcons

Eagles over Chiefs

Giants over Buccaneers

Bills over Saints

Bears over Seahawks

UPSET SPECIAL: Lions over Redskins

SO UGLY, I CAN'T LOOK AWAY: Packers over Rams

NFL Predictions - Week 2 (and Week 1 in review)

Week 1 is in the books, and I'm off to a decent start. I managed to get double-digit picks correct but I still kick myself in the rear for the foolish Washington-over-New York pick, among others. The Seahawks' 28-t0-nothing pounding of the lowly Rams proved to be my most stellar of picks, because that 28-point margin of victory qualified as the biggest blowout of the week! So ugly, I can't look away? I think it was. I suppose Seattle is sharing that little moniker with the Eagles after the show they put on in Carolina, too.

Just a few more remarks before I move on to my Week 2 selections: Brandon Stokely, I hate you. Mark Sanchez, you're not supposed to win your first game as a rookie on the road. And Mike Singletary, well, mad props for going into the nest of the defending NFC Champs and coming away with a win. I took the Cards last week, but no hard feelings.

So here we go, with a game under their belts, here's how I believe the 16 matchups will fare come Sunday:

Last week: 11-5
Overall: 11-5

Falcons over Panthers
Packers over Bengals
Cardinals over Jaguars
Raiders over Chiefs
Patriots over Jets
Saints over Eagles

Titans over Texans
Redskins over Rams
Bills over Buccaneers
49ers over Seahawks
Broncos over Browns
Ravens over Chargers

Cowboys over Giants
Dolphins over Colts

UPSET SPECIAL: Bears over Steelers
SO UGLY, I CAN'T LOOK AWAY: Vikings over Lions

NFL Predictions - Week 1

As I sat in the last of my afternoon classes today, it hit me that I needed to do some severe redeeming of my reputation after my less-than-stellar, mid-season MLB predictions (I made them at the All-Star break and trust me, I couldn't be more off). So, of course, what better way to slowly pick myself up off the ground than to throw out some NFL predictions. No, I'm not foolish enough to attempt to forecast what the final standings and playoff picture is going to look like on this, September 10. No, no, no. I said "slowly pick myself up off the ground" for a reason.

I'm going week by week. Game by game. And I'm dumbing it down. Every week, I'm going to give you the winners of each game. No lines. No spreads. No scores. No top performers. Nothing fancy. Just winners. In addition, I'm going to give you one predicted upset and one predicted blowout. Because let's face it: every week some team pulls off the unthinkable (or conversely, lays an egg) just to piss us die-hard forecasters off. Yes, meteorology majors, this job is suitable for you, too. All that said, here goes Opening Week. Where's Matt Hasslebeck's head when you need a rub?

Steelers over Titans

Falcons over Dolphins

Ravens over Chiefs

Panthers over Eagles

Bengals over Broncos

Vikings over Browns

Texans over Jets

Colts over Jaguars

Saints over Lions

Cowboys over Buccaneers

Cardinals over 49ers

Packers over Bears

Patriots over Bills

Chargers over Raiders

UPSET SPECIAL: Redskins over Giants
SO UGLY, I CAN'T LOOK AWAY: Seahawks over Rams