There is a six-pack of teams on byes this week, which leaves us with 13 NFL games to choose from with predictions. No fear, as there are always players and teams that can be seen through the crystal football.
Melvin Gordon will outperform Josh Jacobs
Melvin Gordon finally seemed to find his rhythm in the Los Angeles backfield against Green Bay, rushing for 80 yards and a pair of short scores. Josh Jacobs continued his stellar rookie season with better than 100 yards and a pair of scores against Detroit. The RBs meet Thursday and the belief is Gordon will deliver more than Jacobs, especially when you look at the success the Bolts had in stopping Aaron Jones and the Packers’ offense last week. Jones went nowhere fast.
The Ravens will ravage Ryan Finley
After the winless Bengals decided to bench Andy Dalton on his birthday, they hand the keys to the sputtering car to rookie Ryan Finley. No knock on the fourth-round pick from NC State, but facing Baltimore is daunting for an experience QB let alone one making his first start. Expect picks and all sorts of inaccurate throws as Zac Taylor and Finley experience growing pains.
The Browns will beat the Bills
Seems like a no-brainer when the home team is favored over the road team, right? However, in this case the home team is 2-6 and staggered and the visitors are 6-2. However, if Baker Mayfield & Co. are going to straighten things out they need to do it now. Also, when Vegas makes a team with such a poor record the favorite over the team with the far better record the chalk usually rolls. Look for Kareem Hunt to spark the Cleveland offense.
Barkley will best Darnold
In what figures to be an ugly game, look for Saquon Barkley to finally get untracked against Gang Green and the weak defensive machine. This is the Rotten Apple contest as the teams come in with a combined 3-13 record. High times for New York sports … not. Sam Darnold may not see ghosts against the Big Blue defense but he also won’t be seeing huge numbers. The Nos. 2 and 3 picks from the 2018 NFL Draft meet at MetLife. This will likely be a game to forget for its lackluster play.
It won’t matter what QB starts for the Colts
Jacoby Brissett and his injured MCL or Brian Hoyer will handle the QB duties for Indy against the “resurgent” Miami Dolphins, who bring a one-game winning streak into their game with the Colts. Ryan Fitzpatrick and Hoyer somehow seem to have never faced each other as starters. If they do, this would be the journeyman’s dream game. Either way, the Colts will handle the Fish … but not without somewhat of a hassle.
The Steelers will wreck the Rams
Mike Tomlin, coaching genius, somehow has Pittsburgh at 4-4 after a putrid start. The Rams pay a visit to the Steel City coming off their bye and they had better be ready to a scrap. Expect the Steelers, who are sans Ben Roethlisberger, Le’Veon Bell and Antonio Brown from their fine offense, to put on a defensive show and have Mason Rudolph manage the game well enough to get a “W.” An aside, the Steelers would be wise not to let Washington somehow pluck Tomlin for 2020 or any year ahead.
Ezekiel Elliott will outrush Dalvin Cook
Home cooking will benefit the Cowboys and their star running back in a matchup of elite RBs. The Dallas defense looked on point as it kept Saquon Barkley under control on running plays for much of Monday night. Dalvin Cook presents another test and the Vikings have a far better offensive line. However, this is where the NFL schedule becomes diabolical. Thanks for Harrison Butker’s long field goals for KC, the Vikings are likely to leave Dallas with a two-game losing streak after winning four straight.
The Bucs will finally win a home game
It is November and Bruce Arians and Tampa Bay have yet to win at home. They won at the Rams and at Carolina but have managed to lose all three home contests. This one features Heisman winners in Jameis Winston and rookie Kyler Murray. Expect a lot of offense and if Winston can keep the ball in the hands of Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, the Bucs can give Arians a victory against his former team.
Aaron Rodgers will school Kyle Allen
Aaron Rodgers was not pleased with the effort by Green Bay in the loss at the Chargers. He has been trying to inspire a better performance as the Packers come home to face Kyle Allen and the Panthers. Allen has had success since taking over for Cam Newton. However, the one loss was a debacle against the staunch San Francisco defense. Green Bay’s “D” is formidable and Rodgers will bounce back with 300 yards and 3 TDs as the Pack gets back on track.
Mitchell Trubisky will not throw for 250 yards
The former No. 2 overall pick Mitchell Trubisky of the Bears has started seven games this season. He has gone over the 250-yard mark twice, 251 vs. the Saints and 253 against the Chargers. He faces the Lions this week and don’t expect Trubisky to suddenly start winging the ball around. He will be fortunate to go over 200 yards and will be lucky to keep his job if the Bears fall to Detroit.
Seahawks will upend the Niners
Seattle almost got caught looking ahead Sunday, but Russell Wilson worked his magic and the Seahawks won in overtime. This sets up a great Monday Night Football matchup as NFL West rivals Seattle and San Francisco meet. It won’t be easy but expect Wilson to find a way to lead the Seahawks to a victory that allows the ’72 Dolphins to exhale.
