One slice of the fun of the NFL pie is knockout pools. Seems so easy to pick one team to win each week …. until it isn’t. As Jerry Jones knows, the pie gets slimmer as the season gets longer. Trying to help everyone along with the games to play and the ones to stay away from. Here goes.
Don’t even think about it
The season kicks off Thursday with the Bears playing host to the Packers. Green Bay leads the series at 97-95-6, which tells you how balanced the rivalry has been and will continue to be. Other games to be watched and not touched if you want to be alive in Week 2: Falcons at Vikings, Bills at Jets, Rams at Panthers, Lions at Cardinals, Steelers at Patriots, Texans at Saints, Broncos at Raiders and 49ers at Bucs. All those games are thought to be around a field goal on the line, which means they are a total tossup and could go either way.
Let the bettor beware
The Chargers are considered one of the favorites to come out of the AFC. They play host to the Indianapolis Colts, who have gone from Andrew Luck to Jacoby Brissett and Brian Hoyer. Seems like a good thing, right? Stop right there. Los Angeles is not September’s team. The Chargers have not won an opener since 2015 and are 4-9 in the opening month of the season since that season. Granted these Cleveland Browns are not the same team that was a league laughingstock for years. However, one can’t ignore the fact the Browns are 2-10-1 in September dating to 2015. Freddie Kitchens is in his first game as a head coach. Why risk going with the Browns against Tennessee when you can wait and see how strong Cleveland actually is? Dallas has swept the Giants in the past two seasons. It seems like Big Blue is one of the weaker teams in the league. However, with all the drama around Ezekiel Elliott, is it seriously worth making a play in a division rivalry game? Think not.
Tempting fate
The Chiefs are 6-0 in their last two Septembers. The Jaguars had an awful season in 2018 and need a strong liftoff. Kansas City is on the road and there certainly has to be better spots on the schedule to use Andy Reid and the Chiefs. Seattle plays host to the Cincinnati Bengals. On the surface, it seems the Seahawks are in a perfect spot to ruin Zac Taylor’s debut as Bengals coach. However, when Taylor was with the Rams, they defeated the Seahawks in their last three meetings. Could the rookie coach have Pete Carroll’s number? Brian Flores says Miami isn’t tanking. He can prove it in the home opener as the Dolphins play host to the Baltimore Ravens. On the surface, John Harbaugh’s team looks like a tempting play. Remember, however, Ryan Fitzpatrick actually worked magic in September for Tampa Bay last season with victories over the Saints and Eagles, both playoff teams, before the bottom fell out. Lamar Jackson on the road could be a risky proposition.
Go for it
The Eagles have swept Washington in the past two seasons. Washington feels like it is one play away from turning to a rookie at QB. Expect the Eagles to keep the Philly faithful happy — for one week — with a solid victory. Hate to pick the game with the heaviest favorite but Philadelphia feels like a playoff team and Washington seems headed toward scrambling for a tussle for the first pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.
