Another NFL slate of games is upon us, and two teams will try to keep a goose egg on their loss column. That would be the Kansas City Chiefs and Minnesota Vikings. The Vikings lost rookie J.J. McCarthy to an injury for the entire season, but Sam Darnold has made fans forget he was drafted. The Chiefs, as you will see below, will remain undefeated in my opinion. On the opposite side of the spectrum are the Jacksonville Jaguars, who have yet to win. Away we go.
Tampa Bay at Atlanta: Do you think the Cleveland Browns fans miss Baker Mayfield now? He has been one of the best quarterbacks in the league dating back to last season. Chances are Bucs fans have already forgotten who Tom Brady is. This early in the season, we have a game here of vital importance in the NFC South. Tampa is in first, and Atlanta is one game behind, as are the Saints. Falcons 31 / Bucs 28
New York Jets at Minnesota: Ouch to be Aaron Rodgers and the Jets this week. Heading into Minnesota to take on the undefeated Vikings after a dreadful performance and loss to the Broncos could get ugly for the Green and White. The Vikings have been rolling, and the Jets will need a miracle to keep this one close. Vikings 30 / Jets 17
Carolina at Chicago: It looks like the league’s first overall pick from this year’s draft may finally be getting the hang of the NFL game. Caleb Williams is improving with each game after a slow start to the season. Andy Dalton failed to get revenge on his old team last week, and there is no indication Bryce Young will get his job back. The Bears will have no excuse for losing this game. Bears 27 / Panthers 13
Baltimore at Cincinnati: The Ravens rolled the Bills last week and have a chance at burying the Bengals in the AFC North. This could be what they call a “trap game” for Baltimore; however, if they are victorious, Cincinnati will find themselves with a record of 1-3. Essentially, this is a must-win for the Bengals. I am going with my gut feeling on this one. Bengals 23 / Ravens 20
Miami at New England: Had the Dolphins not lost Tua Tagovailoa to a concussion, they would probably win this game. But without him, Miami is now 1-3, and no one before the start of the season would have thought the Dolphins would finish in last place in the AFC East. This is where it looks like Miami is heading. Patriots 20 / Dolphins 14
Cleveland at Washington: The AFC North has two teams in serious trouble. The Bengals are one, and the Browns are the other. Above, I asked if Cleveland is now missing Baker Mayfield. He was replaced with Deshaun Watson, who shined in Houston but has bombed in Cleveland. The Browns were expected to contend, but in the end, they may be battling the Bengals to stay out of the division basement. The Commanders are a team on the rise. Jayden Daniels is trying to mimic C.J. Stroud’s rookie campaign. That was supposed to be the case for Caleb Williams. Commanders 28 / Browns 17
Indianapolis at Jacksonville: As I live in Jacksonville, the town is buzzing about the huge contract awarded to Trevor Lawrence. Now the Jags have lost their first four games and are back home looking for victory number one. The Colts played the Steelers tough last week, and we will have to see if Anthony Richardson can play, currently listed as questionable. If he cannot go, the Steelers can attest to what Joe Flacco can do. This is another must-win game that pertains to Jacksonville. 0-5 is coming their way. Colts 34 / Jaguars 24
Buffalo at Houston: A battle of first-place teams, I can see this one being a high-scoring affair. The team with the ball last wins. Texans 35 / Bills 28
Las Vegas at Denver: The Broncos pulled an upset in week four and return home for a key division matchup. The Raiders also pulled a surprise, knocking off the favored Browns. Denver won by a point in defeating the Jets as the two teams managed only 19 points. This will be another snoozer. Broncos 16 / Raiders 14
Arizona at San Francisco: If the Cardinals want to stay in the NFC West race, they need a win here on the road. Not happening. 49ers 31 / Cardinals 17
Green Bay at Los Angeles Rams: I heard on the radio that since Jordan Love won the starting job in Green Bay, he has posted a losing record. His playoff performance in 2023 was great, but obviously, in the regular season, he is inconsistent. The Rams will be 1-4 with a loss, but I believe they will avoid that. Rams 38 / Packers 31
New York at Seattle: I think by now, Giants fans are even more angry that their beloved team let Saquon Barkley leave for Philadelphia. Those same fans are still waiting on Daniel Jones to raise his status to elite quarterback. It appears that will never happen. Seahawks 45 / Giants 20
Dallas at Pittsburgh: National television, home field advantage, a chance to improve to 4-1. The Steelers face a team that is mired in finding their identity. This all works in the Steelers’ favor and should play a factor in a game I predict they will win. Prediction: I have been predicting plenty of scoring by the offense, but after four weeks, it appears the Steelers are not built for a shootout. Therefore, I am going to be a bit more conservative this week and post a final score of Pittsburgh 20 / Dallas 17
New Orleans at Kansas City: The Chiefs will lose at least one game this season. It will not be in this game. Chiefs 27 / Saints 20
This is the first bye week of the season, so not playing are Detroit, Tennessee, Philadelphia, and the Los Angeles Chargers. Every other team will be on the field, at home or away. We are reaching the point in the season when teams start to feel comfortable with who they are.
Running Pick Record from Week to Week
Week 1: 12/15
Week 2: 8/16
Week 3: 8/16
Week 4: 11/16