Thursday Night
 
Jacksonville at Cincinnati
 
Cincy is playing well, so this game, on a Thursday against an inferior opponent, is just the sort of game you’d expect them to lose. However, as I said last week when I picked them to “beat their most-hated rival,” (shout-out to my buddy Vince, who got to see his team beat the “Stealers” in-person) this was a turning point for the team and for Joe Burrow. They might not be world-beaters yet, but Cincy should be able to handle Jacksonville. Trevor Lawrence has shown that he has promise, but he’s green, and the rest of the Jags’ roster is talent-poor. Cincy’s roster is full of budding young talent, especially on offense. At this early point in their respective careers, Burrow is the bigger cat.

​Winner: Cincinnati

I’m doing one big post for Week Three, because I expect to be busy for the next few days.
 
Last week, I talked about overreactions to Week One performances:

• Green Bay is terrible; Aaron Rodgers is washed-up
• Buffalo is in trouble
• Tennessee is no good
• Jameis Winston is an elite QB
• Trevor Lawrence is a bust
• Philadelphia is good
• Matthew Stafford and Los Angeles are championship-bound

 
Just looking at the first four bullet points, it’s plain to see that basing too much on the first week of the season is a fool’s errand. In fact, taking a small sample snapshot of any team’s season, particularly early on, can give one a false sense of what a team is really capable of until it figures out what it does well. When the weather turns colder and the games start to mean more, the teams that know what they have and what they can do well consistently can be truly dangerous.
 
Just last season, Tampa entered its bye week at 7-5, losers of three of their previous four games, and with an offense and defense that had been wildly inconsistent.
 
They never lost again.
 
The first two weeks of the season have been packed with close, exciting games, as well as some upsets. There are a few teams that are unexpectedly entering Week Three with good chance to go to 3-0. On the whole, Week Three looks like it has the potential for some great, close matchups, as well as some high-scoring affairs.
 
Bring it on.
 
 
Week Three Picks
Winners in Bold:
 
 
Thursday Night
 
Carolina at Houston
 
With Tyrod Taylor (aka: Mr. Unlucky) available, I’d give Houston a shot in this one. Even still, Carolina’s defense looks like the real deal so far, Sam Darnold’s play has been solid, and Christian McCaffrey is starting to look like his old self.
Getting back to “unavailable” QBs for a mo’, I wonder how tonight’s commentary team will address Deshaun Watson’s sexual abuse allegations. Will they discuss it honestly, or just brush it aside as “legal” or “off-field” issues? The league expects the media to act as uncritical cheerleaders, so my guess is that it will be downplayed.
 
 
Sunday
 
Indy at Tennessee

Carson Wentz has played surprisingly well, and is unsurprisingly injured, essentially eliminating Indy’s best chance at keeping this one close.
 

Atlanta at New York G

If New York could improve its pass rush, and if they had ANY luck, they might have a shot at winning this division. Stay tuned.
 

LA Bolts at KC

The Bolts got absolutely screwed out of a win by some pretty egregious officiating last week. They’re as good or better than KC at all but two positions, and Justin Herbert is no slouch at QB. They’re good enough to beat KC, and I hope they do.
 

Cincy at Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh’s offense has struggled thus far, so they need their defense to step up. Fortunately for Cincy, TJ Watt and a few other Pittsburgh starters are banged-up. Joe Burrow’s bad outing last week cost his team a very winnable game. If he can settle down and beat their most-hated rival, it could mark a turning point in the season and in Burrow’s career.
 

Chicago at Cleveland

Cleveland’s defense needs to play better than it has. Chicago shouldn’t be too much of a threat, but Cleveland can’t really afford to take anyone lightly right now.
 

Baltimore at Detroit

Beware the trap game. Baltimore is coming off a huge win over KC. Detroit is 0-2, but showed some life on offense with a late flurry in Week 1, and a solid first half last week against Green Bay. This has shootout potential.
 

NO at NE

I’m putting the over/under on Winston INTs at 3.5 this week, and I’m taking the over. That will be the difference.
 

Arizona at Jax

Trevor Lawrence could be in for a rough day against Arizona’s pass rush, but that’s nothing compared to what Jacksonville’s defense is in for.
 

Washington at Buffalo

Don’t let last week’s 35-0-win fool you; Miami put up very little resistance on offense against Buffalo, and Josh Allen still looks wild. Buffalo can’t afford a bad performance by Allen against Washington’s defense.
 

New York J at Denver

After last week’s dud against New England, Zach Wilson’s reward is a trip to Mile-High to face a fierce Denver secondary. Yikes!
 

Miami at LV

Miami has the talent on defense to slow down Vegas’s passing attack, but that won’t matter because Miami’s offense is not much of a threat.
 

Seattle at Minnesota

My Mike Zimmer Watch continues; how much more of this shit can the man take? Minnesota’s offense is starting to show signs of life. I expect a high-scoring contest here. A shootout loss might be the last straw for Zimmer.
 

Tampa at LAR

This is the game that Tampa desperately needs right now. The first two seeks have been easy, and as a result, Tampa has looked alternately dominant and sloppy. A road contest against a real contender should serve to wake Tampa up to what it will take to defend that title. I’m really looking forward to this one.
 
 

Sunday Night
 
Green Bay at San Fran

On the one hand, Green Bay still has only played one half of decent football. On the other hand, Aaron Rodgers probably still holds a grudge against San Francisco for not drafting him. I’m not sure how I feel about Rodgers’s greasy, long-haired, asshole, douchebag heel-turn, but if it works for him, who am I to complain?
 
 

​Monday Night
 
Philly at Dallas
Here’s another game that has shootout written all over it. Dallas prevails due to its abundance of offensive firepower.

Welcome to Week Two, traditionally the week where we see the first overreactions of the season. In this year's edition:

• Green Bay is terrible; Aaron Rodgers is washed-up
• Buffalo is in trouble
• Tennessee is no good
• Jameis Winston is an elite QB
• Trevor Lawrence is a bust
• Philadelphia is good
• Matthew Stafford and Los Angeles are championship-bound

Week One was very interesting, and very entertaining. I loved the upsets. I loved the close games. I loved the comebacks. I really loved the OTs. It's a lot more fun when the play is good, but things aren't too predictable.

In Week One, some things went as expected, and there were some surprises.

Just remember: it's only one week.

We know nothing.



​Week Two Picks
Winners in Bold:
 
New England at New York J
 
I was really impressed with Mac Jones’s debut against Miami in Week 1. He showed poise, accuracy, and a willingness to stay in the pocket in order to make throws. In fact, except for some costly turnovers, New England looked pretty good. Zach Wilson also showed flashes of his massive potential for New York. The Pats are a much better team, and should win fairly comfortably.
 
 
Denver at Jacksonville
 
Trevor Lawrence showed some occasional brilliance in Week 1, but he mostly looked lost. Some of that is due to Jacksonville’s lack of talent, which can be improved over time, but mostly it’s about poor coaching. Urban Meyer will likely be the latest in a long line of big-time college coaches to flame out in the pros. Hopefully for Jacksonville, they won’t waste too much of Lawrence’s developing years languishing under a bad coach. Denver’s defense looked good in their opener, as expected, but it’s the play of Teddy Bridgewater that has Denver fans excited.
 
 
Buffalo at Miami
 
Hey, Buffalo: no one said it would be easy. Pittsburgh’s defense was ready for Buffalo, and as a result, Josh Allen never got into a groove. Miami’s defense is no slouch, either, so I expect a much better effort from Buffalo this week in order to avoid an 0-2 start. I have to say, though, that Buffalo’s lack of a running game is a bit concerning.
 
 
San Francisco at Philadelphia
San Fran looked pretty good throughout most of its opener against Detroit, before allowing a mad scoring binge that made the game interesting. Last season, the ‘niners were felled by a rash of injuries, so it is of great concern that the team lost CB Jason Verrett and RB Raheem Mostert to season-ending injuries n Week 1. Philadelphia surprised many with a thumping off Atlanta in Week 1. Jalen Hurts looks like he might be the long-term answer for the Iggles at QB. San Fran should put up a much better fight that did lowly Atlanta. I will be very interested to see how this one plays out.
 
 
 
Los Angeles R at Indianapolis
 
I expected Indy to struggle early in the season, but I thought it would be because of Carson Wentz. Wentz played fairly well against Seattle, while Indy’s defense got lit up. Unless Indy’s defense plays significantly better this week, this one could be ugly.
 
 
Las Vegas at Pittsburgh
 
That opener in Vegas sure was fun. (I especially liked the whole “Baltimore losing” part.) Josh Jacobs is Out for this one. Pittsburgh’s defense looks like it could be among the best this season. TJ Watt got PAID, and from his performance in Week 1, I’d say it was a good investment.
 
 
Cincinnati at Chicago
 
Great opener by Cincy. They were poised to win, gave the game away, and had it gifted back. Joe Burrow looked sharp, and made some gutsy plays. Defense played well also. This is a bad matchup for Chicago.
 
 
Houston at Cleveland
 
Cleveland looked impressive for the most part against KC, until they Clevelanded away the game late. They’re huge favourites in this one, and they should be.
 
 
New Orleans at Carolina
 
New Orleans looked surprisingly good in their opener, but it’s difficult to gauge how much of that was due to the wretched performance by Green Bay. Sam Darnold looked ok in his Carolina debut, and he should get better as he develops more of a rapport with Christian McCaffrey. This game should be a good test to see where these teams are really at.
 
Minnesota at Arizona
 
No one should be surprised by Chandler Jones’s five-sack performance in Week 1. JJ Watt may be a bit removed from the dominant player he was a few years ago, but he is still a force to be reckoned with. Having Jones, and elite pass-rusher, and Watt on the field at the same time is bound to create headaches for teams all season. Kyler Murray’s talents are immense, but I hope he doesn’t end up getting hurt by trying to do too much. I’ve seen it happen too many times before. Is it just me, or does Mike Zimmer look like the grind of coaching is wearing him down? I just know he’s unhappy with Kirk Cousins. Maybe the best thing for the team, and for Zimmer’s health, is for the team to absolutely tank this season.
 
 
Atlanta at Tampa
 
It seems that there is just no way to fix Atlanta. Every year, it seems like they make some change, and everyone thinks that this will be the year they bounce back. I think they should blow the team up. Matt Ryan can still play, but he’s still haunted by the ghost of 28-3. Speaking of, Tom Brady looked great in Week 1, even better than his numbers indicate, and Tampa beat Dallas despite four turnovers and over 100 yards in penalties. Imagine what Tampa will look like when they actually start playing well.
 
 
Tennessee at Seattle
 
Seattle’s offense looked formidable in Week 1, and they should give any team trouble. Tennessee got absolutely bushwhacked by Arizona in Week 1, and are going to need a much better effort on both sides of the ball if they are to have any hope against Seattle. Fortunately for Tennessee, playing in the AFC South means that an 0-2 start is hardly insurmountable. Hey Tennessee: no one said it would be easy.
 
 
Dallas at Los Angeles Bolts
 
Dallas’s defense forced four Tampa turnovers in Week 1, but also gave up a ton of yards. Justin Herbert looks like he’s ready to join the ranks of the elite passers in the league, and he has the supporting cast to do it. Both teams have potent offenses, but I give he Bolts the edge for having the superior defense.
 
 
 
Sunday Night
 
Kansas City at Baltimore
 
Baltimore, and Lamar Jackson, aren’t nearly good enough to overcome the team’s injuries and lack of depth. KC has three dominant players on offense, and that’s enough most weeks. It’s not really a recipe for sustainable success, though, is it?
 
 
 
Monday Night
 
Detroit at Green Bay
 
So, Aaron came back; fans were relieved, franchise was happy, coaches satisfied. Teammates? I think that depends. Sure, Davante Adams and some of the offensive players are good with everything. I have to wonder about some of the others, though, like the backups and special teams’ guys who make a fraction of what Rodgers makes, or the defensive players who Rodgers shits on by complaining about players that were let go. How do you think they feel about Rodgers “gracing” the team with perhaps one more season, with one eye on the exit? I think that crap like that becomes harder to take when the star QB shits the bed like he did in Week 1, then acts like it’s no big deal.

New York G at Washington FT

Here we are, in year two of the "Football Team" era, and I am here for it. I think that, rather than try to go through an exhaustive search to find a new name for the team, a name that has no chance of pleasing everyone (especially the devotees of racist cosplay), they should just embrace "Football Team." Have fun with it. Enjoy it. Wear it as a badge of honour.

I look at it this way: In music, any band can call itself the band, but only one can call itself "The Band," am I right?

As for tonight's game, we have a matchup of division rivals both looking to post their first win of the season. New York got trounced at home by Denver, while Washington lost a game to The Bolts that was not a close as the score would lead you to believe. For Washington, "Fitzmagic" has been shelved before it could cast a single spell. Taylor Heinicke has proven to be more than capable of running the offense, the key to which is ball control and ball security. New York was not able to accomplish much against a solid Denver defense, so facing Washington's formidable defensive front should prove to be a daunting task. Daniel Jones needs to start stringing together some solid performances, or the team might start thinking about moving on. I think that would be a mistake. The talent is clearly there. Perhaps coaching is the issue. At any rate, expect a low-scoring affair in which special teams will be a huge factor, and one or two turnovers either way might decide things.

Winner: Washington

My wife and I were out for a drive last week. She suggested we get coffee. Our usual place was closed, so we decided to try a new place.
 
When we arrived, the shop was empty, save for the lone barista. We ordered and sat down at a table.
 
After a few minutes, our drinks arrived. As the barista set them down, my wife and I both started laughing. In a place we’d never been, a barista I had never met had decorated the foam on my drink with a football helmet design. I asked him about it, and he said a machine does it, and he’d picked that one because he thought I’d like it. I told him that we were huge football fans, and that he had good instincts.
 
After he’d left, my wife and I talked. I told her that with football season fast approaching, I was getting the urge to write about football again, but still hadn’t decided.
 
“Oh, you’re doing it!”
 
My wife, folks.
 
***

Last year was a really strange year for me. Bad strange. Doing my football column was extremely difficult.
 
This year has been worse than last year. It started with a family tragedy. I was in a dark place for months. My illness got really bad. Dangerously bad.
 
Lately, I’ve been feeling like I’ve turned a corner. My health has improved. I’m seeing a way forward.
 
I have no idea what the future holds. I’m not sure what I want this football column to be. I only know that I’m doing it because I want to do it. The column will be whatever I want it to be.
 
I still love watching football.
 
I still hate the NFL.
 
I want to do this. My wife wants me to do it. Baristas I’ve never met want me to do it.
 
So yeah, I’m thinking I’m back.
 
Open yourself up to the universe, and the universe will open itself up to you.
 
 
Without further ado, here are my predictions for the regular season. Teams appear in order of predicted finish…
 
 
AFC East
 
Buffalo
New England
Miami
NYJ
 
Last season, I said that this was Buffalo’s division “to win or lose,” and after their performance last season, I see no reason to think they won’t repeat as East champs. Josh Allen and Stefon Diggs were magic together, turning a very good passing attack into one of the league’s best. Don’t be surprised to see this team among the final four again this season. The only thing that could derail them is if stupid is as contagious as Covid (Looking at you, Beasley!)
 
Provided they can get some decent QB play from rookie Mac Jones, this looks like it will be a bounce-back year for New England. The Pats made a big splash in the offseason, acquiring some new talent, and will be welcoming back a few key players who opted out last season sue to Covid.
 
Miami added WR Will Fuller in hopes of boosting the offense. Fuller is a dangerous deep threat, but he’s had trouble with injuries in the past, and is more of a number two receiver than a number one. Defense, particularly the secondary, looks to be solid again.
 
Just getting rid of the stink of Adam Gase should improve New York’s fortunes. New HC Robert Salah’s presence should help with the defense. Offense looks a bit thin, but there’s a lot of buzz around first round QB Zach Wilson. Gangrene might surprise a few teams.
 
 
 
 
 
AFC South
 
Tennessee
Indianapolis
Jacksonville
Houston
 
Since taking over as Tennessee’s starting QB, Ryan Tannehill has excelled, in large part due to having Derrick Henry in the backfield, whose rushing prowess nicely sets up the play action passing game. With AJ Brown and Julio Jones at wideout, this offense should be among the most efficient in the league. They should win their division comfortably, but they will need a much better defensive effort if they are to make a deep playoff run.
 
Indianapolis has top-tier defensive talent, and its offense boasts a solid offensive line, and depth at RB. I have no faith in Carson Wentz’s ability to play well or stay healthy. That’s a big problem.
 
Lots’ of excitement in Jacksonville due to the arrival of Trevor Lawrence, who by all accounts is a can’t-miss talent at QB. Big-time college coaches tend to struggle in the pros, so that’s an area of concern. The main focus for this team should be keeping Lawrence healthy as the franchise rebuilds.
 
I’ve long since lost count of how many times I said that Bill O’Brien was a terrible coach. Well, he’s finally gone, but not before ruining Houston for years to come due to his coaching and personnel ineptitude. Deshaun Watson won’t play, doesn’t want to play, and probably shouldn’t play (here or anywhere) until his very credible sexual misconduct-related legal troubles can be tested in court.
 
 
 
AFC North
 
Cleveland
Pittsburgh
Baltimore
Cincinnati
 
Cleveland has the talent to win this division comfortably. Baker Mayfield has the luxury of having a wealth of weapons at wideout, plus one of the best RB tandems behind him. Their excellent defense, meanwhile, added Jadeveon Clowney to play opposite Myles Garrett.
 
I struggled with whether to put Pittsburgh or Baltimore second in the North. I believe Pittsburgh will be the better team, but Baltimore has an easier schedule, as well as nine home games due to the new 17-game season (Pittsburgh plays nine road games). The deciding factor for me was some recent injuries to key Baltimore players, particularly the season-ending injuries to Gus Edwards and Marcus Peters.
 
Hopefully Cincinnati can keep Joe Burrow healthy for the entire season. Burrow has plenty of offensive support at the skill positions, but the OL is still suspect.
 
 
 
AFC West
 
Kansas City
Los Angeles
Las Vegas
Denver
 
KC learned the hard way last season that even with Patrick Mahomes at QB, a good defense will get to him if the OL is subpar. In the offseason, they took steps to shore up the OL, in hopes of making another championship run. This is one of my most-loathed franchises. It’s a haven for players who violently abuse women and hoard illegal guns, drunken, child-maiming coaches, and racist-shitbag-asshole fans, and the franchise abets, protects, encourages, and rewards reprehensible behaviour. I actively hope for bad things to happen to this team.
 
Justin Herbert looks like the real deal at QB, and he’s surrounded by loads of complementary talent. If S Derwin James can stay healthy, The Bolts should find themselves in the playoffs.
 
Las Vegas has a wealth of talent on offense, and will be a handful for any opponent. Their defense, however, is shockingly bad.
 
Denver looks to have a very good defense this season. If Teddy Bridgewater can regain some semblance of his pre-injury form, Denver could be this season’s surprise team.
 

​Wild Cards: Pittsburgh, Los Angeles, New England
 
 
 
 
NFC East
 
Dallas
Washington
NYG
Philadelphia
 
I initially wanted to put Dallas second, but when I compared their schedule to Washington’s, I reconsidered. Having said that, even a healthy Dak Prescott will not be enough. Lots of people have mentioned the hot start that Prescott had last season before his gruesome injury in Week 5 (courtesy of the dastardly Giants), and the numbers bear this out. In his first four games last season, Prescott AVERAGED over 400 yards per game. What these people fail to mention is that Dallas was 1-3 in those games, with their lone victory coming courtesy of a stunning collapse by Atlanta (stunning, but for the fact that it was Atlanta), which included a memorable onside kick recovery by Dallas where Atlanta’s players seemingly didn’t know the rules and failed to even attempt to recover the ball. Dallas’s defense has got to be better this year, or they will find themselves on the wrong end of a bunch of shootouts.
 
Washington should have one of the top defenses in the league this season. They’ll need to get a lot more production out of their offense, though, and I doubt that “Fitzmagic” is the answer. Perhaps they should snag Cam Newton, and “ground-and-pound” their way to the playoffs courtesy of some low-scoring wins.
 
New York is a tough team to gauge. I still think that Daniel Jones has what it takes to be a successful QB in this league, but he needs serious help, and a little luck. A healthy Saquon Barkley will go a long way, as will the wealth of receiving talent at his disposal. None of this will matter if they can’t protect him, however. If the OL plays well, Big Blue could surprise some teams.
 
Hard to believe that Philadelphia won a championship a few short years ago, as the team is a mere shell of what it was then.
 
 
 
NFC South
 
Tampa
Carolina
Atlanta
New Orleans
 
For those of you who forgot, Tampa won it all last season. They’re still loaded with talent, and the division has gotten weaker.
 
Carolina, Atlanta, and New Orleans all look like 4-to-7-win teams to me. I’ve ordered them they way I did because:

• I hope Sam Darnold bounces back after being freed from the Jets, and with the return of Christian McCaffrey, he might just do it.
• I think that Carolina and Atlanta have slightly easier schedules than New Orleans.
• It’s boring to just make the same picks as everyone else.
• I hate New Orleans, and I actively hope for bad things to happen to the team.

 
 
 
NFC North
 
Green Bay
Minnesota
Chicago
Detroit
 
Green Bay will win this division again. They will promptly flame-out in the playoffs again. Aaron Rodgers will be unhappy. Nothing new to see here.
 
In last season’s preview, I said that Kirk Cousins is “fucking stupid.” Has he said or done ANYTHING since then that indicates that I was incorrect in my assessment?
 
Chicago’s defense is getting older. Chicago’s offense isn’t getting much better. Not enough, any way. Besides, anyone who boos Andy Dalton doesn’t deserve a winner.
 
Detroit swapped Matthew Stafford for Jared Goff. Oh, Detroit; never change. (As if they could.)
 
 
 
NFC West
 
Los Angeles
San Francisco
Seattle
Arizona
 
I’m predicting that all four of these teams will make to playoffs.
 
With the addition of Matthew Stafford, LA has immediately placed themselves in title contention. Stafford is a significant upgrade at QB. Defensively, they lost a few players, but they still have Aaron Donald and Jalen Ramsey, so they’ll be just fine.
 
I expect San Francisco to bounce back after a season marred by injuries. They’ve retained much of the talent that had them in the Super Bowl two seasons ago, and they’re well coached. They should challenge LA for the division title.
 
Is it just me, or does it seem like every year there are serious questions concerning Seattle’s offensive line? The talent is certainly there on offense. Defense is just ok. Still better than most teams in the conference.
 
Arizona’s offense should do very well this season, especially with the addition of AJ Green. The running game will need to improve. Defensively, Arizona is counting on healthy campaigns from Chandler Jones and JJ Watt to spur the defense to a better performance, and the team to the playoffs.
 

Wild Cards: San Francisco, Seattle, Arizona




Week One Picks
Winners in Bold:
 
 
Sunday
 
Jacksonville at Houston
 
LAC at Washington
 
Seattle at Indianapolis
 
NYJ at Carolina
 
Minnesota at Cincinnati
 
Arizona at Tennessee
 
San Francisco at Detroit
 
Pittsburgh at Buffalo
 
Philadelphia at Atlanta
 
Cleveland at Kansas City
 
Green Bay at New Orleans
 
Denver at NYG
 
Miami at New England
 
 
Sunday Night
 
Chicago at LAR
 
 
Monday Night
 
Baltimore at Las Vegas
 
 
Covid is still around. The stands are full. Fans are packed together and maskless. The league is big on performative gestures, but not so big on meaningful change. The new 17-game schedule means that some teams will have more home games than others.
 
It should be another weird season. Be ready for anything.
 
I know I will be. Ready, and then some.

​We have a perfect matchup to kick off the 2021 NFL season.
 
One of the most popular franchises in pro sports, facing the greatest QB (player?) of all time. Two fan bases (three, if you count the Pats/closet Brady fans, which I absolutely do) of die-hards with very high hopes for this season. Millions of football fans starving for some NFL action.
 
Oh, and there’s the hate. Don’t forget the hate.
 
As popular as Dallas is, it is also one of the most hated franchises as well, run by an evil billionaire, and located in what is currently one of the least progressive states. And as for Tom Brady, he is one of the most hated players too, his every success adding fuel to those fires of hatred, and his team plays in a state that is so regressive, it has long been a punchline to a joke that is no longer funny.

I’m ready for football again.
 
I’m ready to enjoy the games.
 
I’m ready to hate the league.
 
Consider this a preview of what’s to come.
 
I’m back.
 
 
 
Thursday Night Kickoff
 
Dallas at Tampa
 
After capping off their incredible championship run last season, Tampa re-signed ALL of its Super Bowl starters, so we know what we’re getting. Tom Brady, he of the SEVEN RINGS, should get off to a fast start this season, at least compared to last season, when the offense was trying to find a comfort level. With the talent he has around him, I expect to see some explosive offense from Tampa, especially facing Dallas’s suspect defense.
 
Lots of talk about the return of Dak Prescott, and rightfully so, as he is a top-tier QB who was on a torrid pace last season before he got injured in Week 5 against the hated Giants. Prescott, and the incredible receivers at his disposal, provide the best chance that Dallas has to upset the defending champs at home. Make no mistake; Dallas’s offense will be potent. The problem in this game is that Prescott and Co. will be facing a Tampa defense that has talented playmakers at all levels of the defense, while Brady and his cohorts will face less resistance from Dallas’s D.

Winner: Tampa