October 2nd: NFL Week 5

The Zoot Perspective: Left Fielder blew it last week. I went 5-7 picking games (I picked after the Giants win against the Redskins). This week, teams have had the chance to show whether they’re the real deal, or just hanging on.

Vikings at Packers

The win against the Bears last week seemed to prove that the Packers are back. The Vikings aren’t sitting ducks, but the Packers’ punter isn’t going to see any action for the second week in a row.

Bears at Panthers

Two teams that struggled mightily last week, the Bears and Panthers both attempt to take control of a winning record. The Bears offense has gotten their running game together, which makes them a big threat, while the Panthers are limping after catching the injury bug.

Browns at Titans

I haven’t picked the Browns yet, but maybe it’s time I started. The Titans aren’t looking good, while the Browns seem to have the creativity to find ways to win. They have remained competitive in each of their first three games, something I hadn’t thought possible.

Rams at Eagles

After being held to exactly zero offensive productivity, the Eagles will be playing angry. The Rams will see their lack of a decent quarterback catch up to them.

Falcons at Giants

This is my bold prediction of the week. I think the Giants are about to click, while I think the Falcons are a prime candidate to get knocked off. No promises, but I think Eli could start to flourish in his new system.

Buccaneers at Saints

New Orleans must be in full-blown panic mode. Luckily, they have the Buccaneers to beat up on this week. The Saints will play with a chip on their shoulder, while the Buccs will be too busy celebrating last week’s surprise win to know what hit them.

Texans at Cowboys

The Lone-star showdown features two teams with 3-1 records, something of a surprise to most. The Texans have been fun with J.J. Watt and all, but I think the Cowboys are starting to show people that they are the real deal. I’m going with Big D.

Bills at Lions

The Lions look like they’re poised to take advantage of the NFC North. Their offense is dominant and their defense is passable. Kyle Orton is not a franchise changing quarterback, and the Bills look like they’re pretty much done for the season.

Ravens at Colts

Andrew Luck is in full-blown dominant mode, while the Ravens are coming off a big win against Carolina. You can’t guarantee that Steve Smith will play like that again, though, and the Colts look like they could be the real deal. I’m thinking AFC Championship game for the Colts. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

Steelers at Jaguars

You would think this would be the second straight chump game for the Steelers, but apparently they bungled that last week. Blake Bortles will get a good crack at things, but I think the Steelers will find a way to scratch out a win. That doesn’t mean Pittsburgh shouldn’t start panicing.

Cardinals at Broncos

The Broncos lost two weeks ago, and have had to sit and wait for redemption. The Cardinals are a great team, but they should be squirming, knowing how much Peyton has been watching them for a fortnight. This is going to be fun to watch. Well, if you’re a Broncos fan, anyway.

Chiefs at 49ers

Both had telling wins last week, but the 49ers couldn’t stay away from the drama. The Chiefs have been so up and down thus far, and I think things are about to get very good in San Francisco.

Jets at Chargers

The Chargers are one point away from undefeated. The Jets are falling into the old “if you have two quarterbacks you have none” adage. The Chargers get the victory and the Jets get a new quarterback.

Bengals at Patriots

Poor Tom Brady. Said nobody ever. Well, at least until this week. After an embarrassing beat-down and benching, the Patriots don’t get any easier with the Bengals, who look like their trying to win all of the playoff games before they even get there.

Seahawks at Redskins

Everyone wants to be the ones to knock off the Seahawks. Instead, the Redskins have to be beaten down by them. Apparently we found out exactly how far Kirk Cousins will take them...Week 4.

September 27th: NFL Week 4

By week 4, teams are ready to panic about a 1-3 start, or are looking to christen division winners who only have one loss. While it is too early to get excited in either direction, this week is imperative if teams want to keep momentum on their side.

The Zoot Perspective: Left Fielder predicts the outcomes of Week 4 in the NFL:

Giants at Redskins
Apparently Thursday night games are going to consistently end in beat-downs. The Giants look like they may be turning a corner, and in the wide-open NFC East, I can now officially say I'm intrigued. The Redskins may be coming down to earth after thinking they have a new quarterback answer.

Panthers at Ravens
This is one of my picks against the grain this week. While the Ravens sit at 2-1, they're last victory was a last-minute field goal. I can't pick against the Panthers' defense, despite a rough week last week against the Steelers.

Packers at Bears
I think this will be the most exciting game of the week. With division implications for the remainder of the year on the line, the Packers and Bears can't have experienced luck any more differently the past three weeks. The Bears' offense looks good and their defense looks passable, as do the Packers. I'm giving the Bears a home-field edge, but this game will be close.

Bills at Texans
I refuse to believe in the Bills. At the same time, the Texans don't really have a quarterback. This is a case of which team sucks less, and I'll give J.J. Watt credit for swinging things in favor of his team.

Titans at Colts
This week and last are exactly what the Colts needed. Playing in the worst division in the NFL, going 0-2 to start the season doesn't look so bad if they can put the hurt on the Titans like they did last week against the Jaguars.

Lions at Jets
The Jets looked a little impotent last week against the Bears, while the Lions ground out a tough win against the Packers. I expect the same kind of play from both, and see another win for the Lions when the score fewer than 20 points.

Dolphins at Raiders
Being played in London, this game doesn't really deserve much attention. If the NFL actually wants attention from Europe, we could at least send them two teams who have a decent shot at putting up a show. The Dolphins will win this one by default.

Buccaneers at Steelers
I can now say that my early prediction at the success of the Buccaneers has proven totally bogus. They look like a high school team at this point. The Steelers have played six quarters of playoff-caliber football and six quarters of atrocious football. Hopefully this week will shed some light as to what is truth and what is anomaly.

Jaguars at Chargers
Phillip Rivers has been gunning this year, and the Jaguars just haven't been. Blake Bortles will bring some life to the game, but there really isn't anything to look forward to here. The big problem is that the Chargers have lost against a good team, beaten a good team, and beaten a chump team, so we have very little context as to how good this squad is, especially without a running back.

Falcons at Vikings
The Falcons put the hurt on last week, while the Vikings have stumbled after a big Week 1. I expect Matty Ice to continue in fine fashion, and the Falcons to continue their winning ways.

Eagles at 49ers
The 3-0 Eagles have proven that they may come out looking a little slow, but that they will beat you in the fourth quarter. The 49ers have shown that they'll beat you early and let you have the fourth quarter. That doesn't bode well for this outcome. I expect a 45 minute 49ers lead and an eventual Eagles victory.

Saints at Cowboys
Now that the Saints have their first win of the year, the rest of the league should be scared. The Cowboys got a win despite letting the Rams take a big lead, which is something they won't get away with against the Saints. Big D gets a big L, putting them at .500, where they feel most comfortable.

Patriots at Chiefs
Maybe when the schedule was set in the off-season this sounded like a fun prime-time game. Now that things are under-way, though, this looks lack-luster at best. The Patriots have looked like they're going to back their way into the playoffs (a win against the lowly Raiders with only one TD?), while the Chiefs look like a different team than the one that went undefeated for the first 7 games last season.