San Francisco 49ers @ Los Angeles Rams
What probably would’ve been a game decided by two or three points now could be a lopsided victory for LA after it was announced that the Niners would be without Brock Purdy, Jauan Jennings, and Ricky Pearsall. San Fran will still have the services of Christian McCaffrey, but he alone will not be enough to secure a win for the 49ers. I also don’t see how San Francisco will contain both Puka Nacua and Davante Adams. Even if Purdy had played, I would’ve picked LA at home.
Rams win 27-19
NFL London Games
Minnesota Vikings @ Cleveland Browns
Considering how banged up the Vikings’ offensive line is, this game will end up being closer than expected. The difference will be that the Vikes have a seasoned veteran leading the charge on their offense. Meanwhile, the Browns will be going into this one with a rookie quarterback making his first regular-season start at the NFL level. Minnesota defensive coordinator Brian Flores will create a game plan that makes life miserable for Dillon Gabriel, which will end up costing Cleveland a win.
Vikings win 17-13
Sunday Early Games
Las Vegas Raiders @ Indianapolis Colts
Indy is going to come into this game looking for blood after they literally and figuratively fumbled away a win last week. They have the fourth-ranked scoring offense in the NFL and will be playing against the league’s 22nd-ranked scoring defense at home. With Geno Smith practically giving the ball away, averaging 1.75 interceptions per game this season, those costly errors will once again hurt the Raiders.
Colts win 28-24
New York Giants @ New Orleans Saints
This has trap game written all over it. The Giants are coming off their biggest win of the last two years and believe they have figured everything out now that Jaxson Dart is the starting quarterback. The Saints are hungry, and head coach Kellen Moore is familiar with the Giants since he coached against them numerous times when he was in Philly. The deciding factor will be the ground game. New Orleans is tenth in rushing yards, while the Giants are 29th in run defense.
Saints win 21-20
Dallas Cowboys @ New York Jets
The Jets are just an unmitigated disaster. They are 28th in points allowed, lead the league in lost fumbles, and are just a poorly coached team overall. The Cowboys aren’t world-beaters either, but they at least have an elite offense that leads the league in yards per game while ranking fifth in points. When neither team is all that good, it’s always smartest to bet against the New York Jets.
Cowboys win 33-27
Denver Broncos @ Philadelphia Eagles
Since the start of last season, the Denver Broncos have continued to prove time and time again that they are a good but not great team. That would explain why they have only one win against a team that finished the year with a record above .500 during that time. On the other side, the Philadelphia Eagles aren’t sexy, but they just manage to find ways to win. They’re 20-1 in their last 21 games and will improve to 21-1 after this weekend. It’s highly unlikely that the Broncos dethrone the defending Super Bowl champions on the road.
Eagles win 23-21
Miami Dolphins @ Carolina Panthers
Now that they have a win under their belt, members of the Miami Dolphins roster and coaching staff can breathe a sigh of relief and play a little more loosely. That should be easy against the Carolina Panthers, who are 2-9 against AFC teams since the start of the 2023 season. The Dolphins can be neutralized by a good rushing attack. Unfortunately for Panthers fans, Carolina is 26th in rushing yards per game, and Chuba Hubbard is dealing with an injury. Just like they did on Monday night, Miami will sit back and let Carolina shoot themselves in the foot.
Dolphins win 23-16
Houston Texans @ Baltimore Ravens
Even if Lamar Jackson does end up playing this week, his hamstring injury will limit his mobility, which is 50% of the reason why he has been such a good quarterback in the National Football League. Whether it’s Lamar or Cooper Rush, the Ravens will struggle against the league’s top-ranked scoring defense and ninth-ranked pass rush. C.J. Stroud should also have an easy time throwing all over the field against a Baltimore defense that is dealing with a ton of injuries and is dead last in points allowed.
Texans win 24-19
Sunday Late Games
Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Seattle Seahawks
This has the makings of a classic, slug-it-out football game that would’ve been played during the 1980s. Even though the quarterbacks will have a massive role in how this game plays out, defense will also take center stage in this matchup. Tampa is fourth in total defense, while Seattle is tied for second in points allowed. I trust Baker Mayfield to handle the Seahawks’ defense more than I trust Sam Darnold to play well against the Buccaneers’ defense, so Tampa has the edge in this game.
Buccaneers win 19-17
Tennessee Titans @ Arizona Cardinals
The Titans will basically be every decent team’s get-right game. They don’t do a single thing well with a 32nd-ranked scoring offense and the league’s 29th-ranked scoring defense. Though we often think of offense when discussing the Cardinals, their defense has actually been one of the best in the NFL, allowing just 18.5 points per game (ranked sixth). Similarly to how they handled Spencer Rattler, expect the Cards to do that again this weekend against a rookie quarterback who has taken the second-most sacks in the league.
Cardinals win 28-15
Detroit Lions @ Cincinnati Bengals
This game will be a slaughter. There isn’t really much to analyze here. The Bengals suck, and the Lions are really good. As long as Cincy continues to trot Jake Browning out there each week, they will be the least competitive team in football. The Lions will probably go up by a lot of points early and take their foot off the gas on their way to an easy and stress-free victory.
Lions win 33-10
Washington Commanders @ Los Angeles Chargers
Though these squads are known for their offenses, defense will be the deciding factor in this game. In that regard, these two teams are on opposite ends of the spectrum. Washington has a below-average defense, but LA has a top-five defense in terms of yards allowed (third) and scoring (fourth). Justin Herbert should be able to carve his way through a unit that is 28th in opponent passer rating allowed. The Commanders could win this game by taking advantage of LA’s banged-up offensive line, but that seems unlikely given their 18th-ranked pass rush.
Chargers win 26-24
New England Patriots @ Buffalo Bills
The only reason the Pats beat the Bills once last season was because both teams were starting backup QBs. If Josh Allen and Drake Maye had played, there’s little doubt the Bills would’ve won, since they’re 7-2 in their previous nine head-to-head matchups leading up to that game. It has been four years since the Patriots last beat the Bills in Buffalo, and that was the infamous game where Mac Jones completed only two of three pass attempts for 19 yards. Buffalo will take care of business at home against a divisional rival that they’re much better than.
Bills win 29-23
Kansas City Chiefs @ Jacksonville Jaguars
I am really high on the Jaguars right now, who lead the league in takeaways and also have the best turnover differential in the NFL. The Jags’ fourth-ranked rushing attack will allow them to control the clock and keep the ball out of Patrick Mahomes’ hands, which is often the best way to beat a Hall of Fame quarterback; you simply don’t let them play for very long. Against the Chiefs’ 22nd-ranked run defense, Jacksonville sends a message to the NFL world with a home victory.
Jaguars win 25-24
