Hello and welcome to the newest edition of the Beej Knows Best. Although this is an NFL column, and I will get into my picks, I would like to tip my hat to Derek Jeter. He will play his last MLB game this Sunday and will go down as the hero of a generation and one of the best baseball players of all time.
Now that every Mets-Red Sox-Not-Yankee Fan has finished throwing up, it's time for the picks!
Green Bay Packers at Chicago Bears (EVEN)
The line has been at even this week, meaning this game is essentially a toss-up. Both of these teams have played my beloved Jets, so I had the pleasure of watching them individually dismantle my hopes and dreams of a fast start to 2014. The Packers are sitting at 1-2, but if it weren't for the Jets' inability to close out games, the Packers could easily be sitting in a 0-3 hole. On the other side, the Bears lost a heartbreaker to the Bills, but have seemed to rebound quite nicely thus far. Although they have lost Charles Tillman, the rookie Kyle Fuller has played spectacularly this fall. Despite the small sample size, it's not a reach to assume his progression could follow that of Patrick Peterson and Joe Haden as he ascends into the upper echelon of defensive backs in the NFL. Aaron Rodgers is coming off of his third-worst performance against a mediocre defense in the Detroit Lions. Normally, I would bet that Rodgers will have a bounce-back game, but I just haven't seen enough from the Packers to convince me that they can be for real this year. Oh, and Brandon Marshall has been invincible so far. Take the Bears.
Chicago 31 Green Bay 17
Philadelphia Eagles at San Francisco 49ers (-3.5)
This is another case where a team that was expected to compete for a conference championship has been slow out of the gate, and their performance so far has begged the question, "Are they for real?" Rumors about Coach Jim Harbaugh's potential exodus from San Fran (first to Cleveland, now to the University of Michigan) have been swirling, and drama about Ray McDonald's domestic abuse allegations have certainly hung a cloud over this team. On the other side, the Eagles look like a well-oiled machine, if that machine was getting oiled starting mid-way through the game. Their slow starts have been notorious, and one can only wonder whether they are shaking off rust or if this is an ominous sign of things to come. The Eagles have had to patch their offensive line together after multiple injuries and suspensions, which clearly impacted their running game last week with LeSean McCoy only managing 22 yards on 19 carries. However, I am a big believer in Chip Kelly and this offense. After a week of prep, I have no doubt that he will be able to get everyone up to speed. Take the Eagles and the points.
Philadelphia 27 San Francisco 24
New Orleans Saints at Dallas Cowboys (+3)
There's nothing like Sunday night at Jerry's house. After Dallas absolutely laid an egg in the opener, they have been able to win their next two games against Tennessee and St. Louis, hopefully gaining some steam into this matchup.
The Saints have lost two close games against teams that they should have beaten and now sit in a 1-2 hole to start the season. The other storyline in play here is that Rob Ryan is coming back to Dallas, and playing the Cowboys squad that essentially quit on him only a few seasons ago. I know that there is some sort of fat joke to be made about Rob here, but I'm not trying to mess with his mojo. I think that the Saints recognize the urgency of the situation and will feast on an already depleted Dallas defense. I rarely like to let emotion get the best of me in my picks, but Drew Brees is one of my favorite players in the NFL, and I don't think the gravity of the situation is lost on him. Pick Brees, and pick the Saints. Interesting prop bet to consider: who uses more napkins this weekend – Rob Ryan wiping barbecue sauce off his face or Tony Romo wiping off his tears?
New Orleans 38 Dallas 27
- By Jayson Patel, Staff Writer
