NFL Divisional Predictions (Sunday Edition)

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NFL Predictions - 

Browns at Chiefs -

This could go two ways, in my opinion! Browns could come out swinging like last week and get the early jump on Kansas City. Or Kansas could out swinging early and the game is over for the Browns. I think the Browns have played a lot of inconsistent football over the past month or so. They are certainly capable of pulling off the upset, though. Baker Mayfield has played really well at the quarterback position and they have the best rushing attack left in the NFL playoffs. They run the football better than any team during the regular season and they can get a lot of explosive plays rushing the ball. In fact, no team has produced more explosive 20+ runs this season than the Cleveland Browns! My fear is that the defense is questionable and they might struggle to stay in this game, if the offense can't produce the points/yards. 

I have real concerns about the Chiefs and how they have played over the past month or so. They been good at times and others they have really struggled to put away their opponents, too. Mahomes also has struggled with turning the football over, too. In the month of December, he had a lot of questionable plays that we haven't seen out of him all season. I think Andy Reid needs to get some better plays for him, too. The run game has also been a little questionable, too. But I will say that injuries to the position has slowed them down. I also don't think Kansas City defense is great, either. I don't think Pat Mahomes makes this game close, I think it is the lackluster run game and defense that could possibly keep it close overall!

Prediction - I could see the Browns getting the upset in this one, but Pat Mahomes is special. He's built DIFFERENT. Guys like this take over game in the postseason and I fully expect him to have one of his best games of the season. I think Browns could stay in it with their run offense, but at some point I think Kansas City will start to run away with it! I think Chiefs win by double digits! 

Bucs at Saints - 

I felt like of all 4 games this was the one game that could go either way, honestly. Like I have no idea which team is gonna pull this one off and I am not 100% confident in who win this one. The Bucs are the healthier team and probably has played better on offense in the month of December and maybe last week, too. I think the Bucs are playing better football than they did in either of the first two matchups vs the Saints. I think Brady probably playing the best football of the season. Since their bye, no quarterback has played better than Tom Brady. The Bucs are built to play in a game like this. However, I do believe the Bucs would have a lot better shot at home than on the road. I will say that the Bucs' offense is really scary with all of the weapons that they have down in Tampa Bay. I mean, how do you stop this offense consistently? There are guys all over this offense that is capable of going off on any given play. It's a scary unit!

The Saints will be without both Taysom Hill and Murray for this big time matchup for tonight! I think this will only affect the Saints in the run game and that is a major strength early for the Bucs. As the Bucs are No.1 vs the run game. So hard to say how much of impact that it has there. I think if anything it just takes a wrinkle out of the Saints offense. The Bucs know who they need to stop on the Saints' offense! But make no mistake, though. This Saints' roster is scary good overall and still has a loaded team on both side of the ball. The Saints has the best defense in the NFL playoffs and has a playoff led by Drew Brees and probably could drop 30 points on any team. If the Bucs are at a disadvantage in this game, then it will be in the pass game. As good as the Bucs been vs the run, they have been outside the top 20 vs the pass all season long. You think the Saints not gonna pass the ball a lot in this game? Think again! 

Prediction - This game could go either way and I am really not sure who will win yet. However, I am leaning towards the Saints right now. I could easily see Bucs winning this one, but I love the Saints at home and they already beat them twice. Typically, if you beat a team twice then you should be able to beat them a third time. Maybe I am wrong on that, but my gut is telling me that the top 2 seed in each conference will advance this weekend! 

Email - Garrybriggs265@gmail.com

Twitter - @Garryy12

NFL Divisional Predictions (Saturday Edition)

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Last week, I went 4-2 on my playoffs predictions and I am perfectly fine with that. Initially, I had the Browns beating the Steelers. But by the time I wrote my predictions up, I had changed my mind to the Steelers winning the game. Folks, if your gut is telling you something then just listen to it! I couldn't tell you how many fantasy games/races I have lost because I didn't listen to my gut. As for the other game I incorrectly predicted, I just didn't think that the Rams could put together enough offense. I also didn't think the Seahawks would be as god awful as they were, either.

As for this weekend, I am very excited for all 4 games and I think all four of them will be very competitive! A win this weekend and you are off to the conference championship game! A loss and you will be watching from home next weekend! Just like in the Wildcard round, I am breaking my predictions into two articles: One prediction article for the Saturday's games and one for the Sunday's games! 

Alright let's get started!

Rams at Packers -

A lot of people in the media I think are underselling the LA Rams! I think they have limitation on offense, but that defense is legit the best defense in the league and top 3 across the board. No, really! They are graded top 3 in pass rushing, top 3 vs the run and top 3 in coverage. This is a scary unit, but they will be facing the league's No.1 offense at Lambeau Field! I believe the Rams have a shot in this game, if they can do 2 of these 3 things on Saturday: Control time of possession, consistently get after Aaron Rodgers and run the football! I think time possession will be the most interesting one though. Because if they win the TOP (time of possession), then there's a good chance that Rodgers felt their pass rush and there's a good chance that the Rams were able to run the football. I think on flip side, the Rams can't be dropping back to pass the ball. Jared Goff will be eaten alive, if they get into too many passing situations! 

I think the Packers are overrated in a sense because people think they will run away with this game. I think the Rams are gonna keep this close for the most part. I do believe they will pull away at some point, though. I am 100% expecting Davante Adams to be moved around and used as a chess piece to get good matchups. So it will be interesting if Ramsey travels with him, I think he needs to. With that said, I think the Packers are vastly underrated at receiver. The narrate is there is only one good receiver in that Packers' offense and that is just false. This group can really move the ball, but they do it as a unit. 10 yards here, 8 yards here, 13 yards there, etc. Add in the tight ends and running backs catching the ball from a guy completing over 70% of his passes? And remember this offense is built to get guys open, Lafleur loves scheming guys open! So you want to take away Adams? Just watch Lazard, Tonyan, St Brown, MVS, Jones, Williams, etc have plays specifically designed to scheme them open! Personally I think specifically running backs, fullbacks, tightends, etc will be use a lot in this game to move the ball in the pass game. 

Prediction - Like I said up above, I think the Rams have a shot in this game! I also believe that the Rams just don't have the offense to get it done. For the Rams to win this game, i think they need to get some turnovers. It doesn't matter, if you slow down the Packers offense. The Rams need some short fields to set themselves up for some easy scores. A lot of things will need to go right and I think the Rams will come up short!

Ravens at Bills -

I am really looking forward to this game and I was really hoping we would see this game because it would be such a fun matchup. I know most people are picking the Bills to go all the way, but I don't know about that one. I love Josh Allen and the Bills' team, but they could had easily lost that game to the Colts! The Bills had it moments and moved the ball well, but this Buffalo team didn't blow their doors off or anything. And I am worried about the Bills' run defense. The Colts had their way vs the Bills' defense. And I think that is gonna be Buffalo's biggest problem in this game! Josh Allen is gonna find his openings and drive down the field. But Josh Allen has no run game to rely on and has a defense that can give up big plays! And I am not trying to take away anything from this awesome Buffalo team, but I don't think it will be easy for the Bills to win this game! I will say that Buffalo has the best two players in this game, though and that is always a pretty big advantage! 

Entering the playoffs, the Baltimore Ravens were one of the league's hottest team and they kept on rolling with a win over the Titans! And honestly, I was kinda surprised so many people picked the Titans in that one. In week 16, the Packers kinda showed us the blueprint for beating the Titans! Commit to stopping the run and load the box vs Henry. If you are able to stop Henry, then their pass offense is way less effective and that pretty much what happened to the Titans. On the flip side, the Ravens are one of the league's best run offenses in football and I think that is a big disadvantage for the Bills in this one! I watched that Colts vs Bills game and damn the Colts were able to break off big run after big run. Did it help that Colts has a really good offensive line? Sure, but Buffalo is around 20th vs the run this season and 19th in their last three games. 

Prediction - This will be a close game, but I smell an upset in this one. I this Baltimore is very capable of running the football in this game and Buffalo has proven that they are below average in stopping the run. I don't think it will be quite as bad as last week, but I expect Baltimore to get their fair share. I think Josh Allen will keep Buffalo in this game, but I think Baltimore is gonna win this game!

2021 Fantasy Nascar Sleepers, Dark Horses and Bust

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Happy 2021, my friends and fellow readers! I am super excited to kick off another season of Nascar and another season of Fantasy Nascar! In 2020, it was a very weird year and I feel like I didn't do a great job of posting content much as I should had. Trust me guys, I did the best I could but some days I just didn't feel like it. As we get closer to the season, I hopefully will have a better idea if Jeff or Matt are gonna be doing any writing for the blog this season. If so, that would be huge and give me a major helping hand. If not, I am prepared for the challenge. Regardless, I am super excited for the season! There has been so many changes in drivers, crew members, teams, etc and I think it will make for a very exciting season. Also there has been some noticeable changes within the schedule! 

Anyways, I am gonna kick the season off with my personal picks for sleepers, dark horses and busts! Oh my friends, this is gonna be good! Let's get started! 

Sleepers - 

Austin Dillon - Austin Dillon wasn't great or elite during the 2020 season, but he was way better than most people ever gave him credit for! He isn't a top 5 driver or even top 10, but he is that next group of drivers in the low teens. In 2020, he only finished outside of the top 20 in 9 total races. The first 10 races and the final 14 races were pretty eye-opening for me on Austin Dillon! In the first 10 races, he posted 6 Top 11 races. And in the final 14 races, he also posted 8 Top 12 finishes. It was that middle portion of the schedule, that was where Austin was pretty inconsistent. He did win a race at Texas, though. So that was a pretty bright spot. Overall 2020 saw him have his best season since 2016! Question is will RCR keep bringing fast cars to the racetrack? I thought that was one of the bigger reasons for Austin's upstick in production and could be the reason why he has another good 2021! 

Michael McDowell - You are probably pretty surprised that I have McDowell? Well if you are then you better keep on reading because he was very good in 2020! Most people look at Front Row as a 25th-30th team, but McDowell was much better than that. His average finish on the season was 20.9(!). That is impressive with his caliber of ride! In 2020, he posted 17 Top 20 finishes and added 27 top 25 finishes. He was really a machine during the 2020 season and rarely did he have a bad race outside of that top 25 mark. For me, that is always key to drivers in his range. If you can consistently finish 25th or better, then you are gonna have some value in most fantasy games. If McDowell can do it again (like I believe he can), then he should definitely be a solid sleeper! And that the thing about sleepers, they are about value not how high they finish (dark horses are about more about finishing high, not sleepers). People are too low on guys like McDowell and that what make them legitimate sleepers!  

Dark horses - 

Aric Almirola - Aric Almirola is coming off a really strong season, where he posted 13.1 average finish with 18 top 10s and 6 Top 5 finishes. He posted career highs in Top 5s, Top 10s, average starting position and laps led. And I agree, he doesn't have a ton of upside. However, he is much more consistent than most drivers out there. Outside of the top guys like Harvick, Busch, Truex, Hamlin, Elliott, Logano, Keselowski, etc, how many drivers has the consistency and top 10 potential on weekly basis? Not very many. Do I think he will win a race in 2021? I do not. Do I think he gonna be in contention for several top 5 finishes? You bet I do. If Aric Almirola can have close the season he had in 2020 or 2018, then he is gonna be an excellent fantasy pick in every single fantasy format!

Kyle Larson - Kyle Larson is a tough driver to predict, even though I know a lot of people are very high on him. I love Kyle and I am a huge fan of his, but I am realistic here, too. Drivers going to new teams are hit or miss really. Some do really good and some are inconsistent! It is hard to say about Larson at Hendrick, but it is undeniable that Larson is a godly talent and is very capable of winning multiple races in his first season at HMS! I love the signing by Mr.H and I think it too good for them to pass up. I think Larson will be better later in the season than early in the season, though. That seems to always be the case with drivers on new teams. It might take a little while for the driver and team to get on the same page.

Busts - 

Ryan Blaney - Blaney was really good last season, so why is he my bust for 2021? Frankly, I think he is a bust because he is so damn awesome on these intermediate tracks. When we go to the intermediate tracks, I am eye him up like candy. But they took away multiple 1.5 mile tracks and that is a huge hit for Ryan's fantasy stock. Blaney was not great outside of the intermediate, even though he did have his fair share of good runs in 2020. However, we saw there was a massive dip in production on intermediate tracks and non-intermediate tracks. And that is my biggest concern with him, as Nascar is trying to get away from a crapload of intermediate and have a lot more short tracks, road courses and even plate races. My recommend for using him in 2021 is to target the 1.5 mile tracks/other intermediate tracks and see how he does at other kind of tracks. I am not mega high on him, though. 

Email - Garrybriggs265@gmail.com

Twitter - @Garryy12

NFL Wildcard Weekend Predictions (Sunday Edition)

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NFL Predictions -

Ravens at Titans -

One of the three games on Sunday, this is easily the game that I am looking forward to! Two of the league's most high powered rushing offenses will square off! A month and a half ago, people were wondering if the Ravens would even make the playoffs and now they might be one of the most dangerous teams in the postseason! Seriously, this team is playing excellent football and could easily make a deep postseason run. Lamar Jackson is playing more like he was last season and the defense is coming very big too. In the Ravens' past 5 games, they have reached at least 34 points in 4 of those games. In that other game? They scored 27 points. They are putting points up in the hurry and I think that is where they will have a big advantage over the Titans. In the Titans' last two of the regular season, they gave up 38 and 40 points. They also gave up 40 and 41 in the last two games vs playoffs' team. 

The Titans won their division, but honestly I don't feel great about them overall. They got beat pretty bad by Green Bay in week 16 and had to comeback to beat the Texans in week 17. I think they can go blow for blow with the Ravens for awhile, but I am very worried about the Titans' defense. And I feel like the Ravens' defense can get some stops vs the Titans. And I think that could be the real difference in this game. 

Prediction - I don't love the Titans in this one. They have enough offense to win this game, but they are stoppable vs the Ravens' defense. On the flip side, I don't think the Titans' defense is good enough to get enough stops vs the Ravens. With the way that the Ravens are playing, I am going with the Ravens in this game!

Bears at Saints -

This game will decide how the divisional round will look like in the NFC! A win by the Saints and that would set up a 3rd matchup with the Bucs! A upset win by the Chicago Bears would send them to Green Bay for a 3rd matchup with the Packers. Both would be a very good matchup, but I feel like a win by the Bears would be a massive upset here. Even though, the Bears are playing pretty well. Prior to scoring just 16 points vs Green Bay, they have scored 30 points in 4 straight games and 25 or more in 5 straight games. In Chicago's defense, the Packers defense played excellent in the month of December. So I won't fault them too much for that stinker. The problem is they are missing several players for this matchup with the Saints. They are missing CB Johnson, WR Mooney and LB Smith. All three players are key players for the Bears and I feel like Smith is the biggest blow because how active he is on the Bears' defense. They would had probably kept that Packers' game a lot closer, if Smith didn't exit in the first half of that game. With a matchup vs Karama, I think missing him is going to be huge. The Bears need to get some stops to win this game and i think missing multiple starters on defense is just huge!

The Saints are heavy favorites in this one and they should be! The Saints are healthiest that they been all season long! They will get back both of their playmakers and will face a less than 100% healthy Bears' team. I feel like the Saints have most complete roster in the NFC overall and have good enough defense to keep the Bears at bay! I think the biggest difference between these two offenses is the Saints can get production out several different players on offense. While the Bears really don't have a lot talent on offense side of the ball. The Bears only hope is to get some turnovers vs the Saints, if not I don't think they have much of a shot in this game!

Prediction - I want to go with the Bears in this one, but I just don't think that they will do enough to win this game. The Saints have the most complete roster in the NFL playoffs and it will be tough to beat them at full strength. I have the Saints by 8 points in this one!

Browns at Steelers -

This is probably the game that I am looking forward to the least, to be honest. I don't know there's nothing that really excite about this game. I think this game is going to be a lot different than what we saw in week 17. I think the Steelers are the favorites in this one, especially with having all their starters back for this one. I don't think the Steelers are best team in the playoffs, but I think the Browns are missing a lot of players because of covid and have had missed a lot of practice over the last few weeks. I think the thing that is lacking from the Steelers is they really aren't that explosive overall and that is crazy considering all of the offensive weapons that they have!

The Browns will undoubtedly try to get the run going early and take over this game. If they can take over this game, I think they can win it. But I also think the Steelers could easily take the run game out of it and make Baker Mayfield pass it more. I think that would be worrisome for Browns fans because they are missing their best offensive lineman and their playcaller. I think the Browns can still win this game without them, but I think it will be much more challenging than it originally was going to be! 

Prediction - I am going with the Steelers in this game because I think they have a better overall roster and they have the better defense. The Browns' defense is still questionable and I think the Steelers will put together enough offense to win this game. I am going with the Steelers by 6 points and it will come down to the 4th quarter I think! 

Email - Garrybriggs265@gmail.com

Twitter - @Garryy12

Wildcard Weekend predictions (Saturday Edition)

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Colts at Bills -

All of the games should be good this weekend, but this one might be one of my favorite of the weekend! Both of these teams are built differently, but both of these teams are very capable of making a strong postseason run. I feel like the Colts are set up for less success because of the inconsistent performance of Phillip Rivers! If there is a weakness on this team, then it has been Rivers, in my opinion. Earlier in the season, they also lacked a good run game. But it is becoming more clear that the Colts are running the ball a lot more effectively in the month of December. I think the key for success in this game and going forward (if they advance) is to run the football and playing good defense. The Colts have that massive offensive line, so why not run the football with Taylor and have Rivers just play good enough to win. To me, that should be the formula for them here in January! 

The Bills are one of the most fun teams in the NFL right now! They are having out there and putting up a lot of points. I was impressed with Josh Allen last season, but the jump that he made during the 2020 season is incredible! And honestly, he just got better as the season went on! Truth be told, he made a strong push at the MVP race, in my opinion. And it is not like the Bills' offense is loaded with superstars, either. There a few, no doubt. But the Bills has been really good on offense with no run game. Just imagine, if there was some kind of consistent run game over in Buffalo? Now add in an improving defense that was really really good late in games this season. The Bills' offense is peaking right now and the Bills' defense is definitely trending in the right direction at the right time. Everything is coming up with the Bills right now!

Prediction - I like the Colts and respect what they have done this season! They have really good defense, but problem is I don't think they are capable of shutting any team completely done. I think that goes for all 14 defenses. I think the Colts are better than most, but the Bills have one of the top offenses in the playoffs. Add in a solid defense, I think the Bills are the favorite in this one. I think the Bills win by 10 points in this one! 

Rams at Seahawks -

These offenses has been bad over the past month or so. The Rams bad quarterback play has been masked by a great defense, until the month of December. And the Seahawks have really struggled to pass the football and actually have the fewest passing yards in the last few weeks. I feel like the Rams would have a good shot in this game, but I don't have much faith in their offense. I will be honest, I don't love them that much on offense. Sure, there are some good players. But at end of the day, they need more consistent quarterback play from Jared Goff. The same Jared Goff that broken his thumb vs the the Seahawks in week 16. I also believe the Rams need to run the football more. I think the loss of Henderson was big, too. However, I do think they have a shot in this game because of their defense. That defense is solid everywhere and that should keep them in until at least the 3rd quarter. I think after that, the offense will most likely decide if they win the game or lose the game!  

The Seahawks do really worry me, they kinda remind of the 2019 Packers. Won a ton of games, but really looked lost in the month of December. Not loss enough for them to lose a lot of games, but enough for their wins to be questionable. Russell Wilson has plenty of experience in the postseason, so I am sure there is no extra pressure on him. But that passing offense has not been great and the Seahawks has not looked like the No.3 seed. I think they need to run the football more, though. I think a healthy run game will do wonders for them and that exactly what they have right now. I do think that it will be tough for them to do that vs the Rams. Honestly, i just don't understand how the Seahawks' passing attack can be so lackluster right now with all that talent at receiver! I think their saving grace in this game is that their defense has came a long way since beginning of the season. And I think the Seahawks' defense has played a lot better in second half of the season! Their run defense is really good and they have a pass rush now. Those two things are unquestionably helping that secondary out big time. They beat this same Rams' team not too long ago, so now they just gotta do it again to prove it was legit! 

Prediction - Hard to say which way this game will go because I don't think that there is a big difference between these two teams. I think both of these offenses are somewhat struggling right now, like they aren't playing their best football. But my gut is saying Seattle, though. I expect another ugly game, but something tells me Wilson will pull out all the stops and does enough to win this game and advance! 

Bucs at Washington -

For whatever reason people are thinking Washington will get the upset over the Bucs. And you know, I could see that! I really could, but the Bucs have been really good lately. They are playing their best football of the season has scored more points than any other team in the last three weeks. It was vs the Falcons and Lions, but it still matters. It also seems like the Bucs are getting everyone involved. Even if you hate the Bucs, you have to admit that they probably have more weapons than any other offense in the league. Combined that with the league's top rated run defense and you get something really tough to beat. If the Bucs lose during the postseason, then I think it will be for two reasons: 1) they faced a really good passing offense and a really good passing defense. Or 2) They beat themselves with bad penalties or bad mistakes. 

I love that the Washington Football made the playoffs and I was certainly rooting for them to make it. And I agree that this is a bad matchup for Tom Brady. The Washington Football team probably has the best defensive line in the playoffs and they could cause a lot of problems for Brady. And that secondary could certainly make some plays. But can Alex Smith and the Washington's offense score enough points to outscore Tom Brady? I want to say yeah, but I really don't believe in them all that much. 

Prediction - I will be rooting for the Washington Football team, but I believe the Bucs will be too much for them. I think the Washington Football will do a good job of slowing down the Bucs, but I do believe playoffs Tom will get his shots in and that when it will be all over for the Washington football team! 

Email - Garrybriggs265@gmail.com

Twitter - @Garryy12

NFL Prediction Week 17 (Part IV)

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Chargers at Chiefs - 

The first mathcup between the Chargers and Chiefs were a lot of fun and actually went into overtime, if I am not mistaken! It was one of Herbert's first games and it pretty much told me that he was the real deal! I was blown away how he played vs the Chiefs. He outplayed Mahomes in that game, in my opinion. Some late turnovers kinda costed them in that game, but I was pretty impressed. I think the Chargers have the advantage in this one, though. Since the Chiefs will be resting some of their starters, especially since the Chiefs have the No.1 seed all locked up now! 

I do question the Chiefs' decision to rest their starters, but I am not surprised that they are, though. I question it for two reasons: 1) Resting your starters sometimes come back to bite teams, especially when they have the bye on wildcard weekend. 2) I haven't been blown away by the Chiefs' offense of late and they could use some work before the playoffs. I still think this is the team to beat, but we thought about the Ravens in last season' playoffs, too. What happened to them? I am just saying, I don't believe that gap is as large as people make it out to be! 

Prediction - With no Mahomes in the lineup, I gotta go with the Chargers in this one! On offense, I love watching this Chargers' team play! They are a lot of fun and I fully expect them to win this one!

Seahawks at 49ers -

The Seahawks still have a outside chance to be the No.1 seed in the NFC, but they need a lot of things to go right and oddly enough it unusual what they need to go right. They specifically need the Packers to lose, the Saints to win and they need to win as well. If all three of those things happen, then they would be the No.1 seed and the NFC would go through Seattle. Regardless, this is a dangerous Seattle team that is coming alive and healthy on both side of the ball right now. Their pass defense has improved from earlier this season and they are becoming less depended on Russell Wilson. How? They are healthy in the run game and running the football more now. 

If there was a good spoiler team here late in the season, then 49ers are good as any! They are still wanting to win football games, even though they are eliminated and has dealt with a lot of key injuries this season. I think that says a lot about their coach! These players wanna win for him and win for each other! Even with all of the injuries, this 49ers defense are still pretty good across the board! I also think this offense is slowly but surely starting to put it together, too. 

Prediction - I would love to pick the 49ers in this one, but I think the Seahawks will win this one. I do think the Seahawks are the better team but don't expect a blowout, though. Personally, i am expecting a low-scoring game between these two teams.

Raiders at Broncos -

The Raiders were kinda a disappointment to me this season, as they added bunch of pieces on defense and the offense was good enough at times to be a playoff contender, too. But for whatever reason, they were inconsistent  on both side of the ball. It kinda like last season, too. You really never knew what offense/defense that you were gonna see. They took Kansas City to the wire both times and actually gave them a loss. But they also got blown out by the Falcons, too. That's the Raiders for you over the past few decades ago, though. Good, but not good enough! 

Anybody who reads this blog knows what my opinion are about the Broncos this season! So I am not gonna beat that dead horse again, but I will say that I think this off-season is gonna be very telling on the Broncos future for the next 4 or 5 years, though. IF they decide to make some changes, I think they need to be the right ones. They already said they are keeping their coaching, but will they make any other changes? Good question, I think how they attack FA and the draft will pretty much tell us a lot, though. 

Prediction - I am going with the Raiders in this one! You never know what team will show up for the Raiders, but I just don't see the Broncos winning this one. 

Washington at Eagles - 

Honestly I didn't understand why they put Washington and Eagles on Sunday Night Football. I get it, they are looking for rating in this one because the Cowboys might win earlier in the day. So the NFL are hoping the Cowboys and all the Dallas fans will tune in for this one. Okay, lets say they lose (I picked them to win), what happens on SNF? Pretty much nobody but Washington/Eagles will be watching. I get the risk, but as a fan in general this game just isn't very appealing. Especially since there are so many good games to choose from, too. 

Prediction - I am going with Washington in this one! I know Cowboys or Giants probably don't want to hear that, but in the end I am not so sure that the Eagles are good enough to win this game. The Washington Football team will be at full-strength on offense and I am sure all hands will be on deck! 

Email - Garrybriggs265@gmail.com

Twitter - @Garryy12

NFL Predictions Week 17 (Part III)

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NFL Predictions - 

Cardinals at Rams - 

This game could impact the NFC playoffs' picture more than any other game in the NFC! One of these two teams could miss the playoffs or make both could make it in as wildcards! A win by the Rams and it pretty much locks the NFC playoffs' picture in and no other game really matters, other than how the teams are seeded. A win by the Cardinals and then things get interesting because the Green Bay-Chicago game comes really interesting! A win by the Packers and both of these teams in the postseason, but a win by Chicago that would mean the Rams are out of the postseason. Who would had thought that a couple weeks ago? 

I think a key element in this game is that fact that both teams will be missing players or have players that aren't 100%. In fact, both starting quarterbacks were banged up in last week's games. Kyler Murray will play, but I don't think he is 100%. And on the other side, the Rams will be without their QB Jared Goff. Both teams are also missing a starting WR because of covid! So yeah, neither teams are at full strength in this one, but I think I would be more worried about the Rams in this one than the Cardinals. Over the last 6 days, they have lost three keys players to their offense and I think that will be a challenge to overcome. Even though, I do love their defense and how they will matchup with a less than 100% Kyler Murray and sometimes inconsistent Cardinals' offense. 

Prediction - It is hard for me to like the Rams in this with a rookie quarterback with no zero in-game snaps at quarterback for them. I don't love the Cardinals and i don't think that they will be able to past the first round, if they win this game. 

Saints at Panthers - 

The Saints are missing several players this weekend due to covid and that including their entire running back room. That is not very ideal in week that they need to win and get some help in the NFC to get the No.1 seed. I think that loss to the Eagles pretty much sealed their fate, in my opinion. Prior to that, they were in control of the NFC and would likely be looking at a bye right now. A loss to the Eagles and the Packers haven't losing a game since week 11 has resulted in this. Also losing to the Packers because of Hill's fumble in the 4th quarter in week 3 also has a factor in this as well. I do think that the Saints are the best team in the NFC, but I still feel like they play better at home than on the road. Maybe it because they play better inside a dome or something? I don't know. 

The Panthers haven't been great this season, but they have been a solid football team. I think this Carolina team can give the Saints a lot of problems in this game. I just feel like their limited offense will be the big why they don't win this game. Ever notice that while watching the Panthers? Good team, but it always seems like they are just lacking something. I do believe some of that has to do with missing CMC. To me this offense is designed around him. Teddy does what he can with this offense, but a special running back like CMC would take this offense to new heights. If defense can keep improving like the one we saw this season, then this team has a chance to contend for a wildcard in the 2021-22 season! 

Prediction - I want to go with the Panthers, but I feel like the Saints will do enough and have enough offensive power to win this game. As for the Panthers, I think they will play this game fairly tight but come up short in the end!

Packers at Bears -

The news broke of Left Tackle DBak sent shockwaves around the league, as he is regarded as one of the league's top offensive linemen! And I agree that is a big blow, but I don't believe it is big enough to really decrease the Packers shot at a superbowl run. The Packers still have three really solid players on that line who were graded as top 10 players as guards, centers or tackles. Obviously moving Billy Turner to left tackle isn't what you want as the Packers, but he played great there earlier this season and he has had a very solid season,too. I don't think Dbak's injury really affect the pass game, if anything it will have a bigger impact on the run game, in my opinion. To me, the bigger thing is on other side of the ball. The Packers defense is starting to play it best football of the season. In 3 of their last 4 games, they have produced their best pass rush games of the season. Not only that, the Packers are playing bigger up front recently and playing more man-coverage in the secondary. Why is that important? That secondary has been elite this season when they are in man-coverage, compared to when they are in zone. Time will tell, but I think Mike Pettine has figured out some things and I think his players has kinda gave him some hints on some things, too. 

The Bears have a chance to punch their ticket to the playoffs with a win over the Packers! But history is not on their since. In the last 28 seasons, they have only won 14 times. Which means they are only producing one win in every two seasons against the Packers. However, the Bears are playing their best football of the season right now. In his last 4 games, they have produced 4 straight 30+ games. First time, they have done that since the 1960s. On offense, they are certainly on a roll right now! And a lot of that has to do with how well they have ran the ball since Naggy stepped down as the playcaller! That should be the key to success for them, as the less Mitch has the ball in his hands, the less chance there will be a turnover! Now, he hasn't been great  this season, but lately he has been above average. And that all they need from him, especially with that defense. For them to win this game, I do feel like that they need to win the turnover battle. If you lose the turnover battle to Aaron Rodgers, there is almost a 100% chance that you will lose the football game!

Prediction - I am a big Packers fan, so I try to pick against them if I feel like there is a real shot that they will lose. When I look at this matchup, I feel like the Bears are at a disadvantage and those aren't the games that the Packers typically lose. The Bears' defense isn't what it was a couple years ago and you can run on this defense and you can pass on it. I think Chicago being down two cornerbacks is a massive blow. I think the Packers defense is a bad matchup for the Bears, too. The Packers are getting after the QBs over the past month and that secondary is starting to really get locked in. Since week 10, they have the No.1 and No.2 graded safeties by PFF. Jaire Alexander is also lurking back there. Folks, this is a big matchup! 

Vikings at Lions -

When I look at the Vikings right now, I think back to week 1 and 2. Why? Because a lot of the problems that we saw early in the season were kinda the same problem that dragged this team down all season long. In the opener in week 1, what was the first thing we noticed about the Vikings? They couldn't stop the pass and had no pass rush. Those things did improve, but it always exposed them for who they are. In week 2, it was they couldn't stop the run. I think their inability to stop the run actually got worse as the season went on with the injuries piling up. I know Vikings fans will want to blame Kirk Cousins and that below average offensive line, but they aren't the reason that they missed the playoffs. It was the defense and yes it was that bad this season. 

As bad as the Vikings has been, I think the Lions has been worse. They fired their coach already and things has improved. But they still are fielding a bad defense and really don't have another gear on offense. I think Stafford does the best he can with what he can, but the man can only do so much! Overall, this is not a great roster. On offense, I think they have some really good pieces to work with for the future. But I think that will depend on how they draft and what Stafford's future is like. 

Prediction - Hard to say how this one goes with no Davin Cook for the Vikings, but I still believe that the Vikings are the better team in this one. I think Stafford's arm will keep them in it, but I think the Vikings have more to work with than that Lions do! 

Email - Garrybriggs265@gmail.com

Twitter - @Garryy12