Sports

[gardenman]

And we start out week two with our first Amazon Prime Thursday night game featuring the Chargers at the Chiefs. KC is a tough place to play, and Patrick Mahomes is still Patrick Mahomes. It should be a good, close, hard-fought game, but I'll give an edge to KC at home.

Sunday finds the Dolphins taking on the Ravens in another good game. The Dolphins are going to scare a lot of people this year. They're a good team. But so is Baltimore. I'll give a slight edge to the Ravens since they're playing at home.

In the not-so-good category, we have the Jets taking on the Browns. It's going to be hard to find a win this year for the Jets. I've got to go with Cleveland in this one. I don't love Cleveland and the Jets could beat them, but I've got to pick someone, so it's Cleveland.

The Commanders take on Detroit in Detroit. That was a seriously raucous crowd in Detroit last week. The Eagles eked out the win, but it was closer than I was comfortable with it being. In fact, they could have/should have won if not for dropped passes and assorted mistakes. I'm giving a slight edge to the Lions in this one. They blitzed from everywhere and often had a free rusher. The Commander's o-line isn't as good as the Eagles and Wentz could face a ton of pressure.

Indy goes to Jacksonville, their City of Doom. I believe the last time the Colts beat Jacksonville in Jacksonville was in 2014. Yikes! The Jags looked good in week one. The Colts, well, not so much. An overtime time against the Texans isn't a great way to start your season. I'll take the Jags in this one. 

The Bucs go to New Orleans to take on the Saints. The Bucs, after week one, look like the class of the NFC. The Saints, they won, but barely. I'll take the Bucs here.

The Panthers take on the Giants. The Giants will go as Saquon  Barkley goes and last week he went well. They're playing in NJ's Tear Up Your Knee Field which gives the Giants something of a home-field advantage. I like Baker Mayfield more than Daniel Jones though, so I'm taking the Panthers in this one.

The Patriots go to the Steelers. Patriots QB Mac Jones has a bad back and that's never a good thing. Mike Tomlin always finds a way to keep his team winning. I'll go with the Steelers in this one.

The Falcons fly west to take on the Rams. Not a great matchup for the Falcons. Any Super Bowl hangover the Rams had got beat out of them last Thursday night. They've had more time to prepare to face the Falcons and they're apt to be a bit testy this week over how last week went. I'll take the Rams.

The Seahawks take on the Niners. Neither team looked great in week one. I don't think the Niners have handled their QB situation all that brilliantly. Just handing the job to Trey Lance is not the smartest move. Then calling in the veteran players to tell them it's ride or die with Trey Lance, but also then finally bringing back Jimmy G after locking him out all of camp. I'm going for the Seahawks in this one. I don't love their QB situation, but I hate it less than the Niners.

The Bengals roar into Dallas to play whoever the Cowboys still have that's healthy. I had this as a Dallas loss before their rash of injuries. It's going to stay a Dallas loss. I'll take the Bengals.

Houston goes to Denver to pick up their first loss of the year. The Broncos are the more talented team with the better QB. I'll take the Broncos.

The dysfunctional Cards take on the Raiders. The Cards did have the misfortune to face the Chiefs in week one, but we didn't see a lot to give you a lot of confidence in the Cards going forward. I'll take the Raiders in this one.

Our Sunday night game features the Bears and the Packers. These are two teams that have largely given their QBs nothing to play with. "Wide receivers? You don't need wide receivers! Just get out there and win the games without them!" Yeah, not so easy. The Bears played loose and had fun last week on the flooded plains of Chicago. The Packers did not look like they were having fun. This is a tough one for me. It's hard to pick against the Packers in Green Bay, but I'm taking the plunge this week and going for Chicago.

And in the first of two Monday night games, the Titans take on the Bills. Yeah, not a good matchup for Tennessee. The Bills are an elite team. The Titans are less so. I'll take the Bills. This one might be so one-sided that by halftime the viewers can switch over to the second game.

Which brings us to the Eagles versus the Vikings in game two. The Eagles' offense is humming along and playing great. They can run. They can pass. When all else fails just find where AJ Brown is and throw the ball in his general direction and he'll make a play. The Eagles' defense is another story. They can play well, but the Eagles' DC Jonathan Taylor is not an aggressive soul by nature. There are attacking defenses. There are bend-and-don't-break defenses. Then there's Gannon's let's bend and break defense. Yeah. He retreats into soft zones that let opposing offenses just meander down the field like it's an uncontested practice. He's got wolves on defense who want to howl, and he keeps them muzzled. We saw it last year. People excused it saying he didn't have enough talent on defense to play a more aggressive style. He's got the talent now, but he's still playing the same. I'm taking the Eagles in this one, but our defense is going to make it a lot closer of a game than it should be. 

[sunshine45]

lamar jackson reportedly turned down a five year extension offer worth over $250 million with $133 million guaranteed at signing. rumors are circulating that he wants guaranteed money like deshaun watson received. this year lamar is making a little over $23 million with no guaranteed money.

[gardenman]

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@sunshine45 wrote:

lamar jackson reportedly turned down a five year extension offer worth over $250 million with $133 million guaranteed at signing. rumors are circulating that he wants guaranteed money like deshaun watson received. this year lamar is making a little over $23 million with no guaranteed money.

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More than a few NFL insiders think that Lamar Jackson will get traded before the 2023 NFL draft. They don't think the Ravens can afford the cash it'll take to guarantee his full deal and Jackson won't settle for less, so a trade-and-sign deal like what the Texans got for Watson seems the most likely option. There are a lot of good kid QBs in the coming draft, so they expect the Ravens to make a trade to move on from Jackson to a cheaper kid.

Lamar Jackson should earn a comparable package, maybe more, as he doesn't have the legal baggage Watson did. The Lions, Texans, Dolphins, Eagles, and Seahawks all have two first-round picks next year. All have at least some question at QB that Lamar Jackson could answer. Watson got three firsts and a handful of other picks. Which of those teams would finish the worst in 2023 and thus have the highest pick making them a better option? Probably the Texans, though life won't be easy for Seattle either. 

I expect the Lamar Jackson story to be the big off-season storyline this winter. Lots of teams could use a guy with his skills. It's going to be interesting to see how it all plays out. I don't expect an in-season trade unless the Ravens just fall flat on their face and someone knocks their socks off with a bigger-than-expected offer.

[Spurt]

@gardenman and ALL NFL FANS! 

GARDENMAN---Thanks for setting up our weekly NFL threads !

Let's move on to week 2------Here goes!!!! (I only got 7 right in week 1)

CHARGERS vs CHIEFS----Hmmmmm Patrick Mahomes hit his left hand/wrist area on a helmet while throwing his first TD pass of the game, and it was visibly taped heavily thereafter. It didn't appear to impact his play much, though. After the game Patrick said the wrist was sore and he hopes it didnt linger for weeks----That puts a fly in the ointment----Call it woman's intuition but Im going with the CHARGERS! (Besides Redskin fans arent happy that the Chief's fans are still doing the Tomahawk Chop and there's no discouraging word like there was supposed to be and Wahington fans are saying the brutal campaign to force a nickname change was more about the overall HATRED for Snyder!-but it punished the Washington fans more!)

DOLPHINS vs RAVENS----I was really impressed with the Dolphins and liked the direction the new coach is taking the team (he doesnt look like nor fit the mold of an NFL coach, he looks more like a Tech Guy that works for Best Buy's Geek Squad... LOL)....Now they are going against the Ravens a well prepared and well coached team ----then there's "Im Lamar and I want Watson money"---SMH!!! He can try to pull a deal like "Kirk Cousins", but if Lamar gets hurt....all deals are off!!!......I wonder what kind of a distraction this is to his teammates......I'm going with my grandmother's favorite team, THE DOLPHINS...it looks like Dolphin weather hot and humid too.....

JETS vs BROWNS--The Browns beat the Panthers in a close one, but I like the Panthers they do have some talent...I think all the talk about the Jets was overhype JMHO and now they are dealing with a backup QB as a starter, ...I like Brisset over Flacco---BROWNS for the WIN!

WASHINGTON vs LIONS----The Lions continue to fight and play hard for their coach...and they did a good job against the Eagles defense and almost pulled off an upset....and the Eagles have more talent on defense than Washington does.....so it puts the Washington/Lions game in the hands of Wentz...too bad RB Robinson is out on IR for a few weeks he would have added another weapon to Wentz's arsenal ......Im going to be a homer and trust Wentz over Goff (and his distracting girlfriend 😉) WASHINGTON FOR THE "W"!

COLTS vs JAGUARS ----Colts ended up with a tie against the Texans under their new QB, Matt Ryan...now the Colts face their nemisis, the Jags......The Jags gave Washington a battle, BUT I think RB Jonathan Taylor will be the difference as long as it doesnt come down to a FG---COLTS WIN!

BUCS vs SAINTS---The Saints have a new coach, and their QB Winston is like the girl with the curl---when he's on he's good, when he's "off" he's a horrid he's an interception machine...I guess Tommy and Gisele worked out their marital issues, so Brady can put some focus back on football at least for this season....going with the BUCS!

PANTHERS vs GIANTS---Well the GIANTS SHOCKED the NFL world by beating a good Titan team....the difference was having their RB Barkley back and healthy and ready to go......But I think Baker is the better QB over Daniel Jones....My sis wont be happy with the results this Sunday--PANTHERS will win, and my cat Puddy will be celebrating along with Sir Purr who will be PURRING back in NC... 

PATRIOTS vs STEELERS---The Patriots never play well in Miami maybe its either the heat or the humidity, but you can never count Bill Belichick, but Jones suffered a back injury, although he's saying he's feeling a lot better.....It was a wild and wooly win for the Steelers but also costly....TJ Watt is out with a torn pec....This is a rival game too.....I gotta go with THE STEELERS at home!

FALCONS vs RAMS----Maybe the Buffalo team that beat the Super Bowl Champs was just THAT GOOD!  But I think the Rams will bounce back with a WIN over the Falcons....RAMS!

SEAHAWKS vs 49ers----The Seahawks won a very emotionally charged game as Russell Wilson returned to his old stomping grounds.....Pete Caroll who took this game as a personal challenge had his team playing pretty well....especially those players who came to Seattle in the Wilson trade....Now the question is will the Seahawks experience a let down after an emotional game....can they beat an NFC West division rival in SF? 

Meanwhile disappointing game not only from Trey Lance but the entire team that didnt live up to expectations.....Unless they put Jimmy G in, Im not buying the 49er hype and going with the SEAHAWKS to get their second win of the season!

BENGALS vs COWBOYS----A missed FG and a disappointing loss will fire up JOE COOL AND THE GANG against Cowboy's backup QB, Cooper Rush, who wont put fear in the eyes of the Bengals D......Unless Micah Parson plays BOTH on defense and at the QB spot the BENGALS WILL WIN!!!  My cat Figgy will be wearing her Bengals collar to bring extra luck to her team! Cowboy fans can "thank" GM Jerry Jones for not pursuing a decent backup QB in the off season, and not filling holes at Wr and on defense.....

TEXANS vs BRONCOS---Russell Wilson is certainly NOT happy with either his performance or the rest of the teams disappointing performance against Wilson's old team.  The Texans had a morale victory tying the Colts....but I think the BRONCOS will right the direction of the team, they have to in order to remain in the hunt in the TOUGH AFC!

CARDINALS vs RAIDERS---Raiders are the better team and need a win badly to keep up in the TOUGH AFC WEST!---- RAIDERS!

BEARS vs PACKERS---Aaron Rodgers was right in expressing his concerns about the Packers offense after they traded away his best weapon, as Rodgers managed only 7 points.....The Bears had a good time as they slid right past the 49ers in their monsoon game......Im going with DA BEARS....The Pack's front office has not given Aaron much of anything to work with and the losses will reflect it!  Just like "the cheese stands alone" in the familiar song, it looks like Aaron is left by himself too this season.....

TITANS vs BILLS-- At this point in the season, Josh Allen and the Bills look like the top contender for the Super Bowl, and they are playing at home too---BILLS!

EAGLES vs VIKINGS-----The Eagles loaded up on offense and given their young QB tons of options.....their weakness is their defense!  On the other side you have Capt Kirk who always seem to come up short in important games...and with the spotlight shining on the Vikings on Monday Night this is an important game to show off the new look Vikings under their new coach! Which QB will prevail???? This could be a very close game.....I think home field will be the difference and pick THE VIKINGS to win! 

GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!

[Spurt]

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@sunshine45 wrote:

lamar jackson reportedly turned down a five year extension offer worth over $250 million with $133 million guaranteed at signing. rumors are circulating that he wants guaranteed money like deshaun watson received. this year lamar is making a little over $23 million with no guaranteed money.

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@sunshine45 

Im sorry I think Lamar is being too greedy.....Yes, Watson with all his legal issues got overpaid....but thats the stupidity as usual of the Browns owner/front office!!!! If the Ravens cave and give Lamar what he wants, whats going to happen they will have to deplete their roster to make room in their cap which will result in a weaker team that has to compete in a VERY TOUGH AFC CONFERENCE!!!

[Spurt]

GOOD NEWS---Brian Robinson is back doing agility drills ....could be eligible to return week 5

PRO-FOOTBALL TALK WEEKLY AWARDS:

ROOKIE OF THE WEEK JAHAN DOTSON!!! 

Saquon Barkley NFC Offensive Player Of The Week

Defensive player of the week: Steelers defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick.  Other finalists: Bills defensive end Von Miller (two sacks), Chargers defensive end Khalil Mack (three sacks), Steelers linebacker Alex Highsmith (three sacks).

Patrick Mahomes AFC Offensive Player Of the Week

Coach of the week: Giants coach Brian Daboll.

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NFL League Office admitted Eagles got way with Intentional Grounding! 

Cowboys are trying to get Michael Gallup ready

Patriots Mac Jones who had back problems practiced on Wednesday

[sunshine45]

@Spurt 

@gardenman 

its a LOT of money, but i cannot even tell you how many fans are screaming "show him the money!"  they want to keep him at all costs. so many believe that he really is the future of the team.

i know that other teams must be salivating at this point, but nothing will happen until after the season is over. then we can go into freak out mode. lol

[teganslaw]

Jason La Canfora wrote an article criticizing Ravens owner, Steve Bisciotti. He started out by saying that Bisciotti should understand business the way La Canfora does, and should pay the fully guaranteed money. That is a bold statement, putting himself above the Ravens' owner. 

There is a reason Bisciotti isn't guaranteeing Jackson 100%. Maybe the organization can't afford it, or maybe he thinks that much will hurt the rest of the team. I don't know his thoughts, but if things don't work out Jackson will have no loss of suitors.

I have a thought: the Colts go through a lot of quarterbacks. If by chance Ryan doesn't work out  (hope he does), Indy could be a landing spot for Jackson. 

[gardenman]

The Eagles poached a new DE off of the Vikings practice squad in Janarius Robinson. He was a fourth-round pick in 2021. He's got good size and good measurables but isn't necessarily the most motivated guy in the world. He has all of the tools to be dominant but may not have the desire. If they can get his motor running and keep it running, he could be a keeper. No one's been able to do it so far though. 

And the Eagles lost backup o-lineman Kayode Awosika to the Lions. He was on the practice squad but buried behind multiple starters in Philly. Detroit might put him to work right away. He was a developmental guy here and had potential. 

Back to Lamar Jackson, the money these days gets ridiculous, but if you can get it, why not? Kyler Murray got almost $190 million guaranteed. It's not the $250 million of Watson but that's still a lot of money. I just don't see the Ravens being able to come up with the cash they'd have to put up to guarantee what he wants guaranteed. 

The third richest owner in the NFL is David Tepper. He's got a worth of around $15 billion. Putting up the $250 million or so in cash isn't a huge deal to him and Carolina could definitely use a star QB. The Seahawks are interesting as they're run by Paul Allen's widow, Jody, but his trust owns the team. Their total worth is around the $20 billion mark. I'm not sure how the trust would feel about putting up $250+ million in cash for Jackson.

New Broncos owner Rob Walton comes in around $59 billion. If you've got the $59 billion invested and earning just 5% of a return, one month's investment return would be around $245 million, so putting up $250 million in cash isn't all that big of a deal to a guy like him. He has Russell Wilson now, but if he feels Jackson would be better, he could move Wilson and replace him with Jackson. Of all of the teams' owners, the cash outlay would be the smallest issue for him. If the Ravens got back Russell Wilson and say three first-round picks for Jackson, it might not be such a bad move.

Lamar Jackson is in a great spot, and he knows it. Assuming his arm doesn't fall off, he can pretty much ask for whatever he wants and get it. He's essentially Deshaun Watson (maybe better) without the legal issues. Three hundred million guaranteed wouldn't shock me if a bidding war for him erupted. Watson with his many legal and suspension issues got $250 million guaranteed. Jackson could easily eclipse that mark. 

Ravens owner Steve Biscotti is worth around $6 billion so he could scrape up $250 million+ if necessary, but it's a larger percentage of his worth than it is for others and a little scarier for him. 

Back in Dallas, Jerry Jones is hinting that Jason Peters could move to right tackle to replace Terrence Steele. Sure, put the 40-year-old guy who hasn't played right tackle recently out there. What could possibly go wrong? I suspect he's trying to motivate Steele to focus a bit more and cut down on the penalties but it's not the best idea he's ever had. Could Peters play right tackle? Sure. Would he be good? Probably not. JJ is also saying he expects Dak back in four weeks, which is about half the time the doctors say it'll take for him to be back.

[teganslaw]

The Colts have a TY Hilton banner at LOS captioned "Thank you for the Memories." Hilton is a free agent and hasn't officially retired, but it seems that the Colts have moved on from him. I knew this was coming, but it is the end of an era. Whatever he decides, Hilton has always been a class act. 

I won't predict all the games, but I think that the Saints will beat the Bucs. I'll go with 17-10 score. Brady has always struggled against this team, and NO coach, Dennis Allen was their DC who called plays frustrating Brady. I'm thinking it will be  another difficult game for the Bucs.