By DaVince “Dino” Wright
The NFL is Getting Pretty Tight Now
It has only been a couple of weeks into this young season and key players from good teams have been dropping like flies at a picnic. Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, Jets quarterback Justin Fields, Vikings running back Aaron Jones and Texans running back Joe Mixon are out just to name a few. Teams dream of getting to the Super Bowl to erase all of the bad/difficult years of not hoisting the Lombardy trophy. It’s a hard task to do without a proven player especially when there are so many games to play just to get to the playoffs. Remember it’s a marathon not a sprint. Some teams are in limbo right now and a few other teams are looking for their first win… like the current AFC champion Chiefs, another would be the Houston Texans, the Chicago Bears as well as the New Orleans Saints. Keep an eye on all of the games because one win or loss can change the dynamics of the NFL season this early in the season.
Game Info
Miami Dolphins (0-2) vs Buffalo Bills (2-0)
Thursday – September 18 – 7:15 p.m.
TV: Prime Video
Highmark Stadium – Orchard Park, NY
The Miami Dolphins are in trouble. For a team with a dynamic offense and potential in every key position from quarterback to tight end this team can’t score; let alone beat anyone right now. The Dolphins will have trouble on the road looking for their first win this season in a tough place. The Buffalo Bills signal caller Josh Allen will wear a visor this week because of the injury to his nose last week. The Bills are playing some tough football while scoring from anywhere at anytime it seems during close games this season. The key for a Dolphins win will be eating the clock up while keep the Bills offense off the field. The key for the Bills will be how well Josh Allen navigates the visor that he will be wearing for the first time in his NFL career. ESPN has the Bills with a 76.4% chance of winning at home. I’m taking the Bills by 14!
Final Score
Buffalo Bills – 31
Miami Dolphins – 17
Game Info
Kansas City Chiefs (0-2) vs New York Giants (0-2)
Sunday – September 21 – 7:20 p.m.
TV: NBC
MetLife Stadium – East Rutherford, NY
The Chiefs are struggling right now. Right now, the Chiefs are 0-2 dropping very winnable games to the Eagles and Chargers by a combined 9 points. You can see the frustration on the faces of quarterback Patrick Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce during games. The New York Giants lost by double digits in their season opener with the Washington Commanders. They also lost to the Dallas Cowboys in an overtime thriller by a field goal. In that game quarterback Russell Wilson put up 450 passing yards against the Cowboys with some nice long TD throws. ESPN has the Chiefs with a 66.3% chance of winning on the road this week. This game will be closer than what other pundits are predicting. I’m taking the Chiefs by 7. Both defenses will be on the forefront this week. Do I think that the Chiefs will blow out the Giants this week? No sir! The Chiefs will struggle at times but will ultimately win this one this week.
Final Score
Kansas City Chiefs – 27
New York Giants – 24
Game Info
Detroit Lions (1-1) vs Baltimore Ravens (1-1)
Monday – September 22 – 7:15 p.m.
TV: ABC/ESPN
M&T Bank Stadium – Baltimore, MD
Last week the Ravens looked like the Ravens of last season. The passing and running game were on point. In their first game of the season they dropped a highly anticipated contest to the Buffalo by 1 point. Last week they took care with the Browns at home with a win by 24 points. This week the Lions are coming into Baltimore riding a high after scoring 52 points on Chicago. This game will come down to how well both quarterbacks extend plays and establish the run early and often during the first 3 quarters of this game. ESPN has the Ravens with a 57.2% chance of winning this game at home. I’m taking the Ravens by 6. Here’s the key to this contest: How well can your offense score in the red zone this week. The kickers will play a huge part of this game as well.
Final Score
Baltimore Ravens – 36
Detroit Lions – 30
