We’re back to the drawing board once again.

It was another tough week, but I’ve gotten used to it. I had my fewest wins in a week this season with five, but it’s okay. I have so much fun putting this together every week, not even an 0-16 slate could keep me away. Hopefully we don’t have to test that theory out.

In the local world, sectional season is officially upon us. We’ve got some very good soccer teams in the area looking to make a push for regionals and next week, the volleyball tournament begins. I’ll be at Warsaw Community High School Thursday hoping to see the Lady Tigers clinch the outright conference championship. Just a few weeks of football remain. We will not have a newspaper next Monday due to Columbus Day, so be sure to lookout for those sectional pairings on Tuesday.

On the personal side of things, it was a good week. The Bears lost, as did Mizzou, but at least the Tigers showed some fight and took No. 1 Georgia down to the wire on Saturday night. A special shout out to Warsaw’s very own Harrison Mevis, who kicked five field goals, two from 50+ on his way to being named the SEC Special Teams Player of the Week.

In case anyone was still wondering, I’ve almost finished Red Dead Redemption 2. I’m on the final chapter of the story, sadly awaiting the end. Amazon Prime’s Rings of Power has only gotten better, with last week’s episode being one of the best episodes of fantasy television to ever grace my eyes.

My favorite game of Week 4 came on Monday night. Facing off and trailing against my very good friend Steve in fantasy football, I needed a big game from Deebo Samuel to secure the victory. Samuel would create one of the most exciting plays of the young season, breaking multiple tackles on his way to a 57-yard score that would be enough to win me my matchup.

When it was all over, I was out of breath. It wasn’t just the play itself, but the stakes it carried. A chance to beat one of my best friends and rub it in his face. A chance to move to 3-1. A chance to become fully engrossed in a game that would have no stakes in my life otherwise. To me, that’s what it’s all about. I love you, Deebo, and I’m sorry, Steve.

So to all of you, I’m assigning some homework. If you have the chance this weekend, watch a game you may not have tuned into otherwise. You never know what might happen!

There are some really interesting lines this week. More than a few of them have me wondering which way to lean, but what else is new. After a handful of duds, I’m officially retiring from saying how much I like my picks when I finish. I’m going to let the money start talking for me.

Here we go.

THURSDAY NIGHT

Indianapolis Colts at Denver Broncos (-3)

This game figures to be a battle between two of the most disappointing teams in the league so far this season. The Colts have looked horrible outside of their ugly win over Kansas City two weeks ago. The Broncos offense finally found some life this past weekend against Vegas, but fell short of a win.

To make matters worse, Broncos’ running back Javonte Williams tore his ACL and LCL in last week’s game and will miss the remainder of the year. Indy’s rushing champion Jonathan Taylor is questionable with a leg injury, with Frank Reich saying he would not be good to go if the game was played any earlier than Thursday. This is going to be an ugly one, and with a ton of star power missing, I’m more inclined to trust the home team with the quarterback that hasn’t fumbled 10 times in four games.

The Pick: Broncos -3

ACROSS THE POND

New York Giants at Green Bay Packers (-7.5)

I apologize to my friend Bailey and the other New York Giants faithful out there, but when you look at teams that are 3-1 or better in the league, you may be thinking “one of these things is not like the others.” I will concede that Saquon Barkley has looked like the best RB in the league thus far, but otherwise, the team just doesn’t have the talent to support its record. Quarterback Daniel Jones got hurt in last week’s win over the Bears, as did backup Tyrod Taylor, leaving a murky situation in the QB room.

On the other side of things, the Packers haven’t looked like the world beaters we’ve grown accustomed to seeing them become at this stage of the regular season. It took the team nearly 70 minutes to take care of the Patriots with their third-string-rookie quarterback Bailey Zappe last week. The offense still has a lot of problems, but a lot of offenses in the league do. Last week’s London game might have been the best of the week, but I don’t have the same hopes for this one. I want to say it’s going to be close, but with Jones’ status up in the air as I write this, I can’t justify it.

The Pick: Packers -7.5

1 O’CLOCK SUNDAY

Chicago Bears at Minnesota Vikings (-7)

Last week’s Bears-Giants game was the first contest this year that had me realizing I might not be able to watch all 17 Chicago games this year for the sake of my mental and physical health. The run defense couldn’t stop my 5’7” frame from picking up 50 yards in a game. Justin Fields hasn’t been the most accurate, but he doesn’t have any weapons to work with. I’m aware that this is a rebuilding year, or at least I keep telling myself that. I just wish the product didn’t have to be this abysmal.

Minnesota has looked great in every game it has played besides the team’s loss to Philadelphia. The Eagles have made every team they’ve played look horrible, so I’m willing to give the Vikes a pass. Justin Jefferson came back to life with a huge game in London Sunday. He is on his way to becoming an all-time great. In a league full of fantastic receivers, he might just be the best. While the Bears’ run D has been atrocious, they’ve been fine defending the pass. Expect Dalvin Cook and Alexander Mattison to carry the load for Minnesota.

The Pick: Vikings -7

Detroit Lions at New England Patriots (-3)

Detroit has one of the most prolific offenses in the league and leads the NFL in points. The Lions also suffer from possessing what could be the worst defense in the league, which could be the main culprit when trying to figure out how the team is 1-3. Even without star players D’Andre Swift and Amon-Ra St. Brown against Seattle on Sunday, the team put up 45 points. They also gave up 48.

New England hung around in Green Bay with Zappe at quarterback last week. The running back duo of Damien Harris and Rhamondre Stevenson should have a field day running against this defense, and this is a game offensive coordinator Matt Patricia desperately wants to win against his former team. I like the Pats at home breaking in their throwback uniforms with a win.

The Pick: Patriots -3

Los Angeles Chargers (-2.5) at Cleveland Browns

It hasn’t been the ideal start for the Browns despite starting the season 2-2 with their backup quarterback. Both of the team’s losses have come in rather embarrassing fashion. Last weekend’s loss to Atlanta wasn’t as bad as giving up two touchdowns in the final two minutes to the Jets a couple of weeks back, but it still wasn’t one the team will want to remember. The team had multiple opportunities to run away with the game but instead let Atlanta hang around and eventually win.

The Chargers had a nice bounce back after getting thrashed by the Jaguars in Week 3. The team went up big against the Texans, but allowed Houston to turn a 27-7 deficit into 27-24 before scoring one final touchdown to put it away. Both defenses have left something to be desired so far this season, but Cleveland is the side with the more glaring issues.

The Pick: Chargers -2.5

Seattle Seahawks at New Orleans Saints (-5.5)

New Orleans came so close to forcing overtime against the Vikings last weekend, coming a double-doink away on a 61-yard field goal from getting there. Andy Dalton looked solid and despite the team coming into the game ravaged by injuries, the game was close.

Seattle ran all over Detroit on Sunday, with Rashaad Penny having a career day with 151 yards and two scores. The Saints defense is more than a bit better however, and while I don’t think New Orleans should be favored by this much over anybody, this is screaming trap game. I tend to think Vegas knows something I don’t so when I see 74% of money on the Seahawks early, I know something’s up.

The Pick: Saints -5.5

Atlanta Falcons at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-8.5)

I’m starting to get very nervous, because as you can probably tell, I haven’t picked a single underdog yet. There are obviously going to be some underdogs that get outright wins this week, let alone covers. I can’t help that my gut is telling me these favorites are going to roll, just like I can’t help but think this is the game Tampa Bay finally looks like an NFL offense. The team has had some tough opponents on the early part of their schedule, and while Atlanta has turned some heads, I still don’t think these teams are comparable just yet.

The Pick: Buccaneers -8.5

Tennessee Titans (-2.5) at Washington Commanders

Two things can be true. It can be true that for some reason, I am addicted to picking the Commanders in this column and it has not been kind to me so far. It can also be true that Washington desperately needs a win this week and I think for some reason they might get it. The Titans have bounced back nicely after an 0-2 start, but the defense ranks towards the bottom of the league in passing yards allowed. Eventually I’ll get over Carson Wentz, but for one more week, I’m rollin’ with him. I can neither confirm nor deny that it is because I desperately feel the need to pick an underdog right now.

The Pick: Commanders +2.5

Miami Dolphins (-3) at New York Jets

It was a scary scene when Tua Tagovailoa went down last Thursday. He won’t be playing in this one, which I’m sure most of us can agree is probably a good thing for his health. It’ll be Teddy Bridgewater under center for Miami, and he’ll enjoy the lightning quick position players the Dolphins have to offer.

It was a huge win for the Jets last week in Zach Wilson’s return. The team made a thrilling fourth quarter comeback to get it done and get back to .500. I think Teddy is a better quarterback than he’s gotten credit for throughout his career, and I think he gets Miami back into the win column.

The Pick: Dolphins -3

Pittsburgh Steelers at Buffalo Bills (-14)

Here’s an interesting one for you. Pro Football Reference, the database for all things football, has been tracking lines since 1978. This is the first time since then the Steelers go into a game as two touchdown underdogs. Given the team’s success before 1978, this could be the first time ever. Pretty crazy stuff.

The Bills finally picked up a win in a close game last weekend, coming back to beat Baltimore. The team still looks to be one of the few true Super Bowl contenders. When a line is as big as this, you start thinking about the million things that can happen. Will Buffalo be up big at the end of the game but the Steelers pick up a late touchdown to cover? Will this be a repeat of Bills-Titans from Week 2, a game Buffalo won 41-7? I’m leaning towards the latter, but I also think Mike Tomlin’s side will be motivated. I want it on record that this is a game everyone should avoid when placing wagers this weekend. Too big of a spread for a league as competitive as the NFL. Boy am I going to regret this one!

The Pick: Steelers +14

Houston Texans at Jacksonville Jaguars (-7)

It hasn’t taken long for the Texans to put themselves at the top of the list of worst teams in the league. Overall, the team has performed very poorly up to this point. The Jaguars on the other hand, were quickly crowned the darlings of the league after a solid start. The Jags probably win this game, but are we sure we aren’t rushing into this love affair with Jacksonville? Houston gets a good effort and keeps it close.

The Pick: Texans +7

LATE AFTERNOON SLATE

San Francisco 49ers (-6.5) at Carolina Panthers

It’s a shame that the Panthers have fallen as fast as they have from where the team was a few years ago. It’s also a shame that rookie quarterback Matt Corral is out for the season with an injury and can’t take over for Baker Mayfield, who has been awful.

While Carolina boasts a solid defense, it’s the Niners unit that has been stealing the show in recent weeks. I just made a big deal about my love for Deebo, so I have to let it ride. Has Matt Rhule been fired yet?

The Pick: 49ers -6.5

Dallas Cowboys at Los Angeles Rams (-5.5)

This is another underdog that is screaming at me, but another case of me being hesitant due to the overwhelming early money going on the Cowboys. The Rams have looked very bad so far this year, the Super Bowl hangover taking full effect. Cooper Rush is still undefeated as a starter for Dallas, but this week will easily be his biggest test yet in terms of an opposing defensive line. I think the Rams are going to be mad and they’re going to want to prove a point. They win the game, but the Cowboys cover.

The Pick: Cowboys +5.5

Philadelphia Eagles (-5.5) at Arizona Cardinals

Philly has taken the league by storm and has made every team it’s faced look really bad. The team is playing at another level right now. The Cardinals have one of the most exciting players in the league in Kyler Murray, but struggle to play exciting football of any kind. Regardless, the team is 2-2 and has played some good football in the second half of games. DeAndre Hopkins’ return can’t come soon enough. Call me crazy.

The Pick: Cardinals +5.5  

WAITIN’ ALL DAY FOR A SUNDAY NIGHT

Cincinnati Bengals at Baltimore Ravens (-3)

There are a lot of good things to say about the Ravens. Lamar Jackson may not have had his usual sensational stat line against Buffalo, but the QB has been one of if not the best in the business through four games. The team had the Bills on the ropes in the first half and looked like a juggernaut. The team does have its problems though. In two of its four games, it’s been unable to hold a big second half lead and sits at 2-2 because of it.

The Bengals are also 2-2, but winners of their previous two games and seeming to heat up. Joe Burrow’s protection has been better as of late, and he won’t be going against a stacked defensive line. I like Cincy to keep on piling up the points.

The Pick: Bengals +3

MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL

Las Vegas Raiders at Kansas City Chiefs (-7.5)

The Chiefs made a statement on Sunday night, absolutely shredding a Buccaneers defense that was the best in the league heading into the game. There is no doubt that the team remains a Super Bowl contender and that Mahomes remains the best quarterback in the league. This team had a lot of questions thrown in its face during the offseason, and the Chiefs have been firing back.

Vegas finally picked up its first win last week with a victory over the Broncos. The team still has enough problems that I was surprised to see KC only favored by 7.5. I would have thought the line would have been much more lopsided. Is this another case of Vegas knowing something we don’t? It could be, but I’d rather pick the Chiefs and see them lose than the other way around.

The Pick: Chiefs -7.5

One final thing before I go. It is a remarkable achievement that Aaron Judge hit home run No. 62 the other night. Barry Bonds’ 73 home runs in 2001 is still the record. Both things can be, and are, true. Put Barry in the Hall of Fame.

Have a great week!