Can Connor Cover? The Wonderful Ways To Spend A Saturday

October 19, 2022 at 10:31 p.m.
Can Connor Cover? The Wonderful Ways To Spend A Saturday
Can Connor Cover? The Wonderful Ways To Spend A Saturday

By Connor McCann-

There is usually only one day a week I’m not at my office, not checking email and not doing anything work related. That day is Saturday, and I usually spend it the same way each week. I wake up, turn on each of my three TVs to something I want to watch, and spend the rest of my day sitting there. I get up for food and to go to the bathroom, but that’s about it.

I find it important to maximize my relaxation on any given day, especially a day off. Whether it's sports, movies, a new show or even a LEGO set, I try to spend my Saturday’s doing as many things I enjoy as possible, while also trying to do as little as I can.

This past weekend was different. I drove up to Penn High School not long after waking up to cover Warsaw Volleyball’s quest for a sectional title. The trip was an overwhelming success. The Tigers finally got over the hump that was the Kingsmen and dominated Concord in the championship match to advance to regional play.

Now, I can’t say that I covered every Warsaw volleyball game this season. It would be quite difficult and unfair to our six other schools to do so. But I was at some of their biggest matches this year. The team’s first game against Penn, a heartbreaking loss. Their win against NorthWood that clinched a share of the Northern Lakes Conference crown and the victory over Concord a week later to win it outright. Just to name a few.

The goal remained the same for the entirety of the year: win the sectional. When the goal was finally achieved Saturday night, I felt myself becoming overwhelmed with emotions as I watched the team scream their faces off while huddling up and celebrating. I had done nothing for this team besides write about its successes, but I couldn’t help but feel proud.

It reminded me why myself and others in this profession do what we do. We often forget how lucky we are to consider watching games “work”. We get to watch these teams grow, see them go through ups and downs. Seeing a team come together and make a dream come true filled me with so much happiness that I forget about all of the other stuff.

For example, I forgot that it was Saturday. Truth be told, it didn’t matter that it was.

I will be happy to travel to LaPorte High School this Saturday to see if Warsaw can keep this going. If they win two more games, I’ll be happy to work the Saturday after that as well. The relaxation can wait. I’ll sleep when I’m dead. There’s an opportunity to see something truly special happen, and I’ll be sitting front row. I hope to see some of you good people there too. Best of luck to the Tigers this weekend. I’ve been eagerly waiting for Saturday morning’s contest since I got home last Saturday night. I can’t be the only one.

Anyways, here are my terrible football picks.

THURSDAY NIGHT

New Orleans Saints at Arizona Cardinals (-2.5)


I hope nobody reading this goes to their sportsbook with my Thursday Night Football advice every week. I’m sitting at one win coming into this one but that’s not without some tough luck. The Saints led Cincinnati for 95% of their game last weekend before a last minute touchdown put the Bengals up for good. Alvin Kamara is starting to look better despite his off the field issues and the wide receiver room should have some bodies returning.

Arizona has also had a busy few days regarding its wideouts. The team lost Marquise “Hollywood” Brown for some extended time to injury but traded for Carolina’s Robbie Anderson. Most importantly, DeAndre Hopkins has been activated following a six-game suspension and will make his season debut. Will his impact be big enough to make a difference on an anemic offense? I don’t know. He’s one of the best pass catchers in the game and will be an immediate boost, but it’ll take a little time for him to turn into a game breaker. It’s been eight losses in a row for Arizona at home. They can’t make it nine.

The Pick: Cardinals -2.5

1 O’CLOCK SUNDAY

Indianapolis Colts at Tennessee Titans (-2.5)


Big win for the Colts last weekend to get yet another split with Jacksonville for the season. Indy will aim to get even with the Titans this weekend after Tennessee defeated Frank Reich’s side at Lucas Oil earlier this year. The Colts finally got it going offensively last weekend, putting up 34 points largely in part to some better work from the receivers. That should take some pressure off of Jonathan Taylor if he’s able to return.

The Titans were one of the four teams on bye last week, giving the team an extra week to game plan and try to extend their winning streak to four. Tennessee already got some good news this week when it was announced a new $2.1 billion stadium deal. After the early season love affair with the Jaguars came to end almost as quickly as it began, it again appears that these two will be the teams battling it out for first place in the division. The Titans have Indy’s number; they make it five in a row.

The Pick: Titans -2.5

Detroit Lions at Dallas Cowboys (-7)


The Lions also got a bye last week, coming at a perfect time. The team had dropped a few in a row and was not playing good football. Amon-Ra St. Brown and D’Andre Swift should be much healthier coming out of the break, and perhaps the defense got a few extra reps as well.

The Cowboys should have Dak Prescott available in this one after the Cooper Rush Experience came to a less than dazzling end in Philadelphia Sunday night. Dallas gave the undefeated Eagles a scare but couldn’t pull it off. The Cowboys’ D should have a better week, but Dak might take a quarter or two to readjust and the Lions are known for making games like these close.

The Pick: Lions +7

Cleveland Browns at Baltimore Ravens (-6)


Things have gone from bad to worse for Cleveland in recent weeks as the team is on a three game slide. The most recent loss was a 38-15 whooping at the hand of the Patriots. Kevin Stefanski has made some questionable play calling decisions in recent weeks and despite a solid run game, the team is trending in the wrong direction.

Meanwhile Baltimore has plenty of problems of their own. The Ravens are 3-3 and could very well be 6-0. The Giants were able to stun Baltimore last weekend with a touchdown at the end of the game and clinched it moments later on Lamar Jackson’s second turnover of the fourth quarter. The Browns need to turn it around quickly and the Ravens need to prove they are a team that can win the games it keeps finding ways to lose. I could go either way on this one.

The Pick: Ravens -6

New York Giants at Jacksonville Jaguars (-3)


New York has quickly become the center of the football world with both the Giants and Jets playing outstanding football to start the season. The Giants sit in second place in the NFC East at 5-1 and Brian Daboll is the early front runner for Coach of the Year. Saquon Barkley was bottled up for the most part last week but has been one of the most exciting players in football.

The Jaguars were the best thing since sliced bread for about two weeks before coming back down to Earth in its more recent fixtures. Trevor Lawrence has struggled throwing the ball deep but the offense has found ways to move the ball. Travis Etienne has taken over the backfield but has yet to find the end zone. I have to go with the G Men here.

The Pick: Giants +3

Green Bay Packers (-4.5) at Washington Commanders


Green Bay has a lot of problems right now. They don’t have any playmaking receivers, Aaron Rdogers isn’t hitting them in the first place and the offense in general has looked bottom tier. The defense has been okay, but was gashed by both New York teams in back to back weeks. The Packers have only one dominant win this season, which came against the hapless Bears. The team continues to be big favorites every week.

The Commanders only have two wins this season, one of which also coming against the hapless Bears last Thursday. Carson Wentz broke a finger in that game, meaning Taylor Heinicke will start this Sunday. Rookie Sam Howell might also get some reps if Heinicke starts out sluggish. Washington does boast a tough front seven that will make it hard for the Packers’ offense. But will Washington’s be able to score enough points of their own?

The Pick: Packers -4.5

Atlanta Falcons at Cincinnati Bengals (-6.5)


The Falcons refuse to lose. They are 3-3 but are now 6-0 against the spread. Only a handful of teams have ever made it to 7-0 against the spread, and what makes what the Falcons are doing even more impressive is that most of the previous teams started with 7-0 records as well. The run game has been deadly and Marcus Mariota is playing his role to perfection.

The Bengals picked up a much-needed comeback win over the Saints last weekend, taking its first lead late in the game. The offense has picked it back up and the defense is playing well. The Bengals look like a team that could win the division and make another run if they figure some stuff out along the way. I’ll be leaning on the side of history until they lose.

The Pick: Falcons +6.5

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-10.5) at Carolina Panthers


This is a tricky one. Tampa Bay has been heavy favorites in its last couple of games, unable to cover any of them. The breakout game has to be coming soon right? On the other side the Panthers are the worst team in football, and it hasn’t really been close. The Los Angeles Rams were HORRIBLE last weekend and were still able to cover the same spread. To make matters worse, Carolina will be starting Jacob Eason this week, QB5. I want it on the record now that I think Tampa still wins the division but is an early exit. The only reason I’m sticking with them is because of how bad the Panthers have been.

The Pick: Buccaneers -10.5

LATE AFTERNOON SLATE

New York Jets at Denver Broncos (-1.5)


I alluded to it earlier, but I’ll say it again. It’s not one but both New York teams that are taking the NFL world by storm this fall. Breece Hall has been awesome, the defense has had success against just about anyone, led by rookie Sauce Gardner, who might be the best rookie in the league so far. Robert Salah is showing off the receipts! I’m happy to see the Jets back in the national spotlight, and I hope they can keep this going.

The team will have a good chance to do so going against possibly the biggest disappointment in the league in the Denver Broncos. The team has looked horrible, there’s no other way to put it. Russell Wilson looks washed up and to make matters worse is now dealing with a hamstring injury to go along with a bad shoulder. The Broncos can’t pass, they can’t run, but at least the defense has been above average. If Russ has been this bad healthy, how is it going to look with him banged up? J-E-T-S.

The Pick: Jets +1.5

Houston Texans at Las Vegas Raiders (-7)

Houston had an extra week to marinate in its first win of the season two weeks ago against Jacksonville. Damien Pierce has been one of the best offensive rookies of the year so far, rushing for 310 yards in his last three games. The offense has had its problems outside of Pierce though, and the defense has struggled to keep high powered offenses down.

The Raiders also got a bye last week and came awfully close to beating the Chiefs the week before. The team has played a lot better football than its 1-4 record would indicate. The front seven on the defense is starting to cause some problems for quarterbacks and Derek Carr is starting to connect with all of his receivers. The Raiders have some stuff to prove and a lot of improving of their record to do to get back into things. I think they pick up a big win and get back on track here.

The Pick: Raiders -7

Kansas City Chiefs (-3) at San Francisco 49ers

Both teams are coming into this one after suffering losses last weekend, albeit to two very different sides. Kansas City dropped its game to Super Bowl contender Buffalo while San Fran lost as 6.5 point favorites on the road. The Chiefs shouldn’t be too discouraged though, as it was a close game that KC probably could have won. The Mahomes to Kelce connection remains the most dangerous in the game.

The Niners had a lot of missing pieces on defense against Atlanta last weekend and to this point we’re unsure about how many players will be back. The offense has been rocky since Jimmy Garoppolo took over, so there are definitely some big question marks on what version of this team we’re going to get. I’m going to go with the more trustworthy side.

The Pick: Chiefs -3

Seattle Seahawks at Los Angeles Chargers (-6.5)


How many of you thought Geno Smith would be having a better season than Russell Wilson at this point? I may have asked the same question last week but the point remains. Seattle was picked by many to be in contention for the number one pick in next year’s draft, but the team is playing well enough that it should avoid that conversation.

The Chargers defeated the Broncos on Monday night but didn’t look good doing so. Justin Herbert was held without a touchdown pass and the team’s longest offensive play went for just 24 yards. Los Angeles has looked good this season, but not at the level they were expected to. Seattle’s successes have been coming at the expense of bad teams. Give me the Chargers to right the ship.

The Pick: Chargers -6.5

WAITIN’ ALL DAY FOR A SUNDAY NIGHT

Pittsburgh Steelers at Miami Dolphins (-7)


On paper, this isn’t the most exciting primetime game the league has to offer. Pittsburgh picked up its first win since Week 1 in a huge upset over Tampa Bay last weekend, even after losing quarterback Kenny Pickett to a concussion. The team currently expects Pickett to play on Sunday night. The team had a nice week defensively and will look to get its various skill players more involved.

It’s a positive week for Miami despite coming off of a loss to Minnesota. Tua Tagovailoa is returning after his scary injury in Week 4. It should provide a big boost for the Dolphins, who have dropped three straight after starting 3-0. The team looked very good with Tua under center and I’ll be interested to see how he looks returning to action. I’m thinking this is going to be a close one while Tua gets his legs back under him.

The Pick: Steelers +7

MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL

Chicago Bears at New England Patriots (-7.5)


There’s not much left for me to say about the Bears this season. We can add red zone offense to the category of “things I’d rather watch paint dry than watch the Bears attempt.” Justin Fields is trying, and has shown flashes. It’s hard to judge him when everything around him is so bad, but he’s not blameless in the struggles. Hopefully Velus Jones Jr. is done fielding punts.

The Patriots on the other hand are impossible to get rid of. After plugging in rookie quarterback Bailey Zappe to replace an injured Mac Jones, New England might have actually gotten better. Brady-Bledsoe 2.0? The running game is great, the defense is stout as always and the Pats have a lot of winning to do to keep pace with Buffalo and the other solid teams in the division. Bill Belichick is going to have a field day preparing for this one.

The Pick: Patriots -7.5

By the way, I’ll be throwing a party if I ever have a week where I get more right than wrong. You’re all invited. Hopefully the wait isn’t much longer. Enjoy your weekend!

There is usually only one day a week I’m not at my office, not checking email and not doing anything work related. That day is Saturday, and I usually spend it the same way each week. I wake up, turn on each of my three TVs to something I want to watch, and spend the rest of my day sitting there. I get up for food and to go to the bathroom, but that’s about it.

I find it important to maximize my relaxation on any given day, especially a day off. Whether it's sports, movies, a new show or even a LEGO set, I try to spend my Saturday’s doing as many things I enjoy as possible, while also trying to do as little as I can.

This past weekend was different. I drove up to Penn High School not long after waking up to cover Warsaw Volleyball’s quest for a sectional title. The trip was an overwhelming success. The Tigers finally got over the hump that was the Kingsmen and dominated Concord in the championship match to advance to regional play.

Now, I can’t say that I covered every Warsaw volleyball game this season. It would be quite difficult and unfair to our six other schools to do so. But I was at some of their biggest matches this year. The team’s first game against Penn, a heartbreaking loss. Their win against NorthWood that clinched a share of the Northern Lakes Conference crown and the victory over Concord a week later to win it outright. Just to name a few.

The goal remained the same for the entirety of the year: win the sectional. When the goal was finally achieved Saturday night, I felt myself becoming overwhelmed with emotions as I watched the team scream their faces off while huddling up and celebrating. I had done nothing for this team besides write about its successes, but I couldn’t help but feel proud.

It reminded me why myself and others in this profession do what we do. We often forget how lucky we are to consider watching games “work”. We get to watch these teams grow, see them go through ups and downs. Seeing a team come together and make a dream come true filled me with so much happiness that I forget about all of the other stuff.

For example, I forgot that it was Saturday. Truth be told, it didn’t matter that it was.

I will be happy to travel to LaPorte High School this Saturday to see if Warsaw can keep this going. If they win two more games, I’ll be happy to work the Saturday after that as well. The relaxation can wait. I’ll sleep when I’m dead. There’s an opportunity to see something truly special happen, and I’ll be sitting front row. I hope to see some of you good people there too. Best of luck to the Tigers this weekend. I’ve been eagerly waiting for Saturday morning’s contest since I got home last Saturday night. I can’t be the only one.

Anyways, here are my terrible football picks.

THURSDAY NIGHT

New Orleans Saints at Arizona Cardinals (-2.5)


I hope nobody reading this goes to their sportsbook with my Thursday Night Football advice every week. I’m sitting at one win coming into this one but that’s not without some tough luck. The Saints led Cincinnati for 95% of their game last weekend before a last minute touchdown put the Bengals up for good. Alvin Kamara is starting to look better despite his off the field issues and the wide receiver room should have some bodies returning.

Arizona has also had a busy few days regarding its wideouts. The team lost Marquise “Hollywood” Brown for some extended time to injury but traded for Carolina’s Robbie Anderson. Most importantly, DeAndre Hopkins has been activated following a six-game suspension and will make his season debut. Will his impact be big enough to make a difference on an anemic offense? I don’t know. He’s one of the best pass catchers in the game and will be an immediate boost, but it’ll take a little time for him to turn into a game breaker. It’s been eight losses in a row for Arizona at home. They can’t make it nine.

The Pick: Cardinals -2.5

1 O’CLOCK SUNDAY

Indianapolis Colts at Tennessee Titans (-2.5)


Big win for the Colts last weekend to get yet another split with Jacksonville for the season. Indy will aim to get even with the Titans this weekend after Tennessee defeated Frank Reich’s side at Lucas Oil earlier this year. The Colts finally got it going offensively last weekend, putting up 34 points largely in part to some better work from the receivers. That should take some pressure off of Jonathan Taylor if he’s able to return.

The Titans were one of the four teams on bye last week, giving the team an extra week to game plan and try to extend their winning streak to four. Tennessee already got some good news this week when it was announced a new $2.1 billion stadium deal. After the early season love affair with the Jaguars came to end almost as quickly as it began, it again appears that these two will be the teams battling it out for first place in the division. The Titans have Indy’s number; they make it five in a row.

The Pick: Titans -2.5

Detroit Lions at Dallas Cowboys (-7)


The Lions also got a bye last week, coming at a perfect time. The team had dropped a few in a row and was not playing good football. Amon-Ra St. Brown and D’Andre Swift should be much healthier coming out of the break, and perhaps the defense got a few extra reps as well.

The Cowboys should have Dak Prescott available in this one after the Cooper Rush Experience came to a less than dazzling end in Philadelphia Sunday night. Dallas gave the undefeated Eagles a scare but couldn’t pull it off. The Cowboys’ D should have a better week, but Dak might take a quarter or two to readjust and the Lions are known for making games like these close.

The Pick: Lions +7

Cleveland Browns at Baltimore Ravens (-6)


Things have gone from bad to worse for Cleveland in recent weeks as the team is on a three game slide. The most recent loss was a 38-15 whooping at the hand of the Patriots. Kevin Stefanski has made some questionable play calling decisions in recent weeks and despite a solid run game, the team is trending in the wrong direction.

Meanwhile Baltimore has plenty of problems of their own. The Ravens are 3-3 and could very well be 6-0. The Giants were able to stun Baltimore last weekend with a touchdown at the end of the game and clinched it moments later on Lamar Jackson’s second turnover of the fourth quarter. The Browns need to turn it around quickly and the Ravens need to prove they are a team that can win the games it keeps finding ways to lose. I could go either way on this one.

The Pick: Ravens -6

New York Giants at Jacksonville Jaguars (-3)


New York has quickly become the center of the football world with both the Giants and Jets playing outstanding football to start the season. The Giants sit in second place in the NFC East at 5-1 and Brian Daboll is the early front runner for Coach of the Year. Saquon Barkley was bottled up for the most part last week but has been one of the most exciting players in football.

The Jaguars were the best thing since sliced bread for about two weeks before coming back down to Earth in its more recent fixtures. Trevor Lawrence has struggled throwing the ball deep but the offense has found ways to move the ball. Travis Etienne has taken over the backfield but has yet to find the end zone. I have to go with the G Men here.

The Pick: Giants +3

Green Bay Packers (-4.5) at Washington Commanders


Green Bay has a lot of problems right now. They don’t have any playmaking receivers, Aaron Rdogers isn’t hitting them in the first place and the offense in general has looked bottom tier. The defense has been okay, but was gashed by both New York teams in back to back weeks. The Packers have only one dominant win this season, which came against the hapless Bears. The team continues to be big favorites every week.

The Commanders only have two wins this season, one of which also coming against the hapless Bears last Thursday. Carson Wentz broke a finger in that game, meaning Taylor Heinicke will start this Sunday. Rookie Sam Howell might also get some reps if Heinicke starts out sluggish. Washington does boast a tough front seven that will make it hard for the Packers’ offense. But will Washington’s be able to score enough points of their own?

The Pick: Packers -4.5

Atlanta Falcons at Cincinnati Bengals (-6.5)


The Falcons refuse to lose. They are 3-3 but are now 6-0 against the spread. Only a handful of teams have ever made it to 7-0 against the spread, and what makes what the Falcons are doing even more impressive is that most of the previous teams started with 7-0 records as well. The run game has been deadly and Marcus Mariota is playing his role to perfection.

The Bengals picked up a much-needed comeback win over the Saints last weekend, taking its first lead late in the game. The offense has picked it back up and the defense is playing well. The Bengals look like a team that could win the division and make another run if they figure some stuff out along the way. I’ll be leaning on the side of history until they lose.

The Pick: Falcons +6.5

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-10.5) at Carolina Panthers


This is a tricky one. Tampa Bay has been heavy favorites in its last couple of games, unable to cover any of them. The breakout game has to be coming soon right? On the other side the Panthers are the worst team in football, and it hasn’t really been close. The Los Angeles Rams were HORRIBLE last weekend and were still able to cover the same spread. To make matters worse, Carolina will be starting Jacob Eason this week, QB5. I want it on the record now that I think Tampa still wins the division but is an early exit. The only reason I’m sticking with them is because of how bad the Panthers have been.

The Pick: Buccaneers -10.5

LATE AFTERNOON SLATE

New York Jets at Denver Broncos (-1.5)


I alluded to it earlier, but I’ll say it again. It’s not one but both New York teams that are taking the NFL world by storm this fall. Breece Hall has been awesome, the defense has had success against just about anyone, led by rookie Sauce Gardner, who might be the best rookie in the league so far. Robert Salah is showing off the receipts! I’m happy to see the Jets back in the national spotlight, and I hope they can keep this going.

The team will have a good chance to do so going against possibly the biggest disappointment in the league in the Denver Broncos. The team has looked horrible, there’s no other way to put it. Russell Wilson looks washed up and to make matters worse is now dealing with a hamstring injury to go along with a bad shoulder. The Broncos can’t pass, they can’t run, but at least the defense has been above average. If Russ has been this bad healthy, how is it going to look with him banged up? J-E-T-S.

The Pick: Jets +1.5

Houston Texans at Las Vegas Raiders (-7)

Houston had an extra week to marinate in its first win of the season two weeks ago against Jacksonville. Damien Pierce has been one of the best offensive rookies of the year so far, rushing for 310 yards in his last three games. The offense has had its problems outside of Pierce though, and the defense has struggled to keep high powered offenses down.

The Raiders also got a bye last week and came awfully close to beating the Chiefs the week before. The team has played a lot better football than its 1-4 record would indicate. The front seven on the defense is starting to cause some problems for quarterbacks and Derek Carr is starting to connect with all of his receivers. The Raiders have some stuff to prove and a lot of improving of their record to do to get back into things. I think they pick up a big win and get back on track here.

The Pick: Raiders -7

Kansas City Chiefs (-3) at San Francisco 49ers

Both teams are coming into this one after suffering losses last weekend, albeit to two very different sides. Kansas City dropped its game to Super Bowl contender Buffalo while San Fran lost as 6.5 point favorites on the road. The Chiefs shouldn’t be too discouraged though, as it was a close game that KC probably could have won. The Mahomes to Kelce connection remains the most dangerous in the game.

The Niners had a lot of missing pieces on defense against Atlanta last weekend and to this point we’re unsure about how many players will be back. The offense has been rocky since Jimmy Garoppolo took over, so there are definitely some big question marks on what version of this team we’re going to get. I’m going to go with the more trustworthy side.

The Pick: Chiefs -3

Seattle Seahawks at Los Angeles Chargers (-6.5)


How many of you thought Geno Smith would be having a better season than Russell Wilson at this point? I may have asked the same question last week but the point remains. Seattle was picked by many to be in contention for the number one pick in next year’s draft, but the team is playing well enough that it should avoid that conversation.

The Chargers defeated the Broncos on Monday night but didn’t look good doing so. Justin Herbert was held without a touchdown pass and the team’s longest offensive play went for just 24 yards. Los Angeles has looked good this season, but not at the level they were expected to. Seattle’s successes have been coming at the expense of bad teams. Give me the Chargers to right the ship.

The Pick: Chargers -6.5

WAITIN’ ALL DAY FOR A SUNDAY NIGHT

Pittsburgh Steelers at Miami Dolphins (-7)


On paper, this isn’t the most exciting primetime game the league has to offer. Pittsburgh picked up its first win since Week 1 in a huge upset over Tampa Bay last weekend, even after losing quarterback Kenny Pickett to a concussion. The team currently expects Pickett to play on Sunday night. The team had a nice week defensively and will look to get its various skill players more involved.

It’s a positive week for Miami despite coming off of a loss to Minnesota. Tua Tagovailoa is returning after his scary injury in Week 4. It should provide a big boost for the Dolphins, who have dropped three straight after starting 3-0. The team looked very good with Tua under center and I’ll be interested to see how he looks returning to action. I’m thinking this is going to be a close one while Tua gets his legs back under him.

The Pick: Steelers +7

MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL

Chicago Bears at New England Patriots (-7.5)


There’s not much left for me to say about the Bears this season. We can add red zone offense to the category of “things I’d rather watch paint dry than watch the Bears attempt.” Justin Fields is trying, and has shown flashes. It’s hard to judge him when everything around him is so bad, but he’s not blameless in the struggles. Hopefully Velus Jones Jr. is done fielding punts.

The Patriots on the other hand are impossible to get rid of. After plugging in rookie quarterback Bailey Zappe to replace an injured Mac Jones, New England might have actually gotten better. Brady-Bledsoe 2.0? The running game is great, the defense is stout as always and the Pats have a lot of winning to do to keep pace with Buffalo and the other solid teams in the division. Bill Belichick is going to have a field day preparing for this one.

The Pick: Patriots -7.5

By the way, I’ll be throwing a party if I ever have a week where I get more right than wrong. You’re all invited. Hopefully the wait isn’t much longer. Enjoy your weekend!
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