Jim Vallet and Robert Perea, The Fernley Reporter
If you haven’t seen it yet and like four football games on your TV screen at once, check out “NFL Redzone” on DirecTV channel 211.
Second, there’s no commercials! No young people cavorting on the beach while swigging beer. No angled shots of parked shiney trucks with a voice telling me how much cash back I’ll get if I purchase before Nov. 30. No political ads! No women with gross long fingernails squeezing hot sauce on a taco or burrito, (and getting some of the sauce on the taco) then wiping the dripped sauce up with their taco or burrito.
Fourth, Scott Hanson, the announcer, is always positive and upbeat. I already feel guilty enough wasting a whole day once a week watching grown men beat the heck out of each other for my enjoyment, I don’t need to be reminded of the toll the game takes on the players. I want to listen to someone who is excited about doing exactly what I do.
Next up on my version of “The Pollyanna Article” is the job some NFL coaches can do. Before you bury teams for this year like the Patriots, Cowboys, Browns, Jaguars, and Panthers, check out the Los Angeles Rams and the Denver Broncos.
How is it that some coaches make lemonade out of lemons while other coaches look to sharpen their golf games when things start to go south? Both McVay and Payton have coached up teams that I thought would be in trouble to winning seasons in the past, and it looks like they might do it again. For them, the time to give up on their teams is never.
Next is how nice the weather is in Northern Nevada this time of year. Even though as I write this it looks like the skies are going to open up at any minute, the weather here at this time of year is great.
Finally, I am very excited about the renaissance of my hometown of Detroit. Donald Trump recently warned that the whole country would end up like Detroit if he doesn’t get elected, and I say that is not a bad thing. If you have been to Detroit recently, you have seen a great transformation. I admit that some parts of the city still look like Berlin after WWII, but much of the city has been rebuilt so that my hometown can regain its spot as one of the great cities of the United States. The revival of the Red Wings, Tigers, and Lions are to me, metaphors for the new Detroit, and I’m very proud.
Denver Broncos (-2 ½) at New Orleans Saints: This is NOT a pick I would normally make - a visiting Thursday Night team that is giving points. But, although the Broncos have injuries, they are nothing like what the Saints are experiencing.
Philadelphia Eagles
Detroit Lions (+2 ½) at MInnesota Vikings: I think the Lions are better.
Cincinnati Bengals
Pittsburgh Steelers (+2 ½) vs NY Jets: The line on this one has moved 3 points so far, opening at Steelers -½. All because the Jets signed a possibly injured and apparently petulant wideout. The Jets could not stop a backup rookie running back Monday night, and they could not block the pass rush of the Bills. The Steelers do both these things much better than the Bills.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Los Angeles Chargers (-2 ½) at Arizona Cardinals: Another road favorite. If the Chargers’ offensive line is playing, they should dominate.
Last week:
Season: 13-23-1
Robert’s picks
East Carolina (+15 ½) at Army: At 369.8 yards per game, Army leads the nation is rushing offense. But East Carolina’s strength is defending the rush, aside from an abysmal effort against Charlotte two weeks ago, so while there won’t be any stopping Army, East Carolina has a legitimate shot to slow them down. But the Pirates had a bye after that Charlotte debacle, so they come out with two weeks to prepare in a situation where they’re looking for atonement. If they can hold Army to even 100 yards below their average, then they have a great shot to hold Army under 30 points, and I’ll take almost anyone +15 ½ if they have a legitimate shot to hold the favorite under 30.
Texas Tech (-6 ½) over Baylor: Baylor is mediocre to poor on defense, and that’s their strong side of the ball. The Texas Tech offense is humming, especially at home. The Baylor program is 5-16 in the last 21 games, as the program seems to be going backward under Dave Aranda, while Joey McGuire has the Red Raiders on the rise. I’d be surprised if this isn’t a double-digit win for Tech.
Georgia (+5) at Texas: This is the first time Georgia has been an underdog since the season-opener in 2021 against Clemson, but with good reason, because Texas has made a clear case as one of the top two or three teams in the country this season. The Longhorns have only allowed 38 points all season. Seven teams in the country allow that many or more per game. But other than a Week 1 game at Michigan, Texas has played a pretty soft schedule so far. Now they have to beat a championship caliber opponent by a touchdown. I’ll gladly take the points.
Missouri (-4 ½) over Auburn: Auburn has struggled at QB all season, and that was with five consecutive home games to start the season. Now they face a Missouri team that’s trying to prove it belongs in the upper echelon of the SEC. Missouri is strong defensively against the run, and if you stop Auburn from running, their shaky QB play can’t bail them out. Betting against Auburn has been good to me this season, and I’ll dip my bucket back in that well once more.
Nebraska (+6 ½) at Indiana: Indiana is 6-0 averaging 48 points a game, so I must be an idiot to bet against them, right? Maybe so. But the best team they’ve played is Maryland or Northwestern, both 3-3. Since Northwestern beat Maryland 37-10, I’ll say the best team Indiana has faced is Northwestern. Nebraska comes in at 5-1 with a defense allowing 11 points per game. Hopefully this line will go up to 7, but even if not, I think this game is a dogfight that goes to the wire.
Packers (-2 ½) over Texans: The Texans are 5-1, but they hadn’t looked great until torching the Patriots last week. But now they face their second consecutive road game at Green Bay, where it looks like Jordan Love has his legs back under him. The Texans D struggled on the road and Indianapolis and Minnesota, and even gave up 21 to the Patriots, and I expect Love and the Packers to have their fair share of success.
Chiefs (+1 ½) at 49ers: The 49ers are still struggling to score touchdowns in the red zone and they have had trouble finishing games, almost completely blowing a 23-3 lead last week in Seattle. The Chiefs aren’t going to go undefeated and this is as likely a place as any that they could suffer a loss, but Patrick Mahomes as an underdog is just more than I can pass up.
Jets (-2) at Steelers: I’m disappointed to have to lay points with the Jets here, but I think the linesmakers have the same idea I do. Yes the Jets are 2-4, but the only bad loss they have is the loss to Denver. This is better than a 2-4 team, and I think a better team than the Steelers. Now they’re a week removed from the firing of Robert Saleh, with a chance to put the distraction aside and take on a Steelers team that is not as good as its 4-2 record might look. If the Jets are going to be somebody this season, and I still think they are, it starts here.
Last week
College 2-3
NFL 2-0
Season
College 15-13
NFL 11-5-1
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