NFL PICKS! Week Four

Last Week: 7-9
Year to date: 28-20 (.583)

(Home team denoted in bold. Bye week teams: Philadelphia and Green Bay)

Defensive end Everson Griffen and the Vikings are the toast of the NFC through three weeks. (Ann Heisenfelt/Associated Press)

Thursday, September 29

Cincinnati (1-2) 28, Miami (1-2) 23
It's been a tough start for the Bengals, but they should get back on track with a hard-fought Thursday night win against the struggling Dolphins. If Miami does win, it may be on the back of receiver Jarvis Landry.

Sunday, October 2

Indianapolis (1-2) 30, Jacksonville (0-3) 24 (Game in London)
Jacksonville will eventually get a win. They have now played close games against both Green Bay and Baltimore. The Colts, hoping to avenge a 51-16 loss in Jacksonville near the end of last season, will come out with a little more aggression than normal in this divisional showdown across the pond.

New England (3-0) 24, Buffalo (1-2) 19
After firing offensive coordinator Greg Roman following a 37-31 loss to the Jets, the Bills promptly walloped NFC West favorite Arizona. Go figure. They still don't have a chance against the Patriots, who hold a 23-2 advantage over the teams' 25 previous meetings.

Houston (2-1) 21, Tennessee (1-2) 16
These two AFC South rivals have each scored a total of 42 points, tied for worst in the league. Even without 2014 should-have-been-MVP JJ Watt, Houston has the better defense of the two teams and thus should extend its winning streak against the Titans to five games.

Detroit (1-2) 30, Chicago (0-3) 21
In the snoozefest of the week, the Lions will get back to .500 after beating the listless Bears. If Jay Cutler is still the Bears' starting quarterback (is he? The Bears don't even warrant research at this point) it's a miracle.

Panthers (1-2) 31, Atlanta (2-1) 29
The Falcons have the best offense in the league at the moment, and the Panthers have the league's second-best defense. As last year's Panthers can tell you, when the matchup is tilted in this way, the team with the better defense usually wins.

Seattle (2-1) 24, Jets (1-2) 16
Neither of these teams have been overly impressive. The Seahawks do have a better record, and have been more successful in the past five years than the Jets. The experience should be enough to get Seattle to 3-1.

Baltimore (3-0) 26, Oakland (2-1) 21
Jack Del Rio's bold coaching decision gave the Raiders the win to start the season. His conservative coaching decision to punt on fourth-and-one inside enemy territory almost cost the Raiders the game last week. Regardless, the Raiders are 2-1 and playing in, at least according to win-loss records, a battle of heavyweights in Baltimore. The Ravens will get to 4-0 with a hard-fought win.

Washington (1-2) 33, Cleveland (0-3) 24
If last week's missed field goal after an interception against Miami doesn't prove that God hates the Cleveland Browns, I don't know what will.

Denver (3-0) 34, Tampa Bay (1-2) 21
Fun fact: Each of the last six times these teams have played, the point differential has been no more than nine points. I would not be in the least surprised if that happens again Sunday.

Arizona (1-2) 31, Los Angeles (2-1) 19
The Los Angeles Rams finally scored their first touchdown since 1994 last week, and added on four more as an interest payment. That was against the Bucs, though, and Arizona's defense will come to play in a division showdown.

Dallas (2-1) 29, San Francisco (1-2) 23
The last time Levi's Stadium hosted a 49ers game, San Francisco blew out the Rams on Monday Night Football. Expectations have set in, and the 49ers and Cowboys now are exactly where they thought they'd be in the league standings. This won't have the luster of the 80s and 90s showdowns, but it still should be a good game.

San Diego (1-2) 35, New Orleans (0-3) 26
This was the runner-up to snoozefest of the week, but at least you'll get to see Drew Brees throw a billion touchdowns against his old team and still lose.

Pittsburgh (2-1) 24, Kansas City (2-1) 23
This will be a surprisingly good Sunday Night Football pairing, provided the Steelers don't come out completely flat as they did against Philly last week. Good news for Pittsburgh fans, the Steelers are 22-6 in the regular season in the Mike Tomlin era when playing at home after a loss.

Monday, October 3

Minnesota (3-0) 26, Giants (2-1) 17
Few things have been as exciting to watch this football season as Minnesota's defense (who have unexplainably resided on my fantasy football bench each of the first three weeks of the season). The Vikings' 26 points against the Giants will consist of two offensive touchdowns, one defensive touchdown, a safety, and a field goal which will naturally be set up by a fumble recovery. In other words, the Minnesota offense will win a tight 14-12 contest against the Minnesota defense.

College Football Top 25: Week Four

Senior Corey Clement led Wisconsin to a 30-6 victory in a clash of Big Ten heavyweights Saturday (Bobby Ellis/Getty)

1. Ohio State (3-0)
2. Michigan (4-0)
3. Alabama (4-0)
4. Clemson (4-0)
5. Louisville (4-0)
6. Houston (4-0)
7. Wisconsin (4-0)
8. Washington (4-0)
9. Stanford (3-0)
10. Tennessee (4-0)
11. Florida State (3-1)
12. Miami (3-0)
13. Texas A&M (4-0)
14. Texas (2-1)
15. Baylor (4-0)
16. Texas Christian (3-1)
17. San Diego State (3-0)
18. Michigan State (2-1)
19. Nebraska (4-0)
20. Iowa (3-1)
21. North Carolina (3-1)
22. Boise State (3-0)
23. Mississippi (2-2)
24. Utah (4-0)
25. Florida (3-1)

Dropped: Georgia (12), Arkansas (17), Louisiana State (22); New/Returned: Boise State, Mississippi, Utah

NFL PICKS! Week Three

Last week: 11-5
Year to date: 21-11 (.656)

(Home team denoted in bold)

In this week's marquee matchup, Julian Edelman may have to take snaps at quarterback against the Texans. (Jim Rogash/Getty)

Thursday, September 22

Houston (2-0) 21, New England (2-0) 20
If Bill Belichick can actually pull off the 4-0 start sans Brady and with a slew of injuries, he deserves to be put in the Hall of Fame next August. Screw the five-year waiting period or having to be retired.

Sunday, September 25

Arizona (1-1) 31, Buffalo (0-2) 17
After their defense gave up 37 points to the Jets, the Bills immediately fired offensive coordinator Greg Roman. Go figure.

Tennessee (1-1) 27, Oakland (1-1) 26
The Titans showed some testicular fortitude in a come-from-behind road win against Detroit. Now they return home to face an Oakland squad whose defense has given up 69 points in its first two games. This game could swing either way, but the momentum is currently on Tennessee's side.

Giants (2-0) 30, Washington (0-2) 17
The Giants haven't looked impressive, but they have looked like a team that does what it takes to win. Washington hasn't looked awful, but found a way to lose at home against the Cowboys last week. My preseason outlook for the NFC East has been turned on its head.

Miami (0-2) 33, Cleveland (0-2) 19
Two things are for sure: One of these teams will get its first win of the season Sunday, and the Browns lost in the most Browns-esque way last week. Up 20-2 after the first quarter, Cleveland was outscored 23-0 the rest of the way. Miami may be the only AFC East team to win this week.

Baltimore (2-0) 27, Jacksonville (0-2) 16
Just about everything I said about the Jags last week ended up being unfounded. Jacksonville came out flat against a Chargers team I'm still not sold on. Gus Bradley may be looking for work by year's end.

Green Bay (1-1) 30, Detroit (1-1) 24
The Packers and Lions may end up fighting for second place in the NFC North, because Minnesota's defense is scary good. Green Bay, still searching for their rhythm, should be able to beat Detroit anyway.

Denver (2-0) 26, Cincinnati (1-1) 23
This matchup would be sexier if Cincy had beaten the Steelers last week, but a 2-0 Bengals team still couldn't beat the Broncos. Fun stat: If Von Miller continues at current pace, he'll finish the season with 32.0 sacks (the single-season record is 22.5).

Carolina (1-1) 31, Minnesota (2-0) 23
I have next to no confidence in this pick; if Minnesota does end up winning, this is the kind of early-season test that could propel the Vikings into an incredibly dominating season.

Tampa Bay (1-1) 24, Los Angeles (1-1) 19
The Los Angeles Rams are still looking for their first touchdown since 1994. The last team to go the first three games of a season without scoring a touchdown were the historically awful 1976 Buccaneers.

Seattle (1-1) 26, San Francisco (1-1) 19
The Seahawks have looked decidedly un-Seahawk-ish so far this year. The Niners are still an unknown in 2016. This is another game that could go either way.

Kansas City (1-1) 27, Jets (1-1) 26
If the Jets secondary can't fix its issues quickly, Alex Smith could have a huge passing day (which, I might add, has happened three times in Smith's 12-year career).

San Diego (1-1) 35, Indianapolis (0-2) 29
The talking heads are trying to pin all the blame for the Colts' early struggles on Andrew Luck, but even Tom Brady would go .500 at best on a team giving up a league-high 36.5 points per game.

Pittsburgh (2-0) 24, Philadelphia (2-0) 23
One of the great stories of the first eighth of the season has been FCS man Carson Wentz starting his Eagles career 2-0. He should feel no shame if his first loss comes by less than one score to a team that many are touting has Super Bowl potential.

Dallas (1-1) 31, Chicago (0-2) 17
John Fox's coaching days might be numbered. The Bears have been outplayed throughout the early part of the season. Dak Prescott will be claiming his second NFL win come Sunday night.

Monday, September 26
New Orleans (0-2) 30, Atlanta (1-1) 28
Emotions will be running high in New Orleans for Monday Night Football. Should the Saints defense keep the score from doing just that, it will be a happy night for the home crowd.

College Football Top 25: Week Three

Sophomore Lamar Jackson could have single-handedly beaten Florida State Saturday. His Cardinals soar into the top five. (Timothy D. Easley/Associated Press)

1. Ohio State (3-0)
2. Alabama (3-0)
3. Michigan (3-0)
4. Clemson (3-0)
5. Louisville (3-0)
6. Houston (3-0)
7. Washington (3-0)
8. Wisconsin (3-0)
9. Stanford (2-0)
10. Michigan State (2-0)
11. Tennessee (3-0)
12. Georgia (3-0)
13. Florida State (2-1)
14. Miami (Fla.) (3-0)
15. Texas A&M (3-0)
16. Florida (3-0)
17. Arkansas (3-0)
18. Texas (2-1)
19. Baylor (3-0)
20. San Diego State (3-0)
21. Texas Christian (2-1)
22. Louisiana State (2-1)
23. Iowa (2-1)
24. Nebraska (3-0)
25. North Carolina (2-1)
Dropped: Notre Dame (13), Oklahoma (15), Mississippi (16), Boise State (21), Oregon (24); New/returned: San Diego State, Texas Christian, Louisiana State, Nebraska, North Carolina

NFL PICKS! Week Two

Last week: 10-6
Season to date: 10-6

(Home team denoted in bold)

Antonio Brown and the Steelers host Cincinnati in this week's marquee matchup. (Alex Brandon/Associated Press)

Thursday, September 15

Jets (0-1) 19, Buffalo (0-1) 14
It's difficult to get a feel on either of these teams after week one. The Jets came within one point of the defending AFC North champs, but the Bills held an apparently "elite" Ravens offense to just 13. The defenses will be competing for bragging rights in this year's first rendition of the Rex Ryan Bowl.

Sunday, September 18

Giants (1-0) 32, New Orleans (0-1) 26
The Giants are being dubbed by many as the new darling of the NFC East after squeaking by Dallas' highly-touted rookie backup. The Saints looked like another post-Bountygate New Orleans team, its offense airballing for over 400 yards while the defense lost the game.

Detroit (1-0) 38, Tennessee (0-1) 26
I was mistaken about the Lions' chances against Indy last week, but their chances against Tennessee will be even better. Look for the Titans to keep it close, though.

Dallas (0-1) 29, Washington (0-1) 20
The defending NFC East champs looked like cellar dwellars compared to an underrated Steelers team Monday night. The Cowboys lost a heartbreaker at home Sunday. This could either be an exceptionally competitive game or a rather dull one. I'm not sure there's an in-between.

Houston (1-0) 28, Kansas City (1-0) 23
Both teams underperformed in the first week. The Chiefs should have run away with it against the Chargers, but needed a comeback run instead to win. Nothing about the Texans' win against Chicago was phenomenal. Usually, though, it's the ugly wins that turn out to be the most important. This matchup could have playoff seeding implications, so whether it's ugly or beautiful the winner will come away with a bit more pep than usual.

New England (1-0) 24, Miami (0-1) 16
The Patriots could've easily lost in Arizona, and the Dolphins almost beat Seattle. This game would have a bit more appeal if the 1-0 team was 0-1, and vice versa. However, that is not the case, so expect another run-of-the-mill New England intradivisional win.

Baltimore (1-0) 28, Cleveland (0-1) 9
When I saw the news that Cleveland's new $15 million quarterback got hurt in his very first game, the immediate thought was "that's so Cleveland." Considering who the quarterback is, you could also reason "that's so Griffin." "Not-so-average-" Joe Flacco and the Ravens will easily dispatch of the Quagmire that is the Browns. (Giggity)

Carolina (0-1) 24, San Francisco (1-0) 21
Can you believe the 49ers are the only team in the NFL who haven't given up a single point all season? That's almost a crazy stat as the Panthers not having won a game since January! All these things will change come Sunday, so enjoy them while they last.

Pittsburgh (1-0) 33, Cincinnati 20
The Steelers looked like a championship team on Monday night. The Bengals struggled against the Jets, but still found a way to win. With all due respect to Baltimore, the home-and-home series between Pittsburgh and Cincy this season might be the best division rivalry of 2016.

Arizona (0-1) 30, Tampa Bay (1-0) 27
Chandler Catanzaro will be practicing extra hard this week after missing a 47-yard potential game-winner against the Patriots. His foot may end up being the deciding factor in this game against the Bucs (who, by the way, are still my dark-horse NFC wild card pick).

Seattle (1-0) 29, Los Angeles (0-1) 6
Uh-oh, the futility that defined the last few years of the old L.A. Rams is quickly coming back to define the new L.A. Rams. The Seahawks offense will fix whatever it is that took them three and a half quarters to get going last week, making the first NFL game in the LA Coliseum since '94 a difficult one for the home fans.

Oakland (1-0) 38, Atlanta (0-1) 29
Of all the teams that won last week, the Raiders were most disappointing. Jack Del Rio, the king of clapbacks, has to be beating himself up inside because his defense gave up 500 yards of total offense. Atlanta's offense is not terrible, so in order to go 2-0 the Raiders need to either find some solutions on defense or be prepared for another shootout.

Jacksonville (0-1) 28, San Diego (0-1) 27
Inversely, the Jags had the most impressive loss of week one. Jacksonville managed to stay within one score of the darlings of the NFL, not bad for a team that hasn't won more than five games in a season since 2010. The Chargers' collapse was one of the big week one storylines, this week expect the Jaguars to jump ahead early but almost lose it in the end.

Denver (1-0) 36, Indianapolis (0-1) 27
No Peyton? No problem, said the Indianapolis Colts when they drafted Andrew Luck first overall in 2012. No Peyton? No problem, said the Denver Broncos when they edged out Carolina in the season opener last Thursday. Unfortunately, the Colts still have myriad problems outside the quarterback position. Denver still looks solid all around.

Green Bay (1-0) 27, Minnesota (1-0) 26
The race for the NFC North will be closer than I anticipated. Minnesota lost exactly zero strides when they hurriedly replaced their quarterback mere days ago, and the Packers look mortal (see Jacksonville, above). This should be a fun Sunday night showdown.

Monday, September 19

Philadelphia (1-0) 26, Chicago (0-1) 16
The Bears are somehow favored in this one, so go ahead and pick Philly to cover and win if you're the betting type. Second overall pick Carson Wentz looks impressive to this point, and Chicago did not look like anything special in Houston. This game may surprise and feel just like the great Eagles-Bears games of the '80s, but with Philadelphia winning instead of Chicago.

College Football Top 25: Week 2

Junior Austin Allen and Arkansas won a dramatic double-overtime game Saturday and make their triumphant Top 25 return. (Ronald Martinez/Getty)

1. Ohio State (2-0)
2. Alabama (2-0)
3. Michigan (2-0)
4. Houston (2-0)
5. Florida State (2-0)
6. Clemson (2-0)
7. Georgia (2-0)
8. Wisconsin (2-0)
9. Washington (2-0)
10. Texas (2-0)
11. Tennessee (2-0)
12. Stanford (1-0)
13. Notre Dame (1-1)
14. Michigan State (1-0)
15. Oklahoma (1-1)
16. Mississippi (1-1)
17. Miami (Fla.) (2-0)
18. Louisville (2-0)
19. Texas A&M (2-0)
20. Iowa (2-0)
21. Boise State (2-0)
22. Florida (2-0)
23. Arkansas (2-0)
24. Oregon (2-0)
25. Baylor (2-0)
Dropped: Texas Christian (10), Louisiana State (17), Oklahoma State (19); New: Florida, Arkansas, Baylor

NFL PICKS! Week One

Among this week's storylines are a Super Bowl rematch on Thursday, a head coach facing his former team for the first time Sunday, and the first all-California NFC West matchup since 1994 on Monday night.

Lions head coach Jim Caldwell will return to Indianapolis Sunday evening. Caldwell spent three seasons leading the Colts, including a Super Bowl loss following the 2009 season. (Matthew Healy/UPI)

As always, home teams shown in bold.

Thursday, September 8

Carolina 27, Denver 21
This will be a great test to see how each conference champion has responded since Super Bowl 50. The Broncos have moved on at the quarterback position, and the Panthers are starting two rookie cornerbacks on defense.

Sunday, September 11

Green Bay 31, Jacksonville 21
The Packers' return to the top of the NFC North begins with a trip to Jacksonville. The Jags, though improved from last year, should be no match for Mike McCarthy's crew.

Kansas City 33, San Diego 19
It will be the start of a long and disappointing season for the Chargers in one of four intra-divisional matchups to take place in week one.

Oakland 29, New Orleans 26
The X-factor Sunday in New Orleans? The state of Louisiana experienced its worst natural disaster since Katrina this summer. If the Saints can repeat the emotional high of their first game back in the Superdome after the 2005 hurricane, it would be difficult for any visiting team to win.

Cincinnati 26, Jets 21
There may be a rematch of this game come January. Both teams are potential playoff squads and this game will be an early test for everyone involved.

Philadelphia 30, Cleveland 23
Rookie quarterback Carson Wentz's first start will be against the softball Cleveland Browns. As long as Wentz can rely on the talent around him, it may not be pretty, but his debut will be a win.

Minnesota 26, Tennessee 19
Sam Bradford has been, at best, an above-average quarterback in his six NFL seasons. He will need to learn the Vikings' system incredibly quickly to defeat an up-and-coming Titans squad. Of all my picks this week, I am probably least confident in this one.

Houston 29, Chicago 20
2014 MVP snub JJ Watt is returning from injury to play this game. He will not be 100 percent, but a 70 percent JJ Watt is still better than 95 percent of the rest of the league's defenders.

Buffalo 27, Baltimore 24
I know at least one talking head says this every year, but this year may be Buffalo's best shot to make the playoffs for the first time since 1999. To prove I'm not totally stupid in my analysis, the Bills should win against a Ravens team that could either be improving or past its prime.

Atlanta 27, Tampa Bay 21
The Falcons could challenge Carolina for the NFC South crown, but more likely will be fighting for a wild card spot come season's end. This game might be crucial in that race, because the Bucs will be an improved team in 2016 as well.

Seattle 35, Miami 19
This is the only week one game in which the betting line is in double-digits. Vegas currently has the Seahawks as 10-1/2 point favorites against the Dolphins, and I'm not even sure it will be that close.

Giants 26, Dallas 23
Can they just give the Egg Bowl trophy to whichever quarterback wins this game? Ole Miss product and 13-year NFL veteran Eli Manning will propel his Giants to an early NFC East lead against Cowboys rookie signal-caller Dak Prescott, a Mississippi State alum.

Indianapolis 26, Detroit 24
As I mentioned previously, this will be Jim Caldwell's first visit to Indianapolis since he took over as Detroit head coach in 2014. Caldwell's Lions will come away disappointed as Andrew Luck and the Colts begin to right the ship that took a step in the wrong direction last year.

Arizona 31, New England 24
This might be the most entertaining game of week one, and a possible Super Bowl LI preview. I joked in the preseason about the intricate plot of Bill Belichick, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck to get one of Arizona's best players off the field for Sunday night's game, but reality will very soon set in. The Cardinals' secondary will tear apart Jimmy Garoppolo to get to 1-0.

Monday, September 12

Pittsburgh 29, Washington 23
The Steelers will challenge Cincinnati for the AFC North title, beating potential NFC East champ Washington along the way. This will be the more entertaining Monday night game, despite the manifold stories surrounding the nightcap game.

Los Angeles 23, San Francisco 17
If you're struggling to stay awake during the second half of Monday's doubleheader, it's not your fault. After the obligatory "the Rams are back in Los Angeles" feature and 30 cameras focused on San Francisco's backup quarterback during the national anthem, this game will likely become a snoozefest.

College Football Top 25: Week One

Senior Greg Ward and Houston made a statement Saturday and jumped into this week's top five teams. (Scott Halleran/Getty)

1. Ohio State (1-0)
2. Alabama (1-0)
3. Florida State (1-0)
4. Clemson (1-0)
5. Houston (1-0)
6. Michigan (1-0)
7. Georgia (1-0)
8. Stanford (1-0)
9. Tennessee (1-0)
10. Texas Christian (1-0)
11. Michigan State (1-0)
12. Notre Dame (0-1)
13. Mississippi (0-1)
14. Oklahoma (0-1)
15. Wisconsin (1-0)
16. Texas (1-0)
17. Louisiana State (0-1)
18. Miami (Fla.) (1-0)
19. Oklahoma State (1-0)
20. Louisville (1-0)
21. Boise State (1-0)
22. Washington (1-0)
23. Texas A&M (1-0)
24. Iowa (1-0)
25. Oregon (1-0)