Week 3

As someone who grew up bleeding New York Giants blue, I developed an intense hatred for all things Boston as I spent my high school years from 2004-2008 half an hour away from the bloody socks and syringes we know as Fenway Park. Naturally, I rooted against Tom Brady and Matt Ryan so much I can admit without question that my opinions of them have always been biased. Brady, like Kurt Warner, is a patient and smart enough quarterback to manage a football team with a huge advantage. Brady's Patriots dynasty had a tenacious defense (come and gone) and the second best offensive line of the decade in a weak division. Even a mediocre quarterback in Matt Cassell, succeeded with the Patriots. Cassell was traded and now plays for a team whose best quarterback is named Tyler Thigpen. 

Warner's Rams had the best pass protection in football as well as an offensive coordinator who could create magic with time, fast wide receivers, and Marshall Faulk.  The Arizona Cardinals last year coasted to an unimpressive 9-7 regular season finish in a division with three truly terrible football teams. They finished 3-7 outside the division and were outscored by an average of over one touchdown per game. They were blessed with a favorable matchup Wild Card weekend against Atlanta. My college buddy Andy called me out for predicting his Falcons to lose to in his words "the lowly Cardinals." I took the points the next week in Carolina and couldn't pick a banged-up Eagles team to play in the Super Bowl within a year after Philadelphia already won a sports title. The Cardinals played three weeks of hard football last year complete with a running game and reached the Super Bowl. A healthy team with a three wide receiver set always has a fighting chance in
January. The Cardinals outmatched the Falcons and defeated Jake Delhomme on his worst performance of the year and a Philadelphia team that essentially won their Super Bowl the week before. Just as much as my prejudice helped my common sense last year, dumb luck helped the Cardinals.


So where does that leave us? This week Tom Brady's New England Patriots are visited by BC alum Matt Ryan and the 2-0 Atlanta Falcons. Sunday Night, the undefeated Indianapolis Colts visit the 1-1 Cardinals for two of the most hyped games of this week. They shouldn't be.

The Falcons have beaten two teams out of my Top 20 at home. Michael Turner is slower than last year and is going to have a down year. The Patriots have yet to click this season and yet squeaked to a salvageable 1-1 record. The Patriots are going to step up and get results this season. Whether or not that happens this week isn't really that important. I like the Patriots to look like the better team all game and cover this weekend. This is the game where third down conversions will set the tone. Wes Welker and Kevin Faulk keep the Patriots over .500 and beat Atlanta this weekend.

The anticipated Colts vs. Cardinals matchup features two teams in the bottom 16 of my Power Rankings. Neither team is that good. Arizona will have some advantages, especially with a home crowd in a late game. I like the Cardinals to keep the game a one possession game. Neither of these teams are good enough for this game to be on a Sunday Night.




JETS -2.5 Titans
Jaguars +4 TEXANS
EAGLES-8 Chiefs
Browns +14 RAVENS
Giants -6.5 BUCCANEERS
Redskins -6.5 LIONS
Packers -7 RAMS
49ers +7 VIKINGS
PATRIOTS -4.5 Falcons
Bears -2.5 SEAHAWKS
BILLS +6 Saints
CHARGERS -6 Dolphins
BENGALS +4 Steelers
RAIDERS +2 Broncos
CARDINALS +2.5 Colts
Panthers +9 COWBOYS