BEST NCAA FOOTBALL GAMES OF WEEK 7

BY ADAM GREENE I have once again perused the week’s NCAA Football schedule to hand select four games to feature for your potential betting entertainment. It’s been a bad couple of weeks for your humble narrator. I thought adding another matchup to the picks would help me pull my record out of the basement. Instead, I just grabbed a shovel and put myself in a deeper hole. But, with every week comes a new hope. Here’s the four games I’ve handpicked for you this week. TEXAS A&M AT TENNESSEE (-3, O/U: 55) Location: Neyland Stadium, Knoxville, Tenn. Kickoff: Saturday, Oct. 14, 3:30 p.m., CBS Texas A&M (4-2, 2-1 SEC) has flirted with relevance all season, only to drop the ball, literally and figuratively when they have a shot to get back on the map. Last week they fell in a close one to Alabama, 26-20. Max Johnson had a solid day under center, going 14 of 25 passing for 239 yards, a touchdown and a pick. The defense held the Crimson Tide to 23 total yards on the ground and picked off Jalen Milroe once. No. 19 ranked Tennessee (4-1, 1-1 SEC) had a bye last week after what was probably their best game of the season. The Volunteers blasted South Carolina, 41-20, Much-maligned quarterback Joe Milton was 21 of 32 passing for 239 yards, one touchdown and two picks. The Vols rushed for 238 yards, with Jaylen Wright leading the way with 16 carries for 123 yards and a score. The defense shut down Spencer Rattler, holding him to 169 passing yards, no TDs and an interception. The only thing the Volunteers can do consistently is run and it’s bad news that the Aggies were able to shut down the Bama running game so thoroughly. I’m feeling an upset in Neyland here, Texas A&M 27, Tennessee 23 OREGON AT WASHINGTON (-3, O/U: 66.5) Location: Husky Stadium, Seattle, Wash. Kickoff: Saturday, Oct. 14, 3:30 p.m., ABC No. 8-ranked Oregon (5-0, 2-0 Pac-12) has answered the bell this season in a big way once the “difficult” part of their schedule hit. They’ve had one tight shootout win over Texas Tech in week 2 and no other game has even been close. Two weeks ago, they obliterated No. 19 Colorado, 42-6 and then put up that same score in a 42-6 victory over Stanford last week. Bo Nix was dealing, going 27 of 32 passing for 290 yards and four touchdowns. Two Ducks running backs went for 88 yards and a touchdown, Jordan James and Bucky Irving. The defense held the Cardinal to just 222 yards of total offense. No. 7 Washington (5-0, 2-0 Pac-12) took a week off after taking their turn knocking off Arizona. Michael Penix, Jr. was 30 of 40 passing for 363 yards, no touchdowns and no picks in the win. All the Huskies TDs came on the ground, with Dillon Johnson leading the way with 16 carries for 91 yards and two scores. There’s a good chance this will be the best game of the day. The Ducks just look way too strong at this point and could be cruising into the College Football Playoff. This will definitely be their toughest test to date, but I think they’ll pass it. Oregon 45, Washington 27 USC AT NOTRE DAME (-3, O/U: 60.5) Location: Notre Dame Stadium, Notre Dame, Ind. Kickoff: Saturday, Oct. 14, 7:30 p.m., NBC/Peacock Caleb Williams and No. 10-ranked USC (6-0) have been on an offensive roll that’s kept its record perfect. The defense hasn’t been much help in that. While the Trojans have scored 42 or more in every single game this season, the defense has given up 41 in consecutive weeks to Colorado and Arizona. In last week’s 43-41 win over the Wildcats, Williams was 14 of 25 passing for 219 yards and a touchdown. He rushed 12 times for 43 yards and two scores. The defense surrendered 506 total yards of offense, including 203 on the ground. Excessive offensive production has not been an issue for No. 21 Notre Dame (5-2) this season. They’ve not scored more than 21 points in a game in the past three weeks and gone 1-2 in that span. Last week they fell 33-20 to No. 25 Louisville. Sam Hartman was 22 of 38 passing for 254 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions. The Fighting Irish rushed for just 44 yards as a unit while surrendering 185 yards on the ground to the Cardinals. I have no idea why the Irish are still ranked, let alone favored in this game. Sure, the Trojans basically leave their defense on the bus every game, but Caleb Williams is putting up Steph Curry basketball numbers at QB. I don’t think this one will be close. USC 38, Notre Dame 23 MISSOURI AT KENTUCKY (-2.5, O/U: 50.5) Location: Kroger Field, Lexington, Ky. Kickoff: Saturday, Oct. 14, 7:30 p.m., SEC Network Missouri’s stint in the Top 25 lasted all of a week. The Tigers (5-1, 1-1 SEC) played toe-to-toe with LSU for a while, losing 49-39. Brady Cook was 30 of 47 passing for 411 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions in the loss. The defense surrendered 533 yards on offense. No. 24 Kentucky (5-1, 2-1 SEC) ran into a brick wall last week, taking their first loss of the season, 51-13, to No. 1 Georgia. Devin Leary had a rough day at quarterback, going 10 of 26 passing for 128 yards and two touchdowns, but he did not throw an interception. The Wildcats rushed for just 55 yards and were held to a pitiful 188 total yards of offense. There was a time in SEC play that this game would be all but forgettable. While neither Mizzou or the Wildcats could keep their record spotless before this one, somebody’s falling completely out of the final SEC East race after this contest. I think it’ll be the Tigers. Kentucky 31, Missouri 27 Last week Straight up: 1-3 Against the spread: 1-3 Season

NFL POWER RANKINGS WEEK 3

BY ADAM GREENE It always surprises me how quickly the NFL weeks start to jet by once the actual season kicks off. It doesn’t hurt that, counting college football, we have just two days a week (Tuesday and Wednesday) without games, sometimes multiple options, to watch. This week, there’s no real movement at the top of the rankings or at the very bottom, but those teams in the middle still seem to be sorting it out. So, hey, let’s offer an assist by arbitrarily ranking them. 1. PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (2-0) Most teams look worse on Thursday night than they do on Sunday afternoon. After floundering a little in Week1, the Eagles looked every bit like the defending NFC Champions in Week 2, at least from the second quarter on against the Minnesota Vikings. Also, I want to say a word about the NFL coaches wanting the league to outlaw Philly’s short yardage QB sneak play. Suck it up, losers. Yes, they’ve devised an unstoppable play that can gain exactly 1-2 yards. Now it’s up to you to come up with a play to stop it. That’s how this whole thing works. Last week: No. 1 2. SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (2-0) The two best rosters in the NFL populate the two top spots, but the Niners got all they could handle last week from a scrappy Los Angeles Rams team that no one expected to do much in 2023. I will say this, my bold prediction that Brock Purdy would get benched by Thanksgiving is looking way off right now. Last week: No. 2 3. MIAMI DOLPHINS (2-0) Not only have the Dolphins looked nearly unstoppable on offense over the first two weeks of the season, they made sure the New England Patriots would open the year 0-2, making their appearance on next summer’s HBO’s Hard Knocks that much more likely. Also, it’s great that Tua Tagovailoa is healthy and has apparently learned how to take a hit. If I was a quarterback, I’d be signing up for whatever Jujitsu thing Tua is doing today. Last week: No. 3 4. KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (1-1) There was no way the Chiefs would start the year 0-2, but I didn’t see them completely dominating the Jacksonville Jaguars on defense and surrendering a single digit score. Last week: No. 4 5. DALLAS COWBOYS (2-0) Dallas has surrendered 10 points to two New York teams this season in total. Now, let’s not pretend the Jets have an elite offense (in spite of some elite offensive players) without Aaron Rodgers, but these have been two real NFL teams. And while the Giants probably won’t make the playoffs this year, Brian Daboll is a hell of a coach and Dan Quinn’s defense blanked him. Last week:  No. 5 6. BALTIMORE RAVENS (2-0) When the season began, it looked as if the Ravens were in the toughest division in the NFL. While I expected them to battle for the division and certainly land a Wild Card, I didn’t expect the rest of the AFC North to look, well, this bad. Baltimore may walk to a division title and could also be looking at home field advantage and a bye in the playoffs. Last week: No. 7 7. JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (1-1) The loss to the Chiefs wasn’t a shocker. Jacksonville still has a ways to go before they can count on wins like that against a great squad with its back against the wall. What was surprising was the poor performance of the offense, scoring just nine points. Last week: No. 6 8. LOS ANGELES RAMS (1-1) We like to say there are no moral victories in the NFL and it’s probably true. But to stand toe-to-toe with the 49ers and be a play or three away from actually winning the game was a solid step forward for a Rams team that half of NFL punditry expected to tank this season. Puka Nacua has set new rookie records for receptions and yards in his first two games. Tutu Atwell has shed the bust label and now the Rams have the Bengals coming up on the schedule, which looks very winnable now, before a game against the Indianapolis Colts. Last week: No. 9 9. CINCINNATI BENGALS (0-2) Joe Burrow hobbling back to the sideline after another poor game just shows that the team rushed him back too fast after his preseason calf injury. Now, they’re talking about possibly sitting him for a game or more. With Aaron Donald and Jeffery Simmons on the other side of the field over the next two contests, that might not be the worst idea. If Burrow does hit the bench for the next four games and Cincy pulls out two wins, they come out of their bye 2-4 and absolutely could make a run if Burrow is 100 percent. It’s probably the smart move. Last week: No. 8 10. DETROIT LIONS (1-1) You know, I didn’t pick Detroit to win in Week 1, but did think they’d cover. Week 2? I figured they’d blow the Seattle Seahawks off the field. To drop that game, after such a masterful win nine days before over the Chiefs (with the extra prep time too) is a bad look for a team we all hope will play into late January. Last week:  No. 10 11. BUFFALO BILLS (1-1) So this is what it looks like when Josh Allen doesn’t hand the ball to the other team multiple times? Weird. Now they have the 2-0 Washington Commanders coming up on the schedule and the best thing Buffalo can do for a long suffering fanbase is beat the Commanders by 50. Yes, I was talking about Washington’s fanbase. Who did you think I meant? Last week: No. 14 12. NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (2-0) Three teams in the NFC South open the year 2-0, but with a visit to the Green Bay Packers coming up Sunday. Frankly, looking at every NFC South’s team schedule, I think they’re all taking losses

WHAT WE LEARNED – NFL WEEK 2

BY ADAM GREENE Our Monday Night Football doubleheaders are in the books, so now let’s take a look at what everyone’s talking about heading into Week 3. 9 TEAMS OPEN 2-0, BUT NOT ALL ARE MAKING THE PLAYOFFS We’re two weeks in and nine NFL squads currently have spotless records, but not all of these teams will be playing late into January. The Miami Dolphins, Baltimore Ravens, Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Commanders, Atlanta Falcons, New Orleans Saints, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and San Francisco 49ers are all 2-0. Now, the math is in their favor. Teams that open the year 2-0 have a 63.8 percent chance to make the playoffs. But not every 2-0 start is the same. The good news for the three NFC South teams that opened undefeated is that one of them has to win the division, so somebody’s definitely going to be in that 68.3 percent. But I can’t see two or more of them making it in. I’m confident that the Dolphins, Ravens, Cowboys and Eagles can go ahead and make whatever long term plans for the end of January that they want. But the Commanders? There’s no way in the world that’s sustainable and all you can do is look at their schedule and the fact that they have a great coach in Ron Rivera to explain how they got here. It’s why I thought, in spite of actively tanking via their QB room, they’d probably still put up too good a record to draft Caleb Williams without making a monster trade like I’m sure their ownership would love. 9 TEAMS OPEN 0-2, BUT AT LEAST ONE OF THEM WILL MAKE THE PLAYOFFS On the flip side of this equation, we have nine teams sitting at 0-2, which means they’re all looking at a 41.8 percent chance of making the postseason. That crew includes the New England Patriots, Cincinnati Bengals, Houston Texans, Los Angeles Chargers, Denver Broncos, Minnesota Vikings, Chicago Bears, Carolina Panthers and Arizona Cardinals. Some of those are shockers. Three of them, the Vikings, Bengals and Chargers, all made the playoffs last season and Cincinnati made it all the way to the AFC Championship. Like their 2-0 counterparts, these 0-fors are not the same. Los Angeles can’t even blame its schedule. Sure, the Dolphins are great and that was an epic shootout and instant classic in Week 1, but there is no excuse at all to lose to a Tennessee Titans team dying to bench its quarterback and sim to next season. Cincinnati has played two tough teams, both potential playoff participants, and have obviously rushed quarterback Joe Burrow back too quickly from his preseason calf injury. Now there’s some serious talk about pulling Burrow for the next couple of games to try to get his calf right. But, considering his back up, rookie Jake Browning has attempted one single pass (an incompletion), that’s pretty much a white flag. Especially with a Monday Night Football game coming up against the Rams before a trip to Tennessee to take on the aforementioned Titans. While the Rams are good and the Titans, well, we don’t know yet, one thing is for sure. Both those teams can get after the quarterback and the last thing Cincy wants to see is Burrow’s Achilles pop with Aaron Donald or Jeffery Simmons riding him to the ground. I would rather start 0-4 knowing I’ll get a full-go Joe Burrow later on than to lose him for the year. As for the other 0-2 squads? The Broncos might be able to turn it around. You’d hope that Minnesota could, considering the talent they have on their roster. The NFC North still looks very winnable after both the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions took surprising losses Sunday. The Patriots already have a date with HBO’s Hard Knocks next season and the Texans, Bears, Panthers and Cardinals are all looking at landing Top 5 draft picks. RAMS ROOKIE PUKA NACUA OFF TO HISTORIC START Sometimes an injury to a star player (as long as it’s not that serious) can be a good thing, opening up an opportunity for another guy. For the Los Angeles Rams, that other guy is rookie Puka Nacua and he has done nothing short of make history in his two games playing in replacement of All-Universe wide receiver Cooper Kupp. Nacua’s 25 receptions over his first two games is a new NFL record for a rookie. He’s piled up 266 yards along the way and spent all last week being snapped up from fantasy football waiver wires all over the country. All of us that landed him (yes, I did) were pretty happy about it Sunday night, even though the Rams fell a touchdown short of the 49ers. Nacua’s 25 receptions over two contests destroys the old record of 19 from San Francisco 1980 rookie Earl Cooper. Nacua is just the third rookie since 1970 with 10 or more receptions in his first two games and is the fifth player with 10 or more catches and 100-plus yards the first two times he’s put on the horns. In fact, the only player that’s caught more yards in his first two games was Anquan Bolden, who hauled in 279 in 2003 for the Arizona Cardinals and was the Offensive Rookie of the Year. Nacua, who I’m pretty sure didn’t even have odds for that when the season began, now has the third best (+500) behind only Bijan Robinson (+190) of the Falcons and Anthony Richardson (+350) of the Indianapolis Colts. Of course Bolden, Robinson and Richardson were all first round picks. Nacua was selected by LA in the fifth round of April’s draft. What’s been very interesting, and good for the Rams with Kupp returning, is that Tutu Atwell has also emerged as a legit receiver and flirting with bust status after being selected in the second round of the 2021 draft. Atwell’s healthy, running all the routes and has 13 catches for 196 yards. Follow

SNF WEEK 2: DOLPHINS AT PATRIOTS

BY ADAM GREENE I’m sure when the NFL schedule makers put this year’s program together, this looked like a potentially great game. The idea that Bill Belichick could coach a losing team two years in a row, let alone in three out of the last four seems too strange for them and I get it. But I was alive when the Super Genius ran the Cleveland Browns so I’m not ready to just pretend he can push an inferior team over the hump. That’s what will have to happen when the vastly superior Miami Dolphins come to Foxboro to face off against the New England Patriots on Sunday Night Football. The series goes all the way back to 1966 with Miami holding a 60-55 advantage in the all-time head-to-head record. And that’s not close solely from Belichick’s dominance over the last 20 years in New England. Miami, regardless of who they have at QB or head coach, has been a consistent problem for the Pats. Since 2017, the Dolphins are 7-5 against New England and won four in a row before the Patriots stopped the losing steak in penultimate game of last season, 23-21. Tua Tagovailoa, of course, did not play in that game due to his concussion issues. Rookie Skylar Thompson was 12 of 21 for 104 yards, a touchdown and an interception. Teddy Bridgewater was 12 of 19 for 161 yards, a TD and a a pick in the loss. Mac Jones finished 20 of 33 for 204 yards and two touchdowns in the victory. MIAMI DOLPHINS AT NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (+2.5, O/U: 46.5) Location: Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Mass. Broadcast: NBC Kickoff: Sep. 17. 8:20 p.m. MIAMI DOLPHINS (1-0) The Dolphins played in the what was probably the best, most exciting game of Week 1, outlasting the Los Angeles Chargers 36-34 in a an instant classic shootout. Tua Tagovailoa wrapped his afternoon 28 of 45 for 466 yards, three touchdowns and an interception in the win. He was not sacked. Miami didn’t get much out of the running game, gaining just 70 yards on the ground with four different rushers, including Tua. Tyreek Hill was uncoverable, catching 11 balls for 215 yards and two touchdowns. Jaylen Waddle had four grabs for 78 yards. The defense sacked Justin Herbert three times. NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (0-1) New England shocked me, at least, hanging with the defending NFC Champion Philadelphia Eagles, losing in the final minutes 25-20. Mac Jones had a nice day under center, finishing 35 of 54 passing for 316 yards, three touchdowns and a pick. He was sacked twice. The Pats did nothing running the ball, gaining 76 yards with four different guys getting carries. Kendrick Bourn caught six passes for 64 yards and a TD. The defense sacked Jalen Hurts three times and held the Eagles to just 97 yards rushing. THE PICK The Pats are a frustrating team to pick, because they shouldn’t have been competitive in their game with Philly last week. They won’t be this week. Dolphins 31, Patriots 16 Last week Straight up: 10-6 Against the spread: 9-7 Season Straight up: 10-6 Against the spread: 9-7 Follow Adam Greene on Twitter @TheFirstMan. Connect with us our socials on Twitter and Instagram for the latest sports news, viral moments, betting odds and the occasional memes.

NFL POWER RANKINGS – WEEK 2

BY ADAM GREENE It’s time to officially kick off a new week of the NFL action as we always do, by arbitrarily ranking teams based on criteria I’ve manufactured solely from my imagination. Let’s do it! 1. PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (1-0) The Super Bowl hangover is very real and it shows up every season. Still, with the talent mismatch alone, it was surprising to see the Eagles’ win over the New England Patriots, who should be bad this year, come down to the wire. Still, they got the dub and therefore take over the top spot in the rankings. Last week: No. 2 2. SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (1-0) We only had a handful of teams look great in Week 1, but none looked better than the 49ers, who absolutely dominated the Pittsburgh Steelers in their season opener on the road. They now face one of the other few teams that looked great, the Los Angeles Rams, in SoFi Stadium. A team they’ve beaten in eight straight regular season games. Of course, that “postseason” loss still counts the most. Last week: No. 4 3. MIAMI DOLPHINS (1-0) The Dolphins made one of our biggest jumps in the Week 2 Power Rankings by looking all but unstoppable on offense. And, the fact that Tua Tagovailoa outdueled Justin Herbert (who played pretty great too) should justify firing Brian Flores and replacing him with Mike McDaniel, who is already getting the Sean McVay and Kyle Shanahan comparisons (and deservedly so). Last week: No. 11 4. KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (0-1) No team with a healthy Patrick Mahomes and a modicum of talent around him is out of it by any stretch, but that Thursday night loss to the Detroit Lions shows that constant attrition and getting your free agents grabbed by other teams nonstop will who up on the field at some point. Last week: No. 1 5. DALLAS COWBOYS (1-0) I’m pretty sure most of us picked the Cowboys to win on Sunday Night Football. I don’t think any of us expected them to basically win the game after their first defensive stop. The offense didn’t have to do a lot because this might be the best defense in football. Last week:  No. 10 6. JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (1-0) The final score looked fine, but the Jags had a surprisingly tough time with the Indianapolis Colts, who might not be as bad as they look on paper. That being said, Calvin Ridley is paying dividends with Trevor Lawrence already. Last week: No. 6 7. BALTIMORE RAVENS (1-0) Losing JK Dobbins again hurts, but the Ravens have survived that before. They don’t seem to be clicking in the Todd Monken offense just yet and they have a dejected and embarrassed Cincinnati Bengals team in Cincy Sunday. Last week: No. 7 8. CINCINNATI BENGALS (0-1) After losing in embarrassing fashion to the Cleveland Browns, Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase said, “I’m just frustrated because I called their a– elves and we just lost to some elves. I’m not throwing in the towel on Cincy after Week 1, but I may never pick them to win their season opener ever again. This is two bad Week 1 losses in a row. Last week: No. 3 9. LOS ANGELES RAMS (1-0) To misquote Mark Twain, the demise of the Rams has been greatly exaggerated. The rebuilt offensive line looked great. Matthew Stafford was second only to Tua Tagovailoa in passing performance and Puka Nacua came out of nowhere to be the hottest fantasy football waiver wire pickup of the week thanks to a 30-13 win over the Seattle Seahawks. The real test to see how good this version of the Rams are is this week when they “host” the 49ers in SoFi. I put “host” in quotes, because the local “Rams fans” seem far too eager to sell their tickets to these Niner games. Fun fact: The Rams-49ers game will be the first-ever match up between a quarterback taken No. 1 overall in his draft (Stafford) and a quarterback taken last overall in his draft (Brock Purdy). Last week: No. 19 10. DETROIT LIONS (1-0) While I think it’s safe to say “nobody believed in the Lions” regarding a victory over the Kansas City Chiefs, I thought they’d hang and keep it close. Why I didn’t account for was the fact that Jared Goff might be the Eli Manning to Patrick Mahomes’ Tom Brady. Goff is 2-0 against Mahomes and outplayed him both times they faced off. Last week:  No. 13 11. NEW YORK JETS (1-0) Well, the Aaron Rodgers era with the New York Jets lasted for a terrific season of HBO’s Hard Knocks and all of four football plays before his Achilles tore and he was out for the season. I wrote in my “What We Learned” column that the Jets should just ride with Zach Wilson now and let what happens happen. There is no Super Bowl winner of a QB out there for them to add and they’d be better off adding another star, perhaps on the offensive line, with the midround pick they’ll end up in the first round of next April’s draft. And, hey, let’s not forget. They still won the game against the Buffalo Bills. Last week: No. 15 12. CLEVELAND BROWNS (1-0) How dominant was the Browns defense against a loaded Bengals team Sunday? How about at some point Myles Garrett just decided to use a basketball crossover dribble move and it worked to perfection?  Last week: No. 18 13. GREEN BAY PACKERS (1-0) Nothing would please me more than to be wrong about Jordan Love. Matt LaFleur has already proven he’s a great coach and has one of the best coaching records in NFL history. If he can do it with Love, we have to start talking about this guy in the same McVay/Shanahan/Andy Ried conversation. Also, remember in the offseason when Love got trolled for claiming paternity over the Chicago Bears? Who’s trolling now? Last week: No. 27 14.

TNF WEEK 2: VIKINGS AT EAGLES

BY ADAM GREENE As it usually does, Week 1 came with some shocks and surprises, not the least of which was the Minnesota Vikings opening 0-1 and the Philadelphia Eagles looking downright pedestrian in their victory over a significantly inferior opponent. Both teams will have the chance to fix what went wrong in their opening games when they face off on Amazon Prime’s Thursday Night Football at Lincoln Financial Field. The series between these two teams goes all the way back to 1962, with the all-time record tied 15-15. The Eagles won their matchup last season, 24-7, on Sep. 19. Kirk Cousins went 27of 46 passing for 221 yards, one touchdown and three picks. He led the team rushing with 20 yards. Justin Jefferson caught six passes for 48 yards. Jalen Hurts was 26 of 31 for 333 yards, a TD and a pick and rushed for 57 yards and two touchdowns. Miles Sanders rushed for 80 yards. DeVonta Smith caught seven passes for 80 yards. MINNESOTA VIKINGS AT PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (-7, O/U: 48.5) Location: Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pa. Broadcast: Prime Video Kickoff: Sep. 14. 8:15 p.m. MINNESOTA VIKINGS (0-1) Kirk Cousins put up the stats, but couldn’t get the win, dropping a shocker, 20-17 to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last Sunday. Cousins was 33 of 44 passing for 344 yards, two touchdowns and one pick, so let’s not point the finger at him here. He had a 102.8 passer rating and was sacked twice. He had no help from the running game, with Alexander Mattison rushing 11 times for 34 yards. He hauled in three passes for 10 yards and a score. Justin Jefferson was his usual self, catching nine passes for 150 yards. Rookie Jordan Addison caught four balls for 61 yards and a TD. Camryne Bynum led the team with 10 tackles. Denielle Hunter had seven tackles, two for a loss and a sack. PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (1-0) I don’t want to hear about Bill Belichick’s game prep. I don’t want to hear about playing on the road. The Eagles should have obliterated the New England Patriots last week and instead barely held them off at the end of the game to escape, yes, ESCAPE, with a 25-20 victory over a team that’s going to have the HBO Hard Knocks cameras shoved into their faces next season. Jalen Hurts was 22 of 33 passing for just 170 yards and a touchdown with no picks. He added nine rushes for 37 yards on the ground and was sacked three times. Kenneth Gainwell had 14 carries for 54 yards. AJ Brown had seven grabs for 79 yards. Reed Blankenship finished with 12 tackles and two passes defended. Rookie first round pick Jalen Carter finished his first game with a tackle and a sack. Darius Slay had three tackles and a pick. THE PICK The Super Bowl hangover is a real thing and it’s proven every single year. Still, the Eagles managed to shake it off and at least win their game. This isn’t college football so style points don’t count. It’s the mismatch that they had, in talent, that should have shown up more. As for Minnesota, their offensive line did not put forth the best performance and allowing a 10-play, three-plus minute game-ending possession from the Bucs and Baker Mayfield was something the defense will struggle to live down. Philly is the safe pick, but I don’t like the spread. Eagles 27, Vikings 24 Last week Straight up: 10-6 Against the spread: 9-7 Season Straight up: 10-6 Against the spread: 9-7 Follow Adam Greene on Twitter @TheFirstMan. Connect with us our socials on Twitter and Instagram for the latest sports news, viral moments, betting odds and the occasional memes.

WHAT WE LEARNED – NFL WEEK 1

BY ADAM GREENE Of all the incredible things to talk about after Week 1, there’s only one thing we’re focused on this week. AARON RODGERS IS OUT FOR THE YEAR Here’s the deal. No one, and I mean no one, has made more fun of Aaron Rodgers and his ridiculous “inoculation” lies, ivermectin love and ayahuasca retreats than I have. The fact that he’s a 9/11 truther and suffered this season ending injury on 9/11 while playing for a New York team should not be lost on anyone who believes in karma, which I do. But, as a football fan, this really sucks. Because here’s the thing. As much as I’ve made fun of Aaron Rodgers, I was just as excited as everyone else to see him take the field with the New York Jets this year and see how it all turned out. In spite of the Jets trying everything they could to get out of being on HBO’s Hard Knocks, it turns out their season was the best in the history of the show. And Rodgers came off great. Yes, I think trutherism is despicable. I think the fact that he lied about his vaccination status, and the pathetic “punishment” from the NFL delivered in response was ridiculous, but he’s a hard guy not to like. Yes, I still made the jokes on Twitter about hoping the Jets’ shaman was on call to check his chakras after the injury and that maybe rubbing ivermectin on it would help, but my own truth is, I’m bummed. I’m still going to make the jokes about a guy that trusts Joe Rogan more than the medical science he must now depend on to recover from this injury, but I’m not happy about it. This isn’t schadenfreude. I don’t know if German has a word for what I’m feeling right now. Which is crazy, because they usually have a word for everything. Regardless, Rodgers will be watching from the sidelines this season as a loaded Jets team, maybe with some offensive line issues, struggles to hit .500 when they would have, unquestionably, made the playoffs with a healthy Rodgers at QB. And, once you’re in the tournament, anything can happen. Frankly, if Rodgers hadn’t been hurt, they would have blown out the Buffalo Bills on Monday night, which means they not only could have won the AFC East, but with the Kansas City Chiefs seeming suddenly mortal, maybe landed homefield advantage in the playoffs. If you’re a Jets fan right now, I hope you pace yourself. Drink some water in between shots of whatever is getting you through this. It’s going to be a long and frustrating year. Here’s the thing. I keep reading, seeing and hearing all the ideas about what the Jets should do at quarterback now that Rodgers is out. I know exactly what you should do — roll with Zach Wilson. Yes, I’m the guy that said back in 2021 that drafting Wilson in the first round was a stupid mistake and that he was all but guaranteed to bust out,,, that comparing him to Josh Allen (which has its own irony now after Monday night’s game) was stupid and you can’t count on that kind of talent leap from a player that never showed it in college but hear me out. He’s there. And Rodgers is still there as a coach and mentor and, if Hard Knocks can be trusted (and I love NFL Films, so I hope it can be), Wilson really leaned into the whole Danel-san to Mr. Miyagi relationship with Rodgers in the preseason. It looked like it was working and that keeping Wilson, who wouldn’t have been a bad pick if he’d be taken in the third round, was a good idea. Let it play out. What’s the worst that could happen? They’re terrible and have a shot at one of the top quarterbacks in next year’s draft. They’re already off the hook for a first-round pick because Rodgers won’t play 60 percent of the snaps. That means they’ve just given up a 2024 second rounder for his rights. And I believe, without question, that Rodgers will fight back to form to play next season just to spite people like me, who made fun of him for lying about taking the vaccine but then took the monoclonal antibody treatment created by that same evil big pharma that he claims to hate while talking to Joe Rogan, who apparently thinks the HRT therapy that Rogan himself takes to stay ripped comes from some artisanal farm in Vermont and not some evil pharmaceutical company. We live in the stupidest multiverse timeline. What if, and hear me out, Zach Wilson turns into a serviceable quarterback? It’s why the Jets drafted him in the first place for God’s sake. They have a phenomenal defense. They play in an AFC East with a New England Patriots team that should be garbage and a Buffalo Bills team they’ve not only already beaten but shown that Josh Allen might just be an above average quarterback instead of the superstar that all of NFL punditry (and EA) has decided he must be. After Week 1, it’s hard to see the Miami Dolphins not running away with the division, but a Wild Card berth is still there and New York already as a game advantage on the only other team in realistic contention. Stop all this craziness about calling other teams about their quarterbacks. If anyone believed the Los Angeles Rams were “tanking” in the preseason, their 30-13 route of the Seattle Seahawks ended that “thought” for good. The Rams are playing for real and Stafford is their QB. Don’t even bother making that call. Carson Wentz? Colt McCoy? Do they really give you more than Zach Wilson? And what if they did? You’re not winning a Super Bowl with either of those guys. Is making the playoffs enough. I legitimately think it would be insane, after how well coached the

XFL Week 3 Picks & Previews

Our third iteration of the XFL is having a little trouble, and it’s not the play on the field. The league’s changes to the extra point, kickoffs and review process are interesting, even if the NFL will never implement any of them. The overall performances have been solid and the football has been fun to watch. There’s just one problem. Not a lot of people are watching. While the USFL debuted strong last season, the XFL can’t say the same. Even with better football and the league kicking off this close to the NFL season’s end, ratings are down from the 2020 version that was killed by the COVID-19 global pandemic. The league lost half of its viewers in Week 2 and the four games broadcast averaged just 643,000 viewers. The best performer? Sunday’s San Antonio Brahmas vs Orlando Guardians match up which brought in 781,000 viewers. I will say that, while they can claim attendance isn’t great, the stadiums look a lot fuller than the USFL’s did a season ago. According to Pro Football Talk the games average around 12,712 fans per contest, which is probably a solid FCS stadium turnout. All the league can do is power through and put a quality product on the field. And, maybe more importantly, retain our attention with solid lines, odds and totals to keep us interested even if we’re not emotionally invested in the teams. That’s the part that any new league will be lacking from its inception. XFL WEEK 2 POWER RANKINGS   1. HOUSTON ROUGHNECKS (2-0) As the season began, the Roughnecks looked like one of the weaker offensive rosters in the league. Turns out, you don’t need a great offensive roster when Wade Phillips is your head coach and puts his signature defense on the field. Watching this team play, the only thing keeping Phillips from getting back into the NFL as a defensive coordinator is his age. 2. ST. LOUIS BATTLEHAWKS (2-0) The Battlehawks have owned the fourth quarter of their two games and boast, what looks like, the best quarterback in the league in AJ McCarron. Their defense is good enough to make it to the end, so this could very well be our Top Two pretty much the whole way. 3. WASHINGTON DC DEFENDERS (2-0) While they sit at 2-0, the Defenders don’t look particularly strong and could easily drop the rest of their games. Well, the games they don’t play against the Guardians. 4. SAN ANTONIO BRAHMAS (1-1) Did the Brahams break out last week or were they just facing off against the worst team in the league? They’ll get the chance to show us Sunday when they square off against the Roughnecks. 5. ARLINGTON RENEGADES (1-1) The Renegades rode an opportunistic defense to their victory their opening week, but didn’t find the same luck in Week 2 against Houston. They should be able to get over .500 Sunday, but need to find more consistency on the offensive side of the ball. 6. SEATTLE SEA DRAGONS (0-2) The Sea Dragons have been a hard luck team that’s stumbled at the end of games. They could turn it around, but I don’t see this as anything better than a .500 squad. 7. LAS VEGAS VIPERS (0-2) Vegas has disappointed me this season. I had high hopes for this squad, thanks mostly to the roster’s experience on offense, but it’s not paid off. Turnovers have killed them and last week’s lackluster performance doesn’t portend well. Still, I think they can turn it around and go on a run here, starting Saturday against Seattle. 8. ORLANDO GUARDIANS (0-2) While I had high hopes for the Vipers, I can’t say the same about the Guardians. Someone has to be the worst team in the XFL, this league’s Michigan Panthers if you will, and Orlando has stepped up, took a few practice cuts and stuck its head right into the strike zone. SATURDAY SEATTLE SEA DRAGONS AT LAS VEGAS VIPERS (+3, O/U: 38) The Sea Dragons couldn’t hold on in the final stanza against the St. Louis Battlehawks, falling 20-18. Seattle’s Ben DiNucci finished 19 of 29 for 196 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions in the loss. Morgan Ellison rushed 10 times for 50 yards. Jahcour Pearson hauled in four passes for 78 yards and a score. Emmanuel Smith led the team with 10 tackles, Antoine Brooks recorded nine. After an early touchdown drive, Vegas saw its offense bog down as they lost 18-6 to the DC Defenders last Saturday. Former Green Bay Packer Brett Hundley went 11 of 18 for 98 yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions for the Vipers. He added 5 tushes for 24 yards. Jawaun Johnson led Las Vegas with seven tackles. Maximillian Roberts recorded two sacks and a forced fumble. Someone is going to pick up their first win of the season in this one. I’ve been disappointed in Vegas, considering the roster they’re putting on the field. I think the dam breaks in this one. Vipers 20, Sea Dragons 15 SUNDAY ST. LOUIS BATTLEHAWKS AT WASHINGTON DC DEFENDERS (-2, O/U: 37) After a contest of losers to open the week’s action, we get a battle of unbeatens to start our Sunday XFL triple header. Last Thursday, the Battlehawks unleashed a nine point fourth quarter to hold of the Seattle Sea Dragons, 20-18. Former Cincinnati Bengal AJ McCarron finished 22 of 36 for 184 yards and a touchdown in the victory. He was sacked three times. He led the B-Hawks (we’re going to try that condensed name out) with 41 yards and a TD on the ground. Hakeem Butler caught four passes for 61 yards and a score. Willie Harvey led St. Louis with seven tackles. LaCale London recorded three tackles and forced two fumbles. The Defenders scored two rushing touchdowns in the fourth quarter to take down the Las Vegas Vipers 18-6 last Saturday. Jordan Ta’amu had another lackluster performance under center, finishing 11 of 23 for 93 yards, no touchdowns and

NCAAB Top Picks For The Weekend Games

In this week’s edition of the BetOnline All Access show, Basketball BETTING expert Nick Bahe joins Drew Butler to preview a HUGE weekend in basketball, with big games over at college hoops and the race for the playoffs in the Association heating up. But first, Ally Melendez will give us an update of the most recent odds over at BetOnline with XFL Week 3 odds, Justin Verlander as the current odds on leader to win the CY Young next season as well as Houston coming on as the favorite to make the upcoming 1st pick in the NFL draft.