That sound that you heard on Friday night was every single Packers fan screaming things I can't repeat on a family blog post. Thank goodness that J Love is going to come back fairly soon.
Yep, Anglo-Saxon words were flying, but the prognosis is good.
Also, the NFL should be ashamed about how that field turned out. Guys were slipping and sliding all over the place. I know that the NFL is full of greedy owners, but my advice to the NFL higher ups is to make sure that you are putting out a good product. That starts with the field.
Also true. Soccer pitches are maintained differently and it's tough for big dudes to keep their footing. We saw a lot of issues with that on Friday. But it's a new week.
I am feeling the HYYYYYPPPEEE and ready to pick some games. Watch me work.
Nevada Wolfpack (+17.5) vs. Minnesota Golden Elite Rowers of the Boat The Gophers ended up comfortably winning against Rhode Island, and are going to step up in class. Nevada is a solid team, though I wonder about how focused they are given the news that Boise State, San Diego State, Colorado State, and Fresno State are all leaving the Mountain West to join Washington State and Oregon State in the Pac 12. Nevada could be left behind, and somewhere Karl Benson is smiling. For those not in the know, Benson was the former commissioner back when the WAC was torn apart in the 2010 realignment round. Nevada was one of the teams that left the WAC around that time. The Gophers should win this game, though I think that Nevada keeps it fairly close. Row Row Row Your Boat Elitely 37, Wolfpack 23.
The arcana of conference realignment is increasingly more difficult to keep straight. What happens on the field is a larger concern at this point. The Gophers have the makings of a decent team, but this week will tell us a lot about their progress. Gophers 28, Nevada 20.
Alabama Crimson Tide (-16.5) vs. Beloved Wisconsin Badgers This is the first in a home and home series that I have been looking forward to for years. Nick Saban was so scared of coming back to Camp Randall that he up and retired. Obviously that is a joke, but one that I had to put out there. I'm not going to lie, Wisconsin has looked shaky. But the thing is, Alabama didn't look great last week against USF at home. I keep hearing how Wisconsin has been holding stuff back to avoid giving Kalen DeBoer a lot of tape. So why not show what you are saving it for. I would like to see the shackles come off the offense, and for the Badgers to be a bit more aggressive with blitzing against an offensive line that has Tide fans concerned. This won't be easy, especially since Jalen Milroe is a very good quarterback. However, there are 3 factors that give the Badgers an edge. First, this game is in Madison and will have an electric atmosphere. Second, when the Badgers played Alabama back in 2015 in Jerry World, the Badgers hung on into the 3rd quarter before arguably the best Alabama team under Saban took control of the game. Third, all of the pressure is on the Tide. If they lose to a Wisconsin team that isn't among the favorites in the Big Ten, then that makes the SEC and their media enablers look terrible. Wisconsin 35, The Crimson Tide Of Alabama 13.
All of that may be true, but the Badgers aren't that good. Alabama has superior athletes and swagger galore. Camp Randall is a great atmosphere for football, but it's really not an intimidating venue in the way Ohio Stadium or Beaver Stadium is, or even Kinnick. I do think the Badgers will give a good accounting, but it's not going to be enough. Tide 35, Badgers 24.
San Francisco 49ers (-5.5) vs. Minnesota Vikings I'll say this about the Vikings, they looked pretty good last week in the Meadowlands. It may be that the Giants are a terrible team, but the Vikings did what they had to do. The Niners are going to be a tough out, especially since this might be their last chance before they have to choose between paying Brock Purdy 60 million a year or his supporting cast and going back into the quarterback store. If McCaffery plays at close to full health, then the Niners win comfortably. However, the Niners lost to the Vikings a year ago, and this is a cross country trip on a short week. I like the Vikings to pull this one off. Vikings 43, Niners 42.
Plausible result, except for the score. I see it being much more of a defensive battle, especially if the Niners don't have CMC available. Fun fact - the 49ers haven't won in Minnesota since 1992. Vikings 24, 49ers 23.
Indianapolis Colts (-2.5) vs. Glorious Green Bay Packers So the Packers were looking at a bad scenario even before J Love went down, but thankfully he is going to be okay. I would not play J Love this week even if he is cleared, though that is just me. Malik Willis has had his share of critics, but he looked pretty good in the preseason and he is familiar with the Colts from his time with the Titans. I look for the Packers to use Willis in the run game, and for a lot of short stuff. As for the Colts, it's hard to get a read on Anthony Richardson. He looked pretty good before he went down, and the Colts are hoping that he can get close to the great quarterback play they have had in the past. It's going to be strange to cheer against Jonathan Taylor given that he is a Badger. What I am hoping for is that the Packers can steal 1 or 2 games while J Love is on the sidelines. Packers 14, Colts 0.
I'm hoping so, too. I think this one is winnable even with Willis at the helm. The Colts are a middle of the pack team playing on the road. They could surprise folks, but in the end I think the Packers can figure out how to put Willis in a position to succeed. Packers 24, Colts 17.
Enjoy your football this weekend. Ben out.
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