That screaming sound you heard on Tuesday was Dan Stolz celebrating the fact that Kirk Cousins is back with the Vikings because he can do commercials with Kirko again. Also, Kirk Cousins is going back to Pizza Ranch because it was something that he liked when he was here.
Gettin' the band back together!
Commerce!
The Vikings needed that because what happened on Monday night against the Bills showed that the offense needed work.
Kirko can work for a credit union. Maybe Carson Wentz can find the ghost of Jack Prescott, the formerly busiest bankruptcy attorney in Minnesota.
Don't think that will work, Old Dude! Prescott's been dead for years. Kinda like Wentz's career. I am feeling the HYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYPPPPPPPPPPPPPEEE! and ready to pick some games. Watch me work.
Minnesota Golden Elite Rowers of the Boat (+11.5) vs. Penn State Nittany Lions The Gophers gave UCLA a bit of a battle, but sadly in the fourth quarter they ran out of magic pixie dust. Assuming that they can get there with the flights being grounded, the challenge for the Gophers this weekend is going to be what happens if they fall behind. PJ likes to control the clock, but this isn't sustainable because he needs to be more balanced. However, the Gophers fans dont like it when you question if PJ is really elite or if he is just hitting the Glen Mason level of achievement. Sadly for the Gophers fans, I don't see them getting back to where they think they will be. Nittany Lions 28, Row Row Row Your Boat Elitely 10.
Given how unpredictable the Gophers have been this season, it's obvious that this is a game they should lose but will win. Why? Tell me anything about this season that's made sense for Peej. Minnesota 27, Penn State 23.
Beloved Wisconsin Badgers (-9) vs. Maryland Terpy Terps Ryan Hopkins really showed me something, even though it is just one game. He was actually throwing the ball downfield, was making good decisions, and actually looked competent at QB. This is the first time I've seen that since the Jack Coan era. The good news is that Maryland is not very good and they are openly playing out the string. And after last year's embarrassment it is time to get revenge in a good way. This should be a fairly comfortable win and the Badgers can get to a better bowl game. While I don't think that Hopkins is going to be Russell Wilson 2.0 just yet; remember, we all fell in love with Graham Mertz and his one good half, and then seeing the bottom fall out later in the year. That being said, this should be a nice and comfortable win, and hopefully I don't have to worry about things this week. You can do that for me, Badgers? Badgers 45, Terps 7.
I don't think the Badgers romp, but I do think they win. Wisconsin 27, Maryland 17.
Minnesota Vikings (+3) vs. Glorious Green Bay Packers Boy, last week was just a complete demolition job by Jordan Love. He made Christian Gonzalez look hopeless and somehow he made it seem very easy to go into New England and win. People can call me biased, but people want to see Love fail because they don't want to admit that the Packers know how to evaluate quarterbacks and they need to cover for their own teams not knowing how the heck to pick one. The Vikings, on the other hand, had to go back to Kirk Cousins. As far as I am concerned, until further notice it is time to revoke KOC's title as an offensive genius because the Vikings have not been able to develop a QB since he left and had to trade a third round pick to get Kirk back. It is also a damning indictment of the entire Vikings organization that both Darnold and now J.J. McCarthy have looked better since they left Minnesota.
What I saw on Monday night shows a lot of worrying signs for the Vikings, and every single member of the offensive coaching staff and the offensive players are responsible. Justin Jefferson in particular should be doing more. At some point he needs to take over a game because he is getting paid quarterback money and put himself in a position to succeed. I don't want to hear about him being double teamed and being focused on so much by other defenses. He needs to get open more and make more plays. A leader and superstar needs to step up and put the team on his back, and I believe that the Vikings are in danger of wasting his talent. This is a revenge game for the Packers because of the regularly scheduled 4th quarter Matt LaFleur brain cramp festival from week 1. The good news is that the bye week will have Micah Parsons coming back and the defense will get a lot better. I also believe that this is the week that Christian Watson and Matthew Golden show the world that they are the best wideouts in the NFC North. Packers 37, Vikings 24.
Watson and Golden might be the best, but every team in the division has talented receivers. Love has been otherworldly for the last month and some of the things he's done have been incredible. You have to be of a certain age to remember Daryle Lamonica, the old Raiders quarterback who was known as the Mad Bomber. Some of the things I'm seeing Love do remind me of watching Curt Gowdy and Al DeRogatis trying to explain what Lamonica was doing. It's impressive. The issue is this - the Packers still haven't demonstrated that they can run the football consistently and if Love has to pass 35-40 times this week, it will not go well. Playing in Lambeau will slow the Vikings defense down a half-second or so, but that means it's still going to require something other than bombs to get it done. I do suspect the Vikings won't be inept offensively with Cousins back in tow, but he's been gone for three years and it's not exactly the same team he left. My hunch is the Packers get it done, but it's gonna be a struggle. Green Bay 27, Minnesota 22.
While I was tempted to give a Very Special Comment about the disaster in Iowa City last weekend, the bottom line is that I have been saying the same thing for 4 years at this point.
Playin' the hits!
Fickell has no idea how to handle the Hawkeyes and is too stubborn to admit that. At this point, both Fickell and LaFleur might be both back on the hot seat.
Maybe they could hire Talarico?
It is no secret that I am concerned about the coaching with my two favorite football teams. Thankfully for the Badgers, I am in a better mood because Everton and the Packers have been winning and Micah is practicing.
Maybe they should hire Jack Grealish?
Now you're just being silly. That's okay, though - silly is kinda your thing. My thing? I am feeling the HYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYPPPPPPPPPPPEEEEEEE! and ready to pick some games. Watch me work.
UCLA Bruins (-4) vs. Minnesota Golden Elite Rowers of the Boat So the Gophers deserve a lot of credit for going to Bloomington and almost pulling a stunner. In all honesty, the Hoosier players bailed out Cignetti's coaching at the end of regulation. UCLA is going to be tough because they are a very well coached team and are also fundamentally sound as heck. What is going to against them is that this game is an early start for them across the country. Can the Gophers win this game? Yes, they can. However this UCLA team is not a paper tiger team like Michigan and while the Gophers fans will be game and PJ will give his guys a chance, this might not end well. Bruins 17, Row Row Row Your Boat Elitely 15.
The Gophers are kinda schizo. They beat Iowa and Michigan and get rolled by Purdue. If you can make sense of them, you're a better man than I. If UCLA is actually a fraud, we'll find out this week. I don't think they are. UCLA 23, Minnesota 16.
Rutgers Scarlet Knights (+18) vs. Beloved Wisconsin Badgers Needless to say the Badgers did not make me happy last weekend. We have lost control against Iowa, and as you can probably tell I am not happy about how Fickell doesn't know how to figure that out. The good news is that Rutgers is terrible, and this game is at home. Even though the Badgers are starting a backup, he can't be as bad as Joseph was last week. The frustrating thing is that this team looked so great against the Trojans, but that team didn't show up last week. Hopefully this isn't an embarrassing home loss that causes me to rage. I just want to go bowling and figure out the rest later. Wisconsin 35, Rutgers 10.
Take the Badgers bowling, take them bowling.
Last night there was Rutgers on my lawn. Camper Van Randall should prevail in this one. Wisconsin 31, Rutgers 3.
Buffalo Bills (-3) vs. Minnesota Vikings Boy the knives came out for KOC and the Vikings offense last week! It was almost like I was actually paying attention to how relying on the defense, special teams, playing bad teams, and 4th quarter Matt LaFleur isn't sustainable. Buffalo is a very good team, and Josh Allen is going to be an interesting challenge for Brian Flores. Allen can get out of trouble and when Flores runs his blitz heavy scheme, that isn't going to work on a QB who thrives on getting out of trouble. If I were the Vikings, I would seriously consider handing the start to Carson Wentz beyond this week. Wentz is a better fit for the Vikings offense at this point from a style perspective, and he would actually let the Vikings playmakers go and get it. KOC's seeming refusal to let the brakes off his offense is bizarre to me. I am sorry to say this, but this game could get ugly if the Vikings don't make the needed changes. Nobody Circles The Wagons Like the Buffalo Bills 49, Vikings 7.
This is going to be interesting. Allen is unique and I bet Flores has been having all manner of fun figuring out how to handle him. Having the game in U.S. Bank Stadium will definitely help, because it will be noisy and the Vikings tend to be even more berserk at home. I am going to say this game is when Flores gets his star turn. Minnesota 24, Buffalo 16.
Glorious Green Bay Packers (+3) vs. New England Patriots New England is similar to the Packers --while the record is good, there is some grumbling among the fanbase. The Patriots have struggled at times and Drake Maye has been good and bad in almost equal measure. As for the Packers, the fact that they are 5-3 and in last place in the division is insane. Obviously LaFleur is going against his former boss in Mike Vrabel. Vrabel also ended up not having a good offseason because as it turns out those photos that came out didn't paint him in a good light in terms of, ahem, media relations. The Packers are playing well and are coming off a mini bye. The key is going to be getting off to another fast start and playing a complete game, because the Packers haven't won in New England since 2002. Packers 35, Patriots 21.
I am not sold on the Patriots, either. I don't see any obvious advantages they hold and while Foxborough is a tough place to play, the Packers have actually been pretty good on the road this season. Pass the Kool-Aid there, young fella. Green Bay 28, New England 20.
Yes that title is right. The refs were still terrible on Sunday, and I will say that the NFL needs to suspend that entire referee crew for at least one game, and ban them from working in the playoffs. Apparently it is illegal to even touch Jared Goff, intentional grounding is apparently reaching the line of scrimmage when a QB is out of the pocket, and St. Brown admitted that he would have gotten up and the refs flagged Wyatt for making sure Goff was down. Also, Jordan gets hit all of the time but never gets any flags for being roughed when literally every single other QB has gotten at least one of those calls. If the NFL can't officiate consistently, then Roger Goodell needs to fix that right away or if not, he should fine himself or resign in shame.
Getting the rant out of the way early, eh?
Hey, it was time! But my fellow Packers fans have other people to blame for putting us in that position, and I will discuss that later.
Oh, I don't doubt that.
Also, congrats to the Brewers for winning a World Series title that was richly deserved. Brewers fans are so happy right now.
You bet we are. We've been waiting 44 years and now finally our beloved Brew Crew are champions! And there's even proof on the internet!
True Blue Brew Crew!
I am feeling the HYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYPEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! and ready to pick some games. Watch me work.
Minnesota Golden Elite Rowers of the Boat (+20.5) vs. Indiana Google Them, They Win So sadly I have to retire the PJ Fleck can't beat Iowa at home stat. The Gophers now have all three of their big rivalry trophies, which they are probably happy about. Indiana is still very much in contention, and narrowly missed beating the Buckeyes. There is no doubt in my mind that the Gophers are looking good, but the thing is that Indiana is still good, and this could get ugly. Sorry not sorry Gophers. Google Them, They Win 60, Row Row Row Your Boat Elitely 10.
Yes, the Hoosiers win. But they won't win by 50. Gophers are a confusing team, but they have had their moments this season. Saturday is not likely to be one of them. Indiana 31, Minnesota 17.
Beloved Wisconsin Badgers (+3.5) vs. Iowa Hawkeyes I was impressed with the Badgers as they put together a dominant defensive effort against USC to get their second ranked win of the year. However, for Luke Fickell this trip to Kinnick is the one game that he needs to win. He has yet to beat Iowa, and all of the games have been frustrating because he seems to forget the key to this rivalry game. It is low scoring and physical, and you need to take the points. I am still not sold on Fickell, and beating Iowa is going to be a good way to announce that last week wasn't a fluke. This game is going to be relatively low scoring and physical. Also, a special screw you to Fox for putting this rivalry game at 11. Do better, guys. Badgers 17, Iowans 9.
I'd rather play in Iowa City at 11 a.m. than at night, but either way I don't see this going well for the Badgers. Iowa needs this one and the Badgers, while definitely improved, are not ready yet for the challenge. Hoping I'm wrong, but... Iowa 21, Wisconsin 16.
Minnesota Vikings (+3.5) vs. Detroit LOLions I know that the Vikings are 6-0 on merit, but this team is looking like the 2020 Steelers team that started 11-0. What makes this Vikings team frustrating is that they have a lot of talent offensively to surround Kyler Murray, but they look terrible. How in the world do you have an offense that features the Griddy Man, Addision, Hockenson, Aaron Jones, and Jordan Mason and be near the bottom of the league in terms of offensive statistics? That is football malpractice.
Also, I have a simple challenge to the fine folks covering the Vikings. I want one of them to ask Brian Flores how come he feels the need to blitz all the time when getting pressure with 4 consistently is a hallmark of every Super Bowl winning defense. Call me a hater or a biased rival fan, but this Vikings team is flawed, is grossly misusing offensive talent that every other team in the league would kill to have, and has to run their defense like I used to do in Madden as a kid to win these games. Oh by the way, KOC should be adjusting his scheme and also ordering Flores to blitz only 37 percent of the time as is the league average. This isn't sustainable, especially because the Lions are a team that likes to get the ball out quickly and has a defense that can handle the Vikings putrid offense. LOLions 31, Vikings 9.
I understand where you're coming from on all this, but there's a flaw in your theory - the Lions aren't that good. The Packers should have won in Detroit last week going away, but they were dumb on multiple levels. Say what you will about the Vikings generally, but they aren't dumb this season. Flores blitzes all the time for the same reason a dog licks its, ahem, private parts - because he can. And while there are teams that will hold up against the all-out blitz, I don't think the Lions are that team. Minnesota 24, Detroit 13.
Carolina Panthers (+3.5) vs. Glorious Green Bay Packers The Packers also have a lot of issues that happened last week that didn't involve the Zebras, which we will talk about later. What was really jarring was that the Bad Packers came back out, and the mistakes were numerous and frustrating. Carolina is a team that will be a lot more tough than people think. They play hard, they are fundamentally sound, and don't beat themselves. The Packers struggle with those things. Thankfully the Packers seem like they won't let last week become an 0-2 week. Just don't make me mad again, guys. Packers 25, Panthers 24.
Oh, they'll make you mad. My concern with the Packers remains on the offensive line, which is still a patchwork operation and is hindering their overall execution. You can see flashes of competence, but they have not been able to sustain it this season. I think they can beat Carolina, but it will be close, as you suggest. Green Bay 27, Carolina 21.
And now, it is time for A Very Special Comment. The reason that the officials were able to insert themselves into the game was that the Packers committed more dumb penalties, failed to execute, and had more special teams issues. Trey Smack, I am starting to wonder if I believed the hype on you too soon. You cost us at least 6 points, and we lost by 3. That ain't good. At some point, there needs to be a kicker coming in for competition. Josh Jacobs, Christian Watson, and Matthew Golden, you guys need to catch the ball. I screamed multiple times that you gotta catch that, and it is becoming an issue. I'm not giving up on Golden because he could still overcome the dropsies like Davante Adams did, but that needs to stop being an issue.
The coaches also need to make it clear that the personal fouls and roughing the passer stuff needs to be fixed. LaFleur and Gannon need to start benching these guys, because it is a problem and a coaching issue. But LaFleur never fixes issues, and the same issues have plagued this team for the past 5 years at this point. I want him gone, and Gannon, you are on strike one. I expect more since you are handed the defense basically. Penalties are a coaching issue and a technique issue, and that needs to be addressed starting now.
Congrats to the Brewers and enjoy your weekend. Ben out.
It is really hard to believe that the Brewers are hosting the first two games of the World Series tonight and tomorrow.
And Game 1 is in the books, a 3-2 victory for the True Blue Brew Crew!
Rockin' Robin makes a Ueckeresque appearance
And while the Packers got lucky with being on the off days, many cheeseheads who ordinarily would be paying attention to the Badgers game against USC might be focused a bit on baseball.
I will be.
Obviously. The Old Dude is happy but in a flop sweat following that first game I'm glad they won, because he's been waiting for a long time for this moment.
I was a sophomore in college, sitting in the television lounge in Whitney Hall, mostly watching the game and partially trying to chat up a cute girl from Janesville. That didn't go anywhere and neither did the Brewers. But that's a story for another day.
So Gorman Thomas struck out, and so did you?
Well, yeah.
I suppose I'm happy about that, because it meant you got to meet Mom and the world now gets my brilliant football insights instead.
Yes, the world rejoices.
As we transition into football.....why did I hear a whistle?
Personal Foul, Roughing the Blog Post. 15 yard penalty, automatic first down.
Seriously? The refs from the Cowboys Packers game are here? I didn't do anything wrong. This much I know -- I am feeling the HYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYPPPPPPPPPPPPPEEEEEEEEEE! and ready to pick some games. Watch me work.
Iowa Hawkeyes (-7.5) vs. Minnesota Golden Elite Rowers of the Boat The good news is that the Gophers have made sure that the restrooms are ready for the Iowa fans this time. Now, as a Badgers fan, I can't root for either of these teams given that both are obviously the arch rivals. The Gophers a couple of weeks ago got run over by Purdue Pete, and I know that it was really bad for the Gopher fans and there was a lot of criticism directed towards PJ and his crew. Iowa does look good this year, and the thing is that they like to play bully ball, the same as the Gophers like to do. Also, PJ hasn't beaten Iowa at home yet, which is the one criticism I can lay at him that is factual and can't be refuted. Sadly, someone has to win. Hawkeyes 31, Row Row Row Your Boat Elitely 17.
Definitely the Iran/Iraq War of the Big Ten season. Peej hasn't figured Iowa out too much and unless the Gophers figure out how to run the football against the stout Hawkeye defense, the Pig goes back to Iowa City. Iowa 24, Minnesota 20.
U$C Trojans (-3) vs. Beloved Wisconsin Badgers Last week was a frustrating game for the Badgers. The thing is that the offense did struggle, and the defense was on the field too long and couldn't get off the field against a surprisingly good UCLA team. There is no reason to do a Very Special Comment because losing on the road to a ranked team isn't worthy of that. While a lot of attention is going to be on the Brewers and Rays and rightfully so, this is going to be an interesting game. USC is making their first visit to Camp Randall as a member of the Big Ten conference, and I personally feel that the Badgers are starting to return to where they want to be. The thing is, USC is also looking ahead to a big game next weekend against the Buckeyes, and this feels like there is going to be enough Badgers fans to get a signature home win, which is something that Fickell doesn't have yet. I look for the team to bounce back, because this team seems to be tough and motivated. Badgers 23, Trojans 21.
Did you say Trap Game? Because it sure sets up as one. USC is more talented, but I could absolutely see the Badgers getting it done. Will they? USC 23, Wisconsin 19.
Indianapolis Colts (+6.5) vs. Minnesota Vikings So the last time that the Colts were here, they blew a 33 point lead. Obviously Mrs. D aka Mom and I were there to witness it and Vikings fans had a lot of fun that day at the game. I'll be honest, the Vikings still have issues. They are relying a lot on defense and special teams, and frankly Kyler is someone I doubt is a franchise quarterback. I do think the Vikings can win a lot of games, but they are not as complete a team as the KFAN types are telling you (Hi Brad!). That being said, the Vikings shouldn't lose this game. I am not sold on the Colts at all and think that they are going to blow it up. While it won't happen, maybe it is time for the Packers to bring JT back home. Not that I am biased or anything because of where he went to college. Vikings 46, Colts 0.
Well now. I think the Vikings are an exceptional defensive team, but I wonder too about their offense. Murray needs to get better and while he has the weapons to be successful, it's possible he's just not good enough to overcome his physical, ahem, shortcomings. Cheap joke, I know, but he looks like Kevin Hart out there sometimes. Minnesota 23, Indianapolis 13.
Glorious Green Bay Packers (+3) vs. Detroit LOLions All of a sudden, things are looking a lot better in Packerland. No, I am still not sold on LaFleur and want to see more from him. However, I love how aggressive he has been the past couple of games, and beating the Bears and the Cowboys back to back is always enjoyable given that I despise both of those teams. The LOLions are in an interesting place. They struggle defensively, and I am starting to wonder if Dan Campbell's act is wearing thin. While he is certainly not William Hull level of bad leadership in the Detroit area, he might be going down that list. For reference, William Hull was the American general who meekly surrendered Fort Detroit during the War of 1812. When you can sneak in a historical reference, you have to do it. My biggest concern is that the offensive line needs to protect Jordan a lot better and not get him injured. While I like Tyrod Taylor, I don't want to see him unless it is a blowout. Given that the Packers look a lot better, I think they can win in a game where Jared Goff once again turns into Jared Goof. Packers 35, LOLions Gonna LOLions 17.
We'll find out a lot this week. One of these teams is a fraud. I'm not sure which. But I think it's possible the Lions are running out of bullets. Green Bay 31, Detroit 27.
Best of luck to the Brewers tomorrow night and the rest of the way in the World Series. Enjoy your football this weekend. Ben out.
Old dude, I went from incredibly furious and angry at the Packers performance on Thursday to incredibly thrilled and happy with the Badgers pulling off a stunning and improbably miracle finish against Penn State in about 48 hours.
It's like that. It is designed to break your heart and then pull you back.
That is the dynamic. No question. Have I changed my mind on Fickell? Eh, I don't know.
It's gonna take more than that, Seabiscuit.
Yes. Yes it will. Also, while I am a Twins fan, I think I speak for both of us when I say Go Brewers this weekend and into next weekend. I like their chances against the Padres.
Always a seat on the Brewers bandwagon for you, good sir.
I am feeling the HYYYYYYYYYYYYYYPEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! and ready to pick some games. Watch me work.
Michigan Hail To the Victors (-5.5) vs. Minnesota Golden Elite Rowers of the Boat This line is ridiculous, and whomever set this doesn't know ball. I will say this right now, Michigan is the second biggest fraud team in America. They were lucky to beat Western Michigan, they beat the biggest fraud team in America in Chokelahoma, they struggled with UTEP, and they lost to Iowa at the gun. I like Kyle Whittingham, but facts are facts. The Gophers played very well in Seattle, and honestly PJ might have his best team since 2019. I am dead serious that this team might be better than the 2019 Gophers. While the Gophers haven't won a home game against Michigan since Tony Dungy was at the U, this Michigan team is very ripe to lose, and lose by a lot. Do not be be surprised if the Gophers win comfortably. Row Row Your Boat Elitely 42, Michigan Clock Operators 0 and 1 second.
Do you remember the old game show Beat the Clock?
That explains a lot about your childhood, Old Dude.
Well, it was a collection of weird contrived games. And that is the specialty of the house in this one. I do tend to agree with your assessment of Michigan being essentially fraudulent, but it's always worth remembering that the Gophers have a carnival barker of the first order in ol' Peej. It's about time for the jug to spend some time in Minneapolis, though. Minnesota 24, Michigan 21.
Michigan State Sparty the Spartan (+9.5) vs. Beloved Wisconsin Badgers That was the best win the Badgers have had since the 2019 Axe game, bar none. By all rights, the Badgers should have lost that game. When you turn the ball over more times, get outgained, struggle for large stretches, and are down 17-0 to a top 15 team on the road in Happy Valley, it should have been curtains. But for as much as I have been critical of Luke Fickell, he finally got a signature win. I still think he needs to win 8-9 games and win at least one of our rivalry games, but I'd be a fool to not acknowledge that there is some optimism. The problem is that the Badgers are facing Pat Fitzgerald. You may remember when he was with Northwestern, Fitzgerald gave the Badgers fits for years by turing the game into a rock fight and pulling out wins. It is the reason why I consider Ryan Field to be cursed ground, and this is why the Purple Nerds frustrate me to this day. The danger the Badgers have is that this Sparty team isn't great, but they have a great coach. This game will be stressful and anyone who says anything differently is ignoring that history. Badgers 16, Sparty 15.
I don't think Sparty is that good right now, but Fitzgerald will turn it around. This game is a good measuring stick for two programs that should be better than they've been in recent years. Home field and a better defense carries the day in Madison. Wisconsin 20, Michigan State 16.
Minnesota Vikings (-10.5) vs. Miami Tuna Net Victims Well, the Vikings approved homers on KFAN are already planning the Super Bowl parade and are thrilled at the 3-0 start. But there are some dangerous trends and things that a critical eye needs to be cast on, and thankfully I am the right skeptic to point them out. Yes, the Vikings are 3-0. But they have had to rely on 4th quarter Matt LaFleur, the Bears offense self destructing, and the Bucs not doing much on offense to be 3-0. As much as Flores is getting credit for the blitz, he is blitzing at 70 percent. That tells me that Flores might have to do it because he can't get pressure with 4. Also, the Vikings have been getting outgained and will be without Justin Jefferson. And keep in mind that the Dolphins have old friend Jeff Hafley, who knows the Vikings well. My challenge for the Vikings is to show that they can win without blitzing, because the NFL will adjust to that eventually. If Miami is smart, they will run screens, misdirections, and other stuff to force Flores to adjust. This is your classic Vikings Gonna Vikings game waiting to happen. But hey, my team has bigger problems. Dolphins 24, Vikings 10.
My guess - Flores won't stop blitzing until someone stops him from blitzing. The Dolphins aren't going to be that team. Even without JJ, Vikings roll. Minnesota 31, Miami 13.
Glorious Green Bay Packers (-3.5) vs. Tampa Bay Bucs First, we have an obvious theme song here.
No Jack Sparrow isn't playing. Packers, Packers, Packers. Had I not done a separate post last week for the Thursday night game, you would have seen me drop about a 10 paragraph rant that would have made the FCC blush. But thankfully for you, the Badgers put me in a good mood to spare you the Very Special Comment.
Well, isn't that special?
Ahem. I am still really disappointed in that effort, and the boos at Lambeau were deserved. Packers fans rarely boo, but that pathetic effort led me to quit watching and rage post on social media. As a peak behind the curtain, those are the signs of me being angry. The Packers did the right thing bringing in new offensive linemen, but those guys were available for a reason. The Bucs didn't impress me last week, and obviously Baker Mayfield hurting his thumb means that they have to rely on a rookie making his first start. This game is also dangerous because the Packers tend to struggle in games early in the season in Florida, and because of the NFL's odd scheduling I will have to make alternate plans to watch this game. I really hope the Packers can have a nice easy win, because if this is another bad loss, I hope that LaFleur gets left behind with Gutey and I will be bringing a Very Special Comment. Do not make me do that, Packers. Thankfully, I think that they will avoid that fate. Because I am a delusional homer. Packers 24, Port Royal 14.
Sometimes I enjoy your rants, but I'll admit I'd rather not have the Packers give you reason for ranting. Old dudes like me remember a sportswriter named Pete Axthelm, who used to refer to the Green Bay/Tampa Bay game as the "Bay of Pigs." That used to offend me back in the day, but he wasn't wrong. And I think this game is going to be ugly. It was an absolute admission of failure and a definite panic move to bring in Messrs. Zeitler, Becton and Tomlinson, but what choice did the Packers have? The offensive line is the worst I've ever seen in Green Bay and the current guys were going to get Jordan Love killed. I would not be surprised if Zeitler sees the field on Sunday and if the other guys get some snaps as well. There's no reason to believe Tampa's quarterback will reach a level more competent than, say, Max Brosmer, so that means a low-scoring, sloppy game. Green Bay 9, Tampa Bay 6.
Enjoy your football this weekend, and go Brewers. Ben out.
At about 2:00 on Sunday, I thought that I was going to be frustrated. Thankfully, the Packers and Aaron Glenn's questionable coaching decisions came through.
J-E-T-S Dumb Dumb Dumb!
You could set your watch on it, old dude! The regularly scheduled stupidity doesn't eliminate the criticisms I have of Matt LaFleur, but it was good to see that they didn't quit in the 4th quarter and took advantage of the breaks.
Know your opportunities, Seabiscuit!
As for the Badgers, the first quarter of the season wasn't great, but 2-1 is what I expected the record to be heading into Happy Valley.
Managing expectations is a big part of life.
So are cliches, apparently. What'd you do, swallow a self-help book instead your usual dose of Geritol? I am feeling the HYYYYYYYYYYYYYPPPPPPPPPPPPEEEEEEEEEE! and ready to pick some games. Watch me work.
Minnesota Golden Elite Rowers of the Boat (+9) vs. Washington Huskies First of all, why in the world is Fox starting this game at 10 Central time? I get that the Huskies and Ducks had to agree to some odd start times to get their life raft during the Pac 12 collapse, but this start time screws over Gopher fans. Also, Husky fans are going to be getting out of Husky Stadium between 11 and midnight Pacific time, which screws them over. The Gophers ended up winning a pretty comfortable MACrifice game against the Zips, and this should be interesting. A lot of folks think that the Gophers are a dark horse team in the Big Ten this year, but going to Husky Stadium is a tough place to visit, as traditional Big Ten schools are starting to figure out. As much as Washington is an equal opponent, teams traveling cross country in the Big Ten in football don't do well. Though I do love that Washington has a good boy as the mascot. Huskies 28, Row Row Row Your Boat Elitely 17.
I don't know that I agree with the premise. The Gophers got their doors blown off by a middling SEC team in their own building and the Huskies are better than middling. Peej and company may keep it close, but the Good Boy has the dog in him. Washington 31, Minnesota 20.
Must have been the dog in me
Beloved Wisconsin Badgers (+10) vs. Penn State Nittany Lions It wasn't pretty in the first quarter, but thankfully the Badgers were able to get their MACrifice win. Going to Happy Valley is going to be a much tougher matchup. Penn State made a good hire in Matt Campbell, though he will be judged on if he can win those marquee games better than Big Game James Franklin did to satisfy the high expectations fanbase they have. The Badgers haven't beaten Penn State since Russell Wilson was the quarterback, and haven't won in Happy Valley since 2003. Should the Badgers pull off the upset, that would be a good sign for Fickell and give him some benefit of the doubt. However, this isn't going to be easy. That being said, I am a delusional homer. Badgers 32, Sad Valley 31.
Uh, no. Not gonna happen. The Badgers are showing signs of being a good defense, but, nah. Penn State 34, Wisconsin 19.
Minnesota Vikings (-1.5) vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers Mrs D. aka Mom believes that the Vikings being 2-0 and having 2 divisional wins gives them a lot of momentum going down to Tampa. And I am agreeing with her because trusting Mom is always smart, and she is right. While the Vikings win was overshadowed by Caleb Williams's injury, the Vikings made a lot of plays in the red zone and took advantage of the conditions at Soldier Field. The problem is that playing down in Florida early in the year means some heat. Also, Baker Freaking Mayfield is someone who thrives when he flies under the radar. I think the Vikings are going to win, but this is going to be a tougher game than people might be thinking. Vikings 34, Bucs 31.
Baker won't flinch against the blitz package, but Tampa just seems, well, off so far this season. Not sure what is going on, but Mayfield has been pedestrian and the the defense is vulnerable. Kyler Murray returns, but is he really ready? Minnesota 27, Tampa 20.
Hotlanta Dirty Birds (+4.5) vs. Glorious Green Bay Packers That was a narrow escape by the Packers, but props to Skyy Moore for that huge punt return. I also think that Evan Williams getting that huge pass breakup in the 4th quarter was the sneaky important play that helped get the game to overtime, where the defense took over and helped set Love up to get out of dodge with a win. The problem is that the offensive line depth is dangerously low, especially because ZBB is done for the year, and Banks can't go. I'm seriously worried that Love can't get any protection.
The Falcons are also not in a good spot, as they have had an offense that is very offensive. Michael Penix is going to come back, and what I would do if I was Jonathan Gannon is to sell out on stopping Bijan Robinson at all costs and make the passing game win the game. Also, the Packers somehow drew 2 Thursday Night games in around a month, combined with the dreaded Thanksgiving eve game that nobody asked for, and the Christmas Netflix game against the Bears that is going to turn a nice Christmas for me into a stressful Christmas. The NFL needs to understand that putting teams on short rest all of the time is bad for business, but they can't resist Bezos giving them sacks of money. This game is going to most likely be bad, and when a gigantic Packers fan like myself is saying that about my team you should be paying attention. Packers 17, Falcons 11.
I agree on the schedule - the NFL's greed is getting seriously out of hand and because the Packers have a national following, they are getting a bad dose of off-schedule football, which is particularly unhelpful for a team that's already suffered some season ending injuries. Atlanta is dismal so far and while Penix has a good arm, he's skittish in the pocket and the Packers seem to have a revitalized pass rush under Gannon. It'll be a long day for both quarterbacks, but the Packers are finally at home and are the more talented team. Packers 24, Falcons 10.
At 5:30 on Sunday, I was thinking that the Packers were looking good, and that any criticism I had was going to be nit picky. But then 4th quarter Matt LaFleur struck again, and this can't keep happening.
And yet it does.
We will talk about that later. Also, some of my fellow Packers fans need to admit that those 3 calls that gave the Vikings first downs on that drive were not the reason that the Vikings won. That unfairly diminishes the Vikings coaching staff for making adjustments and the Vikings players for executing better.
Surprisingly fair-minded of you!
I also have to give props to Ben Leber for going on KFAN and being willing to explain why Packers fans were upset about those 3 calls. Once again, Packers fans can't blame the officials for those 3 calls because the Packers have to stop putting themselves in a position where a judgement call can cost them the game.
If the moment calls for a boot on the throat, LaFleur needs to stop wearing sensible shoes.
Old Dude is selling Florsheims again! Well, I don't have time for that, because I am feeling the HYYYYYPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! and ready to pick some games. Watch me work.
Akron Zips (-23.5) vs. Minnesota Golden Elite Rowers of the Boat It was obvious that the Gophers didn't come out of the gates strong against the Mississippi State Bulldogs last week, and the Gopher fans quite rightly were upset at what they saw. Contrary to what you may think, I can and have given Fleck praise despite being a huge Badger fan. But it is obvious that once the Gophers had to hurry up and pass the ball more, Fleck's style isn't built for that. I still think the Gophers will win 8-9 games and likely win a bowl game, but they need to play better. The good news is that Akron isn't a good MAC team, and this should go as a classic MACrifice game that we all know and love. Row Row Row Your Boat Elitely 41, Zips 17.
Peej has his limitations as a coach. Kamario Taylor was very impressive, but he's not coming back to Minneapolis this weekend. Zip ties all around. Minnesota 34, Akron 10.
Eastern Michigan Eagles (+23.5) vs. Beloved Wisconsin Badgers In the interest of full disclosure, I only saw part of the first quarter and the last two minutes of the Badger game because of a family engagement. That being said, the Badgers did look good but still have some things to work on. One thing that I do like is that the Badgers are starting to look better running the football, and the defense let the Leathernecks move the ball but did stiffen up in the red zone. Eastern Michigan is historically not a great school in the MAC, and this should be another game where the Badgers can build some confidence going into Big Ten play. Once again, Fickell is going to need to get to 8-9 wins and likely win at least one of the Hawkeyes and Gophers games to keep his job. Badgers 40, Eagles 10.
The Badgers are still very much a work in progress. They should have destroyed Western Illinois but they didn't. I'm looking to see better execution overall this time. Wisconsin 38, EMU 17.
LSU Bayou Bengals (-3.5) vs. Ole Miss Rebels So my initial plan for this week was to do A Very Special Comment dunking on Lane Kiffin for the slimy way he left Ole Miss and how LSU has assembled a really nice threesome of coaches that are easy to dislike between Lane, Kim Mulkey, and Wiretap Will Wade.
Lotta slime in the ol' Bayou, that's for sure.
But now Kiffin has to go back and face the music and a fanbase who rightfully should be mad at how he nearly derailed the Ole Miss team he built, while napalming every bridge in Oxford. By the way, I am not a fan of Ole Miss and hate the SEC, and yet even I would have been okay with the Rebels winning the national title as a rebuke to Kiffin. LSU is going to be good, but something tells me that Kiffin will come up short this weekend and Ole Miss will get the vengeance they want. I just hope that the Ole Miss fans don't do something stupid or hurt anyone. Rebels 62, Bayou Bengals 41.
Ole Miss fans are actually somewhat genteel, but if they add a little extra hooch to their elegant tailgate highballs, it could get interesting. LSU has better talent and on a neutral field they'd win, but this won't be neutral. Ole Miss 34, LSU 31.
Minnesota Vikings (+4.5) vs. Bear Down Chicago Da Bearz Still Suck Well, the Vikings are feeling a lot better. Thanks to a great fourth quarter, they are in a good spot. As Mrs. D aka Mom points out, being 1-1 at worst for the Vikings is still a pretty solid place to be given that the Lions looked really bad on Thursday. The interesting question for me that the Vikings are going to face is what happens if Carson Wentz goes into Chicago and outplays Caleb Williams. Do you think that some Vikings fans would argue that Wentz should get the nod over Kyler Murray, assuming that Murray is healthy enough for next week? As for the Bears, they lit up the scoreboard like a pinball machine, though my fantasy team would like Colston Loveland to get the ball some. Obviously this will be a tight one, but I like the Vikings to keep up the momentum. Vikings 27, Bears 24.
The Vikings defense is built on speed. Soldier Field is the worst grass field in the league. The weather forecast is calling for rain and I expect it to be a slow track. If ol' Caleb has more than a half-second to throw, he'll beat the all-out blitzes. This could be a shootout, but on a slow track I think da Bearz wear the Vikings down. Bears 28, Vikings 23.
Glorious Green Bay Packers (-3.5) vs. New York J-E-T-S JETS JETS JETS The bottom line is that the Packers need to figure out how to close games, and it is obvious that they need to protect Jordan Love better. The fact that Love was able to play as well as he did given that he had Vikings in his face every time he dropped back was impressive. The Jets are still an NFL team.
Are you sure about that?
Yes, I am sure of it. Don't you have some pills to take? Ahem. This game isn't going to be as easy as people think, especially because the Packers have struggled going out to the Meadowlands and seem to play tough games there. What would really help is that if the Packers get a double digit lead in the 4th quarter that they close it out and I don't have to come back here and question if this team can close out games. Also, I hope that that horrible turf at MetLife doesn't cause a major injury. Packers 24, Jets 10.
That turf is a concern. So are the Jets. They do have talent and the Packers have to be seeing ghosts after what happened last week. That mean old Flores will not be in the building on Sunday, but the Packers had better be ready. I do think they bounce back. Packers 28, Jets 20.
And now, it is time for A Very Special Comment. That title certainly is very strong, but by this point Matt LaFleur has demonstrated that he is in a space where he isn't measuring up to the standards that the Packers have. He isn't the only one to blame, but at this point the case against him isn't criticism, it is just facts that everyone is seeing. The Packers since the 2021 season haven't hosted a playoff game, which is hard to believe, but they are certainly in danger of being the longest gap between home playoff games in my lifetime.
You know what? You should really watch this:
You're spoiled, right?
I know, old dude. You remember lots of bad things in the past. The 70s Packers, Three Mile Island, Skylab falling from the sky, Brezhnev's monolithic eyebrows. I get it. But back to the matter at hand. The Packers haven't won a division title since 2021, and have seen their playoff seeding go from being the 1 and 2 seeds early in LaFleur's tenure to being 7 seeds. Going into that horrible playoff game against the 49ers, LaFleur was 2-2 in the playoffs. Since then has now gone 1-4, with late leads not being taken care of in 2021, 2023, and 2025. The Bears and Lions have started to win more consistently against the Packers in the past couple of years. The Packers are also on a 6 game losing streak, which is the longest losing streak since the Lindy Infante era.
Oh, I remember Lindy Infante.
That's right, not even Ray Rhodes or Mike Sherman ever had that bad of a losing streak and those are the two weakest head coaches the Packers have had since Mike Holmgren was hired. LaFleur's losses have started to follow a trend, where there have been a rash of penalties, a team that is unable to close out leads, and seeing at least one unit be inconsistent and the team being unable to respond to adjustments that the opposition has made after halftime. And if you are mad at me, I am just stating facts.
Yes. Yes you are.
And Sunday featured all of those things. The Packers struggled on offense, they committed a bunch of penalties, and failed to respond when Flores and KOC made adjustments, blew the lead, and then melted down when facing adversity. Once again, everything I said is factual.
What makes it frustrating is that LaFleur once again made a coaching mistake with his decision in regards to the 4th and 1 call. I personally don't mind the idea of being aggressive in wanting to go pick up one yard, and don't even mind running a sneak. But what really frustrated me was that he and Stenavich weren't on the same page regarding the call. I would have either had someone to push Love across or have had Kraft take the snap given that he played quarterback in high school and was also a bigger body. As great an offensive line coach as Stenavich is, he isn't the right fit as an offensive coordinator, and I question that he would be able to call plays should LaFleur give that duty up.
Which is why LaFleur hasn't delegated the duty.
What should have happened in the offseason would be for LaFleur to move on from Stenavich and get an offensive coordinator who was capable of calling plays and who would have been willing to challenge LeFleur to get better. I get you can't blame the coaches when players make mistakes, but at the end of the day LaFleur keeps putting the players in a position to fail, and he isn't a young head coach anymore. In fact, he is the most senior NFC North head coach.
However, Gutey deserves some of the blame for Sunday. It has become obvious that his like for getting athletes with high RAS scores has made the offensive line worse. During the peak of the Aaron Rodgers era, a lot of people forgot the the Packers had an experienced and good offensive line that by and large protected Aaron and allowed him time and gave the running backs holes to run through.
The Packers haven't been good at evaluating offensive linemen in the past couple of years, and Gutey should have invested more resources into the offensive line.
Ed Policy has already made the first mistake of his tenure as president. January would have been the right time to let LaFleur go. After all, LaFleur was the right head coach when he was first hired, and did a great job in navigating the transition from Rodgers to Love. Most Packers fans would have understood that LaFleur had taken a few steps back, and a fresh voice would have been warranted.
In fact, Policy could have tried to trade LaFleur for a draft pick or two or let him go to the TV studio or booth for a year. But instead he doubled down. That has been a trend for the last two head coaches. Mike Sherman didn't help himself as a coach with his work as a GM, but he stuck around a year too long after stalling out in the playoffs. Mike McCarthy also probably stuck around a year too long, but Ted Thompson didn't want to fire him after the Run the Table team covered up flaws and Aaron's collarbone injury derailed the 2017 season and McCarthy had a Super Bowl title that earned him some grace even if it might have been misplaced. LaFleur doesn't have a Super Bowl title or have coached the Packers in a Super Bowl.
The biggest problem I have with the Packers leadership is that they tend to hold the standard of rather let someone go a year early than a year late to the players and players alone. It is the same problem that the Steelers had where they let Mike Tomlin stay around too long despite a downturn in his playoff record. The difference is that Tomlin had earned that grace with a Super Bowl and his streak of winning seasons. The point is that the Packers are in a win now window because they traded for Micah Parsons. Matt LaFleur is in danger of wasting that window, but Policy ultimately made it clear that he thinks the downturn LaFleur has had is okay. It isn't okay, and Sunday proved that the same things happen over and over again.
Welcome back, and while what happened to the Badgers last week was a hard watch in the 2nd half, a Very Special Comment would be unfair considering that the Domers look like a team on a mission.
Catholics are fond of mission trips, even to exotic Lambeau.
As for the Vikings, they have made a lot of changes and decisions that I ended up talking to someone I trust who can answer those questions for us.
I suspect I know the fount of wisdom in this case.
I am feeling the HYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPEEEEEEEEEEEE! and ready to pick some games. Watch me work.
Mississippi State Clanga (+1) vs. Minnesota Golden Elite Rowers of the Boat I have to give the Gophers credit for scheduling a sneaky good non conference home and home with the Bulldogs, and will give the Bulldogs credit for being willing to travel up north. College football can benefit from teams deciding to do at least one interesting non conference game a year besides the cupcake games, and this will give some direct SEC vs. Big Ten comparisons on the field to start the season off. I also have been critical of the SEC not playing 9 league games in the past, so I will give the SEC credit for going to 9 conference games. As for the game, I think that the Gophers looked good last week, and Drake Lindsey looks like he is going to be the best quarterback that PJ has had in his time with the Gophers. The Bulldogs look like they are going to be a middle of the pack SEC outfit, and think that the Gophers are going to play well and get a good non conference win. Row Row Row Your Boat Elitely 27, More Cowbell 21.
It pains me to say it, because ol' Peej drives me nuts, but the guy can coach and he's done a good job of establishing a consistently competent and often very good program here. The Gophs have talent on both sides of the ball this year and a number of guys with NFL ability. If Lindsey turns out to be one of those guys, the Gophers could make some noise in the conference. Gophers 24, Mississippi State 21.
Western Illinois Leathernecks (+39.5) vs. Beloved Wisconsin Badgers I will give the Badgers credit for hanging in there until Colton Joseph threw the pick 6 last week, but obviously we all knew that beating the Irish would be difficult. I will say that I did see something that looked like Wisconsin football. The bottom line is that for Luke Fickell to keep his job, he needs to win 8-9 games and beat at least one if not both of Iowa and Minnesota. I will say that Shawn Eichorst being AD makes me nervous given what he did with Nebraska, and hope that I am wrong. Western Illinois is your typical tuneup game, and I think that the Badgers should have a get right game. Hopefully it is a low stress game. Badgers 49, Leathernecks 0.
If the Badgers don't breeze in this one, the voices will be getting louder. For now, all quiet on State Street except for faint rumbling. Wisconsin 42, Western Illinois 7.
Glorious Green Bay Packers (+1.5) vs. Minnesota Vikings So the Vikings ended up deciding to give Kyler Murray the keys to the quarterback position and put JJ McCarthy in the third string role. Given that the Vikings had a busy offseason full of questions about how they would line up against the Packers, I decided to bring in an expert who follows the Vikings.
Mrs. D, a/k/a Mom, is a Vikings fan as longtime readers know. When I asked her about what she thought about the Vikings offseason, she mentioned she thought that it was a good idea to have McCarthy be the third string quarterback and get to learn the position better. She is also hoping for a successful season which she says is winning a playoff game.
You should listen to your mother.
Well, I do, but I've learned to tune out the Geritol Fan when necessary.
I'll allow it.
My take on the Vikings is that they need to win a playoff game, because it is hard to believe that KOC has yet to win a playoff game. I get the sense that his seat is slightly hotter than people around here want to admit. As for the Packers, I think LaFleur is going to need to really improve on some things. I personally think that LaFleur has taken a step backwards, and the same mistakes keep piling up. Call me arrogant, but the Packers are an organization that expects to win Super Bowls. The nature of the Josh Jacobs suspension isn't known at this time, but I assume he will be suspended and he deserves to be suspended because of the choices he made back in May. I'm worried about the Packers being banged up along the offensive line against Brian Flores, but on the flip side I think that Jonathan Gannon knows exactly what to expect from Kyler Murray, given their history together in Arizona. Packers 25, Vikings 22.
It's a good test for both teams. Kyler Murray has never had a better supporting cast than now and he will certainly have his moments. The danger the Vikings face is they have three quarterbacks on the roster and they all have significant injury histories. I thought the team picture they took was particularly interesting:
Kyler, Carson and 9 on the march, wobbling a bit
I also wonder if the running game will have enough juice to keep the Packers from going all out on the pass rush. Without Josh Jacobs, the Packers have a similar issue, so this could be a game with a lot of balls in the air. Jordan Love has seen plenty of the Vikings and he's smart enough to anticipate the tricks that Brian Flores will have. Will it be enough? Vikings 27, Packers 24.
The Vikings came into Lambeau with a lot of intentions, but as it turned out the Packers have pushed more questions on the Vikings and if made the right decision with the JJ McCarthy gamble.
I have it on good authority that Kwesi is getting a little queasy.
Meanwhile, the Packers don't have to play on Thanksgiving every single year.
The NFL seems to disagree. Maybe they could try the Jaguars, who have never appeared on Turkey Day.
What could be more traditional than teal-colored predator cats?
Blue and silver predator cats?
Yes. And the Lions are looking for revenge after what happened in September.
I am feeling the HYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYPPPPPPPPPPPEEEEEEE! and ready to pick some games. Watch me work.
Glorious Green Bay Packers (+3) vs. Detroit LOLions Okay, Geritol Fan, let's get this out of the way. Do you have Grumpy Lions guy ready?
As you wish.
You know him, you love him, you can't live without him
Good job - have an extra Carter's Little Liver Pill on me. The Packers are banged up, but thanks to the special teams actually doing something and the pass rush making the Vikings offensive line rethink their life decisions, last week was an emphatic statement. Also, the Packer defenders doing the Skol chant was the funniest celebration I've seen from the Packers since Jaire did the Griddy in the face of the Griddy Man. The Lions struggled against the Giants, and in September looked very helpless against a motivated Packers team. The problem is that because the Bears won't stop winning, the Packers have to win out to win the division. This won't be easy, but the key difference is that this time Micah Parsons is fresher and will not be on a snap count. I like the Packers in this one. Packers 27, Lions 13.
The Lions are still (a) enormously talented and (b) boneheads. The Packers defense will have to win this game and the key is keeping the Lions running backs from going nuts. If Jared Goff has to think about Micah Parsons on a regular basis, you'll know it's gonna be a tough one for the Kitties. Packers 27, Lions 26.
Beloved Wisconsin Badgers (-1.5) vs. Minnesota Golden Elite Rowers of the Boat The Badgers being a road favorite in conference play seems strange to me. After what the Badgers did last week, it shows that the young guys want to win and turn this thing around. The Gophers have nobody to blame but themselves for what happened against the Purple Nerds, and I get the sense that they are going to be tight because winning the Axe is important. Fickell has earned back a little goodwill, but getting the Axe back would really give him some goodwill. If you remember, the Gophers winning the Axe in 2018 gave PJ some credit in the bank to kickstart their 2019 run. Just remember that and don't be surprised by this score. Badgers 37, Row Row Row Your Boat 15.
Before we proceed, a musical interlude:
Now there's a zoot suit for ya.
Old dude, you're not getting better, you're getting stranger.
No lies detected. Can I be honest with you? If the Badgers win on Saturday, I will be surprised. I do not dispute they are playing better than they had earlier in the season, and no one is going to confuse the Gophers with the Oregon Ducks or the Ohio State Buckeyes, but they have talent on both sides of the ball and a competent (if supremely irritating) coach. Would like to see the Axe leave town, but I don't think it will. Gophers 24, Badgers 17.
Minnesota Vikings (+11.5) vs. Seattle Seachickens In a twist of fate, the Vikings are going to be seeing their old buddy Sam Darnold for the first time as an opponent. Now, you can't judge the decision that the Vikings made to move on from Darnold based on what happens on Sunday. But that won't stop people from making that comparison. I asked Mrs. D aka Mom about who should be the QB next year, and she indicated that there is a 50/50 chance it is a QB on the roster or the Vikings could get someone else. The Vikings need this one badly, as they are in danger of being cut adrift in both the NFC North and playoff races given how good the Seachickens, Niners, and Rams are. The bottom line is that the Vikings better win and outplay Darnold with either Brosmer or McCarthy because then the heat on KOC and the front office will get lava hot. Thankfully, something tells me that Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison are going to put the team on their back and get it done. Vikings 29, Seachickens 16.
I am not conviced the Seahawks are a great team, but right now the Vikings are a hot mess and asking a rookie quarterback to win in Seattle seems like a bit much. Maybe Max Brosmer is capable of being a junior grade Brock Purdy, but I think he could just as easily be Shaun Hill. And that's not the hill to die on. I bet Darnold coughs up a hairball or two, but in the end... Seahawks 20, Vikings 13.
Happy Thanksgiving, and enjoy the football this weekend. Ben out.
So old dude, the Packers almost got bit by the Giants, but thankfully got enough plays to escape New Jersey with the win. The problem is that there are too many injuries.
Did they play the game at MetLife Stadium, or on the New Jersey Turnpike?
Counting the cars on the New Jersey Turnpike
They've all come to look for America.
I'll say this, old dude - you're no Art Garfunkel.
Thanks, I guess.
As for the Vikings, they lost a game that they needed because the special teams and defense couldn't help JJ McCarthy change the narrative, and are going to come into Lambeau with a lot of desperation.
Yeah, that was not good on multiple levels.
I am feeling the HYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYPPPPPPPPPPPPEEEEEEEEEEE! and ready to pick some games. Watch me work.
Minnesota Golden Elite Rowers of the Boat (+3.5) vs. Northwestern Purple Nerds. The Gophers already have bowl eligibility squared away, and are going to be playing at Wrigley against a Wildcat team that has been feisty against some good teams in the conference. The Gophers should win this one based on talent, but the Purple Nerds always save their voodoo for someone. With them having to face the Illini next week, they would love to not have to play for a bowl bid in a rivalry game. This game could get very scrappy, but the Gophers are going to win a game that is going to be close and pretty low scoring. Row Row Row Your Boat Elitely 24, Purple Nerds 23.
It might actually be beneficial for the Gophers to play at Wrigley. Northwestern doesn't have a football stadium right now and they've done the vagabond bit this season. I agree with your pick, but I don't have a great feeling about this game. Gophers 27, Northwestern 24.
Illinois Cheating Illini (-8.5) vs. Beloved Wisconsin Badgers Wisconsin at least fought Indiana for a half, but pulling off a second miracle was asking too much against the Hoosiers. Illinois probably isn't going to get in the playoffs because realistically there are only a couple of at larges that aren't seemingly set when you consider that the ACC and Group of 5 reps are going to be ranked lower than 10th. For the Badgers, the way to save this season would be either get the Axe back or beat Illinois. Either would be a fun result, and I'll take my chances on a night game at home. As a side note, the Big Ten needs to mandate that every conference team should have to play night games in November and play on Fridays at home. Badgers 35, Illini 20.
The Badgers are playing a little better down the stretch, but I don't think they've exactly turned the corner, either. Illinois is not a great team, but they are solid and while it pains me to say it, Bret Bielema can coach 'em up. Illinois 31, Badgers 17.
Minnesota Vikings (+6.5) vs. Glorious Green Bay Packers The Vikings are in a really tough spot right now, and the knives really have come out for JJ McCarthy. I've certainly been critical of McCarthy, but Vikings fans should be questioning if the front office has set KOC and McCarthy to fail. You might remember that Mrs. D aka Mom mentioned that success for McCarthy would be beating the Packers twice and winning a playoff game. Now is the chance to do that. What is going to help the Vikings is that the Packers are banged up and the Vikings finally have an intact offensive line. I'm wondering if the Packers team that looked so dominant against the Lions, Steelers, and Commanders shows up. Or will the team that has struggled against divisional opponents show up? We are going to learn a lot about the Vikings on Sunday. Packers 27, Vikings 20.
You mentioned the key to the game - is the Vikings offensive line up to snuff? If they can get the Packers blocked, I think they have a decent chance to win on Sunday. If the Packers defense gets McCarthy off schedule, it will be a very long day for the Purple. The Packers have an injury list the size of the Mankato phone book, but I suspect most of their guys will play. The Vikings can cause havoc on defense, but Jordan Love has been getting better and he'll have chances for some big plays. Packers 27, Vikings 17.
So as it turns out the Vikings are in some dangerous waters heading into a critical game against the LOLions. And the Packers got a pretty good win in Pittsburgh and are now able to fully turn the page on Aaron leaving.
A tidy synopsis.
And by the time this post goes up either the Blue Jays will be celebrating a deserved world title or the World Series is going to be decided this weekend.
Unless the game goes 18 innings again.
Also, Luke Fickell can be fired at any time and I am confident that the Wisconsin state government won't pull whatever the heck the Louisiana government is doing with the LSU coaching search down in Baton Rouge.
They apparently have all their other problems solved, so they have ample time to tend to their football program. Must be nice.
I am feeling the HYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYPPPPPPPPPPPEEEEEEEEEEE! and ready to pick some games. Watch me work.
Michigan State Sparty The Spartan (+3.5) vs. Minnesota Golden Elite Rowers of the Boat The Gophers quite rightly deserved all of the criticism that they got. Losing to Iowa by that much in a rivalry game is unacceptable to the Gopher fans. The Gophers are playing for bowl eligibility again this week, and while Sparty is getting better, I think that the Gophers are going to come out with a point to prove at home. So while Sparty is going to be a much better outfit down the road, this feels like a get right game for the Gophers. Lindsey in particular is going to have a great game in my view, and after the week that Minnesota sports has had, something has to go right. Row Row Row Your Boat Elitely 34, Sparty 17.
One problem with the supersized Big Ten is it becomes difficult to actually follow all the teams, so I'll be honest and admit I don't know about the Spartans, who haven't been very visible.
Sparty enjoys a Spartan Swirl, but might be swirling the bowl?
Since the game is here, I'll assume the Gophers will prevail. My one hunch about what happened last week? I think Iowa is a lot better than most people realize, so maybe the Gophers weren't as inept as they appeared. Gophers 27, Spartans 20.
Minnesota Vikings (+8.5) vs. Detroit LOLions So it's never a good thing when the Athletic calls out the Vikings and puts out an article saying that JJ McCarthy needs to be great or else the fallout is going to be bad. The Vikings looked bad against the Chargers, and are facing a game that both they and the Lions need to win in order to keep place with the Packers. To expand on what I said last week, the Vikings should have kept Darnold, because the guy did not deserve to lose his job even if the last two games wound up being tough ones for the Vikings. My concern about McCarthy is that he is being put in position to win with a team that was put around him to win now, and that is putting him a position where if he fails then the Vikings are in a position to be blown up. The Vikings have spent a lot of money and made a lot of moves to get talent around McCarthy, but spending all the money on guys besides the quarterback position and hoping that McCarthy is the guy is dangerous. The Vikings should have paid Darnold, or had an open quarterback competition instead of handing McCarthy a Ferrari at 16 years old before knowing how well he can drive a car. As for the actual game, the Lions are the desperate team at home, and should the Vikings lose this game I wouldn't be surprised if serious questions about the core of this team are going to be asked. Lions 31, Vikings 9.
You couldn't pay Darnold and everyone else, so the Vikings made a decision. Ordinarily if your quarterback is on a rookie contract, you can reward everyone else, which is the way most NFL teams operate. The key is whether McCarthy has it or not. We still don't have enough of a sample size to know for sure. One thing I do know - you can't help your club in the tub. Lions will be nasty, because this current incarnation is always that way. By the way, is Adam Thielen still on the team? Lions 27, Vikings 13.
Carolina Panthers (+13.5) vs. Glorious Green Bay Packers Last week really was a huge step for the Packers, and I was really pleased. To go on the road against a quality Steelers team and win very comfortably showed us that the Packers are closer to the team that made the Lions and Commanders look really bad than the team who looked bad against the Cowboys and Browns. This game against Carolina makes me nervous. The Panthers are getting better, and two years ago almost pulled off an upset on Christmas Eve against the Packers. For whatever reason, Carolina plays the Packers tough and some Packers fans are assuming that this game is an easy W before the Eagles come to town next weekend on Monday Night Football. The good news is that the Panthers are going to be banged up on the offensive line, and that should allow Micah and Gary to go hunt Bryce Young. So while I think this game is going to be a lot closer than people expect, the Packers are going to pull this one out. Packers 24, Panthers 16.
I do not know if the Panthers are good or not. They've won four games. They've also been crushed a few times. The point spread seems ridiculous to me, but I think the Packers are better. Packers 34, Panthers 24.
The Vikings playing a game on Thursday Night Football in LA is a terrible idea and the NFL needs to do something about what games can and cannot be placed on Thursday Night Football.
Needs to, but won't. It's definitely a pet peeve of mine as well.
We'll talk about that later.
Meanwhile, the Badgers need to get serious about the football program. Chris McIntosh needs to do the right thing and understand that spending over $20 million on Fickell's buyout is a cost that you have to eat. He and the administration realize that the Big Ten has a big media contract and can easily cover the costs of a coaching change.
Firing Fickell is an admission of failure for McIntosh, so that might have something to do with it.
I am feeling the HYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPEEEEE! and ready to pick some games. Watch me work.
Minnesota Golden Elite Rowers of the Boat (+8.5) vs. Iowa Hawkeyes Well, as it turns out all of the predictions that the Gophers would be irrelevant in the 18 team Big Ten are all wrong. Now being a Wisconsin fan, this game is between the two archrivals, and sadly they both can't lose. PJ has proven he can beat Iowa in Iowa City, and getting the Pig back would go a long way to make his seat even cooler than it already is. The problem is that Iowa City is a tough place to win, and the 4th quarter is going to be played under Kinnick At Night conditions. I'll pick Iowa to win a close one because they are at home. Hawkeyes 21, Row Row Row Your Boat Elitely 19.
Fleck drives me nuts because I think he's a blowhard, but he's built a solid program. Winning at Kinnick is tough, though. Iowa 27, Minnesota 20.
Beloved Wisconsin Badgers (+31.5) vs. Oregon Quack Quack This must be like what watching the Badgers in the dark ages must have been for older fans.
It is.
Uh, I'm working here, old dude. Ahem. The good news for the Badgers is that Oregon is traveling back cross country from Rutgers last week and the upcoming bye week would be an excellent time for the Badgers to pull the trigger on a coaching change. The report that the Badgers are going to keep Fickell made me very fru strated. Look, I understand that the schedule has been brutal this year and having to rely on third-string QB Hunter Simmons because of injuries would be hard for any coach. But the problem is that at some point someone needs to realize that not scoring any points in weeks and losing by 37 at home to Iowa isn't acceptable. I just am glad that the Badgers are going to be very good in hoops. Getting to the Sweet 16 is my goal, but that is a problem I can handle compared to football. Oregon is very good and needs this one to keep themselves in playoff contention since the SEC is going to beat themselves up. What is going to help the Badgers is that they are far away from the angry fans like myself and Oregon shoots themselves in the foot. Badgers 35, Quack Quack 21
I realize you never pick against the Badgers or the Packers, but c'mon, man. Oregon 35, Wisconsin 0.
Minnesota Vikings (+3) vs. Los Angeles Chargers I'll talk about the scheduling of this game later, but the Vikings have bigger issues then Amazon's greed. The Vikings shot themselves in the foot multiple times in the red zone. Carson Wentz was a disaster, and it is obvious that the Eagles were going to win because despite their offense shutting off in the first half, the Vikings crossing into the red zone wasn't a good thing. I'll say something that people in the Twin Cities don't want to admit. This team is a bigger paper tiger then the Bears are. Remember, the Vikings have gotten themselves a ton of talent for this "competitive rebuild", and it hasn't worked. Dallas Turner is danger of being a bigger bust than Troy Williamson, JJ McCarthy is being put in a position where he might not succeed, Justin Jefferson's contract should have gone to Sam Darnold, and the Vikings have won zero playoff games since 2019 despite the NFL media constantly talking about how much of an elite coach KOC is. The Vikings threw away their draft capital to further lock in a team that is in the worst place a team can be. You know where that is, Vikings fans? This Vikings core might win 1 playoff game, but will lose in the Divisional round to a real contender. The Chargers are a team that looks like they want to go further, and made needed changes with getting in Jim Harbaugh. I highly suggest that the Vikings consider taking a good long look at what they are doing, because Vikings fans deserve better than what they are getting. Go Back To San Diego 35, Vikings 10.
Sometimes in life you gamble. Sometimes you lose. We don't know if J.J. McCarthy is up to NFL standards and the Vikings live in a tough division. I also saw the Vikings haven't won a Thursday night road game since the 1970s. Don't know if that's true, but if it is the Vikings need to avoid such things. The Chargers are up and down, but after getting their doors blown off last week I have to think they'll be motivated. Chargers 27, Vikings 24.
Glorious Green Bay Packers (-3) vs. Pittsburgh Yinzers Oh boy, this game is going to cause a lot of overreactions. So obviously this is the first time that Aaron Rodgers is going to start against us. I'm too young to have seen Brett Favre at the height of his powers, so Aaron gave me almost two decades of brilliance and a Super Bowl run that I will always cherish. But now I will have to do something that I never wanted to do, and that is root against Aaron as an opponent. While it is far from fair to judge the decision to hand the keys of the Packers over to Jordan Love on one game, this game is going to give us a data point. The Packers have never won in Pittsburgh in my lifetime, and are going to have to play a lot better after the narrow escape against the Cardinals. Winning in Pittsburgh means blocking the Steelers and their high end pass rush. Thank God that this game isn't in Lambeau, because I lived through that circus once before and I never want to see a former legend come into Lambeau in an opposing uniform again. The Packers are going to play better this week despite Aaron being at his best. Despite my harsh words when he left, I will always have fond memories of Aaron. But he is an opponent of the Packers, and I will root for my team the same way I root for the Packers against Russ. Packers 31, Steelers 25.
If the Packers can rush the passer, they win. If not, they lose. The last time the Packers won in Pittsburgh, the Packers quarterback was (checking notes) Bart Starr. Think they're due. Packers 27, Steelers 20.
And now, it is time for a Very Special Comment. The Vikings have gotten hosed with their schedule this year. Two straight international games is bad enough as it is, but now they have to fly to LA on a short week. I understand that the NFL needs to balance games between their network partners, but there is a difference between a Monday night to Sunday gap going coast to coast and going Sunday to Thursday. If the NFL and Amazon want the best product on display, they need to make two simple changes. The first one is that only divisional games or teams that are in the next time zone are allowed on Thursday nights. The reason I would make an exception for divisional games is because the Chiefs playing one of their AFC West rivals is okay with me and it's fair to Amazon to not be cut off from showcasing a handful of AFC West games that doesn't exist.
The other rule for Thursday Night Football is that the NFL and/or Amazon is responsible for refunding all expenses for any fans that get screwed over by flexing games to Thursday nights. Both companies can easily afford to do that, and that would make it harder for a Thursday flex. The bottom line is that the Vikings have already had to take one for the NFL by having to play on Christmas Day and do two international games back to back. The NFL should be ashamed of themselves for this. The NFL is going to kill the golden goose with all of these standalone games and making even diehards like me have to figure out where to watch. I remember when it was Sunday afternoons, Sunday Night Football, and Monday Night Football. Sure you had the Kickoff game, Thanksgiving, and a couple of random Saturday games in December, but it was easy to remember. Don't be like college football where you have games all over the map and on 100 different channels and streaming services.
It is getting difficult and I agree, the Vikings are getting especially hosed this season. I'd like to see the NFL do better as well.
Something tells me that a lot of people at Camp Randall are going to be worrying about the Brewers being pushed to the brink by the Cubs.
While I am a Twins fan, I think I speak for the both of us when I say that the Brewers winning tomorrow night would be much appreciated.
Few things in my lifetime of being a sports fan have been as frustrating as being a Brewers fan. Perennial bridesmaids. I am likely jinxing my beloved Crew by doing this, but this is what I want to see after tomorrow night's affair in Milwaukee:
Harry Caray masks only $19.99!
Meanwhile, the Packers are playing a game that a lot of us are overlooking.
I am feeling the HYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYPPPPPPPEEEEEEEEEEEEE! and ready to pick some games. Watch me work.
Purdon't Spoilermakers (+7.5) vs. Minnesota Golden Elite Rowers of the Boat The Gophers have looked good outside of the Cal game, and this shouldn't be too difficult a game. Purdue is still a dumpster fire, and the Gophers aren't going to get ambushed again like Rutgers a few weeks ago. Drake Lindsey should be a good Big Ten quarterback as he gets experience, and frankly has looked more impressive than Bryce Underwood. That isn't a typo, by the way. I look for the Gophers to jump out in front of Purdue early and PJ will then choke the life out of the game as per his typical gameplan. What I would like to see is PJ to let Lindsey start leading the offense a bit more. I know that he is a freshman, but I think you have to give him a chance to grow. Row Row Row Your Boat Elitely 45, Spoilermakers 13
I didn't think the Gophers looked very good against Ohio State, but your mileage may vary. Purdue is a mess and the Gophers should be able to handle them without too much difficulty. Gophers 31, Purdue 14.
Iowa Hawkeyes (-3) vs. Beloved Wisconsin Badgers The Badger defense deserves a lot of credit for playing Michigan tough. The problem was that the offense didn't score enough points to win. If Fickell wants to keep his job, he is going to have to beat Iowa and the Gophers. He hasn't beaten Iowa and the facts are clear -- the Badgers don't have the phyiscal edge. Wisconsin-Iowa games are typically going to be low scoring types of games, and the Badgers are going to need to take advantage of their chances. A Wisconsin win is going to give Fickell some relief, because the Badgers need to get back to winning against our rivals. It's been arguably the biggest failure of Fickell's tenure. Badgers 21, Hawkeyes 14.
Iowa takes care of business. That's been the hallmark of this team for nearly 50 years now. The Badgers were like that until very recently. They aren't now. Iowa 28, Wisconsin 16.
Cincinatti Bungals (+14.5) vs. Glorious Green Bay Packers This game is going to be a lot closer than people think. I realize that the Bengals are banged up badly and looked terrible against the Lions. But the Bengals are an NFL team and you never assume that winning in the NFL is a given. The Packers are also going to be banged up, and Matt LaFleur is notorious for not being prepared coming off a bye week. What I would like to see from the Packers is for less mental mistakes. The Packer special teams also has been rightfully called out, and I hope that Love is going to have a really good game after a couple of uneven performances against the Browns and Cowboys. The Packers should win, but the Bengals are going to come into Lambeau with a point to prove. I hope that we see the Packers who looked like world beaters against the Lions and Commanders instead of the paper tigers we saw against the Cowboys and Browns. Packers 38, Bengals 21.
Hope is not a strategy, but the Bengals bringing in Joe Flacco midweek to start tells you everything you need to know about this game. I think the Packers will win this one comfortably. Packers 38, Bengals 14.
