2024 Week 1 Prediction

Baltimore Ravens @ Kansas City Chiefs

The season kicks off with an awesome opening matchup. The Ravens look to get revenge on the team who eliminated them from last year’s playoffs. I don’t think that happens as the Chiefs will win, cover (-3), and the under (46.5) hits.

Green Bay Packers vs Philadelphia Eagles (In Brazil)

A Friday night game to kick off the season in Brazil is unprecedented but I’m here for it. Both teams have huge expectations for the season. I think the Packers win, cover (+2.5), and the over (48.5) hits.

New England Patriots @ Cincinnati Bengals

This season will not be fun for Patriots fans. The Bengals, meanwhile, are all in for a Super Bowl victory. That will be apparent as the Bengals win, cover (-7.5), and the under (41) hits. Note: Updated 9/7 to Bengals -7.5

New York Jets @ San Francisco 49ers

Both teams think they can win the Super Bowl this year. The Jets are delusional, while the Niners actually have a shot. The Niners will win, cover (-3.5), and the over (44) will hit.

College Football Week 1 Reaction

College football is now fully back and had an awesome slate of games. My hope is that the 12 team playoff encourages teams to play tough non conference games like we saw this weekend.

Georgia struggled offensively for a lot of their game vs Clemson. They’re so good that they were still able to blow out Clemson. Clemson’s lack of adapting to the transfer portal and NIL may end up being the downfall of them being an elite program.

Quinn Ewers might be the most under appreciated QB in the country. He is a 5-Star recruit, led Texas to the playoff last year, and is projected to be a 1st round pick yet people talk more about his back up than him. Texas blew out Colorado St. 52-0 and the biggest story is that Arch Manning played in the game.

Nico Iamaleava looks like he is going to be a stud. He throws the ball so well and could be a top draft pick in a couple years.

Miami blew out Florida and looked great doing so. Florida could be in for a long season with such a tough schedule.

Colorado might not have a great record but Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter will be must watch TV all year. They should both be top 5 draft picks in 2025 and I think Shedeur is the best QB and Hunter is the best player in the draft.

LSU and USC’s new QBs look good. Kyren Lacy looks like the next great LSU WR. USC’s Zachariah Branch is electric to watch and looks like Tyreek Hill out there. USC WR Kyron Ware-Hudson also looks great and made the potential catch of the year. All told this was the exact type of game you want to see Week 1 between two powerhouse programs. LSU has not won a Week 1 game since their 2019 season, but I respect the fact that they consistently play tough games Week 1 – unlike most other teams in the SEC.

FSU once again struggled against an inferior opponent. DJ U does not look like he can lead them to success and it could be a long season for FSU. Despite the 12 team Playoff their season is probably over. They’d need to win out to have a chance to even make it.

2024 NFC Predictions (Plus Super Bowl Pick)

NFC East

  1. Philadelphia Eagles (3 Seed)
  2. Dallas Cowboys (7 Seed)
  3. Washington Commanders
  4. New York Giants

The Eagles are the clear cut favorite to win the division. They have a more talented roster and the Cowboys have had way too much drama this offseason and it still isn’t over yet. The Commanders are getting some hype that I’m not buying at all. The Giants are in rebuild mode and may get the #1 pick.

NFC North

  1. Detroit Lions (2 Seed)
  2. Green Bay Packers (6 Seed)
  3. Chicago Bears
  4. Minnesota Vikings

This division got competitive fast. I wouldn’t be surprised if any of these teams made the playoffs. The Lions have the most talented and experienced team so they get the edge for me. The Packers have such a talented young roster and will get a Wild Card. The Bears are still a year away from making it to the playoffs and contending for the division. The Vikings won’t have the QB play to go with such a great roster and coach.

NFC South

  1. Atlanta Falcons (4 Seed)
  2. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
  3. New Orleans Saints
  4. Carolina Panthers

This is the worst division in football. Kirk Cousins is a great regular season QB and has talented young roster just like in Minnesota. That should be enough to win it the division. Tampa could contend, but they are getting old. The Saints are old like the Bucs, but with less talent. The Panthers have no shot.

NFC West

  1. San Francisco 49ers (1 Seed)
  2. Los Angeles Rams (5 Seed)
  3. Seattle Seahawks
  4. Arizona Cardinals

The 49ers have the best roster in the league and now have the Aiyuk situation figured out. They need to win this year before they have to start paying Purdy so there’s urgency. The Rams have the ideal mix of a great offensive head coach, a great veteran QB who has won a Super Bowl, and a talented group of young players. They will just miss out on the division. The Seahawks will be very average. The Cardinals have hope and talent, but it is too soon for them.

NFC Playoffs

Wild Card Round

  • 1 SF: Bye
  • 2 DET vs 7 DAL: 2 DET Wins
  • 3 PHL vs 6 GB: 6 GB Wins
  • 4 ATL vs 5 LAR: 5 LAR Wins

Divisional Round

  • 1 SF vs 6 GB: 1 SF Wins
  • 2 DET vs 5 LAR: 5 LAR wins

NFC Championship Game

  • 1 SF vs 5 LAR: LAR Wins NFC

Final NFC Thoughts: 

The NFC is by far the more inferior conference. That being said, there are some young teams with a ton of talent and potential that could emerge this year. I think the Rams come out on top and make it to the Super Bowl.

Super Bowl LIX

LAR vs CIN: CIN wins the Super Bowl

For the 2nd year in a row, there will be a recent rematch in the Super Bowl – but with two different teams. I think Cincinnati gets revenge from Super Bowl LVI and bring Cincinnati their first Super Bowl in franchise history. 

Note: All predictions as of 8/29/2024

2024 AFC Predictions

AFC East

  1. Buffalo Bills (4 Seed)
  2. New York Jets (6 Seed)
  3. Miami Dolphins
  4. New England Patriots

The AFC East is up for grabs right now. The Bills have the best QB in the division, but Josh Allen will have to contend with some unproven playmakers around him. The Jets have all the talent in the world, but need to prove they can stay healthy and keep it together for an entire year. The Dolphins have a great coach and a track team on offense, they just feel limited by their quarterback. The Pats are currently at ground zero of a rebuild, so expectations are low – to put it nicely. Ultimately, I think the top 3 teams are so even that I’m going to give the Bills the tiebreaker due to having the best player in the division at the most important position.

AFC North

  1. Baltimore Ravens (2 Seed)
  2. Cincinnati Bengals (5 Seed)
  3. Cleveland Browns
  4. Pittsburgh Steelers

This is the deepest division in the whole league. This will be a close race, but the Ravens will just edge out the Bengals for the division title. They have a more talented team than the Bengals and they have a better coach. The Bengals have also been a little more loud than I would like a team to be in the offseason and I don’t think they’ll be focused to start the year. The Browns boast a great roster and coach, but Deshaun Watson has been absolutely terrible and often injured while in Cleveland. The Steelers have a great defense and coach, but no answer at QB. Russ or Fields limits them in such a stacked division and conference.

AFC South

  1. Houston Texans (3 Seed)
  2. Indianapolis Colts
  3. Jacksonville Jaguars
  4. Tennessee Titans

Similar to the AFC East, three teams could potentially win this division and it’ll be close at the top. The Texans have such a great blend of veterans and young player that I think it propels them to the top. The Colts have a potentially lethal combo of Anthony Richardson and Shane Steichen that should start paying dividends this year. The Jags had a terrible collapse last year that their psyche might be off this year. The Titans are by far the worst team in the division.

AFC West

  1. Kansas City Chiefs (1 Seed)
  2. Los Angeles Chargers (7 Seed)
  3. Denver Broncos
  4. Las Vegas Raiders

The Chiefs should easily runaway with the division. The Chargers with Jim Harbaugh and Justin Herbert will be a force to reckon with and will make the playoffs. The Broncos have potential but don’t have the talent to compete with the Chiefs or Chargers. The Raiders have good offensive skill players but QB will be an issue.

AFC Playoffs

Wild Card Round

  • 1 KC: Bye
  • 2 BAL vs 7 LAC: 7 LAC Wins
  • 3 HOU vs 6 NYJ: 3 HOU Wins
  • 4 BUF vs 5 CIN: 5 CIN Wins

Divisional Round

  • 1 KC vs 7 LAC: 1 KC Wins
  • 3 Hou vs 5 CIN: 5 CIN wins

AFC Championship Game

  • 1 KC vs 5 CIN: 5 CIN Wins AFC

Final AFC Thoughts: 

The AFC is the most stacked we have ever seen an NFL conference in recent memory. There are so many teams who could get an a hot streak and win the conference. I think Cincinnati ends up being the team this year. They are the one team that has proven they can consistently knock off the Chiefs and I see it happening again this year.

Note: All predictions as of 8/29/2024

Premier League Matchweek 3 Reaction

Arsenal got a red card and dropped points they will need with a draw against Brighton. Man U could be in for a long season if they don’t start playing better. Chelsea should have won their game today. They outplayed Crystal Palace but couldn’t get the win. There were some good signs with the offense looking fast and getting chances, but they need to win these games.

Start of Season Top 10 QBs

Below are my top 10 QBs in the NFL. I am not solely basing it off last year, but instead the last couple of years plus how I think they’ll perform moving forward.

1. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs

Do I even have to explain?

2. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills

Allen is the modern day Brett Favre. He is an absurd athlete who routinely makes jaw dropping plays. He will also go rouge every now and then and make you ask yourself what the hell he is doing. His 173 total TDs the past 4 years make up for those mistakes.

3. Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals

Burrow had a tough year, first dealing with a nagging calf injury that hampered him the first 4 games, then going on IR after the 10th game of the year. During the 5.5 games he was healthy, he threw for 13 TDs and showed how good he is. The only thing that can slow him down is injuries.

4. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens

Lamar balled out and won his 2nd league MVP last year. He is one of the most athletic players we’ve ever seen and can do things at QB that no one else in the league can. He needs to play better in the playoffs though.

5. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers

Herbert is insanely talented, but has struggled to win. The lack of coaching and injuries around him in the past is reasonable enough to blame. However, with Jim Harbaugh now his coach, there are no more excuses. He needs to start winning games and making runs in the postseason.

6. Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles

Hurts is a special QB and a great duel threat. He had some up and down moments last year, but the season ended on a bad note. He will need to shake it off this year.

7. Aaron Rodgers, New York Jets

Last season did not go as he wanted it to, however, I am still a believer that this all-time great will come back with a splash this year.

8. Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys

Dak played great at times this year, but does not always bring it during big games. The uncertainty around the team could spell a tough year.

9. Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars

Lawrence struggled last year, especially when his team needed him down the stretch. He’ll need to work out some kinks this offseason to return to the player he was two years before. The $275 m over 5 years suggests the Jags still have 100% belief in him.

10. Brock Purdy, San Franciso 49ers

He is definitely aided by his coach and playmakers around him, but he still gets them the ball and plays great. My only concern is that he struggles to bring his team back if they get too far behind. The Aiyuk and Trent Williams situations could cause complications, but he still has weapons around him.

Premier League Match Week 2

The first big upset of the year happened with Man U dropping a game to Brighton. Haaland scored yet another hat trick in Man City’s win.

Chelsea vs Wolves was a chippy and exciting affair. Cole Palmer scored what will end up being one of the goals of the year on the soccer equivalent of a one play drive that ends with an 80-yard touchdown pass. The whole game Chelsea played like the Showtime Lakers. Palmer played the role of Magic Johnson with three assists to Noni Madueke who scored a natural hat trick. All told putting up 6 goals in the first win of the year is a resounding win.

Football is back

Having real football back is the best. This time of year is awesome because we get to have football but the weather is still great. It only last around a month, so enjoy it.

Florida State vs Georgia Tech was as good an opening game as you can have. Two Power 5 schools, including a Top 10 team, playing each other and ending in a last second field goal to produce the first upset of the year is storybook. The whole game was basically a marketing campaign to visit Ireland and now I wanna go there.

This game also highlights why the 12 team expansion is good. FSU would likely have to kiss their season goodbye, but now they are still alive in the playoff race. They probably won’t get there because they do not look very good, but they still have hope.

Another positive consequence of the 12 team playoff is that elite teams will be more likely to play tough non-conference/early season games. Week 1 starts off hot with UNC @ Minnesota on Thursday night; TCU @ Stanford Friday night; 14 Clemson @ 1 Georgia; 8 Penn State @ West Virginia; 19 Miami @ Florida; 7 Notre Dame @ 20 Texas A&M; 23 USC vs 13 LSU Sunday night, and BC @ 10 FSU Monday night.

We are back.

Premier League Match Week 1 Reaction

Chelsea has such a a young team and so many talented players. Having 53 available players is insane and that will likely change as the season progresses. What they need is stability at coach and they slowly need to determine the best lineup possible and let those players grow together. What they don’t need is growing resentment from guys who don’t play which leads to pressure on the coach and key players. It’s a work in progress but the hope is there.

As for the game, I thought they played pretty well. Man City by no means dominated them and if they capitalized better on scoring opportunities, they could have won. Haaland scoring his 92nd goal in just 100 appearances for Man City is an amazing stat.

In other news, the Newcastle-Southampton game was a great game. However, the red card called on Fabian Schär was ridiculous. Ben Brereton Diaz unjustly ran up to Schär and shoved him over from behind. Schär got up and barley touched Brereton Diaz, who proceeded to perform an all-time flop to draw the red card. That is the type of stuff the Premier League needs to do better at not calling.

NFL Schedule Future

With the NFL heavily contemplating an 18 game season, here I changes to the schedule I hope to see the NFL make:

  • They should remove one of the 3 preseason games and add an 18th regular season game. More games is better and 18 is an even number that is easier to work with than 17. Truth be told, I think the owners wanted an 18 game schedule and rather than add two games at once, decided to take it one at a time. This extra game will also lead to more revenue which will leads to a higher salary cap and more money for the players.
  • Add a bye week to the season. Firstly, this will help player’s health, which is the most important thing the league needs to consider since the players make the NFL what it is more than anyone else. The extra bye week will give guys more rest and make them more willing to accept an extra regular season game. This will also add an extra week to the season, which will make the Super Bowl fall on President’s Day weekend and give us Super Bowl Monday off. For years fans have clamored for Super Bowl Monday to be a national holiday. This allows fans to have the day off after inhaling beer, wings, and nachos without adding an extra national holiday.

These changes should make the NFL even better than it already is and I’m all for it.