Tag: Baltimore Ravens

NFL Week 4 Reaction

New England Patriots (1-3) @ San Francisco 49ers (2-2)

Despite all their injuries, the 49ers utterly dominate the Pats. This game was never close and the Pats season is looking brutal. They gave up another 6 sacks today to make it 17 this year and got out gained 405 yards to 206. Even when the Pats pull off a cool trick play, it gets called back for a nonexistent block in the back. The one bright spot is that Christian Gonzalez continues to look amazing.

Injuries still may hurt the 49ers long term. Warner and Kittle aggravated prior injuries and McCaffrey, Hargrave, Greenlaw, and Hufanga are still on IR or out. They have the best roster in the league, but for the time being Purdy and Shanahan will have to carry the team. The fact that the 49ers are still playing pretty well and guys like Jordan Mason and Jauan Jennings are making big contributions is impressive.

Kansas City Chiefs (4-0) @ Los Angeles Chargers (2-2)

The Chargers put up a fight, but the Chiefs always find a way to pull out a win. Patrick Mahomes is now 12-0 when his team is down by exactly 10 points in a game which is a crazy stat. It also must feel good for Chiefs fans to see Kelce play great.

On the other hand, the injury to Rashee Rice might end his season. That would be a devastating blow to a team already dealing with extended injuries to RB Isiah Pacheco and WR Hollywood Brown. Rice was their only player with over 100 yards receiving entering the game and he had over 200 yards more than the next closest guy.

The Chargers will be fine long term once they get guys back.

Buffalo Bills (3-1) @ Baltimore Ravens (2-2)

The Ravens played exactly how they want to. If they play like that all season, they can beat anyone. Derrick Henry is a future Hall of Famer and he looks as good as he ever has. He’s so big and fast that tackling him must be the least fun thing ever.

On a separate note, John Harbaugh is an overrated coach. He never seems to fully understand how the NFL rules work – like when he called a timeout when he wasn’t able to on Sunday night – then he cries or complains as if he isn’t in the wrong.

The Bills will be okay, but in a year where the AFC is wide open, it’s concerning another contender beat them so badly.

Game/Betting Picks Results

Game: 2-1 (9-4 This Season) (47-20 All-Time)

Spread: 1-2 (8-5) (47-19-1)

O/U: 1-2 (6-7) (35-31-1)

NFL Week 4 Predictions

New England Patriots (1-2) @ San Francisco 49ers (1-2)

Two teams with the same record and who are dealing with many injuries but who couldn’t be more different. The 49ers are pissed off and need a win, and should easily be able to handle the Pats. The 49ers will win, cover (-10.5), and the under (40.5) will hit.

Kansas City Chiefs (3-0) @ Los Angeles Chargers (2-1)

The Chargers were rolling until last week and now things are looking dire. Nearly every one of their star players is dealing with injuries this week. The Chiefs have looked off at times but are still 3-0 and are pretty healthy. I think the Chiefs win, cover (-7.5), and the under (40) hits.

Buffalo Bills (3-0) @ Baltimore Ravens (1-2)

The Bills are absolutely rolling, as they tend to so during the month of September. The Ravens saved their season from going off the rails last week, but still need to keep things from falling apart. I think the Bills win, cover (+2.5), and the over (46.5) hits.

NFL Week 3 Reaction

New England Patriots (1-2) @ New York Jets (2-1)

The score did not reflect how utterly dominated the Pats were this game. They were out gained 400 to 139, had the ball for under 20 minutes, and gave up 7 sacks. The one silver lining is now we get a mini bye week so guys can get healthy and the team can (hopefully) regroup.

It’s sad to say but the Jets are much better than the Pats right now. Aaron Rodgers looks like his old self. He was avoiding pressure, throwing on the run, and slinging it with ease. The Jets RB duo of Breece Hall and Braelon Allen is great and Garrett Wilson, Allen Lazard, and Mike Williams give Rodgers a good receiving core.

The Pats on the other hand, have very little talent offensively. As we have mentioned, when the Pats get behind in a game and NEED to pass the ball, they simply cannot do it. The only way this offense is effective is if they can consistency run the ball and impose their will. They quickly went down 14-0 and the game was basically over at that point.

Drake Maye coming in was a nice surprise. He showed his toughness and athleticism, but we do not want him playing right now. Our offensive line is bad to begin with and is even worse due to all the injuries we have. The Pats also lack effective and consistent skill players to make Maye’s life easier. I think he will gain more from sitting for the time being.

There aren’t many bright spots on the Pats, but Christian Gonzalez is one of them. He is an absolute stud and could be one of the best cornerbacks in the league by the end of the year.

Baltimore Ravens (1-2) @ Dallas Cowboys (1-2)

The Ravens pulled out a win by the skin of their teeth to save their season. Derrick Henry and Lamar Jackson combined for 238 yards rushing and 3 TDs – the kind of production Ravens fans were hoping for when they signed Henry.

The Cowboys deserve credit for almost clawing back from a 28-6 deficit with less than 10 minutes remaining. Tensions are high in Dallas and they need to avoid an internal collapse so early in the year.

San Francisco 49ers (1-2) @ Los Angeles Rams (1-2) 

The 49ers really should’ve won this game. They outplayed the Rams and had a 10 point lead in the 4th, but ended up blowing the game.

Both teams played well in spite of missing so many pieces, but are still in precarious positions. They need to keep it together while their star offensive players recover from injury. As is, the Seahawks are quietly 3-0 and leading the division.

Game/Betting Picks Results

Game: 2-1 (7-3 This Season) (45-19 All-Time)

Spread: 3-0 (7-3) (46-17-1)

O/U: 2-1 (5-5) (34-29-1)

NFL Week 3 Predictions

Baltimore Ravens (0-2) @ Dallas Cowboys (1-1)

Both teams are in desperate need of a win. The Ravens need one more than the Cowboys and they look like the better team despite being 0-2. I think the Ravens win, cover (-1), and the over (47.5) hits.

San Francisco 49ers (1-1) @ Los Angeles Rams (0-2)

Another game between two good teams who records don’t really reflect it. Both teams are missing multiple key weapons and are hobbling through the early part of the season. I think the 49ers win, the Rams cover (+6.5), and the under (43) hits.

2024 NFL Week 1 Reaction

Baltimore Ravens (0-1) @ Kansas City Chiefs (1-0)

The exact type of opening game you wanted to see. The game set an NFL kickoff game record with 28.9 million viewers.

Lamar Jackson falls to 1-5 vs Mahomes despite being 60-19 against the rest of the league. He and the Ravens need to solve their Chiefs problem. In terms of optimism for the Ravens, Lamar plus Derrick Henry should be a problem for other teams, especially as the year goes on. I love the 2 TE set the Ravens are using. Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely are both so talented that this formation will be lethal for their running and passing games.

The Chiefs look scary. Last year in their opening game, and for much of the season, they looked lethargic offensively and still won the Super Bowl. This year, their explosiveness is back. Rashee Rice continues to get better and develop into their WR1, Isaiah Worthy looks like he could be the next Tyreek Hill with his track star speed, Travis Kelce is gonna be Travis Kelce, Isiah Pacheco continues to get better, and Marquise Brown is going to come back from injury. I’m sure all the sports media will say that the Chiefs three-peating is a given for the next week and a half. One word of caution is that Brady’s Patriots teams that won the Super Bowl were often the ones who were “boring” like last years Chiefs. Those boring teams fared better than his ones with explosive offenses, so nothing is guaranteed.

Stats of the game: Mahomes became the Chiefs all-time leading passer this game at just 28 years old. Jackson moved to third all-time on the QB rushing list and could break Michael Vick’s record this year.

The league is sending a message with the illegal formation calls. It’s annoying right now but teams will learn and it will make the game better.

Green Bay Packers (0-1) vs Philadelphia Eagles (1-0) (In Brazil)

The playing surface was very slippery. That plus first game rust led to a sloppy game.

Saquon was on full display. It was a reminder that when he is on, he is one of the best RBs in the league. Him plus a great offensive line, two star WRs, and Jalen Hurts gives the Eagles an offense that can go toe to toe with any other in the league. Jahan Dotson and Dallas Goedert are good compliments too.

Jayden Reed looked electric for the Packers. They have so many good young players that it might be hard to keep them all happy and develop them like they want to. Their biggest current concern is Jordan Love. He sprained his MCL and should be back in a couple weeks. The Pack need to keep it together during his absence.

New England Patriots (1-0) @ Cincinnati Bengals (0-1)

An absolute shocker of a game. The Pats defense absolutely stifled the Bengals and they had no momentum or fire as a team whatsoever. For the Pats, I don’t think wins like this are sustainable because the defense completely carried and the offense was not very good. Still nice to get a W though.

For the Bengals, this is concerning. It’s one thing to lose and its another thing to lose and have the team not look like it gives a fuck. They had a loud offseason and have let the Ja’Marr Chase drama spill into the season. They are 1-5 in Week 1 the past six years, so this is familiar territory. They normally start slow and build momentum, but they need to sign Chase and have some passion as a team.

The one bright spot for the Bengals was that their rookie punter, Ryan Rehkow, had the best game by a punter I have ever seen. He had 4 punts and his AVERAGE punt went 64.5 yards (an NFL single-game record), including an 80 yard punt. The first and, probably, last time we hype up a punter on this blog.

New York Jets (0-1) @ San Francisco 49er (1-0)

The 49ers look motivated to get back to the Super Bowl. They went out and dominated the Jets without their best player Christian McCaffrey. McCaffrey missing the game is probably good long term, as now the Niners know Jordan Mason (147 yds rushing), can help take some of the burden off McCaffrey. The one area they needed to be better was finishing drives, as Jake Moody made 6 field goals last night.

Rodgers and the Jets looked rusty last night. They clearly have the talent, but they need to mesh. Realistically, this was the first full regular season game they have played with Rodgers, so some kinks need to be worked out.

Game/Betting Picks Results

Game: 2-2 (2-2 This Season) (40-18 All-Time)

Spread: 2-2 (2-2) (41-16-1)

O/U: 3-1 (3-1) (32-25-1)

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.

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.

Derrick Henry’s Underrated Football Career

Derrick Henry may have the greatest total football career of any player ever and it never gets talked about.

In high school, he rushed for 12,124 yards (most by a high school player ever) and 153 rushing TDs (5th most ever, which is crazy to imagine 4 guys have scored more than that). He did all this playing high school football in Florida no less, one of the best football states in the country. His senior year, he set a state-record 4,261 yards and 55 touchdowns. In four years, he averaged 252.6 YPG, 8.7 YPA, and never rushed for fewer than 100 yards in a game. He was a High School All-American, a 5 Star recruit, and ranked the No. 1 athlete in the nation in 2013.

He went on to play for the Nick Saban coached Alabama Crimson Tide, which is the greatest college football dynasty of all-time. As a junior, he set the SEC rushing yards and TDs record and led the country in rushing yards and TDs. He won the Heisman Trophy, the Doak Walker award (best running back), the Maxwell Award (best player), Walter Camp Award (also best player), was a unanimous All-American, SEC OPOY, and led the Tide to the National Championship. He ranks 2nd all time in rushing yards and TDs in Bama history.

His NFL career is still going, but so far he’s rushed for 1,000+ yards 5 times, 2000 yards once, 10+ TDs 6 times, and led the league in rushing yards and TDs twice. He is a 4-time Pro Bowler, 2-time All-Pro, and was the 2020 OPOY. He is 13th all-time in rushing TDs and has the most career games with 200+ rushing yards.

He is one of the few players to be a high school All-American, college All-American, and NFL All-Pro. He is the only player to have 2,000 yard rushing seasons in high school, college, and the NFL. Any way you cut it, he has had an absolutely insane career and I can’t think of a football player who has utterly dominated from high school to the pros as much as he has.

Top 10 Coaches in the NFL

1. Andy Reid, Kansas City Chiefs

2. Kyle Shanahan, San Francisco 49ers

3. Sean McVay, Los Angeles Rams

4. Sean Payton , Denver Broncos

5. Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh Steelers

6. John Harbaugh, Baltimore Ravens

7. Jim Harbaugh, Los Angeles Chargers

8. Kevin Stefanski, Cleveland Browns

9. Mike McCarthy, Dallas Cowboys

10. Doug Peterson, Jacksonville Jaguars