Football is back!!! The season didn’t exactly start the way I had hoped. Apparently Mahomes now has to throw the ball to himself to be successful. I really blame dumb Nick Wright as he predicted that we would go 20-0. In 2019, when Pat came back from an injury he said we wouldn’t lose another game. We then immediately lost the next game. Hopefully he learns his lesson and shuts his mouth but probably not since he wants to become the next Skip Bayless. Anyway along with football comes 5 for Friday when I discuss my thoughts on 5 games and make predictions on the winners. This week is a great first week with many compelling match ups. Let’s dive in.

Battle of the Quarterbacks who might be good: 49ers at Steelers

Brock Purdy looked like a perfect fit for the 49ers offense before getting hurt last year in the NFC championship game. The question is can he keep it going. He did not look as sharp in the playoffs when the teams got better and the games got tighter. Can he execute the Shanahan offense on the same level? And more importantly…can he stay healthy in the cursed organization that is the 49ers. The last thing anyone wants to see if the 49ers role out Sam Darnold. On the other side, Kenny Pickett also got hot the second half of last year although not to the level Steelers fans would lead you to believe. But he looked good in preseason but again…it is preseason. These two quarterbacks will face arguably the best defense that either of them have faced. These are also two teams I am not terribly fond of. I’m not sure who to cheer for in this one. Both fan bases can be annoying and I don’t really like either coach that much. But honestly the real question isn’t who wins but instead which 49er gets hurt.

49ers 24 Steelers 20

The guy the media Loves vs Jordan Love: Packers at Bears

According to the media and fans on the internet, the Packers shouldn’t even bother playing this year. Jordan Love who has played like 6 quarters of NFL football is the worst quarterback in the league. Meanwhile, Justin Fields is amazing despite going 5-20 as a starter and throwing for an average 149 yards per game last year. But hey, he rushed for a thousand yards last year so he is going to be great…in fantasy football…until he gets hurt. The excuse has been that he didn’t have any weapons, etc. Meanwhile, Love won’t get that excuse blessed upon him even though he will likely be missing his receiver number 1 and 2 since Watson and Doubs are both on the injury report with hamstring issues. Fields wins in fantasy but Love rises above it all to win the game. But he knows beating Chicago isn’t a big deal so he doesn’t make a big deal about owning them.

Packers 27 Bears 20

The team my wife loves against the team we both hate: Raiders @ Broncos

It would be easier to cheer for the Broncos if the Chiefs had won last night. Now if they win, I will have to hear from Danielle’s family about how their team is in first place for at least a week. The Raiders in the meantime are still enemy number 1 despite being terrible for the better part of the past 2 decades. It is hard to know what you are going to get from either of these teams. I am not a believer in Russ or Jimmy G. The Broncos are dealing with some injuries and the Raiders are dealing with some guys who have personal issues which is code for they don’t want to play for Josh McDaniels. These are two pretty even teams which leads me to typically go with the quarterback. But since this is a coin flip, I have to go with the coach. Josh McDaniels is arguably the worst NFL coach in my life time. Sean Payton is not. The kicker they just traded for hits the game winner. Happy Wife, Happy Life.

Broncos 19 Raiders 16

The battle for disappointment: Dolphins @ Chargers

These two teams have been finding ways to lose forever. Now they get to play each other and barring a tie, at least one of them will start their fan base off with a hope filled win that will lead to disappointment later instead of right away. Normally, traveling across the country to play on the road is a challenge. But I am confident there will be more Dolphin fans there than Chargers fans. I personally will be cheering that Tua doesn’t get concussed. I am sure the karate he worked on in the offseason will help him avoid that. These teams both have a lot of talent on both sides of the ball. The Dolphins added Vic Fangio to their staff to lead the defense. They also have the funniest and quirkiest head coach. The Chargers added Kellen Moore who looks like he is 12 to lead the offense even though last year the defense was the problem. Staley is a hot mess of a head coach who will find a way to lose this close game to the joy of the raucous Dolphin crowd in the stadium. Tua karate chops his way to victory.

Dolphins 31 Chargers 27

The Jets host the team from New York: Bills @ Jets

The Bills will leave New York to visit the New York Jets and the most hyped team in the NFL. Aaron Rodgers emerged from darkness to go to…New Jersey. He is happy, committed and even practiced. The Bills meanwhile have already been written off because the media no longer finds them interesting. The Jets O-Line has issues but the Bills are without Von Miller. Hard Knocks will be on the scene to record the latest episode. The Bills will try to play spoiler. You got the guy who openly does drugs vs the guy on the madden cover. It’s hard to predict what the heck the Jets will do in this one. But despite the media’s best efforts, we all know the Bills are a really good football team. So I’ll roll with the known commodity in this one. Bills get the W and Rodgers sings the Sound of Silence. “Hello, Darkness, my old friend”.

Bills 35 Jets 24