Well, I didn’t get Five for Friday done in time so instead you get an extra game this week. So you’re welcome. Let’s dive in.

Luck of the Irish: Vikings @ Steelers but not really because the game is in Ireland

The NFL didn’t give you an extra game but they did give you an extra time to watch a game with the first of 4 in a row games in Europe. Speaking of NFL Europe…do you all remember NFL Europe the league? It was formerly the World League but then the American teams dropped out. I remember this being a thing for like a year or two. But did you know the league lasted 16 years? It’s worth a google. Anyway, the NFL is punishing their American fans by making them wake up early to watch their favorite teams so the NFL can work on their world brand. This is the one time it pays off to live in Eastern time. A 9:30 kickoff isn’t too bad but here in the Mountain time zone, you are looking at a 7:30 kickoff. Imagine being a Vikings fan and living in California and having to get up at 6:30 on the weekend. Some of you are probably thinking I get up that early anyway. Well no one likes overly productive people so you should change your ways. Anyway, this one is a less than exciting one to wake up for unless you are real fired up to watch Carson Wentz dual it out with Old Man Rodgers. Rodgers said this week his family heritage is Irish and he has been meaning to go there. I guess he has just been too busy living in the dark or whatever to get over there. As far as the actual football game, the Vikings defense is real good and the Steelers defense has just been okay so far this year. With two so so quarterbacks battling it out, give me the better D.

Vikings 24 Steelers 16

Be Curious, not judgemental: Chargers @ Giants

One of my favorite scenes in any television show ever is the dart scene in season 1 of Ted Lasso. If you haven’t seen it before then stop reading and go watch it and then come back and finish reading. What does that scene have to do with this game? Well this will be the first Dart scene in the NFL as Jaxson Dart gets his first start. I’m not sure why the benched Russ, he looked so good on Sunday night. But perhaps it was his throws to no one down on the goal line towards the end of the game. So the Giants are finally giving the world what we want. Let’s start with the obvious, Jaxson Dart is a great football name. So he’s gotta be good. Unfortunately for him, he is facing a tough Chargers d. The Chargers have been one of the top teams in the league so far this year. But people have been underestimating the Giants for years…and rightfully so because they have been terrible. The Chargers are obviously better pretty much everywhere and so this is an obvious Chargers win. But as the great Lee Corso used to say “Not so fast!” This is my upset special! The Chargers have just gone through the AFC West gauntlet and now have to travel through 3 time zones to play a game at 10 AM their time against a team that has been terrible. The Giants players and fans have been waiting for the Dart show. Their starting running back is hurt which means more Skatteboo which again, everyone wants. The team rallies around the rookies and they get a bullseye and win the game.

Giants 27 Chargers 24

The tush push vs the Bake Show: Eagles @ Bucs

Oddly enough, the Bucs have had the Eagles number of late having won most of the recent match ups. The Eagles seem to have a way of finding ways to win this year. So do the Bucs and their way of winning is none other than the Bake show. Baker is probably my favorite quarterback in the league not named Patrick Mahomes. The Eagles are a really good football team and probably have the best roster in the league. Baker and the Bucs have won 3 close games and they certainly look like a top team. However, those 3 wins are against teams that are a combined 1-8 so far this year. The Bucs are shorthanded on the offensive line and are missing their best receiver in Mike Evans. Both these teams only play close games so this should be a good one. I think the Eagles get away with a false start or two and win in some random way once again.

Eagles 27 Bucs 24

Quote the Raven…never more: Ravens @ Chiefs

The Ravens are everyone’s offseason champs as we hear about their elite roster and MVP quarterback. The Chiefs had a wide range of predictions this offseason and now everyone is talking about how bad they are and how they are finished while saying the Ravens are fine. Both teams are 1-2 and one of them is going to be 1-3. Most are predicting it will be the Chiefs but I am not so sure. the Ravens look better offensively but look just awful on defense. Pat always plays well against the Ravens. Meanwhile the Chiefs defense has looked good after a bad week 1. The Ravens offense has looked mostly good but they also seemed very frustrated since losing a heartbreaker in week 1 to the Bills. Lamar seems to struggle against Spags led defenses. The Chiefs also get Worthy back. And Pat rarely loses as an underdog and especially a home underdog although he just lose in that scenario to the Eagles. I think the Chiefs get a statement win that says they aren’t going anywhere while the Ravens lose in some heartbreaking way and decide they don’t want to come to arrowhead never more.

Chiefs 30 Ravens 24

Return of the guy who can’t stop the run: Packers @ Cowboys

This game has been highlighted by all NFL fans as Micah Parsons returns to Dallas. Jerry Jones has made a lot of noise with comments about how he didn’t need to talk to Micah’s agent because he already talked to Micah. It’s actually against the NFL rules to talk directly to a player about their contract but I guess because it is Jerry no one cares. Once he traded Micah, all his talk is about how Micah couldn’t stop the run and they needed players who could stop the run. Well now they can’t stop the run or the pass. But Jerry doubled down this week talking about how they didn’t win a Super Bowl with Micah. Combine Jerry’s nonsense and Dallas’s just terrible defense with an angry Packers team that is coming off a bad loss and I think this will be a blow out on Sunday night. Look for both Jordan Love and Micah to have big nights. And after the game look for Jerry Jones to focus on the fact that they held the Packers under 100 yards rushing even though they gave up 400 yards passing.

Packers 45 Cowboys 20

Bo knows blowouts?: Bengals @ Broncos

I thought about writing about the other Monday night game, the Jets at the Dolphins but just like you don’t want to watch that game, I don’t want to write about it either. So let’s talk about the Bengals. The Bengals are bad. They are terrible on defense just like last year. But now with Burrow hurt, they are bad on offense. Jake Browning is out here trying to break the record for most interceptions or something. This week he faces one of the best defenses in the league. The Bengals O line is so bad. The Broncos might have 20 sacks. On the other side of things, the Broncos are 1-2 with both losses coming on last second field goals. Bo Nix has looked less than great. But just like last year, Bo has a chance to feast on bad teams starting this week. I think this is a bounce back for Bo and he has himself a day against this awful Bengals D. Give me the Broncos with a big home victory.

Broncos 34 Bengals 17