NFL
By: Brandon Blake
Welcome to my little corner of the internet that I like to call BBlake’s House of Babble.
I started writing the Babble back in 2009 because I said to myself: “I like sports and I had a few thoughts on sports topics so why not share it with my friends and family on Facebook”.
And that is how the Babble was born and every Friday, I would post some thoughts on sports and pop culture items and provide the NFL picks of the week on my Facebook page.
After writing the Babble for six years, I decided to take my talents and the Babble to Nuts and Bolts Sports where I will still provide my thoughts on the games of the week and throw in any pop culture references when I can.
I hope you enjoy my writings and hopefully get a laugh or two out of it.
And special thanks to the good folks at Nuts and Bolts for giving the Babble a platform for me to do my thing. And now without further ado:
ONTO THE PICKS:
–Ravens over Bills
* I really have zero feel for this game because I feel like Buffalo’s offense can exploit the Ravens defense but on the other hand, the Ravens offense can possibly exploit the Bills defense. I give a slight edge to the Ravens since they are at home and they usually play well there.
–Bengals over Jets
* I predicted that the Bengals will win the AFC North and win their first playoff game since MacGuyver was on the air. So it would be a rough start to my prediction if Cincy lost to the mediocre Jets.
-Eagles over Browns
* So the Eagles are going to start second overall draft pick Carson Wentz on Sunday and I can’t remember in my football watching lifetime where a rookie quarterback who got very little playing time in the preseason turned into a regular season success.
Who knows what will become of Wentz in his first game, he could play well against a suspect Browns defense or he could fall flat on his face. However, this ends up, it will be interesting to watch.
–Texans over Bears
* Somehow, I watched three Bears preseason games and in those games I came to the conclusion that the Bears are going to be terrible. JJ Watt can be at 70% healthy and Brock Osweiler could be mediocre (who are we kidding he is) and the Texans could beat the Bears by double digits.
– Packers over Jaguars
* I am a Jaguars fan and all of the hope I had in the offseason has almost dissipated now and will go up in smoke during the game after Jordy Nelson torches the Jags secondary for his second touchdown reception in the first quarter.
– Vikings over Titans
* My hopes for a safe and full recovery for Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgwater and it’s my hope he returns to the field.
With the Vikings trading a first rounder and a fourth rounder for Sam Bradford, it a signal that the Vikings are looking to win now and say what you will about Bradford, he is better than the alternative for the Vikings. I still have them as a playoff team but anything more than that, I just don’t see the Vikings achieving this because Bradford can only take a team so far.
–Saints over Raiders
* The winner of this game will be one step closer on the path to finishing the 2016 season with a 7-9 record.
–Seahawks over Dolphins
–Colts over Lions
* Welcome to the NFL Adam Gase. Your first NFL game as a head coach for the Dolphins will be traveling to Seattle to face the Seahawks. Sorry about that, Adam.
And welcome back, Andrew Luck as he is returning from missing most of last year with a few injuries to return as the Colts quarterback. Here is hoping the Colts offensive line can actually protect their franchise quarterback this year.
–Cowboys over Giants
* Yes, Dak Prescott was excellent in the preseason but let’s see how he performs in the regular season. Also, With Tony Romo injured and his return in limbo, the NFC East is already a bigger toss up than it was before the season begins. Let us all see how this wacky division will play itself out this season.
–Cardinals over Patriots
* With Patriots quarterback Tom Brady out for four games due to that event that took place involving deflated footballs, I wonder what is going to be the over/under on how many times that incident will be brought up by Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth? 50,100, 250?
– Steelers over Washington
* This game has the potential to be a high scoring affair between two very good offenses that will come down to whose defense can get a stop. And I hope this game is good because the second Monday Night game is……
– Rams over Niners
* This is the second game and I may just turn in early. And before I close the Babble, a thought or two on Colin Kaepernick.
I have zero problem with what Kapernick did by not standing up during the national anthem and I have no problem with other players following suit. It is my supreme hope that these moves by Kaepernick and other players in other sports continue to keep the conversation about equality for African-American men, women and people of all colors, backgrounds, and sexual orientation because at the end of the day, isn’t that what this country is supposed to be all about?
Enjoy the Games
