The Sports Guy's Thursday NFL Pick
Michael Weinstein
Chiefs (+3.5) over EAGLES
Am I crazy or is this our first entertaining Thursday-night game, like, ever? Even if it’s difficult to think of “The Andy Reid Bowl” being anything other than a plastic bowl overfilling with beef brisket and BBQ sauce, let’s figure out how Skunk of the Week can bizarro-improve to 0-3 this season.
The Case for Philly Covering: It’s impossible to prepare for Chip Kelly’s nutty offense in four days Kansas City’s 2-0 record is actually “we killed the horrific Jags in Week 1, then barely beat the mediocre Cowboys at home in Week 2” Michael Vick is strangely frightening to wager against in night games, for no real reason whatsoever far too much of Kansas City’s playbook seems to be “What about a designed rollout for Alex?” the Chiefs have punted 16 times (tied for third-highest in NFL) and tallied 10 points and nine punts in two second halves they’ve had three drives all season of more than 50 yards can they score 30-plus points to keep up with Philly? and doesn’t Reid’s return to Philly HAVE to produce a sloppy, disjointed game that Reid’s team blows in the final few minutes?
The Case for Kansas City Covering: I know it’s fun to watch Kelly’s run-and-gun offense, but Philly’s time-of-possession stats (last six quarters: 32:02) are unequivocally alarming and seem to play right into Reid’s hands (slow, methodical, boring drive after slow, methodical, boring drive) Philly’s shaky defense single-handedly rejuvenated Philip Rivers’s career last weekend we’re approaching the annual point of Vick’s season when he crushes his suddenly optimistic fantasy owners by either (a) stinking up the joint, or (b) getting injured everyone’s on the “take Philly’s over every week, it always hits!” bandwagon, which means we’re headed for a lower-scoring game this week because the public never wins in gambling (and low-scoring is better for Kansas City) Kelly can absolutely out-boner Reid in crunch time (as Sumeet in Manhattan Beach writes, “If Chip’s clock management and use of timeouts in the last 2:09 of the Chargers game doesn’t win 2013’s award for ‘worst coaching effort,’ I don’t know what will”) and doesn’t Reid’s return to Philly HAVE to produce a sloppy, disjointed game that Reid’s team blows in the final few minutes but somehow still covers?
The Skunk Pick: Chiefs 27, Eagles 20. Better defense, better team. (I already hate this pick and regret making it.)
Without further ado, here’s the Half-Assed Power Poll for Week 3!
WEEK 3
THE ROD MARINELLI DIVISION
32. Jacksonville, 0-2
RIGGIN’ FOR WIGGINS
31. Cleveland, 0-2
THE ROMEO CRENNEL DIVISION
30. Washington, 0-2
29. New York Jets, 1-1
28. Oakland, 1-1
SEMISONIC’S ENCORE SONG
27. Pittsburgh, 0-2
26. Minnesota, 0-2
DEAD MAN WALKING
25. Tampa Bay, 0-2
24. Carolina, 0-2
NOBODY BELIEVES IN US
23. New York Giants, 0-2
COMPETITIVELY FORGETTABLE
22. Indianapolis, 1-1
21. Buffalo, 1-1
20. St. Louis, 1-1
19. Arizona, 1-1
THE YEAR AFTER
18. Baltimore, 1-1
AMERICA’S TEAM
17. Philadelphia, 1-1
THE KARDASHIANS
16. Dallas, 1-1
THE ENTERTAINERS
15. San Diego, 1-1
14. The Lions of Detroit, 1-1
THE WILD-CARD SLEEPERS
13. Tennessee, 1-1
12. Kansas City, 2-0
HANGING AROUND
11. New England, 2-0
THE PSEUDO CONTENDERS
10. Atlanta, 1-1
9. Chicago, 2-0
8. Cincinnati, 1-1
THE FANTASY GOD
7. New Orleans, 2-0
THE SLEEPER
6. Miami, 2-0
THE CONTENDERS
5. Houston, 2-0
4. Green Bay, 1-1
3. San Francisco, 1-1
THE FAVORITES
2. Denver, 2-0
1. Seattle, 2-0
Filed Under: Kansas City Chiefs, NFL, Philadelphia Eagles
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