Cowboys @ Giants (+4.5)

The Giants actually have a passing game. It's...quite surprising. But give Daniel Jones enough time int he pocket and he'll find people. Then again, maybe this is just a damning indictment on the Cowboy pass rush?

One thing the Giants cannot do - they cannot run the ball. Absolutely no push on power runs. Devin Singletary has been largely restricted to 1 and 2-yard runs. To have 27 yards on 16 carries halfway through the 3rd quarter is despicable.

Cowboys have rediscovered the passing game through CeeDee Lamb.

I swear, no one seems to like going past the quarterback more than Brian Burns. Burns enjoys taking himself out of the play completely. Thibodeaux is actually contributing more than he is at the moment. Oddly enough, Dexter Lawrence is nowhere to be seen.

This Giants defense plays way too conservatively. I don't understand. It seems to respect the Cowboys passing game way too much. The problem is that it's questionable whether the defensive line could actually hold up on its own against opponent runners.

Broncos @ Jets (-6.5)

Bo Nix is not looking comfortable in the rain. Seeing some of his balls wobble is testament to that.

Rams @ Bears (-3)

I think I did not handicap this game properly. I understood the Bears were the favorite, but I assumed the Rams wouldn't take that seriously given the way Chicago has been playing lately. Turns out the Rams are indeed taking this game seriously.

Caleb's accuracy on passes is just horrible. I'm not sure if that's something that can be easily fixed too. Part of that may be the structure of the Bears offense...Caleb cannot connect with any of his weapons on big passes. What's going on here? Is it miscommunication or his slow processing speed?

Rams seem to love running the ball in the second half often. Against defenses like the Bears, It's a strategy that works well.

Finally, the Bears returned back to their bread and butter in the second half - short yardage plays and six-man offense. Nothing sophisticated, but good enough to drum up yardage against this lazy Rams defense. Caleb is still a basket case though.

Eagles @ Buccaneers (+1.5)

Let this game serve as further proof that historical data on rematches from last year do have something to say about matches this year so long as enough variables hold constant.

It's safe to say the Eagles haven't really fixed the major issues on offense.

Steelers @ Colts (+1.5)

Anthony Richardson was knocked out early, throwing Joe Flacco in relief duty. The score starts to make more sense now given this development. Flacco is probably the league's most capable back-up quarterback.

Seeing Joe Flacco be so comfortable in the pocket on 3rd downs is testament to the way Shane Steichen keeps his quarterbacks protected at key moments. That and Flacco introduces a passing competency to this offense that the Steelers simply were not ready for.

Commanders @ Cardinals (-3)

This college offense the Commanders execute on offense works. Isn't that all that matters?

Kliff Kingsbury has worked wonders here. Seeing Jayden Daniels play dropback football with some measure of competence is surprising, especially when he's under duress. Maybe Daboll and his people were onto something when they were talking about going after Daniels.

Cardinals seem to blitz almost exclusively on 3rd down, no?

Washington's running defense is questionable, especially against higher tempo offenses.

Chiefs @ Chargers (+7.5)

The Chargers came into this game looking to make a statement. And yet just in the second quarter, I see them playing so shook. It's a little sad.

Why is Greg Roman running zone reads and play-action misdirection plays when it's obvious that Kansas City is aware that Herbert is hobbled? Just horrible coaching all around. Greg Roman is a green-chip coach.

Patriots @ 49ers (-10.5)

I'm going to hate myself for this, but I need to watch this shitty game to try and figure out how the Patriots are playing so pathetically after having 10 days to prepare for a San Francisco team coming off an emotionally draining loss. I do hear from a reputable source in Aaron Schatz that the Patriots are playing a very uninspiring brand of football that simply doesn't work against teams that can score in waves. Really, if the Patriots simply expect to stay competitive by hanging in there and hoping for the best, it's going to be a long and painful season for them.

Bills @ Ravens (-1.5)

The Ravens are literally playing Canadian football against this Buffalo defense. It's amazing. I would have never thought Buffalo's defense would look so hapless. I wonder if part of this is on whether Buffalo's defense is undersized relative to the rest of the league. Then again, it may be just all this misdirection Baltimore employs on offense that preys on aggressive defenses like the type Buffalo fields.

Kyle Van Noy is a gamer in the pass rush.

Patrick Ricard is unique in that he can function as a sixth offensive lineman in the running game.

Josh Allen has trouble dissecting haze blitzes. Patrick Mahomes, on the other hand, can handle them just fine.

Kudos to Todd Monken for the strategy he formulated against the Bills. I think Monken keyed in on a weakness in the Bills pass coverage. Knowing that the Bills like to play a safety close to the line of scrimmage, it leaves a hole in coverage in the deep part of the field. The Bills usually like to compensate by quickly shuffling somebody (be it the strong safety or somebody else) out there in the deep part of the field after the ball is snapped, but it leaves them in a precarious situation should multiple receivers be running routes in that soft part of the field.

Jaguars @ Texans (-6.5)

The Jaguars are a poorly coached team with a quarterback who's regressing bizarrely enough. I'm not sure why Trevor cannot throw the ball with any sort of accuracy, but he's missing receivers with which he lacks familiarity. Then again, given that Dougie Fresh's offense is based so much on timing, maybe that lack of familiarity explains it all?

The offensive play-calling isn't doing the team many favors as well. Their 3rd down and 4th down conversion rates being horrendous points to something systemically wrong with their offensive scheme here.

Browns @ Raiders (+2.5)

Kudos to Luke Getsy for pulling production from this unit, despite the obvious limitations at talent and quarterback. The offense has had considerable success with timing routes, smart usage of speed receivers like Tre Tucker, and a commitment to a running game that incorporates power and sweeps to the edge.

The Browns might have an issue among their pass rush. Outside of Myles Garrett, nobody else is stepping up and making a name for themselves. Very concerning.

Christian Wilkins has made an impact on a few snaps.

It's clear blitzes leave Minshew a bit rattled, even if they don't end up hitting home. His worst throws came whenever Cleveland blitzed.

The Browns biggest weakness may be their offensive line. Losing Bill Callahan turned out to be a far more devastating blow to the organization than I originally thought.