SATURDAY PRESEASON NFL: ALL 10 GAMES

BY ADAM GREENE

Another preseason Saturday and another dream nearly realized as we are once again blessed with the near perfect NFL broadcast schedule. And, no, I’m not dropping it. This needs to happen every Sunday in the regular season.

Sure, for those of you with real jobs, it could be a late night, but consider this. If you were handed an NFL regular season Sunday with 1 p.m., 4:25 p.m., 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. nationally broadcast games, isn’t that worth missing a few hours of sleep? Monday’s going to suck anyway. Why not maximize your Sunday while you’re at it?

Why sacrifice two fantastic feature games in the 4 p.m. block? Wouldn’t you rather actually watch the full game at 10 p.m. and not have to watch Scott Hanson on NFL Network apologize to you every time he goes to the New York Jets or Carolina Panthers?

Anyway, let’s do this. I’ve got some ground to make up before the games count.

Here’s the slate of NFL games for Saturday:

BUFFALO BILLS AT CHICAGO BEARS (-4.5, O/U: 38)

It’s the Mitchell Trubisky revenge game as Josh Allen will once again, wisely, be held out of a meaningless preseason contest. The only thing that can keep the Bills out of the AFC Championship is an injury to their best player. There’s just no sane excuse to risk Allen in an exhibition. Trubisky, taken in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft by the Bears will face off against the latest first round QB taken by the Bears, Justin Fields. Fields looked good enough in his first action, a 20-13 win over the Miami Dolphins, that the books have given Chicago a significant odds boost here. I’m excited about Fields too, but not 4.5 points excited in a preseason game where he’ll play two quarters max. Bears 23, Bills 20

NEW YORK JETS AT GREEN BAY PACKERS (+2.5, O/U: 31.5)

What we wanted to see was Zach Wilson vs Jordan Love, two of the presumptive future NFL superstars. What we’ll get is Wilson vs Kurt Benkert, who was named that on purpose by a mother and father who obviously hated him. Love’s shoulder is bothering him and head coach Matt LaFleur, after all it took to get Aaron Rodgers into camp this season, isn’t putting him out in an exhibition game. Fun fact about Kurt Benkert; his middle name is Burt. I made that up. It’s really John, but it’s no more ridiculous than his parents, Gert and Plert, naming a sweet, innocent baby, fresh out of the womb and swaddled in its blanket, Kurt Benkert. Ridiculous. Jets 24, Packers 9

ATLANTA FALCONS AT MIAMI DOLPHINS (-5, O/U: 37)

The only thing uglier than the Falcons preseason performance in a 23-3 loss to the Tennessee Titans was the red zone interception that Tua Tagovailoa threw for the Miami Dolphins in their 20-13 loss to the Chicago Bears. Tua did bounce back and actually had a solid game, going 8 for 11 for 99 yards before Jacoby Brissett and Reid Sinnett took over. As for Atlanta, you don’t want to go too crazy about a preseason game, but when both the QBs you played, including one guy who not only started in the NFL before, but in a playoff game no less, go 7 for 21 for just 52 total yards and a pick while getting sacked five times, you can’t feel good. Third string quarterback Fileipe Franks actually led the team in rushing with 76 yards. I like primary backup A.J. McCarron. Not as much as I like his wife Katherine Webb-McCarron, but he’s a fine reserve. That’s one of those game tapes that you’d burn in the old days and just move to the desktop old recycle bin today. Unless there’s some good shots of Katherine in the stands. Dolphins 26, Falcons 19

BALTIMORE RAVENS AT CAROLINA PANTHERS (+3, O/U: 35)

Here’s a little piece of useless trivia for you in case you’re ever on Jeopardy and the new host they hired that everyone hates tosses out a Daily Double answer, “This team has won 18 consecutive preseason games since 2016.” You’ll hit your buzzer and shout out, “It’s the Baltimore Ravens!” only to hear those two janky beeps that let you know you answered it wrong. Then, the dude who isn’t Lavar Burton (the human being everyone on the planet wanted to get the job) will say, “You must answer in the form of a question.” Then Maggie, a mom of two and part time substitute teacher from Poughkeepsie will buzz in and say, “Who is the Baltimore Ravens?” and even though it would be more accurate to say, “Who are the Baltimore Ravens?” she’ll get the Daily Double and control of the board. I still don’t expect Lamar Jackson to play, just a week or so removed from COVID-19 and Trace McSorely probably won’t either because he hurt his back. Does that mean the streak ends? I guess, but since it’s Carolina I still don’t feel great about it. Panthers 19, Ravens 13

DETROIT LIONS AT PITTSBURGH STEELERS (-6.5, O/U: 36.5)

The Steelers are just cruising through the preseason, already 2-0 and living the dream with maybe three quality back up quarterbacks behind Ben Roethlisberger. And while you might think they can’t keep that many on the roster, I’m feeling they should try since the rest of their squad is pretty loaded and you’d hate to see a potential postseason run scrapped if Big Ben goes out for a month. Lions QB Jared Goff is not only having a fresh experience with a new team, but he’s taking snaps in the preseason for the first time since Barack Obama was president. I don’t see Roethlisberger playing at all for Pittsburgh. I see Goff maybe going a quarter if not more. The drop off after Goff is severe and, frankly, Detroit might want to discuss some possible trade scenarios with Pittsburgh for one of its three back ups since they’re already in the building. Steelers 33, Lions 17

TENNESSEE TITANS AT TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (-1, O/U: 35)

The only thing shocking about Tampa Bay wide receiver Antonio Brown getting in a fight with Tennessee defensive back Chris Jackson in a joint practice is that Brown landed a punch without breaking his own hand. The Bucs played four QBs last week in their 19-14 loss to the Cincinnati Benglas, including Tom Brady for a whole series. They might do that again, though I don’t see the sense in it. Rookie Kyle Trask needs the work as they already know what they have in Blaine Gabbert. Their other QB, Ryan Griffin, has apparently been in and around the NFL for eight seasons and has, in all those eight seasons, taken four total snaps and they were all last year. I gotta feel like he’s a mystery that doesn’t need to be solved here. Buccaneers 16, Titans 13

HOUSTON TEXANS AT DALLAS COWBOYS (-4, O/U: 37.5)

The Cowboys will still be without Dak Prescott and the Texans will not, in any way, put Deshaun Watson onto the field and risk him getting hurt and lowering whatever trade value they can muscle out of him. That means we’re getting Tyrod Taylor vs Garrett Gilbert and a solid montage of Mike McCarthy sweating Cheese Whiz on the next episode of Hard Knocks. Cowboys 13, Texans 10

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS AT MINNESOTA VIKINGS (-2.5, O/U: 38.5)

Let’s not overreact here, but Colts second year QB Jacob Eason was a low risk, high reward QB pick out of Washington that looked a little bit of alright against the Panthers last week. Kellen Mond, the Vikings third rounder out of Texas A&M wasn’t quite as impressive, going 6 of 16 in their 33-6 loss to the Denver Broncos. We might see Kirk Cousins in this one for at least a series. He who would do anything except the obvious to battle COVID-19 just turned 33 this week, a popular age historically for Super Bowl quarterbacks. Whatever you need to tell yourselves to get through the day, Vikings fans. Colts 23, Vikings 16

LAS VEGAS RAIDERS AT LOS ANGELES RAMS (+6.5, O/U: 35)

The Rams don’t play starters in the preseason anyway, but they’re in even worse shape with primary back up quarterback John Wolford out after an appendectomy. Bryce Perkins wasn’t awful last week in their 13-6 loss to the Chargers, but Delvin Hodges was. While Wolford is safe on the Rams depth chart, regardless of what happens in the preseason, I’m not sure Perkins and Hodges are. Las Vegas, on the other hand, boasts Marcus Mariota as their primary back up to Derek Carr with Nathan Peterman in the No. 3 slot. While Peterman has NFL experience, if you call turning the ball over repeatedly “experience,” Mariota is a former No. 2 overall pick who, by my estimation is good enough to start for nine other NFL teams right now. Raiders 20, Rams 9

DENVER BRONCOS AT SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (+5, O/U: 37.5)

The battle between Drew Lock and Teddy Bridgewater could come down to the wire as both guys showed up in their 33-6 win over the Vikings last week. Lock was 5 of 7 for 151 yards and two touchdowns. Bridgewater was 7 of 8 for 74 yards and a TD. Seattle didn’t get nearly as much from its QB room with Russell Wilson in street clothes. While last season everyone wanted Seattle to let Russ cook, no one can be excited to see the likes of Alex McGough, Geno Smith or Sean Mannion anywhere near the kitchen unless they’re just there to clean out the grease trap. Broncos 27, Seahawks 17

Last week

Straight up: 6-10

Against the spread: 5-11

Preseason

Straight up: 7-10

Against the spread: 6-11

The NFL season begins on Thursday, Sep. 9 and the Week 1 Schedule is already up and taking bets at BetOnline.AG.

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