NFL Week 4: Damon's

Damon's! A place for ribs! Technically, Damon's has not disappeared - there are reports of about 6 restaurants still open in the US. But Damon's was a big name for ribs, beer and sports in the late 80's and 90's.

Yes, Damon's was supposedly known for its ribs - and its onion loaf, more about that later - but it was one of the first restaurants to have big screen TVs on a wall for sports - and they were one of the first adopters of the on-line trivia craze in the 90s spurred on by NTN.

But the wall of TVs was the attraction to me. The first memory of Damon's I have is our golf spring break trip of 1992 down in Hilton Head....spring break was the same time as the NCAA first and second round games. My God, I thought, when I get a real job, I'm going to spend 10 hours in Damon's eating ribs, onion rings and watching all the games. No one else in our group - Steve, or Kermit -  had an interest in Damon's - I couldn't get them interested in (12) New Mexico St. vs (5) DePaul or (8) Evansville vs (9) UTEP. *

*ed note - yes, those were real games. New Mexico St and UTEP were the winners. 


Damon's started in Columbus in 1979, and at its peak in the early 90s, there were 130 locations in the Midwest and South. Wow. In the mid 90s, there were 4 Damon's in the Dayton area alone. And in 1996, I finally got to live out my college wish - spend an afternoon at Damon's watching the tournament games in the afternoon. I spent it with my similarly-obsessed co-worker Paul....who first introduced me to fantasy football a year earlier.

Anyway, the games that afternoon were good, highlighted by a talented MAC team with an NBA star (Earl Boykins) beating a small school from North Carolina. It was an 8-9 game. The score?

Eastern Michigan 75, Duke 60.

We loved it.

Other games that day that we didn't watch at Damon's but were significant:

(1) Purdue 73, (16) Western Carolina 71. I have zero recollection of this close 1-16 game.
(12) Drexel 75, (5) Memphis 63. I had Memphis as my sleeper for the final four; this game was the mystery 5:00 pm game that no one in America could watch. Remember that time slot? We left Damon's around 5; I got home around 5:30 and got no updates on this game until CBS re-started coverage at 7:00 pm Boy, was I pissed.
(13) Princeton 43, (4) UCLA 41. Nothing else to say.

Anyway, the food at Damon's? Well, ribs of course, but the star was the onion loaf. This was a literal loaf of onion rings that were shaped together like a bread loaf and fried---- and served with this delicious southwestern sauce. You shared this and you barely had room for the full slab of ribs that was coming. For a mid 20s bachelor - yes, I think I ate a whole onion loaf myself sometimes.

It wasn't much of a date place - maybe I took Janice there once, and she wasn't the biggest fan of having a nice rib dinner interrupted by shouts and cheers of her date and others around.

I think that was a big part of Damon's downfall.....if you focus on sports and trivia, it needs to be more of a bar atmosphere instead of a full service, sit down restaurant. I think BW-3's was the main competition for Damon's in the 90s- and BW-3 executed it perfectly. It had TVs and trivia, and delivered good quality bar food - quickly, in an informal atmosphere. A perfect match. A 90 minute rib dinner just doesn't seem to go with trivia and sports....and I think that's why Damon's failed, It couldn't decide if it was a rib joint or a sports bar. It turned out being neither.

There is still one up in Wilmington, OH - about 30 minutes away from us - and there is one in Myrtle Beach. That makes sense since 80% of Ohio vacations in Myrtle Beach each year (the other 20% go to the redneck Riviera on the Florida panhandle), and the owner of the Damon's down there says he exists because of the Ohio visitors who recognize the Damon's name.

Maybe, if I get my appetite back, I'll head up to Wilmington to watch an NFL Sunday with my good friend the Onion loaf......

On to the games...

Phi 27, GB 23. I know this is a day late, but I predicted this....

Atl 26, Ten 20. I don't like either of these teams. Atl has talent but no coaching, Ten has coaching but no talent. I would take Atlanta but there's the dumb Matt Ryan interception coming at any time.

NE 24, Buf 13. I just don't see how Buffalo is going to score here. They struggled against Cincinnati, the Jets, even at times vs. the Giants - I can't see them getting past the teens against the Pats.

KC 31, Det 23.  Detroit will score - if Stafford plays - but of course, the Chiefs will answer on their own. The Lions D is not that good to keep the Chiefs out of the 30s.

Hou 23, Car 16. Sure, Matt Allen played well last week - but now Romeo has a week to prepare against this, frankly, one-D offense. Houston will do just enough offensively to win.

Ind 31, Oak 24. We have to watch and determine when this crazy Oakland travel schedule will cause them to fall off the cliff. This is just week 2, so it's not it - Indy has injuries in the secondary and Oakland may keep this close.

LAC 27, Mia 17. Miami showed some life vs Dallas last week - the game was close than the final score. I think the Chargers D is soft enough so Miami can get into the teens - and that will be enough to stay close.

Was 31, NYG 27. Let's not crown Daniel Jones just yet. My God. It was a horrible Tampa defense. And the Giants D is still bad. Look for a high scoring game here.

Sea 30, Arz 20. Seattle will come out pissed off, and will come after Murray. If Murray can't conquer Carolina's D at home, they will struggle as well vs. the Seahawks.

LAR 31, TB 14. The Rams are due for a breakout game - we know Goff's home/road splits, so I expect a big game from Goff. And the Rams D was impressive vs us - and will stop Tampa at home.

Min 20, Chi 17.  What a game this will be. Can Cousins deliver on the road? Will Chicago do anything on offense when not given turnovers? Fascinating. Not really confident that the Vikes can actually win.

Den 24, Jax 14.  If supposed wizard D coach Vic Fangio can't stop this Manshew-mania, then what good is he? I've got to believe he has the game plan with the rushers to stop Jacksonville's one-D passing offense.

Dal 27, NO 23. A great game. Dallas is the class of the NFC, but who have they played? No one. This is their first real test. I still have questions on NO's D- I expect Zeke to have a big game.

Pit 31, Cin 27. Wow. Enjoy, America! Cin and Andy Dalton will move the ball through the air - but the home field advantage will give the Steelers just enough. I will watch this hopefully laughing at both teams.

Best bets: 14 of them. Last week: 7-8; overall: 28-17-1.
ATS: 3-6 last week, 13-14-1 overall
over/under: 4-2 last week, 15-3 overall

Phi +4 (winner!)
NE -7
NE/Buf under 42
Hou -4
Hou/Car under 47.5
Oak/Ind over 45
Mia +15.5
Was +3
Was/NYG over 49.5
Sea -5
LAR -9
Min +2
Den -3
Cin/Pit over 44

Supercontest picks: Last week: 2-3; overall: 8-7

Phi +4 (winner!)
NE -7
Mia +15.5 (gulp)
LAR -9.5
Den -3

NFL Week 3: Burger Chef

Burger Chef! I have a feeling there's going to be a generational divide with the restaurant. It's peak was in the mid- to late-70s, so I think anyone born in 1973 or earlier would remember Burger Chef. Anyone born later would probably have no idea how popular this restaurant was.

Burger Chef, at it's peak, was the #2 fast food burger joint in the mid 70s (behind McDonalds, of course). It served the usual fare - burgers, fries, shakes - and even had a burger called the Big Shef (yes, the S is correct) - which was a double decker sandwich that looked exactly like a Big Mac.

I remember going to Burger Chef when we lived in Lansing - 4th and 5th grade. A few memories stand out:

1. Bacon! I think Burger Chef was the first time I had a bacon cheeseburger. What a concept - bacon on a cheeseburger. It was heavenly for this 9 year old.

2. I distinctly remember our Mom buying a burger maker at home - this was one of those

Procter Silex appliances that was used twice a year and other than that was buried in the cabinet. These burger makers were like mini griddles, with a lid - so it was like frying your own burger at home. So you could make the unhealthy burgers without leaving the comfort of home!

Also - we somehow bought/found/went to the library and got a booklet on the recipe for the famous burgers of the time. For instance, how do you make a Big Mac? This booklet had the recipe - all the way down to the recipe for the sauce (which, of course, is just 1000 island dressing). There was the recipe for Big Shef also - with a different special sauce. I remember having these frequently at home as Mom tried the various toppings and sauces. Where did she get the double decker buns?

3. Kids meal! Apparently, Burger Chef was the first restaurant to sell a kids meal. It was called a Fun Meal, and they had characters to represent the chain just like McDonalds would. There was Burger Chef, his kid sidekick Jeff, a vampire, a talking ape, and a magician. They actually had a license with the Star Wars franchise for the Fun Meals - remember, this was the late 70s. I think I remember getting a Fun Meal with C3PO one time.

McDonald's introduced their Happy Meal in 1979 - Burger Chef sued, but lost. A huge loss for the company.

So what ultimately happened to Burger Chef? It was sold to Hardee's in 1982. Hardee's was the "winner" and the Burger Chefs were converted to Hardee's. I don't think Hardee's had as much clout as Burger Chef - but whatever. The corporation left the Burger Chef name to die.

Talk about dying - there is also the "Burger Chef Murders" from 1979. Apparently, 4 young workers were abducted from a Burger Chef in Indiana late one night - and their bodies were found a day later in nearby woods. This made national news and the murders are still unsolved. Kind of scary if you ask me.

Here's a commercial for Burger Chef from the 70s - kind of catchy, except for the "Open Wide, America" opening line.....

 Open wide, America, the Browns are on Sunday Night Football! First time since 2008, when I was unable to watch the game since Hurricane Ike knocked power out of our house for 5 days - and this was when Martin was 2 weeks old. That was hell. At least our insurance covered roof damage from a hurricane - in Ohio.

On to the games:

Buf 20, Cin 13. I can't get this Bills team right. Cin has the defense to stop Allen, but they have no run game and Buffalo's pass D is impressive. See a low scoring game here.

Dal 33, Mia 16. Is Jason Garrett as ruthless as Bill B? I know bad 0-2 teams, and one of these days Miami will at least play decent. Dallas will get ahead early and take the foot off the gas.

GB 27, Den 17. Third game in a row where the Packers play a solid defense. Think they will get something going in their pass game - and I can't trust Flacco on the road.

Ind 27, Atl 20. What a lucky game I got Sunday night with the Falcons - they dominated the game and should have lost. They have flaws all over the place - and Reich will take advantage in the Colts' first home game.

KC 34, Bal 27. Let's not crown the Ravens yet. They beat Miami and a one-score game vs. the Cards. Their O is good, but their D - not sold on it yet. A shootout in KC? KC by a touchdown.

Min 30, Oak 20. Oakland has a good run D, so Min will have to lean a little more on Cousins - and they can do that at home. Which forces Oakland to pass - a high scoring game here.

NE 30, NYJ 10. What is there to say here? The Jets D isn't that bad - we will have to check on Mosley - but their O is LeVeon and nothing more. Maybe I am optimistic thinking the Jets will get 10.

Phi 27, Det 24.  This is not a slam dunk for the Eagles - with the receivers out (Jackson, Goddert) they have to rely on the run game some, which is weak. Detroit is a little more impressive this year.

Arz 27, Car 16. I need to watch the Cardinals more to really understand their offense. So far, it's at least average and they should be able to move against a Carolina team ready to crack.

TB 20, NYG 17. I think Daniel Jones is a real upgrade - now, can he use Engram and Shepard to move the ball? And how can you lay almost a touchdown with Winston?

LAC 31, Hou 24. I don't believe in the Houston run game- Hyde? - so the Chargers can focus solely on Watson. And their D is not that good - Rivers and the Chargers are pissed.

SF 27, Pit 16. Still love Kyle Shanahan and he should be able to scheme against this weak Pit pass D. Can Rudolph show anything with a week of practice? Maybe a bit...

Sea 27, NO 13.  The key here is the NO average run D vs. Seattle's focus on running the ball. Seattle will dominate the time of possession and march on the Saints.

Was 20, Chi 17. I'm not convinced the Skins D is all that bad - they played Philly and Dallas. The Bears just seem off kilter on O - and Washington will score just enough to keep this close and win at the end.

Oh - and for our game? I'll leave you with Ben Crenshaw to sum up my thoughts.

Best bets: 15 of them. Last week: 9-5-1; overall 21-9-1
ATS: 4-4-1 last week, 10-8-1 overall
Over/under: 5-1 last week, 11-1 overall

Cin/Buf under 44
Mia +22.5
Ind -1.5
Bal/KC over 52
Oak/Min over 43.5
Det +5.5
Det/Phi over 45.5
Arz -2.5
NYG +6
NYG/TB under 47.5
LAC -3
Hou/LAC over 48.5
SF -6.5
Sea -4.5
Was +4

Supercontest picks: Last week: 3-2; overall: 6-4
Ind -1.5
NYG +6.5
LAC -3
Sea -4
Was +4

NFL Week 2: Friendly's

Before we get into the next restaurant from the 80s that I miss, we need to recognize the
end of the Tribe's 2019 season. With their doubleheader loss to the Twins on Saturday - including a 5-2 blown lead in the 6th in the nightcap - I just don't see a way for the Tribe to climb back into it, especially the way the A's and Rays are playing. We dug too deep of a hole for ourselves in April and May and just couldn't get over the hump.

So where do we go as kids to get cheered up in the summer? Ice Cream! And there was no better place to get ice cream in the 80s in the mid-Atlantic than Friendly's. There were Friendly's restaurants all over the place in Maryland in the 80s. These were full service restaurants - like a Bob Evans -  that served burgers, chicken sandwiches, salads and the like - but Friendly's was known for its ice cream.

The restaurants themselves had a side window just for ice cream orders. We would go there sometimes and I would always get the mint chocolate chip cone. I became infatuated with that flavor when I was 10 and ate nothing but that flavor for 5 years. I think it started with Friendly's.

The best food item (non-ice cream) at Friendly's? The patty melt! Yes, they served burgers, but they also served melts- where you press down on a rye bread sandwich and get all the grease in the bread while apparently saying its healthier than a regular burger. Yes, I fell for the advertising and got the melts whenever we ate there.

Getting back to the cream - the draw of Friendly's was not just the quality of the ice cream, but the sundaes that they made. Over the top, 4000 calorie sundaes that should be shared by 5 adults or eaten by one pre-teenager. The one I most fondly look back on is the Reese's Pieces sundae. I remember vividly going to the Friendly's in Hunt Valley Mall with my Mom - there was one there, right? On the second floor just down from the food court? Please, someone verify this....  She took me there as a reward for a good report card, I think. So I ordered the Reese's Pieces sundae.

In a booth a good 40 feet away, our neighbors were there - a mom and an older sister (who Layup and I did not like) of our friend. They certainly looked jealous of the sundae I got, so apparently the sister got one too. But there was no way she could keep up with me. I finished mine with no problem and she struggled to get halfway through hers. I got a kick of seeing her semi-sick face when she realized she could go on no longer.

Where are the Friendly's now? I knew of one in Ohio - in Mount Vernon, near the Apple Valley golf course that I used to play in tournaments almost every year. It was still open when I went to China (in 2010) but when I went back this year, it was closed. No business moved into the building so it still had the same red awning out there and the ice cream take-out window was still displayed - but uninhabited. A sad sight.

I believe Friendly's are still open (and growing??) in the northeast, like Pennsylvania and northeast of there. Can someone confirm? But I haven't been to one in at least 30 years. I would like to taste another patty melt, however. Any still in Maryland?

As for the Browns, let's just forget about last week's game and get a sundae from Friendly's. 18 penalties are obviously too much, and is most likely a result of Freddie's first game as a coach. If we tighten that up, play to our strengths and not be too aggressive in kicking people in the head - we should be fine Monday night.

(PS -I think Mike Vrabel of the Titans is a top 5 coach in this league. What he has done with that talent in Nashville is amazing.)

On to the games:

Bal 27, Arz 10. The Ravens are still primarily a running team - week 1 notwithstanding - and will control the ball here - and will stop David Johnson. No concerns of Murray putting up big numbers on the road here.

Cin 27, SF 24. Looking at the teams, both will want to pass. Should be some turnovers, causing this to go over, and I trust Dalton at home vs. Jimmy G on the road.

LAC 34, Det 27. This is a game that the Chargers should win easily, but will find a way to make it close. Love the Chargers O - and will have enough to stop Detroit's improved run game.

GB 23, Min 20. I still can't figure this game out. Minny will try to establish the run - and Green Bay will be able to stop. But GB O will struggle vs the Min D, especially in the run game. Going with the home team here.

Hou 23, Jax 17. Yes, Munchew looked good, but that was vs. Kansas City. And we can't denigrate the Jags' D because it was against KC. I think the Jags will shut down Watson enough - and the Texans' fraud run game - to keep them in the 20s, and hopefully a Jags cover.

NE 30, Mia 13. What's there to say about this game? I believe Belicheck will take it easy on the Dolphins because the new coach of Miami, Flores, was their DC last year. No need to embarrass him.

NYG 20, Buf 17. Let's calm down on the NYG D - they played, I think, the best team in the NFC last week. Giants have some weapons to score, and Buffalo is still working on that. If Allen beats this team with his arm, so be it.

Pit 31, Sea 17. After any loss, people say that Pit should get back to "steelers football". I agree - and that type of Pit football is Ben slinging it for 450+ with receivers running everywhere. This is what has worked for them over the past 10 years, and should work this week at home vs Seattle.

Ten 23, Ind 20. Not sure how good Brissett is - but seeing what Vrable did to us, I 'm sure he's got something up his sleeve for Jacoby. Ten should be able to control Mack with their D.

Dal 27, Was 20. Was does have a solid D, so this is not a walk in the park for the Cowboys. But damn, how do the Skins score?

KC 34, Oak 23. Trying to see how Oakland stops KC, even at home. JAx has a much better D than Oakland, and KC did everything right and scored 40. No reason to see how that changes here.

Chi 20, Den 13. Boy, I'm confused on this game. Denver does have a good defense - so they can do what GB did last week. What can Vic Fangio know from his years with the Bears and attack ? Can Trubisky have a good game on the road? So many questions here.

LAR 31, NO 24. Too many questions on the Saints' D here. What they did to let up that TD drive by Watson at the end was criminal. And they always start slow in their first outdoor game.

Atl 30, Phi 24.  I think this is a perfect spot for Atlanta - revenge game from week 1 last year; they are not as bad as they looked because they played a dominant Min D last week, and Philly has some
weaknesses on their D.

Best bets: 15 of them. Last week: Officially 12-4.
ATS: 6-4
Over/unders: 6-0

Bal -13
Bal/Az under 46
SF/Cin over 46
LAC -1.5
LAC/Det over 47
Jax +8.5
NE/Mia under 48.5
NYG +2
NYG/Buf under 44.5
Pit -3.5
KC -7
Chi -2
Chi / Den under 40
LAR -2
Atl +1.5

Supercontest picks: Last week: 3-2
NYG +1.5
Pit -4
LAR -2.5
Atl +1.5
Cle -2.5 (stale line; have to take it to keep up with the other competitors)

NFL Week 1: Roy Rogers

Hello from San Diego! It's time for the 2019 version of the world famous themed NFL picks. Being at home during the day most of the time (when I'm not with my degenerates playing $5 UTH at 10 am on Tuesday mornings), I'm on the internet a lot - and sometimes, yes, I fall for the clickbait.

"50 best resort hotels in your area".....
"The 25 small towns that are going bankrupt"
and yes, "20 restaurant chains that are out of business"

Layup visited me a few weeks ago and we saw that list about the chains and it started a good conversation. We were sure I could come up with 17 defunct restaurants - so this year we are going to explore 17 restaurants from my youth that I loved and have a special place in my heart. They may be out of business, they may be surviving by a thread -- but I don't think I'll be able to go to these anymore. Some are well known, some will be obscure - but they are part of my memories.

(if you think you've seen this on the blog before, well, you are right -we did a post about old restaurants back in 2011 here.....this year we will expand on that theme a whole lot.....)

And we will try to link each one to the upcoming Browns game as well. I'm cautiously optimistic for this season. 9-7 is my prediction; I can't go higher because this is Freddie's first year; I don't know how the chemistry will be later this season with OBJ, and there are questions - serious ones - on our offensive line. And we have a rookie punter and kicker.....don't laugh, those will cost us 1-2 games.

Anyway, let's get started! This week we look back at....Roy Rogers!

Roy Rogers, for those of you not from the mid-Atlantic, was a fast food chain specializing in burgers, roast beef, and chicken. To me, it seemed to be a step up from the national chains of McDonalds, Burger King and the like. The star menu item was the "Double R Burger" - a 1/4 burger with ham on it - a break from the regular bacon cheeseburgers you can find anywhere! And I have to say, their fried chicken was good....rivaling KFC's fried chicken. I got the two piece meal many times, with a biscuit and all the margarine you can eat with it.

Roy Rogers seemed to be a special treat for our family growing up. They didn't have one in Hunt Valley or within 10 miles of us. It wasn't a regular stop that we planned to go to; Layup and I seemed to go there on two occasions;

1. When Mom dragged us in the car to go on an all-day shopping trip at White Marsh or so. Sometimes, the Hunt Valley Mall just didn't have the selection and so we ( as kids that were, say, 12 and 9 years old) got put in the car for a 45 minute drive to the swanky mall on the east side of town. Our reward was the Double R Burger.

2. There were Roy's all over the place near the shore, especially in Delaware; I think we always stopped for lunch at a Roy's in Dover as we headed to the Delaware beach for our many weekend vacation getaways.

But the best part of Roy Rogers was....the Fixin's Bar!!! This was no ordinary condiment station, like what Wendy's or Arby's has. It contained 3-4 types of BBQ sauce, plenty of other sauces - and fresh produce! There were fresh sliced tomatoes, onions, pickles and crisp lettuce all waiting for you to put on your burger. I went to town on that!!! I ordered the Double R and slather it with mustard, BBQ, onions, lettuce and one pickle. My parents always had that look of disgust when seeing what concoction I made...….

Kind of like the face I make now when we go to the frozen yogurt place and Martin fills his cup with 6 types of sour Jolly Rancher flavors.

Anyway, the fixin's bar is what made Roy's stand out from the rest. I'm not really sure what happened to Roy's in the 90's - I think it was bought out by Hardee's or something - but it dwindled away. They are planning a comeback; I have read they are opening new locations in New Jersey/Pennsylvania recently.

There was a Roy's in Cincinnati on route 32 near Eastgate - it may have been open as late as 2000, 2001, and I went there once or twice. Now it's been shuttered for years - and nothing has filled its place. The old building is still there, taunting me of an abandoned Fixin's bar inside.

Here is a commercial for Roy's from 1986 to get your taste buds going:

About the Browns: well, I finally feel we have a Fixin's Bar for this team. Our offense usually had 1 weapon - maybe - at our QB's disposal. For the past 10 years or so, what options did our QB have to make plays? Peyton Hills....Josh Gordon for a year.....last year it was just Landry at the beginning. Now, we have options. We have OBJ, Landry, Chubb, Njoku......we have a real fixin's bar for Mayfield. No more stale ketchup in Corey Coleman or moldy tomatoes with Isaiah Crowell.....

On to the games....I have to preview these early and make the picks because I will be without internet on a boat until Sunday afternoon. The horror! I'm sure there will be lots of injuries and changes on Thursday and Friday that will render these picks moot and useless.

Chi 23, GB 17. GB wants to change their O to be more run-based and less spontaneous with LaFleur making the calls - I think that plays right into the Bears' hands.

Bal 22, Mia 10. Such a trap here. What is Miami doing - who will Fitzpatrick pass the ball to? It seems easy, but Baltimore is one-dimensional and that's easy to plan against.

Min 30, Atl 23. I don't think Atlanta has upgraded their secondary, so Min should move the ball; Atl's new coordinator will learn from the mistakes of last year and stay in this game.

NYJ 24, Buf 16. How is Buffalo going to score? We trusting Allen to be accurate week 1? But do the Jets have a pass rush? Darnold comfortable with short passes, avoiding Buffalo's good secondary.

Phi 26, Was 17. I think Phi's new run weapons will be stopped by Washington, who has a great run D; question is how do the Redskins score. Gruden will keep this low scoring.

LAR 30, Car 17. I think the Panthers are a mess. One-D on offense with McCaffrey; Moore is not a weapon yet and what is the injury status on Cam? Losing Davis on D hurts too.

KC 31, Jax 20. Another trap game that looks too easy. Jax will stop run, have pass rush -can it rattle Mahomes? What are Foles and Fournette going to look like vs. the worst run D?

SF 30, TB 24. SF passing attack was decent at the end of last year, questions on Tampa's DL and secondary. Jimmy G did not look good in preseason. SF defense will gamble and force mistakes.

LAC 31, Ind 23. What a mystery. What is the Chargers' secondary going to look like without James? Can Brissett take advantage? What will Gordon's absence do to the Chargers' o?

Sea 23, Cin 13. Cin will run the ball with Mixon- what else can they do? Sea wants to run - that's the strength of Cin's D - can Wilson take advantage of the weak Cincy secondary without weapons?

Az 30, Det 27. Worried about Az's pass rush here - if Stafford has time, will score a lot. But Det's D may not have improved yet; perfect first opponent for Kingsbury and Murray.

Dal 31, NYG 27.  The Giants can't just run the ball here. They have to pass and take advantage of the weak Dal secondary. I think they can do enough to keep it close.

NE 31, Pit 24. NE's D is awesome, but Pit always finds a way with their passing game to get points. Pit secondary is weak, so we may see more of Brady and the passing game than Bill wants.

NO 37, Hou 20. I feel like this is a trap also. Where is Houston's mind with all the moves? I don't know if Hou can get pressure on Brees. NO has to be motivated here.

Den 19, Oak 16. This game will be straight from the 70s - run run run. Lindsey will get plenty of carries as Flacco is eased in; Oak can't handle the pass rush from Den.

Best bets: 16 of them.
Chi -3
Chi/GB under 46.5
Bal -6.5
NYJ -3
Min -4
LAR -3
KC -3.5
Ind/LAC over 44.5
Cin/Sea under 44
Az +2.5
Det/Az over 47
NYG/Dal over 45.5
SF pk
NO -7
Den pk
Den/Oak under 43

Supercontest picks:
Still to come. Will be updated Tuesday evening.