49ers at Vikings (+4½)
Minnesota quarterback Sam Darnold will take on his 2023 team after a rousing debut victory over the Giants last Sunday at the Meadowlands. Despite his success, officials at Autocorrect announced that they will continue trying to change his name to “darn old.”
Pick: 49ers by 7
Daniel Jones #8 of the New York Giants greets Sam Darnold #14 of the Minnesota Vikings after the game at MetLife Stadium on Sept. 08, 2024 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Vikings defeated the Giants 28-6. (Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images)
Giants at Commanders (-2½)
New York was routed by Vikings while wearing striped throwback uniforms. Their red and blue jerseys made them look very much like the NHL’s legendary Montreal Canadiens, except the Canadiens are significantly better than the Giants at playing football.
Pick: Commanders by 11
Dexter Lawrence II #97 of the New York Giants celebrates after sacking Sam Darnold #14 of the Minnesota Vikings in the first quarter of the game at MetLife Stadium on Sept. 08, 2024 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
Bengals at Chiefs (-5½)
Travis Kelce’s pal Taylor Swift endorsed Kamala Harris for president this week, and her posting was liked by WNBA phenom Caitlin Clark, No joke here … we’re just shamelessly trying to pump up Loop web traffic by using the keywords “Taylor Swift” and “Caitlin Clark.”
Pick: Chiefs by 7
TOPSHOT – This illustration photo taken in Washington, DC on Sept. 10, 2024 shows US singer Taylor Swift’s Instagram post endorsing US Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris. Pop superstar Taylor Swift on Sept. 10, 2024 endorsed Democrat Kamala Harris in the US presidential contest against Donald Trump, saying she was a “warrior.” “I will be casting my vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz in the 2024 Presidential Election,” she posted on her Instagram account. (Photo by PEDRO UGARTE / AFP) (Photo by PEDRO UGARTE/AFP via Getty Images)
Jets at Titans (+3½)
New York quarterback Aaron Rodgers is the star of an upcoming documentary series on Netflix. The project is titled “Enigma” because it is significantly less wordy than Rodgers’ original suggestion for the title. “Underestimating the Magnitude of Me.”
Pick: Jets by 7
Quarterback Aaron Rodgers #8 of the New York Jets looks on during warm ups before taking on the San Francisco 49ers at Levi’s Stadium on Sept. 09, 2024 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
Colts at Packers (+3½)
Green Bay QB Jordan Love will miss at least a month after injuring his knee last Friday night in Brazil. Cheesehead fans were somewhat surprised to learn Love was knocked out during the game, as opposed to walking the streets outside his hotel in Sao Paolo.
Pick: Colts by 7
Jordan Love #10 of the Green Bay Packers reacts after suffering an injury during the fourth quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles at Arena Corinthians on Sept. 06, 2024 in Sao Paulo, Brazil. (Photo by Wagner Meier/Getty Images)
Browns at Jaguars (-3½)
It was a terrible opening week for Deshaun Watson as the Cleveland QB was humbled in the opener by Dallas, then faced more accusations of assault. The onslaught got only worse when Watson was urged to step aside by George Clooney.
Pick: Jaguars by 7
Deshaun Watson #4 of the Cleveland Browns looks on after the game against the Dallas Cowboys at Cleveland Browns Stadium on Sept. 08, 2024 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Cowboys defeated the Browns 33-17. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images)
Seahawks at Patriots (+3½)
New England pulled off the biggest Week 1 upset by knocking off heavily-favored Cincinnati. The game was not only a blow to the Bengals’ Super Bowl hopes, but it shattered the NFL record for most destroyed survivor pool entries.
Pick: Seahawks by 7
Marcus Jones #25 of the New England Patriots celebrates after recovering a fumble in the second quarter of the game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium on Sept. 08, 2024 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
Chargers at Panthers (+6½)
Carolina’s Pro Bowl defensive tackle Derrick Brown injured his knee in the opening blowout loss in New Orleans and is likely to miss the rest of the Panthers’ 2024 season. This makes him the front-runner for the Lou Gehrig Award as The Luckiest Man on the Face of the Earth.
Pick: Chargers by 10
Derrick Brown #95 of the Carolina Panthers attends Carolina Panthers OTA Offseason Workout on June 04, 2024 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
Raiders at Ravens (-9½)
Baltimore barely lost the opener in Kansas City when the toe of tight end Isaiah Likely was shown to be touching the back line of the end zone on the game’s final play. The out of bounds ruling was confirmed by the NFL’s toe video expert, Rex Ryan.
Pick: Ravens by 17
Baltimore Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely (80) catches a pass with his toe out of bounds as Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Nick Bolton and linebacker Drue Tranquill, left, defend as time time expires in the second half of an NFL football game Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. The Chiefs won 27-20.(AP Photo/Ed Zurga)
Falcons at Eagles (-6½)
New Philly standout Saquon Barkley was a big hit in his debut with three touchdowns in the victory over Green Bay. That’s a big paydirt total that might take his former team in New York several months to match.
Pick: Eagles by 7
Saquon Barkley #26 of the Philadelphia Eagles celebrates after a touchdown during the second quarter against the Green Bay Packers at Arena Corinthians on Sept. 06, 2024 in Sao Paulo, Brazil. (Photo by Pedro Vilela/Getty Images)
Other games
Saints at Cowboys (-6½):
Pick: Cowboys by 1
Buccaneers at Lions (-6½):
Pick: Lions by 3
Steelers at Broncos (+2½):
Pick: Steelers by 3
Bears at Texans (-6½):
Pick: Texans by 7
Rams at Cardinals (even):
Pick: Cardinals by 3
Arizona Cardinals’ Marvin Harrison Jr. reacts during an NFL football game against the Buffalo Bills, Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024, in Orchard Park, N.Y. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Record
Week 1
12-4 straight up (.750)
10-6 vs. spread (.625)
All-time (2003-24)
3643-2024-14 straight up (.643)
2770-2767144 vs. spread (.500)
You can hear Kevin Cusick on Wednesdays on Bob Sansevere’s “BS Show” podcast on iTunes. You can follow Kevin on Twitter — @theloopnow. He can be reached at kcusick@pioneerpress.com.
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