Bold NFL Predictions for Week 4: A “Pride-ful” week for the Lions

Recapping last week’s picks:

1. The Cincinnati Bengals beat the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field in week 3.

Outcome: (Grade: B) Sure they choked, sure they lost but man did they have the Packers against the ropes for a majority of the game AT LAMBEAU FIELD. Even into OT, while I knew deep down the Bengals would blow it, there was a question lingering if they could pull this off. I give it a B because clearly this effort was better than weeks 1&2 combined and then some. The Bengals are finally awake.

2. Sam Bradford makes a triumphant return to the Minnesota Vikings in week 3 and throws for 300+ yards and 3+ TD’s against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.Outcome: (Grade: D) If I had created an “F” this would fall under it, despite all reports earlier in the week, Sam Bradford did not play and thus he fell a mere 300 yards and 3 TDs short of my prediction. Ironically, in stepped Case Keenum who scored 369 yards and 3 TD’s. Don’t trust the Buccaneers defense.

3. Monday Night Football: Dallas Cowboys rebound from an embarrassing Broncos loss with Ezekiel Elliott rushing for 100+yards AND Dez Bryant receiving 100+ yards against the Arizona Cardinals.

Outcome: (Grade: D) My other clunker of the week, the Cowboys won but Zeke had 80 yards and Dez Bryant had a pittance of that with just 12 yards and 2 receptions.

4. The 0-2 New York Giants beat the 1-1 Philadelphia Eagles in their inner division matchup in week 3.

Outcome: (Grade: B) Much like the Bengals, they did lose to the Eagles but they had them toe and toe in what clearly was a wakeup call from the Giants (and maybe for the Eagles going into week 4) and if not for an amazing 42 yard pass AND kick as time expired we would have seen OT. This game did make me wonder just how much of the Giants success revolves around OBJ right now.

5. The Patriots do NOT score a rushing TD this week against the Houston Texans.

Outcome: (Grade: A) This prediction could not have gone any closer to what I expected. The Patriots scored all TDs through passing as the Texans have been prone to allowing this season.

Week 4 Bold Picks:

1. Isaiah Crowell has 114 yards and 0 TDs through 3 games, in week 4 he scores 1 TD with at least 70 yards.

Background: Hue Jackson has to be licking his chops to get a win this year and now he faces his former team who has shown signs of struggling, is also winless and both the Offensive and Defenseive lines are struggling due to injuries and losing players in the offseason. There is some risk to this, the Bengals have allowed 2 players to rush for over 70 yards (Terence West and Javorious Allen in week 1 against the Ravens) and have only allowed 1 Rush TD this year.

2. Both Robert Woods AND Sammy Watkins (LAR) score at LEAST either a TD or 50 yards against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium.

Background: Ignore the matchup against the offensively inept Giants in week one, the Dallas Cowboys have allowed this to opposing WR’s in the last two weeks:

(Den) Emmanuel Sanders – 62 yards, 2 TDs

(Den) Demaryius Thomas – 71 yards, 0 TDs

(Ari) Larry Fitzgerald – 149 yards, 1 TD

(Ari) Jason Brown – 27 yards, 1 TD

3. San Francisco 49ers get their first W of the season against the Arizona Cardinals.

Background: The Cardinals have one win against a bad Colts team. In their other two they lost to a good Detroit Lions team and a mediocre Dallas Cowboys. Meanwhile the 49ers have lost to a decent Carolina Panthers, a less than Mediocre Seahawks (at CentryLink Field where they play their best) and a what’s showing to be a decent LA Rams team. I think the 49ers are getting better each game and the Cardinals are showing to be less than the collective believed they could be.

4. After back to back weeks of Russell Wilson throwing for less than 200 yards he will throw for 300+ yards and 2 TD’s vs. Indianapolis Colts

Background: It’s home for starters where they play best, the Colts have allowed EITHER 300 yards OR 2 TDs to Jared Goff, Carson Palmer and Deshone Kizer but I think this is an up week for the Seahawks who suffered a rough 33-27 loss against the Tennessee Titans and will look to get a W at home where they play best. Potential for a good game from Doug Baldwin, Paul Richardson, Tyler Locket or Jimmy Graham here.

5. The Detroit Lions score 2 Passing TDs, their first rushing TD and 3 FG to the Minnesota Vikings giving a value based week to Matt Prater, Matthew Stanford and Ameer Abdullah

Background: The Vikings allow the most fantasy points to kickers and the second most fantasy points to WR. The RB part they shut down exceptionally but this is where the heartbreaking loss that the Lions had to the Flacons comes in. I think that is going to drive Ameer to his first rush TD of the season where he is averaging 50 yards and 3.5 yards per attempt.

2017 Report card:

A – 4

B – 4

C – 0

D – 2

Here is how I will be grading my Bold picks this year

A – The bold pick happened as I stated

B – The bold pick did NOT happened as stated but the idea behind it was there (example I predicted Jesse James would have 0 TDs and fewer than 20 yards in week 2, he had 27 yards, the general idea to avoid him in fantasy was present.

C – The bold pick did NOT happen and the overall feel for what occurred had you saying “meh”

D – The bold pick was nowhere near accurate