Red was 3-3 last week remaining a respectable 15-9 for the season.    The money line wasn’t too bad either:

Rams covered – paid $

Texans/Titans over – paid $ – Note that the Texans had covered the Over by themselves early in the 3rd quarter.

Niners covered – paid $

Falcons lost – Bust

Titans lost – Bust (an alternate pick)

Packers/Bears went over – Bust

Answer to Last Week’s Trivia:  The Chicago Cardinals (now the Arizona Cardinals) and the Decatur Staleys (now the Chicago Bears) are the only two original NFL franchises in the league since its formation in 1920.  The Packers joined the next season and it is the franchise that has been in the same city with the same mascot the longest.

This Week’s Trivia:  In honor of the Texans’ 57 point whipping of the Titans – Which team scored the most points in an NFL game?  Bonus for naming the opponent and year. Double bonus for correctly calling the number of points scored.

Your High Point Game of the Week – Bengals over Bills.  Bills are the biggest surprise of the season so far leading the AFC-East at 3-1.   Unfortunately for Bills fans, the first place crown rests uneasily on the franchise from Western New York.   After a horrendous start to the season, the Bengals drank the Brown tonic – which cures all ills.  The Bengals are too good to suck as much as they did for the first three weeks.  They aren’t good enough to make the playoffs but  . . .  Someone thinks the Bengals are for real as they are giving up 3.5 this week.  Red likes the over at 39. Cincinnati 37 Orchard Park, NY 33

Your Low Point Game of the Week –  Vikings  over Bears.  Vikings can’t catch a break with Dalvin Cook out for several games most likely.    Red thought for a moment about  picking the Bears.  But then he wrote that down – “Red is picking the Bears.”  Oh, hell no. There is no line on this game right now and that is as it should be.  Minnesota 17 Chicago 13.

Your Middling Point Game of the Week – Buccaneers over Patriots.  Jameis Winston v. Tom Brady would seem to be a no-brainer.  And last Sunday it seemed the script was going according to plan.  The suddenly lame-ass Patriots defense had the team in another hole and Brady led the comeback to tie the game.  But then, the writers gave it a happy ending with the Panthers winning.  Here’s the stat that tells it all.  The Panthers punted once.  They did have two turnovers.  But when your defense has 3 stops all day, it’s not going well.  Red just isn’t sure the Pats offense is going to be able to score enough points to keep up with the up and coming Bucs. Tampa Bay gets 4 points and doesn’t even need it.  A pretty hefty over at 54 but Red is going with that too.  Tampa Bay 35 New England 27.

Your Offensive Game of the Week – Packers over Cowboys.   The Cowboys’ loss to the Rams exposed some serious weaknesses in the Dallas defense.  The Cowboys’s middle is soft – Sean Lee notwithstanding.  Everyone knew the Cowboys secondary was weak, but the run defense was fairly good last season and the pass rush was effective in spots.  But this season, the Cowboys’ defense has been rolled and smoked by the Broncos and the Rams.  That doesn’t bode well for the Packers game this week.   A-Rodg is expert at exploiting the weakest link.  His only problem this week will be choosing among the weak, weaker and weakest links.  Somewhere someone is giving the Packers 2.5.  Take it and run.  The Pack might cover the 53 point O/U by their lonesome (see, e.g. the Texans last week), but don’t bet on it.  Green Bay 44 Arlington 30.  

Your Who Cares Game of the Week – Giants over Chargers.  The only problem with this week’s Shit Bowl is that it is not being played in the Shit Bowl Stadium in Carson, CA where the Chargers play their “home” games.  In case you haven’t been paying attention.  The Chargers fans are not exactly flocking to the 27,000 seat stadium that is their temporary home.  In fact, opposing fans – always on the make for a bargain – are swarming into the tiny venue and making things very uncomfortable for the hapless Chargers.  The Chargers may be glad to play a game on the road in an environment that is supposed to be hostile.  And hostile it will be this week as fans of the winless Giants (who supposedly had Superb Owl aspirations, says Red chortling) are likely to boo every player on the field, all the coaches, the cheerleaders and the ball boy.  Unload the .45 before settling in to watch this Doleful Doo-Doo Display lest ye empty the chamber into your 70 incher at the 2 minute warning. Take the under at 44.5.  New Jersey 17 Somewhere in California 13. 

Your Red Knows Some Trivia Game of the Week – Rams over Seahawks.  The Rams are looking very for real after rather handily dispatching the Cowboys on Sunday afternoon.  3-1 is very for real in the NFL over the course of any 4 weeks of the season. The Seahawks offensive line is simply atrocious. It seems Russell Wilson is running for his life on almost every play.  He is good at that but it does wear on a body.  Red looks for the Rams to return to Earth later this season, but not this Sunday.   This one’s a Pick’em.  Red picks the Rams. Los Angeles 35 Seattle 24.