Ah, just as baseball season was starting to heat up again.
A new NFL season has begun, and when you take a look at the list of professional sports teams in Michigan and Wisconsin, almost everything is in order — almost everything.
First, Milwaukee baseball fans have had a blast this season watching the Brewers, who had fairly low expectations after Craig Counsell moved south along the lakefront to the Chicago Cubs, first take the lead and then rise to the top of the biggest division in MLB.
Even the Detroit Tigers, who were just under .500 for much of the summer, swept the last-place White Sox and the California (or rather, Los Angeles) Angels to get back into wild-card contention.
And as long as the Detroit Red Wings, who missed the NHL playoffs last spring due to a tiebreaker, and Giannis Antetokounmpo are around (sorry, but I have to brag right now that I can spell his name without looking it up), the Milwaukee Bucks are the favorites to win it.
If it was just the underdog Detroit Pistons, every team in our two states would be in the Rose Garden. Oh, if the Pistons could just stock their top five draft picks by 2030 or so, there might be hope.
But now it’s time to turn our attention to football. While some college teams have already completed their two-week games, the NFL still has time to play three preseason games — or, in the case of the Chicago Bears, the only team with four wins this preseason, four.
The Green Bay Packers haven’t been far behind in their transition from Aaron Rodgers to Jordan Love, but the Detroit Lions tripled my lifetime number of playoff wins in a seven-day period in January. For those who want the exact numbers, that’s an increase from one win to three since the last NFL title in 1957.
All of this preparation is just to ease my anxiety about both professional football teams in the first week of the season because regardless of what continent they play on, both teams will face some pretty stiff competition in their opening games.
Now, let’s take a look at the whole game.
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Tonight at 8:20
Baltimore vs. Kansas City — This is a rematch of the AFC Championship Game, but the Ravens were the home team in January.
This will definitely bode well for the Chiefs, as they are at home. Without paying too much attention to the preseason, I think KC coach Andy Reid will remind his guys of when the Lions rolled into KC in Week 1 last year and won despite not having Taylor Swift’s boyfriend, Travis Kelce, on the home team. Chiefs, 31-26.
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Friday, 8:15 p.m.
Green Bay vs. Philadelphia — One of the nice things about playing a Western Hemisphere game overseas is that there is little to no time zone difference. In this case, Sao Paulo, Brazil is actually one hour ahead of us, according to the world clock on my phone. This seemed odd to me, until I looked at a map of the hemisphere and realized that almost all of South America is a little east of North America.
What I learned on this job!
But what’s disappointing for Green Bay fans in particular, and for the entire NFL, especially for those of us who are regular fans in the NFC North, is that from what I’ve read, the game will not be broadcast on any television.
Google Search “Will the Packers games be televised in Brazil?” come back “The match will be streamed exclusively on Peacock.” Let’s talk a little bit about the team and their quarterback.
Other sources say it will be available on Amazon Prime Video in 2024, but that doesn’t seem like much to cable TV subscribers. So what’s the point of paying $150 or $175 a month for internet and cable?
You can always tune in on the radio – we’re on 94.9 FM (WUPZ) and 97.1 FM (WGLQ), and if you live near Houghton or Iron Mountain, you can also hear us on your local stations.
The game will then be rebroadcast on the NFL Network at 3:30 a.m. Saturday, and then at 7 a.m. and 3 p.m. the same day.
Anyway, I’m scared to death to expect the Eagles to beat anyone after how terrible they were in the second half of last season. If you remember, the Eagles went from 10-1 on Thanksgiving to losing to pretty much every team they’ve played since then. Their only win late in the season was against the terrible New York Giants, and then they lost again two weeks later to end the regular season.
Then, in a fortunate end to their season, they lost 32-9 in the opening game of the playoffs to Tampa Bay, who had a winning percentage just over .500.
So, I predict the Packers will win 33-21.
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Sunday, 1 p.m.
Pittsburgh vs. Atlanta — It’s going to be a normal game from now on. The Steelers are reluctant to bring two retread quarterbacks to the Dome with a big crowd for their first real game. Pittsburgh’s defense may be solid, but it’s unclear if Kirk Cousins’ quarterback and talented receivers will be enough to limit Atlanta’s scoring. Falcons, 20-13.
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Arizona vs. Buffalo — The Cardinals would have been an interesting pick if this wasn’t a 10 a.m. Arizona time game, but I can’t go against them, even though Buffalo has a somewhat weakened roster. Bills, 24-19.
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Tennessee at Chicago — Titans QB Will Revis should get better help from the new offensive coordinator, blah blah blah, but he’ll be off to a fast start until the league figures out Chicago QB Caleb Williams. Bears, 27-23.
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New England vs. Cincinnati — Even if all the Bengals receivers weren’t there to cheer. “Hold In” Ja’Marr Chase, I’m still going to pick the home team. Since that’s not going to happen, I’m going to bet on the Bengals, 34-20.
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Houston vs. Indianapolis — How am I supposed to root for the Colts without Northern Michigan grad and Yooper Jake Witt in the starting lineup? No, I’m trying to be a little more objective and drink the Kool-Aid that Houston gave us last year. Texans, 28-20.
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Jacksonville vs. Miami — Normally I root for the Dolphins when they play at home in September. You know, the heat and humidity even though it’s still technically summer. But considering they’re playing another Florida team, I’m going to throw that advantage away this week.
Rather, I like all the weapons available to Miami head coach Mike McDaniel and quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (I had to look up the spelling.) Dolphins, 35-27.
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Carolina vs. New Orleans — Apparently the Panthers have grown to the point where they can no longer be called one of the worst teams in the league. They’ve come a long way from being the worst team in the league. Against a worst team, but with the added advantage of the Superdome. Saints, 24-22.
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Minnesota at New York Giants — The Giants should be better offensively with QB Daniel Jones finally healthy, but with star running back Saquon Barkley gone to Philadelphia, how long will that last?
The Vikings might get off to a faster start by resisting the temptation to use rookie JJ McCarthy from the Michigan Wolverines, as he is injured and will not play this season. It may slow his and Minnesota’s development in the long run, but having a proven QB, even if it’s former Jet Sam Darnold, would bode well early in the season. Vikings, 32-24.
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Sunday, 4pm
Las Vegas vs. Los Angeles Chargers — I’m still having trouble getting used to this matchup. “Las Vegas”? “Los Angeles Chargers”Who are these people?
Ok, let’s root for a team coached by Jim Harbaugh and quarterbacked by Justin Herbert, even if Herbert’s leg health is a bit questionable. Chargers, 30-24.
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Denver vs. Seattle — I think you’ll have to bet on one game or the other, but this one looks better than any other. I predict the Seahawks will be the favorites, but with Sean Payton having another year to get used to the system and rookie QB Bo Nix in good form, I think the Broncos will win 23-20.
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Dallas vs. Cleveland — Even though they’re at home, the Browns have a strong chance of pulling off the upset.
No, I hear a lot about QB Deshaun Watson being good because he’s healthy. But I’ve never heard him being good because he’s actually becoming a good player. Dallas has been a disappointment in the playoffs but has been brilliant in the regular season. Cowboys, 27-23.
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Washington vs. Tampa Bay — Now, this is the Florida game I was thinking about earlier in September, with a team from the Mid-Atlantic region (I think that’s Washington’s region) coming down south in the stifling heat.
I found a website called “10 Bold Predictions for the Buccaneers’ 2024 Season” I was hoping there would be some balance in my bold prediction that Tampa could win the NFC South with a losing record, like the Buccaneers did when they went 8-9 in 2022. This wouldn’t be the first time the division as a whole has a sub-.500 winning percentage.
Instead, the usual blurb was topped off with their most entertaining and bold predictions. “The Buccaneers will be in the NFC Championship Game.” Ah, yes.
Still, with Baker Mayfield at the helm, I think a tenacious Tampa squad can beat the Commanders, featuring rookie QB Jayden Daniels. Buccaneers, 20-16.
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Sunday, 8:20 p.m.
Los Angeles Rams vs. Detroit — You thought we’d forgotten about this one, but you didn’t? The Lions have reaped the rewards of success, and now they’ve earned themselves a slew of primetime games, just like the Packers have been accustomed to for years.
I don’t think Detroit’s win against the Rams at Ford Field in the playoffs last winter bodes well, even if it was a close 24-23 win. That’s what happens when you let your guard down.
Nevertheless, with the Rams losing defenseman Aaron Donald to retirement and Detroit coach Dan Campbell inspiring his team, I predict another close win: Lions, 29-28.
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Monday, 8:15 p.m.
New York Jets vs. San Francisco — I want to say I get nauseous every time I hear a commentator like Mike Greenberg on ESPN or Fox Sports TV explain how my beloved Jets are going to win.
But I’m inclined to say so, because if those comments actually made me feel bad, I’d choose another channel from the 200 or so cable TV channels I could watch while sitting or lying on the couch.
My bold prediction here is that Aaron Rodgers will play at least the fifth snap this season, with no guarantees after that, and I predict the 49ers will win 31-23.
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LAST SEASON: Regular season — 174-98, 64 percent. Playoffs — 9-4, 69 percent.
Steve Brownlee can be reached at 906-228-2500, extension 552. His e-mail address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.
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