How great was all-day football?
Thanks to last week’s afternoon start in London, England, we in the Eastern time zone of North America were lucky enough to get a quadruple header of NFL football at a reasonable hour.
Well, you do feel a little sorry for those on the west coast considering the game started at 6:30 a.m. local time for them, and for owners of Megatron that couldn’t get him out of their lineup in time.
But there’s nothing that trumps that all-day experience, when even your morning is chock full of gridiron excitement.
And with five games reportedly taking place in London next season, you have to wonder if the NFL will have one of these early starts again.
While the quadruple-header is fun and all, why not take it one game further?
The NFL has had a late Sunday nighter for the west coast before, why not try it again? Could you imagine NFL football from 9:30 a.m. until 2 a.m.? That’s what I’m talking about. Sure, the wives won’t like it one bit, but if you try it for one week a year, it could be something really special.
The lines are from Vegas and the home teams are in CAPs.
New Orleans -2.5 over CAROLINA
Either the Saints have got their offence working or the Panthers are basically done for.
San Diego (pk) over MIAMI
It’s tough to take a west coast time in an early game against a good team, but Phil Rivers and Co. need to turn this skid around.
CINCINNATI -12 over Jacksonville
Getting A.J. Green back could turn the Bengals back into a juggernaut. It also doesn’t hurt that they haven’t lost at home since December 2012.
Tampa Bay +7 over CLEVELAND
When are we going to see Johnny Football? If Brian Hoyer continues to struggle, the calls for Manziel could be deafening.
MINNESOTA +1 over Washington
RG3 returns, but we should remember that he hasn’t been that good in a long while.
Philadelphia -1 over HOUSTON
The Eagles’ offensive line is getting healthy, which should mean LeSean McCoy is poised for a breakout.
KANSAS CITY -10.5 over New York Jets
If Mike Vick was really the answer, the Jets would have turned to him sooner. At least Percy Harvin makes this team somewhat watchable.
Arizona +3.5 over DALLAS
Can you really trust the Cowboys when Tony Romo is a game-time decision after re-injuring his back? Also, the Cards are equipped to slow down Dallas’ running game.
St. Louis +11 over SAN FRANCISCO
The Rams notoriously always play the 49ers really close, even when wildly overmatched.
Denver -3 over NEW ENGLAND
We all love a good Manning-Brady matchup, but the defences make the difference and the Pats are ailing right now.
SEATTLE -16.5 over Oakland
The Seahawks defence looked great last week in Carolina and should dominate the sad-sack Raiders at home.
PITTSBURGH (pk) over Baltimore
A tough rivalry game that is always close. The Ravens have some serious injury issues in their defensive backfield.
Indianapolis -3 over NEW YORK GIANTS
That blowout loss might scare you off the Colts, but everyone has a bad game once in a while, right?
Last week: 7-8
This season: 63-57-1