The Seahawks-49ers game hits close to home. I was drafted by San Francisco and played four seasons in the Bay Area before playing four more years in Seattle -- we won
Super Bowl XLVIII in my final season. I still have several former teammates and friends in the league, and Monday's NFC West bout features two of them:
Russell Wilson and
Richard Sherman. Now, I hate to pit friend against friend, but I'm saying Sherm will pick off Russ TWICE in this game.
The
Cleveland Browns have scored more than 21 points in just three games this season, while the
Buffalo Bills have only allowed one opponent to eclipse 21. The
Browns' offense and defense step up in this one to help flip the trends. Cleveland gives the Dawg Pound something to cheer about, as it blows out the
Bills by at least 21 points.
The
Saints' offense has posted 30-plus points, 350-plus passing yards and 510 total yards in both of the games
Drew Brees has started and finished this season. Against a struggling
Falcons defense, New Orleans runs up the scoreboard and beats its division rival by 40 points.
The two young quarterbacks (and
maybe a cat) headline the Battle of New York, but both passers have certainly had their share of bumps and bruises this season. The
Giants'
Daniel Jones and
Jets'
Sam Darnold continue to struggle in this Sunday showdown, as the offenses combine for more rush yards than pass yards.
Baker Mayfield has caught a ton of criticism for his on-field performance in Year 2, but I think the tide will turn when Mayfield and the
Browns return to FirstEnergy Stadium on Sunday to face the
Buffalo Bills' third-ranked pass defense. Mayfield has yet to throw for multiple touchdowns in a game this season, but he tosses three Sunday.