***SWAMPY SUNDAY - MUCK 5 - WEEK 3***

***NEW YORK GIANTS @ PHILADELPHIA EAGLES***

No surprise here as the Giants have taken the usual slow start approach and have played back to back games in the spotlight and sit winless with an 0-2 record. Panic has already begun for the NYG fanbase with so many questions as to where the blame lies. Is it the dreadful offensive line? Is it Head Coach Ben McAdoo and his offensive playcalling? Is it the lack of a rushing attack? WR Odell Beckham's injury? Or could it simply a case of good 'ol boy QB Eli Manning being past his prime? Maybe it's a little bit of all of the above, and maybe not. All I know is I'm not surprised as I knew the GMen would start this way, it is what they tend to do. They go in and out of a funk all season long in what seems like every year. The key is WHEN they have their ups and downs of the rollercoaster that determines how far they will go. That being said, the fact they are starting 0-2 probably means they will win the Super Bowl, just like the past two times around, ha! Let's not go there though, let's just focus on this Divisional matchup on the road today in Philadelphia, where they tend to struggle a bit. In my eyes this is the perfect spot for the Giants to snap out of it and steal a win, just because it logic says they have no business doing so. We just watched them continue to be anemic on offense in Dallas on SNF to open the season up, and then get manhandled by the Lions last week on MNF, so why would they be able to now go into Philly, in the Eagles home opener nonetheless, and win? The Giants identity in my opinion is always playing down as well as up to their opponent's level. They disappoint when they are expected to win, and surprise when they are expected to lose. The Eagles have looked as strong as any team thus far, winning on the road in Washington in another NFC East battle against the Redskins who swept them last season, and nearly stealing another victory last week at the dreaded Arrowhead Stadium against Kansas City who upset the Super Bowl Champion New England Patriots to kickoff this season! The Birds could very well be sitting 2-0 right now, but are 1-1 and hosting a desperate GMen team who absolutely cannot afford to go 0-3 if they plan on actually turning it around once again. They are capable of doing so, and as mentioned, are no strangers to this very scenario.

I fully expect McAdoo to mixup the gameplan here and implement some drastic changes after completely bombing the first two weeks. He knows damn well that his team will be under major scrutiny if they were to lay another egg today and I believe he will make the necessary changes to get this offense to finally put some points up on the board. This of course will be easier said than done as the Eagles defense is no slouch and obviously are a very familiar opponent. WR Odell Beckham Jr. has been nursing the ankle injury he suffered during the preseason but got a taste of live action when he suited up for the MNF game against the Lions. While not saying so in the media, I think he will have a much better game today against some young CBs. Veteran WR Brandon Marshall has been a major disappointment thus far for Big Blue since linking up with them during the offseason. He dropped a huge pass that Eli hit him with right in the bread-basket last week that essentially cost the Giants any shot of coming back in that game and he knows it. I fully expect a much different performance from Eli and these WRs today but of course that all depends on this chaotic offensive line. They have shuffled around some guys due to injuries and I think it will help them here. Eagles Sophomore QB Carson Wentz is one of my favorite young QBs on the rise and this season the Eagles have properly equipped him with some reliable targets which has proven to be a major positive move for this team moving forward. However, this Giants defense is still the same beastly unit from a season ago although they haven't looked like it so far. The season is young however, and if CB Janoris Jenkins is back like I expect him to be, I think these guys will be locked in on the youngster and that front seven will get after Wentz and make things difficult for him here. Either way, I expect a close game, so I will gladly take the nice cushion here in what should be a good fight. GIANTS+6

***TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS @ MINNESOTA VIKINGS***

It was clear that the Bucs had a ton of built up tension after being forced to sit out week 1 due to the Hurricane. They had no mercy when they opened up at home against the Chicago Bears and their ex-backup QB Mike Glennon. Glennon didn't help his case any to keep the starting job with studly rookie QB Mitchell Trubisky waiting to be called upon in the winds, but that's another story. Needless to say it was all gravy for the Bucs as they got the feel-good W to start their season. Now they head into Minnesota looking to keep things rolling against the 1-1 Vikings who started their season in a similar fashion by crushing the lowly Saints on MNF week 1, but then lost starting QB Sam Bradford and were forced to fend off the Steelers without him to no avail, on the road in PIttsburgh in week 2. No surprise as the Viking offense was completely stagnant without Bradford and backup journeyman Case Keenum at the helm. Rookie RB Dalvin Cook was bottled up by PItt and it was only a matter of time before Big Ben Rothlisberger and the Killer Bees got the best of the Viking defense, as good as they are. Minnesota just couldn't put up any points on the scoreboard and fell to the Steelers in a matchup that was closer than the final score suggests. Believe it or not Keenum has a fairly good track record against Tampa Bay in times he has faced them in the past. I think the Bucs are in a bit of a letdown spot here after such a big win and now on the road in a tough environment against a team without their starting QB. On the contrary I think Minnesota will be re-charged here at home with their crowd roaring behind them and that defense will put major pressure on QB Jameis Winston, forcing him into some costly mistakes. I like Jameis and think he has the tools necessary to be a top tier QB in this league, he has already shown his leadership capabilities and flashes of brilliance on the field but at the same time, has also shown that he has a ton of growing to do yet and is prone to making bad decisions when under fire. I'm banking on the Vikings defense to keep them in this one like they did in Pitt but also to put up some points at home here. Most people thought Rookie RB Dalvin Cook was a shoe-in to be drafted by Tampa Bay when their number was called, he would've been a great fit in the same backfield as fellow Florida St. alumni Jameis Winston, but the Bucs passed up on him. I fully expect Cook to have himself a day here, showing them just what they're missing, and the Purple People to emerge victorious in this one. VIKINGS+2.5

***CINCINNATI BENGALS @ GREEN BAY PACKERS***

Man oh man could things have started any uglier for the Cincinnati Bengals. The Cats have been sitting in their stink after blowing a HUGE opportunity starting their new season with back to back home games. They dropped BOTH of them and it was an embarrassment to say the least. The Ravens defense completely dismantled them in week 1, and then Rookie QB Deshaun Watson and the Houston Texans came into the Jungle on the Prime Time stage and stole a win in his very first start! Gross. They went ahead and fired their Offensive Coordinator shortly after the big disaster and have had extra time to sort things out being that they played on a Thursday night in week 2. Today they head into Lambeau Field to take on the always dangerous Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers. Lucky for the Bengals, the Packers are fresh off an embarrassing Prime Time loss themselves to the Super Bowl runner-up Atlanta Falcons last Sunday night. Therefore, I think it is fairly obvious that the Pack will be gunning to bounce back in a big way here against a team that is quite the mess at the moment. However your boy is going to go ahead and back the Bungles and the points in this one. I like the spot! In my opinion, the Bengals have plenty of talent to go toe to toe with Rodgers this afternoon. It is going to be unusually warm temperatures in Green Bay today and I just see QB Andy Dalton bouncing back in a big way to quiet the critics as he seems to do every time his seat gets a little too warm. The man has plenty of weapons and I believe they will finally unleash their Rookie RB Joe Mixon. Mixon can do it all and they have yet to fully commit to him with RBs Gio Bernard and Jeremy Hill still getting plenty of carries. Mixon is capable of being an every down back who can catch passes out of the backfield and I just have a feeling he will be a factor against a solid but beatable Green Bay defense. Falcon QB Matt Ryan exploited them last weekend and I think the Bengals will put together a new approach to jumpstart this unit because frankly they have no choice. Cincy is still down some pieces on defense due to suspensions and it is no secret that Rodgers will get his. However it is important to note that Packers WR Jordy Nelson is questionable, not that it seems to matter when you got Rodgers tossing the rock, but it could hinder his production just a wee bit, and we'll take it any way we can get it. Basically, I like this game and think it will be a fun back and forth one. Gimme da points. BENGALS+7.5

***KANSAS CITY CHIEFS @ LOS ANGELES CHARGERS***

We got an intriguing AFC wild wild West matchup this afternoon as the impressive looking 2-0 Chiefs roll into LA to take on the recent relocated Chargers in their temporary new home. These two have gotten off on opposite feet as the Chiefs did the unthinkable and took down the Super Bowl Champ New England Patriots, on the road, while they honored and celebrated their SB victory to open the season. Nicely done. They then fended off Philly at home in KC as I mentioned earlier and sit pretty with an unblemished record. The Bolts on the other hand are once again winless as they continue their bad-luck persona and drop two incredibly close games. They could easily be 2-0 as well at the moment, but they aren't. Long story short I like them today to give the Chiefs all they can handle and potentially break the ice in close games and get their first win at home and in the division. I always talk about how I think veteran QB Phillip Rivers is a warrior and he looks the part so far, still slinging the pill all over the place. LAC has numerous weapons for him to work with in both the passing and running game that I won't spend time listing here but we all know what this offense is capable of. KC on the other hand lost their defensive leader in Safety Eric Berry with an achilles injury at the end of their victory against the Patriots in week 1. While the Eagles were able to have some success exploiting this new weakness, I don't think they are capable of doing it on a level that the Chargers may be able to today with the deep ball. LA has some burners and Rivers can air it out with the best of them. I do need to mention however that LA just lost their best CB in Jason Verrett to season ending surgery which is a HUGE deal. However they are no strangers to playing without him since he is hurt and on the sidelines more than he is healthy and playing. KC QB Alex Smith has taken the league by surprise with his down the field passing. The man has been known as Captain Check-Down for most of his career but he is another one with a shiny new toy rookie QB breathing down his neck and I guess that has lit a fire under him. The Chargers front seven is sneakily one of the most talented units in the league and I think guys like Bosa and Ingram will put the heat on Smith today and focus on bottling up another Rookie RB who has taken the league by storm in Kareem Hunt. Basically I am not willing to count the Chargers out just yet, and like them to snap out of their funk today with an upset victory in the Division this afternoon. CHARGERS+3

***PITTSBURGH STEELERS @ CHICAGO BEARS***

I'm about to board a plane here so not much time for much of a writeup. Again I just like the spot here and the nice cushion that the home team is catching with a nice look ahead game for their opponent on deck. The Pittsburgh Steelers are somewhat on cruise control to start the year as they opened up in Cleveland against a Rookie QB and the Browns where it wasn't pretty but they took care of business and got the win. They then hosted a QBless Vikings team last week where they were locked in a defensive stalemate until WR Martavias Bryant let us all know he was back after his year off with a big day at WR. The Steelers were eventually too much for the Vikings and rolled over them as mentioned above. Now they head to Chicago, to take on a team that is clearly not on their level and in the midst of a mini QB controversy themselves. Bears QB Mike Glennon thought things were looking up when the Bears picked him up out of the backup hell he was locked in behind Jameis Winston in Tampa Bay. He now finally had his own team to be the starter on. Then, Chicago made a drastic move during the draft to pick up UNC's Mitchell Trubisky and long story short, MItchie looked pretty good in preseason and the clamoring amongst Bear Nation has begun to start him after going 0-2 so far. Glennon has not been THAT bad, he had a decent opening game against Atlanta and then just completely crapped the bed vs his old team on the road who were fresh as can be and hungry. It was a bad spot for ol McGlennon, but nobody cares about that. These are the wicked ways of the NFL and if the man doesn't start winning some games he is going to get the boot sooner than later in favor of Trubisky to appease the fanbase. I do like the Bears defense and its personnel and believe that they will again get up for a game at home to try and save some face against a better opponent, whereas Pitt will probably remain on cruise control until they face their favorite Baltimore Ravens next week in the best rivalry in the game. I'm taking the home team here. BEARS+7