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Monday Night Football Picks and Predictions

Kansas City Chiefs outside linebacker Justin Houston


by Alan Matthews - 10/26/2017

The Kansas City Chiefs are usually competitive each season, but I wouldn't call them a marquee team in terms of ratings because, well, Kansas City isn't a huge market, for one. Second, the Chiefs generally were considered rather boring over the years because they won by running the ball and with a great defense. No star quarterback to lure non-Chiefs fans to watch.

Carson Wentz Philadelphia Eagles


by Alan Matthews - 10/19/2017

Are the fates conspiring for the Philadelphia Eagles to reach the third Super Bowl in franchise history and perhaps win their first? I've talked plenty about Aaron Rodgers' broken collarbone this week, but that also could affect the Eagles. Philadelphia (5-1) was the NFC's only five-win team entering Week 7 and has become the +425 favorite at Bovada to win the conference title for the first time since that Donovan McNabb/Terrell Owens club in 2004.

DeMarco Murray Tennessee Titans


by Alan Matthews - 10/12/2017

Has there been a more one-sided intradivisonal rivalry this century than Indianapolis usually stomping AFC South foe Tennessee? I can't think of one. The Oilers moved to Nashville for the 1997 season and became the Titans starting in 1999. For purposes of this story, we'll start with the year 2000 - the Titans have just seven victories over the Colts since. And three of those were the first three meetings.

Mitchell Trubisky Chicago Bears


by Alan Matthews - 10/5/2017

Before I get to previewing the Monday night Week 5 matchup between the Vikings and Bears in the Windy City, I must address last Monday's incredible ending between the Redskins and Chiefs in Kansas City. I'm not going to go play-by-play as I'm sure you've seen it plenty of times by now, but I'm not sure I've ever seen a meaningless play like that affect both the spread and total so massively in an NFL game.

Kansas City Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt


by Alan Matthews - 9/28/2017

When you think of the best Chiefs players of all-time, you probably don't think offense first. Sure, the franchise had a Hall of Fame quarterback in Len Dawson, arguably the best receiving tight end in league history in Tony Gonzalez, and some excellent running backs (at least for a few years) like Jamaal Charles, Priest Holmes, Larry Johnson and Christian Okoye.

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant


by Alan Matthews - 9/19/2017

When I was very young, I fell for the allure of the Dallas Cowboys. They were America's Team, after all. The stars on their helmets, the good guys against the bad guy Steelers in those Super Bowls. Now? Can't stand them. But I will give the most valuable sports franchise on the planet credit for one thing: it's always interesting.

New Orleans Saints running back Adrian Peterson


by Alan Matthews - 9/7/2017

Week 1 of the season is great for many reasons, and one of them is the only scheduled Monday night doubleheader of the year (there will be a second one in 2017 because Christmas falls on a Monday). I have always lived in the Eastern Time Zone. And as an adult, I generally base my Thursday, Sunday and Monday nights during fall/early winter around the NFL games - thus essentially ignoring the wife. So I can't even imagine all the free social time that West Coast people have those nights during football season since all games end by about 9 p.m. local time. Week 1 is usually their only chance to watch a prime-time NFL game for the year (there are always 10:30 ET NCAA games).

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott


by Alan Matthews - 12/22/2016

The NFL doesn't want teams on short weeks heading into the playoffs, so there are no Monday night games in Week 17. Thus this week's Lions-Cowboys matchup is it on MNF for 2016. Although I keep hearing there might be an MNF first-round playoff game whenever the league adds a third wild card in each conference. That could happen this offseason. If so, that means only the top seed in the AFC & NFC would get a first-round bye, and it would add two extra games -- i.e. more cash -- in the wild-card round. I think that's a good idea, actually.

Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton


by Alan Matthews - 12/15/2016

Believe it or not, it's already the penultimate Monday night game of the 2016 regular season because the league doesn't want any teams playing on Monday in Week 17 and thus having a short playoff week -- or just having nothing to play for that night and rendering the game unwatchable.

Joe Flacco Baltimore Ravens


by Alan Matthews - 12/8/2016

We had a marquee matchup in the Thursday night game in Week 14, one in the Sunday night slot, and we cap it off with another stellar game on Monday night in a potential playoff preview as Baltimore visits New England -- and those two know each other well from previous postseasons. I can promise you this game will be much more interesting than last week's ugly Colts-Jets Monday game in which I stupidly leaned the Gang Green at home. Bad week to stop sniffing glue!

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck


by Alan Matthews - 12/1/2016

Not a great Monday night matchup this week as both the Colts (5-6) and Jets (3-8) have disappointed this season after both just missed out on the playoffs in 2015. The good news is that the final three MNF games of the 2016 season look pretty interesting and all include at least one likely playoff team.

Carson Wentz Philadelphia Eagles


by Alan Matthews - 11/24/2016

The last time the Green Bay Packers missed the playoffs was in 2008 when Aaron Rodgers finally replaced Brett Favre as the team's starting quarterback. Rodgers had his first-year starter growing pains but obviously has become one of the best QBs of his era and of all time.

Houston Texans quarterback Brock Osweiler


by Alan Matthews - 11/17/2016

Let's not get into an election argument here, and it doesn't matter to me whether you voted for Trump or Hillary. But I think even the most ardent Trump backers had to be a bit taken aback by some of the things he has said about Mexicans. Whether he actually deports all those illegal immigrants and builds a wall we will have to see.

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton


by Alan Matthews - 11/10/2016

I thoroughly enjoy handicapping the NFL and certainly get more right than wrong over the course of a season. But, man, sometimes it's amazing how backward things can go. For example, in last Monday night's game between the Bills and Seahawks, I thought it had a chance to be the lowest-scoring MNF game of the season between two clubs who like to pound the ball, chew clock and win with defense. So of course they combined for 66 points.

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson


by Alan Matthews - 11/3/2016

This year's Monday night schedule has left plenty to be desired, but this week's matchup between Buffalo (4-4) and Seattle (4-2-1) starts a stretch where every Monday game the rest of the way looks pretty interesting as of now, other than probably Colts-Jets on Dec. 5.

Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler


by Alan Matthews - 10/27/2016

The Chicago Bears are one of the flagship and most popular franchises in the NFL and they probably always will be. But I really wish the NFL would somehow allow ESPN's Monday Night Football to have flex scheduling like NBC's Sunday night does. I say this once a year and it probably won't happen.

Houston Texans quarterback Brock Osweiler


by Alan Matthews - 10/20/2016

I'm not going to delve into the NFL's sagging TV ratings this season again other than to say the Monday Night Football games have largely been blowouts between one decent team and one bad one. Last week's 28-3 Cardinals win over the Jets -- I recommended Arizona -7 and going under the total, so that worked out well -- is a prime example.

New York Jets quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick


by Alan Matthews - 10/13/2016

I'm sure you have read where NFL TV ratings are down across the board this year. I don't think we have hit some sort of bubble and that the crazy presidential election has played a big role. I'm not into politics at all, but I've been watching a lot more CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, etc., instead of football at times to see what stupid thing Donald Trump says or does next.

New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham


by Alan Matthews - 9/29/2016

Remember last year there was a long stretch of "Monday Night Football" games that had terrific endings? It seemed we saw something new and dramatic every week on the ESPN telecast. This season through three weeks? A total dud so far. Every game has been decided by at least 13 points, which was the score of last Monday's 45-32 win in New Orleans, one of the lowest-rated MNF games ever because it was opposite the presidential candidates' debate.

Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones


by Alan Matthews - 9/22/2016

I don't happen to think the Saints are very good and that they are going to miss the playoffs again because of their defense, as usual, but that New Orleans crowd figures to be a bigger advantage than usual on Monday night against Atlanta.

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