Chiefs Play a Repeat of Super Bowl 58
Trevor Phipps
Ok well, it happened. After a slew of consecutive (three at the time of this writing) wins, I officially joined the 2024 Denver Broncos bandwagon!
Even though the team still looks a little rough in my opinion, they have shown that they can win games. During their big rout against the Las Vegas Raiders, the Broncos struggled at first, but then the coaches and players showed that they can adapt, as they pulled ahead in the second half by an impressive margin.
As most everyone now knows, the Broncos’ secret weapon is their defense. During the Raiders game, the Broncos were super close to trailing 17-3 in the first quarter when defensive star Pat Surtain came up with a pick in the end zone during which he ran back for a touchdown to tie the game at 10-10. This play drastically changed the momentum towards the Broncos’ favor.
But to me, their offense still needs quite a bit of work. It took QB Bo Nix the fourth game to get his first touchdown pass. The team has figured out how to put more points on the board, but discipline and play calling still need a lot of work.
The Saints had quite a healthy start this season and their offense looked quite stellar. But then, they started to lose some games.
The Saints looked decent against the Chiefs in Week 5 as their defense was able to contain the KC offense. But, the Saints’ offense hasn’t looked very stellar and now they could be even worse with a possibly injured starting quarterback
In the end, the Broncos should have a good test this week as they face a pretty solid team. I think the score will be close, but the Broncos will fall in the end, mainly because they never do well when playing Thursday Night games on the road.
Vegas Line: Saints by 3.5.
Trevor’s Pick: New Orleans Saints 31, Denver Broncos 28
Kansas City Chiefs at San Francisco 49ers Sunday 2:25 p.m.
Since the Broncos aren’t playing on Sunday this week, the Super Bowl repeat matchup will probably be the best game to watch on Sunday afternoon. However, the match should look a little different than the big game last February did as the two teams have changed this year.
Some could say that the Chiefs actually look a little better this season, but they have been barely winning games. The 49ers on the other hand have been losing games in the final seconds and they just don’t look like the dominant team they did last year.
It’s hard to count Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes out even if they are down significantly at halftime. And the 49ers defense just doesn’t look like the destructive force they were in 2023.
Vegas Line: 49ers by 1.5
Trevor’s Pick: Kansas Chiefs 29, San Francisco 49ers 28
Las Vegas Raiders at Los Angeles Rams Sunday 2:05 p.m.
When the Raiders played the Broncos, there were some things I saw that I liked. The Raiders offense I think has some potential to score some points this season.
The Los Angeles Rams, however, just really haven’t seemed to get it together this year. Even though their one victory was a win over the 49ers, the Rams have then been smoked by mediocre teams like the Arizona Cardinals.
The Raiders seem like they are still a team in the making and they will probably improve as the season wears on. The Rams just don’t seem like they have what it takes to be a powerful force this year.
Vegas Line: Rams by 4.5.
Trevor’s Pick: Las Vegas Raiders 24, Los Angeles Rams 16
Los Angeles Chargers at Arizona Cardinals Monday 7 p.m.
Unfortunately for Chargers fans, the team’s new coach hasn’t turned them around like everyone thought. There is a chance that it might take head coach Jim Harbaugh another season to really get things dialed in.
Meanwhile, the Cardinals have exceeded expectations so far this year. Their record isn’t the best, but they are ahead of the 49ers in the NFC West Division, and they have beat some good teams.
The Chargers probably will give Arizona a run for their money. But, I think the Cardinals will prove to be a sleeper team this season that continues to come up with big upset wins.
Vegas Line: Cardinals by 1
Trevor’s Pick: Arizona Cardinals 31, Los Angeles Chargers 28
Another Big Game to Watch: Detroit Lions at Minnesota Vikings Sunday 11 a.m.
This division rivalry matchup earns my pick for probably the best match to watch all week. Besides, none of the AFC West teams play on Sunday morning, making this game definitely the best to tune into during that time frame.
The Lions didn’t start out like they were going to be as good as they were last year, but then things started to change. The Vikings on the other hand, came out of nowhere when they started out 2024 with five straight wins.
And since this match will be between the number one and number two teams in the NFC North, plan on it being a close one. This one is tough to predict, but I am going with the Lions dethroning the Vikings this week!
Vegas Line: Lions by 3.5
Trevor’s Pick: Detroit Lions 34, Minnesota Vikings 31
