Just a few quick observations before I head out to do my last night shift for a few weeks:

49ers at Panthers

Tough call here. San Fran barely won last week against a Packers defence that isn't very good and was missing some key players, and now they have to travel across the country to face the buzzsaw Panthers defence. I expect a low-scoring affair. The deciding factor will be which QB can do more with the limited opportunities they will have. I'm keeping the faith with Cam Newton. Winner: Panthers


Chargers at Broncos

If you're a Denver fan, and you say that this game doesn't scare the bejeesus out of you, you're lying. You should be scared. I'm expecting a shootout here. It won't be as easy for San Diego as it was last week, because unlike Andy Dalton, Peyton Manning is toilet-trained. Both offences are explosive, and neither defence is particularly great. (Aside: The Broncos briefly flirted with defensive mediocrity when dirty cheater Von Miller returned to the lineup after his too-short suspension for trying to circumvent the league's drug-testing procedure. Now, I would never applaud a player's injury, but it is fitting that Miller will not play. Don't worry Bronco nation; I'm sure he's currently taking some combination of caribou-antler extract, human growth hormone, and Adderall, with a twist of lemon, and will show up for training camp fully healed with an extra 10 pounds of muscle added for good measure.) I truly feel like this game could go either way. Screw it. I'm taking the spoiler. Winner: Chargers

Just a couple of quick picks while I deal with the aftermath of perhaps the worst migraine I have ever had (and I still have to work tonight):

Saturday

Saints at Seahawks

Whatever luck the Saints had was used up in last week’s escape from Philadelphia. I’m not saying that New Orleans couldn’t beat Seattle at home, but they’d need an awful lot of help from the Seahawks themselves, via mistakes and turnovers. Absent that, the Seahawks have the personnel to shut down Jimmy Graham and hound Drew Brees, and that’s really all they need. Winner: Seahawks

Colts at Patriots

This looks like a good game on paper. Alas, it’s not being played on paper; these Colts have to face the Pats in cold, windy, rainy Foxborough. New England’s deep and punishing rushing attack will be the difference here, while Aquib Talib, Devin McCourty, and the rest of the Pats’ secondary will severely limit Andrew Luck’s effectiveness. Odd aside: I actually had a dream earlier this week in which McCourty returned an interception for a TD. Sorry, gamblers; I didn’t catch the final score. Winner: Patriots

 

Hopefully I’ll have more on tomorrow’s games later.