The Coin Toss: NFL Week 4

Welcome to The Coin Toss, where I make some bold, unlikely predictions every week about some of your favorite professional sports. First, let’s recap my predictions from last week’s NFL games.

I predicted that the Redskins would hold the Giants to 10 points or fewer. The Redskins won the game, but the Giants scored 27, busting my prediction. I also said that Todd Gurley would have his first big game of the season, rushing for 100 yards and at least a touchdown. Gurley showed up as I predicted, having his biggest performance of the young season. He rushed for two touchdowns but only 85 yards, which makes this second prediction also incorrect. I correctly predicted a big upset last week, as the Vikings handled the Panthers 22-10. So we have one out of three correct with the other two being pretty close. Not a bad first week! Now on to this week’s predictions…

The Jaguars beat the Colts for their first win.

The Jags were a popular dark horse coming into the season but have disappointed so far. The team sits without a win at 0-3 on the season. Their division rival Colts have only notched one win but have consistently found production from star QB Andrew Luck. Luck has thrown for 913 yards, six touchdowns and two interceptions on the season. He makes his team the favorite against Jacksonville, but I’m picking against Luck here. The Jaguars have the eighth-ranked defense in the league, ahead of all but one (the Broncos) of Luck’s first three opponents. The young Jags defense will neutralize Luck enough to get their team the upset for their first win.

Jameis Winston Throws for 350+ against the Broncos.

Most will agree that the Broncos have one of the best, if not the best, defenses in the league. That unit has propelled them to a 3-0 record and they match up this week against the Buccaneers led by quarterback Jameis Winston. This will be Winston’s toughest challenge yet by far. Last week, he threw for 405 yards against the Rams. Against a much better defense, one would expect him to regress, but I believe that Winston has another big performance in him. Besides, he’s riding a hot hand after his big game last week. The prediction: Winston throws for at least 350 yards against the stout Denver D.

The Steelers Lose Again, Fall to the Chiefs.

The Steelers have the league’s best offense on paper. There’s no denying that Ben Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown can lead a scoring juggernaut even with Le'Veon Bell suspended. Last week, they only managed three points against the Eagles. One might chalk that up to Carson Wentz tearing their defense apart and taking away their momentum. The Chiefs are fresh off of pounding on the Jets. In that game, the Chiefs D forced an astounding eight turnovers and picked off Ryan Fitzpatrick six times. This week, despite Bell's return, they’ll beat an even better offense, taking down the Steelers.