DPD Bettor’s Guide – NFL Week 3 special debate edition

After a rough week, staff handicapper Roger Cohen prepares for Monday night’s presidential debate with a special Week 3 bettor’s guide.

There’s nothing like following up a 1-3 Week 1 with a whitewash, tap city, flat broke and busted 0-4 Week 2.

Boy, am I glad I gave up real gambling and hope you Dawg Pound Daily readers pulled a George Costanza of just “doing the opposite.” (And from the lack of reader comments, few of you are even paying attention.)

But if:

• The Washington Redskins hadn’t coughed up a second half lead;
• The San Francisco 49ers hadn’t headed for the airport in garbage time;
• The Jameis Winston from Week 1 had showed up in the desert; and
• “King of the Back Door Cover” Andrew Luck didn’t give up a strip-sack fumble touchdown on the last possession, I’d have gone a perfect 4-0.

Then again, if the Cleveland Browns didn’t draft Spergon Wynn right before Tom Brady in the 6th Round of the 2000 NFL Draft …

I did correctly call the Browns’ game – including the two botched placekicks – so at least there is that.

My goal is to get above .500 for the Jewish New Year (or some 3,500 years after Jan. 1, 2017) so we’ll go with an old standby – home teams – for Week 3:

• Buffalo Bills +4.5 vs. Arizona Cardinals – Although I would love watching the Rex Ryan/Rob Ryan  train wreck if the Bills start 0-3.
• Cincinnati Bengals -3.5 vs. Denver Broncos – I’m a Northwestern grad (Class of ’74) and Trevor Siemien can’t start the NFL season 3-0, can he? Although Otto Graham was also a Wildcat …
• Philadelphia Eagles +4 vs. Pittsburgh Steelers – The “Why didn’t we draft Carson Wentz?” bandwagon grows exponentially larger by the week.
• Indianapolis Colts -3 vs. San Diego Chargers – I’ll give Andrew Luck one more chance to rekindle my man-crush on him and his West 25th Street Cleveland roots.

Next: Browns: 5 keys vs. the Dolphins

Week 3 Bonus pick

• TV ratings for Atlanta Falcons vs. New Orleans Saints + 300 million viewers vs. Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. Might be the first Monday Night Football game ever where someone gets kicked out of the bar for asking “hey, can you turn on the game?”

Season record: 1-7