There was a time in my life where I wanted to get frosted tips.  And when I say “time,” I’ll specify that it lasted for multiple years as a teenager.  The problem was I had no godly way of knowing how to obtain them.  My barbers, the Blust Brothers, never once asked me what I wanted to do when I sat in the chair.  They just started cutting.  If I were to seriously ask them to give me frosted tips I doubt I’d ever be allowed to re-enter their establishment.  Had a stranger approached me on the street and asked if I wanted frosted tips, I would have given them all of my money.

The frosted tips would have gone so well with my knock-off G-Unit shoes and my Chicago Bulls starter jacket.  Clearly I needed help, but it was the trend at the time, and I had girls to chase.

Thank goodness that stranger didn’t approach me in Tiffin, Ohio during the late 1990s.  Think of the horrible path that would have led me!  The point being as it relates to week two in the NFL is not all trends are one’s worth pursuing.  Sure the Rams and the Packers looked horrible, but is that the result of a trend, or just a bad opening week.  Since most of these guys never play a snap during the preseason, I try to build a two-to-three-week buffer before making over-arching decisions on teams.

My 2-3 week one record has me tied for 798th (out of 1598 entries), so almost exactly in the middle.  Apparently they have restructured their payout system so it involves a lot more mid-season payouts, but I’m still operating under the belief that a stranger will pay me $1.5 million if I end up winning.

(For the record – I did not officially enter the contest, so I have no chance of winning anything.  Also for the record, that stranger never showed up with my frosted tip haircut, so I seriously doubt one with a bag of cash will bump into me anytime soon.)

Let’s see if we can go value hunting in week two for some teams that may have had a bad first week and are trying to avoid a complete “frosted tip” rebranding this early in 2022.

WEEK TWO PICKS

New York Jets @ Cleveland (-6)

I will gladly continue to pick against the Browns as long as they keep winning.  Happy to fall on my Supercontest sword again in week two if it means Cleveland can start 2-0 for the first time since 1993. (It hurts so much to type that sentence and know it is factually correct.)

Before frosted tips were even a thing.

The Pick: NYJ (+6)

Tampa Bay @ New Orleans (+2.5) – Minnesota @ Philadelphia (-2)

A pair of 1-0 teams, but not all 1-0 teams should be considered equal.  New Orleans beat Atlanta – but I’m still not sure how.  Minnesota beat Green Bay because Aaron Rodgers loves to hear himself talk.  How will both respond in week two against more talented teams?

My money is on the favorites.

The Picks: TB (-2.5) – PHI (-2)

Indianapolis (-3.5) @ Jacksonville

This number is a bit diluted for several reasons.  One, Indianapolis did not look like the AFC juggernaut many expected them to be in week one.  Two, Jacksonville has won seven in a row at home against the Colts, including last year when a 2-14 Jags team surprisingly knocked off Indy and prevented them from making the playoffs.  And three, the Colts have a 37-year-old Matt Ryan as their quarterback.

I’ll buy the value here and hope for a streak-busting game from Jonathan Taylor.

The Pick: IND (-3.5)

Carolina @ New York Giants (-2)

If rookie kicker Cade York doesn’t make a 58-yard field goal against the Panthers last week, this line looks different.  If the Titans don’t blow a late 13-point lead only to have kicker Randy Bullock miss a game-winning 47-yard field goal, this line looks different.

I’m not thrilled to be backing the Panthers QB on the road, but as Father Jim always told me, “You root with your heart and bet with your wallet.”  Best advice I ever received from a priest.

The Pick: CAR (+2)

Peace Be The Journey.