If there’s one thing sure to split opinion quickly it’s the age-old battle of who knows more about the NFL, the players or the staff?
We’ve decided to try and resolve the issue once and for by having the players take on coaches and backroom staff to try and decide once and for all who really knows their stuff.
The concept is pretty simple: each week one Eagles player and one staff member will go head to head predicting the outcome of the weekend’s NFL games, and by the end of the season the true power houses will emerge.
In week one, it’s Wide Receiver Chris Cowley taking Club Chairman and Offensive Coordinator Neale McMaster.
Let us know what you think of their predictions by leaving a comment in the box below, by posting on our Facebook page, or by sending us a Tweet. Be sure to check back to Tuesday to see how they got on:
Broncos @ Chiefs (Thursday Night Football – Sky Sports 1 HD, Friday 01:25)
COWLEY: It’s GD Peyton Manning! He has a bad game and they still win? Peyton will bounce back, throw four TDs and 300+ yards and Alex Smith won’t be able to keep up with that, especially with the Broncos D on him. Broncos win.
MCMASTER: I already fear the worst for Peyton Manning. This extra season may be too much for him, and he struggled last week albeit against a terrific Ravens defense. The Chiefs on the other hand had a big win against JJ Watt and the Texans last week, and I expect that will continue against another very stout defense. Chiefs win by a score.
Patriots @ Bills (Sky Sports 2 HD, Sunday 17:30)
COWLEY: This may be the match which costs me the Head to Head and it’s totally me going with my heart. They say never bet against the Patriots but I hate the Pats, I hate Tom Brady and, well, I always have a soft spot for the Bills – four Super Bowl games and no trophies? One day Buffalo, one day. Bills win.
MCMASTER: Both teams are coming off a victory, but I see Tom Brady’s experience seeing him through. The Bills got a shock win against the Colts last week and really got in Andrew Lucks’ face throughout the first half, but Tyrod Taylor surely can’t keep up performances like last week. It will be a much, much tighter game than many would expect. Patriots win by a field goal.
Texans @ Panthers
COWLEY: Yes both teams have good defences, the Panthers have the better QB and a game changer in Cam Newton but I don’t think I can see Houston going 0-2. Texans win.
MCMASTER: I’d rather go for a hike up a hill than watch this game. The Panthers got the win last week, but were underwhelming on offense to say the least, and their defensive star Luke Kuechly is possibly out with a concussion. The Texans on the other hand have zero identity on offense, but a tremendous defensive line. I’m picking one of the Texans DL to get a score this week, hopefully big Vince! Texans win by two scores.
Cardinals @ Bears
COWLEY: The Cards have been an up and coming force last year and I believe would have been a Super Bowl contender if they had Carson Palmer all year instead of losing him for a few games due to injury. Good O, Great D and awesome Special Teams – Super Bowl bound this year is my guess. Cardinals win.
MCMASTER: The Bears looked competitive for a few quarters last week against the Packers, then Jay Cutler threw an interception (shock horror!) and it unravelled from there. The Cardinals look impressive with Carson Palmer looking like he did with the Bengals years ago. The running back isn’t a huge loss for this team, and I expect them to comfortably win this game. Cardinals win by two scores.
Chargers @ Bengals
COWLEY: This one was a toss up. I like Andy Dalton as a QB and I think he has what it takes to win games. They have a number of options to throw to including the amazing AJ Green and they have guys who can run the ball, and on the flip side the same could be said about the Chargers with Rivers, Woodhead and numerous good WRs. Even though I’d like to bet Bengals to annoy Jack Rice I think Chargers will seal it. Chargers win.
MCMASTER: The second really tough to call game, I’m going with the home team as having the advantage here. It’s going to be an offensive battle, with Phillip Rivers going against Andy Dalton. The deciding factor for me was the RBs: Cincinnati’s are better by a long way, and I think that’ll help the Bengals get the W against a pretty good Chargers side. Bengals win by one score.
Titans @ Browns
COWLEY: With a phenomenal performance in his first ever NFL game I do believe the former Ducks QB will work his magic yet again against one of the worst teams in this year’s NFL. Titans win.
MCMASTER: I couldn’t get this pick down quick enough, but then again, I’d pick almost every team to beat the Browns. They looked awful last week against New York, whilst the Titans looked so good they could play their backups in the 4th quarter. I think Johnny Football will look better this week, and Mariota will look a bit more human against a much better defense than Tampa, but it’s still a no-contest. Titans win by three scores.
Lions @ Vikings
COWLEY: Even though the Vikings have got their formidable AP back I don’t think he will be back to pre-ban form until at least midway through October, and with little other threats in the offence I believe the Lions D will get them the W. Lions win.
MCMASTER: Both teams are coming off losses, but Detroit looked much better against the Chargers than the Vikings did against the 49ers. The Lions really pushed San Diego, and I fancy will romp away with this one too. The Vikings were in the hunt for the win away in San Fran right up until kickoff, and Adrian Peterson needs to be better than last week. I’m calling Ameer Abdullah to have a BIG week too! Lions win by two scores.
Buccaneers @ Saints
COWLEY: As a Saints fan I’ll never expect the Bucs to win, but with the #1 pick of this year’s draft behind the helm of the offence I don’t see them out scoring future Hall of Famer Drew Brees, who’s gunning for his 400th TD of his career. Saints win.
MCMASTER: Get my boots, I’m off on a hike again. The Buccaneers looked like they are playing for the number 1 pick again, with a dismal outing last week. Jameis’ first pass in the NFL was a Pick 6 ( that’ll be a quiz question in a few years time). He’ll get better, but not soon enough. I literally have no idea who the Saints are anymore except Drew Brees, but I think we’d beat the Bucs at the moment, so it’s an easy call. Saints win by three scores.
Falcons @ Giants
COWLEY: Unlucky to lose against the Cowboys, but the Giants should have made more of the chances given to them by those easy picks. If they could do that and their O-line can protect Eli from the Falcons lack of talent in the pass rush I see them sealing this but either way going to be a close game. Giants win.
MCMASTER: This is my second most undecided game, and I went with QB power. Matt Ryan isn’t trending upwards anymore, he’s at his peak now, but Eli is heading down. That’s what sealed it for me. Will be a close one though. Falcons win. Just.
49ers @ Steelers
COWLEY: The Steelers were unlucky to lose against the Patriots, they seemed strong and back to full force. I see them containing Kaeper”pick” and Vernon Davis but struggling to slow down breakout draft pick Hyde. The game will be close but Big Ben will find a way to win. Steelers win.
MCMASTER: Jimmy T to get the W again! The 49ers were rolling against the Vikings, and Carlos Hyde looked like a superstar in Week 1. I suspect the passing game will be more the focus this week, but that’s more than enough to see them past the Steelers. Pittsburgh had a notably absent defense on Thursday night (literally, no-one covered the best TE in the league on some snaps). Long season for the yellow and black. 49ers win by two scores.
Rams @ Redskins
COWLEY: The Rams have seemed to be building year after year and getting stronger, now with former Eagles QB Foles in the driving seat of a exciting attacking selection I can see them easily strolling past a recovering Redskins Team. Rams win.
MCMASTER: The Rams beat the Seahawks last week and the Redskins are easily the most laughable and ridiculous team in the league right now, certainly off-the-field. Enough said. Rams win by three scores.
Dolphins @ Jaguars
COWLEY: The NFL Game I couldn’t care less about of the week. I just pick The Dolphins due to them having the more experienced QB and some defensive talent. Dolphins win.
MCMASTER: Tannehill was underwhelming at best last week against a worse-than-average Redskins team. I fancy he just had an off-week, but he needs to improve and quickly. Special Teams will not be there every week to bail you out! The Jags lost to a completely uninspiring Panthers organisation. The rebuilding continues in Jacksonville. Dolphins win by two scores.
Ravens @ Raiders
COWLEY: Like the Browns these last few years, it has become a question of who can the Raiders actually win against (other then the Browns) but this year they have picked up a bit of talent, the Ravens have come out slow this year, and I don’t see them picking up steam for a few weeks yet. Picking up an injury to T.Suggs is going to have a negative impact to this team. Raiders win.
MCMASTER: As a diehard Raiders fan, I’m used to seeing some pretty bad scorelines, but to be down 33-0 in the 3rd quarter, and be talking to Christian Ponder in Week 1 is a bad sign even for us. Yet another long season for us I think. The Ravens on the other hand looked lost on offense, and dominant on defense in the loss to the Broncos. Losing Terrell Suggs wont be an issue in the game. Ravens win.
Cowboys @ Eagles (Sky Sports 2 HD, Sunday 21:15)
COWLEY: Dream Team, The Incredeagles etc – this team always has a lot of hype surrounding it, and with good reason as they always play exciting football and have a huge stars in their teams (where do they get the cap room?). Versus “don’t you ever count me out” Romo, not the greatest QB in terms of ability, but he has that certain something that gets his Cowboys the W. Dez out and Demarco coming back with some bad blood (que Taylor Swift) is the deciding factor for me. Eagles win.
MCMASTER: Big division game that could have play-off consequences already. I’m a massive Chip Kelley fan, but I still don’t think the offense has bedded in yet, and the QB is Sam Bradford. I’ve seen wet newspapers that can stand up longer than him. Romo is clutch, even without Dez Bryant. Another close game, and definitely one to watch. Cowboys win by a score.
Seahawks at Packers (Sky Sports 2 HD, Monday 00:30)
COWLEY: Back-to-back Super Bowl appearances is impressive this day and age with the salary cap and players always wanting to be the highest paid in their position, but the scales may have tipped last week with the Legion of Boom looking weak and Marshawn not running at his best. Green Bay are always guaranteed to either push you or trounce you, and seem to be back with a bite with Clay Matthews looking to have a new lease of life in the NFL. Packers win.
MCMASTER: Two of the last three games Seattle have played have come down to an onside kick, one of them against Green Bay. They aren’t as strong as they once were, and are relying a bit much on no-name guys, BUT, Green Bay has one of the worst run defenses in the league (see Matt Forte last week). I prefer the Pack at home, but by a gnat’s crotchet. Packers win. Just.
Colts @ Jets (Monday Night Football – Sky Sports 2 HD, Tuesday 01:30)
COWLEY: The Colts put on a very lacklustre performance last week and their offence looked anything but threatening. Even with the most reliable QB to come out of the draft in recent years they couldn’t seem to get anything going, but they’re playing the Jets right? THE JETS! – would have been the response you’d usually expect but not this year, with Chris Ivory, Brandon Marshall and Ryan Fitzpatrick on the offensive side of a team which has struggled for years to get things going I see the tide turning Green. Jets win.
MCMASTER: I can’t ever pick the Jets to win, I just can’t. Andrew Luck won’t be that bad again, and hopefully the rest of the Colts can pick their game up too. Colts to win by two scores.
Summary
| Match | Cowley | McMaster |
|---|---|---|
| Broncos @ Chiefs (TNF) | Broncos | Chiefs |
| Patriots @ Bills | Bills | Patriots |
| Texans @ Panthers | Texans | Texans |
| Cardinals @ Bears | Cardinals | Cardinals |
| Chargers @ Bengals | Chargers | Bengals |
| Titans @ Browns | Titans | Titans |
| Lions @ Vikings | Lions | Lions |
| Buccaneers @ Saints | Saints | Saints |
| Falcons @ Giants | Giants | Falcons |
| 49ers @ Steelers | Steelers | 49ers |
| Rams @ Redskins | Rams | Rams |
| Dolphins @ Jaguars | Dophins | Dolphins |
| Ravens @ Raiders | Raiders | Ravens |
| Cowboys @ Eagles | Eagles | Cowboys |
| Seahawks @ Packers (SNF) | Packers | Packers |
| Jets @ Colts (MNF) | Jets | Colts |