This past Saturday, there was a charity softball tournament for the Children’s Lightning Wheels, a Paralympic sports club that we raised money for, for equipment and other necessities to keep the club running. For the past 25 years, Joe Gibilisco, Darren Lesinski, and other community members gathered us for hours of softball, and for a great cause! This was my first year playing and I had a blast. I’ll stick to capping sports, as I had a reminder how bad I am in the field. I had lots of fun, hit the ball well, but made a few errors at second base and pretty much cost my team the semifinals matchup. Guess you can call me Gleybar Torres with that defense! Losing in the semifinals was actually preferred though … as I got to Butch Kowal’s at halftime of the Rutgers Syracuse game. Normally, we get me and maybe three other people actually paying close attention to the game, with the rest of the bar just enjoying themselves. Saturday, it felt as if half the bar truly wanted Rutgers to win, and they delivered! Butch Kowal’s is turning in to Union County’s spot to watch #ChopNation and Rutgers football, and I couldn’t have a bigger smile typing that.
And then there was Sunday, which I missed so badly. This past Sunday brought a Christmas Day-esque vibe that I haven’t felt in years, being the opening NFL Sunday. While Butch Kowal’s Tavern was open last football season, the necessary covid restrictions hindered the moment. We had 25 chairs set up around the bar where you needed to reserve a seat and could not have a beverage while standing. Then, as the season went on, and the pandemic roared back, there were small tables dispatched around the bar and you needed to be seated at a table. Sure, we still got to enjoy watching the sport we love, but its the social aspect of gathering with your friends, watching your fantasy football players dominate, and seeing if your moneylined underdog can pull off a victory. This Sunday delivered. Butch Kowal’s had complementary cheeseburgers and hotdogs for the customers to enjoy, while the Giants and Jets competed but lost. When the Giants made a play you could just look around and see the energy in the building rise. People were on the edge of their seats, just to come crashing back to reality when Danny Dimes coughed up the ball. It felt … normal, and I can’t wait for the Saturday’s and Sunday’s to come this football season!
Recap
Oregon +14.5 at Ohio State – HIT! Oregon 35 Ohio State 28
Colts +3 vs Seattle – Miss. Seahawks 28 Colts 14
Dolphins +3 at New England – HIT! Dolphins 17 Patriots 16
2021 3-2
2021 NFL 1-1 2018-21 NFL 88-68-4
2021 NCAAF 2-1 2018-21 NCAAF 85-79-4
Quick Tip: Try not to overreact to NFL’s week 1 results. This was preached by me on @PaidForPlay’s Saturday morning show for College Football. Week 1 tells us something, but week 1 isn’t the whole story. There is still plenty to learn about these teams. Lets cash!
“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”
Thomas Bertman
Nevada -1 at Kansas State – For NCAAF Week 1 we had Nevada +3 at Cal and we wrote why they would win outright. Nevada is a very small favorite for this week and I will target them again.
We’ll start off with Kansas State’s starting QB being ruled out for this showdown. Will Howard will now be their starter, after starting nine games last season, so he is experienced. He accounted for 11 touchdowns but 12 turnovers last season, and is looked at as the future of their program. People can improve, but it was not pretty for him in the second half vs D1-AA Southern Illinois, as he had two more turnovers. Nevada doesnt excel on defense by any means, but Kansas State looks to be a good matchup for this defense. Last season, no reciever caught more than 20 balls for Kansas State, and their leading pass catcher was a 5foot6 running back, Deuce Vaughn. This year through two games, they’ve only completed 20 passes, but they have picked up an average of 15.6 yards per catch. So they are striking big, but not often. For Nevada, they have plenty of seniors up front to slow down Duece Vaughn and the KState running game. Seniors Daiyan Henley and Lawson Hall lead the team in tackles with 17 and 13, and Senior defensive lineman Dom Peterson, who is off to a slower start, was on the MWC preseason All-Conference team. This defense is better equipped at stopping the run, where it’ll battle Kansas State’s strength.
Nevada, on the other hand, is clicking. Carson Strong has thrown for six touchdowns his first two games, and their running game, which only gets 18 carries a game, is averaging 5.8 yards per carry. Oh and both of those running backs are seniors as well. Three more Seniors are their three leading pass catchers, all of which are above 6foot2, and have a nice even split of 12, 10, and 9 catches. Their big play guy, Tory Holton, messes up the Senior’s praise, as he only has 6 catches for 148 yards. Nevada is set up for this year, as I’ve rattled off how their impact players are mostly Seniors. They are also facing a Kansas State defense that was the worst pass defense in the Big12 last season. It is hard to tell if the KState defense has improved, as they played well in their opening game vs Stanford who has a bad passing attack, and D1-AA Southern Illinois. Again, Nevada’s advantage is the passing game, and Carson Strong’s stock should rise some more before their key matchup vs Boise State in two weeks.
Nevada 28 Kansas State 20
Dolphins +3.5 vs Buffalo – I was going to give a two pick special and give the Under as well in this matchup, but where I got under 49, is now at 47.5. With the 1.5 point drop, lets stick with the side only!
The weather in Miami will be 90 degrees, with a “feels like” temperature of 98, and 70% humidity. The fans will have shade, but it’s still going to feel very swampy. This was a big angle for the under, but it also works in the Dolphins’ favor. In the NFL, we have players from all different regions going to different teams, so the cold weather city Buffalo Bills, aren’t necessarily cold weather players. At the end of the day though, even if many players around the NFL have homes in the Miami area and offseason train there, the Dolphins have been there since August. I believe the three Florida teams have an advantage in home games in the month of September.
For the on-the-field stuff, we gave out the Dolphins +3 last week in New England. The Dolphins have an elite defense, and held the Patriots to 16 points. This was thanks to forcing four fumbles, and recovering two. The Dolphins take advantage of teams mistakes, and helps this weaker offense. Josh Allen was an MVP level quarterback last season, but struggled against the Steelers defense in week 1. The Dolphins play a similar style of defense, and will look to pressure Allen. Allen was only sacked three times last week, but was forced out of the pocket plenty. He has a difference maker in Stefon Diggs to throw to, but Xavien Howard is an All-Pro corner, and will limit Diggs. This Bills team will move the ball, but I see them settling for a handful of field goals.
The Dolphins just need Tua to “game manage.” He has three diverse weapons to throw to, in Parker, Waddle, and Fuller, and an average running game. Tua showed this preseason, and in week 1, that he can throw the ball downfield. Big bodied receiver Devante Parker had a nice stat line of 4 catches for 81 yards. This week, Will Fuller returns from suspension, and will add more speed and verticality to this offense. Adding him in the mix, and top-10 pick Jaylen Waddle, will have defensive coordinators defending the whole field. Add in the heat, which should affect Buffalo’s defense more than Miami’s offense, and I see the Dolphins getting more of the home-run plays. Lastly, I think a big X-Factor is … Dolphins backup Quarterback? Jacoby Brissett is the “QB sneak King.” He played a few snaps in week 1, and I expect a few more in week 2. The Dolphins will convert all season when it matters, and Brissett could be a player in the redzone. Josh Allen is all of 6foot5 250 pounds and is a great athlete himself, but Brissett comes in to run the ball! I believe the Dolphins will convert more in the redzone and in the 3rd/4th down and 1’s, which will lead them to victory.
Dolphins 23 Bills 21
So there you have it; two teams who have been highlighted the last two weeks, and two teams we go back to the well on. Best of luck this week, and bet responsibly!
Thank you,
Goose
Kowal's Korner 
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