Board Shorts
On Friday September 30, the Simon Fraser Student Society (SFSS) held their Annual General Meeting inviting all students to attend at the SFU Diamond Family Theatre. Roughly 25 students attended the meeting, where various motions were put forward by students during the open space discussion.
Grayson Barke, council representative for the Environmental Resource Student Union, expressed his concern for the proposed expansion of the tank farm below Burnaby Mountain, and the lack of information surrounding a plan for evacuation on the mountain in the event of an emergency.
Dylan Belvedere on behalf of the Mechatronic Systems Engineering Society (MSESS) expressed his motion to provide greater services for students on the Surrey and Vancouver campuses. He specifically stressed that students in MSESS, who attend most of their classes on the Surrey campus, do not have access to services such as the Women’s Centre and Out On Campus, despite the fact that these students pay the same student activity fee.
Another student, Darien Lechner, asked the board what the proposed plans were for the student levy following the cancellation of the stadium. The SFSS is currently involved in a tripartite agreement with SFU, and Scotiabank. As it stands, the allegation of the student levy cannot be changed until all three members of the agreement change its binding documentation.
Following the open space discussion the SFSS continued their proceedings with a brief review of the events and activities since May 2015. Vice president of finance, Hangue Kim and the independent auditor Tompkins, Wozny, Miller & Co also presented a review of the year’s financial report.
Did you know you can attend SFU Board of Directors meetings? Join the SFSS October 7 at 2:30 p.m. in Forum Chambers for the latest SFSS discussion and news.
Satellite Signals
Harbour Centre
A new academic year has brought a new year-long installation to the Teck Gallery at Harbour Centre. Marianne Nicolson’s Oh, How I Long For Home looks at indigenous people’s identity in the city, through the means of photography and the gallery’s window.
Woodward’s
Until mid-October, Vancouver will become host to one of North America’s largest film festivals. This year, SFU Woodward’s Cultural Programs has partnered with Vancouver International Film Festival to bring SFU Vancouver 80 screenings. Many of these screenings will take place at Woodward’s, where students can watch films from across 70 different countries.
SFU Surrey
SFU Surrey calls all students with innovative ideas to engage with the SFU Surrey-Central City Student Community Engagement Competition for a chance to be awarded $7,000 towards their idea. This competition will also help students implement their ideas to improve community engagement throughout Surrey. Applications close October 12.
Undefeated men’s soccer team extends streak to eight
The Clan firmly marked its territory on September 29, winning once again at home. Freshman striker Riley Pang netted two goals, while Mamadi Camara also notched two goals in the net, including a spectacular lob goal. Adam Jones was brilliant with a goal and an assist.
The start of the game didn’t look like such a sure thing, though: the Clan conceded a goal seven minutes in. Concordia’s forward Trent Lowe took advantage of a corner kick to notch the ball behind SFU goalkeeper Brandon Watson.
However, the Clan kept faith, as three minutes later Robert Hyams assisted with a long pass to Adam Jones, who stepped into the box and tricked Cavaliers goalkeeper Grant Alcorn. Five minutes later, captain Ryan Dhillon’s impressive speed stripped the ball from the Concordia midfielder and assisted Pang, who didn’t give it a second thought before quickly making it 2–1 for the Clan.
Twenty-two minutes into the game, Mamadi Camara made his presence felt on the pitch. The sophomore dribbled in from the right before netting the ball straight into the right corner of the box with his left foot.
The boys were ebullient in the second half, and created a total of 14 shots to finish off the Cavaliers. Sophomore striker Camara finished Hyams and Jones’ work in Maradona-like style, chasing the ball through the defence and volleying it past Concordia’s goalkeeper with an astonishing lob over to score.
“We can be a very special group this year”
At the hour mark, Jones easily found Pang who came in front of the right side and decided Concordia’s fate, making the final score 5–1.
The men’s soccer team, which seemed to be more static in the last 15 minutes of its previous home game against Seattle Pacific University, left no chance to its opponent this time, implementing a tiki-taka style on the pitch and dictating the level of possession until the last minute.
“We talk a lot about rhythm in our play,” said head coach Clint Schneider after the game. “Our goal is to compete for the GNAC [Great Northwest Athletic Conference] championship and being in the national tournament picture. You have to [be] able to win; you have to be able to play good soccer.”
After missing out on last year’s title, the success of Schneider’s new tactics seems to bring the men’s soccer team closer than ever to the ever elusive National Collegiate Athletic Association [NCAA] national championship. “There is a group of guys here that don’t want it to happen. They’re hungry. They know what it takes and they know that they have to go out and to perform well in every game, that’s our standard.
“Although we popped five goals in or popped two in, it does not matter. We have standards at the level we play and how we operate things. We played really well tonight.”
Schneider was full of praise after his players’ outstanding performance. “I told the guys: listen, finish them off. Score the next goal and the game will be over. We were lucky to get two in there. We did what we did against a very good team. Concordia would have tried to change the narrative for sure if we played at their place, but I have a lot of belief in my players. We can be a very special group this year, and to play the way
we did against a very good team was impressive.”
Freshman Pang, who scored his first two-goal game in his collegiate career, reflected on the immediate comeback of the Clan. “We always manage to finish strong,” he said. “It is my first year, but I’m pretty confident with the group [to win a] championship.”
The men’s soccer team will come back home on October 15 to take on Western Washington University.
Women’s soccer loses 2–1
Coming into the game with Seattle Pacific University (SPU), SFU was looking to get back on track after a close 1–0 loss to Western Washington. Their opponent was Seattle Pacific, a team with a 5–2–1 record, 2–1 in Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) play. It was a good test to see if SFU had a good enough squad to finish in a top four place. While Emma Pringle scored 41 seconds in for SFU, the team couldn’t build off the quick goal, losing 2–1.
“I think we had a strong start,” said head coach Annie Hamel after the game. “And then maybe we were successful too early, and became a little too complacent. We made errors that they capitalized on, and then we don’t on the other end. In this league you can’t make mistakes and not get punished, and can’t leave opportunities unfinished.”
You couldn’t ask for a better start for SFU in this one. Less than a minute in, Pringle scored for the Clan, a bullet shot from 25 yards out. It was the freshman’s fifth goal in seven games, and it looked like there was more to come for the team.
However, the first 20 minutes were the only ones where SFU dominated. In the 24th minute, Seattle Pacific tied it up. Although Priya Sandhu did well to keep the initial shot out, the Falcons’ Maddie Krauss buried the rebound to make it all tied at one.
They weren’t done there. Just before halftime, SPU got a weird goal. Miscommunication from the SFU team led to an errant touch by Teagan Sorokan, which bounced right over Sandhu’s head to make it 2–1. It proved to be the winning goal.
“They play the flick a lot,” said Hamel on the winning goal. “The girls know that, we watch film on them. We let them get into a foot race [. . .] That’s focus and awareness. Hopefully they learn something from it and they’re more aggressive defensively.”
Pringle continues to score at a torrid pace for SFU. While Pringle has been scoring regularly, though, the rest of the team has been in a scoring slump. Of the seven goals that SFU has scored so far, Pringle has five of them; co-captain Olivia Aguiar has the other two.
“Emma takes her chances and opportunities, and finishes them,” said Hamel on the concentration in scoring. “Other people [didn’t] finish in front of goal, [and] you can’t win in this league if you don’t finish.”
NEW MUSIC FRIDAY
By: Kelly Dykstra, Courtney Miller, Jessica Pickering, and Jessica Whitesel
Follow The Peak on Spotify to stay up to date on New Music Friday.
“False Alarm” – The Weeknd
Jessica Whitesel: The first line that stood out to me was, “Six inch long, three inch wide,” so we are off to a great start. With what’s probably a penis reference aside, this is actually a pretty good track once you get over the fact that it doesn’t really sound like The Weeknd. This isn’t really a bad thing since it proves he is willing to experiment with his sound instead of getting stuck.
Kelly Dykstra: This song has a bit of a higher tempo than The Weeknd’s past music, especially when the chorus kicks in. The pre-chorus was quite catchy with the harmonies, and the bridge had more of his classic and recognizable sound, but the song didn’t quite live up to his last release “Starboy.”
Jessica Pickering: The Weeknd does it again! I’m calling it now; this is going to be the most overplayed song of Fall 2016. Way to go dude, two seasons in a row. #CandianPride #AnyoneButDrake
Courtney Miller: This is a song that feels like it should be really good, but it’s actually just really boring. There is nothing here that stands out as a hook or as a showcase of talent. Also there’s a lot of just legit screaming/screeching which I don’t understand or like.
“This Town” – Niall Horan
JW: It’s pretty, but honestly I feel like I’m in the ubiquitous sad part of a teen rom-com where the male lead realized that he actually did love the female lead and needs to win her back. It kind of makes me want to puke honestly, but that’s only the content. Niall has a strong voice and this song does emphasize it, so overall this song is a solid meh.
KD: Not a bad song for Horan’s first solo, but it was missing the pop elements that made One Direction’s music so crowd-pleasing. The most I got from this song was the confirmation that the band most likely isn’t getting back together anytime soon.
JP: Is everyone from One Direction going solo?! Like, one single from a boy band is bad enough, now I have to put up with each of them putting out new music? That’s toooooooo much man! (Honestly, this is just a One Direction song sans harmonies).
CM: It’s really refreshing to hear a song that isn’t over-produced or poppy from a pop staple. The lyrics are honest, the vocals gentle, and the guitar is simple, but still catchy. If people don’t start melancholically montaging their most recent breakups to this and cry-sing it in the shower, I’ll eat my hat.
“666 ʇ” – Bon Iver
JW: Overly artistic and experimental song name aside (not that this is the strangest track name on their latest release; “10 d E A T h b R E a s T ⊠ ⊠” gets that honour), this is a more electronic version of five-years-ago Bon Iver. Lyrically, there is a lot to unpack — just like any of their songs — but this one isn’t as in-your-face with deeper meaning as some other Bon Iver songs.
KD: I’m not sure what I was expecting from this other than lyrics that would take some deciphering to figure out the meaning of, but I found myself liking the song more than I thought I would, with its warm melody and relaxing background.
JP: I’m still not a huge Bon Iver fan but this song makes me understand the hype a bit better. Don’t get me wrong, this still isn’t my cup of tea however I think Bon Iver fans are really going to like it — or I’m totally wrong and completely out of touch with the youths. (Honestly, could be either).
CM: It’s soft and mellow enough to be really good background music at any time, but I don’t really see it as being much more than that. It’s not distracting, so I think it’d be good for studying or working.
“Party Like a Russian” – Robbie Williams
JW: I was expecting a song about drinking too much vodka to forget the fact that you lived in Russia, but this is more of a political commentary. Which isn’t bad, but it feels very imposing, like I’m going to be swept up in the corrupt sphere of Putinism. So I guess it worked in terms of forcing you to think, but I wasn’t expecting that to come from Robbie Williams.
KD: How many more platinum records will it take for Williams to slow down on the releases? Nobody knows, but nobody’s complaining either. With tracks like this one and his previous release from Heavy Entertainment Show, people will be listening even after his career is finally said and done.
JP: Holy fuck, the dude on the cover art looks scary. Honestly, I’m just vaguely threatened by this whole song. Would have been much better if it was just people singing about vodka; but no, we had to have creepy chanting instead. Fantastic.
CM: The backtrack is really tight, and Williams’ vocals complement the fun-but-not-overbearing sound. It does get a little repetitive, but it’s easy to see it more of collective shout to the world that brings people together instead of something grating. The dependable beat is also nice.
“Cranes in the Sky” – Solange
JW: I want to like Solange, but she’s in sort of the same boat as her sister for me — overrated. It’s not a bad song, but I feel that given all the hype around anyone with the last name Knowles in the music industry the standard is higher for both Beyoncé and Solange. This is a good song, but it doesn’t live up to the hype.
KD: With Solange following in the footsteps of her well-known sister, it’s love it or hate it for most people. I don’t think I’d go as far as to call her the next Beyoncé, but it really does sound similar to some of her sister’s older music.
JP: I appreciate that Solange Knowles is trying, but when you’re Beyoncé’s sister — THE Beyoncé — maybe you just accept the backseat and move on. Like, my computer autocorrects Beyoncé’s name. How does someone compete with that? Answer: they don’t.
CM: Smooth vocals flow all over this song like sex. There are brief moments of dissonant, clashing musical tones throughout, which throws me off as a listener. But they’re few enough that you don’t linger on their inclusion too long. It’s an okay song.
“What If” – Craig David
JW: What year is it? This song sounds straight out of the mid-00’s. Vocally it’s OK, but in terms of production and lyrics it’s nothing that we haven’t heard before, and we have also stopped really caring about sad, pensive R&B that focuses on a relationship mishap.
KD: Guitar based and slightly fast paced rhythm, I’m getting a mellow vibe here. With that and the marginally basic lyrics, there’s not much the song has to offer.
JP: Oh good, we’re recreating the early 2000s R&B wheel. Are we sure this isn’t just Ne-Yo trying to prove he’s still relevant? *X-Files theme music* The truth is out there.
CM: I can respect anyone who can sing this quickly and I can still make out what they’re saying. This is some R&B I can definitely get behind. There are layers to the musicality and at least a sprinkling of honesty, so I can get down with this easily.
“Body Moves” – DNCE
JW: DNCE peaked with “Cake by the Ocean.” I mean, this is an OK pop song, but they’ve still peaked. They will keep releasing music because Joe Jonas is the frontman, but if they still want to be relevant they need to step up their game. ALSO IT’S TOO GODDAMN LONG, so maybe make your next song shorter.
KD: This track is pop centered and melodic, making it a song you can’t help but dance along with. Or maybe that’s because of the nostalgia from my middle school Jonas Brothers obsession. Either way, I’m sure DNCE’s debut album will be a smash hit.
JP: Is anyone else still floored that this is Joe Jonas? What happened to your purity ring, buddy? Welcome to the adult world, we’re happy to have you. Seriously though, this is a solid jam. Love it.
CM: The bass in this is making me a fan early on. This song is an easy one to dance to, as hinted at by the title. It’s a fun, catchy, rhythmic song that has me bopping along at my desk, so I have nothing bad to say about it.
“A.I.” – OneRepublic feat. Peter Gabriel
JW: The backing track makes me feel like I’m in a super fun video game where you can’t really lose. Also, I was pretty skeptical of the mix of OneRepublic and Peter Gabriel, but it actually works really well. There are a few moments when you get a hint of peak “Sledgehammer” Peter Gabriel, then the end of the song is full-on Gabriel and it’s just wonderful.
KD: Captivating from the first few seconds, this is another track that I’m sure we’ll all love and then get sick of after hearing it one too many times.
JP: This song proves OneRepublic should just stop making music. You’re not “hip” or “trendy” or whatever other buzzwords you’re hoping for. You’re just bad and outdated. I look forward to your segment on Oprah: Where Are They Now?.
CM: Right off the bat, the beats in this are pretty great. Not ridiculously upbeat, but super groovy. If you’re falling asleep, it’s not a bad pick to try and liven up your day.
“Play That Song” – Train
JW: This is not “Drops of Jupiter.” This the sonic embodiment of that one weird old guy in a gingham print doctor shirt who is always hanging out at clubs trying to hit on girls who are young enough to be his daughter, or just your weird older relatives at a wedding after one too many drinks. Take your pick but either way you end up with creepy 50–60 year olds acting like they are 20.
KD: It’s been awhile since Train put out something good, but this could be the one that makes them become relevant once again. Still doesn’t compare to “Drops of Jupiter,” though.
JP: Pour one out for Train ’cause they’re clearly broke. Why else would they keep making music if they hadn’t already blown all the royalty checks they got for “Drops of Jupiter”? Do yourself a favour and don’t play this song.
CM: This is not what I was expecting when I saw the artist was Train. The lyrics are still definitely Train, and the vocals are definitely Train, but the delivery is a little different. It’s more of a rapped, monotonous verse style and, I honestly am not sure how I feel about it… I don’t think I’m ever going to play this again.
“Cool” – Daya
JW: It’s OK, I guess. I’ve heard better from Daya as a featured artist (The Chainsmokers “Don’t Let Me Down”) and it’s just so non-committal in terms of making a decision about what kind of song it wants to be that I’m going to pass on ever listening to it again.
KD: Daya has a really nice voice to listen to, and the chill vibe of this song is good for unwinding. The chorus is a bit repetitive, but the bridge is interesting enough to hold your attention for a bit longer.
JP: No. Just no. I don’t even want to talk about this song. It doesn’t deserve my time. Just skip to the next person.
CM: There is nothing about this that stands out as either really good or really bad. It’s got a minimalistic vibe and the vocals are smooth and powerful, but there’s nothing here to set it apart. It’s not bad, though, it’s just not great.
“Ballin” – Juicy J feat. Kanye West
JW: I was hoping for more Kanye and less Juicy J. I didn’t get my wish. In terms of a rap song I guess it’s OK if you like Juicy J, but his best song is still “Bandz A Make Her Dance” which to be fair is a pretty low bar. This song doesn’t manage to even pass that mark.
KD: I was put off from this track as soon as the vocals came in, particularly due to the same repeated line for almost a full minute at the beginning of the song and again throughout. I’m sure Kanye will gain a little popularity for this track, but I won’t find myself listening to it again.
JP: The whitest guy I know once used the word ballin’ to express joy over the fact that our table had a parmesan cheese shaker (we were at the Old Spaghetti Factory) so excuse me if I can’t take this song seriously. Actually, no one should take this song seriously, weird pasta memories or not.
CM: I’m so bored.
“(Self-Proclaimed) Voodoo Woman” – Lisa LeBlanc
JW: So, full disclosure: this isn’t actually the first time I’ve heard this song. I had the opportunity to see LeBlanc perform it live at the Calgary Folk Music Festival this summer — I liked the song then and I still like it now. She is an incredibly talented musician and can make “Ace of Spades” played on a banjo sound good; if that doesn’t convince you how great she is, nothing probably will.
KD: I haven’t listened to much of Lisa LebLanc, but her music is unique because of her distinct vocals and instrument choice. The start of the song is a bit slow and disinteresting, but it picks up halfway through and becomes a little more instrument based and engaging.
JP: Honestly, same. The song itself is a solid 6/10, so it passes, but I’m not thrilled by it. I was hoping for more of an anthem to curse people to and I just wasn’t getting that vibe. The title of the song is my aesthetic though.
CM: This is definitely an indie/alternative song, but you can also hear within the first few seconds, the heavy blues influence. Then it gets almost garage-rocky and I don’t dislike it. The lyrics are also interesting, so I’ll listen to this again.
Volleyball team goes 1–1 on weekend doubleheader
It was a tale of two different games for SFU volleyball. The Clan easily handled Alaska Fairbanks 3–1; however, the next night it was a completely different story. SFU was swept 3–0 by Alaska Anchorage, its first Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) loss of the year. SFU’s record is now 10–2 overall, and 3–1 in conference play.
The first game was a dominant affair in which SFU was fully expected to win. Coming in, Fairbanks held a 2–7 overall record, compared to SFU’s 9–1. The key to SFU’s win was the depth in the team’s attack. Four SFU players finished with double-digits in kills, compared to just one for Fairbanks. They were also dominant defensively, holding their opponents to just nine kills in the third set.
“I thought our offence did a good job on the sideout for the most part — we were able to use the right side with a lot of success,” head coach Gina Schmidt told SFU Athletics. “Our blocking did a pretty good job against their outside hitters for the most part.”
However, it was a different story the next night. Alaska Anchorage came into the match with an ever better record than SFU, as they were 13–1 and SFU was 10–1. It was going to be a battle of the titans, a matchup to see who was the early favourite to win the GNAC title.
SFU was thoroughly outplayed. The team was swept in three straight sets, losing 3–0. The Clan was not able to get to 20 kills or more in a set. Unlike the first game, no SFU player finished with more than 10 kills — the highest being Tessa May with nine. Libero Alison McKay finished with 28 digs on the night, her second highest of conference play after the game against Western Washington.
“Anchorage is a good team,” Schmidt said to SFU Athletics. “They executed on both sides of the ball, and we weren’t able to find enough answers. For us, the biggest problem offensively was our first contact, and the initial setup for an attack.”
SFU is now 3–1 in conference play, good for a tie in second place in the GNAC, alongside Central Washington and Concordia-Irvine. However, looking to the future, one has to be concerned if this team will continue its success beyond this season. Star setter Tamara Nipp is in her last year of eligibility, alongside Emma Jennings, Alison McKay, and Devon May. For this success to continue beyond the season, the program will need to find a way to replace these key contributors.
2 Minutes at an EDM Concert
We went to the Fall Kickoff 2016 and asked a few questions.
Special thanks to Janis McMath
Carbon tax unnecessary to reach greenhouse reduction targets: SFU report
A recent report out of SFU suggests that Canada could achieve its emissions targets without implementing carbon taxes.
This comes after Canada’s Environment Minister, Catherine McKenna, said the federal government is ready to introduce provincial carbon prices.
The report, titled Is Win-Win Possible?: Can Canada’s Government Achieve Its Paris Commitment . . . and Get Re-Elected?, was authored by Mark Jaccard, Mikela Hein, and Tiffany Vass from the School of Resource and Environmental Management. It caught national headlines after it was released last week.
Jaccard has a PhD in economics, is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, and has served on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and BC’s Climate Action Team.
Jaccard said, in an interview with the CBC, that his question for investigation was “how big would that [carbon] price have to be” to achieve the 2030 Paris Agreement targets?
Jaccard reported that it would start at BC’s price, $30 per tonne of CO2 — or seven cents per litre of gasoline — and would eventually rise to $200 by 2030. That would be the equivalent of adding four cents per year per litre of gasoline for the next 14 years. The report argues this would be politically untenable.
The Canadian government has committed to ratifying the Paris Agreement by April 2017. This would mean reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent below 2005 levels within the next 14 years.
“We have to reduce emissions, which means that we must have effective policies that succeed politically,” Jaccard wrote.
Canada has “widely missed emission targets for 2000, 2005, and 2010,” continued Jaccard. He remarked that the latest government reports show “the 2020 target will also be widely missed.”
Jaccard told the CBC that the motivation behind the report was “frustration with [. . .] energy-climate economists” who tell politicians “the only way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is to ‘price carbon,’ meaning a carbon tax like we have in BC and in Alberta, or the cap-and-trade in Quebec and Ontario.”
Politicians like Prime Minister Trudeau and Minister Catherine McKenna “buy into that language,” according to Jaccard.
Economists’ message to governments is to “do things as cheaply as possible, and emissions price [. . .] is the best policy — it is the most economically efficient policy,” said Jaccard. But research from political science and sociology explains “distortions of reality” when carbon taxes are imposed.
Jaccard’s report drew from behavioral economics, political science, and social psychology to present alternatives to pure carbon pricing.
BC is often looked at as a success story of carbon tax implementation, suggesting it could happen anywhere. “In fact, it’s happened nowhere else,” as Jaccard told CBC. Former BC premier, Gordon Campbell, lost 20 points in the polls after his Liberals introduced the tax, according to Jaccard.
California is reducing its emissions through “regulations that are quite flexible” on car and fuel retailers, Jaccard said.
This means that car retailers have to sell a certain percentage of cars that are electric, or else pay fines. For example, if Tesla sells only electric cars, they can trade their extra sales over the quota to other retailers like Chrysler, which sells primarily gasoline vehicles.
As Jaccard writes, flexible regulation also avoids the “temptation” for governments to use emissions pricing revenues inefficiently.
“The goal of climate policy is to transition our economy away from devices that burn coal, oil, and natural gas. We already have all of the technologies and energy forms needed to achieve near-zero emissions economy-wide,” the report said. The transition, however, will increase costs of energy services like heating, vehicle use, and electricity.
Because electricity prices vary significantly between provinces and regions, data showed it would be best for the federal government to implement the flexible regulations along with “modest assistance” to a few provinces with high electricity costs.
As stated early on in the report, “Carbon pricing is a choice, not a necessity, for effective emissions reductions.”
NFL Blitz with Jason Romisher Week Four
Last Week 7–9
Season 23–25
Back-to-back losing weeks has me under .500 for the first time this season. Buffalo really surprised me with a convincing win over Arizona, as did Philadelphia who crushed Pittsburgh at home. Minnesota looks like a Super Bowl contender after marching down to Carolina without Adrian Peterson and promptly thumping the now 1–2 Panthers. On the plus side, Washington did cash in on my upset special with a road win at the Giants. Let’s get to week four’s picks.
Byes this week: Philadelphia, Green Bay.
Miami (1–2) at Cincinnati (1–2), Thursday 5:25 p.m.
There is no way a stout Bengals team falls to 1–3 on the season against a Dolphins team that had to go to overtime to beat Cleveland at home. Bengals take a big early lead and weather a garbage time surge by Tannehill and company.
Prediction: Cincinnati 33 Miami 24
Indianapolis (1–2) vs. Jacksonville (0–3) in England, Sunday 6:30 a.m
There is nothing like trying to sell football in Europe with two uninspiring teams that compete in the worst division in football.
Prediction: Jacksonville 23 Indianapolis 20
Detroit (1–2) at Chicago (0–3), Sunday 10 a.m.
Chicago looks like the worst team in football and the Lions have looked good — on offence anyway. Stafford to Jones all day, baby.
Prediction: Lions 38 Bears 17
Carolina (1–2) at Atlanta (2–1), Sunday 10 a.m.
Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan is 44–22 in his career at home, and road wins are also very hard to come by in divisional play. I know the Panthers went 15–1 last year, but this isn’t last year. Panthers drop their second straight — this time in overtime.
Prediction: Atlanta 36 Carolina 30
Oakland (2–1) at Baltimore (3–0), Sunday 10 a.m.
I’ll take coach Harbaugh and Joe Flacco over the upstart Raiders in this one.
Prediction: Ravens 24 Raiders 17
Buffalo (1–2) at New England (3-0), Sunday 10 a.m.
Since 2000, the Patriots are 28–4 against the Bills. Bill’s coach Rex Ryan made a name for himself as coach of Jets by beating the Patriots several times in big games, but that success did not carry over to Buffalo last year even though the games were competitive. New England has looked dominant this season and will continue to roll in this lopsided rivalry with or without a healthy quarterback.
Prediction: Patriots 34 Bills 24
Cleveland (0–3) at Washington (1–2), Sunday 10 a.m.
After getting levelled the first game of the year, the Browns have played competitive football the last two weeks, losing by two points to Baltimore and in overtime to Miami. Back-to-back road games will be tough for this young team and Washington will play determined as they know they cannot afford a slip-up in this one. Washington will win despite more highlights from Browns multidimensional threat Terrelle Pryor.
Prediction: Washington 35 Cleveland 27
Tennessee (1–2) at Houston (2–1), Sunday 10 a.m.
No J.J. Watt, no problem. Look for a big game from the receiving duo of Deandre Hopkins and Will Fuller. The Texans stop the Titans’ run game and throw the ball down the field for the W in the land that gave us President W.
Prediction: Houston 31 Tennessee 21
Seattle (2–1) at New York Jets (1–2), Sunday 10 a.m.
Jets coach Todd Bowles knows the Seahawks well after his time coaching in Arizona. The Seahawks have to fly cross-country and star quarterback Russell Wilson is beat up. Jets quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick was absolutely awful last week throwing six — that’s not a typo — six interceptions. Jets bounce back with a big home victory.
Prediction: Jets 21 Seahawks 17
Denver (3–0) at Tampa Bay (1–2), Sunday 1:05 p.m.
Is this a trap game for the Super Bowl Champs? Not this week. Broncos surge to 4–0 as 2015 seventh round pick Trevor Siemian continues to develop. Broncos win in a game with more points than expected.
Prediction: Denver 34 Tampa Bay 26
Los Angeles (2–1) at Arizona (1–2), Sunday 1:25 p.m.
Upset special! Arizona is reeling after an ugly road loss against a previously winless Bills team. Coach Bruce Arians is not happy and went so far as to punish his long snapper by cutting him for an errant snap last week. This is a veteran team with high expectations that can either right the ship this week or tumble into uncertainty. The Rams always play well in their division and beat the Cardinals last year coincidentally in week four. The Rams defence and special teams do just enough to beat the Cardinals on the road.
Prediction: Rams 31 Cardinals 28
Dallas (2–1) at San Francisco (1–2), Sunday 1:25 p.m.
In the mid-1990s these Conference rivals were the two best teams in football. Now San Francisco’s most dynamic player is their backup quarterback. The Cowboys are contenders and prove it with a statement game on the road.
Prediction: Dallas 28 San Francisco 18
Kansas City (2–1) at Pittsburgh (2–1), Sunday 5:30 p.m.
Watch out, Kansas City. Le’Veon Bell is back from suspension and ready to show the league that he is the best running back in football. Will injured Chiefs star Jamaal Charles return to duel with Bell in this primetime matchup? With or without Charles the Steelers make enough plays to best a worthy opponent.
Prediction: Steelers 24 Chiefs 20
New York Giants (2–1) at Minnesota (3–0), Monday 5:30 p.m.
The Minnesota Vikings have victories this season over the highly touted Packers and Panthers. Their defence and special teams have been outstanding. This matchup between two potential playoff teams will not be as close as it may seem on paper. The Vikings frustrate Odell Beckham Jr., and Eli Manning has one of those off-days with multiple turnovers as the Vikings continue to dominate.
Prediction: Minnesota 24 Giants 12
GAME OF THE WEEK:
New Orleans (0–3) at San Diego (1–2), Sunday 1:25 p.m.
Drew Brees travels to San Diego for the first time since the Chargers elected not to resign him after the 2005 season. Brees has been phenomenal this season and is on a pace for another 5,000-yard season. However, the team’s defence is atrocious, which is the primary reason for their 0–3 start. The Chargers meanwhile could very well be 3–0 if they didn’t cough up fourth quarter leads in both of their losses. Quarterback Philip Rivers has played very well despite losing weapons Keenan Allen and Danny Woodhead to season ending injuries. This game has shoot-out written all over it and should be a great game to watch. Look for the Chargers to rush for over 200 yards but for Brees to eclipse 400 in a triumphant victory over his former team.
Prediction: New Orleans 46 San Diego 39
