Let’s blaze it up again. Colin Cowherd’s Blazin’ 5 returns for the 2021 NFL season. It will be the third year PAOC has tracked Cowherd’s NFL picks.
- 2020 Blazin’ 5 record: 38-38-2
- 2019 Blazin’ 5 record: 42-41-3
Cowherd’s season-long predictions called for the Philadelphia Eagles to finish 3-14 and the Pittsburgh Steelers to be below average. Before Cowherd revealed his Week 1 picks, he basically made excuses for 2020.
“I feel better about Week 1 today then I did at Week 1 a year ago. If you bet football last year it was a throwaway year. It was a ridiculous year where no one had information. Sometimes you were better off taking favorites which is which is what gamblers never do. I was mostly lousy last year. I got a preseason this year so I can see what I am getting.”
Colin Cowherd’s 2021 Week 1 NFL picks
The Herd with Colin Cowherd is a sports talk radio show on Fox Sports Radio and Fox Sports 1. Cowherd’s Blazin’ 5 airs Fridays on The Herd at 1 p.m. EST. We break down his picks for you here and follow up on Monday with his results.
Pittsburgh Steelers (+6.5) vs. Buffalo Bills
Colin’s pick: Steelers
Colin’s final score: Bills 27, Steelers 24
Cowherd said:
“At the beginning of last year the Steelers were healthy. They are healthy now. They led the NFL in QB hits they led in most sacks and allowed the fewest sacks. The Bills’ offensive line is just okay. The Bills defense is third-worst in the Red Zone. The Steelers offensive line is in transition. The Bills haven’t shown an ability so far to take advantage of that because the d-line is their weakness. Proud organizations who get humiliated at the end of the year like Pittsburgh did come back focused with a vengeance. I think this is a potential upset. I have the Bills winning on a late field goal.”
Actual final score: Steelers 23, Bills 16
Did Colin win? Yes
New York Jets vs. Carolina Panthers (-4.5)
Colin’s pick: Panthers
Colin’s final score: Panthers 27, Jets 20
Cowherd said:
“I’ve shifted on this because of new information. The Jets strength is their denfensive front and they’ve had multiple injuries the past few weeks. This Jets offense…Zach Wilson’s NFL debut, he’s inheriting a mess. Christian McCaffrey is healthy and only three teams in the NFL including Carolina had three receivers with over 1,000 yards. Carolina’s o-line isn’t great but I don’t think the Jets banged up team can expose it.”
Actual final score: Panthers 19, Jets 14
Did Colin win? Yes
San Francisco 49ers vs. Detroit Lions (+7.5)
Colin’s pick: Lions
Colin’s final score: 49ers 26, Lions 24
Cowherd said:
“Upset alert. Can we stop saying Jared Goff is terrible. In the history of No. 1 picks, he has the second-highest passer rating ever behind Peyton Manning. He also has D’Andre Swift, they have a star running back. All this kid (Goff) has heard for the past six months is how terrible he his. Many believe the Lions’ strengths are their d-line and their o-line. He’s got a star running back and some stuff to work with. Bad teams don’t know they are bad in the first week. What is Dan Campbell going to do? Jimmy Garoppolo lost confidence more than once in the preseason. He’s not the same Super Bowl Garoppolo. Upset alert. Detroit will give them everything they can handle.”
Actual final score: 49ers 41, Lions 33
Did Colin win? No
“I don’t know what I was thinking with the Lions. I got too cute. That’s the last time I will be taking the Lions this year,” Cowherd tweeted at halftime when the Lions were down 31-10.
Los Angeles Chargers vs. Washington Football Team (-.5)
Colin’s pick: Washington
Colin’s final score: Washington 27, Chargers 20
Cowherd said:
“This will be the best defensive front Justin Herbert has ever faced. Washington is completely stacked up front. Chase Young as a rookie had 7.5 sacks and ten tackles for losses and is only getting better. A rebuilt Chargers o-line could be good, do I think it will be in Week 1? Western teams who travel east for an early game is never easy. They have a new coach. First year NFL coached in Week 1 are a combined 1-12-1 over the last three years. Tough opener for the Chargers.”
Actual final score: Chargers 20, Washington 16
Did Colin win? No
Cleveland Browns vs. Kansas City Chiefs (-5.5)
Colin’s pick: Chiefs
Colin’s final score: Chiefs 44, Brows 26
Cowherd said:
“It was 6.5 so I feel I kind of got a break with this line. Kansas City has the best September coach in the NFL. The Chiefs have won 6 straight openers. In September, Mahomes has thrown 32 TDs and no picks. The Browns are interesting. When they figured out Stefanski’s culture they were good at the end of the year but they were the only team with a winning record with a minus point differential (-11). This is not a good spot for them starting at Arrowhead against a team that was humiliated in the Super Bowl.”
Actual final score: Chiefs 33, Browns 29
Did Colin win? No
Colin Cowherd 2021 Blazin’ 5 record: 2-3
2021 NFL Week 1 lines
Updated NFL Week 1 lines at PA sports betting apps below:
Lead image FS1/The Herd