BLOCKBUSTER TRADES so rarely happen in-season in the NFL that, when news first spread about Trent Richardson being on his way to the Colts, I laughed it off as someone having too many glasses of wine with lunch. Go home Twitter rumours, you’re drunk.

But then more and more sources began to report it and soon after it was on the official NFL site and yes, the Cleveland Browns had indeed given up their number three overall pick from a year ago for a mid-first round pick in the 2014 draft.

The Colts obviously benefit from this trade. They now possess two of the top three picks from the 2012 draft and a player who – when fit – can provide a genuine threat in the run game and give Andrew Luck and his receivers a bit more freedom in the passing game.

For the Browns, they’ve already decided this season is over and, with multiple picks in the first, third and fourth rounds of the 2014 season, Cleveland fans will have to watch a lot of college football between now and next year’s draft because the next 5-10 years of the franchise’s future rests on those players.

Kansas City Chiefs @ Philadelphia Eagles (-3)

Over the past couple of years there have been very few reasons to forgo sleep and stay awake to watch the Chiefs or Eagles in a late night game, both teams being equally bad. The same cannot be said for this week’s Thursday Night Football though.

Andy Reid returns to the city of brotherly love where he spent 14 years as head coach. He leads a team that already have as many wins as they managed all last season and who look like they can genuinely challenge the Broncos for the AFC West title.

The Eagles (1-1) are undoubtedly the most exciting offence in the league but they’ve played the two worst defences, statistically, in the NFL so far – though you could argue the Eagles are responsible for Washington and San Diego ranking so low – and this week face a much tougher test in the number three ranked Chiefs.

Verdict: Amazingly, neither quarterback has thrown an interception this year. If one of them does on Thursday night, that could be all that separates these two sides. Chiefs by two.

San Diego Chargers @ Tennessee Titans (-3)

It’s been a tale of two teams for the Chargers so far this season ranking fourth in points scored (30.5) and fourth last in points conceded (30.5) but they’ll take solace from the fact they held star running back Chris Johnson to just 17 yards on eight carries when they met last season.

If I were coaching the Titans, and thankfully I’m not, I’d be concentrating on the passing game though. While Jake Locker is only 28 of 50 for 273 yards and two touchdowns this season, the Chargers have given up a league leading 375.5 passing yards a game so far this year.

Verdict: Tennessee are slight favourites because of home advantage but San Diego haven’t lost to the Titans in 21 years. Chargers by three.

Buffalo Bills @ New York Jets (-2)

Both these teams could easily be 0-2 or 2-0 so 1-1 is probably a fair reflection on their season so far, even if both should have beaten a so-far terrible Patriots side. However, while the Pats are likely to improve as the year goes on, this is a chance for two rookie quarterbacks to at least throw down a marker as potential wild card challengers.

For the Jets to improve, Geno Smith will have to show more awareness of the defences he faces. According the NFLs’ own stats, his three interceptions in the fourth quarter against the Patriots last were the most by any rookie quarterback in the fourth quarter of either of his first two starts since 1991.

The Bills have been over reliant on Stevie Johnson so far this year (11 catches, 205 yards, two touchdowns) and while CJ Spiller improved his rushing performance last week, he’s still to find the endzone this year.

The rest of the games and picks

As there was some confusion about how this worked last week, I’d just like to make clear again that the team in bold has been picked to beat the spread, not necessarily win the game.

Houston Texans (-2.5) @ Baltimore Ravens
New York Giants @ Carolina Panthers (-1)
Green Bay Packers (-2.5) @ Cincinnati Bengals
St Louis Rams @ Dallas Cowboys (-4)
Cleveland Browns @ Minnesota Vikings (-6.5)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ New England Patriots (-7)
Arizona Cardinals @ New Orleans Saints (-7)
Detroit Lions @ Washington (-2.5)
Atlanta Falcons @ Miami Dolphins (-1)
Jacksonville Jaguars @ Seattle Seahawks (-19.5)
Indianapolis Colts @ San Francisco 49ers (-10)
Chicago Bears (-2.5) @ Pittsburgh Steelers
Oakland Raiders @ Denver Broncos (-15)

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