Picking up where we left off
| Week 1 results | ||||
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| 8-8 8-8 |
10-6 10-6 |
9-7 9-7 |
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| Thursday, September 7, 2023 | ||||
| Detroit @ Kansas City | Kansas City | Kansas City | Kansas City | |
| Sunday, September 10, 2023 | ||||
| Cincinnati @ Cleveland | Cincinnati | Cincinnati | Cincinnati | |
| Houston @ Baltimore | Baltimore | Baltimore | Baltimore | |
| Carolina @ Atlanta | Atlanta | Atlanta | Atlanta | |
| Tampa Bay @ Minnesota | Minnestota | Minnestota | Minnestota | |
| Tennessee @ New Orleans | New Orleans | New Orleans | New Orleans | |
| Arizona @ Washington | Washington | Washington | Washington | |
| Jacksonville @ Indianapolis | Jacksonville | Jacksonville | Jacksonville | |
| San Francisco @ Pittsburgh | San Francisco | San Francisco | San Francisco | |
| Green Bay @ Chicago | Chicago | Green Bay | Chicago | |
| Philadelphia @ New England | Philadelphia | Philadelphia | Philadelphia | |
| Miami @ L.A. Chargers | L.A. Chargers | L.A. Chargers | L.A. Chargers | |
| Las Vegas @ Denver | Denver | Las Vegas | Denver | |
| L.A. Rams @ Seattle | Seattle | Seattle | Seattle | |
| Dallas @ N.Y. Giants | Dallas | Dallas | Dallas | |
| Monday, September 11, 2023 | ||||
| Buffalo @ N.Y. Jets | Buffalo | Buffalo | N.Y. Jets | |
| © 2023 Gehlke Bros. Football | ||||
The 2023 GBF season may only be a week old, but it already has an eerily familiar look to it. The Junior Bro launched his quest for a record fifth consecutive Surfy Trophy in fine fashion on Sunday, taking both of the splits that were up for grabs. It marks the eighth straight season that Sean has either led or tied the top of the standings after opening week.
The primary mission in opening week is usually to not screw up. There are many unknowns as we get our first look at the teams in games that matter, and while it might be a successful gamble to pick some upsets, that strategy can just as easily backfire, creating an early hole that is difficult to climb out of. How deep is a 2-game deficit? Well, it’s been mighty in recent seasons, and that is where the Senior Bro finds himself for the third time since 2015 — the last time he held an opening week advantage.
Sean can thank the Raiders and Packers for where he is. Las Vegas, behind new quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, managed to come from behind for a 17-16 win over division rival Denver. Meanwhile, Green Bay didn’t miss a beat with a dominant 38-20 win at Chicago, despite losing Aaron Rodgers to the Jets in the offseason.
The week was filled with upsets, as Detroit tripped up the defending champs in Kansas City on kickoff night Thursday, and mistake-prone Buffalo fell to the Jets in overtime even after Rodgers went down with an ankle injury on the team’s very first series. The Dolphins survived a shootout with the Chargers, while the 49ers and Dallas both posted statement-like victories on the road. Who are the contenders and who are the pretenders remains to play out in the coming weeks — just as it does for the Gehlke Bros.
In a tough Week 1, Sean’s 10-6 record was good enough to lead the pack. Ben finished second with his 9-7 record, while Glenn struggled to an even 8-8 for third. Our collective successful picks: Baltimore, Atlanta, New Orleans, Washington, Jacksonville, San Francisco, Philadelphia and Dallas. Our mutual misses: Detroit, Cleveland, Tampa Bay, Miami and the L.A. Rams.
