NFL Picks: Week 10

Last week: 9-4
Season record: 79-52

Will the season's weirdness continue or will the good teams continue to distinguish themselves from the rest of the pack? Who knows, and that's why they play the games (and why we love the NFL so much.

Detroit at Buffalo--Believe it or not, this is one game I wouldn't mind watching. The Bills are STILL looking for win number one, and the Lions are so much more talented than their record suggests. They'll show it on Sunday. Lions 30, Bills 27

Minnesota at Chicago--The Vikings kept their slim playoff hopes alive last week with another Favre stunner in OT, and now they look to narrow the gap between them and second place Chicago. I say they do it. Or more accurately, Favre does it. Vikings 27, Bears 20

NY Jets at Cleveland--Suddenly this game is intriguing, as the Browns have knocked off the Saints and Patriots in their last two games. And you just know Eric Mangini wants to stick it to his former employer. Jets 20, Browns 17

Cincinnati at Indianapolis--The Bengals have lost a stunning five straight, and they are rewarded with a game in Indy? It's a weird season, but not that weird. Colts 33, Bengals 17

Houston at Jacksonville--These two teams are tied for second, or last, in the AFC South at 4-4. But the talent on the Texans is just so much greater, and Arian Foster is putting up Marshall Faulk-like fantasy numbers. Texans 31, Jags 28

Tennessee at Miami--Both of these teams play hard-hitting, low-scoring bore-fests, except when Chris Johnson has the ball in his hands. CJ and now Randy Moss make this game more interesting. Oh, and Miami is 0-3 at home, 4-1 on the road. Titans 17, Dolphins 13

Carolina at Tampa Bay--Okay, this is a game I really don't want to watch. Bucs 21, Panthers 10

Kansas City at Denver--The Broncos' run defense is like a sieve, and they get to face that blur that is Jamaal Charles. Of course, Todd Haley will probably start Thomas Jones. Chiefs 34, Broncos 17

Dallas at NY Giants--New coach for the Cowboys, but the same personnel that has gone 1-7. The Cowboys wound up making the game in Dallas a few weeks ago competitive with Jon Kitna, but there is too much talent differential right now. Giants 38, Cowboys 27

Seattle at Arizona--Another game that only fans of these two teams will watch. Cards 17, Seahawks 14

St. Louis at San Francisco--If the Rams win and Seattle loses, the Rams will have sole possession of first place in the NFC West after Week 10. Not only might that happen, it probably will. Rams 23, 49ers 20

New England at Pittsburgh--If the Pats can lose to Cleveland on the road, this one could be downright ugly? Still, you never know. Steelers 24, Patriots 21

Philadelphia at Washington--The McNabb vs. Philly Bowl II, or will Rex Grossman start for Washington if Shanny deems McNabb unfit to play? Eagles 30, Redskins 17

Bye week banter:
Green Bay Packers--Suddenly looking like NFC title contender again
New Orleans Saints--Reggie Bush comes back soon
Oakland Raiders--They could actually WIN AFC West. We're talking about the RAIDERS
San Diego Chargers--Vincent Jackson comes back soon, to Philip Rivers' delight

NFL Picks: Thursday night edition

Last week: 9-4
Season record: 78-52

Hey folks, there is a game tonight. How awesome is that? And it's not even a stinker!

Baltimore at Atlanta--The Ravens are a very good team, but they are 4-0 at home, 2-2 on the road. The Falcons are also a very good team, maybe more quietly than Baltimore. And they are also 4-0 at home, 2-2 on the road. But wait, there's more. Atlanta is 17-3 at home the last three seasons combined. And Roddy White is having a career year. Falcons 24, Ravens 20

Hello, Vegas?

Here were three of my picks from Friday, and if you would like to pat me on the back, pats on said back are being accepted today :)

Jets 23, Lions 20

Raiders 23, Chiefs 20

Eagles 26, Colts 24 (exact score, reversed teams)

NFL Picks: Week 9

Last week: 9-4
Season record: 69-48

Still staying above the curve, but still lots of goofy happenings in the NFL last week! Here are my Week 9 picks:

Tampa Bay at Atlanta--The Bucs are 5-2 and would make a really impactful statement if they won Sunday. But let's face it...it's not going to happen. Falcons 20, Bucs 16

Miami at Baltimore--The low-scoring special of the week. Ravens 13, Dolphins 9

Chicago vs. Buffalo at Toronto--Kinda funny that the Bills will get their first win on foreign soil. Bills 27, Bears 20

New Orleans at Carolina--The Saints are one of the hardest teams to figure out this year. The Panthers, well, they're not hard to figure out. Saints 30, Panthers 10

New England at Cleveland--The Browns aren't that bad, but bad enough to lose to the on-fire Patriots. Patriots 34, Browns 20

NY Jets at Detroit--You just know Jets' fans are terrified of this game. And the Lions will surely make them sweat on Sunday. Jets 23, Lions 20

San Diego at Houston--I predict that if Antonio Gates does not play Sunday, that Darren Sproles will have 200 all-purpose yards. But the Chargers will lose. Texans 34, Chargers 24

Arizona at Minnesota--Yours truly will be at this game, and looking forward to seeing old man Favre and young man Adrian Peterson in person. Vikings 27, Cards 20

NY Giants at Seattle--Charlie Whitehurst will start at QB for the Seahawks, as Matt Hasselbeck was declared out of this game by HC Pete Carroll. Which begs the question, who is Seattle's third string quarterback? Giants 28, Seahawks 17

Indianapolis at Philadelphia--Michael Vick returns but runs head first into Dwight Freeney. Colts 26, Eagles 24

Kansas City at Oakland--Two teams with a big-time resurgence. Hard to imagine the Raiders stopping Jamaal Charles, but hard to pick against them as a hot home team. Raiders 23, Chiefs 20

Dallas at Green Bay--By the time my flight from Minneapolis lands in Madison, the Packers will be up 17-0. That's how bad Dallas is right now. In fact, Jerry Jones might make Wade Phillips walk home. Packers 38, Cowboys 17

Pittsburgh at Cincinnati--Last season when the Bengals swept their division games? That is a distant memory. Steelers 17, Bengals 13

Bye week banter:
Denver Broncos: Josh McDaniels gets an extra week off to get his resume together
Jacksonville Jaguars: Is it crazy that in this crazy NFL season, the Jags are actually in contention?
St. Louis Rams: A good time to rest a rookie QB who has probably never played more than 12 games in a season
San Francisco 49ers: Mike Singletary saved his job last Sunday, at least for now
Tennessee Titans: Randy Moss' third team in about a five-week span
Washington Redskins: The Albert Haynesworth mess was nothing compared to Shanahan benching Donovan McNabb in the fourth quarter last Sunday.

NFL Picks: Week 8

Last Week: 10-4
Season Record: 60-44

Wow, back on track last week. I even predicted the exact final score of the New England/San Diego game, but with the wrong winner. Here are the Week 8 prognostications....

Miami at Cincinnati--The Bengals are just hard to figure out, but they keep figuring out ways to lose. Dolphins 16, Bengals 13

Jacksonville at Dallas--The Cowboys actually played pretty good for a half Monday night, and with Jon Kitna having a full week of practice, they should prevail this time. Cowboys 24, Jaguars 17

Washington at Detroit--The Redskins are playing up or down to their competition. The Lions have had two weeks to prepare and they aren't as bad as their record indicates. Lions 20, Redskins 17

Buffalo at Kansas City--What's more surprising? That the Chiefs are one of the up and coming AFC teams or that the Bills almost beat Baltimore last week? Chiefs 27, Bills 24

Green Bay at NY Jets--Giving the Jets 2 weeks to prepare just isn't fair. Jets 26, Packers 17

Carolina at St. Louis--I bet the Panthers think this will be a cakewalk after beating the Niners for their first win. Alas, it will not be. Rams 23, Panthers 10

Denver vs. San Francisco at London--I just hope it's not raining there, because these two teams are lousy as it is. Broncos 16, 49ers 10

Tennessee at San Diego--I know the records and I know the Titans are playing really well. But the Chargers are kryptonite to Jeff Fisher. Chargers 27, Titans 20

Minnesota at New England--Favre will play, but the Patriots are going to make him wish he hadn't. Patriots 30, Vikings 20

Seattle at Oakland--Can anyone figure out either of these teams? Raiders 20, Seahawks 14

Tampa Bay at Arizona--Every week there is at least one game that makes me want to watch basketball. And here it is. Bucs 21, Cards 17

Pittsburgh at New Orleans--The Saints are due for a better game, right? Still, if they lost to Cleveland, the Steelers are going to make them look really bad. Steelers 20, Saints 10

Houston at Indianapolis--Don't think the Colts aren't looking for revenge after that embarrassment in Week 1. Colts 40, Texans 34

Bye week banter:
Atlanta--Are they good, or not? The second half will show us something
Baltimore--A near miss against Buffalo has everyone scratching their heads. Oh, and will all due respect to Mr. Big Hair, Ed Reed is the best safety I've ever seen
Chicago--Jay Cutler needs rest, and the O-line needs to sew their uniforms together
Cleveland--That fake punt was maybe my favorite play of the season
NY Giants--Their bye week is just good news for opposing quarterbacks
Philadelphia--Two weeks to figure out how they gave up 27 points to the Titans in the 4th quarter

NFL Picks: Week 7

Last Week: 7-7
Season Record: 50-40

I think I feel pretty good about being 50-40 in this wacky season, which keeps getting wackier. I mean, the Rams beat the Chargers? Yikes.

Cincinnati at Atlanta--The Bengals had an extra week off to think about that ugly loss to the Bucs. The Falcons had one less week than that to think about that ugly loss to the Eagles. But they are home and usually a different team in the Dome. Falcons 27, Bengals 20

Buffalo at Baltimore--Okay, if the Bills upset the Ravens, that would be the wackiest upset of them all. But it ain't gonna happen. Right? No, I mean, right? Right. Ravens 34, Bills 3

San Francisco at Carolina--Matt Moore is going to have a fire under his butt, and he's going to lead this putrid Panthers team to victory. And then Mike Singletary will yell and scream at his team some more. Panthers 20, 49ers 10

Washington at Chicago--Somebody better block Brian Orakpo. Oh, wait.....it's the Bears. Somebody better put Jay Cutler in an armored suit. Redskins 22, Bears 16

Jacksonville at Kansas City--The Jags are trotting out Todd Bouman or Patrick Ramsey if David Garrard (concussion) can't play. Yikes. Chiefs 31, Jaguars 13

Pittsburgh at Miami--Don't be looking for a lot of points in this one. In fact, if you want points in Miami, go watch the Heat play (apologies to my Cleveland peeps). Steelers 12, Dolphins 10

Cleveland at New Orleans--Apologies to my Cleveland peeps again. Saints 30, Browns 17

St. Louis at Tampa Bay--Really, I have to pick this game? Well, it's better to pick it than watch it, I guess. Bucs 17, Rams 14

Philadelphia at Tennessee--Do you get the feeling Chris Johnson is going to bust a couple of really long runs in this game? He's just due. And that Titans' D-line is going to just mangle Kevin Kolb. Titans 31, Eagles 24

Arizona at Seattle--Another one that's just shaping up to be a classic. Not. Seahawks 37, Cards 20

New England at San Diego--This is a fun match-up no matter when or where it's played. Rivers against a crappy secondary and Belichick probably pulling out a few fake plays to piss the Chargers off. Chargers 23, Patriots 20 (and I'm predicting OT for this one)

Oakland at Denver--Seriously, aren't there any good games this weekend? Broncos 21, Raiders 16

Minnesota at Green Bay--Ah, that's right...they saved the good games for Sunday and Monday night. And this one's a beauty, probably Brett Favre's last game ever at Lambeau, as he brings a banged up elbow, surgically repaired ankle and legal issues on his mind when facing a banged up Packers' team. If only the Pack had half the running game the Vikings do.....Vikings 27, Packers 24

NY Giants at Dallas--So long as the Giants are able to put an extra blocker on DeMarcus Ware, the Cowboys will once again figure out a way to self-destruct. Giants 28, Cowboys 24

Bonus--in baseball, the Phillies will come all the way back to win their series in 7. The Yankees will win Game 6, and lose Game 7, setting up a Rangers/Phils World Series.

NFL Picks: Week 6

Last week 5-9
Season record: 43-33

Okay, last week was a mess....what's up with this NFL season anyway? I'm pretty sure I have never gone 5-9 before, but I'm pretty sure many of you had the same type of luck with your picks last week. So let's shake things up here...mmmkay?

Seattle at Chicago--Remember a few years ago when these teams were meeting in the playoffs? The Bears, despite their O-line woes, are likely heading back there while the Seahawks are heading into the abyss. Bears 24, Seahawks 10

Miami at Green Bay--If Aaron Rodgers does not play, this could be ugly. But it could be ugly even if he does play. Dolphins 20, Packers 17

Kansas City at Houston--With all of the talk about the Chiefs' suddenly awesome defense, I have to say that I just don't see another team holding the Texans' offense in check in back to back weeks. Texans 30, Chiefs 20

Baltimore at New England--I keep wanting to pick the Ravens here, and I think I may have in a few other forums, but I have this twitch that keeps the cursor leaning toward New England. It's the same twitch that makes me reach for that second doughnut when I know I shouldn't eat it. Patriots 23, Ravens 16

Detroit at NY Giants--As a Giants' fan, I want to keep picking against my team, because when I do that, they win. But let's face it.....trap game or not, they won't lose this one. Will they? PS Hakeem Nicks is awesome, isn't he? Giants 33, Lions 17

Atlanta at Philadelphia--If Kevin Kolb starts again, I can't pick the Eagles. Not against a surging Falcons' squad. But if former Falcon Mike Vick starts.....ah, who are we kidding? Falcons 21, Eagles 17

Cleveland at Pittsburgh--Big Ben gets a bye his first week back...ooh, snap. Steelers 41, Browns 13

San Diego at St. Louis--After being brought back down to earth by the Lions last weekend, the Rams now face the high-flying Chargers. And that's a last-place schedule. Chargers 28, Rams 14

New Orleans at Tampa Bay--I don't know what is wrong with the Saints' offense, but if they can't beat the Cardinals, they won't be able to beat a newly confident Bucs' team in Tampa. Bucs 23, Saints 13

NY Jets at Denver--Just a hunch, because logic surely would not agree with me. Broncos 24, Jets 20

Oakland at San Francisco--You'd think that the Niners should finally win one, right? Not so fast, because the Raiders have been playing tough. Then again.....49ers 17, Raiders 13

Dallas at Minnesota--Two wins between them in Week 6. Damn, that's crazy. And one of these teams, barring a tie, will be 1-4 after Sunday. Vikings 27, Cowboys 24

Indianapolis at Washington--If the Chiefs can slow Peyton Manning in Indy, the 'Skins should be able to do the same. Redskins 23, Colts 21

Tennessee at Jacksonville--The Titans should win this game, but should is not a word that describes the 2010 NFL season. Jaguars 28, Titans 23