October 10, 2008
Evan has decided that after 2 striaght 1-4 weeks he is going against his instincts. I had that idea 2 years ago when each week I was going 5-11 in NFL picks. Never did try it out, let’s see how it works out for Evan this week.
Carolina @ Tampa Bay, Sunday 1pm
Ahad: Who is playing QB for Bucs this week? It doesn’t matter; Carolina comes up with a big win on the road. Carolina is going to have a good year because the Eagles get their first round pick in the 09 draft. Pick: Panthers
Evan: I haven’t lost picking the Bucs this year, and I’m not going to start this week. Tampa Bay never looks “good”, but somehow they are finding ways to win some games. I’ve never been convinced that Carolina is that good either. In fact, I think these are the same teams in different uniforms. Carolina has a better record and, so far, a better defense. Pick: Bucs
Mike: So this is 4 weeks in a row with the Bucs? The first 2 times I went against them and was wrong. Last week I picked them and I was wrong. I’ve picked the Panthers both times they’ve been an option and made me 1-1. I like that Garcia is back for the Bucs. Pick: Buccaneers
Matt: Hard to gauge Tampa Bay after last week’s showing in Denver. I am sure they are miffed about the loss. Carolina is coming off a shellacking at the expense of the Chiefs. Even the Chiefs beat the Broncos. Garcia being back will limit the turnovers from the QB position, but the Panthers got it going better on both sides of the ball. Pick: Carolina
Baltimore @ Indianapolis, Sunday 1pm
Ahad: Flacco has been named the started for the rest season. This doesn’t mean much because at this point Troy Smith isn’t going to come out and win the job. Indy needed a furious comeback last week to beat Houston. The Ravens defense will be ready for this game. Indy has yet to put everything together on offense this season and there are more distractions with the Marvin Harrison incident coming back into the spotlight. Pick: Ravens
Evan: Indy squeaked one out in Houston. The Ravens almost made me look brilliant last week until they had a reversal of fortune at the end of the game. I think Baltimore should win this game, so pick: Indy
Mike: Ahad mentioned about Flacco being the starter for the rest of the year. I like that boost of confidence. Openly supporting Indy at any point this year will only cause me pain. If they wind up winning, fine, Peyton is amazing, end of story. If they make it close and blow it, I will be angry with myself. Pick: Ravens
Matt: Baltimore has lost two tough games in a row, and the Colts are lucky to have any wins at all. Plus, they don’t have any wins at home yet. The Colts are soft against the run, so Baltimore should be able to run the ball and take the pressure off Flacco. Baltimore’s D is playing lights out right now. Pick: Baltimore
Chicago @ Atlanta, Sunday 1pm
Ahad: Atlanta has been a very good team at home this year. They have been able to execute on the offensive side of the ball. However, I think the Bears are a match up problem for them. Atlanta will try to run the ball but the Bears defense is built to stop the run. Special teams could be the x-factor and Hester gives the Bears the edge in that aspect of the game. Pick: Bears
Evan: Chicago > Philly, if Philly is < Atlanta, then I don’t know if I believe in the fundamental orders of the universe. Therefore, it should be Chicago > Atlanta. so, pick: Atlanta
Mike: Atlanta won in Green Bay last week? Well that screws everything up. I was fine with them doing just what they were supposed to do. Beat the bad teams, lose to the good ones. Chicago had a bye last week (also known as ‘played the Lions’) so they should be well rested. Pick: Bears
Matt: Good matchup of two teams outperforming preseason expectations. It will be hard for the Falcons to establish their run game against Chicago’s tough defense, but I am sure they will continue to bang Michael Turner into the line in hopes of softening up the defense so that they wear down later in the game. If Atlanta can keep it close in the 4th quarter, I like their chances, especially with Chicago’s history of tiring in the 4th quarter and squandering leads. The Bears will play their usual game on offense, but I think the defense will bottle up Turner and force a few mistakes from Matt Ryan. Pick: Chicago
Jacksonville @ Denver, Sunday 4:05pm
Ahad: The Jags are coming off a very tough loss to the Steelers. This team has yet to establish themselves as a physical running team due to injuries along the offensive line. Denver has a bad defense, but the offense has been able to pick up the slack and outscore teams. The Jags won’t be able to keep up if this becomes a shoot-out. Pick: Denver
Evan: Jacksonville should not have a chance in this game. Everything points to Denver. Pick: Jacksonville
Mike: Ok Denver, didn’t we have this talk last week? You were bad, remember? And Jacksonville, the Steelers didn’t have any running backs, that was clearly an easy win. Heads Jacksonville, Tails Denver … umm, how do I not have any coins? Pick: Broncos
Matt: Denver has a defense? Wow, where did that come from? I think it may have been moreso the Buccaneers ineptitude on offense last week, though. Jacksonville needs a win bad or they will further back in the AFC race. They should be able to run the ball and control the clock. Cutler should be able to play pitch and catch with his receivers all day. I think the Jags barely eek out the win. Pick: Jacksonville
New England @ San Diego, Sunday 8:15pm
Ahad: Both teams have underachieved so far this season. LT is not the same LT from previous years. Randy Moss has pretty much been a non-factor since Brady got hurt. Something has to give in this game. Rivers continues his strong play to keep Norv Turner off the hot seat for now. Pick: Chargers
Evan: Intriguing matchup. I wonder if, at midfield, they’ll talk about how they both got spanked by Snowflake. I like San Diego at home. Pick: New England
Mike: I’m still a Pats fan this year. I think the loss to Miami was an aberration. I use aberration so that I feel like a football analyst. I also don’t trust the Chargers with a pick. Pick: Patriots
Matt: The Patriots stayed on the West Coast this whole week after their game in San Francisco. The Cardinals attempted this strategy a few weeks ago except on the East Coast, and we know how that ended up for them. The Chargers are another team who need a win badly to keep pace, and they get it here. Pick: Chargers
March 5, 2014
September 16, 2012