Thursday
Game: Buffalo at Miami
Pick: Buffalo - I originally went with Miami at home in this game, but with star tackle Brandon Albert out for the rest of the season for the Dolphins, Ryan Tannehill banged up, and the Bills sporting one of the best, most aggressive defenses in football, I'm going to give them the slight edge in the shortened week. I'll take Buffalo by 3.
Result: Miami 22 Buffalo 9
Record: 0-1
Sunday
Game: Minnesota at Chicago
Pick: Minnesota - I have about as much faith in Chicago right now as an atheist has in a God named Rambo. The Bears have lost three straight games by the combined score of 133-50, and have lost five out of six. They're also 0-3 at home so far this season. Part of me says, "They're due for a win!" however, with as poorly as they've been playing, I'm having a hard time even picking them with that poor logic. The Bears defense is once again awful, and the "strength" (not really) of their offense - their passing attack - will be facing the 4th ranked pass defense in the league in this game. Chicago could very well win this game, but based on what I've seen in recent weeks from the team, I just can't pick them. I'll take the Vikings on the road by a field goal.
Result: Chicago 21 Minnesota 13
Record: 0-2
Game: Houston at Cleveland
Pick: Houston - One has to give credit to the Browns for their dismantling of the Bengals in Cincinnati on Thursday night. However, I think Houston matches up pretty well against Cleveland in this game. Arien Foster should be able to run quite successfully against the below-average Browns rush defense, and on the flip-side, the Texans mediocre rush defense probably won't be hurt as much by the Browns' sub-par rushing attack. I also like the odds when J.J. Watt gets into the face of Brian Hoyer (or just about any other quarterback). I'll take the Texans in the upset by a field goal.
Result: Houston 23 Cleveland 7
Record: 1-2
Game: Seattle at Kansas City
Pick: Seattle - Both teams are playing good football right now. They're both 6-3 and attempting to keep pace with division leaders Denver (7-2) and Arizona (8-1) in the AFC West and NFC West, respectively. For as much as I like how the Chiefs are playing, however, I have a feeling Seattle's defense is coming around, their offense is garnering a better identity, and they're about to get on a serious roll. I'll take the Seahawks by 4. One wild card in this game, however, is Jamal Charles. When teams have had success against Seattle's defense the past couple of years, it's been due to a solid effort on the ground. If Charles carries the ball 20-25 times for over 100 yards, that may be too much for Seattle to overcome, so that's something to keep an eye on as the game progresses.
Result: Kansas City 24 Seattle 20
Record: 1-3
Game: Atlanta at Carolina
Pick: Carolina - It's sad to say, but even though these two teams are a combined 6-11-1 (pending the Monday night game), they're still only a game back in the win column of New Orleans in the NFC South. So, yes, this is actually a big game - probably the worst big game to this point in the season. For as disappointed as I've been in Carolina to this point in the season, however, Atlanta has been notoriously bad on the road, and with their offensive and defensive line problems, I think that will be too much for the Falcons to overcome. Look for Cam Newton to be utilized in the running game more this week. I'll take the Panthers at home by a couple of field goals.
Result: Atlanta 19 Carolina 17
Record: 1-4
Game: Cincinnati at New Orleans
Pick: New Orleans - Just two Thursday nights ago, the New Orleans Saints snapped a 7-game road losing streak with a win over Carolina. This past Sunday, they saw their 11-game home winning streak snapped courtesy of San Francisco. Cincinnati went through a similar such experience this past Thursday night, when they saw their 14-game home winning streak snapped via the Cleveland Browns, a team that has lost 17 consecutive road games against AFC North opponents. Oddly enough, even though they have the better record, this is probably a bigger game for Cincinnati, who is playing in a division (the AFC North) where every team is at least two games over .500. New Orleans, meanwhile, is atop a division (the NFC South) where every team is below .500. In any case, while I can see New Orleans losing at home once, maybe twice during the course of the season, I'm hard-pressed to seeing them lose in the Superdome in back-to-back weeks. I'll take the Saints by a touchdown.
Result: Cincinnati 27 New Orleans 10
Record: 1-5
Game: Tampa Bay at Washington
Pick: Washington - It should help RGIII and Washington's offense click a bit better having had an extra week to prepare for this game. Also, with the game at home and facing a Tampa Bay squad which just seems to find ways to lose week in and week out, I'll take Washington by a touchdown.
Result: Tampa Bay 27 Washington 7
Record: 1-6
Game: Denver at St. Louis
Pick: Denver - St. Louis is a very pesky team and I think they should keep things close until about halftime. However, Denver's offense will be too much in the second half and should be able to pull away in the latter part of the 3rd quarter or so. I'll go with the Broncos by 10.
Result: St. Louis 22 Denver 7
Record: 1-7
Game: San Francisco at NY Giants
Pick: San Francisco - History dictates that West Coast teams don't typically fare well when playing on the East Coast. However, coming off a big win in New Orleans on Sunday to improve to 5-4, the 49ers are close to being in desperation mode and will likely be playing with a certain fight and attitude the Giants won't be able to match. I think it'll probably be closer than a lot of "experts" think, but will take the Niners by 4.
Result: San Francisco 16 NY Giants 10
Record: 2-7
Game: Oakland at San Diego
Pick: San Diego - Even for as poorly as the Chargers have been playing of late, I just can't go with the 0-9 Raiders. I'll take the well-rested Chargers at home by a pair of touchdowns.
Result: San Diego 13 Oakland 6
Record: 3-7
Game: Philadelphia at Green Bay
Pick: Green Bay - I was half-tempted to take the Eagles in this game, but with DeMeco Ryans out for the rest of the year, the game at Lambeau, and Aaron "Relax" Rodgers appearing to be suffering no ill effects from his hamstring strain a couple of weeks ago in the Packers dominating victory Chicago on Sunday night, I'll have to go with Rodgers and the Pack at home by a touchdown.
Result: Green Bay 53 Philadelphia 6
Record: 4-7
Game: Detroit at Arizona
Pick: Arizona - Meet two of the top three teams in the NFC right now (along with Philadelphia if they beat Carolina on Monday night). Arizona has compiled an 8-1 record even while juggling through three quarterbacks, and may now be without Carson Palmer for the rest of the year. Detroit, at 7-2, are coming off three consecutive wins where they were down inside of two minutes to play in the fourth quarter. So, even though it seems most analysts haven't fully bought into these two teams yet, they're just finding ways to win. Regardless of who plays quarterback for them, however, I'm giving a slight edge to the Cardinals. Their defense will likely limit the Lions' ground game and are the kind of defense which has given Matthew Stafford fits in the past. Expect for them to force some turnovers and to make the most of them on offense to vault them to victory. I'll go with the Cardinals by a field goal. (NOTE: Drew Stanton's wife may be going into labor at any moment, so if Stanton can't start on Sunday due to that and the team is forced to go with rookie quarterback Logan Thomas, I will reverse my pick and take Detroit by 4).
Result: Arizona 14 Detroit 6
Record: 5-7
Game: New England at Indianapolis
Pick: Indianapolis - This game was an honest toss-up for me. Both teams are coming off bye weeks, should be well-rested and prepared for this big battle. With the game being at home, though, I'm going to give the slightest of edges to the Colts. It seems only fitting that Adam Vinatieri beats his old team with a last-second field goal while with the Colts, doesn't it? I'll take Indy by 3.
Result: New England 42 Indianapolis 20
Record: 5-8
Monday
Game: Pittsburgh at Tennessee
Pick: Pittsburgh - How about those Steelers? They're 6-4, with two of their losses coming to teams with the combined record of 3-16 (Tampa Bay and NY Jets). So, yes, I suppose they could have trouble on the road against 2-7 Tennessee. However, for as lousy as their effort was on Sunday against the now 2-8 New York Jets, I have a hard time seeing them play that poorly in back-to-back weeks against sub-par teams. I look for the Steelers to get back on the winning track with a convincing 14-point road victory against the Titans.
Result: Pittsburgh 27 Tennessee 24
Record: 6-8
Week 11 Record: 6-8 (.429)
Overall Record: 98-62-1 (.613)
Game: Buffalo at Miami
Pick: Buffalo - I originally went with Miami at home in this game, but with star tackle Brandon Albert out for the rest of the season for the Dolphins, Ryan Tannehill banged up, and the Bills sporting one of the best, most aggressive defenses in football, I'm going to give them the slight edge in the shortened week. I'll take Buffalo by 3.
Result: Miami 22 Buffalo 9
Record: 0-1
Sunday
Game: Minnesota at Chicago
Pick: Minnesota - I have about as much faith in Chicago right now as an atheist has in a God named Rambo. The Bears have lost three straight games by the combined score of 133-50, and have lost five out of six. They're also 0-3 at home so far this season. Part of me says, "They're due for a win!" however, with as poorly as they've been playing, I'm having a hard time even picking them with that poor logic. The Bears defense is once again awful, and the "strength" (not really) of their offense - their passing attack - will be facing the 4th ranked pass defense in the league in this game. Chicago could very well win this game, but based on what I've seen in recent weeks from the team, I just can't pick them. I'll take the Vikings on the road by a field goal.
Result: Chicago 21 Minnesota 13
Record: 0-2
Game: Houston at Cleveland
Pick: Houston - One has to give credit to the Browns for their dismantling of the Bengals in Cincinnati on Thursday night. However, I think Houston matches up pretty well against Cleveland in this game. Arien Foster should be able to run quite successfully against the below-average Browns rush defense, and on the flip-side, the Texans mediocre rush defense probably won't be hurt as much by the Browns' sub-par rushing attack. I also like the odds when J.J. Watt gets into the face of Brian Hoyer (or just about any other quarterback). I'll take the Texans in the upset by a field goal.
Result: Houston 23 Cleveland 7
Record: 1-2
Game: Seattle at Kansas City
Pick: Seattle - Both teams are playing good football right now. They're both 6-3 and attempting to keep pace with division leaders Denver (7-2) and Arizona (8-1) in the AFC West and NFC West, respectively. For as much as I like how the Chiefs are playing, however, I have a feeling Seattle's defense is coming around, their offense is garnering a better identity, and they're about to get on a serious roll. I'll take the Seahawks by 4. One wild card in this game, however, is Jamal Charles. When teams have had success against Seattle's defense the past couple of years, it's been due to a solid effort on the ground. If Charles carries the ball 20-25 times for over 100 yards, that may be too much for Seattle to overcome, so that's something to keep an eye on as the game progresses.
Result: Kansas City 24 Seattle 20
Record: 1-3
Game: Atlanta at Carolina
Pick: Carolina - It's sad to say, but even though these two teams are a combined 6-11-1 (pending the Monday night game), they're still only a game back in the win column of New Orleans in the NFC South. So, yes, this is actually a big game - probably the worst big game to this point in the season. For as disappointed as I've been in Carolina to this point in the season, however, Atlanta has been notoriously bad on the road, and with their offensive and defensive line problems, I think that will be too much for the Falcons to overcome. Look for Cam Newton to be utilized in the running game more this week. I'll take the Panthers at home by a couple of field goals.
Result: Atlanta 19 Carolina 17
Record: 1-4
Game: Cincinnati at New Orleans
Pick: New Orleans - Just two Thursday nights ago, the New Orleans Saints snapped a 7-game road losing streak with a win over Carolina. This past Sunday, they saw their 11-game home winning streak snapped courtesy of San Francisco. Cincinnati went through a similar such experience this past Thursday night, when they saw their 14-game home winning streak snapped via the Cleveland Browns, a team that has lost 17 consecutive road games against AFC North opponents. Oddly enough, even though they have the better record, this is probably a bigger game for Cincinnati, who is playing in a division (the AFC North) where every team is at least two games over .500. New Orleans, meanwhile, is atop a division (the NFC South) where every team is below .500. In any case, while I can see New Orleans losing at home once, maybe twice during the course of the season, I'm hard-pressed to seeing them lose in the Superdome in back-to-back weeks. I'll take the Saints by a touchdown.
Result: Cincinnati 27 New Orleans 10
Record: 1-5
Game: Tampa Bay at Washington
Pick: Washington - It should help RGIII and Washington's offense click a bit better having had an extra week to prepare for this game. Also, with the game at home and facing a Tampa Bay squad which just seems to find ways to lose week in and week out, I'll take Washington by a touchdown.
Result: Tampa Bay 27 Washington 7
Record: 1-6
Game: Denver at St. Louis
Pick: Denver - St. Louis is a very pesky team and I think they should keep things close until about halftime. However, Denver's offense will be too much in the second half and should be able to pull away in the latter part of the 3rd quarter or so. I'll go with the Broncos by 10.
Result: St. Louis 22 Denver 7
Record: 1-7
Game: San Francisco at NY Giants
Pick: San Francisco - History dictates that West Coast teams don't typically fare well when playing on the East Coast. However, coming off a big win in New Orleans on Sunday to improve to 5-4, the 49ers are close to being in desperation mode and will likely be playing with a certain fight and attitude the Giants won't be able to match. I think it'll probably be closer than a lot of "experts" think, but will take the Niners by 4.
Result: San Francisco 16 NY Giants 10
Record: 2-7
Game: Oakland at San Diego
Pick: San Diego - Even for as poorly as the Chargers have been playing of late, I just can't go with the 0-9 Raiders. I'll take the well-rested Chargers at home by a pair of touchdowns.
Result: San Diego 13 Oakland 6
Record: 3-7
Game: Philadelphia at Green Bay
Pick: Green Bay - I was half-tempted to take the Eagles in this game, but with DeMeco Ryans out for the rest of the year, the game at Lambeau, and Aaron "Relax" Rodgers appearing to be suffering no ill effects from his hamstring strain a couple of weeks ago in the Packers dominating victory Chicago on Sunday night, I'll have to go with Rodgers and the Pack at home by a touchdown.
Result: Green Bay 53 Philadelphia 6
Record: 4-7
Game: Detroit at Arizona
Pick: Arizona - Meet two of the top three teams in the NFC right now (along with Philadelphia if they beat Carolina on Monday night). Arizona has compiled an 8-1 record even while juggling through three quarterbacks, and may now be without Carson Palmer for the rest of the year. Detroit, at 7-2, are coming off three consecutive wins where they were down inside of two minutes to play in the fourth quarter. So, even though it seems most analysts haven't fully bought into these two teams yet, they're just finding ways to win. Regardless of who plays quarterback for them, however, I'm giving a slight edge to the Cardinals. Their defense will likely limit the Lions' ground game and are the kind of defense which has given Matthew Stafford fits in the past. Expect for them to force some turnovers and to make the most of them on offense to vault them to victory. I'll go with the Cardinals by a field goal. (NOTE: Drew Stanton's wife may be going into labor at any moment, so if Stanton can't start on Sunday due to that and the team is forced to go with rookie quarterback Logan Thomas, I will reverse my pick and take Detroit by 4).
Result: Arizona 14 Detroit 6
Record: 5-7
Game: New England at Indianapolis
Pick: Indianapolis - This game was an honest toss-up for me. Both teams are coming off bye weeks, should be well-rested and prepared for this big battle. With the game being at home, though, I'm going to give the slightest of edges to the Colts. It seems only fitting that Adam Vinatieri beats his old team with a last-second field goal while with the Colts, doesn't it? I'll take Indy by 3.
Result: New England 42 Indianapolis 20
Record: 5-8
Monday
Game: Pittsburgh at Tennessee
Pick: Pittsburgh - How about those Steelers? They're 6-4, with two of their losses coming to teams with the combined record of 3-16 (Tampa Bay and NY Jets). So, yes, I suppose they could have trouble on the road against 2-7 Tennessee. However, for as lousy as their effort was on Sunday against the now 2-8 New York Jets, I have a hard time seeing them play that poorly in back-to-back weeks against sub-par teams. I look for the Steelers to get back on the winning track with a convincing 14-point road victory against the Titans.
Result: Pittsburgh 27 Tennessee 24
Record: 6-8
Week 11 Record: 6-8 (.429)
Overall Record: 98-62-1 (.613)
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