There are some tasty contests this week, but Pats v. Bills (Monday Night) isn’t one of them.
The October express got slowed a bit with last week’s 9-5 mark, but I’m perfectly happy with a 39-20 record over the last four weeks–a stretch that raises my season-to-date log to 63-42-2 (.600).
It’s hard to believe, but more than a few teams will hit the halfway mark this week. Getting some free time are Atlanta, Dallas, Tennessee, and the Los Angeles Chargers.
(All games are to be played on Sunday afternoon unless otherwise noted.)
Houston 31, Miami 17 (Thursday night): It has been a long, long time–40 years, in fact–since Houston Oilers’ running back Earl Campbell torched the Dolphins in a memorable Monday Night game. But the Texans wouldn’t need him as they have righted the ship after a slow start. The Dolphins? They are predictably fading.
Jacksonville 23, Philadelphia 20 (at London): After this game, both teams are heading for their bye week. And that makes sense after a London date. There’s more to the comparison, too. Both teams suffered brutal losses at home last week. The difference? The Jaguars play in London every year. That means they’re used to the logistics that go with it. Despite internal dysfunction, that reason’s enough to pick Jacksonville.
Baltimore 26, Carolina 17: One team is 2-0 in Super Bowls. The other is 0-2. I’m sure Steve Smith, Sr. would love to suit up for the Ravens in a game at Charlotte–something he never got to do. But despite a crushing loss to New Orleans, the Ravens look more Super Bowl-ready than do the Panthers.
Pittsburgh 33, Cleveland 10: Yes, the Ravens and Steelers have a healthy rivalry, but it probably doesn’t compare to the back-and-forth between the Browns and Steelers, which is called “The “Turnpike Series.” Pittsburgh is coming off its bye and is clearly a better team. The same-old Browns have resurfaced.
Tampa Bay 20, Cincinnati 16: The Bengals are in a long stretch of mostly home games, but their bye week can’t come soon enough. The team’s strong start is wearing off, and that blowout loss in Kansas City may end up rendering long-term damage. It’s a hunch on my part, but I think the Bucs will get a road win.
Chicago 27, New York Jets 6: Chicago is home again–one week after putting up a game fight against New England. The Jets are coming off a blowout loss to Minnesota at home. This game is one of the easiest picks of the week.
Seattle 30, Detroit 20: This game should be a great quarterback battle between Russell Wilson and Matthew Stafford. The Lions did what they were supposed to do in Miami last week, but Detroit is so schizophrenic. So it’s way too tempting to pick Seattle in this one.
Kansas City 40, Denver 17: Denver came back to life last week in a nationally-televised blowout win over hapless Arizona. But that was the Cardinals and these are the Chiefs. KC will be at home with an eye toward maintaining the solid defensive effort it had against Cincinnati.
New York Giants 24, Washington 16: The NFC East is in a sorry state. But that means division battles have more meaning. The Giants are at home and heading for their bye week. Washington nearly blew a ten-point lead at home to Dallas. Can the Giants fall farther? Not this week, at least.
Indianapolis 19, Oakland 13: One might think the Raiders have the edge here. They’re at home, coming off a bye week. Meanwhile, Indianapolis will be playing its final game before its own idle Sunday. The difference? The Raiders have looked more than hapless. The Colts are coming off a blowout win over Buffalo. I’ll go with Indy.
Arizona 20, San Francisco 15: This certainly would have been a matchup of two young quarterbacks, but Jimmy Garoppolo’s injury took care of that. I’m hesitating on taking the Cardinals, but I will. Arizona has had more rest, and on top of that, their bye is next week.
Los Angeles Rams 33, Green Bay 27: The Packers are back on the field after a week off. As a reward, they go West to take on the league’s only remaining unbeaten team. If any quarterback can show a dogged determination to win a big game, it’s Aaron Rodgers. The problem is that Jared Goff has a more complete team around him. Pick: LAR
New Orleans 27, Minnesota 24 (Sunday night): Can the Vikings pull off another “Minnesota Miracle?” Probably not. New Orleans is coming off a hard-fought win at Baltimore. While I like the Vikings, the Saints are just a little bit better.
New England 45, Buffalo 10 (Monday night): Yowza! The fact that the Patriots are involved saves what would otherwise be an abysmal Monday Night game. Having said that, I’ll predict that even Pats’ fans will call it a night at the half.
