NFL PICKS: WEEK 4

A few random thoughts from the last week:


1. The Steelers line looks like a sieve against the Eagles and right now shouldn't be on anybody's list as a Superbowl contender.


2. If the Browns and Bengals didn't play each other twice a season the state of Ohio might never have seen an NFL victory this year.


3. Call me crazy but I just can't give the credit to the Titans that they are receiving from the Football experts. I don't know about you but wins against a struggling Jacksonville squad and weak Houston and Cincinnati teams isn't anything to write home about. Let me see them face a team playing good football before I rank them in the top 5.


4. My sleeper teams the Bills and Cardinals are 5-1 (the Tennessee Titans rule applies to the Cardinals though).


5. After gloating last week about my record Karma came back and bit me in the ass with a horrible week. Let's hope I've been forgiven.


On to the Picks!


SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 28

Cleveland Browns at Cincinnati Bengals (-3.5)
This should be known as the 'Toilet Bowl' for the next 5 years just for how awful these teams play. Peter King where is the amazing Carson Palmer that you've been telling us all about? Oh ... there he is lying on his backside again. What's with Derek Anderson? I thought the Brownies had a plethora of young talented QBs. I guess they have one crappy QB and another inexperienced backup. I honestly have no idea who to pick on this one. The Bengals at least made a game out of last week's contest with the Giants. Maybe they'll carry some momentum of not sucking completely.
Bengals -3.5


Minnesota Vikings at Tennessee Titans (-3)
Are the Vikings this year's 2006 Dolphins? You know ... the team they pre-season picked to win the Superbowl only to go like 2-14 or something. I don't think they're that bad but you never know. The Titans D is looking pretty decent even if it has been against a few soft offenses. But anytime you're 3 games into a season and you've only given up 29 points you're doing well. Unless Adrian Peterson can pull off a big day don't look for the Men in Purple to do anything significant with the ball.
Titans -3


Denver Broncos (-9) at Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs better bring their A-game ... better yet they should bring somebody else's A-game ... and a noisy crowd to this contest if they want any type of chance to disrupt the Broncos high scoring offense. Cutler's Crew is putting up an average of 38 points a game and they've needed to because their defense has surrendered an average of 28 points per game. I'm guessing this will go more like their opener when they held the Raiders to 14 points. They'll still throw up about 40 themselves though.
Broncos -9


San Francisco 49er's at New Orleans Saints (-6)
I'm missing something. I've got to be. What does everyone love about the 49'ers this week that makes them believe they'll cover the spread? They've won their last two but one was a pathetic excuse of a game by the Seachickens and the other was against the Lions. Is J.T. O'Sullivan that good? He'll have to prove it before I go ga-ga over the 49er's. The Saints are at home coming off of two tough losses. Their offense looked very good last week albeit in a loss. I like them here.
Saints -6


Arizona Cardinals at New York Jets (-1)
Is there a rule that says you can't pick against your sleeper team? Are they like your adopted team for that season and you stick with them because of your belief that they'll actually make it that year? Or maybe it's pride and you don't want to pick against them because that means you think that you might have been wrong. I really am having issues going against the Jets at the Meadowlands when they're playing a team from the desert. Whatever ... it's not that cold yet!
Cardinals +1


Green Bay Packers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-1.5)
Tampa Bay has the advantage of Mother Nature in this one. Game time temperature should be in the 90's down on the field. I don't know if that will affect the Packers that much this early in the season. Aaron Rodgers looked pretty good against the Cowboys last week in the loss. I'd say number 12 is the Cheesehead jersey to sport around Wisconsin now. I don't know if he can put up big numbers against the Bucs defense though. I think the Bucs can shut him down this week.
Buccaneers -1.5


Atlanta Falcons at Carolina Panthers (-7.5)
One of the biggest surprises for me so far this season is that Matt Ryan is still alive. Not only alive but his Falcons are 2-1. But this is no ordinary defense they're facing. The Julius Peppers led unit has held their opponents to 24, 20, and 17 points this year. Not too shabby considering one of those opponents was the Chargers. I think they'll get to Ryan early and often and they'll have a loud Carolina crowd behind them to make it even more difficult for the Atlanta rookie.
Panthers -7.5


Houston Texans at Jacksonville Jaguars (-7.5)
The Jaguars are obviously the better team here and have been since the Texans came into the league. So maybe somebody can tell me how the Texans are winners of 3 of the last 4 matchups. They always seem to do well in Jacksonville. What gives? The Texans have been completely dismantled by the Titans and the Steelers with Schaub at the helm. I don't think we're going to see them come in and get their first win against the Jags.
Jaguars -7.5


San Diego Chargers (-7) at Oakland Raiders
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA .... wait a second .... last week when I did that both teams had off games and my picks were screwed .... I'll try this again. Please dear god let the Chargers blow out the Raiders!!!! Pleeeeaaaase!!!
Chargers -7


Buffalo Bills (-8) at St. Louis Rams
Let's do the math. The Bills beat the Seachickens 34-10. The Seachickens beat the Rams 37-13. Therefore by the powers of reasoning the Bills should blow out the Rams. The Rams actually have lost by 35, 28, and 24. I really hope the Bills weak game against the Raiders was a fluke. I'm guessing this is a 20 point victory. But I'll cross my fingers so Karma doesn't kill this pick.
Bills -8


Washington Redskins at Dallas Cowboys (-11)
I know Dallas is everyone's favorite team this year but how do you give them 11 against a division rival? Don't tell me because it's at home because the Eagles almost beat them at home. The Redskins are no Eagles but they also aren't 11 points worse than the Cowboys.
Redskins +11


Philadelphia Eagles (-3) at Chicago Bears
This is another 'What does Vegas know that we don't' game. Why are the Eagles only getting 3 against da Bears? Especially after the Eagles D made Tomlin and his offensive coaching staff look retarded. When you've got a QB who's considered a 'Game Manager' going against a quick blitzing defense like Philly has it's another recipe for disaster. Let's hope Mr. Crazy Beard Orton doesn't get killed.
Eagles -3

MONDAY SEPTEMBER 29
Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers (-5.5)
Do you think Tomlin and the Offensive staff learned about screen plays this week? Do you think maybe the offensive line got coached a little? Will Rashard Mendenhall be ready to carry the load without putting the ball on the turf? There's a lot of questions the Steelers needed to address after last week's raping courtesy of Philadelphia (Did Big Ben call a Woman's Crisis center to address his emotional issues after being turned into a prison bitch?). Let's hope they answered a few because the Ravens aren't going to take this lightly. Especially not after the text message Rashar-shar gave them to feed off of. Steeltown will need him to make good on his words. I like the Steelers to win at home. But don't think that they'll cover this spread.
Ravens +5.5

Last Week's Record: 4-12
Season Record: 24-23