Atlanta at Carolina - What a big divisional showdown! I figured at the beginning of the season that these two teams would be fighting for supremacy in the NFC South. Yet, as it turns out, neither of them are quite as good as I expected, and they both trail the surprising New Orleans Saints in the NFC South. Yet, that is what makes this particular game so intriguing, because if the Saints continue to win, then the loser of this game will likely slide out of relevance in the NFC South divisional race, and will be in danger of not even qualifying for the playoffs. So obviously, neither team wants to lose, making this a must win for both teams. The Panthers looked very good at the start of the season, but have slowed down a bit since then. Atlanta, too, looked good for a while, but they really have majorly slowed down, and looked downright mediocre in two straight losses. The Falcons seem to continue to have problems holding sizable leads, a problem that became glaringly obvious with their collapse in Super Bowl LI, so even if they take a big lead in this one, they might be vulnerable later in the game. And the Panthers, who themselves were a Super Bowl team just two seasons ago, have had their fair share of problems. Carolina has been inconsistent, but they seem to surprise with big wins when they really need them, and I think they will do it again here in this game. My pick: Carolina
Baltimore at Tennessee - Remember in 2000, when this was the big rivalry in the NFL? At the time, the Titans were coming off a crushing Super Bowl loss, and looked ready to dominate that season for a return trip to the Super Bowl, with hopes of reversing the results of the previous big game. And the Titans looked good, especially on defense. Yet, the Ravens had an incredible, virtually untouchable defense themselves, and they wound up beating up on the Titans and ultimately, won the title, crushing my Giants in the big game. That was probably the best defensive team that I have ever seen, even better than the famed 1985 Chicago Bears! Well, this year's Ravens also figured that they might be historically good, although there is little evidence of that thus far. However, they can still be tough on defense, and they will need to be to keep the Titans in check. This game will be played in Tennessee, which will make the Ravens challenge even greater. Yet, they seem to play their best when they have their backs up against the wall, and the Titans have been rather inconsistent themselves, for that matter. So, this game is a tough one to call, as it seems to me it could really go either way. In the end, to pick one winner, it will likely be the Ravens. My pick: Baltimore
Cincinnati at Jacksonville - Both teams have been playing surprisingly well, as of late. The Jaguars figured to struggle, like this season they usually do, but instead, they are enjoying a remarkably successful season! Yet, the Bengals, also, seem to have recovered from a miserable 0-3 start, and are on the edge of becoming relevant again, if they can continue winning. But they have their work cut out for them in northern Florida today. Jax is an unpredictable team, but they generally play tough when they have needed to. And I suspect that they sense an opportunity to really go well ahead in the AFC South race with a win today against the Bengals, who still seem to me inconsistent, and unproven. Being on the road, and likely unable to stop the Jaguars, or even slow their momentum, I see the Jaguars winning this one, perhaps running away with it a bit in the second half. My pick: Jacksonville
Denver at Philadelphia - A battle between two teams that do not play each other too much. The Eagles still look like the best team in the NFL this season so far, while the Broncos are struggling, and increasingly look like a desperate team. And, of course, that can make them dangerous, especially since they have some serious talent. After all, they were Super Bowl champs just two seasons ago, and they have retained at least some of that talent. Plus, we still cannot be sure if Philly is as good as their 7-1 record to this point - the best in the league - would indicate. However, the Eagles do have home field advantage, and they are playing extremely well, so while an upset might happen, it would seem foolish to bet against them in this game. My pick: Philadelphia
Indianapolis at Houston - The Texans lost a tough game at Seattle last week, and seem to be on the edge of disaster. Indeed, if they manage to lose this game to the Colts, they might be there very soon. However, the Texans pushed the Seahawks, Chiefs, and Patriots to the brink in their last three losses, so they are probably a bit better than their 3-4 record would suggest. And they are only one game behind both Jacksonville and Tennessee, so they know they still have a chance. Also, let's face it: the Colts stink. At least without normal starter Andrew Luck, they do. Honestly, there does not appear to be any reason to believe that the Colts can actually win this game, other than the possibility that, yes, on any given Sunday, one team can beat another team. But the Colts have a horrific defense, which is quite possibly the worst in the league. Their offense cannot score anywhere near enough to win many games, either. They have been atrocious on the road, and they have lost three straight games overall. The only two games that Indianapolis have managed to win were against the two remaining winless teams, the Browns and the 49ers, and they barely won those games! So indeed, there does not appear to be any reason to have faith that the Colts can pull off a major upset here. Safe money would be placed on Houston, and the Texans should win convincingly, to boot. My pick: Houston
L.A. Rams at N.Y. Giants - The Giants resume their season this week, taking on the surprisingly tough Rams, who are fighting with everything that they have to keep up with the Seahawks for NFC West supremacy. New York, meanwhile, is either on the verge of accepting this as a disastrous lost season, or perhaps there already. They do not have much to fight for at this point, while L.A. has every reason to believe that they can win, as well as the intensity to get it done. That is why I have to pick them to win this game on the road. My pick: L.A. Rams
Tampa Bay at New Orleans - Well, this is a tough divisional game, but the Saints have some definite advantages. They come in with a ton of momentum, having won five straight, while Tampa Bay has been nothing if not inconsistent so far this season. The Bucs have lost a lot of close games, but still, they are losing, while Brees and the Saints have grown accustomed to winning again. And New Orleans has a dangerous offense that will stretch and test the Bucs defense. Home field advantage should help, and it would be difficult and unwise to go against the Saints entering this game. My pick; New Orleans
Arizona at San Francisco - For better or for worse, the Jimmy Garoppolo era begins now for the 0-8 49ers. San Francisco seemed to have figured that they could hardly do worse than losing all of their games so far this season, so might as well get their quarterback of the future. However, it will take him a while to get used to the players, the system, and being a regular NFL starting quarterback. In the meantime, the Cardinals have not shown any cause for belief that they are a serious playoff contender, and it will be games like this (the ones where they are expected to win) that should decide whether they have a realistic chance to qualify. Arizona is the better team, but San Francisco probably feels that they can win this game. The Cardinals, though, have more to fight for, as the 49ers essentially seem to know that this season, at least, is over, at least in terms of trying to contend. The remainder will be to try and get Garoppolo used to the system, and the pressures that he will face as this team's new starting quarterback. For this week, at least, the Cardinals should benefit from the inexperience, and that is why I figure they should be able to win this game. My pick: Arizona
Washington at Seattle - Washington is teetering on the brink, just trying to grasp onto any opportunity to remain relevant in the NFC East race. But a trip up to Seattle is not going to do them any favors. Washington has struggled especially on offense, and now, they face one of the toughest and stingiest defenses in the league. The Seahawks offense might not look as overwhelming, yet they seem still capable of getting the job done, and should score some points against Washington's flawed defense. If the Sehaawks were playing on the road, it would be tougher to pick them, although probably I still would. But since this game will be hosted by them, it becomes a no-brainer. Sure, an upset could be in the cards, but it does not seem likely going into this one. My pick: Seattle
Kansas City at Dallas - Wow! What a game! This might sound silly to some, but this actually could possibly wind up being a Super Bowl preview. However, Dallas would need to show more consistency, while KC has to avoid the kind of losing streaks that they just recovered from. But the Chiefs seem on the verge of taking the AFC West by the throat, if they can keep winning, and if the other teams keep on losing. As for Dallas, they won the big divisional showdown against Washington last week, and now need to find a way to beat one of the best teams in the league this season this weekend. No small task, but the 'Boys have some serious talent. Remember, they went 13-3 last season, and were the top seed in the entire NFC, and that was for a reason. Home field advantage should help, too. This one is a tough game to call, because both teams are good enough to win, but I have to go with the home team. My pick: Dallas
Sunday Night Football - Oakland at Miami - Man, back in the 1970's and 1980's, this was an unbelievable rivalry between two consistently excellent teams. But that was a long time ago, and now, both of these teams have cooled off significantly in recent decades. Miami has made the playoffs twice in the last decade and a half or so, while the Raiders have made it once since getting slaughtered in Super Bowl XXXVII in January of 2003. Both teams are struggling at this point, with the Raiders having lost five of their last six after a 2-0 start to the season. And Miami is really struggling to keep up in the AFC East, and could be in danger of falling into irrelevance should they lose this game. Oakland, too, could basically become irrelevant (if they are not already there) with a loss, which makes this a very important game, and even a must win, for both teams. The Finns have struggled on offense, while the Raiders have not been good on defense, so both sides there probably feel that this is a chance to get a good game in. Oakland's offense has not looked as potent as they did last season, while the Dolphins defense had been one of the elite units, until the last couple of weeks, when they have looked considerably more vulnerable in giving up a combined 68 points in the last two weeks. Frankly, this game might be more about who screws up the least, rather than who looks the best. But someone is bound to win, surely. My pick: Miami
Monday Night Football - Detroit at Green Bay - This is a must win for both teams, as the Vikings are threatening to pull away in the NFC North. The Packers looked like they were on track to win another division title, but the loss of Aaron Rodgers has obviously derailed that. Now, this team desperately needs a win, because they have not won yet this season without Rodgers in their lineup. But he is no longer going to be there this season, and they have to find a way to win this one. For Detroit, a hot start has cooled off significantly, having dropped three straight games, but this team still has lots of talent. The way I see it, the Lions still have a lot to fight for, and knowing their dismal history at Lambeau Field, probably feel that this is a great chance for another rare win up in Green Bay. They have been better on the road then at home, and that is why I will pick them for the road upset. My pick: Detroit
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