It's that time again. Friday. That means I have to make my picks for the 1:00 pm kick offs. It's going to be a little short (and hopefully sweet) as I'm pretty tired. For those who are naturally intrigued as to why this is so; I've just got back in with a brand new exercise bike which I had to carry over my shoulder for about a half mile. Yeah, I'm pretty whacked:
Jets @ Bills -- God bless the Bills for trying but the Jets D is very strong and Sanchez looks far more competent and settled than he did in the pre-season. I can see the Bills pushing Spiller and perhaps making this game a little closer than some might think, but I just don't think Ryan Fitzpatrick can lead his team consistently down the field against this D. Jets win.
Bengals @ Browns -- Another game that might finish closer than people think, but you still have to feel that the Bengals will win this one. I don't see Seneca Wallace or Jake Delhomme picking apart the excellent corner back pairing of Leon Hall and Johnathan Joseph, while I can see Carson Palmer finding some rhythm against the Browns D. Bengals win.
Ravens @ Steelers -- Two great defenses collide and I know a lot of people are picking the Ravens because they feel that Charlie Batch will struggle. Well I think Joe Flacco will struggle too. If that's the case and it comes down to the rushing attacks, then Ray Rice will have a harder time against the "Steel Curtain" than Rashard Mendenhall will have against Ravens unusually bad run defense. Steelers win.
Broncos @ Titans -- The Broncos have been struck lately by injuries to their running backs, which is just about the worst thing that could happen to a team that already struggles to convert yards into points inside the red zone. The Titans D is all kinds of impressive and coupled with the explosive abilities of running back Chris Johnson, I have to give the Titans the edge. Titans win.
Lions @ Packers -- I just cant back the Lions. The Packers narrowly missed beating the Bears as their offense and defense combined to chuck away good opportunities with penalties, but even if they rein themselves in a little against the Lions, that should still be enough to do the job. And the Lions secondary is still terrible. Packers win.
49ers @ Falcons -- Even given the bold change at the offensive coordinator position, the fact remains that Mike Singletary is under the closest scrutiny of any NFL Head Coach right now. A team that should have dominated the NFC West this season is currently 3-0. The Falcons meanwhile are playing very good on both sides of the ball and I see them repeating this form at home. Falcons win.
Panthers @ Saints -- This is precisely the kind of game the Panthers should lose handily but might defy all predictions and break out 25 carries for DeAngelo Williams with another healthy 12-15 carries on top for Jonathan Stewart. The end result will be explosive plays in the running game. But then again, this is the Panthers. The Saints want revenge for last weeks loss to the Falcons and to prove they still rule the NFC South. Saints win.
Seahawks @ Rams -- The Seahawks have been great at home so far, but let's not take away the fact that they needed two big plays in the kicking game to sink an off par San Diego last week. The Rams meanwhile have been surprisingly good at stopping teams from putting up points on them. While they will miss the explosive potential of Steven Jackson in their rushing attack, they still have enough pieces to punish Seattle. I'm taking a leap of faith on this one. Rams win.
So there we have it. I'm actually very confident in most of these picks, except maybe the Panthers @ Saints for the aforementioned reason that the Panthers might just spoil the party by reverting to their heavy rushing attack that they've so far abandoned this season like an unwanted child. But it's week 4 and I think I've got a handle on most teams now. Almost....
Have a great day everyone.
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