NFL Picks: Week 2

Last Week:
Figgs: 3-13
Joe: 9-7
Nick: 7-9

Season to Date:
Figgs: 3-13
Joe: 9-7
Nick: 7-9
Figgs' $ Picks: 1-3
Nick's $ Picks: 1-3, -4 Schrute Bucks


Thursday Night Football
PACKERS (-5) vs. Bears
Figgs: Bears. Green Bay's defense does not look good at all, and I am fully on the Cutler/Bears bandwagon this year. Pack may get this win in Lambeau, but I like it to stay close. ($ +6)
Joe: Packers.
Nick: Pack. I'm not ready to give up on the Green & Yellow just yet. The Bears played a really weak Indy team on Sunday, while the Packers were beaten up physically at home by a very good Niners squad. This is a must-win game for the Packers, and I'll take the league'sbest quarterback with a tremendous home field advantage. (2 Schrute Bucks)

Sunday 1:00 kickoff
BENGALS (-7) vs. Browns
Figgs: Browns. Cinncy didn't look much better than we did last week. Haden being out really sucks, but Week 2 is a little early to be giving up on us.
Joe: Browns; Last week makes me think this will be another long year. But the defense played well, and I can see this as one of those years where we lose every single game by exactly 1 point.
Nick: Browns. If there's one thing I know about Brandon Weeden since he took over as our starting quarterback, it's that he's never played two lousy games in a row.

GIANTS (-7) vs. Bucs
Figgs: Giants. Not often a winless team is a TD favorite over an undefeated team. NY bounces back this week.
Joe: Giants; Just like Green Bay on Thursday night, the G-men are in desperation mode, since historically only 12% of teams that start 0-2 make the playoffs. That should be enough motivation to fire up the Giants.s
Nick: Bucs. The Giants are still banged up and the Bucs are going to surprise some people this year.

PATRIOTS (-13.5) vs. Cardinals
Figgs: Pats. That big number doesn't scare me one bit. I'd be willing to give another touchdown.
Joe: Patriots; Lock of the week eliminator pick, if you're going straight up. But with the huge spread, not a lock, but I'll still feel comfortable if I get Tom Brady and you get the guy who couldn't beat out Johnny Bones in training camp.
Nick: Pats. Nobody's watching this game unless they live in Boston or Phoenix. Or happen to be fans of those teams living elsewhere. Or have a fantasy interest. Or wagered on the game. Whatever, I started with a strong point.

COLTS (+3) vs. Vikings
Figgs: Vikes. Peterson proved he's 100% last week and has more talent in his torn ACL than the entire Indy team combined.
Joe: Vikings; My toughest game on the board. Two bad teams who both burned me last week. I finally made my decision based on the team that has Adrian Peterson on it.
Nick: Vikes. So Peterson looked very Petersony, in spite of my statement to Figgs, "I really don't like your Peterson pick." Another bullseye. (-1.5, 1 Schrute Buck)

PANTHERS (+2.5) vs. Saints
Figgs: Saints. After last week's poor performance, I may have overrated the Panthers this year. Saints won't start 0-2.
Joe:Panthers; As I said last week, I don't trust the Saints without Payton. There response last week: 40 points allowed in a home loss to RG3 and the Skins. You know who is a similar QB to RG3? Cam Freaking Newton! I'll take my boy and the Cats to send the Saints into that 0-2 hole.
Nick: Saints. I may be proven wrong, but it's really tough for me to pick against Drew Brees against a team that will finish sub-.500, especially if I don't have to give a field goal.

BILLS (-3) vs. Chieves
Figgs: Jills. Speaking of team's I may have overrated...I'll give them one more shot this week at home.
Joe: Bills?; No clue here. Vegas doesn't even know, as they gave it the standard 3 point home spread. I too, will go with the home team. I guess.
Nick: Bills. I may have gone the other way if this was 3.5, but I'll pick the Bills to bounce back at home. They seem to have trouble with the Jets and they still have one of the better home field advantages.

EAGLES (-2.5) vs. Ravens
Figgs: Ravens. This seems like the ultimate trap game, but I'm bitting. Did anyone in Vegas watch these two teams last week? Baltimore looks like a Super Bowl team. ($)
Joe: Ravens; I'm trying not to be the overreacting to Week 1 guy. But even if Philly plays better and Baltimore comes back to earth, I still like the Ravens to win outright here.
Nick: Ravens. Philly's receivers are beat up and although I'll agree that this game is a little "trappy," why are the Eagles favored against what is arguably the best team in the AFC right now? (straight up, 2 Schrute Bucks)

DOLPHINS (+2.5) vs. Raiders
Figgs: Raiders. Haha, the Dolphins.
Joe: Raiders; As long as they have a longsnapper. McFadden looked fantastic last week. Tannehill did not.
Nick: Raiders. Ryan Tannehill has looked so bad that I'm willing to back Carson, giving points on the road, in the classic "west coast to east coast trap game." Yeah, he's been that bad.

JAGUARS (+7) vs. Texans
Figgs: Houston. I went against the Texans last week with a big spread, not gonna make that mistake again.
Joe:Texans; Trendy Super Bowl pick this year. It's hard to tell if they are in the New England/Baltimore league yet when they are playing Ryan Tannehill and Blaine Gabbert, but they very well might be. I like them in this game by at least 2 or 3 TDs.
Nick: Texans. This is a pretty good line. Don't be surprised if the Jags hang around long enough to pull off a sneaky cover.

(4:25 kickoffs)

SEAHAWKS (+3) vs. Cowboys
Figgs: Dallas. The 'Hawks are a much different team at home, but I still thought this would be a few points higher. I'll take the better team.
Joe: Cowboys; Hawks are probably a trendy pick this week since they are good at home and everyone hates Romo. Keep hating, idiots, and I'll keep racking up wins with this guy. If the Boys can win on the road against the defending champs, they can do it against Rusty.
Nick: Seahawks. Seattle has won only 19 games the last 3 seasons, and 13 have been at home. Classic "Cowboys come crashing back to earth" game.

RAMS (+3.5) vs. Redskins
Figgs: Skins. Another one I was really surprised by. If RGIII and go can put up 40 in New Orleans, I don't see the lowly Rams doing any better. ($)
Joe: Skins; I am not jumping on the RG3 bandwagon, I created the bandwagon last September when I said he would win the Heisman and that the Browns should draft him. (Last September, I was laughed at and I knew nothing about football. This September, I'm a freaking genius, man.)
Nick: Skins. I really want to take the Rams, but I think the Skins will be able to control the game on the ground with Alfred Morris. I can't imagine many people are backing the Rams; if they cover, then Vegas is going to clean up.

STEELERS (-5) vs. Jets
Figgs: steelers. The Jets need to do that against a real defense before I become a believer.
Joe: J-E-T-S; If for no other reason to pick them, I'll do it out of spite. Besides, if the Jets feel like giving Marky boy the day off to go surf or whatever, they happen to have a backup QB who owns a playoff victory over the steelers. Just sayin.
Nick: Pittsburgh professional football team. Almost solely because Darrelle Revis is out.

CHARGERS (-6.5) vs. Titans
Figgs: Chargers. Tough call here, no real reason for going with SD.
Joe:Titans; I like the Bolts to win, but I don't like giving the 6.5. I can see a close game until the end, or a 10-13 point game where the Titans score at the end to get the back door cover. Either way, I'll take the dog.
Nick: Titans. I had "Chargers" typed in, but Ryan Mathews probably won't play, and Kenny Britt is coming back. It is easy to forget that the Titans won nine games last year.

(Sunday Night Football)

49ERS (-7) vs. Lions
Figgs: Lions. Niners were even with Baltimore and Denver for the most impressive Week 1 performance for me, and I like them to win at home here, but I think Stafford plays much better and this one comes down to the wire.
Joe:49ers; Most impressive team last week. They have the best defense in football, and quite possibly the best coach (eat your heart out, Pat Shurmur). Lions were unimpressive against a bad Rams team, so I like San Fran, comfortably.
Nick: Niners. I was kicking myself big time for not sticking with my Niners pick last week, so I'm going to make the same mistake twice. The Lions are one-dimensional enought that the league's best defense should be able to at least contain Megatron. (-3, 2 Schrute Bucks)

(Monday Night Football)
FALCONS (-3) vs. Broncos
Figgs: Denver. Looks like I jumped off the ATL bandwagon a little early, but I know better than to go against a healthy Peyton Manning, especially in prime time.
Joe: Broncos; Did it look to anyone else like Peyton Manning missed an entire year? No, not to me either. ATL looked great last week too, but I'm not gonna pick against Peyton until I see a valid reason to do so.
Nick: Falcons. Hey guys, you know that this is Atlanta at home, in prime time right? They've only lost six games at the Georgia Dome in the last four seasons. (-1, 2 Schrute Bucks)