NFL Picks: Week 8

Last Week:
Figgs: 6-7
Joe: 4-9
Nick: 7-6*
Figgs' $ Picks: 0-1
Nick's $ Picks:

Season to Date:
Joe: 47-54-3
Nick: 47-54-3*
Figgs: 37-64-3
Figgs' $ Picks: 7-13*
Nick's $ Picks: 5-8, -4 Schrute Bucks


Thursday Night Football, 8:20
VIKINGS (-6.5) vs. Buccaneers
Figgs: Bucs. What Joe said. Vikes probably win but it should be close either way.
Joe: Bucs; I want to  like this Viking team, and they do keep winning.  But they aren't exactly doing it with much offense.  Tampa has 3 fewer wins than them, but has actually looked more impressive at times, especially offensively.  So, the Vikes may win another game with defense and special teams, but 6.5 is way too much to spot a decent Tampa team, so I'll take the points. 
Nick: Vikes. Thursday night, home game, and Peterson looks GREAT. I think this one could get out of hand, and I'm not talking myself into a team that is worse at all the major offensive positions.


Sunday 1:00 kickoff
BROWNS (+3) vs. Chargers
Figgs: Browns. I don't know any more. Why not.
Joe: Browns; Apparently, we suck again.  But I was destined to suffer punishment every Sunday for some ungodly reason, and damnit, I'm not gonna start picking against us now. 
Nick: Browns. I'm starting to believe in this Weeden fella.

BEARS (-9) vs. Panthers
Figgs: Bears. I don't want to jynx this, but I may have actually been right on a team for once. (Not Carolina, I was way off on them.)
Joe: Bears; The Bears have one of the best defenses in football.  Carolina has one of the worst offenses in football.  The only thing that could get me here is a backdoor cover, a la Monday Night last week (Damn you Detroit with that garbage TD.  You cost be a 2 game swing in the standings with Nick.)
Nick: Bears. Classic backdoor cover game, but I think it's more likely that if this one gets out of hand, then the Panthers will completely collapse.

LIONS (-1) vs. Seahawks
Figgs: Lions. I really should have given up on this team by now. I guess this is why I'm twenty games under .500
Joe: Seahawks; This is a put up or shut up game for Seattle.  They are a better team than Detroit this year.  The Lions looked totally inept offensively on Monday.  And Seattle has the phenominal pass rush, plus a great running game.  So if the only reason they don't win here is because it's on the road, then they might as well just pack in the season now.  It shouldn't be as big of a difference as they make it seem.
Nick: Hawks. The Lions are a great example of fantasy football influencing perception. They just aren't that good, and Seahawks are fairly consistent.

PACKERS (-16) vs. Jaguars
Figgs: Jax. There's no reason the Pack can't cover this, but that's just too many points for me to take.
Joe:Packers; They are rolling on all cylinders now.  As scary as it is to say this, I might have taken the Jags if I knew Gabbert was gonna play.(!)  He actually was impressive last week.  But if there is even a chance that your boy Chad Henne plays, than Green Bay will cover this by halftime. 
Nick: Jags. It's just a ton of points; Green Bay's defense is still lousy, and they could take their foot off of the gas in the second half.

TITANS (-4) vs. Colts
Figgs: Titans. Johnson may have found a little bit left of his 2010 self.
Joe: Colts; I typed Titans in, and then immediately changed it.  I think they win, but if it's this evenly matched, I never like to give over a FG.  So, I take Indy and hope I get "Luck"y.  (Get it?)
Nick: Colts. More than three points? Don't mind if I do!

RAMS (+7) vs. Patriots
Figgs: Pats.
Joe:Pats; They may not be as dominant as I thought they were, but they are still one of the elite teams.  The Rams are improved, but no where near what I consider a strong team.  Plus, good job guys playing a "Home" game in London, England.  I'm sure Posh Spice and Prince William are huge Rams fans. 
Nick: Pats. Shouldn't this be right around 10?

JETS (-1) vs. Dolphins
Figgs: Fish. Another team I was pretty off on. They're not too bad.
Joe: Jets; It seems they are begging us to pick the Jets.  Well, consider me a sucker.
Nick: Dolphins. Is it weird that I find Ryan Tannehill more trustworthy than Sanchize? Sorry, bra.

EAGLES (-1) vs. Falcons
Figgs: ATL. This looks like the most obvious one on the board, which means I'm cleary going to be wrong. Gotta stick with my boys though.
Joe: Eagles; This is a tough one.  Atlanta is very good, but I would still have them behind GB and the Giants in my power rankings, so I figure they have to lose sometime.  This looks like a prime spot.
Nick: Falcons. I could easily be wrong, but I just don't trust the Eagles to give us any consistency week to week.

STEELERS (-5) vs. Redskins
Figgs: Skins. Screw you, pittsburgh.
Joe:Skins; It pisses me off, but that team located off of I-79 is probably gonna make the playoffs.  It sucks because this is one of those teams that looked like they would miss it, but the AFC is very weak this year.  That said, I have no choice but to go with my boy RG3 to dick all over those pricks.
Nick: Skins. C'mon RGIII, give 'em the death blow!

(4:25 kickoffs)
CHIEFS (-1) vs. Raiders
Figgs: Raiders. Brady Quinn is not an NFL starting quarterback, and that's all there is to it.
Joe:Chiefs; I have no clue here, but maybe Manfred Mann will be fired up on the loudspeakers at Arrowhead and will the Chiefs to victory on Sunday. 
Nick: Chiefs. Basically, I think there's a better chance that Jamaal Charles takes this game over than Run DMC.

COWBOYS (+1) vs. Giants
Figgs: NYG.
Joe:Giants; I can't see them losing 2 games to Dallas this year.  They are just way too good for that.  Actually, they showed in San Francisco a few weeks ago that they shouldn't lose to anyone, ever.  But they always are do for several letdowns a season.  This week, against a bitter rival, will not be one of them. 
Nick: Giants. Ladies and gentlemen, the sucker bet of the week! Whatever, I'm in.


Sunday Night Football, 8:20 kickoff
BRONCOS (-6) vs. Saints
Figgs: Saints. Too many points to give to a team that looks like they may finally be hitting their stride.
Joe:Saints; I was gonna take the Donks because it was Peyton going against the Saints poor defense, but that was when I thought the spread would be 2 or 3.  Six is too high for a mediocre AFC team against such a talented NFC offense. 
Nick: Saints. Should be a shootout, and I'll grab the points.


Monday Night Football, 8:30 kickoff
CARDINALS (+7) vs. 49ers
Figgs: Niners.
Joe: Cards?; I have totally given up on them as a contender, but getting a full TD at home against a Niner team that hasn't been very impressive lately?  Why not?
Nick: Niners. That's a lot of points to give, but the Cards' offense is so bad that I have to do it. Heck, San Fran's defense could cover this one on their own.