Dallas really needs Miles Austin to play like a top receiver. The offense looks completely different when Austin is playing to his ability.
Pick 'Ems:
Falcons at Eagles: Andy Reid played the scapegoat-Juan-Castillo card he's been holding in his back pocket for a while. Despite apparently running the same stuff over and over, the 12th ranked Eagles defense does not seem to be the source of the team's biggest problems. At 3-3, they're still in the thick of it in a competitive division. Atlanta sits at 6-0 but has looked vulnerable for three straight games. They are not playing like a team that will go undefeated deep into the season. This game's more dangerous than it ought to be for them, but I still pick the Falcons.
Raiders at Chiefs: The battle for the bottom of the worst division in football. Oakland was getting carved up by the 32-ranked Jaguars offense before Blaine Gabbert left the game, while Kansas City worked an extra week of preparation in over the bye. The last game Brady Quinn played in and won was in 2009, against, hey, Kansas City. I... can't pick Brady Quinn to win. I just can't. Raiders
Seahawks at Lions: If Seattle had a better offense, they would be a serious threat in the league right now. Their 5th rated defense is slowed by a 30th rated offense, which alternates between competent and stalled week to week, with their rookie QB at the helm (if only they had sought out a "franchise" QB in the offseason...). Detroit comes off a Monday night game in which their offense was completely shut down. As good as the Seattle defense is, I think it will be hard to hold the Lions down for two straight weeks like that, and I don't know if the Seattle offense will keep up. Lions.
Patriots vs. Rams (at Wembley): After losing to Seattle, it took the Patriots overtime to take down the Jets in week 7. Meanwhile, the Rams put up a reasonably competitive performance against the Packers, but were ultimately outgunned. Good news for St. Louis: Danny Amendola has returned to practice, though it is uncertain if he will play in this particular game. Jeff Fisher described Amendola as "limited participation" at this point. St. Louis desperately needs their most productive receiver back in the fold. Their surprisingly potent defense has kept them competitive, but the top-ranked Patriots offense will be too much for them.
And our die roll game...
Giants at Cowboys: The smallest remaining point spread game, with the Giants two-point favorites over Big D at home. Oh, the wailing there is to be heard on Texas sports radio. Romo is completing passes left and right, with a 67.9% completion percentage, but his 9 INTs mean he's completing passes to the other team almost as frequently. Eli Manning, meanwhile, continues to make a fool of everyone that laughed at his "elite" comment last year. Maybe it's the power of positive thinking, because it was right after that comment that he started backing up the talk, and he's yet to fall off. We're on the cusp of having to admit that Eli is indeed an elite, tier one QB, and not just riding a hot streak. He's still a bit too INT-happy (7 so far this year), but that's about the only legitimate knock to his game right now. Eli has about 4 or 5 prime years ahead of him. This is the time when he'll fully write his place in the history books, be it a great QB or a very good footnote. At any rate, Dallas sucks, Giants for the win.
Last week's results:
Fedaykin wrote:
Jeez, I'm picking the same teams as Legion this week. Terrible, right?
Except you picked the Panthers instead of the Cowboys like I did. And that's why you're not 5-0 this week!
*Legion*: 5-0
Atras: 5-0
billt721: 5-0
Gumbie: 5-0
Jasonofindy: 5-0
Jayhawker: 5-0
kaostheory: 5-0
Kush15: 5-0
oldmanscene24: 5-0
sheared: 5-0
thejustinbot: 5-0
Xeknos: 5-0
ODDSMAKERS: 5-0
bighoppa: 4-1
Enix: 4-1
Fedaykin98: 4-1
lostlobster: 4-1
McFinn: 4-1
MilkmanDanimal: 4-1
peedmyself: 4-1
sr_malo: 4-1
Stele: 4-1
TheGameguru: 4-1
Zaque: 4-1
AnimeJ: 3-2
Certis: 3-2 (back to normal)
fangblackbone: 3-2
iaintgotnopants: 3-2
karmajay: 3-2
LeapingGnome: 3-2
mudbunny: 3-2
TempestBlayze: 3-2
ukickmydog: 3-2
boogle: 2-3
Elliottx: 2-3
Jolly Bill: 2-3
tboon: 2-3
FSeven: 0-5
garion333: 0-5
Minase: 0-5
muraii: 0-5
Paleocon: 0-5
Secret Asian Man: 0-5
willhouse4078: 0-5
ZellbrigeN26: 0-5
Season totals:
Jayhawker: 25-8
sheared: 23-10
ODDSMAKERS: 22-11
*Legion*: 21-12
Kush15: 21-12
Xeknos: 21-12
TheGameguru: 21-12
Stele: 20-13
Certis: 20-13
LeapingGnome: 20-13
Jasonofindy: 19-14
thejustinbot: 19-14
McFinn: 19-14
Jolly Bill: 19-14
tboon: 19-14
kaostheory: 18-15
lostlobster: 18-15
Zaque: 18-15
AnimeJ: 18-15
iaintgotnopants: 18-15
karmajay: 18-15
Elliottx: 18-15
Gumbie: 17-16
bighoppa: 17-16
MilkmanDanimal: 17-16
fangblackbone: 17-16
Fedaykin98: 16-17
Atras: 15-18
billt721: 15-18
oldmanscene24: 15-18
Enix: 15-18
peedmyself: 15-18
boogle: 15-18
ZellbrigeN26: 15-18
garion333: 14-19
ukickmydog: 13-20
mudbunny: 12-21
TempestBlayze: 12-21
Paleocon: 10-23
Secret Asian Man: 9-24
Minase: 8-25
muraii: 8-25
willhouse4078: 8-25
sr_malo: 5-28
FSeven: 4-29
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