NFL Picks, Week 7

Week 6 was a crazy week for our picks. Overall, Dave was 8-6 and I was 7-7. We each missed the Pittsburgh line by a point. The Minnesota/Baltimore line was 3.5 and the game was decided by 2 points. Dave was on the right side of that one; I was on the wrong side. I nailed the Atlanta game exactly. Oh, and I took Tennessee to beat the spread against New England. That's the worst prediction I've made since I took the British and gave the points in the American Revolution.

Anyway, Dave leads for the season, 56-34 to 53-37.

On to Week 7...

San Diego (-5) at Kansas City

Gabe: Kansas City - San Diego is not that good. Kansas City is not as bad as their record indicates. This line is too big. I think San Diego wins by a field goal.

Dave: Kansas City - The Chiefs have proven to be scrappier than Doug Christie's wife in the tunnel at Arco Arena so far this season. The Chargers have seem to give up on coach Norv Turner and, while the Chiefs aren't the team they once were, it's still tough to go into Arrowhead and get a W. Chiefs win it outright by a field goal.

Indianapolis (-13.5) at St. Louis

Gabe: Indianapolis - St. Louis is historically bad. Indy is not going to let this game get close. Peyton Manning and his laser rocket arm will have Indy up big early and they stay ahead in one of the least competitive games of the season.

Dave: Indianapolis - The Colts could start Johnny Unitas and still win this game. Look, Peyton Manning's playing like a guy who wants to take the single season TD record back from Tom Brady and against a Rams defense that's softer than cotton, I think he goes for 6 scores in this one. Colts have this one early and Rams coach Steve Spagnoulo flirts with bringing in Albert Pujols to play QB by halftime.

Chicago (pk) at Cincinnati

Gabe: Cincinnati - I think Cincy should be favored in this game. They are at home. Aside from the Houston game they have been playing very well. Chicago has been up and down all year. I think Cincy wins.


Dave: Chicago - Disgruntled players or coaches facing their former team are 3-0 so far this season(Benedict Favre vs. Green Bay, Torry Holt vs. Nellyville, Josh McDaniels vs. The Boston Hoodie), but I think Bengals RB Cedric Benson angered the Karma Gods by running his mouth this week about how the Bears blackballed him upon his release a year ago. Not only that, but the Bengals showed last week that they don't have much pass rush with DE Antwan Odom done for the year and not having a pass rush against Jay Cutler and the Chicago Speed Patrol(Hester, Knox, Bennett....I'm just full of nicknames today!) tends to do more harm than good. Bears pull off the road win and stay in the hunt in the North.


Green Bay (-8.5) at Cleveland

Gabe: Green Bay - Green Bay better win this game by 10 or more. Cleveland is awful. Their best player is now a New York Jet. Green Bay should roll.


Dave: Green Bay - Same rules apply this week as they did last week for the Pack. Significantly inferior opponent, this time made more inferior by half the team contracting swine flu, in a game the Packers need to stay afloat in the NFC North. Packers flirt with back-to-back shutouts, Clay Matthews makes another move towards Defensive ROY, and Rodgers only gets sacked twice. Packers by 20.

Minnesota (+6) at Pittsburgh

Gabe: Minnesota - I think this game is going to be close either direction. I think Pittsburgh is the better team, but the Vikings always keep it close. I think Pittsburgh wins, but by less than six.


Dave: Pittsburgh - Call it bitterness if you want but I'm buying the Vikings more as a team of fortune than a team of skill. They nearly blew a 13 point lead to Green Bay a few weeks ago, despite notching nearly 100 sacks and forcing two turnovers(and Benedict Favre suddenly finding The Fountian of Juice, er, Youth). They beat San Fran on a lucky fling into the end zone. They escaped Baltimore last week thanks to a shanked field goal in the closing seconds after the Ravens were down 14 in the 4th quarter. Eventually, that good fortune has to wear off. They'll be playing without top corner Antione Winfield against a Steelers' O that can beat through the air or on the ground(Also, newsflash to all the experts slurping the Vikings D, you can move the ball on these guys. Aaron Rodgers nearly went for 400 yards on them, despite only have 3 offensive linemen!) Steelers win this one big.

New England (-14.5) vs. Tampa Bay (in London)

Gabe: New England - Tampa Bay sucks anywhere on U.S. soil. Now they have to travel across the pond to England. Forget it. New England flirts with the shutout again and wins huge.


Dave: New England - Here's a better bet to place.....imagine the spread of the Pats facing the Tampa Bay Lightning or the Tampa Bay Rays or, shit, even the University of Central Florida....I'd say all those teams make it closer than the Bucs will against Brady's Bunch in The House That Ringo Built. Patriots don't get the shutout but win this one going away.

San Francisco (+3) at Houston

Gabe: Houston - Houston's problem at the beginning of the year was run defense. Well, over the last three games they have given up only 45 yards per game on the ground, second best in the league during that span. Frank Gore will test them, but I don't think he will be enough. The 49ers are 20th in the league in pass defense. Houston's pass offense ranks 3rd in the NFL. (If you read the brilliance that is the Houston Texans page at www.sportstalkbuzz.com you'd know all of this already.) This is a classic case of weakness vs. strength. Houston wins by 10.


Dave: San Francisco - It took all of two weeks for the Niners to submissively bend over to Michael Crabtree by giving him the starting job after he sat and pouted for months over his contract. Certainly, that could anger the Karma Gods, but the Texans have a tendency to shit the bed in games they should win(the Jags game comes to mind) and the Niners need this one pretty bad to hold on to their first place tie in the West. Niners are coming off a bye and I think The Inconvenient Truth puts a dent in the #2 run defense. Niners pull off the road win by 6.

N.Y. Jets (-6) at Oakland

Gabe: Oakland - Last week the Raiders came together and beat the Eagles. That was no fluke. Sure, they were helped by Andy Reid's run, run, run, punt offense, but their defense played very well. The Jets started hot but are now coming back to earth. I think the Jets' slide continues and the Raiders, despite being an organizational disaster, build on last week and get the outright win in my...wait for it...Upset Special!!!


Dave: Jets - I told you, I'm not cosigning JaMarcus Russell. Not even after he showed a pulse in a big upset of the Eagles last week. Not even after Big Fat Kris Jenkins was carted off and put on IR, killing the Jets' run defense. Not after The Sanchize morphed into John David Booty against the Bills. The loss of Jenkins is going to hurt the Jets at some point, but guess what, the Raiders can't run the ball. If Darren McFadden was a go in this one, I'd bite the bullet and take Dead Al's boys, but he's not and I think Mark Sanchez knows the backlash from the NY media if he loses here.

Buffalo (+7) at Carolina

Gabe: Buffalo - Ugh. I wouldn't watch this game if it were being played in my backyard. I'm taking Buffalo simply because seven is too many points either way. Whoever wins will do so by 3.
Dave: Buffalo - I have to agree with Gabe on this one, 7 points is too much for a team that is absolutely terrified to throw the ball. Panthers get their Clipse on and grind it out with D-Will and The Daily Show and Steve Smith starts punching out teammates by halftime. Panthers by 3.

New Orleans (-6) at Miami

Gabe: New Orleans - No one can stop New Orleans and Drew "MFin" Brees right now. Miami's defense is not that good and the Saints defense is much better than it has been lately. The Saints continue to roll and win by at least a touchdown.


Dave: New Orleans - This has all the makings of a trap game. Dolphins are solid defensively, have a tricky gimmick offense and their at home. That being said, the Saints have Drew "Motherfuckin'" Brees(my mother told me to always cuss for emphasis)! The Saints are solid defensively as well and I think this could be a good week for the other half of the Bush N' Tush combo to bust out(Reggie or Kim K, whichever you choose). Saints by 10, with 3 TDs by Drew Breeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeees.......THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKIN' ABOUT!

Atlanta (+4) at Dallas

Gabe: Dallas - The Cowboys still have a lot to prove and they need to start winning games to keep pace in the NFC. The 'Boys are coming off a bye so they are rested. Because they are at home I'm taking them to win by a touchdown.


Dave: Atlanta - Lest we forget, this is a Cowboys team that needed overtime to beat the Chiefs. The Falcons have the better quarterback, better receivers and arguably, the better running back. The defenses are about similar unless DeMarcus Ware stops reading the Carlos Zambrano Book of How To Perform When Seeking A New Contract and starts providing a pass rush for Dallas. Look, I'll believe the Cowboys can beat a good team when they actually do it. 'Til then, I like the Falcons by 10. Three picks for Romo.

Arizona (+7) at N.Y. Giants

Gabe: New York - The Giants will be at home looking to bounce back from their embarrassing loss last week. They are angry and will be motivated. The G-Men's pass rush always harasses Kurt Warner. I think Old Man Warner gets beat up and the Giants win big.

Dave: New York - Weather will probably turn this game into a run-fest as neither Warner or Eli can really throw into the wind. At press time, the weather report looks like it will be about 40 degrees and windy at Giants Stadium. I like the combo of Jacobs and Bradshaw over Hightower and Weenie Wells. Giants barely cover, win by 9.

Philadelphia (-7) at Washington

Gabe: Philadelphia - This is a division game, so we know both teams should be jacked to play. Philly will also be angry over losing last week to Oakland, so they will be coming out snorting. We all know how bad Washington is on the field and what a mess they are in the organization. Philly wins by 10.

Dave: Philadelphia - Really? I have to explain this one? I'll put it this way: I'd take Robin Givens in a fight over Mike Tyson before I take the Redskins over ANYONE.