Last Week: (Dave: 10-6, Gabe: 8-8)
Season: (Dave: 77-93-4, Gabe: 89-81-4)
This Week: (Dave: 1-0, Gabe 0-1)
Bucs (-1) at Redskins
Dave: Bucs - This 'Skins team has given up on Shanahan already. Plus, you have to wonder how much of the locker room sides with recently suspended DT Albert Haynesworth and the raw deal it seems like he's caught under the new regime so far this season. Josh Freeman tears up this weak defense and Tampa wins this one going away. Bucs by 10.
Gabe: Bucs - Josh Freeman and the Bucs know how to do one thing....win. (Thank you Jon Gruden.) The Redskins are a disaster. Dan Snyder needs to stop treating this team like it's a fantasy team and take a page from Bob Craft. Hire great football people to run the team, sign the checks, and sit in your luxury box with your mouth shut. Anyway, the Redskins are done this year. They might not win another game. Bucs by at least a touchdown.
Rams (+9.5) at Saints
Dave: Rams - I still want to see St. Louis stick it to a good team before I give them any traction going towards the playoffs, but I think they are good enough to at least make it a game against a Saints team that should have blown out Cincinnati last week, but ended up hanging on for dear life. New Orleans gets the W here, but I think it's by no more than 4.
Gabe: Rams - I sort of agree with Dave. The Saints are stuck in the middle of a Super Bowl hangover and can't seem to put it together like they did last year. The Rams are on their way up. I think New Orleans is still better, but not ten points better. Saints win, but don't cover.
Packers (-6.5) at Lions
Dave: Packers - Solid opportunity to gain some ground here for my boys. They get a beat up Lions team starting their 3rd string QB, while first place Chicago has to host the best team in football right now in the New England Patriots. There's a chance Green Bay looks ahead to their own matchup with the Pats next week and takes the foot off the gas but the Pack need this one far too much to not throttle a division rival by at least a touchdown. Packers by 13.
Gabe: Packers - I found out this week that Aaron Rodgers really likes Garth Brooks and fancies himself a country musician(Dave: "This saddens me."). I want to make jokes but I just can't think of any right now. How will that affect this week's game? It won't. The Lions are beat up and the Packers need this win to prove they are for real. Packers by at least a touchdown.
Seahawks (+5) at 49ers
Dave: Seahawks - I don't care that they are at home, have we seen ANYTHING from San Fran to justify making them the favorites against anyone other than maybe Carolina, Arizona and Buffalo this season? The Seahawks getting five points against a Frank Gore-less Niners squad that forgot how to score seems like this week's biggest lay-up. 'Hawks by 7.
Gabe: Seahawks - As much as I hate the Seahawks, Dave is right. The Niners are giving the ball to Alex Smith again and they are without Frank Gore. I don't see why they are favored in this game.
Bengals (+9) at Steelers
Dave: Bengals - Tough call here. Steelers are going to win this game, but Cincy has shown the knack to at least go down fighting in their 9 straight losses. Plus, Steelers have the Jets next week and Big Ben is hurting worse than one of his bathroom stall victims. I like the Steelers here, like any sane person would, but only by 6.
Gabe: Steelers - The Steelers, at home, against a division rival, not named the Ravens? Easy pick here. Last week the Steelers and Ravens put on a slugfest. The Bengals have no bite. The Steelers are going to hit them early and often. Steelers win big.
Dolphins (+5.5) at Jets
Dave: Jets - Perfect bounceback game for Gang Green. After getting the shit kicked out of them by New England on national TV Monday night, what better way to get back on track than to go out beat the snot out of a division rival on a downward spiral? I see a big day for the Jets D here, brutalizing Chad Henne and forcing a few turnovers, while Mark Sanchez connects for a few scores and tries to make people in the Big Apple hate him a little less after his no-show on Monday night. Jets by 17.
Gabe: Jets - I feel bad for the Dolphins. The Jets are going to be out to prove something after getting humiliated. Expect big things from the J-E-T-S, especially the defense. Jets win huge.
Giants (-3) at Vikings
Dave: Giants - Shame on any idiot who even remotely bought into another one of Brett Favre's "Will he or won't he play?" injury melodramas. Shame on ESPN for playing this thing up and thanks to Mother Nature for unleashing a blizzard on the Twin Cities and giving Favre an extra day to rest. I want Favre in this game, simply so he can get taken out by this Big Blue pass rush and I can sleep easy knowing Favre's career wasn't ended by former JMU Duke Arthur Moats(yuck!). This is the kind of game the Giants typically blow, but I'm going against the grain and picking Favre to suck a little bit more than Eli will tomorrow night and the Giants edge this one out by 6.
Gabe: Giants - In addition to the travel fiasco, now the Metrodome's roof as collapsed. Who knows where and when or if this game is going to be played. When it finally is played, I too would like to see the Giants finally shelve Brett Favre, although unlike Don Vito Leonardis, I am fine if Arthur Moats (We are the Dukes of JMU!!) ends up being the guy who put the last hit on Favre. Whoever is under center for the Vikes is going to have a long day. The Giants will have some trouble containing AP, but they should be able to nullify the Vikings passing game. So I'll take the Giants, to win by double digits, in a game that will probably end up being played in Zygi Wilf's backyard.
Patriots (-3) at Bears
Dave: Patriots - Almost flirted with picking Chicago and using the reverse jinx to cost the Bears a game I need them to lose. The Bears proved that they aren't completely fraudulent a couple weeks ago by beating Philly, but this Patriots team is a whole different pedigree. Tom Brady is trying to run away with the MVP, Cam Newton-style(side note: Let's quit hating on Cam please and, to the 105 idiots who left him off the Heisman ballot, get off you damn high horses!) and I think Belichick finds a way to neutralize Julius Peppers and the Bears front seven and Brady picks Chicago apart. Also, put me down for two Jay Cutler picks, one taken to the house by Devin McCourtey(Chop Wood!). Pats by 10.
Gabe: Patriots - Chicago is the sexy pick this week that all of the talking haircuts are taking. Well, that shit ain't happening. The Hoodie is in the middle of what might be his best coaching season ever. The Patriots are playing the best football in the NFL. Jay Cutler is going to get the yips and keep the Bears out of striking distance. Pats by 13.
Broncos (-4.5) at Cardinals
Dave: Broncos - Now starting at Quarterback for the Cardinals: John Skelton. Who? Exactly. Broncos by 10.
Gabe: Broncos - The Cardinals would be better of starting Redd Skelton. (Rimshot!) Denver runs away with this one.
Raiders (+4) at Jaguars
Dave: Raiders - Oakland seems to find a way to win the games they should lose and lose the games they should win. This is an example of the latter and my gut feeling says the Raiders aren't going to just go away this season in the AFC West race. I like Oakland here for the upset as I still try to figure out this Jags team.
Gabe: Raiders - I can't figure either of these teams out. I think the possibilities of each team putting up 35 points or forgetting to bring football to play with are equally likely. This game should have Raiders blow-out written all over it, but like Dave said, they usually shit the bed in these situations. I'll take them simply because they are getting points and they are the better team.
Chiefs (+9) at Chargers
Dave: Chiefs - Alot has been made out of Chiefs QB Matt Cassell missing this game after an emergency appendectomy. Remember, when KC upset the Chargers in Week 1, it was with some timely defense, a good night on the ground from Jamaal Charles, and some help from the special teams. Yes, that game was in a monsoon in Arrowhead, but the Chargers aren't as good as their media momentum suggests(as the loss to Oakland last week will attest to). Sure, they owe the Chiefs an ass-whooping, but I have a hard time picking a team that just shit the bed to Oakland that's giving 9 points to a division rival that has a two-game lead in the division and needs this one desperately to clinch. I don't know if the Chiefs sweep, but I think they keep it within a touchdown.
Gabe: Chiefs - Simply put, nine is too many points...way too many. Chiefs all the way.
Eagles (-3) at Cowboys
Dave: Eagles - Eventhough last week should be enough proof to go against my "I'm never picking Dallas again this season" declaration, I'm still not picking the Cowboys here. Jason Garrett clearly did what he could to get Wade Phillips out of the picture and Dallas is obviously responding to the new coach, but Mike Vick is on a warpath as the only legit contender to Brady's claim to the MVP and this Cowboys defense is ripe for the picking. I'll take Philly by 7 in another nationally televised Cowboy embarrassment.
Gabe: Eagles - The Cowboys have no answer for Michael Vick. The Giants did, Justin Tuck, and were still beaten by Philadelphia. Vick continues his dominating play and the Eagles run away with this one. Eagles by 10.
Falcons (-7) at Panthers
Dave: Falcons - Really, oddsmakers? Only 7 points for the best team in the NFC facing the worst team in the NFL? Really? You made San Diego 13 point favorites last week and 9 point favorites this week against division teams that were better than them, record-wise, but Atlanta's not a double digit favorite against a Panthers team that mailed it in months ago? Really? Falcons by 14. I don't think I can like Atlanta more against anyone else this season.
Gabe: Falcons - Yeah, what Dave said.
Browns (+1) at Bills
Dave: Bills- I'm going to go on a limb and say this may be the most entertaining game of the week. Both teams are scrappy. Both teams are playing for nothing but respect. The Bills like to air it out. The Browns like to run it down your throat with the new Mike Alstott, Peyton Hillis. Both defenses are surprisingly decent. I think this will be a back and forth affair and, because the Browns are starting Jake Delhomme, I'll give the edge to the Bills. Bills by 3.
Gabe: Browns - I love the Browns in this game. The Bills will have absolutely no answer for Peyton Hillis. I'll take the Browns for the straight up win.
Ravens (-3) at Texans
Dave: Ravens - We all know Baltimore is winning this one, so here's another fearless prediction: Jon Gruden is going to slurp the Texans like Kate Gosselin in a back room with producers from the Bravo network. Why? Because with Gary Kubiak on the way out and Gruden looking for the right gig(despite what he may say publicly, the man wants to coach. No "great" coach, which Gruden isn't anyway, wants their career to end with a firing), Gruden's going to do all he can to get in the Houston front office's good graces. So expect him to lean heavy on the positives toward Matt Schaub after he throws his third straight pick against an angry Ravens defense. Baltimore by 10.
Gabe: Ravens - They're angry and are going to take it out on Houston. Nuff said. Ravens by at least a touchdown.
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