Nick's Picks: NFL Week 8

Last Week:

Me: 8-4 (54-43 overall)
AK: 10-3 (52-21)
Lattanzi (back from the dead): 10-3 (54-23)

As I settle in back at the command center after an outstanding couple days at North Bay, I watch the skies darken as we get ready for the white stuff before Halloween.  Snow before Thanksgiving is crazy enough, but before Halloween...yikes!  In any event, if you have to be anywhere tomorrow, be careful.  Down here we should be OK (SHOULD), but always be wary of slick roads and slush. 

Onto the featured part of our program, we would like to welcome Josh back to the fold after a week long hiatus.  I hope the respite was refreshing and reinvigorating.  I have 43 losses...don't worry, you still have half a season to catch up to that.  Let's get to the picks. 

Arizona @ Baltimore-Last week, we all thought Baltimore would decimate an inferior Jacksonville team.  4 mammoth field goals by Josh Scobee later, Baltimore leaves embarassed.  Do you really think they'll let that happen again this week against Arizona at home?  I didn't think so either.  However, the offense did pretty much what I though they would.  The thing is that the defense didn't lateral the ball enough.  Baltimore 22 Arizona 6
Minnesota @ Carolina-For the first time this season, last week I called a Vikings game correctly.  Perhaps this is the beginning of a trend.  Pretty bad thing for them since Cam Newton and Steve Smith will do their thing all over again this week after abusing the Skins secondary last week.  You think the Redskins have bad cover corners?  Carolina Cam is salivating at his prospects.  Carolina 30 Minnesota 21

Jacksonville @ Houston-Jacksonville is feeling pretty good about themselves.  They are fresh off of a huge upset over Baltimore.  Jack Del Rio gets to coach one more week, and Houston is still missing Andre Johnson and Mario Williams.  You know what, Tennessee felt the same way last week...and got bulldozed.  Jacksonville better keep their heads on a swivel. Houston 21 Jacksonville 7

Miami @ New York Giants-Miami is solidly in the Andrew Luck sweepstakes.  What incentives do they really have to win?  None if you ask me.  So they won't.  New York Giants 28 Miami 14

New Orleans @ St. Louis-We've seen this script before.  Bad Rams team matches up with offensively superior team (or defensively superior team and suffered the same result).  New Orleans feasted on a wonded Indy team last week when Brees was pulled in the 3rd quarter.  Expect more of the same.  Now, the question is do I give New Orleans 60?  Nah, can't really predict a defensive score.  New Orleans 52 St. Louis 3

Indianapolis @ Tennessee-Indy has to win, right?  Tennessee is a big favorite, but I feel like the Colts have a lot of pride, unlike the other winless teams in the league.  They know they are the frontrunners for Andrew Luck, but if they are going to win, this is as good a week as any.  This team will not go 0-16.  Doesn't mean they'll find the end zone though.  Indianapolis 15 Tennessee 7

Detroit @ Denver-Is this the start of the inevitably Detroit slide, just in time for the rise of Tebow?  Tebow played so-so at best for 55 minutes last week against a pass rush that did not feature rule-breaker Ndamukong Suh.  Suh would certain love to feed Tebow his face mask.  As far as he's concerned, 15 yards and a $10,000 fine will be so worth it.  Detroit 27 Denver 17

New England @ Pittsburgh-Game of the week to be sure.  This one is very tough to call.  Pittsburgh has kind of been the Jekyll and Hyde team this year as they have had some pretty solid wins only to be overshadowed by really bad losses (and I mean really bad).  New England is not immune to the bad loss department.  Just ask the Buffalo Bills...I mean Toronto Argonauts.  However, at the end of the day, I feel like powerful offense will overpower stout defense.  The Pittsburgh D will eventually tire out in the 2nd half, and that's when the Pats will take over.  This game will be close for at least 3 quarters though.  New England 31 Pittsburgh 13

Cincinnati @ Seattle-Can we just agree that any game that Seattle plays will be the snoozer of the week?  Seattle is 0-1 against teams from Ohio, so I guess that trend will continue.  I thought that only the Maryland Terrapins could lose games 6-3.  Cincinnati 14 Seattle 6

Cleveland @ San Francisco-Cleveland has won a few games, but none of them have been against premier competition, so don't expect the Brownies to be world beaters on the West Coast.  The Niners have spend a lot of time in the Eastern Time Zone this year so far, so I bet they're excited to have one of these 1PM kickoff teams pay them a visit at the Stick.  San Fran rolls.  San Francisco 34 Cleveland 20

Dallas @ Philadelphia-Somewhere out there the referee will invoke a rule where both teams are assessed losses solely because he can do that.  This is one of those games that I hope that happens.  For what it's worth, I think Philly wins, and it will be fairly entertaining.  Dallas beat up on the Rams last week, but who doesn't do that?  Philadelphia 38 Dallas 28

San Diego @ Kansas City-After having been left for dead early in the season, the Chiefs have won a few all of a sudden.  San Diego will show up at Arrowhead on Monday night, smile to themselves thinking that this is a nice story, put their helmets on, and proceed to put Kansas City in its place.  San Diego 37 Kansas City 22

And because we can, here's a bonus pick for you...interleague style!

Washington Redskins (NFL) @ Toronto Argonauts (CFL)-In one of those rare times you get to see an NFL team match up with a CFL team, the Argos will come out strong on Sunday.  BJ Hall and Demario Ballard will be the premier hookup as DeAngelo Hall and OJ Atogwe look to stop it.  Having 2 guys going forward at the line will be at first confusing for the Skins, but Anthony Armstrong and Jabar Gaffney will eventually like the fact that they can get a 15 yard head start at the snap.  Unfortunately, John Beck will get cold feet and check everything down, Rex Grossman still has pneumonia, and the Argos will get all excited. Then the Maple Leafs game will start, Skydome...er...Rogers' Centre...will empty, the Leafs will lose again, and the Redskins will prove why the NFL is so much better than the CFL.