Week 9 Picks

Time is short. I'll give you the Pats score in the game preview later today.
Late game picks coming soon ...

Sunday, Nov. 6
Atlanta (5-2) at Miami (3-4), 1 p.m.
Boy, is there going to be a LOT of running in this one. I'm really on the fence here, and for some reason, I'm picking ...
Prediction: Falcons, 21-17

Carolina (5-2) at Tampa Bay (5-2), 1 p.m.
"Cadillac" hasn't been the same since "Chuckie" burned him out and got him injured. Carolina has TWO running backs. (And a quarterback, and a ...)
Prediction: Panthers, 26-13

Cincinnati (6-2) at Baltimore (2-5), 1 p.m.
Balitmore is one of only four teams that has yet to score 100 points this season -- last with 88. Cincinnati is NOT one of the other three. Hey, I concluded the first two picks with an ellipsis, which is ...
Prediction: Bengals, 17-6

Detroit (3-4) at Minnesota (2-5), 1 p.m.
No Moss, no Culpepper. Nothing you could consider a coach. Could it get any worse? Yet, every time I pick against them ...
Prediction: Lions, 24-3

Houston (1-6) at Jacksonville (4-3), 1 p.m.
Think Houston can win 2 in a row? I wonder ...
Prediction: Jaguars, 24-10

Oakland (3-4) at Kansas City (4-3), 1 p.m.
Oakland has been playing pretty well, but ...
Prediction: Chiefs, 38-27

San Diego (4-4) at N.Y. Jets (2-5), 1 p.m.
Please ...
Prediction: Chargers, 34-9

Tennessee (2-6) at Cleveland (2-5), 1 p.m.
The games are about to start ...
Prediction: Browns, 17-14.

Chicago (4-3) at New Orleans (2-6) in Baton Rouge, LA, 4:05 p.m.
You never know which New Orleans team is going to show up; or, when the good one shows up, if they're going to get screwed. They could as easily be 6-2 as 2-6 (although I predicted they'd be 0-8). Chicago is in first place, which indicates just how bad the NFC North really is. Aaron Brooks is far from a great quarterback, but Kyle Orton? Orton hasn't thrown a pass in his last 62 attempts. He's due. New Orleans needs to get hold of their turnover ratio.
Prediction: Saints, 24-13.

N.Y. Giants (5-2) at San Francisco (2-5), 4:05 p.m.
Think SanFran can win two in a row? I guarantee there is absolutely no way New York loses this game. I'll stake my Keurig single-cup coffee brewer on it.
Prediction: Giants, 42-9

Seattle (5-2) at Arizona (2-5), 4:05 p.m.
Seattle has had two weeks to prepare for this game -- not that they'd need it. Geez, not too many good games this week.
Prediction: Seahawks, 33-13.

Pittsburgh (5-2) at Green Bay (1-6), 4:15 p.m.
Pittsburgh has a thousand -- no a million -- injuries. Doesn't matter. The only hope Green Bay has is that Vince Lombardi exhumes himself and brings Curley Lambeau with him.
Prediction: Steelers, 36-24.

Philadelphia (4-3) at Washington (4-3), 8:30 p.m.
I can't say what Terrell Owens deserves to have said about him. If there's something worse than "a cancer", that's a good start. Both teams are 3-0 at home and 1-3 on the road. Both teams have given up four more points than they've scored. You can keep throwing stats at this game all day, and you'll never know what the heck is going on. Possibly the most interesting? Philadelphia has the No. 1 passing offense in the league; Washington has the No. 1 passing defense in the league.
Prediction: Redskins, 23-20

Monday, Nov. 7
Indianapolis at New England, 9 p.m.
Prediction: (Will be posted after game preview is written later today/tonight).

Open date: Buffalo, Dallas, Denver, St. Louis

Prediction: Drew Bledsoe does not get sacked this weekend. (Actually, he might, but it won't appear on a stat sheet.)

Last week: 8-6. Better than bad. Not as good as great.
Season: 65-51. I repeat: This is not against the spread.