So about that Colts-Pats game last week. Nice to see it live up to the hype, though it obviously wasn't as high scoring as most people expected. Now, clearly both teams are at the head of the class in the NFL, but this week delivers a very interesting game in the NFC, as the Cowboys head to New York to take on the Giants. New York has won six straight, but most of those victories have come over the worst few teams in the league. The G-Men lost a shootout in Big D earlier this year, and they may very well struggle to contain the explosive Dallas offense again today. Meanwhile, the Titans-Jaguars game may be ugly, but it's pivotal for both teams' playoff chances, as the Jaguars are trying to keep things on course until David Gerrard returns while the Titans are hoping to finally see some growth out of Vince Young. In any case, it should be another interesting week in the NFL.

In the picks department, the crew did another good job last week, with everyone finishing over .500 for the second straight week. Ben continues his Abraham Nunez-like Assault on .500, while David is hot on my heels for the overall lead. And at least John still sends in his picks every week.

As always, picks are against the spread and home teams are bolded.

This Week

Ben: 6-7-1
David: 4-9-1
John: 7-6-1
Zach: 6-7-1

Titans -4.5 vs. Jaguars

Ben: Jaguars. No Albert Haynesworth means Ben is changing his pick. Right.
David: Titans. I don’t know what to think about how these teams match up, so I throw my hands in the air and say take the home team. Wrong.
John: Jaguars. I still don’t buy into Tennessee – I know probably not a smart idea. I like the Jaguars defense to keep this close enough for the cover. Right.
Zach: Jaguars. I was all set to pick the Titans until I saw that Albert Haynesworth is out for the game. Meanwhile, Vince Young is example 126,714 of what can happen when a young athlete is lauded too quickly: yes, the team had a good year last year, but Young wasn't nearly as instrumental in that as the MSM would have you believe. This year, his lack of accuracy and weird motion have turned the Titans passing game into a travesty. While the defense has been stellar, they need Young to grow up, and quick, if they want to make a bit of noise this year. Right.

Chiefs -3 vs. Broncos

Ben: Chiefs. Two teams that are similar in DVOA, but not similar in the standings. No Larry Johnson hurts the Chiefs, but if Kolby Smith is anything he'll probably run wild on Denver's awful front seven. The QB situation for both teams is a mess with Jay Cutler playing with an injury and Damon Huard on a short leash. I'll take the home team. Wrong.
David: Chiefs. Oh, how far we’ve come. Early on, we thought KC would challenge for a top three draft pick. Now, we’re wondering where they’ll go to get creamed in the first round of the playoffs. Has Mike Shanahan used up all his political capital, yet? Wrong.
John: Chiefs. This might be the worst Broncos team I’ve ever seen. Wrong.
Zach: Chiefs. For years, my Seahawks suffered at the hands of the Broncos (also the Chiefs and Raiders, and occasionally the Chargers. They weren't very good most of my life), so it pleases me to see the Ponies in a downward spiral. Hopefully the ensuing crash will wipe out the entire division. Wrong.

Dolphins +3 vs. Bills

Ben: Bills. This is a problem. I'm only at week 10 and am out of creative ways to say the Dolphins suck. Push.
David: Bills. The bad news is the Dolphins have too many needs to become competitive with one good draft, and their coach has already proven seriously incompetent in the player evaluation component of the job, valuing loyalty and personal favors over talent. The good news is— Yeah. Push.
John: Dolphins. Traditionally, Miami beats Buffalo at home. Push.
Zach: Bills. Hey, at least they still have that Will Smith song. Push.

Steelers -10 vs. Browns

Ben: Steelers. The Browns more recent success would lead me to want to take them with this big a line, but they're on the road and facing a far better team than any they've beaten. Cleveland is a great story, but the Steelers are the third best team in the NFL. Wrong.
David: Steelers. Pittsburgh will step on Cleveland’s throat. They’re an equally potent offense, and a much better defense. Take the over, but the Steelers are clicking on offense, and they will win by at least two TDs. Wrong.
John: Browns. I know Pitt is playing well, but so is Cleveland. In the very least you’ll get a backdoor cover. Right.
Zach: Steelers. While the Steelers probably don't scare the Patriots, I think they could give Indy a lot of trouble if they meet up in the playoffs. Boy, those AFC playoffs are going to be something to watch if everything breaks right. Wrong.

Saints -13 vs. Rams

Ben: Saints. I will not pick the Rams this season, no matter how big the line gets. Wrong.
David: Saints. I could repeat my comment from last week. New Orleans is vastly improved from the beginning of the season. I can’t figure out exactly what it is, because Reggie Bush still leaves a lot to be desired as a pure running back. Maybe they changed something with the offensive line. Wrong.
John: Saints. New Orleans is rolling and the Rams play no defense. Their offensive line is also decimated. Wrong.
Zach: Saints. More schadenfreude: The Rams going 0-16 would make just about anything that happens with the Seahawks this year tolerable. Wrong.

Panthers -4 vs. Falcons

Ben: Panthers. Neither team is all that good but I think Joey Harrington stinks far more. Interesting note; I had a choice of going to see this game or the Charlotte Bobcats game. I chose the Bobcats. That's how highly I think of these two teams. Wrong.
David: Panthers. Both teams are a mess, and I realize this means I’m picking Vinny, but I’m slowly coming around to the point of view that Bobby Petrino is in over his head. Yeah, big mess. Wrong.
John: Falcons. Roll the dice on this one. Right.
Zach: Falcons. I pity everyone in the South. Not just because they have to watch this game, but that's a big part of it. Right.

Redskins -2.5 vs. Eagles

Ben: Eagles. Using Football Outsiders' DVOA rankings as a tool for making my picks has sparked me to 19 wins in two weeks. Now here's the problem; do I trust DVOA here, that says the Eagles are playing better than the Skins, even though it always seems to overrate the Eagles? I'll take my chances with it, believing the Eagles usually improve as the season goes along. Right.
David: Redskins. Bad luck for the Iggles, as I can’t see them winning on the road against a team that has shown they can be dominant when they try. Wrong.
John: Redskins. The Eagles just got romped and aren’t playing well. In this NFC East rivalry, go with the home team. Wrong.
Zach: Redskins. The Eagles are on life support, and the Redskins are the greedy children who want their inheritance now. Wrong.

Packers -6 vs. Vikings

Ben: Packers. Insert Minnesota bad QB joke here. Right.
David: Packers. Make it a lock: Purple Jesus will be kept under 200 yards. If the Pack can do that, they’ll force whichever crappy QB the Vikes have out there to beat them. Good times. Right.
John: Packers. A one dimensional Vikings team won’t score on this good Pack D. Look for a monster game out of Brett Favre. Right.
Zach: Packers. Yea, the Purple Jesus hath come, but hath not the strength to oppose the Cheese-sus. That's Brett Favre, dontcha know. Right.

Ravens -3.5 vs. Bengals

Ben: Bengals. Honestly, I'm surprised by this line. The Bengals are not good but the Ravens, despite their record, are a worse team. Plus they have no secondary and if there is one thing Cinci does well, it's throw. Also of note; how can Chad Johnson be hospitalized one week and play the next? Terrible job by the NFL there. Right.
David: Bengals. The Ravens are in disarray. Bring on the Troy Smith era! Hire Mike Singletary as head coach! Right.
John: Bengals. It’s the battle of “no offense” against “no defense”. In this case I’ll take “no defense”. Right.
Zach: Ravens. Yeah, the Ravens looked bad on Monday night, but that game was fluky in a lot of ways. Baltimore is bad, but so are the Bengals, who just went into Buffalo and got handled by an inferior Bills team. Wrong.

Raiders +3.5 vs. Bears

Ben: Raiders. Rex Grossman might see action in this one. Rex Grossman! Plus, even if it's Brian Griese the whole way, the Bears are just plain terrible. Wrong.
David: Bears. Don’t watch. Your sanity is precious. Right.
John: Bears. Oakland is playing real poorly and I think the Bears have a big second half of the season. Right.
Zach: Bears. Not many people talk about it, but Robert Gallery is turning out to be a pretty damn big bust. Which is too bad, because he played an intergalactic pirate in those early NFL Network ads. I'm not sure what that means, exactly, but it was damn funny. Right.

Giants +1.5 vs. Cowboys

Ben: Cowboys. This game has the hype machine behind it, but I am not convinced. The Giants defense is completely reliant on a pass rush which does not show up against teams with decent offensive lines. Dallas has that. I think the Cowboys end up winning this one by two scores. Right.
David: Giants. At home, I think the Jints will pull it out. Eli won’t be the reason, of course. Brandon Jacobs gained more yards on the ground in the month of October than anyone else, and watching Big Blue’s defensive line work is one of life’s little pleasures. Wrong.
John: Cowboys. In the end, this game will come down to which quarterback plays better. In other words advantage Romo. Also – Lawrence Tynes is due to lose a game for Big Blue sooner or later. Right.
Zach: Cowboys. The Giants are a good team, but the Cowboys are a great one. Right.

Cardinals -1.5 vs. Lions

Ben: Lions. In the battle of God's chosen quarterbacks, Jon Kitna looks like the favored son while Robo-Waner looks rusted out. Wrong.
David: Lions. Mike Martz is running the ball a little more now that he’s got Kevin Jones at his disposal. We are through the looking glass, people. Wrong.
John: Lions. I don’t get this spread at all. The Cards over the Lions? Wrong.
Zach: Lions. Another Cardinals loss and it looks even more likely that the Seahawks could win the division at 7-9. Wrong.

Chargers +3.5 vs. Colts

Ben: Colts. The Colts are the second best team in the NFL. The Chargers are the most inconsistent team in the NFL. The Colts handled a better 3-4 attack last week, I'll take them here. Wrong.
David: Colts. The second best team in the game will crush the Bolts. This is a prove-it game for Indy, and San Diego’s coaching staff is woefully overmatched. Wrong.
John: Colts. Indy rebounds big time. The Chargers "resurgence" was a fraud, taking advantage of bad teams. Wrong.
Zach: Colts. Shouldn't even be close. Wrong.

Seahawks -10 vs. 49ers

Ben: Seahawks. In the last five years, Football Outsiders' worst DVOA's are: -56.6%, -50.4%, and -46.1%. The teams owning those marks? 1st- the 2005 Niners. 3rd- the 2004 Niners. And finally in second this year's incarnation of the Niners. If the Patriots are building a dynasty that might be the greatest ever, the Niners are building the anti-dynasty- possibly the worst collection of football teams anyone has ever produced over a five year period. In case you were wondering, the 2006 Niners had a -20.6% DVOA. Like I said, anti-dynasty. Right.
David: Seahawks. This will get ugly quickly. Who the hell approved this game for Monday night? Right.
John: 49ers. The Seahawks shouldn’t be giving this many points against anyone. Wrong.
Zach: Seahawks. Please, please, please let last week be the last time Shaun Alexander starts for this franchise. Look, I appreciate everything he did from 2000-2005, but he's beyond washed-up at this point. Once his one skill (running) went, he didn't even have any of the ancillary RB skills (pass catching, blocking) to fall back on. Mo Morris isn't the long-term answer, but he's a far better option for the team right now, and could give them a year or two to find the next guy. Right.

Last Week

Ben: 10-3-1
David: 11-2-1
John: 7-6-1
Zach: 8-5-1

Season Standings

Zach: 78-56-10
David: 73-61-10
Ben: 64-70-9
John: 55-79-10