STRAIGHT PICK-EM

LAST WEEK RECORD: (10-4)

Last week we got bloody with some of our upset specials prevailing with the Cardinals over the Falcons. We even impressed our selves with the Texans over the Bengals pick.

SEASON RECORD: (91-59)

Still looking to win our first pot of the year in our local family/friends pool.

WEEK 11

THE THURSDAY NIGHT GAME

CINCINNATI BENGALS (5-4) AT BALTIMORE RAVENS (7-3)

Both teams last week fell to unexpected teams. Were they overlooking those match ups thinking of this Thursday night division show down? On a short week, Bengals will be another week without their other star receiver, Tee Higgins. The Bengals have been winning before the loss to the Texans but not as crisp and easy like it has been. The Ravens have played solid football on both sides of the ball. I like Lamar Jackson gashing this Bengals walking wounded defense with big plays. The Ravens defense, the best in the league, can slow down this Bengals offense that is not clicking on all cylinders. Bengals are all talk no walk this season. Ravens sweep the series.

OUR PICK: RAVENS

THE SUNDAY SLATE

DALLAS COWBOYS (6-3) AT CAROLINA PANTHERS (1-8)

The easiest game to pick this week is this match up that has blow out written all over it. Imagine being the fans of Carolina who have a bad season and being in line to have the number one draft pick that is not yours. It’s the Bears who the Panthers lost to last Thursday. The Cowboys feast on bad teams as they enjoy Panther meat in a big fashion right before Thanksgiving.

OUR PICK: COWBOYS

PITTSBURGH STEELERS (6-3) AT CLEVELAND BROWNS(6-3)

I hate when bad things happen to such good people as poor old Deshaun Watson is out with a shoulder injury. That shoulder will need multiple massages to get it back to working condition. Maybe the Texans know some girls. How is Pittsburgh winning these games? Defense, running the ball, and quietly in the thick of things. The Browns defense is still very solid. The Browns will be trotting out their rookie quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson to fill the rapist’s shoes.

The Browns defense and their running game will keep this a close game. In Robinson’s first start of the year, he threw three interceptions & completed just over 50% of his passes. I just can’t see a rookie with limited experience picking apart this Steeler defense.

OUR PICK: STEELERS

CHICAGO BEARS (3-7) AT DETROIT LIONS (7-2)

Justin Fields will be back behind center for this match up with the Lions team that has a roar unlike several decades of no courage. This will not be the battle between two teams hovering at the bottom of the NFC North division standings, fighting not to be in the basement of the division. Fields has a big test on his hands and starts with the Lions. Is Fields the future QB of this team going into next season? The Bears have played better. This Lions team can bite you several different ways. Lions will stay king of the jungle in the NFC North as their defense takes care of rusty Fields and can prepare themselves for turkey day on Thursday, bringing Bear legs to gnaw on as an appetizer.

OUR PICK: LIONS

LA CHARGERS (4-5) AT GREEN BAY PACKERS(3-6)

The Chargers at Lambeau Field just sounds odd. Both the Packers and Chargers need a win as their seasons are in jeopardy of not making the post-season. The Packers can probably have nice production out of their offense with the Chargers’ suspect defense. Right now in Green Bay, no bad weather has hit the Midwest. Which quarterback in this one will get the job done: Justin Herbert or Jordan Love? I can’t see Love matching scores with Herbert all day. Chargers lost a close one last week and scored off a better defense than the Packers in LA versus the Lions.

OUR PICK: CHARGERS

ARIZONA CARDINALS (2-8) AT HOUSTON TEXANS (5-4)

After watching Clayton Tune behind center getting back Kyler Murray, if you are a Cardinals fan, you must have been ecstatic. Murray gets the win in his season debut. The Texans’ CJ Stroud rookie quarterback is walking on water right now. The talk is the Texans can get back to the playoffs. The Cardinals have stayed competitive in most all of their games so this one could be a close affair. I have to ride the hotter hand in Stroud and the Texans. They have more fire power on offense and their defense can make some plays and stops when needed. When players come off long injuries, the first game can be good like Murray did versus the Falcons. But the second game could be a struggle just adapting to the feeling after your first game in over a year.

OUR PICK: TEXANS

TENNESSEE TITANS (3-6) AT JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (6-3)

This will be the third road game in a row for the Titans. The Titans are 0-5 this season on the road. Meanwhile Jacksonville came crashing back down to earth with a very motivated 49er team that came in and put the Denver boot on the Jaguars offense.

The Jaguars’ loss ended their five game winning streak. I feel the Titans are the perfect team for the Jaguars to cut off the boot and find their game on the offensive side of the ball. The Titans defense is not even close to being in the tier of defenses in the league. Will Levis has not thrown a touchdown pass in the last two games and last week only completed under 50% of his passes. The Jaguars defense should be able to handle that kind of completion percentage.

OUR PICK: JAGUARS

LAS VEGAS RAIDERS (5-5) AT MIAMI DOLPHINS (6-3)

The resurgence of the silver and black have won two straight since they cut off their killer mole on the back of their neck called a Josh McDaniels in medical terms. The Dolphins come off their bye week after touring Germany in their loss to the Chiefs. The Raiders wins have been against a bad Giants team and a Jets team that has a bad offense. I love to see the Raiders upset the Dolphins here. I think the Raiders will be able to generate some points. I just can’t see the Raiders defense containing that Miami offense. Miami is at home. Miami does very well with 500 teams and teams with losing records, and are rested.

OUR PICK: DOLPHINS

NEW YORK GIANTS (2-8) AT WASHINGTON COMMANDERS (4-6)

Last year in this match up, both teams were fighting to get into the playoffs. This year both the Commanders and Giants are waving the French flag. The Giants are a mess and it starts with their quarterback situation which is worse than Oscar the Grouch’s trash can. The Commanders actually have played well after they sent some of their bigger names on their defense packing.

Sam Howell may be the quarterback sacked the most times in the NFL this season. Howell has turned into a keeper for the Commanders this season. Howell is completing 66% of his passes and has 17 touchdown passes going into week 11. In his first full year under center, Howell has earned a look beyond this season and hopes the team can get him some protection with offensive line help. I like Howell having a big game against this Giants team.

OUR PICK: COMMANDERS

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS(4-5) AT SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (6-3)

The Buccaneers had a rare win last week breaking a long losing streak. The 49ers broke a long losing streak beating up on a good Jacksonville team. This is not a good game for the Buccaneers. First the flight to the west coast. The 49ers defense trumps anything great that Baker Mayfield has left in the tank by this point of the season. The 49ers resurrected themselves after losing three straight. That defense with the Chase Young addition looks Superbowl bound. After the Buccaneers lost, the bright side is this team will still be in the playoff hunt playing in a very bad division. The 49ers win big.

OUR PICK: 49ERS

NEW YORK JETS (4-5) AT BUFFALO BILLS (5-5)

The Jets offense is struggling. The Bills offense is not struggling like the Jets but has been sputtering. The Bills fired their offensive coordinator after last week’s loss to the Broncos. The Jets players are foaming at the mouth dealing with Zach Wilson as their quarterback. The Bills should have won the first match up after they knocked out Aaron Rodgers. Wilson has won against the Bills, maybe the only team he can beat twice. The Jets defense usually gives Josh Allen fits. Allen is the problem repeatedly making stupid mistakes against teams with multiple turnovers that result in losses. This is a must win for both teams to keep their playoff hopes alive in a log jam in the AFC. I think Bills come to life because of the firing of Ken Dorsey. I think the offense is simplified and Allen thrives and doesn’t make the mistakes he’s been making, as the Bills live for another week with the grind of the schedule waiting in the wings.

OUR PICK: BILLS

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS(6-3) AT LA RAMS (3-6)

The Rams have lost three straight games. The Seahawks found a win at home versus the Commanders in a close battle. Matthew Stafford is back behind center for the Rams, a team coming off their bye week. The Seahawks lost to the Rams in week one. The Rams play better with Stafford behind center so this will be a tight contest. These teams and coaches know each other very well being in the same division. It’s a road game for Seattle, but at the same time it’s tough to sweep a team twice when you know each other very well. I think the Seahawks defense is the X-factor as they force a rusty Stafford who has that gunslinger mentality, into a few mistakes that cost the Rams the game.

OUR PICK: SEAHAWKS

THE SUNDAY NIGHT GAME

MINNESOTA VIKINGS (6-4) AT DENVER BRONCOS (4-5)

Several weeks ago you would have said this match up is a flop. TERRIBLE!!!

The Vikings have won 5 straight. The Broncos have won 3 straight. Joshua Dobbs came to Minnesota in a trade from Arizona. Russell Wilson has found his old glory from the Seahawks games. Both defenses suddenly improved. Remember the Dolphins putting over 70 points on this same Broncos defense? Both quarterbacks can use their legs to make things happen on the run. The Vikings are winning without their superstar receiver, Justin Jefferson. Who do you pick on a game like this? I don’t trust the Broncos kicker because in a close game last week, Denver had miscues on special teams which can haunt them in a close affair. I like Dobbs living The Natural story of Roy Hobbs. The question is where did he come from. The Browns are probably regretting trading Dobbs away with Deshaun Watson out for the season. Vikings thrived in close games last year, so why not another one.

OUR PICK: VIKINGS

THE MONDAY NIGHT GAME

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (8-1) AT KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (7-2)

This may be the best Monday night we have had in years – a rematch of last year’s Superbowl. WOW!!! Another epic showdown of the Kelce brothers. Winner gets Taylor Swift.

Wouldn’t it be cool if Jason Kelce was dating Sheryl Crow? Everyday is a winding road and it leads to Kansas City where the match up is set. Both teams come off their bye week. Andy Reid coming off his bye week has done very well over his career as he was head coach of the Eagles before arriving in Kansas City. This match up has the QB superpowers with Patrick Mahomes versus Jalen Hurts. The Eagles have the Tush push while Mahomes can razzle and dazzle you with his escape ability from the pocket. The Chiefs have their best defense since Mahomes has been in a Chiefs uniform. I think the Eagles will plot a better way not to let Travios Kelce beat them. The Chiefs defense has improved this year, but the Kansas City offense is not having its best year of Mahomes’ career. I like the Eagles defense in that match-up. The Eagles offense will score the right amount to win a close one on the road in an epic game overall. No comebacks this time for the Philly special…..

OUR PICK: EAGLES