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Stathead Matt's Week 8 NFL Picks
So, after the "Hard Knocks" preseason, the posturing, the smack talk and LaDainian Tomlinson's tatoo, it was hard to see the New York Jets as anything but overrated. What would it take to back up their preseason boasting? A Super Bowl? A perfect season? It was an impossible task. They painted a target on their backs for opposing teams and the media, and nothing would be good enough.
Now it is Week 8. The Jets are 5-1 coming off a bye and are a sloppy season-opening one point loss from being exactly what they claimed they were throughout the "Hard Knocks" season. At what point do we all begrudgingly acknowledge that the Jets are backing their case as best team in the league?
For some, the denial comes from a morality standpoint. (These guys cannot be the best. Santonio Holmes was pinched for substance abuse. They harassed that female reporter. Edwards had that ridiculous DUI in a city choked with taxi cabs. That is not the team that should finish on top.) The record books do not take likability into account. If they did, the Cowboys and Yankees would not have won their championships in the 90s and 00s.
Right now, the best teams in the NFL all play in the AFC. I have the Jets in the "A" group with Pittsburgh. The "A-" group includes New England and Tennessee. The "B" group is Indianapolis, Baltimore and surprise Kansas City. The sneaky looming "C" group is Miami and San Diego.
Miami is out from a playoff standpoint since all their losses have come to the top teams on this list, but they beat all lesser competition. We are still waiting for their ground game to get going. They have the means to move up.
San Diego has defied the odds by having the top offense and defense in the league yet still stuck at 2-5. The law of averages says they have to turn around and breakout, but the law of the score at the end of the game suggests they are missing that extra something that winners have. They are still not a team to count out.
(3-3) Miami Dolphins at
(2-4) Cincinnati Bengals -2.5
(3-4) Jacksonville Jaguars at
(1-5) Dallas Cowboys -6.5
Backing Jon Kitna? It's a spooky Halloween pick!
(4-3) Washington Redskins at
(1-5) Detroit Lions -2.5
(0-6) Buffalo Bills at
(4-2) Kansas City Chiefs -7.5
(1-5) Carolina Panthers at
(3-4) St. Louis Rams -3.5
(4-3) Green Bay Packers at
(5-1) New York Jets -6.5
(2-5) Denver Broncos at
(1-6) San Francisco 49ers -0.5
The last time the 49ers played abroad, they lost to Arizona in Mexico City in 2005. No NFL team should have an international losing streak.
(5-2) Tennessee Titans at
(2-5) San Diego Chargers -3.5
(4-2) Tampa Bay Buccaneers at
(3-3) Arizona Cardinals -3.5
(2-4) Minnesota Vikings at
(5-1) New England Patriots -5.5
(4-2) Seattle Seahawks at
(3-4) Oakland Raiders -2.5
(5-1) Pittsburgh Steelers at
(4-3) New Orleans Saints -0.5
(4-2) Houston Texans at
(4-2) Indianapolis Colts -5.5
Last week: 6-14
Overall: 51-104
Now it is Week 8. The Jets are 5-1 coming off a bye and are a sloppy season-opening one point loss from being exactly what they claimed they were throughout the "Hard Knocks" season. At what point do we all begrudgingly acknowledge that the Jets are backing their case as best team in the league?
For some, the denial comes from a morality standpoint. (These guys cannot be the best. Santonio Holmes was pinched for substance abuse. They harassed that female reporter. Edwards had that ridiculous DUI in a city choked with taxi cabs. That is not the team that should finish on top.) The record books do not take likability into account. If they did, the Cowboys and Yankees would not have won their championships in the 90s and 00s.
Right now, the best teams in the NFL all play in the AFC. I have the Jets in the "A" group with Pittsburgh. The "A-" group includes New England and Tennessee. The "B" group is Indianapolis, Baltimore and surprise Kansas City. The sneaky looming "C" group is Miami and San Diego.
Miami is out from a playoff standpoint since all their losses have come to the top teams on this list, but they beat all lesser competition. We are still waiting for their ground game to get going. They have the means to move up.
San Diego has defied the odds by having the top offense and defense in the league yet still stuck at 2-5. The law of averages says they have to turn around and breakout, but the law of the score at the end of the game suggests they are missing that extra something that winners have. They are still not a team to count out.
(3-3) Miami Dolphins at
(2-4) Cincinnati Bengals -2.5
(3-4) Jacksonville Jaguars at
(1-5) Dallas Cowboys -6.5
Backing Jon Kitna? It's a spooky Halloween pick!
(4-3) Washington Redskins at
(1-5) Detroit Lions -2.5
(0-6) Buffalo Bills at
(4-2) Kansas City Chiefs -7.5
(1-5) Carolina Panthers at
(3-4) St. Louis Rams -3.5
(4-3) Green Bay Packers at
(5-1) New York Jets -6.5
(2-5) Denver Broncos at
(1-6) San Francisco 49ers -0.5
The last time the 49ers played abroad, they lost to Arizona in Mexico City in 2005. No NFL team should have an international losing streak.
(5-2) Tennessee Titans at
(2-5) San Diego Chargers -3.5
(4-2) Tampa Bay Buccaneers at
(3-3) Arizona Cardinals -3.5
(2-4) Minnesota Vikings at
(5-1) New England Patriots -5.5
(4-2) Seattle Seahawks at
(3-4) Oakland Raiders -2.5
(5-1) Pittsburgh Steelers at
(4-3) New Orleans Saints -0.5
(4-2) Houston Texans at
(4-2) Indianapolis Colts -5.5
Last week: 6-14
Overall: 51-104
posted by The Saratogian Sports Staff at
11:56 AM
1 Comments:
The Giants have a bye week???? I guess it's a good Sunday to get the leaves off the lawn.
I agree with many of your pick Stathead, but I think the Texans will snap out of their funk due to everyone in Texas talking about the Cowboys and AL Champion Rangers. They feel ignored.
Also, The Saint's Drew Brees will have a HUGE game because he is my fantasy team starting QB, and my team has a bye week, so I won't get any of the points to count. Finally, Brett Favre will pull a miracle out of his busted ankle ( perhaps he will also have a bloody sock, except it will somehow be purple instead of red) and fire a last second TD to Randy Moss to beat the Pats.
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