Week Ten Pick-Em

Week Ten Pick-Em

Despite this picture, I'm taking Stafford, Calvin Johnson and the Lions over the Bears (Walter Iooss Jr./SI)

(my picks in CAPS)

Revisited in Italics

Early Games

DETROIT at Chicago
Young Matt Stafford has thrown for 845 yards and 8 touchdowns in the last TWO games. He also has Megatron. They face a team that allows over 28 points a game, and they will get the W.

Detroit only scored 21, but did get the win. 1-0!

SEATTLE at Atlanta
Roddy White returns! Why-- to provide a decoy for Harry Douglas? Atlanta continues its offensive futility against one of the best defenses in the league. I'm predicting 55 rushing yards from S-Jax in the loss.

White grabbed one catch on the day, while Jackson was held to ELEVEN yards. Not even I could have foreseen THAT pitiful output. 2-0! 

Philadelphia at GREEN BAY
Green Bay will look sketchy without Rodgers but will be carried by Eddie Lacy to victory. Foles 275, 3 TDs, and 2 pics in the loss.

Foles threw for over 200 and his 3 TDs, but no pics meant no victory for the Packers. 2-1.

Jacksonville at TENNESSEE
... Don't really have much to say about this game...

Nor do I now. 2-2. 

St. Louis at INDIANAPOLIS
Mark Schlereth called this a "get-right" game for the Colts, and I think they will in the win over the Rams. But if I'm the Colts, I'm more interested in how I measure up against an emerging star, Zach Stacy, than I am with beating a last-place team.

"Get right" the hell out of here if you're telling me you saw this one coming. Colts smashed at home by the Rams and Tayvon Austin. 2-3.

BUFFALO at Pittsburgh
The return of EJ Manuel will go well enough for an ugly win against an ugly team. They may be used to ugly football in Pittsburgh, but this isn't the good kind of ugly.

Correct: "ugly". Incorrect: Steelers win. 2-4.

CINCINNATI at Baltimore
Baltimore has not run the ball well this season, and will not improve their efforts against a stingy Bengals defense. The Ravens defense has not impressed either. Andy Dalton and the Bengals will prove their dominance in the AFC North by showing up the Ravens this Sunday.

The Bengals only proved I know nothing about football. 2-5.

Pryor will make some big plays on Sunday (Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)

Afternoon Games

OAKLAND at New York Giants
Oakland bounces back against a struggling Giants team. Eli goes down while Pryor goes downfield, and Oakland wins on the East Coast for the first time since 2009.

The Raiders furthered that sentiment. 2-6.

Carolina at SAN FRANCISCO
As much as I'd like to see the upset, I see the Niners emerging with the victory on Sunday. I think the Panthers' defense will contain Kaepernick and the run game, but a rested San Francisco team will grind out the win.

The only reason I didn't is because I didn't want to jinx it. Big ups to the Panthers for playing great on the road against the rested 49ers. 2-7.

Houston at ARIZONA
In this week's "feel-good" pick, I'm taking the Cardinals because I "feel good" about them. I haven't thought much about their efforts all year, but they are still 4-4, and at home against a struggling team, I'll give them the benefit of the doubt.

Feelin' good! Or at least better. 3-7!

DENVER at San Diego
San Diego's offense has looked good recently (except when it hasn't), and Denver's defense has been spotty at times. But I see an unimpeded Denver offense and a lot of interceptions as Rivers tries to keep pace with Peyton Manning.

Easy pick, tho it was closer than I expected. SD falls 28-20. 4-7!

Sunday Night

Dallas at NEW ORLEANS
Drew Brees at home against the 31st ranked pass defense in the league? Tony Romo in a nationally televised game with serious playoff implications? The return of DeMarcus Ware will be irrelevant and the Saints will be the brighter stars on Sunday Night Football.

Poor Tony Romo. 5-7!

Monday Night

Miami at TAMPA BAY
Yes, I'm taking the winless Bucs! They have had some close losses this season and played better than I expected last Sunday, even though they blew the game. I see a Dolphins team too distracted by the Jonathan Martin saga, but I don't blame them. Everyone else certainly is.

Bucs won a game! It was sometime in between Tirico interviewing the Dolphins owner about Martin and Lisa Salters asking Philbin about Incognito. So that counts as a win for me. 6-7!