The Doc's Week Four Picks
Let me begin with a simple
statement: I hate the Houston Texans and New York Jets. I've gotten off
to a pretty good start this season, but I'm 0-6 against the
aforementioned teams. That means I'm 29-13 against the rest of the
league (69% for all of you math geeks out there). If Gary Kubiak and Rex
Ryan don't start cooperating with my picks, I'm going to boycott talking
about their teams on this site. Of course, I'm sure the thought of that
will frighten the hell out of them. I can see them now altering game
plans and watching more film out of fear that doctorfootball.com will
discontinue discussing the plights of the Texans and Jets.
Ooooooooooooooooo, scary.
By the way, you'll notice
that I went with the Texans and against the Jets again this week. I
absolutely hate the fact that my Irish/Scottish stubborn side has such a
firm grip on my personality.
Picks appear
in bold.
Oakland at Houston
(-9.5)
This isn't a statement about the Texans as much as it is about the
Raiders. As much as I think they'll be able to move the ball against the
Texans, I think Tom Cable and JaMarcus Russell will figure out a way to
screw it up when they get into the red zone.
Detroit at Chicago
(-10)
I'm not really crazy about this game, but I think the Lions will be
suffering from a bit of a hangover after ending the streak last weekend.
I heard more interviews from players and coaches last week that I had
heard for the previous 19 weeks of the losing streak.
Tennessee (+3) at
Jacksonville
OK, this is the week the Titans get their stuff together. I know that
they haven't played well in the first three weeks, but they're a much
better team than 0-4. I think they'll "get well" against the Jags.
Tampa Bay (+7.5)
at Washington
For the next three weeks, the Redskins will face teams that have not won
a game yet this year (five weeks overall: Rams, at Lions, Buccaneers, at
Panthers, Chiefs). I might take their opponent in every one of them.
Yes, the Redskins are absolutely that bad.
Seattle at
Indianapolis (-10)
Right now, I would take Peyton Manning against an all star team made
up of the 70's Steelers, 80's 49ers, and 90's Cowboys. I don't include
the 00's Pats because they always seemed to have his number. Anyway, the
guy's in a "Jordanesque" zone right now.
New York Giants (-9)
at Kansas City
Are you kidding me? From now on, I'm going to have a "Really, Vegas? I
would take this team if they were 20 point favorites!" game of the week.
Seriously, the question isn't if the Giants will cover, but how quickly.
Baltimore at New
England (-2)
Along with Jets-Saints, this is the game of the week. The Pats
haven't looked good yet this year, but the Ravens are a team that will
be there for the long haul. So, I think they'll respond to the big game,
and don't be surprised if Tom Brady looks his absolute best.
Cincinnati (-5.5)
at Cleveland
The Browns very well might challenge the Lions streak. After watching a
couple of their games, I'm convinced that not only are they terrible,
but they've already quit on their coach. Pathetic.
Buffalo at Miami (PK)
I'm surprised at how quickly Vegas and the bettors have given up on
the Dolphins. I thought they would take a step back this year, but to be
a pick 'em game at home against the Bills? This is definitely my "Pick
of the Week." Well, if I had one.
New York Jets at New
Orleans (-7)
Yep - the Rex Ryan/Mark Sanchez love-fest comes to an end. Although
I'm sure ESPN will figure out a way to keep their latest version of East
Coast Bias rolling along, I just feel like it's time for the rookie
quarterback to play like a rookie quarterback.
Dallas (-3) at
Denver
Denver has rolled to a 3-0 record against three of the bottom 10 teams
in the league (Cincinnati, Cleveland, and Oakland). I admire the jobs
that Josh McDaniels and Kyle Orton have done so far, but I think they'll
struggle against a team that is vastly more athletic and talented than
they are. Hell, even Tony Romo shouldn't be able to screw this up.
St. Louis at San
Francisco (-9)
For 49er fans, the great thing about having Mike Singletary as your
coach is that you never have to worry about your team coming out flat or
playing below their ability. No matter what the talent difference is,
they'll always play hard. In this case, they'll have the edge in both
areas against the Rams.
San Diego (+6.5)
at Pittsburgh
Don't get me wrong, I think the Steelers will answer the bell and win
this one, but I just can't see them doing it convincingly. Last year's
game was one of the best and most physical games of the year and I think
this one will be the same. In addition, trying to cover Vincent Jackson
without Troy Polamalu could be a huge problem.
Green Bay at Minnesota
(-4)
I'll reiterate the thoughts of many of the pundits out there - this
is not a Brett Favre vs. Aaron Rodgers game. This is a
Adrian Peterson vs. Aaron Rodgers game. If Brett Favre is forced to try
and win this one, it won't be pretty for the Vikings. In the end, I
think AD will have more than enough success to put Minnesota over the
top.
Last Week:
11-5
Season: 29-19
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