These are busy times in the world of sports, folks. As such, I’m not going to be offering any personal thoughts this week so we’ll jump right into the picks (I know you all must be terribly disappointed). Almost halfway through the season!
Here we go:
Minnesota vs. Cleveland (London)
With Aaron Rodgers out of the picture in Green Bay, the Vikings have emerged as the clear front-runner in the NFC North thanks to a decent offense boosted by a great defense. The Browns, on the other hand, can’t make up their minds on a quarterback over the course of a game. So there’s that.
Nick’s pick: VIKINGS
Oakland at Buffalo
After finally getting their offense going against the Bucs, the Bills get to face another struggling defense in Oakland. The Raiders are coming off one of their best games of the season, but I’m not sure that Derek Carr has another 400-yard performance in him.
Nick’s pick: BILLS
Indianapolis at Cincinnati
Not much intrigue between two teams who are struggling to do much of anything on offense. The Bengals’ defense has been solid, though, and could hold the feeble Indy offense to single digits. Cincy keeps its slim playoff hopes alive for another week.
Nick’s pick: BENGALS
L.A. Chargers at New England
A sneaky-good matchup due to the fact that there should be a lot of points scored. Tom Brady and Philip Rivers get to square off against less-than-stellar defenses; if you have either QB in your fantasy league, make sure you start them this week.
Nick’s pick: PATRIOTS
Chicago at New Orleans
A lot of people — including myself — wrote off the Saints after a rough start. But with the rest of the NFC South crumbling around them, Drew Brees and company all of a sudden find themselves in the driver’s seat. This should be a good learning experience for Bears rookie Mitchell Trubisky, getting to watch a future Hall-of-Famer as his counterpart.
Nick’s pick: SAINTS
Atlanta at N.Y. Jets
A bizarre schedule quirk has the Falcons playing all four AFC East teams consecutively, and Atlanta will hope to get at least one win after dropping three in a row. This has a chance to be a competitive game, though I think the Jets are starting to find their level.
Nick’s pick: FALCONS
San Francisco at Philadelphia
Probably the most lopsided matchup of the week. San Francisco is coming off an embarrassing blowout to the Cowboys, while the Eagles are the league’s only remaining one-loss team. I don’t foresee many issues for Carson Wentz in this one.
Nick’s pick: EAGLES
Carolina at Tampa Bay
A matchup where something’s gotta give: Tampa’s porous defense squares off against a Panthers offense that was completely inept in a loss to the Bears. If Jameis Winston has a big day, I think the Bucs can get it done at home in a big divisional matchup.
Nick’s pick: BUCCANEERS
Houston at Seattle
Two very familiar-looking teams square off: a pair of playmaking, uber-athletic quarterbacks (Deshaun Watson and Russell Wilson) and two dominant defenses. Even without J.J. Watt, Houston’s front seven could have a big day against Seattle’s weak O-line. If that happens, look for Watson to put some big numbers through the air and on the ground.
Nick’s pick: TEXANS
Dallas at Washington
It seems like every NFC East matchup carries major implications, and this one is no exception. A pair of .500 teams look to gain a step up in the hunt for the playoffs on the strengths of their dangerous offenses. A very tough call, but I’ll go with Washington thanks to the homefield advantage.
Nick’s pick: REDSKINS
Pittsburgh at Detroit
The Steelers are starting to look like the team everyone thought they should be before the season, though surprisingly it’s been the defense that has proven to be the exceptional unit. Detroit also boasts a strong ‘D’, but the offense isn’t where it needs to be.
Nick’s pick: STEELERS
Denver at Kansas City
The Chiefs’ high-flying offense against Von Miller and the ‘No Fly Zone’ secondary ought to be one of the best matchups of the week. The Broncos desperately need a win to keep their season from slipping away, but the Chiefs are primed to recover from an absolutely insane zero-seconds-left loss to the Raiders.
Nick’s pick: CHIEFS
Last week: 11-3
Overall: 53-32
