NFL Picks Week 8

Tally for week 7:

Peter King: 9-5 (60-44, a .577 win percentage)
Andrew Hamm: 7-7 (54-50, .519)
George Washington: 9-5 (49-55, .471)
Greyson's Dad: 10-4 (63-41, .606)
Rick Olson: 9-5 (55-35, .611)

This week's games, to the tune of Avenged Sevenfold:



Buffalo Bills (0-6) at Kansas City Chiefs (4-2)

• Peter: Chiefs. Words I never thought I'd write about a Bills-Chiefs game in 2010: The only game Sunday featuring a matchup between two top-10-rated quarterbacks in the NFL is Buffalo (Ryan Fitzpatrick) versus Kansas City (Matt Cassel). Harvard guy versus the USC benchwarmer. Fitzpatrick is second (102.0), Cassel ninth (91.5).
• Andrew: Chiefs. Come on, dude.
• George: Chiefs.
• Ryan: Chiefs.
  
• Rick: Chiefs. The Bills will keep it close. but the Chiefs will make it to 5-2.

Jacksonville Jaguars (3-4) at Dallas Cowboys (1-5)

• Peter: Cowboys. Speaking of coaches who might have a lot of time on their hands in 10 weeks, this game matches two of them. Good-guy Jon Kitna might not have started a game since the Bush Administration, but he'll have enough help from some good receivers to plow under the Jags.
• Andrew: Cowboys. The Cowboys will rally around Jon Kitna and start winning games, precisely because it makes absolutely no sense.
• George: Cowboys.
• Ryan: Jaguars.
  
• Rick: Cowboys. Let the Kitna era reign!

Carolina Panthers (1-5) at St. Louis Rams (3-4)

• Peter: Panthers. Two reasons. Matt Moore threw for 308 yards against a bad Niners team last week, showing he can play competently when he doesn't have the weight of the world on his shoulders. And Carolina finally rushed the passer.
• Andrew: Rams. Raise your hand if you thought the Rams would be at .500 at mid-season. Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?
• George: Rams.
• Ryan: Rams.
  
• Rick: Rams. If Jackson plays for the Rams, they should have no problems here.

Washington Redskins (4-3) at Detroit Lions (1-5)

• Peter: Lions. I don't trust Washington to score. I trust Detroit, even though Matthew Stafford hasn't played since Week 1, to score more.
• Andrew: Redskins. This is the week. This is the moment the Redskins franchise turns the corner from the misery of the past 15 years and shows that they have learned how to be a functional NFL organization. Not necessarily a "winning" team; I still see them finishing the season 8-8. But they should kill the Lions, and they will. I'm putting my fantasy money where my mouth is, starting Cooley, Gano, and even Anthony Armstrong. Besides, they've had their beat-down-by-a-massively-inferior-team meltown already this season against the Rams.
• George: Redskins.
• Ryan: Redskins.
  
• Rick: Lions. Let's see what Washington does two weeks in a row. Upset City.

Miami Dolphins (3-3) at Cincinnati Bengals (2-4)

• Peter: Dolphins. The strangest streak in the league continues. Miami can't lose on the road, can't win at home. If my call is right, the Fins will be 0-3 home, 4-0 away. If you've got Davone Bess on your fantasy team, I've got a hunch Dan Henning will be calling his number in the fourth quarter, and Chad Henne will find him a couple of times underneath coverage. Doesn't help the Bengals that Pacman Jones just went on IR. He'd have been nettlesome on Bess.
• Andrew: Bengals. This is my hunch upset of the week.
• George: Dolphins.
• Ryan: Dolphins.
  
• Rick: Dolphins. Because I don't know what to think of the Bengals anymore this year.

Denver Broncons (2-5) vs. San Francisco 49ers (1-6)

• Peter: Broncons. We've exported to London two teams with a combined 3-11 record. (Wouldn't Vandelay Industries be a better exporter to England right now?) One team is coming off, arguably, the worst performance in franchise history; Denver allowed 59 points to a previously 2-4 team playing lousy on offense. The other team is starting a quarterback, Troy Smith, who just started practicing 49ers plays with his team. Pick the winner out of a hat. I'll take the team with the better quarterback, thank you.
• Andrew: Broncons. Oh, London, I am so sorry that this is what we sent you this year. I'm completely done picking the 49ers. The meat thermometer has popped: Mike Singletary has popped.
• George: Broncons.
• Ryan: Broncons.
  
• Rick: Broncos. I feel bad for all of London for having these two teams as their NFL game for the year.

Green Bay Packers (4-3) at New York Jets (5-1)

• Peter: Jets. Jets have 45 takeaways in Rex Ryan's 22 games as coach. The Pack has turned it over 13 times this year, and Mike McCarthy's concerned. "Our giveaways are way too high. Our turnover ratio is minus-1. That's not where we want to be,'' McCarthy said this week. Green Bay is beat-up too, and New York is coming off the bye. Rested.
• Andrew: Jets. Green Bay is too beat up to do more than make a fight of it. The NFC North is bedlam.
• George: Packers.
• Ryan: Jets.
  
• Rick: Jets. This may be the game where the throw at all costs Packers lose Rodgers to injury.

Tennessee Titans (5-2) at San Diego Chargers (2-5)

• Peter: Titans. The strangest season in recent years continues. The Chargers can't be first in the NFL in total offense and total defense, and they can't have outscored their opposition in seven games by a combined 28 ... and be 2-5. Can they? They can given their turnovers. They can also be 2-6 if the no-name Tennessee pass-rush bugs Philip Rivers as much as I think it will.
• Andrew: Titans. Norv, Norv, Norv.
• George: Titans.
• Ryan: Chargers.
  
• Rick: Titans. Can the Chargers REALLY be 2-6? Yes.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-2) at Arizona Cardinals (3-3)

• Peter: Cardinals. "We're the best team in the NFC,'' Raheem Morris said the other day. "Yeah, I said it.'' I guess that's some sort of motivational thing, but it's hard to make a statement like that when, in the two games against big-time opposition (Steelers, Saints), you lost by 25 points each time. I'm not big fan of these Cards either. Might be time to bench Tim (Fumbleitis) Hightower and give the ball to Beanie Wells 20 times or more.
• Andrew: Cardinals. Upset of the week #2.
• George: Cardinals.
• Ryan: Buccaneers.
• Rick: Cardinals. I have no idea why. Just a hunch.

Minnesota Vikings (2-4) at New England Patriots (5-1)

• Peter: Patriots. I say Brett Favre plays, and I say Tom Brady plays better.
• Andrew: Patriots. Favre starts, Jackson finishes. Brady finishes the Vikings' season.
• George: Patriots.
• Ryan: Patriots.
  
• Rick: Patriots. Favre will play. When he plays hurt, he forces WAY too much

Seattle Seahawks (4-2) at Oakland Raiders (3-4)

• Peter: Raiders. What a beatdown of the Broncos. Totally unexpected, at least to me -- and the Raiders did it with their three top receivers hurt. This is going to come down to one of the league's hottest backs, Darren McFadden, denting a surprisingly strong run defense (Seattle's allowing a Steeler-like 3.3 yards per carry) enough to win. I say he can.
• Andrew: Raiders. Raise your hand if you thought the Raiders would be at .500 at mid-season. Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?
• George: Raiders.
• Ryan: Raiders.
  
• Rick: Raiders. Was last week in Denver a fluke? Probably at least a little bit, but they should still beat the Hawks.

Pittsburgh Steelers (5-1) at New Orleans Saints (4-3)

• Peter: Steelers. Halloween night in New Orleans. National TV. Michaels and Collinsworth. Feisty crowd. Very loud. Steelers without one of their five most valuable players, defensive end Aaron Smith. Saints are reeling and have to have it. Tough one to call. If I thought Reggie Bush were going to play and be near 100 percent healthy, I'd go with the Saints. But he's not and I can't.
• Andrew: Saints.  The Steelers' D is a fast-zombie nightmare. But I just can't see the Saints at 4-4 midseason. I have to believe that Brees's leadership trumps Rapistberger's.
• George: Steelers.
• Ryan: Steelers.
  
• Rick: Saints. Drew Brees is going to right the ship in a must-win.

Houston Texans (4-2) at Indianapolis Colts (4-2)

• Peter: Colts. This game will provide another reason you can't discuss the first-half MVP of this season without including Peyton Manning.
• Andrew: Colts. Bigtime revenge game.
• George: Texans.
• Ryan: Colts.
  
• Rick: Texans. The Texans show that their Week 1 victory was no fluke.