Jeff Pasquino
Footballguy
First of all, take these all with a grain of salt.
Secondly, these are for educational purposes only.
Third - I think it is a major mistake to try and predict all games.
My ranking system is based on "Stars", which gauges how strongly I feel about each pick.
So, here they are:
*ONE STAR GAMES*
St. Louis Rams (+9.5) at Baltimore Ravens - (1 star)
Am I crazy for picking an 0-5 team on the road? Quite possibly, but Baltimore's pass defense is not what it used to be. Add in Brian Leonard as a receiver out of the backfield and I think St. Louis can score in the teens. If St. Louis gets 13, do I have enough confidence that the Ravens will score more than 21? Not really, so I think the Rams can at least cover (and part of me thinks this is an upset special.....).
New England Patriots (-5.5) at Dallas Cowboys - (1 star)
Probably the best game on the schedule left this season, and certainly the best AFC/NFC matchup (or Super Bowl preview possibility) on the docket. The Pats score 30+ and the game on MNF for the 'boys was draining, emotionally and physically. NE winning by 6 or more seems more likely than other scenarios, but I'm not in love with this pick.
Washington Redskins and Green Bay Packers - UNDER 40.5 (1 star)
Both defenses are doing very well, and each has one phase of their offense that is sputtering. The skins cannot throw well right now and struggle to find ONE WR a week, let alone two. Green Bay pulls guys out of the stands to be running backs on a weekly basis. 20-17 or 17-13 seems likely.
**TWO STAR GAMES**
Cleveland Browns (-4.5) vs. Miami Dolphins (2 stars)
Don't look now, but there's another team in Ohio that can put up points. Derek Anderson is hitting Braylon Edwards and Kellen Winslow Jr. on a consistent basis. Miami? Well, they can't stop anybody. The Browns by 10 or more.
***THREE STAR GAMES***
Philadelphia Eagles (-3.5) vs. New York Jets (3 stars)
This game scares me, and not because I am an Eagles fan. This is also not a homer pick. What scares me most here is that everything points to the Eagles crushing the Jets. How will they stop Westbrook? What will the Jets do to move the ball? Andy Reid is a perfect 8-0 after the bye week, and his coaching staff knows how to utilize two weeks. The Eagles are a notoriously slow starting team, and Philly needs this game to get back on track.
I also kind of like the over here (42) but I'm not crazy about it.
and finally....
New York Giants (-3.5) vs. Atlanta Falcons (3 stars)
The G-men have their offense in pretty good sync, passing and rushing. The defense is also putting pressure on the opposing QBs, not a good sign for Joey Harrington. Atlanta is also struggling to run, so if faced with pocket pressure, expect the Giants to win the turnover battle and the game as well by 7 or more.
of the Week - Philadelphia
Enjoy.
Secondly, these are for educational purposes only.
Third - I think it is a major mistake to try and predict all games.
My ranking system is based on "Stars", which gauges how strongly I feel about each pick.
So, here they are:
*ONE STAR GAMES*
St. Louis Rams (+9.5) at Baltimore Ravens - (1 star)
Am I crazy for picking an 0-5 team on the road? Quite possibly, but Baltimore's pass defense is not what it used to be. Add in Brian Leonard as a receiver out of the backfield and I think St. Louis can score in the teens. If St. Louis gets 13, do I have enough confidence that the Ravens will score more than 21? Not really, so I think the Rams can at least cover (and part of me thinks this is an upset special.....).
New England Patriots (-5.5) at Dallas Cowboys - (1 star)
Probably the best game on the schedule left this season, and certainly the best AFC/NFC matchup (or Super Bowl preview possibility) on the docket. The Pats score 30+ and the game on MNF for the 'boys was draining, emotionally and physically. NE winning by 6 or more seems more likely than other scenarios, but I'm not in love with this pick.
Washington Redskins and Green Bay Packers - UNDER 40.5 (1 star)
Both defenses are doing very well, and each has one phase of their offense that is sputtering. The skins cannot throw well right now and struggle to find ONE WR a week, let alone two. Green Bay pulls guys out of the stands to be running backs on a weekly basis. 20-17 or 17-13 seems likely.
**TWO STAR GAMES**
Cleveland Browns (-4.5) vs. Miami Dolphins (2 stars)
Don't look now, but there's another team in Ohio that can put up points. Derek Anderson is hitting Braylon Edwards and Kellen Winslow Jr. on a consistent basis. Miami? Well, they can't stop anybody. The Browns by 10 or more.
***THREE STAR GAMES***
Philadelphia Eagles (-3.5) vs. New York Jets (3 stars)
This game scares me, and not because I am an Eagles fan. This is also not a homer pick. What scares me most here is that everything points to the Eagles crushing the Jets. How will they stop Westbrook? What will the Jets do to move the ball? Andy Reid is a perfect 8-0 after the bye week, and his coaching staff knows how to utilize two weeks. The Eagles are a notoriously slow starting team, and Philly needs this game to get back on track.
I also kind of like the over here (42) but I'm not crazy about it.
and finally....
New York Giants (-3.5) vs. Atlanta Falcons (3 stars)
The G-men have their offense in pretty good sync, passing and rushing. The defense is also putting pressure on the opposing QBs, not a good sign for Joey Harrington. Atlanta is also struggling to run, so if faced with pocket pressure, expect the Giants to win the turnover battle and the game as well by 7 or more.

Enjoy.
Last edited by a moderator: