The Crystal Ball - Office Pool Pick’em
Week 2
The first week results are in and something rather strange has occurred. I actually went better against the spread than straight up. This week I went 11 – 5 straight up and a rather remarkable 12 – 4 against the spread. That is certain to end this week so I will just enjoy the feeling.
Please note that these picks are not to be confused with the real business of Football Forecasters and are not recommended picks. Note that I personally do not bet football as anyone who has followed this little feature for any length of time will understand immediately. I participate in a pick’em league and these choices reflect those choices though my final league choices will not be finalized until after these are published. Generally, these are published on Wednesday evenings and are just for amusement value.
Tennessee at Cincinnati – The Bengals defense was not in evidence but they have been missing for a few years now but the offense was absent last week as well. Tennessee has a decent defense and an offense that the Bengal defense can make look good, Titans win 21 – 17.
Buffalo at Jacksonville – The Jaguars offensive line has taken a couple of injury hits and they will need to improve their offensive efficiency to have a chance this week. The Bills looked solid on both sides of the ball and have a tough task this week, Bills win 24 – 21.
Oakland at Kansas City – The Chiefs also had a quarterback injured in last week’s game, the talent fall off is not quite as noticeable as that other guy though. The Raiders offense has to be termed as struggling so points could be hard to come by here, Chiefs win 17 – 10.
Indianapolis at Minnesota – The Colts have to get the offensive line settled in the face the Vikings front seven, not an easy task. The Minnesota running game is their strength they have the ability to wear down Colts defense if they get ahead, Vikings win 27 – 21.
Chicago at Carolina – Chicago looked very good last week but their offense is still suspect and the defense can be dominant if they can stay rested. The Panthers feature the kind of running game by attrition designed to wear down undersized defenders, Panthers win 21 – 14.
Green Bay at Detroit – The Detroit defense really is as bad as it looks. The offense has weapons but suffers from some inconsistency. The Packers defense is likely to generate some take-aways and the offense should have no problems, Packers 28 – 17.
New York Giants at St. Louis – The Giants defense looks like they have not lost a lot despite being down two defensive ends. The Rams secondary was hardly in evidence last week and will have problems again, Giants win 27 – 17.
New Orleans at Washington – The Saints offense needs to be able to field a steady running game but they have big play potential all over the field. The Redskins are going to take a while to get the rhythm of the west coast offense, Saints win 24 – 17.
Atlanta at Tampa Bay – The Atlanta running game may be better than anticipated though they will find themselves up against a different level of competition this week. The Bucs defense will be a lot tougher for Matt Ryan to get a read on, Bucs win 20 – 10.
San Francisco at Seattle – The Seattle receiving corps has been decimated, four receivers down so far, it is hard to figure out who will be on the field this week. San Francisco is working the kinks out of the Martz offense, very slowly, Seahawks win 17 – 10.
New England at New York Jets – This is a game where the view certainly has changed with the injury to Brady. The Jets have the better quarterback now but the better talent is still on the other side of the field, Patriots win 24 – 20.
San Diego at Denver – The Chargers are coming off a last minute loss and an overall poorly played game. Denver is leading the division at the end of week one and get back their best receiver but this is going to be a battle, Chargers win 24 – 20.
Miami at Arizona – The Dolphins are in the midst of a rebuilding effort and are playing hard but need better performances from both lines. Arizona has a lot of offensive play-making ability but their defense is still suspect, Cardinals win 28 – 14.
Baltimore at Houston – Houston was dominated by a very good defensive team in week one and face another quality defense but this time at home. The Baltimore defense is playing at a very high level and will need to be to carry their offense, Texans win 24 –21.
Pittsburgh at Cleveland – The Browns face another quality well-balanced team at home, they have to find a pass rush as their secondary cannot cover indefinitely. The Steelers offensive line play in week one looked solid, Steelers win 28 – 17.
Philadelphia at Dallas – This looks to set the early favorite for the NFC East and perhaps the conference. Both teams looked dominate in their first game, this will likely go to whoever wins the turnover battle, hard to go against the home team, Cowboys 28 – 27.