Sunday, September 21, 2014

Week 3: A Lot of Agreement

Stally: Just a note that it's NASCAR weekend here at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, so I'm going to try to type this about 10 minutes.  We also didn't have time to proof or format.  Sorry.

Austen's Eight Point Pick
@Cincinatti over Tennessee

Austen: The Bengals are seemingly unstoppable at home during the regular season. The Titans simply do not scare anyone on offense or defense. Even a banged up Bengals team should be a massive favorite over the Titans.

Stally: I certainly have the Bengals with a lot of confidence, but not sure I would have kicked them off with the first pick of the day.

Stally's Eight Point Pick
@New England over Oakland

Stally: This is a mismatch for sure, especially in New England.  I'd be shocked to see this one within even two scores.

Austen: I am starting Tom Brady is fantasy football this week, so I have a whole lot of confidence in the Pats winning this one. The Raiders might not win a game on the road all year.

Austen's Seven Point Pick
@New Orleans over Minnesota

Austen: There is no way the Saints start the season 0-3 after being a sleeper to win the Super Bowl. Even without Mark Ingram, they massively out class the Vikings. This is also their first home game of the year, where they tend to dominate.

Stally: As funny as it sounds to put this much confidence on an 0-2 team, I completely agree.  The Vikings looked miserable agains the Patriots in Minnesota last week, they don't stand a chance in the Superdome.

Stally's Seven Point Pick
@Atlanta over Tampa Bay

Stally: I knew Atlanta would win handily, I just hadn't expected them to take a 56-0 lead in doing so.

Austen: After starting the season by losing consecutive game against Derek Anderson and Austin Davis, the Bucs really did not have much of any chance to stop Matty Ice. They did not even come close in the biggest blowout of the 2014 season so far. Now, the Bucs are unquestionably the worst team in the NFL.

Austen's Six Point Pick
Indianapolis over @Jacksonville

Austen: The Jags have rushed for a total of less than 90 yards in two games so far this season. There are 30 players in the NFL that top that amount. A trip to Jacksonville is exactly what the Colts need to turn their losing streak around. Andrew Luck may be the most impressive quarterback so far in the 2014 season.

Stally: Good team vs. bad team.  Easy pick for Austen.

Stally's Six Point Pick
Dallas over @St. Louis

Stally: I don't care that the Rams beat the Bucs by two.  The Bucs trailed 56-0 on Thursday, they're terrible, so are the Rams.  Austen can had the Cowboys all he wants, but they won handily against a poor team on the road last week and will do the same in this one.

Austen: Stally might be in love with Tony Romo and the Cowboys, but this is a horrible team. The defense has outperformed expectations and DeMarco Murray is an absolute beast, but Romo does not look like he has fully recovered from back surgery and Rolando McClain (shockingly Dallas' best defensive player) looks like he is going to miss this game. I'm still sticking with Dallas but the Rams have a very legit shot at winning this game.

Austen's Five Point Pick
@Carolina over Pittsburgh

Austen: Despite starting the season 0-4 in 2013, the Steelers might be worse than they were a year ago. This defense lacks no punch and their offensive line is worse than ever, which is saying a lot. The Panthers on the other hand, have been on fire the start the 2014 season and I see them having their most complete win of the year at home against Pitt.

Stally: Pittsburgh is always a threat to beat anyone, so I don't have as much confidence, but I don't disagree with the sentiment.  Carolina should win this one.

Stally's Five Point Pick
@Philadelphia over Washington

Stally: The Eagles are proving themselves to be the class of NFC East, not that it takes much to do that.  They came back from a 17-0 deficit in Week 1 and beat the Colts on the road on primetime this past Monday.  Kirk Cousins isn't a terrible replacement for RG3, but the Redskins really just aren't very good in general.

Austen: Two weeks into the season, the Eagles might be the worst first half team in the NFL. Yet they have played so well in the second half that they are 2-0. I do not trust the Eagles to do much of anything but if Kirk Cousins comes to town and beats them, this team might be in store for a rough year. The Eagles should win, but do not sleep on the Redskins this week, especially since their defense has allowed the fewest yards in the NFL so far.

Austen's Four Point Pick
Houston over @New York Giants

Austen: Aside from the Bucs, the Giants are the worst team in the NFL (I guess making them the second worst team in the NFL). The Texans have been sneaky good so far this year and look much closer to their 2012 form than 2013 form. I think the Giants are in store for another rough week.

Stally: It is weird how the Texans have been "sneaky good," but it's true.  They were just so terrible last year, that I think we all forgot that they have a lot of good players.

Stally's Four Point Pick
San Diego over @Buffalo

Stally: The Chargers look like contenders this year after beating Seattle.  I think they'll keep rolling against a Buffalo team in need of having its bubble burst.

Austen: I have the Bills in this one. They have massively exceeded expectations and look very solid on both sides of the ball. The Chargers are coming off a huge home win over the Seahawks, which might make them overlook the 2-0 Bills. This is the first time I am saying this in 2014, but the cross country trip usually leads to a loss for the road team.

Austen's Three Point Pick
@Seattle over Denver

Austen: I have no idea when the last time the Seahawks lost two games in the row, but I have to assume it has never happened in the Russell Wilson era. I do not think it will happen this week, especially since the game is in Seattle. The Broncos will be fully motivated to prove the Super Bowl was an anomaly, but the Seahawks have just as much motivation to prove that they have one of the best defenses in the history of the NFL.

Stally: We saw this game in February.  It didn't end well for the Broncos.

Stally's Three Point Pick
Chicago over @New York Jets

Stally: I'm willing to look past the Bears Week 1 loss to the Bills, especially after they beat the 49ers on the road last Sunday night.  They're a better team than the Jets; here's their chance to prove it.

Austen: Chicago is unquestionably the better team, but they were the better team over the Bills and still managed to lose that game in Chicago. With Cutler's top two targets still questionably and the Jets' run defense being on the best in the league, this should be a close game. That being said, I still have the Bears.

Austen's Two Point Pick
@Miami over Kansas City

Austen: I like this pick less now that Jamaal Charles looks to be active. However, that did not help the Chiefs the first two weeks of the season. The Dolphins had a rough game against the Bills last week, but I think they will bounce back against a Chiefs defense that looks nothing like their 2013 team.

Stally: I expected the Dolphins to lose to the Bills, they always seem to struggle in Buffalo.  But, back home in Miami, I agree with this pick completely.

Stally's Two Point Pick
Baltimore over @Cleveland

Stally: I'm not buying into the Browns just yet.  This game will go a long way in determining where these two teams stand, but I just think that the Ravens are a noticeably better team.

Austen: I am going with the Browns in this one. They are playing great defense and Terrance West has been tearing it up for this team, mostly due to a much improved offensive line. The Ravens played well against the Steelers last week, but as I said earlier, they are terrible. The Cleveland home crowd is tough to face, especially for divisional games. 

Austen's One Point Pick
Green Bay over @Detroit

Austen: The Packers are coming off of a feel good win against my poor Jets. The Lions are still not a great team from top to bottom. I like the Packers winning a shootout. Do not watch this game if you like defense, however start all your fantasy players in this one.

Stally: I'm taking the Lions because this game is in Detroit.  I think that gives their offense the ability to put up enough points to win.

Stally's One Point Pick
@Arizona over San Francisco

Stally: I believe in Arizona this year, so I'm going to take them in a small upset at home.

Austen: It is hard for me to take Drew Stanton over the 49ers, but I am doing that as well this week. I think this is the year the 49ers miss out on the playoffs, mostly because they lose games like this one.

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