Week 8: Stally's Week

Even Austen has to admit that Tony Romo is a good QB these days.

Stally: Austen has a weekend full of work, so we'll see if he has time to share his thoughts at some point.  This was a week in which I got all the games I wanted, and it seemed like every time I took a game, Austen had it next on his list.  We'll see if I can benefit from that or if upsets come back to haunt me.

Stally's Eight-Point Pick
@Dallas over Washington

Stally: This is the only game of the week in which I have full confidence.  One of the league's best teams at home against one of the league's worst.  What's not to like?

Austen's Eight-Point Pick
Miami over @Jacksonville

Stally: This is too much confidence on a road team (the Dolphins) that will likely go 8-8 this season.  Don't get me wrong, Jacksonville isn't good, but it did just handily beat another mediocre team, the Browns, at home.  Miami is still the right pick, but not this early.

Stally's Seven-Point Pick
@Kansas City over St. Louis

Stally: The Chiefs tend to play well at home, as proven by their route of a solid New England team, and the Rams enter at 2-4 as one of the league's less inspiring teams.

Austen's Seven-Point Pick
@Cleveland over Oakland

Stally: Even with the 24-6 loss to the Jags, I agree with this much confidence on the Browns.  The Raiders aren't good and shouldn't present a big challenge on the road.

Stally's Six-Point Pick
@Denver over San Diego

Stally: I went with the Broncos at home in the Thursday night game and was rewarded with a 35-21 win.  Denver is now 5-0 at home this year, and 19-2 in three season with Peyton Manning.

Austen's Six-Point Pick
Indianapolis over @Pittsburgh

Stally: I hadn't considered putting this much confidence against Pittsburgh at home, but Austen reminded me that the Steelers did lose to Tampa Bay at home.  I feel like that's a fair rationale to pick against them at any point for the rest of the season.

Stally's Five-Point Pick
Houston over @Tennessee

Stally: The Titans are not a good football team, so picking against them with a Houston team that is decent (not great) seems rationale.

Austen's Five-Point Pick
Green Bay over @New Orleans

Stally: Austen is going with a small upset, but despite their struggles, I still like Drew Brees and the Saints in a big game at the Superdome.

Stally's Four-Point Pick
Seattle over Carolina

Stally: The Seahawks seem to have lost their mojo, but so have the Panthers.  Each of Carolina's three losses have been by at least 18 points, while Seattle hasn't lost a game by more than nine.

Austen's Four-Point Pick
Detroit over Atlanta (in London)

Stally: This is a neutral site game in London, so it's logical to pick the 5-2 team over the 2-5 team as Austen has done.

Stally's Three-Point Pick
@New England over Chicago

Stally: I'll admit as a Patriots fan that I consider this a tough matchup.  I like New England at home against a Bears team that has been inconsistent, but Chicago certainly has the tools to pull off the upset.

Austen's Three-Point Pick
@Arizona over Philadelphia

Stally: I have the Eagles for the upset with one confidence point.  I like what the Cardinals are doing, for sure, but I expect them to hit a few road bumps as the season goes on.  The Eagles are a formidable foe.

Stally's Two-Point Pick
@New York Jets over Buffalo

Stally: I can't believe Austen never took this game.  As I told him in our weekly call, "new rule: it's never inappropriate to take your team against Buffalo."  The Bills have basically no running game, and are going to be led on that front by a guy named Boobie.  Boobie?  Isn't that a high school level nickname?!

Austen's Two-Point Pick
Baltimore over @Cincinnati

Stally: I don't care how many games they win, picking against the Ravens always makes me feel good on the inside.  I'll take the Bengals to play an inspired home game in this one.

Stally's One-Point Pick
Minnesota over @Tampa Bay

Stally: Minnesota has problems scoring points, but Tampa Bay has no problems giving them up.  This could be an opportunity for a Vikings team that's shown flashes of competence this season.