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| The SOB boys made some glaring errors in their predictions this week, but that's why they say Any Given Sunday. |
Austen's Seven-Point Pick
@Arizona over San Francisco
Stally: Definitely one of the easiest picks of the year.
Austen: Well it was an easy pick for me to make, but it was not so easy for the Cardinals to win. It took a last second field goal in order for the once dominant Cardinal to knock off possibly the worst team in the NFL. Colin Kaepernick has given life to the 49ers, but that is still no excuse for an Arizona team fighting for their playoff lives.
Stally's Seven-Point Pick
@Baltimore over Cleveland
Stally: There's nothing easier than picking against the Browns on Thursday night to bank a 1-0 start to the week.
Austen: After looking about as good as a team can look without winning a game in the first half of the season, the Browns have headed towards full blown dumpster fire status. They will always be the least talented team on the field, but at least they were fighting earlier in the season. This is going to be the second ever 0-16 team in NFL history.
Austen's Six-Point Pick
Green Bay over @Tennesee
Stally: I don't have as much confidence. These two teams are both right around .500, and while I'm taking the Packers, I don't expect the result to be lopsided.
Austen: Well, this was a big mistake, as the Packers got straight up embarrassed in this one. Aaron Rodgers has not "lost it" but he simply cannot hold up a team with this many flaws. This defense is a total mess, and the Packers' ground game is non existent without Eddie Lacy.
@New England over Seattle
Stally: Seattle just doesn't impress me that much. The offense is poor and won't be able to keep up with Tom Brady at home.
Austen: I had the Patriots in this one, but with very little confidence. Stally went with his homer pick, which typically works out. This time, it did not. The Seahawks pulled off an incredible win on the road and on a short week against the best team in the league coming off a bye. This was a big statement win for Seattle and put the rest of the league on alert: The Seahawks are still the cream of the NFC crop.
Austen's Five-Point Pick
@San Diego over Miami
Stally: I have the Chargers as well but am wary of Miami, who always seems to perform against expectations (for better or worse).
Austen: It took not one, not two, not three, but FOUR (yes four) Philip Rivers interceptions in the fourth quarter alone to sink the Chargers in this one. I got it wrong, but this was a game the Chargers should have won, and very badly needed to win. This all but sinks the Chargers' ever fading playoff hopes and says more about the Chargers ability to find ways to lose games than the Dolphins' ability to find ways to win games. Both of these team will be 7-9 or 8-8 at the end of the season, and on the outside looking in at the playoffs.
@Carolina over Kansas City
Stally: I'm all about the Panthers. They look like a new team since coming out of their bye and I expect that to continue at home.
Austen: I was/am riding the Chiefs (aka I strongly disagreed with Stally on this one). Since starting 1-5 in 2015, no team has won more games than the Chiefs. That is incredible. They play great defense, run the ball, and pass for less than 200 yards. Most importantly, they win games following this 1962 game plan. Nothing flashy, nothing special, just hard nosed football. This is a team that can go to the Super Bowl.
Austen's Four-Point Pick
Atlanta over @Philadelphia
Stally: The Eagles aren't impressing me much right now. I agree with this pick.
Austen: Did I get any of my picks right this week? Wow. I knew the Falcon's defense was bad, but making Ryan Matthews look like Adrain Peterson is impressive, in an impressively terrible sort of way. Matt Ryan had one of his worst games of the year against a very underrated pass defense and could not work his magic in the fourth quarter. The Eagles will continue to perplex me.
Stally's Four-Point Pick
@New Orleans over Denver
Stally: The Broncos are in a tail spin. The offense is immobile and the defense will have trouble slowing down Drew Brees without Aqib Talib at DB.
Austen: Apparently, this was a rough week for both Stally and myself. I thought the Saints were getting back to their winning ways, at least on their home turf. This was a huge win for the Broncos who could not afford to fall further behind the Raiders and Chiefs. The Saints' road to the playoffs gets narrower every week.
Austen's Three-Point Pick
Houston over @Jacksonville
Stally: I think I've picked the Jags more times than not this season and they're 2-6. I'm going with them again though, as they're at home and Brock Osweiler isn't the answer at QB for the Texans.
Austen: What in god's name is wrong with Stally? Why keep picking the Jags? Before the season, I thought the Jags were going to win their division. Then I watched them play football, and man are they terrible. How quickly Blake Bortles has gone from a franchise savior to a franchise anchor. Bortles is a turnover machine and is going to cost the coaching staff and front office their jobs.
Stally's Three-Point Pick
Cincinnati over @New York Giants
Stally: The Bengals have underperformed but are coming off a much needed bye. I expect noticeable improvement and a win.
Austen: Whomp whomp. The Giants are in the heat of the playoff race and the Bengals might wind up with a top 10 draft pick. The Bengals lost too many players on offense. The Giants are getting better every week and look like an all around solid football team. They might not be Super Bowl bound, but they should be fighting for one of those elusive Wild Card spots.
Austen's Two-Point Pick
Dallas over @Pittsburgh
Stally: This will be a great game. I also have Dallas, although not by much.
Austen: While the Steelers put up one heck of a fight in one of the most entertaining games this season (and possibly ever), man oh man did the Cowboys look impressive. Has the NFL ever seen a rookie quarterback and running back look this good year one? Ezekiel Elliot went with the fourth overall pick, but Dak Prescott lasted four rounds! That is unbelievable.
@Tampa Bay over Chicago
Stally: The Bucs will get Doug Martin back at RB and I think that gives them the edge over a Bears team that has struggled to find its true identity.
Austen: Well of course I took the Bears. I thought they were righting the ship after an impressive win over Minnesota, but I guess they just exposed how bad the Vikings really are. Jay Cutler is ineffective, Jordan Howard is banged up, and Alshon Jeffery is suspended. What a difference one week can be.
Austen's One-Point Pick
@Washington over Minnesota
Stally: The Vikings haven't been playing well, but I still think they're good enough to go into Washington and beat a "just ok" Redskins team.
Austen: What did I just say about the Vikings being bad? Oh yea, the Vikings are bad. They made a nice comeback against the Redskins, but then again faltered to close out the game. Blair Walsh's shanks helped the Vikings lose, and helped him become unemployed. With the trade deadline past and no cap space, the Vikings' holes on their sinking ship have no way of being patched. Do not be surprised if the once 6-0 Vikings end up missing the playoffs.
Los Angeles over @New York Jets
Stally: This is the most boring game of the week. The Rams have played better than the Jets this season, so I'll give them the edge in a coin flip.
Austen: Did anyone bother watching this 9-6 snooze-fest? Oh yea, I did. The Jets scored a touchdown and missed a field goal, then scored zero points the rest of the way. The Rams were consistently boring and hung around enough to kick three field goals. This game was so bad that despite the win, the Rams benched starting quarterback Case Keenum for overwhelmed rookie Jared Goff after the game, announcing the start of the "Goff Era." Let's hope for LA's sake that this is better than the "Bradford Era."
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