2017 NFL Picks: Week 10

Last week was a brutal one. We saw our beloved Broncos drop four straight games in that horrible show against the Eagles. The cold weather sweeping the Rocky Mountains seems to have also swept over our team from Denver. Meanwhile, the Patriots are rolling and come to town.

In divisional news, I suppose if you stretch reality, the Broncos are “still in the hunt”, but if you take a broad look at the AFC as a conference, the Broncos rank #14 of 16 teams in playoff positioning. Right there should sober a lot of fans up to the harsh reality that if the Broncos don’t somehow win the AFCW, they will miss the playoffs because a wildcard is simply out of the realm of possibility, and the AFCW likely is as well if our current level of play continues.

Last Week: 7-6
Overall: 84-51

Seattle Seahawks (5-3) at Arizona Cardinals (4-4) NFLN 6:25pm TNF
The Seahawks got stunned last week at home, which always puts a smile on my face, and the Cardinals pulled off an “upset” if you can call it that against the 49ers. I’m not sure how a winless team losing at home can be an upset, but it felt like one. I think the Seahawks will be out for blood in this divisional matchup, and blood they shall receive. PREDICTION: Seahawks 34, Cardinals 9

Green Bay Packers (4-4) at Chicago Bears (3-5) FOX 11:00am
Remember when Aaron Rodgers went down with his broken collarbone and I declared that it made picking Packers games really easy because I’d know they’d always lose? Well, the Bears will attempt to make me bite the soap and eat my words. Too bad for them they’re at home and will win. Close, but no cigar Chicago. PREDICTION: Packers 16, Bears 20

Cleveland Browns (0-8) at Detroit Lions (4-4) CBS 11:00am
And now for the third easiest prediction of the week. The Browns will be the Browns, and the Lions will feast on them. What are the other easier games to predict you say? Well, I already got one out of the way with Seattle. The other is yet to come. PREDICTION: Browns 6, Lions 32

Pittsburgh Steelers (6-2) at Indianapolis Colts (3-6) CBS 11:00am
The Steelers find themselves again at the top of the AFC with a 6-2 record amidst all the turmoil that surround them with their diva players. It’s November already and Ben isn’t wearing different colored shoes to alert us all that he’s hurt and playing “tough”? Has hell frozen over or something? What gives? PREDICTION: Steelers 27, Colts 10

Los Angeles Chargers (3-5) at Jacksonville Jaguars (5-3) CBS 11:00am
This is the week for the Jags to lose. The every other week prediction seems to be holding up nicely. But man, I gotta move the chips from the Come line to the Don’t Come line eventually, right? Craps will happen soon, right? Or will someone with the hot rolling hand clear the board? Ugh... Can’t the Chargers simply play well to make this easy? Hmm, maybe they will. Maybe Bosa and Ingram will take over. PREDICTION: Chargers 27, Jaguars 24

New Orleans Saints (6-2) at Buffalo Bills (5-3) FOX 11:00am
I really want to pick the Saints, but that Buffalo defense does come to play. This will be a good chess match. Do I believe in Tyrod Taylor against the leaky Saint’s defense more than I trust Drew Brees against the stout Bills defense? That is the million dollar question. Give me the Hall of Famer in this one. PREDICTION: Saints 23, Bills 22

New York Jets (4-5) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-6) CBS 11:00am
Talk about a team that plays for pride and for their “next contract”. The Jets still find a way to be competitive and damn near win half their games. The Bucs are a team in disarray. For a season that started out with so many high hopes, they sure have found a way to bounce that check they wrote to the fans. PREDICTION: Jets 17, Bucs 6

Minnesota Vikings (6-2) at Washington Redskins (4-4) FOX 11:00am
I said it last week and I’ll say it again: I have no clue how the Vikings have such a great record, but boy do they just keep on chugging along. Hell, I’d give your left arm, not mine, but yours to have the Broncos somehow fall into a 6-2 record while being spectacularly mediocre. Who’s their starting QB this week again? You can’t tell me without looking it up, can you? Exactly! That’s why I’m siding with the Redskins. PREDICTION: Vikings 19, Redskins 20

Cincinnati Bengals (3-5) at Tennessee Titans (5-3) FOX 11:00am
Struggling Cincy, down their star receiver A.J. Green who is suspended comes to Tennessee. Ok people, enough about this game, answer me this: What was A.J. thinking? Not in the “fighting is stupid” way, but “why are you punching a helmet? What are you trying to accomplish? You aren’t gonna actually land a blow to the dude’s face you moron!” Yeah, that’s all you need to know about how smart this team is playing. PREDICTION: Bengals 13, Titans 17

Houston Texans (3-5) at Los Angeles Rams (6-2) CBS 2:05pm
And this is the easiest game to predict. The Texans have a scrub at QB and the Rams are straight laying the wood on people. Anything I say now is simply fluff for the sake of writing fluff. So I’ll just go ahead and give the prediction. PREDICTION: Texans 3, Rams 42

Dallas Cowboys (5-3) at Atlanta Falcons (4-4) FOX 2:25pm
Somehow, Elliot keeps dodging a suspension. One day he’s gonna get the hammer, and the next day the hammer is one of those fake Styrofoam hammers and just breaks in Goodell’s hands. Either way I think they’d win in Atlanta where the Falcons are knee deep in sucktitude. PREDICTION: Cowboys 24, Falcons 19

New York Giants (1-7) at San Francisco 49ers (0-9) FOX 2:25pm
This is maybe the most difficult game all week to predict. The Giants are imploding and the Niners find wonderful ways to keep disappointing everyone. The last time the Giants were in such turmoil, they got their only win of the season. I’m not sure if history will repeat itself or not. What I do know is that both teams are hot garbage. PREDICTION: Giants 13, Niners 16

New England Patriots (6-2) at Denver Broncos (3-5) NBC 6:30pm SNF
Why does this team hate us so much? I don’t know what gives. Is it the players, the coaches, both? Yes, Tom Brady has a losing record against this team, but he still does win from time to time, and sadly, that time is now. Until this team pulls it together and plays competitive football, I can no longer come up with far fetched ways for them to snatch a victory from the jaws of defeat. Sadly, I’m picking the Pats in this one. PREDICTION: Patriots 17, Broncos 10

Miami Dolphins (4-4) at Carolina Panthers (6-3) ESPN 6:30pm MNF
I think this is where the Panters start getting their groove back. They are getting their young rookie Christian McCaffrey more involved in their offense, and Cam is looking a bit more comfortable and confident. Their defense is still pretty good, so they really should make short work at home of the Dolphins. PREDICTION: Dolphins 6, Panthers 20