TGIF - Week 3 NFL Picks

It has been a frustrating week in the People’s QB’s blogging world as I had about half of a long-thought out piece on Pitt’s jump to the ACC (and the madness that is the game of conference musical chairs going on in college sports right now) written on Wednesday before a work issue forced me to put the rest of that piece on hold. I had also planned to do a Smorgasbord today since it’s been a while, and I had a whole list of topics that I have some thoughts on, but again things happen when this isn’t your primary job.

We’ll just chalk this week up to the Man, release this week’s NFL picks and come back next week with that Pitt piece, a wrap-up to the Pirates’ season and where they are headed and finally get that Smorgasbord back next Friday. Thanks for understanding and have a great weekend…

(Home Team in Caps)

New England (-8.5) over BUFFALO – Sorry, still don’t believe in this Buffalo team all the way.

TENNESSEE (-6.5) over Denver – Signs it could be a long year in Denver…Tim Tebow had to line up at WR last week.

NEW ORLEANS (-4) over Houston – The Texans’ defense is improved but still not enough to slow down Drew Brees at home.

Miami (+3) over CLEVELAND – Despite being 0-2, I think this Miami team can be solid if Chad Henne continues to play the way he has in the first two games. Well, maybe the way he played in the first week, not last week, but still…

MINNESOTA (+3.5) over Detroit – Minnesota is finding ways to lose, Detroit looks like it may never lose. I think things normalize a bit this week and the Vikes pull the home upset. (Note: that was an extremely weird sentence to write – The Vikings pulling a home upset over the Lions.)

New York Giants (+7) over PHILADELPHIA – Vick is going to play and that had me wavering but these games always seem tight and nobody has a better defensive line to chase after Vick than the G-Men do. Eli throws a late TD for a cover, the Eagles recover the onside kick and that’s that.

CAROLINA (-3.5) over Jacksonville – Newton is going to come back to earth a bit sometime soon but the Jags are giving rookie Blaine Gabbert his first start this week. That means Newton and Company should get their first victory.

Green Bay (-3.5) over CHICAGO – Because Green Bay is the best team in football right now...sorry Patriots’ fans.

OAKLAND (+3) over New York Jets – I like the match-up for the Raiders. They are going to run the football offensively, keep the game low-scoring and force the Jets’ banged-up offensive line to block their terrific defensive line.

San Francisco (+3) over CINCINNATI – Here’s a guess…not too many TVs outside of San Francisco and Cincinnati will be tuned into this one.

SEATTLE (+3.5) over Arizona – The Seahawks have the NFL’s best home-field advantage…about the only thing they have going in their favor these days.

BALTIMORE (-4) over St. Louis – I am regretting that I didn’t take a look at the Rams’ schedule before making them my pick to win the NFC West. St. Louis could easily start the season 1-6 or even 0-7 before getting to the easier portion of the schedule. Even if they are the favorite in their final eight games, teams simply do not recover from starts that bad.

SAN DIEGO (-14.5) over Kansas City – I don’t think you could make this line high enough for me to pick the Chiefs.

Atlanta (+1.5) over Tampa Bay – Both of these teams found their mojo last week but it’s the Falcons who I think are for real.

Pittsburgh (-10.5) over INDIANAPOLIS – Example number 1,000,000,001 why NFL preseason strength of schedule rankings mean absolutely nothing.

DALLAS (-4) over Washington – Because I don’t want to live in world where Rex Grossman is 3-0 and I have to read stupid articles saying how “Grossman is the model of stability in a division with Vick, Romo and Eli…” Give me a break.

(Last Week: 5-10-1; Overall: 13-17-2)