Mikey's NFL picks

Last week: 12-3 Season record: 70-50-1 So it feels like we're finally hitting our stride, 22-7 in the past two weeks' picks.  Then again there have been a lot of what appeared to be lopsided games that were like low-hanging fruit for pickers.  Anyway, how is it week 9?  I think we all need to savor the next three months before February comes and we're staring at seven months of football darkness again.  Man, I'm bumming myself out.....time to eat more Halloween candy! San Francisco at Arizona --I have been eyeing this game as a potential upset.  It's a short week, the Niners are 7-0 and giving up 11 points per game, but the Cards (3-4-1) are at home and have some pieces in place to be a decent team in a year or two.  And that's just it.....they aren't there yet and apparently Jimmy G's guys have arrived.  So I won't be shocked by an upset but I just can't bring myself to pick it that way.  Niners 22, Cards 16

Last week: 10-4 Season record: 58-47-1 Wow.  Finally a week where I felt like I had a grip on the outcomes of games.....it's still the weirdest season I can remember but some things are coming into focus.  Let's look at week 8.... Washington at Minnesota --Oooh, Kirk Cousins gets a crack at the Skins and Case Keenum gets a crack at the Vikings.  I would say get your popcorn ready, but who are we kidding here?  Vikings 27, Skins 10 Denver at Indianapolis --Frank Reich is making it very convincing that he is an excellent coach.  Colts 29, Broncos 13 Tampa Bay at Tennessee --In case you need poster children for how fucked up this season has been, look no further than these two teams.  Bucs 20, Titans 17 Arizona at New Orleans --One of the year's biggest stories is not how well Teddy Bridgewater has played with Drew Brees injured, but how stifling the Saints' D has been.  Saints 17, Cards 6 Cincinnati at LA Rams --There needs to be a forfeit r...

Last week: 6-8 Season record: 48-43-1 I've been making NFL picks since I was maybe 12 years old, and had a little pick 'em league.  Not to sound like a geezer, but this was the late '70's and there was no internet back then.  I had sheets of paper and handed them to my dad, brothers, and our next door neighbors every week and kept track of our standings by hand.  It's weird to reflect on that now, but I do it because I don't think I've started out this poorly since then.  I've said this before but it bears repeating--this has been the strangest season as far as backwards results that I can remember.  Every week, it feels like there are three or four major upsets.  But hey, we saunter on!  So let's see what this week holds..... Kansas City at Denver --The Chiefs have lost two straight games after starting 4-0 and the Broncos have won two straight after beginning 0-4.   So this was looking like a horrible TNF draw for the NFL, but suddenly...

Last week: 8-7 Season record: 43-35-1 Yeah, things are really ass backwards in the NFL right now.  My Giants trailed the mighty Patriots by just seven points with eight minutes left in the game, and the Pats dominated time of possession and pretty much every statistic, yet they came up with some big plays on defense and Daniel Jones, despite throwing three picks, showed flashes of brilliance again and a TD pass to Golden Tate was the first one allowed by the Pats' D this season.  The Pats also shot themselves in the foot a bunch of times but in the end, they did win by three touchdowns.  But most Giants fans will tell you today that we were pleased with the result. And now, let's get to what we came here for..... Carolina vs. Tampa Bay at London --Ah, this is the London game we've been looking forward to.  Not because of the matchup, because, well duh.  But because it's an afternoon game there, it's an 8:30 am start where I live.  I would like more of...

Last week: 8-7 Season record: 42-35-1 Wow, this season is weird.  I would assume most of the civilized world picked the Chiefs on Sunday night, and that it knocked a lot of people off their survivor pools.  So let's see how bad we can do this week! NY Giants at New England --I'm so dreading this game as a Giants fan.  Saquon out, Engram out.  Shepard out.  Gallman out.  Not that it would have mattered--the Patriots are as dominant as any team has looked in a long while.  The Giants are fun to watch again but with those injuries and a god awful defense, this is gonna be ugly.  Pats 43, Giants 6

Last week: 8-7 Season record: 34-29-1 Wow, that's a horrible record so far for me.  But even though I got the Thursday night pick wrong, I was as close to picking the exact score that Gregg Zeurlein's kicking leg would allow.  If that kick went through, the score would have been Rams 32, Seahawks 30.  My pick was Rams 34, Seahawks 31.  I would have been both correct, and within a couple points from the exact score.  But the usually automatic BIG GEEZY came up short geezy.  So I also came up not geezy, or something.  Moving on..... Jacksonville at Carolina --Minshew Mania travels north to face Kyle Allen's Panthers.  This should be one of those really entertaining games that no more than 50 people will watch.  It may even have the feel of an XFL game.  Panthers 23, Jags 20 Arizona at Cincinnati --I'm half surprised this isn't the Monday night game.  So these teams are a combined 0-7-1 so it may be a preview of teams who pick 1-...

Last week: 8-7 Season record: 34-28-1 It is NOT getting easier to do this as the weeks go by.  There have been some shocking scores lately, so here we go--WALL, MEET SPAGHETTI LA Rams at Seattle --If the Bucs can put up 55 against the Rams D, in a Rams home game, what can Russell Wilson do four days later in the house of the 12th man?  It should be easy, but everything is flipped this year.  Plus, you know, the Rams were in the Super Bowl 8 months ago.  So no, I'm not taking the obvious road here.  Rams 34, Seahawks 31