Can Connor Cover? The Horrors Of Costumes, Scary Movies And Bad Beats
October 26, 2022 at 9:42 p.m.
Can Connor Cover? The Horrors Of Costumes, Scary Movies And Bad Beats
By Connor McCann-
I love dressing up. Last year, I went as Paulie Walnuts from my favorite TV series of all time, The Sopranos. RIP, Tony Sirico.
When I was a kid, it was mostly Star Wars costumes. I also got sick two years in a row as a kid on Halloween, and couldn’t trick-or-treat the second time. The first, I sat in a wagon as my parents pulled me from house to house. Could you imagine a more terrible thing for a kid to go through?
I went a little long on my picks so I’ll keep this brief.
My favorite candy is a Take 5, closely followed by the newer Nerds Gummy Clusters.
My favorite types of people on Halloween are those that give out the king-size candy bars. You know who you are.
My favorite costume I’ve ever worn was either my leprechaun or BoJack Horseman costume from my college days, followed by the one year I was scrambling and used my long beard at the time to pull together a Billy Mays outfit.
I want to name my favorite scary movie of all time, but I’m such a horror-head I have a hard time narrowing it down to one. The Shining, The Conjuring and The Thing come to mind. I could write an entire column about all of my favorites, but those are three definitely worth mentioning.
Perhaps the scariest thing of all as we talk about Halloween is my record this season. Oh well, hopefully this is a step in the FRIGHT direction. Get it? I’ll see myself out.
THURSDAY NIGHT
Baltimore Ravens (-1.5) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Baltimore finally figured out a way to hold onto a fourth quarter lead last weekend, managing to beat a free falling Browns team to move back above .500. Lamar Jackson has cooled off significantly after his hot start, but you can always expect him to pop off in a big game like this one. Gus Edwards had a huge return from injury last week, and the team will need him to keep it up with fellow running back J.K. Dobbins sidelined for the next few weeks.
Tampa Bay seemed to hit rock bottom last weekend after getting dominated by the Panthers. Mike Evans dropped a wide open touchdown at the beginning of the game that pretty much summed up the effort level for the entire day. The offense has looked horrible with no easy fixes in sight and the defense isn’t the ’85 Bears. The rest of the division is so bad that Tampa will probably still make the playoffs, but I don’t see them doing much with it. The Bucs desperately need a win, but will they get it? Ravens are 1-5 on the road on Thursday night since 2006.
The Pick: Buccaneers +1.5
ACROSS THE POND
Denver Broncos at Jacksonville Jaguars (-3)
After a short break the NFL returns to London with a game that I’m probably not going to wake up early to watch. The Broncos offense didn’t look much worse with Brett Rypien filling in for Russell Wilson last weekend, but then again, there wasn’t much lower for the team to go. Wilson is trending towards playing in this one, but that will still be up in the air when this is published. The Denver defense has continued to keep the team in every game this season despite the offensive woes.
The Jaguars continue to fall back down to Earth after the team’s hot start, getting decimated by Daniel Jones and the Giants last week. Jacksonville shipped off running back James Robinson to the Jets on Monday, handing the reigns to Travis Etienne. Jacksonville has a monopoly on London games, going 4-4 across the pond since 2013. No matter who has been throwing the ball against them, the Jags are going to give up yards. I think Denver’s defense is the key here.
The Pick: Broncos +3
1 O’CLOCK SUNDAY
Chicago Bears at Dallas Cowboys (-9.5)
What a win for the Bears on Monday night. Being given no chance and going out and dominating the Patriots was the best I’ve felt about the team since the 12-4 year in 2018. Justin Fields had perhaps the best performance of his young career. The defense looked great. This was what fans like myself were hoping for from this season. We know the team is not good, but showing some fight and winning games you aren’t supposed to doesn’t go unnoticed.
Of course Chicago follows up an inspiring performance by going against one of if not the best defenses in the league. Dak Prescott got off to a slow start last weekend against Detroit, but the defensive unit was able to take the pressure off by forcing five turnovers and picking up five sacks. It’s going to be a very tall task for both Fields and the rest of the offense, but Chicago’s defense is better than Detroit’s. Can they hold Dallas down long enough to get a cover? It’ll be close.
The Pick: Cowboys -9.5
Miami Dolphins (-3.5) at Detroit Lions
The Dolphins got back on track Sunday night and remain undefeated with Tua Tagovailoa playing in an entire game. The team got off to a hot start but cooled off substantially in the second half, as no points were scored by either team in the final 30 minutes. The ‘Phins should be in prime position to get some points on the board against a bad Lions defense.
The Lions are looking like the same old team despite a lot of love for the squad going into the season. Detroit started the year by playing some fun football despite the results. The last three weeks have not been the case however, as the team scored six combined points in two road games with a bye sandwiched in between. The Lions have played much better at home and are desperate for a win. Call me crazy…
The Pick: Lions +3.5
Carolina Panthers at Atlanta Falcons (-4.5)
How about the Carolina Panthers? Tired of hearing the “worst team in the league” talk, the Panthers picked up a huge upset win over Tampa Bay. Led by XFL legend P.J. Walker, Carolina didn’t just beat the Bucs, they dominated them. Steve Wilks picks up his first win as the interim head coach and Carolina is riding high. D’Onta Foreman and Chubba Hubbard did a great job filling in as Christian McCaffrey replacements.
Atlanta’s incredible run of being perfect against the spread unfortunately came to an end Sunday as the Falcons got crushed by Cincinnati. In a passing league Atlanta remains an outlier, refusing to go away from running the ball. It’s been successful and the Falcons should be able to run the ball well against Carolina. Could the Falcons be a dark horse contender for the NFC South? Only time will tell. This is a win that needs to happen if so.
The Pick: Falcons -4.5
Las Vegas Raiders (-1.5) at New Orleans Saints
These two teams seem to be trending in opposite directions after last week’s results. The Raiders finally broke through and got a blowout win over the Texans that could be the start of getting the team back on track. Josh Jacobs has gone from an afterthought to showing why he is still a top running back in the game. The Alabama product added three more touchdowns last week to help Vegas cruise. Team’s that start 2-4 don’t often make the playoffs, but this team has the talent to get back into things.
The Saints will have a few extra days to prepare for this one after getting blown out by Arizona last Thursday. The team has an aging roster, is above the cap and the best quarterback on the roster, Taysom Hill, is listed as a tight end on fantasy football. I thought New Orleans could be a dark horse to win the NFC South going into this season, but the team, like most in the NFL this year, has severely underperformed. New Orleans should be getting a ton of key guys back from injury.
The Pick: Raiders -1.5
Pittsburgh Steelers at Philadelphia Eagles (-10.5)
Pittsburgh almost picked up a road win on Sunday night in Miami but Kenny Pickett threw one too many interceptions. The running game is still struggling but the defense is learning to live without T.J. Watt and has looked vastly improved in the last few weeks. Mike Tomlin’s group isn’t the best team out there, but they will play hard.
Philadelphia remains the league’s lone undefeated team after a bye week let the Eagles hold the title for another week. There’s not much left to be said about Philadelphia until the team starts showing some holes. Jalen Hurts looks incredible, the running game is elite and the defense is one of the best in the league. The Birds keep it rolling.
The Pick: Eagles -10.5
New England Patriots (-1.5) at New York Jets
One of the oldest clichés in football is “If you have two quarterbacks you don’t have one.” The Patriots are living this in real time as Bill Belichick will have decisions to make about Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe. Jones was benched for Zappe very early in Monday’s loss to the Bears and the rookie finished the game. I would guess that Mac Jones will remain the starter as long as he’s healthy given that he was a first round pick just two drafts ago. Nonetheless, it’s priming up to be a very interesting rest of the season in New England.
The Jets keep on winning but suffered a brutal loss Sunday as star rookie running back Breece Hall suffered an ACL injury and will miss the rest of the season. Just a day later, New York traded for James Robinson who looks to be the new lead back. The Jets have created eleven turnovers this season, ninth in the league. New England has turned it over 15 times, the second most in football. Belichick owns his former team, but could we be seeing a changing of the guard?
The Pick: Jets +1.5
Arizona Cardinals at Minnesota Vikings (-3.5)
Arizona picked up a much needed win against New Orleans last Thursday, finally having an offensive game worth talking about. The reintroduction of DeAndre Hopkins into the offense worked wonders for the Cardinals, and while he didn’t score a touchdown, he did enough to keep drives open and help establish the run. Arizona is 15-3-2 against the spread as road underdogs under Kliff Kingsbury.
The Vikings are coming off of a bye and feeling good about their 5-1 record. All three phases have been clicking for Minnesota, but is the team as good as their record? The Vikings have played just one game against a very good opponent and got dominated in prime time by the Eagles. I like Arizona to keep the trend of road success going.
The Pick: Cardinals +3.5
LATE AFTERNOON SLATE
Washington Commanders at Indianapolis Colts (-3)
There will be no opportunity for revenge for Carson Wentz in this game as the quarterback continues to rehab a hand injury. Commanders fans won’t be too upset though, as Taylor Heinicke looked more than serviceable coming in for Washington once again. He’s earned the right to go again next week and keep it rolling.
The Colts will also be going with a quarterback who was not the opening day guy. Matt Ryan has been benched and Frank Reich has made it clear his shoulder separation has nothing to do with it. It’s former Texas man Sam Ehlinger getting the nod and it looks like his job for the remainder of the year. I’m surprised to see Indy favored in this one with so many question marks surrounding the most important position, but the Colts are at home. I want to see Ehlinger play before I’m confident in picking him.
The Pick: Commanders +3
Tennessee Titans (-2.5) at Houston Texans
Tennessee is firmly in the front of the pack of AFC South teams after sweeping the Colts. There’s no reason right now to believe this team won’t win the division yet again, but stranger things have happened. Counting on success in the playoffs is a different story however, but those are still a long way away. The Titans seem to be content with winning games by running the ball down the oppositions throats.
Houston was in their game against Las Vegas for about three quarters before the Raiders poured it on them in the fourth. Davis Mills has been shaky in recent weeks but Damion Pierce continues to be an outstanding rookie running back. The Texans have shown fight in every game they’ve played, but I don’t see them keeping this one a three-point game until the end.
The Pick: Titans -2.5
San Francisco 49ers (-1.5) at Los Angeles Rams
San Fran got absolutely crushed by the Chiefs last week, even after going up 10-0 in the game. The team’s newest toy, Christian McCaffrey wasn’t a focal point of the offense but still had decent production for the touches he got. The story will remain the same for the Niners all season long. The team has some of the best skill players in the league as well as a top defense when everyone is healthy, but how far will Jimmy G be able to take them? With the division more than up for grabs, it will be interesting to see.
The Rams had an extra week to prepare for this one, which is probably a good thing. Kyle Shanahan has owned Rams head coach Sean McVay over the course of the two careers, and Los Angeles needs a solid performance in this one to start righting the ship. Will Matthew Stafford consistently throw the ball to guys not named Cooper Kupp? Will Stafford even have time to throw the ball behind a weak offensive line? Will the Rams finally shake off the Super Bowl hangover? Tune in to find out!
The Pick: 49ers -1.5
New York Giants at Seattle Seahawks (-3)
This game is the battle of two of the most disrespected teams in the league coming into this season that have shown what they are capable of up to this point. The Giants come in rolling at a 6-1 record and only sit in second place because the Eagles remain undefeated. Daniel Jones didn’t get his fifth year option picked up by the team going into the year and is making New York reconsider the decision. We still don’t know how sustainable this is, but they’ve proven more than half the teams in the NFL have.
The Seahawks sit in first place in the NFC West behind what has been perhaps the most surprising offense in the league so far. Truthfully, many expected Seattle to look like how Denver does at this point, but that’s not the case. Geno continues to play smart football and Kenneth Walker has filled in tremendously as the new lead back. Seattle does have the second worst run defense in the league though, and we know how much New York likes to run the ball. This is going to be a good one, and also the only matchup this week of two teams above .500.
The Pick: Seahawks -3
WAITIN’ ALL DAY FOR A SUNDAY NIGHT
Green Bay Packers at Buffalo Bills (-10.5)
Aaron Rodgers has never been this big of an underdog in his career, but I can’t say I blame odds makers for this one. Green Bay has been favored in each of its last three, two of them by a touchdown or more, and lost all three outright. What a shame! The offense is yucky, Rodgers looks disinterested and the team refuses to rely on a running game that has been the best part of the young season.
The Bills had an extra week off after their big win against Kansas City two weeks ago, which helps in terms of this being a letdown spot. We all know the Bills are one of, if not the, best teams in football and have a home game in prime time to remind us of the fact once again. Doesn’t it make sense for Green Bay to stay in this one though? Very few teams need a big win more, but I don’t know if they have the horses to run with Buffalo.
The Pick: Bills -10.5
MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL
Cincinnati Bengals (-3.5) at Cleveland Browns
The Bengals finally put together the game fans were waiting for last weekend against Atlanta, decimating the Falcons while Joe Burrow threw for 481 yards. If this is the version of Cincinnati they plan to show week in and week out, the Bengals could be a team putting Kansas City or Buffalo on upset alert in the playoffs once again.
The Browns have been in free fall mode after a decent start. The defense is horrible and the offense can’t do much outside of run the ball. Cleveland hung around with Baltimore and almost got into the win column, but a questionable false start on a late field goal try took all hope away. I appreciate the NFL scheduling two teams with orange colors on Halloween. It’s going to be a spooky night for Browns fans.
The Pick: Bengals -3.5
Have a safe and fun Halloween. Most importantly, make sure to get some good candy!
I love dressing up. Last year, I went as Paulie Walnuts from my favorite TV series of all time, The Sopranos. RIP, Tony Sirico.
When I was a kid, it was mostly Star Wars costumes. I also got sick two years in a row as a kid on Halloween, and couldn’t trick-or-treat the second time. The first, I sat in a wagon as my parents pulled me from house to house. Could you imagine a more terrible thing for a kid to go through?
I went a little long on my picks so I’ll keep this brief.
My favorite candy is a Take 5, closely followed by the newer Nerds Gummy Clusters.
My favorite types of people on Halloween are those that give out the king-size candy bars. You know who you are.
My favorite costume I’ve ever worn was either my leprechaun or BoJack Horseman costume from my college days, followed by the one year I was scrambling and used my long beard at the time to pull together a Billy Mays outfit.
I want to name my favorite scary movie of all time, but I’m such a horror-head I have a hard time narrowing it down to one. The Shining, The Conjuring and The Thing come to mind. I could write an entire column about all of my favorites, but those are three definitely worth mentioning.
Perhaps the scariest thing of all as we talk about Halloween is my record this season. Oh well, hopefully this is a step in the FRIGHT direction. Get it? I’ll see myself out.
THURSDAY NIGHT
Baltimore Ravens (-1.5) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Baltimore finally figured out a way to hold onto a fourth quarter lead last weekend, managing to beat a free falling Browns team to move back above .500. Lamar Jackson has cooled off significantly after his hot start, but you can always expect him to pop off in a big game like this one. Gus Edwards had a huge return from injury last week, and the team will need him to keep it up with fellow running back J.K. Dobbins sidelined for the next few weeks.
Tampa Bay seemed to hit rock bottom last weekend after getting dominated by the Panthers. Mike Evans dropped a wide open touchdown at the beginning of the game that pretty much summed up the effort level for the entire day. The offense has looked horrible with no easy fixes in sight and the defense isn’t the ’85 Bears. The rest of the division is so bad that Tampa will probably still make the playoffs, but I don’t see them doing much with it. The Bucs desperately need a win, but will they get it? Ravens are 1-5 on the road on Thursday night since 2006.
The Pick: Buccaneers +1.5
ACROSS THE POND
Denver Broncos at Jacksonville Jaguars (-3)
After a short break the NFL returns to London with a game that I’m probably not going to wake up early to watch. The Broncos offense didn’t look much worse with Brett Rypien filling in for Russell Wilson last weekend, but then again, there wasn’t much lower for the team to go. Wilson is trending towards playing in this one, but that will still be up in the air when this is published. The Denver defense has continued to keep the team in every game this season despite the offensive woes.
The Jaguars continue to fall back down to Earth after the team’s hot start, getting decimated by Daniel Jones and the Giants last week. Jacksonville shipped off running back James Robinson to the Jets on Monday, handing the reigns to Travis Etienne. Jacksonville has a monopoly on London games, going 4-4 across the pond since 2013. No matter who has been throwing the ball against them, the Jags are going to give up yards. I think Denver’s defense is the key here.
The Pick: Broncos +3
1 O’CLOCK SUNDAY
Chicago Bears at Dallas Cowboys (-9.5)
What a win for the Bears on Monday night. Being given no chance and going out and dominating the Patriots was the best I’ve felt about the team since the 12-4 year in 2018. Justin Fields had perhaps the best performance of his young career. The defense looked great. This was what fans like myself were hoping for from this season. We know the team is not good, but showing some fight and winning games you aren’t supposed to doesn’t go unnoticed.
Of course Chicago follows up an inspiring performance by going against one of if not the best defenses in the league. Dak Prescott got off to a slow start last weekend against Detroit, but the defensive unit was able to take the pressure off by forcing five turnovers and picking up five sacks. It’s going to be a very tall task for both Fields and the rest of the offense, but Chicago’s defense is better than Detroit’s. Can they hold Dallas down long enough to get a cover? It’ll be close.
The Pick: Cowboys -9.5
Miami Dolphins (-3.5) at Detroit Lions
The Dolphins got back on track Sunday night and remain undefeated with Tua Tagovailoa playing in an entire game. The team got off to a hot start but cooled off substantially in the second half, as no points were scored by either team in the final 30 minutes. The ‘Phins should be in prime position to get some points on the board against a bad Lions defense.
The Lions are looking like the same old team despite a lot of love for the squad going into the season. Detroit started the year by playing some fun football despite the results. The last three weeks have not been the case however, as the team scored six combined points in two road games with a bye sandwiched in between. The Lions have played much better at home and are desperate for a win. Call me crazy…
The Pick: Lions +3.5
Carolina Panthers at Atlanta Falcons (-4.5)
How about the Carolina Panthers? Tired of hearing the “worst team in the league” talk, the Panthers picked up a huge upset win over Tampa Bay. Led by XFL legend P.J. Walker, Carolina didn’t just beat the Bucs, they dominated them. Steve Wilks picks up his first win as the interim head coach and Carolina is riding high. D’Onta Foreman and Chubba Hubbard did a great job filling in as Christian McCaffrey replacements.
Atlanta’s incredible run of being perfect against the spread unfortunately came to an end Sunday as the Falcons got crushed by Cincinnati. In a passing league Atlanta remains an outlier, refusing to go away from running the ball. It’s been successful and the Falcons should be able to run the ball well against Carolina. Could the Falcons be a dark horse contender for the NFC South? Only time will tell. This is a win that needs to happen if so.
The Pick: Falcons -4.5
Las Vegas Raiders (-1.5) at New Orleans Saints
These two teams seem to be trending in opposite directions after last week’s results. The Raiders finally broke through and got a blowout win over the Texans that could be the start of getting the team back on track. Josh Jacobs has gone from an afterthought to showing why he is still a top running back in the game. The Alabama product added three more touchdowns last week to help Vegas cruise. Team’s that start 2-4 don’t often make the playoffs, but this team has the talent to get back into things.
The Saints will have a few extra days to prepare for this one after getting blown out by Arizona last Thursday. The team has an aging roster, is above the cap and the best quarterback on the roster, Taysom Hill, is listed as a tight end on fantasy football. I thought New Orleans could be a dark horse to win the NFC South going into this season, but the team, like most in the NFL this year, has severely underperformed. New Orleans should be getting a ton of key guys back from injury.
The Pick: Raiders -1.5
Pittsburgh Steelers at Philadelphia Eagles (-10.5)
Pittsburgh almost picked up a road win on Sunday night in Miami but Kenny Pickett threw one too many interceptions. The running game is still struggling but the defense is learning to live without T.J. Watt and has looked vastly improved in the last few weeks. Mike Tomlin’s group isn’t the best team out there, but they will play hard.
Philadelphia remains the league’s lone undefeated team after a bye week let the Eagles hold the title for another week. There’s not much left to be said about Philadelphia until the team starts showing some holes. Jalen Hurts looks incredible, the running game is elite and the defense is one of the best in the league. The Birds keep it rolling.
The Pick: Eagles -10.5
New England Patriots (-1.5) at New York Jets
One of the oldest clichés in football is “If you have two quarterbacks you don’t have one.” The Patriots are living this in real time as Bill Belichick will have decisions to make about Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe. Jones was benched for Zappe very early in Monday’s loss to the Bears and the rookie finished the game. I would guess that Mac Jones will remain the starter as long as he’s healthy given that he was a first round pick just two drafts ago. Nonetheless, it’s priming up to be a very interesting rest of the season in New England.
The Jets keep on winning but suffered a brutal loss Sunday as star rookie running back Breece Hall suffered an ACL injury and will miss the rest of the season. Just a day later, New York traded for James Robinson who looks to be the new lead back. The Jets have created eleven turnovers this season, ninth in the league. New England has turned it over 15 times, the second most in football. Belichick owns his former team, but could we be seeing a changing of the guard?
The Pick: Jets +1.5
Arizona Cardinals at Minnesota Vikings (-3.5)
Arizona picked up a much needed win against New Orleans last Thursday, finally having an offensive game worth talking about. The reintroduction of DeAndre Hopkins into the offense worked wonders for the Cardinals, and while he didn’t score a touchdown, he did enough to keep drives open and help establish the run. Arizona is 15-3-2 against the spread as road underdogs under Kliff Kingsbury.
The Vikings are coming off of a bye and feeling good about their 5-1 record. All three phases have been clicking for Minnesota, but is the team as good as their record? The Vikings have played just one game against a very good opponent and got dominated in prime time by the Eagles. I like Arizona to keep the trend of road success going.
The Pick: Cardinals +3.5
LATE AFTERNOON SLATE
Washington Commanders at Indianapolis Colts (-3)
There will be no opportunity for revenge for Carson Wentz in this game as the quarterback continues to rehab a hand injury. Commanders fans won’t be too upset though, as Taylor Heinicke looked more than serviceable coming in for Washington once again. He’s earned the right to go again next week and keep it rolling.
The Colts will also be going with a quarterback who was not the opening day guy. Matt Ryan has been benched and Frank Reich has made it clear his shoulder separation has nothing to do with it. It’s former Texas man Sam Ehlinger getting the nod and it looks like his job for the remainder of the year. I’m surprised to see Indy favored in this one with so many question marks surrounding the most important position, but the Colts are at home. I want to see Ehlinger play before I’m confident in picking him.
The Pick: Commanders +3
Tennessee Titans (-2.5) at Houston Texans
Tennessee is firmly in the front of the pack of AFC South teams after sweeping the Colts. There’s no reason right now to believe this team won’t win the division yet again, but stranger things have happened. Counting on success in the playoffs is a different story however, but those are still a long way away. The Titans seem to be content with winning games by running the ball down the oppositions throats.
Houston was in their game against Las Vegas for about three quarters before the Raiders poured it on them in the fourth. Davis Mills has been shaky in recent weeks but Damion Pierce continues to be an outstanding rookie running back. The Texans have shown fight in every game they’ve played, but I don’t see them keeping this one a three-point game until the end.
The Pick: Titans -2.5
San Francisco 49ers (-1.5) at Los Angeles Rams
San Fran got absolutely crushed by the Chiefs last week, even after going up 10-0 in the game. The team’s newest toy, Christian McCaffrey wasn’t a focal point of the offense but still had decent production for the touches he got. The story will remain the same for the Niners all season long. The team has some of the best skill players in the league as well as a top defense when everyone is healthy, but how far will Jimmy G be able to take them? With the division more than up for grabs, it will be interesting to see.
The Rams had an extra week to prepare for this one, which is probably a good thing. Kyle Shanahan has owned Rams head coach Sean McVay over the course of the two careers, and Los Angeles needs a solid performance in this one to start righting the ship. Will Matthew Stafford consistently throw the ball to guys not named Cooper Kupp? Will Stafford even have time to throw the ball behind a weak offensive line? Will the Rams finally shake off the Super Bowl hangover? Tune in to find out!
The Pick: 49ers -1.5
New York Giants at Seattle Seahawks (-3)
This game is the battle of two of the most disrespected teams in the league coming into this season that have shown what they are capable of up to this point. The Giants come in rolling at a 6-1 record and only sit in second place because the Eagles remain undefeated. Daniel Jones didn’t get his fifth year option picked up by the team going into the year and is making New York reconsider the decision. We still don’t know how sustainable this is, but they’ve proven more than half the teams in the NFL have.
The Seahawks sit in first place in the NFC West behind what has been perhaps the most surprising offense in the league so far. Truthfully, many expected Seattle to look like how Denver does at this point, but that’s not the case. Geno continues to play smart football and Kenneth Walker has filled in tremendously as the new lead back. Seattle does have the second worst run defense in the league though, and we know how much New York likes to run the ball. This is going to be a good one, and also the only matchup this week of two teams above .500.
The Pick: Seahawks -3
WAITIN’ ALL DAY FOR A SUNDAY NIGHT
Green Bay Packers at Buffalo Bills (-10.5)
Aaron Rodgers has never been this big of an underdog in his career, but I can’t say I blame odds makers for this one. Green Bay has been favored in each of its last three, two of them by a touchdown or more, and lost all three outright. What a shame! The offense is yucky, Rodgers looks disinterested and the team refuses to rely on a running game that has been the best part of the young season.
The Bills had an extra week off after their big win against Kansas City two weeks ago, which helps in terms of this being a letdown spot. We all know the Bills are one of, if not the, best teams in football and have a home game in prime time to remind us of the fact once again. Doesn’t it make sense for Green Bay to stay in this one though? Very few teams need a big win more, but I don’t know if they have the horses to run with Buffalo.
The Pick: Bills -10.5
MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL
Cincinnati Bengals (-3.5) at Cleveland Browns
The Bengals finally put together the game fans were waiting for last weekend against Atlanta, decimating the Falcons while Joe Burrow threw for 481 yards. If this is the version of Cincinnati they plan to show week in and week out, the Bengals could be a team putting Kansas City or Buffalo on upset alert in the playoffs once again.
The Browns have been in free fall mode after a decent start. The defense is horrible and the offense can’t do much outside of run the ball. Cleveland hung around with Baltimore and almost got into the win column, but a questionable false start on a late field goal try took all hope away. I appreciate the NFL scheduling two teams with orange colors on Halloween. It’s going to be a spooky night for Browns fans.
The Pick: Bengals -3.5
Have a safe and fun Halloween. Most importantly, make sure to get some good candy!
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