Cleveland Browns @ Pittsburgh Steelers (-14): Taking the Steelers as a double digit favorite is always scary, and especially this season considering they haven’t beaten anybody by that kind of margin, even allowing a late touchdown last week to the Lions to win by just 8 – and yes, I’m still a little bitter about that. But this match-up begs me to take the Steel City, and I won’t fight it. If you’ve read my picks, you know I love picking against a team that won last week and probably should have lost. When your quarterback goes 2-17 you should lose. When it’s against a defensive secondary that had 3 of 4 starters out with injury, you should really lose. When the most your entire team can score is two field goals, in a game where you were handed two turnovers deep in the opponents zone – you should definitely lose. But the Browns defied reality, beat logic, and tricked reason – and they got the win last week. The Steelers can run the ball, haven been doing it effectively since Rashard Mendenhall took over starting duties, and they can throw the ball very effectively as well. The Browns offense is brutal and their defense is rated at the bottom of the league in both passing and rushing. What can I say, this is the safest survivor pick this week, two touchdowns is a lot, but I’m taking the Steelers.
Tag Archives: Sunday Football
Detroit Lions vs Green Bay Packers NFL Pick
Detroit Lions @ Green Bay Packers (-13): The Packers coming off a bye week preparing for a Lions team that has a list of injured players you couldn’t count using just your fingers (who can count past their fingers these days anyway?) – It’s hard not to be all gung-ho about the Packers chances at winning by a couple touchdowns. But the Lions have been decent in some games this season. They got kicked around by the Saints in Week 1, sure, but they fought and battled tough in their last 4 games, giving the Vikings, Redskins, Bears, and Steelers all they could handle (in fact, they gave the Redskins more than they could handle). You look at the scores, and Pittsburgh was the first time the Lions lost by less than double digits this season, and even that took a late touchdown strike from Daunte Culpepper. But the injuries are mounting, and while I don’t like going against a double digit dog, especially one that plays better on the road, it’s too hard to look past the 4 starting defensive players that are questionable, the best player on their team is also questionable (Calvin Johnson), and their running game hasn’t been good against anybody so far this season. What does that tell me? If I’m leaning one way, I’m taking the Packers coming off a bye week.