NFL Picks, week 4
Last week, I predicted that at some point this season, I'd pull out a 16-0 miracle in my weekly NFL picks. Unfortunately, it seems that that will be pretty much impossible for the next month and three quarters, since there are actually two teams on byes each week between now and week 10.

Oops.

But, beyond my own idiocy, is there any reason I can't go 14and 0?

Nope.

So here we go.

-Cincinnati at Pittsburgh From my preseason prediction post for the Bengals: "This is a game that will be lost by the defense - the new emphasis on the illegal contact rule, combined with Madieu Williams' inexperience, will open up the interior passing game for Tommy Maddox, who, despite being an insurance salesman, can still throw a football. I don't see the D-Line getting any better against the run, either, and Jerome Bettis still plays football up the gut." PIT
-Indianapolis at Jacksonville - Jacksonville is a team that survives on miracles, it seems. They have the worst offense in the league, and only the number 8 defense. I don't think it takes much imagination to see the Colts go buck-wild this week. IND
-New England at Buffalo - Winners of 17 straight, the '73 Dolphins, I mean '04 Patriots, are trying to tie the NFL record for consecutive wins set by the Dolphins of 1972-73. Against this team, it shouldn't be hard. NE
-N.Y. Giants at Green Bay - Green Bay's Pro Bowl center Mike Flanagan will have season-ending knee surgery next week, and won't play this week. That's going to make this one close, but I'm still picking the Pack at home. GB
-Oakland at Houston - Oakland, really, isn't all that bad a ball club. We can malign their age (average player age: XXXVII), but they continue to make plays when they have to. I just think the Texans are better. HOU
-Philadelphia at Chicago - Lovie Smith will, at some point, have the Bears contending for the playoffs in their futuristic stadium. But the Eagles prevent that from being this year in a blowout. PHI
-Washington at Cleveland - Both teams are pretty much lousy, so this is a hard call. The difference will come in the defense, where the Browns are still very, very weak, especially with Courtney Brown hurt again. Portis to the rescue! WAS
-Atlanta at Carolina - They just had their bye week, so it's easy to forget about the Panthers in what is really a pretty interesting NFC South. This is the matchup that could very well let us know which of these teams is going to take the division and represent it in the playoffs. Says here it's the Falcons, but they don't win this game. CAR
-New Orleans at Arizona - Chris Berman thinks that Larry Fitzgerald will carry the Cardinals to a victory at Sun Devil Stadium. I think Chris Berman spends too much time in Connecticut. We're all entitled to our own opinions, but his is obviously wrong. NO
-Denver at Tampa Bay - Unlike the Raiders, Tampa Bay really IS a bad team. This year, anyway. No defensive line, no offensive line, no wideouts, and no running back make Chucky a dull boy. DEN
-N.Y. Jets at Miami - I know that Miami does, in fact, have one of the league's best defenses, and that the Jets were off last week, so they might be rusty. But I'm giving the Jets the nod, due to Hurricane Hangover. NYJ
-Tennessee at San Diego - Seriously. Why does Marty Schottenheimer still have a job? Steve McNair's hurt, but Schottenheimer hasn't done anything to help his own cause, even with a lousy roster. TEN
-St. Louis at San Francisco - Last week, Dennis Erickson became the first San Francisco coach to be shut out in a game since 1977. I distinctly remember labeling him as the league's worst coach last year, and I think he deserves that label this year, too. This is a good game for the Rams to pick themselves up and dust themselves off. STL

Monday
Kansas City at Baltimore - NFL's leading rusher last year against last year's, and this year's, worst run defense. It ain't rocket science, people. BAL