Winning team in bold.
Unanimous Picks (8-3)
Right:
Patriots @ Bills
Seahawsk @ Panthers
Texans @ Chargers
Ravens @ Broncos
Raiders @ Colts
Cardinals @ Rams
Packers @ 49ers
Bengals @ Bears
Wrong:
- Titans @ Steelers
- Either the Titans have put together a really tough shut-down defense, or the Steelers offense is really, really, broken. After their opening drive, the Steelers didn't cross midfield until garbage time. The Titans' offense didn't look like much either, but they managed to score 16 points, which was enough to put this game away for them.
- Buccaneers @ Jets
- Well, the first part of this is that Jets' defense did a pretty good job, holding the Bucs to just 17 points scored. The second part is that that rookie QB Geno Smith had a pretty decent first outing: 24/38 for 256 yards, a touchdown and a pick. Which (along with help from a bone-headed mistake by the Bucs defense) meant the Jets had a chance to kick a game-winning field goal at the end of the game, and they did.
- Eagles @ Redskins
- The Redskins just didn't seem to be ready for this game. They didn't score their first points on offense until the end of the 3rd quarter, and in the meantime, the Eagles had put 33 points on the scoreboard. The Redskins managed to show enough life in the 4th quarter to put a scare into the Eagles, but they ran out of time before they could complete what would've been a pretty impressive comeback.
Split Picks: (Pythag 1-4, Line 4-1)
- Chiefs (Line) @ Jaguars (Pythag)
- This is another game not to read too much into. But it's worth noting the Chiefs didn't make it to 28 points once last year, or hold an opponent to fewer than 9 points. Perhaps there is at least a little reason for Chiefs fans to permit themselves some optimism this year.
- Dolphins (Pythag) @ Browns (Line)
- To be fair to the Browns, their defense did keep this game close for a long while. But three early interceptions meant they only had a 1-point lead at halftime, and in the end, their defense isn't nearly good enough to secure a win with just 10 points scored.
- Falcons (Pythag) @ Saints (Line)
- I don't want to read too much into just one game, but it does look like the Saints defense is much improved over last year's squad. Certainly in this game, they played a key difference, holding the Falcons to just 17 points, and making a game-winning goal line stand in the closing seconds. Meanwhile, the Falcons are now 3-9 at the Saints since realignment. And one of those wins came in 2005, when the game was played at the Alamo Dome due to damage from Katrina.
- Vikings (Pythag) @ Lions (Line)
- A very bad first game for the Vikings. Other than that 78 yard touchdown run, Adrian Peterson had 15 yards on 17 carries. Christian Ponder threw three interceptions and lost a fumble. Instead, it was the Lions with Reggie Bush and Joique Bell finding out how much easier it is to win with a solid running game.
- Giants (Pythag) @ Cowboys (Line)
- Neither one of these teams looked very impressive Sunday night, but the Giants were in particularly bad form. You just can't turn the ball over 6 times (especially on the road), and have much chance to win.
Totals
| R | W | |
|---|---|---|
| Pythagorean | 9 | 7 |
| Line | 12 | 4 |
