| NFL
Week 8 Picks - October 26, 2006
by: VIP.com
Editor’s Note: The
selections in this column are purely the opinion
of the writer, and are not being endorsed by any
or all parties.
Baltimore (+2) at New Orleans
Baltimore is 4-2, but lost
their last two games to Denver and Carolina before
their bye-week. Coach Brian Billick is calling
the offensive plays now that coordinator Jim Fassel
is fired. That means there is no one to blame
but him if the offense continues to struggle.
To get the offense going,
running back Jamal Lewis has to strike fear in
the defense once again. If Lewis gets going, then
quarterback Steve McNair can go to play-action
more often and make some more plays down the field.
McNair is listed as questionable with a concussion
and sprained neck, but will play.
New Orleans is 5-1 on the
year and a perfect 3-0 at home. The story of this
team has been so perfect, it is almost as if Hollywood
wrote the script. Quarterback Drew Brees and running
back Reggie Bush have brought enthusiasm to the
franchise, and their suffering fans have rallied
around the team in momentous fashion.
Brees is 7th in the NFL in
quarterback rating, and his pocket presence is
a great neutralizer to a pressure defense. The
Saints have also allowed just six sacks all season,
which means that the offensive line gets plenty
of credit too. New Orleans is averaging over 24
points per game this year, but 20 should be good
enough for a win this week.
Outlook: The feel good
story of the year continues as New Orleans has
enough offense at home to get win number six.
NFL Free Pick: New
Orleans
NY Jets (+2) at Cleveland
Cleveland is 1-5 on the year,
and an awful 0-3 at home. Part of the blame lies
in a tough early schedule that included New Orleans,
Baltimore and Denver at home, and Carolina and
Cincinnati on the road. The Browns have been in
a lot of close games, but that doesn’t mean
much to Browns’ fans and management.
Cleveland would love to be
able to establish the run with Reuben Droughns
this week as the Jets run defense is not good.
However, Droughns has struggled all year, and
that has left quarterback Charlie Frye in charge
to win games. Frye can make the big play, but
his 10 interceptions are the worst mark in the
NFL.
The Jets are 4-3 and one
of the pleasant surprises in the AFC. A lot of
the credit has to go to first year coach, Eric
Mangini, who has taught his team how to win close
games. Critics will point out that those wins
came against lightweights like Miami, Buffalo,
Tennessee and Detroit, but Cleveland is not exactly
playing like the Chicago Bears either.
The best news about last
week’s 31-24 win over Detroit was the running
of rookie Leon Washington. Washington rushed for
129 yards, and that kind of effort is badly needed
again so Cleveland’s defense can’t
concentrate solely on stopping Chad Pennington.
The Browns are 29th in the NFL against the run.
Outlook: Cleveland
has not shown the ability to pull out games, even
at home. The Jets keep up their momentum.
NFL Free Pick: NY
Jets
St. Louis (+8.5) at San Diego
San Diego is 4-2 and coming
off a 30-27 loss to the Chiefs. Kansas City is
one of the toughest road venues to play in, so
you can’t read too much into the loss, but
the Chargers can not be too happy about their
struggling running game. The good news is that
quarterback, Philip Rivers has stepped up for
the most part when needed.
The Chargers got some relative
good news when linebacker, Shawne Merriman decided
to appeal his steroid suspension. He will play
this week, although linebacker Shaun Phillips
is out with a calf injury. Merriman is badly needed
to put a pass rush on Rams’ quarterback,
Marc Bulger.
St. Louis is 4-2 and coming
off the bye-week. Their last game was a 30-28
home loss to Seattle in a game they could have
easily won. Bulger threw for 360 yards in that
game, and he has 10 touchdowns versus just one
interception on the year. He is also the 3rd rated
quarterback in the NFL.
Bulger can have success this
week against the Chargers’ secondary, but
the team will feel better if Steven Jackson can
keep the Chargers’ defense honest. Jackson
has had at least 20 rushes each week, and the
Rams will shoot for that number this week as well.
Outlook: San Diego
gets the win, but look for this game to be closer
than the spread indicates.
NFL
Free Pick: St. Louis
For all NFL betting picks,
please visit VIP.com
Posted by miker at October
26th, 2006 11:16 AM
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