Week Eight: Who Might Win a Game On Sunday and Monday?

It was week 16 of the 1999 regular season, and I did something that I had never done before: I picked the New York Jets to win. Picking the Jets to lose was one of my sports superstitions; and, as it turned out, I was generally right. But for whatever reason, that Friday I chose the 6-8 Jets to defeat the 9-5 Miami Dolphins-in Miami, no less. That year was the last time I’ve ever taken part in an NFL company pool; I predicted every game correctly. Go figure.

As I began to make my picks, I instead decided to first read an article to see how writers on Bleacher made their picks. Fortunately for me, I chose to read  Sayre Bedinger’s knowledgeable, well written, and well thought out analysis. Afterward, I realized how little I know about a sport I’ve been watching for the better part of four decades. Although, I plan to make my picks this week, as always based on a team’s record, where they are playing, and gut feeling, I plan to read and understand as much as I can about I love to watch and play. In the future, I hope I make picks based on my knowledge of football, rather than ostensibly flipping a coin. I think the pun was intended.

Thank you, Sayre, for the inspiration to do something I should have done years ago.

For now, here are picks for week eight-based on nothing, really.

DENVER BRONCOS	21
BALTIMORE RAVENS	19
CLEVELAND BROWNS	6
CHICAGO BEARS	31
HOUSTON TEXANS	23
BUFFALO BILLS	27
MINNESOTA VIKINGS	24
GREEN BAY PACKERS	27
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS	17
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS	30
MIAMI DOLPHINS	24
NEW YORK JETS	27
ST. LOUIS RAMS	10
DETROIT LIONS	20
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS	17
DALLAS COWBOYS	28
OAKLAND RAIDERS	10
SAN DIEGO CHARGERS	27
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS	21
TENNESSEE TITANS	23
CAROLINA PANTHERS	17
ARIZONA CARDINALS	27
NEW YORK GIANTS	20
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES	24