NFL Picks Week 4: Which Teams Will Sink to Bottom of Their Divisions?

This week in the NFL, we will begin to see some shakeout in the divisional races.  Some teams that were expected during the preseason to compete for playoff spots are in danger of sliding towards the bottom of their respective divisions.

Atop that list sits the Altanta Falcons.  So far the Falcons are off to an extremely disappointing start, especially on the road, where they are 0-2.  Today they take one of the worst road trips in the NFL when they visit the Seattle Seahawks.  While the team on the field doesn’t exactly strike fear in opponents’ hearts, there isn’t a nastier environment in the entire league for the visiting team.  Until the Falcons prove that they can take care of business on the road, I’m taking jet lag and the hostile crowd.  Seattle wins 24-21.

Next on the list is Dallas.  Dallas is currently tied atop the NFC East.  However, with Philadelphia likely getting a W today against San Francisco, Dallas will find itself in a tie at the bottom of the division.  Detroit is simply a better team than Dallas this season, especially with Dallas already being banged up across the skill positions on offense.  Suh will knock Romo out of the game as the Lions move to 4-0.  Detroit wins 27-17.

The Jacksonville Jaguars seized the wide open Manning-less AFC South by the throat in Week 1 with a big divisional win against the Tennessee Titans.  Since then, they have been atrocious, having already waved the white flag on their season with the transition to rookie QB Blaine Gabbert.  While they may not be able to catch the free-falling Indianapolis Colts, the Jaguars will cement their cellar-dweller status for this season with a blowout loss to the Saints today.  New Orleans wins 35-10.

The Chicago Bears desperately need a win today to keep pace with the Green Bay Packers and the Detroit Lions.  While they have a great opportunity to get one against the visiting Carolina Panthers, I see this one as an upset this week.  Chicago’s pass defense will get burned a couple of times by Cam Newton, and Charles Johnson will have a huge game at Jay Cutler’s expense.  Carolina wins 28-24.