Last Week
Joe:10-4Aaron: 9-5
Joe: 83-48Aaron: 77-54 Indianapolis at Jacksonville
Aaron: Here's hoping that the NFLNetwork's otherwise reputable and entertaining pregame anchor Rich Eisen isn'ttasked with reading some contrived line about how declaring the winner of thisgame will be easier than declaring the state's electoral college winner. Or, at least give the line to co-host DeionSanders -- if only for the sheer joy of watching him silently mouth"e-LECK-tor-al" to himself as they fade to breaks and STILLmispronouncing it as "electrical" in the end. Pick: Indianapolis
Joe: Try as I might, I can't find ANYtrace of cynicism in myself for this Chuck Pagano stuff. He's great andinspiring and Andrew Luck seems like a really good guy and I will probably berooting for them for the rest of the season. I worry about this being a trapgame, though: division foe, on the road, short week, dreams of playoffs dancingin their heads. Jacksonville has exactly nobody on their team right now, butthey still hang close with everybody. And picking counter-intuitively hasworked for me on Thursdays. Pick: Jacksonville
NY Giants at Cincinnati
Aaron: The recent stretch ofmediocrity by Giants QB Eli Manning was going to catch up to the team sooner orlater, as last week's loss to Pittsburgh shows. It feels like it's arriving a little late this season, but here's yourannual -- and unnecessary -- collective panic attack, Giants fans. Pick: Cincinnati
Joe: I certainly wouldn't like headingto Cincinnati coming off of that disappointing loss, but that's just the Giantstricking everybody into thinking they're not that good before springing thetrap. They do that. It's exhausting. Pick: NY Giants
Tennessee at Miami
Aaron: This Dolphins teamisn't terrible? And,two weeks from today, they could be 6-4 with the Titans and Bills as their nexttwo opponents. Then comes Seattle...NewEngland...San Francisco. Well,then. On the plus side, you guys stillhave the CUTEST helmets in the NFL! Pick: Miami
Joe: As we saw last week, though,scrappy team defense is sometimes felled by an offense without a whole lot ofweapons. Still, this is a good matchup for Miami. Pick:Miami
Detroit at Minnesota
Aaron: The Lions have won three oftheir last four and even QB Matt Stafford -- who asphyxiated my fantasyfootball season -- has shown signs of not being the unproductive, dinged-upjerkface that he was in September and October. Sorry. I'm not letting that jowlyass back into my heart. Pick:Minnesota
Joe: Same. Also, is everybody talkingabout Adrian Peterson's improbably comeback season when I'm not around or what?Because nobody should stop talking about it. Pick: Minnesota
Buffalo at New England
Aaron: Well...on the plus side, inabout 10 days, Joe will be back home in Buffalo and surrounded by family andfriends as he enjoys a sumptuous Thanksgiving dinner. He's already hard at work on the holiday centerpiece-- a tribute to the trailblazing women who made our country great, includingGeorgia O'Keefe, Susan B. Anthony, and Marjory Stoneman Douglas (who worked topreserve the Everglades). Pick:New England
Joe: Beat up on the Bills as much asyou want, New England. Doesn't make you any less flawed a contender in the AFC.Pick: New England
Atlanta at New Orleans
Aaron: We've reached thepoint of the season in which I foolishly assume THIS will be the week the lastundefeated team will lose. After a fewweeks of this, I'll pick 'em to win and THEN they'll lose. It's an autumn tradition! Pick: New Orleans
Joe: I actually think the Saintsending the winning streak at home is just the kind of effed up thing toactually happen, but I'll ride the hot hand here. Pick:Atlanta
San Diego at Tampa Bay
Aaron: Fun facts! The Chargers have four wins this season --including two against the 1-7 Chiefs. The combined record of the opponents they've defeated: 7-18. Yes, they beat my Raiders, but THAT JUSTPROVES MY POINT. Pick: TampaBay
Joe: Somehow, the psychodrama ofwatching you react to a terrible Chargers season is more harrowing thanwatching you go through a winning Chargers season. Pick: TampaBay
Denver at Carolina
Aaron: The narrative will surely focuson the composed leadership of Peyton Manning vs. the poor posture and terribletable manners of Cam Newton. So, I'mrooting for Newton to go all-in on the heel turn and whack Manning with a steelchair immediately after the postgame handshake. Pick: Denver
Joe: If Newton's going to turn heel onanyone, it might be his supporting cast of bumblers and good-for-nothings onthat Carolina offense. Pick: Denver
Oakland at Baltimore
Aaron: Why, hello,inevitable injury to Raiders running back and the team's best player DarrenMcFadden! What on earth kept you? Pick: Baltimore
Joe: The sorry state of my fantasyseason can probably be summed up by the fact that my dismay last Sunday camenot at McFadden's injury, but from the subsequent injury to his backup MikeGoodson. Sigh. Pick: Baltimore
NY Jets at Seattle
Aaron: 20 years ago,soon-to-be-sh*tcanned Jets head coach Rex Ryan would've had his choice of"tween" TV shows to fall back on. This was the era that gave us former Raiders DT Bob Golic as a dormadvisor on Saved by the Bell: The College Years and Hall ofFamer Dick Butkus as a basketball coach on Hang Time. Today, Ryan will be lucky to land the 12th or13th seat on one of ESPN's omnipresent pregame shows. Pick: Seattle
Joe: How dare you shun the proudlegacy of My Two Dads? HOW DARE YOU? You gotta figure theSeattle defense is drooling at the things they're going to do to Mark Sanchez.(Speaking of drooling at the things one would want to do to Mark Sanchez,[REDACTED]!) Pick: Seattle
Dallas at Philadelphia
Aaron: Do the Eagles still do thatthing where they don white jerseys at home versus Dallas JUST so the Cowboysare forced to wear their rarely-seen dark jerseys? Don't the Redskins do this, too? I mean...take that,Dallas? Pick: Philadelphia
Joe: I'm way less confident in my pickfor the winner of this game than I am in my pick that the losing team will get90% of the post-game attention for the entire NFL. "What does this meanfor the future of Andy Reid/Jason Garrett/Tony Romo/Michael Vick/DezBryant/Terrell Owens/Jerry Jones/Rocky Balboa/Sal Paolantonio/RonJaworski???" Pick: Dallas
St. Louis at San Francisco
Aaron: After defeating Green Bay inthe season's first week, the "Super Bowl" noise following the 49ershas settled down somewhat. They're still6-2, but they're obliterating bad teams and are led by a limitedquarterback. Keep this in mind comeplayoff time, degenerate gamblers. Pick: San Francisco
Joe: I can't believe Halloween cameand went and no one dressed up as the re-animated Frank Gore. Who knows howlong this productive streak from him can last, but as long as those bolts inhis neck hold up, he'll keep on moving. Pick: San Francisco
Houston at Chicago
Aaron: The Bears are 7-1 yet field the29th-ranked passing offense in the league with a middle-of-the-pack passingdefense. I suppose their run defense isthe great equalizer, but it's not like they've faced Texans All-Pro RB ArianFoster yet. Conversely, an outdoor gamein what's expected to be inclement conditions could be the equalizer forthat, so now we're right back to where we started. Cansomeone loan me a coin? Pick:Houston
Joe: Riding the Bears until they loseand this free me from having to so such unpleasant things as ride the Bears.Pick: Chicago
Kansas City at Pittsburgh
Aaron: So far, the biggeststory from this game is whether Steelers offensive coordinator -- and erstwhileChiefs head coach -- Todd Haley would be inclined to have Pittsburgh run up thescore against his former team. Randommidseason NFL fever! Pick:Pittsburgh
Joe: Not that Roethlisberger v. Casselis SO uninspiring a matchup, but I'll be watching this and longing for the dayswhen these teams were mirror images of each other, from their awkward middlingQBs (Steve DeBerg! Neil O'Donnell!) to their punishing RBs (Bettis! Okoye!) totheir equally punishing defenses and cacophonous fans. But, you know, MattCassel seems like a nice enough guy. Pick: Pittsburgh
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