NFL Pick 'em 2011: Week 5

[Dragon]

We have the first round of byes this week - only thirteen games this time. There are some intriguing matchups here, though none involving the cream of the NFL (unless we can put Detroit and Chicago in that category!) Instead, we get a road test for Andy Dalton's young Bengals, a tilt between the resurgent Bills and the disappointing Eagles, a duel between the beleaguered Steelers and a reinvented Titans offense, another "can these guys catch a break?" match-up for the Colts against the Chiefs.

Sun, Oct 9
NO @ CAR
KC @ IND
PHI @ BUF
SEA @ NYG
CIN @ JAX
TEN @ PIT
OAK @ HOU
ARI @ MIN

TB @ SF
NYJ @ NE
SD @ DEN
GB @ ATL

Mon, Oct 10
CHI @ DET

Byes: Ravens, Browns, Cowboys, Dolphins, Rams, Redskins


Survivor Pool

Dragon: ARI, DET, SD, ATL
Liam Jinn: SF, DAL, PIT, GB
Jedi Master Carr: GB, PIT, TB
jjwr: HOU, BAL, CHI
Kyran O'Hurn: BUF, TEN, NO
Lykaios: PIT, SD, TB
Mu Satach: DET, SD, GB
Rutabaga: GB, SD, NO
Ryan Pode: GB, TEN, TB
Yog: DEN, PIT, SD, GB
Park Kraken: TB, PHI, HOU, JAX

[Park Kraken]

Sun, Oct 9
NO (W) @ CAR
KC @ IND (W)
PHI @ BUF (W)
SEA @ NYG (W)
CIN (W) @ JAX
TEN (W) @ PIT
OAK @ HOU (W)
ARI @ MIN (W)

TB (W) @ SF
NYJ @ NE (W)
SD (W) @ DEN
GB (W) @ ATL

Mon, Oct 10
CHI @ DET (W)

Seppuku Streak Pick: CAR

[Morgan Evanar]

Sun, Oct 9
NO @ CAR - Carolina won't keep up.
KC @ IND - ewwwwwwwwww.
PHI @ BUF - I'm nervous about this game. Philly has been underperforming and the Bills looked flat against the Bungles.
SEA @ NYG - Seattle is real bad.
CIN @ JAX - *spins in a circle and points*
TEN @ PIT - Pittsburgh should be hungry.
OAK @HOU - The King is Dead, Long Live the Raider King!
ARI @ MIN - Arizona pulls out a close one. I think. Another coinflip.

TB @ SF - Tampa Bay has been pulling out squeakers but SF wins? This is a tough week to pick.
NYJ @ NE - Mangold might not play but it won't matter. The Evil Genius will gameplan this to victory, but NE's weak secondary will make Sanchez look tolerable again.
SD @ DEN - Denver is bad.
GB @ ATL - The Falcons are better at home but not enough to stand up to the Aaron Rodgers onslaught.

Mon, Oct 10
CHI @ DET - Detroit's strengths go against Chicago's weaknesses nicely. Suh will probably kill Cutler Da Bear's linebackers can't help against Megatron.

[Kyran O'Hurn]

What a bunch of dog games this week.

Sun, Oct 9
NO W @ CAR
KC @ IND W - Going with Indy since it's probably their best chance at a win.
PHI @ BUF W
SEA @ NYG W
CIN W @ JAX
TEN @ PIT W
OAK @ HOU W
ARI @ MIN W

TB @ SF W
NYJ @ NE W
SD W @ DEN
GB W @ ATL

Mon, Oct 10
CHI @ DET W

Survivor SD

[Morgan Evanar]

This is a difficult week to pick. There are a lot of garbage games against garbage teams but that makes it trickier. Who's crappier is kind of the question?

[Jedi Master Carr]

Sun, Oct 9
W NO @ CAR
W KC @ IND
W PHI @ BUF
SEA @ NYG W
CIN @ JAX W
TEN @ PIT W
OAK @ HOU W
W ARI @ MIN

TB @ SF W
NYJ @ NE W
W SD @ DEN
W GB @ ATL

Mon, Oct 10
CHI @ DET W

Survivor pick NYG.

[Miranda Tarkin]

Sun, Oct 9
NO (W) @ CAR
KC (W) @ IND
PHI @ BUF (W)
SEA @ NYG (W)
CIN (W) @ JAX
TEN (W) @ PIT
OAK @ HOU (W)
ARI (W) @ MIN

TB (W) @ SF
NYJ @ NE (W)
SD (W) @ DEN
GB (W) @ ATL

Mon, Oct 10
CHI (W) @ DET <--- I am like a Cubs fan. Never give up XD

[Dragon]

Sun, Oct 9
NO WIN @ CAR - As we've seen so far, the key to beating Cam Newton is to let him throw for over 370 yards.
KC @ IND WIN - Look, it's got to happen sometime.
PHI @ BUF WIN - I'm through with you, Philadelphia.
SEA @ NYG WIN - The Giants' pass rush is enough to win this one.
CIN WIN @ JAX - To listen to sports radio in Cincinnati, you'd think the Bengals clinched the Super Bowl last week.
TEN @ PIT WIN - Come on, guys, you have to figure this line thing out.
OAK @ HOU WIN - It's scary that Oakland may be bringing a more potent offense to Houston than Pittsburgh did.
ARI WIN @ MIN - The Vikings seem to be one of those teams that just finds ways to lose.

TB WIN @ SF - San Francisco confuses me this year, but the Bucs have a better QB, RB, and defense.
NYJ @ NE WIN - The Jets just looked awful against the Ravens Sunday night.
SD WIN @ DEN - I'm sorry, Denver, even Tim Tebow can't save this team.
GB WIN @ ATL - The mercy rule should have been invoked when we last saw this matchup - in the divisional round of the NFC playoffs. If the Falcons can't get up for that...

Mon, Oct 10
CHI @ DET WIN - And tigers. Oh my.


Survivor Pick: Saints

[Nathanial K'cansce]

Sun, Oct 9
(W) NO @ CAR
KC @ IND (W)
PHI @ BUF (W)
SEA @ NYG (W)
(W) CIN @ JAX
(W) TEN @ PIT
OAK @ HOU (W)
(W) ARI @ MIN

TB @ SF (W)
NYJ @ NE (W)
(W) SD @ DEN
(W) GB @ ATL

Mon, Oct 10
CHI @ DET (W)

[Ryan Pode]

Sun, Oct 9
NO Win @ CAR
KC @ IND Win
PHI @ BUF Win
SEA @ NYG Win
CIN @ JAX Win
TEN Win @ PIT
OAK @ HOU Win
ARI Win @ MIN

TB @ SF Win
NYJ Win @ NE
SD Win @ DEN
GB @ ATL Win

Mon, Oct 10
CHI @ DET Win

Survivor: NYG

[Mu Satach]

Sun, Oct 9
NO W @ CAR
KC @ IND W
PHI @ BUF W
SEA @ NYG W
CIN W @ JAX
TEN @ PIT W
OAK W @ HOU
ARI W @ MIN

TB W @ SF
NYJ @ NE W
SD W @ DEN
GB W @ ATL

Mon, Oct 10
CHI @ DET W

Survivor ARI

[Morgan Evanar]

I want to change my Oakland vs Houston pick but I'm not sure the spectre of Al Davis can overcome Arian Foster.

[Rutabaga]

Sun, Oct 9
NO WIN @ CAR
KC @ IND WIN They've gotta win one sometime, don't they?
PHI @ BUF WIN
SEA @ NYG WIN
CIN WIN @ JAX eenie meenie minie mo....
TEN @ PIT WIN
OAK @ HOU WIN home field advantage goes to the Texans
ARI WIN @ MIN eenie meenie minie mo part 2

TB @ SF WIN could be a tough one but going with my Niners
NYJ @ NE WIN
SD WIN @ DEN
GB WIN @ ATL I feel sorry for the Falcons, this is going to be gory

Mon, Oct 10
CHI @ DET WIN Lions eat Bears, nom nom nom

Survivor pick: NYG


Part of me does wonder if the Raiders will have an emotional push behind their efforts tomorrow due to the death of Al Davis, but it could also affect them in the other direction. I'm sticking with Houston.

As it is, I've always hated Al Davis, so I shed no tears for him personally. But of course my sympathies go out to his family and friends.

[Liam Jinn]

Sun, Oct 9
NO (W) @ CAR
KC @ IND (W)
PHI @ BUF (W)
SEA @ NYG (W)
CIN @ JAX (W)
TEN @ PIT (W)
OAK (W) @ HOU
ARI (W) @ MIN

TB (W) @ SF
NYJ @ NE (W)
SD (W) @ DEN
GB (W) @ ATL

Mon, Oct 10
CHI @ DET (W)

Survivor Pick - Bills... it's what the beer tells me to do

[Yog]

Sun, Oct 9
NO (W) @ CAR
KC @ IND (W)
PHI @ BUF (W)
SEA @ NYG (W)
CIN (W) @ JAX
TEN @ PIT (W)
OAK @ HOU (W)
ARI (W) @ MIN

TB (W) @ SF
NYJ @ NE (W)
SD (W) @ DEN
GB (W) @ ATL

Mon, Oct 10
CHI @ DET (W)

Survivor: New York Giants

[Lykaios]

Saints
Colts
Bills
Giants
Bengals
Titans
Texans
Vikes
Bucs
Pats
Bolts
Pack
Lions

Survivor: Giants

[Figrin D'an]

Sun, Oct 9
NO (W) @ CAR
KC @ IND (W)
PHI (W) @ BUF - Make or break game of the first half of the season for Philly. They can either turn their season around, or send it into a complete tailspin.
SEA @ NYG (W)
CIN (W) @ JAX
TEN (W) @ PIT
OAK (W) @ HOU - I think the Raiders play inspired, and this is just the type of game that Houston has been prone to lose.
ARI (W) @ MIN

TB @ SF (W)
NYJ @ NE (W)
SD (W) @ DEN
GB (W) @ ATL - Don't care what anyone says, don't care that Atlanta has struggled so far this season... this game worries me.

Mon, Oct 10
CHI @ DET (W) - Lions win, but I think this is closer than most people will expect.

[jjwr]

Sun, Oct 9
NO (W) @ CAR
KC @ IND (W)
PHI (W) @ BUF
SEA @ NYG (W)
CIN @ JAX (W)
TEN (W) @ PIT
OAK (W) @ HOU
ARI (W) @ MIN

TB @ SF (W)
NYJ @ NE (W)
SD (W) @ DEN
GB (W) @ ATL

Mon, Oct 10
CHI (W) @ DET

Survivor : New Orleans

[Rutabaga]

Damn, damn, damn, I'm stuck with Oakland playing Houston and having to listen to my Raider fan neighbor hoot and holler. I'd rather be watching Philly and Buffalo.

[Nathanial K'cansce]

Damn, damn, damn, I'm stuck with Oakland playing Houston and having to listen to my Raider fan neighbor hoot and holler. I'd rather be watching Philly and Buffalo.

Same. Minus no one is hooting or hollering, but I have... Seattle/Giants and Pit/Tenn.