Week 8 Picks

Week 8 is here! About half of the teams will be at the midpoint of their season after today's game. Amazing. The season feels so young.

The New England Patriots slapped the Miami Dolphins back down to earth on Thursday night. Here's a look at the remaining games in week 8.

Buffalo, Jacksonville, Philadelphia, and Washington are on bye.

Minnesota Vikings @ Chicago Bears
Pick: Vikings
The Vikings haven't won in Chicago since 2007. Adrian Peterson was a rookie then. He ran for 224 yards that day. That great day. The Vikings have to end this sad streak.

Detroit Lions @ Kansas City Chiefs
Pick: Lions
Jim Bob Cooter! It's Cooter time in Detroit. Both teams are struggling through frustrating seasons. The Chiefs lost Jamaal Charles for the season. The Lions fired Vince Lombardi's grandson. The offensive struggles of the Lions resulted in the firing of offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi and offensive line coach Jeremiah Washburn this past week. Quarterback coach Jim Bob was promoted to the coordinator spot. It's Cooter time!
Jim Bob Cooter!

Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Atlanta Falcons
Pick: Buccaneers
This is a "why not" pick. The Falcons struggled to beat the Tennessee Titans last week. A Titans team without their starting quarterback. The Buccaneers blew a huge lead against the Washington Redskins. I have an easier time seeing the Buccaneers responding favorably. But Julio Jones could blow up that thought.

San Diego Chargers @ Baltimore Ravens
Pick: Ravens
These two teams combine for three wins. 3! Very surprising. The Ravens have had a shot in every loss. They were within a single score in each. They have to come through this time. At home. Against a Chargers team that keeps finding ways to lose.

Arizona Cardinals @ Cleveland Browns
Pick: Cardinals
The Cardinals had a close one on Monday against the Ravens. This one shouldn't be.

Tennessee Titans @ Houston Texans
Pick: Texans
Coin flip.

New York Giants @ New Orleans Saints
Pick: Giants
The Saints have played a couple of good games since Drew Brees returned to the lineup. The Giants are a mystery. They win games that they should lose. They lose games that they should win. I'll go with the mystery team. For some reason.

Cincinnati Bengals @ Pittsburgh Steelers
Pick: Steelers
How will Ben Roethlisberger perform in his return from injury? The Bengals have been perfect. At least when it comes to wins and losses. And wins and losses are the only things that really matter. Can they continue at this perfect pace? This feels like the right time, right team, and right place for that first loss.

San Francisco 49ers @ St. Louis Rams
Pick: Rams
Todd Gurley and the Rams defense. That's a fantastic combination. The Rams always seem to play like a Super Bowl contender when they face a division foe. Th 49ers have been a mess more often than not.

New York Jets @ Oakland Raiders
Pick: Jets
The Raiders have been one of the great surprises of the season and they have a bright future. The Jets are a more complete team right now.

Seattle Seahawks @ Dallas Cowboys
Pick: Seahawks
The Seahawks haven't played like a team that took part in the past two Super Bowls. The Cowboys haven't won a game since they lost Tony Romo and Dez Bryant to injuries. The Seahawks have more going for them right now.

Green Bay Packers @ Denver Broncos
Pick: Packers
A great nightcap. The two teams combine for a splendid 12-0 record. Something has got to give. The Broncos have had a more difficult time staying undefeated. I trust Aaron Rodgers more than Peyton Manning to score enough points to win this game.

Indianapolis Colts @ Carolina Panthers
Pick: Colts
The Monday night affair. The Panthers started the season with four breezy wins. They passed much stronger challenges the past two weeks to get to 6-0. This season has been a disaster for a Colts team that entered the season with Super Bowl dreams. Andrew Luck leads his team to enough points to win this week. He's far too good to struggle like he's been struggling.

An unprecedented five teams entered this week at 6-0. New England, Cincinnati, Green Bay, Denver, and Carolina. If my ludicrous picks hold, two teams exit week 8 undefeated. New England and Green Bay.

Jim Bob Cooter!