1:00pm
Cleveland @ Tennessee
Line: TEN -6
Matt: Frankly, this is a pick against Ryan Tannehill. I hope and expect for him to throw a pick or two in this game, in fact.
Matt’s Pick: Cleveland
Fleet: Battle of the RBs today. Hopefully Chubb’s cuisine reigns supreme, but that Henry player is pretty good.
Fleet’s Pick: Cleveland
Las Vegas @ NY Jets
Line: LV -8.5
Fleet: A few weeks ago I picked the Jets for the upset, which was a mistake. I guess the Raiders lost to the Jets last year before a bad end of the year led to them missing the playoffs. LV is without Josh Jacobs, but like previously mentioned, you never pick the Jets upset.
Fleet’s Pick: Las Vegas
Matt: Per ESPN.com, The Jets have faced five teams that entered a game on a losing streak (ranging from two to four games) this season, and the Jets lost them all. It’s tempting to say the Jets are going to win a game this season, but this team is truly awful.
Matt’s Pick: Las Vegas
Jacksonville @ Minnesota
Line: MIN -10
Matt: Wellp, at least AEW is doing well.
Matt’s Pick: Minnesota
Fleet: Similar to the Jets pick. Why pick a Jaguar upset? When alternatively you could not do that.
Fleet’s Pick: Minnesota
Cincinnati @ Miami
Line: MIA -11
Fleet: Fitzpatrick is one happy lobster.
Also to reference a last week pick blurb: I mentioned Kevin Stefanski maybe being an okay coach (refreshing due to the mess of ex-brown coaches) and hopefully all my pro-Stefanski talk doesn’t jinx it (or go to his head, I know you’re reading this Kevin). Anyways back to my point – Flores seems to also be a good coach, and good coaches might call it close with bad teams, but they don’t lose.
Fleet’s Pick: Miami
Matt:
Matt’s Pick: Miami
Indianapolis @ Houston
Line: IND -3.5
Matt:
Matt’s Pick: Indianapolis
Fleet:
Ex-Browns Coaching Tree Battle of the Week! Or: six degrees of Browns-eperation
Ex-Browns for the Colts – Matt Eberflus (Browns linebackers coach 2009 – 2010) current Colts defensive coordinator, and Raymond Ventrone (Browns safety 2009 – 2012) current special teams coordinator. Making their second appearance of 2020.
Ex-Browns for them Texans – Romeo Crennel (Browns DC 2000, HC 2005-08) current Texans interim head coach, Carl Smith (Browns QB coach 2001-03, 2009-10) current Texans offensive consultant, and Anthony Weaver (Browns dline coach 2014-15) current Texans defensive coordinator & dline coach.
In true babyface fashion the undermanned team of Eberflus and Ventrone win via distraction finish. “By god it’s the ghost of Brady Quinn, Crennel is now distracted!”
Fleet’s Pick: Indianapolis
Detroit @ Chicago
Line: CHI -3
Fleet: Time for the annual tradition of picking the team that fires a coach I dislike! Way to go Lions! Patricia was not good! Well at least not a good Lions head coach. Time as Patriots defensive coordinator = good, time with Detroit = bad.
Fleet’s Pick: Detroit
Matt: With the Nick Foles era looking to be done in Chicago, I like Mitch Trubisky to keep up his strong play vs the Lions, arguably the only NFL team Mitch Trubisky ever looks good against.
Matt’s Pick: Chicago
New Orleans @ Atlanta
Line: NO -3
Matt: Classic trap game here. Nobody is going to tell you Atlanta’s defense is “good”, but they are frisky, and they can cause turnovers. Taysom Hill isn’t much of a passer so far, completing 9 of 16 passes for 78 years, no TDs and an INT last week vs the Broncos. Hill did run for two TDs though. Atlanta’s defense is much worse than Denver’s, but I think they’ll be able to steal the ball from the Saints a few times, and squeak out a stinky underdog W.
Matt’s Pick: Atlanta
Fleet: Raheem Morris has the Falcons playing pretty well. They lost to Taysom in his first start. That was only a few weeks ago. This game would probably go a long way for Raheem retaining the HC job. I think the Falcons win here.
Fleet’s Pick: Atlanta
4:00pm
NY Giants @ Seattle
Line: SEA -10.5
Fleet: Hopefully all NFC east teams lose this week and the Giants continue to lead the division at 4-8.
Fleet’s Pick: Seattle
Matt:
Matt’s Pick: Seattle
LA Rams @ Arizona
Line: LAR -2.5
Matt: It’s a new day in Arizona, but the Rams generally beat the shit out of this poor Cardinals team. LA has won 6 straight vs the Cardinals, by a margain of 195-56. We’ve seen Arizona buck trends already this season (the big win vs Seattle comes to mind, also the fact that they’re generally good?) but I think Sean McVay might have Kingsbury’s number.
Matt’s Pick: LA Rams
Fleet: Matt had some crazy Cardinals v Rams stat during the McVay era, I forget the exact numbers but the point differential is bad. This is the first game out of two this year, so if Kliff and co. want to change the narrative now is the time! Or something.
Fleet’s Pick: Arizona
4:15pm
New England @ LA Chargers
Line: LAC -1.5
Fleet: My pro-Herbert agenda begins today! Nah, I just think the Chargers might win this one. Everyone keeps talking about how Lynn mismanages games which is true. There is a universe where the funky Pats offense doesn’t show up and the Chargers get a lead which Lynn doesn’t really need to manage all that well. I am betting on this universe being the universe we live in.
Fleet’s Pick: Arizona
Matt:
Even if their opponent weren’t stacking the deck against them, the Chargers are prone to shitting themselves.
Matt’s Pick: New England
Philadelphia @ Green Bay
Line: GB -10
Matt:
Matt’s Pick: Green Bay
Fleet: Carson Wentz contract bad?…Well no, he signed it after a great year. If the Eagles want to get rid of Wentz the Browns should bring him in to backup/push Baker. The NFL is a “what have you done for me lately league” (not that any sport is different) still I think Wentz deserves one more year with a healthy o-line and actual WRs before he is completely written off.
Fleet’s Pick: Green Bay
8:15pm
Denver @ Kansas City
Line: KC -14.5
Fleet: ‘Member that time the Broncos didn’t have a single qb for a game? I ‘member.
Fleet’s Pick: Kansas City
Matt: Denver is going to cover this number I think, but let’s be real here.
Matt’s Pick: Kansas City, Denver covers
Monday, Dec 7
5:00pm
Washington @ Pittsburgh
Line: PIT -8.5
Fleet: The Steelers have to lose eventually right? Not buying the football team being the team. Yes, they destroyed the Cowboys. Yes, Alex Smith throws the ball a million times to RBs. Consider this though the Steelers defense isn’t the Cowboys.
Fleet’s Pick: Pittsburgh
Matt: See previous blurb. I don’t like the number, but if Ben Roeth plays, how do you put money on Washington over Pittsburgh?
Matt’s Pick: Pittsburgh
8:15pm
Buffalo @ San Francisco
Line: SF -1
Matt: The fact that San Francisco is favoured here confuses and alarms me. I was fixing to bet on Buffalo, but now I’m extremely weary. The 9ers are a good team that are slowly getting more healthy, but I think Buffalo has enough to win a close one on the road. Give me the Bills, but don’t put any money on it.
Matt’s Pick: Buffalo
Fleet: Time for my weekly shrug pick of the week. I could talk about San Fran playing in Arizona or something about the Bills but instead I give you:
Shrug?
Fleet’s Pick: Buffalo
Tuesday, Dec 8
8:05pm
Dallas @ Baltimore
Line: N/A (as of yet)
Fleet: Ahahahaha, picking this mainly because I want to bolster the Browns playoff chances with a Ravens L. Also, maybe just maybe the Cowboys might be playing for a bit of the old pride after getting a beat down on Thanksgiving. Wait, haven’t they been playing bad all year, essentially giving them multiple chances to show said pride? Also double wait, isn’t their division literally awful, meaning they are still in the playoff hunt? Also Ravens have been very limited in practice lately. Idk I picked the Cowboys.
Fleet’s Pick: Dallas
Matt: It’s Baltimore if Lamar plays, and it’s a terrible fucking game if he does not. It’s probably a terrible game either way, actually.
Matt’s Pick: Baltimore
